#[I should be off tomorrow but I was supposed to be off today so. Will just have to see how that goes]

[baelabong]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜᴛᴇꜱᴛ ᴘᴀɪʀ

(ᴡᴏɴʏᴏᴜɴɢ x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

plot: youre supposed to be studying but why is wonyoung the only thing running through your mind

notes: friends to lovers, wonyoung is just such a sweet popular girl, y/n’s lowkey a loser

rq: pretty sure someone requested wy fluff 😭

it’s a warm afternoon, and you’re sitting under the big oak tree by the track field, the one spot you and wonyoung always seem to end up at after class. you’re both supposed to be studying for the history test tomorrow, but clearly, only one of you is actually making an effort. your notebook is open on your lap, pages half-filled with notes, while wonyoung’s has been abandoned on the ground beside her.

"you know," wonyoung says, leaning back against the tree, her long legs stretched out in front of her, "we should hang out more after school."

you glance up from your notes, raising an eyebrow. "we hang out every day, wonyoung."

"yeah, but i mean without all the school stuff. no books, no homework," she waves a hand lazily in the air, her gaze drifting up to the sky. "just the two of us."

you blink at her, not sure where she’s going with this. "what, like... hanging out here isn’t enough?"

wonyoung turns her head, fixing her gaze on you. her eyes are bright, playful, but there’s something in her tone that feels just a little too casual. "no, i mean like a real hangout. you know... like a date."

the word hits you like a brick. your brain stalls for a second, scrambling to catch up. a date? you feel your heart do this annoying little jump in your chest, but you cover it up with a sarcastic laugh. you’re not about to let her get to you that easily.

"a date?" you snort, flipping a page in your notebook to look busy. "what, like coffee or something? how romantic."

wonyoung grins, and you can tell she’s enjoying this way too much. "could be coffee," she says, her voice teasing. "or maybe a movie. i’ll even buy you popcorn."

seriously? you roll your eyes, trying to focus on your notes, but you can feel the heat creeping up your neck. "sure, as long as you don’t fall asleep halfway through like last time."

wonyoung laughs, nudging your leg with her knee. "only if you pick something boring."

the thing about wonyoung is, she’s got friends everywhere. no matter where you go at school, someone’s waving at her, calling her name. she’s tall, taller than you by a lot, actually, so she stands out. it’s like she’s got this presence that fills up the space around her. normally, that would be intimidating, but you’ve known her for so long that it just feels... familiar.

but today, with the way she’s looking at you, it feels a little less familiar and a lot more nerve-wracking.

you try to keep your cool, though. she’s just messing with me, you think, but there’s this tiny part of you, this annoying, hopeful part that wonders if she’s actually serious.

wonyoung leans back again, looking way too pleased with herself. "what do you think?" she asks casually, like she’s not completely throwing you off. "wouldn’t we make a cute couple?"

"you’re ridiculous," you mutter, closing your notebook and stuffing it into your bag, trying to end the conversation before your brain spirals. you stand up, stretching your arms above your head to shake off the weird tension in the air.

wonyoung stands up too, towering over you, her grin still plastered on her face. "i’m not hearing a ‘no.’"

you shoot her a look, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "you know what, i think you should stop talking."

"or what?" she teases, taking a step closer, her height making you feel even more flustered. "you’ll fall for me?"

too late, you think, but there’s no way you’re saying that out loud. instead, you push past her, heading towards the school building. "i’m going to study. you can keep daydreaming about whatever it is you’re thinking."

"i’ll take that as a maybe!" she calls after you, her laughter echoing across the field.

you’re sitting on the couch in your apartment, surrounded by takeout boxes from the chinese food you both demolished earlier. the tv is on, playing some rom-com you’ve already seen a million times, but honestly, you’re not paying attention. and apparently, neither is wonyoung, who has been slowly but very deliberately inching closer to you the entire time.

at this point, her shoulder is pressed against yours, her leg brushing against your thigh every now and then. it’s like she’s not even pretending to care about the movie, and you’re doing your best to act like you don’t notice her being all... whatever this is.

suddenly, she speaks, breaking the comfortable silence. “hey,” she says, her voice a little too casual. “you ever think about what we’d be like if we were dating?”

you turn to look at her, one eyebrow raised. “why are you always bringing that up?”

she shrugs, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “i don’t know. it’s fun to think about.”

fun? you huff, focusing back on the tv even though your brain’s still processing what she just said. you roll your eyes, trying to keep it light. “you’re ridiculous.”

“i’m just saying,” she continues, bumping her knee against yours, “we’d be pretty cute together, don’t you think?”

oh my god. this girl is relentless. you can feel the heat rising up your neck, and it’s definitely not because of the stupid rom-com. “yeah, okay,” you mutter, still trying to keep your cool. you pick at the edge of the takeout box, avoiding her gaze. this is fine. everything is fine.

but wonyoung is clearly not done. she leans in a little closer, her voice dropping into that teasing tone she knows gets to you. “you’re into me, right? you’re totally crushing on me.”

you scoff, but your heart betrays you with how fast it’s racing. “wonyoung, stop being ridiculous.”

“admit it,” she says, grinning now. she’s so close you can feel her breath on your skin, and it’s starting to mess with your head. “you’d totally date me.”

oh, for crying out loud. you finally snap, turning to face her with a smirk, deciding to play along just to shut her up. “alright, fine. you’re cute, but i don’t know if i’d survive dating someone as annoying as you.”

wonyoung laughs, looking way too pleased with herself. “see? i knew it.”

you shake your head, finding her both insufferable and, annoyingly enough, kind of adorable. how did i end up here? you wonder, but the teasing has shifted something between you two. it’s subtle, but it’s there—an undercurrent of something you’re not quite ready to define yet.

the ridiculous tension lingers, though neither of you says anything. you just sit there, your shoulder pressed against hers, the space between you feeling smaller than it ever has before.

it’s late afternoon, and the warm golden light of the setting sun spills over the quiet neighborhood as you and wonyoung make your way home from school. you’re walking slowly, neither of you in a rush, with the faint hum of the day’s conversations still buzzing in your ears. the two of you had just come from your favorite café, where you spent a little too long sipping iced drinks and pretending you weren’t looking at each other every few minutes.

everything feels perfectly normal—until wonyoung suddenly stops in her tracks. she grabs your arm lightly, pulling you to a halt beside her. her touch is soft but firm, and it sends a jolt through you.

“hey,” she says, her voice quieter, more serious than usual. her tone catches you off guard, so you turn to her with a frown. wonyoung’s always teasing, always full of confidence, but right now, there’s a flicker of something different in her eyes.

“what’s up?” you ask, your voice casual, but your chest tightens as you sense a shift in the air between you.

wonyoung takes a small step closer, her hand dropping to her side as she bites her lip, eyes searching yours. “you know i wasn’t joking before, right?” she asks, her voice softer now, almost tentative.

you blink, thrown off by her sudden change in tone. “about what?”

wonyoung swallows, then meets your gaze again, her dark eyes steady. “about us. about the idea of… being something more.”

your heart skips a beat. it’s like time slows down for a moment, and you stare at her, trying to make sense of her words. she’s joking, right? you try to keep your expression neutral, but inside, your mind is racing. this is wonyoung, the girl who teases you endlessly, who always finds a way to get under your skin. there’s no way she’s serious.

“i thought you were just messing with me,” you say, keeping your voice light, hoping it’ll dissolve the tension in the air. because she has to be joking, right?

but wonyoung shakes her head, her lips curving into a small, almost nervous smile. “i wasn’t. i’ve liked you for a long time, y/n. i just didn’t know how to tell you.”

you blink again, your heart doing that annoying flutter thing it does whenever she gets too close. for a moment, you’re not sure what to say. all the teasing, all the flirting—was it real? had she meant it all along?

“you’re serious?” you finally manage to ask, your voice a little breathless.

“yeah,” she says softly, her eyes never leaving yours. “and if you don’t feel the same, that’s fine. i just… i couldn’t keep it to myself anymore.”

there’s a long pause. you stand there, staring at her, trying to process what’s happening. all the teasing moments between you suddenly seem a lot heavier, charged with a meaning you hadn’t dared to acknowledge before. wonyoung, the girl who always has a group of friends around her, the one who’s taller, more popular, more everything—she’s standing in front of you, confessing that she likes you.

it feels surreal, like a prank or some elaborate joke you’re not in on. this is wonyoung, of all people, you think. you glance away, feeling your face heat up, and immediately, you feel ridiculous for it. this isn’t how you imagined things would go, not that you had imagined this at all.

“you’re really ridiculous, you know that?” you mutter, trying to hide the blush creeping up your neck.

wonyoung laughs softly, but there’s a hopeful edge to it, like she’s waiting for your reaction, gauging every word. “maybe. but does that mean you feel the same?”

your mind blanks for a second. do you feel the same? you’re not sure. you’ve spent so long trying to convince yourself that wonyoung’s teasing was just that—teasing. harmless fun. the way she’d lean in too close, poke at you, make comments about how you’d look cute together—it was just a joke, right?

before you can answer, you feel the heat rising in your cheeks, and the sudden urge to escape hits you hard. without thinking, you take a step back and shake your head, trying to clear the overwhelming thoughts crowding in.

“i… i need a second,” you stammer, turning away from her as embarrassment floods your chest. you start walking faster, your heart pounding in your ears. she can’t be serious. this is wonyoung.

“y/n?” wonyoung calls after you, a hint of amusement in her voice. “where are you going?”

“nowhere!” you yell back, quickening your pace as you try to outrun the flush creeping up your face. your feet move faster than your brain, and before you know it, you’re practically jogging down the street. great, you think, now i look like an idiot.

you hear wonyoung laugh behind you, and within moments, her long legs allow her to catch up to you effortlessly. of course, she’s taller, you think with a mix of irritation and admiration. you don’t dare look at her as she falls into step beside you, her breathing annoyingly calm despite your attempt to outpace her.

“are you seriously running away from me right now?” she asks, her voice filled with amusement. “i didn’t think i’d get you this flustered.”

“i’m not flustered,” you grumble, speeding up even more. but no matter how fast you walk, she stays right next to you, her long legs making it look effortless. it’s infuriating.

“you’re totally flustered,” wonyoung says, clearly enjoying herself now. “you’re practically jogging.”

“shut up,” you mutter, your face burning hotter by the second. you want to deny it, to brush off her words like you usually do, but you can’t. not this time. not after what she just said.

“come on, y/n,” wonyoung says, her tone softening again as she reaches out and gently grabs your arm, pulling you to a stop. “i’m not trying to make this weird. i just… i had to be honest with you.”

you stare at the ground, trying to get your breathing under control. what am i even supposed to say? your mind is a mess of emotions, half of you wanting to push her away, the other half wanting to pull her closer.

“look, if you don’t feel the same way, that’s totally fine,” wonyoung says quietly, her hand still resting on your arm. “but i had to tell you how i feel. i couldn’t keep pretending anymore.”

you finally look up at her, meeting her gaze. there’s no teasing in her expression now, just a quiet sincerity that makes your chest tighten. why does she have to be like this?

you swallow hard, feeling the weight of her confession pressing down on you. your mind is still spinning, but deep down, you know the truth. you do like her. you’ve always liked her. you just never thought she’d actually feel the same way.

“you’re really ridiculous, you know that?” you say, your voice a little shaky.

wonyoung smiles softly, her eyes filled with hope. “maybe. but does that mean…?”

you take a deep breath, your heart still racing. “yeah, i feel the same.”

wonyoung’s smile brightens instantly, and before you can say anything else, she pulls you into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around you like it’s the most natural thing in the world. you stand there, frozen for a moment, before finally relaxing into her embrace, letting yourself enjoy the warmth of her closeness.

as you pull back, you feel your face heat up again, but this time, you don’t mind as much. “we really are ridiculous,” you mutter.

wonyoung laughs, her eyes shining with happiness. “maybe. but we’re cute too.”

you roll your eyes, but you can’t help the small smile that tugs at your lips.

[burnthatbridge]

8x01 misery missing scene

post the sad zoom birthday party

They stick around long enough to help clear up. 

The party decorations come down faster than they went up. Each balloon that Buck pops is a perfect mirror to the ball of excitement in his chest that had shattered at Chris’ lacklustre response, at the stuttering video connection. Except, instead of slippery, soft rubber, the shards it left behind are hard, cutting glass. 

“The cake was excellent,” Tommy offers, with forced cheer, into the silence that descends once the sound of balloons bursting and streamers rustling stops. 

“Take the rest with you,” Eddie says, turning away, heading into the kitchen.

Buck follows him, Tommy close behind, and watches Eddie shove the happy birthday banner into the trash, the party hats too. Buck bites his lip on the protest that Eddie should keep them for next year — he doesn’t think he can bear to hear Eddie voice the fear that they might have as little use for them then as they did today. 

“You’re serious about the cake?” Tommy asks, crossing to where it sits on the kitchen table, one solitary slice consumed. Buck had a bite of Tommy’s, and it was good, but he didn’t feel like having his own. And Eddie hadn’t seemed up to stomaching any at all. 

“Yep,” Eddie nods, without looking over. “I don’t want it.” 

Buck pulls a large tupperware container from the cupboard, hands it over to Tommy, who boxes up the cake. But Buck also takes down a smaller container, saves a single slice, and tucks it away in the fridge. He knows Eddie will crave it later — maybe not tonight, but certainly by tomorrow morning — and will wish he hadn’t given it all away. It will be a nice surprise for him — a much needed one — to find that Buck didn’t let him. 

Buck walks the knife used to cut the cake to the sink and Eddie steps in to wash it. Buck hovers at his side, taskless. They had been going to stick around after surprising Chris, have a couple of beers, watch something, but, with how things went, it’s clear that’s not going to happen. 

“Eddie,” Buck starts, wants to ask if he’s okay — knows he’s not — but Eddie cuts him off. 

“Thanks for coming,” he says, clearly a dismissal, bidding them goodnight without looking up for scrubbing at a knife that must be long clean. 

Tommy replies, “Thank you for inviting us,” even though technically only he was; Buck — never a guest in Eddie’s home — more co-host than attendee, had helped to plan the party, and his presence was assumed, certain. 

At the same time, Buck says, “Of course.” He wouldn’t have been anywhere else today, on Chris’ birthday. Not unless flying to Texas to actually see him would have been an option. Hell, if Eddie had wanted to drive over to El Paso to visit, Buck would have gladly played chauffeur for the whole twelve hour drive. 

Tommy drops a reassuring hand onto the stiff surface that is Eddie’s shoulder, pats it, once, twice, three times, to no noticeable softening. “See you later, man.” He moves to the kitchen door, pauses, looking back at Buck. 

Buck takes a tentative step in Tommy’s direction, says, “See you tomorrow, Eds?” It’s supposed to be a statement, like Tommy’s. A stronger one, even, since Buck and Eddie have a shift together the next day, so their seeing each other should be a concrete occurrence, not a vague likelihood. But the words come out sounding more like a question and he doesn’t follow Tommy out of the room until he sees Eddie nod in answer, agreement. 

They only make it as far as the front door before the gnawing concern in Buck’s gut is too much.  

“Wait,” Buck says as Tommy turns the handle.

Tommy stops, door cracked open an inch, but not opening it any wider, and twists to face Buck, looks at him, expectant. 

“I think–” Buck starts, but he doesn’t quite know what he thinks, only that he shouldn’t be leaving now. Even though there’s nothing left to do: all traces of the party stripped away, their evening plans abandoned. Still, he shouldn’t be leaving. Shouldn’t be leaving Eddie. Not like this.

And he should tell Tommy that, explain it to him. Except… He probably doesn’t need to. Tommy knows him, knows Eddie, and he saw firsthand how things went down tonight. So Buck simply asks, “Can I make my own way? Catch you later?”

“Sure, babe.” Tommy’s expression is full of understanding, eyes soft. He tilts his head, slightly. “I’ll wait up for you?”

Buck nods. “Yeah, please.” He leans in, putting his mouth to Tommy’s mouth, pressing goodbye and gratitude into the kiss. 

Tommy pulls back, graces Buck with a small curling of his lips, the smile dimmer than his usual given how the evening has played out, and then he’s over the threshold, toting the tupperware filled to the brim with uncelebrated birthday cake with him. 

Buck closes the door behind him, gently, then pads back through the house. 

Eddie is in the kitchen, but not quite how Buck left him. He’s still facing away, but now, instead of washing the same spot on the blade of the cake knife over and over, he has his hands braced on the edge of the counter, his head hanging down, like the effort of keeping it up has become too much.

He’s got to know Buck hasn’t left, must hear him reentering the room, a single set of footsteps, but he doesn’t acknowledge him in any way. 

Buck goes to him. Stands at Eddie’s side, tries to see his expression in his dim reflection in the window, but it’s tricky with Eddie’s face lowered. “Eddie,” Buck says and is finally rewarded with Eddie looking up, raising his head so that his eyes meet Buck’s in the window.

The agony in his gaze is palpable.

Buck doesn’t know how to help. He saw how little comfort Eddie took from Tommy’s touch, so it seems pointless to try the same. But his hands itch to hold, to smooth over Eddie and check for points of pain, even though he knows his hurt is of the heart, not body. Knows it, because his own is the same. Buck hurts too: for Chris, for Eddie, for himself. 

“Eddie,” Buck repeats, with no destination in mind except a route out of Eddie’s misery. But, if anything, the anguish displayed plainly on Eddie’s face only deepens. He squeezes his eyes shut and his hands fist, fingers curling in so tight his knuckles whiten. 

“I’m losing him,” Eddie says. 

“You’re not,” Buck answers back, automatic, but no less insistent for it. Eddie isn’t losing Chris. He can’t be losing him. They can’t be losing him. 

“I am,” Eddie pushes back, lifting his hands from the counter to gesture wildly, grief uncontainable. “I’m losing him and it’s all my fault.”

“No.” Buck catches Eddie’s wrists, squeezes them, tries to press his belief, his faith, in Chris and Eddie’s relationship into Eddie’s skin, to transfer it to him. “You made a mistake, but he’s going to forgive you. He just needs a little more time.“

“I don’t think I can take any more time without him,” Eddie confesses, and there are tears shining in his eyes. 

Buck drops his hold on Eddie’s arms, but only so he can wind his own around him, tug him into an embrace.

Eddie lets him, tucks his face into Buck’s neck, chokes out, “I just want him to come home.”

“I know,” Buck murmurs, smoothing one hand down the line of Eddie’s spine, his other arm wrapped firmly round his shoulders. “I know. I do too.”

“He loves his grandparents,” Eddie goes on, voice muffled in Buck’s shirt collar. “He could decide to just stay with them.”

“He loves you,” Buck states, an irrefutable fact. This he knows: he has been privileged to witness so much of the love Christopher has for his dad. “He’s not going to stay with them forever.”

“But,” Eddie protests, sounding lost and unsure, his fingers wound in the fabric of Buck’s shirt, his breath damp against Buck skin, “You love your parents. That doesn’t make them good ones. Ones you’d want to be with if you had a better option.”

“You are nothing like my parents.” Buck squeezes Eddie tighter to him, in tune with the ferocity of his words. “You– you are the best father I have ever seen. You love Chris so, so much. And– and he knows you do, he doesn’t have to doubt it.” Not like Buck did, every day of his life.

He continues, “Your mom and dad are not the better option for him. Sure, he’s having a nice summer with them. But, even if he’s still upset right now, I know he’s missing you too. He’s going to come home, because he belongs here, with you.” Of that Buck is sure. It’s Chris and Eddie: their bond is too deep, their relationship too strong, to be broken. 

“But,” Eddie says again, “But what if he–”

“No,” Buck stops him, not willing to let Eddie hurt himself with his thoughts, his fears, more than he already has. “Chris loves you, Eddie. And he’s going to come home to you. He is.”

Buck doesn’t know if Eddie fully believes him, but his words are enough that Eddie slumps completely against him in something like relief. And all his stress and hurt over being separated from his son comes pouring out.

As he sobs, the spasming of his chest heaving against Buck’s and the trickle of his tears sliding down Buck’s skin, Buck holds him. Holds him and presses his lips to his temple and thinks please, Chris, please come home soon. Come home to us. 

[why-the-heck-not]

26.08.23, saturday

today was what we like to call "productive procrastination" aka the rest of my life is in shambles but I now have a clean kitchen

[sheepfish03]

Here is my part of @shepscapades​ ‘s character design challenge! I went with drawing non-life-series hermits as red lifers.

originally I just did Welsknight, but I was on a roll so I added Xb as well, and,,, you can’t separate Xb from Keralis so he’s here too, being his,,, lovely self (wow look at that eldritch horror K propaganda)

(Below the cut I’ve added individual shots of them all without the gradient layer I used as shading here, and I talk a wee bit about the designs etc.)

Some general notes include:

originally I intended for Wels to be working for Ren during 3rd life, but then I was plagued by visions so this is actually set on an original life series season I’ve been calling wanted life (pspsps come closer,,, ask me about this I swear I’ll be normal and not abandon all my current projects to develop a fic or something)

All three of them are an allied, their base Is in a snowy mountain (which is why Wels and Xb have the fur collars) I don’t know what their alliance is called but I’ll figure it out probably

Wels went red first, due to some unfortunate luck regarding the gimmick of this made up season, and had been red for a while before eventually Keralis also joins him on the reds. Xb is the last to turn, and in fact survives on so long that by that time Wels has already lost his last remaining life.

Here’s Wels! My pride and joy! I really wanted to do him because it’d be a great excuse of designing some armor again, without having to chain myself into having to do that for every life series member when I eventually draw them

Originally, to make him seem more intimidating, I was going to put him in a massive suit of armor, but after gathering my references I realized it might be hard to make work with my,,, centaur design for him (You can’t put all that heavy shit on a horse I’m pretty sure!) So instead I just, gave him an different suit of armor than I usually do. If you’re wondering what might be up with all the eye imagery, It’s,,, mostly because I couldn’t figure out anything better to put there so I gave him all the eye imagery I couldn’t give Keralis on account of him being,,, naked.

The really fun part about his design though,,, is his big-ass anime sword! If you can’t tell I was heavily referencing a few genshin impact weapons for this. When he’s green/yellow the eye is closed and only opens when he gets to red.

Xb! He’s a shark. And he has a bow.

I don’t have much to say of him since I was mostly just winging everything here,,, He’s a shark because I like them, he has a bow because hes good with them. the bow looks like that because I wanted it to vaguely look like the same Genshin esque bullshit that Wels’s sword does.

I did give him black eyeliner,,, I,,, can’t remember why I did that but hey it’s there.

Okay so Keralis,,, all red-life-skins, exist on a spectrum, idk what the spectrum is but for reference Skizz’s limited life skin and Rendog’s 3rd life skin are on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

While I would have loved to draw Keralis all badass and stuff,,, I knew in my heart that he would be the kind of guy to,,, you know,,, follow in the footsteps of Scar and Skizz

HOWEVER to make him a little creepy I figured I could tap into those sweet sweet eldritch horror allegations

“But Sheep!” I hear you asking, “Isn’t their base in a snowy mountain, wont he get cold.” He will, and he does. You underestimate how far he’ll go for a bit. (Also it’s a fantastic opportunity for him to steal Xb’s hoodies!)

also a bonus meme I doodled as soon as I realized... the situation

transcript since it’s my handwriting: Has to draw Keralis as a “half naked red-life” instead of a “badass red-life”

Too long, didn’t read, I’m happy for you tho or I’m sorry that happened

[princesscallyie]

It’s seem like I can’t escape the “people don’t want to come to work so now I gotta do their mess” shenanigans…

[byanyan]

...staring at my drafts and realizing i should perhaps consider pausing on answering ask prompts to start getting caught back up on those instead bc the number is back in the 40s & i just found a starter i completely forgot about bc it got lost on the second page :x

[opens-up-4-nobody]

Just out of curiosity, anyone else get like elevated mood, insane evergy, or like unhinged focus while on their period?

[darkwood-sleddog]

More bad air quality bs today. so fun.

[fingertipsmp3]

I feel like I’ve lived through at least a month just in the past 3 days. I checked the date just now and damn near had an out of body experience when I realised Monday was only two days ago

[mildmayfoxe]

woke up with a slight cold today (ANNOYING!! testing negative so far 🤞) but i had sooo much i wanted to get done... who's going to tell me not to do any work but to rest instead

[livvyofthelake]

did not mean to sleep until 4pm. well ok.

[coridallasmultipass]

.

[epaetaeya]

... ive been sick for a week and got my period and my brain and rest of my body is mush but i need to be sad about toys for a sec

[be-good-to-bugs]

blehhhh i need to go to sleep

[insanechayne]

~ ~ ~

[badolmen]

…eepy…