#(it's a long story we're not even going there)

[what-if-i-just-did]

I looked behind me at reflex, although I don't know what I was expecting, given the fact Disillusioned had said "invisible". Rather than some hideous creature, or nothing at all, I was met with the sight of Talon. I sighed. Right, of course.

I'd completely stopped thinking of Talon as a 'monster' over two decades ago, so he'd slipped my mind. Nobody else could see him, so I'd kind of forgotten that he'd look pretty scary to most others. Well, or sexy, depending on the person. Yuck. He had talons for fingers, like his name would suggest, with sharp claws rather than fingernails. He was 6'8 tall, give or take, with pitch black skin (or rather, short fur) that had red patterns on it like galaxies. Sharp teeth, somewhere between those of a shark and those of a vampire, and his eyes were as dark as his skin, with a silver iris in the middle of each of them.

Turning back to Disillusioned, I chuckled. "Oh. No, that's just Talon, he does whatever he wants. I guess I ask him for things sometimes but it's not my superpower. He's not even that helpful really."

I would've expected Talon to protest somehow, mock-offended, but he still seemed to be recovering from the surprise of someone else being able to see him. There was a slight smirk on his lips though, if you knew him well enough to be able to tell. His expressions were usually miniscule, but after living with him breathing down my neck for twenty-seven years, I'd learned to read them.

Disillusioned clearly wasn't expecting that. "Ah... so... why is he here?"

"Uh, complicated story.... he's kinda attached to me, so he just has to hang around until I die. We're friends though."

"Mmmm, I wouldn't go that far, little one. I'll help you out on occasion, for my amusement. Don't mistake that for friendship."

"Talon, I made you pancakes for breakfast yesterday and you put whipped cream on my nose. You have no ground to stand on."

Talon, wisely, kept his fanged mouth shut.

Disillusioned raised an eyebrow. "That's... certainly intriguing." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "I don't normally do this- I'm not supposed to, but.. if you're agreeable, I'm intrigued. Could we exchange number and arrange for a meet-up? I'd love to know more about Talon."

Talon howled with laughter as I fangirled, either uncaring or simply unused to the fact that Disillusioned could hear him. Disillusioned wanted to meet with me???! More than the meet-n-greet that I paid for???!

It took me much too long to finally stutter out a "yeah" that didn't sound nearly enthusiastic enough. Disillusioned chuckled, and wrote something on my arm. His number. Oh gods. When did he even get a pen?

"Uh, that's your fifteen minutes up, luv, but I'm looking forward to seeing you again... Casey, was it?"

"Ciji.", I said, dazed. A few minutes later, I realised I had not only just MET Disillusioned, but he wanted to meet ME. Granted, it was about Talon, but still.

!!!

(authors note- comment if you want a part two?)

“So what’s your power?” Said the all-seeing super-powered individual, “Telekinesis” you said “……….so it’s not the ability to order around the invisible monster that follows you around?” “The fucking what?”

[shuenkio]

Moonstruck | 성훈 🖤 엔.하.이.픈 (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

Paring: idol!Sunghoon X M!reader

Genre: Fluff. Synopsis: Taken a week vacation in the UK that Jay suggests to find out that, he's not the only child, he had another little brother?

Non proof read English is not my 1st.

This is a work of fanfiction, do not throw unnecessary tantrums on this nsfw/sfw blog. ©Shuenkio

A/N: Forget to mention m/n have the punk/hip-hop style in dressing, black from head to toe you can imagine ;) btw English here is a bit cheeky, hope you don't mind.

The World Tour comes to an end, the boy band group "ENHYPEN" gets a chance to take their own break, vacations and personal doing. It is a blessing and relief that they all get time to rest, after doing concerts non-stop, they're gonna spend time in their own way.

On the other hand, in the dorm, Jay, one of the members chit chatted with his teammates if they wanted to go on vacation in the UK. Positivity, they are all immediately drawn and agree to the suggestion idea. The boys had never stepped foot in the UK before, so why not ? Even better, Jay would pay half of the tickets too, isn't that Great? Only idiots can decline this offer.

After flying a few hours from Korea to the UK, it finally arrived. The land of the united kingdom, known as the British country. It's like entering another side of the world, people have their own unique remarkable, people speak British English, chaos and busy days, with the high technology here. This is gonna make one of the best memories ever.

Moving on to Jay's place. Actually it was one of his parents places here. After hearing Jay would bring his teammates in, his parents happily flying over the moon, quicker than the speed of light, arrive in the UK to prepare and welcome them, not to mention they have a private jet that's why.

Knocking on the tall well-built traditional door, all 7 guys greetings by Jay's parents, with a warm hug and kiss. While taking a peek inside, it is like taking a vacation in a damn golden castle. Everything is decorated in luxurious furniture, the light, the floor, and it's hella large, just imagine a mansion like.

Settled down inside, Both of Jay's parents went through the kitchen to prepare a lot of meals for the family, and the guests but that's not the case, they're all family too. Admire in the surroundings, Jay would be given them and show them their guest bedroom, and what to do and don't until most of them are in their own guest room, left Sunghoon who was there, standing alone like a lost puppy in his mate's house.

"Uh Jay-ah, where can I sleep for tonight?"

"...hmmm.. all the guest rooms are full now for them so maybe my brother's room, come on let me show you, I hope he won't be mad"

Sunghoon blinks, furrow his brows confused as Jay mentioned he just has a brother knowing all along he is the only one, when he said that, it makes no sense.

"brother? ... You had a brother? I thought you were the only child?" Said while walking, as Jay guided him to M/N room.

"it's a long story, I didn't tell you all for a reason, haha now now we're here" Knocking on the door, Jay speaks calling, for M/N name. Later, the door opened, revealing a boy who was dressed, in a very... Different style, that quickly grabs Sunghoon's attention.

"JAY?" You happily shout, knowing Jay home after waiting for him for days, greeting him with a hug, which is soon returned by him.

"M/N! How I miss you. How are you? Are you doing great?"

"well yeah I am, I'm very good and I hope you're doing okay too" You respond, crossing your hands in. Then your eyes land on a taller pale guy, behind Jay. You might know him, but he probably doesn't.

"oh, is he Sunghoon hyung?" Mutter, you peeking behind your brother's back, to see clearly. Sunghoon who was an introvert guy, feeling and surprised that you know his name, mixed with awkwardness in this kind of situation, especially with strangers, but does he have to get used to it? It's Jay's brother after all.

"you know a lot don't you? Yeah He's the Park Sunghoon that you like the most" like the most? Sunghoon's face turning tomatoes, as he is puzzling. feeling like his heart Sprint away from his own beat, so you do like him? Well when fans confess they like Sunghoon, it's just a normal reaction but when He knows you like him, it's weird, different feel from those fans. or maybe he is just shy ? Or super shy?

"Hi! Sunghoon hyung it was nice to meet you, I'm M/N" bowing down in a respectful way, you suddenly switch language once you greet him, which once again makes Sunghoon feel dumb like a lost sheep. There's so much information going on here.

"O-oh yes... M/n... Good to see you. Your Korean is nice I'm Impressed" Sunghoon greet back, feeling more used to and ease once you speak to him in Korean. After all those greetings, Sunghoon just stood there, didn't know what to do next as he watched Jay and You, asking about their days.

"oh right, Sunghoon you must be wondering. Actually he was my adopted brother. We had him when I was pre-teen. But I understand most of you guys don't know about him because we like to gatekeeping him Haha well today all the members would know, don't worry—

He is half asian and europe also, that is why he has a unique style, from his head to toe isn't it cool haha. Punk style but you'll get used to it, I know ni-ki is gonna love him—

Okay I talk too much, so M/n mind if I borrow your room for a few days? For Sunghoon? All the guest rooms are full, can he stay with you" Jay state, after the small talk. Meanwhile, M/n agree to his brother request, not that he was a creep, it because of the situation, also who wouldn't? It was the Park Sunghoon.

"Sure, hyung can sleep in my room. I'm all good"

"Thanks bud, now Sunghoon? You can settle in here— oh right... Sunghoon?" Jay called, Sunghoon catches himself zooming out to your appearance, it not everyday to see someone looking good in such style, black from head to toes. Seeing such reactions makes you chuckle, as Sunghoon snapped out, ashamed with a blushing red face before getting inside to load away his stuff.

"Right, Right I hope you don't mind me M/n"

"I should say that, hehe since you're the guest, just asked me don't be shy, I'll do it"

"Thank you ha" seeing the two of you getting along well, Jay's warm smile appears as he leaves the room, and gone downstairs.

-///-

In the rest of the evening all the boys and family, get to know you better, as you introduce yourself as Jay's adopted little brother. Jay was right when he said You'd be ni-ki favorite, because once he saw you, he imma befriended you. Exchange the number, ask about your Style, and talk for hours about stuff ni-ki wanted to know. While the other member was also surprised when they realized that Jay was keeping you well in the basement for the whole time and none of them knew about it. It can also be reasonable because of that gorgeous handsome face you got there, that catches every member's attention.

Jake would ask you to chat with him in English as he wanted to learn how to talk in British too, and so is Heeseung. Your accent makes their knee weaken with that soft tone of yours.

Jungwon would also be talking to you too, asking this or that and often joking about your brother why he is a comedian in the group. Sunoo would compliment your skin tone, the skin you got on your face stunned him in a way that he can't help, but to ask what's your skin care routine.

But for Sunghoon, He just laughed and giggled along, when the members asked or talked to you. He was so shy and afraid to make conversation with, and he had nothing to talk about. He was devastated to get to know you well just like the other but then it clicks when he learns that he'll spend every night sleeping on the same bed with you.

Yet that's fine. On the first night, you asked him if he wanted to sleep on the bed alone, if he was a light sleeper you can move to the couch but Sunghoon insisted, both of them should be on the bed. He was the guest anyway he didn't want to burden anybody.

And so on, Sunghoon got a more private chance than others when it comes to talking, especially at night when it's just the two of you. Most of the time, all night he would ask this and that, and do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, about your life and personal thing which you happily respond to. Sunghoon was your bias of course, you would tell him everything, admire his million dollar face while you talk so, people would fight for him.

As the days passed on about a week. It's time for all the 7 members to go back to Korea. You help them pack their stuff, and so do your parents and Jay. The past few days, they are spending time with you by talking, going out, shopping and the Disney land date, it was such a good snapshot in time to get to know them all better. Before they leave you give each of them a promising and memories gift to remember this precious time together, the boys happily satisfied accepted and their heart melting to the gesture. You were so sweet.

However, for Sunghoon it was different. Even though it's just a simple gift he clearly enjoys more than the rest, and he promised he will cherish this gift for a long time.

"Thank you m/n letting me stay in your room, you're so... Cool and nice, sweet, like Jay. Here, I have my PC card haha I know it's not much but I hope you like it" gasp, you feel like you're about to ascend up to heaven as Sunghoon gives you back a gift, a rare PC card that you wised to have.

"oh my GOSH thank you hyung, I love it so much thank you woah it's sighed? I'm going to be crazy!!"

Laughing. Everyone finds the moment cute and adorable as you express yourself as a fan. Soon the time will come, you wave goodbye to the seven guys as you watch them disappear in the plane.

"Good luck hyung!! See you sometime later"

"yess" they all said in unison, enter the aircraft with a warming heart. On the way, Sunghoon can't help but to say it out loud.

"I like him, Jay"

"ehhh"

"No Sunghoon hyung, I like him first he was my buddy!" Ni-ki argue.

"ey ey ey he was my British guy before all of you guys, he was my first" Jake burst in playfully.

"but I do really like him, in a way"

"...."

"well— what "

[hyperdramas]

1-800-got-stress | jeon wonwoo

pairing: jeon wonwoo x reader

warnings: non-idol au, college/professor au, slight romance (?), english professor wonwoo x teacher's assistant reader, tiny sprinkles of humor, one-sided crush (?), wonwoo is very dense when it comes to reader's romantic feelings (not really though), reader still loves him anyways, cute ending??

now playing: return of the mack, mack morrison

dedicated to: @k1eev (<3)

"After the lecture, I want you all to come see my assistant before you leave. She has the next module printed out and organized for you all." Wonwoo's deep voice is the next thing you hear once you snap back into reality, and many of the college student's eyes dart away from you as you look around, more than likely aware of how long you've been gaping at the English professor.

Jeon Wonwoo was the person always on your mind now—ever since you started as his teacher's assistant earlier this month, you've always been thinking about him.

He was everything you weren't—calm, professional, disciplined and put-together. He knew what to say and how to say it, and what to do and how to do it—you were ninety-nine percent convinced that there was nothing Wonwoo couldn't do.

Not only was he annoyingly perfect at his job, but he was annoyingly handsome too—he was handsome to a massive amount of people, students and other professors included. He had sharp eyes that seemed to grow even sharper with the perfect amount of tiredness, and hard-edged features that you had memorized now with how much you had stared at him when he worked.

Time went slow as Wonwoo talked, deep voice echoing through the lecture hall as he gave his presentation on the deeper story of Romeo and Juliet, asking his class questions as he gaged their attention span.

You thought about how nervous you would feel under Wonwoo's gaze. Your face just heated up at it, imagining how you wouldn't be able to look him in the face without feeling completely inadequate.

It was already hard for you to look him in the face, and you were his personal assistant.

"Please finish the last essay I assigned at the beginning of the month. Since we're starting a new module this Friday, I want everyone to be on the same page." Wonwoo's voice was monotonous as students started to pack their things, and you placed the stack of module papers on the desk, letting the students grab and go.

The class filtered out slowly, some staying behind to ask Wonwoo questions and garner advice from him. You watched them quietly, straightening the closet as you dipped in and out of their conversations.

You had just heard another professor enter the room, asking Wonwoo to go out with her tonight for a drink, (to which he politely refused), when Wonwoo had addressed you.

"Are you doing alright? You've looked really tired today." Wonwoo's thick, stern eyebrows are flat as he stares at you blankly, and you try to read his sharp eyes for any flicker of emotion for a quick second, giving up as you give him an awkward smile.

"Oh, I'm fine, Mr. Jeon. I'm not even tired—just a bit distracted, that's all." You reassure him, and Wonwoo nods, looking down at his watch as you finish straightening up your desk.

"You should get some rest. It's not good for you to be tired and trying to assist me, is it?" Wonwoo has a faint smile on his lips when he says this, and you try not to blush or melt under his hot gaze against your skin, fiddling with your collar awkwardly as you nod.

"Here, let me help you with those." Wonwoo's voice is directed to the stack of heavy books teetering on the end of your desk. You nod to him gratefully, allowing him to pick them up as you walk to the other side of the room, unlocking the storage closet door.

He held the books without strain, face still as he waited for you to finish putting your share of books down. Wonwoo followed you, cologne wafting in the air and drifting under your nose as he turned off the lights.

"Thank you for today. You did very well." Wonwoo's voice was sweet as he smiled at you, and you returned the gesture stiffly, making your way back to the desk as you grabbed your things.

"Of course, Mr. Jeon. You did well too, I mean—you did well with the lectures and everything. You teach everything in such a fresh way, it's tough for anyone to not be compelled or interested in what you're teaching." You were a sucker for Jeon Wonwoo, and it was starting to show more and more now—how were you supposed to be normal about him?

"It takes a lot to make the lecture engaging and informative, so I'm glad you think that of me. Many students call me the boring teacher." Wonwoo's voice is lighthearted as he finishes straightening up his desk, and you chuckle, mostly at the absurdity of his words.

"You're quite the opposite of a boring teacher, in my opinion. Your stories and explanations are way more animated than the textbooks could be." Were you showering your superior-turned-crush with embellished compliments? Yes. Did you want him to notice?

...Not really.

"You sure do have a lot to think about me, don't you?" Wonwoo's voice is still playful, even if it has a neutralness to it. You blush slightly at his words, earning a smile from Wonwoo as he smiles. "I'm just teasing you. I appreciate everything you say to me."

A slight pink tint to Wonwoo's cheeks brings an even brighter one to yours, and the two of you fall silent, obviously sensing something between you. Wonwoo's eyes rake over your form, and you shyly look up at him, dark brown eyes behind his frame still making you warm inside as you sigh (dreamily and deliriously, as you might add).

You had made Wonwoo—Professor Jeon Wonwoo, the boring, scarily neutral English professor—blush from your compliments. You would be wallowing in your achievement if you weren't also blushing at the moment.

"Well, I, uh—" You stumble over your words, also stumbling over your book as you pick it up from the floor. Wonwoo watches you quietly, glasses sliding down his strong nose bridge slightly as he watches you head towards the door. "I should get going. It's getting late, and I have to be back here early tomorrow."

"I'll walk you to your car." Wonwoo nods, following suit as he slips his jacket over his broad shoulders and picks up his briefcase. His dress shoes hit the wooden floor as he follows after you, and he turns out the light, leaving you two engulfed in darkness for a few seconds as you stumble back, stepping on Wonwoo's foot.

He grunts harshly under you, and you scramble back, lights in the hallway illuminating your embarrassed blush. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

Wonwoo just smiles again, smile lines sending butterflies that go straight to your stomach. "No worries. You couldn't see because of me, and I'm sorry." His cologne is so strong and so him you can't think straight, but you do your best to string your words together.

"Well, Mr. Jeon, I'll see you tomorrow," The two of you had just left the building, now by your car as you unlock the door. Wonwoo watches you with sharp eyes, clearing his throat as you turn to him.

"If—If you'd like, we should converse over dinner sometime. Not as coworkers, but as good friends." Wonwoo's sentence brought a rude awakening to your world, and you stood in shocked silence for a second, processing what he said to you as you blinked blankly.

Wonwoo considered you to be a good friend—you would have never told by how unfazed he was by most things, but he considered you to be more than a coworker or partner. He saw you as a friend. A good friend who was asking you to dinner.

"Yeah, we—we should, Mr. Jeon." You agree, and Wonwoo clears his throat, sharp eyes daring away as he adds, "Oh, and you can call me Wonwoo. We're comfortable with each other now, so we can drop the formalities."

Not only were you Wonwoo's good friend, but you were such a good friend you could now call Mr. Jeon by his real name, Wonwoo. Too many green flags were going off in your head, but could Wonwoo sense he was giving you all these green flags? It only made your crush on him worse.

"Well, I'll get going, Wonwoo." Even his name on your lips felt sweet, and Wonwoo nodded, giving you a small wave as he closed your car door.

"Until tomorrow." He smiles softly again, and you melt into your seat, smiling as you nod back. "Until tomorrow."

feedback & reblogs are appreciated! love u lyrnation <3

[tessaaaaa]

Regarding the recent DBD season 2 "spoilers"

I feel like fandom spaces need to stop trying to seek validation from actors and writers everywhere. I get it. You want to know if what you have picked up from the show is true. Especially when it comes to shipping, it is important to people to have proof, to know that you are not reading into things. I have a 2 hour long Destiel presentation on my computer that I can recite from memory. I get it. But caring so much about what certain people have to say isn't healthy.

I understand that it is important for people to know if Charles and Edwin were ever meant to be Endgame. I care about that as well. I want to know if we we did read too much into their interactions. And I hate that we will never actually see them get together. But I personally didn't interpret anything we have seen so far on Cameo as suggesting otherwise. And even if it wasn't planned, it was still there subtextually. And things can change. Relationships develop, original endings can go in a completely different direction over the course of a show.

The thing with Dead Boy Detectives is, it got cancelled. Whatever they planned, it doesn't matter anymore. We will never see it, they will never see it. The characters belong to us now. We will never get more than those 8 episodes. Now we'll have to come up with everything else ourselves. Pick and choose what you like about the spoilers we have gotten. Don't like the idea of Edwin and the Cat King having sex? Okay. Then ignore it. It's not canon and it will never be. You do like it? Great! Have fun with it.

Free yourselves from the idea in the only right direction for a character and a story to take is what the writers dictate. Especially when those ideas will never see the light of day. Nothing is more or less canon than it was a week ago. That's how canon works.

Channel your inner 2014 tumblrina and have fun. It's why we're here. The world is already bad enough.

[melverie]

Last post on the entire date ticket thing and then I will forever shut up about it, but I feel like most people arguing in favor of the price tag are just….missing the point on why people are so angry about the date ticket being $30

I think the one thing we can all agree on right from the get go is that everyone in the staff deserve to and should be compensated fairly for their work. And that obviously includes certain features and items having to cost actual money considering the game itself is free

But the thing is, that $30 price tag doesn't just exist in a vacuum

First off, we can all agree that charging something like $3 would have made the ticket sell far better, right? Several people have already pointed out that they can buy a week's worth of groceries with $30 and depending on how much you earn, the date ticket isn't exactly something anyone can just buy on a whim. Again, $3 would have been far more affordable for most people, and I'm sure many more people (myself included) would have been far more willing to spend $3 just to see what the date ticket is like, and maybe also buy the tickets of multiple other characters. But $30 for a single date ticket is a luxury a lot of people just cannot afford, or would rather put into something else. Even if they lowered the price, they'd surely break even and make profit with how many players there are

And judging by its contents, I think it's fair to say that the date itself is not worth $30. And I feel like Solmare themselves know this because why else would they have bundled it with 300 DP? The only reason is to justify this price tag because "look at how much DP we're getting with it tho!!" when that's not the point. It doesn't matter whether the DP are included, because there is a lack of choice here. We have other options to earn and buy DP, but we don't have a choice when it comes to the date ticket itself. Either you pay $30, or you miss out on a feature that many of us have wanted for a while now. And since it's the DP raising the price tag,what you are essentially paying for is 300 DP with a date ticket as your purchase bonus, even though it should be the other way round

And honestly? Considering the price, the only two times it would make sense to buy this bundle is if you were already considering buying DP anyway, or if you are financially well enough off that the current price doesn't matter to you. You won't convince most casual spenders, and you most definitely will not convince a f2p player to pay for this feature

The other thing is that we had no idea what the date ticket actually entailed because we weren't given any information on it. Thanks to people in the community buying and reviewing this feature for others we now know that the date consists of one phone call, a ~10 minute long, partially voiced date story-line and a Majolish background. Except, those are things that Solmare themselves should have told us right as they announced this feature, ESPECIALLY considering the price point. If you don't, you can't complain if people are accusing your company of trying to rip its player base off and of being greedier than the Avatar of Greed himself. But also, that's the thing!

We shouldn't have people in the fandom be the ones to go out of their way to give us basic info on new features, or to even explain certain business decisions in the first place. That's the company's job. Yes, certain explanations should be a given (such as microtransactions existing so that the staff can be paid the money they obviously deserve), but there are other things that should have been explained by Solmare themselves

Open communication with the player base is the key phrase here, and imo Solmare has been doing worse and worse on that front as of late, resulting in several unexplained choices that just seem questionable at best and scummy at worst, as well as a player base that grows more and more disgruntled by the day. And that frustration within the player base shows in the amount of people dropping the game, as well as in the amount of money it's making

People are willing to put their time and money into something they deem a good, quality product with a justified price considering the content. If your player base isn't putting in the money you are expecting, then maybe you should listen to their feedback and re-examine your product instead of overcharging a feature because "look at this thing you're getting extra that no one asked to be included in the bundle in the first place"

Literally part of the reason LaDS has grown to be so successful in such a short amount of time is because they keep making adjustments based on player feedback, even on some minor things. I mean they literally pushed out an update to correct the color of one of the character's tongue in the newest card because people were complaining, like hello!! Imagine Solmare listening to complains as minor as this

Anyway, whether intentional or not, this entire thing just feels scummy, and that's the problem. The choice we have is either "pay 30 bucks per character or miss out on this feature entirely", the price is artificially inflated with the inclusion of DP that we have other ways of getting, romance is slowly fazed out of the story only to now be put behind a heft paywall, we weren't told what we are even paying for exactly in the first place, and there has been a severe lack of proper communication from Solmare that have soured the relationship to the game's fanbase and, most importantly in this context, their customers

No, companies aren't our friends. Yes, they need to make money. Yes, they should pay their employees fairly. And no, we as consumers shouldn't expect nor are we entitled to everything about the game being free because again, the people working on this game deserve to get paid fairly for all the work they put into it

However, people are still allowed to be critical of a company and its decisions, especially when they feel like they are getting ripped off. The 300 DP might soften the blow, but that doesn't stop everything that has happened before from being a slap in the face. That's why people are pissed right now, and honestly it's been a long time coming

[auroras-zenith]

what doesn't kill you // part 1

you had your whole life planned out for you; start an agency with your best friend, scale the charts and make japan your bitch. but when a tragic accident leaves you incapacitated and out of a job, you find you just need to start fresh. you cut ties–and for two years, you've all but disappeared. until they need you again and come knocking at your door.

bakugo x retiredpro!reader

previous ✧ next

The winds howled with a fury matched only by that lit within Katsuki Bakugo as he propelled himself forward at reckless speeds. The explosions emanating from his hands only aggravated the sky in its tantrum further. Fluorescent red and blue lights lit the night sky into day–a warning written into each flashing color.

It was a hard night to be a hero.

The villain had disappeared without a trace at some point during the fight–a cowardly move–but it was already far too late. The damage was done–spanning far across the expanse of several city blocks. Every hero in Japan was out, managing collapsing apartment buildings in the hundreds. The world waited with bated breath to see how things would pan out.

“South stairwell has fallen!”  The words were panicked and rushed, each staticky syllable striking a new bout of fear into the hero’s already erratic heart.  

“Deku! Civilians on the seventeenth floor! I can’t get them down without breaking the building!”

"We need backup!"

“Creati is down! We need to fall back!”

The blonde man felt his heart sinking. The heroes were spread too thin. They were losing ground. He had to call it at some point–had to cut his losses and count the bodies.

But how could they just leave? Even if the casualty count rose no higher, 182 loved ones would not return home to their families tonight–from this sector alone. He hovered midair for a moment, torn.

"Dynamight, we've got to go! The buildings structurally unsound!"

"You all get out! I'm not done yet. I'll leave when the building is clear!" You shouted, refusing to back down as you sprinted through the maze of debris.

“Tch! Cordelia! Rendezvous point! Now!” He made up his mind, shouting above the sound of the gales that threatened to knock him right out of the air. He changed course, guiding himself back toward where the rest were undoubtedly gathering.

"I've already told you! I'm not done till that whole building is empty, end of story. You go!"

"Cordelia, I'm not fucking with you, you hear me?!" He seethed. "Cordelia, do you copy! Don't start some self-sacrificing bullshit! Get your ass out, we're going!"

The silence that stretched through the night was fine at first–but then it was a second too long. And then several seconds too long. The eerie absence of sound chilled him to the bone, freezing him in his tracks. “Cordelia! Where the fuck are you at?”

He felt the blood in his veins turn to ice as he was met with the only sound worse than silence.

A blood curdling scream ripped through the comms, the crackly sound carrying evident agony.

“Crap!” He hissed, making an immediate 180. His annoyance was nothing more than a disguise–a clever mask that he could hide behind to feign confidence. In reality, he could feel his world shaking and crumbling to pieces around him. “I NEED EYES ON CORDELIA NOW! RED! SHE WAS WITH YOU LAST!” 

“She left with Chargebolt to the east quadrant!” 

“Chargebolt was taken out of the field for injuries!” 

“FUCK!” He shot through the sky, a comet of fear as unspoken worries and doubts flashed through his mind faster than he could shoot them down. He wasn’t supposed to fear–he was supposed to be feared. But you always had been his greatest strength–or perhaps you were his only weakness.

“I’VE GOT EYES ON HER, DYNAMIGHT! SHE’S BEEN HIT! EVERYONE GET TO THE RENDEZVOUS POINT, I’LL GET HER!”

"FUCK THAT, DEKU! I'M COMING!" The terror in his voice was practically contagious.

Midoriya felt the walls of the building crumbling apart around him–or maybe that was his world. The hit wasn’t looking good–clean through your spine. He slid to the floor, narrowly dodging a falling chunk of concrete.

“Cordelia! Cordelia, I need you to stay with me!” He demanded wildly as he willed his legs faster.

He had seen terrors of all shapes and sizes. Natural disasters that left everything in shambles, monsters that shook the earth with each step, but this…

He worked as he spoke, adrenaline working overtime as he rushed to lift you, sprinting as he navigated them both through the collapsing rubble as if you weighed nothing.

“Cordelia!” He felt his heart leap out of his chest as he saw your eyes threatening to close. “Cordelia! CORDELIA! Y/n! Y/n, please! He can’t lose you. I can’t lose you, Y/n!” He begged.

Your silence save for your labored and erratic breathing spurred his steps faster. A large piece of rubble fell from the roof, blocking the only exit.

“Shoto! I need a way out! Northeast stairwell’s compromised!” He shouted into his earpiece, heart beating louder than the sound of the building coming apart.

“DON’T MOVE, DEKU!” The world shook harder.

How could this be happening? Cordelia? His partner? The cofounder of the Dynadelia agency?

The wall in front of Deku and you shook, splintering into thousands of tiny rocks. The green haired hero moved to shield you with his body, his larger frame absorbing all the impact. He handed you off to the explosion hero without another word.

The blonde jumped without another word, using his explosions to slow his descent as he cradled you safely in one arm. Deku followed suit, using his quirk to slow his fall as well.

"MEDIC! WE NEED A MEDIC!"

It didn't take a genius to see he was losing them. He was losing two of his closest friends. One to the giant metal rod sticking through her abdomen, and the other to the deathly fear pounding through his head.

The world was silent tonight as the men plummeted to the floor, praying for Japan's fourth hero.

The hero world, praying for Y/n L/n.

a/n: goal is to not randomly ghost this cus i HATE when that happens to me

taglist: @floverisland @biancatomlinson @rosaryia

permanent tags: @phtmmsqrde

[girlsoutlate]

this is my new account, so i'm reposting my 1 piece of work, hope you enjoy!!

readers thoughts are in pink, ever so light implied john price x reader, light questionable behaviour from men (not 141)

thinking about subtle sarcastic reader, especially to the type of man she'd encounter while working in the army. being a civilian and a woman many on base just looked over her, or looked too intensely at certain parts of her. but after months of working she's found her place, she's now respected by those who surround her. but what happens when some higher ups come and visit?

working closely with the 141 was no easy task. going from mundane paperwork to the flurry of action from a mission was difficult for you to handle, let alone helping them. you'd grown closer to them though, no more bouts of shyness stopping you from being yourself. instead you'd grown in to steady workplace banter with all.

unfortunately today couldn't be one of those days as some ever so important higher ups were holding a meeting with the 141, and since you handle the majority of the paperwork you were so graciously invited to attend.

you wished you had a little bit more time to prepare for this. these were important people, who wouldn't be nervous? apart from soap who appeared with a shit-eating grin at your office door, gifting you another surprise meeting. or gaz who could charm any conversation his way a bit too easily, with suave compliments and easy-going humour. don't forget ghost who doesn't even need to look engaged because of his mask, or be expected to speak due to his... unique personality. oh and the captain has been to countless of these meetings, so he can't empathise with you either.

but, one thing you could all agree on is that meetings were incredibly boring. for two reasons mostly. either the attendees were so dense it seemed they hadn't stepped on planet earth before, let alone a military base. or the subject matter was so bland you all wondered why there needed to be a meeting in the first place.

as your heels tapped hastily along the hallway you wondered which it would be. arriving barely on time with a tight clutch on haphazardly organised documents and a cup of coffee you opened the door, and had an inkling it wouldn't be any. you were met with two male voices. one high, clipped and plummy, the other harsh and american.

"-- that's what i expected from someone of her-oh hello! nice to finally meet you" the man at the head of the table said. an older, short and stout man with thin wire-rimmed glasses and a black tailored suit. a typical english man in an authoritative position. "ah, sorry i was late you'll have to excuse me. i thought to bring my extra notes, i hope i didn't make you wait long." you replied. "not at all, my colleague mr sullivan and i were discussing stories from our base". your gaze flicked over to what must be the source of the american voice. perfectly gold hair stuck down with copious amounts of gel, paired with lightly tanned skin and a too white smile didn't make it hard to guess. "civilians eh?" the taller man began "don't know what's up with the ones here, especially the woman we were just talki-"

"right" prices deep gravely voice cut over the grating one "meeting should start we're all 'ere". murmurs of agreement filled the room, and so did glances between the 141 that you didn't pick upon. however you did notice they were unusually quiet though you brushed it off, they were probably tired. "gosh where are my manners" the man at the head of the table exclaimed "my name is mr buckton and i'll be leading this meeting." briskly taking a few steps towards you he shook your hand roughly. being polite you attempted to make eye contact, yet his eyes were still looking straight ahead? lingering only on your chest for a moment he then made eye contact with you, a wide grin crept on his face. "come, your seat is next to mine" he prompted, gesturing you to walk infront of him and take your seat. as you walked infront of him his eyes now travelled further south. a small grimace shared from gaz to soap went undetected by the three sitting at the top of the table. mr buckton at the head, you to his left and then the captain and ghost next to you. opposite was mr sullivan, with gaz then soap next to him. with you all seated the meeting began.

for once the meeting was actually worth being held. despite it not being anything too serious you did well, even with your nerves. you answered questions and expanded in the points of others. as you suggested plans of action mr buckton steadily kept his eyes on you, while mr sullivan constantly scribbled notes down. soon enough the meeting was a breeze. well for about twenty minutes. across from you, mr sullivan was very inquisitive about anything you said. asking you to back it up or to show proof. not thinking much of it you obliged. it was a little odd but you knew your stuff and why not show off infront of higher ups? however the sentiment was not shared with the rest of the 141. who even asked for evidence about evidence? they understood wanting clarification on certain things, but it was growing incessant now. you were capable of your job and they knew that - that's why you were there. price especially helped you in the growing awkwardness; his job had never been so easy with you working underneath him. gaz and soap constantly gave eachother questioning glances, not wanting to explicitly speak up if their captain didn't. ghost was pissed he couldn't hide his eyes rolling as well as his scowl behind his balaclava. although they were growing increasingly annoyed the meeting continued, with more ridiculous questions being asked. professionalism was continued with a grim expression for another twenty minutes or so. hardly.

until mr sullivan basically dislocated his back by stretching in his chair with an exaggerated yawn leaving his cavernous mouth. "thought you woulda brought coffee since you kept us waiting for so long, cant believe you didn't make me some fresh". with beady eyes on you he smiled lazily. oh he has to be joking you thought to yourself there's no way this guy is real. play them at their own game. "why would i make more? i've already got some for myself" you smiled sickly back at him back, one that gaz has used on you many times when he's late giving you a report.

the table fell unusually silent again, and that's when you noticed it. the crackling of unease filling the air. sharp eyes from the 141 darted from eachother to you, to mr sullivan and back again.

"don't be so mean, i'm literally a dying man" he snarkily replied, eyeing you coolly. "one can hope" ghost muttered under his breath.

"i have urgent needs that need to be taken care of, won't you help?". mr sullivan continued, a slimy smile displayed as he noted the effect his badly hidden innuendo had on you. you felt your cheeks warm. he smirked at this, finally affecting you after bugging you the whole bloody meeting. fuck impressing him he's an arsehole.

"well, i'm sure you'll be alright by yourself. seems it happens a lot." you said back, indifferent. as soon as that left your mouth a strange sharp bark that hastily turned in to a cough came from soap. all heads from the table whipped to look at him. "pardon me" he shakily said, quickly taking a sip of his drink, watery eyes not straying from the blank wall above ghosts head.

"let's get back on track hmm?" mr buckton suggested "so cheeky, must be that time of the month". he turned to you with an eyebrow raised with an impish grin.

what. what the actual fuck. not only was this unprofessional, but who even though if that? let alone say it out loud.

price coughed uncomfortably and turned away. gaz and ghost looked at eachother in disbelief. and soap was finding that wall even more interesting. surely it could not get any worse.

"oh you all know what women are like, don't pretend. especially when they're frustrated" mr buckton let out a giggle "you know from work". you actually spluttered, eyes wide with disbelief. the feeling of unease in the air was now a full jolt of electricity. just as you felt price boiling with anger you leaned forwards to mr buckton. if everyone on the table wasn't watching you, they certainly were now.

"tell me" you said. mr buckton looked at you shocked, mouth gaping open. "tell me what women are like. you know i've been so airheaded this last week i hardly know my left from my right!". just to amp it up a little you slowly crossed your arms just underneath your chest, accentuating it. "you've explained so much to me this meeting surely you could explain this?"

the 141's eyes grew to the size of saucers, there's no way these two would actually fall for this? right? at this point mr bucktons and mr sullivans jaws were practically falling off. the latter was sadly the quickest to start talking 'so, when women start-". a smart rap in the door interrupted. a male voice said seriously

"emergency call for you mr buckton".

"oh, oh you must excuse us. i have to end this meeting" mr buckton declared "i simply cant miss this". messily shuffling their papers together both men swiftly said their goodbyes to you all. with that they just about made it out the door without tripping over their own legs.

a second passed after the door banged shut before gaz burst out in howls of laughter, clutching his ribs, soon joined by soap who could barely look at the wall for any longer. ghost stared at the door muttering who knows what under his breath and the captain sat there with his gaze fixated on the table mortified. he turned his head to you apologising profusely and asking if you're okay.

you just nodded vaguely and replied "men"

all likes, reblogs and comments are so appreciated!! this is my first time writing something properly so i hope you enjoyed it

[aniesvision]

𝟑𝟎- 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

𐂂 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘 𝚡 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚝'𝚜 𝚎𝚡 𝚐𝚏

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒖𝒑, 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕, 𝒕𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒄!𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕, 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒌

𝚊/𝚗: 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒐𝒚𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅-𝑫𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏. 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 ☕︎

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒙-𝒃𝒐𝒚𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅'𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚

Matt and I had a complicated relationship. We became friends, weeks later he confessed to having feelings and I said I felt the same. We started dating and it lasted exactly eight months until he broke up with me with the excuse "I don't know how to say this, but I don't think I'm ready for a real relationship." He wasn't ready. After 8 months. For a real relationship. So what we had was a lie?

As much as I wanted to punch his face, take his clothes that were with me and set them on fire, expose how much of a terrible person he was, I couldn't. I only managed to isolate myself, and with that, I had to, unfortunately, isolate Nick and Chris from my life as well, after all, they were always together.

It was my first time away from home since Matt and I broke up. It took me two months to work up the courage to get out of bed, get ready, and not cry looking at the mirror. As if my voluntary action of going out wasn't enough, my two college friends found a party at someone's house. They convinced me to go after telling me I would be free to have as many drinks as I wanted. I haven't drunk since I became friends with Matthew, which was a long time ago, so I really needed a drink.

I decided to go, after all, I had already spent so much time lying in tears that feeling like a hottie was all I needed. I rummaged through my wardrobe and found a black dress that made me smile just imagining myself wearing it. I ran to take my shower and wash my hair, deciding to let it dry naturally, and went to do my makeup. I wore the dress, feeling beautiful when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I smiled and put on my white sneakers, completing my look with some accessories.

I took some photos, posted one of them in my story, and ordered an Uber to the address of the house since I intended to drink and did not want to cause an accident if I went by car.

-Hey, you came! - I hear a familiar voice and turn around with a smile.

-Yeah, I wanted to see you guys. -I answer.

With a quick hug at Anna and Lilly, my college friends, I follow them into the party. It was very crowded there and I didn't know how comfortable I could be in that environment. Lilly gave me a shot of tequila and I took it, feeling the taste of alcohol rip through my throat. We found a little space on the couch and threw ourselves in there, talking about random things until I felt my phone vibrate and went to see what it was.

Nick💜

Hi

I don't know if I could say that, but I miss you

I saw you on the couch and wanted to talk to you

Matt didn't come, just me and Chris, if that comforts you in some way

We'll be around, and it would be great to say hi, I still think that you're one of my best friends even if we're not talking anymore

I miss you so much

I read the texts with my heart beating fast, surprised he had reached out, I didn't even know they'd be here.

Nick was always the best friend I could have, Chris was also so important to me. When my relationship with Matt ended and I isolated myself from everything, I didn't give them any chance to contact me, and that made these last two months a mystery of how it could have been for them.

I don't know how that affected Matthew. Or if it affected him in any way. I don't know if he thought about it, if he talked to his brothers, or with friends, if he met new people, if he moved on, if he still thinks about me.

If he wanted to, he would've found a way to fight for me, but he just let me go. It wasn't Nick's or Chris' fault, and it was irresponsible of me to put them in this situation just because I couldn't reason it out sooner and make a less exclusive decision.

Me

Hi Nick, I'm sorry, that's all my fault.

I love you, I love Chris, I shouldn't have pushed you guys away

I'd love to talk, can we meet in the backyard? :)

I waited anxiously for an answer. I told Anna and Lilly I'd be back soon and they just nodded, happy to see I was trying to socialize a bit.

I carefully get up and straighten my dress before walking to the sliding door that leads out to a comfortable garden, with most of the floor being grass, a pool with blue lights on, a few people swimming, and a few benches near the walls. I sat on an empty bench and felt my phone buzz once again. Anxious, I unlock the screen and open the notification.

Nick💜

we're going :)

A smile of relief appeared on my face, but as I remembered the amount of time we spent without talking to each other and all because of me, I began to feel nervous. Did they really still like me? We could still be friends, right? It would be fine even if Matt couldn't be present in the same room as me.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and snap out of my thoughts, lifting my face and meeting Nick's eyes. I get up quickly, hugging him so tightly that I could've broken one of his bones. He runs his hands on my back, only separating us to look at me up and down.

-We have so much to talk about. But first: you look stunning, girl! I loved the dress.

I giggle, feeling my heart beat fast. I was happy that Nick complimented me, he always did it, it gave me a good nostalgia that I still don't know how to deal with it.

-You look amazing, as always. -I reply, earning a huge smile in response.

-Hey, I don't know if you two get it, but I'm still here, you know? -I hear another voice and turn back to face Chris.

I smiled slightly before pulling him into a tight hug as well, to which he returned without even complaining about the force.

-I missed you. -He says, low, in my ear, still hugging me.

-I missed you, too. A lot. -I say, undoing the hug to look him in the eye.

His hair looked longer, the beard had not been done recently, he wore black pants, an orange sweatshirt and a backward hat. Chris wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we sat down on the bench I was on.

We all talked about everything that had happened since my breakup until now. While we were talking, Anna and Lilly showed up and said hi to the boys, as well as leaving a drink and another shot for me in my hands.

-Have fun! -Anna screams before being pulled by Lilly, making me laugh.

-You're drinking? -Nick asks, cautiously.

I knew they didn't like to drink, but they had no problem with friends doing it. I never normally drank. It was rare and when it happened it was just a glass or two, but now I had another idea in my head, especially because it was the first time I was out of my apartment in two months.

-I think tonight is a good night to drink.

I raise the shot with a smirk, showing it to Nick and Chris before chugging it and grimacing at the taste.

-Let's take some photos together. -I suggest, setting the shot glass down on a nearby table and taking my phone out of my pocket.

We took a few selfies and I posted one of them on my Instagram story, tagging the boys.

-So... Why didn't he come? -I was holding myself back from commenting on it, but of course I felt more curious than sad about it. Nick looked at me when I asked, but seeing that I didn't exactly look sad he decided to answer.

-He went out with other friends. -The answer was vague, but I already knew what it meant.

It wasn't just other friends, but okay, that's what I was thinking anyway.

I give him a soft smile in response, not wanting to get into the depth of the subject, and take a few sips of the drink I had received from my friends.

-Let's dance. -I say, getting up when I hear a song I liked and the boys soon follow me.

While moving my body and talking to both of them, I slowly finished my drink and ended up losing the glass at some point, but it didn't matter, I didn't intend to drink more than that.

I was having fun, I missed seeing my friends, I missed dancing, I missed feeling good. And as useless as a party seems to be, the uselessness seemed to be exactly what I needed.

-I'll get some water. -I hear Nick speak in my ear and I nod my head.

I feel my phone vibrate once again and unlock it, seeing that it was a response to my Instagram story. I only had notifications turned on for friends and people I knew, but upon reading the name on my screen my reaction must have changed in the same second.

Matt

That's why Nick's not answering me...

You look beautiful btw

I miss your pretty face

Before I had a chance to respond, I felt a hand on my hip and my phone was taken from my hand. I look at Chris, who smiles as he puts my phone in his pants pocket.

-He may be my brother, but this is a dick move and I will not let you answer. -He says, moving closer and placing both hands on my waist.

I roll my eyes with a little smile and wrap my arms around his neck, knowing he was more than right and I shouldn't pay any attention to Matt now. And besides, why would I care about someone who broke up with me without a good explanation if I had a guy as handsome as Chris around?

Maybe it was the alcohol talking.

-How are you feeling? -He asks, looking at me carefully.

-I don't know, I'm not as bad as I could be, I already felt too sad because of him. I'm actually glad to be here, and I'm glad to see you again. -I answer, allowing myself to take a step forward.

He didn't back down. Where's Nick with his water to try to put some sense in my head? I see a smirk on Chris's face with my words and immediately my focus goes to his mouth. Part of me knew that was wrong, but now that part was way too far.

-I'm glad to see you again, too. And to be honest, I think I'd be a much better boyfriend than him.

His eyes scanned my entire face, stopping to stare at my mouth with a smile that I swore could give me a heart attack at any moment.

-To be honest, I think so too. -My voice comes out a little lower than it should, but high enough that he could hear me even with the sound of the songs.

He lifts one of his hands up to my face and quickly presses his lips against mine. It wasn't long before he deepened it and I felt his tongue on mine, sending shivers down my spine. We kissed for a while until we were interrupted by a nearby scream.

-WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS DOING? -Nick was standing in front of us, mouth open in shock.

Chris just rolls his eyes and I step back, realizing what I had done and feeling a little embarrassed with some people around staring at us. With no response, Nick pulls us out of the party, to a part of the street where the music wasn't so loud.

-Are you guys crazy? He's your ex's brother, you're her ex's brother. Brother. Ex. -Nick says, pointing at me and Chris.

-Dude, relax, Matt may be my brother, but he was a complete asshole to her. Did you know he texted her? She deserves more than that. -Chris answers, making Nick look at us with an expression of disgust and confusion.

-What did he say? -He asks.

I look at Chris, remembering that he had my phone and he soon pulls it out of his pocket, handing it to me to unlock. I show Nick Matt's message, and hear the heavy sigh of the boy in front of me, handing me back my phone. We spent a few seconds in silence until Nick looked at Chris, then at me, and back at his brother.

-Be better. -He says, making the younger one look confused. -Better than Matthew, we'll talk to him later, but if you think you can be better for her, be it.

Chris smiles, looking at me and passing his arm around me.

-I will be. -He answers. Nick loses his seriousness, throwing us a weak smile.

We decided to split an Uber to get back, leaving my address as the first stop. We were talking along the way and when we arrived at my building I said goodbye to both of them with a hug and made my way to my apartment, taking out my phone and seeing the notifications I had received in the meantime.

Matthew Sturniolo

You're joking.

My brother? Seriously? You know he'll never be like me, he'll never make you feel good as I did

Me

Yeah, you're right. He'll never be like you, that's what makes him so much better than you already

Leave me alone, Matt

I sigh, forcing myself to take a shower and rest. Although I was stressed, I didn't feel bad for what I did, much less for seeing that it made Matthew so angry and deep down seeing that he finally felt something because of me was gratifying.

Me and Nick went back to talking to each other every day, as it was before. Chris and I hung out together every weekend for over a month straight and I couldn't get enough of being with him for even a second. We used to get along before everything, but now it was different, and honestly, it was better.

Matt never texted me again. He still saw everything I posted, knew I was with his brothers most of the time, and knew he should take a step back and rethink what he did. It took longer than it should have, but he understood that he did me wrong and that I was fine with someone else, even if that person was in fact his brother.

I didn't get an apology, despite all that. Matt and I saw each other once after all, it was the first time I saw him after breaking up and the first and only time since Chris and I decided to be exclusive and have something serious. It was awkward, and a little quiet, but no fighting, which was enough for me.

Since that party, things have been going well. I felt happy, not only for being with someone new, but for moving on and living my life again.

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒔 ✍︎

➪ @riowritesitall @sturniolosarethebest @hyacinthst @deers4luv @sturncakez @watercolorskyy @delooshunalhoe @sarosfilms @blahbel668 @sturniyolo69 @sturniolosl0t @colbsposts00 @fallingforfalll2 @stvrnmc @faithlia @katie-tibo @monroesturnns @mattnchrisworld @shaquilles-0atmeal @fratbrochrisgf @dayzeandhaze @phimstarz @h3arts4harry @star-yawnznn @asherrisrandom @pip4444chris @sturniolo-fann @beansprout713 @conspiracy-ash @sturnsxbitvh @ivysturnss @mattsbitchh @larallott

[songmingisthighs]

Maudit

introduction pt. i | pt. ii | pt. iii

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ch. xxvi - MONSIEUR BLEP

cursed!jongho × reader

genre : mythology!au, smau

rating : mature; crude jokes and filthy language

tw : jokes about killing, mentions of past trauma, mentions of depression, allusion of previous attempt, Jongho being vulnerable

wc : 1.6 k

buy me coffee ?

so long i've been here, so long are the stories i've written. of what i gathered and lost, loneliness becomes me and pain refuse to depart from me. i've embraced that which ate me away so when you came along, i had no part of me left to give.

You were feeling rather great about coming to Gangneung not just because it was one of the places that you wanted to go to but also because the bnb was cozy yet gorgeous. That was until Jongho came knocking on your door just as you had finished cleaning up while he went to talk to the bnb manager.

Initially, he asked if you were settling in just fine but even after you assured him that you were doing just fine, he lured you out with "I want to show you something amazing."

Now, you were growing concerned.

"I swear Jongho, if you lured me out to the woods to kill me, I'll make a deal with Seonghwa after Hongjoong take me to him and make sure your cursed ass is doubly cursed," you huffed, pushing tree branches away from your face. It wasn't the fact that you hated nature but it was the fact that you hated nature in the dark and in your PJs.

Jongho rolled his eyes and shook his head at your dramatics yet he continued leading you further in. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have done it near my bnb. To insinuate that I would create such a disingenuous plan is a mockery of my former career as a police officer," he muttered but soon his eyes lit up, "Okay, we're here."

You were about to ask where he meant when he stepped aside and showed you a little round spot where the starry sky was clear and the trees circled around, making it look like the perfect nook. As soon as you saw the stars up above, your eyes mimicked their twinkle and it made Jongho crack a happy grin, knowing that his plan to impress you worked. "Welcome to my special secret spot," he proudly announced.

Carefully, as you were still preoccupied with the sky, Jongho led you to a log to sit down as he kneeled next to your leg, in front of a little pile he had made. The sound of rocks knocking made you look down and it was then that you saw Jongho making a campfire using rocks, twigs, and dry leaves, all a bit too easily to the point that your mind trailed to the fact that had you and your friends, creatures who had tasted the blissful convenience of modern technology, were to be dropped like the Seattle Grace Mercy West team in the middle of the woods to survive for two days, not even a week, you all would simply give up and let mother nature maul you clean. It was almost therapeutic seeing Jongho knock some sparks from the rocks and start kindling the fire. The crackle of the flame and the smell of burning wood created an ambience that Bath and Body Works would love to release as a three-wick candle. You didn't know if it was odd, but for a moment you could imagine Jongho in his youth, in his own time, living humbly as he was growing up, probably with his brother and his loving parents.

Once the fire was stable, Jongho moved to sit next to you and pulled out a blanket. Like the chivalrous man that he had turned to be, Jongho draped the cloth around you and smiled gently. "So that I won't listen to you whine about catching the cold," he stated teasingly which made you roll your eyes and smack him on his shoulder. "I'll let that go since you have graciously shared this spot with me. I get why this place is special to you. It's so beautiful," you craned your neck to admire the stars again, this time the fire giving the trees that were still in your line of sight a beautiful orange glow.

"This place is beautiful," Jongho exhaled, joining you in admiring the sky with a smile on his face, "But that's not why I called this place special."

Jongho's words intrigued you because you found yourself no longer staring at the sky but at his face which looked like it was admiring the stars. But, having spent some time with him, you immediately noticed that there was sadness in his sombre expression.

"It's not?" you asked, curious. Jongho shook his head before looking down to his lap where his hands rested, fingers intertwining with each other anxiously as if seeking comfort. "I... This..." He let out a sigh sharply, bracing himself to divulge another part of him to you. "This was the first place I came to after I had gotten cursed."

Almost immediately, a thousand questions popped into your head. You wanted to know the hows and the whys but you held yourself back, recognizing that it wasn't time for you to pry but you also didn't want to seem disinterested. So you scooted slightly closer to Jongho, allowing him to feel your presence more.

It took two minutes of silence before Jongho started speaking again.

"It was... About a month after the exact day I got cursed. Have I ever told you about how I got cursed?" You shook your head at his question, "Well, it's a long story but the point is, I foiled a plan where some people wanted to use sorcery to attack or kill or harm the King who had a great relation with my family from our trades. I thought it was my duty as a policeman but the King ended up killing off the whole family because according to him, he couldn't let the possibility of another plot happen. While the King was happy, some people thought what I did was horrible especially since the rest of the traitor's family had nothing to do with the plot. I was at an all-time low. I didn't know it then, but I was depressed. Severely depressed to the point that I... Well... I tried to..." Jongho paused, he couldn't bring himself to say the actual word because it was such a dark time for him. He was probably at his lowest and he was ashamed to admit that he almost took the coward's way out. Even just thinking about it almost pulled him back to the bad headspace where all the judgmental stares, the harsh words, and the sneers reside.

Luckily, you were there to pull him back to reality by scooting even closer to the point that your thighs were touching so you could share the blanket with him.

"I assume you left the town after that?" you asked, successfully getting his attention as he nodded rapidly and cleared his throat. "Well, when I found out that I couldn't die, it freaked me out so much that I ran away one night and never looked back. I must've run for a whole day because the next thing I know, I was lying on the ground right there," your eyes followed his finger that was pointing towards a spot three trees away from where you came from, "I was exhausted and I wanted to just give up but I couldn't, not with what I was cursed with. It was raining that day and I was hoping the water would just turn the ground wet and I would just be swallowed whole or something. Next thing I knew, Hongjoong hyung appeared in front of me, said he smelled decay but he couldn't see my soul, it wasn't in me." Hearing that, your eyebrows furrowed and your nose scrunched, before you could stop yourself, you blurted out, "And what the hell was that supposed to mean?"

Your candid reaction caused Jongho to burst out in a fit of laughter, glad that someone shared his initial sentiment when he heard it straight from the reaper.

"That's what I said!" he exclaimed, "You have the privilege of learning mythologies, spiritual theories, and lores and yet you still react like that. Imagine me! I had just faced a sorcerer and his... Craft or something, and almost right after that, I had to deal with a supposed grim reaper. So when he eventually told me to come with him, I thought I had nothing else to lose anyway so I did. Guess who was the first person he brought me to," Without hesitation, you answered with a knowing smirk, "Seonghwa," to which he gleefully nodded, "See? He's so predictable," he chuckled. "Then one by one I met the other guys and I guess the rest is history," he sighed but this time, rather than sadness or dejection, it seemed more reminiscent.

"Sometimes I forget that you guys are technically part of history and I'm so jealous of that."

Jongho turned to you and nudged your shoulder with his, "Being part of history isn't as glamorous as you think it would be. It takes a lot of patience and a certain skill." Curious, you furrowed your eyebrows, "What kind of skill?" cheekily, Jongho stared at you with a deadpanned look and pointed out, "The skill to not die because you know what went on in the past. You could've died from nothing or everything. It was absolutely HORRIBLE."

The way you busted out laughing while clapping your hands triggered Jongho's reaction to do the same. It was odd how infectious your laugh became after Jongho stopped being an asshole and the only odd thing about it was how natural it was. Just like how your conversation naturally flowed without it being so forced. Your curiosity over his experience of the past seems to break through his introversion. Jongho was not fond of being pried open like a can of peaches but for some reason, your questions didn't feel like it was prying at all.

That night, the same stars that saw Jongho fall down and break apart became the witness to Jongho putting himself back together with the help of his friends and you, against all odds.

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[anonymityisfunwriter]

The Twin Flame - Lost Outtake #1

A.N. - Alright, I know I finished this story months ago... but I've been cleaning up my drafts and I found a few lost scenes. I don't even know if I should go back and add them to the timeline or post them, but I just needed you guys to see the angst.

Pairing: Sunshine!Reader x Grumpy!Bucky Barnes The Twin Flame Chapter List | The Grumpy x Sunshine Universe

"I had a vision, I don't know if you're gonna believe it-" Tony's voice abruptly stops as he watches your face appear on the screen before him. Just one more person gone, another name on the long list of people gone - but that loss cuts him deeper than he could've ever imagined.

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus."

Anger floods Tony's eyes as they dart away from you and back to Steve.

"And I needed you. As in past tense. I think that trumps what you need. It's too late, buddy. Sorry." Tony stands up from his wheelchair, swiping his glass off the conference room table. "You know what I need, I need to shave."

"Tony," Rhodey tries to stop him as Tony rips out his IV. "Tony."

"And I believe I remember telling you that what we needed was a suit of armor around the world. Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not. That's what we needed."

"Well that didn't work out, did it?" Steve reminds him.

"I said we'd lose. You said we'd do that together too. And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact. We're the Avengers, not the Pre-vengers, right?"

"Okay, alright, you made your point now sit down," Rhodey cajoles him, gripping his shoulder to keep him steady.

"I got nothing for you, Cap. No coordinates. No clues. No strategies. No options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar," he spits at Steve.

"Tony..." Steve tries.

Tony shakily exhales, "No, no, you weren't there...and we lost. I lost the kid."

"Tony."

"And Sunshine? Gone." He looks at the screen again. Your picture haunting him. Tony tears off the arc reactor, shoving it in Steve's hand. "The last time I saw her, she was behind bars. She disappeared thinking I hated her."

Steve's eyes squeeze shut, the memory of the fear shining in your eyes never not replaying in his mind. "Sunshine fought so-"

"You don't get to call her that! Don't you dare call her that! She trusted you! She trusted you and now she's gone!" Tony's voice breaks as his eyes burn with unshed tears. He tears his shoulder out of Rhodey's grip, pointing an accusing finger right into Steve's chest. "I will never get to make that right. And that is your fault."

Bucky Barnes Masterlist The Twin Flame Chapter List

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[nightwriter357]

Just friends - if it was like.. a real first date

Here is part 5 of my Damien Haas x reader story: Just friends. Sorry for the long wait, I hope it was worth it!

Chapter 5 - if it was like.. a real first date

You and Damien were still lounging on the couch, getting lost in idle conversation when the door to your apartment swung open, and in walked Shayne, kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket onto a chair.

"Hey, guys," he called out, glancing at the two of you sprawled across the couch. "I should have known I'd find you both here, you've both been sitting here like this every friday all month."

Damien groaned dramatically, throwing his arm over his face. "It's just so... cozy."

"Yeah, but seriously, every Friday?" Shayne said, a sly smile creeping onto his face as he flopped down next to you. "You know, you could do something else, right?

"Like what?" you asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Shayne shrugged, clearly enjoying what he was about to stir up. "I don't know, go to a party, go on a date, go to a concert... live a little, you know?"

Damien snorted, rolling his eyes. "A date? Who even has time for that? We're just chillin' here."

"You know what, he's actually right," you chimed in, sitting up and turning to Damien. "We should actually be going on dates. I mean, how are we supposed to find someone if we're glued to this couch every weekend?"

Damien blinked, his lips parting as if to respond, but then he seemed to hesitate. His gaze flickered to the floor for a moment before lifting to meet yours, his expression shifting into something that was a mix of uncertainty and something else — something harder to place. He leaned back into the couch, his shoulders stiffening slightly, and you couldn't help but notice the way his fingers drummed nervously against his knee.

"Yeah," he said, his voice a little quieter than usual, "I guess we should... try something else." The way he said it made it sound like he wasn't entirely convinced.

You shrugged, trying to keep the conversation light. "I mean, we just need to figure out what to do on an actual date and then just try it with the first person we match with on any dating app."

Damien looked at you, his brow furrowing slightly as if he was still processing the idea. "Yeah, but... where do we even start? Like, what does a actual date even look like?"

You glanced at Shayne, who was now munching on a snack, clearly entertained by the direction the conversation was taking. "You know, it's not like we're gonna find someone to go on a date with tonight anyway so why don't we just do a practice run?"

Damien snorted. "Practice? You mean like... a fake date?" His voice was laced with disbelief, but there was something in his eyes that suggested he was curious.

"Exactly," you said, leaning forward and grinning. "Think of it as a dry run. We could just go out and do date-type stuff, see how we feel. We're not really dating anyone, but it's kind of like preparing for the real thing. Like... if we don't actually try it, how are we going to know what we want?"

Damien raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but skeptical. "what if I already know what I want?" He chuckled softly. 

"Well, you don't" you shot back with a shrug. "Listen, we'll just go to a restaurant, see where the night takes us ."

Shayne, who had been silently watching the whole time, perked up. "Wait, hold on. Are you two seriously considering this? Practicing dates?" He laughed, looking between the two of you with an exaggerated look of disbelief. "That sounds... kinda cute, actually."

"Alright, alright," Damien said slowly, still unsure but clearly playing along. "So dinner, that's it?"

You leaned back, thinking for a moment, then flashed him a teasing smile. "Yeah, unless we spot something essential for a first date."

Damien let out a short laugh as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess it could be fun. So... when do we start?"

You smiled at him, feeling the tension in the air shift—just a little. "Soon. But first, I need to get ready." You gestured down at your outfit—a cozy set of pajamas. "This is definitely not an appropriate first date outfit."

Damien raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, you stood up and headed toward your room. "I'll be quick," you called over your shoulder. "Kind of excited, actually," you admitted, feeling a slight thrill at the idea.

Damien looked up, giving you a small smile. "Yeah... me too," he replied, his voice a little softer than usual.

Shayne, who had been silently watching, piped up at that moment. "Me too."

You both turned toward him, raising your eyebrows in unison.

"Wait, what?" you asked, confused.

Shayne leaned back with a grin. "I get the apartment to myself for once," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

You and Damien exchanged a look, both stifling laughter at his lack of shame.

You turned to head to your room, but then paused at the door and glanced back with a playful smile. "Oh, you planned this, didn't you?" you teased, catching the look in Shayne's eyes.

Shayne tried to look innocent, throwing his hands up dramatically. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said like he played no part in this situation.

You and Damien shared another look before shaking your heads, as you headed to your room to get ready. You closed the door behind you, letting out a breath you didn't even realize you'd been holding. You had no idea why this felt like such a big deal, but there was something about this 'practice date' that had you both excited and nervous all at once. Maybe it was jusr the memory of that kiss you shared, or maybe it was just all off the tension that you both had been dancing around for weeks, pretending it wasn't there. But it could also be nothing, it's probably nothing

You quickly stripped out of your pajamas and ran your fingers through your hair. What vibe were you going for? Cute? Flirty, but not trying too hard? Your eyes landed on the dress you'd bought ages ago, a soft light blue that hugged your curves just right. It wasn't too much, but it felt like just the right thing for tonight.

You pulled it on, smoothing it down, and smiled at your reflection. It wasn't over-the-top, but it was enough. You let your hair fall in loose waves, and after one last glance in the mirror, you nodded to yourself.

"Okay, yeah, this will work."

You stepped into the living room, smoothing your hands over your dress as you walked. The fabric swished softly around your legs. Their conversation instantly died, Damien's gaze snapped to you, his breath catching in his throat.

He sat frozen on the couch, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced with something harder to place. His eyes flickered over you—not in a way that felt uncomfortable, but in a way that made you feel almost exposed. You weren't sure what you'd expected, but the way his jaw tightened, like he was physically stopping himself from saying something, made your chest feel strangely tight.

"Wow," Shayne said first, breaking the silence as he leaned back on the couch. "You clean up nice." He gave you a teasing once-over, his grin widening.

"Thanks," you said with a small laugh.

Damien cleared his throat, standing a little too quickly and brushing invisible lint off his jeans. His gaze flickered to Shayne, then back to you. "You, uh, definitely look!" he blurted, his voice lighter than usual, like he was trying too hard to sound casual.

"Are you going to finish the sentence?" you responded, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, I did—didn't I?" He responded quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. His ears had turned pink, though he was doing his best to act like he hadn't just tripped over his own words.

For a moment, the room felt lighter, the tension diffusing as Damien's lips curved into a sheepish smile. His gaze flickered to you again, softer this time, before quickly darting away, almost as if he'd caught himself lingering too long.

Shayne, however, wasn't one to let a moment pass without commentary. He leaned back on the couch with an exaggerated nod of approval, clearly relishing the opportunity to stir the pot. "Wow, Damien, really committing to the practice date, huh? You're really taking this role seriously."

Damien shrugged, his hands sliding casually into his pockets. "Well, you know me," he said, his tone easy and confident. "Always going for authenticity."

Shayne snorted, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Alright, so your role is the head-over-heels date. Mine should obviously be the overprotective father."

"Oh, no," you groaned, already knowing where this was headed.

Shayne clasped his hands together, fixing Damien with an exaggeratedly stern look. "So, what are your intentions with her tonight?"

Damien played along, his grin widening. "To ensure she has an unforgettable practice date, sir," he replied with mock seriousness.

"Wait, are you actually going to play along with this?" you asked, rolling your eyes.

Damien shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I mean, I can't disappoint the guy who's giving you a curfew." He shot Shayne a look. "Don't worry, I'll keep her out of trouble."

"Good answer," Shayne said with a nod, "Have her home by midnight."

"Of course," Damien said, holding back a laugh.

"And don't make me get the shotgun," Shayne added, wagging a finger for emphasis.

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help laughing. "Thanks, Dad," you said sarcastically. "Anything else before we go?"

"Just be safe," Shayne replied, crossing his arms like a concerned parent.

You smirked as you grabbed your purse, pausing in the doorway to shoot a playful glance over your shoulder. "Don't worry, Dad—we'll use protection."

Damien choked on a laugh as Shayne groaned in mock exasperation. "You're grounded!" Shayne called after you, but you were already out the door, laughing.

The drive to the restaurant was easy, the air light and comfortable. Damien tapped along to the beat of the radio, occasionally sneaking glances at you like he couldn't help himself.

"You sure you're okay with this 'practice date' thing?" you asked, breaking the silence as the cozy restaurant came into view.

He flashed you a quick grin. "Yeah, I'll power through."

His tone was casual, but the way he kept glancing over at you made it clear he wasn't just going through the motions.

The restaurant was warm and inviting, its golden lights spilling onto the sidewalk. Damien parked the car and hurried around to open your door, his hand brushing yours lightly as he helped you out.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice softer now, as if the moment needed no extra noise.

"Ready," you replied, matching his tone.

The restaurant was a cozy little place just down the street—nothing too fancy, but it had a nice, warm atmosphere. It felt like the kind of spot you could have a relaxed dinner at, and the dim lighting was perfect for the "practice date" vibe you were going for.

You walked in together, Damien holding the door open for you with a casual, gentlemanly flair.

Once seated, the waiter handed you both menus, and you immediately started scanning, trying to decide what you were in the mood for. Every time you glanced up, Damien's eyes were on you, soft and a little too intense for a casual dinner. He seemed to still be, very much in character.

"So," Damien began, breaking the comfortable silence. "What's on the menu for first-date food? Anything off-limits, or are we throwing out the rulebook?"

You smirked, glancing over the top of your menu at him. "I think we're allowed to break a few rules. I'm definitely in the mood for a burger or pizza."

Damien's grin spread, clearly entertained. "Ah, so you're a low-maintenance date, huh?"

You shrugged, leaning back in your seat. "Hey, if I'm gonna end up with a salad next week on the 'real' date, I've got to make tonight count."

For a moment, Damien's smile faltered slightly. He cleared his throat and his grin returned, but it had a touch less ease to it.

"Good point," he said, his voice steady again, though the flicker of something unreadable in his gaze lingered for just a second.

The burgers arrived, and as you took your first bite, you couldn't help but grin. The juicy patty and melted cheese were absolutely perfect. You barely noticed at first, but as you looked down at your hands, you realized the mess you'd already made.

Damien, mid-bite himself, paused to smirk at you. "How have you already made a mess?" he asked, his tone teasing as he reached for a napkin.

You gave him a mock-serious look, wiping at your chin. "What, this isn't attractive to you?"

"Oh, to me? Definitely attractive," he said with a grin, pausing mid-sentence to pluck a fry off the table where it had fallen from his plate. "But I thought we were supposed to be practicing how not to scare people off."

"Fair point," you said, leaning forward with a spark in your eyes. "We should make this more authentic." You grabbed your phone after wiping your hands on the napkin. "Let's Google some first date questions."

Damien raised an eyebrow but seemed game. "What, like those icebreaker things?"

"Yeah, exactly." You looked down at your phone, your grin widening as you started typing. "Let's make it weird."

A few seconds later, you both scrolled through a list of ridiculous questions, laughing at the absurdity of some of them.

You paused at one that caught your eye. "'Why are you single?'" you read aloud, grinning as you looked up at Damien.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Wow, we're just diving straight into the existential questions, huh?"

You shrugged, feigning innocence. "Hey, it's on the list. Rules are rules. Answer the question."

Damien leaned back, pretending to think. "Maybe it's because I have this roommate who makes me do stuff like spend my Fridays spying on our friends to play cupid, binge-watching terrible movies, beating her at game nights—"

"You mean losing," you interjected, narrowing your eyes.

He ignored you, his smirk growing. "—and occasionally rescuing her from questionable bars at two in the morning."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Wow, sounds like a real waste of your Friday nights."

Damien leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as his gaze softened just a fraction. "Absolutely not. If I could, I'd spend all my Fridays with you."

That caught you off guard, heat rising to your cheeks as you fumbled for a response. He didn't let you off the hook, though.

"Your turn," he said, his grin turning mischievous. "Why are you single?"

You blinked, caught completely off guard, before narrowing your eyes at him. "Guess I walked right into that one." With a small laugh, you leaned back in your seat, tapping your fingers on the table dramatically.. "Why am I single? Hmm, let's see. Maybe, It's because I spend my Fridays convincing my roommate that spying on our friends and setting them up is a genius idea, watching movies that are actually not that bad, absolutely crushing you at game nights—"

"That's debatable," Damien interrupted, his grin widening.

"Not even close," you shot back, giving him a playful glare as you flicked your hand dismissively. "Oh, and let's not forget, occasionally getting rescued and kissed outside questionable bars at two in the morning."

Damien raised an eyebrow, a playful accusation in his tone. "Hey, you kissed me."

You tilted your head, folding your arms as you shot him a mock-serious look. "You kissed more."

There was a brief pause, and for a second, you could see the shift in his eyes. Damien's lips twitched, but the teasing edge was softer now. "I don't remember you complaining."

The moment lingered a bit longer than usual. The air between you both felt heavier, a silent acknowledgment hanging in the space. Neither of you broke it, though. After all, it was just a kiss. Nothing to overthink.

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to hide your smile. "Touché," you muttered, your gaze flicking away for a second before locking back with his.

Damien took the phone and scrolled for a moment. "Alright, how about this one? 'What's your favorite holiday?'"

"That's easy — Halloween," you said immediately. "Dressing up, scary movies, way too much candy. It's basically the perfect holiday. What about you?"

"Christmas," he replied without hesitation. "The food, the music, the cozy vibes... and watching you almost be brought to tears by every gift you open, and seeing Shayne absolutely destroy the wrapping paper like it personally insulted him."

You blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, me? I do not almost cry over every gift!"

Damien raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Last year, Shayne gave you a candle, and you got misty-eyed."

"It was a thoughtful candle!" you protested, laughing. "It smelled like cinnamon"

He leaned forward, grinning. "I rest my case."

You scrolled through the list of ridiculous questions, pausing as one caught your eye. Smirking, you glanced up at Damien. "What's one thing you've always wanted to try but never have?"

Damien leaned back, grinning mischievously. "Intercourse."

You raised an eyebrow, throwing him a side-eye. "You know what? I was just gonna say 'coitus,' but okay. You beat me to it."

Damien chuckled, leaning in slightly. "The touch of a woman."

You snorted, shaking your head. "An orgasm."

There was a moment where Damien's grin faltered just a bit, but only for a second before he bounced back, clearly enjoying this more than he should. "I'll say it once again, your ex is such a fucking idiot."

You stared at him, deadpan. "Yeah, well, he has no idea what he's missing."

Damien leaned back, his expression softening just a little, though the humor never fully left. "Clearly."

The conversation flowed effortlessly between playful banter and moments of genuine connection. By the time your food was nearly gone, your sides ached from laughing, and your face hurt from smiling so much.

Damien leaned back with a contented sigh, tossing his crumpled napkin onto his empty plate. "Alright," he said, a grin tugging at his lips, "I think we've officially dominated phase one. What's next on the 'practice date' itinerary?"

You glanced at the time on your phone, your smile growing. "There's that mini-golf place a few blocks from here. Classic date-night vibe, don't you think?"

"Mini-golf?" Damien raised an eyebrow, his smirk playful. "Are we leaning fully into the rom-com clichés now?"

"Absolutely," you said, shouldering your bag and heading toward the door. "What kind of practice date skips the 'teaching her how to play' moment?"

He followed you outside, holding the door open with a grin. "Wait, does this mean I'm supposed to dramatically help you hold the club while whispering unsolicited advice into your ear?"

You shrugged, pretending to think it over. "Well, I am completely terrible at mini-golf..."

"Oh, I see how it is." He chuckled, bumping your shoulder lightly as you walked down the street together. "You're setting me up to be the knight in shining armor of the putt-putt course."

"Exactly," you teased, grinning up at him. "Just be carefull where you putt-putt your hands, Sir."

By the time you reached the brightly lit course, the colorful neon signs cast a playful glow over the pavement. Damien grabbed two putters, handing one to you with a smirk. The mini-golf course was a kaleidoscope of glowing obstacles, and playful chaos. You and Damien wandered to the first hole, where a small windmill spun slowly, daring players to time their putts just right.

"Alright, let's see how terrible you actually are," he said, motioning toward the first hole.

You held the putter a little awkwardly, tilting your head as if examining the green. "Yeah, no. I have no idea what I'm doing," you said dramatically, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Alright, let's see just how terrible you actually are," Damien said, leaning casually on his putter, a playful glint in his eyes.

You picked up your club, holding it at an exaggeratedly awkward angle as you squinted at the green like it was a riddle written in another language. "Yeah, no. I am completely clueless," you said, dragging out the words dramatically and looking up at him with an almost suspiciously innocent expression.

Damien raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to suppress a grin. "Uh-huh. Totally convincing. Do you even know which end of the putter to use?"

"Not a clue," you said with mock seriousness, twirling the club as if testing its aerodynamics. You shrugged helplessly. "Guess you'll have to come over here and show me, Sir.

Damien's grin widened, and he stepped closer, reaching for the club. "Alright, guess we're really doing this. Don't worry—I've got you, princess."

He reached for the putter, and you dramatically stepped back, giving him the floor. "I'll just be over here, watching the expert in action."

Damien squatted next to the ball, squinting at the course like it was a puzzle he needed to solve. "Okay, clearly this is a precision game. The angle's important. The spin of the windmill—critical."

You clasped your hands together dramatically, putting on your best wide-eyed look. "Oh no, that sounds so complicated! However will I figure this out?"

Damien glanced up at you, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Don't worry, I've got you. You're in good hands."

"Thank goodness," you said with a faux-swoon, clutching your putter like it was a lifeline. "I'd be lost without your guidance."

"Obviously," he replied, standing and lining up his shot with all the confidence in the world. "Just watch and learn, helpless damsel."

With a theatrical flourish, he swung. The ball pinged off the windmill blade, ricocheted off the barrier, and rolled right back to where it started.

You gasped, covering your mouth with mock horror. "Oh no, my hero has failed! I guess I'm of to die."

Damien turned to you, one eyebrow raised. "No, no..Okay, that was a fluke. I'll redeem myself later. For now, let's see you try."

You stepped up to the ball, gripping the putter with deliberate awkwardness. "Oh no, I don't even know how to hold this thing," you said, tilting your head as though deeply confused. "Is this right?"

He chuckled, crossing his arms. "You're not even trying to be subtle, are you?"

"Subtle?" You blinked up at him innocently. "I have no idea what you mean."

Damien sighed, shaking his head as he moved to stand behind you. "Alright, let's do this then."

You bit back a grin as he stepped closer, his chest brushing lightly against your back. His hands hovered over yours on the putter, and though the atmosphere was still lighthearted, something about the closeness felt... different.

His voice dropped, deliberately serious, but you both knew it was all part of the joke. "Alright, hold it like this. Relax your grip just a little."

You shifted slightly, leaning back just enough so you could feel the warmth of his body behind you. "Like this?" you asked, your tone intentionally soft and teasing, though it came out with an edge you didn't quite expect.

He let out a quiet laugh, the sound low and a little warmer than usual. "Perfect. Now, it's all about the angle. You've got to aim just right to make it through the windmill."

You tilted your head back, trying to keep the joke alive but feeling something else building in the space between you. "I'm so glad you're here," you said, your voice coming out quieter than you meant. "I'd never figure this out on my own."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," he teased, his breath brushing against your ear as he guided your hands in a slow practice swing. His touch lingered just for a second, and for a brief moment, you felt  a small shift—the playful banter suddenly felt... softer.

The sound of the windmill spinning faded into the background, and neither of you said anything for a beat, the moment hanging between you. It was still a joke, still light, but now it felt like something... else too.

Finally, he stepped back, a wide grin spreading across his face, but there was a flicker in his eyes that wasn't quite as playful as before. "Alright, now let's see you put all that expert coaching to use."

You swallowed, trying to shake off the unexpected warmth that lingered, before stepping forward to take your shot

You swung, and the ball sailed smoothly through the windmill's opening and dropped into the hole.

"Hole in one!" Damien exclaimed, throwing his arms up. "Looks like I'm an incredible teacher."

"Oh, absolutely," you replied, spinning around with a cheeky smile. "It was all your doing. I had nothing to do with it."

"Glad we're on the same page," he teased, stepping closer. "But honestly, do you think that move would actually work on someone?"

You tilted your head, pretending to think. "Hmm, I don't know. It's cute, but it kind of depends on the guy."

"Oh, so it's about the guy, huh?" he asked, leaning on his putter.

"Absolutely," you replied, smirking. "With the wrong person, it's just awkward. But I'll give you a solid eight out of ten."

"Eight?" Damien gasped, clutching his chest. "Harsh."

You shrugged, grinning. "Well, it would be higher if you actually made your shot."

As you moved to the next obstacle, the air between you felt lighter but charged, both of you leaning just enough into the moment to make it fun—but maybe just a little too real.

The game continued in the same playful rhythm, with you both making exaggerated comments and missing shots on purpose. By the time you reached the final hole, you couldn't help but feel the day slipping by too quickly, the light starting to fade around you.

Damien lined up for his final shot, giving the rotating loop-de-loop ahead of him a look of determination. "Alright, last one. If I make this, I win, and I get eternal bragging rights."

You crossed your arms, watching him with a smirk. "Eternal? Big words for someone who got stuck on the pirate ship obstacle for five minutes."

"Hey, that was strategy," he shot back, his tone playful. He took the shot—and, of course, missed it by a mile, sending the ball straight into a bush beside the hole.

You doubled over, laughing. "Oh, sure, strategy," you teased, shaking your head.

Damien laughed along with you, stepping up to take another shot. "Alright, fine. You win this one." His eyes lingering on you, the joke fading for just a moment, but he quickly returned to his playful grin. "So.. what do you want?."

"What do I want?" you asked, raising an eyebrow. The idea of wanting anything in this moment... it was too much. It'd be easier if all you wanted was... "You... you decide."

As you stepped out of the mini-golf course, the warm glow of the evening lights lit up the street. The buzz of the city felt softer now, a gentle hum that accompanied the easy rhythm of your footsteps alongside Damien's.

Damien tilted his head as if deep in thought. "Alright. Hear me out—mandatory dessert stop." He gestured ahead, where a quaint little ice cream stand with a glowing neon sign came into view.

You grinned. "So you're on board with this whole rom-com date aesthetic now, are you?"

"Hey," he shot back with a playful shrug. "everyone knows dessert is a non-negotiable part of any good date."

As you approached the stand, the sugary scent of waffle cones wafted through the air, making your stomach rumble despite the burger-filled dinner. You both scanned the menu, debating over flavors until Damien pointed at you with a grin.

"You're totally the type to get something classic like chocolate or vanilla, huh?"

"Oh, bold of you to assume," you retorted, stepping up to the counter. "One butter pecan, please."

Damien raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Okay, not bad. I'll take pistachio ," he told the cashier before adding, "and a waffle cone. Because I'm fancy."

The two of you found a small bench nearby, the cool breeze brushing past as you both dug into your treats. You reached over pointing at Damien's cone. "Let me try yours."

"Only if I get a bite of yours," he countered, holding his cone out toward you.

You both swapped bites, laughing as a smear of ice cream caught on the corner of your mouth. Damien leaned in, his thumb brushing your lower lip to wipe it away, the contact sending a small jolt of warmth through you

The air between you shifted slightly again, a moment of unspoken acknowledgment passing before you both turned back to your desserts, the spell broken by a passing couple's chatter.

"Okay," Damien said, clearing his throat and holding up his cone dramatically. "I'm declaring this the superior flavor."

"Debatable," you teased, holding up your butter pecan for emphasis. "But we can agree dessert was definitely mandatory."

He nodded, his smile easy and warm. "Mandatory. And pretty perfect."

Your hand brushed his lightly as you reached for a napkin at the same time, and while neither of you commented on it, the small touch lingered in your mind. There were plenty of moments that seemed to linger there as of late. The warm summer air buzzed with quiet chatter and the occasional laughter of passersby as you and Damien strolled down the boardwalk, each armed with a melting ice cream cone.

"Okay, serious question," Damien says, breaking the silence. "What's your go-to strategy when the cone starts to drip faster than you can eat it?"

"Panic," you answer without hesitation, licking a rogue drop threatening to run down your hand. "Pure, unfiltered panic."

He chuckles, tilting his own cone to inspect the damage. "Solid strategy. I just embrace the chaos. Let it happen. Ice cream stains build character."

As you walk, something catches your eye—a brightly lit photo booth tucked into the corner of the boardwalk. You nudge Damien with your elbow, pointing at it. "Hey, you know what every fake first date needs?"

He follows your gaze, smirking when he spots the booth. "A wildly overpriced strip of awkwardly timed photos?"

"Exactly," you reply, already tugging him toward it. "Come on, it'll be perfect. You can't beat the classics."

With a playful groan, Damien follows your lead, tossing the last bite of his cone into a nearby trash bin. "Alright, but we're doing this by the book. What's the official photo booth itinerary?"

You smirk, stepping inside and motioning for him to follow. "Oh, you don't know? Amateur move, Haas. The first one's always silly."

He slides in next to you, shoulders brushing as he adjusts to fit in the tight space. "Silly, huh? Okay, no pressure. Got your best funny face ready?"

The countdown starts, and you both pull the most exaggerated, ridiculous expressions you can muster. The camera flashes, and you burst into laughter, your head tipping slightly toward his shoulder as you both review your handiwork on the screen.

"Solid start," Damien says, nodding approvingly. "What's next?"

"Obviously, cutesy," you reply with faux authority. "Think... puppy eyes and head tilts. Something you'd find in a cringey rom-com."

"Got it," Damien says, leaning a little closer and resting his chin on his hand, batting his lashes in mock adoration. You stifle a laugh but can't help mirroring his pose. The flash captures the two of you in a picture-perfect moment of over-the-top sweetness.

You're still giggling when the third countdown begins. Damien tilts his head, his voice softening just a bit. "What about this one? What's the third photo rule?"

"Hmm..." you say, your voice quieter now. "The third one's where it gets... closer."

Damien arches a brow but doesn't pull back as you both shuffle even closer together, your knees now pressed against his. "Closer, huh? That's an awfully specific rule," he murmurs, his tone teasing but his eyes warm.

The flash catches you mid-laugh, his gaze flicking briefly to your lips as you both shift slightly in the cramped space.

And then the countdown starts.

"What's the last photos for?" Damien asks, voice softer still, as if the moment doesn't really need an answer.

For a beat, neither of you speaks. You lean in slightly, the air between you feeling suddenly charged. He mirrors the movement, his hand brushing your arm as he adjusts to face you fully.

"Probably the dramatic almost-kiss," you whisper, lips curling into a faint smile.

"Obviously," Damien replies, his breath catching slightly as his eyes flicker to yours.

The flash interrupts just as your noses nearly touch, the sudden burst of light pulling you both back into laughter.

The air grows still as the seconds tick down. Neither of you says anything, and you find yourself leaning in again, your eyes flickering to his lips. He mirrors the movement, his breath warm against your cheek.

The flash interrupts, but this time, you both stay like that for a moment.

"Well," Damien finally says, clearing his throat and leaning back. "That was... very dramatic."

As you step out of the photo booth, you reach for the photo strips, eager to see how they turned out. Before you can grab them, Damien snatches them out of your reach, his grin widening as he tucks the strip into the inner pocket of his jacket.

You raise an eyebrow, half amused, half incredulous. "Seriously? You're keeping them?"

"These are mine now," he says, his grin not quite matching the playful teasing in his tone. He pats his pocket like it's a treasure chest, and you feel a small flutter in your chest at the sudden possessiveness in his gesture.

You cross your arms, hugging them tightly around yourself to ward off the evening chill. "Possessive much?"

He shrugs nonchalantly, but there's a glint of something warm in his eyes. "Call it a souvenir," he teases, as if it's nothing more than a casual, playful act. Then, before you can protest, he pulls off his jacket and drapes it over your shoulders, the fabric smelling faintly of him, warm and familiar.

You glance at him sideways, eyebrows raised. "Classic first-date move. Smooth."

"What can I say? I'm a natural," he quips, hands sliding casually into his pockets.

You tug the jacket tighter around you, the fabric warm against the cool night air. As you continue down the boardwalk, your gaze drifts to the distant Ferris wheel, its lights casting a soft glow that twinkles like stars against the dark sky. The wheel turns slowly, almost hypnotically, and you feel the pull of it, the quiet, gentle allure of the night wrapping around you both.

"Now that," you say, nudging Damien's arm, "is how you top off a practice date."

He follows your gaze and smirks. "The Ferris wheel? That might be too cliché."

"Don't knock it," you retort, pulling him toward the line. "No fake date is complete without one."

Within minutes, you're seated in one of the gondolas, the air noticeably cooler as you rise above the noise of the boardwalk. The city sprawls beneath you, a tapestry of lights glittering against the dark water.

He leans back against the seat, a playful smirk on his face. "Okay, so what's the one thing missing? You know, to make this a perfect first date."

You pause, pretending to think. "Hmm, maybe... flowers? A cheesy playlist? Oh, I know—a ridiculous grand gesture. Like someone running after me in the rain with a boombox or something."

He laughs, the sound soft but warm. "I don't think I can make the rain fall but.. I respect it."

"That's disappointing," you reply, grinning. "So.. what's your take? What would make this perfect?"

He tilts his head, considering. "Honestly? I think we're pretty close already. Maybe if..." He hesitates, his eyes flickering toward yours briefly, the words hanging between you both. "Never mind.

"No, no," you press, leaning forward. "You can't just stop there."

Damien shrugs, but there's something unreadable in his expression. "I was just going to say that if it was like.. a real first date.. probably a kiss?"

The words land, and for a moment, you both freeze. You glance out at the skyline, the quiet stretching between you. The weight of his words lingers in the air, and you feel something tighten in your chest.

"Well, that would make sense," you finally say, your voice light but shaky, "for a real date"

"Right," he says quietly, his gaze lingering on you a moment longer before turning to the view.

As the Ferris wheel pauses at its peak, the gondola sways gently. You both fall silent, letting the moment stretch out, the weight of his jacket over your shoulders and the warmth of his presence beside you making it feel.. like really good practice for the real date next friday.

[aristaspark]

You're like, the greatest Kenlynn shipper I know. You have any idea of why do Darius love Brooklynn if they're not going to be canon? That kind of plot is very common and Kenlynn already break up. So why? I know Brooklynn didn't wanted their relationship to end, but I don't see how they will keep going... You said something like "Darius learning how to deal with rejection is a mature theme they would bring here". But Kenji learning to let go wouldn't be a mature theme too? Or Kenlynn realizing it can't work is also a mature theme...

Hello, well, first things first thanks for the compliment 😭 (?)

So to adress your point, me saying that Darius's arc being about dealing with rejection (and his guilt) makes for a compelling storyline doesn't mean that I think the same can't be said for Kenji and Brooklynn.

That's why I wasn't even mad when they introduced the storyline in season one, because it was believable that Darius could fall in love with her and it was very in character for Brooklynn to be obsessed with an investigation to the point where she neglected Kenji, it made sense and was simply very good writing. So, yeah, coming into season 2 I was sure they were going to take the "kenji/brooklynn both realize they could never work" route and shove dinostar down our throats to build them up, because looking at the story as a media with a fandom, that was what seemed more likely.

But then there was the promotional material in which Brooklynn only wrote to Kenji, which made me really doubt my conviction. And then season 2.

I think I already listed pretty much everything that suggested, at least to me, that the writers were going for Kenlynn, or AT LEAST that dinostar would remain platonic.

I wouldn't have been mad if they had made dinostar canon (still possible), it was kind of expected since they had Darius fall in love with her. But season 2 suggests it's not the direction they're heading towards (according to me at least) and honestly, I'm glad.

I'm happy because they really stepped up the writing and character conflicts since jwcc, and to me having Brooklynn reciprocate his feelings would be REALLY questionnable writing at best and straight up fanservice at worse.

In universe Brooklynn has been with Kenji for 6 years. They have being a couple for far longer than they have ever been friends. And it was Kenji who broke up. And you want me to believe she would fall for her a guy she has always seen as her best friend only a week after her break up? 😭 Mind you, a best friend she only visited because she was still obsessed with her investigation, not because she wanted to see him (proof she was like that with everyone, her relationship with Kenji wasn't the problem, it was her).

My take on Darius's arc was basically me trying to understand where they were taking his character, why they had introduced this storyline in the first place if it wasn't gonna go "anywhere" as everyone puts it.

But that's the point, we're so obsessed with shipping that we basically forget that it's not all that makes a story, and IT SHOULDN'T BE.

Darius having this arc wouldn't have been in vain even if he doesn't end up with Brooklynn. It gave him his entire arc in season 1, with him being filled with grief and guilt over her death, and it also gave him his conflict with Kenji. It made his character compelling, relatable, interesting. Like, shipping isn't all that matters, whether they end up together or not it's such a compelling story, so why would they refrain for telling it simply because of fandom culture? And to me it's just a testament of how better the writing has gotten since jwcc. The characters no longer have one dimensional relationships/conflicts with each other but have real conflicts/problematics. I'm not only speaking in terms of shipping, but also other storylines. Sammy not speaking to her family, her and yaz struggling with their long-distance relationship, Ben's paranoia, Kenji loosing two of the two most important people in his life back to back, having a death wish, Brooklynn loosing a limb, being cut from all the people she loves for months...

It's clear the writers are putting the characters in very uncomfortable situations, like, death wish and the loss of a limb, please ???

So why would Darius be any different? Why would they refrain from tackling the subject of unrequited love, of messy feelings and confusing friendship with love?

I think that what I'm trying to say is that it's a mistake to look at jwct the same as jwcc/as a kids show cattering to the fans. They're clearly not writing storylines to please the fans, but want to tackle very real subjects, and treat their characters as real people and I respect them so much for that.

I'm gonna stop here because I feel like I'm repeating myself (which I totally am, I'm sure I already wrote that in my endless ramblings). Sorry if I got carried away 😂

And (because I feel like I need to say it) I could be TOTALLY wrong. I'm only making theories on my account, I don't know sh*t except from what's in the show, so it's totally possible dinostar will end up together making me look like a clown 😂

[carabas]

Hey. Why does Lucanis's storyline end like that. Why would you start a storyline with a conversation like this:

Lucanis: I've always thought that to live truly is to live fully. But even before I was captured, my life was not really my own. So much had been determined for me. Rook: Being grandson to the First Talon must come with a lot of baggage. Lucanis: And when I proved I could carry it, the expectations only grew.

And after he has repeatedly stated in Tevinter Nights that, though he certainly doesn't want to quit the Crows, he does not want to be First Talon and would not be suited to it:

"All that effort training and grooming us, and the old woman still won't step aside." Beneath the bitterness in Illario's tone was something rotten. "Your time will come," Lucanis assured him. "Will it?" Illario's piercing gaze met Lucanis's in the mirror. "People talk. You've always been her favorite." He'd heard the rumors. For all their secrets and intrigue, the Antivan Crows were a chatty bunch. "My talents lie elsewhere," Lucanis said, gesturing toward the arsenal around him. "You're the one with the silver tongue."

Tevinter Nights again:

Illario's gaze grew hard. "How long are you going to keep doing this?" "Doing what?" "Caterina's bidding." The wine turned in Lucanis's mouth. "Illario. Stop." "If I was in charge, you wouldn't have to do this anymore," he cajoled. "You could quit." Lucanis stared at his cousin. "I don't want to quit." Illario sat back. The distance between them suddenly felt much wider than a table. "Even if it kills you," Illario whispered. "Death is my calling," Lucanis stated, matter-of-fact. "Just as yours is to become First Talon." He smiled, hoping to ease the tension, but Illario's posture remained taut. "And if Caterina disagrees? If she thinks you're the better man for the job--" "I don't want it, Illario," Lucanis insisted. "But you wouldn't refuse." "It's impossible to refuse Caterina," Lucanis admitted reluctantly. "Only prolong her, until she sees reason." He knew it wasn't the answer Illario wanted, but it was the truth. And in their line of work, honesty was hard to come by.

...and then Caterina declares Lucanis First Talon and, that's, we're leaving it like that. That's where we're leaving it? We started this story with a statement that his life had never been his own and had been determined by Caterina, and we are ending the story with his life being determined by Caterina, that is what we are doing?

The final pivotal scene of this game is about a spirit being released from an unwanted role he had been twisted into! Solas was Wisdom before Mythal turned him into her weapon as the Dread Wolf, a role he had remained trapped in long after the person who imposed that duty upon him had died! Letting Solas persist in his perceived duty twists him into a monster who starts talking like Elgar'nan, the very thing he'd said he feared becoming! Finally releasing Solas from Mythal's service is the super happy best ending of this game! The obvious parallels are paralleling!

And yet this story ends with Lucanis in the role Caterina put on him as First Talon??

Bioware why would you write it like that, I just want to talk

[dontcryminecraft]

watching a reposted clip on youtube right now from shut up im talking's patreon episode with phil and jack. and i just want to highlight what he said about dream after the initial story about phil's tweet set him off. i think its a very well thought out persepective from a content creator personally involved with all the dsmp drama.

"and, you know like, im not just gonna sit here and like shit on him forever, he gave me a great opportunity- I appreciate that and he's done individual, one off acts of kindness to me, but i think- Ive seen him time and time again do like -things like that [pointing to tommy, referencing the twitter argument] where its like, he takes ownership of other people and their accomplishments, 'cause he was like a guiding hand, and its like wh- its such a narcissistic shitty thing to do and it makes me, like, see red."

he then said that a lot of people were struggling during that time, and hes not gonna take away anything dream was going through, hes not a bellend. he also said that now that he's cooled off, a lot of what he said was too harsh and he was just harboring a resentment for a long time. he ended the segment saying that the two of them knew the other didnt like them, so they were civil. and jack will still be civil if he ever interacts with dream again. and he feels a like a bit of a dickhead for airing this out online.

i feel like that's an important aspect that I haven't seen a lot of people talk about. Not for any particular reason, but because everyone -like me- who cheer on Jack as he shits on dream find it very cathartic. But, still, whatever he says and however he says it stems from a very real relationship he had with Dream. That relationship was and always will be civil -because Jack's a decent person- aside from an uncommon/rare outburst like what we saw in the extra video on patreon. We're probably never going to get people creating drama and airing out their deep hatred of Dream because, for as much shit as he's done to people, that's frankly just not something decent people do online. Jack knows this, and as much as he has things he needs to get off his chest, he doesn't want to devolve to that level of discourse. It's not productive, and he doesn't gain anything from it. He'd just get dream stans after him, and he's already not on their "good list" because even without his rants he's made it clear where he stands.

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - First Snowfall Date - English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

Lucien’s 2024 CN Birthday Event (Golden Love Ratio)✧ Birthday Story | Birthday Prologue + Birthday Date (You’re here!) | ASMR

"Actually, the reason for wanting to own a castle is quite simple."

"Because that way, I could have a space of my own to carry out those daring and even dangerous experiments."

"And my parents could also accompany me in the castle, pursuing the research they are deeply passionate about."

"That way, they wouldn’t have to be 'trapped' in the lab all the time."

Translation under the cut!

I’m sorry for dropping this so late. As you might have seen from my tweet, my dad was hospitalized in ICU this month. I’m still struggling emotionally now as I wait for him to wake up. It’s been a difficult time, and the grief is still heavy on me as he hasn’t regained consciousness yet… 

Sharing this date translation is the least I can do to celebrate his birthday for now, even though I won’t be annoyingly scream about it like I usually would hhhh. I guess this date feels a bit like a small comfort—a reminder that even if your loved ones have passed away, it’s not all sadness. There’s still warmth in the memories they left behind :”””.

So, Xu Mo, happy birthday. I’m so happy to see you finally embracing your past with such warmth and nostalgia. Honestly, this year feels like it’s all about him finally gaining ‘blood and flesh,’ becoming more human and beautifully stained with the colors of the mortal world. His world is no longer monochrome, and now he’s moving toward the most vibrant and colorful spring. 

✂———————–

Before reading recommendations:

[2024 Birthday Birthday (a MUST read because this date is heavily reference this!) - My Translation]

[Winery date - Youtube (EN Loc)] 

—秋天是个本身就是带着悲伤和落寞的季节， 但是秋天也拥有盛放的花草， 拥有醇美的葡萄 酒， 还有不变的思念。(Autumn itself is a season inherently tinged with sadness and loneliness. Yet, autumn also boasts blooming flowers and thriving plants, rich and mellow wines, and unwavering longing.’) 

[Autumn Blaze Date - Youtube (EN Loc)]

No tear-floods, Nor sigh-tempests move. The fulfillment of a promise is...

“诺言的实现是别离的开始”。(“The fulfillment of a promise is the beginning of separation.")

[Tidying Up Date - My Translation - Youtube (EN Loc)]

—如果在那些被定格的风景里,你依然生动 鲜活,是否证明我还想念着你。(If in those frozen scenes, you still appear vivid and lively as before, does that mean I still miss you?)

那些被我判定为重要的事,即便现在已经 不再拥有同样的心情,那我是否还爱着你。(If what I previously judged to be important no longer reflects my feelings now, does that mean I still love you?)

✂———————–

[Birthday Prologue]

Sunlight shines on the sofa, and the cozy warmth makes me lift my head from my laptop, stretching with a big, lazy yawn.

MC: It always feels like something’s missing…

Lucien's birthday is coming soon, and to properly celebrate that day, he's been rushing his experiments progress lately, making him incredibly busy.

So, I want to give him a "soft and fluffy" birthday where he can lie down anytime and anywhere.

It's just that I've run into a little problem for the time being.

=Flashback Start=

MC: Lucien, what do you think of this town?

Lucien: It seems quite nice. It just so happens that the lab next door seems to be going here to do some research.

MC: What? No, no, if we're not careful, you'll be swept away by work!

I took out my Plan B and placed it in front of Lucien.

MC: How about this southern city then~ It should be very warm here.

Lucien: Hmm... If you don't want to be disturbed by outsiders, I'm afraid this place won't work either.

Lucien: I remember an academic summit is being held here soon. I just returned the call and declined the invitation to attend.

=Flashback End=

Therefore, after several plans were forced to be aborted one after another, my gaze inevitably shifted to the other side of the ocean.

Let's go somewhere farther away!

That way, Lucien can have a peaceful birthday without being disturbed by work or the outside world.

I immediately change my search keywords and start browsing travel guides for long-distance birthday trips.

Suddenly, a relevant news notification pops up on the webpage.

A castle museum owned by a renowned inventor from the last century will soon be open to the public.

In the photo, the historic castle is adorned with falling red leaves in the sunlight, resembling a piece of condensed amber.

I excitedly click on it and discover that, in addition to the open exhibition area, the castle is also available for rent by the square meter.

MC: ...Castle rental?

My eyes light up, and an idea forms in my mind.

✂———————–

When Lucien returns in the evening, I quietly close my laptop and walk to the door with a smile.

MC: Lucien—welcome home~ Ahem, I have a new idea about your birthday!

Lucien takes off his coat and gently embraces me, his eyes reflecting a soft, tranquil smile like the surface of a shallow water.

Lucien: What's the idea?

MC: Heehee, let me give you a hint~ How about we go somewhere far away for your birthday this time, a place with a vintage feel?

A gentle puff of air that seems like a suppressed chuckle reaches my ears, and a thoughtful expression appears on Lucien's face.

Lucien: Hmm... So, how vintage are we talking?

MC: Like, no elevator, and maybe no heating?

Lucien: Sounds like it could be a bit cold. It seems we'll need to pack some warm clothes.

I subconsciously nod, then immediately react.

MC: Wait, you've already agreed?

Lucien: Mm, after all, celebrating a birthday in a castle is a very appealing option.

MC: !!

MC: Hey! I clearly kept it under wraps, I haven’t even booked the tickets yet.... how did you figure it out so quickly?

Lucien's lips curve into a smile as he takes my hand, his index finger gently tapping on the back of my hand.

Lucien: It's probably because... your browsing history is synced to my computer.

✂———————–

[Date]

If you want to follow along with the voice- you can hear it here . The date starts at 14:10

=[Part 1]=

The late autumn sunshine is softened by the clouds, leaping through the glass window and casting a honey-like, mottled glow on the wooden floor.

MC: Mmh…

The cold air wakes me. As I'm about to stretch, my right hand accidentally brushes against something warm and soft.

Lucien lies peacefully beside me, breathing steadily. His brow, furrowed from days of relentless work, finally relaxes as he falls into a deep well of sleep.

We crossed the ocean and arrived at an ancient castle on the Atlantic coast last night.

It is said that this castle was personally designed and built by an inventor from the electrical era. He gifted it to his wife as a wedding present upon its completion.

They fell in love as they settled down at this very place, continuously building love founded on mutual companionship. Here they remained until they eventually passed away together and were laid to rest eternally within the castle grounds.

The profound emotions and story, coupled with the beautiful view of maple leaves and the ancient castle before my eyes, strengthen my resolve to rent this castle.

Amidst the intermingling of light and shadow this early morning, I quietly gaze at Lucien and a soft warmth wells up in my heart.

A hand with defined knuckles encloses my right hand, his palm pressed against the back of my hand, transmitting his body heat.

It's as if he's reluctant to grasp it tightly, yet unwilling to let go, so he just gently cups my hand.

I raise the hand that he isn’t holding, my fingertips hovering at the smallest distance as I trace the outline of his features.

Eyelashes, the bridge of his nose, his lips… until those closed eyelids suddenly quiver and blink lightly.

Lucien slowly opens his eyes, a hint of soft sleepiness lingering in them.

His hold on my hand tightens as he looks at me drowsily, revealing a gentle, soft smile under the sunlight.

I shift my body slightly, blocking the sunlight that's falling into his eyes, then lean down and gently press my cheek against his.

MC: Happy birthday, Professor Lucien~

Lucien: [his sleepy, soft voice is so cute-] Thank you, my little lady.

He tilts his face up, nuzzling affectionately against my cheek. The sunlight falls on his side profile, making him look fluffy.

The strands of his hair tangle with mine, stirring tender and lingering itches.

Lucien: Waking up in a castle and hearing MC's blessing, I must be the happiest person in the world right now.

Lucien: If I were to say there's still something missing, it would probably be...

Lucien: [chuckles] You're right. This castle is indeed quite cold.

His teasing tone makes me unable to resist lifting the corner of my lips. I snuggle closer, resting my cheek on his collarbone and nuzzling against it, warming the slightly cold patch of skin.

After warming up his skin that was exposed to the air, I tilt my face up to look at him.

MC: Being here with you under the covers like this makes it feel just a bit warmer.  

MC: However, getting up and moving around might help warm up our body too.

I wink at Lucien, speaking with a feigned seriousness that makes the matter seem like a big deal.

MC: I’ve decided to leave this difficult decision to the esteemed castle owner. May I ask, what would Your Highness like to do*?

My words are the picture of courtesy, yet I press myself against Lucien, my hand boldly and unreservedly traces his cheek.

His chest, pressed tightly against mine, trembles softly. Lucien takes my fingers, bringing them to his pale lips for a gentle kiss.

Lucien: Since I’m the owner of this castle... then, I want to stay in bed with my girlfriend for a bit longer right now.

He looks at me and blinks, his eyelashes casting a warm shadow on his cheek.

Lucien: [chuckles] Is that okay?

His voice holds a touch of playful mischievousness. I meet those eyes filled with smiles and feel a little dazed.

MC: Of course…

Before I can even finish speaking, I feel his hand tighten around my waist, and I yield as he wraps me back in the blanket again.

From just a breath away, I hear Lucien's long, contented exhale.

Lucien: [chuckles softly, then exhales comfortably] Then stay with me a little longer, let's indulge in bed a bit more.

✂———————–

*: MC playfully used 您 (nin) here, which is like the formal way to say ‘you’. I translate this to ‘Your Highness’ as an attempt to capture this~

✂———————–

=[Part 2]=

We linger in bed until almost noon when Lucien finally 'digs' me out of the warm covers while I’m still drowsy from sleep.

After freshening up, we enjoy the sumptuous and exquisite brunch prepared by the butler.

Before the birthday dinner arrives, we still have a long stretch of leisurely time that we can freely arrange.

Considering this rare opportunity to vacation in the castle, we decide to spend half the day on the castle's lawn.

Late autumn is a season of vibrant colors, and the castle's designer clearly understood this well, planting a row of deciduous trees along the castle's edge.

[Trivia: Deciduous trees are trees that shed their leaves each year in the autumn!]

The lawn remains as green as an antique jade, but the leaves of the trees have already turned yellow, with a backdrop of maple forests ablaze in crimson.

The sunlight is warm, the fallen leaves crunch under my feet, and I can't help but take a deep breath.

MC: Mmm... It's the scent of autumn!

Lucien chuckles softly and, imitating me, takes a gentle breath of the autumn air.

Lucien: [chuckles] The air is so fresh. It must have rained last night; I can smell the petrichor.

MC: Hearing you say that, it feels like even the air today is a fresh gift for you~

I reach out and catch a falling leaf carried by the autumn breeze, gently placing it in Lucien's hand.

MC: Lucien, I want to give you a gift of autumn!

Lucien: A gift of autumn?

Lucien takes the leaf with a slightly puzzled look. I swing his hand gently and give him a wink.

MC: Consider this leaf a humble offering to spark something greater.

MC: I want to use these fallen leaves, flowers, and fruits to make an autumn basket, offering a small gift to today's birthday boy using nature's bounty.

Lucien gently nods in understanding, the curve of his lips remaining unchanged.

Lucien: Even though you're preparing a gift for me, the birthday boy himself is eager to join in too.

Lucien: Or is it that my little lady will only allow me to stand back and do nothing?

As he leans in slightly, his tone carries a hint of seriousness, and his fingertips lightly brush against my palm.

Sunlight sprinkles across his face, and his smiling eyes, framed by the interplay of light and shadow, appear even deeper, revealing a gentle slyness.

MC: Of course I need Professor Lucien's help, but when it comes to the final weaving stage, the birthday boy can't peek~

Lucien: No problem, I will be an honest collaborator.

The autumn wind lifts his hair, creating gentle curves as it sweeps through the strands. I gather his fingers in mine and we step onto the forest path by the castle.

MC: Let's go then, we still need a lot of materials~

In the maple forest during late autumn, fruit trees laden with fruit hide amongst the low bushes, while vibrant beeches with flourishing branches and leaves stand beside the tall oaks.

Purple crocuses peek their delicate buds from the grass, while after the rain, strange fungi unfurl their caps and release spores.

It's like stumbling into an autumn oil painting with bold colors and thick brushstrokes, every glance reveals a colorful and magnificent scenery.

When Lucien picks up a plump acorn, a red squirrel with a fluffy tail scurries out and squeaks at him.

MC: Wow, such a daring little squirrel!

Lucien and I are both taken aback for a moment; this little fellow seems completely unafraid of us.

MC: Is it greeting us, or is it trying to steal the fruit we've picked up?

Lucien seems to already have a way to handle this, a hint of cunningness flashing in his eyes.

He takes a pine cone in his hand and gently dangles it in front of the little squirrel's tail.

Lucien: [chuckles] Little guy, do you want this?

The greedy little squirrel's eyes instantly fixate on the new pine cone, completely captivated by his movement, and it scurries forward a few steps.

It stuffs the pine cone from Lucien's hand into its mouth in one gulp, then hops away with its cheeks puffed out.

Lucien: [chuckles] This maple forest is their world. That pine cone, well, let's just consider it an ‘entry fee'.

Lucien raises his hand again, and when he opens his palm before me, there they are—several even plumper and cuter acorns.

MC: Hold on, turns out you've been secretly keeping all these 'hidden treasures' to yourself!

Lucien: [in an ‘innocent’ tone] After all, my little lady needs these acorns, so I had to find a way to evade those sharp-eared and keen-eyed little fellows.

Though he says this, Lucien shows a relaxed expression, looking like a little fox pretending to be innocent.

The thought of the Great Professor Lucien actually ‘tricking’ a squirrel makes me burst out laughing. I grab his hand and pull him along as I run in the other direction.

MC: Hahaha, Professor Lucien, quick, run with me! Be careful, the little squirrel might go find the squirrel police and report us!

I hold hands with Lucien as we walk through the woods. The surrounding scenery is vibrant with colors, creating the impression of a flowing oil painting.

The air around the sweet osmanthus trees is filled with a sweet fragrance like cotton candy, while black walnuts and red oak acorns roll on the ground.

My pockets are loaded with autumn's ‘spoils’ which keep spilling out as I run, as if they are merging with the forest's hidden mysteries.

Despite these minor incidents, we still manage to gather a basketful of autumn's gifts.

✂———————–

Back indoors, I carry my blessings for Lucien and patiently weave them together.

Leaves and fruits gradually take shape in my hands, carrying small heartfelt wishes, preserving the warmth and liveliness of autumn.

And then, I find Lucien by the window.

He seems to have just come inside, a hint of coldness still clinging to him, but when he turns and looks back at me, a gentle smile quickly spreads across his face.

I smile and lift the basket of fruits and flowers with both hands as if I'm holding all the beauty of autumn.

MC: This castle’s most beautiful autumn is all right here! Here, it's all yours—

MC: I hope every day of your future can be as complete, fulfilling, and beautiful as this~

Lucien's eyes curve into a smile as he takes the basket.  Suddenly, I feel a touch of moist coolness against my ear.

Through the glass window, I see him quietly tuck a vibrant Cleome flower into my hair.

Lucien: Thank you, I really like these autumn gifts.

Lucien: But for me, the most beautiful part of autumn is right here before my eyes.

Lucien: She blooms year after year, staying by my side, and leaving me utterly captivated*.

✂———————–

[T/N]

I think the Cleome Spinosa flower, also known as 醉蝶花 ("intoxicated butterfly") carries symbolic meaning. When Lucien gives her this particular flower, it reflects his emotions about her. The final line (她年复一年地盛开,陪在我的身边,令我沉醉其中 — literally translated as "She blooms year after year, staying by my side, and leaving me intoxicated") directly connects to the "intoxicating" (醉) in the flower's name with the word 沉醉 (immersed in a state of intoxication) in the last line, which combines 沉 (to sink or immerse) and 醉 (to be drunk or intoxicated).

沉醉 conveys the emotional nuances of being utterly captivated, deeply enchanted, and overwhelmed in a consuming, blissful way. This imagery mirrors the 'intoxicated butterfly' of the flower, as if he's the 'intoxicated butterfly', utterly captivated and completely consumed by her existence.

✂———————–

=[Part 3]=

It's past dusk, and the sunlight is as golden and radiant as freshly harvested honey. Outside the window, a vast expanse of red maple trees sways in harmony with the evening breeze, whispering a soft melody. Leaves flutter and dance their way into the room every now and then.

I rub my arms, for even this gentle and beautiful scenery can’t stop the temperature from dropping as night falls.

MC: Uh... It feels even colder than it did this morning.

Just then, the sound of rolling wheels comes from behind me. Lucien approaches, pushing a small wooden cart, a plush shawl in his hand.

Lucien: I found a pretty good way to warm up, want to give it a try?

He gently wraps a shawl around me, and I comfortably nuzzle against his warm and cozy neck.

MC: I'm all ears to hear the esteemed opinions of the castle's owner!

Lucien smiles mysteriously, holds my hand, and pushes the cart as we walk together to a door leading underground.

MC: This is... a wine cellar?

Lucien: I think it would be more ceremonial if we chose the wine list ourselves tonight.

He lights the two oil lamps that were prepared in advance. Each of us carries one, and we slowly move forward through the rich aroma of oak barrels.

According to the butler, the wine cellar was recently ventilated.  

Yet, perhaps the overwhelming aroma of wine saturates the air, walking inside makes me feel a bit stifled. I even feel slightly intoxicated just from the scent, before even having a sip.

Besides me, only Lucien still carries the fresh and crisp scent of grass and trees from when we were gathering fruits and fallen leaves.

It feels like he is the only antidote in this dim room filled with the floating aroma of wine.

Red maple leaves, the wine cellar, the wine itself… memories from the past seem to overlap at this moment.

Suddenly, I recall the winery we visited long ago.

The memory of the autumn stained red by the maple leaves has brought with it the restlessness and infatuation of the past, spilling out from the bottom of my heart without any reason...

It's as if my lips still retain the feeling of his touch when he wiped away the wine stain for me, making my heartbeat inexplicably quicken. Just then, I catch sight of Lucien gently placing a bottle of wine into the cart.

MC: Professor Lucien, what kind of wine did you choose?

Lucien: Riesling white wine.

Lucien turns the bottle around to show me.

Lucien: When I got the cart, the butler knew I was going to the wine cellar and recommended this castle's specialty to me.

Lucien: And you?

I suppress the excitement in my heart and wink at him mysteriously.

MC: Hmph, you'll find out soon enough.

The light and soft aroma of white wine fills the air, and even the candles on the wall seem intoxicated by the wine's fragrance, their flames gently flickering.  

Under the twilight dome of the sky, the shadows of the wine rack and stone walls sway gracefully in the flickering firelight.  

Lucien and I sit at a small table nearby, two crystal-clear glasses already filled with wine, exuding a faintly tipsy aura.  

After two glasses of Riesling, I feel warmth spreading through my body and let out a satisfied sigh.

MC: Ahh, so comfortable... I don't feel cold at all anymore~ As expected of the wine Professor Lucien chose.

Lucien: [chuckles] Would you like some more?

I smile and shake my head, winking at him mysteriously.

MC: First, let's try the wine I picked~

I open the bottle of wine I selected and pour a glass for Lucien, sneaking a glance at his face from the corner of my eye.  

The candlelight cast a soft filter over him, concealing his keen and contemplative eyes, which revealed a soft glow under the haze of the wine.

He parts his pale lips, gently swallows the wine, and seems to be momentarily dazed.

MC: How is it?

I can barely contain my anticipation as I watch his brow smooth slightly, relaxing further after taking in the wine.

Confusion and surprise flit through his gentle eyes, before swiftly transforming into a clear understanding.

Lucien:  ...This flavor is very unique, and yet also very familiar.

Lucien: It's sweet and tender, yet with a touch of bitterness and complexity*.

[Notes from Lux: He copied her remark from back then, word by word :”””. 纠结 is a tricky word to translate because it literally means “intertwined”/”tangled”. But figuratively, it implies a kind of intertwined, tangled feeling, commonly describing a state of emotional or mental conflict, where someone feels torn between different choices or is experiencing confusion and hesitation (a.k.a the state of the earlier stage of their relationship-). I went with ‘complexity’ to capture some nuances, but it might not capture this ‘entangling’ feeling.]

The complex yet familiar remark sends a rush of emotions through me. Just as I’m thinking about what to say, Lucien smiles.

Lucien: But when I savor it again, I feel a warmth, like that of sunshine and rain—a delicate, pleasant warmth.

The familiar words stir a trace of emotion in my heart, and in a daze, it feels as if the autumn equinox of that year has arrived at this very moment.

He still remembers—this is the same bottle of wine I tasted back when we were just getting to know each other, during our visit to Eileen's winery for an interview.

My fingertips unconsciously rub against the bottle, and my thoughts follow my gaze to the red maple trees bathed in the evening glow.

Back then, it was also the season when the maples were crimson and the flowers were in full bloom...

A maple leaf, as if on cue, is swayed by the evening breeze and drifts toward me. I instinctively reach out, and the leaf gently lands in my palm.

It feels as though the early days of tentative exploration and the subtle sweetness of that time have traveled with the falling leaf, arriving here in this foreign land at this moment.

Lucien: I remember, on the way to the winery, I mentioned Maple Road. We ended up going there together.

Lucien: On Maple Road, we read a poetry collection together and visited a maple sugar shack.

Lucien: Later, I drew a picture of you collecting maple leaves. That drawing even ended up in an exhibition...

The rippling light of the wine in the crystal glass reflects on him, even his gaze holds tender memories.

Lucien speaks calmly, his memories unfolding like a heavy book, slowly opening before me with the sound of his voice.

The bond beneath the red maple tree and the feelings growing in the vineyard, word by word, moment by moment, intertwine and become etched into our story-

Only those who created it together can turn its pages and retrieve each other's anchors from the endless flow of time.

My heart is stirred, subtly and uncontrollably. I can't help but rush into Lucien's arms, hugging him tightly.

MC: I remember too.

MC: Not just these things you've mentioned... everything about you, I remember it all.

MC: So after today, Professor Lucien should also update this birthday into all our autumn memories.

His chest pressed close to me, trembles slightly. A warm, gentle kiss falls on my forehead, soft and cherishing.

Lucien: Such beautiful memories, I don't seem to have any reason to let them fade away.

I lift my face joyfully and gently kiss his chin.  

We have already experienced countless stories through many autumns and celebrated each of his birthdays.

And I also want to write down promises with him for each and every autumn in the future, continuing on for a very, very long time.

MC: Then it's a promise!

Lucien smiles faintly and lifts me up with one hand, his gentle gaze meeting mine at eye level.

Lucien: [chuckles] However, if I want to make the anchor of this ‘memory’ even more profound, I still need to gather a bit of inspiration…

The remaining of his words are lost into our mingling breaths, replaced by a crisp kiss tinged with the scent of wine.

This kiss is gentle and intoxicating, leaving me somewhat tipsy, though not from the effects of alcohol.

Perhaps it's because the youthful and inexperienced flavor of that past has long since mixed with the passionate love that has matured over time…

Blending and growing, pulling me deeply into it.

✂———————–

=[Part 4]=

The twilight gradually fades into the night, and the bright moon quietly hangs in the autumn night, illuminating the still dazzling and fiery red maple leaves.

Lucien and I are still sitting at the table, enjoying the tranquility, when a sudden coldness brushes against my cheek.

I raise my head and realize, without noticing it, that snowflakes have already begun drifting down from the sky. Just then, I hear Lucien's smiling voice beside me.

Lucien: It seems that today's ‘gifts’ are not over yet.

MC: After all, today is your birthday—the whole world will be sending you blessings~

Our gazes meet, and with a tacit understanding, we both set down our glasses and take each other's hands.

Lucien: Then, can I invite my ‘world’ to go out with me and experience this beauty together?

In the courtyard, rustling red maples intertwine with falling snowflakes, as if autumn and winter themselves are completing their handover at this very moment.

We get an umbrella from the butler and hold hands as we follow the stone path down the hill from the old castle.

The moonlight on a snowy night grows brighter as we walk side by side to the small town at the foot of the hill, where the houses and streetlights are all covered in a delicate layer of snowflakes.

On the streets of the small town, many people, like Lucien and I, stroll under the moonlight, accompanied by the backdrop of the first snowfall, tacitly enjoying this tranquil night.

I turn my head to look at Lucien and find him reaching out his hand, gently catching a falling snowflake.

His eyes curve faintly, as if harboring some kind of quiet longing, even carrying a touch of rare childlike innocence.

MC: [smiles softly] Why does it feel like Professor Lucien has a special fondness for this snow?

My tone holds a hint of curiosity, wanting to capture this rare glimpse of his innocence. Lucien smiles and begins to speak softly.

Lucien: [softly, like recalling a cherished memory] Just remembered a movie I watched when I was little. I remember... it was about an inventor who lived in a castle.

Lucien: After watching it as a child, there was a time when I also wanted to be an inventor with a castle.

My eyes widen in a bit of surprise.

MC: [pouts] I can understand wanting to be an inventor, but why did it have to be one who lives in a castle…

MC: Professor Lucien, could it be that you're teasing me on purpose just because we came to a castle this year?

Lucien: [chuckles] Of course not. But if this story will make this little lady happy, I’d be more than willing to tell it to you.

MC: I want to hear it, I want to hear it!

I enthusiastically put on an attentive look, Lucien smiles as he begins to speak.

Lucien: Actually, the reason for wanting to own a castle is quite simple.

Lucien: Because that way, just like the main character in the movie, I could have a space of my own to carry out those daring and even dangerous experiments.

Lucien: And my parents could also accompany me in the castle, pursuing the research they are deeply passionate about.

Lucien: That way, they wouldn’t have to be 'trapped' in the lab all the time.

Lucien speaks naturally, his voice imbued with a soft smile, yet it's as if a tiny window is being opened.

Through that window, I seem to see a little Lucien, his eyes sparkling with fascination as he watches the movie, his heart filled with simple and pure longing.

My heart suddenly softens, and I can’t help but smile tenderly as I start to speak.

MC: The dream of becoming an inventor could now be considered halfway realized~

MC: After all, Professor Lucien is a great scientist walking at the forefront of humanity—it’s perhaps even more remarkable than that!

MC: As for the castle... you've been the ‘owner of the castle’ for a day today, does that count?

Lucien: [chuckles] Of course it counts. And now, there’s even the first snowfall.

He takes my slightly cold hand and slips it in his pocket, softly rubbing it.

Lucien: I can no longer recall the plot of that movie very well. But I do remember that on the day we watched it, it also snowed in Loveland City.

Lucien: That day, they finished work early and brought home the videotape of that movie.

Lucien: The movie ended with the town welcoming its first snowfall, and we also stepped outside together to enjoy the snowy world.

He speaks vaguely, but I understand everything.

His low voice feels especially serene on this snowy night, yet as he speaks, another scene unfolds before my eyes.

When his room flooded before, he tidied up those old videotapes and set them aside, placing them carefully in a separate spot.

Is this old movie among those tapes?

As he put away the videotapes, did he recall that ancient castle and that warm snowfall?

I don’t know the answer, but I can feel that those fleeting, rarely mentioned fragments of his past were once so distant and cold.

But now, those precious fragments have thawed like melting ice and snow, filled with nostalgia and warmth as they slowly flow.

I instinctively tighten my hold on his hand.

The first snowfall is falling thicker and thicker, yet it isn't biting cold. Snowflakes gently drift past the edge of the umbrella, landing on the tips of my hair and forehead, as well as Lucien's.

It's as if this world is bestowing its blessings on Lucien in the most gentle way.

MC: Even though it's many years late, it seems that we've now made little Lucien's childhood dream come true.

With a chuckle, Lucien's low voice reaches me through the wind and snow.

Lucien: [chuckles] Indeed, so I was quite surprised, but also delightfully so.

Lucien: However, if it weren’t for this twist of fate, perhaps I wouldn’t have thought of this idea again for a very, very long time.

Lucien: [softly] Because I've long had something far more important.

Lucien: To me, those forgotten thoughts are more like a bottle of wine hidden in a cellar.

MC: Wine?

Lucien: Mm, just like the wine we’re drinking today.

Lucien: Grapes can never return to their original form, but time makes them richer and more mellow, and they will always meet someone who knows how to cherish them.

Lucien: She will give me a castle, stay in bed with me, treasure an entire autumn with me... and walk with me through quiet streets on snowy nights.

A snowflake quietly lands on his eyelashes and melts a moment later. It’s as if the melted droplets seep into my heart, creating ripples of sweet warmth.

I can't help but speak softly, offering all my blessings to my beloved standing before me under the moonlight of this snowy night.

MC: Happy birthday, Lucien.

May each and every year of your future be surrounded with love as you move forward.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*FIN*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[Bonus Phone call]

Lucien: I received the email you sent. Looks like it has some intel about a birthday.

MC: Yes! It's a text-based open-source game I found online. I modified it a bit~

MC: You can start from age 0 and randomly generate the 'life' of a little Lucien!

Lucien: Mm, just now, I've already completed two endings.

Lucien: The first time, little Lucien was accidentally captured by an alien spacecraft at the age of three and left Earth forever.

Lucien: The second time, little Lucien received a mysterious admission letter at the age of sixteen. No one knows where he went.

[Aren't these just a reflection of his past??? from being kidnapped by BS to mysteriously disappearing hhhhh]

MC: Haha, is the game’s random value design too harsh? Maybe I should tweak it a bit...

Lucien: No need, I really like this level of difficulty. It’s precisely this randomness that makes it so interesting to me.

Lucien: I’ve just started my third playthrough. This time, I’ve decided to reallocate some of the 15 points I gave to intelligence and assign some to luck.

[Not this basically saying that his genius may be the reason for his unluckiness in life :""". His 'luck' in life is that he's able to met her]

MC: So Professor Lucien had been putting all the points into one stat before! No wonder you kept having such over-the-top mysterious experiences...

Lucien: I just subconsciously wanted to test the limits of this little game, and unexpectedly made real discoveries.

Lucien: Although these endings greatly increased the game's replayability, this time, I want to make the game last a bit longer.

Lucien: That way, perhaps I can meet you in the game as well.

MC: Hehe, you can look forward to it!

MC: So, how's it going? What age did you reach in your third playthrough?

Lucien: …Hmm, I've already invented the elixir of immortality and reached the age of two hundred, but I still haven't encountered you.

Lucien: Am I on the right track?

MC: Pfft! I did set up an encounter, but I didn't set an age limit, thinking it would slightly increase replayability...

MC: I feel like I might have overdone it...

Lucien: It’s okay. In the game, little Lucien has already met you—at the age of five hundred.

Lucien: Then, on his birthday, we confessed to each other at the same time and spent a happy life together.

[Man so love-brained that he creates an immortality elixir and stubbornly waits a long time to finally meet her LOL. In this way, it can be said that his current life might be the 'luckiest' possibility because it allows him to meet her so soon]

MC: Hahaha, that's good, that's good... So, do you like this "life path" of becoming an inventor?

Lucien: I like it. I like everything and my destined encounter with you.

Lucien: I’ll be home soon, and when I get there, I’d like to invite you to explore all the other possibilities for little Lucien together—

Lucien: And explore every moment I spent with you on this birthday.

[bobsblogbits]

Memories from childhood, my gran used to give me and my brother and sister a "good wash out" once a week. Mom used to protest but gran said it was good to cleanse the body and mind, (Dad had left us then, I now know he was driven away by grans constant interfering). I remember standing in the bathroom naked and watching her push that tube up my brother then my sisters bottoms. I was the youngest so I went last. Then the slap if you let it go to soon. As we got older and I entered puberty I used to get so turned on watching that soapy red rubber tube disappear into my sisters naked bottom I'd wank over the image for days. It all stopped one day when my brother, who would have been about 16 refused to submit and gran beat the crap out of him with her walking stick. Mom finally stood up to her mother and threw her out telling her never to come back. I'm in my late 60's now, my mom and brother have both passed, my sister and I, both widowed now live together. We talked of gran and her Enema kit a while back and I admitted to being turned on by my sisters treatment. She said, if we're going to share secrets, that gran doing me and our brother used to turn her on too. Turns out her and her late husband had been into pre-sex enema's for most of their married lives. Now long story short, every Sunday evening after Chapel we go home and get stripped off together, get out the kit and give each other "a good wash out". It turns us both on so much to insert that soapy tube, we end up on the bed masturbating each other all evening.