#Go check out everybody else's rooms they all look so cool

[somegrumpynerd]

My room for the @redwebpod anniversary! I really loved the sleep paralysis demon episode so I wanted to do something with it :D

[alisonsfics]

back in chicago - part 2

pairing: ex-boyfriend!carmy berzatto x reader

summary: after years in germany, you return to chicago and immediately run into your ex-boyfriend. if you thought it’d be easy jumping back into your old life, you were wrong. new people had entered carmy’s life, including a new woman, but you were still everything to him.

word count: 3.2k

part 1 / part 3 / part 4

After giving everybody at the Bear a chance to change out of their dirty clothes, you all headed out to the parking lot since Richie had suggested a night at the club.

“Alright, how you wanna carpool?” Marcus asked Richie, since they were the only two with cars.

“My backseat is full of shit, so I only got room for one.” Richie said, scanning the group for volunteers. In true matchmaker fashion, you pushed Maria towards Richie.

“Alright, cool. Maria’s with me, you got everybody else?” Richie asked Marcus as he slid his arm around Maria’s shoulders. You and Maria made eye contact, and she rolled her eyes at the giddy look on your face.

“Sounds good. Tina, shotgun?” Marcus asked, opening the passenger door for her. Tina was the mother of the group, which meant she got the best treatment and none of the teasing.

Tina thanked Marcus and got in the car. That left you, Carmy, Nat, and Sydney in the back seat. Nat and Sydney went to the left side to get in.

Carmy headed towards the back right door and got in, so you wouldn’t have to sit in the middle. Nat was on the far left, then Sydney, and then Carmy.

Carmy scooted as far over as he could, allowing you to get in. You squished next to him, but couldn’t close the door. “Here you go,” he said, moving his arm to rest on the seat behind you. You readjusted and scooted closer to him.

“You all good back there?” Marcus asked.

“Marcus, your car is too damn small to squeeze four people back here.” Sydney said, causing you all to laugh. You successfully got the door to close, but you were almost in Carmy’s lap.

You made eye contact with Nat, who was smirking at the both of you. The entire side of your body was pressed up against his. “This remind you of anything?” You whispered quietly to Carmy.

His cheeks turned bright red as you referenced your first date. Carmy had taken you to a concert in his small beat-up car. The date ended with you both hooking up in the tiny backseat and then getting kicked out by security.

Your phone lit up in your lap with a text from Maria. It read: “Sticking me in a car with Richie? You’re never gonna give up are you?”

��I wasn’t the only one who saw that between them? Richie was checking her out in the parking lot.” Carmy said, softly, almost making you jump.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop,” he mumbled after seeing your reaction. You shook your head. “You’re like five inches away, so I don’t think it counts as snooping.” You joked, making him chuckle.

“Yeah, I saw you nudge her in the parking lot. Good thinking,” he complimented. Giggling in the backseat with Carmy and trying to set up your friends felt so familiar and made you feel back at home.

“I swear, something’s there. They just haven’t admitted it yet. I mean, they’re both single. And you should’ve seen Maria’s face when she saw Richie for the first time tonight. It was like she was a teenager again, and she was blushing like crazy.” You told him, not realizing how closely Richie and Maria’s situation mirrored yours and Carmy’s.

As you both chatted, you and Carmy naturally gravitated closer to each other. One of your legs was now resting on top of his, and his arm was now casually wrapped around your shoulders.

Neither of you noticed Nat take a picture of you both and send it to Maria and Richie with the caption: “I think something’s happening👀”

You all pulled into the club parking lot and poured out of the squished car. You noticed the buckle on your shoe had come undone when you got out of the small car.

“Oh, shit,” you mumbled, picking your leg up and trying to fasten the buckle. Balancing on one leg while wearing heels was more difficult than you thought it would be.

You wobbled and almost fell. Carmy quickly reached out and grabbed your arms, steadying you. Watching out for you was an instinct for Carmy. “Thank you,” you bashfully thanked him as you held on to his arm for balance and fixed your shoe.

Richie and Maria got out of Richie’s car with giant smiles on their faces. “Looks like they had a good time reconnecting,” Carmy leaned in towards you and whispered.

“I always told you that they were perfect for each other,” you told him, smiling as you watched your friends. Carmy faked a shocked face. “Don’t pretend like I ever doubted you. I always knew you were right. You were right about most things.” He told you, chuckling to himself.

“I was always right,” you teased, pretending to be offended. Carmy held his hands up in surrender. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” He apologized, with a smirk on his face.

Maria nudged Richie, gesturing towards you and Carmy. They both shared a knowing glance after seeing the giddy smiles on your faces.

You all went into the club and ordered some drinks. You walked over to where Maria and Sydney were chatting. “How was your car ride with Richie?” You asked, smirking at her. Maria huffed and jokingly rolled her eyes.

“Wait…are you and Richie like…?” Sydney asked, not knowing how to finish the question. Maria quickly shook her head no. “Don’t listen to her. They had a little fling back when me and Carmy were together, went their separate ways, and now they’re both single again.” You corrected Maria.

“You know what? You get you some. Go for it. You guys would be cute.” Sydney said, jumping on the bandwagon.

“Oh, and you. We have to get you to come out with us more often. We can never get Carmy to come out drinking with us, but apparently if you’re here, he’s down for anything.” Sydney said, smirking at you. You felt your cheeks heat up as you thought about what she was implying.

The three of you girls kept talking for a while. You told Sydney about Germany. Sydney filled you both in on some of the restaurant drama. You all got along really well.

“I’m gonna run to the bathroom, but I’ll be right back.” You told them before heading towards the lobby. You knew that while you were gone, Maria would definitely let Sydney know about all the details about yours and Carmy’s relationship. You quickly went to the bathroom, thankful there was no line.

Meanwhile, Carmy had snuck out into lobby after getting a call from Claire. “Hey, baby. What’s up?” Carmy asked, cluelessly.

“I just got your text. You guys are at a club? I thought we were seeing a movie tonight. Your old girlfriend comes back to town, so now you have to go drinking?” Claire asked, infuriated.

“Oh, shit. I completely forgot about the movie. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.” He apologized quickly, but Claire wasn’t impressed. “That’s bullshit, Carm. Are you still fucking hung up on her?” She asked.

Carmy hesitated.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” He argued. He wasn’t necessarily lying. He truly was too in denial to believe that he still had feelings for you.

“Fuck you, Carm. Why can’t you just tell me the truth? You wouldn’t have hesitated if the answer was actually no.” Claire screamed at him.

When you came out the bathroom door, your ears were met with screaming. You recognized the voice as Carmy’s.

You froze when you saw him standing alone in the lobby on the phone. His face was bright red, and his hair was messy, like it always was when he got upset.

Your presence in the room caught his attention as his eyes quickly met yours. “Sorry,” you mouthed, trying to quickly sneak past him and back into the club. He quickly shook his head, trying to assure you that had nothing to be sorry for.

“Yeah, you know what? Fuck you too.” Carmy yelled into the phone before hanging up.

“Wait up,” Carmy called after you, grabbing your wrist to stop you.

“I’m sorry that you had to hear that. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He apologized, sweetly. You just nodded your head, all too aware of the fact that he was still holding onto your wrist.

“You okay? That sounded pretty intense.” You asked him. He shrugged like it was nothing. He didn’t want you to worry. “It’s fine. Just some life stuff. I could use a smoke though, if you wanna join.” He offered.

You nodded and accepted his offer. It felt like old times.

He let his hand rest on the small of your back as you both walked towards the front door. You stepped out into the cold Chicago air.

“It’s still crazy being back here.” You said, scanning the city skyline.

“It felt like a big part of Chicago was missing when you left.” Carmy told you as he lit his cigarette. You admired him as he stood under the streetlight.

“So, are you back for good?” Carmy asked, trying to not sound desperate like he was begging you to stay. You nodded. “This feels like where I’m supposed to be. Germany was good, but it was not meant to be forever.” You said, reflecting on your terrible last few weeks in Germany.

“Did something happen?” He asked you, concerned. You hesitated before answering. “I got fired and dumped by my ass of a boyfriend in the same day, so it could’ve been better.” You replied, keeping your eyes fixed on the ground.

Carmy didn’t know what to do. He wanted to comfort you, but he was still so unsure of how to act around you.

He settled for a middle ground and held his cigarette out to you. You giggled at the gesture, before taking it between your fingers.

After blowing a small cloud of smoke, you handed it back to him. He stuck the cigarette back between his lips and realized he could taste your strawberry chapstick on it.

He wanted to kick himself. It was like he was suddenly a teenager again and remembering kissing you under the bleachers.

“I’m sorry about the job and the guy. He sounds like an asshole.” he apologized, distracting himself from how much he wanted to kiss you, even though he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that.

“You don’t know anything about him,” you said, giggling to yourself. Carmy paused, realizing you were right and shrugged. “Yeah, but I trust your judgement.” He said, looking over at you.

He dropped his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. “You wanna head back inside?” He asked, earning a quick nod from you as you had started getting chilly.

As you walked back inside, you both saw Richie standing by a table with beer pong set up. “Yo, cousin, come play,” Richie caught your attention and called Carmy over.

You returned back to where everyone else was standing around a table. After a while, your conversation was interrupted when you heard someone call your name. You turned around and saw Carmy gesturing for you to come over.

“What’s up?” You asked, curiously. He grabbed your hand and slid the ping pong ball into it. “I have one shot. If it goes in, Richie loses. You’ve always been better at beer pong than me.” He said, letting his other hand rest on your back. The few drinks he’d had were definitely making him a little more affectionate.

“I still think this is against the rules, cousin.” Richie complained, remembering all the times you’d beaten both of them at beer pong.

You tossed the ball, and it sunk right into the cup. Your hands shot up in the air in victory. Carmy quickly picked you up and spun you around in a circle. You rested your arms on his shoulders, so you wouldn’t fall down.

“Carmy. I want to talk to you.” You both heard from behind Carmy.

Carmy quickly put you back down on your feet. You looked over his shoulder and saw Claire, who you vaguely remembered from high school. You walked over to Richie’s side of the table, sensing a tension that you didn’t want to be apart of.

“Is that Claire from school?” You whispered to Richie. He looked down at you and nodded. You watched as Carmy pulled Claire off to the side to talk to her.

“Shit, Richie. Are they together?” You asked, feeling a pit in your stomach.

Richie froze after hearing the words leave your mouth. “Oh, fuck. Yeah, I thought you knew.” Richie said, empathizing with how you were feeling. He rubbed his hand on your back, trying to comfort you.

You ran your fingers through your hair, feeling sick to your stomach. Then, all of a sudden, Claire was yelling again.

“What? I can’t hang out with you and your friends? Do you not want to be seen with me? Or is it because she’s here?” Claire asked, pointing at you.

“Richie, I can’t do this.” You said, pulling away from him and walking past the whole group, who was now staring at you. You bit down on your lip, trying to keep the tears from forming.

You snuck up to the second floor loft level of the club that overlooked the dance floor below. It was quieter upstairs, and you needed quiet.

You sat down on one of the couches as a few rogue tears rolled down your cheeks. You felt so stupid for thinking you could pick up where you left off with Carmy.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw someone walk up to you. You looked up and saw one of Carmy’s coworkers.

“Can I sit?” He politely asked you. You quickly nodded. “Yeah, of course. You’re Marcus, right?” You asked. He nodded and shook your hand.

“I don’t want to intrude, and I know all this history with Carmy is from before I even knew him, but I wanted to see if you wanted to talk about anything.” He offered, giving you a soft smile.

“Thank you. That’s a really sweet offer, but I don’t even think I’d know where to start.” You said, laughing at how pathetic you must have seemed.

Marcus stayed by your side. He didn’t say a word, but he waited until you wanted to talk.

“I think I just feel lost. I got the job offer in Germany, and I almost didn’t take it because I didn’t want to leave Carmy. But he told me I couldn’t turn it down, so I lived in Germany for five years. I had a great job. I met a guy. Then, I lost it all in a day, and so I thought maybe I was never supposed to leave Chicago.” You started explaining.

“I came back to Chicago, and it felt right. Like this was where I was supposed to be all along. Then, completely by Maria’s planning, I ran into Carmy again. It felt natural. It didn’t feel like he hadn’t seen each other in five years. Then, I find out he’s with Claire, and now she’s pissed at me when I had no idea in the first place. I just feel so stuck, like everywhere I go, I’m fucking cursed or something.” You said, wiping away a few tears.

“Well, I promise, you’re not cursed. It’ll all be alright. I think you coming back just threw Carmy for a spin. He wasn’t expecting it at all. But you shouldn’t feel guilty because none of that is your fault. That’s between Claire and Carmy to figure out.” Marcus comforted you.

“Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better. All I have to do now is get over my ex-boyfriend for the second time. But I’ve done it before, so I can do it again, right?” You joked, trying to make the best of the situation.

“There you go,” Marcus said, chuckling, “I’ll leave you alone now. You know where to find me.”

You sat up there for a few minutes in silence. You stood up and looked over the railing at your friends below you.

You didn’t see Carmy anywhere and assumed he was somewhere with Claire.

That was until you saw him walk up beside you. He gave you a soft smile, not knowing what to say yet.

“I’m sorry about all of that. You didn’t deserve to get dragged into that.” He told you, sincerely. You smiled back at him. “It’s alright. I understand.” You told him.

There was silence between the two of you for a few minutes. Neither of you knew what to say to fill the silence. You both were also worried that you’d somehow make it worse by saying the wrong thing.

Even if it was just in a friendly capacity, you were glad to have Carmy back in your life.

Down below you both, you saw Richie run towards the dance floor and start dancing as Love Story by Taylor Swift played.

A small giggle escaped from your lips watching the pure joy on his face. “I have fucking missed Chicago.” You said. It felt like a scene out of a movie, reunited with your best friends in your favorite city.

“Chicago has missed you,” you heard Carmy mumble beside you.

In a split second, he was grabbing your waist and kissing you. You instinctually kissed him back, while your arms snaked around his neck. You twirled his hair around your fingers as he kissed you.

You felt like you were on another planet. You couldn’t hear the club music anymore and could only hear your heart racing in your ears.

Carmy tightened his grip around your waist, so you both were pressed up against each other. There wasn’t an inch of space between you, and you didn’t want there to be.

One of Carmy’s hands crept lower down your back, cupping your ass. You gasped against the kiss, shocked by his hand placement. You could feel him smirk. Nothing made Carmy cockier than watching the effect he had on you.

Moving his arms back to your waist, Carmy started to nudge you backwards towards the wall. Your back leaned against the cold concrete wall.

It brought you back to reality, and you realized what you were doing.

You quickly put your hands on Carmy’s chest and pushed him away. “We can’t…Claire,” you reminded him.

“Oh, shit,” Carmy mumbled, running his hand through his hair. You tried to catch your breath. You could feel your heart rate rising as the panic set in.

“I’m so sorry…I shouldn’t have,” you rambled, trying to quickly walk past Carmy. He quickly grabbed your wrist to stop you. “It’s not your fault. I kissed you, and I shouldn’t have. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He apologized.

“We can’t tell anybody.” You told him, frantically. He quickly nodded, experiencing a similar panic to your own.

You raced back downstairs. Once you got out the front doors, you started sprinting towards your apartment. You needed to get away from there as fast as possible.

You finally arrived at your apartment. You checked your phone and saw a text from Maria that she’d be spending the night at Richie’s. You wanted to be happy for your friend, but your own love life was spiraling

You laid down on the couch and burst into tears. It felt like you laid there for hours, until you heard a knock at your door.

You opened it to find Carmy standing in front of your door.

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[imsuperhungry]

4 𝙖𝙢

ᴇɴᴛʀʏ 003

(yandere until dawn)

WARNINGS: Yandere Themes, Bad Descriptions

WORD COUNT: 1654

"all the girls are girling!"

(9:12 𝖯𝖬, 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖢𝖠𝖡𝖨𝖭)

After a few more minutes of holding Josh and reassuring him that I would be fine with Mike and Jess, he finally released his grip. His reluctance was clear, but I could sense him slowly letting go. With a heavy sigh, he allowed me to step away from the basement, the lingering weight of his concern still in the air as I moved toward the light outside.

When I reached the main floor of the cabin, I found everyone there except for Emily and Matthew. They were all gathered in their own groups, engaged in conversation, but the absence of the two left a noticeable gap in the group. I glanced around, wondering where they might be.

“Where are Em and Matt?” I asked, glancing around the room. A knot of concern formed in my stomach at the thought that Jess and Emily might have started another argument while I was gone. 

“Emily left her bag at one of the cable stations,” Chris said, stretched out on a vacant couch. “She went back to grab it and took Matt with her.”

I let out a sigh of relief; Emily was okay. Smiling, I turned to Chris and thanked him for the update. As I looked over at Mike and Jess, I noticed they were positioned by the door, clearly ready to leave as soon as I was. Their eagerness to leave was obvious in the way they looked at me.

I turned to everyone else to say my goodbyes, deciding to keep things brief since I’d be back soon. However, as I started to wrap things up, everybody except Jess and Mike began to hug me tightly, as if it might be the last time they’d see me. Their warmth and sincerity caught me off guard, making the moment feel more significant than I had anticipated.

After the long hug, I made my way to the door where Mike and Jess were waiting. As I turned to wave one last time to everyone, I reached for the handle, only to have my hand gently pushed aside. Mike was clearly determined to be a gentleman, insisting on opening the door for us.

With a soft “Sorry,” I stepped out into the snowy chaos, Jess sticking to my side like glue. As we began our walk, an awkward feeling settled in, making me feel like the third wheel on their date. I glanced at them, noticing the easy rapport between Mike and Jess, and I couldn't shake the sense that I was intruding on a moment meant for just the two of them.

I tried to stay quiet the entire way, hoping to give them space to flirt or enjoy each other's company. Instead, Jess took it upon herself to fill in the silence.

“Oh my gosh, _____, I totally forgot to show you!” Jess exclaimed, digging through her coat pocket. “While Mike and I were driving here, we passed this store filled with jewelry, so naturally, we had to check it out.” With a flourish, she held out her hand, revealing two stunning necklaces that sparkled in the dim moonlight.

Each necklace showcased a heart-shaped pendant: one in a soft, warm gold tone and the other in a cool, shiny silver. Both were complemented by fine, slender chains that enhanced their delicate appearance. The heart pendants featured intricately engraved borders, lending a thoughtful and personalized touch that made them even more special.

My mouth dropped open in awe as I continued to admire both necklaces. To say they were beautiful would be an understatement; they were undoubtedly the most stunning necklaces I had ever seen. The craftsmanship and detail captivated me, making it hard to look away.

“And wait, that’s not even the best part!” Jess exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She picked up one of the necklaces and gently opened the heart, revealing that it was actually a locket.

I let out a giggle of delight; the necklaces were such an incredible gift. Overwhelmed with gratitude, I wrapped Jess in a warm hug, momentarily pausing our snowy walk.

I felt Mike tug at my hand and turned to find him staring at me with a playful grin. “Hey, I had to walk her all around the store to buy those,” he said, chuckling. “She dragged me through the aisles for almost an hour, completely dedicated to finding the ‘perfect one,’” he added, emphasizing the last part with exaggerated air quotes.

I understood the hint and opened my arms to embrace him. Jess wrapped her arms around my left side while Mike took my right. They were so close that I could catch the scent of Jess's perfume mingling with Mike's cologne.

Jess smelled of baby powder, with a hint of something sweet underneath. In contrast, Mike carried the scent I expected—woodsy and outdoorsy, evoking the fresh air of the wilderness.

Eventually, I had to let go, eager to resume our trek and find somewhere warm, as the cold was already biting at my skin. The chill in the air served as a reminder that we needed to keep moving, and I was determined to find a cozy refuge soon.

“We need to find a picture to put in these lockets,” Jess said, handing me the gold one with a bright smile. “It would be so cute to carry a little piece of us wherever I go.” As she spoke, she began fastening the silver locket around her neck, her excitement evident. 

I began to follow her lead, trying to fasten the gold locket around my neck, but once again, my hands were gently pushed aside. A larger hand reached in from behind me, softly taking the locket from my grasp.

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Mike said with a grin i could hear, “Just keep walking.” As we continued to move forward, he expertly fastened the locket around my neck. The cold air made the heavy metal locket chill against my skin, causing me to shiver as it settled on my chest.

After a few more minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the guest cabin, where Mike and Jess had practically been banished to by Josh.

I said my goodbyes at the cabin, but, of course, I was yanked into yet another bone-crushing hug, sandwiched between Mike and Jess. They invited me to stay with them, but I politely declined, aware that Emily—or anyone else in the group—wouldn't be thrilled with that idea. I appreciated their warmth, but I knew it was best to keep the peace among everyone.

As I began my walk back to the main cabin alone, a horrible gut feeling nagged at me, suggesting something was wrong. I couldn't pinpoint the source of my unease, but it was unsettling enough to quicken my pace. The desire for company grew stronger with each step, urging me to reach the warmth of the main cabin as quickly as possible.

I guess you only truly appreciate how cold a snowstorm can be when you're alone; the chill felt even more intense in the solitude. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and started to bolt toward the cabin, urgency pushing me to move faster than just a walk.

Reaching the cabin in just a few moments, I quickly opened the door and shut it behind me as I stepped inside. The warmth from the fire Josh had lit earlier enveloped me, instantly lifting my spirits and bringing a smile to my face.

The cabin was empty, a clear sign that everyone had gone off to do their own things. I stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth, genuinely feeling better than I had in a long time. But then, I heard the floorboards begin to creak, breaking the silence and making my heart skip a beat.

I froze in fear, silently praying to whatever was above that a stray rabbit had somehow snuck in. Despite my apprehension, I slowly ventured toward the source of the creaking, taking cautious steps with short strides and even shorter breaths. I couldn’t quite understand why I was so scared, but an unsettling feeling gripped me as I approached, heightening my senses and making every sound feel amplified in the quiet cabin.

I scanned the area, finding nothing out of the ordinary. The three couches sat neatly arranged, the low-hanging chandelier, and the fireplace crackled reassuringly—all seemed perfectly normal. Yet, despite the familiar surroundings, a sense of unease lingered in the air, making me second-guess the tranquility of the space.

And then it happened: a loud "BOO!" echoed behind me, and I let out the loudest scream I had in ages. The sound rang out, leaving my throat feeling raw from the sudden burst of terror, and I instinctively slammed my eyes shut, my heart racing.

Then I heard that same familiar, cackling laugh that I recognized from countless similar moments. It was a sound that brought both exasperation and relief, and I realized I should have seen it coming. A mix of annoyance and amusement washed over me as I opened my eyes and turned around, finding Chris hunched over, laughing.

I rolled my eyes and waited for Chris to finish his fit of laughter. I didn’t have the energy to yell at him; the long walk had really taken a toll on me. 

As his laughing died down, he began to sit and look at me, a look of regret, yet still amusement clear on his face. 

“Sorry, sorry!” he said, raising his hands in the air as if to surrender. “It’s just too fun seeing you scream like that. I was actually on the way to find a Ouija board.” A wide grin spread across his face, clearly relishing the moment.

I rolled my eyes once more and plopped down onto one of the couches, lethargy washing over me. My eyes shut as I curled into a ball, hoping to sneak in a quick nap.

I had no idea there were a pair of eyes watching my exchange with Chris, nor did I realize how angry their owner was.

[fickleminder]

be good

AU inspired by this prompt: Humans are born with demon counterparts to protect them. The more innocent and pure a person is, the more mean, fierce, and terrifying their demon becomes.

Halloween 2023 fic 😈

It’s one of the things your parents often told you when you were growing up.

"Behave yourself."

"They won’t hurt you if you’re good."

"Say please and thank you."

"It’s okay, they’re your best friend."

"Mind your manners."

"You can always rely on them to protect you."

"Be good, now."

You’ve had multiple shadows for as long as you could remember. No one else could see them; a person’s demon was their own after all, but you quickly realized that everybody around you only had the one. Any attempts to convince your family otherwise only led them to believe yours was a shapeshifter.

But one demon or seven, they never laid a finger on you. Sometimes they kept their distance, watching over you from afar; other times they stayed within arm’s reach, readily accepting your touch should your curiosity win out. You soon became accustomed to the chilly air around them, their cool skin a familiar comfort on days when you just needed a hug.

They were brothers too, despite not looking anything alike. You talked to them of course, wanting to know more about your protectors friends, where they came from, what they did to pass the time when they weren’t watching you. The oldest one told you that they weren't like the other demons; they were more important, had other roles to fulfill and duties to tend to, which was why they had to take turns looking after you.

"I'm sorry for being a bother," five-year-old you said. You'd been left alone more often than not, your father having passed away recently while your mother worked extra jobs to keep the both of you fed. She never neglected you when she was home, but you still felt like a burden to her.

"You're not a bother," the oldest one — Lucifer — chided you gently. "Your mother loves you, and so do we. Never forget that, understand?"

You gripped his pant leg and nodded into his thigh, only relaxing when a gloved hand reached down to stroke your hair.

.

.

.

The wind howled outside your window and rattled the panes. Cloudy skies covered the moon, casting your room into inky blackness as you huddled under the blankets and shivered, eyes wide open and unable to sleep.

Everything seemed louder in the dark: the shrieking gusts, the creaky old floorboards, the scuttles in the walls, the scratching and rustling behind your closet door—

"It's way past your bedtime, you know."

The voice came out of nowhere, but all you felt was a sharp sense of relief knowing that you weren't alone tonight. "I'm scared," you whispered to it, clutching the sheets tighter against your body. "Can you check the closet for monsters, please?"

One of the shadows in the room seemed to grow and stretch, moving lazily towards the closet in question. You didn't dare to peek over the blankets, but you heard the door open and close as the faint noises from within fell blessedly silent.

"Better?" The voice drawled, returning to its place under your bed. "Go to sleep now. There's nothing scarier here than me."

"Thanks Belphie. Goodnight."

You let one arm dangle off the side of your bed as you finally closed your eyes. After a while, you felt a cold hand grasping yours, keeping you safe in its grip.

.

.

.

"I said I was sorry!"

"You think a simple 'sorry' is gonna cut it?!"

Bumping into other students in a crowded hallway was almost inevitable, but apparently this upperclassman took personal offense at it. The older boy hauled you up by your shirt and slammed you against the lockers while everybody else kept their heads low and gave the two of you a wide berth.

"I oughta teach you a lesson for—" He looked over his shoulder at someone you couldn't see, frowning with irritation. "Whaddya mean 'wrong person'? This twerp was the one who—"

Whatever his demon said must have convinced him, because he abruptly let go and stomped away without another word. Your knees buckled and you slid to the floor with a breathy exhale.

Someone squatted down beside you to check the back of your head, running gentle fingers through your hair to soothe you. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I was more startled than anything." You smiled at Satan, who still seemed somewhat troubled. "Can you walk me to my next class?"

"With pleasure."

That night, Satan got Asmo to read to you on his behalf, claiming he had a last minute errand to run. You didn't mind; Asmo had such a melodic voice that he might as well have sung you to sleep.

(You never saw that upperclassman in school again. People still said he transferred out.)

.

.

.

The day your mother passed, you were sitting next to her and holding her hand, doing your best to ignore the beeping of the machines that monitored her vitals.

One minute she was peaceful, halfway dozed off while you spoke to her softly, the next her entire body seized up as she began mumbling incoherently.

The machines went haywire and alerted the nurses to her side. You were forced to step back and let them do their job, your panicked gaze focused on her fearful face as she writhed on the bed, as though struggling to get away from an assailant.

"No, no... I thought... Please..." were the last words you heard before someone wrapped their arms around you and turned you away.

"Don't look," Asmo cooed in your ear, moments before the shrill beeping noises became steady.

The demon guided you to sit in the hallway outside, whispering words of comfort and rubbing your back. He told you to remember how pretty your mother was before her illness, the good times you'd spent with her after all the hardship the two of you had endured, happy memories that made every second worth it.

You knew your demons would help you to work through the grief in time, but for now, you let yourself fall apart in Asmo's arms.

.

.

.

"Take care on your way home."

"Thanks boss, see you tomorrow."

Closing shifts sucked, but the late hours paid well. Luckily, you had company on your walk back too, a hulking figure no one else could see but everybody still instinctively steered clear of. It made taking shortcuts through shady alleys a little safer.

Even on nights you stopped for supper at a sleazy diner, the only place still open at this godforsaken hour, nobody invited themselves into your booth or tried to strike up conversation with you. Which worked just fine, all you wanted to do was eat your food, go home, and collapse into bed.

Strangely enough, you noticed that the cook also tended to be extra generous with the portions he served you. The man was loud and gruff towards the waitstaff, but on nights you were seated at the counter, he was quiet as a mouse when setting your dish in front of you.

You could never finish it all, but you always made sure to leave a good tip anyway.

.

.

.

You stared at the numbers on the screen for the longest time, feeling conflicted. A part of you wished you had never approached your coworker to ask about the discrepancies you'd found in the accounts, not when he opened your eyes to some of the dealings that went under your boss's radar. He offered you a cut of the profits to keep your mouth shut of course, but you never imagined...

He was a good guy. Hardworking, funny, always willing to pitch in and offering to pick up a bite for you whenever he went on snack runs. You knew he went to church regularly too, so why?

A bat-like wing blocked your view of the screen, and you looked up to see Mammon smirking. "You're overthinking this," he said. "The answer's right in front of ya."

"I thought..." You bit your lip. "He isn't doing too well himself, and the company isn't a megacorp or anything but it's not like they'll notice. Shouldn't I just look the other way?"

"Ha! What he's offering ya is peanuts compared to the promotion you'll get by exposing his operation."

"I'm not in it for the money—"

"Maybe so, but it's the right thing to do, ain't it?"

"Still..."

"You won't have to worry about any retaliation." Mammon assured you with a ruffle of your hair. "I'll make sure of it."

.

.

.

"—lie! It's all a lie! Listen to me, you can't trust the devils!"

"What nonsense are you watching now?" Levi leaned over your shoulder as you tilted your phone to give him a better view.

"A video that went viral recently. Some crazy dude ranting about conspiracies and whatnot."

Levi's nose scrunched up in distaste. "Sounds like he's jealous about having a wimpy lesser demon chained to him, if you ask me. These guys are just bitter they got leftovers since they aren't good people."

"I don't know, Levi. Some folks just need a bit of help, I think. And don't get me started on the whole nature vs. nurture debate."

"Well, doesn't change the fact that you can't save everybody."

"They're cultivating us, like livestock! You have to sin, SIN I say!"

"Ugh, I've had enough of this dude. Can you change the channel? We haven’t watched the latest episode about that time-traveling god yet.”

"Ooh, you’re right! Give me a sec to log into my account…"

.

.

.

Lucifer hummed in amusement. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend." You scrambled to clarify your earlier statement. "It's just— I've known you and your brothers for so long that you don't look scary to me, not anymore. I'm not saying you guys should be monsters or anything, but... Does this mean I'm a bad person?"

"Demons have many forms not meant for mortal eyes," he explained patiently. "And you should know that humans are neither fully good nor bad, but often somewhere in-between. In any case, why would we ever wish to frighten you, hm?"

"Told you it was a silly question..." You grumbled under your breath.

Lucifer squeezed your shoulder. "You’re a good person. You always try your best to do the right thing, even without our guidance to keep you from going astray. I don't say this lightly: I’m proud of you."

You hid your warm cheeks in the demon's chest as you hugged him for all you were worth. "...Thanks Luci."

"Anytime. Now, off you go. Don't keep Beel waiting."

Lucifer watched as his younger brother filled the empty space next to you, holding your hand while walking you home. The hour was late and the streets were dark; it wouldn't do to have anything unsavory happen to you before you made it home safely.

Yes, they needed to keep you safe at all costs. A pure and innocent being like you was hard to come by, perhaps only once every millennia or so. He and his brothers had fought for the right to you, to nurture and polish your soul for when the time was right. And when it was, you would be—

"Delicious," Lucifer whispered, baring his fangs as he licked his lips.

[affectionate-team]

Another day, another log-in. The doors of Ramshackle open up once more to welcome their dear resident - their Yuu, their player.

Representatives from all dorms wait with bated breath, wondering who's going to get lucky and be allowed to give their welcoming speech this time. Some are confident, head held high and proud, words sitting at the tip of their tongue, ready to be spilled; others are anxious, fidgeting with parts of their uniform and checking themselves in a mirror - such an occasion requires one to look their best, all to make a good impression on you! And, after a few torturous seconds of waiting, spotlight lands on one of the many. Their face gleams under jealous stares of their disappointed schoolmates, a single bead of sweat rolling down the nape and bringing cool air to their skin. Everything has to be perfect for the player, and perfect it is - the words that have been rehearsed hundreds of time in the privacy of their room, the face expressions, the gestures - as they voice out wishes for another productive day and offer the log-in rewards.

To be chosen as a class partner is both a blessing and a curse. Rejoice those who have skills and smarts to demonstrate and brag about, poor are those who fall behind in studies. Leona suddenly finds a reason to skip out on a midday nap in favor of sitting out a history lesson, surprising both his classmates and Professor Trein. From time to time he even bothers to speak out, interrupting some poor kid - not like they'll do anything about it, a Kingscholar is not a force to be reckoned with; Azul and Riddle stare each other down, lifting hands at every question at the speed of light, completing tasks flawlessly, outshining everybody else with their vast knowledge to the point where teachers have to ignore them on purpose - after all, other students need their marks too... Though it doesn't stop the two from flaunting their exams results after finals roll around.

What do you mean "Twisted wonderland is not a romance visual novel"? Do they look like they care? Even the heaviest of Disney censor will not stop these boys from sneaking in a couple of flirty remarks. They WILL go against code if they have to. And if main story cannot be messed with, events are still a fair game, are they not? Watch Ace throw in bold pick-up lines and inquire about your type; it's the fifth time you're inviting him in the guest room, do you have a crush on him or something?? don't get shy now, of course he's just teasing! It's a shame that your choice of answers is so limited, the game brushes off his words way too easily...

And don't get me started at the Magic Mirror summons. To be selected as a member of the player's team is an honor like no other - that means their strength was recognized. Though some card combinations can be pretty... questionable. Placing, say, Leona and Malleus or Floyd and Riddle in one team would most likely result in a mess; be careful with your choice!

[demonslayedher]

Checking fic details means I was spending more time back in the Infinity Fortress and ahaha unnnnngggghh it hurrrrrttttssss but these movies are gonna be soooo goooood

So anyway a thought

You know how we have a "Song of Kamado Tanjiro" and "Song of Kamado Nezuko"? What if we get a "Song of Agatsuma Zenitsu" and a "Song of Hashibira Inosuke"?

Pacing-wise it might be hard to fit them in if they are as long and slow as Tanjiro's and Nezuko's, but a little bit of lyrics would be nice. I wonder how they'll incorporate a pinky promise song, or up the drama of Zenitsu's Thunder Breath BGM?

I'm really not ready to hear what new arrangements we'll get of older theme music. Waaaaaaaah. Anyway, playing with more thoughts about the movie adaptations:

Here's how I would break up the movies:

First off, Sunrise Countdown is getting its own that doesn't get announced until after these three air. There's just too much content to picture all of it squeezing into three movies.

First movie:

Takes a little time on set-up and exposition--they will have to assume some people are watching and don't know the backstory, or only watched Mugen Ressha. Not a full backstory, but enough to remind us of the Kagaya and Muzan encounter and everybody dropping in. The manga has us checking in Hashira upset over Kagaya's death, after all.

Gives us Douma's back story

Shinobu's last stand, probably with a very sad spin on her theme music

Builds up Zenitsu vs Kaigaku as the climax (and if it's treated as the climax, that's an excuse for a special intro song)

Ends with Tanjiro battling Akaza, Akaza affirming that Tanjiro has gotten stronger and Tanjiro reaffirming Rengoku's worldview

Movie 2

Exposition to remind us all where everybody is (poor Kanao has been battling Douma in the background of a volume's worth of manga and is already bloody by the time we check in on how she's doing after the Akaza, after all--Douma crying about Akaza finally GAVE HER A BREAK)

Full on Akaza battle, starting with Giyuu attaining a mark (and this also gives us some set-uo for Inosuke's role in this film since Tanjiro has him in flashbacks)

Akaza flashback

Kanao and Inosuke finish Douma off, with Shinobu coming back in for the climax of this film.

Although Inosuke's glory is shared with Kanao and Shinobu, giving him a special insert would balance his role with that of Zenitsu's in the first film.

Leave off with a reminder of what everybody else is up to, especially Tamayo running out of time with Muzan

Movie 3

Tanjiro is more of a framing device in this one rather than actively involved, it starts with him getting Senjuro's letter, so we already have Sun Breath on the brain

Bam, it's Koku vs everybody

Bam, the Nakime battle for some brevity

Baaaaam, it's Koku's backstory (I got this idea years ago, and I still would love to see his backstory staged as Shin-Kabuki)

Baaaaazzzzammm, more characters are dying and we are in paaaaainn, but Koku's defeat is well-earned climax shared among Genya + Hashira

OHHHH HELLLL NAAAAH IT'S MUZAN AND THE CORP MEMBERS ARE GETTING SLAUGHTERED

Maybe or maybe not ends with Yushiro crashing the fortress, maybe or maybe not ends with Tanjirou looking like he's died of Muzan-blood

It'll at least include Tanjiro getting pissed off at Muzan and then Ufotable announcing they are still gonna get more movie moneybout of us the following year because the hype train in infinite.

Also, through--maybe they'll slip in more of the excessive Taisho Secret details that Gotouge had no room for, like details about Hakuji's rival who poisoned the well, or Kaigaku rejecting Jiichan's haori,or Tamayo's efforts to avoid consuming human blood? How long will the run time on these things be, anyway??? My butt is ready for marathon movies, Ufotable.

Anyway. Man, I've had a day. This arc is wild and it's going to make for phenomenal animated scenes. Not only pain!! There will be coolness beyond the pain! But dang it, there will be SO MUCH PAIN

[storiesforallfandoms]

we have to stop meeting like this ~ eminem

word count: 3465

request?: yes!

“hi!! love your work :) can you do a fem reader x eminem where they are both on vacation at the same resort, but don’t know each other yet. they keep running into each other throughout their vacation and he finally decides to ask her to get dinner and they hit it off and he knows immediately she’s special and he’s going to be with her for a long long time. thanks xxx”

description: he never expected to meet someone on this vacation, but things have a funny way of happening sometimes

pairing: eminem x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist (one, two, three)

Marshall was a workaholic. Everyone in his life knew that. He was always “on”, so to speak, and very rarely gave himself any actual breaks.

But after his two daughters had gotten engaged, and his youngest child had graduated from high school, Marshall realized that life was too short to be spending all of his time on work. He decided to take the time he had between albums and actually have a proper break - a vacation with his family.

He set everything up: a week long vacation in the Dominican for himself, his three children, Hailie and Alana’s fiancés, and Nate and his wife and their kids. He had even invited Kim to come along if she wanted, thinking it would be good for the kids to have both of their parents together, acting civil, during the first real family vacation they had been on in a long time, but she declined the invitation.

Marshall set up so that everyone had their own rooms, even Stevie, as he felt it would be way less awkward for the everybody than sharing one or two rooms between 10 people, especially for the three couples.

It was an unbelievably beautiful day when they arrived. Hailie and Alana were immediately enthralled by the idea of going to lay by the pool and enjoy the sun, and Nate’s kids were already energized by the idea of getting to play in the pool all day. Marshall was just excited to get into an air conditioned bedroom. From the moment they stepped off the plane he realized he made a mistake by wearing black jeans and a black hoodie, and not bringing a change of clothes in his carryon to change into when the plane landed. By the time they arrived to the resort they were staying in, he was dripping in sweat.

The feeling of the cool resort lobby was a welcoming one as he walked in to check in. There was one person by the front desk, a young man who was on the phone as Marshall arrived. At first, it seemed the young man wasn’t paying attention, so Marshall tapped on the bell on the front desk to draw the attention to him. The man’s gaze flickered over at him for a second before returning his full attention to the phone call. The action surprised Marshall, and he went to tap the bell again before a voice cut him off.

“That’s pointless. He’s not going to respond.”

Marshall looked over to see a woman stood beside the counter, leaning on her suitcase with another, smaller bag tossed by her feet.

“I’ve been waiting for 10 minutes to check in,” she continued. “He’s too deep into whatever that phone conversation is to answer.”

“There’s no one else working?” Marshall asked.

“Apparently not. I asked if anyone else could check me in, but he just ignored me.”

“Well, that’s unprofessional.” Marshall turned back to the man and said, “Listen, I have nine other people waiting to get to their rooms so they can go out and enjoy the weather. Is there anyone else who can come and check us in?”

The man held up his index finger, signaling “one moment”, before turning to the computer in front of him.

“10 people? Damn, you must’ve brought the entire family,” the woman joked.

Marshall chuckled. “I basically did. It’s me, my three kids, two of them are engaged so their fiancés are with us, and then my brother, his wife, and their kids.”

She whistled. “Wow, you really did bring the entire family. Makes me feel lonely just being here by myself.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a solo vacation. I just haven’t been able to take my family on a vacation in a while because of...work. Trying to make it up to them now.”

“Well, taking all of them to a Dominican resort would definitely be making it up to them in my books.” She moved from her suitcase to extend a hand to Marshall. “I’m (Y/N), by the way.”

“Marshall. It’s nice to meet you.”

Their introduction was cut off by the sound of a hushed argument. They both turned to see that another employee of the resort had appeared and was very clearly chastising the man at the desk in a hushed voice. Their argument was brief before the new employee angrily dismissed the man, then plastered a customer service smile on his face and turned back to (Y/N) and Marshall.

“I am so sorry for the inconvenience, you two,” he said. “Seems my colleague thought to take a phone call for a reservation over checking in guests. May I help the two of you check in?”

Marshall turned to (Y/N) and gestured for her to go first. “You were here before me.”

“Thank you.”

Marshall waited patiently while she gave him her name and information on her stay. It took this new employee - who, judging by the difference in his uniform versus the employee who had been here before, was a manager - mere seconds to find (Y/N) in their system and to give her a keycard for her room. He apologized again for the wait while (Y/N) turned to walk away.

She looked back at Marshall and waved before making her way to the elevator. Marshall watched her go until the elevator doors closed around her, cutting the two of them off finally.

“Sir?”

Marshall snapped out of his trance and approached the front desk to get check in. In the same speedy manner, the manager had found his reservation, assigned him five separate rooms, and had five cards scanned and passed to him. Marshall thanked him, waving away another apology, and went back outside to find his family.

“That took you long enough,” Hailie teased when she saw him approaching.

“Front desk issues,” Marshall said, passing them their keycards. “I figure we take it easy for this first day, but if you guys want we could check out their restaurant for dinner tonight. I caught a glance at it while I was waiting and it looks a lot fancier than some of the restaurants back home.”

Alana chuckled. “Everything here is gonna be fancier than back home, dad.”

They all agreed to the plan and went in to get changed from their flight. They were all on the same floor, but each room was separated by quite a bit. Marshall’s was at the end of the hall, luckily near the ice machine. He almost felt like taking the ice and shoving it into his hoodie and pants at this rate. Anything to get rid of the intense heat.

He quickly peeled off his sweaty clothes and tossed them to the side. The air conditioning was on full blast and he sighed with relief as he felt it against his bare skin. The room came with a mini fridge, which was already stocked with multiple beverages, including several bottles of water. Marshall grabbed one and chugged half of it almost immediately.

After cooling down enough that he thought he could handle the heat, he grabbed a pair of shorts to put on and took a towel from the bathroom to take with him by the pool. He decided not to take a shirt with him. The less clothes he could get away with, the better.

When he stepped out of his room, there was someone at the ice machine. He glanced at them for a moment, not thinking anything of it, until he did a double take and saw that it was (Y/N). She looked up from her ice bucket and smiled as recognition crossed her face.

“Hey,” she said. “I see you got checked in alright.”

“Yeah, that guy was a lot more efficient than the one before him,” Marshall said. “Are you on this floor, too?”

She shook her head. “Next floor up. This is the closest ice machine apparently. So, I gotta hope the ice doesn’t melt by the time I lug it up the stairs back to my room.”

He noticed her eyes wandering to his naked torso, his collection of tattoos on display. She tried to make it seem like she hadn’t been looking, which made Marshall smirk.

“Going down by the pool?” she asked.

“Yeah, gotta soak up as much of the sun as I can before I can’t anymore.”

She nodded. “Cool...yeah...maybe I’ll - uh - see you down there.”

“Maybe you will.”

She nodded again, almost like she was unsure of what else to say. They both awkwardly excused themselves to go their separate ways again. Marshall had to fight the urge to look back at her as he walked towards the elevator again. She had definitely been checking him out, but he couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t been checking her out, too. Actually, he had been stealing glances at her since they met in the lobby. She was absolutely gorgeous, wearing a floral sundress and a pair of light sandals, her toenail polish matching her fingernail polish.

He shook his head to snap out of his thoughts as the elevator door opened. He had only just met the woman, he couldn’t be thinking about her so intensely already. For all he knew, he would never see her again once their vacation ended. She would be another memory tied to this week in paradise he had planned.

Hailie and Alana were already by the pool when he arrived. The area around the pool was full of people, but there was enough room that it didn’t feel jam packed. Most of the other visitors were in the pool, enjoying the cool water and the drinks they had in their hands. Nathan was sat by the edge with his legs in the water as he watched his kids playing around. Marshall pulled a chair up next to Hailie and laid back.

“Where’s Ash?” he asked Nathan.

“She wanted to take a quick nap before dinner tonight,” Nathan responded. “She was up almost all night with the kids. They were too excited to sleep.”

“Why weren’t you up with them?” Alana asked, peering at her uncle over her sunglasses.

“I was for a while!” Nathan said, putting his hands up in surrender. “I just sleep more soundly than she does, so when I got to sleep their giggling and talking didn’t wake me! I told her that I would’ve stayed up with them, too, if she had woke me.”

One of the kids splashed Nathan, both of them giggling evilly as their father exclaimed in shock. Nathan pushed off the edge of the pool and got in, causing the two kids to scream and swim away from him.

“It’s so fucking hot here,” Marshall muttered.

“That’s usually the appeal of the Dominican, dad,” Hailie teased.

“I know that, smart ass,” he retorted. “I’m just making a comment. It took me forever up in my room to cool down, and now I feel like I’m fucking melting again. At this rate I might just walk around the resort naked.”

Both of his daughters made noises of protest, which Marshall smiled at. 

Eventually, Stevie came down to join them by the pool as well, and Alana and Hailie’s fiancés decided to take up residence in the pool with Nathan. Marshall rested his head back against the chair, closing his eyes to block out the sun. His body felt like it was on fire again, but the lack of heavy clothing this time made it more bearable. He could get used to having constant sun like this.

It had to be a coincidence that when he opened his eyes and lifted his head again he saw (Y/N) walking at the other end of the pool. She wasn’t looking at them, she hadn’t made any sounds to draw attention to herself. He just opened his eyes and there she was. He walked her pick a vacant spot across from them to put her towel and her bag down. His eyes widened as he watched her pull her dress over her head, revealing the two piece bikini she was wearing underneath.

“Who are you staring at?” Hailie asked.

Marshall jumped. He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring at (Y/N), but it was obviously long enough for it to be noticeable. He really hoped she hadn’t seen him.

Hailie followed his eyeline and smirked when she got the answer to his question. “She’s pretty.”

“We’ve run into each other a few times already,” Marshall said, trying to cover his ass.

“I’m sure you have,” Hailie teased.

(Y/N) got into the pool and swam around in one spot for a while before she began to make her way towards where Marshall was sat. He sat up quickly, although he wasn’t sure why. It would’ve made more sense for him to stay lounged back. Now he just looked like he was very eager to see her.

Which he was, but she didn’t have to know that.

(Y/N) swam up and leaned against the edge of the pool in front of the three. “Okay, we have to stop meeting like this.”

Marshall chuckled. “I’m not saying this was planned, but I did tell you I was coming out by the pool. Seems less than coincidental this time.”

“Oh, I assure you it was definitely all an accident,” she said. “I just also happened to be coming down to the pool. Totally forgot you said you’d be here too.”

They were both smiling at one another and Marshall forgot the world around them. He even forgot his own two daughters next to him, until he heard one of them clear their throats. When he looked over, they were both watching the scene with an amused smile on their faces.

“These are my daughters, Hailie and Alana,” he said. “Girls, this is (Y/N).”

“Nice to meet you,” (Y/N) said.

“You too,” Alana said.

“Hey, (Y/N), do you have any plans tonight?” Hailie asked. Marshall looked over at her in confusion.

(Y/N) shook her head. “No. Just enjoying the spot while I can.”

“Dad wanted to try the restaurant here at the resort, but we’re all pretty tired from the travel and all the sun. Maybe you two could go together.”

Marshall had to stop himself from whipping around in his chair to look at Hailie in disbelief. He tried to keep his cool, but suddenly his heart was pounding against his chest and the heat was feeling more suffocating than it had before.

(Y/N) looked up at Hailie, then to Marshall. A smile was tugging at the corners of her lips. “That sounds nice. What time should I meet you down there?”

“Uh, I guess...around 6 should be okay,” Marshall said.

(Y/N) nodded. “That sounds good to me.”

She pushed away from the edge and went back to swimming around in the pool. Hailie looked proud of herself as she laid back in her chair again, ignoring the questions and protests from her father.

But Marshall couldn’t lie, he was very excited to get some one on one time with (Y/N).

~~~~~~

The girls explained the change of plan to Nathan, their fiancés, and to Stevie, all of which seemed very okay with the idea.

“I can take Ash on a date night instead,” Nathan said. “We won’t sit anywhere near you guys though, bro, don’t worry about that.”

So, with this sudden date in place, Marshall found himself digging through his suitcase to find anything that could be considered more “formal attire”. He hadn’t planned to meet anyone on the resort this way. He didn’t think there would be anyone he would have to impress. None of the clothes he packed seemed to do the trick, but he didn’t have much time left till he was supposed to meet (Y/N). He had to pick something, so he grabbed another pair of shorts and a plain t-shirt.

(Y/N) was waiting in front of the restaurant as Marshall exited the elevator. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she was also wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. Nothing too formal, but something good enough for a surprise date.

“Hey,” Marshall said, getting her attention.

She turned and smiled. “Hey. I see you have a shirt this time.”

Marshall chuckled. “Yeah, I’m hoping the restaurant is air conditioned. Otherwise, I might get kicked out for stripping down if I get too warm.”

(Y/N) laughed at his joke, which sounded like music to his ears.

They walked in and were promptly seated at an empty table. The place wasn’t close to being full by any means, but it was still pretty busy. Marshall figured the resort had no problems staying busy at all times of the year. It was a beautiful spot, decently affordable and, besides that one rough patch when he had come to check in, the staff were very nice. He would love to come back again. Especially if this date with (Y/N) worked out.

They engaged in the usual small talk, getting to learn more about one another now that they were actually able to have some alone time together. Marshall was open with (Y/N) about his celebrity status - which luckily had not interfered with the vacation so far. To his surprise, (Y/N) admitted she had no idea that he was famous.

“I’m not into that kind of music,” she said. “No offence or anything, it’s just not my scene. I’m very much a pop and/or rock type of person.”

Hearing her say that felt like a weight had been lifted from Marshall’s chest that he didn’t even know had been there. There was always that small worry that he was getting into a relationship with someone who saw him more as Eminem the rapper than as Marshall Mathers the person. But (Y/N) seemed genuine about now knowing who he was, which made him feel like he could really relax for the rest of the night.

The night was going by very smoothly. Marshall found himself really falling for this woman in a way he hadn’t in a very long time. He worried that maybe it was happening too fast considering the fact they had only met for the first time that day, but then again there was a chance this relationship was also fleeting.

Which was something that had to be brought up eventually, and both of them knew it.

During a lull in their conversation, (Y/N) was the one to ask first, “So...what happens at the end of the week when you go back to Detroit and I go back to my home?”

Marshall sighed. “I didn’t really want to bring it up.”

“I didn’t either,” she admitted. “I’ve been having such a good time, I don’t really want to think about that future.”

Marshall thought for a moment before saying, “Would you be willing to do long distance if we had to?”

She nodded. “Of course. I’ll give anything a try, honestly.”

“I think...I could come see you. That would be easier to do than you coming to Detroit since you have your career and everything there. I can come see you and stay with you for some time, and next time you can get a prolonged time off work you could come visit me in Detroit. But the times in between...we’re just going to have to trust that we can do long distance for as long as we need to.”

(Y/N) reached across the table to slip her hand into his. “I think we can do that.”

Marshall gave her hand a squeeze. “I don’t want this to come off as me trying to push things too quickly between us. We only met for the first time today, we’ve only gone on one date. If you don’t want things to continue past here, I totally understand and I can respect that.”

She smiled and giggled. “If this were any other scenario, I think I would be more worried about going too fast and whatnot. But right now...I don’t know. I feel different with you. From the moment I saw you in the lobby, I feel like there was a connection between us that would be a waste not to explore it. Like you said, even if this doesn’t continue past the end of both of our vacations, at least we gave it a try.”

Marshall smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”

(Y/N) picked up her glass and raised it towards him. “To giving it a try.”

He chuckled and tapped his glass against hers. “To giving it a try.”

[l3viat8an]

Hey, got any fem!Levi headcannons? I’m currently working on a story where my MC, Jasper, accidentally gender bends the brothers because he mixed up potion homework from Solomon with dinner because he was exhausted from running around RAD doing things.

You are the best Levi fan that I’m aware of, so I send the ask to you!

Hiiii that sounds so cool!-

Honestly I just kinda typed these out so it’s all random stuff- but uhh yea, hopefully it helps ya a bit!!! + I’ll check my old fem! Obey me hcs later ‘n probably add to this

If it’s possible Levi’s even more self conscious than before. No matter what she’s doing, she’s sure everybody is staring at her. So she tries to stick closer to hide behind MC or even one of her sisters whenever they’re out in public.

Levi still prefers oversized shirts and baggy pants over more feminine clothes, especially when going out or doing stuff. It more comfortable to stick with what she’s used too.

But she has a few skirts and even a Ruri-Chan themed dress in her closet she’ll try on “just to see how it looks!” not because that was the first thing that popped into her mind and she was so excited she almost ran to try them on-

(I don’t know if you already have any body ideas for Levi so let me add my take; she’d probably be pretty flat in the chest, (Asmo offers to buy her a padded bar or two but Levi keeps refusing). Her hair would be just past shoulder length, now too long because it would be annoying and she’d have to tie it up all the time. But Levi still wants it long enough she can try some fun hairstyles! Besides that pretty much the same and she still slouches even when she’s standing up.) (extra kinda crack note; Mammon would teases Levi about her flat chest a lot and Levi always snaps back that hers are normal sized! jskjsksn)

Asmo basically drags Levi out to shop insisting that they both need to try on some new dresses or at least check out what’s trending!!! (Maybe Levi will like it if she’d just try it!) And even if Levi doesn’t want to admit it, she totally has fun trying on a bunch of different dresses and styles!!! She still doesn’t buy much. Maybe one or two new skirts and a t-shirt, but she thinks about the other outfits she tried on until she gets home and orders a couple of them online in secret.

Simultaneously has gender euphoria and is oddly uncomfortable in her own skin. It’s kinda hard to explain- she would love having a fem!body and there are sooo many different cosplays she can try now. But at the same time it feels weird-

adding to that ^^ Levi’s probably really whiny about the whole gender bend thing, either complaining to MC (/your oc) or Henry 2.0 in her room. because she’s not sure how to feel.

anyways!!! That’s what I can think of right now, if you had something else in mind or just wanna hear more feel free to send another ask (or even dm me) XD

[chronicbeans]

Human Illustrator Wally x Reader (part 2)

Fun fact: I like to listen to music that fits the vibes of what I'm writing and I wanted something more cheery an whimsical for this... but my dumb brain likes sad/creepy music and I couldn't find anything I liked that was truly happy, so I ended up listening to Bo en's My Time while writing this.

TW: None

🐻 When you arrive at the daycare, you quickly show everybody the book. Opening it to the back page, where he signed it, you see his name scribbled down. It is slightly messy, with all the letters being capitals and the "L"'s being slightly sideways. From what you can tell, it fits his silly little personality.

🐻 However, right as you begin showing everyone the book, you remember that some of the kids won't be able to see it that well, if at all... Oh no, now you feel like garbage...

🐻 One of those exact kids, a little girl related to Howdy, the local store owner, asks "Can I hold the book? I wanna see if something I heard works!" You grow quiet, before saying "Sure." To your surprise, all of the kids are watching and whispering "Right... Let's see if it works..." What in the world are they talking about?

🐻 She holds the book in her hands, which you made sure to keep opened to the signature. She runs her hands across it, before she makes it to the signature. She flinches, before gently pushing down on it. Her little face beams with the joy of a thousand summers as she chirps "He cares! I can feel it! I can feel his name! Johnny! Johnny, get over here!" "You're right, Henny!"

🐻 You are shocked, as well as a bit confused. You don't understand and want to investigate, but you want to wait for the children to calm down and let them have their fun. Even a few of the children with no visual impairments are pressing their hands on the book, chirping that they can feel it, too. You have an idea as to what it could be, but you want to check, first.

🐻Henny calls you over "Ms./Mr./Mx. (Y/N)! Come on! Feel it! I know that you probably didn't think to do so because you can see it, which is alright, but it's so cool!" You gently take the book, staring at the signature, before placing your fingers on his name. Your suspicions are confirmed as you grin.

🐻 While writing his name, he must've pressed the pen down hard enough to leave an indent to let all the kids be able to experience his signature. "Wow... Henny, how were you able to tell he would do this?" Henny, as well as the other kids, all start speaking over one another. You can hear Henny's voice over the rest, though, as she practically shouts with pride "My dad is friends with him! He constantly talks about how Wally does things like that for kids! My dad was the one who gave Wally that idea!"

🐻 You look down at her, expecting the other kids to tell her that she is lying, however, they go along with her claims. "I saw Mr. Wally at his store a few months ago with my mama! He tries to do that thing where people dress up as someone else, but his blue hair is very recognizable!" "Yeah! He helped me reach that apple toy on the top shelf! He then got another one and bought it for himself!" "Howdy is so cool for knowing celebrities!" "Doesn't Wally also know Ms. Poppy, that baker? I saw a show where she baked a cake in the shape of one of the bears he drew!" "I heard Mr. Wally gets his clothes from Julie's Joyous Clothes Company and is friends with Julie Joyful, herself!" Slowly, but surely, the talks about Mr. Darling and Howdy knowing each other turns into children's gossip about which famous people Mr. Darling does and does not know.

🐻 You think about the number in your pocket, subconsciously placing your hand over it. You don't know enough to know if any of their gossip is true... But you have the means to find out more about the mysterious, cheerful man. You can also make these kids so happy by having him visit! They can ask him questions about what they want to know, too!

🐻 Mr. Abbott walks into the recreation room, smiling as he asks you "Looks like these kids have Darling Fever, eh, (Y/N)? Do you want to go outside to relax? It is, technically, your day off today. Andy can take it from here." You giggle at the words "Darling Fever", before nodding. "Yeah. I actually want to talk to you about something, if you don't mind."

🐻 The two of you walk outside, sitting on the bench at the front of the daycare. You take out the paper from your pocket, saying "Mr. Darling gave me his number to call if you ever want him to visit the daycare." He gasps, looking at you "He... gave you his number? That's amazing! Wait, why are you trying to hand it to me?" You tilt your head and you hold it out to him "Well... you own the daycare? So it would make sense for you to call?"

🐻 He shakes his head quickly "No, no... he gave YOU his number! He very rarely gives out his number to people. I don't know why, but I think it might be that he doesn't trust many people with it. So, I can only assume he gave it to you because he trusts YOU. If I called, he might be uncomfortable." You look down at the paper, asking "Really...? There is so much I don't know about him. Should I call to see if he can visit? He must be a busy man... I don't want to bother him while he is doing something."

🐻"It's now or never. I know you. You'll be too nervous to call if you don't do it now." You smile, taking out your phone and calling the number on the paper. It beeps a few times, before somebody picks up and says "Hello?"

🐻 You take a deep breath. You can hear the voices of the crowd at his book signing in the background. You must've called during it... You hesitate, before saying "Hello! Umm... Is Mr. Darling there? I am from the Apple Castle Learning Center. He gave me his number and told me to call to see if he can visit?" The man on the other end of the line hums in thought, then says "Let me go get him. He has been waiting for you to call. It might take a moment, so be patient."

🐻 You tense up, feeling your heart race. He has been waiting for you? You look to Mr. Abbot, who places a hand on your shoulder to try to comfort you. He whispers "You're doing great! You got this!"

🐻 The man on the other end of the line suddenly shouts "COMING THROUGH! MR. DARLING'S GOTTA VERY IMPORTANT CALL! OUTTA THE WAY! HE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT!" You flinch from how loud it is, but you are shocked when you hear Wally's voice in the crowd, asking "Did they call? Please tell me it's them!"

🐻 It takes a bit, but you hear the crowd's voice die out, before Mr. Darling says a quiet "Thank you, Barnaby." Then, your heart races when he says "Hello? Is this (Y/N)?" You grin, saying "Yes, it is! Umm, I was wondering if you would like to set up a date and time to visit the Apple Castle Learning Center?"

🐻"That would be just lovely. We can talk about it tomorrow. Do you want to meet up at Howdy's Place? I'm friends with the owner. We can sit and talk at the little cafe area near the back. They serve some lovely milk tea. We can talk it all over then. I know you have some phone anxiety from your tone." "Of course! How about we meet there at 12 PM?" "That would be lovely. I'll see you then. Goodbye, (Y/N)." "Goodbye."

🐻 You end the call, looking over to Mr. Abbott and telling him the plan. He pats you on the back, telling you how well you did on the phone. You write down some things you need to ask Mr. Darling about, such as what date and time would be best for him to visit, as well what activities would be best. Then, you suddenly realize something... You never told Mr. Darling your name and there is no name tag on your uniform. The daycare doesn't have enough funds to make them... So how did he know it...?

🐻 You write down at the bottom of the list to ask him about it at Howdy's.

[jjkamochoso]

Summer Hair, Don’t Care

Choso x gn!reader (reader described as having enough hair to put into buns just fyi)

Fluff

Reader and Choso have the same hairstyle. Love and hijinks ensue !

Warnings: none

It was hot outside. Very, extremely, utterly hot. Summer had finally come around and with it, scorching temperatures. Thankfully it was the weekend so you didn’t have to brave your commute in work clothes that would end up being sticky and sweaty before you even made it to your job. No, today was a day for letting loose and living life in carefree and well ventilated clothes. As you went through your morning routine, you contemplated all the things you could do with your days off. Even though being outside was akin to walking on the literal sun, you decided that the day could be best spent surviving the trip to somewhere fun and cool—the mall. After you chose your outfit, all that was left before heading out was what to do with your hair. You were tired of the same old hairstyles that everyone else seemed to be doing. Ponytails, braids, and half updos were fun, sure, but you wanted more from your hair today. Going straight to Pinterest, experimentation with a new style was the name of your game. You scrolled through endless photos of perfectly poised ponys and crazy curled coifs. You were almost ready to give up and go back to your tried and true style when something caught your eye.

“Double spiky buns, huh? Looks interesting,” you mumbled to yourself, gathering the tools you needed. Your first attempt went well but the buns weren’t quite even. The second attempt was somehow worse, the buns in totally different angles on the top of your head. By the third try, thankfully, you figured it out because if you hadn’t, you were ready to just rip out your hair and go bald (your arms hurting from styling certainly didn’t help). You took a minute to admire your work in the mirror and you were glad you got out of your comfort zone because you looked great! Satisfied, you grabbed your belongings and hopped on the next train to the mall. Everybody standing near you looked as miserable as you felt because of the heat and your knee anxiously bounced up and down as you anticipated your destination. You had never clamored off a train as fast as you did then to escape into the sweet release of the air conditioned mall. Once the cool air touched your skin, you immediately got goosebumps, but unlike the winter ones, you appreciated these. You stood next to the directory for a few moments, making a plan of attack for what stores you were going to check out. Like any mall, there was an overwhelming amount of choices and you were in no mood to strategize so you just started walking. Little did you know, there was a group that had just arrived after you doing that exact same thing.

“Chosoooooo I’m bored,” complained Yuji, who was sprawled out on his bed. Usually the two boys slept in a lot later but the heat had them awake bright and early. Choso sighed as he took in the sight of his exasperated brother, running his fingers through his undone hair.

“Do you wanna stay home and play some board games?” he suggested, but Yuji shook his head.

“They’re fun but I wanna go somewhere. It’s too hot in these dorms.”

Choso couldn’t disagree with that. He didn’t know how his brother withstood the heat in his room during this time of year. Maybe they could buy some fans while they were out.

“Get your shoes on. We’re going to the mall.”

Yuji immediately got up, a huge smile on his face.

“Great idea! I’ll text Kugisaki and Fushiguro and ask if they wanna come too!”

As Choso began to put his hair up in his signature buns, he smiled softly at his younger brother’s antics. He was so relieved that Yuji found people he could have fun and act his age with. Sure, they were all going to run off and leave him behind with the bags, but what else were older brothers for? Choso was grateful he was able to be there for Yuji and his friends. Yuji, in turn, noticed how lonely Choso would get without knowing people who were his (physical) age and hoped he could help him find romantic companionship or at least some friends to start. That thought is what the three high schoolers were talking about as they walked in the mall while Choso was blissfully unaware, his attention occupied with finding the nearest electronics store.

“I’m glad he suggested it because malls are the best places to meet people. Especially girls, huh Fushiguro?” Yuji teased and Megumi’s face sported a blush.

“Shut up. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, looking away in embarrassment.

“It’s not fair that everybody flirts with Fushiguro when I’m right here,” complained Nobara.

“You’re so loud I think the whole mall knows you’re right here,” Megumi retorted. The two of them started to bicker when Yuji finally interjected.

“Guys! We’re here to help Choso, remember?

“I think he’s gonna need more help than we can give him,” Nobara grumbled, sparing a glance at the brunette who looked hopelessly lost trying to figure out where he was on the directory.

“I’ll help him with that. You two… just… whatever,” said Megumi, waving them off and walking toward Choso, who now had his face so close to the plastic map that his nose almost touched it.

“Okay, back to the plan. We’re trying to find a normal looking person for Choso to-”

“Yuji! They have the same hairstyle as your brother! I’m gonna go talk to them.”

Nobara marched away before Yuji could get another word in.

This is where you come back to the story.

You were almost in the door of the first store when you heard someone come rushing up behind you, calling for your attention.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!”

You spun around to be face to face with a spunky teenager with bright orange hair and a huge grin.

“Hi! I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to say I love your hair! Also, there’s this guy that I want you to please meet. He’s very lonely—well, no, that doesn’t sound right. Yes, he’s lonely, but not because he’s weird or anything, he just spends his time being a great big brother. I’m Kugisaki by the way.”

You had to take a moment to process everything this girl just told you. It was a surprise to be greeted like that but she seemed to be genuine and, to be honest, you were lonely too. The worst thing that could happen is that you didn’t get along too well but you could easily go your separate ways since you were at a mall.

“Nice to meet you, Kugisaki. I’m y/n. Would you like to show me this mystery man?”

You didn’t think her smile could get any wider but you were proven wrong.

“Come with me.”

She led you over to the directory where you were met with two teen boys and a man who seemed around your age. When the older guy turned around, you got a good look at his whole face and it almost took your breath away. He was absolutely handsome! His dark eyes suited his dark hair and light complexion perfectly. You were intrigued by what you thought was a tattoo across his nose. Whatever it was, you thought it was hot. The thing that caught your attention most, though, were the two spiky buns planted on his head in the exact manner as yours. You couldn’t help but laugh a little at the coincidence and you noticed the man’s face had a dusting of pink on it.

“I’m assuming you’re mystery man?” you asked as he nodded sheepishly.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what the kids were up to. Please, don’t let us ruin your shopping trip.” The poor guy genuinely seemed distressed for seemingly bothering you. He was way too cute to be so nervous!

“So you’re not Tokyo’s most eligible but lonely bachelor?” you teased, making him blush some more.

“We’re gonna go shopping. I’ll text you later Choso!” yelled the pink haired kid who was dragging away his friends. You found the whole situation amusing and hoped the man opposite of you felt the same.

“Choso, is it? I’m y/n,” you introduced yourself and you noticed he had a shocked look on his face.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m just surprised you’re not weirded out by my brother’s friends. I know if teens ran up to me like that I probably wouldn’t have handled it as gracefully as you.”

“I remember being a kid and how kids that age act. Trust me, they seem to have good hearts. Besides, it’s better shopping with other people if you’re up to hanging out. I trust you make good choices, judging by your hairstyle.”

Choso tilted his head in confusion until the realization dawned on him. You two wore the same double buns!

“Your hair!” he exclaimed, “It’s great! But I’m obviously biased.” You two shared a laugh and started walking deeper in the mall when Choso struck up a conversation.

“What are you here for? Anything in particular?”

You pondered for a moment.

“Mmm, no. I just wanted to get out of the house but stay out of the sunshine. It’s way too hot outside.” Choso nodded in agreement.

“I get that. I’ve been staying at my brother’s dorm and it’s too hot in there too so I’m buying some fans while I’m here.”

“Oh! There’s a great electronics store around here somewhere. You wanna check there first?”

Choso was relieved because even with Megumi’s help, he still couldn’t figure out the directions to the store. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, the mall directory would’ve felt Piercing Blood cut it in half. Already, you’ve proved to be a great addition to his life. You were kind, funny, and definitely attractive. If he didn’t screw this up, he’d have to thank Nobara for her spontaneity.

“Which of the boys was your brother?” you inquired, wanting to get to know the quiet man next to you.

“He was the one with the pink hair, Yuji. Fushiguro was the dark haired kid and the girl you met was Kugisaki, if she didn’t tell you already.”

“Oh! I would’ve assumed the dark haired kid was your brother.”

“Yuji and I are half brothers,” he explained, a gentle smile on his face, “so the family resemblance isn’t all there. But we’re close anyway. He’s such a great kid, he’s always looking out for others and doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body. I’m really lucky to call myself his big brother.” Your heart absolutely melted hearing Choso talk about his brother like that. Kugisaki wasn’t joking when she told you he’s a devoted family man!

“He seems lucky to have you, too. Everybody deserves a doting big brother like you in their life,” you said, earning a bigger smile from Choso.

“How about you?” he asked. “What’s your family like?”

You dove into your family life and you could tell he listened with such intensity, like he was a sponge soaking up every little word you said. He nodded when appropriate, asked questions at the right time. Even as the topic changed and you shared more mundane details about yourself, Choso looked at you like you were holding a seminar on the most interesting topic in the world. Alternatively, when Choso spoke, you found yourself appreciating every subtle movement he made and how he pronounced certain words because he was just so mesmerizing. You had only known this guy about 20 minutes but it felt like you were old friends, or even lovers of a bygone age, who were rediscovering all of each other’s quirks and culminations of what made up your personalities and life experiences. You never knew you could be so comfortable around someone so quickly but Choso was simply intoxicating. You didn’t even notice you had been stopped outside the electronics store, talking about whatever came to your minds, for longer than what was deemed normal to not notice your surroundings. Finally, you and Choso gained consciousness of the world around you once more and headed into the store. It was a little gesture, but you really appreciated how Choso held the door open for you. Even while browsing fan selections, you two had a great time debating on which option seemed the best, what color to get, it didn’t matter—you both had a lot to say and you both wanted to hear the other one speak. Finally, after the exasperated salesperson left you two to figure out your choice on your own, you settled on three medium sized black fans.

“I think they’d be cute if they matched you,” you had argued, gesturing to Choso’s black shirt and black pants outfit. He couldn’t disagree with someone who effectively called him cute so you guys took the products to the counter and asked if they could be held until you were done shopping. The store clerk was just happy that the two indecisive chatterboxes were leaving and he eagerly took the merchandise from you, charged Choso, and ushered you two from the store in a lightning fast manner. You and Choso were so wrapped up in each other that you didn’t notice the employee’s behavior and headed out to see what else the mall had to offer. You found yourselves looking through manga, circling aisles of knickknack stores, competing to see who could find the cutest plushies, and ended up with stacks of clothes in your hands, doing fashion shows for each other.

“Alright Choso! I’m on my last outfit!” you called out, walking into the communal area filled with uninterested boyfriends and phone scrolling girlfriends who were waiting for their significant others to finish trying things on. Choso stood out among the crowd as he eagerly awaited to see what you picked. When he saw you emerge, his eyes widened and he gulped. The weight of the whole situation he was in had finally dawned on him—was he on a date?! Yes, he was having an amazing time with you, yes you were easy to talk to, but these were attributes of a friendly hangout. Admittedly, he found you so attractive it made his heart skip a beat when you looked at him and his hands clammy when you brushed them with your own—these were not attributes of a friendly hangout, but of something more romantic. And now, as you stood in front of him, goofily modeling your look, he weighed his options. He either tells you that he’d never seen someone so captivating in his entire life, or he stays quiet and laughs along like a good friend would. When you looked at him expectedly, he made his choice.

“You look absolutely astonishing. I’ve never seen anyone come close to as stunning as you are.” You were taken aback. You definitely weren’t expecting him to say that! You searched his face for any sign of teasing and tried to find a hint of joking in his tone, but he was serious. You felt your face warm at the compliment as you looked away, suddenly shy. The eye rolls of the other shoppers went unnoticed by you both who were too engrossed in your moment of puppy love. Choso was nervous at your lack of reaction. Did he make you uncomfortable? Was he too forward? Should he have waited—

“Do you want to grab some food after this?” you suddenly suggested, and for the first time today, Choso had no words. He silently nodded as you went back to put your normal clothes on. When you were out of sight, he let out a sigh and pushed his bangs off his face for a moment as he was suddenly feeling the summer heat even in the cool mall. When you came out once more, the outfit you had worn last was in your hands.

“I take it you liked this one?” you said, trying to ease the tension.

“I liked all of them,” he confessed, and you lightly swatted his arm.

“Well, how am I supposed to choose what to buy then? I want an outfit that’ll make you want to take me out on a proper date.” You giggled to yourself as you saw Choso getting flustered. Usually he was so composed in all other areas of his life, but romance had been neglected for far too long.

Brothers, lend me your courage and strength, he thought to himself before answering you.

“I would take you on a proper date even if you weren’t wearing anything.”

You tried so hard not to burst out laughing but you failed as Choso realized what he had said. Quickly backtracking, he was getting more and more flustered.

“No, wait! I did NOT mean for that to sound like that. Y/n, I’m so sorry, I’m not that kind of guy, I promise. I just meant that you didn’t have to buy anything special for me. You’re perfect enough as you are.” You wiped the tears that had formed in your eyes from laughing so hard as you reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze, butterflies in your stomach at the touch of his skin on yours.

“Choso, it’s okay. I knew what you meant, it was funny but I understand the intent behind it.” You put the clothes on the rack to be sorted by the employees. “If it makes you feel any better, I’d take you out as you are now too, no fancy new clothes needed, because you’re really handsome just like this.”

Choso tried to keep his big, giddy smile internal, but he couldn’t contain his joy at hearing you found him attractive too. As you walked to the food court, he had a newfound burst of confidence and softly took hold of your hand, another trait of his you found completely endearing. He was a pretty bulky and intimidating man, but you liked how he treated things with a gentle touch. You both decided to get ramen bowls but with different toppings so you could share. Choso insisted on paying for your meal and you thanked him profusely for his generosity. When he let go of your hand only to pay and bring over both your orders to the table, you found that your hand was uncomfortably empty without his in it, even during such a short amount of time. Enjoying your meals, you both still had tons to talk about. There was never a dull or awkward moment with him and it was nice that you could be yourself around him with no fear of judgement. As you were listening to Choso talk about a funny story, he took a break from speaking to finish eating the noodle he had picked up with his chopsticks. You, too, were trying your hand at finishing a noodle but it was extremely long. When you felt tension on the noodle and noticed it starting lifting from Choso’s side of the bowl as well, your heart did a flip.

“Have you ever seen the movie “Lady and the Tramp?” you asked him, noodle dangling out of your mouth.

“Uh uh,” he replied, meaning no.

“Just follow my lead,” you said. Choso looked at you curiously but heeded your directions. You both slurped away at the noodle until it was obvious you two were eating the same one. You put your finger up to signal Choso to refrain from breaking it. You continued to bring the noodle further into your mouth, as did he, and your faces were now close together. You knew PDA wasn’t totally acceptable but the food court was surprisingly quiet for the time of day and no one was in the booths around you. If you were going to kiss him, now was the time. You gave him time to understand what would happen if you ate any more of the noodle and he had the chance to break it off and back away if he didn’t want to kiss you. Choso’s lips curled into a tiny smile as his eyes bore into yours, leaning in ever so slightly. You did the same, and your lips ever so slightly ghosted Choso’s as you—

“Hey! Choso!”

You quickly clamped down on the noodle with your teeth so it was no longer connected to the piece in Choso’s mouth. You had never moved so fast in your life to sit back in your seat normally as Yuji and his friends came barreling over to your table. Normally Choso was ecstatic to see his little brother, but he couldn’t have picked a worse time to interrupt. You were sure Yuji didn’t notice his brother pouting in his booth, the neglected noodle hanging at the corner of his mouth. As Choso sat, brooding with his arms crossed, you couldn’t help but find the timing hilarious. While Yuji was none the wiser that his brother was about to kiss someone, you were sure that Fushiguro noticed because his face was tomato red and avoiding your gaze while Kugisaki gave you a thumbs up and a wink. You shook your head, a light chuckle tumbling out of your mouth.

“I take it you had a successful shopping day?” You eyed the bags that the kids hauled over and were now strewn across several unoccupied tables.

“Of course! I love shopping. I’m very good at it,” a smug Kugisaki replied.

“Are you good at shopping or overspending on things you don’t need?” grumbled Fushiguro while Kugisaki flicked the side of his head. While they dealt with each other, you pulled out your phone to check the time. The mall was about to close! It didn’t feel like you had been here all day but time flies when you’re having fun.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the mall is gonna close in like, 10 minutes and I should probably head home.”

Choso perked up at the sound of your voice while Yuji turned his conversation to his friends.

“I didn’t realize it had gotten so late, I was having such a good time with you. Can we walk you home?”

You beamed at him.

“I would love nothing more.”

The kids rounded up all of the bags as your eccentric little group headed to the train station. The entire time, Choso’s hand had found its home in yours and you couldn’t be happier at how today went. What started as a normal day ended with you potentially finding love. Even as you waited outside, sweat beginning to bead on your forehead and palms, Choso never let go of you. When you made it to your apartment door, you reluctantly let go of each other’s hands.

“I had an amazing time today with you, y/n,” said Choso, with the sincere look on his face that you had come to adore, “Would you like to go on a second date with me sometime soon?”

“I had a great time with you too, Choso. I’d love to go on another date with you.”

You both had huge smiles on your faces as you exchanged phone numbers. Before he turned around to leave, you caught his attention.

“Wait! Your hair got messed up on the train ride over here. Can I fix it for you before you go? I am an expert at this style, you know.”

He obliged, sitting on the steps so you could reach him easier. You couldn’t help but relish the feeling of running your fingers through his hair and he was equally just as happy getting his hair played with, letting out a content sigh. You twisted the hair into the right shape and got the ends to spike up to match the other bun. When you were done, you pulled out a Hello Kitty hair clip you had bought at the mall and placed it on the side of his head.

“Something to remember me by,” you explained as he stood up.

“I don’t think I could ever forget you,” he said earnestly. You leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek goodbye and Choso didn’t know if his poor heart could handle any more love from you without it going into overdrive. As you entered your doorway, Choso bid you farewell with a lovesick grin on his face. Hurrying back to the others, he couldn’t wait to debrief with them everything that had happened and get advice on what to do for the second date. When their train arrived at the station, Choso sat down and immediately slapped his palm to his face, groaning.

“Yuji?”

“Huh?”

“I forgot the fans.”

[justice-maul]

Hello! I was hoping if you could do a rivalry fanfic about tony stark x dom male reader maybe? Like if Tony gets into a big fight with male reader and (this might sound a bit basic but whatever 😅) he pins him to the wall and they start a messy make out that might turn into smut? And maybe tony tells male reader that he been having odd dreams like this? ( I’ve never really requested before soo heh😀)

«Hateful Lust» Tony Stark x Dom Rival Male Reader

Word Count: 2,432

Author Note: I… I love you guys so much, I’m not a fan of porn without plot I fucking love plot gives it more character

Btw I literally know nothing about the business world so don’t check me on this and remember English isn’t my first language!!

Warning(s)⚠: Bottom Tony, rough hate sex, porn with plot, blowjob, butt plug,

Tony Stark was the most annoying human being you’ve ever known. While Tony had grown up into the business world, you had built your way to the top and Tony and his entitled personality always managed to get on your nerves.

When you met, it was at a simple business meeting between companies, but it was enough to make you dislike the man.

The entire time he wasn’t taking anything seriously, he kept making jokes and annoying quips, and he wasn’t even paying attention most of the time he just kept flirting with every girl he found attractive enough to his standards… so pretty much every girl in the room.

The worst part is that because of his status in the business world, no one could tell him off or saying anything disrespectful to him, but that didn’t stop your comments about his behavior, you didn’t care what he was capable of you always spoke your mind and criticized him when he needed to be

That was what made him dislike you and that’s where te rivalry all began, it started from petty little comments that were disguised behind your professionalism and only escalated to literally cussing each other out each and every time you were in the same room

As usual, you were invited to a Stark party (probably because Pepper usually wrote the invitations) and although you hated going, you knew it was always a good business opportunity so you decided to go ahead to the party and avoid and ignore Tony Stark as much as possible

But of course, Tony always had this way of making sure that everybody in the room noticed him and it always worked managing to piss you off, you huffed and just decided to walk off and go cool down.

Walking into a random room that looked like an unused office as you were looking around and finally feeling somewhat calm, Tony Stark obviously had to ruin that.

“Hey buddy, long time no see!”

He said in a sarcastic tone and closed the office door behind him and walked up to you

“Hi… Tony.”

You said with an exasperated sigh through your nose, clearly trying and not bite his head off

“Aww, what’s the matter hun? Don’t like me much?” He said teasingly making you grit your teeth, “Who would? Other then the girls you sleep with.” You said coldly to him making him roll his eyes while still smiling

“Well at least all those girls have money to spare,”

Now that made you upset, everyone was aware of your background but you never cared cause you were just as wealthy and powerful in the business world as them and they couldn’t say anything to you but for Tony to say it? It just pissed you off

“At least I earned my own money instead having my daddy help me.” You retorted mockingly

“Why is it that I’m able to get under your skin so easily?” He said smiling, he knew exactly what he was doing

“Cause your so goddamn annoying,” you said with a growl in your voice making him smirk in response as he got even cockier

“Why don’t you just admit it? You wanna kiss me.”

“Excuse you? Why the hell would I want to kiss you?” You scowled in disgust and turned to face him waiting for an answer but you could see that he was clearly enjoying this interaction

“Because your secretly in love with me. Why else would you be so mad?” He said trying to push you further, with that smirk still plastered on his face making you rolls your eyes and scoff,

“Oh fuck off Tony, I doubt anyone could genuinely be in love with you if it wasn’t for your money or looks.” You replied coldly

“So you think I’m attractive?” He asked teasingly looking smug as he spoke, moving closer to you and leaning forward “I bet you think about me before bed, don’t you?” He whispered into your ear, putting his hand flat on your chest and slowly dragging it down your body

“I know I do,” he said in a low voice still whispering to you as his hands moved to your belt gently tugging it before moving it further down to your length

“What do you think your doing?” You said grabbing his hand “Oh be real, we both know you wanna sleep with me.” He said pulling his head away grinning, and a part of you knew he wasn’t wrong

Your mind drifted to all those dreams you’ve had of fucking him so rough into the bed so he could finally learn some manners, when he would interrupt meetings and make those snarky comments you wished you could shut him up by making him deep throat your cock slurring and mumbling the words “I’m sorry,” over and over again

As you were thinking Tony’s hand firmly squeezed your softened cock rubbing it from the outside of your dress pants.

“Your thinking about it, aren’t you? I know you are,” He whispered softly near your lips as he watched your expression shift from him stroking your now hardening length

Having had enough of him teasing you, you pushed him up against the wall smashing your lips against his and kissing him, hard.

Tony kissed back, wrapping his arms around you and pressing his body against yours, his length grinding down on yours.

You lifted Tony up by his thighs making him instinctively wrap his legs around your waist as you slipped your tongue in his mouth, the kiss turning sloppy and messy as your arousal increased.

You don’t even know how long you two were making out when Tony pulled away to catch his breath, resting his head against the wall exposing his neck

You gave him no time to rest as you immediately began marking it all over focusing on his pulse points in a way that left him panting, letting out soft breathy moans, his legs started to shake and get slightly weak.

He was completely lost in the moment, wrapping his arms around you for support as his knees weakened at your increasingly aggressive movements. You set him down only for him to button your shirt and kiss down your chest

“I want to taste you,” he whispered, his voice low and sultry to which you responded with a simple nod, With a swift motion, Tony dropped to his knees before you, his eyes locked on your now erect length.

His hands gripped your hips as his tongue flicked out to trace along the length of your shaft his mouth enveloped you, his lips forming a tight seal around your cock as he began to suck and bob his head with a rhythm

His tongue danced along your sensitive skin, his warm breath caressing your most intimate area, sensations intensified and the wet heat of his mouth and the suction of his lips was driving you closer to the edge and eagerly taking you deeper into his mouth

As the waves of pleasure crashed over you, Tony maintained his relentless pace, eager to milk every last drop. He moaned around you, the vibrations sending shockwaves of pleasure through you

feeling the heat pooling inside you burst, you threw your head back as Tony eagerly swallowed, savoring the taste of your essence, sucking and licking to prolong your pleasure until the very last sensation of ecstasy subsided

“Fuck, at least your mouth is good for something when it’s not spitting out absolute filth,” you said in spite making him let out a breathy chuckle as he got back up from his knees “Oh you love it when I’m talking dirty, it’s get you riled up so bad…” he teased rubbing his hands up your chest as he batted the most innocent doe eyes at you

“Oh shut up already,” you said with a groan and pushed him against the wall so his rear end was facing you, he assisted you in removing his pants kicking them off to the side

“Well aren’t you inpatient?” He said cheekily, you dipped your hand down his back and spread his cheeks with your hand, ready to push your fingers in only to find a cold flat surface pressed against his hole, you didn’t even need to look to know exactly what it was

“Seriously Tony?”

He laughed “What? A guy’s gotta be prepared, right?” He said sarcastically and reached his hand around, his fingers gently tracing the edges of the butt plug making you grunt in response as you reached out grabbing the rim and yanked it out in a sudden, rough motion making him let out a startled gasp

His eyes widened a mixture of surprise and pleasure evident on his face “Fuck, I love it when you get all riled up, it’s such a turn-on” he said with a hint of breathlessness evident in his voice and turned around to face you, wrapping his arms around your neck

You lifted him up again like before and pulled Tony down on your cock making his body tense and moan softly, his lips parting in a silent plea for more as his hands moved to grip your shoulders for support and adjusted to your size his body gradually relaxing before he began slowly rocking his hips

You fucked into his sloppy hole, his eyes locked on yours, the desire shining in them as you moved your bodies in sync, each thrust bringing you both closer to a crescendo of pleasure

“Oh come on, at least fuck me like you mean it, don’t tell me your a virgin,” He said cockily even though his body responded eagerly to every thrust, riding the waves of pleasure.

“Says the one clenching around my dick like a needy whore.” You said with malice. The intensity of the moment was only increased by the roughness, the lust, the desire, and the hate between you two creating a powerful intimate bond

Your hands stayed on his ass, using it as leverage to fuck into him further. He arched his back, pressing his ass furthermore against your hands as he moaned

“Is this what you wanted? Is that why you’ve been such a brat?” You could only chuckle as his nails dig into your shoulder and he could barely respond, only throwing his head back “If you could’ve just asked me to put you in your place, I would’ve been happy to give it to you the way I know you’ve thought of,” you whispered in his ear, amplifying your words with deep, sharp, thrusts

He let out a guttural moan and buried his head into the crook of your neck “I’ve been having so many weird dreams about this, about you fucking me just like this…” he admitted, his voice filled with a mix of pleasure and desire which ultimately surprised you but only made you cockier

“Yeah? Is that why you always invite me to these parties that you know I hate? Were you really that desperate for me? Wearing tight fitting clothes all. The. Fucking. Time.” You punctuated every word with a sharp thrust, and he only responded with breathy whimpers into your neck which wasn’t something you’d ever expect from Tony Starj but man did it really boost your fucking ego

You laughed at his reaction and angled your thrusts against his prostate, making sure to hit it roughly and even grind against it which made him let out the throatiest moans you’ve ever heard as you pounded him

He pulled away from your neck to breath but he could barely even catch his breath as you fucked him into an oblivion making his brain fog his thighs trembling around your waist as he did his best to hold on

You, just plain old you, finally defeated the great fucking Tony Stark with your dick, knowing this entire time this is what he wanted, that he’s been dreaming of this, enticing you on purpose, he wanted you to hate him enough to the point where you felt the need to put him in his place, and there was only one more thing for you to do in order to have him completely under your hand

You fucked him purely to chase your release, not caring for his as your hips snapped against his ass relentlessly, making him scream out strings of moans with every sharp thrust before slowing down and finally spilling your load inside his messy puckered hole leaving him an almost adorable drooling mess

You pulled out watching as cum trickled out with your satisfied smile only widening from the look of him completely dazed with drool dripping down down his chin, as much as you hated him and thought he was the most annoying guy in the universe, your not an asshole

You left him on an office chair for a quick second and came back with tissues and water cleaning him up to the best of your abilities and offering him the water until he got back to his normal state and he was able to get back to his own party

“You really fucked my brains out, huh?” He said, still a bit out of it with a dumb smile plastered on his face as you only scoffed and rolled your eyes at him

“Yeah, yeah, this was only a one time thing, your a real pain in my ass Tony,” you said and he only snickered

“A lot of people say that to me, but we both know eventually you’ll come back for more,” you couldn’t say he was wrong per say, after already fucking him once you wanted to do it again and wipe that cocky ass smirk off of his face but you would never admit that to him

“Whatever, see you at work Tony, and not a word about his to anyone.” You said sternly and he made a locking his mouth gesture and throwing away the fake key and you shook your head at his childish behavior and left he called out after you Nanking sure your the only one who heard over the loud music

“Cal me when you want round two, sweetheart!”

You continued walking off but had to admit you couldn’t actually wait until you fucked him again even wait to bf a bit to see him leave the room a minute later and going back to mingling and flirting at his own party, his own cocky-self restored and although you wanted to again, you decided to go back to your own place… for now.

(Lol, sorry I didn’t know how to end this but I hoped you guys enjoyed! Eat, drink some water, and get some rest my lovelies!)

[joviepog]

Okay, I’m finally (kinda) back! I wrote a little siren x reader story based on a song! Hope you enjoy!

-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ

People I don’t like

Warnings: Cursing, Arson, mention of people checking each other out, fire, mentions of screams, alcohol

Who: Siren x Reader

Pronouns: She / they

Word count: 1,137

Tag list: @gaytoadwithapopsicle @corner-of-void @danny-yagami @loversj0y @ax-y10 @lanaxoxoxoxoxox @haunted-headset @phxntomsdusk

Anything else: It’s been a while since I’ve written! Please excuse any errors and bad spelling! I will try to write as much as possible during this Christmas Break! :D

This story is NOT proofread.

Listen to this as you read!

“Hello. It’s so good to see you!”

You hear a cheery yet smug voice behind you as you smoke a cigarette. Great. You get partnered with him out of all people? Like seriously, siren out of all people?

“We’ve met before but nice to meet you.”

You say with a fake smile as he walks in front of you. He’s wearing his masquerade mask which is a dark blue. Similar to his regular villain costume. He wears a black suit and his hair is slick back, a new look.

“Yeah, i dont really wanna be here.”He says with a sigh

You nodded and suddenly launch at him to knock him out. If you can, you can get all the money. But as soon as you got close you him, he grabbed your hand and pinned you to the wall.

He smirks as he looks down at you which only made you roll your eyes. “What’s my name? Do you remember?”

You scoff and give him an innocent smile, “I’m pretty sure you have my number.”

He backs off, “So let’s pretend we like each other.”

The two of you walk in to a big room made of what seems like gold. There are big windows that open to multiple balconies, there is one large door that opens to an outside area. The roof is high and there are chandeliers everywhere you look. People with fancy dresses and suits fill the area.

“This room is so suffocating.” You whisper to Siren. He tightens his tight on his suit and shrugs. “Walking on ice, but nobody breaks it.” He winks at you before walking off to talk to people. You follow suit and walk uncomfortably with your big dress to the bar area. This oldish man comes up to you, complimenting your body and outfit. You hated it but kept your cool. You were stuck in this one way conversation.

‘Guess i’ll be here for a while.’ You thought.

He starts talking about his paycheck, blowing smoke in your face.

You take a shot with a fake smile as you look at him, excusing yourself before taking another round.

You talk to a couple more people, making friendly banter. The only goal you had was to get everyone on your side and to distract people from the vault. Your coworkers are working to steal as much money as possible. You let out a sigh as you tune out the lady’s words.

‘Everybody in the party’s fucking fake. I really wish i could say it to this lady’s face. But i wont. So…’ you think before talking to someone new.

“Hello it’s so good to see you!” You say to a man

“It’s nice to meet you!” You say to another man only 10 minutes later.

“What’s my name? Do you remember?” You say with a smile to the first guy you talked to at the bar.

“I’m pretty sure you have my number.” You say with a wink to a random man.

‘Let’s pretend we like each other.’ You think at almost the people you’ve talked to.

You wonder if Sireb is doing well with the lady’s . You stole a couple things from the men you had talked to for yourself to sell.

You come up to a woman and compliment her shoes. Then only a minute later you ask to know more about another lady.

Your job was hard, but you loved to act like you cared when really you dont give any shits.

As you talk to another man you see Siren flirt with a girl, having her pinned up to a wall. You scoff in disgust before looking away. Why did it make your heart pound? The lady your talking to is going in and on about herself. You keep on a smile but you scoff at her.

‘Can’t you bother someone else?’ You think.

Only 2 hours in and you’ve made a large amount of progress. You now have a group of people around you. They were interested in you.

You make a quick toast, “Raise a glads if you like me!” They all cheer and raise their glasses. You smile and take a sip of your drink, everyone joins in. Siren comes up behind you and you smirk, you could smell the alcohol off him from a mile away. “You’re getting trashed ‘cause you can’t leave?” You look at him in your seat, he’s standing behind you. You felt like a queen

“Guess we’re in this together.” He says as he looks down at you.

“Makes my head hurt.”

You get up and excuse yourself from the crowd, now walking with him. He might be drunk but he still looks composed and he’s still doing his job. He just randomly blurts things out..

“Everybody in this party’s fucking fake.”

You smirk, “And so am i, but we just go here so we gotta show some face.” You give him a laugh and he laughs along. You both walk away from each other before finding someone else to talk to.

“Hello it’s so good to see you.”

“We’ve met before but nice to meet you.”

“What’s my name? do you remember?”

“I’m pretty sure you have my number.”

“Let’s pretend we like each other.”

Suddenly you and Siren get a message from your ear piece that they got everything. You excuse yourself in last time before running away with Siren.

“Finally, We’re done.” He says with an exhausted sigh. “Not me.” You shrug

His eyes widen and he looks at you. “Wait, what?”

You wink at him before running away. It only takes you about 5 minutes to set gasoline around some of the building. Suddenly your coworkers show up.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?”

“YOU’RE GONNA RUIN THE PLAN!”

You shrug and give them a smirk. “Oh well.”

You grab the lighter from my pocket and set the place on fire.

“Cya.” You run off, taking off the fancy dress and wearing your costume from underneath. As you run you see smoke and fire in the distance. Screams filling your ears. You smirk as you run away. Hopefully that gives the villains a distraction so that you could escape.

That doesn’t matter though.

You know they’re weak.

Once you get to an alley way you open your pocket to see that everything you stole was gone.

“Wait. What the heck?” You start to look all around you before you hear a voice.

“Looking for these?” Siren. He dangled the watched, necklaces, and bracelets that you had stolen.

He walks up to you, grabs your hand, and opens it. He places the stolen items in your hand before walking away.

“Next time Darling, be more careful with the things you steal.” He looks you up and down. “Also, be more mindful of the chance that people can follow you.”

He smiles at you before running off.

And you’re left there, furious.

And yet you’re blushing.

Why were you blushing?!?

If you don’t want to be tagged please private message me!

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 14B: Where Do We Go Now?

Soundtrack: “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Guns N’ Roses, 1987 [click here to listen]

Now and then when I see her face She takes me away to that special place And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry

- Guns N’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1987)

Tucson || July 1988

It didn’t matter what Colum or the label or anyone else said – all recording studios looked the same on the inside.

Sure, there were always small differences. The really comfortable couches at Sound City in Los Angeles. Electric Lady in Manhattan still had the really cool paint scheme that Jimi Hendrix himself had designed. Muscle Shoals in Alabama oozed coolness.

But this studio, whose name he couldn’t and didn’t care to remember, nestled down a back street in Tuscon was…tired.

Almost as tired as Jamie.

The “quick three week tour” had stretched to eight weeks, with no end in sight. Theater shows had been upgraded to arenas. Playing to thousands and thousands of ecstatic fans. Pouring their hearts out night after night after night, and squeezing in radio promos and sound checks and business meetings during the day.

Fucking exhilarating.

Everybody wanted a piece of Print – their music, their story. Jamie still hadn’t granted too many interviews this tour, but the press ate up every word he said about sobriety and music and forgiveness. Insatiable for details about the woman he had met in rehab, and written all the new songs about, and refused to name publicly.

Print was making more money than they knew what to do with. The label had sprung for a private plane, and nobody in the band missed the rickety and smelly tour bus (except Claire, because it was still all so new to her, which Jamie added to the list of thousands of reasons why he loved her). Their hotel rooms were bigger. Catering in the dressing rooms was much nicer.

Fucking exhausting.

So many people wanted a piece of Jamie every day. Ian and Angus, to run through the new material that just kept pouring out of them. Colum, to talk ticket sales and adding second and third nights in each city. The suits from the label, who kept finding them in Dallas and Kansas City and Detroit, slapping Jamie’s back and pushing terrible ideas for duets with pop stars or contributing to a movie soundtrack or pleading to do the acoustic set in a special for MTV.

And on top of that, some dirtbag reporter from the National Enquirer had figured out who Claire was, somehow got a hold of her personnel file from the hospital, and tracked down her shitty ex-husband for an exclusive interview. Splashed her life all over the tabloids, complete with very grainy photographs of the she and Jamie together, holding hands, on a rare day off in Nashville when he took her to a few honky-tonks. The one saving grace was that thankfully, nobody at The Ridge had said a word about anything about her time there, or the time they shared together.

Claire took it all in stride. She always understood. Holding him in the bathtub of their suite in Denver as he shook from another panic attack. Smiling over a three AM hamburger at a diner in Topeka. Whimpering as he came off stage in Atlanta, sweaty and keyed up from singing about her, hoisting her in his arms for a long kiss against the lighting equipment at side stage, heart stuttering to see his eye makeup smudged against her cheeks.

The man he was on the last tour – unhappy, unfulfilled, so deep in an addition he didn’t care to acknowledge – would not recognize the man he’d become on this tour.

“In ’86, we played seventy eight dates. We had a number one record. I bought my house, and my motorcycle, and my car.” Quietly he sipped coffee in their suite in Seattle, watching the city wake up, running his thumb over Claire’s shoulder as she settled against him in front of the window.

“You had everything you had always dreamed of.”

He snorted. “I was a mess. All I could think about during every show was how to find a girl or a bottle or a baggie as quickly as possible. And the crew would always do that for me.”

The crew respected his – and Claire’s – request for no drugs or alcohol backstage this tour. What the techs and roadies and production crew did on their own time, in their own hotel rooms, with whoever they wanted to – Jamie didn’t care. But for everyone to help with, to respect, his sobriety was a gift. And he never stopped saying thank you.

“If only those reporters could see you now – Jamie Fraser swaggering off stage for an Evian.”

He smiled. “And to kiss this beautiful doctor who for some reason keeps following him around. Because he loves her, more than any man has ever loved any woman.”

He wanted to provide for her. To shelter and protect her. To never leave her side ever again.

She didn’t need him to do any of that, of course. They’d talked about it many times. But she wanted him to do that. And the fact that she chose him, kept choosing him…that was why they kept going. Kept each other sober. Kept holding each other up.

They’d agreed that this time on tour was for her to understand this part of him – and to help both of them decide how and where they would live once the tour was done.

Which is why the radio silence from Boston, four weeks after mailing the letter from Philadelphia asking, politely, just what the hell was going on…was so fucking crushing.

The stress of that – and the grind of touring – did make it just a bit more difficult every day.

Thankfully Colum had scheduled a week-long break at the end of the month. Angus was already planning a trip to Aruba with the two groupies, who truth be told had grown on the rest of the band. Ian was planning to spend the week with his wife, Jamie’s sister Jenny, and their kids.

And Jamie and Claire – well, they’d be getting married.

Only a few people knew, with good reason. Ian and Jenny, of course. Alec and Faith, in New York. Colum. Dougal MacKenzie and his wife Gillian, who had helped both Jamie and Claire so much at The Ridge. Uncle Lamb, who would officiate. And Claire’s friends Joe and Gail Abernathy, who had quite literally saved her life by getting her to The Ridge in the first place.

The service would be simple. Exactly what they wanted – what they needed.

And after that…well. They would truly be husband and wife.

But there was a lot to do – a lot to take care of – between now and then. Not the least of which was, wrapping up this recording session.

The time laying down acoustic tracks in Philadelphia last month was very well spent. They weren't so rusty. But the guys were eager to hear the songs in electric form. And since they were in Tucson, and Colum knew Bobby Higgins – who not only owned this studio, but who had also produced that really killer Ratt album in ’84…

“OK, Jamie.”

Jamie took a deep breath, and looked up through the glass at Bobby, hunched over the console in the control room.

“Ready for take two?”

Jamie looked left, to Angus – and right, to Ian.

“Yup.”

“OK – this is In My Veins, take two.”

Jamie grit his teeth.

Caught Claire’s eye in the control room.

She smiled.

He relaxed.

Angus counted in on his drumsticks, and then started the heavy beat like they’d discussed.

Four bars – and Jamie’s guitar and Ian’s bass joined in.

--

“That was really, really great, Jamie.”

Claire handed him a new bottle of water, cap already twisted off. He drank it in four deep gulps.

“I know you’re not shitting me. So thank you.”

Quickly she looked over her shoulder – Angus’ cheeks were being loudly kissed by the groupies, and Ian played around with his bass, and Colum and Bobby were deep in conversation in the control room.

“Where are you?”

She had pulled him away before, when the panic attacks were coming, and he knew she’d do it again right now if needed.

He wiped his mouth with the back of a sweaty hand. “About an eight out of ten.”

“Do you need a break?”

He met her eyes. “I need a meeting. Been thinking about my old friend Jack Daniels all day.”

“Did you see something?”

He sighed. “I’ve only played electric a handful of times since I got back from The Ridge.” He looked down at the gorgeous Stratocaster strapped across his chest, fist flexing. “I got this guitar because the black tone and white trim matched the label on the bottle. Stupid, I know. But it’s all I could think about today.”

“Not stupid. We’ll deal with it. You should call Alec. And I can find you a meeting.”

He leaned in, and kissed her forehead. “I love you. I’ll call him. And I need to sell this guitar.”

She nodded. “We’ll find a charity.”

He kissed her again. “I love you.”

She kissed him quickly, and returned to the control room.

Grateful that Jamie had turned away to talk to the guys, when Colum tapped her on the shoulder, and slid over an envelope postmarked Boston.

“Mail call. Do I want to know?”

She shook her head, folded the letter, and slid it into the back pocket of her jeans. “Is there a Yellow Pages I can borrow?”

[cosmicanamnesis]

everybody loves a(n as yet untitled) coffeshop au pt. 2

[part 1] [part 3] [part 4] [read on ao3]

“You’re late,” Keith said as Steve came in.

“What? No I’m not,” he said, confused, and pulled out his phone to check the time for good measure. “Yeah, I’ve got like, two minutes.”

“Yeah, I know. Hurry up, though, I need to take my break.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

He quickly hung up his coat in the break room and pulled his apron on so he could take over for Keith before he got yelled at some more. The second he was at the register, the door chimed.

“Hi, welcome in- Oh, hey Eddie. You… Hang on, don’t you normally come in, like, three hours ago?”

“I did, you just weren’t here to see me,” Eddie smiled, hands shoved deep in his pockets. 

“Oh, um. Alright. What can I get you, then?”

“Just a small hot chocolate. Um… Did you know you’re wearing the wrong name tag?” He tapped his chest a couple times in the same spot Steve’s name tag hung on his apron.

“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Steve laughed, grabbing a cup to make Eddie’s drink. “I’m covering for Robin right now. We started doing this thing, ages ago, where if one of us covered for the other, we’d uh… We’d swap name tags. It’s kinda stupid.”

“That’s hilarious, actually,” Eddie chuckled.

“Yeah, we have fun with it. It’s funnier on her than it is on me though.”

“Oh, cause Robin is a kind of androgynous name,” Eddie guessed.

“Yeah, and Steve really isn’t. So, hot chocolate, huh?” Steve asked, changing the subject. “Didn’t expect that one to be yours.” He passed the drink to Eddie at the end of the counter. Eddie smiled, almost laughing as he took it.

“Yeah, I’m not really a coffee guy. Shocking, I know, based on the,” he gestured up and down at himself. He always dressed more or less the same, with big heavy boots and ripped jeans and an old leather jacket with a denim vest on top, covered in pins and patches advertising bands that Steve had never listened to. “Y’know, all of this.”

“Yeah, you don’t really look like a hot chocolate guy. So the whole huge order, that’s for everybody else in the tattoo shop, yeah?”

“Ah huh. I just started apprenticing there, which means I’m the store gopher.”

“The store what?” Steve laughed. Eddie smiled and sipped his drink, still standing at the pick up counter. Fortunately, there was no one else in the cafe.

“Gopher. Like an errand boy. Y’know, hey Eddie, go for coffee, hey Eddie could you go for lunch, stuff like that. Gopher.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard that before. That sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“Eh, it’s not so bad. I should probably get back, though,” Eddie said, tapping the counter. “It was good to see you, Steve. Got kinda worried when you weren’t here earlier.”

“What? Why?”

Eddie turned back to him, walking backwards, and shrugged. “You’re my coffee guy,” he said simply.

“Well, just a heads up then, I won’t be here at all tomorrow either,” Steve smiled. 

“Alright, good to know. See you around, Stevie.”

Stevie?

“So did you get his number yet, or what?” Keith asked, coming back up to the front.

“Shut up.”

“So, no?”

“Isn’t it, like, unprofessional for you as my boss to be asking me that?”

Keith just shrugged and started wiping down the counters. The bell on the door rang again, drawing both of their attention as Eddie ran back in, drink still in hand. 

“Wait, if you’re free tomorrow-” Eddie slammed his hand down on the counter to stop his momentum as he caught his breath. “Do you want to come to a party tomorrow night? It’s not a huge thing, but my band is playing and it’s like, a bunch of their friends, so it’d be cool to have somebody else I know there.”

“Oh! Um. Sure?” Steve said, trying to ignore Keith staring at him. “I didn’t know you were in a band, that’s really cool.”

“Thanks," Eddie smiled like he wasn't actually expecting a yes. "Here, can I put my number in your phone?”

“Yeah, of course!” Steve opened his phone and passed it over the counter.

“Phones are supposed to stay in the break room, Harrington,” Keith deadpanned. Eddie, apparently only just noticing Keith, giggled quietly as he added himself as a contact and handed the phone back to Steve.

“Okay, for real this time, I gotta get back to work. Just text me so I’ll have your number!” Eddie called, again walking backwards out of the cafe. As soon as he was gone, Steve immediately headed back to the break room to text him. He burst out laughing halfway there. 

“What’s so funny?” Keith asked.

“Look what he saved himself as,” Steve passed Keith his phone to look at the new contact.

hot chocolate guy

“You want to kiss him so bad, it makes you look stupid,” Keith said, ever unimpressed.

“Appreciate the support, Keith,” Steve said sarcastically, ducking into the back.

He shot a quick text to Eddie as promised and immediately texted Robin after. He didn't expect a reply, assuming she was on her date, but she answered within seconds.

Got his #

who

Eddie, the guy none of you like.

WGAT

WHAT*

FR???

Yeah, he invited me to a party. Apparently he's in a band.

oooo sounds like a date ;)

Stop it. It's not a date. 

could be a date ;) ;) ;)

Stop.

"Steve!" Keith yelled from the front. "Quit texting your boyfriend and get back out here! And leave your phone in the break room this time, please?"

Steve huffed and slipped his phone back into his coat pocket so he wouldn't have to listen to it buzz on the table his whole shift.

"I was texting Robin, actually," he said, coming back up to the front. "Dude. There's no one here, why the rush?"

"I like making your life hard," Keith shrugged.

The next time Steve got a chance to look at his phone, he had a text back from Eddie, two from Robin, seven from Chrissy and one from Dustin for some reason.

hot chocolate guy:

Hey, it's Steve!

hey there coffee guy

Robs:

Stop.

you love me

warning: i told chris so she might blow up ur phone

Chrissy (work):

Oh my god Robin said you got whats-his-face’s number??

And he asked you out?

And he's in a band? That’s so cool!!

I take back what I said about not knowing what you see in him. 

I do NOT take back what I said about him being weird though.

Oh Keith made you put your phone away didn't he?

I ask as if you could respond if the answer is yes.

Lil Buddy:

hey Steve, what are you doing tomorrow night?

He decided to respond to Dustin's message first.

I'm going to a party. Why?

oh, that's cool. we're throwing a party at the house too, I was going to ask if you wanted to come but if you're busy then don't worry about it.

Let me find out what time the party is, I'll see if I can swing by your place too!

Honestly I'm not sure how long I'll be at the other party, I'm only gonna know the guy who invited me.

who invited you?

Just a regular at work.

the one you have a crush on?

Oh, fuck off. But yes.

;)

Stop. God, you've been spending too much time with Robin.

sounds like a you problem.

Steve rolled his eyes. He loved the kid but god damn was he a handful. He decided to move on before he got sucked into the text-based slapstick comedy that was a drawn out conversation with Dustin Henderson.

He moved on to Chrissy's messages.

Haha, yeah, I did. Don't listen to Robin, he didn't ask me out. He invited me to a NYE party.

How is that not him asking you out?

Because it's not a date!

;)

Jesus Christ, is Robin paying all of you to do that?

Do what?

Nevermind.

He'd see Robin later so he didn't overly feel the need to text her back, instead opting to stare at Eddie's text trying to think of something to say that didn't make him sound desperate or insane. It wasn't going well. Every time he got a free minute, he would type something, stare at it for a while, and backspace the whole thing. By the end of his shift, he still hadn't texted him back.

He and Keith had managed to get the whole cafe clean and ready to close without anyone coming in right after they finished cleaning the espresso machine, which felt like a miracle, and they actually got out on time. As he walked back to his apartment, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out to check quickly as if it were an emergency. It was from Eddie. A somewhat blurry photo of Steve, taken from inside the tattoo shop. Another message popped up as he looked at the image.

saw you :)

Haha, hey. Yeah, I just got off work. Sorry I didn't reply earlier, my boss made me put my phone away.

rude ass

Tell me about it.

so the partys tomorrow at 7. no dress code so just come as you are. i can come pick you up

If anyone asked, Steve wasn't blushing, it was just cold. 

You don't have to, I do own a car. I just live so close to work it's not worth it to drive.

good to know. but apparently the neighbors get mad when theres too many people parked on the street so were trying to carpool as much as we can

also its gareths turn to drive the band van and his driving scares the shit out of me

Steve laughed to himself as he climbed the stairs to his third floor walk-up. He didn't know who Gareth was, one of Eddie's bandmates he imagined, but he had friends like that too so he understood. He let Max drive his car one time and one time only, and in her defense they did all get home in one piece, but never again.

Haha, alright, you can pick me up then.

:)

He dug his keys out of his pocket and let himself into the empty apartment. It was a tiny little two bedroom thing, but it was just him and Robin living here, so they didn't need that much space. And despite being a walk-up, it was actually pretty nice. The living room had big windows, they had a balcony, they couldn't hear their neighbor's every move through the walls, it was great. 

He tossed his coat over the back of the armchair in the living room, which was the chair's sole purpose, and flopped down on the couch. His phone buzzed in his hand. Text from Robin. 

omw home, bringing a friend

if you don't want to hear anything you can't unhear then leave

Gross.

you've been warned. eta 15

Steve didn't really have anywhere to go on short notice. He had half a thought to text Eddie to see if he would be off work soon, but thought better of it. He didn't want to freak the guy out. His phone buzzed again. Speak of the devil and all that.

wyd

Trying to figure out something to do to get me out of the house in the next 15 minutes. You?

getting off work

why do you need to be out of the house in 15 minutes lol

Robin's bringing her date home. I don't want to listen to… Whatever they end up doing. 

i thought you were dating robin?

Nah, we’re super platonic. We just live together.

oh

wanna hang out?

Apparently Eddie didn't have the same reservations that Steve did.

-------

Well. That blew up.

Howdy? I'm Lichen. I shipped Steddie so hard it brought me out of a several-year-long writing dry spell. I have this fic in progress and a oneshot series that's like. Halfway done? But I am on AO3 as Lichen_Not_Moss and I've got a few complete fics up right now, so far all for Stranger Things

Ode to the Dungeon Master - <1k words, angst, not Steddie

I'll Come If You Call - 4k, angst, Steddie-adjacent

Brown Eyes, I'll Hold You Near - 132k, all over the place, longform Steddie fic

Tagging (everyone who replied to part one, whatever you asked to be tagged or not:)

@original-cypher @avacrebs @dangdirtydemons @rainydays35 @changenamelater @phantypurple @alienace @renaissan-vvitch @krazyperson @dreammetheworld08

[verosvault]

🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 7🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 7 "Stress Tested"

Timestamp: 00:06:51

Video Length: 4min. & 48sec.

Agent Clark spots Fig + Principal Grix's Mandatory Drug Test

Arcturus Grix: "Please give a warm welcome to law enforcement officer and agent of the Council of Chosen, Agent Clark." *Claps*

Fig does disguise self as Kristen! 😭✋

Gorgug is sitting between two Kristens! 😭✋

Fabian: "Do anybody else. Anyone else."

Brennan: "I rolled the nat20 on my Perception."

Agent Clark: "THERE YOU ARE!"

Brennan rolls a luck check!

Brennan: "One of you pick odds. One of you pick evens."

Everyone's reactions! 😂🤣💀

Brennan: "This episode's off to a rocky start, gang." 😂😂😭😭💀💀✋✋

Murph wants to silvery barbs the perception check

Brennan: "Okay. It's gonna be clear you're casting a spell."

Siobhan: "You got a two."

Brennan: "Oh, he got a two on the Perception?!"

Siobhan: "Yeah."

Brennan asks for a deception check from Fig!

Fig does it with advantage when she's disguised!!

Agent Cuspin Clark has a +10 to his perception and he got a 2 so his perception becomes a 12! 😭✋

Fig gets a 17 deception!

Brennan: "You see that Agent Clark, this literal eagle-eyed special agent, looking over a crowd that has two of the same person in it, begins to- he takes the mic off the podium-"

Emily: "With Gorgug in between."

Gorgug just put his huge axe in front of Fig! 😭✋

Ally: "I'm just smiling. I don't even know you've done it yet." 😭✋

Agent Clark: "Disguises. Pretty fun. Right, gang? Pretty fun to commit fraud, to pretend."

Kristen wonders what Grix is talking about and then notices Fig and asks her what she's doing! 😂🤣😭💀

Agent Clark: "To pretend to be someone you're not. It's all fun and games."

Gorgug whispers to Kristen: "Change into Fabian."

Kristen: Okay."

Ally grunts and does an impression of Fabian! 😂😂🤣🤣😭😭✋✋💀💀

Fabian: "Stop. Stop. Stop. That was sophomore year. I'm cool now."

Ally just keeps dancing 😂🤣💀

Fabian: "No. Stop. Stop, this is just rude. This is just rude. The Ball, do something." 😭✋

Brennan: "Your entire section loses it over this bit."

Kristen makes a persuasion check and gets a 16! 😂

Brennan: "So you guys sort of check out of Agent Clark's speech to watch Kristen kind of body roll for a second until you hear,"

Agent Clark: "All fun and games until DOPPELGANGERS BURN YOUR NEST! Thank you for your time." 😭✋

Agent Clark hands the mic back to Principal Grix! 😭✋

Emily: "That's a lot of emotional baggage to dump on some high schoolers."

Ally: "Wow."

Zac: "You'd think some sort of agent would be able-"

Ally: "Maybe reel it in."

Principal Grix: "As this injunction has been filed in between two segments of an auditorium assembly, the question and answer period will be limited to (beeping) 3 questions."

Adaine: "Okay, so are we not allowed to disguise ourselves or use Mirror Image or anything anymore? 'Cause like we've specifically been learning that in school and it's not against the law. So, like, why is-"

Principal Grix: "Did you not hear the middle portion of Agent Clark's speech?"

Adaine: "I just wanna clarify for everybody here that maybe didn't."

Emily and Ally dancing again 😂

Principal Grix: 'Please consult the Adventurer's Handbook regarding-"

Fabian to Kristen: "It's more like this anyway." 😭😭✋✋

Principal Grix: "Authorized usage of disguise and enchantment spells are-"

Fabian to Kristen: "Your shoulders need to go up."

Brennan: "The entire section just starts going, woo!" *dancing* 😂🤣💀✋

Adaine: "I'm sorry. I don't think we ever received an Adventurer's Handbook. We were just told that chronomancy was the best kind of magic and then kinda sent on our way."

Principal Grix: "I must to the printing room at once. Copies will be provided at end of day of the Adventurer's Handbook. Only authorized uses of disguise in the service of a sanctioned adventure will be allowed on Aguefort campus. For the final bit of business today at the assembly, it has come to the attention of the student government that there may have been some illicit activity during non-school hours. You will all now be submitted to a mandatory drug test."

The awesome caption team: (scanner whirring)

😭😭✋✋

Principal Grix scans the ENTIRE STUDENT BODY! 😭✋

Fig: "It's a good thing I've been too busy to do drugs." 😭✋

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 105

Dirty ass voice actors! Yes indeed! XD

Nord VPN? Oh gods help us ... what the sweet fuck is THIS shit? Wow ... Liam, that is DISTURBING ... is that a Ferris Bueller reference, Sam? That was yet more weird shit from the most cringe of all the sponsors, definitely ... and yeah, I'm with you, Liam. That WAS unsettling ...

Marisha: "This is unhinged." Matt: "Now? Only now? To be honest I kicked it all off with dirty ass voice actors ..."

Oh yeah ... spin the bottle ... yeah ...

So ... yeah ... the cliffhanger ... so IS THIS really Liliana or not? Because we were DEEPLY suspicious ... something feels OFF ... The Shrine of Gilded Gifts? Hmmm ... DO WE believe this? Do we TRUST IT? I don't know. I don't LIKE IT, certainly ...

Wait ... the Weave Mind ARE here? "Terraforming"? Hmmmm ... I mean it makes sense, but ...

A memory? OH!!! Oh shit ... oh yeah, that makes a twisted kind of sense ... and yeah, SHE IS ridiculously OP'd ...

Okay, so if this IS real ... wow, this is SERIOUS, then ... of course SHE WOULD totally make a stand, definitely. It's for her little girl, she's definitely made it clear Imogen means more to her than anything else ...

History check? First roll of the evening ... Nat19 for a 23? ASHLEY JOHNSON ... very nice ...

The Pravienier ... interesting ... and NO, Chetney, that is NOT real Elvish ... XD ...

So, is it a trap or for real?

CAN THEY check in with Ira? I thought the connection was still TRICKY between here and Ruidus ...

"A hot spider"? Oh boy ... I mean yeah, Laudna definitely WOULD agree with that description of Ira, but still ... XD

Good point ... WHICH leyline nexus?

Recruit potential allies in the Seelie? Yeah, that has potential too ...

Whoa! There ARE Judicators here? Crazy ... that is ... a little disconcerting ... O.O

I love how Orym-wise 24 is considered LOW in Perception terms ... LOL

Okay, so ... a bit of pre-game prep, then ... hmmmm ... what to do? Yes ... work out what NOT TO SAY, definitely ... "the back door and your mom" ... yeah ...

Telepathic Bond? Smart move, Imogen ...

Taliesin: "What symbol is that?" Liam: "That's a pie." Taliesin: "Oh, that's a WHOLE pie. Now I'm hungry."

They have Monopoly in Exandria?

Is Fearne leaving her options open? That's interesting ... is it just because Braius is very large and hot? (I mean that DOES go a long way ...) Meanwhile Ashton is cracking up and I love it ... I think he's as curious as the rest of us on this, but then that's just the chaos gremlin in him ... XD "The little warrior"? Oh boy ... I mean HE IS hot too ...

Wow ... yeah, I agree ... IS THAT a redirect for Braius onto ASHTON? That should be interesting too ...

All the shippers are going INSANE right now ... LOL

Oh dear ... who was THAT sneaky individual? Could that be a problem? Apparently he looked a bit like Dorian ...

OH SHIT!!! Is it Dorian's DAD?!!!

Super fancy platinum golems? Fascinating ... OH!!! The silver dragon! Wow ... that is IMPRESSIVE ...

A tiny bit of pee comes out of Dorian when he casts See Invisibility ... O.O

Carkonos? Of the Fire Ashari! Aweome!

Athudashionus? Oh, the DRAGON?!!! Awesome name ... the whole room is Zone of Truthed? Cool ...

20 is the save to beat that shit? Crazy ... but Dorian Nat20s that shit, so ...

Thankfully, that was not Bolo ... XD

VOX MACHINA are going for the Malleus Key? Sweet! That's a potentially awesome one-shot I wouldn't mind seeing them play sometime ...

And the Mighty Nein are going after the Weave Mind ... sweet! That would ALSO be cool ... oh yeah, the Bright Queen would DEFINITELY be fully in support of THEM ... XD

Bells Hells for the final mission ... because nobody has a CLUE who THIS LOT are ... and now EVERYBODY is looking right at them ... oh boy ... O.O ... eep ...

Orym: "Time is short!" Ashton: "And so am I ... sorry, just couldn't hold it in!" Orym: "Careful, there's a lot of halflings in this room."

Oh yeah, Ashtong definitely ISN'T going to be finding it easy to hold his tongue right now in the face of THIS ... nice one, Dorian ...

Wow ... is Braius SERIOUSLY going to bluff and say he's a cleric of the Platinum Dragon? O.O ... oh fuck this is BOLD and seriously ballsy ... "and we have a guy who makes chairs" LOL ... ah yes, Seedling IS now a Vestige, after all ...

Gift of Gab? Oh dear ... that could have been so cool ... crap ... way to fumble the pass, Braius ...

Religion check ... well, I mean HE DID once serve the Platinum Dragon, so he COULD name a Saint ... come on Riegel ... The Fallen Saint? Saint Graham? Oh yes ... I mean that one DOES seem to fit with Braius' backstory ... and this boy clearly knows NO FUCKING SHAME AT ALL ...

A Deception check? Really? HOLY FUCK this is risky ... yeah, that really does sound like a HUGE FUCKING EPIC FAIL to me ... O.O ... yeah, good luck reading THAT mind, Imogen ... yeah, that sounds ... WORRYING ... hmmmmm ...

Oh, this douche is going after Laudna? SERIOUSLY?!!! You better fucking not ... but our girl is NOT one to just wither in response ... Persuasion check? Okay ... NAT20!!! IN YOUR FACE you stuck-up ASSHAT ...

Wow ... and then THE MATRON HERSELF comes to back her up? Oh that is SWEET ...

The Titans' powers? Oh boy ... Ashton KEEP YOUR FUCKING COOL right now ... oh shit ... all right then ... this might as well just fucking happen then ...

Yeah no, that was actually pretty good, actually ... Persuasion check, but using his STRENGTH modifier because it's Strength of Character ... okay then ... andc now Fearne's stepping up to back him up too ... even more okay than ... hmmmm ... O.O

And now they're just gonna do what they do, then ... Ashton is now Raging, and it's the Time-Bending thing ... oh boy ... and now he's HULKING OUT ... fuck, this is a WHOLE MESS OF CRAZY SHIT all unfolding at once right now ... wow ...

Meanwhile Fearne Flames On and does her thing too ... which is just all kinds of fucking HOT, of course ...

Now they're BOTH making Persuasion checks ... but VERY MUCH with advantage, then ... oof ... Ashley just COMPLETELY fucked THAT roll ... but at least Tal managed to hold up HIS end ...

So ... did that work? It's unclear ... ummmmm ... O.O

Fuck ... come on, Dorian ... get it together ... you're COOL ... and you're like VERY MUCH the heart of this crew ... YES!!! Use your words! Bard it up!

Oh, is he gonna GENUINELY Bard it up right now? YES!!! Do that! Express yourself THROUGH SONG!!! Oh ... oh, yeah, that's pretty impressive too ... that's really cool ... Coriolus? The great Equine Dragon? Sweet!

Liam: "Orym totally blue-screens." I fucking BET HE DOES ...

And now it's Chetney's turn ... oh boy ... well, he DOES have a long memory, I'll give him that ... maybe you should just WOLF OUT ... "tiny sexy breath" ... dear gods ... yeah, that's right. That's right, he DOES wolf out ... perfect ...

All that and Travis rolls a 12 on his Persuasion check ... oof ... Laura: "But it was so good!"

Come on Kiki ... bring it home for them all ...

Whoa ... a whole bunch of big fancy titles ... and yeah, OF COURSE the Saviour Blade makes his mistress DAMN FUCKING PROUD ...

Does anybody challenge? Oh fuck ... this could still go SO BAD ... O.O

Whoa ... so they actually PULLED THAT OFF?!!! Thank fuck for that ... I'm fucking DEAD y'all ...

Oh that musical cue was VERY WELL TIMED, Matthew Mercer ...

Fuck ... is Chetney a father? Is THAT what the fuck is happening right now? Bloody hell ... XD

And here comes Dorian's daddy, just as we expected ... AND NOW Mercer chooses to call it a break? YOU MONSTER!!!

"Bronte" ... oh yeah, I had all but forgotten Dorian's real name ... I still MUCH prefer Dorian Storm, though ...

Oh, I really don't like the way he said "it is your nature" ... that sounded all kinds of judgy and disapproving in THE WORST of ways ...

Fuck ... this just got unexpectedly emotional ... and doeshe even KNOW about their loss yet? I wonder how Dorian's even going to BROACH that subject ...

Shit ... he just dropped it ... he got angry and he DROPPED that bombshell ... meanwhile I can already see EXACTLY what his father's REALLY thinking, what he's gonna say ... yeah, I guess THAT ONE right on the nose ...

Honestly, I don't think Dorian REALLY needs to make an Insight check even if the Zone of Truth IS still up ... that sounded very honest to me and he IS a parent and he is going to play it AS SAFE AS HE POSSIBLY CAN ...

The sword? Holy shit ... his father's most holy ceremonial blade ... that is RIDICULOUSLY generous ... Gambolcleft the Vortex Blade? Holy shit ... sexy sexy scimitar ... very nice ...

Dorian (giving up the Gambler's Blade in return): "Here, a drunk old man who died while pissing gave this to me."

The acceptance Dorian's been chasing his whole life? Wow ... that was awkward and I was NOT fully convinced he was REALLY entirely selfless there, but still ... it was BLOODY EMOTIONAL too ...

Meanwhile with Chetney's Maybe Baby ... oh, so he's JUST A FAN ... Matt Mercver you FUCKING GIT ... that was SO MEAN ... I love that ... XD

Scalebearer Waylon ... hmmmm ... he's adorable, I swear ...

"THE C-POPPERS"?!!! Holy shit ... Chetney has a bona fide FANDOM ... I am DYING AGAIN I swear ... LOL

Oh wow Imogen ... poor sweet Imogen just got COMPLETELY BLANKED ... oof ...

Highbearer Vord comes to speak with Braius ... oh, this could be fucking awkward ... O.O

The Platinum House in Zadash ... ah crap ... here we go ... WHOA, he still has his old PD symbol? That's kinda heartbreaking ...

PIKE has come to his defence? Oh my sweet Lil' Monstah! We love you SO MUCH you darling wee lass! That's my girl! :3

Essentially he's just getting A PASS. That'll probably have to do ... wait ... is he getting an ACTUAL ARMOUR UPGRADE?!!! Holy fuck ... O.O ... bloody hell, this is some LEGACY SHIT right now ... Truthbearer? SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT ... O.O

Taliesin "He made the gift of a holy relic like an epic burn." Yeah, the Highbearer is kind of being a bit of a troll right now even in his grace and I love it ...

Shit ... that's a LONG PAPER too ...

Laudna wants to go with Chetney to see his fanboy's impressive collection of C-Pop Industries works ... wow ... this is gonna be a fucking TRIP ...

"How much Orym LOVES Dorian" ... Liam O'Brian out here feeding us more crumbs right now ... the slowburn game is FIERCE right now, damn it ... AND the wee man is swooning over the silver fox, too ... XD

Awwwww ... Ashton and Dorian are so sweet ... Ashton: "Stay soft. We need it. We lost ours." :3

Keyleth is being really kind to Imogen too ... and now she's letting HER know the truth about her mother in return ... yeah ... I mean if ANYONE can be understanding about THAT it's the Voice ... and now Imogen's just UNLOADING EVERYTHING to her ... wow ...

Keyleth: "Do you trust her?" OH BOY ...

Oh shit ... so Keyleth HASN'T talked to the other members of Vox Machina about this shit yet? FUCK ... that's ... BOLD ...

Still in full-blown FIRE GOD FORM, Fearne is now passed out in a chair ... O.O

I love how they were expecting another Keyfish there ... LOL ... that PERFECTLY derailed the moment, guys ...

So we have A WEEK to make arrangements ... okay ... so what to do, then?

Matt makes Laura do a random D20 roll ... what's THAT FOR, Mercer? I don't trust you at all ...

Yes. Ira for the Fey Realm shit. And Nana Mori. Very smart ...

Liam! Stop looking at other characters on your iPad right now!

Chetney, what are you doing? Nat19 on a Persuasion check? Nice ... he is a SNARKY LITTLE SHIT, this guard ... but that SEEMS to have worked ... an audience with the Bright Queen, then. DO NOT lose your head, Chet, I know she's a hottie ...

Oh, she is a TRICKY one. I love that ... XD ... Marisha: "Are you gonna fuck the Bright Queen?" Travis (as Chetney): "Who says I haven't already?" Matt: "She does."

Aha ... so she might still be willing to help ASHTON in this, at least ... okay ... oh, so ... is she trying to get Chetney to BETRAY Ashton instead? Fuck ... O.O

Liam: "That woman could dropkick you through time." Travis: "I'm well aware of that."

Full-on GOD MODE kiss between the two titans ... and Ashton takes SEVEN POINTS of Fire damage ... XD

Now ASHTON'S going to talk to the Bright Queen ... this will be interesting ...

"The smallest bead of light" ... ooooh, okay ... and it sounds like Ashton could actually PUNCH A WHOLE IN REALITY if he really tried ... wow ...

Chetney: "Is my calendar clear?" Ashton: "Is you collander what?"

Going after Waylon, then ... meanwhile Fearne is trying to establish if this is, in fact, A RUSE ... OH!!! WHISPERS!!! Nice ... I wonder where THAT'S going ...

This tiny wee man is TOO CUTE ... he's like A TOTAL NERD ... and now he's geeking out over the toys Chet made for the others ... a "macabre twist"? Oh my gods ... LOL

The "Chateau de C-Pop" ... oh boy ...

Holy fuck it's REAL. This kid is a MEGAFAN ... this is levels of nerd reserved for the genuine obssessive LUNATICS among fandom ... I would not be surprised if this guy has his own late mother stuffed in a rocking chair down in the cellar ... likely a rocking chair created by Chet himself ...

The safe ... of the safe ... that's the best of all ... and the egg ... sweet fuck what is THIS mad shit? O.O Oh my fucking GODS that is pretty fricking AWESOME actually ... Chetney you are a fucking GENIUS ...

THERE IS ANOTHER ... oh my fucking gods ... LOL

"An apprentice?" Waylon FAINTS. Of course he does ...

I'm sorry ... HOW MUCH?!!! O.O

Are there any fakes? Oh wow ... I am INTRIGUED ... where the fuck is this going? A perception check? Oh boy ...

Drixlitch ... GRRRRRRRRRRRR ...

Fuck ... Chetney MADE FUCKING BEDS ... this is getting truly BIZARRE ...

Chetney: "I create ... because I am." AGAIN. I'M FUCKING DYING. XD

POP-CON?!!! Dear fucking gods ...

Wow ... Braius just made it truly surreal ... I am now truly DEAD again ...

D&Dbay? Fuck ... XD

Matt: "And ... THAT is where we're gonna call it a night." Fuck ... that is just TOO MUCH for one night ...

Travis: "If we stay here ... what if I die in my sleep?"