#Even though his record isn't sparkling

[greatgaspiads]

Political post ahead, and given this is a site that is (I would say) dominantly Democratic/left/"woke," if you don't want to read commentary from a Republican/conservative/"traditionalist," I completely understand, but this is your warning.

Just dropped (albeit somewhat accidentally) into a Tumblr community about Animation, and what should I see than the first several posts being about the US election and about saying Fie upon Donald Trump. And while I genuinely feel for people who have legitimate fear over him taking up the US Presidency, I also find myself a little bit baffled to see people think the world is going to spontaneously combust if he takes office again.

Yes, I will have my own share of concern if Kamala Harris takes office, and while I don't expect things to get any better than they were under the Biden administration, I'm also not screaming-crying-throwing up over the idea. It makes me uncomfortable, but only because her ideology differs from mine, and it's difficult to be comfortable with things we don't agree with.

Long story short, I genuinely wish peace upon anyone, on any part of the political spectrum, who is facing extreme anxiety over the outcome of the election. I also hope you take a breath and realize it's not the end of the world. Please do yourself that service. You're worth the peace, baberino 🙏

[fairyhaos]

seventeen's "loser line" in a relationship

[ requested by @valenhui ]

based off of the "losers when in love"* bullet point in this headcanon! theyre literally SO fuckinfg cute oml i might write full fics for them if i have time ><

*consists of junhui, mingyu, chan.

junhui

pathetic and adorable kind of loser. pathetic really.... is genuinely the best way to describe it. he's so desperately, pathetically in love with you and literally acts like he's still hopelessly pining over you even though you've already started dating. laughs super hard at your jokes and stares at you with sparkles in his eyes and flirts with you at every given opportunity like he isn't already dating you and hasn't already won over your affections ages ago. but hey, he's dedicated, and you can't exactly complain at being showered with all of his attention.

also randomly informs you that he's in love with you at any time of day. you'll be watching a movie in the theatre and he'll tug your sleeve, leaning into your space almost shyly and being like "hey. hey. i just wanted to let you know... im kind of in love with you" before scrunching his shoulders up all shy and leaning quickly away from you again. hes always so adorable, ears turning pink even as he flirts with you into oblivion before tacking on a cute "im in love with you, by the way" at the end. every time he says it, you feel so overwhelmed because god, you're so in love with him too

mingyu

wet puppy kind of loser. i'm talking whining 24/7, pouting dramatically whenever you're not clinging to his side, and snuggling into you whenever possible. it's like dating a large, overgrown puppy that doesn't realise he's as big as he is, if that puppy suddenly found out how to talk and cook and do the laundry and looks up at you with big, shining eyes when you come home and goes "hello!! i made every single one of your favourite foods when you were gone bc i missed you so much. how was your day??" at least twice a week. (you're beginning to worry that mingyu might have some sort of separation anxiety.)

also he Does Not care if the other members tease him for being so in love with you, bc hey, yoon jeonghan's just jealous of your lurrrve anyway. but he will sulk if You tease him about it bc hey :(( you're the love of his life :((( don't be mean to him :((( gives you those big, wet, sad eyes every time you tease him until you finally laugh and give him a big kiss to placate him. tells you he loves you every single hour of the day. the members can tease him all they want, but all that matters to him is that you're aware that he Genuinely loves you to pieces.

chan

devastatingly infatuated kind of loser. he literally just. ADORES you so much in a kinda adorable, kinda incredible way because it surprises you again and again when he does something and you realise he loves you so much. and he does things, a lot, because this man is literally doing everything for you. hangs onto your every word like they hold the secrets to the universe, and remembers everything you tell him like it's his life's mission to become an expert on your likes and dislikes. has definitely zoned out whilst staring at you too many times to count.

i gotta stress how in love this man is tho, like. would 100% change his profession into loving you 24/7 if he could. no one wants to go out drinking when the two of you are together bc when chan gets drunk, he just repeats how in love with you he is over and over again like a broken record. (hoshi made the mistake of joining you two, once. he recounts the incident with a look of mild horror every single gathering the 14 of you have.) he doesn't say ily to your face a lot, but it's mostly bc he just forgets cuz he's been staring at you in an utterly lovesick way for far too long.

request guidelines

reactions tags: @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @bunnyiix @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @newgirlygirl @moonlitskiiies @mirxzii @wonranghaeee @yonabutnotyuna @crackedpumpkin @wqnwoos @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @kawennote09 @a-wandering-stay @icyminghao @valenhui @sweet-like-caramel @odxrilove @kyeomyun @chansburgah @pepperonijem @jeonride @kellesvt @kikohao @astrozuya @eightlightstar @onlyyjeonghan @aaniag @starshuas @all-american-fangirl @f1uffyjun @sea-moon-star @nonononranghaee @isabellah29 @mcu-incorrect @hrts4hanniehae @suraandsugar @pan-de-seungcheol @dokyeomkyeom @melodicrabbit @bunnliix @bananabubble

[bugs1nmybrain]

✨️ L Lawliet w/ a Shy & Insecure Reader Headcanons ✨️

Notes: I got real specific here. I need some validation haha. I swear if L ever complimented me I'd implode and then explode like I've done many times in the DS game (don't make fun of me >:<)

I'm adding pink text and sparkles to the title. Cope with it DN twt

Warnings: 18+!!! There is some sexy content, no gendered terms or pronouns. I tried being inclusive with the sexy stuff. Talks about poor self-esteem and insecurities. L being his rude ass self at one point. Reader described as quiet. I did indeed write L as a sweetheart, and I don't regret it one bit! :D. Not proofread

For starters, shy isn't a problem for L. He appreciates that you're quiet and relatively polite. It makes it easier for him to get away with dating you because he knows you're not going to be obnoxious around headquarters, and there's a good chance you'll never even mention that you're his partner

He finds it vry cute. Especially when you stumble over your words when he flirts with you. His pride is very comfy with you.

You are a perfect parallel play lover!!! He's grateful that you don't pester him when he's busy, but he doesn't mind you being around him. You can draw, do homework, write, play video games, anything. He just appreciates your company. He's also 100% paying attention out of his peripheral vision.

But because you're quiet, sometimes you don't share all of your thoughts with him and it can make for a satisfying relationship. L sure as shit isn't disclosing a lot of stuff, so he sees it as even

A lot of your secrets are insecurities, though. You worry a lot about your competency as a romantic partner. Whether it's your intelligence, physical beauty, personality, interests, anything really. You're always anxious that you're not enough, and not enough for him.

L knows well that you lack confidence. He's torn, actually, because he wants to see you become more sure of yourself and he'll try to help. He teaches you skills when he has time and makes sure to compliment you when you do something good. Sometimes he stretches the truth in his praises just to make you feel better. He knows you value his opinion a lot.

However, your insecure nature is an easy opening for him to get away with a lot. Nothing that serious, but secret tests are a given with L, and he does like to test if you'll push through him not given you the validation he knows you want. It actually does make him feel like 10% bad, though, and he'll make up for it.

He understands why you're insecure, but at the same time, he thinks it's silly. Especially when you admit to him that you're worried about your physical appearance or sexual abilities. It's in those moments he just wants to tell you to stop because "have you seen me, y/n?"

But yes please flatter his ego

When you started sleeping together it actually was pretty smooth and natural

I truly believe L was a virgin until you, so he probably wasn't much more confident than you

The doom of adult virginity/inexperience is that everyone expects you to be pornographic by now, and for an insecure person that can be very demanding

L doesn't expect that and won't be disappointed by something slow and "vanilla." He likes that, honestly. But of course, if/whenever you're ready for something more spicy, he's very open to communicating about it

This guy is just happy to touch you, period

If you fumble because you're nervous, he's not upset, but he'll redirect you with affirming words

He does admittedly get irritated by consistent nagging and the self-deprecating comments you make. It annoys him after a bit. He'll likely disengage to avoid hurting your feelings, but if you're persistent, he'll give it to you straight.

"The only thing you should be insecure about is that you're a broken record."

Fight the tears

It actually does make him upset when you doubt him and his love for you. It makes him feel like you don't trust him. L is aware that he's deceptive by nature, but he wants you to trust that he values you. He certainly wouldn't be in a committed relationship with you if his feelings weren't genuine

So he reminds you. Again. And again. That he wants you in his life and treasures you

You're lucky that he loves you so much

Sometimes, you'll go through periods of isolating from him because you're afraid of bothering him. Trust me. He's glad to have time to work, but he does pick up on your distance quick

You're so afraid of asking him for attention

or even just a bite of his cake. He always offers, tho.

But yea. L is a busy guy and comfortable in seclusion, so he isn't that clingy. He can go a long time without checking in on you, which doesn't help the paranoia

When he decides to take a break for once, usually his first instinct is to either 1. Get coffee or a treat, or 2. Make a bee line to see you!!

OR 3. BRING YOU FOOD TO SHARE

Know that he loves you much more than most things. You are his priority, even if his work takes precedence at times.

He'll attempt to build your trust over time because he understands how hard it is to believe in someone's honesty. It'll get better, and you'll likely start to feel more self-assured with him. L talks a lot, but he believes actions speak louder than words, so he'll show you how much he loves you through the little things because you light up his world after an exhausting day full of murder and nonstop thinking. You're home to him and he wants you to feel the same way about him.

[nobodyfamousposts]

The Hero of Paris

...so when Gabriel was in the bathroom on that train when he transformed and tried to akumatize someone...

...you think anyone could have just...I dunno, recorded it?

__________________________

Michael Donahue was the hero of Paris.

In truth, he was an American tourist. And about as American as one could get.

And AS a young American in a foreign country, he did what most Americans do: abuse his phone's camera function for anything and everything he thought was interesting and likely to get him likes on social media.

He recorded a man feeding pigeons before being run off by a police officer.

He recorded some curator at a museum telling a wild fanfic idea at the Louvre.

He recorded a bunch of people chasing after a blond haired kid and screaming at the sight of him. Which...okay, weird?

Well, he'd known Paris would be weird. But he didn't think it'd be THIS weird.

But then THAT day happened. And what he thought was perhaps the silliest…even the downright dumbest thing ended up being what made him go viral in the last way he ever expected.

Some would consider it uncouth. Most would have just politely ignored it.

But Micheal was a young American with a need to record everything.

And he was already in his seat in a train waiting for it to depart for his next travel destination...only to be delayed due to some reason that he, not being French-speaking, didn't understand.

Ultimately, that made this the perfect combination of bored and impulsive in JUST the right way to achieve a miracle.

So when he heard what sounded like shouting and insane laughter coming from the bathroom on the train, Michael—in true American fashion, decided to record it.

"Dude, some guy has taken over one of the restrooms and is yelling like crazy!"

…and for the sheer hell of it, he started livestreaming.

And his chat started to come alive.

What's going on?

"The train's held up. My French isn't that good. An 'akuma' or something?"

What's an akuma?

He looked over his shoulder.

"I dunno. But that guy in the restroom has been shouting about it a lot."

On the other side of the door, the faint sound of yelling could be heard. Most of it garbled that Michael couldn't quite make out except for a few words.

"—akuma—"

"—Ladeebuug!"

What's he shouting?

"Something about Ladybugs and noir? Is he shooting a movie or complaining of a lack of pest control? Lol."

Out of all his vids and livestreams, he hadn't expected the one about some random making a scene in a bathroom to be the one that got attention, but more people were joining the chat and he saw his numbers rise more than they ever had.

"Wow. Okay. Didn't expect to get this level of response."

He made sure to keep the camera on the bathroom door the noises were coming from rather than himself. It was what the people wanted to see apparently and it allowed better audio quality.

What was perhaps the most interesting was that he started getting comments in French.

In all caps.

With many exclamation points.

Is this real!?

HAWK MOTH!

IT'S HAWK MOTH!

WHERE IS HE?!

"Hawk Moth? What?"

Then a particularly insistent commenter named LadyWifi joined and started to spam the chat.

Où est-ce?

Où est-ce?!!

OÙ EST-CE!!!

"Wait hold on. What?"

Où

où!

WHERE?!

WHERE IS IT

OÙ

wherewherewerewhere?!!!!!!!!11!!1

He balked at the repeated demands. Given the chat seemed to be repeatedly questioning where in English, he could only presume that's what they were asking in French, too. But he had no idea why and no explanation was forthcoming! Any attempts anyone made to tell him what was going on quickly got lost in the flood of comments demanding a location.

Before he could comment further though, his thoughts were interrupted by a cry of outrage from the restroom, loud enough to ring his ears.

Silence.

Then…

"Nooroo, detransform moi."

There was a strange sound from inside. Muffled, but distinct enough. Like how sparkles should sound? Something from one of those magical girl shows his little sister watches.

A click signaled the door unlocking.

"I think he's about to come out!"

The chat was going wild. Everyone commenting. Making random names? Maybe trying to guess who the person on the other side of the door was?

Then some blond guy in glasses and a really unfashionable suit came out of the restroom.

…and his livestream promptly exploded.

[enstarriedownbad]

Leo Tsukinaga x F!reader

Minors DNI

Genre: smut w/ comfort at the start

Tags: switch!Leo, Invited over, music production, fluff, sleeping in his room, confession, hurt but healing

Plot: Leo invites you over to help you with music production. Looks like it turned into something else.

Words: 3,040

By clicking on "show more," you acknowledge that you are 18+ and consent to read this fiction.

"Onii-chan! This is the first time you bring a girl over! ... Does mom know?~" a shy voice says while peeking inside the bedroom.

"Here is my room! Make yourself at home--"

"Ruka!" Leo exclamates, surprised.

"Is she your girlfriend? Can you introduce her to me?~" Ruka asks her brother.

"G-girlfriend??", Leo says while looking at you, blushing briefly. He coughs. "This is Y/N, a fellow musical artist. She's staying for dinner, so I'll introduce her to you at that time when Mom and Dad will be here too," he replies in a serious tone.

"Good afternoon," you greet her joyfully, "so you are Leo's sister, 'Ruka-tan'. I heard a lot---"

Leo cuts you off and puts his hand over your mouth.

"Wait. Ruka-tan doesn't know I call her that. And she isn't aware of the way I talk about her," he whispers in your ears, embarrassed.

"...? What are you two doing?" Ruka asks.

"Hum, nothing. We're busy with music right now. We'll come down for dinner," he ends the conversation.

"Oh, okay... Sorry for disturbing you. See you later Onii-chan and Y/N!" she says with a soft smile as she leaves the room.

Leo removes his hand from your mouth.

"Sorry about that, Y/N, my family is erm... A tad bit curious about my life, hahaha~ But Ruka-tan is a sweet girl! I'll introduce you two formally later. ☆"

Sounds like his tone is back to his usual one. You start wondering why he's using a different one with his sister. After all, when he's around the rest of Knights, or with his friends, he's always laughing or shouting something joyful. But you also like this new-found side of him.

"So, should we start working on the music part? I'll teach you the base of producing," he adds.

"Sure!"

"You can sit over here next to me. Can you see the screen well?"

"Yep!" you reply.

"Okay, so~ To start, the program I use is---"

"---And then to add harmonies, I suggest you scale the song up by 3 tones and record the main lines while listening to it. That way it's easier to record and you can cut the parts you want~ Or you could just scale up the lead vocals! But be careful because sometimes singing the 3rd above the melody creates a dissonance with the chord structure underneath."

"Okay, I see. Hmm... Can we do a quick break before going into the harmonic dissonance details please?" you ask him.

He looks at the time on his computer screen.

"Oh it's already been a few hours, haha. It's only 6 PM, then we still have time before dinner, so sure!☆ What do you want to do in the meantime?~" he asks.

"I don't know, but my back hurts from sitting on a chair for so long," you reply.

"You can stretch a bit or relax on my bed if you want~ I'll go get you something to drink," he says while getting up. "What do you want? We have orange juice, coffee, tea, water..."

"I'll get the same thing as you if that's okay," you reply.

"Okay got it! ☆ See ya in a second!" he tells you while leaving the room.

You do as he says and lay down on his bed for a bit. You look around you. Posters of music, musical instruments, lyrics, musical sheets WIPs... Even those very sheets are tinged with his fragrance. Everything in that room makes you think of the great Leo Tsukinaga.

He's very passionate about music. When he was teaching you earlier, you noticed that sparkle in his eyes, even though it probably wasn't his first time teaching music. He seemed happy to give music lessons. Often, Leo seems so... out of reach. Therefore, you are glad to be able to bond over something together.

You hear the door move.

"Okay I'm back!" Leo says as he enters the room with two cups of coffee. "You said you'd take the same thing as me, so I brought coffee! ☆"

He hands you a cup and waits for you to sit on his mattress before sitting next to you.

"Thank you, Leo," you thank him kindly as you drink on your coffee.

"No problem, Y/N!" he replies with a wide smile.

"And thanks again for inviting me over and for teaching me, I really appreciate it..." you say kindly.

"Oh, well, it's the least I could do for you. You've been a big help to Knights, and I've always wanted to return the favor to you~ So when you asked me for musical advice earlier today, I didn't waste a second to invite you here hahaha. After all, who better than me, a musical genius, could teach our dear Y/N? ☆"

'Dear Y/N'... That nickname makes you smile.

"I see, haha," you reply.

"You know," he adds with a softer tone, "before we met, during the year I founded Knights, I was used to constantly pleasing people for different reasons. But it only took the better of me."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that..."

"But seeing you act so kind with us - with me... It gives me a reason to keep trying my best every day and to always keep doing what I like," he says.

You both smile at each other.

"Did you finish your coffee?" he asks.

"Yep," you reply.

Leo takesyour cups away and sits back next to you. He seems to be stressed out.

"... Is it safe to assume that you'd pick me over my music?" he whispers with a cold, anxious gaze.

"What do you mean?" you reply.

Leo gets closer to you and firmly looks you in the eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Of course, I'd pick you over your music, Leo."

"..."

"Is that not what you wanted to hear?"

Leo moves his torso and puts both of his arms next to your thighs. You try to back up a bit but Leo gets even closer to you, making you lay on top of the bed sheets. He gets on top of you.

"Really ☆? Me? But why?" he asks.

You look away from his persistent gaze, not wanting to look at him in the eyes with what you are about to tell him, as you feel it is a bit clingy.

"Well, I do love your music for sure," you reply. "Both your talent and hard work can be felt in your productions. Your songs have such a nice touch to them. But, I obviously like you more. You would still remain the Leo I look up to, even without your songs,. Your energy, your smiles, your kind words, and your affection... I could go for weeks without listening to your songs, but I'll miss you a lot if I don't see you every other day. I'm also thankful that you reply quickly to my messages. It makes me feel like I'm wanted. And you know, even during the weekends, I keep wondering what you are up to, and I..."

You stop talking, realizing that it looks like a confession. Leo has yet to react. You are starting to feel embarrassed.

"Sorry, was I rambling too mu--"

You feel a drop falling on your face. You look up, only to see Leo, tearing up.

You are met with Leo's bare and genuine gaze as if his smiley mask has finally fallen.

You gently raise your thumb toward his cheek, wiping a tear away from his face.

"Are you sad because of me?" you ask him with an empathic smile. "Is it because you don't--"

"... Not at all," he cuts you off. "If anything, I couldn't be happier right now..."

"?"

"You know," he adds, "I've been anticipating your answer ever since I've been interested in you. I wanted to ignore it, but I couldn't close my eyes on such matters anymore. That's why I finally got myself to ask you before our relationship got... more serious," he replies as tears escape from his eyes.

'Our relationship'... you wonder if you heard that correctly.

"Leo, do you...?" you ask as you brush his wet cheek.

"Sorry if that sounds selfish," he replies. "But..."

You swallow your saliva, anxious.

"Can I be childish with you one last time and ask you to say it first?" he says with a look even more anxious than yours.

"Fine," you reply while softly brushing his hair. "I like you."

"Mhh?" he mumbles like a desperate child.

You take your courage into your own hands as he gets closer to you.

"I love you, Leo the genius," you emphasize the adjective with a sarcastic tone.

"I love you too, Y/N."

...

You look at each other, eyes filled with all sorts of new feelings.

Leo slightly tilts his head.

It only took a second of intense eye contact before your lover leaned in for a kiss. His lips feel soft. The kiss is so gentle and sweet. You wrap your arms around him, not wanting to let him go.

As the kiss gets more and more heated, you can't help but taste a salty flavor from Leo's tears of joy. This doesn't stop you nor him from going all the way in, twisting your tongues together, only inducing more and more needs in each other.

It looks like he has finally opened himself to you. And you, on your side, desire him just as much. You want him to be all yours. He wants you to be his.

The stimuli don't make you think straight, but you two are sure of one thing: this kiss is only the start.

You pull away for a few seconds to catch a breath.

"...", you pant.

"...", he grasps for air while looking into your eyes.

His green gaze is so mesmerizing. You fail to remember what you wanted to say. Leo's looking at your lips.

Your lover gets closer to you, sealing a second French kiss. You don't need words to communicate now: you can use your body.

As his tongue touches yours all over again, you can't help but moan of pleasure. The arousal is building up. You keep following his lead. An aroma of coffee, tears, and sweetness accompanies this second kiss.

"Ah! Y/N...," Leo moans. "I don't think I can hold myself back any longer," he says, all red.

You look down, only to find a bulge in his pants. You have an idea.

"Don't move," you tell him as you reverse your respective positions, with him now lying on the bed while you sit on his legs.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Leave it to me," you reply as you arch your back and move your face towards his crotch.

You unzip his pants and lower them as well as his boxers.

"!"

You get met with Leo's rock-hard cock. Now, nothing is retaining him. You take a last good look at him, all red and shy, before diving in.

You slightly open your mouth as you put some hair strands behind your ears. Your lips finally touch his cock.

"Mh!" Leo moans.

You lick his tip while looking at him in the eyes. You can tell it's his first time from how much that first contact turns him on.

After coating his head in your saliva, you begin taking the whole thing in your mouth and start the blow job. Your lips are wrapped around his length. You swirl your tongues in circles, going back and forth. Your hands are also doing a great job caressing his thighs.

"haa~," he moans.

You suck gently on his cock, varying the pressure of your suction based on his moans.

As much as you want to keep his dick in your mouth, your jaw is hurting.

You take his length out of your mouth and begin stroking it. You gently squeeze his cock and spread his precum over it.

"I'm close..." he whispers.

You give him a few last strands to finish him off.

"Y/N..." he moans as he cums on your clothes.

You both take a few minutes to get your breath back, panting. You lay next to him.

Leo looks at you with insistence.

"What is it?" Did you like it?" you ask.

Before you get to hear an answer, Leo flips over and gets on top of you.

He begins stripping you off.

"Wait, don't remove everything. It's embarrassing me," you guard him all shy.

"Everything about you is beautiful, Y/N," he says as he removes your shirt and bottom clothes.

Now, only your underwear is left.

Leo removes his shirt, making you see his bare chest and upper muscles. As you appreciate the view, he opens a pack of condoms and opens one with his teeth in a very sensual way. He carefully puts it on his member.

"Are you ready?" he asks in a lower register than usual, teasing a very intense intercourse.

"Yes, please be gentle," you ask, even though you don't mean it, and he knows it.

He places the tip at your entrance and begins entering you. Having a thick length like his in your pussy rather than in your mouth is extremely different. It even hurts a bit.

"Wait, Leo, it hurts," you tell him.

He quickly stops and changes the position by bringing both of your legs on his left shoulder. He resumes grinding again.

"Does it hurt now?" he asks you.

"Not really," you reply.

He took this as a green light. He's almost fit his entire shaft inside of you by now. The new angle is more pleasurable for both of you.

"Are you comfortable now?"

"Yea..."

"Then I hope you're ready for this," he says, "because I'm about to make you remember this moment."

"Wh-? Ah!", you moan as he begins thrusting into you with no restraint.

His rock-hard cock is hitting your deepest end without fail each time he thrusts. You feel full, yet still want more of him. You're drawn to the manly expression he has on his face while doing you. You could leave everything to him, and he'd still do such a nice job satisfying you.

"I like that face you're making right now," he abruptly compliments your love-driven look. "If I could, I'd make sure you keep this expression every day when it's just the two of us".

This implies he would be down to fuck you so brilliantly every day like he is doing right now.

"I..." you're at a loss for words.

Leo kisses you on the lips as his cock keeps going in and out of you.

"Mh!" you moan out of pleasure as his mesmerizing emerald eyes are fixated on your expression.

Wet noises are getting louder and louder with each thrust. The atmosphere is so intense. You feel your climax approaching, as well as his. After all, his cock is so dominating that you can't help but tighten over it.

"Ah~" he finally lets out a deep moan. "So tight... I can't last any longer."

"Me neither..." you reply.

Leo rests his head next to yours, closing the last bit of space you had between you two, keeping you still below him.

Leo starts pounding into your pussy in a way faster way, indicating a climax.

"Ha..." he moans. "Ah..." "I'm gonna cum right now".

"Me too..."

Leo locks you in that position and gives you his last yet deepest thrust before giving in to a mutual orgasm.

"Ah ah, Y/N, I love you!" he moans as he cums inside of you.

"I love you I love you," you say in ecstasy while holding onto his back.

You feel warm and safe in this moment. You completely let go of everything, only caring about Leo.

Both of your breaths take a while to recover. Leo pulls out cock, and you got to see the condom full of his semen.

He puts his boxers and pants back on but remains shirtless.

Since the climax sensations went off, you feel embarrassed about the situation and put your clothes back on before Leo lies your body back next to him.

"... That was nice," you break the silence.

"For sure," he replies. "You know..." he hesitates. "What I said still stands," he reminds you while looking elsewhere.

"What you said?..." you ask before remembering the next second. "...Oh!"

"Is that a no?"

"No, I mean no, I mean..." you stutter. "I mean I'm down too, if it's with you."

'With you' those words make him all flustered even though he's the one who asked you to hook up from now on.

"What is it? You're all red," you tease him while pinching his cheek.

"It's nothing!" he pouts like a kid before taking on a more serious voice. "I've been thinking..."

"Mh?"

"I don't want you to think I just want your body, not that I don't want to do it with you but... Ahhh," he struggles. "Okay let me ask you this before I lose the courage."

He looks at you in the eyes and doesn't break the eye contact.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"I'd love to", you reply with the biggest smile.

Leo kisses you on your forehead before kissing you everywhere on your face.

Knock knock.

You hear the sound of a door opening.

"?!"

"Onii-chan and Y/Nnee-chan! Time for dinn-" Ruka calls for you before stopping in her tracks. "Wait, Onii-chan, why is your shirt turned upside down?"

"Oh it's nothing don't mind it," he says all sweaty while trying to remain a composed look, all that as you acquiesce all awkwardly while sitting on the floor.

"Ookay...", she replies, confused. "Whatever, dinner is ready", she says while closing Leo's bedroom door.

You look at each other.

. . .

...And burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! ☆ Did you see that? Safe!!!," he laughs.

"I was sitting on the floor and she didn't ask me any questions hahaha," you laugh. "But maybe next time lock your door, Leo," you say sarcastically while giving him gentle elbow bumps.

"Sure, sure," he says while having tears of laughter in his eyes. "Well, should we go eat dinner with my family?" he asks. "I'm going to present my girlfriend to them".

I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS HIATUS HOLY MOLLYYYY 👤👤👤🤬🤬🤬🤬

I've had this in my drafts for 10 months and finally finished it 👤💧

Many things happened, including me being busy with other stuff and also taking a break from enstars. Hope you still enjoy my writing, and have a nice day 👤💖

[thewriters-world]

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4:

Valentino is vindicated when Marc messages him at some godforsaken hour. Reminds himself that this is how Marc is, of course Marc was going to choose the easy way out. There was nothing else Marc was ever going to do. Tries to convince himself that he's the selfless one for once again intertwining his name with Marc's to protect his reputation (the one he ruined). Tries to ignore the rational part of his brain that tells him he can't offer something and then pretend the other is selfish for taking what he gave (you can't keep changing the rules of the game and then act surprised when the other isn't playing by the rules).

Ignores it all to feel a hollow victory course through the blood in his veins. Chooses to reply with a single yes to really fuck with Marc. Knows how his ego won't let him follow up. Knows the way he'll strain his eyes until they burn as he looks into his phone for something.

When he tells Giuilia - his press manager - that Marc and him are dating he does it over the phone, not because he's a coward or anything (he is) but because he's too busy being Valentino Rossi (lies). She's silent over the phone, and Valentino knows that the tip of her pen is between her lips as she processes the information. He waits for her to play Uccio, he's going to ruin you, I don't like how he is with you. He even draws up all of the reasons this is a good idea in his head, but then she makes a noise of acceptance, promises to arrange a meeting with Marc's press manager before hanging up (good because he was drawing a blank).

...

Two days later Marc squirms on the uncomfortable plastic chair of the press room. Cristian sits besides him, hands interlocked into a V, vein in his forehead growing more prominent by the second. Mia - a junior press officer - sits to the other side of him with a recorder at hand, offering him what she thinks is a comforting smile but is in fact something condescending.

He stares at a miniscule crack on the wall before him, doesn't catch a single word of Mia and Cristian's hushed conversation. He should have known, should have paid attention when they told him Valentino Rossi doesn't do affection or kinship. Should've known that Valentino was a maestro at using sensitive information divulged at moments of vulnerability to ruin you. Why did it surprise him so much that Valentino couldn't find it in himself to interact with him? Why did it surprise him that the coward played the lion?

The door clicks open, a blonde secretary pops her head in with a smile as she announces Valentino's arrival. Marc doesn't look away from that one spot on the wall. Not when Valentino sits right in his eye-line, clad in a navy blue sweatshirt that he had gifted him with a knowing smirk on his lips. Not when the click of the recorder starts and the rigid woman besides Valentino begins to speak all sharp and grating. Marc doesn't hear a single word, tries to ignore the way Cristian looks at him, you don't have to do this his eyes say we can find another way. But there is no other way, this is the only way. The only way they let him live without the misconception that he ruined something important. That all this ruin was his doing (why did you even assume you could be Valentino's).

Mia looks at Valentino like as though he hung the moon and the stars. Marc wants to shake her out of her daze. Wants to explain exactly how Valentino will ruin her if she catches his eyes. But she is only twenty-two (he thinks because she looks at Valentino like he created all the rubies in the world for hi - her). How is she to know Valentino Rossi had the uncanny ability to look at you like you were the only thing that mattered even though he didn't think you mattered at all. How was he to tell her that Valentino Rossi was good at reeling you in with sparkling eyes and a charisma that hid the wretched meanness (There was no other word) bubbling under his suave facade.

And Marc must show it in his face, how he feels, because Cristian is gentle when he nudges him.

Giuilia looks unamused as he meets her eyes.

"Sorry could you go over that again" he questions, knows that really he hasn't been paying attention since Valentino walked into the room.

"We'd like you to move in with Valentino for the summer break" Giuilia is matter-of-fact, almost annoyed at his obvious inattention to the matter at hand.

Marc feels his heart lurch. Feels the content of his stomach threaten to make a run for it. Closes his eyes, sees their movie play in his head. Wills his mouth to say 'no'. But grief has paralysed him and Marc doesn't have the words to refuse.

"We want to hold off on releasing a statement just yet" Cristian jumps in and Marc opens his eyes just in time to see his press manager shoot Giulia a pointed look that she ignores with hardening eyes.

"We think that the both of you need to write a statement together as the only two people fully aware of the nature of this relationship" Giulia ignores Cristian, emphasises the words 'together' and 'nature' as she pointedly glances at both him and Valentino.

And then Valentino looks at Marc with something that isn't a smug glee as Giulia and Cristian's words fade into the background. Marc tries to focus once again on the miniscule crack on the wall so he doesn't have to contend with the idea that Valentino might know how to worry and care. That maybe all those years ago when Valentino held him, he actually cared.

...

Giulia calls a break, like as if they're in school, says they'll re-convene in thirty minutes and Marc is floored at how much more they have to talk about. Nonetheless he follows the press managers out of the conference room, watches as they exit the building. Ignores the fact that just the simple act of Valentino looking at his phone sends a flow of electricity through his stomach. And as he finds a silent corridor he calls his parents, knows its not fair to them that he hasn't replied to their calls since the tape leaked.

His mother is gentle with him over the phone. Speaks in soft smooth tones that Marc doesn't think he deserves.

"You're sure you want to go back to him?" She presses.

"Tell him to break off whatever it is" his father whispers from besides her but Marc can hear it all.

"Shh" his mother hisses in response, something tinny and static, poorly attempting to cover the receiver with her palm.

"Look, why don't you and him spend a week at ours for the summer break" she sounds desperate now, almost frantic and Marc has to remind himself that she saw the tape. Saw the blind devotion in his eyes as Valentino held him in place, saw the way his eyes glittered at his attention. How Valentino made him dance to his tunes.

She thinks Valentino could ask Marc to do the worst things. She thinks Marc would do those things (she might be right).

"I will talk to him, mama" and he winces at how that sounds. Like as if he has no control, like as if he is controlled by Valentino. He wants to clarify that he can visit anytime and that he isn't bound by Valentino. But then she sighs.

"Okay Marc" she says like as if she has lost this conversation, even though it isn't a game.

"You take care of yourself" she says.

"Okay ma, I love you"

"I love you to baby"

...

Valentino pauses as Marc enters the room with the whoosh of the sliding door opening. That's the only indication he gives of having even noticed Marc's presence.

"Wanna see it for yourself?"

Valentino is thrown. Hadn't expected Marc to have spoken to him so casually. Looks around the connference room like as if Marc has addressed someone other than him, a ghost (like the ones of their past).

"You said you wanted to see the posters" Marc clarifies. Almost turns his head to see the expression on Valentino's face, wants to see if his words bother him.

If he had turned he would have seen the way the light dims from Valentino's eyes. The way his mouth opens to say something that he hasn't thought until his lips hang open pathetically waiting for any justification. Marc knows how to read Valentino's eyes even after all these years even though Valentino thinks he has forgotten. Marc would have seen the desperation in Valentino's eyes. The short vulnerable desperation of wanting to be read.

Read this.

I know.

I know about the posters.

I know about the bikes.

I know.

But Marc doesn't turn. And Valentino hardens his jaw, closes his eyes so they're not so loud anymore (tries to tune the weakness in eyes out).

Marc thinks he has it in himself to unfold the posters tucked away in the cardboard box residing in an empty corner of his childhood bedroom. Thinks he must be incredibly gentle because he owes is to 11-year old Marc who had saved all his pocket money for this. Maybe he can walk Valentino through his motorbike collection, explain what it all meant to him then (and now). How he would look at them every night in awe until Alex complained to their mother and she'd look at him with fond exasperation before gently placing the bikes back onto the shelf above Alex's bed. He has always been his mother's child and he owes it to her to be gentle like how she taught him to he. And after all, affection (love) cannot possibly be violent, Marc knows this to be true even after experiencing the cruelty of Valentino Rossi. Because his mother still kisses his forehead everytime he sees her, his father still presses a kiss to his cheek and his brother still places a blanket over him when he falls asleep.

"My mother thinks you are forcing me" Marc explains, feels a grim satisfaction as Valentino's grip on the chair turns white knuckled.

"She would feel better if she saw us, wants us to spend a week at theirs" Marc finally looks at Valentino, is pleased to note that now he can't look him in the eye.

He opens his mouth again, eager to plunge another dagger into Valentino, wants to twist it as deep as Valentino has been in him.

But Valentino knows him after all these years, knows what he's going for and stops him with a wave of his hand. A bone-tired weary wave of his hand and for the first time Marc sees mortality in Valentino.

"We will stay with them for a week" and Valentino looks at him this time, stares right at him and he thinks that's the only thing that stops him from pushing at his buttons. Not the fact that those buttons are no longer his to push.

[noe-pri08]

Peter Quill

Summary: You work in your uncle’s store and your favourite client walks in, but let’s say that today he’s not here to buy some vinyl.

I'm sorry if there are mistakes, English isn't my first language

You loved working at your uncle’s record store, you truly did. Unfortunate this was small town, Missouri, and you were selling records. When you had slow days, boy were they slow.

Normally, you'd have your favourite customer Peter Quill to look forward to seeing, but it was a Tuesday, he never stopped by Tuesdays. Of course, you'd never admit that you missed him.

On the second hour of you doom scrolling on TikTok at the register, you hear the front door bell ring as a customer enters. Completely unbothered, you continue to look down at your phone.

"Hey, anyone home?" Peter playfully whispers, suddenly appearing in front of your face, catching you off guard.

You jump in your seat, nearly dropping your phone in the process. Looking up at Peter with wide eyes, you let out a nervous laugh. "Peter! You scared the hell out of me," you exclaim. "What's up? Shouldn't you be... I don't know, saving the galaxy or something?"

Peter grins, leaning against the counter. "Nah, no galaxy-saving missions for me today. Just thought I'd come and see my favourite record store employee," he says, tapping his fingers on the counter. "Got any new vinyls in?"

You shake your head, still trying to recover from the surprise. "Nah, not today. It's been pretty slow. But hey, I'm glad you stopped by! Can never have too much Star-Lord in my day."

He laughs and gives you a playful salute. "Star-Lord reporting for duty! So, what have you been up to? Any exciting Earth adventures?"

You shake your head, chuckling. "Nah, just the usual small-town life. But hey, it's not so bad. What about you? Find any cool relics on your space travels lately?"

Peter smirks, leaning in closer. "Well, there was this one time I found an alien artifact that granted amazing powers. But, uh, I may have accidentally dropped it. It's all good, though. Just another day in the life of Star-Lord," he says with a wink.

You laugh, shaking your head. "Oh, Peter. Always getting into trouble. But hey, that's why we love you, right? The charming, trouble-making space boy."

He chuckles, running a hand through his hair. "I guess so. Can't help it, it's in my space pirate blood. But hey, I'm glad I found my way to this little record store. It's nice to have some normalcy in my life."

You smile at him, feeling a warmth in your chest. "Yeah, well, I'm glad you found your way here too. It's nice to have some intergalactic excitement in this sleepy town. Makes my days a little more interesting."

Peter's grin widens, and he leans in even closer, resting his elbow on the counter. "Well, if you ever want to add a little more excitement to your days, you know where to find me," he says, his voice low and filled with playful teasing.

You raise an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at your lips. "Oh, really? And what exactly does that entail, Mr. Star-Lord?"

He chuckles, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, you'll have to find out for yourself. Trust me, it's worth it."

Your heart flutters at his words, his playful yet alluring demeanour. You lean in closer, not caring if anyone else is in the store. "Well, maybe I'll take you up on that offer sometime," you whisper, a hint of flirtation lacing your words.

Peter's eyes widen slightly, surprised by your response. But then a mischievous grin spreads across his face. "Oh, that would make my day. Maybe we can start with a dance-off in the middle of the store. What do you say?"

You laugh, shaking your head. "You're insane, Peter. But I'm all in. Bring it on."

And with that, the two of you share a playful smile, knowing that this unexpected encounter was the start of something new and exciting between you.

Peter's eyes lock with yours, that mischievous grin still etched on his face. He takes a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, husky tone. "You know, dancing isn't the only thing we could do in the middle of this store. We could... have a little fun."

Your heart skips a beat, feeling a rush of excitement at his words. The air in the record store suddenly feels charged with anticipation. You bite your bottom lip, matching his playful gaze with a hint of daring. "Oh, really? And what exactly did you have in mind, Mr. Quill?"

Peter leans in even closer, his breath warm against your cheek. A shiver runs down your spine as his voice turns velvety smooth. "Well, I was thinking we could find a quiet spot in the back room. Away from prying eyes. Somewhere we can explore all the sounds this store has to offer," he murmurs, his arm brushing against yours, sending a jolt of electricity through your body.

You feel your breath hitch as his words ignite a fire within you. The prospect of a secret rendezvous in the back room sends a rush of heat pooling in the pit of your stomach. You glance around, making sure the coast is clear before nodding your head, a sense of excitement coursing through your veins. "I'm game, Peter. Lead the way."

Peter wastes no time, taking your hand in his and leading you to the back room. The door creaks open, revealing a small, dimly lit space filled with old records and stacks of boxes. Once inside, he turns to face you, his eyes darkening with desire.

He steps closer, closing the distance between you, his hands sliding up your arms, igniting a trail of goosebumps in their wake. His touch is gentle yet confident, drawing you closer to him. The scent of his cologne, a mixture of musk and leather, intoxicates your senses, heightening the anticipation in the air.

Leaning in, Peter captures your lips with his in a searing kiss. It starts off slow, tender, but quickly deepens into something more passionate. His tongue dances with yours as his hands explore your body, tracing the curves and contours, sending shivers of pleasure up your spine.

You reciprocate eagerly, your fingers tangling in his hair as you kiss him back with equal fervour. The taste of him is like a heady cocktail, like a mix of whiskey and adventure. His lips are soft yet assertive, moving in sync with yours, igniting a burning desire deep within you.

Peter's hands continue their exploration, sliding down your body, his touch setting your skin ablaze. With each caress, you feel the intensity between you both grow, the sensation becoming electric.

He breaks the kiss, his voice husky with desire. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this," he murmurs against your lips, his words sending shivers down your spine.

His hands undo the buttons of your shirt, revealing the curve of your breasts. He takes a moment to admire the sight before him, his gaze filled with undeniable desire. And then, he descends his lips, leaving a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses on your skin.

You arch your back, a soft moan escaping your lips as Peter's exploration becomes more intense. His touch is both tender and passionate, his fingers tracing patterns that leave your body craving more.

With each passing moment, the heat between you both intensifies. The back room of the record store becomes a sanctuary of pleasure and desire, a place where the outside world no longer exists.

Peter's voice, rough with longing, breaks through the haze of pleasure. "I want you. Now," he whispers against your ear, his hot breath sending shivers through you.

Your answer comes in the form of a passionate kiss, the promise of ecstasy fuelling your every move. Clothes are shed, bodies entwined, and as you give in to the overwhelming pleasure, you realize that this is just the beginning of a fiery and unforgettable connection with Peter Quill.

As things heat up in the back room of the record store, there's an undeniable chemistry between you and Peter. Every touch, every kiss, sends waves of pleasure coursing through your body.

Peter's hands roam your exposed skin, exploring every inch with a hunger that matches your own. His touch is electric, tingling with desire and a deep longing for connection. Your bodies move together in a rhythm that feels natural and intoxicating.

You gasp and moan as his lips find their way to your neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses along your sensitive flesh. The sensation is overwhelming, and you can feel your pulse quicken with every nibble and lick.

His hands find their way to your breasts, teasing and caressing them with expert precision. Your back arches, pressing your chest against his touch as you savor the delicious sensations that ripple through you.

Peter's mouth descends further, trailing down your body. He kneels before you, his hands gripping your hips as he looks up at you, desire burning in his eyes. With a mischievous smile, he hooks his fingers into the waistband of your pants, slowly pulling them down, inch by tantalizing inch.

Your breath catches in your throat as he places soft kisses along your inner thighs, teasingly close to your core. The anticipation builds, your body humming with need as you silently beg him to dive in.

And then, finally, his lips meet your most intimate parts, and you gasp at the exquisite pleasure that courses through you. His tongue dances skillfully, exploring every fold and crevice, driving you wild with desire.

You lose yourself in the whirlwind of sensations, the pleasure growing more intense with every flick and stroke of his tongue. Your fingers grip his hair, guiding his movements as you draw nearer to the edge of bliss.

In a haze of desire, you surrender completely to Peter's touch. He expertly explores every inch of your body, using his hands, lips, and tongue to bring you to the pinnacle of pleasure.

As his tongue dances skillfully against your most sensitive spot, your moans of delight fill the air. The sensations consume you, rendering you incapable of coherent thought as waves of pleasure crash over you again and again.

Your back arches, your body trembling with the intensity of the pleasure coursing through you. Peter's touch is relentless, driving you higher and higher until you can no longer hold back.

With a cry of ecstasy, you reach your climax, your body convulsing with pleasure. Peter continues to lavish you with attention, prolonging your pleasure until you're left breathless and completely satisfied.

Slowly, as the haze of pleasure begins to fade, you pull Peter up to you, your lips seeking out his in a passionate kiss. You can taste yourself on his lips as you both revel in the afterglow of your intimate encounter.

You pull away from the kiss “Peter, please, I need you” you say breathless

“You need me for what dear?” Peter says, his voice full of tease

“Peter, I need you to fuck me, please”

“Your wish is my command” he says as he rips his clothes off

Your naked body is at full display for him and his bare body hovering yours. He starts kissing and nibbling your neck as his hands roam over your body till your dripping cunt and insert two fingers.

Then he takes his cock, his tip touching your pussy

“Peter please, fill me” you say almost begging him. You’re so overwhelmed because of the feeling that you can’t think straight

Peter starts going further in you till you could see the overline of his dick in your belly. His gaze fixed in your eyes, looking for permission to move. You nod your head slightly, still looking at the bulge on your abdomen

He thrust into you deeply, touching your g spot making you moan loudly

“Right there Pete” you moan, your mind feeling fuzzy because of the excitement

He keeps pounding on you, each time further and faster “I can see myself in you my dear” he says putting his hand in your belly bulge

He tries to hide his whimpering but fails “Oh fuck”

“Faster Peter” he obeys and his thrusts becomes more rapid

You feel so overwhelmed, the knot in your belly tightened “I’m gonna cum Pete”

He keeps thrusting into you till you cum, the feeling washing over your body, but his movements don’t stop till he pounds into you so deeply and fills you with his seed

You both are breathing heavily, feeling exhausted “You okay?” Peter asks you

“More than okay Pete”

“I think we should repeat it”

“Yeah, definitely” you say panting

Skin pressed against skin, you hold each other close, basking in the warmth and connection you've found in each other. The record store fades into the background as you savor the intimacy and raw emotions between you.

You know that this is just the beginning of a passionate relationship with Peter Quill, a connection that goes beyond physical pleasure. And as you lay there, tangled in each other's embrace, you can't help but feel a sense of excitement for the adventures and love that lie ahead.

[steveinscarlet]

Another vintage Kerrang article for your delectation. This one is loooong. Text below the cut...

THEY'RE ALL concerned and they all want answers. Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, hauling ass down Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, in a sparkling silver Corvette, certainly does. So does Blackfoot mainspring Ricky Medlocke, a recent unexpected apparition within the Marquee's glistening vaults. So does just about everyone I've met in the course of recent field-trips. They're all wearing that 'there but for the grace of God' look and they all want to know. So do I...

"Every time you speak to Rick on the phone you come away with a big grin on your face because he's in such good spirits. He's handling it better than I thought he would. He's matured 10 years overnight. He's totally accepted the fact that he's only got one arm and he's being very realistic about coming back into Def Leppard. He's mad to go for it, though, and we're mad to let him try."

That drummer Rick Allen will try, however, isn't in doubt. He's adamant about it and Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott is equally adamant that the band will give him their unrestrained support. As they've said all along, the decision is totally his "We aren't trying to show off or get sympathy," spells out Joe, "it's just the way we are. Def Leppard is simply five lads - we could have been a football team, we could have been international bank robbers. Rick's a mate, and just because he's had an accident doesn't mean he can't still be in the band. If he physically can't do it then obviously there's going to be problems, but with the technology available today I don't see why he can't play snare drum with his left foot, say. And if he can do that, and maybe have tom tom fills already recorded on a trigger, then the kit would look exactly the same. "Bill Ludwig, who builds Rick's kits, actually got in touch with him as soon as it happened, and it seems that there's a lot of one-arm drummers, guys who came back from Vietnam, y'know. The thing is, they tend to play Holiday Inns and places that like that; it's a different approach to drumming. Rick has a very John Bonhamish style - I mean, the quy doesn't need monitors, he's ridiculously loud! - and he'd never be able to do with one hand what he did with two for an hour and three quarters. It would kill him! So he's gonna need the technology. It's just down to whether he can accept the fact that there are gonna be people in the crowd trying to peer through the cymbals to see a plastic arm. He'll have to wear a shirt now, whereas before he'd always go bare-topped..."

THE DETAILS of the car crash that removed 21- year-old Rick (temporarily at least) from the Leppard ranks have been pretty well documented, grabbing column inches in the Nationals and beyond. The bare facts seem plain enough: at 12.50pm on New Year's Eve, while driving his Corvette along the A57 from Sheffield to his parents home in Dronfield (Derbyshire), Rick was involved in an incident which sent his car spinning out of control, turning over several times, injuring his female passenger and removing his left arm in the process. He remembers what happened vividly, and really can count himself fortunate to be alive. When the debris from the accident was examined it was found that the top half of the steering wheel had been bent back, Rick's particular power clearly preventing the steering column and dashboard from crushing against his chest. But why did it happen?

Picking through the events with Elliott it soon becomes obvious that the whole story is a little more complex than yer typical life-in-the-fast-lane pile up. Think about it...

When you're young and successful, with a streamlined US car and a female companion to match, it can sometimes sting the nasal membrane of the folks you've abandoned to a dole queue existence in your humdrum hometown rut. People have been known to glow green with jealousy, and on New Year's Eve people have been known to take a drink. Sometimes even a life...

"Yeah," says Joe quietly. "There was another car involved in the accident."

Mucking Rick around, you mean?

"That's right. But the people have denied it and there's nothing we can do. The coppers have interviewed them but it's no good I'd love to go round and kill 'em!"

Joe takes a moment to collect his thoughts, then continues... "The arm was placed in a bucket of ice gathered from all the houses nearby and Rick was in hospital (the Royal Hallamshire) within 19 minutes, which is unbelievable. He underwent an 11-hour operation; his arm was back on by ten to one the following morning, but infection set in and after three days they had to take it off.

"His nerves are still alive, though. They've got them wrapped up like spaghetti, and it's possible to have them connected up in a way that can give movement to a prosthetic arm. So the Steve Austin 'Six Million Dollar Man' thing is not beyond the realms of possibility one day. Rick still feels his arm because of the nerves."

When did you hear what had happened?

"I heard at about ten to four the same afternoon and I couldn't believe it. I cried like a baby for about three hours - my face was hurting. Peter (Mensch, manager) rang and said, 'Rick's had an accident, his arm's off, but they've sown it back on'. I've heard of that working before but unfortunately it was torn off, not cut off, so everything snapped and stretched in different places, which made it more difficult."

How soon after the accident did you visit Rick in hospital?

"I saw him two days after it happened... it was the worst experience I've ever had... but he was walking a week earlier than expected and telling the nurses to f**k off after three days because he was fed up having his bandages changed. He sounds in fine form now and wants to get back; drumming's all he's ever done, and he's done it very well."

"It's just up to him if he can stand the strain. I mean, he's going to go through some crap. He's not had it yet, but he's gonna suffer from depression; bad depression. He's being very realistic about it, though. He said to me, 'When it comes, it comes.' He wants to come out here to Holland but he knows he can't."

Presumably he won't be ready to play a part on the forthcoming tour?

"No, and he knows that. Somebody will guest with us until we know the result of Rick's convalescence." Would you consider using two drummers on any subsequent tours?

"Possibly, yeah, and Rick could do specific bits. We've definitely thought about that, but he's got a lot to learn first. I mean, there's certain things that are now a fact of life. If Rick wants to wear baseball boots, for example, he's gonna have to wear Velcro ones. And he's probably gonna need press-stud trousers. He's got to learn to bath himself even..."

"The thing is, at the moment his right arm doesn't work. The ball is smashed so they've had to pin it. He's got a six inch pin as big as a poker in there. Imagine if your elbow was sown to your hip; well that's all the movement he's got. I guess he's a bit of a mess, though mentally he's the best he's ever been."

What would happen if Rick returned to the band yet clearly wasn't cutting it? Would you have to tell him? "No, because he'd know himself. He's said that to me on the phone. He's being realistic- if he can't do it he can't, but he's definitely gonna try. There'll come a time when Rick will say, I'm ready, and we'll get together in a rehearsal room for a month and see what he does. He'll either turn round and go

'Yes!' and we'll go 'Yes!', or else he'll say 'Sorry, I'm not coping with it.'

"The important thing is that he tries, otherwise he'll never know, and that would be awful. I know he'd rather fail than not try at all. Besides, it's no big secret that we use drum machines on the records so, whatever happens, he could still be involved on that side. We would just take a session drummer out on the road."

"At the moment, we're trying not to get too depressed about the whole situation, but we were mega-depressed at first. I was in a real state, like a zombie for five hours, and for quite a time after I just didn't want to get into a car. I know it's daft, but it's true

A BONHAM of the biscuit tins, a Titan of the tupperware, since the age of 11 Rick Allen has thought of little outside of drums and drumming. At the moment he's at home, probably watching Cheech & Chong videos on the new system bought for him by Phonogram Records. But chances are that his thoughts are elsewhere, no doubt wafting with the music around the booths and corridors of Wisseloord Studios near Amsterdam, Holland, where Leppard are recording their fourth, as yet untitled, LP. As always, he's with his colleagues 110 per cent (for now it can be in spirit only), a continued commitment that should spur him on through the tough weeks and numerous hospital visits ahead.

Prior to the accident, he'd laid the groundwork for eight backing tracks, and the remaining two songs on the album were always destined to feature a less human touch, the band specifically wanting a more clinical punch, so there's no problem on that front. As for his work on backing vocals, well, Elliott can easily deputise in that department, leaving Rick free to concentrate on the speediest recovery possible and, as Elliott puts it, "Learn to live again. He's having all these drums built and a special car designed, all sorts of stuff..."

All things considered, '84 certainly wasn't an easy year for Def Leppard, a rude awakening for an almost unbroken streak of good fortune. First longstanding associate 'Mutt' Lange proved unable to produce the new LP, likewise his replacement Jim Steinman (though for different reasons - read on!), and then came The Accident, which instantly eclipsed all previous hassles, reducing apparent mountains of doom and dismay to easily skirted molehills. But, if anything, adversity has caused the four active members of the Leppard clan to virtually graft respective beaks to the grindstone in a collective consummate effort to make their next album their best.

The band's first LP, 'On Through The Night', produced by (Colonel) Tom Allom, took a mere 18 days to record and remains something of an embarrassment in Elliott's eyes (someday he'd like to remix it and touch up a few of the vocal parts), while the second, 'High 'N' Dry', with Lange now at the helm, was laid down in three and a half months, including a month's pre-production, bang, bang, bang, 'Mutt' clearly wanting to capture the excitement generated by these 21-year-old 'let's go for its'. But 'Pyromania' now that was a different story, with band and producer (Lange again) making a conscious decision at the outset to pin back the ears of a generation with something of genuine lasting quality; an attempt to update the glories of Queen's 'Sheer Heart Attack' and 'Night At The Opera' LPs...

They went for it in a big way and 10 months later came up trumps, creating a slice of history that many have doubted they'll be able to top; an album that left the whole of the music industry wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and caused bands both big and small to almost instantly re-assess their directions and aims. A (hard) labour of love still selling around a thousand a week, it broke taboos and set fresh standards right down the line.

"Hopefully, it'll be an Heavy Metal 'Sergeant Pepper...'," says Elliott, "who knows, but we've got to do more. It'd be tragic if our best album was our third and we end up doing 17 LPs."

Whatever the next album sounds like, however, Joe's convinced that it's gonna be slated by the press. He's resigned himself to the fact (not having heard the record beyond a few notes ricocheting out of the studio doors, I really can't comment), but, along with bassist Rick Savage and guitarists Steve Clark/Phil Collen, he's ploughing on regardless, helping to create something different to 'Pyromania' in content yet as good, if not better, overall.

"Since 'Pyromania' we're two years on technically," he explains. "The Fairlights are better, the keyboards are better and the microphones are better. And we're two years more experienced, of course. Actually, we keep putting on 'Pyromania' and listening to it back-to-back with what we've done; you have to imagine it without the mix, but it's definitely up there to my ears."

JOE ELLIOTT leans forward in the chair, tucks a fold of his rather battered dressing gown tight against private parts and pours himself another glass of one cal Coke. This for the moment is home, and has been since the middle of August: a simple hotel room in Holland ten minutes drive from the studio complex. Originally, the band were due to play the 'Mick Wall Festival' in Rio, but they eventually decided against it on grounds of not wanting to interrupt recording. So while certain jammy so-and-so's were sunning themselves on the Copacabana sands (maaaan!!), Elliott and co, tax exiles all, were trudging across frozen lakes, wrapped up tight against temperatures of 25° below! Still, there's always next year And if nothing else, in their present position the four are conveniently cut off from all domestic distractions. Through the hotel room window I can see Dirk, Elliott's treasured Renault 12 (and centrespread star of Kerrang! 79), basking quietly in the hazy sunlight, the central motif on an idyllic pastel canvas shaded only by the distant foghorn fuming of an adrenalised Peter Mensch. Somewhere, behind closed doors, he's informing an unfortunate Halfin that a five-piece outfit close to the latter's wallet have been 'stiffing' horribly in the South, and he doesn't mean Torquay! Let's just say he's on form...

Later, on the flight back to London, having persuaded Mensch to fund my purchase of a duty free Sony Walkman in tasteful pink, I tentatively suggest that the forthcoming Leppard biography should be titled 'Me & My Whine'...

"OH, YEAH, DAAAN-TAY!!" he snaps, blood vessels popping like balloons, "AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO THINK THAT ONE UP???"

Back to business...

"We've always upheld the theory," theorises Joe as things quieten down, "that we don't want to put out a record every nine months. We'd much rather put out a record every two to three years that's of real good quality

"When we started this album 'Mutt' was involved; we did pre-production with him in Dublin, Ireland, which is why we've put him down again on the songwriting credits. It's an honesty thing with us. He doesn't write anything as such; the six of us just sit round a table with a piece of paper in front of us and guitars turned down really low, then whoever chucks in an idea - be it Rick or 'Sav' or me or 'Mutt' - we play with it."

"Steve, for example, will come up with an idea and 'Mutt' will say, 'Change that round', 'Use this', 'Do it in another key', ' or whatever. It just creases me up to think that there are some people out there who look at us and say, 'Ha! They can't write their own songs', which isn't true at all. And even if it was, I'd much rather be involved with an album that sold six million copies co-written with a producer than one that sold 200,000 copies that wasn't."

Surely helping with the arrangements and so on is part of a producer's job, though "Yeah, right, but it's almost as if it's some kind of crime to let your producer be involved. That's what a producer's there for - to kick you up the arse and bring out the best that you can do. We encourage 'Mutt' to be involved and we repay him by sticking his name on the songwriting credits. Who cares! It's only a bloody song anyway..."

Isn't it true, though, that a lot of producers are really just glorified engineers and can't make the extra step up to that level of involvement?

"Yes, that is true, but 'Mutt's an exception anway because the guy's a musician, he's been an engineer since he left school - he's been doing it for 17 years and he's only in his early thirties now and he's also a brilliant singer and great songwriter, so you've got everything going for you! Whereas an engineer will be able to tell you if something's out of tune, 'Mutt' can go further than that and say, 'It doesn't feel right' or 'Sing it this way, shape your mouth like this, let's alter the phrasing'. "With most engineers, if it's in tune and it's what you want then it's a take, and that's all their job is, because if it's that way round it's normally the band who are producing, the way we are with this album. I noticed in Kerrang! it implied that Nigel Green is now producing – he's not, we are. Nigel's assisting." "Actually, he's worked with us on our last two albums, though not as main engineer. Mike Shipley was always our main engineer. Nigel's as good as Mike, it's just that at the time he was involved in other projects; so when Mike took a holiday or went to the dentist Nigel would come in. We've never worked with him on a long term basis before but we do know him."

What happened with 'Mutt' Lange, though? As I understand it, he originally agreed to produce the album as well as help out on pre-production...

"Yeah. In fact, he was still going to do it last February. We started with pre-production, as you've mentioned, but it soon became obvious that 'Mutt' was in no state to see the whole thing through. The Cars' album ('Heartbeat City') nearly killed him; our last album nearly killed him, and the Foreigner record ('IV') the same. I think he's just reached the stage now where to attain certain standards you're talking about grafting for a long time."

"The way we worked on 'Pyromania', for example, we were doing 20 hour days and the guy was sleeping on the couch in the control room. You just can't do that forever, so for the sake of his health he made a wise decision not to do our album. At the time, we were panicking; we thought, 'Oh, Christ!', cos things had all been planned. It wasn't a case of us being afraid of what the album would sound like if 'Mutt' wasn't there, it was simply the availability of other producers that we were concerned about. With top people like Ted Templeman, Mike Stone or Trevor Horn, you've got to book 'em years in advance, you can't just get in touch two weeks before you want to start..."

"Actually, we did approach Templeman just to see how much he wanted, and I don't think he was too keen to do it; he put in such a ridiculous money offer that no band in the world would have accepted it! But then we really wanted somebody a bit different, anyhow. We were interested in the people I've already mentioned initially because we thought, well, these are the names that we've listened to, Bob Ezrin, y'know. But then we started to think about people like Alex Sadkin, who we found was doing the new Foreigner album ('Agent Provocateur'). Trevor Horn would have worked with us in England, but Chris Thomas (Roxy Music, Procol Harum) turned us down flat - he obviously doesn't like us. We actually tried to get Phil Collins, who was interested but tied up with the latest Clapton LP ('Behind The Sun')."

So you were looking at people outside the world of heavy rock...

"Yeah, we were looking at up and coming producers like Terry Manning, who's engineered for ZZ Top, and Steve Lillywhite, who's yet to do a hard rock album but possibly could do a good one. Some of us were interested in him, some of us weren't. I like the fullness of Simple Minds' 'Sparkle In The Rain' LP, it's brill, but sounds are really no problem for us now, we can get good sounds; the thing we always like to have is musical input, and that's where we thought Steinman would come into his own. I mean, the guy's a good songwriter and he's had a hell of a lot of success with what he does."

He worked on the last Billy Squier album, 'Signs Of Life', with Tony Platt, didn't he?

"Yeah, well, he 'navigated' it is what Squier says. We thought, OK, we'll get the sounds and let him do the producing, but it turned out that Jim wasn't really what any of us thought he would be. In fact, I wonder how he's ever got a production credit on anything - especially with Squier, the kind of ego he's got. I can't understand why he even let Steinman's name appear on his album cos we're not putting it on ours."

What was the problem with Steinman then?

"Ahh... I wouldn't be lying if I said that you could have done it as well. I mean that. The guy just sat there reading 'Country Life' all day and going, 'Yeah, yeah, that sounds good', when it plainly wasn't. He's simply not used to recording the way we record. When we said, 'Listen, this is the way we work, you'd better get used to it', he tried and he couldn't. He just could not hear if something was wrong."

Were your standards too exacting for him, do you think?

"Possibly, yeah. It sounds strange to say that, though, cos to me those standards are normal. Doing 'Pyromania' was like going to college; I've grown up listening to things a certain way. As far as I'm concerned, getting the timing, the tuning and the feel spot on is the usual way to work, but Jim Steinman for all his reputation - could not hear it."

"After a while, we just thought, well, this is silly, we're wasting our time and money and wasting his time, though we weren't too bothered about that cos he wasn't too bothered about the project. I honestly don't think he was doing it for any reason other than credibility in the States. "We'd say, 'Right, we start at 12', and he'd wander in at 3.30. We'd stay till 12 or one in the morning, then he'd go back to his hotel and start writing songs for his own future projects, and he'd be up till nine o'clock doing that. So when he finally got round to us, he'd only had five hours sleep. he wasn't there half the time. I mean, he was there in body but not in mind. We found more and more that we were doing the work, which was fine, we didn't mind doing it, we just thought, why the hell should we be giving this guy so many points and so many dollars to sit there reading 'Country Life'!"

So how much did you manage to accomplish with Steinman?

"We did about eight backing tracks and scrapped them; almost everything has been done again. And even the things that went down were our decision Steinman never overruled us on anything. If he said a certain take was good and we said it was bad, we'd do it again."

Who was actually getting the sounds at this stage?

"Us and Neil Dorfsman, Steinman's engineer. He was good, actually, cos he was doing all the work. Jim was the ears of the partnership, but the ears were plugged up, I think..."

"Y'know, it annoys me intensely when a producer walks into a control room and says, "This carpet has got to go!' Sod the desk, that's not important. An SSL desk, 150,000 quid's worth of equipment, and the carpet's got to go! He even had the carpet changed in his hotel room. The guy was living in a suite while we were happy in rooms with a fridge and a cooker. Obviously, we paid for it all..."

"And the food! He went out to the North of Holland and had a 12 course meal! Which is fine, that's his personality, but when somebody walks into a studio and says the carpet has got to go... if I'd been there I'd have decked him. Seriously. Who gives a flying s**t what the carpet looks like!"

How long did Steinman last, then?

"Oh, we dumped Jim about November, we gave him a fair chance. We thought, well, alright, we're doing the spadework, what he might consider the boring side of the album, let's see what he's like on vocals, maybe that's his strongpoint. He did tell us that he spent something like five weeks trying to get Meat Loaf to sing one line, so we thought, OK, the guy's definitely got stamina."

"But when it came to doing vocals with me, it was exactly the same situation as with the backing tracks - everything was my decision. He'd say, 'Yeah, that's good', and I'd go, 'Jim, it's f**king useless!' I'd run out of breath at the end of a line cos I wasn't quite familiar with what I was singing, and he'd say, 'It's got a bit of feel'. Isn't that pathetic?!"

"I mean, Steve and Phil wanted to get rid of him two weeks after he was here. But I just kept saying, 'Give the guy a chance, blah, blah, blah' made meself look a right arsehole. But it was only fair to let him get to the vocal stage of things."

"Anyway, when Steinman went we all sat down and asked Mensch to sort out which other producers were available. We put down everybody we thought might be good. Mike Shipley couldn't do it cos he was off co-producing the new Loverboy album, so we just suggested Nigel. We were doing a better job than Steinman, so we thought, well, what's the point getting in another producer? We send 'Mutt' the odd tape now and then and he sends it back saying, 'It sounds brilliant to me', which shows that we can do it, so we are."

Has having Phil Collen involved from the start of this album (he became a Leppard member during the recording of 'Pyromania', replacing guitarist Pete Willis) made things different in any way?

"Yeah, it means that the songwriting's changed a little; Phil's input is better than Pete's ever was. Steve will always be the major songwriter, I think, but he's really encouraged Phil a lot. He doesn't just sit down and say, 'I want to write all the songs', stuff like that. In fact, everything that Steve's written, he's written with Phil in the same room... Phil's probably involved in eight of the 10 songs on the album."

And what about 'Sav'? He writes too, doesn't he?

"Yeah, but 'Sav's weird; I can't get to grips with him sometimes. More than anyone else in this band he likes your Journeys and your Bryan Adams, occasionally even the odd Duran Duran song, yet he was the one who came up with 'Stagefright' and 'No No No'. And on this new album he's got a number called 'Ring Of Fire' - not a cover of the famous Johnny Cash song! which is an uptempo, thrash, crash, Metal job. He just never writes like the people he listens to."

Will Steve and Phil be sharing the guitar breaks on the new LP?

"Oh yeah, 50/50, right down the middle. Actually, they argue about who's gonna do 'em; not in the sense of, 'I wanna do this', but Phil's telling Steve that he should do a certain solo and Steve's saying, 'No you do it, it's more up your street'. I remember hearing stories about KK (Downing) and Glenn (Tipton) from Priest not talking to each other for four months at a time, but it's the other way round with Steve and Phil. The only thing they argue about is who's gonna buy the drinks!"

What about you, though? You play a bit of guitar...

"Badly!"

...have you written anything on the new record?

"Er... I did come up with some stuff but I don't think it got used. I wrote little bits on the last album, but my main worry is obviously melodies, lyrics and vocals."

"Sometimes, though, we'll have a vocal line and work the backing around that. We've got this one new song, 'Armageddon It', which is Piltdown, just two chords all the way through; it's based around a tongue-in-cheek vocal thing."

Is it a 'Rock Of Ages' type number?

"I suppose it is a bit, yeah. The vocals come out from all over the place once it gets going. It's just a totally stupid lyric... like 'Rock Of Ages', just a piss-take of ourselves, though not mocking the fans in any way."

"And then there's 'Ring Of Fire', which I've already mentioned. It's actually about an Indian meal, the day after, but nobody would ever know that... well, they will now!"

When you're writing lyrics, do you ever think about how the song will work live?

"Not really, no. Obviously, a number like 'Rock Till You Drop' is a stage song, and the same with 'Stagefright', but I've never consciously sat down and thought, well, I'd better come up with two songs about 'Rock This Place To The Ground', or whatever, and one meaningful one about Vietnam, and another about a vigilante in New York. They just turn out that way. You do it in moods. I was probably watching something about Vietnam on TV and 'Die Hard The Hunter' (from the 'Pyromania' LP) came out, and I'd probably been to see 'Deathwish' when I wrote 'Billy's Got A Gun' (also on 'Pyromania'). I can't remember, I just do it."

"I actually wrote 'Photograph' (ditto) while I was sitting on the bog. I was stuck for a chorus and I had a picture of Marilyn Monroe staring me in the face... Bob's your uncle!"

When you made the decision to go for something extra with the 'Pyromania' album, were you confident that you could pull it off?

"We were confident, yeah, very confident, because 'Mutt' was producing. We just had so much faith in the guy and in return he had total confidence in what we were doing. We didn't see how we could go wrong, though Mensch was tearing his hair out when we were nearly a million pounds in debt and the record company were drumming their fingers waiting. I think we had to sell 1.2 million copies of 'Pyromania' to break even, we were in a real big mess..."

"I mean, I nearly had a nervous breakdown, I just couldn't handle it. I was going through so much crap towards the end - do it again, do it again... I got what a lot of singers get, 'Lastitis', which comes from the pressure of finishing. We went through a lot of hell on that record..."

Including, of course, the slightly wobbly exit of young Mr Willis...

"Yeah, but in all honesty I think that did us more good than anything. The thing is, you sometimes take situations for granted and then all of a sudden something like that happens and it's like, wow, it's different, there's only four of us, he's gone, really gone. I mean, Phil joined the day after, but then he almost joined back in '81."

"I tried to get him cos we were having trouble with Willis in America. I rang Phil up and said, 'Can you learn 16 songs in two days?' He said, 'I'll try', but that was just totally out of desperation, there's no way he could have done it. However, when Pete started to act in the studio like he did on tour, which was making Keith Moon look like a bloody vicar, it was time for him to go."

Why doesn't he get some help?

"Well, I think he's beyond help, to tell the truth. He doesn't even realise he needs it, he doesn't accept he's got a problem, though the guy's been in hospital twice as a result of drink and drugs. He had a collapsed liver or something, and epileptic fits, God knows what."

That hasn't happened to the rest of you, though, and you're all the same age, you've all worked your way up together...

"No, it's just him. Pete's always had something to prove, y'see, probably because he's a midget. The guy thought he was 10 feet tall when he was pissed and he'd be taking on people as big as you it didn't work. He was like a gigantic ball and chain around our ankles..."

THE LATEST whisper on Willis is that he's currently swanning around the environs of Sheffield, complete with Rolls Royce and minder, recounting tales of some hush-hush supergroup he might be throwing in his frets with. Elliott finds it hard to take the whole thing seriously, and I think it's fair to say that the recording of album number four is proceeding all the smoother for the wee man's absence.

Already, a number of lead vocals are complete, and the band (employing two studios simultaneously) are steadily piecing together their ten new songs, ready to convince a waiting world that Life After 'Pyromania' does exist.

So what's on the boil? Well, in no particular order, there's 'Armageddon It' and 'Ring Of Fire', already mentioned, 'Excitable', 'Gods Of War', 'Fractured Love', 'Don't Shoot The Shotgun' (Stonesy, I'm assured), 'Animal', 'Love Bites' (a ballad), 'Run Riot' and the enticingly handled 'Women', all proudly produced by the Leppard members themselves, who, without the invaluable 'Mutt' Marten to administer the prods, are taking great and serious pleasure in booting each other up the bum! "Actually, I never envisaged us producing ourselves," admits Joe, "I thought it might be the one thing that would lead to us falling out. It's always been dead important to us that Leppard is a friends situation; we want to keep the element of why we started. Five mates who can still go into the same bar and look each other in the face after seven years. Happily, that's the way it's remained, and producing ourselves is working really well..."

The new album, which now looks set to be mixed by Lange in the UK, an added bonus, should be available by August, after which the band plan to tear up the tarmac on a world tour of, well... y'know. The idea, it seems, is to blow away the studio cobwebs with about eight shows in Ireland, some in smaller places, then steer a course for the UK, perhaps for a September stint (the British dates have already been put back four times!) of 20 or so gigs. A headline appearance at Wembley Arena isn't too far off for the boys, according to Queen's Brian May, a staunch Leppard supporter, but this time around I reckon they'll settle for something a little more cosy.

Next tour, though Europe too seems odds on to cop a visit, particularly as 'Pyromania' has now shifted over 100,000 copies in France and is making a late burst for the tape in Scandinavia as well. Business in Germany, however, remains a little slow, and as for Holland... well, now we're talking about a massive 639 units shifted. Still, at least it means the band don't have to worry about being recognised. Def what?!

By December Leppard should be into America, after which it's likely they'll travel to Japan, though probably not Australia, that stage of the tour having lost them around 60 grand last Feb. Indeed, all in all, their schedule will be less arduous than last time, including more days off to recover and recharge. The band should certainly feel healthier as a result, but then with the Rick Allen episode having shocked the Leppard camp into a highly body-conscious state, that's the way things are heading anyway "I don't want to waste away and vegetate," explains Joe. "I'm 25, I'm supposed to be at the peak of my fitness; I'm supposed to be Glenn Hoddle but I wasn't. I'd run a mile and be out of breath. Now I can run a six minute mile, no trouble, and I do half an hour's worth of exercises every day. 'Sav', Phil and myself all go jogging too - we take less for granted now than we did before..."

[avochele]

I don't understand but I love you.

Request: TNX's reaction to you speaking in your native language - @dangerousmoonkitten

Pairing: TNX x gn!reader

Warning: none (please tell me if there are any, so I can add them)

Tags: fluff

note: i'm sorry for letting you guys wait for so long for an update. i'm in my finals right now and didn't really feel motivated to write. i hope you like it and don't always take life too seriously you guys.

STREAM FUEGO

Taehun

The both of you are invited to your cousins birthday. So it was no surprise that at some point you started speaking in your native language with your family. Taehun was amazed by the speed with what you started translating for him. At one point he stopped listening to your translations by how much he was admiring you. You teased him about it later.

Kyungjun

You were talking to one of your friends over the phone, when he heard you. He was confused at first because he didn't know if you were speaking in english or in your native language. You were in fact speaking both. You were sitting in the kitchen while he was laying on the couch with his laptop in front of him. So in order to be able to listen to you he turned his music on his headphones down. He loved listening to you speaking in your native language.

Hyunsoo

Your date had been crushed by your mom asking if you could babysit your babysister. So now the two of you were sitting on the floor, trying to entertain a toddler. At some point you had switched to your native language to talk to your sister. Since then Hyunsoo has been sitting on the floor with a toy in his hand just looking at you with sparkling eyes. You excused yourself for a second to get you something to drink. „Your pretty“ he suddenly hears in broken korean from your sister. He smiles at her. His date didn't get ruined at all.

Junhyeok

You were watching a series in your native language and you just couldn't get over how oblivious the main character was. You talked to your friend about it before, and now you started recording a voice message to said friend with Junhyeok listening in on it. You were talking fast and he had no clue what you were talking about. But he knew that it was the prettiest thing he had ever heard. (Next to your laugh and voice in general.) „What?“ you asked as you finished, you had caught him starring. „Nothing.“ he says. Little did you know his heart was racing.

Hwi

Your grandparents had invited you to dinner, forcing you to bring your boyfriend with you. So now you were sitting at the table with an enormous amount of food infront of you. Your grandpa had started to talk to Hwi in a very broken Korean, leaving you to talk to your grandma. As the hours passed Hwi started to listen to your conversation. He understood not even half of it but just listening to you made his day better. He made a mental note to learn your language later.

Sungjun

Being bilingual isn't easy sometimes and Sungjun completely understood that. But when you just started talking to him in your native language he didn't quite know what to do. So he just let you talk. Even though he didn't understand a word. He was always fascinated at how well you spoke both languages. “It would be great if you could say everything one more time in korean.“ You stopped smiling. You swear you saw him on Duolingo a few days later.

[aparticularbandit]

Of A Fatal Captivity: Prologue

Summary: When do they decide that she can't leave? That they're going to keep her there no matter what she wants? That's the day her captivity begins. Is that today?

Some of you will think that this beginning is a gimmick. Up to you! Think what you want! (It's not a gimmick more than anything else in writing is a gimmick, which is to say, of course, it's a gimmick, because that's all writing is, really, isn't it? A bunch of gimmicks? Some of them more successful than others? Isn't that why we have tropes? The trappings of a Tragedy to tell us whether that's really what the story is or not? (Do you know the story you're in?))

Enough games.

You're here for something better than that.

Or: Junko Enoshima's factory reset may or may not be going as planned, and Ryoko Otonashi has plenty of things to say about that. Or will, once she realizes what's going on.

Chapter Rating: T. Fic Rating: M for Danganronpa reasons.

AO3

previous chapter | next chapter

Book One

Two Weeks Ago.

Makoto feels the slightest twinge of pressure on the top of his head.  It would be easy to squeeze his eyes shut so that he can avoid the pain, but he doesn’t.  Instead, he continues to look out over his classmates – his friends – one last time.  Out of the corner of his eye, he catches Junko, the last of them, the mastermind, giving him a wink and a thumbs up.  And then—

It’s a perfectly timed, perfectly choreographed sort of dance.

In a movie or video game, it would be called a frame by frame action, something that happens so quickly that you can’t catch it with your normal eye – as opposed to the SFX bit in The Lion King, which isn’t a blink and you miss it moment, but something caught incorrectly by a child who assumed it said sex.  The child could see that word; this, on the other hand, happens so quickly that you would need screencaps to catch it.  In fact, there are a lot of things you can realize from frame by frame analysis. If it could be done with this moment in the Killing Game – if there were recordings that could be combed through later – then this, too, is something that would be realized.

Makoto’s desk – the floor beneath him – drops down at the same exact rate as the compactor block drops on him, so that all he ever feels from it is that slight twinge of pressure.  Then, just as he moves safely out of the way, something snaps shut over his head, neatly chopping off the top of his ahoge as the block slams down onto it.  Wherever he is, it’s dark, and something drips through the floor above him and lands on his nose, his fingertips.

Just a few drops, though, and then he’s whisked away to he doesn’t know where.

If this were faster, it would feel like a rollercoaster with all of its twists and turns and ups and downs before it finally comes to a halting but complete stop.  A door in front of him opens, and the sudden light blinds him.  He raises a hand to shield his eyes, blink, before he steps off of the desk where he’s been seated.

“Hey, Makoto!”

Junko’s voice, echoing around the room, but off somehow.  Unreal.

As Makoto steps into the room, the door slides shut behind him with enough clicks and locks that he knows he will never be able to get back out the way he came in.  His eyes slowly adjust to the light again, and he scans the room the way he thinks Kyoko might, gaze stopping on a laptop resting atop another desk, a laptop that looks nearly identical to the one on which they found Alter Ego.  Maybe it’s even the same one, although he’d been so certain he’d seen him executed.  But then again, Alter Ego already saved him once, and he, Makoto, was here, despite what probably looked like certain execution to the others, so—

Right.

Makoto lowers his hand from where it shielded his eyes and notes the bright, sparkling pink on his fingertips.

(Junko is nothing if not thorough.)

“Makoto, my man!”

Junko’s voice again, and now – now, with the light no longer blinding him – Makoto can see an image of her on the laptop.  Unlike Alter Ego, she’s not all in shades of lime green.  Instead, she looks normal.  Like a photograph.

Or a video.

When he gets closer, Makoto notices the pause button, the rewind, the volume settings.  Whatever this is, it’s pre-recorded, which means—

“I wanted to let you know you didn’t make a mistake.”  Junko flashes him a grin from the other side of the screen as she leans forward the slightest bit, one hand held in place with one finger up, as though she were making a point of something.  “Obviously you don’t think you made a mistake, but you’re going to be stuck here for about ten days, and at some point during that whole boring time, you’re going to think you made a mistake, and later – like, so much later I can’t even talk about it right now without, like, a ton of context, but we’ll get to that – you’re going to think that again, because you’re not going to trust me (and honestly, who would, right?) and worse, you’re not going to trust yourself – so hear it from me now and, uh, however many times you replay this over the next week and a half – you didn’t make a mistake.”

Makoto slides into the chair that’s situated just in front of the laptop.

“See, the thing is Makoto, I’m still gonna die.”

Makoto’s eyes widen.  His mouth drops open.  Even though Junko isn’t really there, he starts to say something, stutters over his words.  What was the point of all this if you’re just going to die anyway?

“Oh, not like you’re thinking!”  Junko flashes him another grin and winks.  Then she crosses her arms and sighs, gaze switching somewhere off camera.  “Only yeah, I’m totally gonna die, and you’re locked in here and can’t do anything about it.  Sucks for you, sucker!”  Her eyes grow wide, maniacal, and she sticks her tongue out as she makes the same double I love you gestures she’d made during the trial.  Then that expression fades again, replaced by the softest smile he’s seen her make.

In fact, Makoto’s pretty sure he’s never seen that expression on Junko before at all.  It’s oddly vulnerable, and she doesn’t seem like the sort of person who would ever have been vulnerable around him, even before she’d taken their memories.

Junko’s gaze flicks to him again, and that smile disappears.  She yawns.  Bored.  “See, the thing is, all of you are absolute fucking shit at trying to kill me.  I’m supposed to be the big villain, and you’re supposed to all team up to take me out!  And you won’t fucking do it!  So I’m just going to take care of the problem myself.  Don’t thank me on your way out.”  Then she leans forward again, all boobs and big hair and bright blue eyes with just the faintest glimmer of red beneath them.  She rests her head in her hands and asks, “So, since I’ve got you here, you wanna hear my grand plan?  Only I’ve had this whole thing cooked up forever, and I’ve had no one to tell it to, and you’re just kinda stuck here, so.”  She winks again.  “You can pause if you want.  Or skip.  Whatever suits your fancy.  But don’t you just wanna know?”

A few seconds pass.  Then Junko’s tongue pokes just between her teeth.  “I knew you would.  So here’s what’s vibing—”

~

Junko talks.

And Junko talks.

And Junko talks.

(He thought she talked a lot during the last trial, but that has nothing on this video.)

It isn’t particularly short, and Makoto has to pause it quite a few times and rewind it to try and get the full gist of what she’s saying.  The thing is, he’s not Kyoko.  He doesn’t have a notepad or pencil ready, and he’s not good at following all these sorts of things without them being repeated in a lot of different ways, and Junko doesn’t seem interested in doing that.  (“That’s so boring, Makoto!  So I’m not going to say things over and over again.  But you can rewind if you need to!  Or if you just want to hear the silky sweet sound of my voice, you perv.”  A pause, then whispered, “Maybe I should have worn a different shirt or something.  You can totally see most of my boobs,” before a wink and, “But I know you won’t take advantage of having a video of me like this, will you, Makoto?”  A lean in, teeth bared, voice growing menacing, “Will you, Makoto?”)

But eventually, Makoto thinks he gets it.  Mostly.  Maybe?

“Now, that’s all I can tell you!  There’s more to the plan, of course, but spoilers!”  Junko taps her sharp red fingernails on the table in front of her and heaves a huge sigh.  “I stocked a bunch of food and everything for you.  All of your favorites.  Enough to last two weeks, just in case Nagito decides to take forever to show up, but he’s usually pretty prompt about this sort of thing, and Miki’s not going to let them take too long to come save me.”  Her head tilts to one side, and she shoots him a glance.  “I know those names mean absolutely nothing to you, but they will at some point, don’t worry.”  She nods to a side of the laptop.  “There’s a bed over there, too, made just the way you like it.”  Another wink that makes him extremely uncomfortable.  (He’s not sure he wants to use the bed now.)  “And, well….”  Her voice trails off again.

Makoto stares at her for a few moments.  He’d be convinced that the video froze – or finished – if not for the minute shifts in Junko’s expression, the occasional blink, the way her chest moves when she breathes (although he isn’t paying attention to that).  It’s just quiet.  (He hadn’t known Junko could be quiet.)

“It was really nice to know all of you.”  Junko smiles again.  Fond, achingly fond, but nowhere near as soft as that first soft smile.  “You were one of the only people to ever throw me a birthday party, other than Yasuke and Mukie, but….”  Her voice trails off again, and her eyes darken.  “We were friends, weren’t we, Makoto?”  A pause, then, softer, “We are friends, aren’t we?”  Then she shakes her head and laughs a little.  “I’m being stupid.  Of course, we are.”

Another silence, longer this time.

Then, finally, “Oh, right.  Do you remember Ryoko Otonashi?”  Junko laughs, harsh.  “No, no, of course, you don’t, my bad.  But you will, at some point over the next few days.  Day five, maybe?  Or six?  It’s so hard to pin down when people are going to remember anything; it’s all down to luck, you know.  I guess it doesn’t really matter when you remember, since you’re locked in here.”  She shrugs.  “Anyway, I left you a little friend, so you won’t, like, die from solitary confinement, or whatever.”

Another few seconds pass before Junko sighs.  “You probably don’t need to hear this, Makoto, but your hope isn’t misplaced.  So you should trust in that, like Nagito trusts in his luck.  I know you don’t know what that means, but—”  She pushes a hand through her hair.  “Man, I’m such shit at goodbyes when I don’t get to kill someone.”  Then she winks again, but there’s no joy to it.

“See you on the other side, Hope Boy.”

Junko finger guns, and the video ends.

Makoto blinks.  Looks around the room.  Junko mentioned a little friend?  He scans the room again.  I don’t see any—

“Hello again!”  The face of Chihiro Fujisaki – no, Alter Ego – appears on the screen in front of him, covering Junko’s face.  He beams up at Makoto.  “I’m so glad you’re alive!”

A lot of emotions swell inside Makoto all at once.  Too many for him to properly name right now, maybe too many to properly name ever.  So many things just happened that he could not have guessed or expected, and he needs time to process it all, if he even can.

Fortunately for him, if Junko’s right, then he’ll have more than enough time to himself to try.

~

Four Days Ago.

Nagito steps into the room where Makoto has been held captive for the past ten days.  He scans everything – a quick scan once – and then asks, “A message?  For me?  How unexpected.”

It’s just part of her plan.

Sometimes, Nagito thinks that no matter what he does, he will never be able to escape the Ultimate Despair’s plan, and it throws him for a loop.  He hates her as much as he loves her as much as she loves him as much she hates him.  They all hate him.  He’s aware of that.  Even Makoto, in the end, will probably hate him.

But at least she has use for him.

(Use that will spread hope to the whole world, a hope so light that he can’t even imagine it.)

Nagito nods towards the laptop.  “There?”

“Mmhm.”

“Alright.”  Nagito sits across from the laptop, squints, and then clicks on the icon with his picture in pixelized art on it.

All at once, Junko’s face appears on the screen.  “Is this…is this thing on?”  She stretches up to fiddle with a camera, showing an overlarge focus on her chest that would make Miki blush, and then settles back.  “Can you…can you hear me?”  Her head tilts to one side, lips pursed into an amused expression, and then she shrugs.  “Well, with your luck, you’ll figure it out.”  Then she grins.  “Hey, Nagito?  Still want to kill me?”

He hits the pause button mid-wink and looks up at Makoto.  “You’ve seen this?”

Makoto sighs and nods.

“And you’re still showing it to me?”

“Of course!”  Makoto’s eyes widen.  “It was meant for you!”  Then he glances away and reaches up to scratch his chin.  “I couldn’t understand most of it anyway.  It’s all in some cryptic language or…or something, and Alter Ego couldn’t translate it.”

At first, Nagito takes a deep breath of Makoto’s hope (it’s relaxing, refreshing; he’ll have so much fun with him later), then neatly grins.  His luck comes through again, just the way it always does. Then he reaches down and starts the video again.

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

OC Interview

Tagged many moons ago by @orphanheirs! Rolled a die and it chose Elfy! (She'll be writing this rather than signing.)

Are you named after anyone?

Nope, not unless you count dolphins! My parents thought the full version, Delfina, looked similar to "dolphin". (They learned later it actually means "of Delphi", as in the ancient Greek archaeological site. Which they still thought was cool. It is.) Plus there aren't any other women in my family with that name. My nickname comes from the "elf" part of Delfina, and a childhood of being obsessed with fairytales and folklore. Having my head in the clouds, basically.

When was the last time you cried?

It was while laughing at Isaac the last time he went with me on an investigation. He's calm and casual around things like rattlesnakes, scorpions, even wolves and mountain lions. But he gets jumpy about the stuff he can't see--like ghosts! I had him do some EVP sessions, and he handled the recording equipment like it was rigged to explode.

Do you have kids?

No, but maybe some day. When I slow down a little. (And find someone who can co-parent with me.)

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not a lot, but my expression will let you know when I am!

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their body language and how they carry themselves. You can tell a lot about someone just by how they stand or sit. (Not their whole story obviously, but a general overview of their current situation.) If someone's stiff and proper, or slouched and worried, that type of thing.

What’s your eye colour?

They're brown, like most people's. What a weird question. Why isn't it ever about how long your eyelashes are? Or whether your eyes sparkle, or if they have creases at the corners from smiling? (Mine do, and I have medium length lashes.)

Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary! I'm in the Spirits Department for a reason.

Any special talents?

Finding trouble and giving it the slip afterwards, teehee.

Where were you born?

In Charlottesville, Virginia since my parents wanted to be close to family when they had me. I spent part of the summers there as a kid for the same reason, though I grew up around Chicago, Illinois for most of the year. Did you know that more cities in Virginia are named after women than any other state? Probably explains why I like them so much.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat! His name is Scurvy because he has a patch of black that's right over one of his eyes. And he likes to play with/chew on limes whenever I have some on the kitchen counter.

What sort of sports do you play?

I joined a local soccer group briefly once. Mostly to hook up with a woman who was part of it, though.

How tall are you?

About 5'3", not counting my hair.

What was your favorite subject in school?

English and history because both involved stories about other people, and how they shaped the world.

What is your dream job?

I'm already doing it! (Though I'd never say no to a pay increase.)

Taglist and blank questions below

Dysthanasia Taglist: @thecyrulik @thatndginger @sunset-a-story @space-writes @scoundrelwithboba

Additionally: @nailamoonsi @meerawrites @wintherlywords @theprissythumbelina @elrallin

Blank questions:

When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye colour? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? What sort of sports do you play? How tall are you? What was your favorite subject in school? What is your dream job?

[rinsuniverse]

Hi lovely💜 how are you? I wish you're having an amazing day and I seriously hope you're taking care💜 Please eat and hydrate sweetie

So I wanna ask something, I'm someone who it's not good at saying "I love you" but I'd show love more writing poetry or cute little notes, and when it comes to physical touch I'm use to just stroke hair and caress fingers/hand

And I'm curious how do you think Woozi would react to a s/o who shows love with subtle and light ways, that would give him little notes/poems or would show through slightly and soft touches

- 💜

more than words with woozi! ✧˖°.

omg, hi again, 💜! i'm doing great, thanks! i hope you're taking good care of yourself, too 💜

this request makes a lot of sense to me! i personally show my love through gift giving (personal letters and drawings and other small gifts) rather than saying it up front all the time

and i feel like woozi would be the same! he's the type to say "you too" after you say "i love you," and not because he doesn't love you, but because he thinks that phrase doesn't mean so much

so for this scenario, you're feeling extra lovey!

you're in his studio, adoring how hard he's working

you're sitting on his couch with your shoes off, your knees pulled up to support the journal you're writing in

while he's recording guides for some songs, you sit there, writing about how beautiful his voice is, how comforting the lyrics are, and just how much you adore him in general

when you're done writing, you begin contemplating giving it to him because it's one of the works you're proud of!

you don't know how you're going to go about giving it

if you gave it to him now, he's probably thank you before setting it aside to read later (which he definitely forgets about), and you'd sit there waiting forever until he finally reads it

if you hid it somewhere for him to find at some point, what if you hid it too well and he never finds it? or what if he mistakes it as trash and throws it away?

you decide to draw some sparkles around it and fold it up, putting it to the side before pulling out some cute sticky notes

you write some small, loving notes on a few of them before peppering them around the studio without him noticing

when you sit back down, you notice he's stretching and pushing himself away from the monitor, so you take the chance to hand him the poem

"what's this?" he asks, looking at the folded paper before looking up at you with big curious eyes

"just something i wrote for you," you say, pulling a chair up to sit next to him

"you want me to read it now?"

you nod, humming

he reads it, a small smile growing on his face

"this is pretty," he says, folding it up before placing it in one of his drawers. "thank you, y/n."

"i just wrote it now when you were recording a guide."

"oh, really? you're so talented, bub."

"says you."

"don't discount yourself and your talents. you know better."

"you're right, thank you, ji."

he nods before going back to his work

you're beginning to feel sleepy in his dimly lit up studio, but you find your hand on top of his left hand that he's not using

he continues to type and do everything with his right hand even though it isn't ideal for him

you trace his fingers lightly with your fingertips, drawing shapes and writing words on his palm

he finds it more comforting than he initially expected it to be

to be honest, he loves when you do small thoughtful things like this

just having your company, not having to say anything, and receiving your love through simple touch and writing is an absolute DREAM for him

he'd prefer this over literally anything

he'd prefer this over having complex, fancy dates with you or going to parties

he loves how you don't constantly say you love him, but leave it for very special moments where literally no other words match how you feel about him

he calls it a night earlier than usual so he can bring you home and cuddle with you, falling asleep to your gentle touch

thank you so much for this request, 💜! i hope you enjoyed this (i love writing this kind of stuff, fr). feel free to request many, many more things and check on me once in awhile! have a great day!

(p.s. requests are still open! i specialize in woozi stuff, but i don't mind writing about other svt members! so request whatever and as much as you want! ς(>‿<.))

[velneer]

A pup to remember [pt. 1]

Velvet, Veneer, and a puppy. What could go wrong?

First story here. Hopefully it makes sense cause I'm sleep deprived at the moment. Also, I'm making it into two parts. I swear it's a one shot but it kinda turned into a two shot.

ps. English isn't my first language. Also, I'll fix this in the morning.

Characters: Velvet x Veneer

Warnings: brother/sister relationship, a little hint of incest if you squint hard enough. Not much warning here. Velvet is really really sleepy though.

Masterlist

Mornings were never Velvet's type. The loud horns of the cars and the morning sun hitting her eyes ruined her perfectly beautiful sleep, it was soooo not cool.

Veneer was different. Instead of getting annoyed by the horns or the sun interrupting his beauty sleep, he'd make all those things his alarm clock. Always says the stupid quote that he got from the troll they keep in their recording room at work. "The early bird gets to sing the first note of the day!" or so it goes.

That's why standing near the kitchen counter preparing her coffee early in the morning on a Saturday, Velvet wished she was back in her cozy bed sleeping the morning way.

She already made up her mind to leave the coffee behind to return to her bed until Veneer walked in calling out her name in excitement.

"Vel! Vel!"

"What?" She groaned, taking the cup out of the machine, which was still pouring out the coffee to take a sip.

"Can we keep him?" Veneer asked, eyes sparkling in hope while looking at his sister.

Velvet looked at him in confusion, sleepy mind not following on what he meant. She was about to question him until she heard a bark.

The drink in her hand was completely forgotten as she stared wide-eyed at the thing that made the noise. "What's that?" She asked, her free hand pointing below to where Veneer stands.

"It's a puppy!" Veneer exclaimed excitedly, both arms opening wide towards the small dog, emphasizing the clueless puppy who was happily wagging his tail on the floor.

"I found him on the streets. He was so cute all whining and shivering from the cold. He reminded me of you when snow falls; always wanting to snuggle up underneath a warm blanket and demanding hot cocoa."

"Hold up, bro. Did you just say I'm a dog?" Velvet asked, eyes narrowing, offended by the thought.

"Oh no! I think you're more of a cat, honestly." He said while picking up the cute dog. " You have very sharp nails too. I still have the scratches on my back, by the way, new ones too from last night. Luckily, we don't have a photoshoot this week, or the next, cause I'd have to find an excuse as to why I can't wear anything backless for the shot."

The puppy in Veneer's arms wiggled trying to get down. Both the siblings' attention reverted back to the puppy whose tongue was now out. Its saliva dripped on the clean floor making both of them cringed.

Without a clue, the puppy happily wiggled its tail, rolling over as if demanding to be petted in his belly.

"Awww. Vel, can we keep him?"

Velvet looked towards Veneer as if he'd grown a second head. "Are you kidding me?" She asked. "It was literally making a dog spit puddle in the middle of our kitchen floor a while ago and you still want to keep it?"

Going up to his sister, Veneer did his best to make puppy dog eyes in hopes of swaying his sister's opinion to keep the small dog. His energy seemed to have affected the puppy as it got down to its front legs whining cutely.

"It's too early for this," Velvet mumbled, putting her hands up in surrender. She left the coffee, walked towards the living room, and sat down on the couch quite dramatically, sighing in relief to finally get her feet off the ground.

Veneer and the puppy followed her, both eyes wide expecting an answer from the girl who would decide their fates.

Velvet couldn't help but groan in annoyance knowing that Veneer would not leave her alone until she answered.

"Look, I don't even want to know where you got it. But—" She knows when she wakes up, she'd blame her sleepiness for giving out this answer. "—fine, you can keep it."

Perking up from the news, Veneer stood up to raise the puppy in the air. His excitement was so contagious that even the puppy let out happy barks as they spun around in celebration.

"You hear that boy! I get to keep you!"

As both Veneer and the puppy's excitement mellowed down, Velvet continued, fighting off the heaviness of her eyelids to give out her condition before she fell asleep on the warm cozy couch.

"I have conditions. So listen up."

Standing in attention, Veneer looked up expectantly. The puppy in his arms grew silent, curiously watching the exchange.

"I'm listening."

"As he stays here, you will be in charge of it. Meaning, if it poops, pees, or breaks anything. You, my dear little brother, will take full responsibility. You will also need to clean up after it, and I swear, if it breaks anything important there will be no getting cozy under the blanket for the rest of the week."

Veneer, with a look of nervousness on his face, slowly nodded in agreement. He definitely can clean up after a puppy. It wouldn't be that hard, right?

Part 1 | Part 2

[typically-untypical]

Hiring: Drummer Wanted

AU: Band AU

CW: None that I can think of

WC: 1,100

Date: 12/19/2023

"We don't need a drummer," Janus rolled his eyes, gently setting his guitar in it's case, looking over to Logan for verification. The man sitting at the synth board looked up and nodded before adding his two cents. 

"I don't believe we could offer gainful employment to a percussionist. We very seldom use a standard beat in our songs and though we have used drums in the past it wouldn't be enough to justify having someone on our payroll full time." 

"Right, I thought about that," Remus said shifting on his feet. "But I have an idea for a few songs and those songs would require more of a drum aesthetic, and the guy we normally work with is going off and doing his own thing next month right? So like we need to start feeling out for people who might work well with us and I have an idea."

At those words, both Janus and Logan looked up each sharing a matched expression of amusement.

"It's the emo you met at the poetry bar isn't it?" Janus asked, letting out a sigh, taking a seat so Remus would have his full and undivided attention. Their lead vocalist was blushing a bit at this point but smiling his stupidly big grin, eyes sparkling with mischief and knowledge. Yes, it was definitely the emo and once Remus got onto an idea it was hard to get him away from it.

Logan joined Janus on the small couch in their recording space and gestured in front of them for Remus. "Present your case." This was their normal procedure when one of them wanted to do something unorthodox. It was normally Remus, and it normally turned out well, but there had been a few times he had suggested something that had to be completely shut down.

Remus' whole body moved with his excitement and he allowed his eyes to go wide as he shuffled in front of them.

"Our music is good, no one doubts that except us occasionally but like our tastes suck." He laughed a little, "But it's also important we try new things and expand our repertoire of possibilities."

"You aren't going to win me over with fancy words," Logan teased, reaching over to Janus and taking his hand gently.

"I can certainly try," he laughed his little meniachle laugh before continuing his sales pitch. "Expanding what we do isn't just good for our listeners but it's good for us too. Different styles and genres can help us express ourselves better and isn't that why we all go into music in the first place? Anyway, we normally work together on songs, and I still think for the final thing we should work together to make sure we all agree on the sound and the flow, but I also think we should all try writing our own songs for this next album. A little look into each of us separately as well as together. Logan is always talking about how it's important that we maintain our individuality even when we are existing as a throuple."

"Counter point," Logan started, holding out his free hand to Remus who took it willingly. "Our current album is almost finished and we shouldn't attempt to change it at this point."

"Counter counter point," Remus squeezed Logan's hand. "We don't need to make changes on this album but we aren't doing tours yet, so as soon as this album is done we're going to be focused on the next one, right?" The tour thing wasn't an issue of popularity, it was an issue of energy. Most likely they were never going to be able to do tours. Logan had a few health issues that kept him a bit grounded in this city which meant touring was really difficult. Remus and Janus both knew he felt guilty about that so they typically tried to avoid that topic but Remus was hoping to show that this time it might actually be a good thing. 

"True," Logan whispered, squeezing Janus' hand before looking back up at Remus. "So you aren't suggesting this to be for the current album we are about to release but rather then next album we work on?"

"Yes."

Logan looked over to Janus who was rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I don't see why we can't pursue some new sounds, but we aren't doing it for a full album. We can add two or three new sounds to the album but the rest needs to be similar to what we've already produced, we don't want to ostersize old fans in search of new ones." Janus sighed, leaning forward a bit. "We can invite him out and see if we gel with him personally before we try to get along professionally." Janus took in a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back and tilting his head to the side before he opened his eyes. He looked at Remus with the cocky ass smirk he knew both of his boyfriends loved. "Afterall, that's what you want isn't it? A date with the pretty emo boy?" 

Remus blushed. "What if it is?" He asked. "Pretty emo boys are pretty, but no. It's not just because pretty emo boys are pretty. It's also because we're going to need a new drummer we trust!"

Janus and Logan both laughed soft chuckles. "Fine," Janus whispered, "Go get the pretty emo boy and set up a date."

Remus cheered, dancing a bit before he leaned in and gave both Logan and Janus a kiss. "I'm gonna go call him now." He pulled away, dancing about as he grabbed his phone. He was already talking to the other man before he was even out of the door. Logan leaned against Janus, closing his eyes as he took in a slow breath.

"How long until the two of them are dating?" He asked quietly.

"I give it two weeks," Janus said shaking his head. "The real question is, how long until we fall as well." He wrapped an arm around Logan, pulling him closer and running a gentle hand along Logan's arm. It seemed like this recording session might have been a bit too much for all of them. 

"You genuinely believe that will happen?" Logan looked up at him, his eyes were filled with exhaustion.

"It happened with you didn't it?" Janus teased and Logan blushed a little, closing his eyes to avoid Janus' knowing stare. 

"Yes, I guess it did."

Janus leaned in, giving Logan a soft kiss. "Now get some rest, I don't need you pushing yourself too hard."

"Very well."

@tsspromptmonth

[ereardon]

HOW HAS NOBODY REQUESTED JAKE & VICTORIA YET?!

Please feed me any fluffy, squishy morsel you’re willing to provide 😂

My heart wants sweet elopement and cute, brilliant babies lol, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea!

Ahhhhh I have SUCH a soft spot in my heart for Jake and Victoria!!

Thanks for sending an anniversary celebration request! Where we left off in the epilogue, they had gotten married and Peach was graduating from her PhD program. They also had a two-year old named Paul, so here's a little snippet that takes place after where we left them in the epilogue!

"Peach? Honey, are you home?"

"In here!"

You turned as Jake entered the kitchen, Paul trailing behind on his tiny legs, face smeared in chocolate.

You laughed, bending down and beckoning him closer, taking a rag from the counter and wiping his face. "Let me guess, chocolate banana?"

Jake shrugged. "What can I say? He begged for it."

You stood up and leaned in, kissing Jake gently. "You're his dad, you know. You can say no, it's allowed."

"How can you say no to that face?" Jake asked, ruffling his son's hair with one giant hand before Paul took off toward the built-in breakfast nook, picking right back up on a coloring book he had left there before the two of them went out for their daddy-son date.

"I can say no to anyone," you replied, turning back to the counter and pouring a cup of coffee. Your hand shook a little.

Jake snuggled up against your back, lips close to your ear. "You didn't say no last month, that night when Caroline came over to babysit and we had dinner at that French restaurant on Eighth Street."

You blinked, turning around slowly. "I know I didn't."

Jake frowned. "Honey? What's wrong."

You dug into the pocket of your jeans, pulling out the white plastic stick. "This is what not saying no gets you."

Jake took it from your hands, eyes lighting up. "You're pregnant?"

You nodded.

His eyes sparkled. You hadn't expected for it to happen so soon. Paul was only four, you had only two years of teaching at Brown under your belt. But Jake was ready. He had been ready since the first time they placed Paul in his arms at the hospital in New Haven. He was born to be a father.

Jake put the test down on the counter and slid one hand beneath your chin, tilting your eyes to him.

"If you don't want to do this, we don't," he murmured. "But we always did say we'd give Paul a brother or sister some day."

"Are we ready?" you whispered.

"Peaches," Jake said softly, winding his arms around your waist, tugging you in closer. "It's up to you. But for the record, I think you're the best mom that ever existed. And you're the only person I would want to be a parent with. You make it look easy, even when it isn't. You try so hard to make every single day special for Paul. And I love you for that."

You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck, nodding gently. "We're having another baby." It was a surprised whisper.

Jake leaned down, pressing his lips to yours. When he pulled back, he was grinning from head to toe. "Paul, buddy, come here a second."

Paul jumped off of the seat and Jake crouched down so he was eye level with his son.

"Guess what, sweetheart?" he said. "You're going to be a big brother!"

Paul looked up with wide green eyes. "A baby brother?" he asked.

You laughed. "We're not sure yet, honey. Could be a baby sister, too."

Jake reached out, placing one hand on your still flat stomach. "They're right in there though. How cool is that?"

Paul ambled over, reaching up and touching your stomach. "Hi baby."

You choked back a set of tears. The hormones were already coming in hot.

"Can I name the baby?" Paul asked.

"Sure," Jake said, just as you said, "No."

The two of you caught eyes and you laughed. "Jake! He's four. He's going to name the baby truck or Cocomelon."

Jake shrugged, fingers still hot on your abdomen. "Remember what we said about saying no?" he asked.

You shook your head with a sigh and a smile. A tear slid out of the corner of your eye as Paul leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your stomach. "I'm going to name you chocolate banana," he whispered.

[partyanimal167]

Sugardaddy Crocodile

I want to do my best to make this man's pockets hurt. It probably isn't possible. But I'm going to try my best. Come join me sis.

CW: MDNI, suggestive, modern AU, sugar daddy

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who didn't understand his peers that kept going on and on about meeting young girls who were airheads especially when he had enough fools to take care of at work. He saw no appeal in it.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who for some reason couldn't keep his eyes off of you for long when stopping by at the new hire orientation. It was supposed to be a blip in his schedule, but he stayed longer than planned. He was hoping you would make your way to his table during lunch, but you kept to yourself and other interns by you.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who just so happened to overhear your manager complain about a dip in your performance and knew there was a reason even if less than perfection wasn't his standard.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who quickly learned that you had another job at night and called you into his office one morning. He didn't mind how flustered you looked and shy you spoke. He knew you were smart--pulled up your record. He knew an opportunity as in front of him.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who enjoyed how your cheeks blushed and eyes sparkled when he handed you a generous check and told you to quit you other job immediately. He also liked how you tried to refuse even though you held on tight to that check. He simply told you to keep working hard as a send off.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who knew no one would bat a eye when he told Payroll to increase your wages even if it was more than his seasoned full-time employees.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who noticed how new and shiny that necklace was when you came to him a month before your internship ended to tell him thanks and that you'd never forget his generosity.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who quickly asked what you meant by that and was almost planning on sending a hit out when you said you had been offered a job at Dressrosa after your graduation.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who almost surprised himself when he immediately gives you a position in his new office building with a ridiculous offer.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who could barely stop himself from blushing when you hugged on him tightly and pressed your soft body on him longer than necessary.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who didn't miss that new naughty gleam in your eyes as you sat yourself in his lap said that you'd be glad to stay with the company and do anything he needed.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who couldn't stop his grin as you repeated 'anything' as a pant and slowly pushed off his suit coat from his shoulders.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who may have been starting to see the appeal of blowing some money and company resources on you if only your hands felt that good.

Sugardaddy!Crocodile who already knew what your graduation gift would be once your master's program ends...

~~~

(Me yelling at reader version of me in my head): How does it feel to be living my dreams!!!

I will indulge on spending imaginary men's money and being spoiled in my head. (To escape the reality of being a independent Black woman who pays her own bills sadly)

Thanks for reading! Inbox is open for requests or if you wanna chat. I wanna have some mutuals on this app.