#“why is this late?” we forgot it was october

[u3pxx]

trimk or treat!!

AH CRUD IT'S NOVEMBER 2 ALREADY OH CRAP AW GEEZ, UHMMM!!! HAPPY 'WEEN!!!!

let's see what i got here for you... ah-ha!

some cronchy tasty rocks for youuuuuwhat.

what.

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

5am and I'm feeling gay and yearning

[lxvsiick]

FAVORITE CUSTOMER | LEE RIWOO X READER

PAIRING: birthday boy! riwoo x cafe worker! fem! reader

SUMMARY: October 22, Riwoo had no idea what his friends had planned for his birthday. They had everything planned out. Nothing could’ve gone wrong. WRONG. They forgot one of the most important things. Luckily, Y/n was there to save the day!

GENRE: fluff, imagine

WORDCOUNT: 2k

A/N: this is so late ,, it was supposed to post but idk why it didnt ☹️ happy really late birthday post to riwoo 😭

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

Riwoo pushed open the door to his favorite café and bakery, the familiar scent of fresh pastries and brewing coffee filling the air. Behind the counter, Y/n, his favorite worker, stood with a bright smile, chatting with a customer. As he passed by, their eyes met, and he gave her a small wave.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey," she smiled back, her voice as warm as the café itself.

Riwoo and his five friends made their way to their usual spot—a cozy corner table tucked near the back but still with a clear view of the front counter. They slid into their seats, the café's quiet hum of activity creating a relaxed atmosphere around them.

As they settled in, Taesan, sitting beside Riwoo, leaned over. "So, are you doing anything special for your birthday tomorrow, hyung?"

Riwoo shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Not really sure yet. Haven't thought about it much."

"Come on, it’s your birthday!" Jaehyun said, playfully nudging him. "We gotta do something."

"Enough about birthdays," Woonhak grinned, stretching out his arms. "Let’s get to the real matter at hand. You know what time it is."

As if on cue, all six of them raised their hands, poised to play their usual game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would go up and order. It was a tradition they never skipped, each of them fighting to avoid the 'loser' task of placing the group’s order.

"Ready?" Leehan said, eyes narrowing as he sized up the competition.

They all threw down their signs at once, and laughter erupted as Sungho dramatically "lost" on purpose.

"Oh no! I lost. I guess I’ll go," Sungho sighed, though the grin tugging at the corner of his lips showed he’d intended it all along.

He sauntered up to the counter, where Y/n was waiting with a knowing smile.

"Let me guess," she teased. "You lost this time?"

"Yeah," Sungho chuckled, leaning casually on the counter. "I can’t win against these guys."

"So what will it be, Park Sungho?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. "We’ll take the usual order."

As she rang up their regular choices, Sungho leaned in a little closer, dropping his voice. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

Y/n paused, her curiosity piqued. "Yeah?"

"We were thinking about throwing a surprise party for Riwoo tomorrow. Nothing big, just us and the guys. Would it be possible to do it here? I know the café closes early tomorrow..."

She thought for a moment, her eyes brightening with the idea. Being the daughter of the café’s owners had its perks. "Actually, that could work. We do close early tomorrow, so you could have the place to yourselves after hours. Just let me ask my parents and I’ll let you know."

Sungho grinned, his plan falling into place. "That would be perfect. And, of course, you’re invited. If you didn’t know already."

She laughed softly. "Thanks for the invite. I’ll be here anyway, but I’m in."

"Awesome. You’re the best." Sungho gave her a quick thumbs-up as she handed him the receipt and began preparing their order.

As Sungho stood there, waiting for the drinks and pastries, he turned back to the table where Riwoo and the rest of the guys were casually chatting, completely unaware of the surprise being set in motion.

With the plan confirmed, Sungho couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement build. Tomorrow was going to be a night Riwoo wouldn’t forget. And, judging by the gleam in Y/n’s eyes, she was just as excited about it too.

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

The café was unusually quiet, the soft hum of machinery in the kitchen the only sound breaking the silence. Y/n stood behind the counter, wiping down the last of the tables as she glanced up at the clock. It was just a few minutes before closing, and no customers had come in for a while. The calm before the storm, she thought with a small smile, knowing what was about to unfold.

As she wiped her hands on a towel, the bell above the café door jingled, and she looked up to see Sungho, Taesan, and Leehan walking in, each of them carrying large boxes filled with decorations. Their grins stretched wide, and the excitement was contagious.

"Perfect timing," Y/n greeted them with a wave, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Hey," Sungho said, setting his box down on the nearest table. "You ready for this?"

"Absolutely," she responded, walking over to the door to flip the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed.'

As she locked the door, Taesan stretched his arms and sighed in relief. "Finally. No more worrying about getting caught."

"So, what's the plan?" Y/n asked, stepping back behind the counter as they started unpacking the boxes.

Sungho grinned and gestured to the decorations spilling out. "Woonhak and Jaehyun are distracting him, dragging him around the city, so we’ve got about an hour to get everything set up before they bring him here. We need to make sure this place looks like it’s ready to host the best surprise party of the year."

"Challenge accepted," Y/n chuckled, grabbing a handful of colorful balloons from the box and handing them to Leehan.

Without wasting a second, they all jumped into action. Y/n and Leehan worked on blowing up the balloons while Sungho and Taesan hung streamers along the walls, stretching them from corner to corner. Soon, the café began to transform from its usual calm atmosphere into a lively party scene.

As she tied off another balloon, Y/n glanced at Sungho. "Are you sure he won’t get suspicious? I mean, distracting Riwoo for that long can't be easy and Woonhak and Jaehyun look kinda bad at keeping secrets."

Sungho laughed as he taped the "Happy Birthday" sign above the counter. "If anyone can do it, it’s those two. Besides, Jaehyun knows all the spots to take him. They’ve got this under control."

Taesan, struggling with a particularly stubborn streamer, grumbled, "I’m just hoping we get this done in time. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re actually running out of balloons."

Y/n laughed, tossing him another pack. "There’s plenty more. We’re good."

Streamers were soon draped from the ceiling, balloons tied to chairs, and the finishing touches placed on the birthday setup. The room felt brighter, more festive, and Y/n couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement imagining Riwoo's face when he walked through the door.

As the final streamer was hung, Sungho stepped back to admire their work. "We did it. With time to spare."

"Not bad," Taesan said, high-fiving Y/n. "Now all that’s left is to see how surprised he’ll be."

They all stood back, taking in the sight of the decorated café. The transformation was complete, and the anticipation hung in the air like the streamers above.

The clock ticked down, and soon, the only thing left was to wait for the birthday boy to arrive.

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

Riwoo trudged along behind Jaehyun and Woonhak, the weight of being dragged through the mall evident in his sluggish steps. It was his birthday, yet somehow, he found himself in the middle of a clothing store, watching as the two of them enthusiastically sifted through racks of clothes. Every once in a while, he’d glance at a shirt or jacket, grab a hat and dance in front of it, but it was more out of boredom than interest.

When they first showed up at his apartment, they’d promised it was going to be a fun day out. Now, though, it felt like they were the ones having fun, while he was just along for the ride.

"I didn’t expect to spend my birthday being dragged around like this," he muttered under his breath, half-joking, but also kind of serious.

Woonhak suddenly perked up, looking almost guilty as he blurted, “Well, it’s not like we planned this—it's for the surprise pa—”

Before he could finish, Jaehyun clamped a hand over Woonhak's mouth, his eyes wide with panic. “Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” he stammered, forcing a grin as he tried to laugh it off.

Riwoo raised an eyebrow, giving them both a suspicious look. “What was that?”

They laughed nervously, exchanging quick glances before Jaehyun awkwardly cleared his throat. “Forget about it. Hey, let’s go check out that new store down the hall!”

Shaking his head in amusement, Riwoo followed them out of the store, unsure what exactly was going on, but too drained to question it further. After visiting a few more shops and trailing behind them for what felt like hours, his energy was nearly spent.

As they walked, something about their path began to feel familiar. The streetlights outside, the flow of the crowd—it all reminded him of something. Realizing they were heading in the direction of his favorite café, he finally spoke up. “Wait… where are we going?”

Woonhak replied quickly, “To the café.”

Riwoo frowned. “I thought the café closes early today.”

“They did!” Woonhak blurted, just as Jaehyun quickly added, “They extended their hours.”

The two froze, realizing their uncoordinated responses. They exchanged a look, realizing they were running out of excuses. Without another word, they resorted to their last plan of attack.

Suddenly, both of them grabbed onto his arms, one on each side. “Let’s go!” they chorused, dragging him down the street toward the café.

“Wait—what? No!” Riwoo tried to resist, but it was no use. They were already pulling him closer to the café’s entrance, his protests ignored.

As they neared the door, Woonhak covered his eyes with his hands. “Just trust us, hyung!”

“Oh, come on,” Riwoo sighed, though he didn’t fight back anymore. He knew something was up, but at this point, he was too tired to argue.

The door jingled as they stepped inside, and for a brief moment, there was silence. Then, the youngest uncovered his eyes, and the café suddenly lit up with confetti poppers going off. Y/n and the rest of his friends jumped out from behind the counter and tables, yelling, “Happy Birthday!”

The loud pop made him flinch in surprise and cover his ears, but he couldn’t help but laugh at their excited faces. “You guys… really went all out,” he said, smiling. His eyes then landed on Y/n, who stood near the counter, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I can’t believe you let them use the café for this,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

She shrugged, a playful smile on her lips. “It was nothing. Besides, you’re my favorite customer. How could I say no?”

The other friends instantly reacted with dramatic ‘oooing’ and knowing looks, exchanging teasing glances between themselves. Jaehyun leaned in with a smirk, “Ohhh, favorite customer, huh?”

Before the teasing could continue, Jaehyun suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening. “Did you guys get the cake?” he blurted out.

The café fell silent for a beat.

“Cake?” Leehan echoed, blinking in confusion.

In the next moment, Taesan let out an exasperated yell, slapping his hand to his forehead. “We forgot the cake!”

Sungho staggered backward in defeat, while Woonhak and Jaehyun exchanged frantic looks. “You guys forgot the cake?” they asked in unison, completely baffled.

Riwoo, watching the whole scene unfold, doubled over in laughter. “You guys… are a mess.”

Before the panic could set in further, Y/n's eyes lit up. “Oh! I’ve got something!” she said, running behind the counter and disappearing into the back. A few moments later, she returned with a box in her hands.

Placing it on the table, she opened it to reveal a beautifully decorated cake, with a little otter made out of cream and frosting sitting on top.

“I didn’t know what to get you, so I made you a cake,” she said, her cheeks pink with pride as she glanced at Riwoo.

Sungho sighed in relief. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Thank you,” Riwoo said softly, his heart warming at the sight of the cake. They carefully placed candles on the cake, and as they all gathered around, they sang him “Happy Birthday.”

After the candles were blown out and the party officially started, Riwoo couldn’t help but bring up, “You know… we’re literally in a café that sells cake.”

The entire group groaned in defeat, dropping their heads onto the table as Riwoo laughed.

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

MASTERLIST

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, lxvsiick, 2024

[corrodedcoffins-blog]

luke hughes x actress!reader

note: someone take capcut away from me. I haven't said this but the only reason this au exists is because i made a famous birthdays and google page for fun and was like 'i have to share this now'

Y/n L/n announce to star in Disney Pixar's live action 'Brave' amid rumours of her new romance

Posted October. 1, 2023

Just last night the fan-favourite actress for live action Merida, Y/n L/n, was confirmed. The only twenty-two year old actress has made big waves in the entertainment industry since her debut in the 2017 revival of Stephen king's 'It', playing Beverly Marsh. And has gone on to play a supporting part in Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women' and star in Ari Aster's 'Midsommar'. And as of late the actress is starring in Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla' set to come out November. 3, 2023.

Disney's live action 'Brave' is set to come out Summer of 2024, a specific date has not yet been released. But fans are already anticipating the film, coming off of the success of live action 'The Little Mermaid'.

Y/n has been rumoured to play Merida earlier this year, rumours the actress had denied several times, after they died down. One rumour she just can't seem to get her fans to let go of though is her romance with New Jersey Devils rookie defensemen, Luke Hughes.

And we suppose the reason got that being, it was true.

L/n attended the Devil's preseason game sitting with the other wives and girlfriends of the team. Very reminiscent of friend of L/n's Taylor Swift attending the Kansas City Chiefs game just a couple days prior.

But in only a few days fans seemingly love this match, and we can't help but agree. And we wish this couple all the luck in the future.

-

Y/n_updates

liked by spill_my_guts, trevor_lover, and others

Y/n_updates: Y/n and Luke Hughes leaving the game last night. love her, love them, what about you??

view all comments

InLoveWith_hughes: been a Luke fan, been a Y/n fan, i couldn't be happier

Sloan_: same!! i love them

Louis1D27: his hand placement!!

boys_genius: her hand placement!!

tswift13: there is something so special to me about her hand on his hip.

crosby_penguins87: didn't she just break up with Chris Briney?? what a slut

superache_stan: they never dated, and even if they did that doesn't make her a 'slut' hope this helps! 💗💗

Y/n_ismywife: she looks so happy 🥲

max1989: why does she look so anxious?? what happened?

jessDay: she forgot her phone! haha they went back in and came out again with it

max1989: oh good! i thought something bad happened 😅

[writing-blog-iguess]

Online Matchup 7

Summery: It’s Jason’s first gala since he came back to Gotham. As expected, he’s n a little nervous. But don’t worry, you’re there to help him get through it.

Warning: fluff, swearing

Words: 4.2 k

A/N: So, here's the long awaited gala scene. Feedback is always welcome and Enjoy!

Taglist: @xoxoyourdoll @teapartydreams

ao3

Series master list

————

October 29

Jason (10:30 am) *sent a picture of the two of you cuddling on your couch*

Y/N When the fuck did you take that?

Jason Such language And so early in the day

Y/N First of all, you swear just as much as I do so shut And second of all, answer the question Jason

Jason But you know the answer We fell asleep on the couch last week

Y/N But we didn’t cuddle We were on the opposite sides of the couch!

Jason You’re right But somewhere in the night That happened

Y/N I do not remember that

Jason Because I got off the couch before you woke up Didn’t want you to be embarrassed

Y/N Sir, I call bullshit You love making me flustered

Jason That maybe so, but I needed the bathroom I tried to wake you up But man, you sleep like the dead

Y/N I’m very proud

Jason No kidding So, what are you up to today?

Y/N Homework, probably Clean the apartment Been slacking with that lately And with the party that’s happening on Tuesday, I need to make sure things are put away before they can break

Jason You don’t strike me as a party person

Y/N I am not My friend loves to throw Halloween parties And it’s usually at my place

Jason And you're okay with it?

Y/N We have a deal I let her throw it at my place She has to clean it up the day after

Jason But Halloween is on a Tuesday Don’t you guys have classes the next day?

Y/N Yup and she knows that I take great pleasure in seeing her clean while hungover She’s going to do a shit job cause she’ll be rushing But she wanted it on Halloween

Jason You’re a bit of a sadist aren’t you?

Y/N Only with my friends and they do that themselves I wanted to hold it yesterday But noooooo, it has to be on Halloween

Jason Your friends sound lovely

Y/N Don’t get me wrong They are but sometimes it feels like I have all the brain cells

Jason That’s hard to believe Sometimes I think you don’t have any

Y/N Wow WOW Guess you’re not invited to the party anymore

Jason That’s okay I probably couldn’t make it

Y/N Helping your brothers again?

Jason I plead the fifth

Y/N You ain’t slick I see you

Jason (3:40 am) Finished everything you wanted to get done today?

Y/N Cleaning, yes Homework, no

Jason How come you're always doing homework?

Y/N I don’t know if you’ve noticed But I’m in school And in order to pass and get my degree I need to hand in my assignments

Jason Lame

Y/N That’s just rude Why do you wanna know? Planning to have a sleepover again

Jason No Just curious

Y/N That’s a little sus babe

Jason I didn’t know we were up to pet names now

Y/N I retract the pet name If we started using pet names, I wouldn’t start with bade

Jason Looking forward to hearing what you’ll use

Y/N Mm, we’ll see

A series of knocking woke you up from your accidental nap. Blinking wearily, you tried to figure out what had woken you up.  The knocking started again, and you let your head lull in that direction. “Okay, okay. I’m coming, I’m coming,” you grumbled, as you slowly got off the couch. 

You pulled the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around your shoulders as you made your way to the door. Unlocking it, you pulled the door open and blinked at a very well-dressed Jason. 

“Was there a date we agreed to that I somehow forgot about?” you asked and moved out of the way when Jason let himself in. 

“What? No, why would you say that?” he asked, pacing around the living room. You closed the door and turned around, meekly gesturing to his outfit.  

“You’re in a tux.” 

“Huh?” he said and looked down. “Oh. Yeah no, this is for something else.” “Okay…? Can I help you with something then?” 

“So, there’s this gala tonight,” Jason said, going back to pacing, “and it’s the first one I’m attending. And Bruce has the idea of making a statement that I wasn’t actually dead.” 

“So, it’s the dead coming back to life thing,” you mused, “does Bruce have a story?” 

“Yup. He has everything planned but I-” 

“You’re not ready to be integrated back into society,” you finished and he merely nodded. “What me to come with? Act as your buffer?” That had stopped Jason’s pacing and he turned towards you in surprise. 

 “You’d do that?” he asked, shrugging. “You’ll be in front of cameras. You’ll meet my family for the first time.” 

“I know,” you said, hiding how nervous you were at the thought of meeting them for the time. “But you need help, and maybe someone in your corner.” 

“But you don’t know the full story.” 

“I don’t need it to help you.” 

“I could kiss you.” 

“I’ll count this as date two,” you said, smiling when he snorted. “What time do you need to be there?” 

Jason looked at his watch before answering. “Twenty minutes.”

“Give me ten.”

“There’s no way you’ll be ready in time,” Jason said, and you ignored him in favour of going to the bathroom. 

“We’ll see about that,” you muttered as you started the shower. 

Shower done, and hair dried, you wrapped a towel around you and quickly made your way to the bedroom. Jason had the decency of looking away when he saw you coming out of the bathroom.

If there was one thing about Jason, he was a gentleman and it was something you liked about him.

You closed the door behind you, and went through your closet until you found the dressing bag. Taking it out, you unzipped it, wanting to know if there was anything it needed before putting it on. To your relief, there wasn't.

Putting it on, you did one final check to make sure everything was good before going to the living room.

“Well, I stand corrected,” Jason said when he heard the bedroom door open. “That was less than-wow,” he breathed out when he looked up to see you standing there. “You look fantastic.”

Putting your hands behind your back, you swayed a little, looking a little shy. “You think so?”

“I know so,” he answered, giving you a smile. “Are you sure you want to do this? We can stay here and have a movie marathon. We don't have to.”

“Yeah, but you’ll be delaying the inevitable,” you said, making your way to him. Standing in front of him, you took his hands and squeezed. “I know you're not ready for it, and you probably never will. But I’ll be there with you the entire night. You just need to trust me that I will.”

Jason’s eyes softened and he cupped your face, thumb gently stroking your cheeks. “I do,” he whispered. You smiled and turned your head slightly and kissed his palm.

“Then let’s go make the best out of a shitty situation.”

The ride to the venue was a lot shorter than you had anticipated. But the drive was spent in silence as the both of you mentally prepared yourselves for the night.

You weren’t entirely sure what you were getting yourself into, but you planned to see this through.

Jason slowly made his way through the line and pulled the car in park when it was your turn to get out. Before you could reach for the handle, Jason’s hand tightened around yours, stopping you from moving.

Sitting back, you turned to Jason. “Everything okay?”

“Are you sure about this?” Jason asked, and your eyes softened. “I mean it, we can turn around and do something else.”

“I’m sure,” you said, leaning over slightly. “But if you're not ready, I’m sure Bruce would understand the situation.”

“It's not what I’m worried about,” he said, “the life of a Wayne can be pretty hectic. With being in the public, everyone’s eyes are on you. I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable when the media tries to find who you are. I…I don’t want you to leave because of them.”

“We’ll, it’s a good thing I don't care what people think,” you said, squeezing his hand. “I doubt they’ll follow you around. The tabloids are more interested in Bruce Wayne than they are of his kids. And when it’s focused on them, it’s usually at events like these or if they did something newsworthy.” You paused, biting your lip when you realized you might have gone too far. “Um, no offense.”

Jason laughed, shaking his head. “None taken. Ready?”

“Ready when you are,” you answered, squeezing his hand one more time. He gave it a kiss and told you to stay in the car for a moment. You watched as he left, and walked around the car only to open your door.

“My lady,” he teased, holding out his hand to you. You took it with a smile, and stepped out of the car, ignoring the shouts and the camera flashes.

“My good sir,” you teased back, linking your arm through his. Leaning over slightly to whisper in Jason’s ear, “do we need to stay for pictures?”

“No, we can just go in,” Jason answered and led the way. You tightened your grip on his arm as you followed and swallowed down your nerves. “Ready?”

“Never going to stop asking that tonight?” you asked, shooting him a teasing smile.

“When it comes to your well-being? Never.”

“My knight in shining armor.”

“I thought that would be Red Hood,” he questioned as the two of you walked through the doors. He laughed when you hit his chest, grumbling that you should have never told him about your little crush on the hero.

“Shut up,” you whined, though happy to see him in better spirits. “So, are there any rules I need to follow before I make a fool out of myself?”

“I don’t think you could ever make a fool out of yourself,” Jason said, looking around. As if he was looking for someone to avoid or to say hello to.

“Well, clearly you don’t know me very well,” you said, guiding him to the bar you spotted when walking in. “At some point or another, I can and will embarrass myself. If given the change.”

“Then I’ll make sure you don’t have a chance. What are you doing?” he asked when he noticed where he was. 

“Getting a drink,” you answered like it was obvious. You turned to the bartender about to order.

“Aren’t you a little young to be drinking?” Jason asked before you could. You sent him a pointed look, with a shake of your head.

“I’m like, a few months younger than you. What do you think? I’ll have water please,” you said to the bartender, shooting her a smile. She returned it and went to get your drink. “Make those two please?”

“Not a problem.”

“You’re so weird,” he stated, watching as you retrieved the glasses when they were set in front of you. He took the glass you were offering, and held it.

“Yet here we are,” you said, taking a sip. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Before you could reply to Jason, a voice called from behind you. The both of you turned and you hid your laugh behind your hand at the look Jason made.

“Well, that didn’t take long for them to find me,” he muttered, turning away as his brothers, well at least that’s who you think they were, walked towards you.

“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” you reminded him, holding his hand that wasn’t holding the cup. 

“Was hoping to spend a little more time with you before my idiot brothers found us,” Jason muttered into his cup. 

“Yeah, but you get to take me home when it’s all over and done with,” you reminded and took great pleasure in watching him get flustered. Clearing his throat, he took a sip from his cup before shooting you a dark look.

“Careful Little Bird, or you’re going to give a gentleman the wrong meaning,” he whispered. A shiver ran down your spine at the meaning and you quickly averted your gaze.

“Hey, Jason! So glad you made it,” one of his brothers said as they reached you. He patted Jason’s shoulder and he shrugged it off, frowning.

“It's not like Bruce gave me much of a choice,” he answered, “where is he anyways?”

“Taking care of last-minute details at work,” he answered, causing Jason to roll his eyes. You get the feeling they’re talking about something else. 

Minding your business, you take another sip, letting your gaze roam around the room. It only turned back when a hand was thrust in front of you.

You gazed at the hand and followed its path until you were met with the smiling brother. “Hello,” you greeted, hesitantly shaking the offered hand.

“Hi, who’s this Jay?” The brother asked. You squinted at him, recalling if you’ve ever met him before. You haven’t, but something about him seems familiar.

“My date,” he answered curtly. Letting go of your hand, you mourned the loss of contact until he wrapped his arm around your shoulder. “Y/N, this is Dick.”

“Dick Grayson at your service,” he greeted, smiling widely at you.

“Hi,” you repeated, squinting at him slightly. “You're the cop brother out in Bludhaven.”

Dick eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Yeah, that’s me. I didn’t know Jason talks about me.”

“Not just you,” you corrected, “he talks about all of his siblings.” And made a noise when you felt Jason pinch your side.

“All good things I hope,” a different brother said, popping his head out from behind Dick. “Tim Drake.”

“No, he usually complains about the shit you’ve guys pulled,” you said, making them laugh. “You’re the asshole who gave Conner my number.”

“That would be me,” he said proudly, grinning. “How’d you find out?”

“My sister’s dating Conner and she got it out of him,” you explained, “I hope you know I’m getting my revenge.”

Tim narrowed his eyes at you, as if he was sizing you up. You only raised an eyebrow and met his stare. “I doubt it,” he finally said with a snort.

“I don’t think you know who you’re messing with,” Jason said, “don’t underestimate them.”

“Why? Because they’re dating you?”

“Sir, I don’t need anyone to fight my battles for me,” you interrupted, “I’m the oldest of four, majoring in engineering. But you already know that since you’ve been snooping in my life.”

“Not much of a life though, is it?” 

“Maybe, and that’s okay,” you said with a shrug. “Though before you write me off, ask Conner what happened during spirit week his freshman year.”

That made him nervous, like he knew what you meant. Smiling sweetly, you reached out and patted his head. “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me,” you said and turned to the shorter of the group.

“Demon spawn?” you questioned without thinking. There was a brief moment of silence before everyone but you and the youngest started laughing. He scowled and you downed your drink wishing that it was something stronger. You set it down and hide your face in your hands, groaning. “Oh no, please don’t tell me I actually said that.”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Jason apologized, but he didn’t sound apologetic at all. 

“You aren’t that far off though,” Tim piped up. 

“I am so so sorry,” you said, voice sounding a bit muffled, “I didn’t mean to say that, I don’t know why that came out.”

“I have no doubt that Todd had any help with that,” he said, clearing his throat he crossed his arms and introduced himself. “It's Damian Wayne, the only son of Bruce Wayne.”

“Y/N,” you muttered out, finally dropping your hands from your face. “And probably. Every time Jason talks about you, he doesn't say your name.”

“Okay, don’t tell them all my secrets now,” Jason teased, squeezing you into his sides. 

“The night’s still young,” Dick said with a smile, “who knows what secrets they might spill.”

You turned to Jason, and poked his cheek until he turned to look at you. “Shoot me, if I say anything embarrassing about myself or you tonight, just shoot me. I’m okay with that,” you said with a serious face. 

“Sorry sweetie, no can do,” he said with a smile. “I like you too much to do that.” Hanging your head in defeat, you sighed.

“Damn,” you sighed, “guess I’ll suffer then.”

“That’s okay, I’ll suffer with you,” Jason said, leaning over and hiding his face in his hair. You could feel the smile that he was trying to hide. 

“At least that’s a plus,” you couldn’t help saying. That caused another round of laughter. You smiled; happy it was going better than what you expected. “I thought you had another brother, and like two sisters?”

“We do, they just couldn’t make it today,” Dick was quick to say. You raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. 

“I thought it was a mandatory thing for your family. Having to come to these fancy parties.”

“Sometimes, but when Bruce gives some of us a free pass when the need arises,” Jason explained. “But I’m sure if they knew you’d be here, they’d be here too,” Jason quickly added when you frowned.

“Man, I was really hoping to actually meet Stephanie,” you said, and shrugged. “Maybe next time.”

“There you all are,” a voice called from behind. You all turned to see Bruce standing behind Dick, smiling. “Ah, you must be Y/N I’ve heard so much about.” You doubted that for a minute, knowing Jason isn’t one to share things with his family. Then you looked at Tim and things started to make sense. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

You shook his head when he offered, and smiled at it. “Nice to meet you too Mr. Wayne.”

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I need Jason for a moment,” he said, turning to Jason, “are you ready?”

“Do we really need to do this?” he asked, and made a face when Bruce nodded. “Alright. Are you going to be okay for a while?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” you reassured with a smile. “I’ll find you later.”

You were wrong, so very wrong. The minute Bruce and Jason left your hearing range, his brothers turned on you like vultures circling their next meal. You weren’t sure how long you stood there answering questions you didn’t know how to answer.

When you finally managed to escape, you took a breath and began your search for Jason. You found him talking with Bruce and a reporter. 

Quietly standing beside him, you grabbed his hand and ignored the conversation they were having. Jason squeaked your hand in acknowledgement, and you smiled, leaning your head on his arm.

After a moment, the reporter and Bruce excused themselves and Jason turned to you. “You doing okay?”

Taking back your hand, you moved it to cupped his cheeks and squished his cheeks together. Jason tried to smile, but it looked a little lopsided squished between your hands. “Never leave me alone with your brothers again.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad,” he muttered out with a laugh.

“They grilled me like I was a bad guy,” you said, “and I felt like it too. Jason, I am not the bad guy. I felt like one of those creeps that the heroes fight and needed information on something I couldn’t give them. I don’t want to feel like that again, had me questioning if I was right for you or not.”

“Not being overly dramatic?” Jason asked, and you squished his face more in retaliation. “Okay. I get it,” he said, grabbing your hands and moving them off his face. “That was wrong of them for making you feel like that. No one should go through what you just did.”

“Like I get, they’re your family and they want what’s best for you, you know? Like they care about you, and I get that Dick is looking out for you. But Tim? The dude told me I could do so much better than you and Damian? I’m pretty sure he said that you could do better than me? I don’t know, I stopped listening to them at a certain point.”

“Well, they shouldn’t have said that to begin with at all. And I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Jason said, you waved away his worry.

“No, no, you probably could. But that’s not the point, the point is they could be very good cops if they wanted to,” you said, “it felt like an interrogation. And I hope that I never have to do that again when I meet your sisters.”

“At this rate, I don’t think you will,” he said and you looked up at him in confusion. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, let's dance.”

“But I don’t know how to,” you said as Jason started pulling you to the dance floor.

“Don’t worry about it. All you have to do is follow my lead,” he said, twirling you around until you stood in front of him. You looked up, squinting at him. He laughed, guiding your hands to his shoulders before putting his hands on your waist. “Don’t look at me like that, I know how to dance.”

“Oh, I got that. I’m just surprised,” you said, doing as he said and following him as he started dancing.

“I’m full of surprises, Birdie.”

“So, how long do we have to stay here?” you asked after dancing in silence. Jason raised his eyebrows at you.

“You want to leave already? Feels like we just got here,” he countered. Shaking your head, you looked around before meeting his eyes.

“Don’t lie. I’m not sure how long we’ve been here but it has got to be an hour maybe,” you guessed, “and not yet. But I’m getting hungry and I haven’t found any food around. I thought they had food at these events.”

“They usually do,” he said, looking around to see if he could find any. “But it looks like they are either going to the kitchens to get some more, or there is none.”

“Man, that’s a shame. I’m starving.”

“I thought you ate earlier?”

“Nope. When you came over, I was taking a nap. I haven’t eaten since lunch, and even then, it was just a bag of chips,” you said. Jason sent you a disapproving look making you smile sheepishly. 

“You need to take better care of yourself. But we can leave whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ll leave when you’re ready too,” you said through a yawn. “Who knows? Maybe you have to do more interviews or speak to the crowd or something.”

“Nope, I’m done talking to people,” he explained, “all I have to do is stand beside Bruce when he’s giving the speech to everyone. After that we can leave.”

The two of you danced two move dances, before someone announced that Bruce had an announcement to make. You came to a stop, and you watched as Jason sighed. “Well, that’s my cue.”

“I’ll be standing front row where you could see me,” you reminded him, “I won’t be far.”

“You, Birdie are a godsend,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of your head. “Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Careful there, Jason. Treat someone like that, they’re gonna think they’re really special to you,” you retorted, reaching up to pat his cheek gently.

“Maybe they already are,” he said and left, leaving you flustered. You covered your face with your hands and silently screamed. There was something about Jason that made you feel cared for, and you weren’t quite sure how to deal with.

Pushing away those feelings for now, you collected yourself and turned to make your way towards the growing crowd.

After a minute of politely pushing your way through the crowd, you found yourself standing beside Jason's brothers. Not one to be rude, you smiled hello to them and turned to the front where Jason was standing a little bit behind Bruce. You gave Jason a small wave, which he returned before Bruce started talking.

You tried to listen as Bruce told the story he had come up with, but your mind kept wandering to your relationship with Jason, and where it might lead to. The thought of the future was scary, but you couldn’t see a future without him. Maybe the two of you were going a little fast, but you found that you didn’t care as much as you should.

If he’s the one, why overthink it?

Soon enough, clapping brought you out of your thoughts. Shaking your head, you joined in the clapping and slipped away from his brothers before they decided to go for a round two.

“Wasn’t so bad, right?” you asked once you reached him. He shrugged and grabbed your hand before pulling you towards an exit.

“Would have been a lot better if you were standing with me,” he answered, “but yeah. It was okay. Now, ready for some burgers?”

“More than ready.” 

[fluorescentbalaclava]

training season's over

chapter 1: Ground Zero

Summary:

After 5 years of service in KorTac, they consider you capable enough to hold yourself in solo missions. Money and freedom, what else could you ask for? But what feels like a good start, progressively starts to backfire.

TF141/female reader, Konig/female reader

spy reader, forced bonding, slow burn, slow build, militar inaccuracies, suggestive language, language, canon typical violence

This is an introductory chapter. Mandatory mention that English isn't my first language so apologies in advance. Hope you enjoy!

▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄���▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀

Movies were absolutely right in one thing, one of the big parts in the life of a spy consisted in being shoved into small spaces for a bit too much time, mostly air vents. A little fact they forgot to add, is how fucking boring it could be while you waited for the for the moment to act.

They are late. You thought as you rested your head against the wall of the same air vent you’ve been in for the last forty-six minutes.

1900 – You were dropped in a nearby building by a car without a number plate, property of KorTac.

1920 - You’ve managed to catch a maintenance man smoking a cigarette on his break, successfully making him nap with an always handy syringe of tranquilizer, stealing his card, as well as his overall and cap, using it to sneak inside the building. Once you got inside, you saw the maintenance cart, and you used it to hide your tool bag. The way up wasn’t too complicated, as everyone seemed to respect the uniform, probably assuming something just needed to be fixed, and since you had the maintenance key card, you didn’t have to ask for permission to get through doors.

1945 – You were already on the roof, after what felt like a life climbing stairs to avoid most of the cameras, you discarded the uniform, and got everything needed from your bag before letting it hang from your back. You walked to the edge of the roof, big fall but not a big gap between buildings, you knew you could make the jump, but before that, you pressed the comm.

“Sage to Control, how copy?” You said quietly, while taking a moment while you wait to admire the view of the city. Perfect October day, the night already fell, the cold breeze hit your face, making you lift your face mask, only leaving your eyes uncovered. The streets beneath were full of traffic, full of lights, full of life.

“Control to Sage, send traffic.” Your station chief said through the comm, reminding you that you were here for work, not to admire the view.

“I’m in my first position, everything peachy so far. Remind me to check on the tied-up janitor in the alleyway on my way back”.

“For now, just try to get in there without a fuss. Remember---”

“I know, no execution authority, don’t get caught, recovery mission only. Get the intel without the 141 noticing, got it. I’m not a rookie anymore, remember? Playing on the big leagues now” You said with a hint of amusement, and the man behind the comm could hear the smile on your voice, which made him sigh.

“Listen, Sage, I know the first solo mission sounds exciting, but König was right to be worried when we left. The 141 is a dangerous unit, you must avoid contact by any means necessary…I don’t even know why they’re sending you alone in this, I think it’s a bit irrespon---”

“---sible to send a rookie? Don’t worry, I am not planning on getting caught. And for your information, I am being sent because all the other spies from the force are already in other missions, and I’m the only one left that fits into an air vent…but honestly, it’ll be fine, and if not, please bury me with my Sylvanian Families collection.” You said as you were eyeing the jumping distance, letting out a grunt as you throw your tool bag, which landed in the roof of the other building. “141 is supposed to be here at 2030 according to the intel, right? I should get going to get in position. I will listen but I will have to cut contact from my end, update me on the status”.

“You have a Sylvanian Families collection?” The voice now sounded confused on the other side of the frequency.

“Unimportant now. Update me on the status of the guests every 15 minutes. Over” You said before cutting communication on your side.

You took a few steps back, before running to the edge and jumping, landing on your feet in the next roof, which made you feel a small sense of pride, and it was a shame no one was there to witness your dexterity skills

The briefing for this mission made it very clear that this was a very important one, hour after hour spent studying the blueprint of the building, the map of the air system, and going through multiple contingency plans for every scenario that could happen. Alone, back in your bunk bed, you felt that the blueprint was already burned into your eyelids. Not only that, but four manila folders were often read back-to-back by you, and four names were constantly in your head.

Price.

Ghost.

Soap.

Gaz.

The folders contained multiple transcriptions of some of their communications, information of previous deployments, and some of their personal data. You also got some files on your work laptop containing security videos obtained of them. They were not only clearly bigger than you, but their form didn’t stop them from being able to be sneaky and fast. If they found you around, for sure you were dead.

From the roof, you went down an air vent with the help of a rope, until you reached a horizontal vent, which allowed you to start crawling. It was easy from here, forward, then left, then right, and straight until you reached the vent over two hallways in the shape of a T, and in the hall at the side there was a large window with view to the city, where the 141 was supposed to arrive any minute now. The hall was empty, as the armed guards were outside, protecting the three doors that connected the main building to the halls, and there it was, a heavy metal door that led to the office when the needed intel was. Some files about imports and exports, you weren’t really given much information about them, only their label to be able to identify them and the order to burn the rest of the papers.

Going down the air vent to the office wasn’t an option, as it would trigger the security system, the only way was to get in from the front with the keycard but get it from the guards directly would get the attention of the rest of them, going against the orders of being subtle. You had to wait for the 141, and use them as a distraction, knock the guard, steal the keycard, create further distractions, steal the files and leave a charge of explosives in the office. Easy-peasy.

“Control to Sage. They were dropped by a helo on the top of the building. Get ready to act. Over” The words snapped you out of your boredom, and you already felt your body pumping adrenaline to get you ready to move.

Soon enough, a loud crash of glass broke the silence, followed by three loud stomps on the floor, making the shattered glass on the floor crack underneath their boots. They seemed even bigger in person but given their entrance they were stealthier in the recorded footage.

“Bravo 0-7 to Watcher-1. We are in position, waiting for contact” A husky voice said, and you recognized the man as Ghost, which wasn’t hard considering he was wearing the same skull mask as in the files. The three men had their arms ready, and you heard the sound of the keycard granting access, soon followed by gunshots. The first ones to go down were the guards of the hall that was beneath you, the two dead bodies falling into the ground. But the group didn’t have a rest as guards started shooting from the other doors, and from the fallen guards corpses you could hear how they others were calling for back ups through the comms.

Shit. Be fast.

You opened the vent grid, the sound of shooting covering the sounds of metal, and taking advantage of the situation, you threw a smoke grenade at their feet.

“Fuck!” Another voice said as smoke starting to cloud the vision of a part of the hall. You quickly dropped from the air vent, your feet barely making any sound against the ground, and you crouched, stealing the key card from the dead guard, and quickly making your way to the office, not before throwing another smoke grenade at them to keep them busy.

The key card granted you access, deactivating the security system, and you quickly entered the empty office, hearing some coughing from the outside, and more shooting and screaming that got muffled as soon as you closed the door. You quickly put a chair on the door, in case they would try to get in, it would grant you some more minutes.

You searched through the office, not bothering to be tidy, just dropping the papers on the floor…and then you found the file, a twinkle of excitement appeared in your eyes as you put the folder in your mouth, stepping over the desk and taking from your bag a little box of tools. You took out a screwdriver, and tried to rapidly, but calmly, unscrew the grid of the air vent. Your eyes widened when you heard a loud “Clear!” from down the hallway, followed by heavy footsteps. You managed to make the grid fell, and you swiftly climbed into it. Once up there, you threw the explosives down the office with a detonator, which grant you three minutes to crawl your way out of the air vent. As you passed by, you could see the task force going through the corpses to find a keycard.

“Found one, LT” You heard underneath you, as one of them stood up, holding a key card. Mohawk = Soap, you thought to yourself.

“Wait, you hear that?” Another one says. Pretty boy = Gaz.

You stopped on your tracks, not even breathing. Before you heard a gasp for air coming from a guard, followed by a shot.

“Found it” Ghost answered.

You felt relief flooding your body, but you couldn’t enjoy your small victory properly as the sound of the explosion left your ears ringing. A heavy warmth flooded the air vent, and under you, the sound of glass, grunts and three heavy bodies falling onto the ground. Your ears were still ringing, the heat was slowly becoming unbearable, and the smell of smoke flooded the narrow space as you tried to crawl faster through it.

As you reached the vertical vent, you used your ascender and quickly got to the top. You gasped for air as you felt the cold autumn breeze on your face. As your eyes adjusted to the night, you saw the ropes and some other equipment the 141 left behind them. It wasn’t time to rest yet, as you took the file out of your mouth, saving it to your bag, before throwing it across the gap and into the roof you came from. Soon enough, you followed after, jumping across the gap between both buildings.

Your fall wasn’t as graceful as the first, accidentally missing a step and landing on your knees with a grunt. But you let yourself fall on your back against the concrete. Your face felt like it was burning, the breeze was pleasant against your flushed skin, your clothes and hair reeking of smoke, but once again oxygen was filling your lungs. As you catch your breath, you pressed your comm.

“Sage to Control. How copy?” You asked in a low voice, panting.

“Control to Sage. Are you okay?” The voice quickly answered.

“Yeah, yeah, got the intel. I’m in one piece. Ready for extraction, a shower, and a nap”

“Copy, Sage. Picking you up on the alley, remember to untie the handy man”.

Back in the base the mission was considered so successful that for the next few months your rank went from sergeant to "Task Force 141 shadow" as the first mission and your survival rate apparently meant that you were the first choice for any mission that involved them. They considered the indirect approach worked better than directly engaging in combat against them, which left casualties between the KorTac ranks in the past.

Every mission for intel they had, you were behind them, lurking in the shadows, waiting for them to just start shooting to use the confrontation as a distraction to get to the target first. It was funny to hear them frustrated and annoyed over the comms when they realized that once more, they lost the intel. And then it's fate was obvious once KorTac put it on the market, selling it to the best bidder, or sometimes even using it to complete their own missions.

"You have to be careful, maus. I know you think it's fun, but they're dangerous, like us" You found cute when König used pet names. It was truly amazing how such a unit of a man was capable of being soft at the same time, ever since you started working there under his command until now.

But lately you didn't feel like a mouse, you felt like a hyena or a vulture, just scavenging while the bigger predators weren't looking.

"It's alright, don't worry, bud. I promise you I'm being as careful as I've always been" You said in a reassuring tone, a soft smile on your lips, and you squeezed his arm as he was sitting across you on the common room, a hot tea brewing in front of you.

"That's why I'm worried" König had an unsure look, under his sniper hood, his eyes fixated on your mug, rather than you. And you could tell he was anxious by the way he was shaking his leg. "Just don't leave any tracks, ja?"

What you weren't going to admit to him, is that you were growing slightly fond of the task force you so dutifully followed around. During these months you learned plenty of things about them, just by staying hidden and listening, like Ghost's dad jokes, Gaz unluckiness with helicopters, Soap's preference to play as a goalkeeper while playing football.

You blamed the growing one-sided familiarity by the fact that your new assignments made you spend lots of hours alone, lurking, stalking, in position ready to strike the moment things unfold. Back in base, and since you started to work alone, it was only in rare occasions you were at the same time as your old unit, the opportunities to catch up with them and being social becoming scarce.

And they seemed to be so close, so used to each other, so comfortable to even use their names sometimes. You had to admit you weren't used to that. You didn't even know König actual name let alone his face, and even if other members were more open about their names, their backgrounds were still vague. Not that you were an open book, as you only went by your callsign, your real name a secret between your contractors and you. But back in KorTac the less you knew, the better. It's probably for the best, anyway. Another very possible reason for your newfound fondness was the fact that after every successful mission came a very generous check. In fact, so generous that it was enough, plus your savings, to purchase a flat. Not too fancy, but cozy and big enough for you and your things, and something to call your own as well.

Moving in was tedious, lots of boxes and newspapers wrapped around the fragile stuff, and you were too tired from work to really unpack everything, leaving only the necessary items out. You definitely needed to have dinner and have a nocturnal nap before you keep on unpacking stuff, and the other things weren't as urgent. Besides, it would be a few weeks before your next mission, so you had plenty of time to enjoy settling down in your new home and looking around the neighbourhood. For now, you could really use some food, and at this hour you certainly weren't going to cook. You grabbed your jacket and went down the street.

Thankfully, there was a Chinese place in a five-minute walk. There were lots of people around, going to pubs, as it was a bit of a commercial area. It was nice, some fairy lights, some decorations, people sharing drinks, laughing, you could get used to walking around here. You ordered a serve of chow mein and three spring rolls, got it in a bag and made your way back to your flat.

The building you lived in now was a bit old, so you had a fob for the main entrance and a key for your flat. The door creaked a bit when you opened it, and you closed it behind you, but as you turned around you bumped into something that felt almost like colliding against a brick wall, you turned around and you saw some hands inside a mailbox.

"So sorry, si---" You said looking up and as soon as your eyes focused on the figure you felt how your face went pale, and how all the blood of your body went to your legs, your mind screaming you to flee.

Black eyes stared back at you, and that was the only part you could see, as the rest of the face was covered by a balaclava with a skull print on it. Fuck...

"Staring is rude" That husky voice you were so used to hearing through a comm sounded so clear, and the grip on the takeaway bag tightened.

The fuck is Ghost doing here.

"I-I..." You had to clear your throat, to manage any words out. "Sorry, I'm usually more polite, you just...caught me off guard."

"Haven't seen you here before" He lives here?! No way. This is a trap.

"Moved in this morning" You answered as flatly as you could.

"Ah" He said in an uninterested tone, as he went back to check the mail.

You couldn't help but stare up at him, completely dumbfounded. He was wearing a hoodie covering his head, blank pants, and heavy boots. Why isn't he attacking me? Does he know who I am? What the fuck is this? Jesus, I could throw up.

"Can I help you with something?" He answered in the same tone, not bothering to look back at you a second time.

"You live here?"

"Third floor" He answered plainly.

"Ah" Does he genuinely just lives here? No way, they're setting me up. "Why check the mail at night?"

"Just arrived" He answered as he broke one of the envelopes and checked it's contents. Light bill, and you heard him cursing under his breath.

He is so much taller up close.

"Right…alright, see you around…" You said before quickly going up the stairs, so taken aback that you completely forgot about the elevator.

You arrived to your flat, a bit agitated, and closed the door with the lock behind you. And added a chair under the doorknob, for good measure.

You left the food on the table, and quickly went to grab one of your guns. A SIG Sauer P320, and you checked every room, not that there were many rooms to check. The bedroom, the living-dining room, and the bathroom. Both for people and for cameras or mics, but everything looked normal, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place. Lock the windows just in case.

After your thorough search, you sat at your dinner table, left the gun next to you, before beginning to unpack your food. You ate as your eyes were fixated on the door, waiting for someone to come in shooting, for a team, for a raid, anything.

0000 – No contact.

0100 – No contact.

0200 – Still no contact.

0300 – Fuck, I’m tired.

Not today, it seems...fuck, this isn't a coincidence, out of all the buildings in this fucking island he lives here? No bloody way. They know.

next: chapter two "charlie foxtrot"

if you like it leave me some kudos or suggestions on ao3! <3

[atzjieun]

one last day

summary | jieun gets some helpful advice the day before she debuts 

circa | october 23, 2018

contains | 1.3k words, depictions of anxiety, self-doubt and general fears about the future, cute jihong interactions

note | the final installment in the origin arc is finally here !! and probably the last predebut scenario for a while :”) thank you for everyone who’s enjoyed jieun so far and shown her love <3

The cold breeze nipped at Jieun’s skin, the girl shivering as she rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms. She should’ve grabbed a jacket before she came out here, but in hindsight, there were a lot of things she should’ve done, things from the past that were now coming back to haunt her. 

Like all the missing schoolwork that had piled up in the weeks she’d been focused on their debut, or that time she’d missed practice because she had an exam that she couldn’t reschedule. There just wasn’t enough time to do anything, it seemed. She hadn’t even read the message her brother sent her a couple days ago. She knew he’d be at her debut showcase; she could apologize then. 

Maybe she should’ve tried to finish her homework on the bus instead of getting the extra 20 minutes of sleep, or maybe she should’ve just dealt with one failing grade so she could attend practice, because it wasn’t fair that she wasn’t putting in the same amount of effort and commitment that the other members were. 

Would people be able to notice that she didn’t practice as much as the others? What would they think when she lagged behind? What if she forgot the choreography while they were performing? 

A shaky breath left Jieun’s lips as she closed her eyes. She took in deep breaths as she started lightly pinching her arms, the slight pain distracting from the whirlwind of thoughts flying through her head. She continued like this for a few more seconds, until the sound of her heartbeat no longer pounded through her ears. 

“Jieun?” 

The girl opened her eyes, whipping her head around to see Hongjoong’s tired figure standing in the entryway to the balcony, dressed in a sweater and basketball shorts. She hadn’t even heard him open the sliding door. Jieun immediately dropped her arms, staring at him like a deer in headlights. 

“Hi,” she replied meekly. 

Hongjoong stepped onto the balcony, closing the sliding door behind him before he walked over to the girl. 

It was one of the rare times the leader didn’t stay late at the studio, the company wanting to give him a bit of rest before they officially debuted. Hongjoong was always working so hard, day and night, and he always seemed to have everything handled. So why couldn’t she do the same?

The two sat in silence for a couple minutes, Jieun staring down at her lap while Hongjoong looked off into the distance. The air grew uncomfortably awkward as they sat together, barely acknowledging the other’s presence.

“Aren’t you cold?” Hongjoong eventually asked, breaking the silence. Jieun shook her head, though a strong breeze suddenly whipped past that caused the girl to shiver. He didn’t hesitate to take off his sweater upon seeing this, reaching over to drape it over the girl’s shoulders. She leaned back, pushing his arm away. 

“It’s ok,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t have to.” 

The older boy let out a sigh. “Don’t be stubborn- I can see that you’re cold,” he scolded, holding it out to her. Jieun’s gaze flicked between him and the sweater, staring down at it for a moment before nodding sheepishly. She scooched closer, slipping her arms through the sleeves before pulling it tight to her body. 

“Thanks,” Jieun whispered. 

Hongjoong only gave a single nod as he turned to look at her, eyebrows raising. “So, what’s on your mind, Jieunie?”  

She responded with a quick shrug, staring forward to avoid his gaze. “I just wanted some fresh air.” 

He snorted. “We can’t be that bad.” Jieun giggled, though the lighthearted moment quickly faded away as her smile wavered. Hongjoong didn’t take his eyes off her, quietly observing as a small sigh escaped the girl’s lips. “But really, Jieun. What’s going on?” 

She remained quiet for an extended period of time, and he took note of her hands tightly gripping the cuffs of his sweater. It felt like years had passed before she uttered quietly,

“I’m scared.” Jieun’s expression was blank as she stared off into the distance. “This isn’t what I thought this would be like. My dream is finally coming true and I’m scared.” 

She looked over at him, letting out a bitter chuckle. “It’s sad. I want to be excited, but I can’t because I keep thinking about everything that could go wrong, or everything that I did wrong.” Jieun closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, holding it for a couple seconds before letting out a drawn-out exhale. She froze, her entire face devoid of emotion with the exception of her eyes, her pupils shaking as she let out a shaky breath. “What if they don’t like me?” 

Hongjoong’s gaze softened the more he stared at the girl, wishing he could just take all her worries and pain and transfer them to himself. But as much as he wanted to comfort her, tell her everything would be ok, the world could be a scary place. Still, Hongjoong ignored the own ache in his heart as he put a hand on her shoulder.  

“Jieunie, there are always going to be people who won’t like us,” he said with a gentle tone, choosing each word carefully. “As much as it sucks, that’s just how it is.” 

The girl nodded slowly, though he went on before she could say anything.  

“But for every person that doesn’t like you, there are fifty people that will love you,” Hongjoong looked down at the girl and gave a single nod, lightly squeezing her shoulder. “It’s normal to feel scared when something big is happening, Jieun, but you don’t have to be scared by yourself. I’ll always be here for you. The others too.”

Jieun nodded half-absentmindedly as she turned away, her blank stare showing that she was still there, but her mind was in a completely different place.

“Honestly, when we were first confirmed to debut, I was worried about you.” Jieun glanced over at the leader, her eyebrows raising slightly.

“You were…worried about me?” 

His eyes widened as he shook his head quickly, understanding her confusion. “Not because I doubted your abilities,” he said quickly. “I was worried because you’re so kind-hearted.” Jieun’s head tilted curiously as he went on. “You and Yeosang are the same. You’re kind, Jieun, and there are people who are going to take advantage of that. I’m worried that you’ll have a hard time and I won’t be able to protect you.” 

He took in a deep breath, exhaling in a long, drawn out sigh. “I promise I’ll try, though. So long as the stars are shining, I’ll always try to protect you kids.” 

She let out a small chuckle at his words, a small yawn slipping past her lips. Jieun leaned her head against his shoulder, scooting closer to him as though silently sending him a message, one that he immediately understood. 

Thank you. 

Hongjoong smiled fondly, wrapping an arm around the girl as he rested his head on hers. The moonlight shone down on them, illuminating the night sky and somehow making the stars shine even brighter. Jieun wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, but she was half-asleep when Hongjoong suddenly tapped her on the nose. 

“Let’s get inside before you catch a cold,” he said, a hint of teasing in his voice as he sat up straight. Jieun nodded, straightening her own back and stretching a bit. “C’mon, Jieunie. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” 

She glanced over at him curiously. “We have hot chocolate mix?” 

“Yeah, we do.” He put his finger to his lips, giving a quiet ‘shh’. “Just don’t tell Wooyoung.” 

The girl giggled, nodding as they both stood up and started making their way back into the apartment. Before she stepped inside, she glanced back at the night sky once more, seeing all the stars shining brightly as ever. A small smile made its way onto her face as she turned around, hugging his sweater tightly as ever to her body before going back inside, allowing herself to be consumed by the warmth of her home. 

taglist: @teezingsiyeon

[dollywheeler]

October 23th, 1996

Dear diary,

Let’s see - the last few days have kind of been a blur.

I don’t think I did anything particularly interesting, just following my routine - same old same old. I had to spend all of Sunday catching up on my homework, so nothing special happened there. Mike let me take his old guitar home, though, and the reading for English class is going a lot better now I can alternate chapters of Walden with a moment of playing music. My Oasis tape has been running non-stop.

Cheer practice is going fine - the routines are a bit easier now so I’m having less trouble. I try to practice the harder ones as often as possible, but I still haven’t found a solution for practicing the jumps on my own.

Oh! I almost forgot - On Sunday, I watched Dracula! Danny recommended it and I wanted to watch something while finishing my homework. It was too good - I had to pause it and rush to finish my homework so I could watch it properly; This is exactly why I usually play something I’ve already seen.

I wish we could have watched it together though, but we’ve both been so busy we’ve barely had the chance to spend time together. Whenever he doesn’t have basketbal practice, I have cheer or babysitting, or he has to work at the diner. Mrs. Benson is doing a lot better, at least, so I don’t have to go over as often. Danny joins us for lunch most days, though, and I try to come to the diner as much as possible - it’s nice, just being able to talk to him, even if it’s in snippets between him serving the other customers. Christy doesn’t seem to mind it too much, either, as long as Danny doesn’t leave anyone waiting for too long.

Still, I hope we can go on an actual date again soon.

Mom already hinted at having him over for dinner and I’m… Not sure how to feel about that.

I mean, Danny’s great and I’m sure Dad will like him - I already know mom does because she can’t stop raving about our homecoming pictures. She went to pick them up from the developer on Monday and though I do look terrible in a lot of them, there’s some really cool pictures as well - ANYWAY, what I was trying to say (write? Whatever) was that it feels weird to have him over for dinner with the family.

I was too young to remember the first time Jonathan joined us for dinner - if he ever did before they both went off to college - so it’s not like I can look to my older sister for an example.

Lord knows Mike never brought a girl home.

What I’m trying to say is - I have no idea how Mom and Dad are gong to act. Especially dad - there’s a big enough gap between me and Nancy that I’m sure dad is going to have to get used to his daughter dating all over again.

I might call Nancy and ask for advice - if she has the time, of course. She’s so busy lately running all over the place. When I called on Saturday she said they’d be coming back to the US on Tuesday, but it wouldn’t be the first time their stay got extended. I’ll probably just wait on her to call over the weekend, just in case.

I don’t know what else to write about really, but I’m at the diner and a table in the back is staring at me. I don’t know why - I know their faces but not their names. Pretty sure one used to be the school’s librarian before he retired a few years ago. I see him and the woman he’s talking to around town sometimes, walking dogs, or here at the diner drinking coffee and gossiping as they are now. Most residents always follow everything going on around them, and I’m sure they recognise me in turn from seeing me around one too many times, but today I swear they’ve been looking at me specifically for way too long.

So, I took out my diary and started writing so it seems like I’m not bothered and can’t hear what they’re saying.

It’s strangely unsettling. I don’t know - they seem judgemental, and I feel judged, though for the life of me I can’t figure out why. I’m not doing anything different. I don’t look anything different - I’m not wearing anything special. Sure, I’ve been talking to Danny a lot because it’s so calm today, but it’s not like we’re being particularly loud.

Pretty sure I just heard them say “the Byers kid” - which is strange, because a, I’m not a Byers, and b, I’m not my brother - hell, we don’t even look alike.

I didn’t even realise they knew who I was, let alone who my brother’s friends are. Anyway, it’s weird how hung-up they are about Mike and Will’s return to Hawkins - I mean, it’s been more than two months, and they were only gone for - what? Seven? Ish? Years? I don’t even know.

I guess that’s the one downfall from living in a small town.

Most of the time it’s an advantage - like havig to go to the post office during the summer and getting to chat with Dylan while she works, or feeling completely at home in a diner because you know every face there. It’s nice knowing your neighbours and your neighbour’s neighbours in turn.

Like last week, with Mrs. Benson, I heard soooo many stories about the people around town. And sure, it’s gossip which isn’t always nice, but more often than not it’s just keeping everyone updated. It’s how we all show we care - how else would Mom know who’s in desperate need of a casserole or a plate of cookies?

That sounds like a hyperbole or whatever - Mike would probably know the perfect term - but it’s more relevant than one might think.

Plenty people don’t know to ask for help - like Mrs. Benson - and they’re just waiting on people to offer it.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from mom, is that more often than not overbearing is just bearing enough.

Anyway, Daniel and his mom are new to town too, but no one’s talking about that anymore either. Now I think about it, it is weird that people seem more hung-up about them than Danny. I mean, Danny and his mom are total outsiders - even if they only came from a few towns over - but at least Mike and Will are known strangers. They came back, which isn’t unheard of.

Mr. Howard, our PE teacher, for example, moved back in his thirties to take care of his ailing father. His father is still kicking around, by the by, even though he’s been back for almost twenty years now. Anyway, even though he’d been gone for seventeen years, everyone acted like he’d simply never left.

Max’ mom, on the other hand, still often gets reminded that she’s not from here, though it’s less obvious because the residents of the trailer park are used to people coming and going more than Suburbians, and also because she at least was here for ’86.

Now I think about it, it’s bothering me more and more.

I’ve always felt like I’m missing something - it’s often clear mom and Mike are talking around me - but I always just assumed it’s them being weird about Mike’s degree. That’s the one thing dad brings up sometimes when it’s about Mike, right before mom sends him a warning glare with pointed eyes at me. I don’t know - I get dad wanted us to do something practical, or at least, Mike, because dad has plenty of opinions on Nancy’s career as well. But he’s from a previous time, and honestly why Nancy wants to work so bad, I don’t understand.

Anyway, this took a turn.

I really keep getting carried away with these things.

The people are still there, but they seemed to have moved on conversationally, and it’s about time I head home anyway. I’m just going to say goodbye to Daniel and get going so I’m back in time for dinner.

Love, Holly

[sweetdispatch]

10. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”🧸

1. “I’m not going anywhere” 🎀

with adam fantilli please💞

ahh, i missed writing for Adam

prompt list

When Adam left to play in Columbus, you stayed in Michigan. At first, you felt proud of him that he can fulfill his dreams and play in the NHL but with time, you became selfish. You wanted to have him back at your side and didn’t care about hockey. You needed him next to you but you knew this won’t happen. 

In October, the long distance hit you. You felt that you’re not enough and started skipping classes. You sat in your room and looked on a wall full of pictures of you and Adam. Luca, his brother, was checking on you when you spotted showing up at the hockey games. He could feel that something was off and addressed his worries to Adam. 

You stopped doing anything. All your life felt like a deep, dark hole. Your classes were long forgotten, many times you forgot to eat or drink. The only thing you were capable of doing was going to the bathroom. Adam was scared of you when he heard from his brother. He felt bad for not noticing the changes while you two were talking on the phone. 

“Have you been taking care of yourself?” He asked you and you knew that he caught you.

“Um… yeah” You answered him but he knew you’re lying.

“Sure, now, tell me the truth” 

“I can’t. It’s dumb” You felt embarrassed to admit this to him. 

“Something is bothering you and you’re not taking care of yourself. I’m not gonna give up until you tell me… Please” 

“I just” You took a deep breath, “I miss you. Your birthday is coming and I felt bad knowing that I won’t be there for you. I miss you sitting in my dorm and talking to me about what happened during trainings. I miss our late night dates when I felt overwhelmed by classes” You said and started crying. 

“I miss you too. It’s terrible knowing that I have to come back home to an empty apartment and not being able to visit you. I wish you’re here with me” Adam looked at you and continued. “Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I would call and text you more” 

“I didn’t want to have a pity party and I didn’t want you to feel bad. You’re living your dream and I felt that if I tell you this, you’ll realise that this relationship is pointless and will break up with me” 

“I’m not going anywhere. Baby, you’re my girl and I want you to remember that you can tell me everything, especially when you’re feeling sad over me” 

“Sorry for that and thank you Adam. I’m really grateful for you” You told him and saw that he’s smiling.

“I can tell the same thing about you. Think about the positive side. It's the second month of your classes. In two months, we’re gonna see each other for Christmas and later, we’re getting closer to the end of your major and you are finally moving to me” Adam tried to cheer you up. “We can make this work” 

“We can. I love you so much” You finally smiled. 

[lggy]

I’m on both and every time I go back over to aphtwt it’s like that guy with pizzas going into a room on fire

its a long ass story thats been going on since the reveal of s7. here's just a recount of what's been going on lately for anyone curious i guess. its just to answer why a lot of people are icked out by laurance right now and why people are saying "i cant enjoy laurance anymore"

bascially laurance's va doesn't know how to properly manage his image,

ive been following him long before, he would have a few old tweets and tiktoks where he gets really annoyed towards aphmau fans, and reasonably so

...after the reveal of s7, he tried coming back to make his brand Laurance except he's using his NFSW bdsm account. after people started trying to link his nsfw links to his aphwiki page i made a twt post asking people to stop doing that. thats when we realized seb is obsessed with searching himself up on twitter and he proceeded to QRT me and make a few response posts reiterating what i said and apologizing for interacting with minors on his nsfw account. he made a new alt account for interacting with fans on aphtwt.

that was back around september-october

he searches himself and laurance up constantly to QRT and pick fights and stuff. its clear he's going through mental shit - he talks about it a lot. but it took him months to realize hes not fit to be running an account to host his image/brand that he wants to be about Laurance. he picks up on any drama around himself and kinda has a villain speech every time someone doesnt like him. im kind of starting to feel bad for him.

this is all while lowkey begging Jess to contact him again to bring him back for VA work, cryptically referring to her sometimes as "The Creator". I forgot to mention he had this whole "Guys im having a huge reveal, Im coming back to VAing for a very special charater.." thing. me and a lot of people picked up on him being kind of.. fake? basically, he shit on aphmau before, equated VA work to a MLM, then had a total sudden switch-up as soon as s7 was announced and realized he can renew his role. he had a video saying he wants this job to get a new tattoo.

^ 'What's wrong with wanting money?' the thing is being a VA means you need to have a good image and thats usually generated by having a good fanbase. all that really said was that he's just hopping on a bandwagon to get paid and thus his fan interactions just came across as desperate and bait-y and fake as hell. think about how other VA's interact w their fans then compare it to this,

what happened yesterday was that garroth's VA announced he was doing a mystreet rewatch with much of the og cast!... then sebastian QRT'd with this

someone even asked if he can join them too

then he joined the discord. then got banned after 10 minutes.. then crashed out about it on twitter, posting that garroth's va blocked him. not posting the massive paragraph he had because its kinda the sameburger poetry. i genuinely have no idea why he would post this than to like, try to get people to turn on garroth's VA. severely inappropriate behavior for someone trying to come back to being a VA

allegedly, seb had livestreamed a while ago where he said something along the lines of, (quoting from oomf's memory) "I don't recommend you contacting or asking any of the old VAs about me, I don't know if they still think about me the same bc of how I was back then. Bipolar Disorder was really bad for me back then, it made me so edgy." and how other VAs had issues with him and tension. - i dont have a source for this but it lines up with this tweet :

where he very inappropriately and for no reason mentioned he had issues with another VA. the problem is he had NO reason to bring that up and had the situation he was referring to was about gene having a fill-in on a cocomau video and nothing to do with seb himself or any drama or anything.

aaand i think thats all. that's the laurance downfall crashout chronicles , i didnt want to get too detailed but i can ask questions and whatever

personally, i nevr really beleived this guy would ever get hired again. all because he uses his real/brand name for his porno stuff. the company does background checks yknow

[gunsandspaceships]

MCU Timeline: Iron Man 2. Part 1

Iron Man (2008) Timeline

The Incredible Hulk (2008) Timeline

This timeline is based on dates from the movie and not on Fury's Big Week (see the reason here).

Here's the classification of date consistency in the MCU Phase 1 (within the movies):

IM1, Thor, CA:TFA and The Avengers - good. Almost no issues.

The Incredible Hulk - some issues and a few barely visible wrong dates.

IM2 - absolute mess.

Let's start by finding out the month and year of the main events of the movie.

Month: May. What evidence we have: 1) one of the events is Tony's birthday, May 29; 2) The Monaco Grand Prix always takes place in May. The Historique races (which we see in the movie) take place before the main Grand Prix - in early May; 3) one of the screens in Tony's lab says it's May; 4) the weather and people's clothing also correspond to May.

Year: 2010. This is where things get really confusing. Because in the movie there are at least 3 versions of what year the events take place: 1) version of written sources (documents, computer screens) that consistently point to 2010; 2) Pepper Potts' version (IM1 took place "last year", which was February-May 2008, so IM2, she says, is May 2009); 3) Justin Hammer's version, who is absolutely sure that Tony became Iron Man only 6 months ago, so according to him it is November-December 2008, which contradicts everything else. Since most sources, as well as logic, point to 2010, this is the most likely version.

Now let's move on to the timeline.

The first f*ck up in the movie (chronologically): Anton Vanko's date of birth is mentioned once, and it is February 15, 1943. This is literally impossible. According to the same screen, in the early 1950s, Anton was already 20-30 years old and was a scientist at the Electrotechnical Institute in the USSR. More realistic year would be ~1925.

Early 1950s - Anton Vanko works on nuclear energy in the USSR.

October 1963 - Vanko defects from the USSR and seeks asylum in the United States.

Here we have the second f*ck up in props - the newspaper says 1966, but JARVIS said it's 1963, which is also confirmed by the date on Tony's screen. JARVIS's version is more realistic, so we'll go with that. And come on, Marvel. Citizenship right away? Why not the presidency?

June 26, 1967 - Anton is found guilty of espionage and deported.

August 2 or February 15, 1969 - Ivan Vanko is born.

Ivan's prison tattoo on his fingers is his birth year. There are several references to Ivan's birth date in the movie, and they are all different. So we'll use his tattoo, as it's a more reliable source. About the month and day - we have two options. The JARVIS search results give us 15.02, but as you may have noticed, this is the same day as Anton's birthday in the same search results. So I doubt that they were both born on the same day of the same month. The prop guys just put the same numbers in and forgot about it. Good f*cking job. Another possibility is the date on Vanko's fake passport - August 2. Since the document is fake, I have no idea if any of the dates on it are real. And it's unlikely that anyone would need his DOB anyway. Do we have any Ivan fans here?

~1970 - Anton Vanko is sent to Siberia for 20 years.

May 29, 1970 - Anthony Edward Stark is born 🎉

September 15, 1973 - Howard films the Intro to Stark Expo 1974 and the message for Tony.

1974 - the last Stark Expo until 2010.

~1990 - Anton is released and returns to Moscow.

December 2, 1993 - Ivan is sentenced to 15 years in prison for selling weapons-grade plutonium to Pakistan.

Late 1990s (before 2000) - Virginia Potts becomes Pepper, and Tony's PA.

May 25, 2008 - "I am Iron Man" press conference.

August 2008 - an article about Tony's arc reactor in Scientific American.

Note: There is a real issue of this magazine from August 2008 with the same articles except for the article on the arc reactor.

December 2008:

After serving 15 years, Ivan is released from prison.

Anton Vanko dies.

If anyone doubts that it's May in the screenshot, you're right. This is how winter looks like, not May. Yes, even in Russia, Marvel.

On TV they say Tony is giving the "I am Iron Man" press conference "Now", but this is impossible: 1) As we have established, it was on May 25, not in winter. 2) In Moscow it would be night (remember time zones). But we were clearly shown that it was daytime. 3) This is a live broadcast for CNN, not for Russian news. 4) It can't even be "Live" and "Breaking News" at the same time because he hasn't even said the words yet! Come on, Marvel. Logic was lost during the production of this movie.

So, based on the notes above, I conclude the following: 1) The news is not new. It is a recording. 2) The first scene takes place in December 2008.

A few days later - Ivan begins work on his arc reactor.

Here's the third f*ck up:

On the Forbes cover, which we already saw in IM1, the date "January 1990" appeared, which was not there before. But this is not the main issue. The main one is that Howard was still alive in 1990 and ran his company himself. So Tony could not "take reign at 21" at that time. He wasn't even 21 yet, and he couldn't be. Marvel shouldn't have changed the cover in the first place. January also contradicts other sources that show Stane was interim CEO for several months, not just one.

December 2008 - Tony is named "Time's Person of the Year".

Note: This is an edited cover of the actual "Time's Person of the Year 2008".

December 2008 - December 2009 - Vanko works on his reactor.

May 2008 - May 2010:

All the following events:

Some details of the events from the newspapers on Vanko's wall:

Tony saves a mother of three from a fire.

January 2009 - Tony saves the crew of a Russian submarine ("miracle submarine").

Pepper gives an interview about Tony, the suit and her figure (very important).

August 5, 2009 - Hammer tests his suit in Reno, Nevada.

September 13, 2009 - Saudi Arabia tests a prototype of its suit.

Early April (snow) 2010 - Vanko receives a fake passport and a ticket to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Shortly before May 2010 - Natasha is "hired" by Stark Industries.

December 2009 - May 2010 - Vanko works on his exoskeleton and whips.

Here we come to the infamous "6 months later" problem. And the main question: 6 months from what? a) "I am Iron Man" in IM1? b) Anton's death in December 2008 or c) The day Ivan finished working on his reactor?

As we have already established, it cannot be 6 months from IM1 (May 2008), as it contradicts literally everything. The date of Hammer's test also shows that it can't be 6 months from IM1 because there was already more than 6 months between the press conference and the test. So Justin should do some fact checking before his speech next time.

6 months since Anton's death (December 2008) would fit better into the timeline. It would also match the month of Tony's birthday and Pepper's version of what year IM2 takes place:

But it's still the wrong year. All other sources give us 2010, not 2009.

And finally, the best version is 6 months from the day Ivan finished his reactor. We already know that IM2 is mostly set in May 2010, so we just count back 6 months and get December 2009. It took Ivan a whole year to build what Tony was able to build in a few days in a cave and with a serious medical condition.

Part 2

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

Samhain

Sorry this one is a couple days late! I forgot to queue it up!

This prompt is for Samhain! (Or for any other holiday. festival or celebration you celebrate this time of year!) Make a page dedicated to the holiday and we will learn as much as we can about it! Here's the rough masterlist for Samhain!

What are some general ideas and assocations with Samhain and this time of year? (Like the thinning of the veil- which we will talk about) Where did they come from? Why are they associated with the season/ holiday? Who brought those ideas into the craft?

On the thinning of the veil. You will see it said a lot in association with this time of year and this holiday in particular. Along with the general ideas you already looked up in the previous paragraph, where did the thinning of the veil idea come from? Where and when did it start? Why did it start? What are the misconceptions we have and others have had in the past about this idea?

Tumblr Posts

Jack o' Lantern Spells

Celebrate Samhain

Samhain

October Magic

November Magic

Pumpkin Witchcraft

Samhain

Samhain Altar Ideas

Other Links

Wikipedia

Celtic Connection

Learn Religions

Newgrange

History

Make it Your Own

What are some of the things you personally associate with the holiday and season? What are some of your traditions and activities? How do you celebrate? What does the holiday and season mean to you? How do you incorporate it into your practice and your practice into it?

Happy Samhain!

-Mod Hazel

[aleksanderscult]

One thing that’s always puzzled me is how, during Alina’s time at the Little Palace, she and Aleksander only shared a handful of meaningful interactions—maybe three or four scenes at most. I understand he had a lot on his plate as the leader of the Grisha and had his duties as a general to manage, but it still feels like there was a missed opportunity for more connection between the two. If Aleksander really wanted Alina to see his perspective and not turn against him (even though I feel like she would still do that because it seems like Mal is always her only goal… 😪), wouldn’t it have made sense for them to have more conversations and moments together? It would have deepened their dynamic and possibly made Alina’s later decisions even more complex.

It’s almost like—more like it is—that Leigh Bardugo forgot that Aleksander had been waiting for the Sun Summoner for centuries, and then, when Alina is finally there, he’s practically absent. I get that he’s extremely busy, but why not add other scenes? There’s just this big gap in their relationship, which feels like a lost opportunity to flesh out their bond further. Why do you think Bardugo made this choice?

The lack of interaction feels so intentional, but I can't help wondering how the story might have shifted if we saw more of them together.

What about you? What changes would you have made to their dynamic in the first book? Maybe more time spent on Aleksander revealing the weight of his past, or moments of vulnerability between them that would complicate Alina’s view of him?

I understand your confusion, anon, but think about it from this perspective and all will make sense: This was Leigh Bardugo's very first novel.

See where my point is? And once you realize this then you understand why this book feels so amateurish. Most of all, it lacks another 100-150 pages of character development where Alina spends more time at the Little Palace and around the Darkling.

This way the reader would get more content about their mentor-student relationship, Bardugo would have the proper amount of pages to explore the Darkling's manipulation and Alina (and the reader) would feel even more bonded with the Little Palace. In canon we jumped from September - October straight to late December - January. We only got a recap of her time there.

Now what would I have done?

As an aspiring author that currently practices to writing and developing stories, I would explore Alina's time there more. It's important not to drag a novel with useless scenes but write down moments that even though would feel simple at first to the reader, will make so much sense afterwards when all is revealed and will make the reader go "Aha!". In short, that's what Bardugo should have done with the Darkling's scenes. I would personally have him around Alina even more but I wouldn't make him seem evil. On the contrary, my Darkling would deliberately let Alina be viciously trained by Baghra and then when he would step in he would be kinder, more understanding and more tolerant in order to gain Alina's trust. A manipulative person wants you to see them the way they want you to see them. (In canon, Aleksander was kind because that's who he was and not because of some grand plan which was such a waste). I wouldn't make him fall in love with Alina but Alina would have feelings for him something that my Aleksander would take advantage of, even after his schemes would be revealed. (I love some good-written manipulation, haven't you guessed it yet?)

Ah yes, of course I would change Alina's character. When you're in a foreign environment you unintentionally trust those that are kinder to you. With Alina I don't know what the fuck happened (mother issues). But I wouldn't write any POVs from the Darkling. I find it much more juicy when you don't know what the enemy is thinking, especially when he's cunning. It makes you guessing his next move and surprises you with it.

Also about the relationship between Genya-Alina. I would make the former more vengeful and darker (I'm sorry but I can't resist to such women in fiction 😩). She would be more focused in her mission than being a true friend to Alina and her kind words and actions towards the latter would be just a mask. In truth, my Genya would only care to see the royal family burned. This whole "I'm sorry for betraying you gonna go and betray the Darkling" wouldn't exist. She would know what she would be fighting for.

[sunflowersandsapphires]

Fall Drabbles, Day 6

prompt: beanie

pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!reader

summary: Matt takes an interest in your knitting.

warnings: swearing, sweet fluff as always

a/n: This one is all over the place because I'm thinking through a new fic for later this year, but it's still cute (I think). Hope you all enjoy!

w/c: <1k

“Let the marathon commence!” Foggy exclaimed, turning out the lights with a malicious laugh, before immediately lighting a few candles (that he claimed were for “the vibe”, but you were pretty sure it was because he was too chicken to sit in the dark while watching scary movies.)

Tilting your head towards Matt, you shook your head ”Remind me how the two of us got roped into a movie marathon?” 

Though you and Foggy got along really well, your interests aligned more closely with Matt's. Whether that was because you'd known the blind lawyer since he was picking fights at St. Agnes, or because you were an introvert who preferred a good book to the cheesy special effects of Foggy's favorite films, it was unclear. Yet here you were, planted comfortably next to Matt on Foggy's worn out couch, about to work your way through his top five scary movies. 

While you had little interest in the activity, you had no idea why Matt had signed up to take part in it. Not only were movies not something he regularly indulged in, for obvious reasons, but he had previously admitted to you that horror movies were some of his least favorite because all of the jump scares were ruined by the audio descriptions. 

Shifting so that his shoulder pressed up against yours, Matt chuckled. “Because Fog asked us to, and we would do just about anything for him.”

You grumbled in dejected acceptance, unzipping the large pocket of your bag and pulling out your crafting supplies. 

“Woah, what's all that?” Foggy wondered aloud as he sat on Matt's other side.

“Knitting stuff,” You shrugged, unspooling the color you were holding and threading the giant needles. “I'm behind on Christmas gifts.”

“I don't know what I want to know more about: the fact that you're handmaking holiday gifts or that October 6th is considered 'behind' schedule.“ Matt scoffed, tucking an arm over your legs as you threw them across his lap to start knitting.

“I make winter hats for my young cousins and the members of my aunt's assisted living facility. They usually appreciate them and I like having something to do with my hands.” You shrugged, explaining the tradition indifferently. 

“That's really nice!” Foggy smiled, elbowing Matt in the ribs. “You should make some for us.” 

Matt rolled his eyes, “Fog, it sounds like she's got her work cut out for her without us adding to it. Besides, you already have a stack of very ugly hats from your late grandmother.” Turning his attention back towards you, he grinned, “'Have you seen the one with the giant flower attached to it?”

Smiling roguishly, you looked expectantly at the blushing blond, “No I have not. Foggy, care to model that one for me?” 

“Ok, FIRST of all,” Foggy glared at his business partner, “Things that you see when I am drunk off my ass in college should be kept in confidence. Secondly, she had dementia and forgot that I was 19. And a boy.” 

“What, boys can't like flowers?” You asked with mock offense, biting the inside of your lip to keep from giggling at Foggy's evident frustration.

“I WASN'T SAYING THAT!” He spluttered, “I was just explaining why I own that hat.” 

“Don't worry, Fog. We won't tell anyone you're a bigot.” Matt smirked.

Foggy huffed as you laughed openly. “Whatever. Next time, I'll watch these on my own.”

“No you won't.” You giggled. 

Stony face breaking into a toothy grin, Foggy agreed. “No I won't.”

While you were definitely paying more attention to the movement of your darning needles than the characters on the screen, you were enjoying yourself. Foggy's eyes were glued to the screen, still flinching at every jumpscare despite the automated verbal warnings. Matt was alternating between laughing at his friend's reactions and listening to the movie, all the while running his fingers over the feather soft yarn you were working with. 

Usually, knit products bothered his skin—the wool or polyester blends scratching at every available nerve with vigor—but this material was downy and comforting. He wondered if the recipients of your painstakingly crafted gifts were as appreciative as you deserved. It was unlikely.

The quiet, consistent clicks of your needles were soothing, slowly lulling him to sleep. His eyelids must have been drooping noticeably because you adjusted your position to allow his head to pillow on your shoulder. Inhaling deeply, he tuned out the movie—choosing instead to focus on the lullaby composed by your steady pulse and kind hands. 

A few weeks later, Matt was returning to his office after running an errand for a client. It was just as he left it, save for the paper box tied with a ribbon sitting in the middle of his desk. 

“Fog, what’s this?” He called across the empty space. 

“A gift for you from a special someone!” The response he received did not answer his question. 

Unraveling the bow cautiously, Matt slid the top off the box and ran his hands around the contents inside. It was a hat, woven together with strands of that marvelous yarn you’d been working with. 

“Fog,” He called to his partner, who had followed his curiosity straight into Matt’s office. “Did she make me a hat?”

“Looks that way,” Foggy chuckled, stroking the delicate material. “It’s…beautiful. Deep red, like your suit.”

“Oh,” Matt’s voice was strangled with emotion. 

“Still think your feelings aren’t reciprocated?” Foggy asked coyly. 

“Shut up,” Matt murmured, clenching the heartfelt gesture in his hands.

[encantober-official]

#encantober

Encantober is an Encanto fandom event with themes for each day of the month of October (link to theme list in a copy/pasteable format Here), inspired by the concept of Inktober. Encantober is open to any and all content, including art, drabbles, one-shots, and more.

Fanworks can be shared via the #Encantober tag on tumblr and/or posted as part of the AO3 collection HERE.

Rules:

Works must be a part of the Encanto (2021) fandom. OCs, AUs, and crossovers are permitted.

Works must adhere to one of the Encantober themes.

Series of Encantober works are welcome.

No incest.

QA:

Q: Can I link prompts together? Or multiple prompts into one work? A: Linking works together to create a story series is a wonderfully creative idea! However, combining multiple prompts into one work defeats the purpose of the daily prompt challenge. Each work (or chapter in a series) should focus on one prompt.

Q: Do I have to participate every day? A: You do not have to participate every day. This is meant to be fun, so please don’t stress yourself out. 

Q: Do I need to publish my work on the specific day listed? A: No. We ask that you not publish before the specific day you're filling, but we will reblog late entries.

Q: Why aren’t my posts being reblogged? A: Either you posted it out of order (we will reblog late prompts, but not early ones!), forgot to tag #Encantober, or the admin team just missed it! We’re doing the best we can across timezones <3 

Browse:

Use the links below to find the works for each prompt in our archive!

1 Sunset, 2 Siblings, 3 Reunion, 4 Mystery, 5 Cold, 6 Heart, 7 Storm, 8 Question, 9 Time, 10 Help, 11 Liminal, 12 Nerves, 13 Fear, 14 Safety, 15 Midnight, 16 Grief, 17 Home, 18 Sleep, 19 Clock, 20 Vision, 21 Age, 22 Reflection, 23 Roots, 24 Memory, 25 Quiet, 26 Lost, 27 Grave, 28 Moon, 29 Mask, 30 Blood, 31 Sunrise

[alex31624]

Duck Comic Reading Club Week 17: Paperinik New Adventures: The Darkest Night

Behold, the return of Francesco Guerrini to PKNA. The second I saw the art, I thought this is the guy from Earthquake. I was right.

From the get go, we know this issue is going to look beautiful.

Now this is a Christmas tale. Merry Christmas, I guess. Weird fact of the day, in Venezuela they celebrated Christmas on October 1 by presidential order. Why? Beats me.

Anyway, shout out to this guy who saw aliens in his front door and his first reaction was to axed them. A true hero.

Throughout the story, we see that clock and I like the idea, but it doesn't add much. There's no deadline, like, at midnight the ship will come and everyone will be dead. That's a shame because, it would have add a lot of tension.

This town is on full Evronian invasion mode, but someone sends a "help us" message.

Hey, just like Ducks on the Road.

In the meantime, the army found out about the invasion, but…

The general has been removed from duty.

To be fair, he did take a bunch of soldiers to do a military attack on foreign territory.

The problem here is General Wisecube is a PK defender, while Coronel Westcock is a PK attacker. With him in charge, PK's future could be in a lot of troubles.

Talking about PK, where's our hero? He's on a top mission.

Christmas shopping. Sadly for him, but lucky for the people in the town, Uno found the message asking for help. Donald immediately enters in hero mode and jumps into the action.

I really like how the conversation is drawn, with only their heads all over the page.

Meanwhile, Morrighan and Camera 9 arrived at the town. How? I didn't mention that before, but Channel 00 was having a party, and Angus fooled Morrighan in follow one of his "fake" clues. They got just in time for the invasion. Talking about good timing.

By the way, this page is just beautiful.

PK arrived at the town, and saves this young lady that introduces herself as Marjory. But you and I know she's '91 Gosalyn, after leaving St. Cannard. She was the one who sent the message.

The way Guerrini show the destruction caused by the PK does what he does best, beats the hell out of Evronians. But of course, '91 Gosalyn joins the battle.is amazing. I love his art, I could spend all day staring at it.

Shout out to Camera 9 who never forgot his duty. He and Lyla are the only upright ones on Channel 00.

PK does what he does best, beats the hell out of Evronians.

But of course, '91 Gosalyn joins the battle.

But this time, it was too much. PK is doomed.

JA! Who could ever believe that? Donald must be the unluckiest duck ever, but when the mask is on, luck lady always smiles at him.

In the first reading, I thought, this Evronians can't beat anyone. But now, they're obviously over powered by the army. If they didn't retreat, it would have been a massacre.

You could said, why the army let them go? I think a full attack on that troope would result in a stronger answer. Sadly, we have been seen much of that in the world lately.

The Coronel later claim that this was nothing but a drill, and everybody buys it. The thing about civilians in super hero comics, they're dumb. All of them.

'91 Gosalyn and her family thank PK for his help. Is good to see him being treated as a hero for a change.

He even got a kiss. Way to go hero.

h

Finally, we found out the General has some loyal soldiers who are willing to help PK. There're some extra pages, turned out, the army got Camera 9's tape and changed it.

The world will remain ignorant about its invaders. For now.

We're back on track guys. Two weeks with good stories.

We just need Urk far away.