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petruchio · 5 months

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Okay YES!

You said Dolly Parton and that’s EXACTLY what I mean!! She has the quintessential East Tennessee voice and I saw so much of her influence in Rachel’s amazing characterization of Lucy Grey!!

Tbh I think there’s a level there that plays on the current day stigma that comes with being Appalachian. Like I don’t want to act like the image of Appalachia as backwards is unfounded (it’s not), but it’s also wielded unfairly. Like is Appalachia underfunded and undereducated? Yeah. But every community has strengths and weaknesses! In fact diversifying those is good!

By having an accent in the Midwest, I indicated to my peers (no joke) that I must be less intelligent. And this wasn’t entirely new, even in Tennessee, being “from the mountains” was seen as a sign that you must be stupid/backwards.

And there was a spectrum of dialect that they considered acceptable. On multiple occasions I had Tennessee teachers teach me not to accent certain words in certain ways (because that would be inappropriate and hick - which is funny because we all sounded extremely Tennessee, but we didn’t ALL sounds so Appalachian)

So moving to the Midwest and having that “acceptable range” immediately moved to zero was jarring. I’d never thought I sounded like Dolly Parton before, but suddenly everybody I met was mentioning her and asking if I was from Tennessee.

It very much puts you on a stage, and there’s this immense pressure to mitigate it just so you can get off stage. I think there are some intentional links there with the “stage” and preforming that Lucy Grey encounters in the capitol!

Will you try to hide how you talk? Not just your sound but your word order and sentence structure? Your blatant colloquialisms?

Dolly is a very interesting comparison because her answer is generally, no. When Dolly does her thing, the colloquialisms are part of it. She won’t hide, she might tweak some things for the stage, but she clearly retains her identity and culture. (Just like Lucy Grey.)

And we get this layered commentary about the double stage with both of them!

There’s the stage they’re put on as outsiders. Moments like “only her pearly white bones” (such a southern thing to say lmao) show this off. Lucy Grey’s world is a stage now, it’s felt that her differences are othering, but still she throws out a colloquialism. Dolly is similar, even “off stage” she’s being judged for her background and is forced to preform. Yet she chooses to retain some the most othering characteristics, just like Lucy Grey.

Then of course, on an actual stage with a guitar and a song, Dolly and Lucy Grey have incredibly similar stage personalities. “Is that for me?” “I stopped drinking when I was 12!” “It’s to clear my pipes!” Lucy has never expressed an interest in alcohol, or even mentioned it prior - but she plays it up for the crowd, and the fact that they know it’s untrue is half the joke. That’s incredibly similar to Dolly, if there’s one thing Dolly Parton will do it’s tell a joke before her set.

So I think your Dolly comparison is super interesting and that there are layers there I’m not even thinking of atm. (I feel like I’m in front of a conspiracy board right now, but idc bc you really got me thinking!!)

I also think this could be related to your thoughts on Lucy Grey as an inversion of Peeta! Like I can’t help but think back to that moment before their first game where he says something like “I wish there was a way to maintain my identity.”

Like choosing whether or not to hide those Appalachian traits is a thing people struggle with to this day! I remember sitting in front of the mirror and practicing not a “non accent” & not jutting out my jaw when I spoke (catch Rachel Zegler doing exactly that - performance of the century)

Even beyond speaking, cultural norms like not trusting cops and insistently sharing food with everyone (also asking for food never being rude), knowing your neighbors personally and being familial with them, (“you think I don’t hear your stomach growling Jessup Diggs?”)

Even choosing to find Jessup immediately and sharing everything with him! (Coryo’s face when he said “are you going to share everything I give you with him?” 😭 Like, yeah. seek help sweetheart)

(There’s also the obvious theme of validity between different lifestyles. Like, I’d rather be uneducated than allergic to sharing. Yeah Lucy is a bit backwards but all the funding and education in the world didn’t teach Coryo not to be a selfish bitch??? So like?? Hmmm. Maybe there are many ways to live?? Anyways!)

When it comes down to it, Lucy Grey will do what she needs to do to survive. But the forefront of her mind is maintaining her identity, maintaining her humanity. Which may or may not be palatable to the Capitol audience, and may or may not immediately other her, etc. Peeta is doing this too - unlike Katniss and Coryo who are in survival mode - Lucy Grey and Peeta are concerned with their identities. They both choose to play it up for the audience, but also remain dedicated to keeping that humanity (as they know it) intact. So it plays super well to have that identity be such a culturally distinct existing one!

Anyways!!! Just some thoughts!

oh wow what a gorgeous ask! i don't know that i have that much to add but this is one of those asks that just must be published because you've said so many beautiful, fascinating things here.

i think the thing that really strikes me in your piece is the way you've hit on so many hidden markers of class in american society and identified so many of the subtle ways in which accents denote a particular class background or education level. (and love your acknowledgement of the ways in which structural inequality is baked into these stereotypes. because, like most inequalities, class is real and not real (wink wink) at the same time. it's an external construction -- it's not in any way intrinsic to humanity -- but it has very real effects that ripple through almost every aspect of our lives. we have to be able to hold both of those truths at the same time in order to unpack and combat the effects. and yet i think you've also framed it so beautifully that it's also important to embrace our differences as unique but beautiful threads that make up the fabric of humanity. lovely. but let me get back to the point.)

i think this discussion of accent and class is so interesting because i think it's something we hear a lot about in british english, but it isn't as often spoken about in the united states, and seeing it all laid out here is really illuminating!! and that, to your point, makes it all the more special that rachel zegler (and the filmmakers) made such a conscious effort to preserve lucy gray's accent in the film -- because all those subtleties that you just pointed out are present in a way that they might not be (or at least, would be harder to parse as a viewer) had they just had everyone speaking in the standard californian/hollywood american accent.

and to your point about class and performance... WOW! YES! i love the way you teased out that connection between lucy gray, dolly, and particular accents as being both markers of performance and authenticity. because there is this sense that your accent would be you at your most "authentic" you -- and thus adopting the accent of those around you is "performative" -- but then when you think about the ways those markers of class are so pervasive, to suggest that "authenticity" is even relevant might come into question. it kind of ties back into the post i made earlier about snow and katniss both understanding the ways in which poverty forces someone to "perform" the role of a wealthier (or more comfortable) individual, and playing an accent up or down is another extension of that. so in that way, it's interesting that lucy gray makes absolutely no effort to do that -- she's performing, but she's NOT performing. she's being authentic and playing a role at the same time. she's both; she's neither. she's alive but she's dead, etc -- she's a mystery.

i loooove the way we're connecting this to dolly too! because for me, when i think of dolly, i think of someone who saw the way the world was perceiving her, and rather than trying to squash that down and become more palatable to the masses, she tapped into all those things she was being mocked for and said: "you think you can make fun of this? i'll do you one better -- i'm in on the joke." and that's kind of the magic of dolly, that she's in on the joke, and she's having fun doing it. you can't help but love her for it; she projects such a confidence in herself and her persona, and it's part of her magic. she KNOWS it's a costume -- and that's kind of the whole point.

and i guess there's a way in which that's kind of the brilliance of lucy gray as well -- that she's in on the joke. she's in on the game. and nobody expects that of her. because the point of the games is to show "true human nature" but lucy gray identifies, from the minute she's called on stage at the reaping, that nothing is authentic about the games at all. because nothing is authentic about LIFE. everything is constructed, everything is performative. it's about realizing and acknowledging that, and breaking down the assumption that there is any "one true human nature" -- because there isn't. we're just here for a good time. we're here to make art, to make friends, and then maybe at the end of it all, we can say that we sure did put on a good show. for ourselves and for our communities.

maybe we wrote one great song -- and maybe that one great song will matter, someday, to someone. maybe it will be our song that changes the world <3 and that's why we keep trying.

#answered #anonymous #tbosas thoughts

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grandmother-goblin · 4 months

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Field Study - Chapter 9

Ao3 - Masterlist

Chapter Summary: Astarion faces the consequence of succumbing to his worst thoughts. Not only that, he realizes he may have done irreparable damage to his relationship with Cas.

Relationships: Astarion x Female!Tav

Rating: Explicit (18+) for eventual smut.

Word Count: 4.7k

Chapter Tags: Blood, injury, Astarion gets stabbed, heated argument, baiting, manipulation, sexual content, mentions of past trauma, healing magic, mention of death, cheating.

Content Warning: Astarion gets into a sexual situation that he realizes too late that he doesn't want to be in, which may be difficult for some to read. Nothing about that situation is described in a ton of detail, and this scene mostly deals with the aftermath.

Light from a single torch illuminated the small chamber the drow had led Astarion to. Wooden benches lined the center of the room and surrounded a broken statue of Selûne seemingly in prayer, all covered in a thick layer of dust.

The drow’s head lolled to the side as he lay slumped against a bench, his eyes permanently shut as dark blood pooled in the deep punctures on the side of his neck. Astarion watched it drip down the smooth gray skin of his chest, but felt no desire to have another taste. A bloody dagger rested in the drow’s open palm; a taunting reminder of how poorly thought out the entire plan was.

Astarion pressed the drow’s discarded shirt against the gash just above his hip. It definitely wasn’t the worst injury he had ever had, but it still stung like a bitch.

He couldn’t even be mad. It was his own foolishness that got him stabbed in the first place.

Next time, Astarion would make sure his prey was unarmed. Or restrained. Or otherwise sufficiently indisposed before he decided to bite them.

But it had all gone wrong so fast. He had been too stuck in his own head. It was like his body wasn’t even his for a few moments. His muscles moved of their own accord, touching the man just right as he whispered sweet nothings. It was all instinctive. The same song and dance he had been performing for Cazador for centuries.

Though in those instances, Cazador had always been the executioner. Astarion just led the victim to the chopping block, but he never actually swung the ax.

When Astarion bit someone in the heat of a battle, he was prepared for a struggle. It was only natural. But with how far his mind had drifted while he was with the drow… he just didn’t think it through. It was like his spirit had moved outside of his body and was watching him make a terrible mistake, powerless to stop it.

Over the course of two centuries, Astarion had lured thousands of beautiful people to their deaths. He did so with a numb detachment. Allowing himself to feel anything else, anything at all, was pointless.

The drow was no different in that regard.

At the same time, the drow was entirely different. Astarion didn’t feel a damn thing for the man, but he played the same seduction game that he always played. Like he still didn’t have a choice. Like Cazador was waiting for him if he failed.

Cas wouldn’t have punished him if he failed… but he had failed her all the same. For entirely different reasons.

Sweat trickled down his brow as nausea churned in his stomach. He had never been forced to seduce the drow, but he did it anyway. It felt like there were no other options. It was the only thing he knew how to do.

Astarion drew the once white shirt from the wound in his side and winced at where the fabric had become so saturated with blood that it had almost turned black. Between applying pressure to the injury and a simple healing potion Cas insisted he kept on his person, the bleeding had slowed, but not enough. Astarion closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool stone wall at his back.

It was just as much Cas’s fault as it was his.

Cas was the one who had asked him to find suitable prey before any fighting started. If she never had come to his tent that night, he wouldn’t be in his predicament.

And if she hadn’t been so damn friendly with Wyll….

Jealousy was a nasty creature. Spiteful and vindictive. After he had seen Wyll’s arm around Cas, he had wanted Cas to see him with the drow. He wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine.

Granted, it probably would have been more effective if he targeted someone he hadn’t planned to kill. Oh well. That didn’t change the fact it had all been a huge mistake.

Astarion spared a glance at his cut. It could have been worse. The blade had pierced just above the outside of his right hip and went clean through. Despite his best efforts, the wound still hadn’t magically closed as he’d expected.

Healing potions worked fast. Some part of him had a sick fascination with watching them work. How torn skin would stitch itself back together, and missing fingernails would suddenly reappear. Most of the time when he used a healing potion, he was watching it undo whatever torture Cazador or Godey had inflicted upon him.

He typically felt marginally better after taking a potion, but something was wrong. Black spots still dotted his vision and a sheen of sweat coated his skin. When he lifted his hand to wipe his brow, his fingers trembled. It somehow felt worse than the time the tadpole had made him sick because he couldn’t blame anyone but himself.

Well. Himself, and the drow for stabbing him.

Dammit. Everything had gone wrong. He should have met up with the rest of the group at least half an hour ago, but instead, he was sitting on the floor in a cold chamber, just waiting for some goblin to unlock the door and finish him off.

Pain lanced through him when he tried to stand, but it was the dizziness and nausea that kept him planted on the ground. Utterly helpless. His dagger, already stained with the drow’s blood, provided scant reassurance. Even though he couldn’t move well with his injury, he could at the very least throw a dagger at anyone who dared walk through that door. The drow had promised that no one would come to this part of the temple, but Astarion wasn’t about to take the man at his word.

As if to remind him he wasn’t completely alone, the tadpole squirmed behind his eye. Astarion pressed the heel of his palm to his eye socket in an attempt to quell the creature. It stilled, but the memory of its movements lingered. But the tadpole gave him an idea…. It was likely that anyone he crossed paths with once he exited the chamber would ask questions about his injury, so maybe he could use the tadpole to—

Astarion swung his head toward the door at the sound of the gentle clicks of metal against metal. A key? Someone picking the lock? It didn’t matter. Wincing, Astarion shuffled to his feet with a dagger clutched in his hand.

Another click, and the door creaked open ever so slowly. Astarion poised the dagger, his heart in his throat. But the person he saw was far from an enemy. From either relief or blood loss, Astarion fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

It was Cas.

Thank the gods.

“You have remarkable timing.” Astarion adjusted the blood-soaked shirt against his wound, feeling a bit of his anxiety melt away in spite of the throbbing pain.

Cas’s eyes widened as they darted from his face to the bloodied shirt. “Shit,” she muttered and locked the door behind her.

She yanked off her leather gloves as she crossed the room. Her focus was entirely on him as she knelt down, close enough so he could feel her warmth, and pressed her bare palm to his forehead. Astarion couldn’t help but lean into her touch.

“What happened?” Worry wrinkled her brow, and it almost made him happy to see her concern.

Gods. How pathetic could he possibly be?

As if an answer to his question, dark spots clouded his vision as cold sweat gathered at the nape of his neck. He blinked the spots away and lifted the shirt from his skin. “The drow and I had a bit of a disagreement on dinner plans,” he said through a hiss of pain at the rush of cold air against his wound.

Cas gave the wound a cursory glance, tilting her head this way and that as she tried to get a good look at it in the dim torchlight. Carefully, she replaced the shirt over the bloody mess, her expression distant even as her eyes glittered with some emotion Astarion couldn’t quite place.

Her knuckles brushed his cheek, and for some inexplicable reason, he placed his shaking hand over hers. Like he was afraid she would pull away and leave him to his fate.

“You’re clammy,” she noted, more to herself than to him as she let him lean into her touch. “Were you able to take a healing potion?”

“I was,” he replied and released her hand. “A few minutes ago. Load of good it did me.”

“I gave you one of our stronger ones. It should have—” Cas glanced over her shoulder at the drow, as if she were expecting him to provide some sort of explanation. Her eyes roved over the man’s bare chest, the non-piercing bite marks on his neck, then down to his loosened trouser ties.

For a long moment, Astarion could only hear the quiet beat of her heart. How it quickened, just for a moment, before she released a breath.

As much as he wanted to say something, to defend himself from whatever accusations were running through her mind, he kept his mouth shut. Maybe, just maybe, she would give him the benefit of the doubt. If he spoke up at that moment, it would have drawn her suspicion and made him seem guilty.

There was no denying what he had done. He could only hope that she… wouldn’t notice?

Gods. What the hells had he been thinking?

Cas turned her attention to the dagger in the drow’s palm, the concern on her face replaced by a cool mask of granite. Deliberately avoiding Astarion’s eyes, she picked up the bloody dagger and examined it.

For a split second, he thought she might stab him. With the way his whole body sweated and ached, bile gathering in his throat and dark spots clouding his vision, he almost welcomed the idea.

An ice cold tendril slithered through his gut and snaked its way up to his heart. Astarion had wanted to make her jealous, wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine, but as soon as he saw her face….

Perhaps he could still figure out how to spin the situation in his favor. Or, at the very least, minimize the damage he had done. But he couldn’t even begin thinking of how he would accomplish that.

A wave of nausea washed over him, and he wasn’t sure if it was from his own loss of blood or the loss of warmth in Cas’s gaze.

Cas tapped her finger against a seemingly clean strip of metal where the blade met the hilt, then touched her finger to her thumb like she was testing for consistency. She set the dagger beside the drow’s corpse. “He put some sort of poison on his blade,” she announced matter-of-factly. There wasn’t even a hint of emotion within her voice. “Lucky for you, I always carry a vial of a general antidote.”

Astarion watched as she approached him once again and knelt at his side. “I wouldn’t call myself lucky,” Astarion muttered as Cas continued to avoid his gaze.

Cas only hummed in response and rummaged through her bag. She retrieved a glass tube about the length of his finger filled with a yellow-green liquid and held it out for him to take. “Try to down it in one go. Stuff tastes like bad whiskey mixed with rotten vegetables, but it’s effective.”

“How delightful.” Astarion took the vial and did as he was told. The bitter liquid burned the back of his throat and overpowered the lingering taste of blood. His lips curled and he screwed his eyes shut and he resisted the urge to scrape the taste off his tongue with his teeth. “Gods, this tastes like rotten sewer water.”

Cas pocketed the empty vial and shifted closer to him, her attention back on the bloodied shirt he held against his side. She examined the wound like she had seen injuries like it a million times before. There was no more sympathy or concern in her eyes. Just icy professionalism.

And Astarion hated it. He almost wished she would have yelled at him. At least then he would have something to work with. Or to argue against. Or just a chance to defend himself. With the way she was acting, it was like she had already drawn her own conclusions and nothing he said or did would change that.

When Cas leaned over him to get a better look at the far side of the cut, he caught a whiff of lavender from her hair. It was almost irritating how, despite everything, the scent was a comfort to him. Between what was running through his head and the pain in his body, he just wanted to reach out and hold her. To breathe her in. As if that would make all the pain and anxiety just disappear.

“It looks like a clean cut, so that’s good,” she said before his asinine train of thought could continue and he risked acting on it. “Doesn’t look like he hit anything vital.”

“Since when are you an expert on these things?” he asked just to make conversation. The sound of her voice was a comfort as well….

He was such a bloody fool.

Cas shrugged and placed her right hand flat over his wound, but did not touch it. “I worked with a doctor for a number of years. He taught me quite a bit,” she said. Something about the tone of her words made him think there was more to that statement than she was letting on.

Faint, glowing, green light emanated from her palm and pulsed like a heartbeat. Gentle warmth spread through him, starting where her hand hovered over the wound and trickled outward. As the magic worked its way through his body, his nausea subsided and his vision cleared. There was a numb, tugging sensation around the gash in his side as it stitched itself back together.

Astarion knew Cas had some access to minor healing magic. Most rangers did. But he had never felt it before. It differed from Shadowheart’s magic, slower and sleepier. Perhaps it was just the type of spell, or perhaps it was the fact Cas simply had the luxury of healing him outside of combat.

He closed his eyes and soaked in the relief the spell provided. “So, you were this doctor’s apprentice?” he ventured, somewhat uncomfortable with the silence.

“It started out that way,” Cas replied, her tone almost forcefully light and conversational, like she was trying to hold something back. “I wanted to learn how to treat someone with and without magic, and he happened to be looking for an assistant. We got along well. One thing led to another, and we ended up getting married a few years later.”

Astarion’s eyes shot open. “You were married?” He furrowed his brow as another thought struck him like a knife to the chest. “Are married?”

“Relax,” Cas said. “He was human, and he passed away over fifty years ago. I would never betray someone like that.”

Slowly, she moved her glowing hand away from his side and to the base of his throat. Warm magic tingled against his skin, healing some sort of injury he didn’t realize he had, before she moved to yet another spot on his neck. Her expression flickered, a tick of her jaw and a hardness to her gaze cracking her mask of concentration.

Something in the air shifted, turning heavy and thick under the scrutiny of her gaze. Suddenly, that same healing touch that was so soothing moments ago turned oppressive. Like a mild summer’s day turning humid just before a storm.

“What are you doing, love?” Astarion wrapped his fingers around her wrist, more to get her attention than to pull her away.

“Nothing,” Cas said in a voice that suggested the exact opposite. “I have my healing spell up, so I might as well take care of these. Good thing your prey didn’t bite nearly as hard as you did.” She shrugged and her eyes dipped downward for just a moment. “Unless he got somewhere I can’t see.”

A white hot anger shot through him, powerful and unexpected, heating his face and making his heart pound in his chest. His grip tightened around her slender wrist as he yanked her hand away. The magic glowing in Cas’s palm flickered out between them, leaving only the lonely torchlight to illuminate the hard lines on her usually delicate face.

“Watch your tone,” he said through his teeth. “You’re the one who asked me to hunt. I hunted. No need to get all precious about my methods.”

Cas pressed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes, usually so full of compassion and light, turned as lethal as a blade as she tugged her wrist free from his grasp. “You’re right,” she said, her words clipped.

She retrieved a plain white cloth from her bag and doused it with water from her waterskin. Without looking him in the eye, she offered him the damp rag to clean off the blood and asked, “Are you feeling better? Any pain, lightheadedness, or spots in your vision?”

Great. She was talking to him like he was a bloody patient and not… him. She had always treated him differently than anyone else ever had. With kindness, patience, curiosity, and warmth. Now that it was gone, replaced by cold indifference, the absence made his blood boil.

She was just going to go about her business like nothing ever happened between them? Just like that?

Of course she was. As much as he wanted to believe otherwise, she was just like everybody else. She didn’t care about him, but she didn’t want to share him either.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“I’m fine.” Astarion yanked the rag from Cas’s hand and roughly scrubbed at the blood that lingered where his wound once was. The skin beneath was unblemished like the injury never happened. Like nothing ever happened. Hells, she probably even healed the little love bite she had left on his shoulder, he thought bitterly. “Tell me you’re not honestly mad about this. I did exactly as you asked.”

“You did,” she agreed, infuriatingly. “I didn’t realize that you had to get his dick out in order to drink his blood, but what do I know?”

The drow had done that entirely on his own. Honestly, Astarion hadn’t even noticed until the man was already dead.

It hadn’t gone beyond kissing before Astarion realized he couldn’t do it. He didn’t have to do it. And he didn’t realize it until it was too late. Regret and revulsion had washed over him with every brush of the drow’s mouth over his skin, but Astarion numbly played his role like he always had. Cas didn’t know how bile had bubbled in his stomach as the drow had pulled at Astarion’s belt. Or how every second he hated himself more and more with each passing second.

She didn’t know the intense relief Astarion felt when he finally sunk his fangs into the man’s neck and made him stop.

Cas didn’t know that when his mind drifted away as it always did in those moments, thoughts of her filled his head.

Cas pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled slowly. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she muttered and pushed herself to her feet. “Let’s get back to the group before they start looking for us.”

If she wanted to move on like the whole shitty situation never happened, who was he to stop her? What did it matter to him if it didn’t matter to her?

But he wanted it to matter to her.

If Astarion had been in a better state of mind, he would have kept his mouth shut. He shouldn’t poke and pry when she was so clearly on edge. But sometimes, emotion overrode common sense.

He wanted to see that thinly veiled semblance of Cas’s control shatter like an expensive vase. Once broken, it would be impossible to repair. He wanted to seep into the cracks of her very being, just like she found her way into every fiber of his soul.

For reasons he didn’t want to dwell on, he needed to see behind the mask. He needed to know that she felt a fraction of the pain he did.

A sardonic chuckle passed his lips as a twinge of anxiety twisted into his gut. “You really are bothered by this, aren’t you?”

“Please don’t talk to me right now.” Without sparing him a glance, Cas gathered his discarded doublet and undershirt from where they laid on the floor and shoved the crumpled ball of clothing into his arms. “I doubt we’d have a productive conversation and we have more pressing things to focus on.”

Astarion barely noticed that his physical pain was completely gone as he pushed himself from the floor, clothes clutched to his chest though he made no move to redress himself. “The man’s dead,” he stated flatly. “Obviously he didn’t mean anything to me. I don’t even know his name.”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Come now, darling,” he said as if he thought Cas was being completely ridiculous. “Don’t let this little dalliance come between the perfectly good thing we have going. It was nothing. There’s still plenty of me to go around.”

“Stop. Talking.”

“Are you worried after last night?” Another chuckle passed his lips. Not because he found her response funny. He was just being an asshole. “I didn't think you’d get attached so quickly, darling. It was just a bit of fun.”

Cas whirled around, her blunt teeth bared in a snarl. “Then what the fuck was the conversation we had this morning?” Her words were sharp, cutting through the silent chamber like a knife through silk. Hot puffs of her breath heated his skin.

For some sick reason, he wanted to lean down and capture her mouth with his. To taste her fury. To feel her passion. He wanted to soak in that eruption of emotion because it meant she felt something for him.

He would take her anger any day over indifference.

Cas jabbed a finger into his sternum, her eyes locked on his. “You said you wanted me to stay the night. You said you didn’t want to let me go. You said you wanted me. And you’re accusing me of being attached?”

Astarion pressed his lips into a thin line as he felt a muscle in his jaw tick.

She wasn’t wrong.

Getting attached meant opening his heart. It meant begging to be hurt. Part of him thought that bedding someone else would help him realize that Cas was nothing special. That what he felt when he was with Cas was just a byproduct of his newly acquired freedom. That he would feel that way about anyone he got physically intimate with now that Cazador no longer had a hold on him.

Oh, how wrong he was. His night with Cas made him want more, whereas the drow made him briefly consider a life of celibacy.

Cas took a step towards the door, giving him a bit of space. “I was fine with just hooking up,” she said, unable to look at him. “Hells, that’s what I expected. Maybe a friends-with-benefits situation since I know that’s all I’m good for.”

The last part was said with a bitter laugh, and Astarion swore he saw her chin tremble before her face turned to stone once more.

His brow drew together. What the hells did she mean by that? It didn’t make any sense. Briefly, his mind flashed back to how she had disappeared the morning after they had spent the night together. The look of surprise and hesitation on her face when he had told her he had expected her to stay.

“But then you got my hopes up,” she continued before he could even think to address her statement. “You just had to say those sweet things this morning. Things I know you meant because I’m not naïve enough to accept words like that without reading your thoughts. Then you turn around and do this—” she gestured roughly toward the drow “— and have the audacity to act like I did something wrong?”

“You asked me to hunt,” he said again because it was the only lifeline he had. A lifeline that was dangling on by the thinnest of threads. Needing a moment to collect his thoughts, as chaotic as they were, he quickly pulled on his clothing. “You saw me with the drow before you went skipping off with Wyll. What did you think would happen?”

“That you would seduce him to get him alone. Not that you’d actually—” Cas took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. Straightening her spine, she took a single step back. “You know what? Nevermind. It’s not important. Let’s forget that last night ever happened.”

“I don’t want to forget it.” The words came out before he could stop himself, and the honesty made him wish he could take them back.

He never wanted to forget it. He didn’t want to forget the way she felt in his arms, the taste of her lips, the scent of lavender and leather on her skin. He didn’t want to forget how their bodies melded together like she was made for him, or how she looked at him like he was more than what Cazador made him. It was the best night he had in recent memory.

Like hell would he pretend it never happened.

“It was a mistake, Astarion,” Cas said with another bitter laugh that made his heart ache. “I should know better by now.”

Astarion closed the distance between them, stepping closer and closer until he had Cas’s back pressed against the door and she had nowhere else to go. “Cas, please.” He moved his hands to her hips and she immediately batted him away. “I’m sorry.”

Something in her gaze softened and she turned her head away from him, giving an unobstructed view of the bite mark she still wore on her neck. A mark she could have so easily healed just moments ago.

But she didn’t.

Those two little puncture wounds marked her as his, and she had to realize that on some level. That alone gave him something to hold on to as his relationship went careening out of his control.

“No, you’re not.” Her words came on a near silent breath. “You’re only sorry because things didn’t work out the way you wanted. If you hadn’t gotten hurt, and I hadn’t been worried enough to look for you…. You wouldn’t have regretted a damn thing because I never would have found out.”

Astarion felt a frown pull at his lips, unbidden, but he couldn’t refute her. She was right. And the fact that she read him so thoroughly caught him off guard. His fingers itched to reach out to her, to touch her. He balled his hands into tight fists at his sides and tried to ignore the pressure building behind his eyes.

No. He hadn’t cried in years, and he wasn’t about to start.

Laying her palm over his collarbone, she applied gentle pressure, just enough to ease him a step back. “Put yourself together and come out to the courtyard when you’re ready,” she said.

Without another word, without even sparing him a glance, Cas disappeared through the door behind her and shut it in his face. Not an angry slam. Just a quiet, deafening, tap of heavy wood against the doorframe.

Astarion pressed his forehead against the door. He took a deep breath.

Then another.

And another.

In and out until the pressure behind his eyes eased and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, but no amount of breathing eased the ache in his chest.

---

Beginning

Previous Chapter

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#astarion #astarion x tav #astarion x female tav #astarion fanfic #astarion smut #field study bg3 fanfic #bg3 #baldur’s gate 3

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catindabag · 11 months

Text

TBOSAS on Crack short take (15)

*The time when the 24 OG Mentors played the “Bring something forbidden to school” game*

Festus: As your ✨Class Representative✨ and the best player of this game, please present your “Forbidden Goods” to the class!

Palmyra: *Raises her hand* Let me start, Fest! You guys will like this! I swear!

Festus: Fire away, Palm!☺️

Palmyra: *pulls out an expired bottle of Nutella* I brought my mother’s secret stash of chocolate spread!

Lysistrata: Is it safe to consume?

Palmyra: Yup! I even saw her eating it yesterday!

Lysistrata: Fascinating! Let me see! *grabs the bottle* It says here that this product was made in 2012.

Festus: 2012?! That was centuries ago!

Clemensia: WTH, Palm! That’s basically poison!😱

Gaius: Does your mother secretly have a death wish?!

Palmyra: Who wants to go next?🙂

Pup: Me! *pulls out a bloody sword* I present you my great great grandfather’s saber!

Juno: Why is there fresh blood on that thing, Pup?!

Apollo: *suddenly licks the sword* Calm down. It’s just ketchup.

Pup: It’s not ketchup.

Diana: Ew! Why did you lick that, bro?! I’m telling mom!

Clemensia: I’m next! *Pulls out the last copy of the 2004 movie: White Chicks* I present you my father’s favorite banned movie!

Livia: Clemmie, you witch! How did YOU get that?!

Sejanus: That was banned ages ago!

Arachne: I’m so jealous!

Coryo: Now that’s really illegal!

Juno: Felix Ravinstill, you better not tell your granduncle about this!

Felix: But-

Juno: Don’t you dare tell the President!

Felix: Why not? My crazy granduncle likes White Chicks.

Coryo: Then why did our government banned it?

Felix: Because it featured Vanessa Carlton’s iconic ✨A Thousand Miles✨ song.

Coryo: And that song is illegal?

Felix: To be fair, any song that’s not praising Panem or the Capitol is automatically banned in my crazy family’s book.😞

Coryo: That’s rough, buddy.

Felix: But who cares! I still secretly love to watch White Chicks with my crazy granduncle.

Juno: Good. Because we are all gonna watch it later!🥳

Lysistrata: Me next! *pulls out 24 illegally manufactured morphling bottles* I stole these.🤫

Persephone: Bestie, you brought drugs?!

Coryo: Again. She brought drugs again.

Lysistrata: Yeah. My parents are doctors. I can get away with these.

Androcles: You better hide that from “You-Know-Who” or he’ll hunt you down and strangle you.

Lysistrata: Noted!😉 Coryo, you’re next!

Coryo: Ok. Don’t laugh. I traded 5 cabbages for these years ago.

Domitia: Just show it already!

Coryo: *Pulls out two very famous banned music albums from the 2020s* I present you the last copy of Taylor Swift’s Midnights Album!

Hilarius: What’s the other one?

Coryo: 1989.

Hilarius: Taylor’s Version?

Coryo: Taylor’s Version.

Hilarius: *starts screaming like a crazy fangirl* Coryo Snow, I love you!

Sejanus: Back off, Hilari! Coryo’s mine!

Vipsania: Where the heck did you get those, Snow?!

Felix: You beautiful gorgeous man, give those albums to me!

Festus: Coryo, my bro, I’ll feed you forever if you give them to me instead!

Io: Coryo, I’ll pay you two more cabbages!

Livia: You lying thief! Where did you steal those treasures?!

Coryo: Black Market.

Dennis: I knew it! I knew my mama really does sell banned music albums for cabbages!

Hilarius: Yo, guys, you don’t have to fight. I brought a banned compatible CD player for this game. So let’s just listen to the songs together.

Coryo: Fine. Let’s listen to my favorite song first.

Sejanus: Snow on the Beach!

Felix: Can I be Lana Del Rey?🥺

Coryo: Sure. Whatever you want, Class Pres. *clicks the play button* Here we go.

Felix: Yey!

Everyone: *skips to the chorus, and sings like no tomorrow* 🎶And it's like SNOW at the beach, Weird but f*ckin' beautiful, Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful-🎶

Sejanus: Wait! Stop! I haven’t shown mine yet!

Florus: Fine! The stage is yours, Plinth. *clicks to pause*

Sejanus: *pulls out a whole ass body bag from the corner and opens it* This is Marcus! My classmate and friend from District 2!

Livia: What the actual fu-

Sejanus: Say hello, Marcus!☺️

Marcus: *bored AF* Hi, I’m Marcus.

Festus: You freaking brought your Tribute to school?!

Sejanus: To be fair, you said something forbidden.

Domitia: SOME. THING. Not Someone!

Coryo: Not again!

Urban: We’re all getting a demerit from Sejanus Plinth’s stunt!😫

Iphigenia: Or expelled!😭

Arachne: You idiot Plinth!😡🔪

Marcus: Where’s the food?

Livia: *faints from the shock*

Everyone:. . .

Marcus:. . .

Coryo: So should we continue?

Dennis: Yeah. Sure. Why not.

Coryo: Festus, play the song!

Festus: Got it! *clicks to play*

Everyone+Marcus: *nervously starts singing again* 🎶You wanting me tonight feels impossible, But it's comin' down, no sound, it's all around, Like ✨SNOW✨ on the beach, Like ✨SNOW✨ on the beach, Like ✨SNOW✨ on the beach, Like ✨SNOW✨, oh, oh oh🎶

*Drunk!Casca Highbottom lurking in the shadows (again)*

Drunk!Casca: *Sees Marcus inside the classroom* I swear, Sickle! I swear that there were only 24 Mentors in that room! Not 25!

Prof.Sickle: 24 again. Livia Cardew just fainted.

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charliehoennam · 20 days

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the NO-SKIP albums: a tag game

rules: share the albums that you can listen to nonstop. those lightning in a bottle-albums that scratch ur brain just right. every single track, an absolute banger. u could not skip one if u tried. no notes. stunning, show-stopping, immaculate. ur no-skip albums. 🔎 bonus & optional (but imo, v fun) rules:1) add a track rec for us to listen to! AND2) share ur favorite line(s) from that track! 👀

tagged by @stephendorff, i got pretty excited for this but then i realized that i don't have many no-skips albums....or so i thought🤦‍♀️ tagging: @gyll-yee-haw, @gyllenhaalstories, @potter-solomons, @navybrat817, @laurfilijames, @ithinkwehitametaphor

🎧 album info/track recs/my favorite lines under the cut!! ↓↓↓

album: audioslave by audioslave song rec: shadow on the sun I can tell you why // People go insane // I can show you how // You could do the same their self-entitled album never fails to make me feel like driving out in the middle of the desert in a pick-up truck with a cigarette hanging between my lips, hands stained with the blood of my ex-lover

album: diamond eyes by deftones song rec: beauty school You're shooting stars // From the barrel of your eyes // It drives me crazy // Just drives me wild deftones (and chino with all his side projects i.e team sleep, crosses, and palms which deserve a shoutout) never fail to amaze me with every song they make. hands down, my favorite band and coming to that conclusion was not easy

album: koi no yokan by deftones song rec: swerve city She tames with her voices // As she plays around with the forces i wasn't lying when i said they're my number 1 band lmao when this album first came out, i was hesitant about because i felt like their music changed a bit. but listening to it, 14 years later, made me realize how it sounds like a more mature side of the band and also i feel like they've successfully managed to put how an orgasm feels into music

album: razorblade romance by HIM song rec: right here in my arms She keeps on crying // But i won't leave her alone // She'll never be alone HIM was probably my first introduction into rock in general when i started watching jackass and viva la bam and it was love at first song. i just love how their music makes me feel like a century year old vampire wandering the modern world. and their lyrics are incomparable

album: meteora by linkin park song rec: from the inside Tension is building inside, steadily // Everyone feels so far away from me // Heavy thoughts forcing their way out of me choosing between meteora and hybrid theory is a long life debate and they're both so perfect but meteora is what i listened to the most growing up and it became the soundtrack of my teenage age lmao

album: peripheral vision by turnover song rec: new scream Adolescent dreams gave to adult screams // Paranoid that I won't have all the things they say I need this band deserves so much more attention. this album brings a sense of nostalgia to me and just makes me feel warm and happy and like road tripping through australia, which has always been a place i've always wanted to visit and unfortunately haven't been able to

album: as far as the eye can see by people in planes song rec: falling by the wayside It's OK // To be safe // I'm losing control // Falling by the wayside if i could choose a song to play at the moment of my passing away, that would be this. it's beautifully haunting in a way and the entire album is a musical masterpiece. i truly hate that this band broke up and never got the appreciation they deserved so i've made it my life's mission to spread the good word of people in planes lmao

album: placebo by placebo song rec: teenage angst Since I was born I started to decay // Now nothing ever, ever goes my way the only reason i didn't choose sleeping with ghosts is because there are two songs on there that aren't my favorite and i usually skip. placebo is a great alternative band that never goes out of style for me and i could listen to this album on repeat forever

album: jar by superheaven song rec: in on it / youngest daughter And I know just what I need // Autumn leaves and fallen trees // To feel the cold beneath my feet // Breathe until your lungs fail // You can sing 'til you go deaf this band has successfully revived alt/grunge in a mature way that brings a sense of nostalgia along with it. for me, it's hard to believe this album was only birthed in 2013. under the video, there's a comment that says "greatest 90s band of the 2010s" and it couldn't be more accurate. i couldn't pick between the two songs

album: teenage wrist song rec: swallow Older and older // The voice of wasted youth has never been so loud // Over and over // Like powder in the barrel pushin' deeper down another band that's been bringing atl/grunge and they do it so well. haven't really listened much to their new stuff, but this album has a very special place in my heart deserves much more attention. you can't tell me their grittiness doesn't make you feel like you're in the 90s

album: the questions by emery song rec: playing with fire Why should I take all the blame for all my mistakes? // You were there with every promise made to break one of my first introductions to 'emo' music lmao this band has been a must-have on every playlist i've ever made. the vocal harmony in their music really hits the soul

#about me #music #challenge

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thedrarrylibrarian · 1 year

Text

🎄 Christmas 2022 🎄

Festive Melody by @crazybutgood (90 words, rated G)

For show-and-tell one day, one of the children at Harry’s at-home daycare brings an intriguing Christmas ornament she’d found collecting dust in her attic. After fiddling with it, she soon learns why it was banished when it starts playing Christmas songs on a loop, impossible to stop, driving everyone up the wall.

An Unlikely Hero by @st0rminthecassl (172 words, rated T)

Draco is beside himself that someone would treat a hero this way.

This is for me? by @phoebe-delia (283 words, rated G)

"Who's it from?"

Harry shrugged with poorly-feigned nonchalance. "Check the card."

Decorating by MarsInsane (304 words, rated G)

Draco decorates.

A fine piece of candy by @lalalaartje (466 words, rated G)

When Harry keeps telling Draco he doesn't need a Christmas gift from him, Draco comes up with a silly little plan.

Advent Calendar by MarsInsane (469 words, rated G)

Short little fluff piece featuring Drarry and candy.

Playing Games by @ladderofyears (505 words, rated T)

Harry and Draco talk, and play board games, in a Christmassy Twelve Grimmauld Place.

Wintergreen by @dreamsinthewitchouse (1,430 words, rated T)

Draco shoots him a scathing glance, but the corner of his mouth quirks up into something resembling a smile. “Okay, then.”

“Okay you want me to kiss you?”

“Okay I want you to kiss me.”

Merry, Muggle, and Magical by @typewriteringalaxy (2,478 words, rated G)

Draco and Harry on the hunt of the perfect gift for each other.

Word on the Street by cloudlings (6,131 words, rated E)

The quill finishes writing, and Harry’s instincts warn him that the worst hasn’t even left the reporter’s mouth yet.

Then he speaks again.

And there it is.

“Let’s talk about Draco Malfoy.”

The Red Jumper by toomuchplor (14,907 words, rated E)

Draco's plans for Christmas Eve are as follows:

1 - Sleep as long as possible 2 - Have sex 3 - Drink wine 4 - Eat too much food 5 - Repeat above

It’s just gone eight in the morning when Harry begins to derail Draco’s plans.

First Christmas by orpheus87 (22,680 words, rated G)

Sometimes, being floored by a Labrador isn't such a bad thing.

Harry and Draco went to the same university and although they each knew who the other was, they weren't close friends. When they bump into one another five years later, in a park in York, one conversation leads to another and they soon become closer than they imagined.

Aere Perennius by @onbeinganangel (23,195 words, rated M)

Upon Narcissa’s death, Draco Malfoy lets his best mate decide on a new place for him to live and set up his flower shop. Pansy, the meddling witch that she is, picks Godric’s Hollow. Specifically, the oh-so-conveniently available space next to Harry Potter’s bookshop. What could possibly go wrong? According to Hermione, only everything. According to Ron, this is exactly what Harry needs. Blaise is only there to watch the whole thing crash and burn, and Luna saw it coming years ago.

Changing with the season by @harryromper (36,255 words, rated T)

Harry's determined the first time he hosts the extended Weasley clan for Christmas will be a success. The Grimmauld Place advent calendar has other ideas ... until Draco shows up to help.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by gglow (52,163 words, rated M)

At thirty years old, Draco Malfoy has successfully obtained a reputable degree in Ancient Languages, has proceeded to shut himself into the basement of London Library as their Head of Archives, and is wilfully nursing a problematic relationship with a man Blaise eloquently describes as “a sleazy piece of trash”. So yes, he’s got it all worked out, ta ever so.

It’s only too bad that when Harry Potter—the youngest Head Auror in a century—happens to need Draco’s help with a case, a string of encounters ensues that turn Draco’s pre-perceptions of him on their head. To make matters even worse, Potter brings Draco tea, and carries his bags, and says things that are much too straightforward for comfort. And if it makes Draco question why he ever hated the speccy git in the first place, well, that’s no one else’s business but Draco’s… right?

Will flying South for Christmas spare Draco from heartache? And does it make sense to salvage the dwindling fire with his elusive beau, or will the kindle of a new flame give Christmas a whole new meaning?

A Melody of You & Me by @academicdisasterfic (64,838 words, rated E)

Draco Malfoy has a Christmas choir competition to win, and Harry Potter has an orphanage that needs funding. When Luna Lovegood intervenes, they agree to help each other out: Harry will join the choir if Draco chooses to sponsor his charity.

But agreeing to work together also means getting to know each other again - in new and unexpected ways.

Ft. a chaotic festive choir, scheming friends, a healthy dose of mental health issues, one very irritating ex, and boys learning how to love and be loved.

Kaleidoscope by Saras_Girl (104,284 words, rated E)

If Harry’s honest, the last thing he needs is a house full of Draco Malfoy, but partners are partners, and perhaps, the thing he wants the least will turn out to be absolutely everything. 2021 advent fic, completed.

Be sure you don't miss out on @babooshkart's amazing art and fic recommendation for A Melody of You & Me!

❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please remember to leave the creator a kudos or comment ❤️

🎄Lots of Love and Merry Christmas!🎄

#Christmas 2022 drarry fanfic rec list #drarry christmas #drarry #drarry rec list #drarry fanfic rec list #drarry fanfic #drarry fanfic recs #the drarry librarian #lots of love and happy christmas #lots of love and Merry christmas #thedrarrylibrarian #harry x draco #draco/harry #harry/draco #draco malfoy #harry potter

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ladyhoneydee · 6 months

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30 Day Song(fic) Challenge: Day 5

Today's Song(fic) Challenge prompt was "A song by the first artist you ever loved", and so I have a confession: for the first six years of my life, I was a massive Parrothead. That's right! My first beloved artist was none other than Jimmy Buffet. I had such a dream of going up on stage at a concert during the song "Brown Eyed Girl" (as I was, importantly, a girl with brown eyes. However, for today's song, I went for a spin on "Coconut Telegraph", a classic about a very gossipy town, featuring our favorite Hateno!

I Swear, It's Just Between Me and You

Game: Post-Breath of the Wild

Pairing: Zelink

Word Count: 1435

Keywords: NPC POV of relationship, except it's the whole town, hehe

Their first mistake was to be new in town, and therefore very intriguing to the locals, who always loved a mystery. Their second was to tromp right past Seldon on horseback—sharing a saddle, did you see?!—with faces plied with exhaustion—just why were they exhausted, hm?! Their third was to cozy up in their little love nest for weeks—has anyone even seen the blonde girl leave the house once?—building up the anticipation to staggering heights. And their final mistake was for their love story to be so interesting.

Read the fic on Ao3, or under the cut!

“Did you hear?”

“I heard that—”

Word spreads fast in Hateno, for a village where a third of the residents are under ten or over eighty (or both, but they try to ignore that weird Sheikah scientist up on the hill when they can), and another third are in the fields all day. After festivals, rumors ripple up and down the hills of the town, passed from mouth to eager ear. Every villager knows of a newcomer within a day, no matter how transient their stay may be. And nothing stays secret for long.

Still, that couple tucked next to Firly Pond make it almost too easy.

“Did you see that?” hissed Amira to Nikki from across the washbasin, eyes wide.

“Walking arm-in-arm like some antiquated knight and lady! It’s just the main street of town. What do they think they’re playing at, all fancy?”

Nikki gleefully shared the news over dinner, and Nebb had some compelling details to share. “That’s the swordsman who showed me all the weapons! Maybe he really is a knight!”

Nikki had been quick to tell her son that the Hyrulean military had died with its royal line a century ago, but that didn’t stop the rumor of the knight spreading like wildfire through the village kids and home to their parents.

Weeks passed with little change, and the gossip threads stretched thin. The Knight would escort the Lady to the general store, and they’d buy goat butter and fabric by the yard, and return to their home after a circuit around town.

“I think she’s making her own wardrobe,” Amira said one evening, prodding Pruce in the side to get his attention. “I work with clothing all day, you know—those cuts and styles of fabric are for everyday essentials. I wonder why she needs replacements for everything?”

“Why are we discussing this in bed?” groaned Pruce.

“I heard that her entire town was burning down, and he rode in on a white stallion and saved her! Her leg was trapped under a beam and she couldn’t get free, but he saved her!” Azu crowed to the gaggle of surrounding kids. “That’s why she has no clothes, you know.”

“She has no clothes?” gasped Narah. “How terrible!”

“I heard from Narah that she walks around town…naked?”

Uma gave Prima a dubious look. “Your inn is in the middle of town. Have you ever seen her walking around town naked?”

“Well…no. No, I haven’t.”

“Shouldn’t believe the first thing you hear from a little anklebiter!”

And yet, the next morning, a pair of nearly-new chemises were waiting on the Lady’s front porch for her, just in case.

A few weeks later, the town was humming again, because the Lady was out and about.

Nebb would tell anyone who would listen how pretty she was in her green dress, how well it brought out her eyes. Tamana wanted to braid her lovely blonde hair back in intricate patterns suited to her station. Sayge placed a very pointed notice on the bulletin board with an offer for new residents to come ‘round to the dye shop for one free garment.

“She’s a little odd, I think,” Senna said surreptitiously. Thadd, one eye out for suspicious activity, leaned in closer to hear. “I saw her playing in the mud like a child, fitting together guardian parts! And then she ran all the way up the hill to the lab! She’s not very ladylike, I’d say.” She perked up. “Although if she gets mud in her dress, she might want to come dye it!”

The Knight got his fair share of talk, too. Koyin and Ivee privately agreed that if he wasn’t obviously meant for the Lady, they would both be interested in his sturdy frame and strong-and-silent personality, but as it was, they supported her wholeheartedly. Manny, recognizing the Knight from his failed attempt to woo Prima, attempted to spread rumors about him—“He eats rocks! I think he only bathes in the pond outside his house!”—although these crashed and burned just as badly as his romantic overtures.

The day that the Knight and Princess took their turn around town holding hands…now that one fed the gossip mill for weeks. Especially when, two sightings later, they were back to linked arms.

“Oh, I hope that everything is alright for them! The Knight’s eyes look so pained when he looks at her, all that longing…and the way she looks at him when she thinks no one can see! They must be in love, don’t you think?”

Rhodes patted Ralera’s hand. “We’ll just have to believe they can find the same happiness we did.”

They did end up holding hands again, if you were curious. But shh! That’s a secret!

And then…there came the day of the spring festival.

The Knight and the Lady had lived in the house next to Firly Pond for two seasons now, and the townspeople had grown used to the Lady’s antics—and the Knight’s, as well, which had been unexpected, to say the least; no one had actually believed Manny when he’d said the boy ate rocks. What they hadn’t seen before was the young couple dancing or drinking.

“I know we call her the Lady, but it really seemed like she was doing some sort of court dance at first! Dear thing, I’m glad she lightened up after a few reels.” Clavia tutted her tongue concernedly.

“Did you see the way they packed away those wildberry spritzers? Their faces were as red as the juice by the end!”

“That might’ve been blushing, though. Did you see how they were looking at each other? How closely they were dancing by the end? Save room for Hylia, I say!”

“The way he dipped her, I swear, I would’ve just fallen over on the spot.”

“That’s because you’re just clumsy, Sophie. How about the way she spun him out and led him from behind, though? I would’ve swooned.”

It was agreed that they were, perhaps, a very dangerous couple. Truly, it was for the best that they were falling in love with each other, and no one else.

The summer was long and sultry. The fields sizzled with humid warmth from the ocean, and the townsfolk lazed about in the heat, stories flowing off the tongue with even greater ease than usual. The Lady and the Knight hadn’t been that interesting lately, but it was the principle of the thing that counted. Depending on who you asked, you might hear of a betting pool slowly building, about when the couple might approach Reede for a marriage license. The mayor—“Killjoy!”—was very zipped-lipped about the whole thing, much to the bettors’ disapproval.

Of course, it was on the most normal of dog days that the biggest bombflower of them all ignited.

“Teebo, Teebo! I saw the Knight and the Lady kissing!”

“Karin said they were walking down the path towards the beach, and just stopped right there! She had him pinned against the tree by the end of it, and they were both smiling like fools when they finished!”

It was the hottest topic of the summer. That one kiss kept the town buzzing for weeks, until…they started doing it everywhere. All the time. The center of town. On horseback, heading west. Frolicking on the beach. Walking up to the tech lab on the hill. In front of the goddess statue. It just wasn’t quite as interesting to share if everyone had the chance to see it for themselves.

If you were to look very closely at the faces of the Knight and the Lady after a kiss shared in the middle of town—which, of course you wouldn’t, because that would be rude, you have to give them privacy and only stare a little bit—you might see a subtle flavor of amusement, buried beneath the desire. Some theorizing might net you the thought that maybe, just maybe, the jam they’d planted in the cogs of the rumor mill might be intentional. Some sweet, silly revenge, perhaps, from an adoring, fun-loving couple, on a town that never quite stops talking.

Of course, you didn’t hear that from me!

#loz #botw #zelink #botw zelink #fanfic #my fanfiction #hateno village #hateno house #30 day song(fic) challenge

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giggly-squiggily · 11 months

Note

Oh could I request Volo and adaman? I just think those two had to have gotten bored waiting for the protag to get to the lakes ykwim.

Oo, these two! I haven't written for Legend Arceus in a hot minute! I've gotcha covered, anon! :)

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps)

@gladdygirl18

Adaman gasped awake, eyes wide as he sat up, feeling his chest, his shirt, his hair. “How long has it been?”

Volo, who had been sitting by with his Togepi, gave him a bored stare. “Five minutes, Adam.”

“Pfft- no fun. You can at least pretend with me.” Adaman groaned, falling back into the grass with a huff. He and Volo had been waiting for what feels like centuries for Akari. She was a sweet, dedicated girl.

So dedicated in fact she was notorious for being incredibly, almost unforgivingly late.

Okay- not true for the most part. Important events and meetings were there on the dot, if not a few minutes too early. She never left Adaman waiting if he needed to see her asap. Really- it was his own fault for not specifying this meetup was important.

It wasn’t- but it would have gotten her here faster. Now he and Volo had to wait for her to finish catching whatever pokemon a villager required. He prayed to Arceus and back it wasn’t a female Combee. They’d be there for days.

Now they were here, waiting for Akari to arrive so they could get their Pokemon battle going. Adaman was slowly but surely losing ways to entertain himself. He tried teaching his Pokemon to sing, laid on his back and patted a song against his belly. He tried taking a nap, but the sun was too bright and he had too much energy. He then tried pretending he was waking up from a 1000 year old coma, he and Volo the last remaining survivors of this foreign land.

Yes he was an adult and the leader of the Diamond Clan. He could act like a kid when he wanted to!

…Arguing with himself didn’t ease his boredom either. Damnit!

Volo decidedly ignored the last verbal comment he made, turning his attention back to Togepi. If he was bored, he sure knew how to hide it. His expression was calm, hands busy as they tossed a little ball to the Pokemon and back. Adaman figured waiting around was part of the Merchant game.

That’s great for him, but he was losing his mind!

“Hey, let’s play a game.” Adaman rolled onto his belly, grinning at the blonde. “Truth or Truther.”

“Isn’t it Truth or Dare?” Volo raised a brow, blinking at the other curiously.

“Yeah, but if we start getting into dares, we might just forget about Akari. Besides, I wanna know more about you.” He grinned a classic cheshire cat grin, eyes twinkling as Volo squirmed. “Nervous I'll learn something juicy about you, Merchant?”

“Hehe…no, I’ll be fine.” Volo cleared his throat, sitting back. “Alright. Who’s gonna start?”

“I’ll go. What’s your type?” Right for the jugular.

“.....Normal?” Volo blinked, looking at Togepi. “Also Psychic I suppose.”

“No, no- I mean; what’s your type in people?” Adaman almost laughed at how obtuse Volo seemed. It was strangely endearing. “Like- what do you find attractive?”

“Oh…Oh!” Volo blushed, both from embarrassment at missing the question and just…the context. “I erm…I guess I like all kinds of people…maybe more so those who are interested in mythology and history…”

“Ah, a nerd.” Adaman nodded appreciatively. “My turn. I like tall blonde merchants who sell good stuff and are also into history.”

Volo blinked, face red and eyes widening. Adaman wagged his eyebrows.

“Ugh, you’re awful.” Volo laughed, hiding his face in his hands for a moment. Pushing his hair out of his face, he gestured to Adaman. “Okay, your turn. Ugh…any weaknesses?”

“Tall Blonde Merchants-”

“Real weaknesses?” Volo waved him off with a snort.

“Hmm….” Adaman hummed, thinking about it. “I overwork myself. When I get into something, I don’t stop until I’m done with it completely, so I tend to take breaks and rest.” He laughed, leaning into his arms. “Got a little real there.”

“I like it.” Volo smiled teasingly. “It’s the real you.”

“Ugh, you’re gonna make me blush.” Adaman grinned. “What about you? What’s your weakness?”

Volo hesitated again- he did that alot, the Clan leader started to notice- like he had a lot of thoughts but was selective in the ones he shared.. Gnawing at his lip, he sat in consideration for a few moments before speaking. “I’m ticklish.”

“Come again?” Adaman blinked.

“I’m ticklish.” Volo said again. “Does that bother you?”

“No, no not at all, just…I think you’re the first person I’ve ever met who just…admitted it.” Adaman blinked, taking it in. “Most people try to hide it, yeah?”

“Sure, but I’ve learned not to bother.” Volo shrugged, a teasy smile on his lips. “Not when a certain clan leader before me is way more ticklish than I-”

He was gone. When’d Adaman leave?

“Adam?” He sat up, blinking as he looked around. That’s when he felt it, a cool and devious presence behind him.

“Should have kept it a secret, Volo.” The voice spoke in his ear, making him jump. “Now I’m curious.”

~~~

In hindsight, Volo was rather shortsighted.

He figured Adaman would be stunned long enough for Volo to get the jump on him- or at least come from the front so he could grab his ribs- Adaman was pretty bad there if he recalled.

And yet- he forgot one simple detail.

Adaman was tricky.

“Ahehahhahaa! Wahhahahait, whahahhahahait hoohohohohoohohld ohoohohohhohon!” Volo cried, squeaking in laughter as fingers attacked his sides, pressing past his layers and going right for the ticklish spots across his ribs. “Adahahahhhamahahahahn!”

“Why wait? Don’t you like being tickled, Volo?” Adaman cooed at him, grinning from ear to ear as he worked his fingers along his torso, pinching his waist and giving his armpits the occasional prod, making the blonde yelp and snort. “Aww, aren’t you a cutie! Look at how much you’re smiling!”

Volo squeaked, doubling over as he tried blocking out the hands working towards his belly. “Ahahahahhadaahhahamn, plehaehhahahahse! Gehahahahahhahaa not thheheehehhehhere!”

“Aww, why not? Does it tickle that bad?” Adaman asked, daring a few jabs and earning quite the laugh. “Man, you were so confident earlier too! I bet you thought you could trick me, huh? Poor ticklish Volo- as if you could ever defeat me.” He grinned gently pushing the other over so he could sit on his hips, fingers flying over his belly and making him squeal. “Can’t fight back, can you? You’re just to ticklish for your own good, you cute wittle ticklish guy, you!”

“Nohohohoohoohoho! Dohohoohn’t you dahahahhahre!” Bright red, Volo covered his face with his hands, a gesture that lasted only a second before they shot back down, trying to block out Adaman’s hands as they wiggled past his shirt and jacket. “Ahahahhahahdamahahahhan! THehehehehhey’re coohohoohohld!”

What are my hands? Well, warm them up for me!” He grinned, laughing as Volo flailed beneath him, feet kicking against the grass and back arching. His hat tumbled off at one point, spilling liquid gold across the green earth. That combined with his rosy he looked, Adaman swore Volo looked like some fallen angel.

Damn- he’s got it bad.

“Gehahhahahhahahhaha! Oohoohohohokay ohohoohohkay! Stahhhahhap ihiihhihiiht!” Volo pleaded, grabbing Adaman’s hands within his own, pushing them up and out of the way. Gasping for air, he glared some, his face half hidden in his hair. “Thehehere…”

“Hmm…alright. But I want one more thing before I stop for real.” Adaman grinned, starting to lean down. Volo looked confused, then panicked.

“No! Nohohoohooho, don’t you dahah-AAHAHAHAHHARE!” Volo all but shrieked when Adaman pressed his face against his belly, blowing a loud unforgiving raspberry dead center. All of Volo’s strength left his body, leaving him drained and exhausted in helpless giggles.

“Pfft- Bahahaha! Oh man, that was great!” Adaman tittered, falling off the other and into the grass beside him, grinning cheekily. “We need to do that more often!”

“Leheheht’s not…and say whehehe did.” Volo groaned, making the clan leader laugh harder. Once he’d calmed himself, he reached out, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of his eyes.

“Golden hair, silver eyes. How pretty.” He mused, making Volo blush deeper.

“Shush.” He went to swat him away, but Adaman caught his hand, letting their fingers intertwine. Volo didn’t fight back. They laid like that for a moment, something quiet yet growing brewing between them. Adaman felt himself start to lean in-

“Hey! There you two are!” They shot apart, Volo sitting up flustered while Adaman rolled away, posing at the last minute. Akari blinked as she came up the hill, furrowing her brows. “Did something happen?”

“Just uh- Pokemon ambush.” Volo cleared his throat, pulling hair back into a bun before plopping his hat on. “Speaking of, how’d your hunt go? Anything good?”

Akari lit up as she went into details about her search, telling Volo all about it while Adaman watched in the background. Something soft lit the blonde’s face as he listened, or perhaps it was just how the sun hit it in that moment.

Yep. he definitely had it bad.

Thanks for reading!

#pokemon #legend arceus #adaman #volo #tickle #tickle fic #fluff #whoops they're a ship now #or at least #adaman's got a big fat crush on Volo #can't blame him #he's rather cute akljerjajreak

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eddie-sweetheart · 2 years

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🏕 Camp Lovers Lake - Chapter Seven 🏕

An Eddie Munson x Female Reader summer camp story. Set just before the beginning of season 3 of Stranger Things, with a few diversions from the original plot of the series.

🏕 Chapters List

Pairing and tropes • Eddie Munson x Henderson Female Reader - fluff, forced proximity, slightly slow burn, summer camp clichés ♥︎

Summary • June, 1985. Close to the city of Hawkins, Indiana, the placid waters of Lovers Lake stand as the perfect background for the homonymous summer camp, where you’re about to be a counselor for the last time before senior year and then, hopefully, college. Your brother Dustin Henderson won’t be with you this year, as he’s chosen to attend Camp Know Where until July - but with your best friend Robin Buckley at your side and the unexpected addition of Steve Harrington to your duo, the upcoming months seem to promise endless fun and exciting adventures nonetheless. However, as you get closer to Eddie Munson, resident metalhead and drug dealer who’s been forced by his uncle to work at Camp Lovers Lake after another missed graduation, your plans for the summer might have to go in an unexpected direction.

Chapter warnings • Swearing, smoking weed (reader does, too), bullying.

Chapter notes • So sorry it took so long!! Taking a little break really boosted my inspiration, so I hope you'll love this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Happy reading!

Chapter word count: 8.2k

🌹 Masterlist 🌹

The following morning comes faster than you expect, but at the same time the night feels a century long.

You don’t manage to sleep much, as the conversation you overheard from Tammy about Eddie keeps playing over and over in your head like the broken record of a song you hate, making you drift in and out of unnerving dreams and short sleeping spells. Every time your tired eyes flutter open in the dark, or your body subconsciously jerks awake under the bedsheets, you notice the sky outside your cabin’s window change its color, going from pitch black to soft grey and, finally, a beautiful shade of baby blue.

By now the crickets have been replaced by hummingbirds, but their joyous chittering doesn’t reach your heart as it usually would - you’re too caught up in wondering what to do with the information you’ve come across, worrying about the terrible consequences those rumors could have if they spread around. And what if they already did? That’s what Jason wants, after all; and you’re sure about this just as you’re sure that hurt and pain would be hidden behind the inevitable, brave façade that Eddie would build against these lies.

By now, indeed, you’ve learned to read a little between the lines of his self-deprecating jokes and blunt attitude. Yes, he’s surely confident enough that he’s not ashamed of who he is and what he likes, but you remember the hint of self-consciousness in his gaze when he lifted his hand up for the little girl during yesterday’s game - as well as the relieved and surprised smile that bloomed on his lips once she gave him a high five.

You turn around in your bed, and Robin’s voice interrupts your train of thought.

“You up?” She softly asks, her slightly hoarse voice muffled by the pillow.

You hum in agreement and climb down the bed with a sigh. You might not be able to do anything about the rest you didn’t get, but getting breakfast may definitely placate the rumbling in your stomach and hopefully make you feel a little better.

“Did you sleep well?” Robin tentatively questions you again, moving to turn off the alarm clock that’s just burst into an annoying ring on the bedside table.

You shrug, throwing your camp shirt on as the same thoughts keep running around in your mind. Should you tell Eddie? Should you confront Tammy, or Jason? Ask him - force him to stop spreading such blatant lies and gossip about-

“Eddie will be okay, you know?” Robin tells you, breaking through your literal brainstorm with her voice and her piercing but grounding stare; then, she walks up to you from the bed, her hands going in a million different directions. “I hate to say it, because it means it’s not the first time he's had to face shit like this - but he knows how to handle this kind of stuff. If it were to come out, of course. Not that it should, though. Like, Tammy might even have made it up just for fun - and yeah, that’s a sick way of having fun, but maybe it’s just that”.

You can’t help but smile at her wild gesturing and incessant attempts to comfort you. You mentally thank the gods of friendship for bringing her to you and making your relationship so close that you don’t even have to speak for her to know what’s wrong with you - and vice-versa, of course.

“It’s just…” you try, as you nervously wiggle into your denim shorts, “it’s so unfair, Robin. He doesn’t deserve this”.

“I know, y/n” Robin softly smiles, “I know”.

You both finish getting ready in silence for the next few minutes. Robin gives you space, because she knows that there’s something else there - something you’ve been keeping to yourself, but that is growing heavier inside of you and that, sooner or later, you’ll have to let out. And she’ll be there to listen, when you’re ready.

You know that she knows about that. And, as soon as you realize it, that silly, cliché hand-grazing-in-the-popcorn-bag moment suddenly flashes into your mind, reminding you of all the feelings it made you feel. While you walk with Robin towards the Headquarters, the warmth of allowing yourself to fall for someone once again, together with the fear of what it entails, is still with you.

As the path opens up to reveal the wooden building and the glittering waters of Lovers Lake behind it, you catch a glimpse fo none other than Eddie, Steve, Gareth and Jeff in the distance, chattering casually as they climb the steps to the porch, still adorned with the fairy lights from the movie night of just a few hours ago.

You inadvertently slow down as you see them, and as soon as Robin notices the wave of confusion and hurt that hits you at the sight of the four of them and at the thought of having to pretend that everything is okay once you’ll sit at your table, she finally decides to do something about it.

“Come here” she states, gently grabbing your arm and directing you towards the woods to your right. She stops just behind the tree line, cornering you against a thick trunk with her arms crossed on her chest.

“What the hell-“ you mutter, helpless against her determination, but she interrupts you with a shush.

“Come on, y/n” she begins, never taking her eyes off of you, “I know what we heard is bad - like, atomically bad, but there’s nothing much we can do about it and you know it. Telling the staff would mean our word against Jason’s and Tammy’s, and telling Eddie and the others would only hurt them when there’s still a good chance that these lies will not spread around. Plus, we have the advantage of knowing about what Caver’s been saying before he actually says it - which means that we might even be able to stop this before it blows up. So, what’s really bothering you here?”

At the blunt honesty of her words, you decide against denying the obvious. So, as you gather the courage to confess your feelings, you just lower your eyes and bite your lower lip - which has started to tremble a little bit.

Robin softly calls you by your name, placing one hand on your shoulder to give you some comfort. “You know you can talk to me, right?” She tells you with one of her signature tilted smiles, “I’m your best friend”.

You wait for one heartbeat. Then two, then three.

“I like him, Robin” you finally say with a sigh, and a big weight is immediately lifted from your chest. “I like him very, very much. I mean, he’s so kind, and funny, and creative, and people are not… they are not just unaware of this, they purposefully refuse to know him. And why? Because he’s not an athlete like Jason, or popular like Tammy? Because he doesn’t fit in their idea of respectability, or normality? He deserves better, he truly does, and you know what?” You continue, letting it all out, “I’m no better than them. Because when Steve first told us about him, when I first saw him, there was a tiny little moment when I actually wondered if the way others see him might actually be the way he is. And yes, it was just a moment, and I shook it off - and then I got to actually know him and he just… I don’t know, he blew my mind away, Robin. He’s so many things, he has so many sides and I… I want to know them all, somehow. Get closer to him. But I don’t even know if I deserve it”.

Robin lets you take a breath, smiling softly at you with a hint of her classic “I knew it” expression in her raised eyebrows. Something ruffles the leaves in the woods around you - a gust of wind, a squirrel perhaps.

“Oh, you adorable little dingus. You know you just defined what makes you different from Tammy, Jason, and their awful, bullying lot, right?” Robin finally says, leaning against the tree trunk beside you and nudging your side with her elbow. “You shook that feeling off. You got to know him more. You already got closer to him, as he got closer to you. And now you’re here, twisting and turning in your sleep because it hurts you that people want to hurt him just because he’s Eddie - and if this doesn’t mean that you deserve his friendship, I don’t know what would. And honestly, I might even go as far as saying that his feelings might not be that different from-“

You place one hand on her arm, stopping her words before they come out. “Robin, please, don’t” you softly say, “I do like him, but he doesn’t like me back. I’m not his type, we wouldn’t fit, and there’s no use in pretending otherwise just to make me feel better”.

Robin snorts, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the sky. “Oh, y/n, Patrick really did a number on you, didn’t he? That little shit” she hisses before looking back straight at you. “Listen, just because some brainless boy didn’t have the guts to stay with you in spite of something as meaningless and stupid as peer pressure and social status, doesn’t mean that everyone will act like him, okay? I see how Eddie is when he’s with you. He laughs, his beautiful doe eyes light up and what’s most important of all, he’s not afraid to be himself. It might be just friendship, I’ll give you that - but I’m not ready to go for unrequited love just yet”.

Your lips curve into a small smile, as you timidly gaze at the play of light created but the sun rays filtering through the tree branches. “Do you really think so? I don’t know, isn’t he like that with everyone?” You ask your friend, avoiding her eyes for a moment as you pick a little piece of bark off a tree.

Robin shrugs. “I’ve never seen him tangled up on the ground with Steve, but who knows what they do in their cabin at night”.

A beat of silence, and then a heartfelt laugh explodes from both of you at the thought of Eddie and Steve hugging and rolling on the ground. The fits of giggles that you can hardly contain for a few minutes perfectly cover the sound of a snapping branch behind the trunk.

“Okay, doofus, let’s put it like this” Robin finally manages to say after taking a deep breath, a grin still plastered on her face, “we’re not saying anything to anyone for now, let’s just see how things go - both on the Carver front and on the feelings front. I’m not going to express any opinions on the latter, either, but you have to promise me that you’re not going to self-sabotage. Just let it flow. Deal?”

You look at the hand she’s offering you, and after a second you grab it and shake it firmly.

“Deal” you repeat, and Robin pulls you into a tight, comforting hug.

“That’s my y/n” she exclaims, leaving her arm around your shoulder as you move back on the path towards the Headquarters. “Now let’s go see our beloved companions and have some damn toast. I’m starving”.

“I really hope Carver’s out of there already” you angrily state, “The sight of that asshole’s entitled face might actually make me want to throw up. Or slam a food tray on his head”.

“I like the tray more” Robin says with a giggle. Your two shadows extend in the sun past the tree line as you quickly walk towards the building - one, however, stays behind in the woods.

— 🏕 —

The chattering noise of the Headquarters is loud enough to drown any further thought about your talk with Robin.

As you and your friend move through the morning crowd to reach your usual spot at the counselor’s table, you notice that Eddie’s not there; he’s gone for a quick stop at the bathroom, as Jeff is ready to inform you, and even if your heart tightens a little at his absence, your mind unexpectedly relaxes with relief at thought of forgetting about the rumors for a few extra minutes.

“What’s your plan for today?” Steve asks, nibbling at a piece of toast covered in peanut butter and strawberry jam. “I’m mostly off, except for some swimming lessons this morning”.

“I’ll be on a hike” Robin cheerily states, soon echoed by Gareth’s groan about his cleaning shift.

“Eddie and I are on kitchen duty” Jeff replies, nodding at Robin with a smile. “Need an extra sandwich or something?”

Robin offers an enthusiastic “Yes” in return, diving into the details of her favorite ham and cheese combination - strictly no tomatoes allowed.

“I’m down to the lake, too” you tell Steve in the meantime, after taking a quick bite out of your own toast. “We’re using the canoes all day today”.

Steve throws you a thumbs up over his coffee mug. “Great. We can walk there together after breakfast”.

You nod in agreement and go back to your food. You’re almost through the whole slice of bread when the air shifts beside you as someone approaches your table - for a split second you think (or rather, hope) it’s Eddie, but the strong smell of hairspray and the flash of blond hair that you glimpse as you turn around soon reveal that it’s way worse company.

“Well well well. Good morning to you, Henderson” Jason Carver addresses you with a sly smirk, one palm down flat on the wooden surface of the table next to you as he leans down to speak.

Your gaze hardens as you slowly place the rest of your breakfast back on the plate, your hunger now completely subsided as anger kicks in at the sight of him. Everyone else at the table turns towards the two of you, and you swear you can feel Robin’s fists tightening without even seeing them.

“What do you want, Carver?” You ask Jason, looking straight into his icy blue eyes. The chatter in the background lowers a little as he replies with a crystalline, mean laugh.

“God, I knew you were a little annoying prissy, Henderson, but you truly have no manners. I’ve just come here to give you some friendly advice” he firmly states, arrogantly holding your stare. “So here it is - Next time you and your friends plot to slam a tray at someone, just remember that I know your dirty little secret. And that it would really fit with some stories I’ve been hearing here and there”.

You feel all the blood drawing away from your face as soon as Jason’s words are out.

“Get lost, Carver” Robin spats at him with a fake smile, but the look in her eyes tells you that you’re both thinking the same thing. The fear that he has overheard what you and Robin were talking about back in the woods starts seeping through your every bone, certainty replacing it as soon as he mentions the tray thing - but some kind of survival instinct suggests you to play it cool.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” you coldly reply, innocently throwing a glance behind Jason to check if Eddie is anywhere close. Thankfully, for now, he’s not.

Jason’s smirk grows meaner as his elbow bends to close the distance between you, his breath tickling your ear as he lowers his voice almost to a whisper - but his words are still loud enough that your friends can hear them.

“Blew your mind away, is that right? I wonder what else you blew in return…”

The color comes back to your face all at once, heat invading your cheeks as Steve almost jumps up from his seat, soon followed by Jeff and Gareth.

“Come on, man” Steve firmly states, taking a step toward Jason and placing one hand on his shoulder. From the way his fingers sink in Jason’s shirt, you realize he must be squeezing him. Hard. “Leave her alone and mind your business. Will you?”

Jason disgustedly shakes Steve off of him as two of his friends come up behind him in his defense. Gareth and Jeff narrow their eyes and come closer to Steve in response. The tension is palpable and the scene has finally caught everyone’s attention; you feel your throat closing up and your eyes water as dozens of eyes pierce through you. Robin takes your hand, but you don’t feel it.

“Mind your place, Harrington” Jason talks back as he straightens up, one finger pushing deep into Steve’s chest. “Too bad you’re on these freaks' side, you know?”.

Steve pushes Jason’s hand away and just as he’s about to say something, the worst-case scenario you’ve been picturing in your head for the past few seconds actually comes true.

“Woah, woah, woah. What’s going on here?” Eddie’s voice breaks through the silence of the Headquarters, his dark curls suddenly appearing through the crowd as he approaches the counselor’s table. “Lost your mommy, Carver?”

His mocking tone doesn’t seem to reach Jason, who, instead, smirks with satisfaction seeping through his every feature. “Speak of the devil, quite literally. We were just talking about you, Munson”.

Eddie’s beaming grin turns sour as he hears Jason’s words. His eyes scan the scene: Jason and Steve mere inches from each other, you sitting down with misty eyes and a bewildered look, Robin’s worried gaze and her hand on yours. It’s not hard for him to put the pieces together.

“Jaaaason Carver” he slowly begins, dragging Jason’s name with a mocking lilt. “I know you’re quite obsessed with me, but I’m sorry to inform you that you’re not my type, man. So, why don’t you just fuck off? It’s way too early in the morning to show your face, don’t you think?”

Jason looks as if he’s about to explode from anger, his eyes viciously darting between Eddie and you.

Here it comes, you think, he’s about to let it all out. The nasty gossip, the lies, and what’s worse, the truth. We’ve crossed the line, he’s going to make our life a living hell, and god, Eddie is going to know how I feel and he won’t be my friend anymore, and he’ll hate me because I haven’t told him, and -

“Guys, is everything alright?” Mr. Smithson, who’s silently made his appearance in the room, interrupts your thoughts and all the staring, breaking the tension once and for all. The chatter and general buzz from the campers resume in the background, just as if someone‘s just switched the volume back up.

“Sure thing” Steve lies, patting Jason’s shoulder just a bit too hard. “We were about to go outside. We’re done with breakfast, aren’t we?”

Jason looks definitely upset, but he quickly nods, and that seems to be enough for the camp director.

“Great. It’s about time you all got ready for today. Jason, why don’t you and your friends come with me? I need to talk with Mrs. Janet about the grocery list and in the meantime you can give her a hand with the breakfast clean up” he exclaims with a smile, turning on his heels to head towards the kitchen.

Before following him, Jason throws one last despiteful look at you and your friends. “It doesn’t end here, freaks” he blurts out, and his words echo in your mind even once he’s gone.

— 🏕 —

The rest of the day goes by excruciatingly slowly.

After breakfast, you manage to carefully avoid Eddie and his questions about what Jason Carver said to you, replying with something very vague about Jason being his usually annoying self, just looking for an excuse to pick a fight. Thankfully, no one except Robin knows what Jason was referring to, so they’re no help in satisfying Eddie’s curiosity and badly hidden worry.

“One thing is Jason coming after me” you hear him say to Gareth and Jeff as you and Steve head out of the Headquarters to reach the lake, “but no way I’ll let him pick on anyone else, especially y/n”.

Steve, of course, tries to ask you what that was about, in his own way of course - going around the topic as delicately and embarrassedly as he can, wanting to do something for you but trying not to pry or make you uncomfortable. You really appreciate his efforts - after all, he’s turning out to be a really good friend and you wouldn’t really mind opening up to him, but the thought of letting anyone else know about your feelings for Eddie Munson is definitely something you don’t want to do right now. Plus, since they’re sharing a cabin, Eddie might ask Steve if he knows anything, and what if Steve lets it spill… no, you trust and like Steve Harrington a lot, but your secret will stay as such for a bit longer.

Your canoeing double shift, together with the need to direct all your attention and energies to the campers, at least manages to keep your mind occupied. Moving and doing physical activities make time go by a little faster until it’s finally dinner time. After gathering all the canoes in a shack not far from the pier and taking a long, hot shower, you head back towards the Headquarters to meet with the others.

You eat quietly, listening to the excited recounting of Robin’s hike and to Gareth’s complaints about the kitchen and Mrs. Janet. As soon as he speaks, though, everyone is quick to rush in Mrs. Janet's defense; after all, she’s become one of the most loved staff members since her famous pancake recipe has hit the camp’s tables.

Every now and then, Eddie throws an inquisitive look in your direction, eyebrows furrowed under his messy fringe, but you pretend not to notice and keep eating until it’s time to go back to the cabins.

It takes a few seconds for Robin to fall asleep, the fatigue of the day-long hike making her snore softly as soon as her head hits the pillow. You envy her, as for the second night in a row you really don’t feel like sleeping.

You toss and turn, kicking the sheets off of you and changing positions every few minutes, until you decide that you’re done with it. If you’re not going to be asleep, then you might as well stay awake and do the only thing that will make you feel a little less claustrophobic: taking a walk.

Sure, you and Robin have never been the rule-breaker types, at least not before the bonfire night you shared with the others - but it’s not the first time you’ve taken a night stroll at camp, alone or with Robin’s company. And that’s because, for some obscure reason, it doesn’t really count as breaking the rules to you.

And, as soon as you carefully close the door of your cabin behind you and step foot into the dark, you remember why: the mix of fresh air, owls’ hooting and soft moonlight feels too good and liberating to be something forbidden. It’s thrilling, sure, but it’s also very calming.

And it’s not like you’re going to go on a whole hike anyways: the few times you’ve done this before, you usually walked up to the lake, lingered on the shores for a while and came right back after no more than 30 minutes. And you plan to do exactly the same now: taking just a moment to clear your head and forget all about Jason and his threats.

As you get closer to the shore of the lake, however, you notice something dark moving against the watery reflection of the moon: someone’s there already - and, apparently, they’re not that worried about being found out.

“Fuck, shit” the person swears a little too loudly. After you unconsciously let out a sigh of relief as you recognize that the high-pitched voice belongs to Eddie, your heart starts beating a little faster.

He’s just taken a quick step back from the lake, and you wonder if maybe you should avoid him, turn on your heels and head back to your cabin and Robin’s familiar and weirdly comforting snoring in order to avoid difficult topics; but you’re there, and he’s there, and before you know it the wet pebbles of the shore are creaking under your shoes.

“Hey, there” you softly call out, trying not to startle him; his head snaps around anyways, and in the moonlight you see relief washing over his features as soon as he recognizes you.

“Jesus Christ, y/n, don’t sneak up on me like that” Eddie loudly whispers, reaching down to the ground to grab a thin, white object that’s fallen from his hands - a cigarette, it looks like. As he gets back up, though, a fond smile has appeared on his lips. “You almost gave me a fucking heart attack”.

He looks beautiful in the silver aura of the summer night. His wavy, dark hair almost perfectly matches the color of the sky, and the glistening light in his eyes reminds you of the moon reflected in Lovers Lake - minus the few, scattered clouds. He looks at ease in his black t-shirt, adorned with some unreadable metal band name, and his long, checkered pajama pants, from which his beaten-up Reeboks peek out with their large white tab.

You smile back, taking a few steps until you’re standing beside him, facing the calm waters of the lake. “I’m sorry” you apologetically say, turning to look up at him, “but you scared me first, you know - swearing that loud in the middle of the night”.

“Oooh, I see” Eddie replies, “then I must offer you my deepest apologies as well” he formally adds, performing a crooked but funny curtsy.

“Apologies accepted” you nod, as your eyes settle back on the glittering lake. After a few seconds, filled with the chirping of crickets and the soft splashing of a few slow waves, you speak again.

“What was that even for?” You ask, “The swearing I mean. And what are you doing out so late?”

Eddie looks down on you, and now that you’re standing side by side you realize how tall he actually is.

“I could ask you the same thing, young lady” he states, his eyebrows raised in a mockingly offended look - but the smile never leaves him.

“Touché” you reply with an amused roll of your eyes, “I couldn’t sleep, and needed some fresh air. Happy?”

Eddie nods slowly, his smirk turning upside down with satisfaction. “Okay, I see. Sounds honorable enough” he says, earning a not-so-gentle nudge in his side, which he pretends to ignore. “Me, I was about to light this sucker up” he then adds, waving the cigarette in front of you between his index and middle finger. Seeing it up close, you realize that it’s actually a joint. “But I, uh… saw something. I mean, I think it was a rat, maybe? But it was weird”.

You tilt your head with confusion. “Weird in what way?”

Eddie shrugs. “I don’t know, it looked… big. Fat, like it was about to explode, and it made a strange growling noise” he explains, shaking his head. “But I don’t know, it went by too quickly and it was way too dark to see shit sooooo maybe it was nothing but a good old regular mouse”.

Just as you’re about to reply, something in the corner of your eyes moves fast across the shore, towards the canoes and the pier.

“Shit, that’s it” Eddie hisses, grabbing your shoulder to make you turn around as he points somewhere in the dark. “Did you see it?”

You narrow your eyes, but it doesn’t help much. “I think I did, yeah” you tentatively reply, taking a few steps towards the pier.

“Wait, y/n” Eddie says, rushing to your side, his unlit blunt forgotten in his hand, “what are you doing?”

“Looking for it” you briefly state, cautiously moving closer to one of the canoes.

Eddie mutters a low “shit” under his breath before gently putting his arm in front of you from the side, moving you behind him.

“Let me go first” he states, and as he closes the distance between you and the boat he briefly nudges the wooden hull with his foot.

Nothing moves.

“Uhm” you mumble, closing the distance between you and Eddie, “it doesn’t look like it’s there”.

Eddie sighs. “Well, too bad. Maybe next time” he says, but you catch the relief in his voice. “I wasn’t in the mood for a fight with a super-rat”.

You chuckle, amused at the surreal idea of him confronting a child-sized mouse with bare hands.

“We’ll see how much you’ll laugh next time you’ll encounter one of those, sweetheart” Eddie warns you with a smirk, “don’t come calling for me then”.

You scoff and step on the pier, admiring the night sky above you and the millions of glittering stars scattered like grains of sugar on a chocolate cookie.

“So” Eddie says, as he follows you, his steps creaking on the damp wood, “would you like some? We could share”.

You turn towards him to find him closer than you expected - if you were to lift your arm, it would land on his chest in the blink of an eye.

“You mean… smoke together?” You ask, nodding at the joint that he’s displaying between the two of you, held right among the tips of his fingers. You’ve smoked before, just a puff or two, but doing it with Eddie somehow seems like it would be a whole other experience. “What if we get caught?”

With an exaggeratedly suspicious flick of his eyebrows, Eddie takes a look around, his curls bouncing on his cheeks as he turns left and right. “Nope” he concludes after a beat, the white of his teeth shining in the moonlight as he victoriously grins, “no one’s around to catch us, I checked. But” he’s quick to add, nodding towards the canoes to the left of the pier, “we could get on one of these. Just to be sure”.

You shake your head, smirking. “Are you really suggesting that we steal a canoe to go smoke weed in the middle of Lovers Lake?”

Eddie shrugs. “Come on, y/n, it’s not stealing! We’re staying on the property and being responsible. Don’t want to give a bad example to any camper walking by for his nightly bathroom visit, do we?”

You look at him, considering his proposal.

While you think, you notice how the weight of all the insecurities and fear you’ve carried throughout the day has been magically lifted off your chest the moment you and Eddie started talking. With him, you almost feel like someone else - someone better. That’s why you end up nodding, your eyes up to meet his.

“Okay, Munson” you state, “let’s be responsible, then”

“That’s my girl” Eddie replies, his slightly unhinged smile still beaming as he knees down to hop on the canoe closer to the pier. Once he’s in, he straightens back up and extends an arm towards you, palm up as he offers you his hand.

“Princess, your carriage awaits you”.

“Thank you, kind sir” you reply with a giggle, taking his hand and following him down on the boat - whose hull suddenly and dangerously sways as you step into it.

“Woah there” Eddie exclaims, his hands rushing to hold your waist as he tries to stabilize the both of you and stop the canoe from rocking. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to make it stay still again - but you can’t say the same about your heart, as the strength of Eddie’s grip and the safety of his body next to you make it beat fast and hard against your chest.

“Off to a great start, I see” you mumble as you carefully lower yourself into the narrow seat, Eddie doing the same in front of you.

“Don’t lose your hope just yet, sweetheart” he replies as he grabs the oars and starts rowing towards the center of the lake.

On any other night, the darkness and depth of the water would creep you out a little bit, but it’s not the case now. The silence and calmness of the lake, together with Eddie’s presence, feel like a safe space - and, for the first time in the last few hours, you feel your body finally relaxing.

“So” you say, watching Eddie fish for a lighter in the pocket of his pants and placing the blunt between his lips, “how are you enjoying camp so far?”

Eddie looks at you, one hand cupped around the cigarette as he tries to light it up with the other. “Not really my cup of tea, if I have to be honest” he says, dropping the lighter back into his pocket and sinking down in his seat as he takes a long drag. “Not a fan of little kids, or of seeing people that I tend to avoid at school, but it has its upsides. Like campfires” he adds, pondering with his eyes to the sky, “or movie nights. Or smoking weed in the middle of a lake”.

You scoff. “Come on, Eddie, don’t lie to me like that”

Eddie’s gaze shoots back at you, slightly clouded by something like worry.

“I’m not lying, y/n” he says, eagerly, “I really do like… this”

You blush, willingly ignoring whatever meaning you wish you could attach to his words. “I meant about the kids” you explain, accepting the blunt he’s passing to you. Your fingers brush for a moment, and it sends a shiver down your spine. “I remember the way you talked to Tim during the hike” you continue, “and the little girl you gave a high five to. Plus, you have quite the reputation for recruiting all the stray teenagers in school for Hellfire - so don’t tell me you don’t like kids, because that is impossible”.

Eddie sighs in defeat. “Alright, maybe I’m not such a hater of those little sheep” he concedes, the ghost of a smile already on his lips, “but I can assure you that I was telling the truth about the rest”.

You study him across the boat, smoke curling up in the dark as you puff it out. “About the upsides” you tentatively say, handing the joint back, “and the people you want to avoid”.

Eddie frowns, his smile turning slightly sour. “Yeah. Which, apparently, seem to be the same people that you try to avoid, too. And with little success, I might add” he replies, his eyes now softly set on yours.

You look away, suddenly shy. “You’re right, I guess, but what can I say? Great minds are vexed alike” you admit before falling silent.

“You know” Eddie speaks again after a while, “you don’t have to face it all on your own. You have friends that can and want to help you - I’ve seen that Buckley girl worry about you more times than I can count in less than a few weeks. And I would… I mean, if you ever needed someone, I’m here too. I’m not Buckley, or even Harrington, I know, but I saw the way Patrick was all over you, that day behind the kitchen, and how that shithead Carver keeps picking on you for no reason and, I -” he suddenly stops, and if it was any less dark you’d see the redness in his cheeks. “I mean, if they do that again, you can feel free to talk to me, okay? And I’ll think of something. I mean... yeah. If you need me, I’m right here”.

Maybe it’s the weed doing its job, but you’re left speechless at the number of things Eddie’s just said to you. As you stare at him, mouth agape in surprise as you try to take it all in, you don’t even know what to reply.

“Eddie, I... thank you” you finally end up saying, making the boat sway lightly as you shift a little bit closer to him. “I really appreciate it, but… You already have enough on your plate, so you really don’t need to worry about me, okay? Actually, I would like to help you if I could - I hate how Jason keeps spreading lies about you, and your friends, especially when he says stuff like…”

You stop right there, as you realize you’ve just come to a point of no return, the knot of anger and sadness where all your thoughts have been ending up in the last 24 hours. Eddie looks at you with a serene smile, releasing you of the burden before you know it.

“You mean about the animal sacrifices, or the aggressions on poor innocent Christian girls? Yeah, I know aaaaall about that” he says with a scoff, leaning back in his seat. “He comes up with that shit every now and then. Actually, it’s been a while since I’ve heard him mention it, y’know. One day I might even confront him about that but… not today, I guess” he sighs, puffing out some smoke, “I’m not brave like you, y/n”.

You blink in surprise. “Brave? Me?”

Eddie gives you one of his upside-down smiles, which makes something in your chest twist and flutter. “Absolutely” he states, “the way you stood up to Jason in the cafeteria the first day? Wasn’t expecting that, for sure - and neither did he, from the looks of him”

“But you talked back at him, too” you protest.

“Yeah, but you did it first” Eddie insists, lifting one ringed finger up to further underline his point. “And how you were ready to defend little Tim, going straight to Mr. Smithson to help him? How you and Harrington stood up for me in front of Tammy Thompson? Yeah, Gareth and Jeff told me all about it” he adds as soon as you try to ask him how he knows. “I mean, I see a pattern here, sweetheart”.

The lake and the forest around you stand still in the silence of the night, watching how his soft gaze and the plain admiration in his eyes finally make you smile. “You know” you reply, taking your time, “I’m not sure if I’m actually brave when it comes to bullies, but if I am it’s actually because of my brother Dustin. He’s always been such a nice kid - a bit annoying and quirky at times, sure, like most boys his age” you say with nothing but affection, “but he’s so smart, and funny, and he and his friends have so many passions and super cool hobbies. Problem is, most of their schoolmates think that those passions and hobbies are… weird”.

Eddie nods understandingly. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned that they play D&D”.

“Yes, that. And they are obsessed with science, and radio frequencies, and god knows what else they do when they go out” you continue, “but sometimes this means that bullies target them, so I try to help them when I can. Like, even when one of them disappeared for a year, they kept calling him zombie boy when he got back - how can someone do that?”

“Woah” Eddie exclaims, leaning forwards to pass you the joint, “that’s a lot. I really hope those kids know how lucky they are to have someone like you standing up for them”.

"I bet they're more embarrassed than anything else" you shrug, dismissing his compliment with a smile and taking a long drag. "After all, I'm still the annoying big sister".

Eddie chuckles, and you stay silent for a while. Your focus shifts on the feeling of your legs touching Eddie's in the small space of the canoe's hull, and you take another drag before passing the joint back to him. By now your head is feeling a little lighter, which means that you don’t really think too much about what you’re saying next.

“You’re brave too, you know?” You finally tell Eddie, “and I mean it. You stayed behind in the woods with a storm incoming just to see if someone got lost, for instance. And earlier, you didn’t think twice when you stepped in front of me when we were looking for the super-rat - and yes, I know what you’re about to say, so bear with me here” you interrupt him as he tries to protest. “Both of those might not have turned out to be real dangers - thankfully, I might add. But Jason, Tammy, their stupid friends, the people at school, the teachers and even the staff at camp, they are here and they are real, and in spite of it you’re still you.”

Eddie scratches his cheek, suddenly shy. You still go on.

“I mean, you’re not afraid to be yourself and not even I am brave enough to do that all the time. You are such a genuine person, so true to your passions and peculiarities and never wearing a stupid, socially commanded mask - even if you are one of the few people in Hawkins that could allow themselves to actually wear one from time to time, instead of letting others choose what to label you as. And I truly wish everyone else could see you and not those labels - see how funny, kind, creative and bright you are. And I know this because I see you. It’s not much, I know, but I do” you conclude, finally taking a breath. “I see you, Eddie Munson”.

You haven’t even realized it, but while you were speaking you and Eddie have shifted in your seats and gotten way closer to each other - so close, in fact, that you’ve unconsciously placed one of your hands on his thigh, a gesture of emphasis that he hasn’t taken lightly. Indeed, together with your unexpected words, your touch is making Eddie’s skin tingle and heart beat faster. So, there’s really nothing else he can do, now - with his eyes lost into yours, pupils dilated way more than weed would make them, he just has to touch you back.

In the silence that follows your speech, Eddie lifts up one shy, slightly trembling hand and brushes a lock of your hair away from your cheek, tucking it behind your ear. His fingers linger there for a second, in that soft spot underneath your lobe, before making their way to your cheek - leaving a trail of heartbeats and shivers as his heavy rings graze your skin, his palm finally cupping your face and bringing it closer to him.

You feel like it’s all happening in slow motion. It’s true, what you said: you do see him. You see the deep pools of dark brown in his eyes, and you could swear that you can count more stars in there than up in the sky; under his messy fringe, you see the light wrinkle between his eyebrows, a little straight line of collected courage and concentration; you see the constellations of each and every mole and freckle on his nose and cheekbones; you see his lips, perfectly drawn and silently calling you, begging you to follow his lead and meet him halfway.

Just for half a second, a voice in your head warns you: if you cross this line, you can get hurt again. But it’s surprisingly easy to make it shut up, because right there and right then you know that Eddie would never, ever hurt you.

So, you let go - your eyes flutter closed, your mind gets lost in the intoxicating smell of weed mixed with Eddie’s scent, your weight shifts just a little too fast, and then the boat tilts and with a loud splash you find yourself underwater.

Confused and surprised, you feel lost in the dark cold waters of Lovers Lake - but, thankfully, your body has the right instinct and with a kick of your legs you’re back on the surface in the blink of an eye.

“Eddie?” You call out, worry clouding your thoughts as he’s apparently nowhere to be seen.

You look around and your heart skips a beat as he emerges with a loud sputtering, wet dark hair flying everywhere.

“I’m here” he exclaims, taking a few strokes towards you, “what the hell happened? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine” you reply, finally getting a glimpse of clarity once you see the upside-down boat next to you. “I think we moved too fast and the canoe tilted”.

“Shit” Eddie plainly says in disbelief, “let me try to turn it so we can go back. Hold tight for a second, okay?”

Surprisingly, it doesn’t take him long to turn the canoe around and climb his way in. Once he’s safe in the hull, he offers you his arm and with a little bit of struggling he helps you up.

“Jesus, you’re shivering” he softly observes as you land on his chest after throwing yourself into the boat.

You realize that he’s right: the water wasn’t that freezing, but the night breeze blowing on your cold, wet limbs is making you tremble from head to toe. Just as Eddie’s doing.

“You too” you reply in a whisper, your energy too focused on trying to stay still.

“Okay, come here” he says, pulling you towards him with your back against his chest as he grabs the oars and starts rowing back to the shore. “We’ll keep each other warm. It won’t take much, I promise”.

It works. Eddie’s body warms up with the movement of his arms, and it makes you feel a little better - a lot better, actually. As you hug your knees close, you can feel his surprisingly strong muscles move and tense beneath you, his chest rising and falling as he breathes, and the loud thumping of his heart. You wonder if it’s beating that fast because of the physical effort of rowing or if he’s still thinking about those few seconds that preceded your ridiculous and frankly annoying fall into the lake - because, honestly, you keep replaying them in your head over and over again, the tormenting feeling of his lips almost grazing yours in the dark still lingering in the air.

It’s such a breathtaking thought that you ask yourself if maybe you’ve imagined it, or misunderstood it - but you don’t have time to give yourself an answer, as the soft thump of the canoe against the shore announces that you’re back on solid ground.

Still shivering a little, you and Eddie climb out of the boat and onto the pier. Now that the unexpected dive has sobered you up, you’re feeling slightly awkward and you have no idea what to say to break the tension that is clearly building up as you both start making your way back to the cabins. It’s Eddie who speaks first, though.

“So, uhm, make sure you put some warm clothes on as soon as you get in, okay?” He timidly says, clearly trying to come up with something that isn’t an embarrassed silence.

“Alright, mom” you chuckle, finding his effort actually kind of sweet.

Eddie rolls his eyes with a smirk, shoving you gently with his elbow. “Come on, y/n - as I told you already, I’m just trying to be a responsible adult”.

“Yeah, after corrupting me into smoking weed and stealing a boat? Very responsible” you reply, earning a theatrically offended glare.

“I told you, it was not stealing” Eddie remarks, trying to stay serious and miserably failing, “and you accepted straight away”.

“Fair enough” you sigh in defeat. You’ve reached Eddie’s cabin now, and even if you’d love to spend way more time with him, you really want to get changed.

“So, be responsible and warm yourself up, Munson” you tell him, very difficultly taking a step back, “Good night”.

“You too, y/n” he replies, but as you move to turn around and head back to your cabin, he calls out to you. “Wait a second, I forgot to tell you something”

Hope fills your heart like a little balloon in your chest as you look back at him.

“I, uh…” Eddie stutters, “I mean, my band and I, we have a gig this weekend. At the Hideout, 10 pm sharp. It’s not far from here, like 20 minutes by car, so Jeff, Gareth and I will sneak out after lights out and our bassist, Grant, will pick us up. I know I am really living up to the Munson’s name, corrupting you and all, but uhm… would you like to come see us?”

You weren’t expecting that, but the balloon doesn’t deflate. “I’d love to see the infamous Corroded Coffin playing live” you reply with a smile, immediately matched by Eddie. “The thing is, only Steve has a car, so…”

Eddie nods quickly. “Yeah, sure, of course, you can bring Harrington if you want… ask Buckley, too. We’ll have fun”.

“Okay” you nod too, your smile now turned into a full grin. “Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow, then”.

“See you tomorrow, princess”.

— 🏕 —

Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Feedback is always welcome!

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riddleredcoats · 11 months

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tell me about celene and mythal. TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!!!!! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!!!!

tell me about celene and mythal. please.

please.

I- well, I assume this is about that fantastic Morrigan post that @ammoniteflesh did that I butted in with my ceaseless love about Orlais? I can do that. Settle in, it's a long boi.

Spoilers for The Masked Empire, if you haven't read it (and you should) then this probably won't make much sense. And spoilers for pretty much everything else in DA, tbh.

More under the cut.

The Andraste parallels.

Basically, just copy-paste everything that links Mythal and Andraste in this section. This is a great post/example, though I don't think they are the same, rather just the same story repeating. But TLDR: Betrayal, Heartache, Justice, etc etc etc. I think this is a popular theory I am not going to go much deeper into it.

Celene is compared to Andraste multiple times throughout The Masked Empire. In the play (End-ish of Chapter 5), by Briala (early-ish Chapter 5), and the whole Empress of Fire (both song and the Burning of Halamshiral) debacle. Not only that, but Celene has some genuine thoughts, intentions, and actions about reforming Orlais that are close to what Andraste was doing; they are both trying to reform an imperialist power, granted in different ways (of course) but the parallels aren't meant to be exact.

Fun add-on: Hilarious that Celene basically destroys herself/her image by (in the Fandom, at least, while in Universe is intact for the most part) setting a fire. Because being set on fire was what finally elevated Andraste. It’s still a point for the parallel, just a contrasting parallel rather than a direct one.

Fun add-on, #2: Andraste is described as being a redhead, even in DAI by Cass I think, but is depicted as a white blonde (like Celene in The Masked Empire’s cover or Flemythal's white hair) in multiple paintings throughout Dragon Age. I don’t know what this means, but it’s a fun detail, nonetheless.

Justice! (But not really)

Both Celene and Mythal are arbiters of Justice, technically.

Celene as empress doles out justice as she wishes (more or less, see Halamshiral), but more specifically she wants to create a more just society for all Orlesians. Yes, of course, there is still that delightful imperialism there, but it just do be like that sometimes. Mythal is described several times as someone who doles out justice, throughout the games by Codex and Solas. She passes judgement, solves conflicts and was ‘the good one’.

Like the story of Elgar’nan and Falon’Din, where she solved it by each having champions and stopping the start of a devastating war. Sorta like Celene solved the Gaspard/Teagan conflict at the beginning of The Masked Empire (end of Chapter 1).

They can both be fair and reasonable but are also known for taking more harsh paths (i.e.; the slums of Halamshiral and the sinner who took divine form and went to Elgar’nan). They both promised to help the elves, yet they both seem to have ditched that idea; Mythal has done arguably very little for centuries, and Celene, while helping, without Briala is less than radical about it.

The Vengeance thing is here too. Celene is, after all, no saint and actively cannot forgive Gaspard for anything he does. Ever. And is definitely on a ‘war path’ by the end of TME. Mythal, similarly seems to be on a warpath forever for ‘a reckoning that will shake the very heavens’, whatever the hell that means. Also, everything Flemythal says in Origins just screams bitterness and vengeance.

Betrayal

Both of these women have been betrayed by those closest to them.

Celene by her court, her champion (The Masked Empire), her nobles (The Masked Empire and Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts), and both of her cousins (Gaspard and Florianne). Also, arguably, Mantillon betrayed her by ‘manipulating’ her into killing her own servants, but that is a whole 'nother bag to untangle. Oh, and Briala of course, by using Celene’s feelings for her and stealing the ruby during a kiss at the end of The Masked Empire.

FleMythal by her daughter (Morrigan), her husband (Elgar’nan, though if you want to include Flemeth’s here it is also applicable, I guess), her sons (if that’s what Dirthamen and Falon’Din really were?), her fellow ‘Gods’. Oh, and Fen’Harel at the end of DAI, too.

Funny is that both Celene and Mythal when it comes to Briala and Solas’ betrayals are fine with it. Celene completely understands Briala by the end of The Masked Empire, as does Mythal at the end of DAI. And they are both betrayed by Solas and Briala in front of Eluvians Which… yeah.

Another parallel; both Briala and Solas say they must do it for ‘The People’, aka, the elves.

The Rebels

Solas and Briala parallel a lot on their own, but their relationships with Mythal and Celene are fascinating too, as is seeing how Solas/Briala view Mythal/Celene.

Obviously, both of these pairs parallel Shartan/Andraste. Actual mention of this is in the play in The Masked Empire for Celene/Briala (Chapter 5 of TME).

Each pair is obviously fond of one another, likely in different ways - but perhaps not.

Interestingly enough if Solas really was in service to Mythal first (like Cole seems to imply in Trespasser) before he rose to ‘Godhood’ then, like Celene/Briala, the relationship likely started privately and then grew into the public like once Briala became Marquise and Solas became Fen’Harel.

If we take what Cole said, ‘He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face’, as it really being about Solas/Mythal then we have another interesting parallel between Briala/Solas and Celene/Mythal.

Celene, arguably, makes Briala into what she is by sending her away after having her parents killed. Felassan helped and, of course, Briala herself is the way she is because she is herself, but Celene is the catalyst for her more abrupt change. Briala does not get a scar when she separates herself from Celene; at least not a physical one. Mythal makes Solas into what he is by asking him to come to her.

Interestingly, it is a contrasting parallel – because Celene lets Briala go while Mythal beacons Solas into her service. Which is super interesting, but that is more about the relationship between Briala/Celene than anything else.

The way both Solas/Briala describe Mythal/Celene in-game;

Briala, if you ask about Celene during the peace, but before you go to the servants' quarters, says: ‘Celene is the voice of reason in the empire…’

Solas, in that final Trespasser cutscene: ‘She [Mythal] was a voice of reason, the best of them, and in their lust for power they killed her.”

Granted, Solas is fonder while Briala is a bit harsher in her assessment, but Solas did ‘kill’ Mythal, and whatever wounds Mythal may have caused (which we will get there) have long passed while Celene and Briala’s breakup is more recent. This means very little but i suspect that much like Celene, Mythal also betrayed Solas twice. Once in the times of Arlathan - like Celene killing Briala's parents. And another in recent times - with the burning of Halamshiral. We don't know about it yet, but that's my bet.

Morrigan

Both Mythal (or Flemythal) and Celene have a protective relationship with Morrigan.

Celene is more of a patron and offers financial support and protection. And the protection seems to be mutual (or supposed to be, if Morrigan didn’t bail in WEWH, lmao). Mythal/Flemythal is well, her mother, who is supposed to protect her but who is trying to possess her.

Both of these relationships seem to range from a little contentious (Celene/Morrigan, if you believe the rumours of a palace servant) to very contentious (Flemythal/Morrigan).

Celene seems to not be as intense as Mythal. Morrigan speaks well of her, and Celene does not try to control her like Mythal did, Celene even ‘lets’ her go out into the world – something baby!Morrigan wanted – with her blessing and her protection. I legit find the relationship between them interesting, despite the arguments that apparently took place, lmao. (I also sorta lowkey ship it, but that’s another conversation).

To give the benefit of the doubt; we don’t know how much Mythal was ‘in charge’ of Flemeth (or if they can even act separately) so Morrigan’s abuse might not be Mythal’s fault. But there is no denying that she was abused and that whatever aspect of Mythal, The Mother there was, it absolutely did not act in Morrigan’s favour.

But that is yet another that has nothing to do with Celene/Mythal and all to do with Morrigan.

Symbols matter (or not)

Mythal fought with the Evanuris and the Valmonts fought the Drakons. A bit more *tinfoil* and a lot more thin, but if the Dragon is the divine form like we suspect from Codex Entry in the Temple of Mythal, then the Valmonts having gone to war with the Drakon line could be another interesting parallel. After all, the Drakons are represented by dragons. There is also, technically, the 'full' title of the quest where Celene appears in:

The Old Gods will call to you, From their Ancient Prisons they will sing. Dragons with wicked eyes and wicked hearts, On blacken'd wings does deceit take flight, The First of My children, lost to night. - Canticle of Silence 3:6

Finally, and this is really silly and not really a parallel and most likely it’s just a fun coincidence, but the name Celene, which comes from the root word ‘Selene’, means ‘Moon’, which, of course, Mythal is the Goddess of.

Unimportant sidenote: I am pettily annoyed that most characters pronounce it ce-LI-ne when it should be ce-LE-ne. Because Celine is a legit different name and Celine-Celene have different meanings and root words, but okay I’ll allow it because I do like the pronunciation ‘Celine’ better, lmao.

#celene valmont #mythal #flemythal #dragon age ... meta?#the masked empire #dragon age #several other characters here but yeah #solas briala morrigan etc etc etc #I am not entirely sure this makes sense #hopefully it does #this is unedited and mostly made from memory pretty sure i am forgetting some things #as an aside this is one of my favourite aspects of the series the way that cycles keep repeating and you can help break them #i know people don't like putting Celene and Briala back together but it does make me happy to do it #because i am breaking a cycle that has been going on for thousands of years #Mythal/Solas Andraste/Shartan Celene/Briala #should WEWH have been done in a better way? aye #but it isn't the worst option #..... it's the Truce imo if you're curious. I can't believe i am saying this but even Gaspard is fucking better than the truce.

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best-underrated-anime · 3 months

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Best Underrated Anime Group D Round 3: #D8 vs #D2

#D8: Singer idol android goes back in time to save humanity

#D2: Prophecy girlie, hyper cellphone, and gamer cat get silly

Details and poll under the cut!

#D8: Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

youtube

Summary:

When highly evolved AIs set out to eradicate mankind, the carnage that ensues fills the air with the stench of fresh blood and burning bodies. In a desperate bid to prevent the calamity from ever occurring, a scientist bets everything on a remnant from the past.

Turning the clock back a hundred years, AIs are already an integral part of human society, programmed with specific missions meant to be carried out for their entire course of operation. Vivy, the first ever autonomous AI, is a songstress tasked with spreading happiness through her voice. In a theme park where she hardly ever gets a proper audience, she strives to pour her heart out into her performances, bound to repeat it day after day—that is, until an advanced AI from the future appears before her and enlists her help in stopping a devastating war a hundred years in the making. With no time to process the revelation that flips her world upside down, Vivy is catapulted into a century-long journey to avert the violent history yet to come.

Propaganda:

Most first think that this anime is an idol show. I promise you, it is NOT. Quite far from it. Vivy is regrettably underrated despite having great animation—just watch the fight scenes. It has the best of songs that will get stuck in your head for a long time. Character growth for characters - you will adore them. It even won some recognition from anime awards, yet no one talks about it. You have to watch it at least once and appreciate how this anime is made with love as it talks about experiences that make us human. You will be surprised how well the storytelling is.

Trigger Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide

#D2: God Troubles Me (Hanhua Riji)

youtube

Summary:

Su Moting, the daughter of a god and a monster, is the supposed Chosen One set to fix the balance of the universe, but unfortunately, she’s just barely living as it is. Only just told of her great fate, Su Moting couldn’t care less as she juggles her social life, work, and her new duties (which she doesn’t take seriously). Alongside Moting are Star Tianji and Star Dikui, a god and a monster out to help our protagonist with her grand mission. They, too, are also struggling to figure out life on Earth, as Tianji is an immortal who doubles as the god of Su Moting’s personal cellphone and Dikui is a cat monster immortal more concerned with lazing about. Somehow, they make things work as the best worst roommates of all time.

Propaganda:

Four-season donghua (Chinese anime) that’s so recent and seeped in American pop-culture that I needed to do a double take when a literal cockroach said “Run, Forrest, run,” in English with a heavy Chinese accent. There’s a cat who plays video games (he’s very good at it), a phone who’s the worst kind of hype man, a sentient air conditioner, a guy who can shapeshift into any vehicle, off-brand Super-Man but jerky, a high-ranking god that collects anime figures, and the mega ultra cool protagonist who is a normal human girl fresh out of college and always low on money. It’s great

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty or Death, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide.

All the TW’s above are done for comedic effect, but they come in fast and hard with the humor. Better safe than sorry! The biggest things I remember are one or two “blink and you’ll miss it” racist jokes, characters joking about killing themselves out of embarrassment (no one goes through with it), and there’s a LOT of self-harm via stupid decisions. Stupid things like tying a loose tooth to the back end of a sports car sort of stupid. The protagonists have 3 brain cells collectively.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

#anime #donghua #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #group stage #group stage round 3 #tournament polls #group d #vivy #vivy: fluorite eye's song #god troubles me #hanhua riji #汉化日记

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nilefreemans · 2 years

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nile and andy + 13. ribbon!

The day was a peaceful one. They're in the garden of a safe house. Booker and Quynh are playing the same game of chess that they've been at for two years now, where no one really knows what the rules are anymore, but both are too stubborn to admit defeat. (They're happy though, and that's something that Nile would never had thought possible not too long ago.) Joe and Nicky are on the hammock together. Joe is half asleep on Nicky's chest while Nicky plays with Joe's long curls. He's humming quietly to what Nile thinks is a Queen song, but she only caught a glimpse of it as she walked past. She finds the oldest of them sitting under the shade watching the rest of them behind dark sunglasses. Andy looks relaxed, a rare sight and Nile likes to believe that she's enjoying their small vacation. (It was needed after the last mission, Nile just stopped having nightmares about it.) "Your hair is coming undone," Andy says and she pats the grass in front of her in invitation. Nile accepts the invitation and sits in front of her. Joe had done a complicated braid in her hair and had secured it with a ribbon yesterday. It had felt nice to get her hair done, and Nile really had trouble saying no to Joe sometimes. "Joe did a good job, but ribbons are shit," Andy says and she carefully undoes Nile's hair. "Scrunchies are an underated invention." They idly chat while Andy redoes Nile's braid, making it more complex then Joe's. Nile is lulled into relaxation by Andy's expert hands. She notieces when they still, and she turns her head slightly. "What's wrong? Is there a knot?" "No," Andy says and at some point she had taken off her sunglasses because her gaze looks far off. Ancient memories coming to her. "I did this with my sisters," Andy's voice is quiet, and she's still for a few more breathes before she continues. (Nile keeps the ribbon for centuries.)

#usernati #the old guard #nile freeman #andromache the scythian #andy #my fic #immortal family #my writing #thanks for the prompt!#usernicolo #userlyde

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kishmae · 10 months

Text

Evermore

Adrian Felipe "Pepe" Malic dela Cruz Alindogan - is my Headcanon name for HWSPhilippines (Can still be changed)

Arin Izzati Bolkiah - is my OC!Brunei

There are some short mentions of other ASEAN members and hints of Spain.

Inspired by Habang-Buhay by Zack Tabudlo, try listening to the song it is very cute and light-hearted. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkX3iiI317k

Also, I only used google translate for the Malay translation of the song, so I am sorry in advance for the incorrect/inaccurate translations.

† ⚭⚮⚭ ☪

Aking sinta

Ano bang meron sa iyo

Pag nakikita ka na

Bumabagal ang mundo

The Republic of the Philippines asks himself, what does Negara Brunei Darussalam have that makes the world suddenly stop?

No, what does Arin Izzati Bolkiah have that makes the world freeze?

Is it her gentle golden-brown eyes? Her calm and regal smile? What about her adorable button nose? Oh... Oh! Maybe it's her cheerful and lightheaded laughter? Or perhaps it's all of the above?

Yes, that must be it. Adrian Felipe "Pepe" Malic dela Cruz Alindogan, the personification of the Republic of the Philippines, nods in agreement.

Apabila kamu senyum

Ia seperti orang lain

Apabila melihat saya

Anda akan membuka mata anda

Saya tidak dapat lari dari kecantikanmu yang tenggelam

datang sini

"Malic," Arin calls the nodding nation, intending to get their attention.

Upon hearing his third name, Felipe broke off from his thoughts and then smiles at the Bruneian woman.

'Oh, Allah.' Arin could not help but think as she got caught in his smile. It was as if she was drowning in the depths of Felipe's beautiful purple eyes. The exact same set of eyes that shone like how it was centuries ago with vigor, pride, might, happiness, and everlasting love. That captured both her heart and mind. Arin has to break her stare to stop herself from falling even more and tries to regain her posture. "Come here."

Tignan mo lang ang aking mga mata

Wag kang titingin na sa iba

Akin ka na

Wala ng iba

Felipe wants to curse himself after he sees Brunei avoid his eyes. Did he make himself look stupid? Are there any creases on his uniform? Is his hair tangled? Or is there sand in his eyes? Yes, he had to admit that he had just woken up and rushed into the meeting. Though, he did bathe and did his facial before leaving the house. Maybe he just missed it along his run. He just can't himself, the mobile game he was playing was addicting, and good players only play in the evening.

For sure, Felipe is not an insecure person, especially regarding his looks. But he does get conscious whenever Arin is around.

It's his reflex to look dashing and handsome so that Arin's eyes would only focus on him and nothing more or no one else.

Saya akan berada di sini sehingga kita tua

Saya akan sayang awak selagi awak jatuh

saya pegang

Cuma jangan berputus asa

Selagi saya masih hidup, saya milik awak

Sensing that Felipe had stopped approaching. Arin confusingly looks at him and wonders but then jolts in surprise as she sees him suddenly wiping his entire face using his sleeves.

Arin then lets out a laugh as Felipe takes out his cell phone, seemingly using it as a mirror to check his face. And it seems that his attention to his visage and self-care did not change.

It has been years - No - Centuries that they have met. But even so. Arin could never get enough of Felipe's presence.

It does not matter that when time could finally catch up on them, their hair turning gray, their skin wrinkled, or their bones brittle. She would continue standing there beside him.

And despite their separation for nearly four centuries. Years of yearning, loneliness, and pain. She reminds herself that she had loved him longer than that. And will continue to do so.

How could she not?

He was her sun, her light, and even her breath. He was the air that would drive the sails of the ships bringing her to places she had never been but would always cherish.

He would sing songs for her, dedicating his passion and love for her that made her fall deeper than ever before. And she would not worry about falling because she already knows - he would catch her no matter what.

And she promises that as long as he accepts her, she will be his till eternity.

Wala ng ibang

Nakagawa sa akin ng ganto

Kundi ikaw

Nag-iisang diyosa ng buhay ko

Hearing her chuckle, Felipe turns off his cell phone and then puts his attention towards her. She still looks adorable when laughing. And he can't help lovingly smiling at her.

Felipe knows that if Spain finds out, he might force him to kneel on salt.

As he was never loyal to a single God. For he believes in two.

The Almighty God. And this Goddess in front of him.

She had made him do things he never thought he could.

He made her sonnets, songs, and poems that could make any creature who reads them blush. At first, he wrote on leaves, bamboo, and copper. But as those vanish due to time and colonization. He did not let it stop him.

Despite his memories slowly fading, forgetting her name but never her face. He continues writing - now, using paper, until those pilled up and turned into books. Books that did not mention her name but perfectly describe his devotion unto her.

He prays to God every single day and those prayers contain wishes of happiness and protection for her. And for him to meet her again.

Felipe then approaches Arin after she had stopped her laughing. Standing beside her, he asks. "Is my beauty that dazzling that it makes you laugh hard?"

Jangan takut

jangan takut

Saya ada di sini bila awak keseorangan

Saya tidak dapat lari dari kecantikanmu yang tenggelam

datang sini

Arin then stares at the man beside him and answers, "Yes."

Felipe did not expect that straightforwardness, so he mockingly put a hand above his heart, acting like he was having a heart attack. And before he could make a rebuttal, Arin beat him first. "You look absolutely breathtaking. That makes me think if you are some kind of supernatural being or what."

Now he is not acting. His heart is literally under attack. Dramatically Felipe sits into the nearest chair like the drama king he is. And Arin follows and sat next to him, still laughing at his state.

Arin was - is always on Filipe's side. Even if the world would go against him, she would stay. She would not allow the two of them to separate again. She does not want to again experience those bitter lonely centuries without him.

And this time, she would do anything for it to never happen. She would never let him experience the same loneliness she felt without him.

She was drowning in her tears at the news of his fall in the hands of those colonizers. She wanted to go sailing into his kingdom and demand his return. But her Sultan did not allow her to do so. And then the war happened, and she lost him.

And thankfully, he came back.

But it was painful to know that some of his memories had begun to fade. Gone were those times when they were sailing across the seas, trading with powerful kingdoms, and fighting together against one of the largest empires in the region... And even their marriage.

She bitterly curses that man for the damages he has done. But despite that, he still remembers her face. He still remembers her. And she could not help but cheer when he did.

She now knows that, despite the years of separation. She still has a place in his life. A place where she could still stand beside him and admire his overflowing beauty and brightness.

Tignan mo lang ang aking mga mata

Jangan pandang orang lain

Akin ka na

Tiada yang lain

"Now, stop playing with me." Felipe huffs as he fans himself. Staring at her beautiful eyes he continues. "You know how I hate liars."

"I'm not." Yes, she knows. She knows full well. His history was full of liars and traitors that broke him, making him not like the same nation as he was centuries ago. But he was still her bright and smiling Malic.

Boldly, Arin pulls her chair closer to him and stares him directly in the eyes. Those beautiful purple eyes of his. "You have always looked majestic and beautiful Malic."

The look they give one another can only be described as pure unimaginable love. A love that transcends time. An unconditional love that can never be replaced despite years of separation.

The level of love is never constant; it consistently changes. But it is without a doubt that these two will choose each other to spend their every day with one another. And for the two of them, no one is comparable to their lover. Arin will always be Felipe's. And Felipe will always be Arin's. They are for each other and no one else.

Andito ko hanggang sa ating pagtanda

Mamahalin kita basta't pag nahulog

Naka hawak ako

Wag ka lang bibitaw

Habang buhay na ako'y iyo

He would not let anyone take him away from Arin. Not this time, not ever.

He swore.

This time, Felipe intends to stay with her till they grow old.

He plans to continue writing poems, singing songs, and traveling with her as long as his body will let him.

He had loved her longer than the existence of most countries. And he will continue until his own time will run out. Loving Arin is something involuntary for him.

It was chance that they met, but he was fated to fall head-over-heels for her. And he will continue loving her, giving her everything he could provide. And seeing her happy is his goal in life.

"No, Arin. It is you that is the majestic one." Smiles Felipe. Bravely he grasps his hand into her, interlocking them. Oh, how her small hands perfectly fit well with his. It was as if it was perfectly made to hold each other.

Punggung pun dah bongkok

Malah kepala anda benar-benar kelabu

Anda akan menari sehingga mata kami tertutup

Hearing him say that made Arin's face turn into a vibrant shade of red. Her mind immediately went offline not knowing how to respond to him. She let out a few intangible words.

Seeing his effect on her, Felipe smiled brightly. Then unexpectedly pulls her into a short embrace. Their embrace is cut short, but Felipe still holds her hands, and laughing twirls her around and dances.

Her foot was uncoordinated, expected from a woman being caught off guard. But after a few moments, she managed and followed Felipe's lead.

The two then start to dance across the room. No choreography nor digital music were accompanying them, except for Felipe's humming.

This moment, though not planned, reminded Arin of the days of the past.

It was just like this. The dancing alone, feet on the warm white sands, the moon being their only source of light, the calming sound of the waves, and the beautiful voice of Felipe ringing in her ears. It was peaceful, and relaxing.

And Arin couldn't help but immerse herself and close her eyes. Leaning into his chest. An action she always does when she is comfortable when she feels at home. Well, she is home.

Wala naman na kong hiling pa

Bastat kasama ka habang buhay na

Kuntento ako basta't ikaw lang kasama

Ikaw kasama ko

Noticing Arin's closed eyes and her body comfortably in his embrace once again. Felipe breathes a sigh of relief, before encircling his hands around her waist, protectively securing her unto him.

'This is the life, and I have nothing more to ask for.' He was content with this scenario. No. He will always be contented as long as Arin is with him, safe, sound, and happy.

His memories may have blurred a few moments with her. Taking out the past images of him holding her. But it did not take how it felt to be in this position.

Her body radiates the warmth he craves every night when he was alone without her. The soothing scent she emits pacifies him. The softness of her body molded into his. And importantly, her. Her being with him. Him being with her. He could not ask for anything more.

For Arin, Felipe was her Always. And for Felipe, Arin is his idea of everlasting beauty.

Cinta saya

Apa masalah awak?

Ketika saya melihat anda

Dunia semakin perlahan

Tignan mo lang ang aking mga mata

Wag kang titingin na sa iba

Akin ka na

Wala ng iba

Saya akan berada di sini sehingga kita tua

Saya akan sayang awak selagi awak jatuh

saya pegang

Cuma jangan berputus asa

Selagi saya masih hidup, saya milik awak

Tignan mo lang ang aking mga mata

Wag kang titingin na sa iba

Akin ka na

Wala ng iba

The two continue on slow dancing inside the room not knowing how long has time passed by nor do they really care. They only put their entire attention on themselves, on the small world they created and they cherish and love.

They did not notice how the other ASEAN nations enter the room looking for the two of them. Malaysia was about to loudly call them, but thankfully Singapore manages to reach up and cover his brother's mouth.

Indonesia covers Timor Leste's eyes in hopes that the little girl did not see anything. Whilst his face turned red in the intimacy of his fellow South East Asian neighbors.

Thailand only responds by smugly snapping a picture of the couple, cheering internally at their cuteness and silently congratulating them.

Vietnam simply hides in her nón lá in embarrassment as she thought that they were intruding on the couple and wants to leave them alone ASAP.

Cambodia reacts by hiding behind the taller Laos who snickered and in turn videos the dancing couple with no shame. Also planning to upload it into their group chat later.

Myanmar just shrugs and continues eating the Bein mont he bought earlier from a local street vendor.

The other South East Asian nations with their different reactions continue to silently stare at the two - well except Timor Leste.

The moment was only broken when someone loudly asks.

"Why are you covering my eyes Dirga? Are they Fucking?!"

"Timor!"

† ⚭⚮⚭ ☪

nón lá - Vietnamese Hat

Bein mont - A popular street food in Myanmar (I hope you guys are doing well)

And yes, Arin often finds herself calling Felipe, Malic. As it is her favorite name of his among others.

Hope you enjoyed the story. 3

#hetalia philippines #hws philippines #hwsphilippines #aph philippines #hetaliabrunei #hws brunei #hwsbrunei #aph brunei #hws asean #hetalia asean #bruphil #philbru #MaeLikes2Read

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