#(then refuses to help them in any competent way)

[marlynnofmany]

I just heard another writer trying to figure out which self-publishing route to take, and all I'll say is that I'm glad I found Draft2Digital. (More accurately, I'm grateful to my more knowledgeable writer friends who told me about it a couple years ago.) I don't even use the free services as much now that I've learned to do fancy formatting etc on my own, but it sure is nice that the option is there.

TL;DR: you upload a manuscript, they make it presentable and available everywhere from Amazon to your local bookstore, and they charge you zero dollars, only taking a cut of the profits they helped you make. A small cut.

They are run by Writer People who want to help other Writer People succeed, and it shows.

[sparrows4bats]

Dick Grayson is the victim of his own choices when it comes to Jondami. Aka Dick sets up Jondami, this time on purpose, but quickly regrets it.

Damian grew up to be a beautiful, kind young man, and Dick can't be prouder of him.

When he left Robin to be a doctor Dick had his feelings about it (ie hes growing up so fast! Make it stop!) but respected Damians' choice and gave as much support as possible as he went to med school and started his internship and residentancy. Damian is an adult now, accomplished and intelligent and Dick couldn't be more happy.

The only issue is other people's reactions to Damian.

Ever since, he was reintroduced to hero society for his medical expertise under the code name Nightengale (Tim chose it and suffered Damian's wrath for weeks) Every young hero Dick knows has delevoped 'an admiration' for his baby brother. (They want to get into his pants, but Dick refuses to even think about it), and Dick can't take it anymore!

He deals with this with every member of his family, and eventually, the love lorn stares die down.

But with Damian, they seem to only be increasing over time as he saves more lives and endears the younger heroes with treats and stories of his many pets.

That is his baby, and if they don't stop with the lecherous gazes soon Dick is enacting contingency plans!

It's getting plain dangerous! With the other bats, the way to impress them was competency, but because Nightengale is rarely in active combat, his admirers have resorted to injuring themselves or exaggerating symptoms to get his attention. It's gotten so bad that Bruce had to put out a League Wide memo on safety and, somehow, had gotten Damian to teach a first aid class. But that only made it worse! Nightengale claimed even more hearts during the class! He had an army of suitors practising CPR and gave everyone his com frequency at the end in case of emergency!

Dick has walked in on way too many conversations discussing Damians' datebility. He almost murdered the poor soul that started describing what they thought the doctor would be like in bed. (They were so lucky Kory was there to hold him back from disfiguring the pervert.)

The worst part is that as soon as it was revealed that Nightengale is a bat. Nightwing, the friendliest bat, was inundated with questions about the doctor. A brave few even asked him to put in a good word for them!

Dick needs this to stop. Now.

So he starts to think. How did the wave of crushes end for the rest of his family? Dick realised they only stopped after the object of their affections started dating another hero.

So all Dick has to do was set Damian up with someone. (He despairs at the thought, but anything is better than watching people he is meant to trust with his life oogle his little Robin as Damian just tries to do his job.)

So Dick Grayson makes a list of attributes any partner has to have. (Not that any of them will ever be good enough to deserve him.)

The person he sets Damian up with has to be a good hero, non judgemental about Damian's past, be able to handle his more acerbic attitude, and just crazy enough to keep up with a bat. They have to be competent, intelligent, and willing to defer to Damian when he makes his own choices but stubborn enough to dissaude his more reckless behaviour. They have to be kind, an animal lover, and willing to move heaven and earth for his baby brother at the bare minimum.

Most important of all, they can't under any circumstances have a reputation for dating around or being a massive perv. Damian is his mother's son, and as much as he tries to deny it, a true romantic. If Damian falls in love, there's no doubt in Dicks mind that Damian will remain loyal. If he's not careful, Damians' compassion and incredible capacity for forgiveness will be his doom.

So Dick needs someone who would never dream of taking advantage of another's heart.

Dick is left with a surprisingly short list. He considers asking the rest of the family for help but can't risk it getting back to Damian.

Then, after a half hour of despair. It hits him. Jonathan Kent!

They are childhood Friends, Jon knows all about Damian's childhood, they trust each other, Jon think Damians insults are funny, respects his decisions, loves animals, and would literally break the world to protect him. Jon doesn't date much, usually committed relationships, and is interested in men! It's perfect!

Dick mentored Jon himself. He's a good guy and definitely wouldn't take advantage of Damians' loyalty.

So, with his decision made Dick begins his plan to set them up.

It's a delicate operation if he goes right out and says it there's no way Damian will go with it. So he starts assigning Jon to Nightengale at the Watchtower during low activity.

He smiles as he watches the two laugh over restocking the medbay.

Next, he gets Damian to bring Superman 2.0 to visit the children at the paediatric hospital he works at as a day job. Jon happily agrees and afterwards meets Dick with a bright blush in his face and a sappy smile that doesn't fade.

Dick makes up excuses for them to hang out, training, humanitarian missions, and abusing superspeed and flight to ensure Damian is fed after long shifts.

The two are definitely interested in each. It's cute. Jon starts glaring and hanging around Damian whenever the other heroes start flirting. Damian lets Jon help him with projects, and the two are never out of each others sight for more than two minutes.

The plan is progressing beautifully, but they need just one more little push.

It happens without Dicks intervention, in the worst possible way.

Nightengale is out during an invasion, fighting and providing emergency medical help when he's hit. Hard.

Dick doesn't see it happen. But turns to see Jon with red eyes standing in front of a bleeding Damian as he takes down hundreds of the aliens. There are very few times Dick has really understood the power the Supers hold. This is like watching a vengeful God. But no hostile gets anywhere near Damian again.

The rest retreat after the carnage, but Jon doesn't care. He gathers Damian in his arms and flies away. Hours later, the batfamily finds them at a hospital, Damian is out of surgery, and Jon is sitting holding his hand. Both out of their hero gear, Thank God.

Jon doesn't even acknowledge their presence just keeps staring at Damian who is out cold.

Bruce starts to lecture him but stops when Clark very firmly drags him from the room. Dick watches the two in silence and slowly takes the chair on Damians other side.

"Thank you, for keeping him safe."

Jon just brushes Damians cheek and replies, "Always."

Jon doesn't leave until Damian is released a few days later. Damian moves back into the Manor temporarily to continue to heal. Jon visits him everyday.

Dick is celebrating his success. The two are well on their way to a relationship, and all of Damians admirers have backed off and only enquire about his health now.

Life is good.

Until he walks in on a Naked Jon Kent in Damians bed. He screams and flees before he can see anything else.

After he has calmed down and given them a chance to dress, he returns to lecture Damian about strenuous activity only to be lectured in turn about holistic pain management and rehabilitation after surgical intervention.

Dick shuts up, glares at Jon, and ensures Damian hasn't disturbed his stitches.

It would be fine if that was the only time he found the Super menace feeling up his baby.

He has, somehow, in his quest to save Damian from the lecherous assholes of the Watchtower, set him up with a pervert!

Everywhere he looks, he finds them canoodling, and Jon doesn't seem to fear him nearly enough. The little shit can't seem to keep his hands to himself!

The worst of it is when he and a few titans walk into the medbay after Damian goes back to work and finds the two of them using one of the beds!

They have no shame, and the titans spread news about the encounter to everyone. (At least Damian would be harem disperses) But Dick now wants to bleach his eyes out of skull.

But Damian is happy, so he resists the urge to break out the kryptonite.

That is until, one day, he notices a ring on Damians' finger during a hangout between the two brothers.

"You're engaged to Jon!!"

"No Richard."

Dick breathes a sigh of relief.

"We eloped."

"WHAT??"

Dick Grayson has many regrets.

[plutoasteroids]

PAC How Will Your Future Spouse's Mother (Your Mother-In-Law) View You

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

This PAC is how your future spouse's mother will view you and any channelled messages I may get; it could be confirmations or anything their higher self wants to let you know.

AGAIN, TAKE WHAT RESONATES LEAVE WHAT DOESN'T THIS IS A GENERAL READING. If no pile resonates with you, it's fine don't force anything to resonate...again it's just a general reading.

PILE 1

Your future mother-in-law sees you as a breath of fresh air for their child (your future spouse) and their whole family.

Before your future spouse met you, they may have been going through some toxic cycles, bad habits or some kind of betrayal from someone or people close to them. For some of you your future spouse may have fallen into bad habits of some forms of addiction.

But after meeting you, your future spouse is going to want to change bring in positivty and healthy habits into his life because they don't want to lose you and their mother is going to notice the positive change and be so appreciative of you.

Your future mother-in-law sees you as smart, capable and they think you are really good at your job, hobbies or whatever it is you are good at. They admire how hard you work, and they feel like they won the lottery/ won in life by having you as their child in law (I don't know if that's a real thing so bear with me).

They view you as someone who is responsible and is able to keep a promise and hold accountability for their words and actions. You may even trigger some change in your future spouse's family as a whole because maybe it's the way you carry yourself or your work ethic that will make them go 'Dang we really have to do better; we can't be wasting life like this'.

She'll truly love how you have positively impacted her family.

Also, your mother-in-law said she'll baby you when I was channelling her because she recognizes how hard you work, and she wants to show you that you are appreciated and that it's time to take a rest and let someone else be the one to handle things and take care of you.

PILE 2

First thing I channelled from your future mother-in-law is that she will feel 'iffy' about you. Meaning that she's not sure if she likes you or not. Okay it's more like some things about you may rub your mother-in-law the wrong way like maybe she's more of a traditional housewife and you and your future spouse don't go according to traditional roles of spouses.

For example, if it's more of a straight couple maybe the wife works, and husband is a stay-at-home father.

-Maybe it's a same sex couple and the mother-in-law hasn't come to fully accept it.

-Another is the couple is again a straight couple and the wife refuses to have a child this could rub the mother-in-law the wrong way. There may be a lot of conflict between your future spouse and their mother about you because your mother-in-law would want their child to find someone else because obviously, they aren't so sure about you.

For other people your mother-in-law can try to compete with you for example 'The way I cook chicken is so much better' says your mother-in-law.

(You can take these as it being a sign a that the pile is for you)

But once she gets past those reservations the way she will view you is someone not very stable like you and your future spouse may like to travel a lot and are never in one place for too long and your mother-in-law could be like 'Why can't you just stay in one place it's not that hard'. But also, she sees your creative side, she sees you as a kind, gentle person with so much care within them.

She sees you as someone who has achieved so much that they can't help but praise you. They will also see you as someone very popular maybe you have a lot of followers or just a lot of friends in general.

They see you as the voice of reason, if anything goes wrong you are the best person to ask for advice, you are the best person to mediate an argument, you are the best person to a person, situation or an item fairly without an unbiased opinion (She might drag you shopping a lot and even show you off to her friends), more so because you have an obvious kindness and compassion to you that she can't help but love and admire about you despite her reservations. They will see you as strong, nurturing, courageous and passionate in the way you carry yourself and the way you talk.

They see you as someone who wants to protect their own peace, someone who wants to keep things balanced and harmonious.

-By the way Pile 2 she won't be like that with you forever she'll warm up. (Eventually😭)

PILE 3

I channelled 2 things from your future mother-in-law:

'You're a saint' and 'How can you deal with them'

Your future spouse may be a bit of a handful, a bit chaotic but in the 'I can't help but find it cute' kind of way.

Your mother-in-law finds you transformative, you never stay the same way for too long (not in a bad way) as in you will either only get better and better to them as time goes on or you just straight up change your appearance and aesthetic so much that it just throws your mother-in-law off.

Okay so your mother-in-law feels like you take really good care of not only yourself but your future spouse. They think you're physically so attractive (not in a creepy way), that you take extra care of your appearance, you may eat well and work out often.

But they also see you as creative and compassionate and your mother-in-law is just so happy to have you as part of her family and she may tell you this often from the moment your future spouse introduces you to her.

She feels like you're always on the move, you and your future spouse may travel a lot, you guys may go out a lot to dinners and parties, but I think these parties and dinners will be more on the luxurious side.

she said, 'as they should' (honestly your mother-in law is so supportive of you to the point that after you marry your future spouse, if you want to get married that is, that they won't even introduce you as their in law it's just 'this is my child'

Your mother-in-law sees you as successful, financially stable, attractive, nurturing and just overall they just absolutely adore you.

[slytherinshua]

➷　CUPID SOCIETY　( 엔시티 위시 )

      summary . . . nct wish hyung line as cupids in training!!

genre fluff , cupid au , headcanons , nct wish hyung line x reader   cw arrows and potion consumption lol , like usual i struggled with yushi so i'm sorry if his sucks idk why i'm so bad at writing him :') , not proofread   wc 650   request no   note this was supposed to be an ot6 headcanon but i was running out of ideas for maknaes :( i will probably write the maknae line ver of this soon tho!! for now just the hyung line </3 maknae line version now posted   net @kstrucknet @chrimatanet

OH SION ﾐ 오시온

does not take his cupid training seriously at all

once he gets his own bow and arrows this man is a menace

shoots arrows at people for his own entertainment

will play evil cupid

if two people on campus hate each other he’s gonna shoot an arrow at least one of them and giggle while watching them fall for each other

his matches have a surprisingly high turnout rate though

once the effects of his arrows wear off the couple is usually still infatuated with each other

this inflates his ego though

will not use his “skills” on demand for anyone

no matter how much another student offers to pay him 

and his ability to refuse any offer he gets just makes him get even more

and this boosts his ego even more until he’s almost insufferably full of himself

his ego is eventually shut down by you though

when you start to compete with him over who can be a better cupid

and eventually one of your arrows ends up hitting him

the boy is down bad for you from that moment on

perhaps that was your plan the entire time 

MAEDA RIKU ﾐ 前田 陸

riku is the type of student that everyone loves

he’s always showing people around and helping them out

as if he’s been attending the school for decades

knows all the in’s and out’s

is somehow friends with every teacher

even knows secret pieces of knowledge about cupids and their magic

and he really likes to share the things he knows with people close to him

builds up a reputation this way as someone that is impossible to dislike 

and he’s seriously popular with the girls as well

not that any of them land a date with him though

the one thing he does keep secret is the person he’s been crushing on since he first stepped into the school

although he is very talented with a bow and arrow

and can also concoct a pretty strong love potion

he knows not to use his magic on you

it would be wrong to make you fall in love with him like that

and he would feel too guilty about it 

so he stays admiring you from the background hoping one day he’ll get the courage to ask you out

but lucky for him he won’t have to wait too long :)

TOKUNO YUSHI ﾐ 得能勇志

he’s quite inconspicuous  

doesn’t talk very much and is quite shy with other students 

so no one really gets to know him well

if they did, they would find out how passionate he truly is as a new cupid

he spends most of his time sharpening his arrows or trying new potion recipes

he even concocts his own potions that have never been done before

he doesn’t have anyone to test them out on, so he has to be his own test subject

they’re usually ineffective despite his attempts at researching

when the potions go wrong, he goes missing from classes for days at a time

you’ve noticed yushi from the sidelines and became curious about his disappearances

you decide to become his friend to find out why

which is hard at first because he’s incredibly awkward and it takes a while to get comfortable with him

but, with persistence, you do 

he tells you about his potions, which you find fascinating 

and finally having someone who is genuinely interested in him and what he’s doing is the push yushi needs to gain some confidence

you become best friends and always hang around each other

eventually, you test out one of yushi’s new potions with him

and it goes a little wrong right

yushi is so used to his potions failing that he hadn’t expected this one to work quite so well

now he has to deal with his best friend utterly enamoured with him every second of the day

but maybe that isn’t such a bad thing

nct wish taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @kangtaehyunzzz,, @eternalgyu,, @lexeees,, @nyukyusnz,, @planetkiimchi,,

@haecien,, @talkingsaxy,, @thesunsfullmoon,, @hursheys,, @mjupis,,

@lilly-cherry7,, @kpopandbookschild,, @taroddori,, @lexeees,, @voikiraz,,

@xikskrrrs,, @cupidslovearrows,, @yvshi

[fafodill]

I really like your hcs and your art and seeing the drawings you made of the Hogwarts staff made me wonder, what do you Sneep's reletionship with the rest of the teachers is like? Especially considering that he's the youngest teacher at the castle. Does he have a best buddy among them?

It's a really interesting question. No doubt that Severus's relationship with the staff evolved as he aged. At first he certainly was the wee baby of the staff room for sure, which couldn't have been comfortable by any means, especially since he was coming back to a place full of trauma for him and with colleagues that used to advert their eyes on the bullying he suffered from (a very nice post from @fannedandflawless who went more in depth about this). Also he went to the DE to be seen and recognized for his talents - something he never was at Hogwarts so this must have felt like a big social downgrade too. He literaly stepped into his past. I mean yes he had been hired because he was competent but he was 21... and most of them were at least in their late 40s. Except for Trelawney if I'm not mistaken.

I think at first it was mostly a mix of keeping to himself and pushing through , refusing the help they provided, because he's over-independent. But Lily died and I can't imagine him not collapsing in some way.

I know it's controversial and it's me liking their chemistry on screen, but I really like the idea of him and Minerva getting along - and it might have started at that point. I like the idea of her supporting him through his grief, because Lily was part of her House and she remembered they were friends so when she mentioned it to him (as he was trying to keep it together), she said something at some point that made him crack and that's the only time she ever saw him show such raw emotions. They've been close-ish since. It still kept on being a work relationship for a long time but she weaved a bit of maternal/friendship in it (or just plain house rivalry, it keeps them on their toes)(Minerva wasn't happy to start loosing the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup but a secret part of her was happy to see he was getting invested). They take smoke breaks together.

I don't see him getting super close to his other colleagues honestly. He's recluse, he keeps to himself. He keeps it professional, doesn't like staff parties or nights out with them. But they don't hate each other either...

He gets along fine with Filius. They had a few talks about the intricacies of magic which were quite interesting - but they fundamentally don't conceptualize it in the same way (Severus thinks Filius is very talented but way too old school).

He and Pomona have a neutral but a bit strained relationship. He was a very good student in Herbology back in the days, very calm and disciplined, never afraid to get his hands dirty, so she quite liked him. But after he became the Potions Master she slowly discovered his legendary bluntness. He ruffled her feathers quite a few times because he thought that some of the ingredients she provided were not well tended for during their growth and called her work 'sloppy' and 'careless'. She got really angry and Minerva had to calm her down.

Hagrid was really gentle with him when he started teaching - which made him a bit uncomfortable but grateful in the end because the half-giant may be a bit dense but he's very genuine. They passed each other at night when Severus was walking very fast around the castle to process some feelings patrolling. When Severus came back to Hogwarts he could see the Thestrals and Hagrid never commented on it, only got gentler as they discussed the beasts needs and temper (Severus likes them, they're totally his aesthetic) Also Hagrid doesn't push conversation with him, which is nice. Severus is appalled at Hagrid's carelessness when it comes to magical creatures but also kinda understand why one could be careless with something they really love (like him with the Dark Arts).

He never interacts with Sybill if he can help it. Not only because of the prophecy business but most of all because he knows she's a phony and the only time he allowed a conversation she read his palm lines and predicted him 6 children with a bearded woman.

He has absolutely no interactions with Binns except for the few times he came across a name he didn't know in one of his Dark Arts books and took it upon himself to check if his ghost colleague had any knowledge of them. Well, turns out the History professor is an floating encyclopedia but he gets sidetracked so often (and is so boring it's ungodly) that even when desperate, Severus prefers going to Knockturn Alley during term breaks to thrift other books on the matter.

Once Charity discovered he was half-blood (why did he feel the need to make that bloody comment about phones?) she talked to him way more often because she was really happy to have another member of staff to talk about muggle stuff with. It always made him a little uncomfortable (like being put under a spotlight) but with time he stopped caring about it. But he drew a harsh line in the sand the day she asked him personal questions about his childhood in the muggle world. She took the hint but never really understood why.

He gets along okay with Sinistra. Both of them are strict teachers and they sometimes exchange tired glances during staff meetings when a colleague or Dumbledore is being insufferable. During nights out in Hogsmeade, they're often the first two to leave. She hit on him discreetly a few times and he never noticed.

He get along quite well with Septima on discipline matters since she's said to be the stricter of the teachers alongside him. She doesn't rant about the students as much as him but is a good listener when he storms in the staff room, cape billowing, and needs to spit out his annoyance. She nods and sips her tea with a grave face and provides just enough commentary and empathy to make him feel heard. If Severus works in the staff room, he likes to sit near her as he knows she won't bother him with inane chit-chat. She's clever and straight to the point, which he appreciates.

Poppy and him go along well. She's the most maternal of them all towards him and he stopped trying to stop her because she's way too stubborn (and also not technically a colleague so it's okay). She confronted him about avoiding the infirmary when he was a student - which made him very tense - but she didn't outwardly show pity. They work very efficiently and communicate well about the infirmary needs regarding potions as both of them care a lot about the students well-being. Of all the staff, she's the one who knows the most how much Severus cares. She always offers him homemade sweets at Christmas and it's one of the only presents he genuinely appreciates. They grew to have a lot of respect for each other.

Weirdly enough, Severus goes along quite well with Argus because they both despise the students and can rant about them to each others for hours. When they come across each other at night in the castle they grumble and insult them for twenty good minutes, exchanging the latest stories and then go on their ways. Argus really disliked the Maraudeurs too, which they bonded over (like when Severus first started as a teacher, Filch made a comment about 'these awful boys' and clearly shot him a look of gruff sympathy and that did it). Unfortunately his squib status still made him complicated to be around (the stigma is real) but I dig their rant buddies dynamic.

Oh and of course he found Quirrel pathetic, abhorred Lockhart, hated Lupin, was very uncomfortable around Barty/Moody and wanted to set Umbridge on fire.

[maryymaruu]

I present to you, the Iterator oc number two, the child that refused to be named, now having many, hah! _(:3 」∠)_

While I adore the true name I finally scrambled for him, and couldn't resist disclosing it, for lore reasons it'd be best to address him with his title;

Sentinel Of The Unforgiven, [SOTU] or just The Sentinel.

This one's novel is even longer, so for those who don't have the patience, the trivia board on the ref is a pretty good TLDR! ^^);

This guy needs to have quite a few more clarifications made first, as I'm stepping quite further away from the canon here, and even more into fanfiction/AU territory.

Some background;

[We're talking about one and the same group Three Signals (TS) is included in. They are neighbours of Sliver Of Straw, far away from in-game locations.]

- This group exists in a very mountainous area, and from the very beginning, the Benefactors decided it's more efficient to use their already existing underground tunnels (from drilling for Void Fluid) as a transportation modus; turned into an underground train system for Iterator construction process. That system runs quite far into the group, connecting Iterators like roots, with SOTU at the near center (first one built in the area).

- Due to some harsh weather conditions and poor decisions the city was equipped with "wind-breaking" walls, giving a quite claustrophobic effect. Citizens began feeling discomfort there even before resource problems.

- Once the resource demand problem became eminent, the citizens expressed lack of care or attachment to the city and/or the Iterator. It was agreed upon to simply use the underground trains to relocate to now already standing, various newer cities.

- The justice system is... blurry at best. This post is getting too long already so I'll fully explain it another time; for now it's only important to know SOTU is not the one judging the criminals, he merely holds them up to the verdict.

- The notion of "a stay in SOTU's city feels like a punishment in itself" became wide spread amongst the Benefactors. In face of necessity it evolved into an effort to make it a reality; SOTU was repurposed into a prison facility. Instead of upgrading him to be able to be more habitable, they completed the claustrophobic city with taller sealed walls and gates, and a new set of laws/taboos for the Iterator to obey. Making for a secure, depressing, fully automated trap box.

Now more about the Sentinel himself...

SOTU has always been a rather reserved personality that struggled to express emotion or weakness. There was a specific idea he had to live up to, (be it conditioned into him or self-imposed) of someone competent, serious and strong. Giving off a strict, cold and unapproachable first impression. The Group Senior that believes he has to carry the woes of the world on his shoulders alone and never break, in order to be a good example.

However, despite poorly expressing it, SOTU does deeply care about his people and about his peers. And always tried his best to be someone they can relay on, without directly admitting it though. Like a grumpy old man, would chew one out for making a mistake first, and then help them out of trouble, without sparing any effort.

Would never admit it, but feels quite hurt by how easily his citizens decided to abandon him, and resents them for what he's been turned into. He really tried to take care of everyone. He doesn't enjoy what his city has become, he doesn't enjoy being feared. Secretly wished it was a lot more like something that of TS's city... full of life, bonded and happy, but is unable to let go of the false idea what a Senior should be like, denying himself vulnerability to even express that.

The reformatting into a prison only worsened this problem. The new, additional programming discouraged acts of compassion or affection. (So that he doesn't pity the prisoners)

Despite best efforts, his group did not integrate very well. His ways of handling things left much to be desired, some labeling him a tyrant no one can ever reason with. Some just simply disliked him too much to ever relay on his advice. Communicating within the group was difficult, hence why eventually many stopped bothering and kept to themselves, or to smaller private cliques.

The repressed emotional impulses did catch up to him eventually, allowing for small acts of disobedience against the law.

Didn't stop SOTU from feeling it though. And feeling he sure did....

Those efforts were too little too late, inadequate to prevent the conflicts escalating into hostility. Once an arrest warrant was cast from the Benefactors above, there was nothing he could do. And once the poorly integrated group got a taste of connection against a "common enemy" it was over.

Delays, stalling, omitted reports, "errors", "lost" data, "unreceived" broadcasts... All in efforts to keep the prisoner numbers low, and make the stay of those present shorter and more bearable. Ignoring all reports about what was going on in TS's city in particular- hoping to at least protect something SOTU could never be.

(More to come)

TS got hurt, and the lively community on top was broken up. It is unclear who is responsible for the malware attack idea, nor who exactly deployed it, but SOTU feels fully responsible regardless. He wallows in ever growing guilt and regret since.

[traveler-at-heart]

Doctor's In - Part 20

Summary: Will Wanda get to propose first?

A/N: Hello everyone! This is the last chapter I'll be posting before a little break. I'm low on ideas for this little world, but I definitely don't rule out coming back to it in the future.

Big thanks to @esposadejoyhuerta because I posted the very first part as a little fic for her. To @a-cat-on-titan for sharing ideas that inspired me and to everyone that read and commented. I honestly think I managed to write so much because you all liked this series so much.

Everyone at Stark Hospital seems to be cheerful after the wedding. There’s still talk about who wore what, how amazing the food was and how lucky Carol and Maria got as nothing interrupted their day.

You’d appreciate the atmosphere. Except it’s Sunday. And still a day off for you, with the kids staying over at the Barton farm for the rest of the long weekend.

And yet, Kate paged you over one single case.

“I’m really sorry, they asked for an adult”

“Kate, you are an adult”

You’re in the break room, putting a lab coat over your clothes as you don’t plan on staying longer than necessary. Yelena’s sitting in the couch, scrolling down her phone.

“An older one. Not that you’re old” she hurries to say as she walks beside you. You can hear Yelena chuckling.

“Hey, you could have helped your girlfriend. Or did I teach you nothing, Belova?”

“Well, I…” 

“We…”

They both blush at the term girlfriend and you almost want to laugh. But you need at least one competent doctor to assist you, so you sigh, pulling Kate along.

“Hello, I’m doctor Y/L/N” you greet a young woman with a baby. “Doctor Bishop told me you requested a specialist”

“I’m really sorry” the woman says, bags under her eyes. The baby whines a bit as she sways them. “I’m just very worried and I want to make sure nothing’s wrong with him”

“What’s his name? And yours?” you ask calmly, as you try to examine him. You pretend to hide and watch as he follows you with his eyes. A nice way to get him comfortable and check if he’s ok.

“His name is Chuck. And I’m Ana”

“Alright, Ana, tell me what happened” you ask, allowing her to sit.

Something very common, the baby rolled over and fell from the bed. After crying, he fell back asleep but is now moody, taking longer naps and refusing to eat.

“He has a fever” Kate mentions as you examine him, making sure there are no broken bones or any other visible injuries.

“Has he been sick lately? Flu or anything of the sort?” you check his eyes with a light and he complains.

“Yes, a week or so ago. But he was better already. Oh, he also threw up this morning” the woman says, her voice shaking. She’s looking anxiously as you keep examining everything.

“Everything looks fine in his physical exam. Just a small aversion to light, but no broken bones or discomfort in his abdomen. But we should really do a CT scan just to rule out anything else. Would you be ok with that?”

“Yes, anything he needs”

“Doctor Bishop, let’s give him some ibuprofen for that fever and once he settles we can do the scan”

As you walk up to inform the technician, you run into Darcy.

“I thought you had a day off”

“Right back at you”

“Bishop paged me. What’s your excuse?”

“Oh, nothing…” Darcy looks away, but you catch her peaking around the ER.

“Oh, my God! You’re here to see Bucky!”

“Wanna shout it louder? I think even the dead bodies at the morgue heard you” she hits your side while you laugh.

“I knew you liked him back!”

“Shut up, lesbian”

You’re ready to keep arguing when someone clears their throat. You both turn, finding Bucky swaying back and forth.

“I was wondering if you…” he’s looking at Darcy, but then panicks, turning to you. “You need any help with that patient”

“I’m good. Darcy, do you need help with anything?”

The brunette glares at you, but turns to Bucky a second later.

“I’m good”

“Yeah. Ok” he nods, walking away.

“You scared him!”

“I just stood here! Didn’t even say anything” she protests.

“Yeah but all these months you kept talking about how you hated him and now he’s not sure you actually like him. Help him out”

“Don’t you have anything else to do?”

“Yes, I’m cooking dinner for Wanda”

“Proposing at last?”

“No” you clear your throat. “I don’t think”

“I’m kidding” Darcy says, remembering Wanda has everything ready. “You’re not seriously thinking about it, right?”

“Maybe. Look, we have the house to ourselves, I’m making dinner. If the conversation goes that way… I already have the ring. If not, that’s fine”

“Well… crap. I gotta go” someone pages Darcy. “Will you maybe consider hitting pause on that proposal?”

“You’ve been nagging me for weeks to do it”

“Yeah, well… I’m just making sure you’re not doing it because you’re too emotional from Carol’s weddding” Darcy lies. She hates getting involved and now she’ll have to let Wanda know you’re planning on doing this.

“Gotta go, they’re ready for the scan” you smile, thinking Darcy’s just concerned over you.

When you go back to the baby, you notice his mother is still struggling to get him to sleep. Since the scan won’t take more than a minute, you don’t want to sedate him or anything else.

“May I?”

“Yes, of course. It’s really hard to get him to na…”

A minute after he’s in your arms, the baby is fast asleep.

“Can you teach me that?” the woman says and you laugh.

“Sure can”

As Maria is not around, you decide to ask Tony for his input. He’s been cold towards you since you came back, and you know it’s an issue with his ego more than anything. Still, you try to play nice.

“Ten month old?” he checks the scan. “No bleeding or skull fracture. All good”

“Great, thanks Doctor Stark”

“Very formal. Are we not friends anymore?”

“You tell me”

“Well, don’t work with the enemy again and we’re all good” he winks at you.

Luckily, you’re able to discharge the baby, happy that it’s nothing serious. You’re about to say goodbye to Darcy when you notice she’s approaching Bucky.

“I like Italian food” she says without preamble. “So, if you want to go ask me out, that’s a good choice”

“Oh. Ok. How about tomorrow?”

“Fine. You’re buying” Darcy adjusts her glasses, leaving before Bucky can say anything else.

Well, hopefully that’s a start.

—

Wanda is pacing around the living room. It’s not just that you’re all alone in the kitchen making dinner for her. It’s Darcy’s call.

“She might propose tonight”

“What do you mean?” Wanda said.

“Well, she said she’d see where the night took her…”

“I have to distract her”

“How?”

“Boobs”

“I regret asking. Bye” Darcy hung up, while Wanda changed into a lighter shirt and threw away her bra.

It was a sweet gesture. But Wanda really wanted to be the one proposing first.

So what if she was competitive over this? It’s silly. You’d laugh it off.

Either way, she can’t let you do it, not tonight.

“Ok, food’s ready” you announce with a smile.

Since it’s a bit warmer, you decide to have dinner in the backyard, enjoying the weather and the nice lights.

“Everything ok at work?” she asks as you serve some lasagna and pour her wine.

“Yeah. Just a nervous mom that wanted reassurance. I don’t mind it, though. Can’t imagine how scary it must be to take your child to the ER” you smile at your girlfriend, observing her reaction to the food.

“It’s good” she nods and you tilt your head, knowing there’s more. Wanda rolls her eyes. “It’s good. That’s it”

“Fine”

“It’s too cheesy. But that’s just a personal preference” she says once you stop staring and you laugh.

“I like cheesy”

“I know, detka” Wanda reaches for your hand.

You keep talking about work, Wanda’s book release on Friday (thank God you have no idea it’s actually not related to the book at all), and you tell Wanda all about Darcy and Bucky’s date.

“Unlikely pair, those two” she marvels, laughing.

“I’ll say. You done? I’ll load the dishwasher considering your mom’s not around to curse at it”

“Yeah, but hurry back. Let’s stay out a little longer” she kisses you softly and you love how the taste of wine lingers on her lips.

When you’re done cleaning and go back out, the ring box is in your front pocket. The sight of Wanda sitting in the patio swing while she browses through a picture book takes your breath away.

Her hair is down, the fading light of day reflecting on her; you can tell she’s a bit cold, wearing nothing but a light shirt. You approach with a blanket, watching curiously at the pages.

“I promised I’d tell you about the twins” she reminds you, and you sit next to her, covering your laps with the blanket.

You’re moved by the pictures of the kids you love so much, admiring how small they once were. It’s also amazing how much Pietro resembles his father. Now more than ever you wish you could have been there to meet him and be with Wanda.

“Dad was with me the day they were born. Pietro had a college event, being on a sports scholarship and everything. Mom went with him to make sure he kept focused instead of flirting away”

“Mama Maximoff, professional cockblocker” you mumble, getting elbowed by Wanda. “Ok, go on”

“So I started feeling weird but thought it was nothing. My dad insisted we go to the ER. And sure enough, he was right. Mama and Pietro had just boarded their flight so we couldn’t contact them until they landed. And then it all happened so fast, so my dad went in and held Billy and Tommy before anyone else”

“You’re so brave, Wands. I could never do it alone. I’ve seen how hard it is, not just giving birth, it changes your life completely. And yet you did it, while being so patient and loving and a wonderful mother” you say, going through photos of the kids.

Birthdays, first days of school, Halloween.

“I always had my family. And now I have you too. We make a good team, detka” Wanda leans against you, showing you some of the last pages of the album. There are pictures of you and the kids, with Sparky or playing soccer.

You reach for the ring box, getting ready to say those words, but Wanda jumps on your lap, looking suddenly flustered.

“You’re so hot” she says, taking your hands and placing them on her breasts. Your eyes widen when you notice she’s not wearing a bra.

“I… uh” you stutter, trying to remember that you were proposing.

“We didn’t have dessert, detka”

“No, I guess not… oh, god” you sigh when she leans forward, biting down your earlobe.

“I have something really sweet for you” Wanda teases and your brain stops functioning. The only thing you can think about is her, naked and screaming your name.

“Well, good thing I’m starving”

Wanda laughs, but it turns into a moan when you lift her shirt and suck on one of her nipples.

Pretty soon you both forget about rings and proposals.

—

It was all so strange. You didn’t drink that much wine.

But when you wake up, alone and disoriented, it feels like you had a whole bottle of the cheapest alcohol to yourself.

“Hey, you’re up” Wanda says, too cheerful for your liking.

“Hey. Isn’t it early? And didn’t we fuck like animals until early morning” you joke, making her blush.

“Yes, detka” she leans forward, kissing you. “But Pietro stopped by for breakfast. And I have laundry to do, plus the kids are coming back today after lunch”

“And I have work tonight” you yawn. As you get up, stretching your arms, Wanda’s eyes linger and you smile. “Wanna have round… seven? I don’t know, I lost count”

“Would love to, but like I said, Pietro’s downstairs”

“Even better” you pull Wanda by the waist, smiling. “I get to make you come and scar him. Win-win”

“Evil” she laughs, pecking your lips.

As you get ready to go downstairs, there’s something in the back of your mind that’s bothering you.

Something you had or were supposed to do?

“Fuck” you remember when you can’t find your jeans.

The ring.

If Wanda’s doing laundry…

Did she find it?

“Morning” Pietro says when you go downstairs, looking worried. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah, man. Cool. Never better. Hey, Wands? Did you find anything in my jeans before throwing them in the washing machine?”

“No, detka” she lies.

“You sure”

“Yeah”

Again, total bullshit.

“Uh.. ok”

Maybe the ring was somewhere else, considering you were both in a rush to get naked.

“Gotta take out Sparky. Be right back”

Pietro waits until you’re gone to ask.

“What was that about?”

“I hid her engagement ring. The one she was going to propose with, I mean”

“But, why?”

“Because” Wanda sips from her cup of tea, hoping Pietro gives up. Except he’s still waiting for an answer and she sighs. “Because I want to propose first!”

“Wow” he laughs, knowing his sister is super competitive. “And yet I’m the evil twin”

—

It’s a bad day to have a busy ER. You’re freaking out about the lost ring but you barely had time to look without making Wanda suspicious.

What if Sparky ate it?

“Everything ok?” Kamala asks when you’re checking over a patient.

“Yeah, fine”

“It’s just, your stethoscope is backwards” she points out and you curse under your breath. Once you’re done with the proper examination, you follow Kamala to the cafeteria.

“Hey, would you be able to do me a favor?” you say.

“Yeah, sure”

“Can we get an X-ray of Sparky?”

“Sparky… is that the man you were examining?” she says, confused.

“No, that’s our dog. I’m trying to figure out if he ate the engagement ring I lost”

“Engagement? Congratulations!” Kamala says, completely forgetting the part about how you lost the ring.

“So, can you help me?”

“Uh… sure. I mean, we need to sneak him in and I…”

“Perfect, I’ll page you when he’s here” you say, going back to work. Maybe you’ll have to ask Pietro’s help, but so be it. You’re so busy dialing his number that you don’t hear someone shout a warning until it’s too late.

The last thing you see before passing out is a stretcher rolling down your way.

—

Pain.

The only pain I want in my life is pain au chocolat.

That makes you laugh.

“Hey, pal. You awake?”

“Darcy?” you open your eyes, feeling like throwing up. “What the fuck happened?”

“So, one of the new paramedics didn’t lock the empty stretcher and it rolled down all the way to you” she explains.

“Fucking moron” you try to sit up, but your sides hurt. “Anything broken?”

“Nope, just a concussion and bruised ribs” she says, and as you open your eyes again, you notice her outfit.

“Were you out on a date?”

“Yes, and it was terrible. We have nothing to talk about when we’re not fighting” she complains.

Honestly, right now you’re struggling to form a coherent thought, so nothing comes to mind to help your friend.

“Detka, you’re awake, how are you feeling?” Wanda joins a moment later and you smile lazily at her.

“Mkay, could use some cuddles”

“Right, I’m out” Darcy complains and you laugh.

“Wait, Darcy. I need your help” you mumble, half asleep and forgetting Wanda’s there. “Find if Sparky ate the ring. Or I’ll have to propose with nothing”

Darcy gives Wanda a strange look, and your girlfriend gestures for her to join her outside.

“I hid the ring”

“Why?!”

“Because she was proposing”

“What happened to just using your boobs?” Darcy points at Wanda’s chest.

“Well, that was part of the plan but I still have four more days to go before she tries again! There's only so much my boobs can do”

“Lucky for you, this little incident gave you some time. She’ll be out of it for another day” Darcy comments, watching as you snore loudly. “Or maybe two”

—

It’s become a whole thing, the stretcher incident. Fury had to organize a staff meeting about safety and how to prevent stupid accidents.

Even if it wasn’t your fault, you feel like an idiot. The idiot that got a concussion from a stretcher that wasn’t even going that fast.

At least you get a day off, and you’re making the most of it, waking up later than usual. You’re busy answering to Darcy’s memes about your unfortunate accident when Wanda walks in, smiling.

“How are you feeling, detka?”

“Like a total loser”

“Aww, come on. I bet some cuddles will make it better” she says, laying next to you in bed. You let her settle with your arm as pillow, feeling her delicate hands lift your shirt. “How is the bruising?”

“It’s fine. Just have to avoid breathing too hard” you try to joke, but notice her frown. Kissing her temple, you wait until she looks up at you. “Hey, I’m fine. It was a stupid thing that happened”

“I know, but… sometimes your job is dangerous. I guess I always worry” she sighs, hiding her face in your chest. You kiss her again, smiling.

“I won’t say no to you kissing it better” you tease, feeling happy when she straddles your lap. Except one second later you’re breathing too hard and your side hurts. “Ok, maybe for now let’s just watch tv”

—

Word spreads fast. Not even when you almost died trying to help other people did you get so many pats on the back.

Hell, you almost drowned once. But apparently a stretcher can hit anyone, so you have the entire hospital's sympathy.

“Hey, careful, a stretcher!” Darcy shouts the minute she sees you. You yelp, turning around to find the hallway empty.

“Fuck you, Lewis”

“Shouldn’t you be at Wanda’s party or something tonight?” she says after she’s done laughing.

“Yeah, I have a change of clothes. Don’t think I’ll need much more for a small bookstore downtown” you say, confused.

Before leaving for work Wanda had also reminded you to be there on time, insisting you didn’t have to pick the kids up or anything like that.

“Are you showering? Doing your hair? Makeup?”

“Do I smell?” you say, pulling your scrubs to your nose. Why does she care so damn much?

“Oh, my God. Just because you’re in a relationship you shouldn’t let yourself go! Now I have to fix this too” she begins to rant, dragging you to the break room.

Pretty soon, Kamala and Kate stop by to help with your hair and makeup.

“What is going on? Don’t you have work to do? Kate, who’s working the ER?”

“I have Barnes on it” Darcy answers and you smirk at her. “What?”

“So, are you still trying to date or not?”

“We found some middle ground to talk” she says cryptically.

“Which is…”

“Lord of the Rings”

“Oh my God! Is he a huge nerd like you? I was so not expecting that!” you laugh, kicking your feet when you notice her blushing.

“Laugh all you want! Turns out he is a nerd and has perfect hair and blue eyes and abs which means I’ll just have to date him. I hate you. And before you say anything, shut your mouth because I’m applying lipstick”

You know Darcy doesn’t like to talk about feelings. And she’s had the same amount of luck in relationships that you have. So, you keep your thoughts to yourself, but when you look in her eyes, her expression softens and she smiles back.

“You look good, pal”

“Thanks”

“Am I interrupting treat your self time?” Fury says when he walks in on all of you.

“Sir, I would have invited you but we’re braiding each other’s hairs and well, you…” Darcy trails off, and you smack her in the arm.

“You’re talking to your boss”

“Just get back to work” Fury says, smiling.

Well, Darcy’s always getting away with shit.

For the rest of the evening, she circles around the ER, but you think it’s because she wants to be around Bucky.

Except when it’s exactly 8 and she sprints towards you.

“Time to go”

“I have some charts to…”

“I wasn’t asking. Bishop will do it. Get changed, chop chop”

Darcy walks you to your car, and you roll your eyes as you get in. The car won’t start, though.

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Y/N” she threatens as if it’s your fault that it’s not working.

“Be my guest! Battery’s dead, Darcy. Why are you being so damn weird today?”

Still, the car won’t start when she tries, but she doesn’t give you time to say “I told you so”.

“I’ll call a cab. Or ask Wanda to pick me up” you say, thinking it won’t be a big deal if you’re a few minutes late.

“Damn it, I can’t push my surgery again” she mutters, checking her pager. Your friend looks around the parking lot, eyes meeting the EMT from the other day. “Hey, you!”

The man tries to hide in the ambulance, but Darcy’s quick to catch him.

“My friend’s gonna be late for a very important thing. Why don’t you drive her there?”

“I can’t use an ambulance as an Uber, are you mad?”

“It’s either that or I run you over with a stretcher as payback, how about that?” Darcy says, nodding when he stays quiet. “Thought so. Now, you get in. And you, better turn those sirens way up”

“You’re acting very strangely, Lewis. I’ll tell Bucky to keep an eye on you” you say when she pushes you inside.

The ride is incredibly awkward, especially when the guy does turn on the sirens. You wait until you’re out of the hospital’s parking lot to turn them off.

“Just let me out and I’ll take a taxi, man”

“No way, your friend scares me too much. Plus, I really am sorry for almost killing you the other day”

“You hardly did that. Trust me, I’ve been through worse” you smile at him.

Admittedly, you do arrive faster when it’s in an ambulance, and you thank him before getting off. To your surprise, Wanda’s at the door of the bookstore, looking around the sidewalk nervously.

“Y/N? Why are you in an ambulance? Are you ok?” she rushes to you, hands going over every inch of your body.

“Babe, I’m fine. My car wouldn’t start and Darcy was being weird about this, saying I couldn’t be late and all… I hope I’m right on time, though it looks empty. I didn’t get the time wrong, did I?”

“No, it’s fine” she smiles, standing on her toes to peck your lips. “Come on”

The place is really small and cozy, and you look around, trying to figure out if anyone’s already there.

“I wanted to give you this” Wanda says. You take the small package and rip the wrapping paper, smiling.

“An English-Sokovian dictionary?”

“Figured it might be useful for when you’re working” she smiles and you want to thank her for the gift, but you can’t help but frown. “What’s wrong, detka?”

“I was hoping you’d help me translate. I guess this means you won’t be coming with me, huh?”

“No, that’s not what I meant… here” she takes your hand, making you sit on the floor. There are cushions and a carpet, all arranged for children to sit through a reading. You tilt your head when Wanda hands you a second gift.

“I feel awful. This is your party and I didn’t even bring flowers”

“It’s actually not… until tomorrow. You didn’t really think we’d host a reading for children right around bed time, did you?” Wanda chuckles and you nod.

“Right, but then…”

“Just open it. It will make sense, I promise”

You nod, discovering two books inside. Of them is the one releasing today -or technically, tomorrow-, the other one seems like a collection of illustrations.

Those are drawings of you and Wanda, some of them with you and the kids. Sparky’s there too. It’s everything, from your first dates, to soccer games and trips, including your time in Boston.

“Wanda, I love it. Thank you” you say, trying hard not to cry at all the love and dedication she poured into this. “And your new book, it’s so amazing as well…”

Wanda waits for you to read the dedication inside, and you smile wide when you spot your name.

“To the love of my life, Y/N. Thank you for showing me how special life can be when you share it with someone else” you read out loud, a tear rolling down your face. “Wow, I’ve never had someone dedicate a book to me before. I feel…”

“There’s one illustration I didn’t get to include, though” she says, taking your hand. You examine it, realising it’s from the bookstore where you are right now. The set up is the same, and you’re sitting next to Wanda, like you’re doing right now.

There’s a small text written at the bottom, though.

Ty vyydesh' za menya?

“Wait, that’s in Sokovian” you say, trying hard to figure out the words.

“Good thing you have a dictionary” Wanda teases and you sigh, opening the pages. “Why don’t you start with popular phrases?”

“Fine. Wish I knew I was getting homework assigned” you joke, frowning as you read over every phrase listed. Once you think you found it, you compare it to the one written in the drawing.

Once. Twice.

After the third time, you look up to see Wanda staring back at you. She’s holding a ring.

“Oh, my God!”

“Is that a yes?” she says, her heart beating out of her chest.

“Wanda, of course it is!” you move forward, hugging her until you’re both on the floor, laughing. “Is this why Darcy was acting strange, wanting me to be here on time?”

“Maybe” Wanda smiles, taking your hand and sliding the ring. You admire it, still finding it hard to believe she asked you to marry her. “It’s my mom’s engagement ring. Insisted we should have it”

“I love it” you say, smiling and wiping the tears that keep on coming. “And I love you”

“I love you too” Wanda says, smiling at you. You lean forward, kissing her and smiling against her lips. “I can’t believe I managed to propose first”

“Wait, what?”

[justanoasisimagines]

Ivar the Boneless being jealous...

Hey my loves, back with another Headcanon! I hope you enjoy it! Credit to cafekitsune for the banner and the divider!

❀Ivar is a jealous person. He’s possessive. He’s insecure, he’s unsure. He’s terrified you are going to leave him or worse someone will take you from him. 

❀Ivar’s always got his eye on you. Whenever you're in a room his eyes will follow you everywhere, whilst he keeps an eye on you. Ivar has learnt the art of paying attention fully to the conversation while also keeping an eye on you. 

❀Ivar prefers to keep you close. He’ll take you wherever he can. If people wish to argue with him they’ll regret it. He’s got no problem taking a man’s life in order to protect you. Ivar’s known to be his most ruthless when you’re involved. 

❀Behind closed doors, you’ll see Ivar’s true insecurity. He finds he can be himself around you. He’ll discuss what is bothering him. It’s never easy to get him to open up. He’ll protest every step until it comes out in an argument. 

❀His jealousy can include his brothers. He’s felt like he’s had to compete with them his entire life. It doesn’t change when he enters adulthood. It doesn’t help that his brothers like to make remarks. 

❀In regards to jealousy, Ivar can go from zero to one hundred. It often comes out of nowhere, it can lead from a simple remark to a subtle touch you might not recognise. 

❀Ivar’s always observing your response, and how you react to someone’s advances. He uses it to reveal your intentions. To try and find any reason why you might be untrustworthy. He refuses to feel weak. 

❀Ivar’s often aggressive when he’s confrontational He has no problem protecting what’s his. People will learn one way or another; you are his, and no one is going to take you from him. It is a quick way to make an enemy of him. They will regret it.

[keepthedelta]

okay it's kinda specific but is there any brocedes fact that is often overlooked but you think that is essential (or perhaps gives a new approach) to the lore?

that's such a good question. i have several, i hope you don't mind

the first one is the "he'll always be my best friend in my heart" quote. i've seen a lot of people use it as a very earnest declaration etc. (or if they believe in the nico is obsessed with lewis shit as a sign of that) but it was actually nico making a joke when he was doing commentary (on the italian comms i think). he was asked a question about lewis and jokingly/sarcastically said "in my heart he'll always be my best friend", and then immediately clarified that it was a joke (maybe recognising the narrative that would be spun around it). i know this seems kind of anti-brocedes but i do think it is essential to the lore that people recognise nico is not a weird as fandom likes to make out. he's absolutely weird, and he's definitely not normal about lewis, but he's not obsessive, and he feels comfortable enough making jokes about them. when you contrast that with lewis who either refuses to say nico's name in conversations where he is the most relevant person (the better teammates than max interview) or brings him up unnecessarily and then panics about it (grill the grid), i think it changes the dynamic of who is yearning, who is "over it", who is winning the idgaf war (it's neither of them but the difference is lewis lost by playing and nico is open enough about giving a fuck that he's not pretending to play). i am biased, but i also think that if you look back at them during their careers, lewis was always weirder about nico than nico was about him, although again, neither of them can truly be described as normal about each other.

then there's nico beating lewis in the 2004 f3 series that they shared. the narrative of brocedes describes it as lewis always beating nico, lewis being the one to win and nico always being slightly behind. and largely this is true. but in 2004 they were both competing in the 2004 f3 european series, albeit for different teams. neither of them won, but nico narrowly beat lewis. now they were in different teams and nico himself has said that some teams had better cars and equipment than others and that made a difference in the end result. but, nico still beat lewis. he had nearly double the number of dnfs/dns (6 to lewis's 3) and triple the number of wins (3 to lewis's 1), finishing highest of all the entrants who eventually made it to f1 (nico himself, lewis, adrian sutil and robert kubica). but nico himself barely seems to remember this. the narrative of lewis always being better, always beating him, is something he seems to have internalised, even though it isn't quite true, or at least, not as true as people make out.

my third bit of lore is that mclaren wanted to sign nico for the 2008 season. following the drama of fernando alonso (affectionate) and spygate, mclaren had an open seat and ron dennis wanted to fill it with nico. he even offered to buy out nico's contract from williams, but frank williams viewed nico as their best hope and refused. the driver that eventually ended up replacing fernando was heikki kovaleinen, nico's gp2 rival and 100% finnish to his 50% (yes nico's national identity crisis does come into this). lewis ended up winning the championship that year. heikki took only 1 victory, and while i think lewis would have beaten nico, i think nico wouldn't have been a doormat for him like heikki, and would have won at least a couple of races, which would have allowed felipe massa and ferrari to succeed. in many ways i think an argument can be made that nico not getting that mclaren seat really helped lewis to win his first championship, in the same way that if lewis hadn't gone to mercedes, nico would have won three, or if nico had stayed, there is a very real possibility that sebastian vettel would have won 2017. their presence and their success dooms the other, and it always has.

my final thing is that they are the most successful teammate pairing in f1 history. it kind of links back to the last one, where the fact that they are each as good as they are hurts the other one, unlike a lewis and valtteri line up or a michael and rubens line up where there is a distinct number one driver and the other one is to be sacrificed for him. but, even though both of those pairs were together for longer (nico and lewis aren't even in the top 5 longest teammate pairings), it takes more than a number 1 number 2 driver lineup to be the most successful. it takes nico and lewis, who are both number 1 drivers (don't come for me on this, nico would have flattened the likes of valtteri, rubens, or mark webber and you know it). although they were only teammates for four years (and one of those was a sebastian vettel/red bull dominance year) they achieved more pole positions, front row lockouts, wins, podiums, and 1-2 finishes than any other pairing in f1 history. they were utterly, utterly dominant, and that's why they hurt each other so badly. they were the dream team, the absolute best f1 could come up with, but they weren't just competing as a team, they were competing against each other, and only one of them could win

[capseycartwright]

you’re taking me out of the ordinary

“Ballroom kind of requires a partner,” Eddie pointed out, and for a second, his words hung heavy in the air between them, a metaphor so heavy-handed that it almost made Eddie cringe – he’d gone so long, without a partner, a real one who was all in, and then he’d met Buck, and he’d found the perfect partner, in the other man.

Buck gestured vaguely at himself. “I’ll be your partner.”

- a post 8x13 coda.

ao3 link

It was weeks later, when it came up again. Eddie hadn’t thought about his past life of ballroom dancing in a long time, and here it was, coming up twice in as many months – it felt as though there was something particularly pointed, about that. He had loved to dance as a teenager – it had been the one time in his life where he was able to turn his brain off, and set his anxieties, and responsibilities aside, and just enjoy himself.

It had been, until his parents had ruined it for him. His parents both had a competitive streak a mile wide, and that, combined with their obsessive need for their children to be perfect, had meant there had been no such thing as a hobby, in the Diaz household. Sophia had liked to dance, and so she had been instructed to try out for their school’s cheer squad, competition all the way through high school, and college. Adriana had spent a summer playing tennis with their grandmother, a way to pass away the long school vacation, and by time the next semester had rolled around, their parents had her in a tennis club, competing all across Texas.

Eddie had liked to dance, but instead of the classes he liked to take at their local community centre, he had been put into competitive ballroom, stiff suits and hair gel destroying any love he had for dance for the longest time. His ballroom days had ended with a fiery argument, his parents only agreeing to let him stop if he joined the baseball team – and well, Eddie had hated playing baseball anyway, so it had been an easy agreement. He had thought then, that maybe he’d find some love for dancing again, but life had gotten in the way – the army, Shannon, single parenthood. Eddie hadn’t had the time to dance, not until recently.

Eddie watched, as Buck cooked, his best friend carefully chopping vegetables, having already waved off Eddie’s help. It was sickeningly domestic, and Eddie loved it. He had refused to hear of Buck moving out when he and Chris had made the long drive back from Texas, and so they had ended up with a slightly chaotic household, bursting at the seams with their belongings, duplicates in storage until they figured out what to do.

(Eddie couldn’t imagine ever letting Buck leave their cosy home on South Bedford now that he had him here, was the thing.)

“You know,” Buck hummed, giving the roasting tray a shake, coating the vegetables in the oil and spice mix he’d instructed Eddie to put together. Christopher was at a friend’s house for dinner, and so Buck and Eddie could indulge in eating all the things their teenager hated – namely, vegetables – Buck having shared a delicious looking recipe for a sheet pan roast over their break at the firehouse, Eddie ignoring Hen’s pointedly raised eyebrow as he and Buck discussed a shared grocery list. “I heard something interesting from Chris, yesterday.”

“Oh, really?”

“I heard,” Buck grinned, wiping his hands clean on the kitchen towel – one of Buck’s, because he bought the nicer quality ones, not the cheap ones from Walmart that Eddie usually got. It had a fox, stitched into the dark green material. “That you, Eddie Diaz, were a competitive ballroom dancer.”

read the rest on ao3

[callmewisteria]

Norm is absolutely one of my favourite characters in the Fallout universe. The fact he loves his family and wants what's best for them being what drives him to look for the truth of what has happened to them and why is fantastic. The ultimate difference between him and Chet, too, is a great show of his character. It began with him choosing to help his sister find their father and ends with him coming to the same realisation as she has – their father was not the man he said he was and much of their life has been a lie. Watching him decide to take the hunt for the truth into his own hands, even when it could be the end of him, is incredibly compelling.

What makes Norm so enjoyable to watch, too, is just how human he is. All of the characters in the show are that way, which is part of what makes it great (yes, even the ghouls as they were at one time human). The distress he feels at seeing what happened to Vault 32 being swept under the rug, and the anger he feels towards Betty and the others for doing it seemingly out of a desire for control and power more than anything else is tangible. The fact it drives him to take the risk of sneaking into Vault 31 shows his bold and couregous side, and also that it's driven by not only his own curiosities but his desire for the truth. It’s a great parallel trait he shares with Lucy and, as she comes to find out, their mother. The anger he feels towards his father and also the desperation he feels to survive are a great contrast of his truth seeking and his baser humanity.

All things considered, Norm's competing feelings of a desire for truth, a desire for safety, curiosity, and a love for his family are what make him a great character. The fact he shares those traits with Lucy but expresses them in different ways creates a strong parallel narrative for their characters, and also does a great job showing the two sides of courage. The fact neither he or Lucy are impervious or shy away from moments of weakness and subsiming emotion latch onto the naivety from their upbringing and also their humanity. With them both now having to reckon with the truth about their father, a reunion between them will I'm sure be great and also remind them that not all of their family members are bad. Reckoning with the truth about their mother and Lucy's love for her being what compelled her to end her suffering before breaking down at the gravity of it is another layer of complexity to their family dynamics that both of them will need time to sit with. The contrasting feelings of how they knew their father versus what they've come to learn about him serve well to separate them from others like Chet; where he, their cousin, chooses to remain wilfully ignorant, they chose to put aside their fears and look for a truth they knew was out there.

Chet is a coward because he chooses to ignore the truth he has seen with his own eyes.

Lucy is brave because she is willing to go to any and all lengths to find her father and is then willing to end the suffering her mother is under because of him; she is openly emotional and driven by that and the love she feels for her family and is horrified and shattered by her father being a different man than the one she had always known.

Norm is brave because he is willing to do anything for his sister and father and, when faced with the choice to stay in blissful ignorance, because he chooses to seek out the truth even when it could hurt him; he, too, doesn't shy away from the pain the truth about his father causes him and, like Lucy, has to learn to live with the competing memories of their father and the reality of who and what he is.

Hank is a coward because, while he goes to the extremes to attempt to preserve himself and his family, he refuses to accept the fact his actions have consequences for the way his children (and, previously, their mother) had seen him and instead tries to force things to go back to the way they were before his children could learn of his ability to be selfish.

And Rose was brave because she loved her children so much that she would and did do everything for them, even when she had to put her love for their father aside and risk herself so that she and her children could have a chance to live in truth rather than lies. Her children share that with her, even though they didn't know it, just as much as they share her love, empathy, and desire for the truth even when living in wilful ignorance could have been easier.

Tl;dr – the entire MacLean family being driven by love for each other but expressing it in different ways that ultimately drive them apart is not only great at showcasing the different sides of courage and cowardice but showing the way Lucy and Norm are so similar and are driven by their love for their family just as much as their desire for the truth and that neither Lucy or Norm shy away from their emotional and impulsive reactions to it presents them as not only fully human but two sides of the same coin; they are both couregous even though they take two different paths to the truth.

[solaquintette]

Girlbossing Too Close to the Moon

The Watatsuki sisters spark intense and often gendered backlash from the Touhou fandom, despite the series’ overwhelmingly female cast. Too aloof, too perfect, too OP; they expose the fandom’s discomfort with women who don’t play nice or seek approval. This essay discusses the mutating misogyny hidden beneath the fandom's disdain for the Watatsukis and how the sisters challenge the limits of female strength and likability in a female-dominated series.

DISCLAIMER: The target audience of this essay is people who are interested in exploring how misogyny and other biases manifest in fandom spaces. If this sounds too woke to you then you are not the target audience and probably shouldn't read past this line. Intelligent discourse from people who have actually read the following is welcome, otherwise I have anon on if you wanna argue with the wall.

One of the reasons I’ve become fascinated with the Watatsuki sisters, after years of not having much interest in them, is how they manage to evoke such strong emotions from Touhou fans. The most notable thing about them is how much the fandom loves to hate them. While a lot of people have discussed in detail whether the assessment of them as OP, badly written, Mary Sues is actually accurate, I've personally been interested in the very gendered hatred expressed towards them.

Touhou is a series featuring an almost exclusively female cast, where the stories told very rarely involve men, let alone centre them. Touhou's fanbase has historically been overwhelmingly male-dominated, and this fact significantly influences how certain characters are perceived. Misogyny doesn’t vanish just because the cast is all women; instead, it mutates into subtler forms.

Despite Touhou's female-dominated cast, there’s an unmistakable hostility toward certain types of women, especially women who refuse to be approachable, humble, or easily “liked.”

The Watatsuki sisters are perfect examples. They’re elegant, powerful, and utterly convinced of their superiority over the inhabitants of Earth. They arrive in SSiB, defeat the protagonists with insulting ease, and vanish just as coolly. They don’t apologise for being stronger, they don't change sides or defect to Gensokyo, and they also don't take the usual Touhou antagonist route of mellowing out and attending a tea party at the shrine.

I’ve noticed that much of the fandom vitriol directed at the sisters is draped in accusations of them being “Mary Sues.” The term originally referred to idealised self-insert characters in fanfiction, perfect in every way and adored by all. But over time, “Mary Sue” became a loaded, gendered insult aimed at female characters who are competent, exceptional, or who simply win too often. It’s rarely used against male characters who exhibit the exact same traits.

(Of course, their reputation also hasn't been helped by things like KKHTA, but to discuss that would open a whole other can of worms)

Misogyny in a Woman's World

There’s a kind of double bind at work here. Women in fiction are supposed to be strong, but not too strong. Confident, but not arrogant. Special, but not so special that they overshadow the protagonists fans are already attached to (especially if the protagonist is male). And in an all-female cast like Touhou, this contradiction becomes even sharper. Because if everyone is a woman, then “who’s the relatable one” and “who’s the threat” becomes a game of picking favorites, and of resenting any character who dares to disrupt the balance.

The Watatsukis disrupt it spectacularly. And instead of being punished or humbled, they simply walk away, the status quo of the Moon unchanged. They aren't comedic foils, tragic victims, or villainesses begging for redemption. Their power isn't out of place in Touhou, despite many accusing them of being OP. At the end of the day, Yorihime is just Reimu if she were older and locked in. Neither of them displays power that we haven't seen in other characters.

From a narrative perspective, their 'OP'-ness is there to show off how powerful the Lunarians are, but for fans, it lands more like an outsider showing up uninvited and making everyone’s faves look embarrassingly weak. And in a series where all the characters are women, it’s not just narrative dissonance, it’s social competition. It's perceived as the Watatsukis not playing by the same rules as the rest of the cast.

Because Touhou’s cast is so overwhelmingly female, any woman who stands out too much, who’s too powerful, too perfect, or gets too much screentime, gets scrutinised to hell and back. In a mixed-gender series, a powerful male villain is just another Tuesday. But in Touhou, a woman with unstoppable competence suddenly becomes an interloper.

Characters like Reimu or Marisa can get away with arrogance because they’re comedic, scrappy, or already beloved. But the Watatsuki sisters’ confidence doesn’t read as cheeky or charming. It reads as cold, alien, and above it all. Instead of fun rivals, fans brand them as “Mary Sues,” “overpowered,” or “boring,” projecting frustration because these women refuse to slot into the usual roles of comedic foils, fanservice bait, or tragic backstories.

Hypervisibility means women like the Watatsukis are judged way more harshly for stepping outside the fandom’s comfort zone. There’s this unspoken rule that a 2hu should be quirky, approachable, maybe a little chaotic, but never untouchable and utterly certain of her superiority.

Touhou fans are fine with scrappy underdogs, mischievous troublemakers, or elegant women who still feel warm and accessible. But the Watatsuki sisters remind us that power doesn’t have to come wrapped in charm or comedic timing. A woman can exist in her own lane, unapologetically aloof and unstoppable, and that makes a lot of fans deeply uncomfortable.

So even in a universe full of powerful women, there’s still a kind of glass ceiling. Not a ceiling of strength, but a ceiling on how likable you’re allowed to be while wielding that strength.

The Price of Being Unlikable

This is nowhere more obvious than in fandom culture. The fandom has come to "affectionately" refer to them as 'moonbitches', which has always stood out to me. The term moonbitches might sound like harmless fandom slang, but let’s be real, it's a term dripping with misogynistic venom.

Calling them bitches exposes the raw nerve of gender expectations: fans are fine with powerful women as long as they’re funny, flawed, or willing to play humble. The Watatsuki sisters don’t play. The fandom responds by dragging them off their pedestal with a word that’s always been used to punish women for stepping out of line. Moonbitches isn’t just an insult, it’s a neon sign flashing know your place, girl.

(And we've seen this before with other Touhous who faced the ire of fans for various, nonsensical reasons. Sanae the slut comes to mind. In fact, a lot of the memes from the late 00s, early 2010s are incredibly gendered, but that's for another essay.)

Another thing that sticks out to me is the disproportionate amount of violent NSFW content involving the sisters, particularly Yorihime. While there probably isn't a single Touhou character who hasn't been implicated in someone's violent rape fantasy, compared to other characters, the ratio of run-of-the-mill NSFW to violent NSFW, guro for the Watatsukis (and other Lunarians like Sagume), is disturbingly high.

And while moonbitches may just be a silly nickname, and NSFW drawings may just be drawings, they're very telling. They’re fandom’s way of declawing women who refuse to play nice. Women like the Watatsukis must be taken down a peg, whether by sexualisation, humiliation, or mockery. It’s not enough for the sisters to exist as they are; fandom demands they be made palatable.

Beyond the Waifu Comfort Zone

It's strange to level an accusation of misogyny against a fandom for a series that is almost all women. But the truth is, even in a female-dominated fandom, there’s a very narrow template for how a woman can be strong. Fans will embrace funny tomboy girls like Marisa, morally ambiguous schemers like Yukari, or elegant but tragic figures like Yuyuko. But a woman who refuses to be vulnerable, funny, or sexualised, a woman like Yorihime or Toyohime, is labeled a problem.

It reminds me of how female characters throughout literature and media are forced into boxes: they can be relatable underdogs, femme fatales, quirky comic relief, or suffering saints. But a woman who wields power without apology is seen as threatening.

The Watatsuki sisters are fascinating precisely because they resist that reduction. They exist as entities in their own right: lofty, aloof, and absolutely certain of their authority. And fandom’s collective discomfort with them says far more about fandom and its misogyny than it does about the characters themselves.

Ultimately, the sisters’ presence in Touhou feels like a challenge to the fandom’s comfort zone. They’re proof that even in an all-female universe, certain kinds of women, women who are powerful, proud, perhaps 'un-waifu-able' are still too much to tolerate. That discomfort is why I find them so compelling, and why I think they deserve to be looked at with the same nuance and fascination we offer to other, more palatable heroines.

[gumilac]

pairings. barista megumi × gn! student council reader

genre. barista/cafe and college au, fluff

word count. 2.6k

aki’s notes. i love men with poor eyesight—i call it astigma-rizz-m 😎🤓 also, i love writing him all soft and smiley, playful, only laughs and feels safe with you, megumi. he’s so cute & boyfriend !!!

—; prev | mlist.

that little nose scrunch was the beginning of everything, the start of a mutual understanding. because ever since then, you’ve been sitting at the same table, looking at the same view and waiting for the same boy who has kissed you speechless.

“hey,” he jogs over to you, stuffing his barista cap in his bag. it has become such a routine now and yet he still looks forward to the end of his shift because he gets to walk home with you.

“hi, megumi!” you smile, making his heart skip a beat with the first name basis—he still isn’t used to it. he ruffles his hair and places his bag down on the chair first, “did you wait long?”

shaking your head, you start packing up your books and notebook, finding it so cute that he always, always asks if you’ve waited long. but waiting for him is nothing compared to not having to wait for anything at all.

“no, baby,” zipping the bag closed and smiling at him, “i didn’t wait long.”

fushiguro megumi’s expressive eyes always rivaled your face “subtitles”—as he would call it. because with that endearment, his eyes soften as he grabs the straps of your bag, slinging it over both his shoulders. 

“okay,” he softly laughs and you grab his bag—you’re not sure if his bag was always this light weight or has he made it lighter for you to carry? because ever since the kiss, he had always insisted that you switch bags from now on.

“ready to go?”

nodding your head and pep in your step, you grab his hand, intertwining them with yours.

~; campus library.

you’ve both established that interschool events means studying together, regardless if you’re competing in the same category or not—most of the time, you’re not. with megumi always being in the mathematics category and you in any and all topics regarding literature.

it’s been quiet for a good 30 minutes, but from your peripheral you can see megumi closing his eyes so hard every so often and– squinting? he’s struggling, evident from how the eraser of his pencil takes the brunt of everything. preoccupied with your books, you miss the way he opens his bag to pull out a case. still, you can’t help but wonder why he keeps squinting—so you glance at him, just as he happens to look at you.

“what?”

“woah,” you snicker, finding it so adorable that he’s wearing glasses, “where’d you get those?”

he narrows his eyes, albeit playfully, “from my case?”

“no, silly,” lightly hitting the book and laughing, you turn your body towards him, “what i meant was, you wear glasses?”

“yeah, sometimes,” he smiles, blinking a few times to get his eyes used to the sudden change of resolution. “i forgot my contacts today.”

placing your hands on his knees all excited, you curiously ask, “can i try?”

and he lets you, because who is he to deny your cute little face, when you look at him with those eyes he can’t resist? he shakes his head and grins, knowing he will always be bound to do whatever you say because he loves you.

“okay,” he hands them over and you put it on, surprised by how everything turns a blurry-clear. slowly blinking your eyes and putting your hands up, megumi takes them in his, peppering kisses on your palm. you laugh and he knows that you’re clearly enjoying this—finally having found one “bad” attribute about him.

“oh, you are blind,” you tease and he scoffs, playfully rolling his eyes at you. “give it back.”

shaking your head and refusing to give it back just yet, you look around the library. megumi doesn’t bite back the small smile that wants to place itself on his features anymore—because with you, he doesn’t have to fight anything at all. if being with you meant being himself, then he’ll gladly let all his feelings take over. you may look so silly right now, but he can’t really see you in any other light than endearment. 

“seriously,” you finally steady your gaze on him, “how can you see without these?”

“i cant,” he softly laughs, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles, “so, give it back.”

finally obliging, you close your eyes, mildly regretting that he’s let you wear it for that long. you head spins a bit and you needed to take a moment before eventually recovering from your little antic. looking at him once more, in your vision, you’d have never thought that he would have the most atrocious eyesight.

is that why he always looks mad…? 

you chuckle to yourself at the little thought that popped in your head before asking him, “when did you start wearing glasses?”

when you look at fushiguro megumi, there’s often a ghost of a scowl on his face. that when you first met him, you also never took him to be the type that jokes.

“now?” he says sarcastically, “ when i decided to wear them?”

“megumiii~,” you draw out, lightly hitting his chest, making him laugh. “haha okay, okay– when i was still in high school.”

the mental image of a little, tiny highschool fushiguro megumi pops in your head—immediately remembering that he used to beat up delinquents—making you snort. doesn’t that make him one too?

“why are you not wearing them now?” you curiously ask, admiring his features. he looks more handsome. if being more handsome than he already is without glasses is even possible.

“i do,” he pushes them up.

he’s such a little nerd! you internally swoon, clutching your heart.

“but they're too finicky.”

your eyes widen a little at the choice of words. and already, your brain has already thought of something to rival his earlier joke; 

“finicky? okay mr. vocabulary.”

he softly laughs with you, feigning faux offense before ultimately deciding to surprise you with a kiss. it kind of tempered your giggles, yet the kiss was full of them—both yours and his. as you finally calmed down, he pulls away and pinches your nose.

“shut up, baby.”

his dry humor and sarcasm always had a way of complimenting your quick, witty remarks—and somehow, it always fits.

~; 3:30pm at the fushiguro’s apartment

“tsumiki,” he calls out to his sister as he opens the door, removing his shoes by the genkan. his sister rounds a corner and when she saw him, she runs over.

“megumi~!” ruffling his hair, making him almost lose balance. “you’re so early today! no shift?”

he regains his footing and stands up to his full height, a small smile on his face as he shakes his head at her. tsumiki’s hands clasp together, a cheerful grin on her features—before megumi could even give a small side hug to his sister, tsumiki gasps and rushes over by the door. when he looks back, your head is comically peeking from outside, a bashful expression on your face.

“you didn’t tell me we had a visitor,” she opens the door wider, coaxing you to come in. as she looks at you, she finally realized who you were. “megumi, you didn’t tell me they were coming!”

“it was a spontaneous visit, sorry,” he says and there’s a knowing smile on her face.

“i’m sorry, tsumiki-san,” slightly bowing, you mutter small apologizes to which she brushes off. “don’t be! come, come.”

she closes the door and teases her brother, “im so happy to meet the person he always talks about.”

“i don’t—” he tries to defend himself, but his sister was quicker.

“oh– but you do, megumi,” tsumiki helps you with your coat, whispering to you. “he never shuts up about you.”

you look at him and he rolls his eyes, a small grin plastered on his features. his defense long forgotten and just accepting defeat from his lovely older sister. as megumi watches you both, he feels nothing but contentment—no butterflies, no arrhythmia, nothing chaotic. just peace. a love without anxiety and only the quiet sureness of it all. the two most important people in his life had finally met, what’s more to ask?

as you’ve finally settled in and removed your shoes, there’s a happy gleam in tsumiki’s eyes as she looks back at megumi and it makes him smile. 

“this is great~!” she says in a sing-songy tone, “good thing i made your favorite, gumi!”

“really?” he says softly, but sincere. and from the way you’ve grown to know him—he’s excited. given away by how his eyes light up, his happiness just humming beneath the surface as he hastens his steps to get to the dining area.

tsumiki uncovers the dish and flares her hand—almost like a magician showing off their tricks, “chicken nanban~!!!”

“wow…” you say in astonishment, relishing in the delicious aroma filling the air, and it makes tsumiki giggle. “don’t worry, i made extra. come eat with us!”

“she’s a really good cook,” he offers you a bowl and you look at him. finding it so cute that he’s already seated with his serving in front of him. he really likes chicken nanban. 

you say thank you and take a seat beside him, tsumiki helping you up before finally sitting down with you both. as you take your first bite, flavors explode in your mouth and the satisfaction of eating good food translates itself on your face. this did not go unnoticed to megumi and he laughs before asking you;

“that good?”

with food stuffed in your cheeks, all you manage to give him was a nod and two thumbs up to his sister, making sure to stay respectful. the siblings laugh and megumi reaches a hand to wipe of a grain of rice that found itself on your face. as the three of you ate, you all shared in conversation and laughter. learning that both parents are abroad, only being able to occasionally give financial support due to the demands of their jobs, leaves tsumiki as the main provider of the household. after eating dinner, tsumiki insisted that you stay a little longer, and so you did. 

when you finally decided to go, it was at around 5pm. it wasn’t easy to say goodbye but, it was easy to lose track of time when you were with them. as tsumiki waves farewell by the door, megumi offered to walk you back to the dorm. the sun is starting to settle in for the night and it paints the sky with hues of pinks and yellows—sunsets have always found its way to every significant moment in both your lives, that you could almost give it credit for how it manages to pull you two together without fail.

it just tugs at your hearts the right way

“you had fun?” he asks, kicking a pebble. breathing in the air, you sigh before looking up at him, “yeah, i did.”

he grabs your hand and intertwines it with his, the action still making your tummy feel a bit funny. he sways both your arms with every step he takes, a shared silence between you two. you’ve only been together for a month, yet everything with him still feels new. resting your head on his arm, megumi smiles as he feels his heart grow. reminiscing when he used to think that you were so out of reach, but now here you were—all his and he was yours.

“i used to think you didn’t like me,” you mutter out of nowhere, making him look at you surprised. is this what they call, interlinked?

“really?” he genuinely asks, moving to place the hand holding yours on his chest as he cups it with his other one. you nod, a small giggle leaving you.

“well, i thought you were out of my league,” he confides and his words surprise you. “seriously?”

“mhmm…you seemed all too intimidating,” he pauses, then adds a playful tone in his voice, “until you ran out of speeches in front of me, student government president.”

“yeah, right,” you roll your eyes and he enjoys the way you fight back a smile. oh how he loved riling you up with that title and memory of rendering you speechless. so, in a way to get back at him, you poke a finger at his side making him flinch at the sudden tickle attack. 

“whatever fushigu-rhino" you retort and he stops walking, taken aback by whatever you called him—laughter fills the air, just as you were nearing your dorm building.

“excuse me?” he pulls your arm to make you face him, outstretched as you playfully tug him to you with a nose scrunch.

“i said you’re a rhino.”

“how so?” he smiles, taking a step towards you before wrapping his arms around your waist. ensuring you won’t make a run for it and it makes you giggle like a child, feeling all ticklish.

“because you liked charging towards people back at your old school,” you snicker, “mr. delinquent.”

he curses himself for ever letting you know that memory, but he just lets you make fun of him. because hearing your contagious laughter gives him the best serotonin boost he could ask for.

“and~!” you put a finger up, “because rhinoceroses have the worst eyesigh—!!!!!”

you squeal as he tries to lift you up, laughing with him as you fail miserably at your attempt of an escape. after a while of faux struggles, not really wanting to get out of his hold, you wrap your arms around his neck, your giggles subsiding—still, there’s huge grin on your face as you look at him. megumi looks at you with a gleam in his eyes that you can’t quite place, and before you could even figure it out he closes the distance between your faces.

he kisses you softly and sure, already knowing what you like from how often he does it—surprising you with a kiss. he slightly tilts his head, deepening the intimate act and he feels content with how you sigh against his lips. slowly, your one hand moves to cup his cheeks and the other rests just below his shoulders. with no worries of customers, passerbys or bosses, he feels bolder. more confident than he’s ever been. and so, megumi slightly lets his tongue glide across your lips, asking—not for more, but for permission. 

and when you meet him halfway, letting your lips part for him—and only him—something in megumi softens. you’ve allowed him to go further than he ever has, to let him feel more than what he’s used to and he brushes his tongue against yours, unhurried, patient— intentional. 

he’s kissing you; not because he wants to. but because he means it.

as he hears you sigh once more, he slightly pulls away, resting his forehead on yours and lips hovering close. he watches as you peer up at him through your lashes, cheeks flushed and lips tinged red from his name. 

as you both compose yourself and catch your breaths, megumi slowly remembers what got you into this situation. you watch as a growing lopsided grin places itself on his lips, still swollen from the kiss, and he mimics you—a nose scrunch and a tease.

“at least i don’t get speechless every time.”

he places one more kiss on your lips before standing up to his full height. you playfully furrow your brows at him, pursing your lips because he’s triumphant once more. 

he softly giggles and walks away backwards, hands in his pocket. his decision to do so benefits you both because he could really just stand there and kiss you forever. but, he’s called in the white flag. 

“go,” he nods his head for you to go inside your building, “i’ll see you tomorrow, pretty.”

he watches as you wave him goodbye, never letting his eyes leave you until you’ve safely made it inside. and when you do, he smiles to himself as he makes his way back home.

though, if he could make his way to you, he would—for he found a home in you. 

“so, what happened?” tsumiki asks and megumi freezes in the doorway—one shoe half-way off when he sees her sister grinning over the mug, before squealing. 

“i knew it~!!!”

as she jumps around, megumi just resigns to hangs his head low. defeated once again.

[the-gateway-to-madness]

Platonic dynamics I want to see more in the (tiny) Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fandom:

Jack being like an older brother to Hiccup and sort of seeing an older version of Jamie in him and not scoffing at how nerdy he is ("holy crap you MADE this? Man show me how it works!!")

Rapunzel post-her-movie being all gung-ho and cheery, and Merida trying to get her to stop being so naïve, only for Rapunzel to calmly list all the ways she was betrayed and abused throughout her adventures (and you'd only have to go through the canon events of the movie and show to make this work, btw, girl's been through STUFF) and tells Merida she is upbeat and kind because she chooses to believe that most people are good, because so many people stuck with her through so much and so many people came back to her after betraying her. And Merida is like "well dang ok, wanna learn to shoot a bow"

Jack being calm, responsible, and protective of the others without becoming too angsty in the process- playing harmless little pranks to bring everyone's spirits up, that sort of thing

Merida being annoyed by Jack at first, but it's because she misses her brothers, not because she categorically dislikes the pranks. She tells Jack this and he asks her to join him doing pranks. She has much more fun after this.

Rapunzel is good at many things, but not so much inventing, as we see in TTS; her trying to assist Hiccup and him being good-natured about it but entirely accidentally outclassing her

Jack very deliberately keeping his past and loneliness to himself, and the others figuring out something's off because they never catch him sleeping, he's pensive when he's not interacting with them, he's got such wide and extensive experience, and he starts admitting bits and pieces like "I'm older than I look" etc etc

Jack never openly getting angry with the kids because they're kids and he's a Guardian, so instead when one of them is upset or trying to pick a fight with him, his staff will glow brighter or it'll get cloudier or windier or snowier- his magic responds, but Jack refuses to, making his calm all the more scary.

Jack being the first to realize Rapunzel has been through Stuff and sitting down with her when the other two are asleep "what happened to you?" entirely gently and patiently because HE'S A GOOD BIG BROTHER DANGIT I WANT THIS SIDE OF HIM TO SHOW MORE-

Hiccup worrying/getting upset/doing that I Have To Stand Alone thing and Rapunzel approaching him like "you're not the only one who grew up alone, you know. It's okay to rely on us, we won't let you down"

Hiccup doing the I Have To Stand Alone thing in general cause I don't see that a lot in crossovers or at least the arts

The others finding Jack in weird places because super-balance go brr

Jack being reluctant to touch any of the kids for any reason because he doesn't want to see the way they treat him change once they realize how cold and inhuman he really is

Merida recognizing Jack immediately as the only other obviously competent fighter by the way he moves (she was raised around all manner of warriors and guards, after all) and immediately setting about allying herself with him because Heaven knows they all need as much protection as they can get

Merida helping Hiccup to have a moment like he has in the HTTYD books where he realizes he's actually a really amazing swordfighter when he actually uses his dominant hand

Hiccup and Rapunzel asking Merida and Jack what siblings are like

Jack just treating them all like his little siblings

Jack and Merida gathering ingredients together and, depending on the region, Jack teaching Merida the safe local vegetation and herbs because he's been everywhere. Also, Jack teaching the others how to cook with local ingredients

Jack knowing a lot about herbal medicine and helping and teaching the others

After much internal deliberation, Jack choosing Hiccup to hold his staff while he takes care of two-handed tasks

Jack knowing how to style hair because of Mary, and he and Merida helping Rapunzel tame her hair

[valtsv]

i went ice skating today and spent the entire time daydreaming about the silt verses gang going ice skating so here's what i came up with:

CARPENTER - competent skater, but lacks any finesse or technique and couldn't give less of a fuck. she's only there to spend some quality time with hayward and paige, who all but begged her to come, and bully the shit out of faulkner. tries to light up a cigarette and smoke it and gets told you can't do that on the ice, much to her displeasure.

FAULKNER - has never skated in his life but is convinced that he will instinctively take to the ice with the grace of a swan to water. when he inevitably beefs it he starts sulkily suggesting that ice skating is actually an affront to the trawlerman, and therefore his lack of skill is divinely ordained, while carpenter laughs mercilessly at him. refuses any and all help no matter how many times he falls, until the very end, when almost everyone has left the rink, and he allows carpenter to stand behind him and push him around. grudgingly forced to admit that it was a lot of fun, until they slipped on an uneven patch of ice and both went down in a sprawling tangle of limbs.

PAIGE - the only one in the group who can actually skate, thanks to her dad trying to buy her love with lessons for a couple of years when she was still young enough for it to almost be convincing (but not so young she didn't question where the money for them was coming from), so it's a bit of a sore subject for her. she gets to rewrite those painful memories a little by risking dredging them up again, though, which is undeniably a blessing.

HAYWARD - the closest this man has ever come to ice skating is when he slipped on a patch of black ice while out on patrol when he was still on the force. paige spends much of the day leading him around and trying to show him the ropes while he staggers about clumsily and frequently falls, much to her poorly disguised amusement. when he successfully completes a single circuit of the rink on his own, he immediately suggests that they enter next years' pairs skating nationals while paige rolls her eyes (fondly).

SHRUE - might have taken their daughters skating once a few hazy years back, hasn't been anywhere near an ice rink before or since and honestly had no problem with keeping it that way. spends the entire time standing to the side and watching the others, occasionally testing their weight on their blades gingerly like a newborn deer before lunging again for the handrail for dear life. looks miserable standing alone hunched into their jacket and scarf, but insists they're fine. to be fair, the others' antics are pretty good entertainment.

VAL - has also never stepped on ice in her life, and wouldn't remember if she had, but unlike faulkner, hayward or shrue, she lacks the self-preservation to even conceive of falling. spends several minutes smugly observing her hapless acquaintances struggle before stepping out onto the ice herself and executing a perfect, beautiful glide - right until she crashes into the opposite side of the rink and takes a spill head over heels over the barrier (she tries to make everyone forget it happened, of course, and they humour her by pretending it worked). later hears about how people have lost fingers in freak ice skating accidents and gets jealous that it didn't happen to her (either giving or receiving, she's not that picky).

[definitelynotafurinasimp]

Hmmm, how about this for a request. Shehe, Rosarian and Eula with an S/O that's an airhead but is weirdly super competent in battle and strategy

Them with reacting to an airhead reader turning out to be good at fighting

characters: Shenhe / Eula x gn!reader

warnings: brief mentions of blood, but nothing gore-y

a/n: left out Rosaria bc I have ABSOLUTELY NO clue about her.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Shenhe

While Shenhe might have hurried to your help when encountering the sight of you fighting off a group of treasure hoarders on your own, when you’d defeated them by the time she arrived she didn't bat much of an eye. Not even when you almost trip over a small object on the ground while rushing to greet her.

Was it because of her circumstances of growing up not around humans, but Adepti or simply her way of thinking, but for Shenhe, being generally clumsy and being able to fight didn’t cancel each other out. She had seen serious and crafty people be forced to depend on others for protection, just as she had seen airheads like you be able to defend themselves. 

So while she may not be shocked about your skills, she still checks you on any wounds you might have sustained, happy that you were alright.

“See? I told you I’m fine”, you assured Shenhe with a gentle smile when she was done looking for any injuries, only for her to respond with an acknowledging hum, her gaze wandering back onto your face, only to freeze once it reached your hand, covered in red scratches and dried up blood.

“Ah, my hand? That’s from when I tripped on my way back to the city, I was about to head home to bandage it up when I was attacked”, you explained before letting out a brief embarrassed chuckle, cheeks heating up ever so slightly as you did so.

“I’ll accompany you on the rest of the way”, Shenhe ‘offered’, although her determined tone made it sound like no refusal you could muster would be enough to dissuade her.

Good for you that you had no intentions to refuse anyway, simply shooting her a brief smile before continuing to march into the direction of the city, the Adeptus’ Discipline by your side the whole way to make sure you didn’t injure yourself again.

Eula 

You had the tendency to get lost or somehow get yourself separated from the group whenever someone wasn’t looking, so when she noticed you had vanished once again after briefly taking her eyes off of you, Eula began frantically looking for you.

So when Eula finally spotted your bright red uniform in the sea of white that Dragonspine was, only to see you stand surrounded by a group of vanquished Hilichurls, she couldn't help but be completely dumbfounded. Flabbergasted even.

Sure, you were a member of the reconnaissance unit, but your usual clumsiness had made her assume you would be dead meat if faced with combat, the hours of excruciating planning she did before setting out on a mission to assure you would be as far from danger as possible suddenly feeling… pointless.

“Captain Lawrence, it seems I got separated for a bit. I’ve been trying to find you, but instead ran into this group of hilichurls”, you eagerly reported when you spotted her, rushing over to her side, only for the captain to continue to stare at you with her mouth slightly open.

“...Eula?” You asked concerned, seeing her seemingly snap out of thoughts as she looked at the scene behind you, her eyes widening ever so slightly when her gaze landed on the motionless Mitachurl.

“I- You-”, she began before cutting herself off and clearing her throat, regaining her composure as she straightened her posture, looking just as professional as usual.

“Good work, let’s get back to the group”, Eula spoke before readying herself to depart, only to halt in her tracks for a moment once the two of you set out, struggling to look you in the eyes ever so slightly as she opened her mouth.

“Make sure to stick close to me for the rest of the mission. Having to look for a member of the team costs a lot of time.”