#Dad doing good too with jobs and aspirations

[shatinn]

Sims 4 - gameplay - Supersim

[i-miss-lotor]

Little bit of a vent cause I can't sleep cause of anxiety and worry

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

Hi, honey! Could you please write something about Emily Prentiss having a teenage daughter who sh’s and Em finds out? I know you wrote something similar and it’s perfectly okay if you feel like this is too repetitive <3 Ps; you’re so incredible and I aspire to be able to write like you do!! <3

Here you go, Anon! It's true, I've had a lot of SH-related requests recently, but I really don't mind the repetition. If it's something people want more of, and it helps them feel safe and heard and loved, I'm happy to write it. ❤️ (and thank you so much I'm so flattered! <3)

Tiny

Emily Prentiss x daughter!reader Warnings: self-harm, discussion of self-harm and self-harm tools, mental illness, internalized homophobia, explicit language (please let me know if I've missed anything!) Word count: 1.8k

Summary: After your best friend moves away, you start to struggle with depression, loneliness, and self-harm. You do a pretty good job of hiding it for a while but your mom is a profiler after all.

You’d been so good, so good, at hiding it. Long sleeves. Bracelets. You kept the tiny, sharp travel scissors in your locker at school, disguised in a bag with fabric and buttons and needles. A sewing project, you always said if anyone asked. But no one asked.

The truth of the matter was that you didn’t have many friends. And Sophia, your best friend since second grade, had moved to Denver last year for her dad’s job. You’d sworn to keep in touch, sworn that you’d stay best friends no matter what. And you’d tried, you’d really tried. But the daily texts had turned into weekly texts. The every-other-night FaceTime calls became every-other-month. And every time you talked to her, it seemed like her life was better than ever. She had new friends. A new soccer team. Even a boyfriend. It seemed like every time you called her, she was with him.

It hurt when you realized that Sophia liked spending time with her new boyfriend more than spending time with you. But it had hurt even more to examine your own jealousy, your own inexplicable rage at her moving on, making new friends, having new experiences. The reality–that you liked Sophia as more than a friend–hit you like a gut punch. And you didn’t know who to talk to about it. Normally, you’d talk to Sophia. But you couldn’t talk to her about this. Honestly, you weren’t even sure you were good enough friends to talk about boys or girls or whoever anymore. She’d drifted away and left you behind.

You thought about talking to your mom–she’d dated girls. But she was so busy with work, so stressed. She tried really hard not to let on when she was home, but you could see how tired she was, how she nodded blankly when you told her about your day, her mind elsewhere. No doubt with the hundreds of psychopaths and murderers she investigated every day.

You didn’t know who you were or what you were. You just knew that you were lonely and hurt and so deeply confused. There were other LGBTQ+ kids at school, but they’d all been out since middle school. They had that unbreakable comradery that queer kids who flock together often have. And you’d missed it.

All the confusion, all the hurt, all the feelings, roiled inside you until there was no place for it to go except out. The first time you’d drawn the scissors across your forearm, the blood had surprised you, as had the brief moment where there was blood but no pain. But when the pain did hit, it felt like a balloon had popped, like something that had been growing and growing and pressing in on you had shrunk back down to a manageable size.

Of course, the shame followed. Of course, you felt terrible, guilty, ashamed, sick to your stomach. Of course, you cried when you thought about what your mom would say if she saw it, what Sophia would say. But even worse, you knew they’d ask why. And you were terrified to talk about why. So you put on your long sleeves. You started wearing bracelets. And you hoped that no one would notice.

But that night, after a quick dinner of takeout pizza and Caesar salad, your mom had asked you to wash up and, without thinking, you’d rolled up your sleeves to do the dishes.

“Oh my god!” your mom exclaimed, rushing to your side. “What happened to your arm!?”

It was so stupid. You’d been so careful. You’d kept this a secret for months and now, with just one fuck-up, you’d ruined it.

“Nothing!” you cried, squirming out of her grip. “I just… I scratched myself, that’s all.”

But your mom wasn’t stupid. She spoke six languages. She headed an FBI unit. She was the smartest person you knew. She profiled people for a living. And she could tell when you were lying.

“Y/N!” she chastised, grabbing onto your arms hard. She'd also trained in hand-to-hand combat so you were really no match for her.

She turned your wrists around so she could see the inside of your arms, and the look on her face nearly broke you. It was sadness, it was guilt, it was shock and disbelief and worry, so much worry. You stared at the ceiling, willing yourself not to cry, mouth clamped shut.

“Y/N,” she said, quieter, running a gentle thumb along your forearms. “Tiny, look at me.” A tear dripped down your cheek. She didn’t call you Tiny much these days. And you always rolled your eyes when she did. It was what she’d called you when you were little. I love you, Tiny. You're so strong, Tiny! You can do it! Everything’s gonna be okay, Tiny.

You sniffed and lowered your head to look at her, more tears falling. You saw that your mom had tears in her eyes, too, and it made you feel awful.

“How long have you been hurting yourself?” she asked, her voice calm and gentle, full of emotion.

“I don’t know,” you mumbled, sniffling. “Maybe like… six months?”

She let out a shaky sigh and nodded. “Okay,” she said, more to herself than to you. “Okay.” After a moment, she drew you into her, and you pressed your face into her chest, finally letting yourself cry.

“It’s okay, honey,” she cooed, smoothing your hair as she hugged you. “It’s gonna be okay.”

When your sobs had calmed to hiccups, you emerged, face red and blotchy. Your mom wiped your face with her hands and motioned to the kitchen table. “This might be hard for you,” she started, looking at you earnestly. “But we need to talk about it. Go ahead and sit down. I’m gonna make us some tea.”

You took deep, soothing breaths as your mom set a steeping cup of chamomile in front of you, holding her own close to her chest.

“Are you mad at me?” you whispered, scared of the conversation to come.

“No, baby,” she assured you, squeezing your hand. “I’m not mad. I’m worried about you, that’s all.”

You nodded.

“Now, first things first,” she began, and you winced, sure she was going to take something away from you or ground you or something. “Do you know how to properly clean and dress a cut like that?”

You blinked in surprise. “Uh…” You were floundering. This is not where you expected this conversation to go. “I mean, I put band-aids on them.”

“Yeah, no,” your mom said, taking out her phone and making a note. “We’re gonna get you some alcohol sterilizer. Let’s see… Neosporin, gauze bandages. Probably butterfly bandages too, just in case. And whatever it is that you’re using for… this… you need to be sanitizing it before you use it.”

Your jaw dropped and you stared at her. “You don’t… want me to stop?”

She clicked the phone shut and stared purposefully at you. “Oh, no. Hear me loud and clear. I absolutely want you to stop. But… from what I know about self-harm, it’s a process. It might take some time. You might have relapses. And I just want you to be as safe as you can in recovery.”

“Thanks, Mom,” you said quietly, surprised at her response. You hadn’t really thought about being safe while cutting. Since cutting itself wasn’t exactly safe. Trust your mom to always be looking for ways to take care of you.

Your mom pursed her lips for a moment, as if thinking about how to proceed. And, once again, you were terrified that she was going to make you feel worse somehow, even if she didn’t mean to.

“It’s okay,” she stuttered, breathing out heavily, “if you don’t want to talk to me about what’s making you want to do this, but you need to talk to somebody. So tomorrow I’m gonna make some phone calls and we’re gonna find a therapist. And if your therapist recommends it, we might need to find you a psychiatric facility for a little bit.”

Ice-cold panic flooded your veins. “No, Mom, please!” 

“Hey, hey,” she said, grabbing your hands. “It is not a punishment. There is nothing wrong or shameful about your brain needing some help, okay? Even if it’s scary, we’re gonna do what we need to do to help you get better. Yes?”

You exhaled and nodded.

“Okay. So that’s what we’re gonna do.”

You were both silent for a moment, sipping your tea. You wished you could tell what your mom was thinking. You wished you could tell her what you were thinking. You so desperately wanted to tell someone. And you were scared. Scared that your mom would never look at you the same again. Scared that you’d never again be that same little girl, her Tiny. There was too much wrong with you.

You sniffled as your eyes filled with tears again. “Mom?” you squeaked.

“Yeah, honey?”

You asked what you were most afraid to ask. “Do you still love me?”

“Oh, baby,” she said, scooting her chair toward you and wrapping you in her arms. “Of course I do. I love you so much. I’ll always love you. You’re my little girl, you’re my Tiny.”

Your shoulders shook as you wept. “I just feel…” you cried. “I just feel like no one really loves me.”

“That’s just not true,” your mom said, rubbing your back. “I love you. All your aunts and uncles at the BAU love you. What about Sophia? She loves you.”

You cried even harder. “No, she doesn’t, Mom.”

Your mom brushed your hair away from her face. “What are you talking about? You talk all the time.”

And when you finally said it, it felt like a weight off your shoulders, like you’d been carrying a mountain for months and someone had finally lifted it away. You shook as you spoke. “She doesn’t love me like I love her.”

Understanding flooded your mom’s face. She nodded, and you could tell by the look on her face, by the empathy in her eyes, by the way she squeezed your hand and cupped your face and pursed her lips that she knew. She knew what it was like. She knew the confusion and the hurt and the self-hatred. She knew it all.

And it was almost better that she didn’t say anything. Anything at all. She just looked at you and understood. She just brushed your tears away with her thumb and let you finish crying. And when your sobs subsided, she held your hand. And she kept holding it. And after a while, she brushed your hair out of your face and said, “Everything’s gonna be okay, Tiny. I promise.”

And you knew–because she was your mom, because she was her, because she loved you and you loved her–that it would be.

[gilverrwrites]

STOP WAIT THE TIM DRAKE WITH SIONIS!READER THAT WAS AMAZING

love academic rivals to lovers frfr

anyway but tim is also canonically a high school drop out so sionis!reader finishing school without him (technically dropped out when bruce went missing) 💀 idk why but with roman hating the wayne clan so much, I could see it being kept secret.

like a cute little forbidden fruit/secret relationship. robin & the daughter of the most notorious crime lord in the city?? jeez and you wanna ask why bruce/roman are paranoid /hj

but it's them sneaking around and then tim obviously leaves for his search for batman, dropping out of school, and it leaves sionis!reader all alone.

and then tim comes back!! and bruce is back but bruce doesn't really matter to them(reader), because tim left without a word, without a goodbye, and now he's back and I can imagine all the changes between that happened in that year he was too, the angst of him coming back.

like, would they try to find tim? would they try to go to wayne manor and figure out what the hell happened? I feel like it opens the door to possibilities between them

Hang in there, this is a real rambley ramble.

Ngl, I was picturing it for when he went to Ivy (which he also dropped out of lmao), and I like the idea of them being upfront about it for the comedy/reluctant acceptance angle, but there is still the potential for drama. However, I can see the appeal of them keeping it totally secret too (I'm gonna talk about that later in the post).

For now, heres my vision: You’re Romans favourite kid, his perfect lil angel child, the only one who wants anything to do with him so he dotes on you (to the extent that Roman can dote on anyone) and you go to him one day like; “I get perfect grades, I never miss curfew, I help with the family business, I never ask you for anything, PLEASE accept my boyfriend.” And at first `Roman’s just like… “No.”

Queue the “But Daddy I love him!” tantrum.

Unlike with Jason, Roman has never had any strong feelings toward Tim other than a general distaste cause of the Wayne association, so eventually he tries to come around, but it’s just awkward, and Tim hates it too cause he know your dad is Black Mask, and he can’t do anything without risking being exposed as Red Robin or upsetting you by causing a scene/fight. Is it to much to ask for the two most important men in your life to get along for one dinner? Please?

So, every time they meet the vibes are just off. However, they’re both trying really hard to get along cause they love you.

One night Tim unintentionally catches Black Mask red-handed and he can’t not do his job. The whole time they're fighting, Tim has this whole internal monologue going on about whether he should let Roman off with a warning for your sake, but eventually he’s like WWBD?

So, he hands Roman over to the authorities and the next day he sees you and your bawling! Inconsolable! Your dad is going to prison, your life is ruined. You’re also a bit of drama queen but validly tbh, what will this do for your social standings? Your college applications? Your career aspirations? Fuck Red Robin, you hate that guy!

You were raised by Roman Sionis, of course your inherited at least a little of his melodromatic genes.

Even though you're distressed Tim can’t keep from being like ‘You're mad at the wrong person here! Red Robin is the good guy! You're dad is the criminal, he wouldn't have been arrested if he wasn't a bad person! Who does bad things! He needs to face justice!”

It becomes a massive-ass argument until you’re like “Why can’t you be normal about this? I love my dad and this is going to have a huge effect on my life, why can’t you just be upset for me?”

Tim doesn’t have an answer cause the answer is "I'm Red Robin" but fuck that guy, right? The whole issue goes unresolved.

Or maybe he does snap and tell you the truth but that just makes things worse! "You're my boyfriend and you arrested my father! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?"

When you visit him at Blackgate, your father is quietly elated by the break up, he doesn’t say as much. He plays the concerned father, offers you comfort. He reminds you that when he killed lost his parents, it started a new age of loyalty amonst the Sionis clan. As long as you're good to your family (him), it will be good to you. Oh, and btw, he needs you to handle a few things while he's gone. Don't worry, your family pisses money, he'll be out of here in no time but this stuff is important and time sensitive, and he needs you to keep it on the down low.

The next time you see Tim, he’s Red Robin and you’re the one he catches in the act.

Also, Tim telling that Bat-Fam “So yeah, I’m seeing someone new, it’s Y/N Sionis.” And everyone looks at Steph for a second, then back to Tim and is like “Dude! Get a new type!”

Also also, you visit the Wayne family for the first time, and after growing up drilled to hate these people you’re lowkey so nervous. You’re expecting them to hate you, because you learned nothing from presuming the same thing about Tim. The youngest one is definitely scary, and the butler must be convinced you’re gonna steal something because he will not allow you to be left alone (he’s remembering teenage Roman hanging out with teenage Bruce and being the worst), but otherwise everyone is actually kinda chill. Maybe a bit overly polite but not unpleasant.

But I can totally see the appeal of them keeping it totally secret too. Especially if Tim tells you about being Red Robin. How it might force you to come to terms with your morality by enabling your father/not holding him accountable. Major existential crisis material.

Of if he doesn’t tell you, the angst of your boyfriend just up and leaving without a word, not responding to your calls, texts, emails.

When he does come back you’ve ‘moved on’. Or you thought you had until you saw him again. But after he left you high and dry you’re fuming, and won’t allow him to just walk skate back into your life.

Tim pining after you while you’re excelling in your college/job pursuit. You keep catching glimpses of Red Robin while you’re out on dates or visiting your dad. Tim tells himself he’s just vetting your new boyfriends or ensuring your dad isn’t up to no good. But really its because he’s missed you and doesn’t know how to make up for cutting you out of his life.

He also notices how you never bring your dates home. How you still bury yourself in his old hoodie at night. How you haven’t finished binge watching that show the two of you were working on together. Those little nuggets of hope are what keeps him hanging on.

[enchantedbarnes]

Recommendations 💖

I've been wanting to do something with recommendations for ages now, but there's just too many to even know where to begin! Here's a chaos list of past and present faves 🥰

Completed fics

Undisclosed by @pellucid-constellations

Pairing: Lumberjack!Bucky x Reader

Summary: Desperate to outrun a secret that could cost you your life, you seek refuge in a small mountain town. Its deep forests and small cabins make it the perfect place to hide, but the travel website hadn’t mentioned anything about the quiet, burly lumberjack that wouldn’t leave your thoughts. No one had warned Bucky about you either. 

Lumpy and Bunny masterlist by @sweetdreamsbuck

Pairing: beefy lumberjack!bucky x f!reader

Summary: Bucky's never been so scared of a feeling in his life. there are too many what if's– too many fears bubbling deep within the parts of him left broken and hollow, untouched for far too long. but he never envisioned finding you– and he's entirely too impatient; entirely too certain no one's ever been more infatuated with something than how he feels for you.

Sweet and Sour by @sashaisready

Pairing: Bucky Barnes Mob AU x Femme Reader

Summary: You're hard at work in Pepper's Bakery when notorious mob boss James 'Bucky' Barnes darkens your doorway one typical afternoon, and life is never the same again.

While you're over there you might as well check out ...

Under the Radar by @sashaisready

Pairing: Nick Fowler x reader

Summary: Reader is a brilliant but shy and awkward CIA employee whose work is often overlooked by her colleagues…she’s blended into the background for so long that she doesn’t think there’s any other way - even if she does have secret aspirations for another life. Unbeknownst to her - a certain blue eyed agent is very aware of her talents, even if nobody else is.

The Lookout by @mymoonagedaydream

Pairing: ParkRanger!Bucky x y/n

Summary: It was amazing, really, how quickly one person managed to turn your dream job into a living nightmare.

Operation get Mr Bucky and Momma together by @golden-barnes

Paring: Beefy and Teacher! Bucky x milf! reader Summary: Bucky doesn't play favorites but Amaya is definitely his favorite, especially because her mom is hot.. Cue a 6-year-old trying to get Bucky to be her dad.

Worst Idea Ever by @firefly-in-darkness

Pairing: Y/N & Bucky Barnes, Other Marvel Characters.

Summary: Wedding Season is brutal as it is but throw in two friends that decide to be each other’s plus ones and a mixed bag of feelings, what's the worst that could happen?

Classylo's masterlist

home for the holidays by @classylo

When your family begs you to come home for the holidays and to bring the new guy you’ve been seeing, you don’t have the heart to tell them your good-for-nothing-ex cheated on you… good thing your roommate is available and will do absolutely anything you ask.

should've been you by @classylo

He was supposed to meet you at the game. He was supposed to be the one you went on a date with. He was the one you were supposed to fall in love with. Yet, here you are three years into a relationship with another… it should’ve been him, not his best friend.

Moral of the Story by @justkending

Summary: From childhood friends, to highschool sweethearts, the two naive, young, and lovestruck teens decided the best way to keep a strong relationship during college would be to marry right out of highschool. No one batted an eye at the idea as everyone knew they were soulmates. However, college is a big step in a person’s life. You learn new things about yourself, you make new friends, find new hobbies… And maybe being newly weds and going to different colleges across the states wasn’t the best plan… After a falling out, a tragic and heartbreaking divorce, the two now despise the other for how the whole thing was handled. Neither not really knowing both sides of the story. 10 years later, and they both get a call from the lawyers office that settled their divorce. Somehow the papers never went through and the divorce was never completed. So now, the exes, or should we say husband and wife, have to meet back up after all these years to settle their failed marriage once and for all.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Everest by @justkending

Summary: She was done and retired. After Thanos and the battle of a lifetime, she called it quits and distanced herself from the Avenger lifestyle. But word finds her that someone from her past is in danger. What the journey entails was never one she wanted to face nor one she saw becoming her reality again. The rollercoaster that comes with fighting evil odds arrives on her doorstep, not leaving much room for a no… Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Coming in Hot by @nexusnyx

When your best friend Sarah recommends you a mechanic of her brother’s trust, all you can think about and pray to is that he doesn’t rip you off. Your car is your prized possession and amidst all the worry and concern of your medical studies, drowning in even more debt sounds as suffocating as it would be. Of course, you never thought of the possibility of the mechanic being the problem. A hot, polite, gentle, and silent-type of problem. Drowning in debt would be easier to navigate than the blue of Bucky Barnes’s eyes.

Pairing: Mechanic Bucky x Reader

Though I Have Never Read by @tuiccim

Pairing: Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader Summary: You had run away from all of your problems and found solitude in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. When a storm blows in, it drags a man with a metal arm through your door. Offering shelter, you spend one night together before he disappears. Years later, you find yourselves together again but does he remember that night or you at all?

Blink Twice by @simmerandwrite

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: It was just an undetermined amount of time in a safehouse with a stranger: Bucky “I didn’t come here to make friends” Barnes himself. Would it really be all that different from your lonely life with your cat in the city? Bucky was basically a cat, anyway. He was quiet on his feet, only really made noise when it was dinner time, and you both seemed to just coexist without acknowledging each other. His mandate was to keep you safe. What could go wrong?

teach me how to love by @buckyismybicycle

Pairing: DAD!BUCKY X TEACHER!READER

Natasha leaves behind her precious daughter, Yelena, and with her dying breath asks Bucky to look after her.

Sweet by @noceurous

summary: it was something cliche but your fuck buddy fell for you nonetheless, even though you swore you would never do relationships again. But rules are meant to be broken.

call me when you want by @bonky-n-steeb

summary: when you call a sex hotline with a need to be dominated you don’t expect to meet (or hear) someone as wonderful as James. but your life becomes a complicated mess as you already love your coworker, Bucky Barnes. however, you are unaware that they are actually the same person.

Grow Old With Me by @sonderosa

Part 1 & Part 2

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

...you could wait fifty years if he asked it of you. You’d promised him that, and he’d smiled and kissed you, told you that in fifty years he wanted to be old with you, sitting on a porch in rocking chairs and watching the sunset. You wanted that, too; it was a beautiful dream.

Sweeter Than Honey by @foreverindreamlandd

Pairing: Mechanic!Bucky x Fem!Personal Assistant!Reader Summary: It's your first international trip working for bestselling author Tony Stark as his new personal assistant, and you're desperate to prove yourself worthy of such an incredible opportunity. But when things start to go wrong whilst staying in Dublin, and suddenly you're stuck in the middle of the Wicklow Mountains with a flat tire, you're convinced that you'll be fired before the day is over. Luckily, a handsome, blue-eyed mechanic with an accent that makes your insides melt comes just in time to save the day.

Their other series are also *chefs kiss* -> go read the rest of @foreverindreamlandd's series

Love at First Grade by @buckysimp101

Pairing: Single Dad!Bucky Barnes x Single Mom!Reader;  Teacher!Bucky x CEO!Reader

Summary: When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he's in for a surprise that's sure to change his life.

Teacher's Favorite AU by @suitk0via

Pairing: Dad!Bucky x Teacher!Reader

Summary: You are first grade teacher and Bucky is a single dad who wants to be involved with everything his little girl - Elaine - does. He’s the dad all the parent’s and faculty drool over. You quickly become Elaine's favorite teacher and Bucky's just gotta meet you.

The Heart is a Deep Ocean by @dreamlessinparis

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: Titanic was known as the ship of dreams. For you, it was the dream of getting home, or so you thought. From the moment you locked eyes with James Buchanan Barnes, all those dreams changed and your life was never the same.

Something Domestic by @fandoms-writings

Pairing: ex-military amputee!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: Needing an escape from the loud and busy city life, Bucky comes to stay with you on your little farm. He didn’t expect you, a hardworking and beautiful woman with struggles of your own, to take his breath away and make life a little less dreary.

Labyrinth by @frostironfudge

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader, (Modern AU)

Summary: labyrinth (noun), a complicated set of paths and passages, through which it is difficult to find your way. Bucky and You would do anything for Steve and Wanda, your respective best friends. In an attempt to avoid a tradition Steve and Wanda come up with a lie involving their best friends.  A lie, that involves building a labyrinth. Bucky and You begin to build but will you two find your way out or be caught in it?

nostalgia for the new by @real-jane

pairing: bucky barnes x female!reader shield agent

summary: bucky meets you because of your exquisite taste in music, and he finds in you a solace he didn't realize was possible. you create for bucky something he's never found before: nostalgia for a time that hasn't happened yet, and hope for a future where he might be loved.

The Thrill of the Hunt by @rookthorne

Pairing: Scare Actor!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

The ancient game of cat and mouse, a fight for survival between a predator and their prey, wasn’t a new phenomenon – it had been practised for centuries and it was an art that very, very few perfected. For years you had chased the craving to find someone that had mastered the art of the hunt, and for Halloween, you had gone all out and visited a haven unlike any other.  It was there that you found your match.  Cloaked in nothing but black and shrouded in a sense of lethality, you would have to run from this shadow in an adrenaline fuel haze unlike any other. A chase for the ages, the very one you desired.  And if he caught you, your world would end as you knew it.

Ongoing fics

Honey Girl by @violentdelightsandviolentends

Pairing: Dad'sBestFriend!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader - soulmate au

Summary: The Universe shows you your soulmate when it feels like you need them most. When you least expect it, you're given yours - Bucky Barnes. Your Dad's best friend. You can try to refuse it all you like; but the universe wants what it wants. There's no denying fate.

After all those years by @ziawbarnes

Pairing: AU Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: Peggy and Steve's wedding in Mexico takes an unexpected turn when you and Bucky, who initially couldn't attend, end up joining the celebration. With no available rooms, Bucky becomes your roommate for ten days, leading to unexpected adventures and new connections.

Fresh Start by @nicoline1998enilocin (on hiatus but I love)

Pairing: Teacher!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Summary: In this universe you can explore the story between Bucky Barnes as a middle school teacher, and Y/N with her son Luca. They just moved to the other side of the country, and have decided to completely start over their lives. On the first day at his new school, Luca quickly befriends his new teacher, and Y/N can't help but take a liking to him as well.

A Past Encounter by @majesty-madness

Summary: Being in a relationship with Bucky, Y/N prided herself on knowing him quite well but when she’s accidentally teleported back to the 1940's, Y/N discovers that there is a whole other Bucky that she has yet to meet. The sweet flirt that had everything going for him before his unfortunate capture by HYDRA.

Neighbors by @writerlyhabits

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader

Summary: You get to know your neighbor across the hall, James.

Unexpected by @repressedqueen

Paring: SexWorker!Bucky x reader

Summary: After a crazy night out celebrating your birthday, somehow you ended up outside a brothel debating on whether it was time for you to finally have sex or not.

My Little Love by @crazyunsexycool

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced Fem! Reader

Dr. Feelgood by @endless-summer-soldier

pairing: Surgeon!Bucky x SurgicalIntern!Reader

summary: Y/N has a one night stand with a handsome stranger the night before starting her new job as a surgical intern. Little does she know, the handsome stranger also happens to be her new boss

Untitled Single Dad!Bucky Fic by @angie-likes-to-art

Pairing: Teacher!Reader x Single Dad!Bucky

Summary: You made a promise to yourself to not sleep with any parents before starting teaching, little did you know the guy you slept with two days before is the dad of your cutest student.

Too much love to choose from, here's some creators with masterlists you need to check out! ❤️��🔥

@jobean12-blog

@navybrat817

@coffeecatsandcandles

@metalbuckaroo

@wkemeup

@nickfowlerrr

I love and appreciate all of you 💕 thank you for all your hard work 🥰

Happy Reading!

XO

(Dividers by saradika)

RECOMMENDATION LIST #2 CAN BE FOUND -> **HERE**

[neiptune]

I think there's been a glitch

c/w: 6k wc, wedding date trope, friends to (possible) lovers, mentions of alcohol, mentions of cheating, levi's smoothness has your brain short circuiting

Just as expected: you’re hating every second of it.

You love your family, you really do. Doesn’t matter how loud and overexcited and nosy they are, it’s always nice to take a few days off to travel back home. Sometimes it’s for birthdays, minor special occasions, surprise visits. Nothing was spontaneous about this specific occasion, though. Train tickets were bought months in advance, your dress picked facetiming your mom (she insisted), your arrival highly anticipated by aunts and uncles and cousins and old friends all coming together for the most significant event of the century: your little brother’s wedding.

To be absolutely honest, the day had a good start. Waking up at dawn didn’t bother you, not with the nutritious breakfast your mom had prepared and the excitement stirring behind your brother’s tense smile. The wedding was agreed to have a mix of traditional shinto-style (to please the bride’s family) and more laid back, western-style influences, something your family has always been accustomed to, given your dad’s roots.

The ceremony held at the shrine was emotional even for you. Hiromi looked gorgeous in her uchikake, gold threads and foil with motifs of waves and cranes standing out on a bright crimson base. You watched them drink the sake and exchange cups first, then vows and wedding rings. It was so hard to process than the man getting married was the same kid who once pooped himself in his crib at daycare and then proceeded to take off his diaper to play with the poop like it was play-doh. Sweet, sweet memories.

Everything started going downhill at the fancy hotel where the reception was set to be held.

The convention room is blinding in its beauty: white pillars, draping fabrics, pretty fairy lights and elegant floral arrangements compliment the venue and the minimalist but luxurious style your families decided to go with. You’re not foreign to wealth, your parents have worked hard to grant you and your sibling a comfortable life and you’re grateful for them. What you don’t like about your family, is how for your aunts and uncles and cousins, everything should constantly be tied to money and profit. Which is why they all turn up their noses when you reply to the dreaded “what’s your job again?” question. Which is why, at every family reunion, you’re forced to sit with your younger cousins and take part in the salary conversation (they could literally compare and brag for hours about raises and bonuses and working overtime and paid vacations). Which is why Aiko, already CEO of a join-stock company at her young age, had first introduced you to one of the employees from the financial department.

Floch Forster was certainly attractive, a real gentleman who’d take you out for fancy dinners, casual dates and fun rides on his flashy, red porsche cayenne. You liked him but your family had always liked him more, your brother going out for drinks with him, your dad inviting him over more and more frequently to watch baseball games or ask for help for the restoration of his old kawasaki ninja, a project he’d been working on for a while.

In the end, the relationship simply didn’t work out and you broke up with him in the most amicable way possible, the time spent together still worth cherishing. You were just too different from each other: his interests not matching yours, his friends way too stuck-up, his parents looking at you like you were some kind of gold digger.

But that’s when he became petty, cruel even, mocking your dreams, deriding your aspirations, sharp edged phrases and words thrown your way so harshly they still dance around your brain from time to time.

Are you surprised by his presence at your brother’s wedding? No. You knew he’d be invited, they’re still friends and you never really told your sibling how the separation actually went down. Is it shocking that he’s here with a pretty brunette anchored to his arm? Also no. He might be an asshole but he’s hot and rich, two qualities weighing pretty damn heavily on the bachelor scale. He’s also the main reason why you’d asked your painfully stoic, blasé friend to accompany you to the reception.

Yes, it was both a childish and desperate move, but you were willing to take drastic measures to save face before your very much extended very much elitist very much expectant family after the fatal phone call with your mom where you’d suddenly blurted out that you’d bring a special someone with you to the wedding.

Your love life (aka currently a big big void made of emotional unavailability & crippling loneliness) was yet another topic open to be attentively scrutinized by those around you. Normally you don’t mind, you really don’t, but just this one time you wanted it to be different. As much as you try not to let it get to you, the facts are that your younger brother is now married, your hot rich ex boyfriend has probably already proposed to his new girlfriend, you still haven’t been given the raise you were expecting and it plainly just sucks to be alone at weddings. It’s the fourth one you have attended on your own now and you can tell by your aunt’s sympathetic gaze and your cousins’ knowing giggles that you’re not gonna be able to push the he had to attend an emergency meeting with external partners lie any longer.

Frustration makes your stomach churn. Why couldn’t he have indulged you just this once?

“Oh, come on”

“No”

“Please!”

“Still no”

“I can beg”

“You’ve been begging for the past ten minutes”

“I can beg better?”

Levi’s resolute glare didn’t soften like it did on the rare occasions when he accommodated your requests.

“Why do you even need this?”

You heaved a deep sigh over his obstinacy, index finger lazily tracing the edge of the steaming cup in front of you. You’ve always been a coffee person but his is the only tea you’ll drink.

“D’you want the honest answer or the pathetic, moping one?”

He raised an eyebrow with a far too evident interest that had you rolling your eyes.

“Both”

“Well, if you must know, it’s because I’m a lame, lonely, disappointment of an adult who’s scared of facing her family’s overcritical comments and knowing glances at her younger sibling’s wedding” you paused to take a deep breath “that and the fact that I already lied and said I was gonna bring someone and my perfect ex everyone loves so much is gonna be there”

Levi slowly took a sip from his own cup, the classic bergamot flavor notes lingering with tantalizing velvety softness on his tongue.

“They both sound pathethic and moping to me”

You shrugged with a weak smile.

“They’re both honest, too”

“You’re gonna be fine” he pushed the little plate of shortbreads towards you.

“Did you hear the part about my perfect ex?” nevertheless, you accepted the cookie offer and, much to your friend’s horrified expression, dipped one into your tea prior to taking a bite.

“Give him my love” Levi ignores your frown and, more importantly, the annoyance he felt listening to you belittling yourself so blatantly.

“Okay” a defeated sigh leaves your lips as you take another cookie “not sure why I thought you’d get it”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Mouth still full, you gestured vaguely with your hands, tiny crumbs attached to your fingertips catching his attention for a split second before you speak again.

“Why would you? You’re a functioning adult. Should’ve asked someone as fucked up as me, maybe Reiner from the marketing department will—”

“A functioning adult?” Levi cut in, tone oozing with skepticism “that’s new. You usually refer to me as the clean freak with a stick up his ass”

“Which you are” your clarification is met with another glare “but you wouldn’t understand what being lame means”

“How so?” he challenged, eyes narrowed and some sort of weird warmth in the pit of his stomach he didn’t know how to shake off.

“You have your shit together, Levi. M’sure your family wouldn’t shoot sympathetic gazes your way if you showed up to your brother’s wedding on your own”

“I don’t have a brother”

“Not the point” you let out an obnoxious groan as you slightly pushed the empty cup away and dropped your head to rest on your overlapped arms, forehead pressing on the soft fabric of your sleeve. Levi sat still, grey eyes fixed on you.

“You’re not lame, idiot” no one else would’ve been able to tell that his tone had gone softer “I’m not dating anyone either and you still think I’m a functioning adult”

Exasperated, you turn your head so that your cheek is now pressed to your wrist as you glare at him.

“But that’s your choice. You don’t like anyone. While I had three of my coworkers come to my desk just to ask who the handsome dude passing by to bring me a homemade bento box was”

Half a smile dripping with smugness tugged at his lips, one that caused you to roll your eyes again.

“Don’t even” you warn, already gagging at the idea of him considering to visit you at work more often “forget I said anything. I’ll handle it”

As Levi inched across the table to flick your forehead and then got up to collect your cups, you had to quickly whisk away the thought of how much your family would have genuinely liked someone like him too.

On second thought, it’s not really fair to blame him. You might not be a greatly functioning one, but you’re still an adult. You can face something as trivial as the disappointment of multiple generations of your family, right? Either way, it would’ve felt wrong. It would’ve been awkward. Levi is stiff, way too cold, the opposite of cordial. He would hardly be credible as the good friend he actually is, let alone pass for a boyfriend. Has he ever even dated someone? You’re sure he has, given how weirdly popular he is. Yeah, there was one girl, what was her name again? Petra? Ugh, he hardly shares anything truly personal with you anyway. Sure, you can guess he’s a good partner. Handsome, kind, talented enough to cook killer meals, maybe even good in bed. It just wouldn’t hurt him to be a little more… amicable. But maybe that’s what women find attractive? The fact that he’s like this weird, interesting secret thing to continuously discover and unwrap until it suddenly turns into the perfect, passionate lover any woman wants to end up with?

The champagne you’re downing at the hotel bar is proving to be a wonderful ally, although your mind currently seems to be wandering a little. Or it was, at least until a familiar, awfully close and quite frankly unsettling voice causes a harsh return to the pathetic reality you’re trying to escape.

“Drowning your sorrows in alcohol? You haven’t changed at all” the venomous smile on his face is so painfully familiar it has your insides twisting right away.

“I’m really not in the mood, leave me alone” you mutter, not even sparing him a glance as you stubbornly focus on the golden bubbles popping in your freshly filled flute.

But Floch takes a seat right next to you and elegantly orders two martinis.

“Shaken, not stirred” he adds, to live up to yet another clichè. You can hardly suppress a snort.

“I would argue you already are. Alone, I mean” the rhythmic drumming of his fingers on the mahogany counter distracts you for a few seconds. When your gaze finally meets his, the fake sympathy glistening mischievously in his amber eyes almost has you barfing on the spot.

“Where’s your trophy wife? Is she even legal?”

Unperturbed, Floch smiles sweetly at you.

“She reminds you of yourself, doesn’t she? A young dove in need of rescue, held captive by the wrong guy” he inches closer, smile growing wider “but she’s nothing like you. You’re too exhausting to love, no one in their right mind would choose that”

And just like that, memories that cut as deep as razors make their way back to you right then and there.

If you really want to lose weight you shouldn’t eat the free bread at restaurants.

I feel like you’re faking this just to make me feel guilty.

You’re not that attractive anymore, you know that?

I’m sorry you feel that way.

Could’ve done so much better than you all this time.

Now I don’t feel so bad about having cheated.

The flute in your hand might very well shatter from how tightly you’re holding it, knuckles white as two drinks gracefully slide in front of you. This is exactly what you wanted to avoid, not him entirely but letting him know that he can still get under your skin.

“Fuck you” in a final, desperate attempt at playing off your discomfort as indifference, you hold him level in your gaze, a boldness so weak it has him chuckling.

“Am I interrupting something?”

You both turn to your right, the shock laced into your features comical enough to be met with a patient, slight smile.

Levi looks nothing less than dashing in his black suit, hands buried in the pockets of pants you wouldn’t even think he’d own. Since you’re pretty sure the alcohol has you hallucinating at this point, you open your mouth to voice your surprise, Floch’s presence long forgotten and filed away at the back of your mind. But right before you can sabotage yourself with dumb, unnecessary inquiries, Levi takes a step forward and with one, swift motion, cradles your cheek in his hand to gently press his lips to your forehead.

“Sorry I’m late” he murmurs, fighting back another smile before the dumbstruck way you keep looking at him.

“We haven’t met” Levi’s eyes follow the voice and flicker to the person sitting next to you. That’s when you snap back to reality once again. Goddamn, maybe the champagne wasn’t that good of an ally after all.

“We haven’t” he replies and Floch introduces himself, offering a hand that never gets shaken. Levi gives him a nod instead, a silvery gaze cold as steel you’ve never seen him direct to anyone. Perhaps that’s why it makes you shiver.

“Should we go? I’d like to meet your parents” his voice is kind as he looks at you again and you accept the support of his hand to hop down from the barstool. He doesn’t let go as he guides you away from the hotel bar and lightly squeezes your hand even if it’s cold and clammy.

“How are you here? When… why?” you whisper, still unable to shake off the shock of his sudden, unexpected presence.

“Stop asking dumb questions and play your part”

That’s more like it, you think. Thank god for the infuriating, irritating tone and impatient glare. Their familiarity will certainly be enough to ground you despite the warmth you can still feel on your forehead, right where his lips were pressed a few seconds earlier.

But then he looks at you again, head slightly tilted to the side, eyes slowly taking in your figure so blatantly, in a way so uncommon for him, it has the same warmth from before exploding in your chest as well.

“You look very nice, by the way”

Fuck being grounded, apparently.

The champagne is no longer buzzing in your veins but it might as well be since your mind feels all over the place and you haven’t had a single second to collect your thoughts. Not in the middle of so many introductions, your mother’s obnoxious questions, your very much tipsy aunt’s inappropriate jokes, the microphone you had to approach and the speech you had to give in front of hundreds of people, one of them always focused on you with such intensity you won’t have to rewatch the videotape at family reunions to know that words came out ungraceful and wrong.

To be honest, the most unsettling thing is how smoothly the whole thing is going. It’s not weird, it’s definitely not awkward and he seems to be in complete control. Staggered, you’re left watching with wonder floating in incredulous eyes, a Levi you don’t think you’ve ever met before. It’s so effortless, the way he speaks to people he’s never met before and manages to come off as interesting, witty, charming. He’s smiling, he’s even respectfully offering elegant chuckles to uncomfortably personal questions and stories you just know he doesn’t actually think are funny.

As you dine at the table filled with curious old friends and noisy cousins, for the first time able to stay silent as all the attention is directed towards someone other than yourself, a weird thought crosses your mind. Levi, your friend Levi, fits so well. He’s perfectly at ease around chatty strangers, bold roses, tea lights and candles in clear metallic holders. How’s that even possible? The Levi you know, your Levi, curses under his breath if his usual barista tries to make small talk. He grunts if the cashier at the cinema chirps an overly excited hope you enjoy the movie, sir. You literally know he’s once replied to one of his clients’ email with please stop hoping your email finds me well, it never does.

So who’s the person sitting next to you, warm knee flush against yours underneath the table, features relaxed, pink tinted cheeks, courtesy of the cabernet sauvignon you’ve been served? It has your head spinning, the thought of him enduring a 4-hour train trip (he hates trains) to reach a town he’s never been to (he hates Kobe and its humid, subtropical climate) to attend a wedding (he hates social gatherings) as your date. What had him changing his mind? When did he change it? How is he so good at coming off as this bundle of… of… confidence and magnetism and graciousness?

He’s been impeccable so far, going as far as to bring a shugi-bukuro envelope with 50.000 JPY inside as a wedding gift.

Isn’t that what they’d expect from the groom’s sister’s partner?

Clearly, you have every intention of giving him that money back. As soon as you recover from the sudden and absolutely unexplainable embarrassment you feel every time his eyes flicker to you during a conversation or the shudder that runs down your spine when his hand gently presses on the small of your back to guide you from one table to the other, as different family members and friends of yours excitedly motion you to approach them.

It doesn’t have anything to do with him specifically, you tell yourself. It’s just the shame you must be feeling at carrying out such a pathetic act in front of everyone, it’s the awkwardness of having forced one of your closest friends to go out of his way to support your stupid, childish plan that now has you feeling all weird and vulnerable. Levi is not being his usual self and that makes you uncomfortable because you’re not allowed to be your usual self in turn. No sarcastic remarks, no witty comebacks, not a drop of the usual teasing you enjoy annoying him with.

It’s not him, it’s the whole setting. That’s what you tell yourself when Levi asks you to dance.

“Why?” you come off as defensive and he furrows his brows, confused.

“Because it’s what couples do at weddings?”

“We don’t have to” you’re not sure what you’re doing at this point “you can’t even dance”

He huffs at that, inching a little closer to casually lift the strap of your cocktail dress, cool fingertips barely brushing the skin of your arm as they guide the thin length of fabric up to your shoulder. The simple, intimate gesture stirs something in you.

“Are you coming or not? He’s watching”

You follow his gaze and meet Floch’s, three tables to the left. At this point the thought of him seems so worthless, so distant in time, you don’t even care about his judgmental glare anymore. But you don’t have the chance to make that clear, because your date whispers a soft “come on” so close to your ear his voice seems to trickle down your spine just to make you shiver and then offers his arm as an invitation for you to get up.

Regular you would’ve mocked the gesture, called him a victorian ghost or something. Current you, on the other hand? Apparently she’s accepting the support of his arm and can barely register Aiko’s excited squeal as she follows him all the way to the different couples already filling up the middle of the convention room, too disoriented to even remember she is the one who can’t dance. Still, the upbeat rhythm of the song being played is familiar enough to give you a false sense of security: you can wing it. Until you can’t. Because right as you position yourself in front of your friend with a tense smile, the familiar beat is abruptly taken from you. The music doesn’t stop, it just has the audacity to change into an excessively romantic, exceptionally slow, sappy track.

But Levi doesn’t look as dazed as you. He doesn’t waver as he pulls you close with one swift motion, right hand warm on your back while you barely have the time to balance yourself, fingers tightening around the fabric of his jacket, right above the shoulder.

“You’re being weird” he clasps your other hand, one eyebrow raised in that overcritical way of his.

“You’re being weird” you parrot back.

“What d’you mea—fuck” he curses as quietly as possible when you stomp on his foot, looking down for the first time to notice how weirdly and out of step you’re actually moving.

“Shit, sorry!” you, on the other hand, are not as quiet and attract the unwanted attention of the couple dancing nearby.

“What exactly are you doing?” Levi’s tone is familiarly mocking, which takes some of the weird awkwardness away.

“I’m not really good at this, okay?” you retort, praying your harsh reply remains private this time. Amused, he hums.

“No way”

“Shut up” you whine and accidentally step on his expensive leather shoe again, hard enough to make him hiss.

“Just follow my lead” Levi gives your left hand an impatient squeeze and you scoff with a theatrical ugh.

“Sexist”

He rolls his eyes but says nothing because you comply and honestly try to keep track of how he’s moving, intensely focused on not trampling on his foot again.

“Hey” his voice is dangerously soft once again “eyes on me”

Reluctantly, you look up from your feet and take a deep breath.

“Why are you this tense?”

“M’not a good dancer” you blurt the words out, as if to convince yourself. He’s noticed, of course he’s noticed. Idiot.

“Okay” Levi stops for a moment and gently grabs your wrists to guide your arms around his neck. He then positions his hands on your hips and applies the slightest pressure to guide your movements. “Better?” he asks and you know he’s just wondering if this is easier for you, but the dryness of your throat seems to be taking over your ability to speak. You resort to a simple nod as he sways to the beat, feet barely lifting while stepping from side to side. You get accustomed to the movement after a while and manage to move your body slowly back and forth, the comfort of not feeling like a wooden block allowing you to relax a little.

“How are you so good at this?” it almost sounds like you’re accusing him, must be why he cracks a smile.

“Took a few classes with Hange, they were obsessed and had no one else to go with”

You’re finally able to let out a genuine, incredulous laugh.

“I’m sorry, what? So you just joined? Goodness of your heart?”

Levi shrugs.

“They had to buy me lunch for a month. Totally worth it”

There’s mirth glistening in his eyes when the pressure of his hands changes slightly, the left one tightening on your waist to subtly guide you in the opposite direction. Has he danced like this with Hange as well? If yes, did they feel as flustered and ridiculous as you’re feeling? Probably not, because they’re friends and friends should not experience the weird body reactions you seem to be having at the moment, goosebumps blossoming underneath his fingertips, the staccato of your heartbeat, blood wooshing in your ears. Fuck.

“Tense again” his eyes are narrowed now, but not in his usual, threatening way. He’s studying you, looking for something he can’t seem to pinpoint amidst your dazed expression and sweaty hand. He would’ve been grossed out by anybody else’s palm but this is you, so Levi can’t really bring himself to give a shit.

“I’m sorry” you murmur and the sudden, sheepish route catches him off guard. You’re avoiding his gaze, eyes focused on something, somewhere over his shoulder.

“For what?”

“This whole charade” you whisper the last word, head hanging low just an excuse not to look at him “I’m so pathetic you felt bad enough to drop all your plans, come all the way here, be perfect and nice to everyone, spend so much money and I can’t even dance…” you sniffle, horrified by the sensation of being on the verge of bursting into tears in the middle of the dance floor.

Levi is silent long enough to prompt you to timidly look up from your shoes again. You’re worried he’s gonna be mad because what the hell, this is what you wanted. You asked him to do this for you and now it’s too late to whine about how sorry you are. But he doesn’t look mad. His features are unreadable as you return his gaze, which stirs a whole new kind of nervousness in you.

“I’m going to twirl you” the gentle warning takes you by surprise as Levi takes your hand from behind his neck, steps back a little and lifts your arm above your head. A bit stiffly, you turn around under it.

“Again” he prompts, arm already guiding you through another twirl. You comply, so clumsily a chuckle slips past your lips and Levi cracks another smile as you balance yourself against him, arms around his neck once again.

“See? You can dance” he mutters with a tone so soft it makes your heart squeeze.

“Please” you scoff, voice still a little broken that just won’t. Do.

Levi hums to himself, like he does whenever he’s trying to come to a decision.

“Let’s dip”

Your eyes comically grow in size.

“Let’s not?”

“I’ll do all the work” he playfully gives your hip a light squeeze to emphasize his words “you just have to let go”

“I’m not exactly good at letting go” you hope he can sense the warning in your tone but all you get is another eye roll.

“Yeah, I noticed” his tone, unlike yours, is weirdly serious “d’you trust me?”

Oh, well, putting it that way surely isn’t fair.

“Unfortunately, you’ve given me a reason or two to do that” you heave another sigh, defeated. Another smile tugs at his lips.

“I’m gonna do it slowly” he reaches behind his neck to grab your hand again, while his fingertips rise from your hip to your upper back.

“Twirl” Levi gently spins you again and his touch is featherlike when it glides down your side, grazes your stomach and settles on your lower back as you turn around, warm palm pressing firmly against it. The hand holding yours anchors your arm around his neck, then finds place on the nape of yours.

“Now, relax” it’s barely a whisper, so close you can’t hold back a shudder he pretends not to notice.

You soften your knees and then, with a movement so swift and natural, you’re turned to the side and pressed flush against him for a second, nestled in his embrace before you shut your eyes and Levi gently dips you, one of his strong arms secured around your waist to support your weight, the hand sustaining your neck tightening around your hair for a moment so brief you think you’ve imagined it.

He pauses as if you weigh nothing, then slowly brings you up again and you open your eyes, brows furrowing right as he lets completely go of you and the warmth of his arms is taken away so abruptly.

“You okay?” you didn’t think you’d be the one asking the question but something seems to be bothering him as he returns your confused gaze.

“Yeah. Can we take a break?” still weirdly well mannered, you find yourself thinking as you agree to make your way to your table again. Only he stops you right before you can take a seat next to Aiko, who’s blatantly gushing over you’re not sure what, precisely. Is it him? Or the weird dance that had you looking like a complete fool in front of everyone?

“How long before the cake?” he politely asks your cousin and she shrugs, not even attempting to hide the wide grin stretching her lips.

“Maybe around ten minutes”

“Permission to steal the groom’s sister for around ten minutes?”

Aiko’s chuckle isn’t enough to distract you from the tightening of your chest, something not entirely unpleasant swarming around in your stomach when he slips his fingers in between yours.

“Permission granted” she winks and you still, for the life of you, cannot understand why your heart flutters as you follow him outside the room, away from the party and the music and the chatter and all those happy, proud glances you’re no longer able to return because of how embarrassed you are by your own lie.

“Where are we going?” you bring yourself to ask, finding it exceptionally odd that he’s waiting for the elevator.

“My room”

“What? Why?”

Levi turns his head to look at you, eyebrows furrowing at your strangled tone.

“I forgot the wedding gift on the nightstand”

“Oh” you let out a nervous chuckle “right. And why d’you need me for that?”

“You look like you’re about to throw up, thought you could use a few minutes away from the crowd”

Well, he’s not wrong. But that doesn’t mean he gets to know.

“Dunno what you’re talking about” you flash him a fake smile and he skeptically hums as the doors open and you step inside.

Of course his room is located at the top floor of the building, where all the suites are. One thing about Levi is that he likes treating himself: whether it’s shopping from brands that produce top quality loose leaf teas, selecting premium suiting fabrics or always ordering the most expensive red wine at a restaurant, his taste is impeccable. He travels first class and only stays at 5-star hotels, so you really shouldn’t feel the guilt pangs stinging like needles in your throat when he swipes the key card through the magnetic reader and swings the door open. You shouldn’t feel so bad while taking in the king size bed, the LCD tv, the additional area with armchairs and a whole sofa, the private balcony. But you do. And when he turns to look at you, still standing by the door with a heartbreaking, bashful expression taking over your features, Levi clenches his jaw.

“What are you doing?” you ask as you watch him slide the balcony glass door.

“So many questions” he prompts you to precede him with a slight tilt of his head.

“What about the gift?”

Levi hates seeing you so defensive, so upset. He’s not used to that weird self-consciousness, not when you’re with him at least. Didn’t he come to obtain the exact opposite of what he’s getting? Isn’t he here to shield you from embarrassment, uneasiness? Why are you persisting in your stubborn shame?

“I get around ten minutes, remember?” he attempts a smile your tense features choose not to mirror. You sigh softly instead and, still uncertain, accept his invitation.

Outside the air is cool, a balm for your feverish skin. The balcony furniture includes two wooden armchairs, one small coffee table and a small couch. You plop down on the latter, not even having the energy to properly appreciate the beauty of a sparkly Kobe right at your feet, silhouettes of skyscrapers standing out against the night sky, the flickering lights of the harbor shining in the distance, tower so familiar you’d recognize it from a mile away. It’s home.

“So” Levi makes himself comfortable next to you, the breeze gently combing his hair back “wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

Plenty is wrong, the most urgent matter being the overpowering attraction you’re feeling for one of your closest friends. It’s fine, no use lying to yourself any longer. Maybe it’s always been there, underneath all the teasing and the jokes and his rare smiles that always felt like small victories you got to collect and preserve in your memory at the end of each day, when  you’d often replay the hours spent together as pretty movie frames in your mind right before drifing off to sleep. But it’s easy, playing weird feelings off as regular familiarity that comes with friendship. You just didn’t think this night would make things feel so different, so good.

He’d be a great actual date, a wonderful actual boyfriend too, probably. He’s already a wonderful, actual friend. One that dropped everything to rush to the rescue of annoying, silly you, seemingly an adult but really a scared excuse of a grown up who can’t confront her family on a matter as trivial as not being in a relationship. It’s mortifying, really. You wouldn’t think it’d feel that humiliating, especially not in his presence.

Slender fingers delicately close on the fist you don’t realize you’re clenching. They’re warm as they try to make their way underneath yours, a silent plea for you to let go of the fabric clutched in your hand.

“I already told you” your hand lets go at last and slips easily from underneath his touch, the silk of your carefully picked cocktail dress wrinkled already.

“You feel guilty about me dropping all my plans, coming all the way here, beng perfect and nice to everyone, spending so much money…” he’s being playful but the teasing doesn’t elicit the eye roll or chuckle he was hoping he’d get. Your head just hangs lower, chin almost pressing to your chest, as if you’re trying to curl into yourself.

“About that, you’re gonna accept a complete refund. Train tickets, this room, wedding gift, everyth—”

Levi cuts you off by grabbing your jaw and turning your head towards him, eyes narrowed in a familiarly impatient gaze. He can’t believe the nonsense you’re sputtering out, the weird formality of it all.

“Stop that” his voice vibrates with determination and words are forced to die in your throat as he inches closer, grip loosening ever so slightly “you keep looking at things and seeing the opposite of what they are”

“So what, you didn’t spend a fortune to be here?” you challenge and he sighs, as done as a person can humanly be.

He lets go of your jaw but you don’t pull back.

“You asked me to be here”

“And I’m trying to apologize for it!”

God, you’re wearing him out.

You get up from the couch and, out of frustration, rest your back against the railing, palms behind you pressed on the cold, metal edge. Levi is looking at you so intensely you’re tempted to turn around and just take the view in to calm yourself because this is going downhill enough to become a fight and fights with Levi are never pretty. You should know.

“Remember the reasons you put forward to try and convince me to come?” his calm tone is such a sharp contrast to his hardened features, it takes you by surprise.

“Pretty sure I called myself lame and pathetic quite a few times” you shoot him a frown.

“Yeah” he gets up as well “then I end up actually getting here and guess what I found?”

You let out a dry laugh, one with not an ounce of humor embedded in it.

“A version of me worse enough to be brought in your room to hide?”

Two well measured steps and Levi is in front of you right as you cross your arms in defense.

“The version of you I already know” he retorts, exasperated “beautiful, intelligent, clumsy. A functional adult with a family that loves her very much”

“You’re drunk” you breathe out but it’s yours the head that’s spinning. Somehow, Levi knows. At least that’s what you guess when he steps closer, arms effectivey caging you against the railing as he slightly leans forward.

“Hardly” he mutters, pensive, and you swear his eyes flicker to your lips for a second “you don’t see things for what they are. I didn’t see a perfect ex, just a self entitled asshole. Didn’t meet hypercritical family members, just old-school people who are unyielding in their affection for you. I could’ve stayed home, honestly, you seem to be bothered by me the most”

“I’m not bothered by you, don’t be fucking stupid” you blurt out, saliva levels down to zero at this point. What is he even doing? Why is he so close, why does he smell so nice and where the fuck is that wedding gift?

“Ah, there she is” Levi offers a soft smile “had me missing her all night”

He then moves a strand of hair away from your forehead and the pads of his fingers linger on your temple, then barely graze your skin as they travel all the way down to your cheek and along your jaw.

You’re unfamiliar with this version of him. It’s a version that compliments the one that’s met your family and friends, the wedding date you’ve been lucky enough to score. This version knocks the wind out of your lungs and has your knees weak.

But then something happens, the snap of invisible fingers and, just like that, the magic wears out. Your skin is left burning and his arms set you free as he takes a step back and shoves his hands in his pockets.

“I had a good time so enough with your guilt-ridden bullshit”

You’re barely able to catch your breath, still dizzy from the change of the overall mood. Perhaps he’s right and you’re the drunk, hallucinating one.

Levi slides the balcony door again but goes back inside first this time, leaving you little to no time to pull yourself together or calm the pounding of your heart. He collects no envelope from the nightstand before you both leave the room, a burning sensation churning in your stomach as you follow him down the hallway, feeling utterly boneless when you stop in front of the elevator. Maybe that Petra girl did have a point.

“There’s still one thing you probably haven’t noticed about me” right as a ding echoes in the empty hallway he turns his head to look at you, standing a few feet behind “I’m a terrible fucking liar. Wouldn’t convince anyone if I tried”

[fairypowerful]

Before I begin, I just wanna throw these out:

• “ ‘Missing out on love’ isn't something that matters as much when your society isn't amatonormative.”

• “When the world around you doesn't emphasize marriage and romance and all that, then wouldn't you view cultures that do as a tad odd? Not weird in a bad way, just different.”

• “[…] People cannot fathom the concept that other people might experience romantic attraction, and do so intensely, and yet value something else above romance.”

• You just don’t have those feelings of “I need romance, I need marriage” when your society isn’t broken by being amatonormativity. You just don’t have those feelings when you’re already fulfilled in a community. You just don’t have those feelings when you have a purpose in life.

• “Call me crazy, but I know for a fact that I would not want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi […] […] […] I honestly don't understand the assumption that ‘the Jedi are miserable because they can't get married,’ I really don't.”

• There’s romance and marriage in every single media and literature, so why should it be inserted into a fictional monastic culture? If you don’t think entire groups of people could choose to have no romantic commitments their entire life, then there’s over a thousand-year nonfictional accounts of monks and nuns and priests choosing to live a single life in an environment that, too, forbids them from romantic commitments, and they lived in contentment and peace.

————————————————

I wanted to show all that first, like a little preview, because this post is not only about why the Jedi are not wrong for disallowing romantic commitments and marriage, but it’s also about amatonormativity which has always been an enormous problem in the real world, and it clearly impacts how people view communities like the Jedi within fiction.

———

“So why can't Jedi marry? The Jedi believe that children and spouses deserve complete attention. They believe that people deserve present parents and involved partners. Being a Jedi isn't a job. It's a lifestyle. How dare they preach compassion and fairness and justice whilst leaving some abandoned child somewhere? How dare they teach kindness and love and self sacrifice while having a neglected spouse?” — @popupguidetothegalaxy (original post here)

This right here! It wouldn’t stop the criticisms within that part of the fandom, it’d just redirect it to a different one.

Even if the Jedi did marry and have families, y’all (Jedi antis) would then criticize the Jedi for prioritizing the galaxy (which is literally their vocation, their aspiration, and their lifestyle) over their spouses and children.

On top of their daily galactic duties that « take them away from the temple on assignments or missions, away from the planet that temple is located on, and always on the move interstellar-wise » ,,, antis think the Jedi should/could be able to marry and raise a family properly with zero neglect of either spouse and child?

Forget about being burnt out like a nurse in a severely understaffed hospital, it’s just simply an impossible commitment!

———

I watched “Tiger Cruise” rather recently, because it’s one of those Disney movies I never watched growing up, and one conversation in the movie puts this into even more perspective – because the teenaged main character is sick & tired of always only seeing her Navy commander father for a few weeks every few months, begging him to quit the Navy and come home for good.

Maddie: Dad, when are you coming home?

Commander Dolan: What do you mean? We're gonna be docking on Friday.

Maddie: No, I mean… When are you coming home for good?

Commander Dolan: Is that why you came on board? To ask me that? [pause] Look, this is my job.

Maddie: Then get a new one. You've got the degrees, you can do like anything you want.

Commander Dolan: This is what I do.

Maddie: [pause] Must be nice .. travel all over the world, no responsibilities.

Commander Dolan: I'm responsible to a lot of people.

Maddie: To strangers, Dad. What about us? [pause] We’re strangers too. We move all over the place, see you for a few weeks every four or five months, or whenever the Navy says it's okay.

Commander Dolan: The Navy is a way of life. I mean, you go into it and you know the sacrifices you have to make.

Maddie: Well, you’ve done it for my entire life.

Seriously, is this what Jedi antis want? It’s misery, and not necessarily on the parent’s part — he’s HAPPY and LOVES his job. He has the degrees to do anything he wants, as Maddie pointed out, but he doesn’t leave the Navy. It’s the same with the Jedi, as they have the best education and biggest library in the galaxies. And yet…

(some Jedi-Critical) and Anti-Jedi fans think the Jedi are miserable and why the Order is “wrong” for disallowing it [which is just projecting their subjective view of “what a fulfilling life is supposed to look like” onto a monastic people who value and find fulfillment in something other than romance], but it would actually be miserable if they did have families.

Pushing aside the fact that the Jedi are a monastic (and not only martial) organization, there’s a legit reason for disallowing marriage and committed relationships. It’s not fun and games. You can’t combine two enormous commitments and think you can handle it without neglecting the other. There’s no such thing as a part-time Jedi, it’s not a job title!

Jedi are able to leave the Order peacefully, they aren’t forced to stay, but on this specific topic, you just don’t have those feelings of « I need romance, I need marriage » when your society isn’t broken by being amatonormativity. You just don’t have those feelings when you’re already fulfilled in a community. You just don’t have those feelings when you have a purpose in life.

How dare they be happy and fulfilled by being Jedi? How dare they show their commitment to the Order by making the active and daily choice to be Jedi, when they could leave any time? How dare they stick their middle finger up at the no-romance/no-marriage rule? How dare the Jedi not conform to the “education → graduation → relationship → engagement → wedding → 2 kids and a dog” trajectory that only an amatonormative society expects of you? How dare the Jedi be monastic and live like it too?

———

(Words belong to @phoenixyfriend)

• “ ‘Missing out on love’ isn't something that matters as much when your society isn't amatonormative”

• “When your culture is one that emphasizes compassion for all [...] Don't you think that people might just not think of marriage as something worth striving for?”

• “When the world around you doesn't emphasize marriage and romance and all that, then wouldn't you view cultures that do as a tad odd? Not weird in a bad way, just different.”

I just keep thinking about the real world and how so much of the obsession with marriage and so on is a sociocultural thing. You don't want a big white dress because it's a big white dress: you want it because it is the symbol that your culture has been pushing on you since you were two. Girls are taught to fantasize about weddings and marriage and to like A Certain Look for it, sometimes to such a degree that they can spend decades in denial about things like their sexualities.

And we're unlearning that as a society, people are being more critical of the institution and how they engage with it, are starting to question what it is that our media teaches us, asking 'why is marriage the most important thing in a girl's life, or in anyone's life' and generally moving towards a world where marriage exists but is not treated as a universal life goal.

But the Jedi are just. Already doing that.”

• “Marriage is not an inherent human/sapient want. Companionship is! We are biologically wired to be social creatures! […] But marriage? A signed sheet of paper? That's not...inherent. Fidelity and monamory? Sure, maybe. Plenty of species mate for life. But... humans have been proving that's a choice for most of history.”

— (original post, here)

Even without the galactic scale of their lifestyle and duties, is it really so hard to understand or believe that people wouldn’t be miserable in a society where romance is not considered an important thing at all?

If you don’t think entire groups of people could choose to have no romantic commitments their entire life, then there’s over a thousand-years history of monks and nuns choosing to live a single life in an environment that, too, forbids them from romantic commitments, and they lived in contentment and peace.

They’re not only connected to other Jedi through the Force, they are connected to the rest of the universe through the Force; they find joy in their selflessness, in helping people, in trying their best to do good in a universe permeated with corruption. They love being a Jedi, there’s nothing a romantic relationship can give them that’s as fulfilling as being Jedi.

Just…stop projecting your amatonormative misery onto the Jedi.

———

If millions of people around the world in real-life can choose not to ever get married and have children (without even being a part of a close-knit community like the Jedi), despite being bombarded with amatonormativity in media and literature almost everyday, then what’s so weird about a fictional group (who are literally warrior-monks and whom have all of their companionship needs met within their non-amatonormative community) choosing to be single in favor of a higher calling and lifestyle that’s far more valuable and fulfilling than having a romantic relationship?

———

(Words belong to @jedi-enthusiast)

• “Call me crazy, but I know for a fact that I would not want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi.

If I lived somewhere where I was a part of a community of people that I considered my mentors, my friends, my family; if I lived somewhere where I was encouraged to learn, to travel, to help people, to enjoy life as it is, and better myself; if I lived somewhere where I was supported and loved and cared for by the community, and I did the supporting, the loving, the caring for other people in the community as well; if I lived somewhere where it wasn't constantly implied, or sometimes outright stated, that my worth was tied to me marrying a man, popping out children, and making money...

...if I was a Jedi, I can honestly say that the thought of pursuing a romantic relationship probably wouldn't cross my mind at all---not unless I met someone specific whom I felt that sort of connection with, but even then, I probably wouldn't give up being a Jedi to be with them because I'd feel more fulfilled as a Jedi than I would in a romantic relationship.

I honestly don't understand the assumption that the Jedi are miserable because they can't get married, I really don't.

If you feel like you wouldn't be able to be fulfilled without a romantic partner, then that's fine! Everyone's different! We all have different wants and needs! But just accept that you wouldn't be fulfilled without a romantic relationship and stop acting like it's impossible for anyone else to feel differently.

The Jedi all seem perfectly happy as they are.”

— (original post, here)

I also wanna add, because I don’t know where to put this statement … there’s romance and marriage in every single media and literature, so why should it be inserted into a fictional monastic culture? They’re not only warriors, they’re monks too.

It’s a rhetorical question…but I think either they’re so marriage-obsessed that they hadn’t thought of this. Or they are consciously aware of the over-saturation of romance within media when they talk about how the Jedi Order are wrong for disallowing romantic relationships, but they don’t care because they think higher callings are stupid and anything else is inferior to a romance/marriage.

———

(Words belong to @tookas-have-teeth) (original post here)

• “There is a difference between people saying that everyone feels romantic attraction and that it is necessary to being human [arophobia] and the comments a lot of people make about the Jedi.

Oftentimes, when I see complaints about the Jedi, it's because people are angry that people who DO feel romantic attraction might not choose to act on it, or might be part of an organization that requires its members to give up romantic relationships and marriage. People cannot fathom the concept that other people might experience romantic attraction, and do so intensely, and yet value something else above romance.

People consider this to be a cruel denial and repression of one's feelings, rather than seeing it as a choice people are making to prioritize things they value. People have SO bought into the idea that romance is the Ultimate Form of Love, that romance is necessary to live a fulfilled life, that they cannot imagine folks finding other forms of love more fulfilling, especially if those folks experience romantic attraction.”

—

[a comment within the post linked immediately above] “By claiming that people who experience romantic attraction *must* act on it or else they are oppressed, one is functionally insulting every priest, monk, nun, or any number of members of a religious order who choose, of their own free will, not to pursue romance in favor of a higher calling.” — @supersaiyanjedi14

———

There’s only two other fictional worlds that I can think of off the top of my head, that are non-amatonormative. Blissfully fulfilled and happy …

… Equestria (My Little Pony) and Pixie Hollow (Disney Fairies).

After learning the word, I could now put a name to why these two worlds are my top favorites: It’s a non-amatonormative society where everyone’s happy with just a community and a purpose in their life, where romance is 100% not an important factor.

“But in Pixie Hollow, there’s no reproduction, so of course there wouldn’t be any relationships.”

There’s still love and attraction.

Rosetta gets a crush on Sled in Secret of the Wings, Queen Clarion and Lord Milori reveal they fell in love in the distant past. And Terrence has a crush on TinkerBell (although that might just be the printed media, ‘cause I don’t remember it being obvious in the movies).

Is it really so hard to understand or believe that in a society where romance is not considered an important thing at all, and people have (literal) power and a job that they love and a whole damn community for companionship, then those people wouldn’t be miserable?

So, again, stop projecting your allonormative and amatonormative misery onto the Jedi. ‘Cause that’s all it is: your projection.

It’s so sad that the real world can’t be like the aforementioned worlds. Our world makes it so hard for people; a majority don’t have jobs they love, or they don’t have time or money to pursue and grow their talents, and there’s no true community among us. It’s literally dystopian, and we only see it as “this is normal, it’s real life” because we don’t know any other way. But that’s quite a different topic, so…

—

I just wanted to add these, unrelated to Star Wars and fandoms, to point out how destructive it [amatonormativity and allonormativity] is in the real world. ‘Cause I do see tweets on my timeline, from time to time, where a user will be torn over not having a relationship at a certain age or their life not following the ‘right’ trajectory.

[posts by people outside of the Star Wars fandom]

— @uncanny-tranny (original post here)

• Amatonormativity has destroyed so many people's understanding and acceptance of themselves, and it's heartbreaking.

Yes, it is normal to be in your 20s, 30s, or older and not have lost your virginity, had a first kiss, or a partner. It is normal to say that you aren't ready for those things, too! It is normal if your life doesn't follow the "college graduate -> engagement -> buying a home -> 2.5 kids and a dog" trajectory that so many people have idealized.

So many people associate maturity with losing your virginity, or having a first kiss, or a serious relationship, and I think that's a dangerous association. Maturity isn't gained through those things, and you don't have to have those experiences to be considered "mature" or "grown." It is not a bad thing to go at your pace. Nobody else can live your life but you. If you end up having those experiences, that's great! But it should be done because you want to experience them, not because you feel "broken" and "immature" without them.

— @/acegirleatscake on Twitter

• Allonormativity and amatonormativity normalizes ableism: the “you must be cold, sick, delusional” or “there’s something wrong with you” if you don’t have sexual or romantic attractions or don’t want those types of relationships. Being single is seen as “being unwell.”

@/0p4l3sc3nt for this one (below)

• […] single people are constantly questioned about the legitimacy of our happiness […] In an Amatonormative society, our romantic relationships will always have ulterior motives (often subconscious) – which arise from us being conditioned to see romantic relationships as the means to achieve personhood, happiness, and TRUE purpose.

———

Sincerely, everyone in the Anti-Jedi circle needs to go outside, touch grass, and reflect on it.

If our society wasn’t amatonormative (if there was no such thing as our idealization of romance and marriage, if romantic relationships weren’t seen as the most important thing at all in our society), then nobody would have an issue with the Jedi Order disallowing it — for many legit reasons, might I again remind you! Their reasons make so much sense, yet your amatonormativity floods in and turns your brain into worms.

• “Fiction doesn't necessarily map onto people's real life opinions, but the statements people make about this topic are often very broad "the Jedi are bad for forbidding marriage, because people NEED romance" type statements that definitely sound like they're general worldviews rather than just opinions on fictional characters.” — @tookas-have-teeth (again)

This post was left in my drafts from a month ago (early August 2023), but seeing the topic come up again just made me kinda snap; and I don’t want to just scream into the void, so I’m posting it.

And I don’t care how repetitive some of it is, because that was very intentional. They’re like little reminders, so you don’t miss the point and might actually reflect on it.

HAVE A GOOD DAY!

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

https://www.tumblr.com/princess-of-the-corner/756384559964258304/ml-roleswap-when-the-divorce-first-happens-mari?source=share

Wait, sorry which roleswap AU is this? I am intrigued.

oh, ok, so like.

Someone on @princess-of-the-corner suggested a "Roleswap" for Marinette and Adrien, but not like. Role in the show, more what I started calling a "RichSwap" - instead of the Agreste's being the Uber rich, it’s the Dupain-Chengs. And I sort of had a brief burst of "wait ideas!" cause why are the Dupain-Chengs rich? Why didn’t Gabriel hit it big in fashion? And what I vaguely came up with is-

Sabine has that world famous chef brother, right? Well, here, he hits it big as a TV chef or something, and he works close with Tom and Sabine as he's getting these chains of restaurants up and running. As a result, Tom and Sabine ALSO hit it big, and in "current canon" have chains of bakeries in Paris and the greater France area as a whole, as well as partnering with bistros, coffee shops and the like. So the Dupain-Chengs are the rich and well-known ones, with Marinette as the heiress to "DC Delights" (company name). However, this doesn’t actually change much about the Dupain-Chengs themselves. Tom and Sabine are still warm, compassionate, kind people who love their daughter, and are very supportive of her desire to be a fashion designer. Meanwhile, Marinette is mostly the same, but growing up in privilege has made her a bit . . . naive? Like, she's AWARE she grew up super rich, and that not everyone has the money she does, but sometimes that sort of privilege effects her views, or those of others in unexpected ways (there has definitely been a moment where Marinette said something like "Why don’t you just buy a new one?", or similar, not MEANING to sound condescending or privileged, just kind of . . . oblivious on occasion).

Also, because the Dupain-Chengs are the ones with wealth, they're the ones who are friends with the Bourgeois family, with Marinette and Chloé growing up as childhood friends. All that said, I honestly couldn’t see Tom and Sabine being cool with how Audrey and Andre treat Chloé - plus, I've read too much fic recently of Awful!André, and I'm kind of sick of it - so I decided this was "Decent!Dad" André (the one we kind of had before TA decided Chloé was the devil incarnate) who has actually divorced Audrey, and has taken primary custody of Chloé. Tom and Sabine were André's supports through the divorce process, and André himself is aware he isn’t the best dad. Instead of how we put him in the AwareAU, he's closer to how we wrote Roger, before he gets his kick in the ass. A bit toxic, kind of self-involved, but genuinely loves his kid. So, here, André has gone to therapy, and done his best to ACTUALLY be a good dad to Chloé. He doesn’t always get it right, and he fucks up on occasion, but he at least ACKNOWLEDGES these fuck ups, and does his best to fix them. Also, he doesn’t try to buy his daughter's affection.

Meanwhile, Audrey took the divorce REALLY BADLY. Not because she actually gave a shit about Chloé or André, but because she saw the divorce and André taking Chloé as a personal attack. André getting Chloé was, to Audrey, as if he'd stolen a prize that was rightfully hers. So, Audrey is actually a bit more involved in Chloé's life, cause she keeps turning up to try and "win her" from André. That's how she's using her visitation rights. She keeps showing up to try and "win" Chloé's affection, and turn her against André. This isn’t exactly consistent (Audrey still has her Style Queen job and other things to do) but at least two or three times every six months or so, sometimes more, she shows up to harass André and try to "win" Chloé back.

Chloé herself is a bit . . . mixed. She and Marinette were, like, 6 when André and Audrey divorced, and I'm not sure how well the parents explained to the kids what was happening. It probably also didn’t help that Marinette, aspiring fashion designer, idolized Audrey a bit as a fashion icon. Now, closer to current canon, Marinette has started to realize Audrey kind of sucks, while Chloé is more torn. Like, she's aware Audrey is rather . . . rough, with most people, but here, while still driving Chloé to be Exceptional(tm), she's actually been more affectionate, and somewhat (for Audrey) loving, cause she wants to "win" Chloé from André. Chloé, of course, isn’t aware that's why Audrey is doing it, so believes her mom is just a bit blunt with others, and also believes she can win enough affection that her mom might stay in Paris.

(Sidenote, I desperately wanted Roger to also be better here, and somehow that dovetailed into him and André meeting in therapy, eventually dating and getting married, so Sabrina and Chloé are step-sisters. I don’t care if that makes sense, I'm kind of attached now.)

So, that's roughly the Dupain-Cheng's, with a side of the Bourgeois. Now, onto the Agreste's.

Gabriel and Emilie Agreste, rather than being big names in fashion and the entertainment industry, instead own a small but highly successful clothing boutique, Gabriel's, making and selling clothes. Emilie's done modelling, and acted in some commercials and smaller projects, but never anything big name, while Gabriel has designed for some very wealthy clients, but never broken out into big business. Why? Well, I thought about how, in canon, Audrey "discovers" Gabriel, right? Same here, but Audrey was Audrey, and Gabriel told her to "shove her 'patronage' up her ass", so Audrey has done her level best to kill his career, with middling success. He does have his own business, but has never risen higher, and thanks to Audrey, likely never will.

As for Adrien himself, he's still mostly homeschooled. He grows up in his parents clothing store, is taught to sew, and even helps out during rush times. His "model smile" is here his customer service face, and while he's modelled a few of his father's items for the boutique's website, it isn’t his job or the only thing he does. Here, because his parents aren’t made of money, his homeschooling isn't with private tutors, but done through local homeschooling groups and the like, so Adrien does actually have friends (like Luka, for example. It’s pretty accepted fanon that Luka was homeschooled because of his "Heartsong" ability making going to regular school difficult, so here, I imagine he and Adrien are friends). He goes out and explores, is probably still in the fencing club and so on. However, his parents are still over-protective, and Adrien often feels stifled, wanting to go out more on his own, so he DOES still want to go to regular school. By current canon, after a lot of pushing, his parents have reluctantly agreed. Mostly cause the Hawk Moth stuff is about to go down, and it'll be easier to hide that from Adrien if he's out of the house more.

Yes, Gabe is still Hawk Moth. But no, Emilie is not is a coma. Let me explain.

Here, rather than all the nonsense from canon, Gabriel found the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous in an antique store, and bought them for inspiration. Maybe also the book, but less important right now. He and Emilie, upon learning what the Miraculous are, do start using them, PURELY to inspire designs, or complete work (maybe they did one or two rooftop runs, but shhhhh!). Cause, and here's the big thing, here, Adrien is NOT a Sentimonster. He's Emilie and Gabriel's biological kid. Whether they went through the absolute pain of IVF, or maybe Nathalie carried him for them - oh yeah, Nathalie's still here. She works as the Boutique's manager, handles calls, mans the cash, helps out around the store. Also, she, Emilie, and Gabe are in a relationship, Adrien's grown up calling her "Aunite Nat" or "Maman Dua" (Mom 2) - anyway, regardless, Adrien is actually their kid, so they had no reason to make a Senti-baby. However, the Peacock was still broken, and Emilie still used it, resulting in her becoming sick.

Now, she isn’t in a coma, or in any immediate, serious danger. Think a little closer to how Nathalie is in canon, after she uses the Peacock. Emilie is a bit like that, but she is, currently, ok. However, she is getting sick. It is totally possible that, without magical intervention, she could get sicker, and eventually fall into the canon coma. Gabe and Nathalie are getting a little desperate, so yes, Gabe is planning his Hawk Moth debut. And again, since they aren’t made of money here, he doesn’t exactly have a "secret lair" to hide in, so if the Agreste’s want to pull this off, unless they want to tell Adrien, they need him out of the house more.

I think the big thing here is, with a few NOTABLE exceptions, this AU has most of the more neglectful and/or parents as more decent, down to earth, more willing to notice their own faults. Like, André and Roger have both gone to therapy. They aren’t perfect, but they are SO MUCH BETTER than canon. Or the most extreme example, yes Gabriel is still going Hawk Moth. But, because Emilie isn’t in a coma, he hasn’t totally fallen off the deep end. He's a bit more reasonable, easier to negotiate with. Also, Because Emilie's illness isn’t as extreme, the Akuma thing is two-fold. Gabe is gunning for the Ladybug and Black Cat, but if he can’t get them, he hopes that by experimenting with the Akuma, he can create one that will heal Emilie.

The only other big change I can see here is that Kagami also isn’t a Sentimonster. Like, I think you can still have Felix be a Senti - Amelie is Emilie's sister, she might have lent her sister the Peacock for the Canon fertility problems. Heck, maybe that's how they find out it's broken, when Colt starts getting sick (I mean, he also seems to be nuts, and starts abusing his kid, but that’s a separate issue). But because Gabe isn’t a big name, he and Tomoe never interact, so Kagami wouldn’t be a Sentimonster. I think, in the line of making most of the parents more reasonable, actually empathetic beings, I'd have Kagami be illegitimate. Like, Tomoe is mostly upright, firm in her honour, her duty to her family. But she had a one-night stand at some point, which resulted in Kagami, and it’s a HUGE DEAL in the Tsurugi clan that Tomoe had a kid out of wedlock, to a random nobody. Like, other members of her family look down on her, and on Kagami, for it. (Not sure how much Japan cultural knowledge you have, or even how accurate this is, but as far as I can tell, legitimacy and fidelity are BIG THINGS in Japan, as is bloodline, so Tomoe having an out-of-wedlock kid, and not even being able to name the dad would be a BIG DEAL, and probably seen as bringing shame to the family). So, Tomoe is very strict, and drives Kagami hard, not to be malicious, but because she knows that her family will always see Kagami as "less", and so pushes her to overcome their prejudice. Whether Kagami is aware of the reason, unsure, but Tomoe would have to learn that she's probably taking it a bit too far.

Some small shit that didn’t seem to fit elsewhere:

So, I think this is Reverse!LoveSquare. Marinette is crushing on Cat Noir. Adrien is crushing on Marinette. Marinette was really taken with the smooth talking cat who built up her confidence, while Adrien quickly falls in love with the designer girl - he's grown up around designers, he knows talent when he sees it, plus she's so sweet, so kind . . .

I think, first day, there's a bit of drama, in that Chloé actually knows who Adrien is. Her mom probably told her about him, in a "if you ever meet this kid, oppose him, his whole family in Unexceptional (tm)" so there might be a bit of tension there. And cause everything else is mostly the same, Alya is also starting school that day, so she befriends Adrien instead of Marinette. Also Nino, cause like. Come on. The Nino-Adrien friendship is pretty universal here.

I think I made the Gorilla the Agreste's next door neighbour? Like, he doesn’t talk much, and clearly has some Trauma (tm) (I posit here, rather than bodyguard, he was in the army for a bit, which was Not Fun(tm)) he's polite. He helps out around the store once in a while, and has volunteered to drive Adrien places.

Don't have much else, so . . . tell me what you think, or if you have any ideas!

[kibblemode]

oc for cpcs info under the cut

cecil davis, he/him, cis + gay, 26, mixed (white/hispanic), prims older brother + main protag | battle theme

cecil is the main protag of the game, he lived in the underworld w/ his mom annie before she sent him to live with his uncle seg in the surface world. externally hes very serious n can be stern sometimes but hes a good guy overall ^_^ he has a younger sister who he'll protect with his LIFE they love each other lots. in fact sometimes he can get a little Too protective lol. he befriends jona and his friends bc seg accidentally shows his true nonhuman form to him while cecil and prim are with him so cecil makes a deal w jona in order to protect their identities (jona is an aspiring paranormal journalist) and thats how the game starts out LOL

prim davis, she/her, cishet, 18, mixed (same as cecil), cecils little sister | cutscene theme

prim is cecils little sister abd the secondary protag of the story. she was also sent to the surface world by haven to live with seg, since she hasnt seen cecil in person for over 9 years. shes very kind and good natured, but she can have moments where shes a little hotheaded. she loves her brother dearly and has a great relationship w him :] she also has a boyfriend in the overworld and is Not happy w her dad that shes separated from him

jona chen, he/him, trans + bisexual, 25, chinese, cecils friend | cutscene theme

jona is cecils first and closest friend in the surface world. hes a human but knows that cecil is Not due to seg accidentally revealing their nonhuman forms in front of him. hes an aspiring paranormal journalist and investigator, so hes Suuuuper interested in learning about cecil and prims respective cultures. he also gets permission from cecil and prim to let his close friends see them as they truly are. he ends up being super close with cecil and even asks him out near the end of the game, whether or not cecil accepts is up to the player tbh

gulliver hitchcock, he/him, cis + bisexual, 28, white, jonas friend

gulliver is one of jonas friends. hes very country and lives in the middle of nowhere. him living so far from the city means cecil and his friends spend a lot of time there. he unknowingly saves his friends from an escaped underworld beast of some sort by hitting it with his truck. hes the second of jonas friends to be introduced in game

daisy evergreen, she/her, cis + bisexual, 30, ugandan, also jonas friend

another one of jonas friends. daisy is the first to find out about cecils true identity after jona, but thats mostly because she figured it out on her own. shes pretty even tempered and cool in the face of danger, her friends usually go to her for advice. in game she is the first human introduced, cecil walks her home after she gets lost in the towns neighboring woods

seg janson, he/him, cishet, 56, white, cecil and prims uncle | battle theme + cutscene theme

seg is a rich conman who jointly owns a banking company in the city. before the start of the game hed never met his niece and nephew, but after meeting them he cares for them deeply. he gives cecil a job to protect his identity but accidentally allows jona to see their nonhuman forms like i said earlier. he lives in the middle of the small town jona and his friends live in, in an abandoned church he made into a mansion. later in the game its revealed that he lives in the surface world because he preferred it to the underworld, and he prefers living with humans instead of preying on their weaknesses

misty goodman, she/her, cis + lesbian, 25, white, ALSO jonas friend

yet another friend of jonas. shes a blogger who lives in the city, and is the last to find out about cecil. she can be pretty rude and blunt about most things, but she also has a rare kinder side. despite her personality she loves her friends and would do Anything for them, even is she doesnt say so. she helps jona with his amateur journalism by using her talent for photography to provide him with pictures to use in his articles. basically his partner in crime

radon, he/him, trans + het, 33, white, weird guy + resident fucked up scientist | cutscene theme + battle theme

radon is somewhat of an urban legend around the town. hes a chemist who studies radioactive materials in his free time (which he has a lot of) in his lab under his house. he tends to experiment on himself a lot, since he ran out of """test subjects""". he rarely leaves the lab, usually injecting himself with chemicals snd documenting the results. cecil winds up in his lab by accident, and witnesses radon inject himself one too many times, which causes him to turn into a gross monster that cecil kills in self defense

haven davis, he/they, cishet, 52, hispanic, cecil and prims father + main "villain" | battle theme + cutscene theme

haven is basically god, and rules over the overworld with an iron fist. he can be pretty emotionless and serious, but is still a good dad overall. he is the final boss of the game, his need to protect his family results in him trying to erase jona and friends' memories of everything they weren't supposed to see. this leads up to him being the final boss of the game, cecil stops him by defeating him in a heated battle. hes not a terrible person per se but he definitely does some fucked up shit to humans he considers a threat to the secrecy of both the overworld and the underworld

annie janson, she/her, cishet, 49, white, cecil and prims mother | cutscene theme

annie is cecil and prim's mom and shes like. literally the devil and is considered head of the underworld lol. shes divorced (her ex husband haven lives in the overworld with prim, meanwhile cecil lives in the underworld with annie) i dont have much character wise but i like to think shes a bit of a hothead but still a decent mom to her kids

[greycaelum]

Hi Grey! When Reader met Gojo clan it is not a good meeting, how about the day when Gojo met Reader’s family?

Kaleidoscope Series—Clouds and Mochi Chapters: { Normal }

—Gojo Satoru X Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

You glance at Satoru, his nervous look replaced with a relieved one as well. Your man looks like he just won the grand prize in the arcade. But it faded when your Dad cleared his throat, silencing everyone at the table.

"Mnn, which team are you?" He glared at Satoru who have gone pale once again.

"Sir?" ... Satoru's face has gone Pikachu.

"Team. Which team are you?"

"He means baseball." You supplied at his confused brain.

𑁍 Genre: fluff, domesticity, family

𑁍 CW/TW: (2.5k)— Satoru, and Y/n being sleep-deprived, slight cursing, and Satoru being a nice kitty to your dad

𑁍 A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope y'all keeping we arm in this cold days~

Satoru wants to meet your parents, and it was an interesting afternoon.

"Remember Hikaru-kun? Your childhood best friend. He came home for a short vacation. He's grown to be such a charming man." Your Mom happily chattered over the phone. "I was surprised to know he established his own company. Could you believe that? He's just 24 years old."

"He's always been a smart kid." You shrug, a blurry memory of this childhood friend you don't remember playing much with. Nonetheless, that's a great thing. Being successful at such a young age. "Send my regards to him Mom." You took a taste of the curry you're making

You heard your mother sigh.

"Someday, if you're gonna get a person to marry, I'd rather have you a normal man Y/n. You don't need to go after those rich men who have too much money to spend for a lifetime. A man with a job enough to feed you and finance a good life is enough."

"Mom!" You laughed at the sudden switch of her topic.

"What? It's true. Even your father agrees with me." You heard a grumble from the phone, probably your father being glared at by your mother to agree. "A man who can treat you right, and provide is more than enough. What would you do with the money if he cannot have time for you?"

"I know Mom." You turned the stove off and checked the rice cooker.

Great! Dinner is ready, all that's left is to wait for Satoru.

"You have to bring home the guy when you find one, okay? Your Dad and I are looking forward to it!"

"Sure." You helplessly smiled at her insistence. Your friends' parents would usually say the opposite. But your mother has a good point.

Bringing Satoru over... well, after that sudden remarks from your mother you're starting to doubt the resolution you built to have your boyfriend meet your parents. Satoru is quite the opposite of her aspiration of a guy for you. It would be unfair on Satoru's part if you ask him to act like a 'normal citizen'.

She said her goodbyes after one last reminder and that left you to sit and wait on the counter stool. It's still early, Satoru will be home in an hour or two. You look up from your phone and froze at the man leaning on the kitchen door frame.

Brooding eyes staring at you with his arms crossed. Uh-oh...

"Aren't you bringing me over?"

"'Toru, welcome home!" You easily brush off the surprise and jump off the kitchen stool, padding in his direction and throwing your arms around him for a hug. "You already showered." You inhaled the menthol scent of his shower gel accompanied by aftershave. The faint redness from shaving his jaws was still visible even as he just his lips down for a pout.

"When are you gonna take me to meet Mom and Dad?"

Mom and Dad? You look at him between laugh and frown.

"Soon." After I explain to them...

"Baby!" He whined, throwing his arms around you, pouting and huffing. "You're not proud of me huh?"

"That's not the reason 'Toru." You sighed, turning around to cup his cheeks.

"Is it because I'm not normal?" His shoulders visibly tensed, turning to hide his face in your neck, enveloping you in his tight hug.

"Silly, 'Toru." The last thing you need is to make him feel inadequate. You struggled to gather his face, his lower lip jutting down as he avoids your gaze. "Look, give me just few days, I promise I'm gonna take you to see them. No secrets this time. Okay?" Leaning forward you give the tip of his nose a small peck, hoping it would appease him.

You're sure your Mom and Dad would change their mind when they see Satoru and his intentions with you.

"Mnn, 'kay." He hummed, pulling you for another hug.

It's Saturday dusk. Your hand laced around Satoru's rough ones, a layer of his Infinity naturally clung to you against the busy Tokyo crowd. It's a normal occurrence for Satoru to have you in his weekend work also being your date time. And you're both now on your way to grab dinner before going he brings you home.

"I think there's a festival." Satoru draped his arm over your shoulder, pulling you closer to his side to protect you from the crowd colliding over your shoulders. "Do you want some cotton candy?"

"Just say that you want to eat some."

He laughed, pinching your cheeks. But nonetheless, you nod with a smile. Your boyfriend's sweet tooth rubbed on you over time.

"Which one do you want?" Satoru turned to you to choose from the different cotton candy colors.

"The blue on please."

Satoru paid for it while you peek at the nearby takoyaki stall.

"Y/n?"

Someone's calling you. You roam your head in the crowd.

"See I told you it's her. Y/n!"

You turned and saw your parents waving at you.

Fuck

"Don't run around like that Baby, I thought I lost you for a second. Mnn, what's wrong?"

Agh! Double fuck!

Here you are, twirling your straw on the iced tea with your parents looking at you and Satoru back and forth. It's certainly not the first time they met, Satoru already met them at your graduation but apart from asking if he could take you out, there was nothing more.

"So are you two..." Your mother trailed down, her eyes wandering to Satoru, with his hand holding yours, despite the thin sheet of sweat forming on his palm. "Are you two, dating?"

His shoulders visibly straightened, and the constant bobbing of his throat was as if he was having a hard time swallowing whatever it is stuck in his throat.

Your father grunted from the side. Raking a good look at Satoru who has switched his bandages to his sunglass. Clearly, your old man is not impressed.

"Yes, Ma'am."

You Mom made an 'oh' face and smiled. A smile that you don't trust.

"So... what's your job? Gojo-kun?"

And there it goes. You trust Satoru alright, but he does say random things out of the blue that jeopardizes the situation.

"I'm working as a teacher in a technical school in Tokyo."

An unlicensed one at that too. You bit your tongue. Squeezing his hand to give moral support to your man. He squeezes back, rubbing your knuckles with his thumb, assuring you in his small gesture.

Your Mom looks brighter. That fits in her 'normal' category of prospect for you.

"How about your family Gojo-kun? Are you an only child?"

"Ma, that's a sensitive question." You stop sipping your iced tea and frown.

But there are that soft circles, rubbing your knuckles, calling your attention to calm down. Satoru kept his gaze straight on your mother and answered.

"My family is a little wider than the usual family tree, and we have a small family business—"

What the fuck is small? Gojo Clan basically monopolized the big three sorcerer families. You resist the urge to roll your eyes at his fatass lie.

"—I have a sister. But she's studying as an exchange student so we don't see each other that much."

Your Mother nod, quite satisfied with her interview-like questions.

You glance at Satoru, his nervous look replaced with a relieved one. Your man looks like he just won the grand prize in the arcade. But it faded when your Dad cleared his throat, silencing everyone at the table.

"Mnn, which team are you?" He glared at Satoru who have gone pale once again.

"Sir?" ... Satoru's face has gone Pikachu.

"Team. Which team are you?"

"He means baseball." You supplied at his confused brain.

"Oh! Yomiuri Giants... Sir." He almost stuttered under the scrutinizing glare of your Dad. What if your Dad is a Hanshin Tiger's fan?! He will hate him!

"Come to the house tomorrow." Your father grunted and tug your Mom who was staring at you, making some hand signals she will call you later. Only when they left your vision did you let out a long sigh.

"Your Dad hates me." Satoru has never felt so dejected in his existence.

"I also don't know." You finally broke the poor man's last string of hope.

"He. Hates. Me?!" 

"Stop shaking me!"

Thinking about it it's not like your Dad spat vitriol on Satoru. It's just that he also didn't look like he was convinced. Satoru has been silent since you went home. You've never seen him this bothered. Agitated, and restless. Sitting on the kitchen counter stool, he's been staring, absentmindedly at the wall.

"Get your ass over here." You rolled your eyes. "I made hot cocoa." That one didn't need much convincing.

Soon you're enveloped in his arms, a thick quilt covering the two of you while sipping some hot cocoa. His calloused fingertips, occasionally rub the back of your hand when you took too long before giving him a sip. A part of you is confident your parents would understand. Even if they knew the truth... that Satoru is not the conventional man they idealized for you, they'll still accept your decision.

Your heart has never been this peaceful even if he's a walking disaster.

"I want your parents to like me." Out of nowhere, he mumbled. A mumbling Satoru is a common thing when the two of you huddle on the couch.

"They'll do." You hummed and close your eyes, leaning your head back to his shoulders. "After all, I'm not planning on switching you for anyone anytime soon."

He huffs, making you smile knowing he's already pouting. Telling you he's up to talk about it more.

"I want them to like me for you." Satoru shrug. "Y'know, like treat me how they'd treat a son too."

"Why? You planning to be my adopted brother?" You quirk an amused brow and Satoru rolls his eyes. His thumb, drew circles over the back of your hand, resuming the cozy silence until you both finish the mug of cocoa and went to bed.

The next afternoon, you rang the doorbell of your parent's house.

"Oh! They're here. Come in, we've been waiting for you." Your Mother announced your arrival and your Father grumbles in the background.

You can't hide the budding smile on your lips when you see your father, brooding by the stove but he's cooking a special dish. Something your mother asked in the chat yesterday.

"You should stay for a sleepover, we're going home tomorrow." Your Mother smiled, especially in Satoru's direction. "The both of you."

But Satoru has to go to work. No man is available to fill in Satoru's place, much more there are not many people to ask that favor anyway.

"I could stay over but Satoru has work later afternoon."

A hand intertwined with yours squeezing it. Satoru intervened.

"If you'd have me, I'll stay Ma'am, Sir."

"Of course! Of course!"

Your Father quietly puts the bowl on the table and crosses his arms, staring at Satoru. Your poke his side, nudging a bowl to his side while you also get yours. Ladling for him and for you.

Satoru sat there, a little confused but a glint in his eyes sparkled as he brought the spoon to his mouth.

"How is it?" Your Father asked in a gruff tone.

You can't help but giggle. Your father can be a tsundere at times, even having your mother text you to ask what Satoru's favorite dish is.

"If Y/n doesn't cook this, your cooking would be the closest I've ever had to my childhood." A small smile bloomed on Satoru's lips, followed by a wide boyish grin.

Your Father cleared his throat, nodding his head, evading your knowing smirk. He's so easy to please.

"How long have you and Y/n met?"

The lunch started with the talk of how you and Satoru started. Your mother is the best at remembering your embarrassing moments as a kid but forgetting to brag about your formal achievements.

You could already see that little horns in Satoru's head to tease you when you get home.

"He's a good man." Your mother hummed, watching your father and Satoru play catch ball in the backyard, the two of them talking but you cannot hear it.

"Oh, you don't know what a menace he could be." You shook your head.

Your Father laughed with his hands by his waist and Satoru rolled on the grass clutching his stomach in a fit of laughter too.

"But yeah, he is."

Your mother smiled. It doesn't take long for you to get sleepy, with a full stomach and the relief that Satoru is getting along with your family, it was enough to lull you into a peaceful afternoon nap.

Satoru found you in that state—sleeping on the living room couch while your mother is reading some novel.

"She's asleep. You should go freshen up first."

"I didn't bring any shirt with me, Ma'am."

"I'll bring you a fresh set, and you're my daughter's boyfriend it's weird for you to keep calling me Ma'am and my husband Sir."

"Auntie then. Thank you."

It was only in the bath did it sink into him he's gonna spend the night together with your parents. It's like the sleepover he's never had!

Dressed in his fresh shirt and sweatpants, you're still sleeping and he can't see your Mom and Dad anywhere. You look cozy and vulnerable and it's making him sleepy too.

A little nap won't hurt...

Getting into the covers without disturbing you is easy, he's so used to it that he doesn't break a sweat in turning you over to cuddle into his chest.

Your Dad found the two of you in that position. Sleeping soundly, cuddling each other for warmth and neither of the two of you notices the soft weight of a blanket draping over you until you wake up at the scent of dinner.

"I'll see you next time. Don't forget to wear thicker clothes it's cold."

You hug her and said yes to the remaining reminders. Satoru also hug her, thanking her for the wonderful day off he had.

It was your father's turn.

"Take care Dad. Don't forget to say hi to grandaunt for me."

"I'll tell her. And visit home when you're on vacation." He rumbled, glancing in Satoru's direction. "Bring Satoru with you."

You nod, smiling ear to ear. The boarding announcement to the train rang out and they got in, waving the two of you one last goodbye.

"Bye Mom and Dad!"

Next thing you realize you're engulfed in a tight hug and Satoru's laughing.

"See I told you. They'd like you."

A wide grin is on his lips as you both walk out of the station, Satoru's arms draped over your shoulder.

"Hmmm, you gotta bring me home soon Baby." He whispered and bit your ear making you yelp and hit his chest

Pretty normal Satoru, cheeky and the ball of menace that he is.

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used, belongs to their respective owner(s)

General/Kaleidoscope Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @gummy-dummy @tender-rosiey

[bengiyo]

Only Boo! Ep 6 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Moo pushed Kang too hard by confessing his feelings publicly via the school's speakers and was told sternly by Kang to back off and focus on his schoolwork first. With the help of Potae and Payos, he was able to avoid Kang for a week or so to prove he could take care of his responsibilities, and Kang has clearly fallen.

The modern era is terrifying. We must record learning to dance for views on Tiktok.

Episode 6: I See My Destination

They're constantly reinforcing that Moo has no fear or shame about who he is. Dreading when the world tries to teach it to him.

Moo isn't even afraid of his mom. She really did a good job with him.

I am glad Kang's mom isn't homophobic, but I feel like the show was actively misdirecting me for weeks about her worries. I get that we live in a homophobic world so I'm not going to dwell on it. Still, it feels like a waste of angst considering this is a show about an aspiring idol.

Look at that growth from Kang. He still won't commit fraud, but he can offer encouragement.

Sign it himself? Dad Potae wtf.

Shone, do not cause problems on purpose.

I love Moo wearing his glasses to seem more studious.

I love Moo's mom. She knows her son, and she knows when she's being played.

Incredible. Scammers, all of them! But mom is an industry professional who won't be tricked so easily.

I wanna read Moo's mom as concerned about the industry's homophobia being the reason he doesn't pass auditions, but they just let me down earlier with Kang's mom by waiving my read. I'm going to withhold assigning meaning the show may retcon. I feel like I need to stop giving BL credit for alluding to things it then actively undercuts.

Still, Moo's mom giving permission but wanting to understand why they would go so far feels right for the kind of parent she is.

This thing with Shone is getting awkward for me.

It is a real relief that Kang is starting to make moves on Moo.

I kinda wish we'd gotten a stronger sense of what Payos and Potae deal with outside of school and auditions before this episode. Potae being a serial flirt because he feels lonely at home is fine. I get that the show needs us to understand this before they face the audition next week so we have additional emotional stakes on the line, but it just highlights for me that Payos only has stakes around Potae.

I really hope Shone gets rejected next week so we don't have to keep dwelling on this.

This show really frustrated me this week. Completely dropping the mom worries we picked up for weeks just to go directly to open parental acceptance was a huge letdown. It also means that I don't feel secure in any of my reads on Moo's mom not wanting Moo to suffer the entertainment closet. I'm irritated because I struggle with BL shows that want the lightness and silly stakes of the bubble while simultaneously asking me to care about real world queerness. It feels like I'm being shoved back into the closet in a warped way, and I really don't like it. It allows the show to rely on shorthand of internalized homophobia when they're building and then they give us nothing in payoff. I'm not having fun with shows basically telling me to just enjoy the cute boys and ignore queer truth whenever it suits them. It sucks because I am enjoying the arc and pacing of the main romance here, but I feel like it's going to feel empty at the end now.

[moocha-muses]

Big news, gentlesims! The lovely Lorelei Lee is looking to fall in love! Could your sim be The One?

I: So, Lilo, give us the scoop. What made you send in an audition tape?

L: This is going to sound so lame, but, I’ve never been in love before! And I know what you’re thinking. Lorelei, you’re twenty-three. Get over yourself. But everyone else has been dropping the “l-word” since high school. I’ve been confessed to, but I’ve never been the one doing the confessing. I’m here to meet someone that'll make my heart pound.

Full interview (and the submission rules) beneath the cut!

I: That’s why you’re here . . . why should the contestants bother showing up?

LL: Ouch! Haha, I mean, I don’t know? I’ve got a killer smile, great legs, I’m not a bad cook . . . I’m sure they’ll have their reasons.

I: Tell us a little more about yourself.

LL: Sure. Let’s see. I’m pretty competitive. I don’t think I’m an asshole about it, but if I was one of the suitors on this show, I’d probably end up as the villain. I swear I'm nice to the sims I date.

I: Ha!

LL: I love cats, I have mild insomnia and I drink way too much coffee. I'm great with people, I love making new friends, but I tend to hold onto a grudge. Sometimes I really get into moods where I just feel all my feelings.

I can play pretty much any instrument by ear, and I absolutely slay at karaoke night. I think a lot of my college professors expected me to drop my major at any minute, like it was a giant prank, and go into the family business - should I talk about my mom? No? Well, I am going into the family business. People forget my dad’s a social worker. He’s my hero.

I: You sound great.

LL: Are you sure? I don’t know if I’d date me.

I: She’s funny, too! This sim's a catch. Speaking of . . . Lilo, what kind of sim are you looking for?

LL: Someone passionate. I don't mean that in a sexy way (though clearly that's a plus) but the sims I've been attracted to have always committed to the bit, you know? I'm into people who don't back down, or try to make themselves palatable. I love listening to sims talk about the things they're completely weird on.

And blondes! Love me a blond.

______________________________________________________________

Now for the entry rules!

To submit an entrant, just make a post with cute pics and a bio (see below) and tag me! The finalists can be sent as in a private DL once they've been chosen.

Contests get an all-expenses paid trip to a tropical vacation for a shoot that will happen right after the end of this round. All entries should include a personal bio with an aspiration, a personality/sign (Lilo's a Popularity Taurus), a list of traits and a set of TOs (at least one of which should be for black hair, fitness, or creativity). Feel free to include a career and job level too. And a LTW! Why not?

Winning entrants will be expected to provide their own wardrobe (Everyday, Formal, Swim, and Undies) suitable for a tropical environment.

All genders welcome, but only the following supernaturals: witches, werewolves, and aliens. Go ahead and include any accessories/jewelry and tattoo boxes you'd like. I'll recolor hairs and adjust skins/eyes as necessary to match my defaults. Go ahead and include an CC you like! The more the better.

(No real entrant deadline because scheduling this within the next two/three months is probably optimistic. Let's say September 1st-ish, until the producers say otherwise. Otherwise, I'll cap it when we hit too many sims for me to choose between!)

Good luck, and don't forget your hearts! Or your swimsuits.

[jcrdyflores]

// hey, isn’t that JORDANA FLORES, who looks a little like ISABELA MERCED? i hear SHE/HER is/are a 23 year old CIS WOMAN who works as a WAITRESS @ UNCLE SAM’S DINER who has been in town for HER WHOLE LIFE. they ARE / AREN’T a member of one of aspen creek’s founding families. you can usually find them at SUNNYVALE COMMONS or RETRO RACK. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of THE ACHE OF WISHING FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN NEVER HAVE, FLORAL PERFUME LINGERING BEHIND, BAD DECISIONS WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, MAKING TEA FOR THE CEREMONY OF IT BUT LIVING OFF OF COFFEE, HAND EMBROIDERED JEAN JACKETS. just keep an eye on them & see if their true colors shine through!

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 . . .

𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: jordana mariana flores

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄(𝐒): jordy, dana, dani, mari

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: june 2nd, 2001

𝐀𝐆𝐄: 23

𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: waitress @ uncle sam’s diner / aspiring comic artist

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍: dixon ( 2 year old, blue french bulldog )

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌: angel in blue jeans by train, remix (i like the) by nkotb, pink pony club by chappell roan, gasolina by daddy yankee, behind these hazel eyes (techno version) by way 2 hard & hyper bear, please please please by sabrina carpenter, truck bed by hardy, need you tonight by inxs

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘. . .

Born to a single mother, brought up on a host of stories of what her birth father was like but never who he was. Despite the echo of emptiness Jordana felt at times, when she saw others with their fathers, she never wanted for anything growing up with her mother. In fact, with only the knowledge that her father wanted nothing to do with her, Jordy never even thought of looking for the man.

With the various pseudo parental influences in her background, Jordy grew up with a well rounded personality. She learned to charm the socks off of anyone she met from the former actress down the street, and developed a love for reading thanks to the librarian who recommended a number of books to her over the years. She learned how to hotwire a car from a mechanic, and how to play chess from the older neighbor across the street. Her friend circle in school was eclectic to a fold, gathering people from all walks of life into her group and befriending even more outside of it.

As she grew up, she knew she wanted to travel in or after college, which lead to her getting 2 years of college done before she even finished high school. It gave her the time to travel for a month or so before finishing college when she came back, and settled back into town. She found a job at Uncle Sam’s Diner, and has been waitressing there for the past few years.

In all honesty, life is going great for Jordy. It’s normal, and she likes it that way. She likes her hometown, her family dynamic, loves her boyfriend, she’s even gained a decent follower count on her blog where she posts her online comic series (under a pseudonym). There’s nothing to complain about.

So when news more recently broke about her being the first child of the Tomás Gibson, Jordy was absolutely floored. Sure her mother had been vague about her birth father’s identity, but never in a million years would she have guessed that the Gibson Patriarch was her dad. Frankly, she’s terrified of what this news might cause, and right now she’s just worried about her mother.

Jordana’s lasted 23 years without knowing her father, she has absolutely no plans to make the first move to know him now.

AESTHETICS: overwatering plants as symbolism for loving to the point of suffocation • perfect lipstick smudged after a night out • a good heart wounded too many times • sweet drinks that make the memories foggier • “women who run in high heels should be feared” • trinkets decorating the apartment to make it feel more homey • making tea for the ceremony of it but living off of coffee • that adrenaline high and uncontrollable giggles at 3am • dancing in the kitchen • the taste of champagne but preference for cheap wine • hopeful romantic with a flirty grin • rips in jeans patched up with colorful swatches • worn books from reading over and over again • quirky chess sets . . .

[definatelymrhyde]

Intro post (late edition) because I didn’t know these were even a thing until recently

-> About me

• My name is Rowen! Or Ro if you wanna go with that instead

• I have had a longtime interest in a concerning amount of forms of art (Theatre/Musical theatre, writing, and visual arts, both creating and observing)

•I have ADHD and if given the chance WILL monologue on about whatever I’m fixating on

•I have not too great eyesight and yet refuse to wear my glasses when writing at night (which is a lot!) so as a result we get ✨so many spelling mistakes!!✨

•A good 90% of my humour is based off of sarcasm I apologize in advance

•I’m bilingual! I speak English as my first language and French as my second, I’ve been speaking French for almost 13 years now :))

-> Things I like

•Currently Fixating on: Jekyll and Hyde!!

•Acting

•Writing (Fanfics and my own original stories)

•Drawing. Constantly.

•MUSICAL THEATREEE

•Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

•Pokémon (Samurott and Sylveon are my favorites)

•Dad jokes and bad puns

-> Boundaries n’ stuff

•If you want to draw any of my OCs or stuff feel free!! I want to see them too so @ me if you’d like to

•Just dont be an a-hole I guess 😎😎

-> Things I’ll probably post about

•Fixations! (Currently The Glass Scientists and Jekyll and Hyde!!)

•Ao3 updates

•Art

•Theatre

•My OCs

•The universe I made up in which the majority of my OCs live (Blimps Away!!Airship Services)

-> DNI

•Homophobes, transphobes, sexists, racists etc

•People who like to make fun of beginner artists (Art lore people essentially) etc

-> Other stuff

•(Sigh) I’m the HJ7 pancakes guy… I apologize for the absolute monstrosity and will enjoy making more green food to make up for it soon 😔😔

•Update on the HJ7 pancakes. I am ALSO the guy who created, writes and plays Edward Hyde In Strange case of the kitchen! The,, like,, Jekyll and Hyde Parody cooking show

•I am also the Jekyll and Hyde experiments guy. At least I’m one of them, I was the Jekyll out of the two of us :DD

•My favorite weather is rain

•I love listening to people infodump so if you need someone to infodump to I am all ears!! Just ask me first and chances are I’ll be there soon and very willing to listen

•My favourite colour is bright green!! As well as neon indigo

•My favourite type of music is mainly musical theatre stuff but I also really like alternative music

•I got my first ever big role in a musical this year! (2024)

•Singing wise I’m a high tenor, but I keep getting casted as alto and low soprano roles because I can falsetto really high. Help.

•I can do a beetlejuice esque raspy voice without hurting myself and use it for jokes constantly

•Aspiring voice impressionist (I can do Shaggy from scooby doo, Applebloom from MLP and I’m told I can do a scarily accurate Twilight sparkle impression but I’m not sure how much I belive that)

•My dream job is to be a comic book or children’s book illustrator

•My OC universe called Blimps Away!! Airship services is a story that I’ve recently made into a webcomic :))

[blazeismyname]

Ok. Okokokok... listen

Peter. Whet if. He was orphan. Nothing tragic happened to his parents. They just honestly didn't want him, and he really never knew them, so he literally does NOT care. But he was a troublemaker and very much over look compared to the other kids. Most of them were adopted off to loving families, and he just watched. He really didn't care, but subconsciously, that gave him the desire to have a nice loving family, too.

And perhaps we can continue to play with the idea that he was taught to be a housewife with this. Maybe the orphanage taught these classes for the boys and girls. The boys were taught to be strong and to provide while the girls were taught to be housewives. And Peter, being so gods damned confident in himself and so gods damned unphased by trivial (to him) shit literally did not care and took that shit with stride. He learned to cook and clean and take care of children and sew and do the laundry. Then, he taught himself how to be tough and reach masculine standards. He is the most driven person in town and he works HARD..... (I have a favorite)

And let's expand on Jesse. Jesse was a directionless prince. Sat around, read the same books, bossed people around, and absolutely bored himself to death. He was an only child, his mother and father finding content in having exactly one child. He wasn't even excited to become king because what the fuck was he going to do then? Sit on a throne or whatever an act pissy? No aspirations or anything until Peter showed him that there's more to see. There's people to meet and new stories to hear as well as more things to do. It was revolutional for him, and he became fascinated with people. Their stories, their origins, their culture. Sure, the social awkwardness he had obtained from being alone so long didn't help in the slightest. But he still wanted to know more beyond the castle walls and Peter always helped with that. (His insane interest in knowing people probably helped with his willingness to take in Carmilla and everyone)

Then, then let's talk about dear sweet Lizzie. Gods, there's so much to know about her. Possibly, her father had a job that brought her around a lot. And every night, without fail, her dad would drink himself blind. He thought of alcoholism as his only escapism from his poor life of moving around. On days he had off, Lizzie's dad would take her out to "go be men." She resented this, obviously, knowing she was a girl. She couldn't say anything since they had proven to be very transphobic and homophobic. So she went along with it.

She tries to show love for everyone even if it's very clear that they won't return it. Show kindness to the world, and nothing bad can happen is her core value. Clearly, she would be wrong once her mom was beaten to death in front of her, and she had to flee.

She very much enjoys reading, which was probably seen as weird for those who knew she was a girl (going based on beauty and the beast). She especially likes books that were logs of animals and bugs and plants. But a good story was never lost on her. Her father was quite disappointed in this, taking the book straight from her hands and throwing it, oftentimes destroying her books. It was just an issue she had to deal with.

Especially on Jesse and Lizzie ends, there's a lot more fleshing out to be had. What're we thinking here???

[deafeninggardenerpanda]

For the OC ask meme:

🧋🪞🔮🍒🕰️💌

for any combination of Remidee, Alexandria, or Sunset :3

WAHOOOOOOOOOO oh thank you so much. you know i love designing alternate outfits and coming up with random scenarios i'll never use again xoxoxo

some of yours other people asked for too, so i'll hold off on answering them!

🪞 (Mirror) - What would their Mirror World counterpart be like? If they are a Mirror World counterpart, what traits of theirs are reflected? Do the two of them get along?

for context, because i dont think people outside of artfight know much of remidee, they're an apothecary who deals minorly in fighting and magic as an aspiration. due to how injuries work in my mirrorverse, traditional medicine is in extremely low demand and basically not needed. mirror!remidee has leaned almost totally into being a fighter as a result. coincidentally enough, this also reflects regular remidee's worst insecurities for reasons that are a bit too wordy to explain right now

after the fall of shadow dedede's monarchy, they found themself in mirror floralia as a refugee. they're not as good as fighting as the rest of the army, but the queen isnt one to turn away someone so loyal and ready to dedicate themself to the kingdom. officially theyre in the army as a fighter of the same level of the sectra dees, but really theyve been designated as just the guy that brings the banner into battle

mir!remidee would scare the absolute hell out of regular remidee, for reasons they couldn't quite place, even though mir!remidee is actually quite nice. it's the existential dread, remidee....

🕰️ (Clock) - What would a Dreamy Gear version of them look like? What sort of accessories would they have? What kind of role do they play?

on the other end of the spectrum, dreamy gear remidee has leaned fully into being an apothecary, considering there's no need for fighting and magic is extremely rare. they keep a pretty nice shop in the town of wind (<novel lore, for you folks who don't know). they seem richer than the other residents or overly-well off at first glance, but medicinal ingredients are very difficult to get a hold of in this setting, and they're quite passionate about their work, so they have a lot of high quality supplies

dg sunset is a carrier pigeon, basically. child of single dad manager dedede, they help deliver mail. though they have a habit of getting into trouble more often than not on the job while jumping from rooftop to rooftop. remidee has a sense of disdain for dedede in this universe thanks to sunset's shenanigans

🍒 (Cherry) - Out of all of the Dream Friends [Kirby included], which ones would they get along with the most? The least?

Sunset: i don't hc the mirror counterparts to be related to or have familial relations with their regular counterparts, but dmk would definitely be the fun uncle to sunset. both magolor and taranza get a thumbs down from her, not because of their past crimes, but simply because she thinks they're "kinda weird and annoying"

Remidee: i swear to god this has absolutely nothing to do with my own affinity for zan but remidee admires zan a lot. combining elemental magic with weaponry is notoriously hard in my universe, requiring a lot of skill and control to do. remidee is practicing spearplay and electric/beam magic, so this lines up very well. marx scares remidee a lot.

Alexandria: alexandria doesnt get any friends for reasons relating to her Themes. but im sure shed be extremely fond of kirby himself. gooey too i think! she also keeps her distaste for people well hidden, or is quite open minded--it's difficult to tell, so nothing for the "gets along with the least" part of the question either.

🔮 (Crystal Ball) - Out of all the treasures in the Great Cave Offensive, Kirby is letting your OC pick one from his stash to keep! Which one do they pick, and why?