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#problem is that bc like i said she ghosts her followers a lot of her followers will just take these doctrines to justify their atrocities
bragganhyl · 6 months
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ngl these "which eoran god is/isn't problematic" polls make me wanna rant about Magran but I don't have the braincells rn
edit: i did end up ranting in the tags whoopsie lmao
#hablaty#I love magran as a character and as an... imperfect to say the least goddess#but I will also blow a gasket if my fire godlike watcher won't ever get the option to drive a sword through her heart#bc holy shit do i also hate her#she too is a ''god of staying in your lane'' really she only ever steps in to intervene if some god or another starts shit#thing is tho: her followers aren't like her#a lot of folks of the violent murder hobo variety is drawn to her bc god of fire and war and whatnot#but if you read the codex entries on her she doesn't actually urge people to start wars#the doctrines are actually more along the lines of ''don't start shit take no shit'' or idk#don't go out of your way to start a conflict for no reason but be always ready for war basically#she pushes people to embrace their power and strive for bettering themselves through struggle#problem is that bc like i said she ghosts her followers a lot of her followers will just take these doctrines to justify their atrocities#she doesn't want eothasians gone bc she doesn't care enough about them to want that#she doesn't want animancers gone bc she supports animancy#but she won't stop her followers bc she doesn't interfere with kith unless she has to protect them from the other gods#but also on the flip side if she does step in she will stop at nothing to win#even if that means building god killing weapons and then having her priests off themselves deploying it#even if that means wiping out her own fire giant children in a volcanic eruption (whomst you can save btw pls save the rathunn they're nice#and even if that means eating the souls of her godlike children who#magran is incredible cruel and also very cool and I have very complex feelings on her and just aaaa
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devilsrecreation · 1 month
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Buckle up bc this is gonna be heavy
Imagine an “It’s a Wonderful Life” type TLG fanfic/episode (ik ik cliche much?) where Jasiri starts having doubts about being an under-appreciated ruler of the Outlands after a particularly bad day. She doesn’t wish that she was never born, but she DOES start to wonder if she made the right choice of agreeing to the role of Prime Minister. Cue Ushari’s ghost visiting her in her dreams and telling her how the Outlands would be worse without her ruling it, and it soon devolves to what an alternate world would look like without her in it
-Without her, Kion’s perception of hyenas wouldn’t have changed and he wouldn’t have learned “Sisi ni Sawa”. Not only him, but she showed a lot of animals how there were good hyenas
-Not only has she saved Janja’s life multiple times, but she changed his views on life in general. He would have never started respecting the circle of life. At the most, he’d probably be dead and his boys would follow through without a leader
-Janja may have told Kion how to defeat Scar, but it was really her who convinced everyone to actually listen to him in the first place
-Life would have definitely been harder for her clan if she was never born. Madoa wouldn’t have a shoulder to cry on or anyone to assure her that the clan will get through their hardships. Hell, I don’t know if Wema and Tunu would have made it without her since she always put their needs over hers
-The rest of the Outlanders would have never had another chance had she not been a prime minister
-Reirei and her pack wouldn’t have accepted to respect the circle of life and would have been worse off had they moved
-Kiburi’s float would have stayed independent…and that would have been their downfall. Unlike the Pridelands, the Outlands have less food and water. Because of Kiburi’s pride, he wouldn’t think or trust anyone to ask for help and his float would have been starving and dehydrated. This would lead to arguments and Kiburi pushing his friends away…eventually, for good
-Mzingo would have tried to rule the Outlands, but no one, except for his parliament, would listen to him. Not even the hyenas. This would make him give up and flee the lands in search for a better life, leaving the animals they raised to fend for themselves without their wisdom
-The skinks would have stayed cold and bitter about Scar and Ushari’s deaths. If not for Jasiri’s idea to reform, all they’d be to the rest of Africa was another food option, since they wouldn’t meet Kenge or Sumu to protect them
-Speaking of Kenge and Sumu, she’s been their therapist. She listens to their problems and she’s taught them that not everyone is bad. Without her rule, the two wouldn’t have pushed themselves to be better animals and instead be all alone and bitter, the both of them dying emotionally AND physically
It could be the same for Kiburi as well. Maybe he’s tired of messing up or he doesn’t believe that he could really change because of all the bad things he’s done. But believe it or not, he’s done a lot of good things without even realizing it and the world would kind of suck if he had never been born:
-Piga would have never genuinely smiled or have his spirits lifted, not even with Ucheshi. Kiburi is his pride and joy and had he never existed, Piga simply wouldn’t have been happy. And to add on, Piga would be much harder on his kids, with Ucheshi being effected the most
-Ucheshi may be the exact opposite of Kiburi and he HAS said things like “How are we related?”. But he has never EVER encouraged her to change who she was. Kiburi is the reason she’s so happy and free, because he let her be herself. Piga wasn’t like that. Under his rules, she would have lost her spirit and become cold and untrustworthy, making others cry instead of laugh. Not to mention, Kiburi played a role in her and Makuu’s love story. His banishment and their argument was essentially the cause of them falling on love, with Makuu comforting Ucheshi and Ucheshi making Makuu laugh, which made him develop feelings for her and show his tender side. Have I mentioned how close they are? Like Kiburi is genuinely a good brother to her
-Tamka wouldn’t be accepted for who he is. Everyone judged him, everyone dismissed him for lacking intelligence. But not Kiburi. Kiburi was the first friend Tamka ever made and who didn’t seem to judge him, thus why he remained loyal. Tamka wouldn’t have anyone to really depend on without him
-Oh Nduli….poor poor Nduli. His life would have been miserable if he never met. Kiburi was the one Nduli really looked up to, the one who was always so nice and welcoming when he first hatched. It was Kiburi who convinced Piga to take him in after Kinywa died, it was Kiburi who cared for him most of his life, and it was Kiburi who promised that nothing bad was going to happen to him no matter what. Who knows what would happen to him without the best croc in his eyes?
-Neema wouldn’t have anyone to appreciate his intelligence. Sure, he’d follow Makuu and he’d still live in the Pridelands with Tamka and Nduli, but he wouldn’t be happy about it. He always really sided with Kiburi about a lot of things, he just kept quiet about it.
-If you think about it, Kiburi’s the reason Makuu turned out to be such a great leader. As hatchlings, Kiburi was Makuu’s greatest support system ever since he said he wanted to be the next leader. Makuu beating Kiburi proved to be good sparring practice and he used those skills to win the mashindano. Even after the friendship ended, he still inadvertently helped Makuu grow, with him repeatedly defeating Kiburi proving his development to the members that were still wary of the new change in leadership.
-Hodari would have never joined Makuu’s float. Hodari helped Makuu defeat Kiburi with a hurt leg and that got him to be an honorary crocodile. Without him, the rejection would have destroyed his lively, happy-go-lucky personality over time with broken dreams
-Even though it was Makuu who used to idolize Pua, not even he took some of his lessons to heart like Kiburi did. It’s subtle, but Pua can tell when someone listens to his advice and he appreciates that. It’s the little things that keep Pua going :)
-Kiburi didn’t think anything of it, but calling Kenge “big” did something to the lizard. The only other animals who did that were ones (mostly reptiles) that were smaller than him, but to have someone bigger say it so casually, it hit different. For the first time, Kenge felt truly validated. He got to be seen as an equal and that wouldn’t have been possible if Kiburi didn’t exist
-Hukumu would have kept thinking that bad/evil animals don’t change for the better, but when she met Kiburi…that changed. It was understandably hard for her to accept that her love wasn’t…the best crocodile, but he proved that he changed since then
-Wakali’s simple. Without a father to adopt and love her, she wouldn’t be alive
-Oh and Hatari would still be alive and have eventually killed all the crocodiles in the Pride Lands. His crocodile-hating reign of terror wouldn’t have ended if Kiburi wasn’t there to stop him. Not to mention the effect the lack of crocodiles would have in the circle of life
-If there’s one good thing that Kiburi is constantly doing, it’s how he ALWAYS has his friends’ backs. How he’s so protective over them and deep down, just wants everyone to be treated right. Before the dry season, all of his intentions were good. He just went about it via the crocodile way bc that’s how he was raised
Jasiri ends up getting an appreciation party for all the stuff she goes through and Kiburi comes back feeling more grateful about where he is now
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mrvlbimbo · 2 years
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Ok, omfgomfgomfg ilysm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went through like a lot of your blog (I think lol) just now at 11:47 bc idc about sleep and ilysm and your blog!!!!!
Can we get something about reader getting into a fight with a jock because he hit and/or upset Eddie? Like, maybe she could kick his ass but she would also have gotten her fair share of hits?
If you don't want to that is absolutely fine!
I love you so much x1000000000000000000000000000000000
Aaaaa I love this. Also I noticed u liking a bunch of my posts hehe.
I’ve been writing sm fluffy stuff lately I’m in my lovey-dovey era ig. Dw though I’m gonna post some full on smut later today I think.
Warnings: fighting, bruises and blood it’s minimal but it’s there, very mildly suggestive I think
“You talk about him like that again and I will fucking kill you,” she snapped at the jock who had been pestering Eddie all afternoon.
Even before that this guy was causing problems for them, him being the reason they were all in detention.
Maybe they were the ones at fault for saying his mom was “way bangable” and questioning how he could even be her son. But that didn’t give him the right to punch Eddie in the face.
So now they were all sitting in a cold and empty classroom, teacher long gone, waiting for the clock to hit 5:00 so they could leave.
The time was almost up when that idiot opened his mouth, prompting her response which he just chuckled at.
“Munson, control your slut,” the jock grumbled, barely able to get the words out before her fist was colliding with his face.
She got the first hit in so she was at an advantage, the solid rings on her fingers snapping against his jaw harshly as she refused to hold anything back.
Despite her ruthlessness, he was far larger and he also got a few hits in in the short time they were tussling. The time was short because before long Eddie was pulling her away, murmuring something under his breath and urging her to leave with him.
And so they left, a subtly awkward silence following them the whole car ride back to his trailer and until they sat down on the couch together.
She fiddled with her rings, trying to find something to say. This motion drew his eyes to her knuckles, which were busted and bruised from her earlier fight.
“C’mon let’s clean you up,” he grumbled, grabbing her forearm and leading her into the bathroom.
She hopped onto the counter infront of him and let him get to work on her hands. He cleaned and bandaged her knuckles while she looked down at his concentrated expression.
His eyebrows were furrowed in concern and he bit his lip slightly, his big brown eyes narrowing at the cuts on her hand and flinching away from the blood. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said finally.
“Yeah I did,” she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders and moving her torso a bit too much. She flinched and he noticed immediately.
“Take your shirt off,” he demanded.
“Ooooo. Gettin risky. I like your style, Munson,” she teased peeling her shirt off and throwing it on the floor haphazardly.
His fingers ghosted over the bruises that were already showing on her torso. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out, his voice was broken as if he was about to cry.
“Eds. It’s not your fault.” She brought her bandaged hands up to cup his cheeks, forcing him to look at her eyes instead of the purple splotches covering her abdomen.
His fingers dug into her waist in spots where there were no bruises. “Fuck. I shoulda stopped him.”
“Do you remember when we were at that rock concert and that rando grabbed my ass? You just fuckin went apeshit on him, I think you broke his nose.”
“Yeah of course I remember that.” He sighed, remembering the scared look on her face and the way she smiled thankfully at him after he dealt with things. They took a long break from concerts after that, his suggestion even though she assured him it was fine.
“We protect each other, that goes both ways,” she asserted, brushing her thumb over the apple of his cheek.
Without thinking, he closed the distance between them. His lips brushed softly against hers, barely even a kiss but the intention was clear.
“Eddie,” she breathed out, threading her hand in the back of his hair and drawing his mouth back to hers. This kiss was much more intense, her tongue slipping into his mouth as he moaned into it.
He pulled back, looking at her sparkling eyes and kiss bitten lips. “That was…wow.” He shook his head, trying to make sure this wasn’t all a dream.
“That was wow,” she giggled, fingers clasped around the neck of his shirt to hold his chest to hers.
Taglist here:
@angelsarecallin @sebby-staan @niviiera @chaoticgurl @evqans @slut-for-matt-murdock @multihaven @tinyboxxtink @hold-our-destiny @weh-heh-heh @battiebabe216 @captain-satan @avril-reblog-cave @dragon-ash13 @stxvercgersslut @fangirl199812 @variety-fangirl @buckybeefybarnes @strangerthings64
(Lmk if u want to be added)
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frozenhi-chews · 2 months
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idk much about starlo actually can you tell me about him :]]]] @ghost--girlfriend
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FREAKING STARLO-
There's gonna be spoilers, so-
Okay so, he's in Undertale Yellow, the Undertale fangame that came out in December of last year. And tbh I was preoccupied with other things so. Yeah that's why I didn't get into UTY until the last couple days of January. (But it did mean there's a lotta fanart now so. Huehue)
STARLO HIMSELF THO. HOUGH GOSH I love him. He's the Sheriff and leader of the Fiesty Five, running a small town in the Wild East. He goes by North Star, then, his sheriff persona.
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(Sorry for the crappy screenshot, I was taking a very excited video seeing him for the first time in-game)
Like from the get-go you can tell he's kinda a dork. And a lovable one too! In game, he sees that Clover's a human, takes them, and locks poor Martlet (the blue bird girl) in jail. She's a Royal Guard, having her there is a risk. And Star just deceives Clover is gonna be his Deputy. All because they're human! He also says this and it's funny
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(He's talking about those scenes in Westerns when humans ride horses into the sunset, but bc he doesn't know anything about the surface, he thinks they're riding into a big ball of fire. And I said that the horses were fireproof too, it's just funny!)
He takes you on all these silly missions just to train you/Clover as his Deputy. He gets you a gun, makes you have a "dual" with him (he pronounces "duel" as "dual"), does a train trolley problem. Says this
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Best line in the game, hands down.
When he makes Clover the Deputy, his friends are VERY much upset. Thinking it was just a regular spot. Stars goes to get something, the Fiesty Four battle Clover, he comes back VERY much upset, and they talk about how much he's changed since Clover arrived. One by one they just. Quit. And he's very much upset about this.
You follow him and FREKAING BATTLE TIME-
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His theme "Showdown!" is SO GOOD-
Asking why Clover walked into town, talking about how the sheriff stuff is pointless and "monsterkind's hero" is a title covered in blood. Cuz then he's realizing stuff. He wants to make amends and fix his posse. He wants to fix his relationships. Thinking that taking Clover's soul is the only way to do it. Even tying them up in a lasso so it's harder for them to move. (You make him shoot his own lasso) (he's also left handed :3)
Badda bing badda boom, one shot left, and before he shoots you, his childhood friend Ceroba comes around and tells him to stop it. It's a really good scene, her telling him that no one hates him, just the reckless sheriff front he's made. She wants the real him back, the innocent farmer he was. He accepts and just-
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HE'S SO FREAKING CUTE????? LIKE OH MY GOSH!!!
Yeah he's a nerd. But gosh dangit I love him!!
You can even go to the farm where he's from and see his family. He's got a brother, mother, and father. Turns out he's a really good singer! Oughh-! Also his mom said he used to have a crush on Ceroba, but was devastated when she got engaged to someone else. Ah, such is heartbreak.
They were close friends, still are
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(Also I love how his hand isn't even touching her. Poor mans had such a huge crush on her)
Gosh he's adorable.
He's also a really good friend. He made the Wild East town and North Star front just to make Ceroba and others happy. Give them a slice of the surface when there was none. Distract them, make them happy. It's all one big silly roleplay thing and it does make the monsters there happy.
Also in genocide you don't even fight him. You have a duel and shoot him. If he does it first, he has a BB gun and admits that he's a fraud and thanks you for making him feel cool for a second before Ceroba finds you and comforts him as he's dying.
Which is funny, cuz he didn't seem all that opposed to literature shooting an innocent child and throwing TNT at them!! All for breaking up his posse too. Although he kinda did it himself, and he is a lot more emotionally charged. But it's still crazy to think he would lasso and shoot at an innocent kid, but in Genocide, faced with a literal murderer, he just shoots you with a toy gun. Like DUDE YOU HAVE YOUR OWN REVOLVER. USE THAT!! Even if it's not a fight and just a QTE, at least have him shoot the kid-
That sounds weird out of context
He's just. I love him. I love him so much, this adorable guy who's trying his best to make others happy. Just. I love him!!
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Shoot for the stars, Space Cowboy
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a-shizno · 2 years
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A rvb dnd au where Tex was originally supposed to be the BBG of the campaign but Church’s character rolled a nat20 in seduction leaving the DM scrambling to:
a) find a way to give her personality
b) salvage the plot with the fact that Tex is not only a PC’S girlfriend but and old flame (thanks a lot York)
c) Figure out how to act out said personality and said plot changes
D) not murder Wyoming about how much he’s laughing
(‘shut up i let York keep his character as a ghost because he died to a series of unfortunate nat1s from the group as a whole during the first session. Not because he was sulking’)
It all comes to fruition as the following:
• Carolina tried to kill off Tex a couple of sessions in. She wasn’t prepared to do more than a simple NPC and monologues as a DM and felt that her stilted characterization was not something she wanted to ruin the campaign
• explained that Tex had made a pack with a strange God to become a warlock so they could obtain their goal
• established that Lopez was an enchanted suit of armor that was cursed to speak Spanish. York decided possess said armor
• Wyoming (who was playing Sarge btw) got written in as a villain because his“don’t act like it’s that hard to fix a campaign! Just write in a secret boss that we never could’ve predicted being such a thorn in the side when we were so focused on Tex!” Speech was not taken as well as he hoped
• Carolina brought back Tex bc she actually missed being able to interact with the others in game
• North fucked up a side quest by picking up a cursed blade! (guess who he played). He was aware that the quest was to guide crunchbite to the artifact! He knew he shouldn’t touch the glowing sword! He was going to take it for the lols. Now he has earned his consequences!
(Too bad he adores Junior with all his heart, made him a custom figure and everything)
• Connie and South very much are Simmons and Grif respectfully and the fact that the irl pinning is so severe that they have accidentally made their characters act like a married couple
•Tex’s betrayal marks the end of the first campaign where they take a break so Carolina could make a new campaign for they characters
•mean time they played two shot Out of Mind, and Recovery One in which they see some very familiar characters
•PLOT TWIST TURNS OUT THESE WEAK GODS ARE ACTUALLY JUST PARTS OF THIS ONE YOUNG GOD! THAT HE WAS TRICKED INTO STRIPPING AWAY PEICES FROM HIMSELF BECAUSE THE TOWN THAT WORSHIPED HIM WAS UNDER SEIGE AND AT THE TIME HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE!
bound to a relic that was hidden away He would give these smaller beings of ‘himself’ to do his will and help his people he would give them to the Director, the man he based his human visage after, not realizing that the siege was won and that the Director was now using these fragments to Gain more power as a ruler. He gives them to his strongest knights.
• Washington joins the campaign! He as new to DND, having tested the waters in the two shot and just just added himself but as a moody badass.
•Church is a god!
•The meta is still a thing and Maine, (who was very tickled to be the big bad) had been playing Lopez but took a break to play meta
•Church’s sacrifice is the end of another campaign!
•we tune back in on the new campaign! And Washington had a request for Carolina between stories
•even Maine was shocked when is was revealed by breaking Lopez’s sigil mid session that Sir Washington was a villain for this campaign, all except Florida
• Florida was heartbroken when he realized that two characters was too much for him at the moment and he had to choose between his characters. He eventually mentioned this to Wash who hinted that he could fix the issue
•he did not tell Florida beforehand the plan but he can’t complain bc it definitely solved the problem and the fact that he was able to save Doughnut’s life while giving Doc the spotlight was really great all around.
• with the artifact being saved Church is reborn as epsilon
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soulfullofold · 2 years
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HIHIHIHIHIHI #18, #32, #40 OF COURSE and #27 if its cathartic!
😳 writingwritingwriting
#18 Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy version: Questioner provides the passage.
Wellllll after showing up in your dms like buff garf it's been determined that my recent set of haiku will be the victims of this, specifically 457's!
So I guess overall I should begin by saying that tldr; one of the main tenets of haiku is to write from your own experiences. After doing this exercise, I agree; living the moment is the best way to condense it down to a tiny thought nugget moment in haiku. For most of my esk, this is not a problem. I already tend to base my esk where I've lived or been or from my experiences so this was a walk in the park for most of them. 457 is my first esk that really. Challenged me in that way because she's nowhere where I've been or what I've directly experienced. She's kind of still in a mutable space in my mind, I guess, with her nature features being from one place but me wanting to transplant her to another...and there was a lot of thought early on about what time period I wanted her to be from, exactly--ancient hunter or more modern? She's taken like 2% more shape since when I first got her and I really need to do more serious noodling but. I was treating her haiku as like little "obvious" or concrete notes about her personality. Sometimes that's what you gotta do to write lol. Just put something on paper. I was pretty surprised you wanted to know about these, since out of the entire set, these were some of my least favorites overall...Just because I felt they lacked the richness of others that drew on my experiences, because she's in this still-developing limbo, and...I don't think they're really haiku. I think the bitter-snark of her voice fits more for senryū but that's my onion. ANYWAY
ferns on the riverside whip-poor-will in the leaves oh, i will never return here
whip-poor-wills are migratory and I just liked the play between continually coming back to a place and 457's bitterness/sadness/angry spitting "I will never come back here". Self destructive much??? Also it's really subtle but I like the arriving bird & the play on leaves as in leaving idk just a fun thematic element. Though I definitely made a mistake and probably should have said nightjar instead of whip-poor-will bc. w-p-ws ARE in the nightjar family but I think when I wrote this I was thinking more specifically of a nightjar. IT"S FINE it's FIne please forgive me my ornithologist friends
the forest dies unceremoniously i bite back bitter tears against the sweet smell of rot
You know the Smell of a mushroom or a log rotting. Actually I got to Smell It this past week bc I just came back from a hiking & biking trip but YEAH it's such a visceral smell to me. I liked the LOOSE cutting word / juxtaposition between bitter and sweet. I also liked the um. Kind of "if a tree falls in a forest..." thing & 457 whoooo self-isolated herself in life and falls into eskhood unceremoniously. Lost into lost.
hollow as stone light as tin quiet as a thrush
a bundle of contradictions(?) here. stone can be hollow or solid. tin can be light or heavy. birds can sing or be silent. i thought it kind of fit her vibe to be both like. something that she shouldn't be, but also defiantly empty as;kdlfj hard to explain. It's the vibes. I went with tin here specifically because one of the motifs I associate with her is a tin camping mug that she drank her coffee in.
running is futile the earth still follows on the underside of my sole
Ah, I dunno this one felt so 14 year old journal to me but alas here we are. She scrambles through the forest trying to...outrun Something but she's surrounded by forest, inundated in it...isn't that what she Wanted in life? Idk she just has to be a ghost to work out what's been bothering her. I did have an adjacent experience to this where when I came back from hiking in Arizona I found sandy dirt and mud pressed into the soles of my hiking boots, No doubt from Beaver Creek that had somehow dried and stayed lodged in there even after all the other hiking around Prescott. Unlike 457 though I thought it was a delightful discovery :')
forest’s sweet solitude is only for those who refuse to hear
Another kind of eh one for me. I'm continually inspired by Richard Powers' Overstory so this is a brief synthesis of those ideas poured into 457. Aside from that, I was thinking about how peaceful and idyllic people regard forests are when in reality they're buzzing with activity and decay and communication at all times.
ANYWAYS R&R my haiku LOL
32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you?
Y'know I've never been a quote person. People always ask like "what's your favorite quote" and I literally never know what to say. I feel like I can never remember ONE line of anything perfectly vs like. The core concepts in peoples' works. I return to images / film bits WAY more often than words.
But when I was thinking about this last night, an iconic line from WTNV popped into my head. It isn't even my favorite by far, but I remember hearing it and thinking wow... it's (i think) from the pilot, about Cecil describing Carlos: "teeth like a military cemetery". Again, not even like one of the more poignant ones but it really impressed on me in 2013. I think one of the hallmarks of my writing (past & present) isssss the way I make comparisons or string together ideas like poetry. Wow that sounds super indulgent but I think that's something that always catches my attention in writing and something that I consciously or subconsciously do with my own. Just the surprising "huh!" evocative connections between ideas. Or like little details. Thinking of johnmountaingoats' lyric in Picture of My Dress about the Dallas Texas Burger King & the extra mayo. The rhythm of it too. Mil-i-tary-ceme-tary. I think of another quote hilariously. Well, not really a quote because I KNOW it's not right and I forget WHO said it. But something like "the place of poetry is on the tongue". I think the rhythm sticks with you there. Plus of course like. Being the first openly gay / queer Media (outside of fic) I ever consumed. That pilot episode meant a lot to bby me!!!
#40 Please share a poem with me, I need it.
How about... Good Bones by Maggie Smith:
Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children. For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird. For every loved child, a child broken, bagged, sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world is at least half terrible, and for every kind stranger, there is one who would break you, though I keep this from my children. I am trying to sell them the world. Any decent realtor, walking you through a real shithole, chirps on about good bones: This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.
comment for one person only but Buckle about Donny thanks
27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?
Hmm...I was thinking about it and probably honestly Ora. Not because she's stressful to write, but because I put a lot of pressure on myself to get her right. Mostly her dialogue I waffle on, trying to make it Sound like her but not be too curt but not be Too wordy etc. etc. Also out of all my characters, she's the one I do the most research for because of the setting and time period. I like including historical details or making a scene feel plausible for its world so I put a lot of energy into research for her!
THANKS FOR THE AAAAAASK I know it was a doozy!
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hilarychuff · 2 years
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5, 9, 17?
5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?
hmmmmm do i have any writing superstitions
i mean i don't think it is like bad luck to write out of chronological order but i do think like... fat chance you'll be writing the same exact story you anticipated by the time you get to the part you were writing in advance. i talked about that a lil here too
maybe that is not true for others though like maybe if you have a really clear idea of what you want to happen you can do that but for me it is just a recipe for having to kill your darlings probably
that said again i do like to jot down notes for what i'm working towards so that i can do a lot of plotting/potential problem solving/sketching out chapter lengths (specific to i carry it in mine really bc of the perspective swap) at once and the way i write my notes is p entertaining to me
9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know
i answered that one before too!! here it is
????¿¿¿¿ i don’t know tbh!!!! i believe some things are def unexplainable and i don’t like to think that when you die you are just dead. personally, i have never had any kind of ghost encounter that wasn’t probably just some like sleep paralysis nightmare. i have friends who have their OWN ghost encounters and not just in a one-off kind of way, but then you also read all those things that are like “old haunted houses actually plagued by carbon monoxide leaks probably” and it’s like well that makes a lot of sense lmao.
reading an article about the original/real conjuring house with the perrons was v fascinating though, i’ll say that. not that they couldn’t have all collaborated on that together but i am certainly of the mind that we do not know all there is to know or all there ever will be to know about the world around us!! we’re still learning! regardless though i love a ghost story or piece of ghost media.
to add: i did also recently meet a 10 year old who told me in the middle of a VERY serious conversation that she can talk to ghosts and later in a serious follow up conversation she told me that her mom can too and whatever my take on the supernatural may be, i definitely believe that she believes it
17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.
hmmmm ok i have a couple things in the pipeline right now 
i haaaaave 
1) ideas brewing for howl 3. as far as i’ve gotten, can’t decide if i want to tell any of it from jon’s perspective. that feels very breaking dawn in the twilight saga to me lmao but also sidney is not in so much of scream 3 that it feels like it might be a good narrative adaptation??? but haven’t committed to anything yet. i have an idea of the basics of who is ghostface/why but haven’t figure out yet a) how to make it not super obvious (tricky for howl 2 and i managed by mostly keeping things off page which worked imo only because it was a faithful adaptation if you only stick closely to sansa/sidney’s perspective) b) the actual details of like..... how it would work in practice 
2) i carry it in mine. i’ve started writing the next chapter!!!! which is a jon chapter. and which maybe had like one particularly worthwhile moment in it but i decided to split a sansa chapter into two chapters which meant i needed a jon chapter to go in between. and he’s got thoughts brewing!! but i didn’t necessarily have a lot of action steps for him. and he just had a mainly thoughts chapter. so for a long time i was like.... idk what to write here i’ll come back to it later. and now i have revisited it more and i’m like.... wait what about THIS. something that felt obvious but i hadn’t considered it before. and now i’m like???? does that change the potential narrative??? do i want to update what happens next to accommodate that potential change? is there a way to have that update while also neutering it so it doesn’t have a larger impact??? the next jon chapter is also potentially more thinky and reacty. idk i want to give them equal weight and not do jon a disservice just bc i am a sansa gal at heart but also it just so happens that right now sansa is at a more action packed part of the story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh
3) i have some finished au graphics that don’t have blurbs written for them yet for various reasons one i haven’t figured out the like surrounding cast of characters necessarily for the “ft. a as x, b as y, c as z” part at the bottom of them. i also haven’t gotten around to writing the blurb at all but i don’t think that’ll be the tricky part. 
i am always like hesitant to say what they are in advance bc i am a lil gremlin hoarding ideas lmfao look at me being so cautious literally why and for what 
anyway i also have another that was fully done but i had two final versions i couldn’t pick between and @loulanorth very sweetly let me bounce some ideas around and i think after much Contemplation™️ i finally decided which one is THE final one but now i have to write the blurb
i have another one where honestly the finished version of the graphic has been in my drafts for fully seven months. it’s one where i think i really want to actually write something for it, and i started the other day. but then i was like “idk if this is how arya would actually respond” and it threw me for a loop. idk i find myself like... i was telling @chdarling yesterday that i think when writing my obstacle is not with getting the words on paper so much as it is with knowing what the characters would do. i want to find the objectively correct answer but also sometimes there isn’t a single objectively correct answer. but what if there is!!! i want to find it!!!!!! and then sometimes it’s just like. ok sigh. maybe you can wait until it comes to you. wait out the contemplation percolation stage. but then other times.... does it really matter???? what if you just picked one that suited the story you are trying to tell and then fleshed out why they feel that way. doesn’t that work??? idk. letting it percolate a lil longer just to see
and then then i have another finished graphic but again some of the background casting/mechanics haven’t been fleshed out yet so i can’t write the blurb until i figure out all the moving parts
ALSO not jonsa or sansa related at all, i also have a marauders era mediator au that i started back in like 2015 that i started rewriting in maybe like 2020 that i don’t want to publish any of until i am at least caught up to where i was but also have no incentive to work on really because nobody is waiting for it so lmao. but that one is fun and i like to think about it when i’m feeling marauders vibes. but in adapting the mediator series framework i just have ideas for a larger overarching character arc/romance and it would take SO LONG TO WRITE!!!! that it’s almost like. anyway!!!!! maybe it’s just fun to have ideas!!!! lmfao 
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ncssian · 3 years
Text
A Favor: Part Twenty-Three
Nessian Modern AU
Masterlist
a/n: so yeah this isn’t my best work bc i havent been feeling great lately but i hope you guys can stay patient with me until i get my shit together. we’re almost to the end🤞
***
Sitting crammed between Elain and Feyre on the gray couch in Lana’s office, Nesta has to cross her legs prettily and pretend she doesn’t want to peel out of her skin right there. She doesn’t know what she was thinking when she invited her sisters to one of her therapy sessions, but she’s assuming it would be considered rude to kick them out now.
“Who wants to speak first?” Lana’s bob swings as she looks at each of them. The office is ice cold today, and Feyre and Elain’s presence doesn’t help the chill in the air.
Nesta crosses her arms before she can be asked to speak. “No, thank you,” she says. She knows everyone probably expects better from her, but no way in hell is she going to be the first to open up in front of this crowd. “Feyre,” she turns to her youngest sister instead, “why don’t you say something?”
“Actually, why don’t you set the example, Nesta?” Lana gives her a look, making her cheeks redden with irritation.
“Fine,” Nesta grumbles. She clears her throat. “As you can see, I have made moves to reconnect with my sisters. I invited them here because I hoped that therapy would bring us closer and also make them more… tolerable.”
Elain coughs, “Bitch.”
Nesta smiles tightly. “Elain could especially use this, I think.”
Lana is already frowning. She never frowns this early into a session. “We’ll start with an easy question, then. What’s been on your mind lately, Nesta?”
Nesta purses her lips, pretending to think. “Nothing important. I’m looking at jobs for the summer. I think Azriel keeps sneaking money into my purse, and it’s starting to become more than a little condescending. I caught up with some friends from school, and I was polite enough to pay for lunch.” She mentions off to the side to Elain, “Lucien was there, too.”
“Why would I care?” Elain sneers. She spies Lana’s disapproving look and lowers her head demurely. “Sorry,” she murmurs.
“That’s alright,” Lana says. “Why don’t you go next?”
“Me?” Elain’s head snaps up, and Nesta holds in her snicker.
“Start by describing your relationship with Nesta. I heard you two used to be very close.” Lana uncaps her pen, preparing to write.
Elain flushes lightly and folds her hands. “That was when we were children. The only thing keeping us together was that we shared a home. When we stopped living in the same place, some of us had no problem leaving others in the dust.”
“You can use my name,” Nesta rolls her eyes, “I’m right here.”
From the corner of her vision, Feyre cringes.
“Are you saying you feel abandoned by Nesta?” Lana continues probing.
Elain’s answering silence tells more than enough. Therapy must actually be paying off, though, because Nesta only thinks about interrupting and defending herself for a second before shaking it off. Her mind focuses on the word abandonment instead.
Lana is focusing on the same thing, because she leans closer and says, “Being abandoned bothers you?”
“I never said that,” Elain says indignantly.
“It would bother most people.”
Nesta watches Elain sigh and blink her big doe eyes at Lana. She’s always been able to use those eyes on anybody for anything. “I just don’t understand why I’m the villain for expecting a little loyalty,” Elain says sweetly. “Especially when you take a look at this face.” She cups her round cheeks. “You know psychology. How could you abandon this face?”
Nesta’s jaw hangs open. “Are we still talking about me?” She remembers Cassian telling her the story behind Azriel ghosting Elain, and a pang of guilt and pity hits her. She still hasn’t talked with Elain about why Azriel left Velaris, and she knows she won’t be able to decide whether to spare Az or not until she does.
“So that’s my turn,” Elain finishes up. “Feyre can go next.”
Lana is writing something sharply on her notepad, but she nods coolly. “Feyre, how would you describe your relationship with your sisters?”
“Oh, we don’t have time for all of that,” Feyre laughs awkwardly and waves a hand.
Nesta agrees, but the look Lana gives Feyre tells her that yes, they do have time.
Gulping, Feyre glances around. “Well, I was born last, so I guess that made me the outsider of the family. I never had much in common with my sisters, but now that we’re older I… hoped that we would grow past that.”
Translation: she hoped that once she found her happy ending in Rhysand’s arms, poor little Nesta and Elain would happily assimilate into her new community of wealthy friends, putting the cherry on top of her perfect life. And while Elain did that exact thing, it’s always bothered Feyre that Nesta won’t do the same.
Feyre continues, “I admit I’m not the best at understanding Nesta. Elain and I get along fine now, but Nesta…” Feyre meets her eyes. “It’s like nothing we do is enough for her, but for some reason I can’t stop trying.”
“Whose fault is that?” Nesta mutters.
“You want her approval,” Lana hums, taking notes.
“Is that what it is?” Feyre looks away.
Nesta refrains from saying yes, that’s exactly what it is, and it’s not my problem if you keep looking for something I can’t give.
“What are your feelings about that, Nesta?” Lana turns her focus to her. “Remember that this is a safe space.”
It really isn’t, not with two siblings holding long term grudges against Nesta. But once and for all, she’s going to set the record straight. “I spent most of my life being a bad sister.” Nesta’s voice is apathetic, straightforward. “I let Feyre take the burden of providing for us even though I was the oldest, and I didn’t know how to be anything other than cruel to my family. So once I had the means to do so, I cut everyone off for all of our sakes. I still don’t regret it, because being a stranger is better than being a bad sister.”
In that way, Nesta is a bit like her mother. Nesta was angry after her death, but she knows she would have been even angrier if Magdalene Archeron had lived and continued to be a disappointing parent. In that way, both of them are wise for leaving their families when they did.
“Or you could just be a good sister,” Elain interrupts with a drawl.
Nesta smirks bitterly at her. “I’d rather die.”
Feyre takes in a breath. “Why? Why are you like that with us?” She blinks furiously, and Nesta can see the simmer of her emotions. “It was okay when we thought you hated everybody, but you don’t. You only hate me and Elain.”
Nesta looks to Lana for help, but her therapist is sitting this one out. She sighs through her nose. “I don’t hate you,” she says, even though they might never understand. The next line comes with great difficulty. “I’ve loved you since before I even knew what love was. But I don’t like you very much, Feyre, and you don’t like me, either. Please stop trying to change that.”
When she finally meets Feyre’s eyes, though, they’re glimmering with tears. “How can I stop trying to change that?” Feyre whispers. “How can I give up on us like that?”
For Nesta to give Feyre and Elain the relationship they want from her would require nothing but lies on her part. And as much as she wishes she was capable of lying about this, she can’t do it.
Looking away and down at her hands, Nesta mutters, “It’s not fun for me either, but it’s how I am. I can’t be easy or friendly with you. I hate watching you try to make me be easy or friendly.”
Nobody says anything to that, but when Nesta looks up again Lana gives her a remote nod that Feyre and Elain don’t catch. Thank you for your vulnerability, it says.
“You said something interesting, Nesta,” Lana breaks the silence. “Did you see your sisters as your responsibility to raise?”
Nesta shrugs. “I was the oldest,” she repeats.
“Your father was the oldest.”
“He wouldn’t do shit even if you held a gun to his head, so I was up next.” Though Nesta hadn’t done shit either. Neither had Elain, but the rules have always been different for her. Elain redeems herself to others by handing out sunny smiles and pretending to have the intelligence of a fawn.
Lana stares at Nesta until Nesta’s skin starts to heat. “What?” she says defensively.
Ignoring the other two women in the room, Lana leans forward. “You told me once early into our relationship that part of the reason you left Tennessee was to get away from your sisters. You said you were heartbroken when they ended up following you here.”
Nesta doesn’t breathe or look to see her sisters’ reactions.
“Now I’m going to ask: did you really want to get away from your sisters, or did you want to escape the feeling of failing them?”
Nesta doesn’t know how to answer, because to her they might as well be the same thing. Having Feyre and Elain around is like having a weight tied to her chest. The lingering guilt every time Feyre is in a room, her existence screaming I’m the reason you’re still alive. Elain’s constant expectations of unconditional support and loyalty, whether it’s reciprocated or not. It’s all so heavy. And it all goes back to the fact that the three of them were once just helpless children.
If she couldn’t take care of her sisters, how is she supposed to take care of any child, ever?
Nesta releases a weary sigh. “You’re going to bring this up the next time we have the baby talk, aren’t you?”
Lana’s eyes sparkle. “Don’t get ahead of yourself just yet.” But Nesta can see from where she sits that her therapist’s notepad is covered in bullet points.
***
“I need to use the bathroom.” Feyre is hopping back and forth on her feet once the session is over. “You guys head down to the parking lot without me.” She exits in a rush, leaving the two sisters alone. Nesta hisses in frustration, nearly chasing after Feyre so she won’t have to face the inevitable awkward conversation with Elain.
By the end of the session, it was Elain that broke and pleaded with Nesta, “Don’t do everything we want, then. Just keep doing better, the way you’ve already been doing. I’ll be happy with just that.”
Nesta was surprised that Elain had even noticed her efforts, but she retorted, “And how do you plan to do better?”
To which Elain twirled her hair and murmured something halfheartedly about, “I might be more open to taking criticism or whatever.”
Though it was the absolute bare minimum, it was still a relief for Nesta to hear Elain admit that she has flaws worth criticizing.
Now, Nesta clutches the straps of her purse and turns for the stairwell leading to the parking lot. Elain follows without comment.
Inside the stairwell, Nesta asks, “Have you spoken to Azriel since he left Velaris?”
Elain looks surprised at the sudden question, and doesn’t remember to be guarded when she answers, “No. Why?”
Nesta shrugs, her heels thumping loudly on the linoleum stairs. “Because I know what happened between you two. I know why he left.”
Elain halts midstep, grabbing Nesta’s arm and turning to face her with wide eyes. “What do you mean, you know? He told you?”
“He told Cassian, and Cassian told me.” Nesta hardly cares that she’s being a poor friend to Azriel by spilling all this to Elain, and continues, “If I had known he was such a coward, I would have kicked him out of our place a long time ago… but I figured I would get your input on it first.”
She’s never seen Elain look so genuinely pleading before. “Get my input on what?” Elain breathes. “What did he say about me? Was it something I did?”
At that torn face that borders on heartbroken, Nesta decides that she’ll do more than kick Azriel out of the cabin. She’ll kick him off the whole mountain.
She shoves Elain’s back to get Elain detached from her and moving down the stairs again, and as they walk, Nesta spills everything she knows. She tells Elain about Rhysand’s talent of shoving his nose into places it doesn’t belong, and how one conversation with him managed to convince Azriel to ditch Elain for good. She tells her about how instead of having a straightforward conversation with Elain, Azriel chose to leave the city and hide out in the mountains like a pussy. She might sound blunt, but Elain needs blunt. She needs to know the unfiltered truth of things.
By the time they reach the floor where their cars are parked, Elain is silent. “Did he really say that?” she finally asks quietly. “He said he wants me to hate him?”
“That’s what I heard.” After a moment, Nesta feels the need to add, “You should hate him, though. He fucked up bad.”
When Elain continues strolling for their cars without replying, concern bites at Nesta. “You are mad at him, right? And mad at Rhysand? You’re not going to forgive them, right?”
“I’m not a total pushover,” Elain snaps. She stares at the cement ground as they walk. “I’m just… more disappointed than anything else. He gave up so easily.” She chuckles without humor. “It sounds like he was looking for an excuse to get away from me.”
Nesta frowns. “I don’t think he would’ve spent so long moping around our house if he wanted to leave you.” Though they can never truly know what Azriel was thinking or feeling until he grows a pair and talks to Elain. Still, she shudders at having to defend him.
“I take it he doesn’t mope anymore?” Elain says.
Nesta doesn’t know how to answer that truthfully. She knows there’s more to Azriel than he lets her and Cassian see, and she knows he’s gotten better at keeping his feelings to himself. So she says, “It looks like he’s doing better, but I really don’t know.” They reach Elain’s car.
“Were you in love with him?” Nesta suddenly asks. Or worse, is she still in love with him?
Elain digs around for her keys in her purse. “You know how I am. Of course I was.”
“Not anymore, though?”
Elain looks up, keys now in hand. “It’s hard to still feel love for someone I haven’t talked to in two months.”
Then it wasn’t real love. Nesta is relieved, even though it doesn’t change the fact that Elain is hurting either way.
Elain jabs her keys at Nesta and says sharply, “Don’t you dare punish him for what he did. That’s for me to decide on.”
Nesta’s brow creases in refusal. “I’ll do what I need to do, and you do you.” She’ll have to be careful with her plotting, though, considering Azriel is Cassian’s brother.
“No.” Elain surprises Nesta with the force in her tone. “He’s your roommate and your friend. Keep treating him like it.”
Elain makes it sound easier than it is, and Nesta wants to argue until she sees Feyre heading down the parking lot toward them. “Fine,” she grumbles halfheartedly.
Elain gives her one final long look, not of threat but something else. “Thank you—for inviting us today.” That’s all she says before getting in the driver’s seat of her little red car. At the same time, Feyre catches up to them.
“Where are you parked?” Feyre pants as she approaches Nesta. She sounds a bit out of breath, like she ran to get here before Nesta could drive off alone.
Nesta points down the lot to where her scrappy old car is waiting for her, and Feyre straightens up with a grim smile. “I’ll walk you.”
Nesta knows that arguing isn’t worth it, so she allows Feyre to trail her the rest of the way to her car. Once they reach the old thing, Nesta gives a curt goodbye and heads straight for the driver’s door. Before she can touch the handle, Feyre attacks her from behind with a hug.
“Get off me, freak!” Nesta tries to jostle her way out of Feyre’s arms. She tries being nice to her sisters one time and this is what she gets—
Feyre only squeezes her tighter. “You don’t have to hug back. Just let me love you my way.”
Nesta squirms for another second before stilling. Swallowing tightly, she stares at the reflection of herself and Feyre in the car door window. One of her hands goes to where Feyre’s hands are clasped around her stomach, and she stands there without moving. She can’t remember the last time she shared affection with a family member like this, but it must have been before their mother died.
The warmth at Nesta’s back doesn’t leave, like Feyre is trying to pour all her understanding into the hug. Silently saying, I’m finally starting to get it.
In a way, Nesta is starting to get it, too. After all, how do sisters with such a complicated history begin to forgive each other?
Not by apologizing, but by doing better in the future.
***
On her way home, Nesta remembers at the last minute to stop by Gwyn’s apartment to pick up one of her sweaters. She doesn’t know when Gwyn started raiding her closet like it was a free mall, but she has a school event next week and doesn’t plan on letting her nicest clothes rot at Gwyn’s forever.
Nesta enters using the key beneath the doormat, knowing Gwyn is at work and won’t mind her stopping by. She scans the living and dining areas for a glimpse of brown cashmere, but only finds scattered books and a disorganized mess. Her fingers twitch with the urge to stop and tidy up the place, but she continues hunting for the sweater. Gwyn promised it would be waiting in plain sight for her.
Realizing the scatter-brained girl probably forgot to put the sweater out for her, Nesta pauses in the hallway leading to Gwyn’s bedroom and bites her lip. She doesn’t know if bedrooms are off limits or not, considering how often Gwyn and Emerie have barged into hers, but she knows she doesn’t want to make a second trip here just for a sweater.
Without giving it further thought, she strides into Gwyn’s room—
And yelps to find Gwyn on the bed.
Except she isn’t alone, and there’s definitely another body under the dark green blanket with her, and whoever it is definitely has their head between her legs.
Nesta spins away at the same time she hears Gwyn’s cry of surprise. She braces one hand against the doorjamb and presses the other to her freezing cold face, not having any words for what she just saw.
“Nesta?” Gwyn calls from behind her. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Um, have you seen my sweater? It’s the expensive one.” She’ll just grab it and leave. Or maybe she’ll just leave—yes, that sounds like a good idea.
“Nesta?” a new, deeper voice repeats.
Gwyn hisses, and Nesta freezes because she recognizes that voice. She wants to be wrong so badly, but she has to whirl back around to confirm for herself.
“Azriel?”
***
a/n: i decided to cut this chapter short and add an extra one to flesh out my silly little gwynriel subplot. so if there’s anything specific or random you wanna see happen in the next chapter tell me bc i might have space for prompts!!
tagging: @hellasblessed @sjm-things @thewayshedreamed @drielecarla @valkyriewarriors @superspiritfestival @aliveahaahahafuck @cupcakey00 @sayosdreams @rainbowcheetah512 @claralady @thebluemartini @nessiantho @missing-merlin @duskandstarlight @lucy617 @sleeping-and-books @everything-that-i-love @cassianscool @swankii-art-teacher @wannawriteyouabook a favor: @awesomelena555 @julemmaes @wickedqueenoffantasy @poisonous-bloom @observationanxioustheorist @gisellefigue08 @courtofjurdan @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter @wolfiixxx @cass-nes @seashade @royaltykxx @illyrianundercover @queenestarcheron @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @humanexile @that-golden-lyre @agentsofsheilds @mercy-is-alive @cassiansbigwingspan @laylaameer01 @verypaleninja @maastrash @bow-dawn @perseusannabeth @dead-on-the-inside666 @jlinez @hungryreadingaddict @anidealiveson @planet-faerie @shallowhighwaters @ghostlyrose2 @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @rarephloxes @readiajin @nessiantrashh @live-the-fangirl-life @ifinallygavein @xoblivisci @sjmships @jungtaekwoonie-is-life @lysandra-tiara @lanyjoy-13 @frosted-crackers @post-it-notes33 @loosingdreams @fromthelibraryofemilyj @18moneytoad @dontgetsalmonella @champanheandluxxury @togreblog @arinbelle @ladygabrielli1997 @meridainthedisneyland @moodymelanist @pixieelea
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kamoniwa · 3 years
Text
 ⟼ a little madness
・‥…━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━…‥・
⇢ pairing: yokai!kuroo/demon!akaashi/human!reader/werewolf!semi
⇢ au: college!au
⇢ summary: you, your friends, and some friends of your friends all get tricked by one tendou satori into visiting an abandoned amusement park for halloween. it turns out it isn’t ghosts you need to worry about, though.
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⇥  kinktober masterlist
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⇢ warnings: gangbang, noncon to consensual, lots of reluctance, mind break if you squint?, technical temperature play, unprotected sex, creampie, the boys are real gentle in breaking you down
⇢ word count: 11,695
・‥…━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━…‥・
⇢ a/n: don’t really think noncon is my forte but practice makes perfect. is the pairing self-indulgent? fat yes. does this fic make total sense? not really sure. did i have fun writing it? hell yeah. also big thank you to @ishuzoku​ for helping me come up with the flyer bc my og id was garbage lmao.
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Furrowing your brows, you looked at Tendo with a mix of exasperation and unadulterated dismay.
“An abandoned amusement park. On Halloween?” Kaori asked before you could, eyebrows disappearing into her bangs. “You cannot be serious, Tendo.”
If he was put off by your reactions, he didn’t show it. If anything, he was probably relishing in it, and said, “Yes, yes I am. It’ll be fun. Come on, do you really just wanna get drunk at a boring house party on Halloween?”
You snorted at that, stirring your coffee as you said, “As opposed to getting murdered at an amusement park? That’s like, straight out of a horror movie, Tendo.”
“You guys are so boring,” he whined, slumping forward across the table. Shirabu grumbled under his breath, glaring at Tendo as he nudged his drink closer to Shirabu’s textbook. “Look, it’ll be so cool! Exploring all the abandoned funhouses and imagine how freaky the haunted houses will be! Just think about it, okay?”
The looks everyone exchanged said they had and had already made up their minds, but you nodded anyway, if for no other reason than to appease him.
A moment later, your alarm went off and you bid them goodbye, walking towards the door with Shirabu for your next lecture. You were sure as shit not going to an abandoned anything this weekend.
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Except somehow, against all odds, you were piled up in the back of Konoha’s car, crammed beside someone who had been introduced to you as Akaashi Keiji. He was a friend of Bokuto’s and Konoha’s and, upon hearing about your adventure, asked if he could tag along. If you had to peg him, he was more the librarian type than a ghost hunter type-- soft spoken and well mannered with pretty blue eyes that closed slightly when he smiled.
In the front seat were Konoha-- driving-- and Yachi, currently fighting with the radio and Konoha’s phone. 
In the car behind you was someone named Kuroo-- also a friend of Bokuto and Akaashi-- Kaori, Goshiki, and Semi-- a friend of Shirabu, Goshiki, and Tendo. Kuroo was almost ecstatic to be going, but Semi had seemed like he would rather be doing anything else as he climbed into the passenger seat of Kuroo’s car.
The car in front contained Tendo, Bokuto, Yukie, and-- god bless him-- Shirabu. You were sure he was losing his mind as Tendo guided him towards the location of the amusement park. The details on how exactly this had come about were lost on you, but you vaguely recalled a drunken bet made two nights ago and a video that Tendo refused to share properly, but assured you was proof that the group had agreed to the terms of said bet and then lost. Spectacularly. Supposedly.
“So, how did you meet everyone?” Akaashi asked, turning to look at you. The scenery outside was turning quickly from civilization to wilderness, the trees growing thicker the further you drove until you couldn’t tell one trunk from the next. 
Humming, you rested your chin in your hand, bracing your elbow on the door. This was the worst part of meeting someone new during a trip-- tedious small talk. But you had to start somewhere, so you said, “I met Kaori in one of our classes and ‘Toka-- er, Yachi--” The girl turned around at the sound of her name and waved. “-- is my roommate. They kind of introduced me to everyone else.”
Truth be told, you weren’t sure how they had become your core group of friends. From loud and boisterous Bokuto to sullen and taciturn Shirabu, you adored all of them, but you had had your own group of friends before meeting them. Most of those old friends had faded from sight as you found yourself absorbed in your new ones and, while a part of you felt bad, it was just a part of life.
“What about you?” you asked, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. “How do you know them?”
Konoha snickered from the front seat and Akaashi cut him a glare before turning back to you. “I’ve been friends with Konoha, Bo, and Tetsuro since highschool. Kaori and Yukie were our managers,” he said.
Konoha made a turn onto a road who’s name sign had long since fallen off the rusty pole, and you wondered just how far out you had traveled. It didn’t feel like it had been long since you left, but you recognized nothing around you and there was no sign of life. 
“So, everyone but ‘Toka and I were friends in highschool, huh?” You chuckled. “What are the odds?”
Akaashi laughed with you, fiddling with his fingers as he turned back to look out his window. 
The car was now filled with the sound of music, overtaking the silence that fell between the four of you. Konoha was focused on driving and you knew Yachi was more than a little nervous-- you had almost expected her to back out and accept whatever payback Tendo had planned for it afterwards.
“Do any of you guys know anything about this place?” you asked, leaning forward and resting your chin on Yachi’s seat. Through the windshield, you could see Tendo’s shaved head and Bokuto’s spiky locks in the backseat, and worried for poor Shirabu’s sanity. “How did Tendo even know this place existed?”
“It’s an old legend,” Akaashi spoke up softly. 
Both you and Yachi turned to look at him, the latter’s breath hitching because everyone knew when those words were said, the story was going to be unpleasant.
Konoha cursed as he hit a pothole, muttering Tendo’s name under his breath as he righted the car between the faded lane lines, and Akaashi smiled at that before looking back to you.
“I doubt most people have heard of it,” he began, popping his knuckles one at a time. “It’s more of a local thing, really.”
“Well then how do you know about it?” you asked curiously, quirking a brow. You knew Bokuto grew up in Tokyo, which meant Akaashi had as well, and you were well outside of the city limits.
Akaashi smiled, tipping his head to the side and for the first time there was something other than soft indifference in it. “I enjoy these types of places and legends. It’s a hobby, you might say. This particular amusement park was meant to be scary in nature and didn’t stay open for long due to unexplained deaths and disappearances.”
Yachi squeaked, and you cast her a glance before resting your hand on her shoulder. This was probably not the best story for someone as easily scared as she was, but it was too late now, and you knew there was curiosity beneath the fear.
“That sounds way too vague,” you said, lips curling up at the corners. “That’s what everyone says about places like this. It’s not scary.”
Your skepticism was met with laughter and he said, “True. The police at the time pinned the problems on faulty attractions or poor background checks, saying there must have been a serial killer hired without anyone realizing. Sounds to me like they just couldn’t figure out what was causing it.”
You rolled your eyes, nodding along. If the park was as old as Tendo said, it could really have been faulty attractions, but you weren’t buying the serial killer story. It sounded too far-fetched compared to being crushed by an unstable support beam. 
Akaashi continued, voice dropping in what might have been a scary attempt at atmosphere if the sun wasn’t framing his pretty features in a golden glow behind him. “The locals all said that the place was haunted, too many deaths had built up negative energy, trapping the spirits of those killed there. Unable to escape, they grew angry and the deaths continued until authorities labeled the park unsafe and banned any more visitors. And then--”
“What the hell?” Konoha cut him off, hitting the brakes a little harder than necessary.
Akaashi’s seat belt locked and he grunted, rubbing at the new red mark on his neck as he asked, “What’s going on?”
“Dunno,” Konoha replied, putting the car in park. “Sorry about that. Shirabu is getting out of the car.”
The car behind you pulled up as you were getting out, eyes wide as you watched Tendo lay a map out on the trunk of Shirabu’s car.
“We’re lost,” you said, sighing in exasperation.
A tall figure blocked out the sun in front of you and you squinted up into the face of Kuroo. He was giving you a catlike grin, ruffling his messy rooster hair as he said, “Sure seems that way, princess. This place is in the middle of nowhere. I’ll be surprised if we even find it.” He guided you over to the car where the others were gathered, snickering at the look of surprise on your face. “What?”
“You know about this place too?” you asked, glancing at Akaashi on the other side of the car. He cast you a small, closed eyed smile. “Akaashi was telling us about it in the car.”
Kuroo chuckled, raising a brow at his friend. “Yeah, being friends with Akaashi has its share of hazards.”
“Look, I’m pretty sure we’re here,” Tendo said, interrupting your conversation. He was pointing to a small line that looked just like any other on the map, aside from the major roadways and cities. If he was right, you were a decent ways out of the city and your watch read 1:01pm. “If we just follow this road and then this one, it’ll lead us straight past the village and to the park.”
Shirabu looked skeptical, spinning the map around to look at it as well. He wasn’t exactly wrong but how could he really tell? All the smaller roads looked the same and they couldn’t even confirm the name of the road because there was no sign. It had also been ages since they last saw a house or even another car, so asking anyone was out of the question too.
“This is stupid,” he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. No one besides Tendo really wanted to be there-- he ignored the fact that Kuroo was just as excited as his weirdo friend to be going and that Akaashi had jumped at the opportunity as well-- and it would be so much easier to just turn around and go to Hinata’s party. “We should just go home before we get lost.”
Tendo frowned at that, sharing a look with Kuroo before saying, “We aren’t lost*. It’s not much further now. Just trust me.”
The others were all inclined to agree with Shirabu, you included, but arguing with Tendo was like arguing with a brick wall-- pointless. He had already tricked you into agreeing to this endeavor and at this point backing out would be both a waste of time and gas. Shirabu was too smart to get lost anyway but, if you were lucky, Tendo was wrong and you wouldn’t be able to find the place at all.
“Do you really think we’ll be able to find it?” Yachi asked once you were safely back in the car. 
Akaashi hummed beside you, but you said, “God I hope not. I was looking forward to Hinata’s party and if we get back quick enough we might still make it.”
Konoha looked at you in the rearview, eyes crinkled as he snickered. “What, are you scared, _____? Afraid the ghosts are gonna get ya?”
Scoffing, you dug through your bag for your phone. A check an hour ago had revealed one bar, but now the words ‘No Service’ blazed across the service banner. “No, I’m not scared. There are just a thousand better things to be doing that than breaking my neck on rusty amusement park rides.”
“Sounds like cowardice to me,” he answered, laughing at you through the mirror. 
Sticking your tongue out at him, you turned back to the window, sighing as the scenery passed by in a blur. Konoha and Akaashi talked a lot about volleyball, Yachi pitching in occasionally. You knew she had managed her highschool volleyball team and knew everyone else in the group to some degree, but most everything sports related went over your head. 
Still, Akaashi made some effort to get to know you, asking about highschool and what classes you were taking. You told him about your major and asked what his was, finding out he was a literature major and constantly busy, explaining why you had never met him before. He, Kuroo, and Semi were the busiest out of all their friends, often skipping out on get togethers in order to study, work, or-- in Semi’s case-- practice with his band.
A little while later, while Yachi and Konoha were having a heated discussion about their favorite subjects, you caught the first glimpse of something besides trees. Turning to look out the windshield, you saw brake lights already lighting up and the car began to slow.
“Well, we found the village, at least,” Tendo said, reading the faded sign displaying the name of the town. “I didn’t expect it to be abandoned too, though.”
Everyone was gathered in the middle of the road, looking down the mainstreet of the village. Windows were busted out and boarded up, paint faded on rotten clapboards, and roofs missing tiles or riddled with holes. The street was littered with potholes and the whole town had an eerie sense of unnatural quiet. Everyone shifted on their heels, slowly making their way back towards the cars without a word and piling in. 
Even Tendo looked unnerved.
The town disappeared behind you but in the distance you could see the towering track of a roller coaster above the treeline. Even from so far away you could see that the paint was faded off of it, the sun filtering through clouds and casting the whole area in shades of grey. To you, it seemed like the forest was darker, the trees packed more closely together, and your heart began to thump in your chest.
“You okay?” Akaashi’s gentle voice asked in your ear. His hand landed on your shoulder, colder than expected, and you shivered underneath his touch. “You look like you’ve already seen a ghost.”
You nodded, looking over to find him giving you a look of amused concern, one corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “Just nervous. That town was creepy as hell and it freaked me out a little.”
“Me too!” Yachi squeaked from the front seat, turning around to give you a pleading look. “Don’t you dare leave me, _____.”
Laughter filled the car then and you patted Yachi on the shoulder. “Wouldn’t dream of it, ‘Toka.”
The towering sign for the park appeared up ahead and the car fell silent all over again as brake lights lit up again. Broken glass and gravel littered the parking lot, which was smaller than expected for how big the park looked. 
Everyone seemed to hesitate on getting out of the cars. Tendo was the first, followed by Kuroo, and then Akaashi. Like it was a signal, the rest of you followed, Yachi clinging onto your hand and Kuroo and Akaashi seeming to stand behind you protectively, close enough that you could feel warmth radiating off them.
“Do we really have to go in there?” Goshiki asked, eyeing the ticket booth with disdain. The paint on it, like everything else, was faded, the wood rotten and the window and door busted out. The latter creaked on its hinges, filling the still air with an unsettling noise that mixed with the faint sounds of creaking metal and leaves fluttering in the wind.
Everyone shuffled back towards the cars a little at his question, but Tendo took a step forward, resting his hand on the turnstile. “Since we’re actually here, may as well take a look around.”
Without another moment of hesitation, he hopped over it, peering around with an unusually quiet interest. It was the first time since you had met Tendo that he had nothing to say, his already pale face seemingly devoid of color, making his vibrant, sleepy eyes pop out even more.
Groaning, you, Shirabu, and Goshiki stepped forward, dragging Yachi with you as you climbed over the turnstile as well. You couldn’t just let Tendo wander off into the dangerous park alone. The others followed suit, muffled whispers and conversations floating through the air as they spread out in the area. 
The forest had started taking back over through the concrete, weeds and grass sprouting up through the cracks and pushing the cobblestones up and out of place. Vines of ivy and moss hung from the powerpoles, vendor booths, and some attractions further back, swaying in the gentle breeze. The buildings were dark inside, but through the gloom you could make out mannequins and shelves devoid of merchandise.
The bell dinged on the first one Tendo pushed open-- a souvenir shop. It was empty except for dust and garbage, as were the next few you entered.
Slowly but surely the group made their way further into the park, Yachi clinging onto you the whole time. Akaashi and Kuroo were right behind the two of you, Shirabu and Semi in front, forming a kind of guard while Tendo and Bokuto led the way. Kaori clung to Goshiki, who looked like he was putting on a brave front despite his pink cheeks and the nervousness in his eyes.
For all his grumbling, Shirabu looked interested as he eyed all the buildings and machinery. It was quiet, devoid even of the sound of birdsong or humming bugs, and it unsettled you.
“Oh look, it’s the pirate ship ride!” Bokuto yelled suddenly, breaking the deathly silence.
Everyone jumped, Shirabu hissing at him to shut up while Yukie shrieked, latching onto him. Bokuto had the decency to look abashed but still steered the group towards the derelict platform, testing his weight on the creaky metal stairs on his way up.
The deck of the ship was littered with leaves and dust, the seats worn down and showing stuffing and springs after however many years left in the element. There were signs of rust on the metal and the whole thing shifted slightly to emit a creak.
“Um, Bo, I don’t think that’s safe,” Kuroo called out, grabbing your arm to stop you from following up behind him. 
Tendo and Goshiki were up beside him, examining the boat itself and, before anyone knew it, the former had hopped into it.
“Tendo!” Shirabu called, a trace of panic in his voice. His fingers were wrapped around the railing, paint flakes coming away under his touch hand as he prepared to spring up the stairs, but everyone’s eyes were locked on Tendo’s precarious creep down the middle aisle. “Get out of there before you get hurt, idiot!”
“It’s fine, Shirabu,” he called, now standing at the bow. “It’s kinda cool actually. I can see more of the park from here.”
Bokuto landed with a thump a moment later, a louder creak ringing out than when lanky Tendo had landed, and everyone took a collective breath and held it. 
But as before, it held, and he joined Tendo up by the bow.
“Wow, he’s right!” he called, holding his hand above his eyes like a visor and peering out over the park. It was certainly bigger than he imagined for being in the middle of nowhere. “There’s a house over that way!”
“Probably the haunted house,” Tendo said, straining to see what Bokuto was looking at. In the distance were two stilted, twisted steeples painted in different hues. One was flamboyant and bright, the other dark and dreary, even compared to the state of disrepair of the rest of the park. “I see a funhouse too, I think. Looks pretty freaky. Wanna check ‘em out?”
“Hell yeah,” Bokuto shouted, whipping around to look at the rest of you.
Shirabu looked ready to blow a gasket, and Yachi looked ready to faint, but everyone else looked intrigued. Even you couldn’t help but be a little curious about it, having free range to explore the most interesting rides in the park. Wasn’t it everyone’s dream to be able to see what they were like without restraint? 
The sun was just beginning to fade behind the treeline, turning the clouds a thin shade of orange, but the lure of seeing something interesting had dissolved any real fear.
The two men met Goshiki on the platform and made their way back down to the rest of the group, eyes shining bright with the promise of adventure.
“I told you it wouldn’t be so bad!” Tendo said as if the stunt he just pulled hadn’t taken years off all your lives. Jumping haphazardly onto a decade old, rusted out death trap attraction at an abandoned amusement park hours from the nearest hospital wasn’t going to earn him any genius awards.
On the way towards the supposed attractions, you came across the carousel. Its metal panels were tarnished, the paint worn away from them and the animals, the mirrors grimy with dirt. Vines and ivy climbed up everywhere. The platform shifted when Kuroo stepped onto it, Tendo hot on his heels followed closely by Bokuto. 
“Let’s go see, ‘Toka,” you said, tugging her forward by the hand. Kaori took your other one, squeezing, while Akaashi guided you with a gentle hand on your back.
“Look at this,” someone said, and you turned to find Semi holding a faded paper. “It looks like a poster claiming someone was kidnapping people.”
“How the hell is it still here?” Konoha asked, peering at it around Semi’s arm. “It should have disintegrated a long damn time ago.”
“Dunno,” Semi said with a frown. Trying to see the paper, you were crowded against Semi by Yachi and Kaori and flinched when you realized how hot he was. “It was wedged in the frame of the mirror.”
The whole thing was faded but still legible, due presumably to being tucked into the mirror, and appeared to be a flyer issued by the park itself.
Due to the recent disappearances, park security has been tightened. Please stay aware of your surroundings and report and suspicious activity immediately.
“You were right, Akaashi,” you said, glancing up at the man standing behind you. “They really did think someone was kidnapping people.”
“A lot of the people were never found,” Semi said, folding the sheet up neatly and tucking into his pocket. “It’s not surprising they thought that.”
“Ohhhh, maybe the bodies are still here,” Tendo said, wiggling his fingers over Konoha’s shoulders. “Maybe it was actually the workers kidnapping people and they kept the bodies in a secret place.”
“Like where?” Shirabu asked, giving him an exasperated, skeptical look. It was getting late and they were wasting time just hanging around. He wasn’t particularly thrilled at the idea of being in the park after dark, going to possibly the scariest attraction in the place, but if they were going to do it, they needed to just get it done. “The authorities probably tore this place apart looking for them.”
Tendo shrugged, looking thoughtful. “Maybe they hid them in the haunted house. Maybe there’s a hidden room somewhere that only the workers knew how to open.”
“Could you not?” Yukie asked, slapping Tendo on the arm. “We’re going there, in case you forgot, pea brain. Way to freak us out.”
Yachi was clinging onto Kaori now, staring at Tendo with wide, frightened eyes and he almost looked repentant.
“Or, you know, could be anywhere. The haunted house would be a pretty obvious place to hide it, wouldn’t it?” he said, rubbing the back of his head. Beckoning to Yachi, she went reluctantly, letting Tendo tuck her under his arm. “Don’t worry, Yach. I’ll protect you, ‘kay?”
You and Kaori snickered at the shade of red her face turned, and Shirabu sighed.
“Can we just get going before it gets too late?” he asked, turning and leading the way down the path. The shadows were slowly lengthening, orange mixing with shades of pink and purple in the sky.
Semi fell into step beside you, Yukie on your other side. Goshiki and Konoha were having a conversation about the derelict rollercoaster to the right, and you allowed your attention to drift to it. It was eerie, the faded paint and rusted metal tracks looming like a foreboding beacon above you. Staring the way you were, your foot caught a displaced cobblestone and you went sprawling with a yelp.
Before you could smack the ground, a strong, warm hand wrapped around your upper arm and hauled you back up. It hurt, causing a sharp ache in your shoulder, but it still hurt less than the concrete probably would have. Looking up at your savior, you gave him a half smile.
“Thanks, Semi,” you said, rubbing your shoulder.
But he was frowning at you-- not that that was any different than the look he’d worn all day-- but this one was marred by soft concern. “Are you alright? You’re awfully cold.”
“O-Oh. No, I’m fine. Just got distracted by the coaster,” you said, giggling in embarrassment. “It is a bit chilly though, now that you mention it. I didn’t notice.”
There was a moment's hesitation, then the sound of a zipper being drawn down. A weight settled across your shoulders, surrounding you with an unfamiliar cologne, and your cheeks heated up at the realization that he had given you his jacket.
“That’s okay, Semi, really,” you said, shrugging the jacket off. “It isn’t that bad, and it’s my own fault. I left mine in the car.”
“No worries, _____,” he said, and for the first time you could see a small smile on his face in the dim light. “I’m not cold, so you can take it.��
“Well, thanks, I guess,” you said, pulling it back around your shoulders. It was warm and you smiled when you caught him looking at you. He was wearing a peculiar look, kind but almost possessive, and he licked his lips once before looking forward again.
You shivered, unsure if you were just seeing things. The park had rattled your nerves and Semi was just being nice. You didn’t know him well enough to make a judgement call like that and forced down the uneasiness, taking your place beside him again.
“Smooth move, klutz,” Konoha quipped, nudging your back. Goshiki and Shirabu snickered and you flipped them off over your shoulder, looping your other arm with Yukie.
The steepled spires of the haunted house came into view, beside which stood the funhouse, like Tendo said. Both looked terrifying in the dying light of the sun. Like everything else, the paint was almost gone, shingles missing from the roofs which were adorned with holes.
Without thinking, you reached out and grabbed Semi’s arm, pressing yourself to it. He glanced at you for a moment, a soft smile flitting across his face before looking at Tendo, who was staring between the two buildings.
“I wanna go in the funhouse,” Tendo said, turning back to the rest of the group. Setting his hands on his hips, he looked around at everyone. “Should we go as a group?” Kuroo shifted, pointing his feet towards the haunted house. “I kinda wanna go in there, actually.”
“Well no one should go anywhere alone,” Shirabu said firmly, and everyone nodded in agreement. If someone got hurt, no one would know for ages and then there was the long ride back on top of it.
“So we’ll split up. Everyone pick a house,” Tendo said, clapping his hands. 
Yukie’s arm around yours disappeared and she scurried over to Tendo, looking at you apologetically. Yachi took her place instead, looking for all the world like she was going to collapse from fright, and you gave her a concerned look.
“I’m going wherever you go,” she said, and you raised a brow. 
Before you could answer, Kuroo’s arm slung around your shoulders, looming over Yachi’s tiny form. “It looks like everyone’s decided. Pretty even split. Let’s meet back here in--” He checked his watch. “Two hours? That should be enough time to see everything.”
You opened your mouth to object, but Tendo nodded while Shirabu set the timer on his watch. “Everyone be careful, please. We really can’t afford any injuries.”
Yachi looked up at the dark house looming before you while the other group made their way towards the funhouse. 
You could hear Tendo’s voice echo back, saying, “That’s the reason we have you here, Shirabu. You’re a doctor and all.”
Shirabu said something in return, but it was lost in the distance as you were herded towards the haunted house. The doors hung open, swinging in the breeze and creaking.  It seemed like the house sucked all the warmth from the air the closer you got to it, and you squeezed Semi’s arm in yours.
“Scared, princess?” Kuroo whispered in your ear, raising the hairs on the back of your neck when his warm breath met your cold skin. “You shouldn’t be. We’re here with you.”
The steps leading into it sagged beneath your weight, the wood softer than it should’ve been and it came as no surprise when one broke beneath Semi’s weight. He cursed while you and Yachi pulled back, keeping him from falling over and potentially hurting himself. It took Akaashi and Kuroo both to pull him up out of the hole and a quick check revealed his jeans had protected his leg.
“Are you alright?” you whispered, looking up into Semi’s unamused face. He was wearing a hard scowl, his grip on you iron clad now as he guided you up the steps.
“Sure,” he said, eyes softening when he looked down at you. “Just annoyed.”
Inside, the light from your phones seemed to be swallowed by the darkness. The dust was thick and the air musty and humid. Cobwebs hung from everything, casting long shadows into the darkness beyond the halo of your flashlights.
Yachi yelped, tripping over a rotted track board and would have dragged you down if you weren’t holding onto Semi so tightly. His heat was almost a comfort now, driving away the persistent chill that seemed to emanate from the ramshackle walls. You couldn’t tell where the fabricated deterioration ended and true rot began.
“This way then?” Akaashi asked, leading the way into the first door. It was the kitchen area, set up to look like a butcher shop. A thick layer of dust settled over everything, motes flurrying through the painfully white light from your phones in an eerie dance that made it even harder to see.
Old props lay on the worn countertops, splotches of what was likely-- hopefully-- fake blood a dark black on the faded wood and laminate. Someone had a hand on your back while Akaashi examined a chain hanging from the ceiling, something hanging from the end of it. It made a strange noise when he pushed it, a crackly, grinding noise like it was rusty. It wouldn’t be a surprise, with the humidity as high as it is. 
“That’s a little unsettling,” Kuroo admitted, and you all jumped when a loud crash rang out somewhere further down.
“Now would be the time to leave if we were in a horror movie,” you hinted through gritted teeth, even as Kuroo stepped back out into the hall. He scanned the darkness, his phone hanging by his side, the light pointed towards the floor. “What do you expect to see anyway, genius?”
He turned back to wink before disappearing into the dark and you groaned, straining your eyes to see anything. His light was lost in the gloom and you released Yachi’s arm, taking a step forward. Semi allowed himself to be dragged along with you while Goshiki held Yachi, petting her hair as she whimpered.
Swearing, you and Semi trudged down the hallway, listening for any noises but heard nothing besides the sounds of an old building settling. Your voice caught in your throat when you opened your mouth to call for Kuroo, your ire failing in the face of the oppressive darkness in the heart of the house. Swiping a cobweb off your face, you shined your phone around, lighting up a destroyed living room area, two hallways, and a staircase.
“You don’t think he went upstairs, do you?” Semi whispered, following your line of sight.
Swallowing, you said, “God I fuckin’ hope not. This is so creepy, can’t we just leave him?”
He chuckled against his will, a quiet, rough noise as he tried to stifle it. “‘Fraid not. I don’t wanna deal with the cops.”
Heaving a sigh, you pointed the light down to the floor and found no sign of footprints in the thick dust. Flashing it behind you, you saw your own and Semi’s clearly visible and frowned. “Hey, look.”
Semi scoured the floor, waving his light all around you. “He definitely came this way.”
Nodding, you pointed the light back in front of you, down the hallway, but it was unable to break more than a few inches of darkness. “Okay, now I’m really freaked out. Where is he?”
New light joined your meager one, shuffling footsteps coming to a stop just behind you. 
Akaashi’s hand landed on your shoulder, peering over your head at where you were staring.
“This way,” Semi said after a moment of silence. It was broken only by Yachi’s occasional sniffle and you wondered if you shouldn’t just return to the front door and let Semi and Akaashi handle the rescue. But gentle pressure on your arm and shoulder guided you down, sniffling at the dust before you broke out into a sneeze.
The floor creaked beneath your feet, making the already eerie feeling worse as you crept down the hall. There were faded, torn paintings lining the walls, a few false doors, and windows painted black and boarded up. You couldn’t tell if the paint peeling up the walls was due to age or intent, but it certainly didn’t help settle your unease. 
“Careful,” Semi said suddenly, jerking you sideways into him. The cold hand slid off your shoulder and a light revealed a hole in the middle of the floor, where you had been about to step.
“Thanks,” you breathed, swallowing harshly. The dust was starting to sting your eyes and you repressed another sneeze, rubbing your nose. 
Skirting around the hole, it opened into another room, what appeared to be a library. Overstuffed armchairs littered the room, the shelves lining the walls stacked with what were likely fake books. There was no sign of Kuroo, but Semi led you further into the room carefully.
He wasn’t careful enough, though.
Once second you were clinging to him, the next you heard a crack and then you were experiencing the most curious sensation. Your stomach swooped as the light disappeared, and you realized belatedly that you were falling. Something warm, almost scalding wrapped around you, and your fall stopped short with a grunt of impact.
You lay there stunned for several long moments, head spinning and heart beating hard enough that you could feel it in your ears. The dark was only furthering your disorientation and you only realized you were laying on something when it moved beneath you.
Sitting up, you felt something slump over your shoulders before coughing filled your ears.
“Semi?” you whispered hoarsely. Above you, you registered screaming and looked up only to be blinded by light.
Semi grunted behind you but didn’t move, breathing heavy against your back. From above, you could hear muted conversation before the shrieking stopped.
“_____, Semi, are you both okay?” Akaashi’s concerned voice reached your ringing ears, and you nodded in response.
It took you a moment to realize he probably couldn’t see you, calling up, “Yeah, I think so. Semi--”
“‘M fine,” he yelled, though he sounded winded. 
“Are you sure?” you asked, wrapping a hand around the wrist dangling in front of you. A few feet away lay your phone, face down, the light muted but visible, and you sighed in relief. “You caught me, are you sure*?”
Semi chuckled, a rough noise. “Yeah, I’m sure. Trust me.”
“You guys stay there,” Akaashi commanded, then turned back to Goshiki and Yachi to say something. “I’ll find a way down to you.”
He disappeared and you scrambled forward, snatching your phone up. Moving back to the relative safety of Semi’s presence, you shined it around. 
The basement, you decided upon seeing the array of monster props and torture machines, was perhaps the most terrifying part of the house. It was only heightened by your adrenaline rush, the shadows seeming to jump out to your paranoid mind.
As the adrenaline wore off, you took stock of your extremities. Semi really had cushioned you-- nothing hurt-- and you turned to face him.
In the light, he really did look fine, even his breathing had evened out, and he looked back at you with a smirk. “Told you. I’m tougher than you think.”
“I’m beginning to realize that,” you admitted, getting to your feet. You didn’t let Semi get far, linking your arm with his and clinging to him, much to his amusement.
His eyes adjusted to the dark faster than yours and he located his phone near the base of a rusty filing cabinet. The screen was cracked-- which he cursed-- but it still worked, and he turned the flashlight back on.
“This is creepy as fuck,” he muttered, thumping the model of a skeletal doctor to see the dust swirl. There was a medical table in the center of the room with a light looming over it. He assumed there was supposed to be a body laying on said table and, in the dark, it was a scary thought that it was no longer there. “I hope Akaashi hurries up. I don’t like it here.”
You couldn’t stifle the small giggle, though you covered your mouth in a poor attempt. It was the nerves, you were sure, because as he moved away you held tighter, stumbling after him. He tried one door, the handle stiff enough that you recognized it to be fake. There was a set of metal double doors on the other side of the room and those swung open with an eerie grinding noise, scraping across the concrete floor.
The hallways extended to either direction, cells lining the wall in front of you and you shuddered. “Let’s go, Semi, please,” you begged, tugging him down to the left. It was the same direction that you had come from on the floor above and hoped that it would lead you to a staircase or something*.
Semi went along reluctantly, flashing his light in all the cells you passed. Most were empty, besides the occasional bed or other prop. Some contained chains mounted in the wall and his eyes flashed to you.
The hallway opened up into what may have been a waiting room if most of the furniture hadn’t been utterly destroyed. As you scanned the area, there was a noise from up ahead and you jerked to a stop, scurrying back to Semi’s side. Peeking around him while he stared down the hall, you kept a tight grip on his arm, feeling the muscles flex and tense beneath your hand. A shadow moved in the light and you nearly screamed as Kuroo stepped into view, followed closely by Akaashi.
Neither carried a light and your heart leapt in your throat when you caught a momentary flash of light reflecting off of Kuroo’s eyes before it disappeared.
Still hiding behind Semi, the four of you regarded each other in silence for a moment, before Kuroo chuckled.
“Well, this is certainly convenient, though I didn’t expect you to get involved,” he said, leaning sideways against the wall. He looked as relaxed as usual while Akaashi lurked behind him, staring at you peeking around Semi’s arm. 
He held out a hand to you but you held back, suddenly unsure of Kuroo’s words. With your heart in your throat, you looked up into Semi’s relaxed, impassive face. He made no moves, just watched the other two linger in front of your only escape route.
Then he shrugged.
“Dumb luck.”
The men burst into laughter and you squeaked, taking a step back from Semi. Before you could get anywhere, his hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you forward.
“Easy, kitten. We don’t wanna hurt you,” Kuroo said, stepping further into the room. His eyes lit up once again in the light from your flashlight, mischievous brown turning solid gold. His pupils narrowed and elongated, his smile seeming to become more sharp as he stared down at you.
You breathed in sharply, taking a step back into Semi’s chest. Regardless of whether he was in on whatever they had planned, he was the safest option as opposed to whatever the hell Kuroo was.
The grip on your wrist loosened but came to your shoulders instead, keeping you in place with a warning squeeze. You had already guessed he was tough, given he had taken the full brunt of the impact earlier, but you now suspected he wasn’t human either.
Akaashi came forward last, looking as placid and calm as ever, cold fingertips stroking down your cheek.
You shivered.
None of these men were human, if you had to hazard a guess. Staring up at them, you felt your heart drop.
“W-Where are ‘Toka and Goshiki?” you asked, and were proud that your voice barely cracked. Maybe if you reminded them people would be looking for you, they would back off, allowing you to escape.
Kuroo chuckled, flipping the zipper of your-- Semi’s-- jacket up in what would have been a cute manner under different circumstances. “Keiji here sent them looking for the others in the funhouse, but they’ll never find the doorway down here. Tendo was right, there are lots of hidden doors in this place.”
“What are you? What are you going to-- to d-do to me?” you asked quickly, wrapping your fingers around his wrist as he started to tug the zipper down. You were stalling at best, your heart thumping harshly in your chest. If there was any chance of escape, you couldn’t figure it out. You had no idea where this door was and you had the impression you wouldn’t be able to outrun them anyway.
“I don’t suppose it would hurt to tell you,” he answered, taking a step closer. You tried to shrink away, huddling down into Semi’s oversized jacket, but it only seemed to entice them. “I am a yokai, I assume you know what that is? Akaashi is your run of the mill demon.”
If that offended Akaashi, he didn’t show it, simply widening his smile and blinking slowly. His once serene blue eyes turned pitch black and when he blinked again, they were normal.
“I’m just a werewolf,” Semi said, breathing against your ear. His hands slid down, catching the zipper of his jacket between his fingers and drawing the zipper down slowly.
“W-Wait, please,” you tried, grabbing and tugging at his wrist to no avail. He was far stronger, and you were like a fly in comparison. “Please, can we just go?”
Kuroo cupped your cheek, a moderate temperature compared to the other two, and his smile seemed to soften a fraction. “No, kitten. Keiji and I have been waiting for this for far too long. The wolf probably just likes how you smell.”
You weren’t sure what that meant, but the deep, pointed inhale Semi took against your neck seemed to verify the statement. The jacket fell to the floor with barely a whisper and then your phone was placed face up on a table, beside the men’s, and the combined light filled the room. 
It felt like you couldn’t get enough air as warm hands skimmed down your stomach, stretching the soft fabric of your t-shirt out, before settling on your hips. Lips met your neck, tentative at first, trailing up to your jaw, causing you to shiver.
The heat radiating off of Semi and Kuroo was getting to you, Semi’s soft lips flitting over pleasure spots causing your back to arch. You didn’t want to like it, but when Kuroo’s hands slipped up your shirt and over your ribs, your muscles tensed in unwanted arousal. Your nipples were already peaking inside your bra, the hairs on the back of your neck raising at the first graze of teeth on your skin.
“W-Wa-ait--” you breathed and, for a moment, you thought they really would stop because they both paused.
It was over in a moment, a soft kiss pressed to your other cheek as Kuroo pushed your bra up over your tits. His hands were soft as they cupped the tender flesh, giving gentle squeezes that went straight to your core, as much as you protested. “Not gonna happen, kitten. May as well enjoy it. We’ll take good care of you.”
A new sensation joined the heat surrounding you then, Kuroo moving to the side to allow Akaashi to join in. His hands were cold compared to the other two, one on your side and one cupping your unoccupied breast. The difference was enough to make you gasp, back arching on its own into their touch, and they at least had the decency not to snicker.
“You really do smell good, princess,” Semi whispered in your ear, nipping the lobe. “I can smell everything, even how wet you’re getting for us.”
Craning your neck away from him only opened you up to another smattering of kisses and you hated that he was right. They were getting to you, their gentle touches on your body doing everything right, like they had been your lovers for years rather than men you just met today. It made it harder to think than it already was, mind still racing in a futile effort to formulate some way to escape, but even you could recognize your body giving up.
Your shirt came up and over your head, disappearing somewhere outside of your vision. There was a collective intake from the men in front of you, and Semi groaned over your shoulder.
“I knew you would be so pretty, kitten,” Kuroo cooed, palming one tit again. He relished in the way you twitched when he pinched your nipple, then he cupped both, bouncing and watching them jiggle. “Been watching you all day, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on you.”
Akaashi was the first to lean over, wrapping cool lips around one pert bud, and Kuroo stepped back to watch your teeth sink into your lip to stifle any noises.
“Feel good, princess?” Semi asked, and chuckled when you shook your head. “It will soon, then. We won’t hurt you. Just wanna make you feel good.”
The worst part was, you were beginning to enjoy it. It was so tempting to cave, to just let them have their way with you. They were gentle, surprisingly so, and it was knocking down whatever resistance you had left at an alarming rate.
Semi’s hands were almost scalding against your sides, squeezing and kneading as he suckled at your neck, feeling you whine in your throat. “There you go. Just let go.”
The clasp of your bra came loose, and you weren’t even sure who had done it, before it was slid down your arms and dumped, presumably with your shirt.
There were two sets of lips attached to each nipple, your nails digging into your palms to keep from tangling your fingers in someone’s hair but you were losing the will to fight. Your panties were embarrassingly wet, no matter how much your mind insisted you didn’t like it, and you broke your silence when cold fingers drifted down to undo the button of your jeans.
“No please,” you begged, wiggling your hips in your first real display of resistance. Hands clamped down to still them in an iron grip, and a hand clasped your jaw, forcing you to look Kuroo in the eyes.
“What wrong, kitten? You’ve been so good up til now,” he said, stroking your lower lip with his thumb. There were imprints of your teeth in the skin, and he ached to kiss you, but it would have to wait.
“I-I don’t w-want--” you stuttered, tears burning the corners of your eyes as your zipper was pulled down.
Semi interrupted you then, tilting your head just so that he could kiss the corner of your mouth, smirking. “She’s embarrassed because of how wet she is.” Dropping his voice to barely a whisper, he said, “I can smell you, princess. You want this, don’t deny it.”
Shaking your head feebly, you whined when Semi pressed his lips to your cheek, dangerously close to your lips again. It was enough to distract you from your jeans sliding down your legs, until they pooled at your ankles and Akaashi had to tug your shoes off. Your jeans hit the floor shortly afterwards, the air startlingly cool against your now bare skin only to be covered with warmth as the men caged you in again.
It started with two fleeting touches to your inner thighs, which you tried to stop by squeezing them together only for them to pried apart in an instant. Semi took the opportunity to lay another languid kiss to the corner of your mouth, tongue flicking out against your lips.
For a moment, you turned into it only to jerk away, looking in the opposite direction. You knew what they were trying to do and you wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing you beg for something you didn’t want. You wondered briefly where the others were and why you could hear nothing from above, until warm hands cupped your tits again.
You bit down on your lip again when Semi circled your nipples with his thumbs, massaging your breasts as he rolled them between his fingers. It was hard to keep quiet when it felt so good, especially when Kuroo and Akaashi were teasing your inner thighs, so close your aching cunt.
Your hips rocked of their own accord, your mind too preoccupied with the warm touches on your tender nipples and stifling your noises, but all three of your attackers smirked.
“Ask, pretty girl,” Akaashi said, speaking for the first time. 
His voice combined with his fleeting, cold touch against the soaked lips of your cunt caused a gasp to break free, hips rolling up in a jerky manner against your will. Your ears burned when they laughed and your teeth sank into your lip again. It was driving you insane, they were so close but you refused to beg for it.
“Aw, did we upset you, kitten?” Kuroo cooed, placing a wet kiss against your hip. “We’re sorry. You’re just so cute we can’t help it. Come on, ask us. Ask us to touch this pretty little pussy and we’ll make it up to you.”
Another swipe across your clit timed with a tug on your nipples broke the seal a second time.
“S-Semi--”
“There she goes,” Semi whispered, tilting your head around to look at him. Tears were spilling down your cheeks as you looked up at him with wide, resigned eyes. His eyes dropped to your parted lips for a moment and you swallowed, blinking the tears away, but didn’t struggle.
The first kiss was tentative, tongue ghosting between your parted lips to test you for a reaction. You only whined into the kiss, leaning in and he delved into your mouth, tongue lapping at yours as he tasted you.
When he pulled away, you hiccupped, letting your head rest on his shoulder as you closed your eyes.
“Please, just touch me. Fuck me, do whatever. I can’t--” you whispered, thighs aching from how tense you had been for god knew how long. It was too much to hold out, not when you were so wet and aching for it anyway. They knew what they were doing, their gentle teasing and buildup working to break down any fight you had and it had worked flawlessly. 
You melted into Semi as Kuroo lifted one leg over his shoulder. Akaashi left a trail of cool kisses down your inner thigh while Kuroo kissed up the opposite one. You didn’t know whether to tremble or whine, so you did both when his nose bumped your clit, and they chuckled again.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it, pretty girl?” Akaashi asked, and you might have mistook it for affection in another situation. “Just relax.”
As if you had a choice. Hot breathe puffed across your folds, teasing just a little more until you were practically dripping on his lips. Only then did his tongue swipe across your clit, your hips jerking harshly. His hot tongue was replaced with a cold one, the two of them taking turns lapping at your clit at such a languid pace that it was more torturous than not being touched at all.
“Fuck, please, stop teasing,” you cried, voice cracking as your back arched. You were desperate at this point, willing to beg or do whatever they wanted. You weren’t getting out of it without doing so anyway, so you might as well enjoy it. “Kuroo, Akaashi, please.”
A sharp pinch to your nipples made you squeal just before Semi devoured your mouth. You could feel the aggravation in the kiss, the way his teeth clacked against yours and his tongue pressed against yours. You made muffled noises against him, one hand coming up to tangle in his hair.
At the same time, Kuroo latched onto your clit properly, and your eyes almost rolled into the back of your head as you rocked your hips against his feverish suckling. The noises he was making filled the quiet space, grunts and would-be moans that terminated against your clit as he worked to make you cum.
Your head was starting to spin from lack of oxygen and intense pleasure. Kuroo wasn’t giving you an inch and your slick hole fluttered around nothing, until something swirled around your entrance before slipping in.
You forgot about the kiss, Semi’s lips hovering against yours as you came with a cry around cold fingers. The temperature difference between Akaashi’s fingers and Kuroo’s lips was mind numbing, your eyelids flickering, trying to stay open before giving in. You didn’t bother to be quiet, letting your moans bounce off the walls. Maybe it would draw the others to you, and you could still get out of this.
Instead of withdrawing his fingers, Akaashi slipped another one in beside the first, kitten licking your still sensitive clit and listening to you whine for him to “Stop, please, too much.” He only smirked, continuing to lap until you relaxed, though the stream of noises never stopped.
There was a moment of hesitation as Kuroo stood, cocking his head in Semi’s direction. With your attention on your throbbing clit and Akaashi’s almost icy touch, you missed the way Semi beckoned to him. Their lips met briefly, allowing Semi to get a taste of you on his lips before Semi dragged him into a deeper one, tongues meeting in a heated tangle. Both men were hard, Semi grinding his clothed erection against the cheek of your ass, the chafing fabric unnoticed against your soft skin.
You squirmed against him when Akaashi crooked his fingers just right inside you, grazing over the swollen sweet spot inside you again and again until you were on the verge of another orgasm. It seemed like no matter how long his fingers stayed inside you, they never heated up. You weren’t even sure if the cold of his tongue flicking over your clit was pleasurable or not but it was such constant pressure that you hurtled towards your second orgasm. Kuroo was quick to stifle it, delving into your mouth for you to taste what remained of you on his tongue.
You came with a cry, convulsing around Akaashi’s fingers for a second time so hard you became light headed. He continued to pet that spot inside you until you were squirming to get away, tugging roughly at his hair.
Your legs shook when he let you down, only Semi’s strong grip keeping you upright. The sound of belt buckles clanging brought you down quickly, and trepidation set your heart racing again. There was no stopping it, but you found yourself trying to back up anyway. 
“Ah,” Kuroo tutted, taking you from Semi’s arm and kissing the crown of your head like he was comforting you. “Don’t start that. We aren’t going to hurt you, kitten.”
No, they certainly hadn’t yet, and you had no choice but to trust his words. Something hard pressed against your ass, hotter even than the rest of Semi. You instinctively jerked away, pressing into Kuroo only to feel something slip between your thighs.
“Excited, aren’t we?” Kuroo drawled, and you could feel the condescension dripping off of him. Semi pressed to your back again, shielding you from the cold, while Kuroo asked, “How are we gonna take her? Semi, you kinda threw a wrench in things, can’t lie.”
Semi shrugged against your back, letting his cock settle between your thighs. You whined, jerking your hips instinctively away from the heat against your folds, but it only served to make him grind into you.
“I want this sweet cunt,” Semi snarled, cupping your jaw in a tight grip and tilting your head away, baring your throat to him. He licked a stripe from your shoulder to just beneath your ear before kissing the soft skin, and you shivered at the possessiveness in his tone.
“Alright, wolfboy smells a mate,” Kuroo said, rolling his eyes. “Akaashi?”
The last of the trio stepped forward again, skimming his fingers down your cheek before leaning in to steal a kiss. “I’m okay with whatever you want, Kuroo. Just wanna feel her around me.”
There was something dark in his eyes that belied his passive words. He was deferring to Kuroo to get things moving, you were almost sure. Like the rest of him, his cock was cool against your thigh, more like a glass dildo you kept at home than a cock attached to a man.
“That makes things easy then,” Kuroo said, clapping his hands and giving you that mischievous smile. If you didn’t know any better-- you didn’t-- you would say his teeth were a little sharper, the canines more pronounced than before. His eyes certainly hadn’t changed, maintaining that almost glowing golden color this whole time. “Semi, lay on the couch. Keiji, you can take her from behind. I want her mouth.”
He sounded like he was giving out instructions to his employees rather than fucking a very reluctant person, but the other two followed his instructions without question. It was an odd sensation, to be talked about as if you weren’t there, as if you had no say over what was happening to you.
Not that you did.
It wasn’t until you were straddling Semi that you realized something. In addition to being hotter than average, he was larger than average, peeking out from between your folds to drip precum just below his bellybutton. The way your stomach swooped made you nauseous and tears fell down your cheeks all over again.
“What’s wrong, princess?” he asked, wiping them away as best he could. You wouldn’t be fooled by the concern in his tone; he wouldn’t stop anyway.
You turned your face away only to jump when a finger slipped your cunt, cool to the touch, followed by a second, only to be removed a second later. They moved instead to your slick rear entrance, circling and massaging until it gave way, eased by your previous orgasms. You fell forward, bracing yourself over Semi, who held your rocking hips still. Two fingers filled you, the stretch no more than a sting but it was uncomfortable nonetheless when you didn’t want it.
Akaashi’s other hand came down, long fingers wrapping around your throat just beneath your chin, pulling you back up to your knees. “Good girl,” he whispered in your ear before forcing your head around so he could capture your lips.
They parted naturally when his tongue glided across them, allowing him access without thought. You couldn’t place his taste; it was like he’d just eaten ice before kissing you, and you moaned into it.
Kuroo, who until then had been content to watch, groaned and stood from the dilapidated chair he had been lounging in. One hand wrapped around your wrist, moving your hand to wrap around his aching cock, desperate for some kind of relief. Your palm was soft against him, and he spit on it twice for good measure before allowing you to curl your fingers around him again. They did so automatically, squeezing tight and he hissed through gritted teeth, slit pupils narrowing further as he watched Akaashi’s tongue delve into your mouth like he wanted his cock to.
All the while, Semi was forcing you to slide along his shaft, slow, calculated moves designed to drag your clit back and forth against him. He could feel you trembling above him, your hands curled into fists against his chest, hips moving with his hands. You dripped down his cock, covering him in your slick and he almost growled at the heady scent. Unlike the other two, he could smell how bad you wanted it and it was driving him wild.
“Akaashi, hurry up,” he snapped, digging his nails into your soft hips hard enough to leave marks if he wasn’t careful.
Akaashi hummed in disapproval, pulling from your mouth to stare impassively at the werewolf. “I don’t want to hurt her, Semi.”
Yet, he withdrew his fingers and you whined at the loss.
“Finally,” Semi hissed, helping Akaashi lift you up so he could slick his cock up against your cunt before settling against your rear hole. “You go first.”
Your toes curled tight enough to cramp as Akaashi gave you a warning nudge before splitting you open. Your jaw dropped, eyes widening as you stared up into the cobwebbed ceiling, waiting for him to bottom out. Thighs trembling in Semi’s hold, you fell back against Akaashi’s chest as his hips met your ass.
“Don’t worry, pretty girl,” he whispered, leaving cool kisses along your shoulder and neck. Goosebumps were raising up your arms and back, and he would have felt bad if you weren’t squeezing around his cock so tight while Semi positioned himself at your dripping hole.
You couldn’t decide if you really wanted two cocks, weren’t sure if you could even take two, but Semi was stretching you so wide you were crying out broken babbles none of them could make out as he seated you flush against his hips. You twitched above him, fluttered around him, squeezed rhythmically while you tried weakly to get away.
The sensation of fullness was one you had never experienced before. Even just Semi’s cock was more than you had ever taken, let alone Akaashi’s cock in your inexperienced asshole. You blinked rapidly, unable to decide if you liked it or not before a hand wound in your hair and you were pulled down. 
Kuroo’s cock bobbed in your face and your jaw dropped automatically, allowing him to smear precum around your lips. He was more salty than bitter as he slipped into your mouth, stuffing himself as far as he could before you started gagging. Pulling back, he gave you a small reprieve to gasp for air before filling your mouth again. There was no fighting his thrusts, you had to force your throat to relax or choke. A mix of drool and tears spilled down your chin as a thick vein dragged against your tongue, dripping off to the floor. In the back of your foggy mind you were disgusted.
When they felt you relax around Kuroo’s cock, his hips moving in a steady rhythm to fuck your throat, Akaashi and Semi moved. 
You spasmed around Kuroo when Semi lifted you up and dropped you back down, your hips meeting with a wet slap, his cock stifling your scream. Akaashi pulled out then, a little more careful as he stuffed himself back in, but the constant push and pull of their hips soon spread fire through your body. Kuroo was heavy on your tongue, Semi and Akaashi bumping and grinding against each other through the thin wall separating your cunt and ass, Semi’s curls stimulating your throbbing, sensitive clit.
You couldn’t fathom how you were careening towards a third orgasm, but Semi’s cock was so thick he couldn’t help but drag along the swollen, gummy sweet spot inside you. Akaashi’s low, pleasured moans in your ear gave you a vague sense of pride. These gorgeous men wanted you, were moaning for you. 
It was enough to make you forget this wasn’t right.
Kuroo thought you were moaning, your throat vibrating around his cock as he facefucked you with abandon. The tight sleeve of your throat only grew tighter when Akaashi’s hand slipped between your legs to pet your clit and Kuroo grunted.
“Keep that up, kitten, and you’re gonna make me cum,” he said, holding your nose down in his curls for a few seconds just to feel you spasm around him.
Semi and Akaashi felt the benefits of it, both your holes clenching around them as you gagged. Semi took the opportunity to grind deep inside you, rolling his hips up so that he pushed against your cervix.
Your thighs trembled around him, a squeal stifled around Kuroo’s cock as you came hard, jerking in Semi’s hold. He snarled, bouncing you on his cock with abandon as Akaashi slammed into you, spreading your clenching hole without care as he moaned.
Kuroo grunted, pumping into your mouth a few more times before pressing your nose into his pelvis and cumming, his lips parted in an ‘o’ and his head tipping back. You had no choice but to swallow until he pulled out and spilled the remnant all over your face, smirking as it mixed with your tears and drool to drip off your chin.
Semi’s back arched off the couch, strong hands pulling you down to sit flush with his hips as he spilled inside you. Your eyes grew wide at the intense heat filling your womb, the warmth rushing up through you at the same time Akaashi came in your ass. Goosebumps erupted across your skin as his cum offset the heat of Semi’s, and your vision swam for a moment from overstimulation.
Semi caught you as you collapsed forward, cradling you to his chest regardless of the mess, petting your hair. 
Akaashi slipped out of you, sharing a small smirk with Kuroo as he sought out your clothes.
“Give me my shirt,” Semi said, catching it from the air when Akaashi threw it. He forced you to sit up, watching you sway with a twisted sense of pride, and wiped the mess from your face. Akaashi and Kuroo took you from there, helping you to dress while you leaned against them, unable to keep from snickering at the state they’d left you in.
“Can you walk, kitten?” Kuroo asked, setting his hands on your shoulders. “Or do you need someone to carry you?”
“I-I can w-walk,” you stuttered, throat raspy. You frowned and grabbed it, swallowing with a wince.
“Good girl,” Kuroo said, dropping a kiss on your lips and smirked when you leaned after him as he pulled away. “We don’t need to worry about you telling anyone, do we?”
Shaking your head, you allowed Semi to wrap an arm around your shoulders, keeping you close to bathe in his warmth as Kuroo led the way up the hidden stairs a little ways down the hall they had been blocking earlier. At the top of the stairs, you could hear voices calling your names and perked up, trying to follow the echoes in the darkness.
“This way,” Kuroo said, leading the way though there wasn’t a speck of light in sight. Your own phone was tucked safely in the pocket of Semi’s jacket, which he had taken back. “Keiji, give me your phone. Appearances.”
Right, couldn’t let the humans know.
Everyone crowded around you, throwing questions all at once, until Shirabu lost his temper. He insisted on looking you and Semi over, just to determine for sure nothing was the matter. 
He seemed a little concerned by how out of it you were, and asked if you hit your head.
Three sets of eyes landed on you, all carrying a different weight as they waited for you to speak.
“Just tired, Shirabu,” you murmured, hiding your face in Semi’s side. “It took ages for them to find us. Can we go home now?”
The tension eased, though you kept your face hidden, allowing him to guide you blindly down the hallway.
It was even colder outside than earlier, and Kuroo took over the spot on your other side, gently shooing Yachi towards the other. She had insisted on keeping you company, watching you with wide, worried eyes while Akaashi and Kuroo whispered together behind her.
Even now, she watched the way the three men hovered around you with curious concern. They treated you like a precious object-- or a possession that needed to be protected.
You nodded in response to something Kuroo said, trying-- if possible-- to curl even closer into Semi. Akaashi hovered in the background, pretty face as impassive as ever until he caught Yachi looking at him.
His lips curled up in a smile, his face softening ever so slightly, and she relaxed. Whatever had happened to you down there, it seemed to spark something in the three men.
Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been that bad.
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618 notes · View notes
halcyon-writings · 3 years
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Asking again to make sure it reaches you. I really want to read BnHA drabbles or headcanons where Bakugou, Todoroki, and Inasa finish their remedial courses for their hero licenses, but then realize they haven't contacted their s/o ONCE while their courses and training were going on. And the last call/text they got from her was her asking if they want to break up so they can focus on being heroes. Now they need to apologize for accidentally ignoring her and convince her it wont happen again
note(s): okay so i’m definitely glad you sent this in again bc i didn’t get the first one omg. but hi yes here we go after 84 years thank you for your patience!! again small reminder that i mainly write gn!reader, however i did try for this rq as you specified female pronouns in the request however but idk how well i did djskdjs
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all my links can be found in my pinned post!
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now let us set the scene *cue that typical harp transition music*
When you had agreed to run to the store real quick to pick something up for an extra dinner dish, you had believed it would have helped get your mind off of the particular elephant in the room.
When in fact, being alone with your thoughts did not help in the slightest. You check your phone for what feels like the nth time today, and still, nothing. You knew that remedial courses would take a good chunk of their time, and you were very thankful that you had passed the provisional exam on the first try, but still, what about a hello? A, how are you? something, anything!
And maybe, just maybe, during your small emotional crisis you send what looks very closely like a breakup text to your boyfriend because, after all, you’re very emotional at the moment and it felt necessary okay?
So of course when you’re boyfriend finally gets to reading said text, he, quite literally, almost has a heart attack.
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Katsuki’s first response, once he gets to reading all the messages he missed, no thanks to the BakuSquad’s gc and Kaminari sending memes at 1 am followed by Mina and Kirishima’s laughter/keysmashes killing his battery, is to just curse out loud. One tired “Fuck.” Because he may not have realized it at the time but he really was pushing you away. He probably goes to Mina next, because she would be the better choice in asking for advice. (And would keep focus bc while the rest are good at giving advice it’s staying on topic that’s the problem).
And also Mina and Bakugo friendship is severely underrated and we need more of it thank you!!!
Following her advice, Bakugo will go to wherever you are. And If you told your parents about him , he is ready to plead his case, if he’s gotta do the whole shebang he will. Katsuki genuinely wants to make up for it. If he’s bringing you your favorite snacks, he will. Along with whatever else you want him to bring. One of the next ways he’ll go about making up for it is quality time. Because he genuinely likes to hang out with you.
Whether it’s napping or cuddling together while watching your show/movie of choice, or just walking around the town and finding cool hangout spots. As long as it’s with you he’s more than happy to be there. (Although he may not be as expressive, you’ll know when you see the soft and fond look on his face. But tease him about it and he’ll vehemently deny it.)
However the hold he has on your hand gets a little tighter, but he’s still like, gentle? idk words man. but like he’s very soft. And he makes note to not let himself get so caught up in hero work. Because breaks from working himself to the ground is important. Even more rewarding when he gets to spend time with you afterwards.
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Out of the three of them, Inasa definitely has the... loudest of reactions and responses. He might have shouted, which then got the others concerned because again this was probably when he was leaving the remedial course and nothing was really wrong before hand. Or if he’s on the train he scares some passengers and an old grandma almost hits him with her purse. Idk he’s having a time guys and not a good one. He definitely will google search good ways to make up with an s/o
He can and will show up to your house with a giant bouquet of flowers and dressed up, he had to be stopped from wearing a suit though, but it was close. Inasa wants to show he's serious and that he really wants to make up for this, please stop him, he can and will buy more flowers if he thinks it'll help the cause. The fact that someone like him can look like a kicked puppy so easily only makes this more sad dfjskfjs. help this poor guy
If you're not busy, mans is ready to take you out to go eat something then and there, because he's ready to make up for missed dates/hangouts asap!!! In turn you gotta tell him, really, he doesn't have to rush it. Because if he really tried everything he had planned you guys would miss the last train to get home and that would not be fun. Just the fact that he's trying this much means a lot. And it also helps settle the fear that this was just a bad case of miscommunication and that he wasn't ghosting you. (Unless- jkjk these aren’t these kinda hcs)
I think Inasa is really good at giving hugs, like he’s big and that muscle isn’t for show. Like where’s that one redraw meme where one person just is pressed against the other’s chest like “:000” and looking a little smug bc that’s you and Inasa okay. Especially when he’s brought you home after your day of adventure, it’ll take some convincing to let you go, as once he holds onto you, he clings subconsciously. But rest assured that when you’re free again, he will do this all over again. Even when you confirm that everything is okay, he’s still gonna try his hardest.
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Todoroki’s reaction is definitely a lot more curbed and bottled in compared to Bakugo’s or Inasa’s. That’s not to say he isn’t concerned when he reads your text and the meaning of your words begin to set in. You can almost tell that something is wrong, however, just by the slightest way his body language shifts. But rest assured, he’s gonna get back to you asap so that you both can talk this out. Shoto pre-Izuku’d character development definitely had him trusting a lot less, and so you are definitely really special when he trusts you enough to get close to and even ask you out.
He will however give you time to cool off, because you probably aren’t feeling too great sending the message and he wants to be able to collect his own thoughts too. Then when he’s meeting you, he’s very forward in his apology, he admits what he did wasn’t great. (Ngl I feel like he’d act like he killed your pet or something with how sincere he sounds todo baby...)
He’ll tell you all about the remedial courses, and he feels a bit relieved when you laugh at the “five weenies” joke. (It’s hard to stay mad at him when he looks so serious and says that with a perfect deadpan). Instead you ask him more about his time with the others there. Maybe a little ashamed because this kind of thing is still pretty new to him (and no offense to them but his parents weren’t exactly the best example as to what a relationship should be like). You see the way his eyes light up and you realize, it’s okay.
He’s learned a lot from this. Not just how to be a hero, but for his own personal growth too. Will he stumble a bit now and then? Yes. But at least he knows that he has you along with him to help him stand back up. Slowly, but surely, Shoto is getting there. Relationships in general are newer to him given that he avoided them in the beginning at his time at UA, but once he gets close to someone. He keeps them close and doesn’t let you, so you feel really special.
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tfw-tajaaa · 3 years
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𝒢𝑜 𝒶𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹, 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒟𝓇𝒶𝒷𝒷𝓁𝑒. 𝐼’𝓂 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔…
i changed it a little, eensy bit<3
Singing with Elizabeth:3
Elizabeth had a lot of free time in Hotel Cortez, not much happened and if there was, it was wreaking havoc on tenants who would never enjoy there stay-
Anywho, something that was prone to happen with residents who were basically hotel-ridden, was Karaoke!!
Karaoke was, at first, used to past time and now it's a Saturday night tradition among the ghosts and vamps. It's quite lovely actually.
When you were first turned to be with Elizabeth, you were basically a puppy following her every where. Wherever she was, you were. You were kinda scared to be alone....to say the least.
Until one faithful night, Liz asked if you could make a run to the local Rof-Store (knockoff Wal-Mart™️ bc copyright is not a vibe) to buy a karaoke machine and some microphones. You were confused until you were bribed with the fact that it was a special request from Elizabeth. So you said yes to her and was on your way.
When you came back the whole Lobby was decorated with a snack cart, a drink station, and a electronic white board to set the karaoke machine up to.
After playing rock, paper, scissors (bc that's how we solve adult problems😡) it was decided Liz went first, and GOSH, she sung so pretty, she had a more drawn out kind of voice. Made you think of aloe vera, it was neutral but she had talent to make it work, yk? (ofc you know, you have to know, you aren't disagreeing with me)
Up next was Elizabeth, due to popular demand ofc, she wanted someone special up there with her. She wanted to do a duet.. she wanted you up there.
You would think she would pick something modern, but classy like herself. wrong. she picked "Beautiful Liar" by Beyoncé and Shakira
Once the intro started, it seemed as though the lights dimmed, Elizabeth seemed to glow, and her voice bounced off the walls hitting your ears so softly. You were practically drooling not realizing you were supposed to be singing also
Once you got the memo, you fixed your posture looking away from her so you could really focus on the words.
Her voice was something you never anticipated but after tonight, you could never look at her the same. Her voice did things to you, it caused any feelings to dissipate and travel straight to your core.
It was so sweet, so soft, so....𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔.
After your turn on karaoke, you needed to hear more, you needed to use that same voice as she praised you.
and she did after you asked nicely, of course
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑺𝑶 𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮, 𝑰𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑺𝑼𝑷𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑬𝑫 𝑻𝑶 𝑩𝑬 𝑨 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑩𝑩𝑳𝑬 𝑫𝑺𝑯𝑯𝑱𝑩𝑺𝑱𝑵𝑺𝑼𝑺
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bl597 · 4 years
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Hi love💕 I love your writings so much ahhhh and if you are still taking requests I would love a Fred or George fic where they are in Hogwarts and the reader (hopefully a Hufflepuff!) is two years below them, they are dating but reader is insecure because she thinks he is popular and she’s just an ordinary puff? And he didn’t help because his flirty nature, but he realize it’s hurting her and scared that he’ll lose her to another boy, anyways angst with a very fluffy ending? Thank you so much❤️
hello, my love! thank you aa ❤️❤️ i'm so sorry it took so long, hope you enjoy it! 💞
warnings: agnsty but then fluffy ok, fem!hufflepuff!reader, the words 'fucking' and 'dumbass' like once or two times, kind of shitty just like my other pieces :p, did this with my boi Freddie bc I already have two imagines in mind for Georgie yeehaw, english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes!
my masterlist ♡
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You were now with Hannah and Susan, your best friends and housemates, discussing about the next Hogsmeade trip and what you three would do or buy there. Susan was excitedly talking about a new candy in Honeydukes, saying she wanted to try it when loud voices and cheering approached the corridor you three were sitting. Confusedly, you looked up, seeing the Gryffindor quidditch team and a few other people – mostly girls – surrounding them with dreamy smiles.
You smiled widely when you noticed your favourite ginger in the whole world in the middle of the crowd, but it soon disappeared from your face when you saw he wasn't alone. A girl, probably a 7th year, was shamelessly flirting with him, her arms wrapped around his left arm, a cheeky smile on her lips.
“You're so handsome, Freddie” you heard her saying with a squeaky, annoying voice, giggling.
“I have my charms, darling” he winked at her with a smirk and you felt your heart sink, the ghost of your smile completely leaving your face now.
Being a little younger and in a different house while dating Fred was something you were a bit insecure about. You were scared he would leave you for some older and more beautiful girl, probably a Gryffindor. You knew it was silly, since he always assured you that you were the only on in his heart, but his flirty nature wasn't really a big help. He flirted with everyone, even if just joking, but the main problem was that some girl actually flirted back, even though they knew about your relationship.
He was a Quidditch player and was really popular around the castle, so it was normal to see lots of people fangirling over him and George all the time, some even confessing to them and everything. And that made you feel insecure. I mean, you were just a 5th year Hufflepuff, you were just you and he is Fred fucking Weasley, the Gryffindor's team beater and one of the Weasley twins. He deserved someone way much cooler than just you.
“If you excuse me now, lady, I'll see my girl” you heard him say before heading towards you and your friends with a smile on his face.
“Afternoon, ladies” he greeted the girls, who just said a quiet 'hi', and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer and placing a small kiss on your cheek “Afternoon, my love”
“Hey, Fred” you spoke softly, giving him a half-smile.
“Missed you today” he pouted, giving your cheek another kiss
“Missed you too” you replied, giggling a little before looking at the watch on your wrist, fake gasping as if you forgot something important “Hannah, Susan, we promised to help professor Sprout after class, remember?”
They looked a bit confused at first, but soon understood and smiled, getting up “I was almost forgetting about it!” Susan exclaimed.
“Guess we should get going now” said Hannah.
“Sorry, love” you said to Fred, giving him a quick peck on the lips before getting up with the girls “See you later?”
“Oh" he seemed upset, but nodded, smiling quietly “Of course. See ya”
Waving him goodbye, you left with the girls. You didn't know why you did this, you just needed some time alone. You were sad because of earlier, jealousy and insecurity taking control of your body. Seeing Fred upset just made you feel so terrible for doing it to him, but for now you needed some time, you would talk to him later.
“Care to explain why you did that?” Hannah asked when you were out of Fred's sight.
“I don't know, I feel so stupid now. Did you see his face when we left?” you whined, considering coming back and apologize to him.
“Is that because of that Ravenclaw girl?” Susan asked quietly and you nodded slowly.
You didn't notice when, but you were already on the Hufflepuff common room, heading to your dorm with Hannah and Susan in front of you. You then threw yourself in your bed, face buried in your pillow. “Do you think he would prefer to be with her? Like, she's beautiful and older and she's a Ravenclaw, she must be really smart” your voice came out muffled because of the pillow, but apparently the girls understood it.
“Of course not, (Y/n/n)” they said in unison, sitting on the bed beside you.
“You're amazing, and he would have to be really dumb to break up with someone as fantastic as you” you heard Susan's kind voice, her hand caressing your back softly.
“But he flirted back” you lifted your head from the pillow and then sat up “I mean, he flirts with everybody, I'm not even sure if he really likes me”
“Are you joking?!” Hannah exclaimed, making you and Susan look at her “You've been together for over a year and besides, have you seen the way that dumbass looks at you?! He looks at you as if you were the most precious and beautiful thing in the whole world, he literally gives you heart eyes, you blind little shit! Trust me when I say he would never leave you for some other girl.”
Your eyes then filled with tears, guilty flooding your body when you remember how shitty you treated Fred a few minutes ago because you were jealous. “I'm so idiot”
“Shut up, you're not” Susan said “You should talk to him about it, you know”
Nodding quietly, you smiled at them two. “I'll do it after dinner. Thanks.”
~
During dinner you were a little quieter than usual, but still chatted with your friends. You were staring at Justin's dirty nose, trying to hide your laughter while drinking your pumpkin juice.
“What is it, (Y/l/n)? Am I so good-looking you can't take your eyes off of me?” he asked chuckling and you playfully rolled your eyes.
“You wish, Finch-Fletchley” you replied “Your nose is dirty, did ya know it?”
When you were about to hand him a napkin, two strong arms were wrapped around your waist from behind, making you jump in surprise. “Bloody hell!” You didn't even need to turn around to see it was Fred, his laugh and his cologne announcing it was him. “I almost had a heart attack, you prat!”
“Always a drama queen, aren't you?” he joked, taking your hand in his before turning to your friends “If you excuse me now, I'll steal my girlfriend for a while”
You got up with a silly smile on your face, seeing Susan's and Hannah's reassuring smiles before you started following Fred. He seemed nervous, so you squeezed his hand to let him know you were here for him, which made him give you a half heartedly smile while leading you to Merlin knows where. He finally stopped when you two reached a desert corridor.
“I have something to ask you” he said nervously, which was really weird since he's always so out going and confident all the time.
“Go on” you spoke quietly, getting nervous as well.
“Earlier today” he started “were you ignoring me? Like, when I arrived where you and the girls were you looked a little sad and cold towards me and then left as soon as possible. Did something happen?”
You didn't know what to answer, your mouth opened and closed while trying to let the words leave it, but they never did. He looked hurt and that broke your heart. You even though about lying and saying everything was fine, but you decided against it and realised it was better if he knew how you feel, because it's unfair of your part to keep things as secrets and then treat him badly because of it later.
Sighing, you looked at him “Actually, yes, there is something that have been bothering me for a while”
“What is it, love? Please tell me” he asked, holding your hands in his, looking you straight in the eyes.
“I saw that Ravenclaw girl flirting with you earlier and it made me upset because I thought you would prefer her since she's older and more beautiful than me, then I got insecure about it and you flirted back and-”
He cut you off by softly pressing his lips to yours in a sweet kiss, his hands resting on your hips as your hands found their way to his soft hair. You two slowly pulled apart after a few minutes so you could breathe again, resting your forehead against each other's with a soft smile on both your faces. He carefully cupped your cheeks and pressed a kiss to your nose.
“She's absolutely nothing compared to you, princess” he said “You're the only one I see and will always be. I'm really sorry if I hurt you, it wasn't my intention.”
“I know, I'm sorry for not telling you about it” you quietly said, smiling softly at him “I love you, Freddie”
His eyes widened in surprise, a huge smile forming itself on his swollen lips as he connected your lips again in a soft yet long kiss, both of you smiling in the middle of the kiss. It was the first time you said I love you and you couldn't think of a better time to say it, you have been dating for over one year and you were more than sure about your feelings for Fred.
“I love you too” he replied when you pulled apart again, peppering your face with little kisses “So, so much. Please don't ever doubt that, my lovely baby”
~
taglist ♡
@bwitchd @fific7 @iamak20 @msmimimerton @grierpilots @idontknowwhatthisisfam @imseeinggred @kashishwrites @tsuukichan @mischiefsemimanaged @just-a-dreamer23
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uhhhhyandere · 4 years
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👉👈 more yandere dimitri pls,,, that last one you wrote,,,, WHEW
haha idk where this was going or like... what the plot is or even what it’s about... but i had fun HAHAHA and literally all that matters 
so here’s 8k words of purple prose and pointlessness and idk what else i love him so much... also not proofread bc I'm lazy. y’all stan a lazy ass author. 
warnings: gory, death of minor characters, kinda bloody too, injury, manipulation
”It’s stupid. I-I don’t think… I just don’t want to get my hopes up, Annie. It’s been years…” With Garreg Mach looming on the cliffside, memories began to resurface with each field and decrepit village you, Annette, and Mercedes passed. They were fields where you would train relentlessly in the early hours of the day. An excuse, you think, to see him more. Innocent enough. Who wouldn’t want to improve their skill with the future King of Faerghus? Under those very trees is where you would have clandestine meetings at the same time beginning after the celebration of your victory at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Undeniably, the best night of your life. 
You silently thanked Sylvain for slipping into the wine cellars and claiming you all had to finish the stolen bottles and clear the evidence. The only people still okay enough that night to do any cleaning were Mercedes and Dedue. Felix was technically okay too, but he left far before Annette was vomiting in the washroom to actually help out. 
Your drunken first kiss at your bedroom door that Dedue definitely did not see. The sober one the day after. The sneaky one after breakfast. Quick one after training. Goddess, the heavy one in the dead of night after you scurried upstairs that Sylvain and Felix one hundred percent did not overhear through the paper-thin walls of the dorms. Countless kisses under the shadow of covers, night, until the ball. If everyone and their mothers didn’t suspect something was up when you two did not even realize you were the only pair left dancing, all eyes on you, until Sylvain whistled from the crowd, well, you would be deathly concerned about them.
“But those memories are from a long time ago, Mercie.” You pulled yourself from your thoughts. “Thinking about them only hurts. This place, what’s left of it, only hurts.” Mercedes set a gentle hand on your shoulder. “You think after five whole years, it wouldn’t hurt as much, but I don’t think I’ll be okay until this war is over. Until the cause of this - of all this pain and misery - is put to rest. Back then, even if we could have died at the end of any month, I thought he was invincible. I fled Fhirdiad as soon as I heard. Like a coward.”
“You can’t honestly think that! The Empire was taking the city. If you stayed, you could have died too! Don’t think like that.” You rolled your head back to look at the dark sky. You would make it back before it starts, at the very least. 
“Everyone grieves in different ways, and it courses through us all at different paces. You have to let yourself hurt.” You shook your head, beginning to see the shadow of the village at the base of the monastery. 
“I’ve been hurting for years now. When I met up with Felix in Fraldarius territory, he told me that the distraction will get me killed. An hour later he saved my life in battle, so he's ever the same. I wonder if he decided to show today. Sylvain would inevitably follow then. I’ve always thought--hey, do you hear that?” You stopped your movements suddenly, holding your arms to stop them as well. FIghting. 
“Is it the Empire?”
“I don’t know, but we should help out anyway,” Annette replied. “Come on!” 
You expected the Empire, but you weren’t surprised when you encountered thieves attempting to saunter off with the abandoned riches of the monastery. It was just like any other weekend you were off the road of bandits with the Blue Lions to clear a path for bandits. 
Until you saw him. A ghost. As pale as one, at least. A hulking, nearly unrecognizable mass of strength shrouded in black and blue. Relentless, he tore through his path of thieves, the professor and Gilbert hot on his trail. The… professor? They were alive too? Your hand shook at your side. They’re both… okay? You swallowed. The professor always did tend to micromanage Dimitri. You realized you could not swallow with a closing throat, wobbling along with your chest. Wheezing, crying, freezing in battle. You heard Mercedes and Annette all around you behind a wall of fog. Legs shaking, you fell to the ground, hand tight to your chest. 
“Y/N, come on, get up!” It was Annette’s urging, but she stopped suddenly. Two sets of feet set up around you. A barrier to protect you as your muscles shook. Get up. You have to. Get off the ground and fight. Just as he always taught you. 
Your bow came out quick, sniping an enemy in Mercedes’ blind spot. Before you can do anything, argue it was your imagination that conjured the sound of his grunts and the blue of his eye, you had to survive to see them and keep track of Sylvain in the corner of your eye. He still tended to always look right instead of left. Were you not so shaken up, you would have reacted to seeing the rest of your old house in battle, but your mind kept filtering back. You did not see him again in battle. He and the professor were far ahead, after the familiar bandit you had dealings with from Anna, with the remaining three bandits. You, Annette, and Mercedes went to secure the area to make sure there was no bandit unaccounted for. 
Didn’t last, though, as you fell to the ground against the foundations of a destroyed house, legs outstretched and limp. With your palm being held tightly over your mouth, you squeezed your eyes tight to get any remaining liquid out.
“Y/N…” 
“H-he’s alive.” 
“We know. We saw-”
“He’s alive. I spent five years grieving for someone who was here. I-I should have known he was here. I thought about it. I thought about it, but then I second-guessed myself and said that it would only hurt more. Searching for the dead. Pining for them, but look. I-I don’t know. I don’t know if I can even face him.”
“And you don’t want to.” Felix’s voice was just as sharp as it always was. He was grimacing, pace fast as he joined the three of you. “He is not the Prince you fell in love with. He’s the boar that’s been festering underneath his polite smile” With an exhale through your nose, you looked away. Felix really could read you like a book. He scoffed. “You knew too, didn’t you? All this time. Of course. I shouldn’t have put it past you to push things under the rug as you always do.” 
“Felix…” 
“It’s true. It’s how they even got through the relationship. Not as perfect as you thought, huh?” 
“Felix, I think that’s enough.”
“No,” you interrupted. “He’s right. I knew. I was at the rebellion. I was at that battle that is ingrained into Felix’s memory. I was in the Holy Mausoleum when we found out the Flame Emperor's identity, but he never told me… I didn’t know the extent. You all knew he would hide me from all harm, including himself. Do you really think he would tell me whatever plagues him now? Though, I could take a good guess after spending a few nights in his room back then.” You swallowed, wiping away the remnants of your tears. “How bad is he?”
“A lowly beast.” 
“There you all are. Professor says to regroup. Says we have plans to discuss, if you all are interested - woah, you okay?” Sylvain scratched the back of his head. “Oh right, yeah. Well, I don’t know how long His Majesty is willing to wait. He looks pretty - uh - impatient.” You shook your head and used the wall to support you back to your feet. 
“Reunions like this are usually supposed to be happy, aren’t they? I-I’m sorry I’m ruining it on you all. I really am so relieved to see you all okay. It’s just… there’s a lot of emotion going on right now.” It was Mercedes’ hand on your back. You needn’t look to know. 
“You don’t have to face anything you aren’t ready for.”
“No, I need to see what he has become. It’s as Felix says. I can no longer ignore problems I must face. I can do it, but we still have to check the perimeter…” Sylvain shook his head. 
“Teach had Ashe and Ingrid do it right after you left.” Your professor always knew you better than you could ever know. “Well, let’s go then. Don’t want to keep them waiting on us too long.” His brown eyes came in close. “You hardly look like you’ve been crying, if that helps.”
“It doesn’t!” Annette stomped on his foot. “Y/N, it’s going to be okay. Me and Mercie are right with you!” A smile broke out on your face. Albeit sad, you nodded your head and believed her. Though you both knew, in the scheme of things, you were alone in this battle. 
“Sorry, teach. You know Felix. Walks like a grandpa.” Sylvain, as common as it is for him to be the asshole, was a kind soul. No matter how much he tried to hide it. You gifted him a small smile of thanks as he glanced back. You were in the back of the small group when you joined the semicircle surrounding Gilbert, Byleth and… and… you couldn’t do this. 
His hair has grown long and unkempt. Grease and grime painted his hair, his skin, his clothes. The armor he wore just a few shades darker than the circles under his single remaining eye but, oh, it still glittered brighter than the rainy sky. That was his eye. Though only one remained, it was his. This was your Dimitri. You clenched your teeth, for you could not cry anymore. Even if this Dimitri, from what you have heard, would not care for your tears, Dimitri five years ago would. You would stay strong for him if no one else. 
And when his eye met yours, goddess, the jolt was felt down your spine. You knew your face screamed your emotions. You were no Felix, Slyvain, or Byleth. Lips parting, your breath halted as he kept your gaze. Nothing on him reacted. Goddess, his gaze was so much more piercing. You did not dare to move.  As if you were a stranger, his eye flicked back to Gilbert as the knight continued to speak. Annette grabbed your hand from beside you and you squeezed so hard you watched her wince, yet she remained steadfast in holding yours just as tight. 
For the mornings spent under the trees in the field after training, you would not cry. Dimitri is alive. He is here. A few steps away, though miles remained in between, he was alive. Within his dead eye, people will find hope. You will find hope. You know Gilbert already has as he speaks about returning to the monastery to begin to plan for the retaliation against the Empire. You know the former Blue Lions have as well, as they follow the professor loyally back up the ruined stairs you used to trip on far too often. You wondered if Dimitri can feel your eyes on the back of his head, or if he has come to be numb to that as well. 
Annette did not let go of your hand until it was out of shock in the chapel. Its remnants littering the floors. Still, the peace of the goddess remained. Its silence was a lullaby to your worries. She, it had to be her, brought back the ones you love most. There was no other power. There couldn’t have been. Even though there was a hole where she used to stand, you thanked the rain beginning to pour in.
You would be strong for the boy Dedue would sneak you to in the dead of night. To wherever the Duscur man maybe, you would do it for him, too. 
But being brave and strong was always easy for the people in Ashe’s books. They did not hesitate through their fear. It pushed them to be the heroes they are, but you could not find that platform to jump from. A mouse approaching a wolf, a boar. You sought help from the expert himself. 
“Have you? I mean, have you tried to talk to him?” Ashe fiddled with the padding on his glove. 
“No, not yet. Felix, Ingrid, Sylvain, and Mercedes have, though. You should ask them. They can probably be more help than me.” Stepping onto the wall separating Garreg Mach from the cliff, you sat next to him, allowing your feet to dangle in the open air. 
“No, I think I need someone as scared as me. Someone who wants to be a knight from one of your books, but is the measly coward in the back used for poetic comparisons. Not that you are. I’m talking about me.” Ashe shook his head. 
“It’s only been a few days since we’ve arrived.”
“And you think I would have already sought out the man I fell in love with already? A faithful reunion. Not quite like the ones in the romances.” 
“I don’t think anything going on is anything like a book.” You furrowed your brows. “I know that’s crazy coming from me, but no book is like another. They have similarities, but they are all inherently different. This one we’re in now, this is ours. This is what people will be reading about and looking to for help. Us. No book can help us right now. I think only we can help ourselves and each other.” You kicked your heel against the wall repeatedly. It wasn’t what you wanted to hear. “You should try. If Dimitri will listen to anyone, it’s you or the professor, and they tried already.” You could feel your throat beginning to close up.
“What do I even say? What if I say the wrong thing? He’s hurt, Ashe. He always has been. I don’t want to… I can’t push him more. He’s not off the deep end yet. He can’t be. I don’t want to be the final straw. I know what I’ll say if I get too… emotional.” The man sighed, green eyes scanning the clouds. 
“Well, from my humble opinion, which you don’t have to take, is that, if what you’re saying is true, you’re hurting him by avoiding him.” He stopped fiddling with the leather. Instead, he placed his hand on your thigh. “He is, deep down, the same Dimitri we know. What if he was the same, and you were doing this?”
“That’s debating if he is the same underneath. Knights are torn, but I know he’s there. He wouldn’t so easily feed into it. I know it. It may be time and so much help, but he’s in there. This is part of him. This is not an imposter. This is just as much of him as the one we knew so well. It… has to be, because I don’t know what I’m going to do if it’s not.”
Nights seem to be falling earlier and earlier with nonstop cleaning, repairs, and supply running. Even if you wanted to, you lacked the time to seek the prince out. The greenhouse had to be fixed. The rubble had to be cleared. The holes had to be patched. Communication had to be made. Word was the Knights of Seiros would be arriving this evening. Preparations had to be made for that. How the hell did Cyril do this day-in and day-out? 
You were exhausted by the time Seteth and company arrived and set to meet in the chapel. The second time you’ve seen Dimitri since the bandits. The millionth time war efforts were to be discussed. Most of that work was carried out by Byleth and Gilbert. You only needed to follow orders, and your orders were to clean. Sorting out your emotions was just a side job.
“Y/N. Y/N. Are you listening?” Seteth’s scolding, something etched into your brain from the academy, broke you from your thoughts. However, you first regarded Dimitri, who looked at you the same as he did the first time, before having the courage to look at Seteth. 
“I-I’m sorry. Lost in my own thoughts.” 
“I asked if you have heard anything from Aegir? I know you were in contact with Ferdinand during the past five years.” Dimitri’s eye burned holes through your head. You could feel the sweat from it on your scalp. 
“Duke Aegir has been placed under house arrest, sir. Everything from their title and land has been stripped from them. I… haven’t heard anything since. It would be safe to presume that they will not be an in with the Empire.” Yours and Ferdinand’s history stretches only back to the academy; however, before you and Dimitri became official, you and he would occasionally… work some stress out. Casually. Dimitri always hated this fact, but he did his best to hide the jealousy from you.
“It’s not fair of me to judge you on what you have done in the past,” he said. “I will be more mature about my feelings.” Though the gleam in his eye now was all too familiar. 
“I see. Thank you.” Something within you kept you from meeting Dimitri’s eye. A fear he would look away, so you focused on Seteth, Gilbert, and Byleth as they discussed the steps to making Garreg Mach the Kingdom’ base. When the meeting ended, however, you did not listen to such fear. Dimitri spent his time in the chapel. The spectacle to gawk at. It was no surprise when he did not move as the rest of the group disperse, and neither did you. 
But he would not break first. Turning around, his cape followed him back towards the wreckage of where the altar used to be. You followed with steps as silent as possible. Opening your mouth to speak, you released only empty air. Inhaling, you tried once again, but a wall erected itself in your throat, cutting you off once more. 
“If you have something to say, speak.” His words, guttural, reverberated in you. Wringing your hands together, you took one last deep breath. 
“Dimitri.” 
“Do you wish to speak of the past?” His head turned, so you could only see one eye peeking from under his bangs. “The boy you loved is long dead. There is nothing here for you.” You shook your head and took an adamant step forward. 
“T-that’s not true.” A dry laugh escaped him.
“Is it not? Are you not frightened of me? Is it not why you have hidden yourself ever since you arrived? You know it as well as I.” You tapped your fingers against your thigh. You had to remain calm and patient. He was going to try to push you away, and you knew that. Do not stray from the path. 
“It was not you I was scared of, Dimitri.” Another laugh. This one wry. He turned around to face you then. You knew he had gotten bigger, stronger, but he stood so much higher than you. A power stance you would not succumb to. This is the same boy who broke a pair of scissors and was scared Mercedes would yell at him and smuggled sweets for you two to have late at night to study for your certification exams. “Do not tell me it is because you think you could have changed something. Prevented something. Nothing would have changed whether you were here in the past five years or not. Do not think so much of yourself.” 
You squared your shoulders. You did not want to take this route, but you had to provoke some type of emotion towards you. Something to tell you that you are more than the tool of war to use against Edelgard, and he had already given you a hint. 
“Then what about at that meeting, when Seteth asked me about Ferdinand? I saw the look you gave me. I’ve seen it before too. You cannot hide that.” His jaw clenched, and for a moment, you felt successful. “You can say anything you want. How I am insignificant, a tool to use, another body to die in your path to revenge, but do not-” you pointed a finger at him “-tell me what we had was nothing. I want to see what you see. I don’t want you to shut me out.” His eyes trailed down to your finger, and with an armored, gloved hand, pushed it aside. 
“So you admit it then? A tool at my disposal. To use and then break?” You shook your head, and your throat clenched once again. 
“You would add me to the list of people who already haunt you?” 
“You know nothing of the dead. Of what they say to me. There is nothing for me to be concerned about other than taking the head off of that girl’s shoulders. Should you die getting in my way, then so be it.” His lance to the heart, but you would not let the pain show. He was the same boy who broke his training lance and hit Leonie with the broken handle and fretted about it for the next month, despite the blood on his hands. You had to believe that. Latch on to that single hope. 
“You always did what you could to protect me. From Demonic Beasts, bandits, Felix’s words, but right now, I think you’re protecting me from yourself.” Metal against your neck. In a blink of an eye, his lance touches the skin. 
“Do not speak as if you know me, and do not speak anymore, or else I will slice your throat where you stand. Go away. If you return, I will not hold back, and I will use you to the bone.” A competition played out between your eyes, but, in the end, you succeeded. Walking out the monastery with a drop of blood on your neck, you did not allow any other droplets to fall until you crossed the bridge into the reception hall. 
You don’t who you cried for, or for how long until Catherine found you and guided you back to your room. Thoughts floated from Dimitri, his words, the past, to Dedue and his untimely passing and your peers that were now your enemies that Dimitri was ready to kill without hesitation and the reality of your death that could come in any battle here on forth.  
Three knocks on your door. Too hard to be Ashe’s, Mercedes’, or Annette. Not hard enough to be Felix yelling at you to train like he used to when he could find no one else. 
“Sorry. I was just passing by, and, well, wanted to check in.” The last thing you wanted Sylvain saying was that he heard your balling your eyes out. With shaky hands, you wiped your burning cheeks and unlocked the door for him to enter. “Oh, what happened? What’s that bandage from? Don’t tell me…” You motioned for the noble to come in and relocked the door. You didn’t want any more visitors. 
“Yeah, I talked to him.” 
“He hurt you?”
“I went too far. I-I shouldn’t have pushed him so deep into his emotions, presuming things he felt. It was just a scratch. I’m fine. You have the eye, Sylvain. You must have noticed the meeting.” You sat on your bed, while he spread himself on your desk chair. 
“I remember he used to come to me during those times. How he can show his love for you through other means. How he had lost you before even had a chance to try. He was so stressed, and so hopelessly into you. I thought he had it for the professor, but color me surprised when he sought me out for advice on you.” You shook your head. 
“Never should have started that with Ferdinand.” 
“Something about nobles, huh?” 
“Shut up, Sylvain. I-Look, I can’t even focus on the past right now. I use it to remind myself I’m talking to my Dimitri, and not the monster everyone fears. That, that man suffering alone in that chapel is the boy who got nervous every time we kissed, but… but it’s so hard. As soon as I saw him that day, I was shocked, overjoyed, but I knew something was wrong the same minute. He’s been alone for five years. By himself. The only people to talk to him were the dead. What kind of… I’m supposed to be the one that knows this, sees this, and helps this, but all I can do is cry in my damned room!” Sylvain was lighting fast to wrap his arms around you, and you clung on tighter to his shoulders. The sleeve of his shirt, the victim of your tears, saliva, and sobs until you had pushed your own self out of consciousness. 
When you woke the next morning, your head lied on a breathing pillow. It did not take much to recall the previous night and you let yourself relax under human contact. It was something you have missed dearly in the past five years, and you know, despite his reputation, Sylvain would never try anything with you. Your eyes, heavy still from crying so hard, lazily trailed across the room. The window Dimitri almost broke with his lance, the desk you both hunched over figuring out the mathematical side of tactics, the potted plant the professor gave you for your birthday that Dimitri also broke, but replaced with the long dead ones present. The broken locks on your door from - 
“Sylvain!” You jolted up, slapping his chest harshly. He woke with a groan while you stood and approached the door. 
“Mm, what?”
“Did you hear anything last night? Banging, or snapping, after I fell asleep?” He rubbed your pillow over his face, so you approached him, tore it from his hands, and smacked him. “Sylvain. My door is broken.” Brown eyes were wide and glowing under the sun from the window. He rushed to check out the damage. “I think I know who would have…” He met your eyes. “Which means he saw - “
“Yeah, I get it. I’m a dead man.” You shook your head. 
“Hey, hey, not yet. We could try to guess why he would come in here.” Sylvain rolled his eyes. 
“Isn’t it obvious? It isn’t to kill you. He already would have been in the chapel. Oh - we messed up. We messed up big time. I’m so sorry, Y/N.” You put your hand on his arm.
“It’s not your fault. You were here when I was sobbing. I can’t be mad at you for that. I’m mad at this whole situation. This war. Everything. You just need to avoid him at all costs. Stay with someone. Felix most likely. We could explain the situation to him, so he understands, and so he doesn’t think we… you know.”
“I get it. I get it.” 
....
“Absolutely not.” 
“Felix, it’s only until I get this sorted.” Felix groaned, tying his hair back. 
“I’m not playing babysitter, and I’m not letting you handle this on your own. You’ll get yourself killed.” You shook your head. 
“He wouldn’t kill me.”
“He actually told you he would.”
“But he wouldn’t. I trust that he wouldn’t, and if one of the two of us were to approach him, it could not be you. Out of the question. It would have to be me, and you both know that, and it has to be as soon as possible. I mean, as in-”
“Have you all seen Dimitri?” Ingrid popped around the corner. “It’s the Empire - they’re coming. Gear up and get ready. We don’t know what forces they’re bringing, but we cannot allow them to take the monastery again.” Of course, of all times. 
“We’ll worry about this later. Do not let this distract you on the battlefield. Focus on surviving and nothing else. Got it?” Felix held a finger to your face. You nodded. “Good. Come on, Sylvain. We’ll see you out there.”
Focus on surviving. You were always focused on surviving. Battle was not merely just slaying your enemies. You were the priority. Not the oncoming enemies. That fact never changed during battle. That was the first thing the professor taught you; however, his selfless behavior on the battlefield would have anyone thinking twice. When it comes to fighting with people you cared about, priority gets muddled. 
Dimitri was no longer focused on surviving. His priority was to kill, slaughter his way to Edelgard. Nothing else mattered. In this way, his fighting has improved tenfold. No reasonable person would want to confront him in physical combat, which made life harder for everybody else. Being a distance fighter, you, Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes were able to watch his back. Of course, Byleth couldn’t risk that many people micromanaging him. For strategy’s sake, it’s suicide. Mercedes was a critical healer and menace being trained a gremory. That source of power would not and could not be squandered. Ashe had worked incredibly hard to be a bow knight, and your most powerful archer can also not be used as a protector of one person. 
The job usually came down to you. Both by order of elimination and by your lack of ability to focus elsewhere. Your eyes were naturally drawn to the splattering blood and the behemoth of a man as the source. Byleth knew this just as well as you. You were the definition of predictable on the battlefield. 
But, the one thing you forgot was that, on a battlefield, nothing is predictable. To be able to predict the cavalier was able to reach you with his javelin was precautionary, week-one lessons, but, still, it sunk into your side. Unimaginable pain. The raw snap of impact. Warm blood cascading down your leg. Think… think! You had to get somewhere safe. Somewhere an imperial soldier wouldn’t finish you off. Hopefully, someone else would take care of that soldier before they reached you. 
Each inch was crippling. The gathering of bushes and trees seemed so far, and your energy was slipping exponentially fast. You’d be out from blood loss in due time. It even began to drip from your mouth and onto the already stained grass. Almost there. The moment your foot crossed the threshold to the hideaway, you went lip on your back. Smoke and flames met the already decaying sky. 
You glanced down your body. The javelin was at least a third in your body. Getting it out would just expedite the process, so you allowed yourself to lie your head back. Distant shouts and screams and metal clashing filled the air. The smell of the earth around you drowned out by the putrid scent of burning flesh. Something you never take note of while fighting for your life. 
Peace was not a word to use in these places, but you had no other one to use as you lied still. Is this what Dimitri meant? You wondered what he would think and say when he heard, or even saw, your death. Your death. Another nameless, pointless death in Edelgard’s ruthless path to her goal. You can see Mercedes and Annie crying. Maybe even Sylvain and Ingrid. Felix, perhaps, would cry, but you were sure he’d be pissed at you. And Dimitri… 
You sobbed. Perhaps you really were worthless, but you wanted to hope, to pray that he would be there each time you opened your eyes back to the gruel world around you. Each time, he wasn’t. 
Until he was. 
Blood dripped down his face, none of which was his own. It matted down his locks and dripped from each lock. Areadbhar glowed in his hand and dragged across the flattened grass and mud. The air was only able to jostle the very ends of his hair. His mouth opened, canines peeking from the corner of his lips. Leaving the smoke and fire behind him, Dimitri got larger and larger. 
Goddess, he was beautiful. Even as he stared with an empty eye down at you, you couldn’t help but gasp. An angel of death. You moved to rise, but the rip of his lance on your breast pushed you back down. His eye traversed down your figure to your wound. The weapon rose and fell with your breath. 
“Dimitri,” you breathed out. 
“I told you, did I not?” His chin rose and Areadbhar’s tip dug just a hair deeper. “Foolish Y/N. You are too weak for the thick of battle.” You squeezed your eyes shut. “But you will not die by imperial hands. I will not allow it. If you are to die, it will be by my hands.” Your fists gripped the grass. Dimitri hummed. “You won’t say that I wouldn’t? Or do you finally realize the truth?” 
“If you’re going to do it, just do it. Neither of us need this “ -you coughed -”stalling.” His elbow retracted and you winced, ready for the final blow.
“Y/N!” Sylvain. At the silence that followed, you peeked an eye open. Dimitri was focused on the source of the voice, giving you room to squiggle away until he forced the lance forward again. This time, the tip traced your left cheekbone. “Y/N!” Dimitri was daring you to speak, but, right now, you could hardly breath. 
“You said you were not scared of me, before. Are you scared now?” He paused. “You said you want to see what I see. Do you keep your word? Do you honor it?” Were you supposed to answer? Fear crippled your ability to formulate words. “You will not die yet.”  Areadbhar’s glow now dominated your left visual field. 
In a second, everything in that field went black, and you screamed. 
“I watched you go down,” Felix said. “You were at the higher ground, where you usually are in the midst of battle. You might as well have painted a target on your back if I can see you from across the plain, you idiot. That javelin went into your side,” amber eyes locked onto the bandages covering your side, “but I watched nothing touch your eye.” 
Thank the goddess for Manuela and Mercedes. Without an expertise in white magic, you would be long dead. By the same token, thank the goddess for Sylvain who found you bloody and passed out in the cover of the bushes and delivered you to them on horseback. 
Your fingers traced the bandages that wrapped around your head and covered your left eye. Everything to your left periphery and everything not covered by your right eye was black. It didn’t throb, didn’t hurt anymore, because there were no more nerves to send that pain to your brain. 
“What happened, Y/N?” Ingrid cut in. Her, Felix, and Annette stood around your bed in the medical bed. You shook your head. 
“I… I don’t remember. The last thing I recall is crawling towards the cover. I don’t even know if I got there.” 
“Liar.” Felix abruptly stood. “Stop defending that boar, and just say it.” Your mouth opened, but Ingrid cut him off. 
“Felix, are you saying you think Dimitri took her eye?” 
“I know it,” he snapped back. “I’m right, aren’t I, Y/N? Just say it. Say that beast took your eye while we were all distracted in battle.” Your eyes glanced to the others, unconsciously asking for help. 
“Felix, you’re adding unnecessary stress. Come on. We should give them space. We’re lucky they’re not dead” Her hand locked onto Felix’s arm. He grimaced, glaring down at you while he shook himself from her grip. 
“When will you ever start caring about yourself? There is more death than just physical.” He spit out before stomping out of the room. Ingrid sent you a sympathetic smile and followed her childhood friend out. Annette left soon as well under the excuse of giving you time to rest, but you could not rest. Dimitri’s face haunted you every time your working eye closed. Every throb was its own lance. Its own mark. 
His mark. 
You thought you were crazy the first time you reflected on why you and Dimitri’s eye total was the same as a normal human being. You thought you were insane for romanticizing it. It was terrifying. Inhumane. To you, at least, but to him, you knew, it was a mark of possession. That when people saw you, thought of you, it would always be connected to him, but it was also a threat. Not only to those who dare try to do you harm that isn’t him, but to you. I told you. This is what you get and will continue to get. 
You waited until the sun set, until the priests and priestesses would no longer be in your room to cry, so your pathetic cries of anguish would be bouncing off the walls in peace. Curling in on yourself, you buried your chin between your arms and stared into the dark room. Waiting and watching, a large silhouette emerged from the darkest corner and approached. Cold claws of his armor wiped away the tears on one cheek while simultaneously breaking the skin. You could only barely make him out through the moonlight in the open window next to you. Dimitri circled the bed, looking down at you from the side before bending down and planting his lips on your cheek. His warm tongue wiped at the newfound beads of blood, and you hissed at the contact. He separated himself just enough to look at the bandages around your eye. 
“I get it,” you said. “I get it.” 
Luckily (as lucky as you can get during the situation), the damage cut clean through the nerves, so all ganglion cells and connections to the optic nerve were completely severed. No nerves. No signal to the brain. No pain. Still, it would be a while before the tissue repaired and scabbed over. 
You didn’t know what to do with Dimitri, frankly. Part of you was terrified to even approach him. Another was equally as terrified, but this was out of what he would do if you were with someone else again. You were sure of the correlation between your broken door and your stolen eye. You wonder, then, what else he could have seen? Sparring with Felix or advice sessions with Ashe or… too many instances come to mind. 
Byleth pushed you to train more with your periphery severely impacted, and, when the time to march came, confined you to Garreg Mach until you were proficient enough not to get yourself killed. 
“Good,” was all Dimitri said on the matter. It wasn’t until your assault into the Empire that Byleth deemed you ready for actual battle. Up until then, you spent your time training. First, it was with the knights, until all of a sudden they no longer desired to raise arms with you. Something about the demon over your shoulder. You looked to Catherine, who glanced to the door, where a large shadow quickly disappeared. You inhaled sharply and pursued. 
“No one is willing to train with me. Do you have something to do with it?” 
“They can’t help you,” he responded. He quickly strode down familiar, overgrown paths down to the fields below until you both reached the same field he had trained with you in years ago. Dimitri spun around, raising his lance. “They don’t understand.” From your blindspot, he swung, and you barely dodged out of the way, feeling the very wind from the force. “Get up and arm yourself.” You quickly shuffled to your feet.
“Why? Aren’t you… don’t you plan to kill me, anyway?” 
“Equip yourself. I will not have filthy empire hands decide your demise, and I won’t have you staying behind on your own.” You gave up on trying to read into him. “Now, fight.” 
It was brutal. Unlike the helpful and cautious nature of his corrections and demands, you learned through mistakes. If your leg got slashed, you moved it the next time. If you were pushed and forced to one side, you adjusted your posture for the next time. Dimitri gave you no breaks, no time to tend to the cuts and bruises he gave you. There was hardly time to catch your breath before he was charging again, forcing your back against a nearby oak. He seemed to not be bothered or fatigued at any point. 
It would not be the first time your back was pinned against this very tree. Dimitri growled, his weapon lodged into the wood right behind your ear. A moment passed where it was five years ago, hands tight on your hips and heavy breaths swallowed by one another. Now, he pulled his weapon back and went in for another strike. 
“It’s dark. I think we need to go back.”
“You think they will not use the guise of darkness? That we will always fight when the sun is out? Arm yourself.” 
You limped back to Garreg Mach. The only real guide you had, with Dimitri’s brutal pace, was his footstep imprints and the sound of him pressing on. By the time you reached the gate, you nearly collapsed with Dimitri far ahead. Thank the goddess Anna was around to get help. Byleth’s dark cape flew behind them as they rushed through the market. They rushed you, as fast as you could go on weak legs, to the same bed you were confined to with your eye. Manuela dropped the elixir in her hand as you and your entourage busted through her door. 
“Goddess, what happened?! No matter. Get them inside.” 
Felix was going to kill you. 
But still, when you were able, you met Dimitri again in the same field. And again. And again. Until you were no longer on the verge of death each nightfall when you returned. Your former housemates did not hesitate to chastise you or even micromanage you, but, inevitably, they had to do their own work, and you set off. Felix gave you an innumerable amount of choice words before it seemed he gave up.
You were confident heading into the empire. No opponent you would face, close up or far, was Dimitri. They were far smaller, thinner, and weaker. You’d even say they seemed to have less physical intent to kill you compared to the blonde. You traded in your bandages to a white eyepatch similar to Dimitri’s except there was still padding for the raw skin underneath. Something that inevitably drew enemy forces towards you. 
“Y/N?” Despite the cruel, ruthless nature of battle, Ferdinand’s voice held the same noble gentleness. Your eye, wide and wild, met his. Across a stretch of corpses, the redhead stood tall, long hair matted down in the wind. You swallowed. “Y/N!” He called again, eyes wide behind you. In a split second, you turned to see an armored knight’s axe impending down on you. The next, a lance impaling them that breezed from over your shoulder. 
“You killed your own man.”
“He almost killed you.” You hurried to dislodge his weapon from the body.
“...Thank you,” you muttered, handing the lance back to him. Your eyes rose to behind his shoulder. “F-Ferdinand!” Your warning came too late. Dimitri’s blunt force knocked him to the ground. There was no warning, no room for words, before the sickening sound of death cracked in front of you. Again… and again… and again. You squeezed your eyes shut. 
“Keep your eyes open. This? Was your fault.” Blood splattered onto his pale features, adding to the pattern already decorating his skin. “Let’s go. Stay by me.” Not that you usually didn’t. Still, your legs would not move. Not with the fresh corpse between the two of you. “What?” Dimitri hissed out. “Are you upset? He was just another body in our way... unless it was something more to you?” You shook your head, taking a hold of your bow tighter. “Good. Let’s go.” Dimitri did not bother to even look back, and you… you could not even look down, and hurried to follow. 
You didn’t sleep for days. Ferdinand’s kind smile on your mind. You did not dare tell anyone of his gruesome demise. Though, looking at the detail, the monstrous nature of it, it didn’t take too much  thought to guess who was responsible for it. You couldn’t even bring yourself to celebrate Dedue’s return. The thing about him though was that he never let too many things go unnoticed. 
“How are you?” He simply asked, and you lost it. 
“-I couldn’t do anything. I-I couldn’t! Or… or I didn’t. Oh, goddess, I don’t know.” Your hands shook in front of you. “He can do what he will to me, but to others? Because of me? I… fuck. I couldn’t tell anyone. Felix and co. are already suspicious enough.” 
“I am sorry. I know those words do not mean much now, but, for what it is worth, I am.” He paused, furrowing his brows and focusing on the ground. “I-,”
“Y/N.” Dimitri hulked in the doorway. Where the hell does he come from? Dedue stood promptly. 
“Your Highness,” he greeted. Dimitri briefly regarded the Duscur man before focusing on you once again. 
“Come,” he said, and you followed, wishing Dedue a small farewell. Dimitri’s cape glided against the concrete. He led you across the bridge and into the empty echoes of the cathedral. It was far too late for any priests or students to linger. Especially with Dimitri lurking around in the late hours. “You still think about him.” 
“I still think about his death,” you carified. 
“Do not tell me you mourn for a man who was going to imprison you.” You scoffed. 
“He saved me.” 
“In order to take you back to the empire for information. Who else would he like to obtain than the one he grew feelings for? Do not be so naive to think he saved you so altruistically.” Your teeth dug into your bottom lip. 
“You don’t know that.” 
“I do. You and I both know how war works. Do you think Edelgard and her army would not use every former connection to get ahead? There is no line on the path to victory.  Being weak, showing compassion, is just how you get killed. How the enemy wins.” You shook your head. 
“You said you were going to kill me. Did you not save me for that reason? My death is the same no matter whose hands it is by. It will have the same impact. One less body between Edelgard and you.” Dimitri’s eye glanced downwards, then shot back up to meet yours with a small chuckle. 
“Are you not already dead? Have you not already succumbed to the wills of those who control your mind? Have you not already become your own form of monster?” You shook your head and took a step back.
“N-no, I’m not.” 
“You are not? You allow these cuts and bruises to litter your body. You allow your own eye to be stolen. You allow others to die. You allow all of this without consequence. You are a worse kind of monster: the one that allows another to live, to unleash without consequence. You hardly see the others anymore. You do not train with them, eat with them. They tend to your wounds and you run to get more.” Metal fingers gripped your chin and forced your head upwards. “I told you I would kill you, and I have.” 
HIs kiss was fire compared to the ice of his armor pushing against you. All-consuming, Dimitri’s lips molded to yours and his teeth pierced your skin. He licked at your lips, and you willingly opened your maw to let him in. You willingly allowed him to drown you out, to push you towards a pew and lock you between his body and the wood. He only separated to breath before digging for more, more. His tongue dragged across your own and touched upon your teeth, tasting your intricacies with increasing vigor. He inhaled every exhale you panted into his mouth. These were not the kisses Dimitri five years ago gifted you. 
“You taste the same…” he whispered. “Show yourself to me. Let us be dead together.” 
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Text
More and longer theory chatter with @flash-the-geist with guest stars who popped in. This one is longer since it’s theorizing but turned into something Flash affectionately named the ‘Esprestissimo AU’ which I am keeping because I love it so much.
Most of this mainly features Duet thoughts and then shenanigans ! The most I did was add a missing thing in my own comments for clarification or that my brain skipped over when typing it before, or where I adjust the order of the messages for cohesiveness
please enjoy jdjd
flaaaash — Today at 4:35 AM
hmmm what if the note-taker is Duet, taking notes about "Solo"? that implies they're two different people
Arthur — Today at 4:36 AM
that's what i was thinking-- that the ‘He’ in the note is reverb, and this note is in reference to reverb, but also a comment on Solo, and the Duet 'wrote' this character profile as like-- a case file if they're in charge of the organization
so duet is like 'solo' claims she still needs to study him for research in a note on the file he's taking on reverb or something like that
flaaaash — Today at 4:37 AM
this might be my deep, unfortunate familiarity with bureaucracy talking, but- if the person in charge is also the one taking notes, it's a very small organization
Arthur — Today at 4:37 AM
oh yeah
i imagined it was tiny personally
tempo seems on the smaller side so if it's all based there, i was imagining it was relatively small
flaaaash — Today at 4:38 AM
not international then, perhaps
adkjfakjf oooh now I want to make a little card for Flash
Arthur — Today at 4:39 AM
yeah no-- at least since the name tempo of the town following the motif like seemingly implies it's based in/related to the town since if follows the reference style
or that's my thinking anyways?
flaaaash — Today at 4:39 AM
very true
imagine if Tempo is just Like That and the rest of the world is totally normal
Arthur — Today at 4:40 AM
i personally think vivi didn't grow up in tempo now more tho-- because i think if she did and there is an organization, they woulda gotten wind of her and she probably would've been recruited since she's smart and clearly into that kind of thing
and if she was in the org and knew what she was doing, i don't know if she would've gone to the cave if she was at all in the Know 
flaaaash — Today at 4:40 AM
or they would have tried to study Mystery?
Arthur — Today at 4:41 AM
that too!!
even if they brought her in just because of mystery i imagine they would've brought her in
flaaaash — Today at 4:41 AM
maybe that's what the "her research into "REDACTED" is referring to. Research into mystery?
it all does seem to come back to him
Arthur — Today at 4:42 AM
or maybe she's relatively new to tempo still, and duet gave her a job because they intended to bring her in at some point but hadn't yet
like there were steps to take and like-- the cave happened before things could get fully underway
i mean at my job i applied in like-- march, and i didn't get an interview until may, and then i didn't get any training until november, and then i didn't get brought in to learn the job until december. so it'd be easy to imagine that if there was a reason, bringing her in could be a slow process 
flaaaash — Today at 4:43 AM
that might also explain why there were all these "go back" signs in the cave
clearly someone with English language skills put the signage there
Arthur — Today at 4:43 AM
that too! it definitely felt like it was to warn off people and keep them from tresspassing
but the gang were kids and also ghost don't haunt the places that aren't super scary and dangerous! so of course they gotta go in!
flaaaash — Today at 4:45 AM
maybe they weren't expecting someone like Vivi at all
she was a wild card that popped up and threw a spanner in the works accidentally
Arthur — Today at 4:45 AM
yeah!
i can imagine her just coming in and completely bamboozling everyone
duet is like 'okay we'll get her in on this but we'll take some time to sort everything and judge where she's at skill wise since we have time and it's not like she can get into any danger with all our protective me--oh no'
flaaaash — Today at 4:48 AM
that calls Duet's motivation into question a lil bc - there's at least a significant amount of time between Lewis dying and them finding him again
since their search is reasonably extensive and Arthur's had time to heal up. So why didn't Duet do anything during this time?
Arthur — Today at 4:50 AM
hmmmm--- well we know it's been less than a year since the cave happened at least, and i think the way Ben talked about it  sounded like it was a relatively short time table of only a few months, so maybe they wanted to give them recovery time or they weren't sure how to broach it-- i'm not sure. maybe the comic will give some kind of insight hopefully if the case is that vivi came in like that
i feel like it'd be interesting and make more sense given what she has available magic wise and mystery-wise if she wasn't in town until much later in life to explain why she wouldn’t already be working with the organization. but i'm still like hmm
because you do have a point that there would be a fair bit of inaction, unless for some reason vivi's memory issues or something was a problem or something happens in the prequel to explain or hint
tho now that brings into question if duet knows Lewis is dead, how are things not being managed better
i mean i've had arthur say in the past and i've said once or twice that like-- i think arthur was already working with prosthetics. so he could've had an arm mostly built and just had to make a more functioning one so that could've been fast. so hopefully maybe the prequel comic is set a bit before and might explain duet helping or something in a way that could make sense of it?
especially given he did make galaham's wheels already and such. he might've already built one but needed to make a new one set up for him
flaaaash — Today at 4:54 AM
I'm fairly sure people would at least know he's missing
I guess it's possible that the 'memory magic' thing that makes Vivi forget - it could affect everyone except Arthur and Mystery?
Arthur — Today at 4:56 AM
that's possible--
we have only seen mystery and arthur in the world seeming to know what's going on, so we don't know who knows what. just that vivi doesn't know lewis
but maybe nobody else does either to some degree
flaaaash — Today at 4:56 AM
Arthur being possessed at the time, and Mystery being a magical being himself. We don't have any evidence that anyone else remembers Lewis, although he seems to still be in pictures
Arthur — Today at 4:57 AM
people did seem confused arthur was freaking out in the store in the comic and like
idk. if i knew he lost his best friend i'd be more sympathetic/not look at him like he was crazy. I’d assume something set him off but probably feel bad for him if i knew what happened in the last year?
because i would imagine mental health is in the toilet after going on a trip and losing a friend even if he was only 'missing'
and the way arthur mentioned lewis and when vivi forgets he's just like 'nevermind'. if no one really remembers Lewis, then maybe giving up trying to explain is because he’s used to no one knowing who he means
flaaaash — Today at 4:58 AM
yea h
Arthur — Today at 4:58 AM
what if arthur only remembers lewis? (and mystery does)
Don't forget to take your meds ❤ — Today at 4:58 AM
In fairness most people would be confused if they saw someone having a panic attack in public, no matter how much was known about the person
flaaaash — Today at 4:58 AM
also if Lewis looked like himself for a moment just before dropping Arthur - does that mean Lance saw him?
or did he only see skele-version and thus didn't recognize him as Lewis
Arthur — Today at 4:58 AM
hmmmmm--- i lean to skele vision. he turned back pretty quick iirc
flaaaash — Today at 4:59 AM
I'm torn between analysing between a storyteller perspective and an in-world perspective
Arthur — Today at 5:01 AM
por que no los dos?
also
hmmm-- i think given people were like 'what's up with that guy', it seemed either not knowing what was going on with him or what it could stem from, but if lewis disappeared in a small town i feel like a lot of the details would've spread. so they might assume it had to do with that instead-- so it feels like maybe most people don't know
which seems strange in a smaller community because stuff gets around
flaaaash — Today at 5:01 AM
especially since the Peppers own a restaurant
Arthur — Today at 5:01 AM
yeah-- in a small town place a restuarant is usually a social hub of sorts
so if lewis disppeared i'm sure people would talk given he was a waiter and thus kind of a face for the restaurant
flaaaash — Today at 5:02 AM
also if they think he's missing and not dead, his family would be looking for him too. which means missing persons pics and all that
Arthur — Today at 5:02 AM
yeah and we didn’t see any. and some people not knowing or visitors i could get, but everyone seemed surprised by arthur freaking out, and if they knew lewis was missing and lewis and arthur were friends, it feels odd to like-- none of them to even look sympathetic
i would imagine if they knew lewis was gone they'd assume arthur would be more emotionally reactive than usual-- unless they have no idea that something is going on with arthur because you know-- lewis is erased jdjd
i mean the reason we know vivi doesn't remember is because her eyes glowed as lewis got phased out of the photo
but who knows maybe him being phased out was in general and that just meant she was affected too. everyone gets amnesia
flaaaash — Today at 5:03 AM
also slightly cracky theory but - if they ended up accidentally in the research facility during Ghost, that would explain why Vivi found a fully-stocked fridge alkja;gl
Arthur — Today at 5:04 AM
DSJDDLJSDLFJDSJL
that would be hilarious
lewis is his own scp in his tantrum mansion
they just keep an eye on the lot
flaaaash — Today at 5:05 AM
well what else are they gonna do with him??? xD
Arthur — Today at 5:05 AM
dslsdjdsfljdsfd
''welp no one knows who this guy is soooooo manor in the middle of nowhere time'
flaaaash — Today at 5:06 AM
"so the waiter turned into a vengeful spirit?" "oh uhhhh ok put him in a box i guess until we figure something out?"
ok theory- Duet knows Lewis is dead, but is trying to figure out a way to help/break the memory magic on Vivi, and that's why he's in the mansion/cave for a while before Ghost?
Arthur — Today at 5:06 AM
i like it! i think them knowing and approaching arthur in the comic and using 'rancid vibes' as an excuse would make sense
flaaaash — Today at 5:07 AM
"so that Vivi person wandered in again somehow and now the vengeful waiter ghost is loose?" "for fuck's sake you had ONE JOB-"
Arthur — Today at 5:07 AM
they know what's actually going on but they kinda act like everyone else while also getting arthur something that might help him in that book that i think will be important in the plot of the prequel
DL;G;HDGSAL;HKGSDHL;DGS
flash you have the biggest brain
 flaaaash — Today at 5:08 AM
,kadjgalgkj
"also there was this killer tree-" "I do not care about the tree, one problem at a time"
Poor Duet is having A Week
but the mental image of them trying to avoid Arthur and Vivi investigating, while trying to find ??? and re-capture him while shoving Lewis in a box is hilarious, and then they run into Shiromori and just throw their hands in the air like "can u not????". And then Murder Mystery shows up and they just quit
Arthur — Today at 5:10 AM
dlaajldkljjdl;dldjlfkfd
duet is just like
on their tenth cup of coffee
Don't forget to take your meds ❤ — Today at 5:10 AM
Arthur: Those are rookie numbers
Arthur — Today at 5:11 AM
they see murder mystery and go back inside the shop like 'can you add like 5 espresso shots to this'
flaaaash — Today at 5:11 AM
explains why they're like "Arthur pls your vibes. Do you KNOW what I've been dealing with"
Arthur — Today at 5:11 AM
asdl;;dfslhsdahg;as;dghkghsdllhsgd
flaaaash — Today at 5:11 AM
"five extra shots and a red bull chaser please-"
Arthur — Today at 5:12 AM
(also just still crosses my fingers for medium/spiritually-sensitive!arthur to be canon but if not it will live on in my fannon)
dsldjllssfdf
they just start shoving coffee grounds directly into their mouth
flaaaash — Today at 5:12 AM
this series has a lot of antagonists
akjdalgj just crunching beans down whole
Arthur — Today at 5:13 AM
i need-- to draw duet
looking tired with a coffee
flaaaash — Today at 5:14 AM
Duet with a giant cup of coffee, staring at Murder Mystery with a deadpan stare and going "Absolutely not, I forbid it, there is not enough coffee in the WORLD."
Arthur — Today at 5:14 AM
flash and will if i share this chatter on tumblr would you be okay with it ? or would u rather i block out names if i do
i feel like some of this is hilarious and people need to experience it
flaaaash — Today at 5:14 AM
akdflaf no go for it
I will out myself as a sham of a storyboarder
Arthur — Today at 5:15 AM
duet is that gif of the ghost busters lady going 'mmm nope not today, room full of nightmares'
and turning and walking away
duet is doing their best and needs a nap
tired as Arthur
flaaaash — Today at 5:15 AM
Duet walking around the corner to see the gang facing down Murder Mystery: swivels on one foot and goes right back the way they came
Arthur — Today at 5:15 AM
ldjldljd EXACTLY
Don't forget to take your meds ❤ — Today at 5:16 AM
Heheheheh
Arthur — Today at 5:16 AM
like look at this person
look at their eyebags
they are Tired
they have deal with this bullshittery
they have sass to provide
but they also are Tired and done with this shit
flaaaash — Today at 5:16 AM
I want Duet and Arthur playing a game of caffeine chicken
Marshy — Today at 5:16 AM
Huge massive sigh as they see the whole bullshit situation go down and turns around to go back to the bookshop
flaaaash — Today at 5:16 AM
just lined up at the cafe bar, espresso shots in rows down the counter as they lock eyes-
who shall win- the CAFFEINE-OFF?
Arthur — Today at 5:17 AM
flash
pls if you right that i will pay you money
or maybe art
Marshy — Today at 5:17 AM
It's me I'll win
flaaaash — Today at 5:17 AM
SLFKJLKGS
Arthur — Today at 5:17 AM
dlasd;sdgkd;djslj;dags
i'm rooting for you take those nerds OUT
flaaaash — Today at 5:18 AM
"Duet gives him a look of Supreme Weariness and Nopery. Arthur counters with a double eye-roll of Resignation and Angst. In the true synchronicity of the Absolutely Done, they each take an espresso shot and slam it down."
Arthur — Today at 5:20 AM
djdasd;ds;lsda;ldj;lkdsl;jkdsj;lkasljkdjlkdg
they clink the little cups together first before taking their respective shots
flaaaash — Today at 5:21 AM
they do the thing where they turn it upside down to prove it's empty
by the fifth they're trying to outcompete each other with anecdotes
by the tenth they've moved onto toasting each other
Arthur — Today at 5:21 AM
Bonding!
Don't forget to take your meds ❤ — Today at 5:22 AM
The anecdotes get concerningly similar to each others
flaaaash — Today at 5:22 AM
by the twelfth, Arthur begins weeping. Duet pats him in solidarity and knocks the next shot clean off the counter due to caffeine-induced twitching
Arthur — Today at 5:22 AM
DSGLAHGLDGHDGHAAHDSGDG
EXCELLENT
i
want them to be friends now
flaaaash — Today at 5:23 AM
by the thirteenth, the barista stages an intervention and starts giving them decaf
by this point, they don't notice 
Arthur — Today at 5:23 AM
asdlaadjsdsajd
thank you they owe you their life
they could taste the difference if they weren't vibrating into the 28the dimension atm
flaaaash — Today at 5:24 AM
after the fifteenth shot, the counter is clear and they're both full of sympathetic outrage for the other's plight. They sprint from the cafe, steamroll right over Shiromori, and punt the colours right out of Murder Mystery in a fit of industrial-strength caffeinated indignance.
Don't forget to take your meds ❤ — Today at 5:24 AM
Hahahaha
Arthur — Today at 5:25 AM
h;lsadlf;dsldj;fsljl;dfsajdfsa
flaaaash — Today at 5:25 AM
The newly Monochromatic Mystery has to then help Vivi contain the pair before they wipe all paranormal activity off the face of Tempo.
Arthur — Today at 5:25 AM
that's how the fifth video ends
flaaaash — Today at 5:25 AM
Lewis narrowly escapes by hiding in a box. THE END
Arthur — Today at 5:25 AM
dsal;gsdhldgsa;dgsdgs;hldgs;lhdsa
beautiful thank u flash
i owe you my life
flaaaash — Today at 5:25 AM
you're welcome it's my magnum opus
Arthur — Today at 5:26 AM
A+ story telling
i'm including it in the post
flaaaash — Today at 5:26 AM
ALKJGAGK
it's okay I don't have a reputation to ruin xD
Arthur — Today at 5:26 AM
dlasdl;dhsgldgdgs
this is a callout for flash being the funniest person alive--
or undead
flaaaash — Today at 5:27 AM
dead-
sfkjga
l
Arthur — Today at 5:27 AM
djdjdjdj
i thought about it and corrected myself xDD
flaaaash — Today at 5:30 AM
ok I have no idea if anyone will get this pun, but I dub this the Esprestissimo AU
Arthur — Today at 5:36 AM
djalsd;ldsjdsjldf
i LOVE THAT
music puns but espressos EXTRA ESPRESSOLY
flaaaash — Today at 5:49 AM
xD
23 notes · View notes
hookingminor · 4 years
Text
close quarters (4) - andre burakovsky
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a/n: y’all I'm so fucking sorry this took so long to update school started and has really thrown me for a loop and I had some bad writer’s block and shit so I'm not super proud of this chapter but oh well the next chapter will be the final one! this isn’t proofread bc I couldn’t be bothered and I know that the hockey season doesn’t coincide with warm weather but be quiet and imagine
word count: 2,767
one / two / three / four / five
-
True to his word, Andre got smashed. It didn’t help that Mikko had asked him if you were seeing Tyson after the two of you had left together. So, Andre threw back another whiskey in record time, and everyone got the hint to not bring you up.
And what made it worse was that he knew he didn’t have any right to be upset about the situation. He chickened out and scared you off because he was stupid and didn’t know how to communicate his feelings. And it’s not like Tyson was a bad guy, but Andre didn’t think he was the right guy for you. Andre was the right guy for you.
Not that he had any justifiable reasons for thinking that.
Gabe and Mel had to give Andre a ride home after the charity dinner. It was nearly eleven in the evening and everyone had left the event, but he was still drinking. He knew it was unprofessional. All his teammates knew it was unprofessional. Odds are he’d probably get yelled at for it come Monday, but he had bigger problems to worry about right now.
“You know you did this to yourself, right?” Gabe asked after he’d safely gotten Andre into the backseat. Gabe was the only one who he’d told about this whole predicament. Andre didn’t have a lot of friends in Colorado outside of his team, and he couldn’t help but spill his guts to his captain.
Mel slapped her husband on the arm, signaling for him to shut up or at least show some sympathy, but Gabe shrugged his shoulders in defense as if to say ‘What? It’s true.’
“I know,” Andre slurred sadly, “I’m a fucking idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Mel consoled with a comforting tone, “You just made a mistake and need to fix it.”
“How can I when she’s with Josty now?” Andre asked.
“Dumbass, she’s not with Josty. He’s just trying to help you out,” Gabe explained as he pulled out of the parking lot and in the direction of Andre’s apartment.
“Helping me how? By asking her on dates and sneaking out early with her?” Andre scoffed in disbelief. He saw the way his hands lingered on your back and the sly glances he thought no one saw.
“Helping you so you can finally apologize and win her over,” Gabe said, but Andre was too focused on imagining you and Tyson back at his place to really register Gabe’s words.
The rest of the ride continued with Andre ranting about you. Honestly, he didn’t remember what he said but it was probably along the lines of how beautiful you were and how he wished he would’ve kissed you. Gabe and Mel exchanged about a million looks between each other, but Andre didn’t notice. The one night they were supposed to not worry about a child, they still ended up babysitting anyway.
When Monday came, his hungover had passed, but he still felt like shit.
“Someone have a rough night?” EJ teased when Andre dropped his bag on the floor in the locker room. Andre flattened him with a glare to tell him he wasn’t in the mood. Everyone had to have known what was going on by now.
Tyson entered the locker room about five minutes after he got there, and everyone went silent. Andre didn’t look at him while he put on his gear, but he could feel the eyes of Tyson and the rest of the team burning a hole into the back of his head. When he finished lacing up his skates, he marched out of the room without another glance back.
“You dumbass,” JT said, breaking the tension that clouded the locker room. All eyes flickered over to Tyson who didn’t look like he was looking forward to getting on the ice.
“You better fix this shit, Jost,” Nate piped up from behind him, and there was a chorus of grunts of agreement in response.
“Fine, I’ll handle it!” Tyson groaned exasperatedly, “God forbid I be the only one with a romantic bone in my body.”
Once again, Tyson had to do everything himself, it seemed.
-
“I just don’t know what to do, Taylor,” you said over the phone.
“Are you still going on about this?” She whined.
“He’s so cute!” You exclaimed, “If you didn’t want me to fall for him, you shouldn’t have introduced us.”
“I didn’t think dumb hockey players were your thing,” she scoffed, “You were never interested when I offered to set you up with one back in D.C.”
“I wasn’t interested,” you emphasized, “but times have changed.”
“And you’re choosing Burky of all guys?” She asked.
“I just don’t know why he’d be so concerned about me living with him for a short period of time. I mean, I literally threw myself at him for nothing,” you replied, “Do you know if Tom said anything to him about me?”
You were met with silence as Taylor didn’t answer your question.
“So you do know something,” you accused as you moved into a sitting position, “What did he say?”
“Uh,” she started, “It wasn’t Tom, exactly, who said something.”
“Wait, what? Did you say something?” You asked.
“In my defense, I was looking out for you! I didn’t think he was your type, and I knew he’d try and make a move,” she answered defensively.
“What the hell did you tell him?”
“I may have told him to keep his hands off, and Tom may have relayed the message,” she said quietly.
“Why would you do that?” You sighed in defeat, “Do you really think I can’t look after myself?”
“No, it’s not that. I didn’t want you to be overwhelmed with the move and have Andre hitting on you and then get ghosted or led on…,” Taylor explained. You let out another sigh because you couldn’t really fault her for that. She knew hockey players better than you, so who were you to argue with that logic. And the fact was Andre could still ghost you or lead you on, you still weren’t sure, but you figured his unwarranted jealousy had to be a good sign, right?
“Well, can you back off now?” You asked finally.
“I didn’t think he’d actually follow through with this. All my threats were pretty meaningless; it’s not like I could do something about it if he did try something,” Taylor said, “but I guess if he took it seriously he must not be that bad of a guy.”
“So I have your permission?” You questioned hopefully.
“You never needed my permission in the first place,” she answered, and you could see her rolling her eyes back in D.C.
“Clearly I did if Andre wouldn’t kiss me,” you muttered, and Taylor chuckled in response.
“Oh, hold on, Taylor, I’m getting another call. I’ll talk to you later,” you said suddenly, noticing the incoming call that was interrupting your conversation. You waited for her acknowledgement before you ended the call and answered the other one.
“What do you want, Tyson?”
“You’re both idiots, and it’s time I took things into my own hands. Be ready at nine in the morning on Saturday. No, I will not be answering any questions. Dress cute but comfortable.”
And with that, he hung up the phone before you could even begin to question what the hell he meant.
-
You tried texting and calling Tyson, but he never answered your messages.
He told Andre the same thing. Well, he did get a little more information but not much. Tyson had pulled Andre off to the side on Monday after a practice of angry glares and not passing him the puck though he was instructed to.
“Listen, man, I’m gonna explain this to you once. Me and Y/N? Not a thing. She wore that dress to make you jealous because she knows you like her and that you’re a dumbass,” Tyson said quickly, and Andre had to take a few extra seconds to process what he was saying, “So what you’re going to do is pick her up on Saturday morning and take her to the farmer’s market. Get her some fucking flowers or something and buy her shit, okay? If you screw this up again, I can’t help you bounce back from that.”
Every day after practice Andre tried to ask Tyson more questions about how you were doing and if you knew about this, but Tyson reiterated the same thing he told Andre the first day: that he needed to pick you up at nine and to not dodge you if you tried to kiss him again.
So, Andre did just that. He arrived at your apartment at 8:55 on Saturday morning dressed in a casual pair of jean shorts and a white t-shirt. You, however, outshone him by a mile with your flowy skirt and loose sweater.
“Oh, Andre, hello,” you greeted him curiously, “Are you here because of Tyson?” Over the past few days, you had time to process Tyson’s confusing phone call. After running over his hurried sentences in your head, you came to the conclusion that it was some kind of set-up. His use of ‘you’re both idiots’ could only be about you and Andre, and it wasn’t unlike Tyson to insert himself in other people’s business. You only hoped Andre had more choice in this than you did, otherwise you were in for an awkward morning.
“Hi, yeah, hey,” Andre stuttered out, “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” you blushed as he complimented you. You opened your door wider for him to enter as you retreated back into your kitchen. “What are we doing? Tyson didn’t really tell me anything except to be ready by nine.”
“Yeah, he kind of pulled me after practice and told me about this plan,” Andre explained, and you felt your shoulders sag while your smile dropped. So he didn’t get a say in this, he was here as a favor.
“I see,” you said quietly.
“But I also wanted to apologize,” he said, noticing the way you suddenly got shy, “about the whole… you know.” You did know. You had been trying to talk to him about it for weeks now to no avail.
“Listen, about that… I didn’t mean to make things weird. I misread the situation, and I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable,” you apologized after he trailed off, but Andre was shaking his head before you could finish.
“No, that’s not what I wanted to talk about,” Andre said, interrupting you, “You did nothing wrong. I was in my head and panicked and then it was too late…” he took a breath, “I’m sorry about that. I wanted to kiss you, and I screwed it up.” Your heart sped up a little at the last part.
“Taylor told me about how Tom said to not mess with me,” you continued.
“I was just trying to be a good friend,” he insisted, and you nodded your head.
“I know,” you replied, “I told her to back off when she told me.”
“And then the whole Tyson thing happened…” he started.
“I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t fair to make you think we were together,” you said sheepishly,  but you only felt partly sorry for doing that.
“Honestly, I needed that,” he chuckled, “He knocked some sense into me, and that’s why I’m here. To make it up to you.” Well, if Andre had finally come to his senses and wanted to make it up to you, you weren’t going to object.
“So what are we doing?” You asked, and Andre answered your question with a wide smile.
-
You spent the whole morning walking through the downtown farmer’s market with Andre. You threaded your way through the many vendors and tents that were set up in the street, stopping occasionally to buy some produce or because Andre wanted to try some local foods. He treated you to an iced coffee the minute upon entering the market, and you spent most of your time catching him up with work while he updated you with hockey.
Work was going fairly well considering you were new to the company and area, and the team was doing pretty well at the moment considering it was the beginning of the season and they had yet to be really challenged. Not that you understood much of what he was saying regarding stats, but you listened with interest anyway.
You don’t remember when it happened, but at some point you had started holding onto his arm as you worked your way through the market.
You introduced Andre to your favorite stand of any farmer’s market ever: the chili-lime mango tent. Andre didn’t care much for the spice, but you had a fun time watching him chug down the rest of his coffee while he choked on the chili.
Around eleven thirty and on your way out of the market, Andre bought you a large bouquet of sunflowers. You had left him alone for three minutes to buy some tomatoes, and when you turned around to find him, you could barely see him behind the sunflowers.
“You didn’t have to buy me this many flowers,” you chuckled when Andre returned you to your apartment. He had insisted on carrying whatever groceries you had bought there as you carried the flowers.
“Well, I never got to buy you actual flowers for our first date, so I figured I had a bit to make up for,” he smiled as you set down the bouquet on your kitchen counter.
“I didn’t know you counted that dinner as a date,” you joked, unpacking the produce you’d bought from the bags.
“It would’ve been a perfect one had I ended it properly, but I’m an idiot,” he said, “So I’m officially counting this as our first date.”
“Well, as far as first dates go, this is definitely one of the better ones I’ve been on,” you agreed. You hadn’t noticed it until then, but Andre had taken a few steps closer to you until you were nearly chest to chest. As if mirroring the same position you were in that fateful night, you couldn’t help the feeling of deja vu wash over you in waves.
Except this time you were sure he wasn’t going to run away.
“Can I kiss you?” Andre asked, reaching his hands out to pull you in by your hips.
“That depends,” you replied, “Are you going to follow through with it?” He rolled his eyes at your snarky comment and squeezed your side in response.
“I’m never going to live this down, huh?” He asked, tugging your hips flush against his as his hands moved to your lower back.
“No,” you agreed cheerily, “but to answer your question: yes you can kiss me. I’ve only been waiting three weeks now.” Connecting your hands behind his neck, you gave him the same wanton look you gave him that night.
Andre took that as his cue to lean forward, and you pushed yourself up on your toes to meet him halfway. Your lips met in a soft kiss, Andre’s lips light against yours as he tested the waters. You made the first move by gripping the back of his neck a little tighter as you pressed yourself more forcefully against him.
Andre’s hands slid up slightly over your back as you moved your mouth against his. You didn’t know if it was fifteen seconds or fifteen minutes that had passed by the time you pulled apart.
“And to think you had kept that from me for so long,” you teased almost immediately after the kiss broke.
“And you’ve ruined it,” Andre laughed as he tried to push you away in protest, but your hands were stuck behind his neck.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” you whined, pressing a kiss to his cheek that was turned away from you, “I won’t bring it up again, I promise.”
“I don’t believe that,” Andre said, but he didn’t say anything as you continued to shower him with affection.
“I promise I won’t, but I can’t make any guarantees about Josty,” you repeated.
“Damn, he’s never going to let this go, is he?” Andre groaned loudly, as if he just remembered who Tyson was.
“Definitely not,” you agreed, “And you know he’s going to take credit for this.”
“He can have it,” Andre said wistfully, “As long as I can have you.”
“You have a bit of slack to pick up for making me wait forever, but I’m willing to give you a chance.”
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Text
*They* Are My *Crocs*
I’ve written another fic!! This one was loosely inspired by this post from @willex-n-waffles bc I told her I would write smth based off of it and then I Didn’t. And then I wanted to post it on her birthday bc I can and that also didn’t go well so uh happy late birthday Lizzie!! Sorry this is so off the post that you originally made agsjdjdkm
Fun fact: I wrote like,,, 3/4 of this this weekend when I should’ve been writing my NAD+ theory speech so uh. hopefully y’all like it and it was worth it lmaoooo
Warnings: none except my bad jokes and quite a bit of mild swearing
Read it on ao3!!
Julie dragged her hand over her face, internally screaming. She loved her boys, she really did. But sometimes, their collective chaos and obvious lack of a braincell was just a lot. She could think of a dozen different situations like that in just the past two weeks, but today was just something else.
At the moment, she was trying to do her calculus work in class - emphasis on trying. Her idiot ghost kinda-boyfriend - some might call him a himbo, and she fully agreed - was sitting on the edge of her classmate’s desk, harassing her nonstop. Usually, she ignored him and that only provided a few awkward situations, but calculus required focus. Detangling all the numbers and letters - and really, that amount of letters had no right to be in math - was hard, himbo ghost kinda-boyfriend to ignore or no.
“So then,” Luke continued his rambling, and he was either oblivious to her pain or just didn't care, “Alex literally looked at me straight in the eyes - hah, a word no one’s ever used to describe him—” She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. That would just encourage him. “—and said, ‘Being a jerk is so 90’s, Luke. Get woke, Luke.’”
That one got her a bit, she admitted, and she had to catch her laugh in a little scoff. Alex is really onto something, she thought.
“And then he turned to Reggie and said, ‘My ghost friend taught me that,’ like he had actually moved at all and I couldn’t hear him.”
She kept working on her problem, doing her best to keep ignoring him. It wasn’t like she needed to look at Luke to know that he had one of his patented pouts on his face.
Suddenly, he pushed himself off the desk he was sitting on, swinging his legs up and through her desk, until half his feet poked through her desk before swinging back down. The instinct to jerk backwards was strong, but the fear of being noticed by any of the other (living) people in the room was stronger. Plus, she knew that Luke would never hurt her on purpose. She cared about him enough to know that.
“ Julieeee,” He whined in that voice that made her forget that he was actually 17 and not five, “why don’t you talk to meee?”
“Because I am in class, Lucas.” She ground out, no real bite in her tone. Hopefully.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him hop off her poor classmate’s desk and bend over hers, looking at her calculus. “What are those ?”
Without thinking, she responded with: “They are my crocs.” Oh, God. Just like her ghost bandmates, Vine might be dead, but the references definitely were not. Just that once, she regretted watching so many Vines with Flynn when they were in middle school. Random laughter could just be explained as “oh, just Weirdo Julie,” but a random Vine reference in the middle of class - and the second half, no less - that was a little harder to explain.
Thankfully, a quick glance around told her that no one had heard her.
“Hey, Jules, what the hell?”
Well, nobody except Luke.
She realized several things at once. One; her Vine references were definitely incomprehensible to Luke, a ghost from the 90’s. Second; Luke was looking at her with the same fondness and amusement that he always had, but at the moment it was mostly overshadowed with complete and utter confusion. Third; (and arguably the most important one) there was a gold mine of trolling to be found with the boys and gen z humour. She filed that one away for later convenience.
“Julieeee,” He drawled, and she knew he wouldn’t leave her alone without an answer.
“It’s just a Vine,” she muttered. Man, was she pushing her luck with this whole “talking to a ghost no one else can see in a crowded classroom” thing.
And even then, she’d realize later, her teacher was definitely catching on to the fact that someone kept talking in his class, but he didn’t exactly know who yet.
“Oh, like those jokes that Willie’s always teaching Alex!” He sounded so proud of himself, and she would’ve found it endearing literally any other time.
Like she said, she loved her boys, but sometimes they were just too damn much, and she might’ve snapped. “Lucas whatever-the-hell-your-middle-name-is Patterson, if you don’t leave me the fuck alone I will exorcise your ass this time.” Did she really know how to do an exorcism? No. Would she ever really try if she did know how? No, of course not. But she wasn’t above making empty threats to try to get Luke to leave her alone. She wasn’t really mad-mad at him, but she sure as hell was frustrated.
Unfortunately, Plan Get Rid of Luke failed, and he gave her one of his signature charming grins, which eased some of the frustration building in her chest - not that she’d ever let him know that. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and she shuddered to think of what Luke could get away with, armed with that power.
“You’d never exorcise me.” She refused to look away from her worksheet and at Luke, but she knew he was grinning cheekily. “You could never. I have it on good authority that you think I’m a bop.”
A laugh bubbled up in her chest, and she desperately covered it up with a cough. But a quick, covert cough to cover up her laugh turned long and drawn out, until she sounded like she was about to hack up a lung. A sheepish glance around told her that not only were Luke and her teacher staring at her with a lot of concern, but so were half of her classmates. Great. Just perfect.
“Are you all right over there, Ms. Molina?” Her teacher, Mr. Wolf, asked.
She managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile and directed it at him. “Oh, I’m fine, thanks. I just, uh, had a little something in my throat.”
He just looked at her, unconvinced. “Alright then.”
Luke himself was just laughing at her, not even trying to disguise it. “Shut up.”
Little shit had the nerve to look innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”
Mr. Wolf was giving her another Look again, and she cleared her throat.
“You know, I think I will get a drink of water.” She smiled, hoping he’d ignore her weirdness today. He just nodded.
The chair made a loud, scraping noise as she pushed it out, and it made her wince internally when even more kids looked up at her from their worksheets. She walked out the door with her cheeks warm and Luke following close behind her.
Thankfully, mercifully, the hallways were empty, so she could finally talk to him without having to worry about looking batshit insane.
When they finally got a safe distance from any classroom doors, she stopped and punched Luke’s arm.
“Wh—Hey! What was that for?” He complained, his voice an octave higher than usual. Good.
She smiled sweetly at him, her smile that usually made him melt. “That was for harassing me while I’m trying to do my classwork, you ass.”
Luke just gave her his Puppy Eyes™, and she rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Jules. It’s so boring without you.”
“Why don’t you hang out with Alex and Reggie? They’re, y’know, not in class.”
Luke groaned. “Alex is ‘hanging out’ with Willie, which is code for they’re on a date. Reggie was watching sitcoms with Ray, last time I checked. You know I can’t do boredom, Julie!”
Yeah, okay. That was fair. “Ugh, okay, fine. Just don’t bug me in class. I’m trying to study for my next calculus test, and having my himbo ghost boyfriend trying to make me look crazy in front of my entire class does not help, contrary to popular belief.”
“Is that one of your fancy 2020 words again?” Luke whined, his face screwed up in confusion.
“Yeah,” She laughed.
“Okay, you have to tell me what it means now.” His face was set, like he was determined to get the definition out of her, but he also had his pleading Puppy Dog Eyes™ again.
“You know the word ‘bimbo’?” Luke nodded. “So, that, but—” She waved her hand vaguely around Luke, hoping he’d get it.
Realization dawned on his face. “Hey!” His voice had gone up an octave again. “I resent that!”
She couldn’t help it, she burst out into laughter. “It’s affectionate, Luke. Also, you’re a jock, pure of heart, and dumb of ass. I mean, if the shoe fits…”
Luke’s face screwed up into a pout and he cried in protest again. She couldn’t help but giggle.
“Listen, I’ve got to get back to class,” She said reluctantly. “But once I get home, we can do some songwriting together, if you want.”
It was like a switch flipped in him; his face brightened immediately. “Okay.”
She laughed softly again and left a soft kiss on Luke’s cheek before she turned around to head back to calculus. “See you later, Luke,” She said, with a gentle emphasis on the ‘later’.
“Bye, Jules,” Luke responded, and she didn’t need to look behind her to know that her pure of heart, dumb of ass, ghost definitely-boyfriend had a soft, dopey smile on his face.
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