#(okay i had until the end of may so i was never not illegal but. i definitely lost track of the registration for a hot second there)

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

appalled and disgusted to report the two (2) very manageable, very time-sensitive, very doable tasks that i've been putting off for two (2) weeks took ten (10) minutes total

[captainsophiestark]

Did I Forget to Mention?

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

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Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day Twelve Prompt: "Did you hear that?"

Summary: Nik's SO *might* have forgotten to tell their Mystic Falls friends about their relationship with a certain hybrid. But it's not going to stay secret for much longer.

Word Count: 2,381

Category: Fluff, little bit of Angst

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Okay, I'm calling it! Semesters suck, I'd give anything to be on a quarter system if it meant not having homework on spring break."

My friends laughed, even as I groaned and collapsed back into the couch. I got one week to take a break from school, and a small window to reunite with my friends back in Mystic Falls who'd all gone to Whitmore. We were supposed to spend the whole week having fun starting tomorrow morning, but they'd surprised me by showing up at my house tonight to get the party started early. Unfortunately, a few of my classes had given me homework, and I couldn't give in to spring break until I took care of it.

"I have a feeling you're gonna be singing a different tune in May when you're out of class and we've all still got another month left," said Bonnie with a smile.

"You're just lucky we want to enjoy the break with you," Elena added. "Otherwise we'd be getting payback for you showing up to campus during finals week to 'relax and tan'."

"Hey! I also showed up as moral support, thank you very much!"

"How was that morally supportive?" asked Caroline.

"I brought you coffees! And I was exemplifying the light at the end of the tunnel for you guys, when you finished your tests and could join me in summer fun!"

"Oh! Okay, of course," said Caroline in a tone that I knew should make me concerned. "I forgot, you're right. We'll go make some drinks and leave you to finish this, maybe play some music, so we can model that spring break fun, light at the end of the tunnel for you."

"No," I whined, flopping back onto the couch again. "Point taken, and I'm sorry. Just please don't leave me to this homework alone."

"We won't," Elena reassured me, reaching out to rest her hand on my arm. "But... the three of us might make drinks anyway."

I groaned, grabbing a pillow and burying my face in it. Finally, I sighed, sitting upright again.

"Fine. You know where all the stuff is. Just... try not to get so buzzed you tell me to edit a bunch of ridiculous stuff into my paper, okay?"

"No promises!" chirped Caroline as my three friends all stood. I sighed, but before they could get any further out of the room, a loud thud came from the direction of the kitchen.

All three of us froze in our tracks. We'd spent way too much time dealing with supernatural headaches not to go on high alert after something like that.

"Did you hear that?" hissed Caroline. We all nodded, so I gestured for the four of us to head towards the kichen and check it out.

If it was a vampire, it had to be one who'd already been invited in. If it was a different kind of supernatural creature, between the four of us, we should probably be able to handle it. Still, it never hurt to be cautious. Surprises happened all the time, and they could be deadly.

We took up positions just outside the kitchen, then Caroline counted us down with her fingers. When she dropped the last one, all four of us whirled around the corner, ready for action.

I stopped dead at the sight of Klaus Mikaelson hovering by my kitchen island, my heart dropping in my chest. Caroline and Elena both looked ready for a fight, but Bonnie beat them both to it. She raised her hand, and Nik dropped to the ground, holding his head.

"Stop!" I cried, rushing forward and yanking Bonnie's hand down. She stared at me, shocked, outraged, and confused, but to my relief I saw Nik stand up out of the corner of my eye.

Silence settled over the kitchen. Every single person was looking at me, my friends all with incredulous looks and scowls, Nik with a faint smile. For my part, I actually found myself wishing I could go back to my classwork. Just as long as I could be anywhere but here.

Unfortunately, I didn't get my wish. Nik took a deep breath in, and I knew if I didn't speak quickly, he'd take over the explanations for me. As bad as this situation was, I knew that would only make it worse.

I'd been invovled in the Mikaelson drama with the rest of my friends while they'd been living in Mystic Falls, but once they left, I hadn't really given them much more thought.

That is, until I ended up going to college in New Orleans. Klaus and I had run into each other at an art exhibit, and it functioned as a kind of neutral territory. We were both pretty opinionated, and we'd ended up spending the most of the day together, first talking about the exhibit but quickly moving on to other topics, too. We'd had a strange kind of reconnection, although we hadn't really been connected in the first place, and within a few weeks he'd asked me on a date and I'd said yes. We'd been dating since that freshman fall, and recently, I'd caught myself thinking the word love more than once. But I'd been serioiusly, seriously putting off telling my friends back home.

I'd managed to dodge telling them for two whole school breaks now. But apparently, with spring break, my luck was finally running out.

"Alright," I started, holding up my hands before Nik could jump in. "So... Nik and I have been... together... for a while now. We ran into each other again in New Orleans and just kind of hit it off. I didn't want to tell you guys becuase, well... I didn't think you'd take it well."

No one said anything for a moment, like my words were on a slight time delay. Then, all three of my friends started shouting at once.

"Are you kidding me?"

"What were you thinking?"

"Out of every single person in New Orleans, in the world, why the hell did you pick him?"

Nik stepped up beside me as all three of my friends had their reactions. Honestly, I couldn't blame them. It was a justified reaction, especially after how seriously they'd been blindsided. Nik didn't seem the least bit phased as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I'm sorry, love," he muttered into my ear. "I didn't realize your little friends were over."

I just sighed. "It's not your fault, Nik. I should've told them a long time ago. Don't worry, they'll be fine."

As one, our attention returned to my friends, who were now glaring at the two of us. I grimaced, but Nik seemed to enjoy the negative attention. He grinned and pulled me in closer to his side.

Bonnie looked on the verge of using magic again, and Caroline seemed about two seconds away from charging Nik to start a fist fight, so I gave his shoulder a squeeze and gently stepped away from him.

"Guys... I'm sorry. I should've told you a long time ago, and I shouldn't have put you in a situation to find out like this."

"Or, how about you shouldn't be dating the guy who tried to kill us all in the first place!" Caroline shouted, unable to contain herself anymore. I grimaced, but didn't step any further away from Nik.

"That's... a fair reaction. But seriously, I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been. And it's not like he's trying to kill any of us anymore-"

"At least not right now," chorused Nik and Bonnie in sync, with two very different tones to their words. Bonnie fixed him with a fierce glare, and I winced.

"Okay, maybe we should all sit down and talk," I said. "Or the four of us can talk, and I can ask Nik to come back later-"

"No way," said Caroline, raising her hands and taking a few steps back as she shook her head. "If he's staying, I'm not."

"Caroline-"

"I need a walk."

With that, she turned and vamp sped out of the house. With a look at me, Elena followed her. Bonnie started drifting in that direction, too, but she paused first, with a scowl at Nik before giving me a slightly less hostile look.

"I'm glad you're happy. Really, I am. But you might want to consider the cost that happiness is coming with."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room. I sighed the minute she was out of sight, slouching against the corner and sighing. That could've gone much, much better.

"They took that better than expected," mused Nik from beside me. I groaned, and I heard him huff a laugh.

When I straightened up and met his eyes, however, I noticed the slightly guarded expression behind his eyes. It had taken a lot of work to get good at reading Nik, and I still couldn't do it with 100% accuracy. But even so, I knew he wasn't nearly as calm and unaffected as he looked right now.

I sighed. My friends weren't the only people I needed to have a serious conversation with.

"Nik..." I started, taking his hand and settling into one of the stools at the kitchen counter. I pulled him onto the one next to mine, scooting closer until our knees were pressed together and I could keep him close for this conversation. "I'm sorry. I should've told them a long, long time ago. And I want you to know... I didn't tell them because I didn't want to deal with the reaction I knew they'd have. Not because of anything to do with you."

Nik's eyes flickered, scanning my face. I gave his hand a squeeze, but I could tell we weren't out of the woods yet.

"Isn't their reaction everything to do with me?" he asked, his voice low and serious. I recognized the edged glint in his eye as something that usually spelled trouble. I sighed.

"Their reaction is because they don't like you, yes. But my decision not to tell them had nothing to do with you. I would've been just as hesitant to tell them I was dating a guy they didn't like in our class at Mystic Falls. But with you... I should've told them earlier."

"And why's that? You wish they hadn't found me in your kitchen? Wish you could've told them while I was a few states away, so no one would have to face the reality of the two of us being together?"

"No, Nik. I mean, yes, I wish they'd found out differently than this. But I should've told them earlier because... because I have serious feelings for you. And they're serious enough that I don't want to hide them or you. Ever."

Nik raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth lifting up in the faintest hint of a smile. I smiled too, recognizing the shift in his mood.

"And what, exactly, might these 'serious feelings' be?"

His tone was mostly teasing, but I decided to take it seriously. I took his other hand, then pulled both into my lap, holding them tight. I met his eyes, making sure he understood just how much I meant my words.

"I love you, Nik. I've been feeling that way for a while now. I'm honestly happier than I've ever been, and you're a big part of that. I love my friends, and I know they'll come around eventually, but until they do? That's their problem. You mean the world to me, and... I mean, yeah, like I said. I love you."

A smile had been growing on Nik's face, and by the time I finished, it was a full-on grin that I only got to see from him every once in a while. He pulled me closer, off of my stool until I stood between his legs, chest to chest with him.

"You love me, do you?"

"Yeah." I nodded, my heart beating out of my chest in my rib cage. I felt pretty confident that Nik returned my feelings, but that didn't take away any of the nerves. "Can't you tell? You're supposed to be able to hear heart rates, aren't you?"

Nik chuckled, pulling me even closer to him for a kiss. I melted against him, happy to feel him smiling against my mouth as his arms wound around my waist. After a few breathless moments, Nik pulled back just enough to speak.

"I love you too," he said, his voice low and his breath fanning against my lips. "Don't worry for a moment that I don't. I would do anything for you. And it's a bit ridiculous how much I mean that."

I smiled, closing the distance between us again as I kissed him.

"I'm glad you came to visit me," I whispered when we paused just long enough to take a breath. "I'm glad my friends know. I'm glad you're here with me. I'm glad you know I love you."

"I agree with all of the above," Nik said with a smirk. "And I'm glad your friends are gone, and that we have the house to ourselves."

Nik leaned forward to deepen the kiss, but I leaned back. I put one hand on his chest and grimaced. He raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem, love?"

"...I may or may not have a paper to finish. Tonight."

"Are you sure it has to be done tonight?" asked Nik, his voice low and silky smooth as he ran a hand over my hip. I just sighed.

"Yeah, babe, I'm sure. But... if you can help me get it done, then I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

Nik pulled back quickly, looking at me with one eyebrow raised and an eager expression on his face. I put a hand to my mouth to stifle a smile at his 180 degree mood shift.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get that paper finished, love. I've got quite a few ideas for tonight."

I just laughed as I followed Nik into the living room. I had a feeling we were in for a rough ride the rest of this spring break dealing with my friends. But I really did love Nik. I was happy with him, and if we could find a way to stay together in our own little bubble of bliss despite the crazy supernatural shenanigans in New Orleans, I knew we'd be able to figure it out in Mystic Falls, too.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[adonis-koo]

sweet nothing • 3

(in which he's coddled for coming home late and wet)

↳ Description: being a guest at the Jeon Estate after a mishap of being kidnapped and dragged into your brothers affairs isn’t all that bad. Truth be told it brings you a lot closer to the mobster and owner of the estate Jeon Jungkook himself.

His two rules are simple, don’t cause trouble and don’t give him a hard time. Somehow you manage to constantly do both in the most endearing way despite being pregnant and waddling around most of the time.

↳ Pairing: Jungkook/reader, ???/reader

↳ Genre: slice of life AU, mafia!AU, pregnancy, there’s like…a little bit of a plot but not a lot, future smut? maybe? it's very domestic!

Word Count: 3k

Previous | Next

Note: yet another chapter not proof read but honestly ?? I like to think it gives it character

Rain poured against the window seal in a never ending drip, thunder roaring out once more causing you to jump in your spot, clenching your book harder than before.

You always had anxiety when it came to loud noises, let alone monstrous storms that blew through, you had been a good distance away from the windows in the parlor, snuggled up against the couch, one hand on your tummy and the other resting on top of it with a book.

Cautiously you peered out the windows into the darkness of the night before back to the grandfather clock against the wall, it was almost eleven.

“Will he be okay?” You couldn’t help but ask, turning to Yeonjun who had been typing away on his laptop, sat at an oak desk off in the corner.

His fingers paused as his feline gaze drew up at you, a small smile tugging on his lips, “It’s not uncommon for Jungkook to stay out late, he out doing business so he won’t get in until three the earliest.”

Business.

That’s all you could get out of anyone, anytime you tried to pry just about every guard was mums the word, you knew Jungkook dealt in narcotics due to your brother being one of his lower level dealers.

But you knew Jungkook had to be involved in more than that, there was no way someone as rich and prestigious as him only involved in one branch of the underworld. You supposed it didn’t matter, but the idea of him being out in this weather was still making you anxious.

You didn’t see him yesterday either, he was also out doing business and you had ended up falling asleep before he got back, you didn’t see him at breakfast either, as he had apparently already gotten up and with on his way to an emergency company meeting at his exports firm.

There was no way this was healthy for him to be running so ragged, not only this but it was cold outside too! He could catch a cold if he wasn’t careful.

“I doubt this will make a difference but…” Yeonjun trailed off for a moment before he spoke, “Jungkook said to not wait up for him today.”

You crossed your arms at this, “I haven’t seen him in nearly two days. Will he be here in the morning?”

Yeonjun didn’t reply immediately which made you huff.

He sighed, “He’s a busy man, I’m sure you’ll see him soon,” Yeonjun frowned, “He may be soft on you but he isn’t on me, I’ll never hear the end of it if you stop sleeping because of him.”

“Then maybe that will motivate him to not work so hard.” You pouted, “Yeonjun, are you not able to assist him at all in these…affairs…” You hesitated uncertain of how to word it, you knew Yeonjun was an underling but you didn’t know much more than that, other than he was the one in the driver's seat when you were shoved into the car when you were first abducted.

Yeonjun laughed, “Uh that’s exactly what I’m doing right now,” He glanced at his screen before huffing, “It’s not all action and illegal deals. I’ve written like seven emails impersonating him today. When it comes to broader scaled stuff Jungkook usually prefers to handle it himself, makes it less stressful on everyone that way.”

You perked up at this, “So…he’s doing something that's a pretty big deal then?”

Yeonjun nodded but glance away, you could sense his hesitation to elaborate on it, “Yeah, like I said, Jungkook is very hands on, which is nice because once a lot of mobsters hits this point they usually just have an established hierarchy to handle just about everything.”

You leaned back against the couch with a frown, “But he’s hardly slept at all the last week, surely he could have somebody else to help him as well.”

Yeonjun snorted, “It could be worse, he’s got Yoongi to split his duties with, it’s just a big role to fill…” He paused as if realizing what he just said.

“Who’s Yoongi?” You tilted your head.

Yeonjun animatedly shook his head, “I’ve said way too much.”

“Yeonjun!” You pouted, “Why am I not allowed to know anything? I feel like I should at least have the right to know what my brother did!”

He only shook his head once more, “That’s a call for Jungkook to make, I’m not looking to have my frontal lobe painted against the fireplace.”

“Jungkook wouldn’t-”

“Oh he would,” Yeonjun cut you off, playful at first before his face grew more serious, “I have a lot of respect for Jungkook, but I’m not stupid enough to buy into a bond that we don’t have. All it takes is one big fuck up to be dead in this game, i’m not an exception.”

Something about his words made a pit form in your stomach as you pulled your blanket back over your lap, “Why chose this lifestyle then…?”

You didn’t understand.

“Cause’ my dad’s a piece of shit that drowned my family in debt before dying,” Yeonjun went back to typing on his laptop as he continued, “He left us to deal with all of that because he was a selfish cunt, I have three little brothers and my mom is hospitalized so there wasn’t much else to do. I started out street dealing and hijacking narcs from other vendors- horrible idea by the way, anyways they just so happened to be Jungkook’s supply, once he caught wind of it they caught me almost instantly.”

“How did you live?” You cocked your head to the side, engrossed once more.

“Jungkook was impressed that I managed to steal from their supply and make twice the amount they were on their own goods. He basically told me I could either work for him or I could get fucked. Not much of a choice there.” Yeonjun shrugged, “It’s been about three years now and I’ve worked my way up to this position. Like I said, I have a lot of respect for him and I’ll forever be grateful, he’s the one forking out my mom’s hospital bills, but I know better than to cross those lines.”

“Seems like he has a big heart for such a short temper.” You commented, you had only gotten a taste of his temper but it was becoming apparent that the Jungkook you knew before you had been kidnapped was an entirely different person.

It made you wonder just what side of him was real.

“There has to be a balance for everything.” Yeonjun shrugged.

The rain continued to pound against the windows as you yawned, a peaceful silence taking over once more aside from the rain and clicking of a keyboard. You resumed your book though after an hour your eyes finally won out their sleepiness.

Laying your head against the pillow you dozed off.

The next time you awoke it due to a roar of thunder, jumping up before the lights flickered, you briefly glanced at the clock seeing it was almost four in the morning before the room went dark.

“Goddammit,” Yeonjun complained from his desk, “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you Y/n.”

“I woke from the thunder.” You glanced in his direction as he turned on his phone light, sighing as he stood up with a stretch, “I need to go tell the guards to turn on the generator, i’ll be back in a moment.”

He excused himself before quietly exiting out of the room as you wrapped yourself in a blanket once more, glancing around in uncertainty, the door opened once more as Yeonjun walked back in.

“Alright, the generator should be on in a half an hour, let's go ahead and make use of the fireplace.” He set up his phone light as he got to work on putting kindle into the fireplace.

The door opened once more with a loud thud of boots on the ground causing you to jump as you turned around to the door, looking over the couch.

Soaking wet hair and a familiar, tired face appearing, “Generator has some fried wiring, go down and help them, I can take it from here.”

Yeonjun nodded, “Welcome back Sir.”

“You’re soaked…” Your lips quivered into a frown as Yeonjun exited the room and Jungkook took his place kneeling in front of the fireplace.

“Yeah,” Jungkook sighed, “And you should be in bed.”

He said it with such disdain, a look on his face equivalent to that of scolding a child it made your lips twist into a pout.

“I haven’t seen you in nearly two days,” You replied, straightening yourself upright as you stared into his back, watching the water droplets patter against the floor as he fiddled with a few thin pieces of bark, “You can’t begrudge me that.”

“That I can’t,” He agreed, “But you can’t tell me that’s a comfortable spot to fall asleep, your back is already in pain as it is.”

“I was perfectly comfortable.” You retorted, “...Did you finish your deal…?”

You glanced away from him in uncertainty, it would soon be coming up on a month that you had been living in Jungkook’s estate, and while you had gotten to know Jungkook decently well, there was one thing you never dared bring up.

Anything that was relevant to his life in the underworld.

It just felt like something that shouldn’t be spoken about though Jungkook had never made any references to make you feel as such before.

Jungkook shrugged, “It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good, about as usual as it goes.” He lit a match before tossing it in, the tweed like wood immediately setting ablaze as he stood up, groaning at the sight of how wet he was.

You could hardly stand to watch it as you tutted, standing up as you grabbed the blanket that had been in your lap, “You’re going to catch a cold!”

Jungkook sighed in exasperation as the deep maroon blanket suddenly draped over his shoulders as you wrapped it around him as you spoke, “Don’t look at me like that, It’s not that cold when you’re dry, here, come here.”

Jungkook said nothing as he clacked his lips, letting your shorter figure shuffle him over to the couch as you grabbed the other blanket, a much bigger one that had been folded, laying on top of the upper cushion.

Pulling the second one over his shoulders, you paused at the sight, dripping wet hair covering his eyes making him look deathly serious, but it was difficult to take him serious when he was buried in two fuzzy blankets.

“Are you done yet?” He asked with a dry tone, “Or do you wanna swaddle me in a third layer?”

You didn’t mean to let out a snort of amusement, but it was hard not too at how drastic his face was from the situation, “Depends on whether you consider yourself warm yet.”

“I’ll be warm once the fire is going.” Jungkook replied, purposely not answering the question, partly because he would never admit he was freezing to you.

Bit also because it made a fuzzy feeling tingle all over his skin at being fussed over and coddled at, Jungkook couldn’t recall the last time someone had been so worried and attentive over him, it was difficult to not cease the moment.

“Okay, let me see if we have more blankets-” You were stopped short when he reached out, grabbing your wrist with a stern expression that made you giggle, “Fine, fine, have it your way. But don’t say I didn’t try when you end up with a cold.”

“I don’t get colds.” Jungkook replied, far too serious for a man buried in two blankets.

“Everyone gets cold.” You sat down next to him with a huff, putting a hand on your stomach as you stretched, your back admittedly aching though you’d rather die than admit he was right.

“I don’t.” Jungkook shrugged, “When you run two businesses you don’t have time to get sick.”

You frowned as you placed your lips, “I think that’s just called self-negligence.”

Jungkook rubbed his face tiredly, “Is this seriously what you’ve been missing the last two days?”

You only grinned sheepishly as you rubbed your arms, feeling the chilled air prick at your skin as the wood crackled and the rain continued to pour.

“Will you be busy tomorrow?” You asked, finally glancing towards him, he was close enough too you, leaned back against the couch and you took notice in how he seemed to curl up against his blankets, making a brief smile tug on your lips.

“Depends on what your follow up sentence will be,” Jungkook shrugged.

You shook your head, “No follow up sentence, I’m just curious…Does it have to do with Wonho…?”

Jungkook’s nose wrinkled in disdain, a familiar look, anytime you asked about Wonho you were usually met with the same sentence.

“I wish,” He huffed, looking somewhat frustrated, “I have eyes over half of Seoul and nothing, I mean he’s one man and it’s like all of a sudden he’s a ghost. Only people with powerful connections can make that happen.”

You frowned at his words and when he didn’t speak he continued, “I didn’t want to have to ask but, given we're coming up on a month of you staying here, I feel like it’s worth a shot; was Wonho dealing for anyone else?”

Your frown stayed as you thought back to the times you had come with Wonho to the club, partly because he wanted someone else around with him, it was always safer in pairs.

Slowly shook your head, “Not that I can recall…I mean he knew lots of people. But I wouldn’t consider him close enough to any of them to be willing to cover his tracks.”

Jungkook sighed, as if anticipating this as he slowly shook his head, “We squeezed that apartment clean of anything that might relate to where he’s at, we’ve already talked to his other partners, bought out his clients, I mean fuck, Yeonjun even nosed around at the Red Light to see if his whores knew anything.”

Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, pushing it from his eyes as he tiredly closed them while rubbing his face, “How do you catch a ghost?”

It was rhetorical question you wished you had the answer for, your brother was a lot of things, but one of the traits he had since a child was his cunning ability to mislead people, it was harmless as a child.

He used to always convince the street vendor to give you an extra rice cake or when the school bullies would stop him on your walks home, he’d somehow convince them to go bother someone else.

Wonho had a silver tongue, he never used his fists for confrontations.

Memories of your shared childhood made a certain type of sadness flood you, Jungkook may known the Wonho now, who would easily sell you off if it meant a free case of fentanyl, but you still vividly remembered the Wonho who gave you piggyback rides when you were sad, when he would make you ramen for dinner and give you his portion because you were still hungry.

Wonho wasn’t always such a greedy person.

There was a time when he easily sacrificed himself if it meant keeping you safe and happy, you just weren’t sure where things went wrong and he would now turn and do the very opposite if it meant his self preservation continued on.

Your hands rubbed your arms for warmeth as you stared into the fire with a tired yawn, Jungkook had noticed your quiet figure before he let out a small sigh, uncurling once side of his outer blanket, the great big one.

Your body was suddenly engulfed by the blanket, now sharing it with Jungkook as you glanced at him.

“There’s no reason I should have this all to myself,” He huffed, “We could probably fit Yeonjun in here too if we wanted.”

You raised your brows, “Should I go get him?”

“No.”

“But-”

“Y/n, just because I said we could doesn’t mean I want to,” Jungkook replied flatly, “What part of my face says I want him in this room?”

You pouted, “Has anyone ever told you how grumpy you are late at night?”

Jungkook scoffed as he rolled his eyes, leaning back, now slumping against the cushion,

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

“What?”

“I’m always grumpy.”

You only smiled at this as you shook your head, yawning once more as your eyes tiredly began to close. For once you didn’t mind the thunder rumbling loud or the rain that somehow began to pound even harder against the glass windows, a comforting crackle of the fire.

Your head eventually slumped down, finding the nice soft fuzzy blanket on above Jungkook’s shoulder, he had yawned out as well, trying to not overthink about the deal today. He glanced down at you and then the blanket as he shook his head.

The door opening to Yeonjun having good news about the generation, “We still have to hot wire a few things but it should be up and running…” He paused as his eyes landed on Jungkook.

“Not a word,” Jungkook’s expression looked deathly, “A single fuckin’ word Yeonjun. Forget about the generator.”

“What?” Yeonjun’s eyebrows shot up, “But don’t you want hot water?”

“Did you not just fuckin’ hear me?” Jungkook’s brows pinched together, “Leave the lights off, fix it in the morning, go do whatever you want I don’t care. Just put another piece on the fire before you go.”

Yeonjun huffed, glancing between his boss because his eyes dropped on you, leaning against himself, asleep once more. Yeonjun shook his head before he threw up his hands, going to the fireplace as he tossed a few more thicker pieces on as he glanced over his shoulder.

Jungkook’s eyes had closed, his head laying on top of yours and as you both shared a blanket. Yeonjun let a brief smile tug on his face, if he didn’t know any better he’d assume his boss was wanting to milk this moment with you, but then again, what did he know, right?

Taglist as per requested:

@btseverafter7 @scuzmunkie @zae007live @cynicalbitch666 @somehowukook @bartisedrew @princess-sunshyn @jung-shook-iieee @chickpea-jimin @hoseokteardroprop @guk97butterfly

[spoiler-alert-andabunchofnumbers]

Okay I read unofficial translations but of course I bought the official translation of Thousand Autumns and I just gotta say - does anyone else think Yan Wushi’s entire battle with Hulugu was a setup?

No, not like he was faking the duel and set something up with Hulugu. I mean he KNEW he could defeat Hulugu and the only question was how badly he’d be hurt in the process. Like if he’d be walking it off or if he’d actually collapse. Even that, he had a pretty good idea of how it would end.

Because rereading the whole series, once he becomes determined to win over Shen Qiao, Yan Wushi’s already confusing personality becomes even more misleading now that he knows he’s teasing Shen Qiao into the inevitable. We’re stuck primarily in Shen Qiao’s mind, and whenever we get a glimpse of Yan Wushi’s mind, it’s almost always to say "He was saying this, but actually he felt this and was having so much fun seeing Shen Qiao be so easily tricked." Once you’ve reread his actions multiple times over, you realize...like, he knew.

He knew he would beat Hulugu. Whether it was because of the power of love or just because of his own arrogance, he never went into the battle thinking he might lose. Any and all of his suggestions that he might actually die were for Shen Qiao’s sake, to taunt the man into realizing that he was worried about Yan Wushi - to actually admit he didn’t want Yan Wushi to die.

He joked about making bets only when he didn’t know the outcome because that was the only way things were fun, which may have had some truth to it, but then he also set up the massive betting pool to not be in his favor so that when he DID win, he ended up getting a massive payout. Like we call that illegal in our modern day, like manipulating the stock market.

Yan Wushi has been a terrible pessimist and misanthrope since he was very young. He has never trusted anyone (until Shen Qiao) to ever do something honorable or noble when they thought they could control him. Therefore, Yan Wushi very rarely EVER goes into anything without knowing his odds and his escape plan even when if he does fail (see the epilogue story "The Past" for an example). I think the only time he really bet his life was the 5-1 fight where he genuinely didn’t think Shen Qiao would survive his betrayal, let alone rush to his side to save his life.

Compared to that, even against Hulugu? Pfft, it sounds like he's just playing with Shen Qiao from the very beginning.

He announced his challenge when Shen Qiao went to Xuandu Mountain - implying it's for Shen Qiao’s sake, tugging at his heartstrings.

He tells or lies to Bian Yanmei to convince Shen Qiao that the flaws in his demonic core haven’t healed and his battle against Xueting weakened him. Oh no! Now Shen Qiao is even more worried! (Shen Qiao can’t tell just by taking his pulse alone, mystery, is he really okay???)

This also makes us all completely gloss over the fact that both Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao had gained access to the final volume of the Zhuyang Strategy thanks to Xueting’s defeat - if we count them battling one another as exchanging the volumes they never see in person. The Zhuyang Strategy. You remember that thing? That thing whose true qi kept Shen Qiao alive after getting poisoned and beaten to near-death on numerous occasions? Just that thing, no biggie.

Yan Wushi denies both of the former points and says "No I challenged him for my own amusement actually, it has nothing to do with you, and also Bian Yanmei doesn’t know what he’s ralking about I’m fiiiine see?", but Shen Qiao thinks he’s downplaying or lying to spare his feelings - something Shen Qiao would believe he’d do only if he believed for a second that Yan Wushi DOES in fact care about him.

He takes Shen Qiao out gambling to further emphasize that he enjoys leaving things to fate (making us *Shen Qiao* forget the fact that he’s a meticulous planner and intelligent strategist who puts the odds in his favor and always gets what he wants even when he loses). Funny detail that Shen Qiao was (unintentionally or not) rigging the game so that he won, because his natural personality likes having control over things even if his entire journey losing his power demonstrated that he’s very competent at just dealing with misfortune without overreacting. Though they believe different things, the two really are cut from the same stubborn cloth.

Yan Wushi also makes Shen Qiao see the gambling dens where people are betting against Yan Wushi, thanks in part to a certain Yi Pichen’s comments on the matter. Shen Qiao is NOT having feelings or anything, what are you talking about, he’s not worried about this guy he absolutely does not feel attracted to, but uh...those people don’t know you well enough to place their bets correctly, am I right?

Yan Wushi KOs Shen Qiao to make him miss most of the fight to terrify Shen Qiao into thinking he might MISS Yan Wushi’s potential death match, oh no! Come on, I don’t believe Yan Wushi wasn’t skilled enough to have precisely sealed his sleep accupoint or whatever so that Shen Qiao has JUST enough time to catch him near the end of the duel.

Yan Wushi was definitely injured by Hulugu, there’s no denying it. Even when he fights other powerful characters, he’s not a Mary Sue, he still does take damage and admits that he has to push himself to actually kill other grandmasters like Yuan Xiuxiu. However, after the battle with the 5 guys, Yan Wushi absolutely knew his odds and how much it actually takes to crack his skull open. He also knows that Shen Qiao has seen him nearly dead before and will absolutely be using that to freak him out further and convince Shen Qiao he might actually be dead.

He probably DID need Shen Qiao’s medicinal pills to help him, but Yan Wushi was basically guaranteed to have survived and just waiting for Shen Qiao to say he’d "Do anything" before he woke up again. Like does that not sound like a Yan Wushi thing to do? I’m half convinced he stopped his own heart and breathing with a technique (there’s a turtle-breathing technique in the Donghua, something like that to fake it for JUST long enough for Shen Qiao to freak out) or was planning to do so if Hulugu didn’t manage to fuck him up enough for it to be convincing.

The fact that he’s still able to joke around kissing Shen Qiao then loudly complaining about how much pain he’s in automatically tells us he’s not doing as bad as when his head got cracked open. He’s fiiiine.

Then we get the gambling reveal where Huanyue Sect made a few casinos go bankrupt and he sends a fifth of it to Yi Pichen and the Chunyang Monastery as a thanks for essentially rigging the bets.

Yan Wushi tells Yu Shengyan that Shen Qiao already loves him, he’s just too prideful to admit it, and then later sets up the whole scenario in the epilogues - YES IT'S ALL A SET UP - just to get Shen Qiao to have the courage to confess.

In conclusion, Yan Wushi knew what the fuck he was doing, he fought Hulugu primarily to fuck with Shen Qiao and just also happening to get some other things out of it too on the side. Ya boi wanted to force Shen Qiao to realize how much he cares about Yan Wushi in return. And kill a bitch while earning some street cred, but that’s beside the point.

I had no pictures to add for this rant, maybe I’ll add them later, it’s 2am thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[whothecrappadoodlecares]

So it may just be me and my personal interpretation, but one thing that absolutely infuriates me is the "Cardan is a genius for his banishment plan and Jude did a dumb dumb by not returning" idea that some readers have.

Because that plan, as it was, would only work if, and only if, Jude was fae.

In fact, Jude even thinks about pardoning herself, and how that would not work (given the current situation as she knows it).

(I will illustrate my points with extracts of Queen of Nothing (QoN), and The Wicked King (TWK) of the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black)

recap: the plan was to exile Jude, and have her return via her pardoning herself a bit later when the coast was clear (lol unintentional sea pun) of the wrath of the Undersea disturbing negotiations.

"I exile Jude Duarte to the mortal world. Until and unless she is pardoned by the crown. (...) Meaning by the King of Faerie. Or it's queen. You could have returned anytime you wanted." (QoN chap 18)

Here is where the issue lies. Jude is High Queen of Elfhame, but has literally no way to prove it. She doesn't have the powers conferred to her as queen yet, she doesn't have the trust of the people, and she doesn't have the magical inability to lie that the fae have.

Now if Cardan had proclaimed her queen, she could, but he didn't. In fact, when he first exiles her, she proclaims that he can't do that on account of her being queen, which no one believes:

"But I am the Queen of Faerie," I shout, and for a moment, there is silence. Then everyone around me begins the laugh. (...) "Deny it, then," I yell. "Deny me!" He cannot, of course, so he does not. (TWK chap 30)

Which leads to Jude seeing through the plan and pushing it away because she could not trust Cardan to do what would be needed for it:

It occurs to me that maybe he made a mistake with that phrasing. Maybe I can pardon myself. But then I remember when I insisted I was the Queen of Faerie, and the guards laughed. Cardan didn't need to deny me. He only had to say nothing. And if I pardoned myself, he would only have to say nothing again. (QoN chap 6)

Meaning for her to actually pardon herself, she would have needed to illegally enter Faerie, not get caught, get into presence of Cadan so he could confirm the claim she is rightful queen, and then pardon herself publicly. Of course many of those steps are dangerous, and she has no reason trust Cardan.

If at any point she was caught in Faerie before being pardoned and confirmed queen by Cardan, well, it pretty much almost happens in the book.

"Clap her in chains," says Randalin. Never have I so wished there was a way for me to show I was telling the truth. But there isn't. No oath of mine carries any weight. (QoN chap 16)

The only thing that stops them from trying to arrest or kill her?

"Whatever do you mean?" Randalin says. "She's-" "She is my wife," Cardan says, his voice carrying over the crowd. "The rightful High Queen of Elfhame. And most definitely not in exile." (QoN chap 16)

Cardan even seems to be aware of it at one point (a couple hours before he names her queen in fact):

"Since you're mortal, Jude, I cannot hold you to your promises . But you can hold me to mine: I guarantee you safe passage. Come back to Elfhame with me and I will give you the means to end your exile." (QoN chap 13)

Okay, so the plan was flawed, but why make it then?

"Let me remind you that I didn't know you'd murdered my brother, the ambassador to the Undersea, until that very morning," he says. "My plans were made in haste. And perhaps I was a little annoyed. I thought it would pacify Queen Orlagh, at least until all promises were finalized in the treaty. By the time you guessed the answer, the negotiations would be over." (QoN chap 18)

So we get the entire picture: the entire thing was a hastily made plan with expected flaws (Cardan's lack of undertanding of the treatment of mortals and the consequences thereof on Jude's decisions), born from the miscommunication and lack of communication between them, that ultimately worked, only with a couple hiccups.

It makes sense to their characters, to where they are in their character growth, individually and as a couple, to their understanding of each other.

Jude, who has figured out, manipulated, and maneuvered entire coups to take the throne and subsequently took one of the highest political positions did not suddenly become an idiot ignorant of political maneuvering. And Cardan, who did not expect, want, or even took over the functions of the throne if he didn't absolutely have to, did not suddenly become a political genius.

Instead, Jude, who often works alone, trusts only herself, and consequently does not report everything to Cardan, accidentally put him in a difficult position, and Candan, who has yet to really work with Jude and take into account her limitations and differences, did not take them into consideration in the plan he had to come up with on the fly. And then the complete lack of communication (and trust) aggravated the problem.

Lo and behold, what happens after their reunion? They start working together, communicating better, and developing trust.

Character development stemming from an incident caused and aggravated from their flaws. Aka good storytelling.

I.e. when the political fantasy book with a sprinkle of romance in the background actually brings the romance to the foreground and starts working on the couple.

This is of course, my own interpretation at the end of the day.

[silver-ink-iron-words]

T_T

This is so touching!

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this. But then I was like, I've already made them wait long enough, and what's the harm of posting two things in one day?

Felt it'd be nice to have Part 6 be a little less plot-driven. You'll see what I mean

-------

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

QPR, Part 6

“[Hero], come on!” the villain called, from where they laid sprawled on the couch. “You said it wouldn’t take that long!”

“Hold on just a sec.” The hero’s voice floated from the kitchen. “They’ll be done soon.”

The villain scowled and flopped back on the pillows. “You never see Do-yun making Ha-rin wait around forever.”

“That’s because tv shows have this magical trick called the jump cut.” There was the sound of an oven door closing. “We'll just let them bake, and then they’ll be so good you won’t even remember the wait.”

The villain groaned.

Then they heard the sound of running water, and burst up, rushing into the kitchen. “Are you doing my dishes?!”

The hero jerked their head up like they’d been caught vandalizing. “I was just going to do a few while we waited.”

“Okay, one, you do not need to do my chores on k-drama night. And two, how long is the baking going to take?!”

The hero glanced to their phone on the counter. “’Bout fifty more minutes.”

The villain gaped. “That’s most of an episode!”

“Well I didn’t want us to have to pause the show during a big scene. This way we can – Jesus your hands are freezing!”

The villain had come up behind the hero to hug them, pressing their hands on the hero’s stomach.

“Come watch tv dear,” they said into the hero’s shoulder. “I’m cold without you.”

The hero shook their head, but also cracked a small grin. “You’re evil.”

The villain matched their expression and pressed their hands more. “Of course I am. It’s the only way I can get you to cuddle me.”

In the end, the brownies were, in fact, good enough to make the villain forget why they were annoyed in the first place.

---

“Oh my god,” the hero said.

The villain fidgeted. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” The hero looked up. “[Villain], it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The hero was holding a small fluffy teddy bear, its fur the black, grey, white, and purple of the asexual flag.

The villain beamed. “Really?”

The hero nodded gleefully. “He needs a name.”

“I think the tag says its name is ‘Fuzzy’ or something. You could – ”

“Ferdinand,” the hero decided, assessing the stuffed animal. “Ferdinand Bearnsby. The next Prince of Denmark.”

The villain wrapped the hero in a hug. “I’m so glad you like it.”

---

“So is [Villain], like, a law-abiding citizen now?” the hero’s friend asked.

“Uh, sort of?” The hero gazed around at the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. “They still break minor laws, but I think they’ve really toned it down to stress me out less.”

“Hey, that’s great.”

The hero swirled their iced tea with their straw. “Yeah, I guess.”

The friend quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t agree?”

The hero sighed. “Okay, so don’t ever tell [Villain] this, but I think their ‘devil may care’ attitude is maybe, kinda . . . a little bit cool?”

The friend grinned. “Oh really?”

In return, the hero’s smile was sheepish. “It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I secretly wish that they’d behave more like their old villainous self sometimes.”

“Hm, well I suppose that – ”

Something enormous crashed into the street, making all the dishes clatter. The hero and their friend both whipped their heads around to see the cause of the noise.

“[Villain]!”

“Oh hi [Hero]!” The fifty-foot tall mech waved at the two of them. “Fancy meeting you here. How did you know it was me?”

“[Villain], why are you in a giant robot?!”

“Isn’t it cool?” The villain spun around, their heavy feet cracking the pavement and the machine's hinges screeching with every movement. “I finally figured out how to get the power system working.”

“This is illegal.”

The villain laughed. “Ah okay, I see the issue. But, fear not my darling, for I have” – they pulled out a sheet of paper that looked miniscule in their enormous metal hands – “a permit!”

Soon after, the mech continued walking down the street, while the hero followed them, shouting at the top of their lungs.

The friend watched them go, and then chuckled. Those two maniacs were perfect for each other.

---

A-spec stories taglist:

@feline17ff , @piept , @doublericenobeans , @vioqueenofmushrooms , @pigeonwhumps , @thelazywitchphotographer , @taramacgay

[partywithponies]

Old Man Gene Hunt headcanons (for a "Alex returns to 2008 post-series 2 and meets a 74 year old Gene" AU that I may or may not do something with one day):

(Under a cut because this got long and I might as well have just written a fic)

Generally very lonely. The charges against him were dropped, but Ray, Chris, Shaz, Viv, and the gang all never fully believed he didn't shoot her on purpose, and he never bothered making new friends or getting close to anyone else

Has a tiny ridiculous dog (a very fluffy pomeranian in my head) called Sundance who he insults constantly but secretly dotes on

Unofficially gained possession of all of Alex's belongings when she "died" in 1982, couldn't get the energy to sort through and get rid of them, so just took most of it with him whenever he moved and still just has most of it in boxes in his flat and his lockup in 2008

Also still has the quattro in his lockup, and looks after it and keeps it in good condition, but doesn't really drive it out anymore

Currently drives around in a really shit transit van that he bought as a "project" with the intention to fix it up and sell it on, because a concerned neighbour told him he needed a hobby, but he got bored halfway through so now it's half painted and just has a lot of odd pieces of wood and engine parts in the back. Also has a mattress in the back because he drives out to the muddle of nowhere and sleeps in it sometimes, when he's either avoiding people and doesn't want to be bothered at his flat, or is just avoiding being alone with his thoughts at his flat (he doesn't have an office to sleep in to achieve this anymore)

His hair is thinning but fairly long, because he can't often be bothered getting it cut

(He genuinely isn't doing very well mentally and hasn't been for a long time, but if ever anyone voices concern or suggests he get help, they receive a barrage of verbal and sometimes physical abuse, so most people have given up on him)

EXTREMELY Grumpy Old Man when it comes to modern technology. Owns a laptop and a mobile, but point blank refuses to learn how to text or use the internet until he meets Molly and she becomes determined to drag him kicking and screaming into the 21st century (she's the one person he won't just tell to piss off. He's actually surprisingly soft for her)

Also owns a gun, very illegally. Does a lot of very illegal things these days

Is actually still surprisingly very strong and fit, for a fat old man who drinks and smokes even worse than he did before. Has drunk himself into the hospital a few times but always bounces back

Shortly before retiring in the late 90s, saw younger Alex at some kind of police conference, recognised her instantly, realised Alex had been telling the truth, and became a little bit unhinged. Just kind of obsessed with her. Moved back to London (had been working in Birmingham at the time) just to be closer to her, and basically stalked her for the next ten years, telling himself he "just wanted to keep an eye on her" and "just wanted to make sure she was okay", but after that first conference never actually let her see him

Gets into a lot of fights with criminals who hurt or threaten Alex, and at one point in the early 00s beats up and hospitalises an abusive ex-boyfriend of Alex's, getting him to leave her alone. Alex never figures out what happened to the ex to make him suddenly stop bothering and threatening her

Is actually the one to find Alex and get help after she's shot. Was keeping an extra close eye on her because he knew it had to happen soon, and when Layton took her, he knew where to look, and just went to where he first saw her

Didn't intend for her to see him after she wakes up again, and when they do end up meeting by accident (he was called into the station to give a statement on something at the same time she happened to be in visiting her colleagues for the first time since leaving hospital), he pretended he didn't know her, because he thought Alex would be able to move in quicker and ultimately be happier if she thought it was all in her head

By the time he realised that this had actually made everything so much worse, and that she was rapidly deteriorating both mentally and physically and looked more and sick and miserable every time he saw her, he still didn't say anything to her, because he thought if he said anything now she'd be really really pissed off at him

Only finally decides to talk to her when things have escalated so far that Alex's boss and Evan have both become so concerned that they've decided to get Alex sectioned, and Gene, upon hearing this, immediately "rescues" (kidnaps) Alex, only explaining everything once they're already on the road, and the two of them go on the run together

(They're both severely mentally unwell broken people, but they've decided they're going to look after each other now, so it's okay <3)

(Alex knows she should be super pissed at him, but right now she's too relieved to worry about that)

Gene is honestly confused and bewildered that Alex wants to be with him not only in the sense of wanting to stay on this impromptu roadtrip with him, but also in the biblical sense, given that he's 39 years older than her now and not in great shape, and she's still gorgeous even considering she hasn't really been looking after herself, and at first tries to nobly resist her attempts to seduce him, but she's quite persistent and he gives in quite quickly

(Yes, they fuck in the van)

Molly is at first a little weirded out by how old and weird he is when she meets her mum's new boyfriend, but she gets on really well with him and soon loves him. She gets on better with him than she does Alex (she's struggling to adjust to how different and damaged her mum is now and frustrated by the fact people keep pretending everything's fine, and they argue a lot, but they're trying)

(She's in her troubled preteen era, unstandably. very angry at the world, keeps getting in fights and bunking off school and getting in trouble. she finds Gene a kindred spirit and a sympathetic ear when she needs to rant, because he understands that people trying to comfort her or get her to talk about her emotions is just going to make her angrier)

Gene and Alex eventually come home and move in together and reunite with the quattro (very touching, that's their baby), and Molly gradually moves in with them full time (whenever Evan or Molly's dad try to take her away, she just runs away back to Gene and Alex anyway, so they might as well let her)

Evan is fucking furious. He doesn't trust Gene at all and is convinced he's manipulating both Alex and Molly. Evan becomes practically apoplectic when Gene and Alex become engaged

Gene and Alex are still both very confused and exhausted by everything and both aren't 100% sure they're not just completely mad, but eventually come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter at the end if the day if any of this is really real, as long as it feels real and they get to face it together

[lyranova]

This is amazing for your event and such a neat idea! Thank you for creating this, truly. So, if I may... can I have Solid x Rosette (my beloved OC) for the Coffee shop AU?

Hiya @vilandel ! Of course you may, I was really glad to see you request for these two and it was a joy to write this for them (Solid was a little challenging since I’ve never written him in a scenario like this, but thanks to @loosesodamarble ‘s lovely help and guidance I was able to acomplish it 🥰!). Also I adore Rosette and could easily see her and Zera gossiping over all the things happening in Clover over tea 🤭. I hope you enjoy~!

Word Count: 1,566

Warnings: None

————

“ Okay Rosette, I’m leaving you in charge while I’m gone,” Rosette’s boss called over their shoulder as they began to walk out of the café. The young lady nodded eagerly.

“ Alright! I’ll do my best.” She told them, and the boss nodded before walking out of the café.

Rosette let out a soft sigh as she began to look around the café; luckily there weren’t very many customers so she wouldn’t have a too difficult time being here alone, but the downside to the café being quiet was that her mind would begin to wander.

Her pale grey eyes scanned the café; there were many couples sitting around the room, some seemed to be in the early stages of their relationships, some seemed to be well into their relationships, and a few seemed to be ending their relationships.

“ I wonder what happened between them?” She thought curiously. “ From what I heard at the butcher’s shop they were talking about getting engaged.”

She hummed in thought as she began to scan the couple. There was certainly some animosity between them now that wasn’t there before, and there was a…hurt and sadness in the woman's eyes, while the man looked resigned and somewhat regretful.

Her eyes moved further down; the woman had her arms crossed and her leg shook as she tried to hold back her anger. Meanwhile the man sat there calmly, but as Rosette looked closer she noticed he was checking his pocket watch constantly, and his phone on the table kept buzzing every 30 seconds.

That’s when Rosette realized what happened: he had fallen for someone else, and was now breaking the news to his former girlfriend, the woman he was sitting with.

A sad sigh escaped her as she turned away, that poor woman. She didn’t deserve to be broken up with like this.

Maybe there was something she could do?

As she began to walk around the counter to approach the couple and help the woman, the door to the café suddenly opened.

“ Whoever owns that bright red sports car outside better hurry up and move it out of my spot before it gets towed for illegal parking,” The young man announced smugly as he removed his silk scarf from around his neck and took his long, silver trench coat off.

At the newcomers' words, the other man instantly jumped up from his seat and ran out of the café.

As Rosette went to thank the young man for what he did, he began to chuckle.

“ Idiot, wait until he realizes that his ugly little car’s already been towed,” He muttered. “ That’ll teach him to park in Solid Silva’s parking space.”

As soon as the words left his mouth any gratitude that Rosette felt towards him instantly disappeared. Of course this man had the car towed for selfish reasons, and not because he actually wanted to help someone else!

She shook her head before directing her attention towards the woman who had just been abandoned.

“ You okay?” She asked the woman softly as she approached her table, and she nodded.

“ I’m fine, thank you,” The woman replied with a grateful nod.

“ You’re welcome! I called a cab to come pick you up, and they’re waiting outside for you,” Rosette told her, and the woman nodded again before pulling out her wallet. “ Oh don’t worry about paying, I’ve already taken care of it!” She added, and the woman’s eyes widened but she quietly thanked her before slipping out the back of the café.

Rosette smiled triumphantly, proud to have done at least a bit of good, but frowned when someone snorted behind her.

She quickly turned and saw the young man from earlier sitting alone by the window. He glanced at her, and began to try and hide his snickering behind his hand.

“ What’s so funny?” She asked curiously, her head tilting slightly as she looked him up and down. He quickly cleared his throat and shook his head.

“ Nothing, mind your own business,” He told her in an irritated tone as he looked away.

Rosette huffed a bit before walking back around to stand behind the counter, that was really rude and uncalled for!

But he was a regular customer here, so even though she wanted to tell him that he was mean she couldn’t unless she wanted to lose her job…

As she cleaned and organized things behind the counter she glanced over at him. For the past few weeks he had been coming by the café everyday at the same time, and she couldn’t stop herself from being curious; so she began to ask around about him.

Apparently his name was Solid Silva, he was the third child and second son of the esteemed Silva family, and from what she heard and witnessed first hand, he could be a bit of a…jerk to say the least. He was a spoiled rich boy who looked down on others that were of lesser status than him, he felt entitled to even the most minor things, and there were rumors that he would even go as far as to harass and bully his younger sister!

Based on all of that information Rosette had grown a strong dislike for him! She also came from a rich family, but that didn’t give her the right to act better than others!

If only there was a way to change his mind…

“ Tsk she’s late,” He muttered as he crossed his arms and glared out the window, his foot tapping against the floor in irritation.

“ Are you waiting for someone?” Rosette asked curiously as she turned to fully look at him, and he glared at her again.

“ That’s none of your business,” Solid huffed as he turned away from her again, and she quickly put her hands on her hips.

She had had enough!

“ Y’know, with an attitude like that I can’t imagine any woman wanting to meet you!” Rosette told him sternly, and Solid quickly turned to look at her.

“ Excuse me?”

“ Your attitude,” She continued with narrowed eyes. “ You act like you’re better than everyone, you like to flaunt your family’s name and wealth but you never do anything good with it! You’re just…mean!”

Solid stared at her in bewilderment, and then his eyes narrowed in anger as he stood up and walked over to the counter.

“ Do you realize who you’re talking to?” He growled. “ I could have you fired for this!” Rosette nodded.

“ I do know who you are, and to be honest I don’t really care!” She told him seriously. “ It’s about time someone talked to you about your bad attitude and how you treat others!”

“ I only treat others how I believe they should be treated,” He responded. “ Take that man from before; he felt that he had the right to park in my parking space, so I put him in his rightful place!”

As Rosette opened her mouth to argue back, the door to the café opened again, and in walked a man who looked very similar to Solid.

“ Oh good, it seems that the two of you have already met,” The man announced as he walked over to the pair.

“ Nozel!” Solid exclaimed in relief as he ran over to the other man.

Rosette’s eyes narrowed; so this was the new head of the Silva family? But, he looked so young?

“ You need to have this woman fired immediately!” He told Nozel as he stood beside him, and his older brother raised a questioning brow.

“ You want to have your fiancé fired from her job?” He questioned curiously, and suddenly everything went very quiet and still.

Fiancé…?

“ Huh?! What do you mean ‘fiancé’?!” Rosette and Solid exclaimed in unison, causing all the other patrons to turn and look at them.

“ Just what I said, as of this afternoon the two of you are now engaged to be married,” He explained as though it were obvious. The pair looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Nozel.

“ To her?!”

“ To him?!” Nozel nodded.

“ Indeed. I just arrived from a meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Vitrail, as of next week you’ll be moved into the Silva residence and the week after that you’ll be taught how we conduct business operations so you can contribute to the family business.” Nozel explained to Rosette, who just stared at him in disbelief.

This couldn’t be happening…how was this happening?

“ I…I don’t understand,” She began softly as she tried to wrap her head around what was going on. “ How did you meet my family? And how am I in an arranged marriage?!”

“ Your parents have business associates with my family for many years, although our relationship has kind of waned a bit over the years,” Nozel told her. “ As for how you’re in an arranged marriage, your father told me that it was what you wanted?”

Rosette opened her mouth, but paused before quickly closing it; oh yeah, she had asked him to arrange a marriage to a wealthy man for her. The reason she had asked her father to arrange a marriage with another wealthy family was so she could do more good in the world. More money meant she could give more back to society, right?

But she hadn’t expected her arranged marriage to be with the Silva family, or with the one member she seemed to get along poorly with!

————

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

[oddogoblino]

I love your labhog au. It's really interesting and unique! There's one thing I would like to know more, tho

How does the company profit with Sonic? And it is ilegal, right?

Maybe the government (does Mobius even have proper government? lol) will end those operations? Or maybe Amy will confess the truth to Tails and Knuckles, and they take down the company, but idk

Sorry for speculating sm, but this AU is really neat ;3

And it's so tragic what Sonic had to go through (and is going through) 😭😭 especially considering that Sonic would've saved the world anyways. I really hope it will have a happy ending :)

Oh my goodness thank you so much!! I've been meaning to try and draw a new ref thing for him recently, funnily enough! I never thought anyone would just find and like my au :0!!

Okay okay, for the questions

The company profits from Sonic via making merchandise and entertainment products about his adventures. (Aka games...yes I may be hinting that the lab/company is SEGA)

Yes it is illegal. But would the government even question, let alone acknowledge it when it's protecting everyone from a world-wide threat? Not as likely. For all anyone thinks, Sonic is doing this for himself and the people. The mobius "government" is mostly unaware, though there are some who secretly have been providing information and aid.

Amy wants to tell, she really does, but she doesn't know how deep things go. She doesn't want to risk herself or Sonic until she knows exactly how much power the company has. She needs a plan to escape, a place for them to escape to, and the knowledge on how to make sure everyone involved is safe. All she knows is she was taken suddenly to be a "love interest" and fellow hero, she thinks the same happened to Sonic but can't understand why he won't just run away with her and the others.

No no its okay!! I love it really! I love that you liked my au this much to think abt and ask things like this!! It helps me know that people enjoy it & that there's things people want to know ^^☆ and that's very motivating! You don't understand how happy this ask made me

Yehhh quq poor boy is really going through it. Not sure if to spoil how things end or not bc ik ppl enjoy the journey just as much as the ending

[fitgothgirl]

Long post incoming, so coloring key points just to help even my own eyes.

I'm pretty high-functioning right now, but I feel so not okay under it all. I'm applying for jobs. I go to the gym. I grocery shop. I clean. But I feel awful.

Being unemployed is making me feel worse the longer it goes - especially with how little I'm even hearing back on all my applications. I just feel so inadequate as a person overall (sucks that capitalism instills such feelings). And I feel guilty for doing anything but applying for jobs, even if I've already applied to a bunch that day; I feel guilty for going to the gym or watching TV or doing anything fun.

I've been wanting to make this pivot to bartending, knowing I would need start as a barback or server and applying as such, but I'm getting so discouraged. The last few days I've gone back to searching/applying for healthcare admin jobs, including front desk which I used to do and swore I wouldn't do again. But if I was already resolved to not WFH for a while by bartending, and I'm not getting anywhere with that, then I may as well not WFH at a day job in something I have experience in. I'm keeping in mind that regardless of my next job, it's all temporary until I get my CPC certification, so there's a light at the end of the (relatively short) tunnel if I end up in something I'm not thrilled with. But I'm now starting to feel silly for thinking about bartending; did I really do the hyperfocus thing again and get too excited over a prospect that I'm not quite capable of yet only for it to leave me wondering what I was thinking afterwards? I was trying to be aware at the time and asking myself if that was what was happening, but I didn't think it was. I honestly have always been interested in bartending, but now this Cointreau and vermouth and bitters and stuff is on our bar counter and I look at it and I just kinda feel like an idiot.

I had been drinking too often as it was before I lost my job but when I got fired it got a lot worse - no days without alcohol for over a month, probably getting drunk close to half the time - and now my stomach has had a sort of sudden change and I'm having problems I've never had before and it's making me nervous; it scared me into suddenly not drinking for 2 days, followed by a day with 1 drink, followed by two more no-alcohol days. Last night I did have a few though, but they kinda just made me feel shitty and I'm motivated to not drink again today. But it's also scary because I don't have fucking health insurance right now until Medi-Cal (Medicaid) approves me, which could still be a couple more weeks (i.e. a total of 6 weeks since I applied). Just gotta do what I can on my own for now. I often overreact about my health though, so fingers crossed this is just that.

It's not lost on me that I'm seeking out bartending yet obviously have periods where I can't seem to control my alcohol. I can't imagine drinking while working a job like that though (plus it's illegal for bartenders to drink on the clock anyway). If it's anything like barista-ing, which I know it is but even crazier/harder, I'd want to be as clear-headed and locked in as possible lol. But I'm not going to sit here and act like it would be an ideal job for someone trying to control their drinking with just being in that environment so often and having the thought it in one's head so much. So idk maybe it's best I just give up on it. I even still wanted to do it parttime on nights/weekends when I got my CPC cert/got a day job (as I was wanting to do before I lost my job), but maybe I shouldn't. But a big reason for bartending was also the good money they can make and I want that to get out of debt. Ugh idkkkkkkk. I guess I could just do serving... If someone would hire me, that is. But ugh all these thoughts are making me feel so mixed up and lost!!

And separate from all this work stuff is the fact that I've been wanting to talk to my bf about some stuff but can't bring myself to do it. The conflict avoidance in me is so strong... And it isn't even necessarily a "conflict," but my brain interprets it as such. It's so hard for me because any time there's been a Talk™️ in my life, it ends up a conflict, and I end up wrong. I end up crying and/or apologizing and/or fawning. Like, I'm not just getting this anxiety out of nowhere, I feel like I've really been taught through life experience that I'm just wrong all the time. Developed by my dad growing up, then my ex did his absolute best to compound & reinforce it. I know I need to "do it scared, do it with your voice shaking, do it with your hands trembling, but do it," or whatever that saying is, because until then I'm being a bad partner by not communicating. It doesn't help that we gel so well that we never fight or get heated because we both feel like so few things are worth getting upset over, so I don't actually have a lot of practice in this area, which is both a good thing and a bad thing obviously. But this is all dumb because I'm not even upset!! This isn't a talk like that!! I want to talk to him because I love him and I want to be open with him about my needs and I want to strengthen our relationship and I want him to be happy & healthy in his own right. I would want him to express his needs or hold me accountable, how can I not do the same for him? Why am I so focused on worst case scenario? Why am I so convinced this will be a negative conversation?? (Oh yeah all that aforementioned past experience stuff lolz. But I need to get over it...)

I just. My heart hurts a lot of the time. I keep ripping up my cuticles. I can't seem to stem the negative self-talk. I miss my therapist but can't get myself to reach out, but I'm also wondering what more she can do for me at this point (which is maybe why she hasn't reached out either?). Little things make me feel inordinately bad about myself, like the hummingbird feeder has been empty for a while, or my plants need watering, or even the fact that I haven't started decorating for Halloween yet, etc. I also feel like I should be doing all of the house chores that come up rather than half, which I don't think is wrong with being unemployed and my bf covering bills, but whenever I do clean it just weighs the reminder on me that I'm jobless and "inadequate." I want to cook for him too but idk why I get so nervous about that; he's a great cook, and when I cook for myself it's good, but imagining cooking for him makes me feel like it's going to be inedible shit for some reason lol...

I don't really know how to end this but I guess I'm done writing for now so... End 🙃

[dewitty1]

Fic Recs Wrap Up - October 2023 ꐑ(ꐌ◡ꐌꐐ)࿐࿔࿓[¬º-°]¬･*ᕐ ̆̈͜͡ ᕐ ોु✩°｡⋆:.｡. .｡.:*･ཥ•̬͡•ོཤ゜ﾟ･*☆ʔ•̫͡•ཻʕ

Nothing Like the Sun by Lomonaaeren

Harry finally realizes that he has trouble keeping lovers both because of his looks and because he isn’t very good at sex. He does what he can to alter that, but it seems he’s never going to be good enough to satisfy a wizard lover. When Draco Malfoy offers, Harry thinks a casual relationship with him might be the solution to his problems. But he should have remembered one thing: when it comes to Harry, Malfoy has a problem staying casual. Rec Post

And Still I Dream by greenmegsnoham, Yoro_Kobi @greenmegsnoham  @gaudium6191

Draco was beyond frustrated with the school’s preferential treatment of sports programs over the arts. Determined to collect what is due, Draco must come toe to toe with the ever incessant thorn-in-his-side, Varsity Basketball Captain, Harry Potter. Though Draco may not receive the financial support he’d been hoping for, he just might get a boyfriend out of it instead… OR When you Dream a Dream, it just may come true… Rec Post

Curiosity, Wonder, Spontaneous Delight by cloudings

After Harry hears some rumours about Malfoy, he becomes more and more curious until he just has to get some answers. Malfoy is more than prepared to give him anything he needs, just as long as he gets something back in return. Harry’s not sure why he’s surprised that it’s something moderately illegal. In which Ron continues to get far too many eyefuls, Hermione has had quite enough with everybody, and Harry’s not sure why enemies to friends to friends with benefits isn’t enough for him. OR Harry becomes incredibly curious, and somewhere along the line ends up accidentally falling in love with Draco Malfoy. Because of course he bloody would. Rec Post

Romp and Circumstance by wolfpants @wolfpants

Since the war, Harry Potter has gone from Saviour to Scoundrel—not that he’s complaining. With a schedule full of gorgeous men, alcohol, and late nights, why would he want to change? Enter Draco Malfoy: beautiful, sharp, and completely untouchable. When Draco comes to Harry with a proposition to help him attract an engagement, Harry’s up for it—after all, how hard can it be not falling for his former nemesis? Very hard, apparently. Rec Post

A Shower, A Meal, A Nap, and A Shag by chickenlivesinpumpkin

Harry’s supposed to be alone in Grimmauld Place…so why is there a Malfoy in his shower? And what’s Harry going to do about it? Rec Post

Sunseeker by shiftylinguini @shiftylinguini

Harry is a struggling writer. Namely, he is struggling with: writing his next book, dealing with his agent, finding a decent tea strainer, fielding his friend’s concern over the aforementioned book, and figuring out who the cat loitering in his garden belongs to. He also has a slight liking-Malfoy problem. Okay, he has a massive liking-Malfoy problem. Rec Post

A Life Worth Remembering by Writcraft @writcraft

Severus Snape wakes in St Mungo’s, to discover that a potions accident has wiped the last forty years from his body and mind. Just twenty-five years old, Severus is reliant on Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, now both in their forties, to help him fill in the missing decades. As Severus tries to navigate a much-changed world, Harry and Draco struggle with a secret of their own. Rec Post

New Message by Mosrael @mosrael

Harry Potter has a crush on his roommate–like, a BIG one–but he can’t say anything to him, can he?! Naturally, he does what any early 2000s young adult would do and asks the internet for help, and gets a lot more back than he expected. Rec Post

Life skills outside the curriculum by Endrina @llendrinall

It was "Witch Weekly", of all people and organizations, the first to notice and comment on The Boy Who Lived’s absence from the ranks of first years at Hogwarts. The magazine went on to elucubrate that the young hero was studying at a foreign school, possibly Beauxbatons or Holzschuhkäse. Rec Post

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well!(ノﾟ∀ﾟ)ノ━☆ﾟ･*:.｡. .｡.:*･.*･｡ﾟ*:・ﾟ✧

Howlr by partialtopotter @partialtopotter

Howlr is the new dating application enchanting Witches, Wizards and Everyone in between. Are you looking for the one or a one-night stand; it’s all here folks. Howlr is sponsored by Weasley Wizard Wheezes, the same team that brought us the Spellular just two years ago. Ginny Weasley, famed chaser for the Hollyhead Harpies, swears by the app, ‘guaranteed to make sparks fly,’ she says. The magic awaits you!

where all the veins meet by eight_of_wands @saxamophone

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now? His friends try to help, but the only thing that can hold his attention—one of the only things that ever has—is Draco Malfoy, out on parole and weirdly hanging around the British Museum. As they keep running into each other, Harry sees that Malfoy is different, and he wonders if he can be someone else, too. Featuring rumpled band shirts, poker games everyone hates, fumbling sex, and a Harry going a little mental over how wands even work.

The Secret's in the Telling by Verayne @veraynes-blog

Draco Malfoy suffers the unthinkable when he is turned into a werewolf. How is he supposed to live any kind of life afterwards, especially when Potter continues to stick his unwanted nose into things?

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Anonymous for hd-fan-fair/HD Career Fair 2023

Four years after the War, Harry still fights to save the wizarding world. Only, he’s traded prophecies and duels for fundraising and politicking. Worried that he’s burning himself out, his friends sign him up for a week-long muggle relaxation retreat in the mountains of Snowdonia. The last thing he expects to find there is Draco Malfoy, his old school rival, working as a yoga instructor. How on earth is he supposed to learn to relax when Malfoy’s meant to teach him? Rec Post

Connecting Lines, Connecting Crimes by Anonymous for hd-fan-fair/HD Career Fair 2023

Magic is going haywire after ley lines all over the world are mysteriously failing. A cross-border Task Force is set up by the League of Wixen Nations with Expert Cartologist Draco Malfoy and Ley Line Specialist Pansy Parkinson being called in from Britain to work with Magi-Geographers Harry Potter and Parvati Patil in India. But can they get to the root of the issue before it’s too late? Rec Post

Full Fathom Five by  Anonymous for hd-fan-fair/HD Career Fair 2023

“Draco Malfoy is not a merman, and he does not perform for an audience in a tank,” Hermione said crossly. Harry had thought this would be just an ordinary holiday… Rec Post

( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡ I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have! Happy reading, y’all! xoxo, Carey  (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*💜💙💚💛❤💗💕💖

[ishipgenfics]

You and Your Human: Part 4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You see your next crew member walking out of a shop entitled Engineering Advice and Tool Repair. You probably would not have noticed them, but your human tugged on your sleeve. Its feautres were frozen, eyes wide.

"Human?" your human says.

You step closer. The sentient is walking slowly, so it is easy for you to get a glimpse at it, and to see that your human is wrong. It is a Sirviles, and while they can look human at times(although you'd never noticed it before) they are a species all their own.

You turn slightly to your human. "No," you say, shaking your head. "Sirviles."

Your human appears to lose an inch or two to height, which is concerning until you realize it is merely slumping. A reaction to exhaustion in many species that you had never gotten used to.

You jump up to your human's shoulder and shake it. "Okay?" you say.

Your human makes a noise like the yipping of wild dogs, which you have come to recognize as its version of laughter. "Okay," it confirms. "Just... little sad. What is Sirviles?"

You struggle to find the words to explain. Sirviles are wonderful and fascinating, but complicated. "Human then snake then human. One to two to one."

Your human nods at you and you nod back, momentarily forgetting the meaning of the gesture. Your human laughs at you and you bare your claws playfully at it before turning your attention back to the Sirviles.

You may end up zoning out slightly, for it feels like only a few seconds have passed when it whirls around, bares pointed fangs at you and hisses, "Who are you and why are you watching me?!"

You clasp your paws together and jump down from your human's shoulder. You don't want to draw too much attention to it yet, before you reveal to all of them what it actually is. Being human technically isn't illegal here, but there are still definitely people that could have a problem with it. "Apologies," you say. You know you must sound rather foolish, but you have always had trouble with the hisses of the Sirvilein language. "I saw you exiting a shop about Engineering, and I have found myself in need of an engineer. Do our needs align?"

The Sirviles is stunned into silence. You back up a few steps and study its face as it gathers its thoughts.

It is mostly on the hominid end of the cycle, with only a few scales and a slight limp showing the snake end. It is bald, with abstract tattoos covering its head and shoulders. It has dark skin and dark scales.

"They do," the Sirviles says. "Or I believe ssssso. What sssort of workerss are you looking for?"

"I have brought a new s-s-ship," you say, giving up on trying to hiss the s. You just aren't made for it. I could use an engineer, a scientist, or a doctor. Third is lowest priority." You already have a bit of emergency medical training, enough to get by. If there's a doctor willing to come work on your ship, great, but it really isn't necessary.

"I am an engineer," the Sirviles says. "I also ssspeak Cervilian, and a bit of Pyricessse, if that enhances the deal for you."

You smile. You've picked up the habit from your human. "It does."

"Where will the deal be ssssealed?" your engineer asks.

"The Crow Section of the docks," you say. "You will find an Equilian there. "I will meet you shortly."

As your new engineer walks off, quickly vanishing into the crowds of people, your human bends down to tap you. It is a startling feeling, and you jump. Your human backs away, babbling too quickly for you to understand.

You hold a paw up. "Slow, slow," you say in your humans language.

"Sorry," your human says. It bends down. It does that sometimes when its talking to you. Its... kind of sweet, but you are very used to talking to species much taller than you. Did your human not see you talking to the Sirviles five seconds ago. "When home?"

Home? What does your human mean, 'home'? Does it mean Earth? You can't get to Earth. Earth is dangerous. And anyway, your human never mentioned wanting to go back there. "Home?"

Your human frowns, and your tail twitches slightly, a prey instinct you cannot suppress. "The ship? You? When home?"

Oh. Oh, you love your human so much. "Soon. Person," you hold up one finger, "supplies," you hold up another, "and then home," you hold up a third finger.

Your human nods. "Good."

As you walk into the crowd, you notice that your human is walking behind you. Now that you think of it, it's pretty much been doing that the whole time. You aren't sure why. It's not like you can hide it, other than drawing attention of it-- it is much bigger than you. And while you would do anything to protect it, it is stronger than you as well.

Hmm. It is young. Perhaps it doesn't know it's own strength.

As you ponder this question, you feel an icy chill through your arm and turn to see a flickering sentient trying to pull you away. Its hand keeps going through your arm and it growls in frustration.

"Excuse me?" you say in Pyricese. It probably doesn't know Pyricese, but hopefully it knows at least one language that you speak.

"Hi!" the sentient says. "Will you come over here? Your friend can come too."

You stare, unable to process the words you are hearing. This feels like encountering an extinct species in the wild. "Are you speaking Universal Standard?"

The sentient shifts its weight back and forth. The light of its form flickers as it moves, like a candle flame. "Is that bad? Sorry. If so."

You sigh, and jump up to pat the being. It seems to have focused more, because your hand doesn't phaze through it. It zaps you a little, like... tiny electrocution? There should really be a word for that. "Galaxy-new, no one speaks Universal Standard."

The flickering gets more intense, and you thank the Saints that you are standing on the side of the road rather than in the middle of it. "Why is it called Universal Standard then? This is too confusing."

You really want to rant about the history of Universal Standard, because it is fascinating, but ironically, your Universal Standard is extremely rusty. You only ever studied it, never actually practiced, since no one speaks Universal Standard. Instead you just chirp a I don't know, and say, "Sorry. Were you not looking for a job?"

The sentient flickers in and out one more time and then settles down into a more humanoid form, with golden eyes and a pointed noise. It doesn't have a mouth, and you realize that you have no idea how its been talking to you this whole time. "Right! Yes. Now I haven't been to space before, so I would like a job. Before they find me."

"Are you a criminal?" you ask. "Because I'm not hiring criminals--"

"Only from my planet!" the sentient protests. It seems flustered. "They're very closed off, and they don't like space, but I wanted to go to space so I could learn more things."

That explains why they thought Universal Standard was actually the standard language then. Galaxy-new was a lot more accurate of a term than you thought. "What can you do?"

The sentient hesitates. "I am a," there is some sort of word in their home language that sounds like the squeak of a whistle. You have a wide range of vision and can see your human tense behind you.

"I don't know that word," you say. A very helpful phrase, in any language.

The sentient growls again. "I... I learn things, and I do tests, and I do more tests to figure things out, and I collect information about the things and write it down."

"A scientist?" you say. Your heart flutters. Saints, you have been lucky today. Maybe the world is trying to give you a break after having your old crew abandon you. "I need a scientist."

"Is that the Universal Standard word for it?" the sentient says, before waving a glowing tendril. "Not important. So you'll hire me?"

You sigh. Well, it seems sweet. Why not? "Yeah, alright," you say. "But I'm gonna be giving you language lessons. You need to know something other than Universal Standard."

"Deal!" the sentient turns into a little glowing star, pulsing happily. You explain to it where to go, and then head off into the crowd again. Just a few more supplies to get and then it will be time to go back to your ship.

This time, you hop onto your humans shoulder, occasionally whispering instructions into its ear to tell it where to go. Its nice, to see the world from a different perspective, and also nice to see your human.

You have a very wide range of vision, and from your spot on its shoulder you can see your humans absolute wonder at everything it is seeing. Sometimes fear, yes, or confusion, but mostly wonder and awe. If you are interpreting human facial expression correctly.

It's beautiful. You haven't been that in awe of the galaxy in a very long time, but you still remember the feeling, the first time you saw how small you were, and how big the world could be.

You are glad to be able to see your human experiencing it. You would have thought it would have already happened, considering you found your human on a crashed Cervilian ship. Maybe the ship never landed....?

Eh. It's really not that important. You should just enjoy the moment.

You gather up supplies-- food and equipment. You'd gotten a lot of different types of currency before you'd set off in your ship, so you don't have to worry too much about exchanging, which saves a lot of time. Before you know it, you have everything you need.

Your human is walking back to the ship, when you pass by a bookshop. You would have ignored it, but for two important things.

1: One of the books on display has a human on the cover.

2: The sentient inside, sweeping the floor and humming quietly to himself, is Pyrician.

You jump down from your human's shoulder. It will be good to look another one of your species in the eye.

You open up the door, your human awkwardly shuffling after you. It seems to understand when it sees the Pyrician, because it stops whispering, "What?" at you in both Human and Pyricese.

The Pyrician is larger than you. Its tail is bushier and its fur is darker, more beach than desert. It is a little grey around the whiskers, and it snuffles welcomingly at you as you enter.

"Pronouns?" it asks.

"She/her variant," you answer. "You?"

"He/him," he says, answering with the shortened version. You have gotten used to talking more formally, you realize. It is easier for outsiders to understand. "What brings you to my little bookshop?"

You are almost certain that this man is from the beach areas of your planet. He has quite a thick accent. "I saw that you have a book about humans in your windows...?"

"Oh! Yes!" he glances around. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course," you promise. You glance over to your human, standing in the corner tapping the wall in some sort of rhythm unidentifiable to anyone but itself and giggle. Whatever the secret is, you are almost certain you won't have a problem with it.

"I think humans are a bit... too villanized," he confides in you like its some huge deal, instead of something you've thought pretty much ever since you started talking to your human. "They can be dangerous of course, I'm not denying that, but there are lots of dangerous species out there. Humans just seem... misunderstood to me. I have a lot of books about them. Professional interest."

"Wait..." you say slowly. "You have books? About humans?"

"Yes!" he says happily, ears bobbing up and down. "Some written by other species, but a few written by humans themselves. And one of them is just all my collected information. Now, all the humans I know are from one specific part of the planet, so my understand of the language is limited--"

"But you have books on the language?" you repeat.

He nods. There is a twinkle in his dark black eyes. "Yes, I do."

You grab him by the shoulders. "Show me everything."

[charlotte-of-wales]

okay little summary of what has been said so far:

David Sherborne (Harry's lawyer) ask him how he would prefer to be addressed (HRH, Harry etc) and notes "you'd rather be called Prince Harry" to which Harry nodded

Andrew Green, representing MGN, starts his cross examination by apologizing to Harry, citing one case in which MGN admitted to gathering unlawful information which "should have never happened and will not happen again"

Harry claims government is at "rock bottom", likening the state of the Government to that of the press

Harry: "newspapers are always in every single Palace, unfortunately, as well as that some of the articles I may have not remembered or seen at the time - the vast majority of them were read by other people in my circle". Claims the behavior of those around him changed as a result of the articles.

"These articles are incredibly invasive and every single time these articles were written in had an effect on me, my life and the people around me - including my mother."

Claims the press have been hostile since he was born, and as a result, he had a longstanding hostility to the press due to their intrusion in his life. Says he was shocked to find out about the unlawful methods of how the information in these articles was obtained.

"Who has blood on their hands?" "Some of the editors and journalists who are responsible for some of the pain and sadness and inadvertently death".

His hope by giving evidence is to bring a stop to it all.

Green pressures him into answering yes or no if he remembers reading the articles he brought in as evidence, Harry insists he can't know for sure because some of them are from when he was 12

"As a child, every single one of these articles played an important and destructive role in my growing up. When private information that I have only shared with one or two people ends up on the front page of a newspaper - your circle of friends starts to shrink and diminish".

Green asks Harry how was he "hugely paranoid" if he doesn't remember reading the articles, to which Harry responds "many of the articles I did read, the vast majority were attributed to a pal, a friend, a source, an onlooker, which actually creates more suspicion about where the articles come from. As a child growing up and throughout my teenager years, I was under press invasion for most of my life up until this day".

in regards to a Daily Mirror article about him being #hurt over Diana and Charles' divorce, "like most children, I took their divorce badly. I don't think the quote is a guess, I think specific information was found out...I wouldn't say it was an assumption". Claims it's suspicious how the reporter obtained that information.

in one of the articles that Harry brought in as evidence, the Daily Mirror says that Diana would be visiting Harry at Ludgrove. He claims that information was obtained illegally.....Mirror Group confirms that Diana briefed them on it.

jokes about how this cross makes him feel like he's doing a workout

claims most evidence regarding illegal activity by the newspapers were destroyed

Harry insists that even if a newspaper published an article with information shared previously by other newspapers, they could still have obtained the information illegally

Vicky Ward claims that he appeared nervous, licking his lips and fidgeting with his suit

Green forces Harry into admitting that he has little to go on, instead making several broader statements about press intrusion and the impact it caused.

"But, Prince Harry, there was no need for the Daily Mirror journalists to use unlawful means because the information had already been published by the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday" "That would be correct", Harry replies

in another article, the Daily Mirror details Harry's birthday celebrations. Green points out that he was in busy streets and people may have seen him walking down the road: "No, I don't walk down streets" Harry responded.

regarding an article about his broken thumb and how some of the sources were doctors: "Not only do I have no idea how they would know that, but that instills all sorts of paranoia for a boy in school who needs to go to the medical centre but who now can't trust the doctors".

Green argues that some of his school mates might have told the press about the thumb, Harry says he can't be sure, but think it's not plausible. Green says that in Spare Harry said his school friends would frequently go to the press, to which Harry answers "he wrote the book in hindsight".

ohh MGN claims Charles agreed to cooperate with the defunct News of the World group regarding a story about Harry smoking weed and how Charles did not like it, and the Palace confirmed the story.

Harry confirms that the Palace would sometimes cooperate with the press without his consent or knowledge.

Court resumes in around 10 minutes.

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

Name five things you're passionate about.

:D

In no particular order…

1. Music! Lyrics, sounds, ukulele, whatever!! MUSIC!!! I LOVE MUSIC!!! I COULD TALK FOR SO LONG ABOUT MUSIC!!! MUSIC MY BELOVED!!!

2. Dream SMP (hehe) I loooove rambling about this crazy fandom so much <3

3. Star Wars! I was talking about Star Wars with my brother a few days ago and it reminded me of how much I truly love Star Wars. It’s just… wow. It’s so cool. I’m such a Star Wars nerd. I love Star Wars. Yes. Star Wars.

4. Writing!! Ideas for fanfics occupy my mind a Lot lol. And this past year I’ve gotten into writing poetry, and that’s been fun :)

5. Definitely a bit of a turn here, but the whole abortion topic never fails to get me worked up. I’ve researched so much into this topic, and heard so many stories, and talked with so many people, and it’s so… I don’t even know the word for it. It’s such an important thing to discuss. Definitely pretty passionate about this.

What makes you feel at home?

A couple things :)

My own blankets, my stuffed animal, my little pink blanket I’ve had since I was a baby. A bathroom that feels safe (I am very picky when it comes to bathrooms lol). Praying. Chatting with friends. Hanging out with my family and being weird together.

More so that last one, than all the others, I think. I was just in the car earlier with my parents and we just… chatted, and I felt so content and safe and happy :)

Share the last dream you remember.

Unfortunate question, my friend.

Aksgajstajsgajsgajs

OKAY SO

MY MIND IS A STRANGE PLACE

MY DREAMS ARE EVEN MORE STRANGE

HERE IS MY MOST RECENT DREAM

Alrighty, so I was at the beach. But it was like… set up like a video game?? I found this overweight guy and had to follow him—for some reason—because of like… a side quest?? Or something???

Not completely sure lol

Anyways, I followed this random dude for a short while, until he went into this long, cheap-looking trailer. I had no idea what was inside the trailer, but I went in anyway (because of the side quest, I suppose).

It was apparently a black market??? It had a really weird setup, with DIY walls creating suspicious pathways throughout the building; I found like, a whole bunch of stuffed animals (apparently being illegally sold) including some of my very own irl stuffed animals!!

I picked up the ones that were mine, trying to figure out this situation…

And then I turned around and realized I’d been caught :0

There was this older man (not the same one from earlier) standing behind me, and he… had Ghostbur?? 🥺 HE HAD CAPTURED GHOSTBUR!!! I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW GHOSTBUR WAS IN THIS TRAILER!!!

And Ghostbur was really scared and it was sad :’( He may have been crying? I think he was, but I don’t quite remember.

:’(((

The guy holding onto him was basically like, “girl, if you don’t stop messing with the black market stuff, something Bad is going to happen to Ghostbur” and obviously I didn’t want that, so I complied.

Time jump!

Ghostbur wasn’t ever in the dream again (I hope he was okay :’0) but me and the older guy started having this really obscure heart-to-heart lol

He told me that his mom (keep in mind, this guy is like, 50 or 60. I’m not entirely sure how his mom is still alive) wanted to send him and his brother off to an asylum because she no longer felt safe around them?? Which… is weird??? Oh my gosh??????

I pretending to listen genuinely, and I asked questions and nodded my head, and he seemed to trust me.

After a bit, he let me leave, but warned me to not mess with his business again or else he’d alter the US government XD

That dream kinda ended after that lol

[junsei-draws-rotasu]

MONKIE KID S1E4: Noodles or Death (Live rewatch blog until season3 cuz that's when I'll be really watching for the first time)

Is this were Pigsy got into a noodle competition against the demon brothers that I don't remember the name of?

Actually nvm, seeing this carrot and in the market, this is the episode where Pigys got lured by the Spider Demon Lady that I also forgot the name of. This is also the same episode MK learned his shrink/transform powers right?

Pigsy, I think that guy's carrot is better than your carrot

Stand corrected, this is the spider episode, although this is the only part I remember much

Ah yes, I also forgot most people in the LMK fandom declared Tang is gay and is Pigsy's husband on this episode. My opinion on Freenoddleshipping? It's cute, although I really can't see them together. Sure co-parent-wise, but in a relationship? Eh.

"Don't wreck this for me! I really need this," sheesh, bad luck on the love department, eh Pigsy?

Most of the time, secret bases are just another hang-out spot

I wonder if I should put a habit that everyone knows that if I didn't do it, means something happened to me.

I was kidding about Mei doing illegal things for her bestie... This is morally wrong in irl, but it is hilarious when it comes to writing these things.

Mei attaching camera to everyone is giving me Rise Donnie putting trackers on his family without them knowing

Same MK. No matter what size of how 'cartoonish' they look, they're terrible!

I almost had a heart attack for Mei's phone

Mouth... Spider web...😨🤢

"Girls gotta do. What a girl gotta do" Not sure if this is an unintentional reference for Kustine's character in Usagi Yojimbo

I would like to give an unnecessary explanation the reason why I hate/am afraid of spiders. It started with me crying a lot as a child, so the first time I saw a spider I asked my father what it was. Father just said, "Spiders eat noisy children's mouths", and so, I try my best to never cry loudly anymore. This method of scarring me has one pro and many cons.

Oh the shudders I had experienced of her going up

Mei, you may be the best girl but never underestimate the fear of spiders.

Oh? Is Mei going to cut the webs?

OH, she blasts through a wall!

Okay, weird apology out of nowhere, but ok

Just two dads having work together for their kid

"I'm a monkey man!" Despite being in your 20s, you named yourself Monkie 'kid'

You just gotta love cats in cartoons. Ice Cream Kitty and Mo are best cats

No, you'll be dealing with her again.

Ngl I forgot the potion thingy

And end!

[galaxythreads]

1, 2 (b – may I also ask what colour?), 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25, 28, 33, ✨34✨, 35, 36, 38 (even if you are okay with sharing, i need to know what cats say about us), 39

Quite a lot, isn't it? You may skip numbers you don't feel like elaborating.

One more question from me: what particular question(s) made you reblog this questioner? If I didn't pick it (them) then answer it (them) anyway

What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting? Calibri, size 11 font. Yes I care a lot. I've changed fonts three or four times since I started writing. I used to do Times New Roman, then Arial, then Algeraya, now I'm using Calibri and Arial occasionally.

If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil? I went to online high school and every summer you had to give back the laptops they loaned out. I wrote by hand for three months until I bought a laptop when I was 18. I know I could do it because I already have. Colors usually black or pencil.

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral? Giggled. I hate it with my entire soul. Or yummy. If I could permanently remove words from the English language, it would be these two ^

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go? Already did. Someone fell from their sky to their death. it was a one-shot I wrote five years about for HTTYD.

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know. Yes but no. I am one of the most skeptical people when it comes to the supernatural. I know you're going "........you're christain." and like yeah. Different than a haunting to me. I think 99% of hauntings are just mold or carbon monoxide poisoning. I would personally have to be possessed by a ghost before I took the story seriously. I am always going to try and find a scientific reason first, if I've crossed out all those, THEN i'm like "Yep. Ghost." I genuinely DO believe people have encountered the afterlife. I feel bad energies in places/rooms, and I've seen some stuff. But I DO NOT believe that every haunting is a haunting. It's ridiculous. Make sure your carbon monoxide detector is up to date.

12. If a genie offered you three writing wishes, what would they be? Btw if you wish for more wishes the genie turns all your current WIPs into Lorem Ipsum, I don’t make the rules. 1 - I get published and get a big fandom, 2 - one of my fanfics gets turned into a movie 3 - ChatGPT becomes illegal and doesn't overtake writing and ruin any potential prospects I have at making writing a career.

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy? Hard: child death. Easy: child abuse.

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends? No I don't. If you damage a book, I feel annoyed. My sister loaned me a book she wrote in the margins of once and yes it was cool to see her thoughts, but she crossed out sentences and wrote it differently and circled unique words and it was really really annoying because it was so distracting. Have never written in a book that wasn't scripture, have no plans to start.

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage.

"I'm sorry.

He moves down the hall. Tony's enjoying this. Making May uncomfortable. It makes him sick. He wants to scream himself hoarse and demand to know how anyone could ever want that. (She said sorry.) Peter pushes open the door to his room and stares at it.

There's no looming shadowy presence in the corner. Nothing to suggest what's been going on for all this time. (Nothing has been going on.) it looks...painfully ordinary. Normal. Numbingly so. Peter stares at everything with an ache in his chest. Staying with the Starks isn't permanent he reminds himself, just until he can work things out with M&M. Then he'll be back here. He just needs...not everything.

Sorry.

Peter moves into the room, leaving the door open behind him.

I'm sorry.

He shuffles to his closet and digs through the top until he finds a duffle bag and starts to throw things into it. Clothing, his laptop, his phone charger, a blanket, other things he barely processes, and a few books. He doesn't see his phone and realizes that it's probably still in May and Matt's bedroom. Which...great.

Peter moves for his backpack, stuffing anything school related inside. He doesn't know if he'll be back before winter break is over. He doesn't think so.

Sorry.

May said sorry.

Peter's stiff hands move across the desk, fumbling to grab his history book, but it won't stick with his fingers. The backpack falls from his limp hands, landing at his feet with a huff of air.

Sorry.

As if that's supposed to fix it. Take back everything that happened. Half a year of aching. Of hating. Of nothing.

May said sorry.

Matt pushed him down the stairs.

Sorry.

His arm is broken.

May said sorry. And he doesn't want to forgive her."

-> Not one for Chocolate Anymore, I see

This passage is in response to May apologizing to Peter. And Peter just. yeah. This passage went through a lot of revisions that I can remember, Peter fixated on different things. But the sorry was what struck a chord with me.

I was, at the time, struggling with a lot of personal issues with my parents, and had a similar vein of thought to this ^. Sorry doesn't fix it. Sorry doesn't make it better. It's just words. I wanted to showcase that.

People hound victims of abuse for forgiving their abusers, especially if they said sorry. Like it makes it all better. They apologized, didn't they? Yeah. But May neglected Peter for months. He doesn't have to forgive her. This was my response to that. Peter is angry. He's allowed to be angry. Sorry doesn't fix it.

20..If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch One true love. perfection doesn't exist and the potion would be useless. Plus I'm lonely and single and very much wish I had a gf.

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story? I always write Thor as hating poptarts because I like to subvert fandom tropes.

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Loki. His head is haunted. Hela's a close second though. Her head is very haunted.

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate? I draw. I play several instruments. I make collages and I build modals sometimes. The art comes into my writing sometimes, but not often.

34. Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go: It is utterly pointless. Look, there are very few instances that you NEED to have the oxford comma there. When you're listing things, people understand the and. I think that English is desperately trying to stick to outdated rules because they're "right" but the thing is, if you don't adapt with the language the language will die. Let it flow and change. It's normal. It's healthy. That's why English is how it is now.

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens? No adverbs.

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us? I write the chapter, let it sit for 3-4 days and then rewrite and edit it. Letting it marinate is just so weird to me.

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up? I like comments. I enjoy putting down stories and sharing them. I like seeing people put the story together in the comments. I like the community.

40. Please share a poem with me, I need it.

Poem I wrote a few years ago (I have pages and pages and pages of poems actually, it was my Thing when I was 13-15).

"Trapped and I can't breathe,

Blind and I can't see,

Alone I cry and grieve,

I'm afraid of me,

from this ask game