#He also might swear for dramatic effect

[rendezvouz-fling]

Astro Observations #30

• I find that, most charming people tend to have their sun and rising in the same modality except squaring one another. E.g. Aries sun-Cap/Cancer rising, Pisces sun-Sag/Gem rising, Taurus sun-Leo/Aqua rising, etc..

• I've noticed some Aqua/Cap risings tend to start working from an early age. E.g. Luis Miguel (Cap rising), his career started when he was around 11 and Selena Quintanilla (Aqua rising), became the lead singer of Selena y Los Dinos when she was just 9! Michael Jackson (Sidereal Aqua rising), became the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at age 5.

• The house your moon is in, can be the things you find comfort in. E.x. A 2H moon might have a comfort food or like staying in bed, a 9H moon might like playfulness and words of reassurance, a 7H moon might like creative outlets, etc...

• 5H stelliums that include Venus/Mars, like big, dramatic, romantic gestures! The sign it's in gives more insight too. E.g. If it's in Taurus, they'll like spoiling their partners with expensive gifts and being really romantic.

• Earth/2H/6H/10H placements need constant reassurance when they're antsy/nervous!

• You know what's cute? Two people who's sun signs have the same ruler, can be born in the same hour but different times of the day and have the same rising! E.g. If a Pisces is born around 11 AM and a Sagittarius is born around 11 PM, they're both Gemini risings. If a Aries is born around 10 AM and a Scorpio is born around 10 PM, they're both Cancer risings. Etc...

• Having Pisces mars in composite can be so sweet! However, when it's platonic it could mean matters of the planet are hidden so, it could be that you both don't talk about sex, you can get frustrated/angry but don't want to talk about it. You could also know how to calm down/soothe the other when they're angry or you could be passive/dismissive when the other's angry.

• Libra/7H Jupiter in Composite could mean being very romantic together! Holding hands, soft kisses, going on dates, spoiling each other, being head over heels for each other, including each other in things, wanting to be together and shower each other with love and affection. Making it known to others that you're together and in love!!

• Pisces venus-Cap mars should open businesses related to vanity. I've noticed people with this combo often work in venusian fields, such as opening their own clothing boutiques, hair/nail salons, etc..

• Question for Capricorn mars people, are we all born with diplomas from business school? 😂 Because I swear business comes natural to Cap mars, wether having studied it or not.

• Virgo placements and Pisces placements can be very similar, especially venus. Because the amount of times I've seen Virgo Venuses stay with toxic men just because they love them.😭 But Pisces Venuses do that too! We just get the "delusional" rep which is so ridiculous.🤡

• Please don't lie to 8H mars, they're the paranoid types.

• Every time I have Chiron in Aries in my SR chart, I have to deal with controlling my anger and having to find calmer outlets to express angression.😭

• This might be a reach, but, have you guys noticed how when you have planets that are close, it can tell you things?? E.g. I know a celebrity who has their Uranus, Moon and Pluto close to each other and their mom (Moon) disappeared under weird circumstances (Uranus) and her whereabouts remain a mystery till this day (Pluto). I tested this theory on myself and it worked too.

• The house your Sun is in, can tell you so many things too! Say, if you have a 10H sun, your father could've been restrictive/controlling workaholic, so you may try to run away from responsibility. If your Sun is in the 4H, your father could've been emotionally manipulative and might've not been nurturing to you, so you might try to run away from family members or from having kids.

• 7H rising in synastry has the same, if not a slightly stronger effect than the Sun-Venus aspect. House person literally sees Rising person as the most gorgeous human being ever! They just seem so perfect, from theirs looks down to their personality!!

• 6H rising in synastry, for the house person, feels like the rising person is well composed/reserved. But there's something alluring about the rising person. Maybe their mannerisms or looks. Either way, the rising person is very physically attractive to the house person.

• You ever meet someone with your rising and mars signs as theirs but switched?? E.x. Gemini rising-Cap mars, meets Cap rising-Gemini mars, or Libra rising-Aqua mars meets Aqua rising-Libra mars, etc.. I swear we're inverted versions of each other.😭

• On the flip side, have you met someone with your Sun as their Mercury and your Mercury as their sun? E.x. Cancer Sun-Leo Mercury meets Leo sun-Cancer Mercury, etc.. That also feels inverted but you both get each other well.

• I love Leo women with Taurus/Libra/Virgo venus/mars, they're usually the sweetest!

• Virgo suns with Taurus moons are also very sweet!

• Men with Aries suns, Virgo moons, Taurus Venuses and an Air mars are my favvv!! They're usually very attractive, energetic, funny, loyal and have great taste in music!

• Virgo/6H Moons/Venuses can be health nuts. 😂 But that's a great thing, because they usually looks out for the health and wellbeing of those around them!

• They're the types to watch videos about foods with the most nutrition, what not to eat, diets and stuff like that.

• Aries Venuses with Gemini Mars would do great at aerobics or workout/dance classes given their energetic nature! (Bonus points if the chart ruler is in Aries)

• If you have a stellium in your chart ruler's persona chart, you'll most likely act it out. E.x. If your chart Ruler's in Aries, you'll search for the persona chart and you'll have Aries sun obviously, but say you have Aries mercury and Venus in that persona chart, you'll most likely exude that energy. The house it's in, also counts! Say it's in the 5H, you could get called dramatic a lot.😭

• Fire Mercuries and Venuses loveee teasing, taunting and chasing!

• Pisces suns with Libra moons are really fun to hangout with!! They're also very kind and nurturing!

[star-girl69]

Apocalypse

Clarisse La Rue x Fem!Demigod!Reader

—-

synopsis: a day of capture the flag, and clarisse finds out you’re ashamed of your scars.

a/n: love love love love love also from this ask

Apocalypse - Cigarettes After Sex

warnings: shitty ending but IDC!!!!!!!, hurt/comfort, more hurt/comfort, god i need to be put down, insecure y/n, scars and all that stuff, possessive clarisse, protective clarisse, soft clarisse, probs ooc clarisse, yeah, swearing, mentions of food, mac n’ cheese is y/n’s fav but you can just pretend if you’re a weirdo and don’t like mac n’ cheese, tell me if i missed anything!!

—-

“I don’t get it,” he laughs. “How can you be a daughter of Aphrodite and still have those ugly scars all over you?”

You pretend like you don’t hear him, leaning your head back against the tree, staring up at the blue sky through the gaps.

Him and his two friends have been teasing you the entire 20 minutes you’ve been tied up to this tree, captured by the blue team.

That was horribly embarrassing, but you were doing your best to ignore it- instead doing your best to pray to whatever God would listen that Clarisse would win for the red team.

It’s just plain stupid. He’s been saying the same thing over and over again for 20 minutes- can he at least come up with something original?

Besides, you don’t see where he gets off from this. It’s not like you give any reaction, or even look at him. The most you give him is the occasional squeeze of your hands- imagining his neck under them.

“Maybe she’s forsaken you,” he hums, kicking at your limp leg.

You finally look up at him. You’re sitting on the ground, arms at your sides, back pressed to the tree and rope digging tightly into your chest.

“Maybe your mother gave up on you after the second scar,” he says, staring straight into your eyes. “And then you’ve just gotten uglier and uglier ever since.”

You have scars all over your body. Clarisse has them too, and she shows them off proudly, a dramatic story for each one. You have a horrible memory, so you don’t remember all of them- but the tiny one on your jawline is from you accidentally tripping with scissors in your hand as a kid.

Clarisse had laughed hysterically when you told her about that one, pulling you closer when you pouted, saying something about how she was going to carry all scissors for you in the future.

The one on your collarbone is from sparring gone awry. Clarisse likes to kiss that one- it’s silvery smooth, she says some bullshit about how it feels like your lips.

The big one on your arm is from some clawed monster getting a bit too close to you- slashing at your arm and leaving a permanent tattoo of your failure to kill the monster. Or at least successfully run away.

Then, there’s all the tiny ones you can’t remember.

The boy, you seriously don’t even know his name, looks at you. There’s fire in his eyes, he wants a fight, but you won’t give him one. Especially not when your stomach squeezes inside of you in a way that makes you feel like you might throw up.

The conch mercifully blows, even as you feel sick- you don’t want to let his words effect you. But you just can’t help it.

He gives you an odd look, like he’s contemplating just leaving you out there- but eventually releases you. You stand up, dusting yourself off, grabbing your sword from where it was discarded on the ground.

“Good game!” you say, smiling brightly, but you can’t even pretend to be nice to him, so it tapers off into a laugh. He glares at you, but you’re already jogging through the woods, eager to see Clarisse again.

—-

The blue flag waves proudly above a sea of orange camp t-shirts and red helmets, so you smile widely and skip down to the beach. Your team has formed this huge pit of people, everyone congratulating each other, shouting and celebrating. You stick your sword in the sand as you head into it- one person on your mind.

“Clarisse!” you shout, heading straight towards the middle. “Clarisse!”

She actually rips apart two people hugging to meet you.

“Baby!” she says, even when the two people give her dirty looks, pushing past them and into your arms. “We won!” she giggles, kissing your cheek.

“I know,” you smile, digging your face into her neck. She holds you there for just a moment, hand on the back of your head, relishing in the feeling of her girlfriend running to her after a long day.

“Are you tired?” she fusses, squeezing your waist. “What happened? Did you get hurt? I knew I should have made you stay with me-”

“No, Clar,” you laugh, taking your face out of the hiding spot that is her neck and pressing your noses together. “I got captured,” you sigh.

Her fingers wind through your hair.

She scans the crowd, like she might just beat up any random member of the blue team.

“If they don’t learn to not fucking touch you I am going to make them learn.”

“Guard dog,” you tease her.

“And?” she says, leaning down to kiss the scar she loves kissing, right at the beginning of your collarbone. It makes you freeze. “You love it,” she mumbles against your skin.

You can’t think of an answer.

When you stay silent, she looks up at you, confusion in her face.

“What? You look… sad. Did something happen? What aren’t you telling me?”

“N-nothing,” you breathe, because it’s just embarrassing to know you let his words get to you like this.

“You can tell me anything,” she says, searching your eyes.

“I know.”

The conch blows, making you jump at the sudden loud noise. “Lunch!” someone shouts, and Clarisse settles for just grabbing your hand, walking with you back to camp.

—-

You stop by your cabins first, taking off your armor and switching into clean camp shirts. You hesitate for a second, but eventually put on a thin long-sleeved shirt under the orange.

You take extra care in reapplying your makeup, making sure to cover the scar on your collarbone and your jaw, and once everything is as covered as it’s gonna get you set out.

Clarisse is waiting for you outside the Aphrodite cabin, smiling as you open the door, applying lipstick with one hand. She grabs your hand and helps you down the steps, admiring the way you’re so intensely focused on getting the perfect lip, even without a mirror.

It’s not like you have to try very hard, but still.

“I don’t mind waiting a second longer,” she says, bringing you closer by the waist as you tube the lipstick and stick it in your pocket.

“You’re a hungry demon after capture the flag.”

“Yeah,” she says, not really trying to deny it.

You smile and lean against her, pressing a short kiss to your lips.

“Oh, do I look pretty now?” she asks, rubbing in the lipstick that came off onto her lips.

“Always,” you smile.

Her eyes focus in on the green sleeves pulled up to your wrists.

“It’s, like, 100 degrees, baby. You’re gonna boil.”

You frown and shake your head. “No, it’s not that bad. I’m cold.”

She looks at you oddly, but seems to begrudgingly accept it, hand against your forehead as she brushes your hair back. You make it into the buffet style line for lunch, grabbing plates, Clarisse quickly piling hers with a cheeseburger and a hot dog, making you laugh.

“You’re so hungry, all the time,” you mutter when she gives you a dirty look.

“I work out all the time,” she glares. She flexes her arm. “All of this takes a lot of work.”

You stare at her muscles peeking out from just under her sleeves, biting your lip as you quickly look away. She smiles brightly.

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought. You love these muscles, don’t judge me.”

You make your way down the line, scanning the trays of food.

“Ooh,” Clarisse coos, “They have your fave, pretty thing.”

She scoops probably the biggest portion of mac n’ cheese you’ve ever seen in your life, slapping it onto your plate with a smile.

You gape at the now almost empty tray, remembering the still long line behind you. Hopefully there’s another one somewhere.

“Clarisse, we should save some for everyone else.”

She seems actually confused by that statement.

“Uh, yeah, no. My girl gets the best.”

“Clarisse-” but you’ve reached the end of the line and she heads off to a table. You follow her, begrudgingly, because you really do covet this mac n’ cheese like it’s ambrosia.

—-

By the time the night rolls around, you’ve retreated into the blankets of your bed, feeling much safer completely covered up. You’re supposed to be going to the bonfire- all of your siblings have come over and bugged you at least once about going, but you’ve refused them all.

Finally, all of your siblings leave in their pretty but revealing outfits- after today, you don’t think you could ever wear something like that again.

The door to your cabin creaks open.

“Y/N?”

You make a mumbled sound in the back of your throat that’s supposed to resemble “I’m here” but Clarisse is already walking over to you and pulling the blanket off of you.

“Silena told me you were staying back. Why?”

You pull the blanket back up over yourself.

“I’m jus’ tired.”

“Okay…” she says, sitting down on the bed. She puts her warm hand to your forehead. “Are you sick? Do you have a headache?”

“No, Clar, I’m fine.”

“I’m confused,” she huffs. “You love the bonfires. Something is obviously wrong, why won’t you tell me?”

“I’m just tired, Clarisse, that’s all.”

“Fine,” she says. “I can be tired too.”

She kicks off her shoes and climbs into bed with you, under the blankets, chest pressed against your back.

“I’m not good at this. You know that,” she sighs after a second. “And I wish I was. But I do know something’s wrong. And I really don’t know for the life of me what it is, but I really want to know. I really want to help you.”

She traces her fingertips up and down your arms, tracing over the silvery scar from the monster- and you involuntarily jerk away.

“Oh,” she says. She’s painfully observant. She notices everything. She notices you pulling away when she touches your scars. “Your scars.”

Tears well in your eyes before you can stop them.

“W-when I got captured, this boy kept teasing me. And I tried not to let it bother me, I tried not to give him a reaction… but I just- what if I’m not worthy of my mother anymore? It’s embarrassing. I know. But I…”

“Who the fuck said that to you?”

She sits up, eyes blazing, like she can just imagine it and whoever hurt you will suddenly feel her wrath.

You turn around so you’re facing her, laughing.

“I don’t even know his stupid name,” you mutter.

She looks down at you, at the tears spilling from your pretty eyes.

“I’ll kill him later,” she mumbles, settling back down and kissing the corner of your cheek. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, baby. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I’ve never met your mother, of course, so I can say that without getting us both struck down by doves, or something.”

You swat her chest.

“I’ll kill you with doves, watch me.”

She hums. “Probably. Okay, stop. You’re getting me off topic.”

You roll your eyes.

“I’m not good with my words,” she whispers. “But I hope I show you everyday that you are the only woman I have eyes for. This is, like, really embarrassing… but I’ve planned out our entire lives together. We’re gonna go to to college in Arizona by my mom, we’ll have an apartment off-campus, and after we graduate we’ll get married. I really wanna be married to you. And I don’t care if that’s cheesy, I just really want you to look at the ring I’ll give you and be able to feel all my love. Besides, if you ever want to get away from me, it’ll be a hell of a lot harder.”

“I would never wanna get away from you, Clar,” you smile. “It’s not embarrassing. I wanna go to college in Arizona. I wanna marry you.”

“Good, because you didn’t really have a choice,” she smiles.

“And you’re plenty good with your words.”

“Yeah… okay, I guess. But let me show you, too.”

“What does that even-”

She shuts you up by kissing your lips.

“I love your lips. I love how soft they are, and how they feel so perfect against me.”

She kisses your cheek.

“I like your cheeks for the same reasons.”

Your temple, your forehead, your nose.

“Same reasons,” she smiles.

Finally she ends up at your jawline. She rubs over the scar, taking concealer and foundation with the pad of her thumb.

“And I love this scar. It looks kind of like a C, so everyone knows you’re mine.”

“Freak,” you huff, and she doesn’t have to say it. You both know you love it.

She kisses your neck and talks about how she loves the way you get mad at her for leaving hickeys, the dedication you pour into covering them up before you eventually decide it’s too much effort and let them show.

She kisses the scar on your collarbone.

“I like putting my head here, right under your chin. I can feel your pulse. I can hear you swallow, too, which is weird but also soothing.”

She kisses from your shoulder and down to your arm, skimming past the scar. She kisses the back of your hand and your fingertips.

“I love it when you braid my hair, or just put your hands in my hair for… other reasons.”

“Freak,” you mumble again. “You’re just obsessed with kissing me.”

“True,” she hums, kissing back up to your scar. “I don’t have anything poetic to say about this one. It’s just fucking badass. I mean, you got it when you were 12- you survived what most have been something truly monstrous to leave a scar like this, and that’s all you get? Most of the kids here would have died. Even the ones our age. And you escaped when you were only 12.”

You smile like a lovesick fool. The apocalypse could be going on outside, and you would just be here with Clarisse.

“In conclusion, your beauty is actually life changing. I mean, have you seen me? I become a total softie, just for you. And it’s all because I like seeing that pretty smile on your gorgeous face. But you frown pretty, too, which I didn’t even know was possible- so I win either way.”

You smile and put your hand on her face, kissing her softly.

“Thank you, Clar. For always taking care of me, and reassuring me…”

“It’s quite literally my job,” she smiles. “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it.”

“You don’t even trust me, Little Miss Makes-My-Plate-For-Me.”

She laughs and presses her head under your chin, her hair tickling your skin, pressing a kiss to your scar.

“It’s my job,” she smiles. “As your girlfriend and future wife.”

“I love you, Clarisse,” you whisper, a secret just for the two of you. Nothing can have you here. No pain, no suffering.

“I love you too,” she says. “I love you so much, my beautiful, beautiful girl.”

—-

the kid who bullied you walking around with a big ass scar on his cheek the next day 😍😍😍😍😍 no….. no clarisse did not cut him with her spear….. ofc not….

—-

taglist:

@lvrue @t-wylia @laughingcheese037 @kroumi @urdeadpoet @colezb @rey26 @harmzilla @elliewilliamsbae @amberfreemansburntface @kyuupidwrites @neverwaakeme-up @shark1008 @liballer @heyimadison @nvirskies @pnsteblnme @mar2ss @restellsss @ravisinghs-wife @marsconer @evangelinexo @randomhoex @luvrrish

[ambrosiagoldfish]

Heya! Might I request something with a touch-starved Adam? That man definitely yearns for some genuine affection underneath all the “og dick” persona!! Thank you!

Touch-Starved Adam

Adam x GN! Reader

Warnings: General Adam TW’s, Fluffy

Request box: Open

Word Count: 1014

A/n: Thanks for the request! I’m so sorry for such an embarrassingly long time it took, I hope you enjoy! Sorry!!!

This man is 100% the most touched starved Angel in heaven. and he doesn’t even know it.

He knows he feels a constant absence when around people, especially when he’s alone. Genuine affection is just not something he has a lot of. Any winner who meets him sees him as an idol (How could they fucking not -Adam probably), any sexual partners only want just that, sex. Which, don’t get him wrong he LOVES sex but it’s just not the same.

The closest he gets to genuine casual affection is Lute who is, to be completely honest, ALSO touch starved so she rarely initiates any contact herself. But Adam loves any form of casual physical contact from her, fist bumps, putting their hands on each other's shoulder, whenever they shush each other. Adam may pretend to hate it but that little bit of contact has been keeping this man going for these countless years.

This is where you come in. You were a recent human soul to ascend to heaven. You had tried to do your best on earth and this was your reward for good deeds. You was a little shocked, not expecting you’d have been the best during life, but hey! You’re here now so, Yay!

Your excitement lasted a total of 5 minutes before you were crushed under the heels of near 20+ winners screaming something about “it’s him!”, only stopping once your halo was thoroughly crushed.

You picked yourself off the ground and dusted yourself off. You move your neck and pain shot through,

‘Yep, that’s gonna bruise’ you thought before turning your attention back to the crazed fangirl stampede in front of you. Over all the screaming and ogling, you heard a particular name that caught your attention, Adam. You walk over to the crowd, moving past the people. On the other side you see a tall man in white robes and a LED mask. He greeted the fans, took pictures, even signing some people’s… parts that you had rather not have seen. Eventually the crowd dispersed after getting what they wanted from him and leaving you alone with the tall Angel.

You weren’t really sure what you were even doing standing in the crowd in the first place but you were enamored by the man.

“Hey! What are you fuckin’ staring off to space for” the man, Adam you presume, yelled, now right in front of you. “What do you want? Photo? Autograph? Where do you want me to sign?”

You looked sheepishly at him before answering “oh sorry I’m- I’m not with them. I actually have no idea who you are… sorry”

Adam blinked confused before a wicked smile “oh I see well, behold your fuxking eyes, cause I’m the Adam!” He pauses for dramatic effect waiting for the excited reaction he often got only to be met with a confusing silence.

“Who?”

He scoffs “who?! You know, Adam, The original dick? The one that banged a chick a couple times and populated the beginning of humanity. Adam, ring any bells??”

“Sorry I’m not big on politics-“

Adam looked at you with both frustration and intrigue. It’s incredibly rare to meet a soul in heaven to not know who he is, let alone just not know him at all. This caught his attention though. He put his hand on your shoulder and asked to show you around to which you hesitantly agreed to.

The fact you didn’t know about his status as the first man really intrigued him. Which led to him asking you out (albeit with a lot of swearing and dodging the main question he wanted to ask) but ever since you caught on to it, you accepted his offer and you’ve both been together ever since.

Adam always initiated contact with you as much as he could. The feeling of closeness it brought made him much more happy than he would want to admit. But what really makes him happy is when you suddenly touch him without warning.

Considering he has gone most of his life without affectionate touches, his body has grown to be quite sensitive and ticklish, which he hates to admit. But it was the truth. He especially gets embarrassed when you accidentally touch his arm and he jumps, but ends up missing that slightest touch once it’s gone.

Once you found this out you made sure to give him plenty of physical contact. Regular hugs, holding hands, and eventually when he was comfortable enough, you would hold his face when he took his mask off.

That last one was the one that made him feel the most happy. Cause it solidifies your love for him. You both get look at AND get to touch the least observed part of his body than any other has.

Sometimes, after a long day of heavenly duties, all Adam wants is to go home and have you hold him, mask off. Just let you caress his face, give him a light massage as he tells you about his shitty day.

-

Your hands gently squeezed the flesh of his biceps, putting just enough pressure to make the aching muscles go numb with relief. The unmasked man’s face rest against your chest, getting comfortable by the second, his voice revealing the tension now leaving his body.

You continue putting your firm touch to a particular spot on Adam’s shoulder, feeling the knot slowly go away with each kneed of your fingers. Before moving down to the area between where his wings connect to his back.

“Fuxk- right there!”

You smile, putting pressure and massaging the area between his wings. The noises Adam was making could make someone assume some.. unholy things were being conducted. But it didn’t matter what others think.

Once you finished the massage you gave Adam a tap on the shoulder and he scooted up to the headboard , picking you up in his arms, cornering you both in his now tension-free wings like a blanket. You give him a kiss on the cheek before falling asleep in each others arms.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Steve and Chrissy as two internet-famous chefs/bakers, Steve with a channel focusing on (not always) easy homemade and nutritious meals, Chrissy with a baking channel full of body positivity to spite her mom.

They both get invited to something like Phoning It In from the Try Guys - a baking/cooking competition where they have to guide the actual chefs only through a pay phone. As the TG's show says: "the mind of a chef paired with the hands of an idiot". And the idiots in question are their best friends - Robin and Eddie. Which shouldn't be that bad, but then...they actually have to swap them. And they can't tell them what they're making.

It's a holiday episode so the theme is gingerbread.

Steve is slumped in the phone booth, sometimes covering the receiver and asking Chrisy why, why would her best friend refuse to measure ingredients in anything more precise than "a bit", "a bit more", "kinda enough", "oooh might be a bit too much" and "a fuckton".

Chrissy tries very hard to explain to Robin that artistic expression is an amazing thing, but hot sauce and gingerbread might be too artistic for the judges. Robin disagrees. Chrissy pleads with her and eventually talks Robin into just including some chilli flakes in her batter and not the hot sauce as a topping.

Eddie spends half of the prep time complaining to Steve that a gingerbread house is lame, it should have been a gingerbread castle. Robin agrees.

Robin deciding to give her tiny gingerbread men flannel shirts and spending way too much on decorating them. She runs out of time very soon and just writes "THIS IS FLANEL" into a shirt-shaped blob.

Steve and Eddie shamelessly flirting despite having never met each other and then threatening violence in equal measure to get the other one do what they want. "I bet your eyes are more beautiful than the entire sky full of stars Stevie, also I might have dropped one extra spoon of spices into the gloopy thingy and I don't want to get my hands more dirty than they are so I'll just leave it in-" "Eds, you vile seductress, your voice could charm many a seaman but if you don't get that spicy glob out of the batter I swear I will shave your head."

Robin somehow going from following the instructions into a full rambling mode and before they know it, she's just cutting hipster-shaped gingerbread flanelmen and telling Chrissy nearly her full life story, basically turning the prep into a therapy session. Chrissy listens and nods and just sometimes interjects with "people can be such jerks just because you're different, can you just quickly check that the temperature is still the same? Thank you Robs, now back to that asshole in your uni class-"

In the end, they finally meet at the judging table and present their work, bullshitting their way through explanations of many choices that were made (because the two actual chefs are not permitted to speak, only the great minds).

Steve almost sobs when he sees piped (and very melted) bats on toothpicks around the gingerbread castle, because of course Eddie made a castle. "I meant for that to happen, for the shock value" he announces when one of the bats starts a domino effect and knocks down the rest.

Chrissy's smile gets a little bit stiff when she sees attempted man buns on the gingerbread men's heads - ones which have unfortunately melted and they now have flowing ponytails. Slightly burned.

Steve confidently claims that the reason why his gingerbread house is black and has spires is because his little brother adores Dungeons and Dragons and he wanted to give him a cool prop for the final encounter with the big evil. When the castle crumbles because Eddie didn't bake it long enough, Steve just dramatically stands up and announces that the evil warlock has been defeated. Eddie almost faints behind the screen and unceremoniously asks Robin if that gem of a man is taken.

Chrissy explains how the gingerbread men are wearing flanel in honor of her best friend's uncle who is the flanel overlord. When the judges bite into the figures and taste the chilli flakes, Chrissy earnestly tells them that Eddie's uncle is a man with hidden depths and spicy personality (Eddie chokes on his own tongue at that) and Robin was kind enough to reflect that.

In the end, it doesn't matter who won. Eddie asks Steve (after he tastes the gingerbread bat, gingerbat) if he's still about to shave his head and Steve says it would be a shame, but he can make it up to him by inviting him for coffee. Robin awkwardly thanks Chrissy for listening to her and Chrissy admits she loved her rambling, that she hates it when it's quiet.

It all ends well (except for the gingerbread).

[angelheony]

'Make it stop, please make them stop!'

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ Synopsis ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

You used to think that you were good at hiding your emotions beneath the surface. Well simply because the hints you've been throwing at this someone you like have been getting ignored. On purpose or just his obliviousness? You have never told a soul about your affections, which hurt a couple of your crackhead friends, but in their defense, it was quite obvious to the naked eye what you both have been stressing over.

You were also quite sensitive to the other's feelings for you (said by them) and it hurts your friends' eyes to see the both of you pinning on each other but were clouded by self-doubt and overthinking.

So cue Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang scheming to get you to confess to each other.

Pairing: Jiang Cheng x gn! Reader

Content- Fluff, crack, idiots in love, straight up chaotic writing srry srry this author is tired

wc: Approximately 3k+ words

Warnings: Bad grammar, might be ooc, spelling mistakes

More Author's notes at the bottom

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚ ⋆

┊ ┊ ┊ ⋆

┊ ┊ ★⋆

┊ ◦

★⋆ ┊ . ˚

˚★

Your head hurts when thinking about how the hell you got stuck here, in a small room, in a haunted house (or what Huaisang claims it to be). With the person you admit to being in love with.

Jiang Wanyin.

You sit with your back leaning on the wall, not making eye contact with the equally flustered man in front of you. Covering his face with his hand, trying to conceal the effect that the situation has on him. Not so slick really, but who are you to say that? when you are as stunned to be here as he is.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶ ✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

It's now lunchtime in the Cloud Recesses, fluttering white robes pool at the entrance of the dining halls. Only just having finished their tasks and some lectures.

The light pitter-patter from the soles of their shoes can be heard and a few whispers thrown in secrecy. Disciples, afraid to be punished by the elders in the vicinity.

You keep your eyes open for a set of black and purple robes sitting, so you can grace them with your presence.

And there they are, seated on the near edge of the room. Odd why would they pick that place specifically? Unless we're in for knack of trouble again. You sigh out whilst striding towards them.

Wei Wuxian's eyes show a glimmer of mischievousness as he says albeit a little loudly,

"Well if it isn't our favorite person in the world, Aish so tardy what's got you so late? Jiang Cheng here was quite worried-"

A snicker can be heard from the person beside him, Huaisang. Which earns them both a smack in the head by the purple clad man.

You smile whilst sitting beside him, seeing it's the only space left. As both of the trouble makers are facing you.

"And you both didn't ouch, well at least someone did.."

You tease back only lightly, nudging the shoulder of your seatmate. Earning a flustered glare from him.

"Stop with your games." Jiang Cheng says firmly, Handing you a bowl of soup and utensils.

You give a sheepish smile in defeat to not piss him off further, "Okay, okay I'll stop. Thanks for leaving some for me, you're the best A-cheng"

You grab the soup in his hands, fingers touching for a brief second. Though it was enough to render you breathless, you hide it with a cocky demeanor.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶On the other side of the table✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

"Do they think they're so slick with it....? I swear they're oblivious..." Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes at the pair in front of them as he whispers to his partner in crime.

"How do they not notice at all, it's stressing me out"

Huaisang nods fervently, fanning himself dramatically faster.

"Ugh, when can we make this stop...It hurts my soul just looking at them" Wei Wuxian groans, looking exasperated enough as it is. After all, he just finished copying a lot of the Lan clan's rules as a punishment.

"Well then let's hurry up with the plan," Huaisang, says menacingly, Betraying his always jittery demeanor. As they both snicker at the plan he concocted just a few nights ago.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

"What are you both scheming again?" You say with raised eyebrows and a small smile. Curious about what adventures await from the both of them.

"Guys, you know I think you're the coolest and strongest people here-"

A scoff can be heard beside you, making you crack a grin.

"Just spill it out, what is it?" Jiang Cheng says with impatience.

"Ugh... Can you please, please come with me? I want to explore that abandoned house just on the outskirts of town!"

Huaisang whispers-shouts, with his hands clasped together pleadingly.

You nod, willing to go on an adventure as well. As place bores you to death, all of you sharing the look of agreement.

"I'm in, when will we do this little escapade of ours?"

"In a few days time, Qiren says that we have a test coming up and you know I can't fail, my brother will kill me now for real..."

Huaisang panics, before excusing himself in the library pavilion to study. Just now remembering it.

Wei Wuxian slumps on his chair, defeat evident in his face.

Guessing he'll have to endure a couple of days of this pure torture. "No A-sang come back, Why not now..."

"Go annoy your favorite Lan brother if you are so adamant about causing some trouble right now," Jiang Cheng says sarcastically,

"Ah, nice idea A-cheng.." His eyes light up 'Better than staying with you cowards!'

He saunters off with a grin, excited for some amusement.

"tch, that guy..." He says in disbelief, he wasn't even being serious about that.

"Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian, just let him be it makes him happy," You say in a soft tone. Wishing to have that carefree personality in life, your eyes following him.

"He enjoys being punished so much?", he sighs crossing his arms on his chest with a solemn expression "Hopefully he won't bite on something more than he can chew in the future with his antics"

You could only smile, gaze falling on him. He's such a worrywart for the people he cares about. Just odd at showing it.

You both sit there for a while enjoying the peace, after going through your separate tasks much to your dismay.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

Now you are here in front of a shabby and abandoned looking house with your peers,

"That was close, Hangguang-Jun almost caught us"

Huaisang said clutching his fan with relief.

"Thank god we have Wei Wuxian here with us, Lan Wanji recoils at the sight of you."

Jiang Cheng grins out, patting Wei Wuxian on the back. Much to the black and red clad man's dismay.

"Hey, I would say that we have become good friends already!"

"Mhm, ask the ghosts in here if they want to be friends with you too. So we can have a safe passage"

You join in on the teasing, moving to the door. Wanting to get on with the exploring already, Huaisang follows suit with a smile.

"Why am I friends with you guys again?" He pouts dramatically, a rhetorical question that you don't bother to answer.

You all look into the house, debating on who should go first,

"Aish just go in and stop your sulking"

You ruffle his hair, at the same time pushing him in first.

"Cowards" He mutters under his breath yet walks in anyway,

The light from the sun outside dims as you all move in deeper. A chill permeated in the air.

Huaisang is far behind the group, clutching onto your robes

"It's so dark someone make a palm tor-"

The sound of something heavy falling cuts you off, Readying your sword in hand.

"What the hell was that mhmp-"

The sound of Jiang Cheng getting muffled out by something worries you, making you call out to him loudly.

"Wei Wuxian? Where is he?" You ask him but there's no response, not knowing where they're both gone you were about to light a palm torch-

Getting cut off again by Huaisang's shrill screech behind you,

"Ah, there's a ghost help me, help me!"

He jumps onto your back, almost outbalancing you,

"Huaisang- I'm trying, get off! How can I fight with you on top of me!-"

He moves around sporadically making you stumble around, dropping your sword,

"Gah A-sang I can't see- ugh get off. You're choking me-"

You struggle under his struggling, for someone who doesn't train as much, Huaisang can get pretty strong when scared.

You get dragged by another person by your wrist, and though it doesn't feel like a monster you still can't help but try to struggle in their hold. Your friends, Like they're both two different people, not listening to your pleas and shouts.

You hear some screams and banging from a door.

It sounds like Jiang Cheng- thank god he's all right,

A door creaks open as you get pushed quite harshly into wherever your sight is is a blur.

You brace yourself for a harsh fall, eyes clenched shut,

Only to be met with a firm wall-? You didn't get hurt as it broke your fall

Arm snake their way to your side to stabilize you.

You stiffen, maybe it's one of your abductors. Almost giving them a harsh slap but thankfully you stop yourself in time to see a familiar face.

"A-cheng..."

You sigh in relief, almost falling back onto his chest with your gladness...

His chest-? You freeze in your place in disbelief,

Meeting his flushed gaze, he mutters 'Are you okay?'

You quickly fall back, face flushing with color as well,

"Sorry- sorry I didn't mean to do that you see people pushed me in here-"

You stutter out, pointing to the already closed door. This looks so bad.

"Where are the others?" You ask flatly, finally catching your breath and calming down.

"They're the ones that pushed us here." He says darkly, pissed at their intentions.

"But why?..."

"Hey, are you all okay there?" A voice resounds from the other side of the door, It's all sickeningly happy and sing-songy, Must be Wei Wuxian.

"Wei Wuxian! Cease your jokes, Let us out!" Jiang Cheng exclaims, standing up to continue his banging on the door before you rudely interrupted.

"No, You both have been insufferable!"

"Isn't that supposed to be your job? Why are we the insufferable ones now," You nip back in confusion,

"Huaisang- let us out, stop following that idiot's schemes..."

Moving to the door as well, You say softly. Hoping to get his mercy.

"Hmm, sorry then all my planning would go to waste..."

He says leisurely, "Don't worry, this will all be for the very good of all of us. So you'll still owe me another escort after this!"

You could envision him saying that with a smile, you really won't trust him after this that's for sure.

"I will break both of your legs off when I find a way out of here" He stops his banging, looking for more plausible exits in this small room.

"Hmm there's nothing you could do to get out A-cheng, all you both have to do is confess your hidden feelings to each other so we all can be done with this bother!"

Wei Wuxian explains like it's so easy to do and after this, we can go back like nothing happened,

"Hidden feelings, stupid. what are you talking about?"

Jiang Cheng chokes out, which kind of hurts. expecting something different, but it is, Jiang Cheng.

"Oh come on guys, stop ignoring it. You both are always so close and so sweet to each other..."

"Those love sick gazes too eurgh..." What a hypocrite, When he unknowingly does that to the younger Lan brother too.

Your gazes meet, both clouded with worry and embarrassment.

" This is some sick joke, just let us out.."

"No, you sort out your stuff, we're gonna explore the rest of the place now-"

"Wuxian seriously?... That seems like a bad idea, what if there are fierce ghosts around here? Were incomplete!"

"Well they're locked in there, you wanna stay outside where no one can protect you? Just come with me and have some trust" Wei Wuxian says cockily. The sound of walking echoes only but faintly now.

"Okay, Okay wait! Don't leave me please!"

"Plus give them some time, they'll be busy eating each other's faces or doing something even more interesting in there like some papap-"

"Wei Ying!" You both say in unison almost harmonizing, which earns a laugh from the shameless idiots outside.

Jiang Cheng spurs insult to insult in embarrassment

And you just freeze there, muttering some curses to them outside.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

You sit with your back leaning on the wall, not making eye contact with the equally flustered man in front of you.

Hopes shattered after seeing that there were no plausible exits in this small room, and the stupid door seemed to be blocked and locked on the outside.

You can't burn this house down with a palm torch or do full-powered attacks. Simply because the space in here is ridiculous, it might hurt the other one due to proximity.

Seriously, every movement you do has your shoulders touching it may have been nice when outside, but this predicament has your thoughts tangled now.

"Sorry I don't know what they're playing at, listen they'll get tired of this charade soon and let us out"

"Is it true? do you like me too?" You ask with a glint of hope, retracing back to your conversation with your friends outside.

"I-I don't know what they're saying, I would never?..."

He says almost confused himself, trying to deny it but also not. Unable to make up his mind.

Pride or heart? which will he choose, as he is still going back and forth, one thing is sure to you.

"Ah is that so..? Cause I like you" Having lowered your pride and fear, you say it.

Your gaze falls on his widened eyes. It's like hearing a pin drop, silence envelopes the barely lit room. You could only inhale sharply, this is the ruination of the bond that took years to build.

The strings tugging on your heart, are too hard to bear. Almost pulling it apart slowly but surely. You could only close your eyes in hopelessness

Slow paced walking can only be heard, going towards you.

"I'm sorry A-cheng, I'll stay away from you after this if it bothers you-"

You got cut off by a sudden bone-breaking hug, "Don't say sorry, I like you too." He mutters out softly, vulnerability laced in his words. Like finally letting go of this facade that you raise to never be looked down upon. This burden of a secret getting carried for years finally being able to let go.

"No- not don't say that. Don't say that because you pity me, it's weird"

You try to pull him off you, disbelief clouding your mind.

"it was such a long time ago. I was a coward, I didn't think you would love someone like me...I'm a joke, I'm harsh, I don't know how to express anything-" He blurts out a wave of self-doubt, which you aren't having.

"No don't say any of those, the right question is who wouldn't fall in love with you..."

You lean his head closer into your embrace, finally choosing to embrace the facts. No use in denying it anymore.

"I know you care, somewhere deep in your heart. I understand, forever will."

"You must be crazy," He mutters out shakily, intertwining his fingers in yours.

"I must be. So stop denying my feelings. Or I'll go even crazier" You hold his hands, tightly not wanting to let go at this moment.

You stay in each other's hold for the time being, embracing the tranquility and letting this sink in. Embedding this moment deep within your chests.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

A few minutes have passed, and you still aren't out. You don't mind though, enjoying some peace.

"Seriously, I can't believe this is the place where we confess to each other" You cover your face trying to stifle your oncoming laughter, finding it too amusing. "Imagined it would be in some romantic place, amidst blooming lotuses, or in the rain all that poetic stuff"

"It would have been thanks to those idiots outside, where even are they? It's getting hot in here" He hisses out, complaining about the heat yet makes no move on detaching himself from you to cool off.

"Oh, it is?" You say with a mischievous tone, implying something as a joke. "Don't mind if I take a few covers off us, so we can cool off- and you know."

A sharp sting from your ear cuts you off, letting out a groan in response.

"You- I didn't mean that, What is wrong with all of you!-"

Jiang Cheng pulls on your ear with an embarrassed expression, not so slickly covering his face with his free hand.

"Oh you didn't mean that whoopsie!- ah okay okay sorry stop"

Clasping your hands on his, you try to pry his grip from your ear. god if Huaisang has some strength released by fear then this guy has some when embarrassed,

He let out a 'hmph' before letting go and sulking away from a distance.

"Ah don't be mad I was joking please?" You try to look as pitiful as ever, crawling into his embrace. Trying to hug him before a scream interrupted your wooing.

"Ah! Help There really are some ghosts here!" A shrill and loud scream can be heard echoing outside the halls

You roll your eyes, not caring if that's real or just an act again

Only leaning into your 'lover's' chest now.

"So this makes us official now right?" You poke Jiang Cheng's cheek. Checking if he's still mad, wanting an answer now.

"If you want to be? yeah." He mumbles out too quickly, breaking his mad facade for a while. Still trying to keep that calm and not affected act.

"You're adorable you know that right?" You point out his not-so-slick act right now,

Pinching his cheeks and admiring the flush in his expression.

"No I'm not your being ridiculous-!" He tries to pry away from your grip, feeling all too bashful as of now.

"Oh yeah fine, coolest most amazing, strongest-" You turn in a different direction, though still teasing.

"If you don't shut up! I'll make you" Jiang Cheng says albeit unsure of his threat, still has conviction in his eyes.

"Hmm, how so? I'm curious" tilting your head to the side, curious.

"I'll kiss you..." A meek whisper, barely able to be caught by your ear

"You'll what?" You exhale shakily, really amused now at his not so intimidating remark

Unsure to even call that a threat, who's he threatening you or himself?

" You all can burn in he- " He gives up, only squirming to get out of your vicinity

" You know you're really in no place to threaten, but I'll just give it to you" You exhale a laugh,

before leaning in quickly, not bothering to warn him. What you said was plenty enough as your lips intertwined in a clumsy kiss.

Running can be heard from outside the halls, with some matching breathless screams. It's Huaisang,

"Guys guys please help there's a ghost! Please don't be mad at me anymore, I'll do anything just help me-"

Loud thuds and scrapes on the floor, like furniture dragging can be heard. You could only smile in your shared kiss not minding the chaos outside one bit.

Jiang Cheng was shocked at your sudden initiation at first, frozen. Yet after some time, he kisses back clumsily, eyes closing in embarrassment,

As the door finally swings open, Huaisang stumbles in quickly. tripping un-ironically before closing the door, leaning his back on it as he takes some time to catch his breath.

His relief turns into disbelief as he rethinks his decision to come in here, seeing your quite intimate moment. Or if it would be better if he stayed outside.

Covering his eyes, he could only plead for it all to be over soon.

"Sorry for interrupting guys... but I'm here.. hi, hello... Can you please help us.." He says mortified by what he barged into.

"Huaisang help! make them come out here hurry!-" Another loud voice can be heard outside. Seems like he's in a bit of a pickle, eh whatever.

"As you can see we're in a bit of trouble-"

"So what?" "get lost," You both say in unison, stopping your entanglement just to be petty.

Huaisang could only whine with his hands clasped, as he flinches at the loud noises of destruction coming from outside. Pitying his friend amidst the trouble he's fighting alone.

"Find somewhere else to hide and maybe I'll reconsider, after a while," You say not wanting to let go soon of this fondness circulating in this tiny room.

"But where?-" He cries out, though accepting his doom with a cry as you continue where you left off.

Bolting out of the door in a panic,

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

Bells echo around the cloud recesses, signaling the time of rest and the end of the day.

Not for both of the black-clad individuals, One with the gold accents dragging a tied-up one.

To be fair getting caught and being a distraction is better than getting mauled by a ghost to death.

Patrolling Lan clan disciples halt them in their tracks near the entrance, a knack of punishment awaits them for breaking a few rules of staying away past curfew.

A light revenge really, concocted by yours truly. A bargain in exchange for saving them against that fierce ghost.

After all, they’re the reason for your blooming bond right now, and your safe passage entering the recesses as the attention of the patrollers is now in the eyes of our geniuses. Rightly so with their brilliant plan.

✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶✶⋆.˚꩜ .ᐟ˙⋆✶

Did I get too carried away when making this? Yes. 3k words, you know it's bad when your notes app gets maxed out.

I was really tired when finishing this, might not be in character, but let's just imagine since this is just my self indulgent fic (all of them are)

Will probs delete the whole thing or just a few scenes after I get some well needed sleep, and fix some mistakes

byebye I will be passing out and hope you enjoyed your reading somehow.

[bekolxeram]

I swear this is the last time I bring up that air tanker in 2x14 voluntarily. The bottom line is, if you believe Tommy did fly that plane, that makes him not even superhero level cool, but Jonny Kim level cool. If you believe he didn't, then he's just as cool, always knowing a guy from all walks of line, ready to help out with whatever resource on hand the second Chimney says the word. At the end of the day, he saved the 118 and a bunch of civilians either way, and he did it again in S7 flying to that cruise ship. He'll always be our cool heroic pilot no matter what.

With that being said, I have some thoughts about the CAL FIRE line from the news reporter in that episode. If you're not interested, please read no further. And if you don't want to see this kind of posts at all but still want to read my other content, please block the tag #aviation realism.

I know Bobby said "217 incoming" when he saw that C-130, only the news reporter mentioned it was with CAL FIRE. That's why I suspect the CAL FIRE line was shoved in after the actual scenes were filmed, because they realized or someone explained to them how impractical and dangerous for an urban fire department to own a giant air tanker and just dump tons of water all over the city.

I saw the same technique utilized for the tsunami arc in S3. Anyone who has taken geography in high school can tell that in reality, there is no megathrust fault capable of generating Indian Ocean 2004 or Japan 2011 scale tsunami off the coast of SoCal. So where did the tsunami come from? In 3x02, before Sue asks Maddie to "triage" the dispatchers, you can hear once again a news reporter saying the tsunami is triggered by an earthquake off the coast of Alaska. This takes the fictional tsunami scenario from having zero basis in real life, to possible in extreme cases and greatly exaggerated for dramatic effect.

I thank whatever divine intervention or persistent technical advisor that made the CAL FIRE line possible.

2x14 was first aired on April 15, 2019. What you might not remember or realize is that something notable happened across the Atlantic on the very same day: the Notre-Dame fire. The entire world watched the cathedral burned for hours while over 400 firefighters all over Paris tried to contain the flame. A certain f...... former US president then suggested on Twitter that "perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out."

The French immediately responded by pointing out that dumping large amount of water from an aircraft at low altitude could "weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity." A retired FDNY battalion chief also told the media that water bombing would likely make the situation more dangerous, as civilians on the street might be hit if you miss the target.

The entire internet was clowning on that stable genius for such an innovative idea all afternoon. Imagine if 2x14 aired later that evening with not even a smaller single engine one, but a large 4 engine airtanker somehow belonging to the LAFD, that would come off extra stupid, even meme inspiring. But with the CAL FIRE line, they could at least claim that it was the extreme and rare circumstances requiring additional assistance from other agencies in the area, and it was not part of 911-verse LAFD's normal operation.

If the writers had done their homework beforehand and the CAL FIRE thing was always part of the script, good for them. If it was indeed shoved into the scene last minute, then they should thank their lucky stars.

I can already imagine the headache Bobby is going to have working on Hotshots as a consultant.

[strwberri-milk]

Being a bit indulgent (bc I'm sick) and asking for a sick fic Kae, Diluc, and Zhongli please. It can be either his s/o or the boys themselves I don't mind! :)

oh i hate being sick i cant fucking breathe and nothign tastes good its jawoefjawofa god

Kaeya is the most miserable man alive when he's sick. The less severe the illness the more dramatic he is. If he's actually so sick he should be staying home he feels so guilty for being useless that he'll do everything he can to get work done and avoid being useless.

However, if he's just down from a cold and just coughs every so often he's got more than enough energy to rain hell down on you for not cuddling him enough for being a sad, sick man.

He isn't good at staying in bed either way. He walks around constantly or tries to bother you or be a busybody. Staying in one place isn't really something he's interested in doing, and him being sick just makes it significantly worse. He gets even more restless when confronted with the fact that he really should be resting. Telling him what to do makes him want to do the opposite, so it can be very counterproductive.

Whenever you're sick he does his best to take care of you! He's pretty good at it too and you do feel yourself getting better but you can't help but worry about Kaeya's well-being since he holds and kisses you so often despite your illness. You don't want to get him sick but he swears up and down he doesn't care.

His food is definitely...medicinal. He's great at cooking unless it's to make you feel better. Something awful happens and he makes stuff that is good for you, and definitely tastes like it too.

Diluc is also awful at being sick. He's a little better in the sense that he will stay at the winery and focus primarily on paperwork. However, the issue is indeed that he is too focused on paperwork. He doesn't remember to eat or take any sort of medicine. You'll end up having to force feed it down his throat if you want any chance of Diluc ingesting anything that could potentially make him feel better.

This means that sometimes, Diluc stays sick longer than he should since he refuses to eat food. His body is working on fumes at this point, even more so than usual. He's simply a shell of a man when he's sick, mechanically working through his things and somehow finishing them even though he'll have no recollection of actually doing the work once he's fine again.

Diluc also gets very spacey. He isn't all there and sometimes, if you're lucky you get to see the very real effect that fatigue has on him. He easily curls up on anything and falls asleep, inadvertently getting enough rest to the point that it could negate the consequences of not eating.

When you get sick Diluc becomes very anal about making sure you stay rested and eating. He'll feed you himself, finding easily digestible things that can satiate you without turning your stomach.

You might feel like he's suffocating you a bit with his inability to leave you alone but he's working so earnestly to make sure you feel better that you can't mind. He's putting in all his energy to making sure you're alright, and somehow it does work. You think you get better faster thanks to his attention and devotion, something he's very proud about.

Zhongli is the only good patient to have when sick. He's willing to sit back and relax, take his time and really ensure that he gets better quicker rather than later. He doesn't exactly toil through work, but he will get some light tasks done before trying to get fresh air to better his constitution.

He is very particular about the medicine he takes. He just wants to make sure he does it right to avoid any complications, making him again, the ideal patient.

Thanks to all of this, he gets better pretty quickly. Illnesses don't knock him on his ass but he does take some preventative measures after being sick to avoid getting sick again.

When you get sick he's good at taking care of you and giving you space if you want it. If you don't, then he'll be concocting some herbal remedies to help cope with your symptoms in addition to the medicine you take to actually help with the illness. He knows the symptoms are generally the worst part, which is why he tries to manage them as much as possible.

He also likes to just quietly spend time with you in the day as you get some rest, gently running his fingers through your hair as you nap peacefully in the afternoon sun. He wishes that your breathing wasn't so laboured, but seeing you at peace calms his heart just a little.

[dropthedemiurge]

Love for Love's Sake | Things You Didn't Notice #9

(okay it's not an episode number this time i just still have many details to point out oops pls let me go)

I swear. I thought I'd stop mentioning small details because I already wrote like 10 posts on Tumblr translating and explaining all the cultural stuff regarding this show and the obsession is already becoming embarrassing, but I rewatched the last episodes again and I've got tiny. Little. Details. That I can't help but point people to once again. Because damn, the amount of thought put into this show!

(trigger warning: first part talks about suicide and depression, next ones are linguistic and cultural)

The Black Suit & The Sea

I would've asked Koreans I know about the significance of such symbolism but they are celebrating Seollal (New Year) today and I don't wanna ruin the festive mood asking about "how would people dress for suicide" x)

But after watching this scene, I recognized some strong parallels in Korean media depicting depression, suicide and one's decision to end their life. One of it is bridges and jumping (if you don't know what Bridge of Life is, ask me and I'll share, so this post wouldn't become too long) but another one is sea.

My interpretation - Koreans wear black suits to funerals, so if someone is headed to the sea in a black suit, it might mean this is the character's attempt to "have" their own funeral before finally ending their life. Why do I think this combination is somehow significant?

Because I remembered a music video one of K-pop artists I like (Kim Hanbin) made, after he experienced the downfall of career, extreme hate and rejection from the public, and severe depression. His whole album Waterfall tells Hanbin's personal story, dark thoughts and his battle to survive during the time when he was gone for 2 years, but in the music video for this album (illa illa) he is seen emerging from the sea in a black suit – metaphorically regaining his music and, most importantly, desire to live. Watch with lyrics!

If we think, this is how you depict suicidal thoughts/attempt in Korean media (of course, Love for Love's Sake was even more blunt in telling us the meaning), then Myungha wearing black suit wasn't just for the pretty or dramatic picture. More than that, we see him wearing the black suit for the whole last evening – especially when he goes to finally meet his mother.

Which tells us Myungha has already decided to disappear from this world, and was determined to do it on that day, and his mother rejecting him and pretending she doesn't know her son might not have been just the last straw... but it definitely could've been Myungha's last attempt to find anything in his life worth staying for, worth not going through with his plan.

Anyway, what a scary but beautiful symbolism.

Let's talk about something happier! More heartwarming!

Do you remember when we talked about the carefully placed movie posters in previous episodes? I payed more attention to the background this time when in Episode 8 Yeowoon ran to the cinema searching for Myungha in his world. And what an amazing discovery! When Myungha starts existing again and calls Yeowoon, the movie poster behind Yeowoon says "Guardian" (보호자).

And I already said in another post that Myungha in previous episodes admitted himself being Yeowoon's "guardian, protector" in the exact same word. But now this word is shown next to Yeowoon! As Yeowoon is the one who changed the main mission and has now declared himself Myungha's guardian and protector and will do his best to make him (his favourite pereson/bias/blorbo) happy. They have now both become guardians for each other. This. Goddamn. Show.

And I also want to shout out the VFX & Production team for this show – all the visual effects are very down to earth, gentle and not over the top but enhancing the series to the max. Like, maybe you wondered where on the screen does it say "Monday, August 14" and "Saturday, August 12"? Well, as expected, you see it on four monitor screens above the box office – the date, the ongoing movies (yep, still our favourite two fake movies) and available dates etc.

But when Yeowoon and Myungha agree to meet each other in the exact system time, they are facing each other without a barrier, and the screens are now counting down the time until the Game End. Instead of normally showing movies, like in the previous shot, it says "Time remaining: 3 hours, 23 minutes, 15 seconds". It was either done with VFX or practically, but still, the thought of incorporating system messages into the actual background is insane and I'm always happy to discover such details.

I don't know how many of you have motivational stairs at your schools, we definitely didn't have this but it's quite a popular thing in Korea. They put popular and uplifting sayings for students on each stair, sometimes they even quote motivational phrases from idols, like this:

And it's interesting that when system gets broken and Myungha is about to disappear, we see the deep cracks coming through the stairs, we see ruined school BUT at the same time the quotes in the show are so obviously in our focus. And they are already written (see screenshots above) in Korean and English, but I'll still write down: one is saying "Stay hungry, stay foolish" and "If you dream it, you can do it, you will succeed". So, perhaps... motivational quotes from sunbae?

And the last moment isn't heavy on translation but I still want to talk about it because cool Korean culture!xD You see the gang grilling meat on the roof (it's called samgyeopsal and it's very popular to have for gatherings), and then Myungha makes a "ssam" and feeds it to Yeowoon – but Sangwon steals it.

Ssam is a wrap, you grill meat then put it on the salad leaf, add other ingredients (like mushrooms, sauces, garlic, green onions etc, there are many side dishes) and then you wrap it in this sort of salad sack and eat it. It's very tasty and unusual combination. But the thing is! There is no way to make it for someone else and leave it on their plate so if you make a ssam wrap for someone and want to give it to a person, you literally have to feed them (like Myungha does with a very fond smile). This is why it's often seen as a romantic gesture (aka feeding someone from your fork etc) and why it's hilarious that Sangwon steals this ssam from Yeowoon (because he wants and he gets Myungha's affection and he's not above being a brat about it!)

I'm sure you can already sense it anyway without me telling you about romantic/close-friend implications, but I thought you guys might wonder why are the guys fighting over the salad leaf.

Another funny thing – Sangwon mentions "There's a saying, 'Don't scold dogs while they eat'". This is a Korean proverb "밥 먹을 때는 개도 안 때린다" ("You don't hit even a dog when it eats") which means that, no matter how annoying you find someone, no matter how angry you are, you can't scold this person while they are eating. Eating is a very important cultural thing in Asia, of course, so do not have arguments at the dinner :D But it's funny how Sangwon uses old proverbs to be mischievous and steal Myungha's love without consequences xD I adore him

I swear, this gotta be my last post about all the details in Love for Love's Sake. There is one more scene with the mirror and a caption, and I'm very curious if it means something because it was seen twice, during system breaking down scene as well, but it's either in Chinese or Japanese and I can't read it.

Anyway! Hope you enjoyed your everyday magazine, I love reading all your tags and thoughts and comments, and if you want to read all my previous translations and pointed out cultural details in Love for Love's Sake, go read this tag!=)

[lawsvalentine]

Hii idk i saw u write for usopp so I had to 🏃🏾‍♀️. Can I please request a usopp smut where y/n likes him a lot but is conflict bc of him and Kaya but usopp also wants her. But after a emotional fight between they make love

I Like-Like You •Usopp x Fem!reader • (18+)

Live-Action!Usopp

CW: slight angst, jealous!reader, clueless!Usopp, kissing, implied sexual content

Cee’s Note: AHHHH ty for requesting LA!Usopp! He is so damn fineee 😮‍💨 i hope you like this and sorry this took so long. Also I didn’t go full smut bc I didn’t want to rush it sorry

[minors do NOT interact; explicit content ahead]

“So there I was….”

Usopp pauses for dramatic effect, “Surrounded!” He suddenly springs out of his seat, hands spread out in front of him, slowly backing away.

You and the rest of the crew were gathered on the deck, entertaining Usopp’s made up stories. Despite his stories being so outrageous and ridiculous, you couldn’t help but to find it endearing the way he gets so expressive when he tells them.

As Usopp continued reenacting the battle he never fought, your concentration started to waver as your eyes wandered to the way his physique moved from under his suspenders. He wasn’t wearing a shirt so his broad shoulders and biceps would unintentionally flex as he moves around.

‘Damn, he’s fine as hell’ you thought as you not so subtly checked him out.

But as soon as that thought came, you shook it out of your head. No point in those thoughts when he is clearly in love with Kaya. The thought of her immediately frustrated you. You joined the crew after Sanji so you were not present for the events that happened in Syrup Village, but you heard plenty about the “kiss” Usopp and Kaya shared.

You have had a crush on Usopp since you first met him, so when you first heard about the kiss, your heart shattered at the thought of him kissing someone else.

Suddenly you weren’t in the mood to be sociable with the crew anymore. You stood out of your seat, catching the attention of your crewmates.

“Y/N, wait, I’m just getting to the good part!” Usopp exclaims excitedly.

“Sorry, I’m not feeling so well. Maybe later, Usopp”

You don’t miss the disappointment in Usopp’s face at your words.

“Would you like some tea, Y/N? I’ll be sure to make it nice and hot just like you,” Sanji winks.

Zoro groans, “That’s your worst one yet, waiter”

The two start bickering and that was your queue to head towards the sleeping quarters.

.

You tried sleeping your sorrows away but to no avail. A few moments past and you hear a knock at the door. You call for them come in as you stood from the bed. The door opens slightly and the cute dread-head pokes his head through the crease. He has his usual dopey smile on his face that made you feel butterflies every time.

“Hey Y/N, I know you said you weren’t in the mood for stories but I promise they will cheer you up! It always worked for Kaya,” Usopp said excitedly as he shut the door behind him.

Your face fell at the mention of her name and suddenly you felt yourself feeling aggravated that he brought her up.

“Well, I’m not Kaya,” you snapped.

Your tone caught Usopp off guard and his dopey smile was soon replaced with a frown.

“I never said you were…” Usopp said, confusion written on his face, “I was just trying to help, what’s your problem?”

You scoffed, “My PROBLEM is you always bringing her up. Kaya this! Kaya that! You won’t shut up about her!”

Ok you were definitely trippin, but you didn’t care at this point. You couldn’t take this anymore.

Usopp blinked, “So you’re mad….that I talk about Kaya?”

You groan in frustration, you swear you might have to spell it out for him.

“I don’t wanna hear about little miss perfect whom you grew up with, alright,” you swallow the lump in your throat. This is was getting too much for you.

“Ok but why-“

“BECAUSE I LIKE YOU ALRIGHT!” you confessed.

Next thing you knew, you started to word vomit everything you have been holding in since you met him.

“I like you and not just as a friend, I like-like you! It just hurts every time you mention her because, I’m reminded that you two have known each other since you were kids and you two kissed and I dunno how to compete with that. But whatever, you probably don’t feel the same way, I get it! Just forget I even…mmph”

Your words were cut off by Usopp’s lips smashing against yours. Your hands flew up in shock and you stood frozen as his plump lips moved against yours. With the feeling of his hands gripping your waist slightly and his soft lips against yours, you finally allowed yourself to melt into the kiss. Your arms snaking around his neck as he slightly lifts you, laying your back against the bed, him following on top. You feel his tongue trace your bottom lip for access which you grant him. A soft moan escapes your lips as his tongue grazes yours.

After a few moments, you break the kiss to catch your breath.

“Usopp?” You were still shocked by Usopp’s bold move.

His shyly smiled at your expression, “I like-like you too, Y/N”

“But what about-“

“Yes I did have feelings for Kaya but I can’t deny what I feel for you,” Usopp confessed.

You blinked, still skeptical if this was real or maybe just another one of his lies.

“How will I know if you’re being serious?”

He smirked and slightly rolled his hips against yours, feeling his hard on through his jeans.

“Let me show you”

.

.

Cee’s note: part 2 with smut? 👀

[skzhocomments]

The Pearls On Your Neck (Hyunjin // Lee Know x OC)- Part One

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Part Two

---

Part One

chapter word count: 7.2k words

Pearl's POV

It's the third period, and I’m still stuck next to Minho. The day couldn’t have dragged on more. I was so excited about the new term, however, it seems that the universe enjoys playing tricks on me. Minho has got to be the most stupidly good-looking person I know, but also one of the biggest asses I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Not only am I stuck next to him, but the lecture is also brain-numbingly boring; I swear my brain is going to turn into liquid and drip out my nose. The lecturer's monotone voice seems to go straight through me, or in one ear and out the other. I wonder if he has a wife or kids and if they hate his voice the same way I do. I’ve had him for 2 years now, and I hoped I wouldn’t have him for another but it seems like I’ve run out of luck or just have bad karma from something I’ve done in a past life.

Fuck this.

How am I going to learn anything when I’ve got the most annoying person on earth besides me and the lecturer can’t seem to do his job right? It’s ridiculous, and I can feel myself becoming more irritated by the second.

I’ve been staring out the window for hours on end. It's such a nice day outside and I can’t help but wish to be out there laying on the aromatic, lush green field enjoying the miraculous, vibrant blue sky and blazing sun. Maybe even have a picnic, either way, it doesn’t matter; anywhere besides here would be better. But I am here, absent-mindedly clicking my pen repetitively, and it seems to have had an effect on Minho as he turns to face me with the biggest frown I’ve ever seen.

“Shut the fuck up,” he scolds snatching the pen out of my hand and slamming it on the table in front of us, “are you going to be this annoying for the rest of the term? Or are you doing this on purpose to annoy me?”

This fucking twat.

I scoff at him. Does he seriously think everything is about him? I can feel my blood boiling at how unfortunate it was to be seated together. Out of everyone it had to be this stupid boy. Does he think the world revolves around him? I roll my eyes. How obnoxious can he get?

“Don’t you know it’s rude to snatch,” I say as I snatch back my pen from under his hand, “would have thought you were raised in a barn with manners like yours, and no. Not everything is about you as much as you’d like to think it is. Diabolical prick.” I say and turn back to face the window.

“Okay princess, get off your high horse, don’t act all high and mighty.” I snap my head back to face him and I can practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

And I can feel the heat radiating from me, “I’m not a princess, don’t call me that!” I start clicking the pen again to get a rise out of him, he did it first so why can’t I do it back?

“God, you're so infuriating!” Minho says as he drops his head back and slips further into his chair, and his leg grazes mine.

“Don’t touch me.” I say as I push his leg harshly away from mine, it hits the metal table leg and he hisses in pain, “and stop speaking. Oh my god, you're going to give me a headache!” I rub my temples because honestly, I can feel a headache coming on.

If he was going to say anything, he definitely couldn’t now, because the lunch bell has rung and I’m not going to stay near him a second longer, so I quickly grab my book and pen, shoving them into my bag. Not caring if my book gets creased, I need to find Cynthia. I promised her coffee.

~

“Oh my God, hi!” Cynthia almost threw me to the ground, jumping on me from excitement. “It’s so good to see you! I’ve missed you soooo much!”

“Didn’t I see you at my house, like, yesterday?” I roll my eyes. She has always been this dramatic, but that’s what I love the most about her, and it might just be the reason why I think she’s my best friend.

“That’s different! I wasn’t there to see you.”she chuckles nudging my elbow.

“Seeing you all laughs and smiles, that must mean that you got what you wanted?” I chuckle as well, watching as she excitedly squeaks like a kid.

“You know I did! Seungmin is so good in bed, he-”

“Ew. Please- just no.” I wave my hand around trying to stop her from talking further, to no avail. “No details.”

“made me cum 3 times! I swear to God, this boy-”

Cynthia has always had the biggest mouth, and once she’s started speaking, she just can’t stop herself. That’s what was good about her, on one hand, you knew she was honest at all times, but on the other… let’s just say she never thought before speaking and would always say things she shouldn't, which sometimes got us in awkward situations.

However, her heart is made of gold, and I love her a lot. Enough to get over her sometimes being a pain in the neck.

“Cynthia, girl, I love you, but hearing how my brother fucks was not on my list of `Things I care about and/or want to know`, so please, keep it to yourself!” I whine, covering my ears with my hands.

“Don’t be such a baby!” she pouts. “It’s obvious we’re gonna have sex since we’ve been dating for-”

“8 months. I know. The whole university knows. Hell, even the barista probably knows! You’re so loud!” I let out a small wail and watch her cheeks grow red.

“Shit, is it that bad?” she laughs, clearly embarrassed about being called out.

“It’s the worst.” I joke. “I told you off about that big mouth of yours before, didn’t I?”

“Well, your brother loves my big mouth, for reference.”

“Bleah, enough about Seungmin. I wanna know how my best friend is doing, not how my brother’s girlfriend is doing.” I hug her side, as we walk into the small cafe near our university.

This is a cosy place we both love and adore, with wooden tables randomly scattered throughout the small room. It's old and probably the same age as our university, but the chipped traffic purple paint just adds to the character of the place, along with the funky orange plastic chairs. No, it doesn’t really match, but it doesn’t matter. Behind the counter is a rack of ridiculous mugs with patterns that if I look at them too long I might go cross-eyed, and on the counter are delicious cakes and pastries. The wooden floor is smooth, as it was redone the first year I started university, and my favourite part of the cafe has to be the big brick fireplace with a ridiculous zebra print rug in front of it. You could always see stressed out students working their asses off on their laptops to finish whichever assignments they’ve received, drinks half finished in front of them.

Cynthia and I never came here to study, though. We simply enjoyed the coffee.

And the barista.

But that’s another story.

“Ahhh, if only he was older!” Cynthia nudges my elbow as we both watch the barista - Felix, I found out from the name tag on his plaided shirt - skilfully draw a heart in my cappuccino. “He’d be a perfect match for you!”

“Stop saying bullshit, girl! What would he think if he heard you?” I laugh a bit, thanking all Gods above that the barista is far enough to not be able to hear our shameless whispering.

“It’s true though! He’s so cute. Wouldn’t you go on a date with him, if he were, let’s say, Minho’s age?”

“Ugh. Please don’t say that name around me, I’m gonna get triggered. And no- for the record, I don’t care that much for relationships or dates at this moment.”

“Here are your drinks! Let me know if I can bring you anything else.” Felix interrupts our conversation and smiles sweetly, carrying a tray with our two coffees and two pieces of strawberry cheesecake to a table more secluded - mine and Cynthia’s usual spot, which even he memorized with how religiously we’ve been visiting this place.

As we both sit there I look at the cake, the one that Felix placed down, and quickly realise it’s not what I ordered. I let out a long exasperated huff. I didn’t need this after the day I’ve had, so I get up and walk over to the counter.

“Felix?” I ask sweetly, just because I’ve had a bad day doesn’t mean I should make his day miserable as well - and it also might be the fact that he’s so addictively sweet that he might give me a toothache; my heart would break if I ever upset him.

“Yeah?” he questions and looks up through his long and thick dark lashes, then his brown eyes trail down to the slice of cheesecake in my hand, “Is everything okay?” I could see the exact moment he realised what was going on as his eyes widened and his hand slapped over his mouth.

I try to hold back a laugh at his reaction, “I think you might have mixed up my order.” I say as I slide my cheesecake on the countertop.

“I’m so sorry, Pearl… I’ll fix it right away.”

I shrug light-heartedly and giggle at his stumbled words, “Felix, it’s fine these things happen.” I try to reassure him.

He nodded and scurried to the tiramisu. I watch as he cuts it while getting the chance to check him out, looking at his long blonde hair half tied up while two strands at the front dangle loosely basically covering his eyes, and the cute black apron adorned on his small waist covering his blue jeans, I think back to what Cynthia said, and I find myself agreeing.

He’s definitely my type, and yes, I would in fact definitely go on a date with him if he wasn’t in his last year of college; 18 is a bit too young for me, I’d feel like a cougar with her toyboy. I’d also look like one. Felix is a total sweetheart and wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’d definitely corrupt him.

Nope!

Never going to happen!

I shouldn’t think so deeply about this, as it’s not an option for me anyway. I’m happily single and listening to Cynthia’s relationship is enough for me to decide that I want to grow old gracefully without kids, and a husband. That way I’ll ensure I don’t go grey early due to the stress - or at least before my time. I won’t be lonely, no, I’ll have a couple of cats, maybe even a dog.

God I can’t wait to retire and I haven’t even started working a full-time job, but thinking about living in a cute cottage with a big garden, maybe even a river going through it, surrounded by cats is definitely the way I want to live and die.

He brings over the slice and a chunk of tiramisu that is way too big, but who am I to complain? I can definitely tackle this piece.

“Pearl, I’m sorry.” He said placing the plate gently into my hands looking very distressed.

I can’t help but feel bad for the poor boy, “Why’d you look so stressed? Had a bad customer earlier?”

He nods, and lets out a big breath, “Exactly that.”

“Don’t worry!” I said with a smile, “I'm not going to shout at ya just because you got it wrong.” I finish my sentence and turn to go back but decide at the last second to tease the boy a bit more. “Or am I?” I wink, before returning to my seat, leaving behind me a very flustered Felix.

When I arrive at the table, Cynthia's eyes are burning holes through me the whole time I’m trying to get comfy in my seat. Firstly, how fucking rude! Secondly, if she wants to say something, she can, “So why are you so triggered about Minho?” I regret thinking that, so deeply.

I throw my head back and sigh, “Oh for fuck sake, can we please not talk about him? I just want to eat my tiramisu in peace” I say, as I throw my hands up in the air.

Cynthia chuckles at me, “God he really got your knickers in a twist this time… common, share. Sharing is caring.” she sings.

I just stare at her for a while thinking if my brain can possibly handle talking about him without spontaneously combusting, “Fine!” I nearly shout and quickly look around embarrassed about how loud that came out, “I just thought I’d escape from his grabby little hands this term, but oh no that didn’t happen! I’ve been seated next to him! Cynthia, I’ve been seated next to him! I swear I must have killed a saint in my past life because the universe is persistent in sodomising me!”

“Or maybe Mercure is in Retrograde!”

“Exactly that!” I fold my arms across my chest and scoff loudly.

“I was obviously joking. You're so dramatic! Minho isn’t even that bad!”

“Yeah, and you're not me.” I bite back but there's no venom to my words.

Cynthia laughs at me as if my problem is the smallest thing in the world, like the universe hasn’t put it’s middle finger up at me, “You know… you and Minho would really-”

My phone rang, cutting Cynthia off and stopping the ridiculous statement from falling out of her mouth, and I can’t be happier.

Literally saved by the bell.

I answer it without looking, which I’m quick to regret. “Yes?”

“Oh, honey!”

Fuck, it's my mum.

“Hi Mum”

“Just quickly, I don’t have long to stay on the phone, we're all having dinner tonight.”

“I have plans.” I respond fast, hoping to get out of the surely uncomfortable situation that was to come. Family dinners are torture.

“8 P.M! Be there, and wear a dress!”

“But Mum-” I start, but get cut off by the sound of dead line on the other side of the phone.

“What’s with the long face?” Cynthia chuckles seeing my dejected figure.

“She always does this shit, I swear!” I complain loudly, grabbing the hot cappuccino from the table and taking a small sip.

“Who, your mum?” she chuckles again, taking a bite of the strawberry cheesecake - I never understood why she likes that sweet mess. Tiramisu is so much better.

“Yes, yes, she wants me to come to dinner. She didn’t even care that I have plans!”

“Do you?” Cynthia raises an eyebrow.

“No, but that’s not the point, Cynth!” I retort. “And you know that cute little date you were supposed to have with Seungmin?”

“Yes, what about it?” she asks in an almost offended tone.

“Boom! Cancelled! Family dinner!” I wave my hands around me dramatically and watch Cynthia’s face drop.

“No way!!! We were supposed to go to the Steak House tonight!” She whines, before noticing a call on her phone “Oop, it’s him!” she squeaks.

“See for yourself,” I respond unimpressed, watching how Cynthia’s usual smiling expression turns into a big frown, as Seungmin probably informs her of the change of plans tonight.

“Fuck, I hate your parents.” she angrily mutters while taking a big sip of her drink, getting a milk moustache which looks comically good on her.

“That makes two of us.” I roll my eyes and we both continue complaining for the rest of the afternoon.

~

8 PM finally rolls around as I’m stumbling, trying to walk in the ankle-length blue pencil dress I decided to wear tonight. It’s a nice dress, very modest but it also shows off my curves delightfully. A beautiful white pearl necklace adorns my throat and matching earrings dangle from my ears, they match the embellished pearls on the dress. The heels are rubbing the back of my feet and are making it even harder to walk down the stairs without the tight dress strangling my legs, the heels are white pointed-toe with a pearl strap dangling around my ankle and a pretty white silk bow at the back.

Going down the grand, bespoke stairs carpeted in a beautiful cream of our house, that face opposite the entrance of the house I walk into the large living room, where the table is nicely put together for 7 people.

Who…?

I wonder, but before I manage to even think about who might be coming for this dinner that’s so important, that mum asked both me and Seungmin to join, she rushes into the room.

“Pearl, the guests are here, come, let’s welcome them! Your Father is already outside!”

“And who might these guests be?” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“You’ll see! Your Father and I have arranged something for you!” Mum smiles brightly while we both rush to the front door to see a fancy looking black Aston Martin roll around the artisanal fountain in our front garden.

The driver quickly gets out and hurries to the back of the car, helping a middle-aged lady that aged gracefully get out.

Oh hell no.

No way.

I hope for a brief second that I’m seeing wrong, that this woman isn’t who I think she is, but when the other car door opens and Minho gets out with a smug smirk on his dumb face, all hope is lost.

“Hye-Jin!” Mum almost shouts, embracing the woman—Minho’s mum—who shares the same excitement to see her.

No fucking way. These sneaky cunts.

I see Minho coming my way dressed in a navy blue tweed three-piece suit white shirt, matching blue tie and trench coat with a big bouquet of bright red roses in his hands, and as he stops in front of me, his smirk changes into a stupidly sweet smile, and I watch as he extends his hand, wrist adorned with a stupidly expensive watch and he hands me the roses.

We fucking match, great!

I want to strangle him with that stupid tie.

“You are very beautiful tonight, Pearl. Blue looks amazing on you, and all the pearls, as expected,” he says, his words and demeanour contradicting each other. It feels more like he is mocking me, rather than complimenting me.

“Oh, my, Minho, what a gentleman!” mum exclaims happily, as they exchange pleasantries.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” I whisper furiously and equally just as shocked as I am fuming, walking next to Minho, arms brushing because of the whispering distance, our parents walking towards the dinner table a safe distance away from us.

“I don’t fucking know. Something about a business deal, apparently?” he returns my attitude as we make our way to our seats - directly in front of each other.

Great.

~

“The food was exquisite!” Minho’s mother exclaims happily, her husband agreeing with her while plates are being carried away.

“It’s so nice to have dinner like this, isn’t it, dear?” my mum touches father’s arm gently, looking fondly around the table as me, Seungmin and Minho awkwardly smile at each other.

“Indeed it is. We will soon get used to having these dinners more often, so that’s a relief!” Father chuckles, making me raise an eyebrow.

“Oh, yes! It seems the kids are also getting along well.” Minho’s father replies, taking a sip of the red wine.

“It’s only natural, since they go to the same university. So… it’s about time we let them know of our plans, don’t you think?” my dad chuckles and raises his glass, as if preparing to give a toast.

“Plans?” Minho asks, curiosity in his tone, as he also drinks a bit of wine.

“You’re a fine gentleman, Minho,” my dad starts, before being briefly interrupted by the twat’s father.

I almost laugh. Fine gentleman my ass.

“And Pearl is such a beautiful young lady.” his dad smiles, and I smack Minho’s leg under the table, making him throw me a death glare.

I look into Minho's eyes, hoping to convey that I don’t like where this is going, but instead of seeming to understand, he just hits my leg back, hard. So hard, it’s difficult to keep a straight face and not wince in pain and curse him right then and there.

“We decided… a union between our families would be extremely beneficial. And what better way to do it than marriage? Since both you and Minho are single-”

“No!” I reply a bit too loud for my liking, but desperate times call for desperate measures. “I… I’ve got a boyfriend!”

It’s a poor excuse, I know it is, and I don’t even know how I’m supposed to keep the lie going, especially with Seungmin side-eyeing me to oblivion.

“Oh, is that so?” Minho’s father frowns.

“Y-Yes.” I stutter, feeling Minho’s glare on me.

“But you never told us, Pearl.” Mum frowns as well, disappointed in my answer.

“I think we should just relax and see where this is going.” My father waves his hands around like what I just said was nothing, the twat’s dad agreeing.

I’m speechless. What the fuck?

“After all, we haven’t even met the individual, nor did we approve of any relationship, so… I say the arrangement is still on.”

“But dad-”

“And you can come to dinner with your boyfriend on Saturday, and your mother and I will decide then and there if he even raises to half the potential Minho has.” he cuts me off, the asshole in front of me smirking again like the dumbass he is and poking my leg.

~

Fuck I’m screwed.

How am I going to magically find a boyfriend before Saturday?

I let myself fall dramatically on the bed after taking off the uncomfortable dress and grab my phone, dialling Cynthia’s number.

I look around my room while waiting for her to pick up and I see old photos of us and all my family together. When Seungmin and I were young, did they know they were going to force their daughter into an unwanted marriage then?

“Cynth!” I basically scream when I hear rustling in my ear.

“Pearl? How was the dinner?” She sounded extremely tired.

“Did you just… did I just wake you up? Anyway, that doesn’t matter, I’m getting forced to marry Minho!”

“WHAT? The Lee Minho?” She coughs, “Wait, let me drink some water.”

I roll over onto my stomach, “No, someone else called Minho… Don't be stupid! Obviously, it's Lee Minho!” I roll my eyes, as I scold the girl for her stupidity.

“How?”

“No, no, no, Cynthia, that's not even the biggest part of my problem! The problem is that I said I have a boyfriend and how the fuck am I going to find a boyfriend for Saturday?” I change my position on the bed and sit up leaning my body on the headboard.

Cynthia giggles, “Why did you say that?”

“I panicked!” I practically scream.

She hums and then speaks again, “Just use The Pearls On Your Neck.”

I laugh, “Ha-ha, very funny! To what, strangle him to get out of this arranged marriage?!”

Although I’ve got to say that’s a very good idea.

She nearly screams with laughter, “No silly girl, it’s like a rent a boyfriend app my other stupidly rich friend uses it all the time for her family dinners. It has the same name as you, so it’s easy to remember!”

I pull the phone away from my ear as I can hear aggressive typing and Cynthia’s nails smacking the screen, “There, I just sent it to you! Can I go back to sleep now?”

My phone pings, and I click on the app. 5 stars, looks reliable and the men in the app preview look good, maybe this will work for me.

I press download.

I wait for what seems like forever, you’d think living in such a big house I’d have amazing wifi, but seems not.

I try to set up an account, but the app is confusing as hell.

I stare at the screen for a bit, trying to find the “Sign up” button, and after a while, I finally reach the Personal Data info.

Nickname:

Hmm, what should I add here? Is ‘Pearl’ okay? Or should I maybe go with a fake name?

Nah, what point is there to it? I think, as I type in my first name and shrug.

I’m not going to add a profile pic anyway, so why does it matter?

I put in my location and pick the first person I see, not paying attention to his profile picture, and click on the small ‘Send a message’ bubble next to his name.

Hyunjin sounds pretty. I haven’t heard this name before.

I gather my courage and after a few minutes of writing, deleting, writing and deleting again and again, I finally manage to write him something.

Pearl:

Hello.

Wow, Pearl, could you be more interesting? I roll my eyes at the bland message that took me such a long time to write, and I take a mental note to start texting people more.

I am missing this skill, and it shows.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥 :

Hello! How are you?

Pearl:

Good, thank you. So how do I go about this renting thing? God, I feel so cheap saying that.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Haha it’s fine :).

When are you looking to rent for?

Pearl:

This Saturday. I’ve got a family dinner and I told them I have a boyfriend… but that doesn’t matter, I’ll tell you more about it another day because we’ll have to meet up before so I can get you some clothes and tell you deets.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Yep, I’m free then :)

When would you like to meet up before?

Is there anything you’d like me to wear to our first meet?

I look at the screen, flustered with myself that I’m actually doing this.

How can he be so chill about it?

This is the most obscene thing I’ve ever done apart from interacting with Minho.

Pearl:

Um, no. Just wear whatever you're most comfortable in.

And what about Thursday? 12:30? At Harrods?

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Sounds good to me!

Pearl:

Um, so… how do I pay you?

Sorry, this is so awkward, I’ve never done this before. Ha-ha.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

You don’t have to worry, you’re doing great. :)

To confirm our date a £15 non-refundable deposit is required. Please put your full name as the reference. Please let me know once this has been transferred and it will confirm our date!

Once the payment is received please send me your full name and phone number and I will put our date in my diary!

My bank details are

Mr Hwang Hyunjin

Sort code: 25-03-18

Account number: 23242526

The £15 deposit will be deducted from your payment on the day of our date unless you would like to roll your deposit over to secure all future bookings!

If you would like to cancel our date, a 24hrs notice is required, if your appointment is cancelled under 24hrs your deposit will be lost and a new one will be required if you wish to re-book.

Thank you,

Hyunjin :)

I close the app quickly and smash his banking details into my banking app to quickly transfer. Gosh I’ve never been so desperate in my whole life, but what could go wrong? He seems so professional.

I’m almost surprised and I can't help but wonder how old he is, being this professional, and how many dates he's gone on. I check the bank details for the umpteenth time making sure it’s definitely right.

Pearl:

I’ve sent the deposit, um can I book you all day Saturday just to go over stuff?

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Yes of course and our date has been confirmed!

I can’t wait!

What's your favourite type of flower?

Why does he want to know that?

Pearl:

I don’t know, why?

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Don’t worry about it.

Do you want to spend some time getting to know each other before our first date?

Pearl:

Um no, it's alright, we can get to know each other better Thursday.

Hyunjin❤️‍🔥:

Okay, I can’t wait to see you then at 12:30.

Pearl:

Okay, see you then.

I sit up on my bed and feel like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I can finally breathe.

God, this man is good at wording shit. I just hope he’s as good in real life as he is online.

I need to tell Cynthia about this at university tomorrow and try to avoid Minho, the biggest inconvenience in my life, like the plague but that's going to be hard sitting next to him.

I should probably look at Hyunjin’s profile more but that can wait till tomorrow when I see Cynthia, she’ll want to see what he looks like anyway. Yeah, it can wait.

~

“Look who’s here! Slept well, princess?” Minho smirks on his chair, his back balancing on his seat, while his legs are shamelessly stretched out on mine. The gesture bothers me to no end, not because he’s dirtying my chair, but because let’s be real: Lee Minho would never have dirty shoes. You could probably lick the soles of his feet and they’d be cleaner than the whole university, perhaps even than my room, even though I dislike admitting anything positive about this prick.

His presence alone bothers me.

“No, Minho, I slept like shit, if you care that much. Get your feet off my fucking chair, you prick.”

“My, my is that how a daddy's girl should talk?” he raises both his eyebrows at me, making however no attempt to move.

Seeing the audacity of this asshole, I take my small square Valentino bag from my shoulder and smack his feet with it, making him wince in pain.

“I’m not a daddy’s girl, and that’s payback for last night, you twat.” I say through clenched teeth and stare daggers at him, and oh, if only looks could kill.

“What did I do to you last night, huh? Did I give it to you that good? Make it hard for you to walk today? Aww does it hurt?” he asks in a way too loud voice and smirks, making everyone around us turn to watch in surprise at the implication of his words.

This fucking…

At least he took his feet off my seat.

“Stop spewing bullshit. Did you know what our parents were planning?” I question him harshly, implying that he did know.

But he’s quick to defend this misinformation, “Fuck, no, you think I’d ever want to get married to a girl like you?!” He said, giving me a look of disgust.

I gasp at his cringing face, quite offended. I don’t see anything wrong with me, “Uhm, excuse me?! What is that supposed to mean?”

His lips turn into a displeased frown, “What, is it not obvious what a spoiled princess you are? Or are you actually that ignorant?”

I sit down annoyed and scoff. He doesn’t know anything about me, but he seems to have assumed everything I do. I’m pretty sure breathing next to him would send him off on a tantrum.

“Look, Minho, I don’t give a shit what you think about me.” I say unbothered, “You don’t want to get married to me?! Neither do I, it goes both ways, knob-head.” I pull out a small, pink, sparkly compact mirror and my lip tint from the bag and start reapplying a thick layer of the nude shade.

“Glad we’re on the same page, then.” he shrugs. “What’s that thing about you having a boyfriend, anyway?”

“It’s none of your business,” I reply without even glancing at Minho. He’s annoyed me way too much for his own good with the ‘girl like you’ remark.

“It is, if we’re gonna get married.” he shrugs again, making me roll my eyes.

I almost paint lipstick over my face from laughing, is he really that delusional? “But we are not.” I finally look away from the mirror and stare right at him.

“Unless you give our parents a good enough reason, yes we are.”

“How are you so okay with it, anyway, mister ‘I don’t wanna get married to a spoiled princess’?” I wave my arms around, imitating him.

“It’s not that I’m okay with it. I just know better than to go against them or to put myself between them and their damn company. Don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” I sigh.

“It didn’t look like it yesterday night. You don’t say shit like that in front of your dad’s business partners. Shows exactly how selfish you are.”

“Selfish? Selfish? For not wanting to get married out of my parent’s convenience? For a damn business? Is that what selfish looks like to you?” The more I speak, the wider my eyes open.

“No, but it was dumb and selfish to say it right then and there, with us at the same table as you. You should’ve waited until we left at least. It put your parents in a really awkward light, not gonna lie.” He spat. “ inconsiderate arsehole” he tuts.

“No, Minho, what was dumb and selfish was for our parents to put us in that situation. You can be a goody two shoes all you want, but I refuse to be a pawn on my parent’s chess table.”

“Aren’t we all pawns on each other’s tables, anyway? Especially in our world. Why does it matter that you’re on your parents?” he shrugs, his lips turning into a straight line.

“Well, for starters, they didn’t expect Seungmin to marry a random rich girl for the well-being of the company.”

“I’m not a random rich guy, princess. You should know.” He inches his face closer to mine, making me unintentionally blush.

God, how I hate this guy.

I must just be startled, that’s all.

“How could you lie so adamantly at the dinner table, Pearl?” He ridicules me, whispering right in my ear, seemingly aware of the effect he is having on me. Do the goosebumps on my arm give it away?

“I wasn’t lying, Minho.” I turn my head and look straight at him.

“Oh yeah?” He mocks me.

“Yea! As I said, I have a boyfriend, so I won’t get married to you. Should I spell it out?” I raise my eyebrows.

“Then what’s his name?” he asks with a smirk, laying back down on his seat, watching me with amusement in his eyes.

“Hyunjin.” I blurt out in a low tone that comes out more like a whisper.

“You really aren’t lying?” he asks, still unconvinced.

“Of course, I’m not lying. Who lies about stuff like that?” I roll my eyes, avoiding looking at him more. The last thing I’d want is for him to notice that I’m insincere.

“Good luck on Saturday, then.” he shrugs and turns his attention to a game on his phone, as if to pretend I’m not there anymore.

Before I get a chance to reply, the professor walks into the room and another boring ass lecture starts.

~

“Why so sour?” Cynthia hands me an iced coffee she probably just got from the cafe.

“Thanks,” I reply, taking a big deserved sip. “It’s fucking Minho.”

“Fucking Minho? He looks like he fucks well-” she starts, before I playfully slap the back of her head, making her rub the spot I hit and pout.

“Hey! Are looks all there is to it for you? Is that why you’re dating my brother?” I ask annoyed.

“Of course not! Okay, okay, tell me what happened, I give up.” she nudges me.

“He’s such a dick! Ugh, it’s like he’s not bothered at all by this whole marriage thing!”

“Maybe he wants to get married to you? You’re rich, good-looking, hot…”

“Nah, he basically told me he sees me as a spoiled brat and hates the idea of marrying me. He just wants to respect his parents’ wishes.” I take another sip of the drink while Cynthia takes in all the information I just gave her.

“Pfft.” she chuckles. “Spoiled rotten brat? The Lee Minho says that? He must not notice how similar you two are.”

“Similar? Girl, in what world?” I look at her with disgust, but before hearing a dumb answer from her, I decide to change the topic and let her know of my sudden burst of confidence last night. “By the way, I downloaded that app you told me about. The pearl one.”

“No way! Pearls on Your Neck?! Is it for real?!” She squealed.

“You sent it to me before even checking if it’s legit?” I scoff. “Whatever, it is, and I’m having a date on Thursday.”

Cynthia basically jumped me, grabbing my clutch off my shoulder and nicking me with her sharp, white, stiletto nails in the process, “What the fuck are you doing! Ouch! You could of broken skin!” I say rubbing my shoulder, she could have drawn blood!

“Oh shut up, it didn’t hurt,” she brushed me off, completely ignoring my superficial wound and rummaging through my bag, “where’s your bloody phone?”

“It’s in my pocket, idiot.” I say reaching into my jean pocket and waving my phone in her face.

“Show me your rental boyfriend now!” She demands, trying to grab my phone like a child.

This girl is a health and safety issue.

I roll my eyes at her immature behaviour, “God sake Cynthia! Calm the fuck down! Let's sit down first,” I say motioning towards an old wooden bench near the university field.

I finally get to sit down from walking all the way from class, I finally get to enjoy this break. It’s peaceful here without Minho, who is my own personal thorn in my side.

I take a big sip of my iced coffee and sigh contently, it’s sugary and sweet. It tastes so good, it's like it's dancing on my taste buds. I feel like Ratatouille in that one scene when he eats cheese and strawberry at the same time.

“So?” It was peaceful until I got reminded about the other thorn in my side whom I actually like.

I side-eye the girl and I didn't even realise she was so close to me, “yes, Cynthia?”

She clicks her tongue, “Pearl, you're hopless! What were we talking about a second ago?!” she analyses my baffled face and huffs, “ Does your rental boyfriend ring any bells?” She says, sarcasm laced in her voice.

“Oh yeah!”

She tuts disapprovingly, “Sometimes I wonder how you’ve survived this long,”andsnatches my phone out of my hands. “Give me that” She looks at me a second longer and raises a threatening hand, “Useless girl.”

I can’t help but laugh at her, “His name is Hyunjin… I don’t really remember what he looks like, I kinda panicked and picked the first profile I saw” I shrug halfheartedly.

She opens my phone and locates the app, scrolling through until she finds him, or that's what I assume since she yawps so loudly, making me jump, “Pearl, are you serious? How could you not remember what he looks like?” She says shoving my phone in my face.

Shit, yeah how could I forget what he looks like?

He looks like a model. Four pictures are attached to his profile, his hair is long and blonde; it just tickles his shoulders and in one of the pictures it reaches his collarbones. His eyebrows are thick and well-maintained; any girl would kill for those eyebrows. Thick lips and a sharp jawline as well… is this man even real?

“Cynthia! I think I’ve been scammed!” I cry, putting my iced coffee on the gravel floor, “He can’t be real… like he can’t be on this app, right?”

I look again at the pictures, I look at his long neck and proportionate head on top of a broad pair of shoulders. He looks tall, really tall, not too skinny either but not too muscular.

Cynthia lets out a hearty laugh, “I don't think you’ve been scammed, look here,” she points to a tick beside his name, “It says all profiles are checked for legitimacy.”

I’m never one to be speechless and that is saying something. How…why is he on an app like that?

“Pearl, what's he like? Did you stay up all night messaging?” She is far too eager for my liking.

“You know he’s not actually my boyfriend, right?”

She’s still staring at my phone in her hand, “So… you're saying you don’t know anything about him?” She says tilting her head.

I nod, “Well he asked if I wanted to get to know each other better, but I just said that we can do that Thursday when we go to pick out his clothes for the dinner and stuff.”

“How many times do I have to repeat myself today? You. Are. Useless.” she spoke, poking me in the forehead.

“What was I supposed to do?” I bark trying to defend my corner.

“Um… try to get to know the guy, obviously.” she rolls her eyes at me, “You never know, maybe he’ll turn into your real boyfriend… omg you two would have such good-looking kids, not as good-looking as mine and Seungmin’s though.” She’s really ahead of herself.

“Fucking hell do you want to arrange my second marriage?” I snatch my phone from her hand, “Cynth, don’t get too ahead of yourself, it’s his job. Obviously, he can’t actually date clients. That would be illogical, there's probably some ‘how to be a rental boyfriend rule book’ they have to follow.”

“Pff, whatever you say… there’s no point not to try though?” She says smiling and nudging me in the ribs.

“It seems like you've completely forgotten who you're talking to, am I even your best friend?” I look at her seriously, “What’s my end-of-life goal?”

I watch her as she raises her hand to her temple and starts massaging it, “Oh yeah how could I forget that my best friend wants to be a lonely old hag surrounded by feral creatures and die alone.”

“Cats are not feral creatures” I defend bringing my hands up to quote her, “They are amazing companions, unlike children and husbands. I can already see a few grey hairs you’ve gained from being with Seungmin” I tease.

“Really?!”

“Obviously not.” I deadpan.

“But Pearl, I don't want my best friend to grow old without children, don't you want to take our kids on cute play dates?”

“I can bring my cat to play with your child, if it’s anything like you it will be feral enough to maybe… even communicate with it!” I laugh at my own joke.

“Whatever” she mumbles.

I look around and see couples sat on the field together and I can’t lie and say it doesn’t look nice. I can’t lie and say I don't want someone to have love me for me, but unconditional love is hard to find in this day and age, it’s not that it's impossible. It’s just something that’s so rare to find, you're probably going to get struck by lightning before you find it. I can understand that couples can have quarrels, but I can’t deal with that conflict. I mean, I can barely take it from Minho and I absolutely despise him. I don’t want to imagine fighting with someone I love. Love drives people crazy and I do not want to be one of them people.

Cats would never hurt me or make me wonder and I'm untroubled with the little life I envision for myself when I'm old. Hyunjin may be undeniably attractive but it would never work, hell, I've never even met him. I don't even know what he’s like, he could be another conceited, vain, narcissistic, prick like Minho. I shudder at the thought.

It’s definitely time to go home, I meet Hyunjin tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep.

“Cynth, I need to go home, will you please help me get ready tomorrow?” I say sweetly and batting my eyelashes at her.

She jumps up excitedly, “Of course I will! You know I love that stuff! You're going to be my own personal Barbie doll tomorrow!” She sings.

I internally sigh knowing what I have gotten myself into.

Once I get home I get changed into my pink stripey PJs and throw myself into my bed, and fall asleep thinking about tomorrow.

---

Part Two

[bp-zb1fics]

hi! i love how you write bp trainee!reader fics and i was like ‘omg imagine jay x g group trainee!reader’ so i came here to request something. i wanted to request jay chang confessing to g group!reader during the boys planet finale, or something a long the lines of that. i wanted to see your take on how he would confess to someone, you can always switch up the plot or even ignore this ask if you don’t want to write it! <3

If this was a movie

pairing: jay x g group reader

genre: canon, fluff

tw/tags: lots of pining, confessions, a kiss or two, some swears, jay kinda dramatic and very in denial, kamden, matthew, ricky best wingmen, a lil hui vs jay action but not really 

wc: 1731

summary: it’s the sleepover night before the finale and jay has something to tell you.

a/n Hi! First of all thank you so much for this lovely request, it was an utter pleasure to write and I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too! I'm always a sucker for canon fics because it's so fun to take the show we all know and love and hate sometimes bc mnet kinda shady and write about it. I've lifted lines directly from the sleepover segment from episode 12, just be citing my sources. I definitely would have included reader/ mc/ y/n's pov but ended up keeping it to jay's pov for some reason, idk maybe it's like writer brain. If anyone wants a "your pov" version, do let me know~ that would be a fun part 2

Check my pinned for more fics~

Italics mean it’s spoken in English.

Jay tips his head back and exaggerates his cringe, laughing along with everyone at Gunwook stealing Junhyeon’s aegyo. Only he can’t help but let his eyes linger back to you giggling quietly from where you’re leaning against Hoetaek, the elder playing with your hair. 

And even if he knows that Hoetaek is a little more familiar with the former Cube trainees like you and Matthew and Sung Hanbin, he can’t help but feel the smallest twinge of jealousy. He wanted to be close to you like that, to mess with your hair until you pout at him and he can’t help but-

“By all means, keep staring, we might as well get a neon sign that says I LIKE YOU and put it on your head.”

Kamden mumbles from beside him, effectively snapping him out of his maladaptive daydreaming. 

“Oh my god dude, shut up.”

He hisses, still keeping one eye on you as you lean into Hoetaek’s touch. Think positive, Jay. Even if you're also a fellow English speaker, at least you’re far away enough that you probably won’t overhear them. Ricky snickers from his other side.

“You’re so subtle, man.”

He levels them a look. It’s their last night, can’t he get a break?

“It’s our last night Jay, you know, you should tell them.”

Apparently not. 

He looks up and Kamden manages to look even more unimpressed than he usually does, head tilting a little more than 45° for emphasis.

“Nah, it’s cool, besides, they’re definitely not into me.”

Jay deflects, ignoring the sinking feeling that begins to take hold. 

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure I do.”

“Just try.”

“You’re being very persistent today, Kam, I dunno, it’s kinda sus.”

Before Kamden can fire back, the whole conversation about memorable first impressions turns around and bites Jay in the ass because the universe loves messing with him.

“So who was your best first impression, Jay-ah?” 

Suddenly everyone’s looking at him expectantly. Kamden and Ricky look like they already know and Jay knows that they know that the answer sitting at the tip of his tongue is just across the room, Hoetaek’s arm around their shoulder. Still, Jay hesitates.

He’s had a crush on you ever since the Star Level test. You had immediately caught his attention walking in. Sure, there were perfect visuals like Jiwoong and Hanbin but you were the most attractive person he’s ever seen. And you were talented, Jay could swear your performance was one of the best but Kamden’s convinced that he’s just biased.

But even though you’re both from G-group, you’ve always ended up in different teams, leaving Jay with not that many opportunities to talk with you. When he does end up around you, he just can’t, defaulting to his usual over the top expressions for laughs. While he’s always thought of himself as a confident person, he just finds himself fumbling around you. It doesn’t help that you seem to stick to Hoetaek or Sung Hanbin or one of your team members. You’re friendly with each other, sure, but nothing more than that. 

Right, back to the question.

“The person I remember the most is Yujin.”

He immediately feels the collective disappointment that emanates from his corner of the room as the rest of the trainees react, Matthew even sitting up to hit him with some bombastic side-eye. He pretends he doesn’t hear Kamden sighs, doing an impression of Yujin which looks more like a possession honestly. The others laugh. Jongwoo’s comment is the crutch he needs to limp away as he holds Yujin in check as competition.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.

“For me, as soon as I heard Jay sing, I felt like I was in trouble.” 

Hoetaek speaks up and Jay forces himself into another exaggerated look of surprise and shoves down the ugly feeling that jumps out at the way you hug one of Hoetaek’s arms. 

“Your competitor?” One of them jokes.

Not just in singing, Jay thinks.

“But you did watch Love Me Right, hyung?” Jongwoo asks. Jay really wants this conversation to move on.

“It was so hard to watch Love Me Right.” He watches as Hoetaek shifts so that you can lean more comfortably.

“That’s not the only thing that’s hard to watch right now.” Ricky breathes out. Now Kamden and Matthew are snickering.

Just smile, Jay. 

“Honestly, I wanted to give up when I saw you, hyung.” He manages to grit out without giving himself away, hopefully. 

Everyone laughs and Jay desperately sends a prayer to the universe to let his pain end. Ironically, it’s Kamden and Matthew who come to his rescue.

“Actually, I’m curious about something. Did I give off an American vibe?”

The conversation swerves towards Matthew’s imitation of Kamden, the apparently routine mispronunciation of Jiwoong’s name and Kamden’s impressive first impression of Ricky’s hair.

By the time they move on to Keita’s first meeting with Zhang Hao, Jay thinks he’s in the clear.

He's not.

Kamden proceeds to smack his arm and he meets eyes with Matthew whose usual bright smile was beginning to border on shit-eating grin territory.

“If you didn’t notice, they’ve been looking at you the whole time we were talking.” Kamden says lowly, Matthew nodding in agreement.

“Nah, you’re capping.”

“No, for real, Kam and I were literally right here giving some top-tier content and all they could see was you.” Matthew insisted.

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It definitely means something.” Ricky counters because he was apparently listening in on them the whole time while everyone else watched Jiwoong wax poetry over Hao’s violin playing. Jay shakes his head.

“It really doesn’t.”

Kamden looks like he wants to jump on him and start shaking some sense in. Matthew sighs. Ricky just shrugs and lies back down.

“Ah well, we’ll have to see then. I didn’t let Kam slander my hair and my catchphrase for nothing.”

After having to spectate the absolute trainwreck of awkwardness that is Zhang Hao and Kum Junhyeon, there’s the slightest chill that goes down Jay’s spine that he ignores, figuring it must be the weather.

It was definitely not the weather. He should have run while he still had a chance.

“Actually, there’s another pair I want to see.” Matthew speaks up. Suddenly he feels Kamden and Ricky both watching him like hawks as if he’s going to bolt any second now.

After Matthew names you and him, Jay actually wants to bolt. Kamden and Ricky are extremely helpful in explaining to the others the minimal interactions you two have had as the “least close trainees in G-group.” You look like a deer in headlights as Hoetaek gently shoves you towards the middle of the room, whispering something to you before he goes back to his spot. 

“Wah they’re both so red.” Jay becomes acutely aware of how much his cheeks are burning as he sits across you. You don’t seem to be any better, making eye contact before looking literally anywhere else.

Well, might as well get over it so he can go back and die of embarrassment.

“Uh, the first time I saw you was during the Star Level test. I thought you were very talented.”

Damn, when did Korean become so hard? Maybe it was the way your hands were holding his, can you feel how fast his pulse is racing? Okay Jay, you can do this, just speedrun it.

“And I really liked the song you performed, it really fit your voice. Your stage outfit was also very pr- very noticeable, it made you stand out. And I really wanted to get to know you more but we were in different groups all the time which really sucked and you don’t know how many times I wished you chose Home so we could perform together or the Star Creators would put us both in Over me and I understand, you’re really perfect for the concepts of your songs and it’s crazy how much I like you, seriously so crazy.”

Pin-drop silence. Three things, in order, that Jay realises.

Speedrunning this might not have been the best idea.

Switching to English midway through the conversation is a skill that he didn’t know he was capable of considering his level of Korean would definitely be more byelingual than actual, intelligent multilingual like Matthew.

He might have confessed his feelings to you. No actually, he did. Fuck, now would be a great time to get on the next plane and fly off to the States and cry to Beomhan for a month. Forget debuting, he’d settle for a nice normal life without the evil editing and the screen time robbing and the utter stress of eliminations.

But before Jay can actually bolt, you speak up.

“Uh- uhm…” You look so unsure that it freezes him there, seated in front of you, holding your hands like it’s his last lifeline.

“I really like you too.”

Everyone gasps and begins murmuring quietly.

“Wait, my English is bad, what are they saying?”

“Finally, they’ve confessed, I knew it.”

“Wait who confessed?”

“That was like an American romance movie, wow.”

Then the clapping starts. Jay tears his eyes away from you for one second to look at Kamden in utter disbelief. His co-conspirators don’t miss a beat.

“Congratulations, you finally did it! Thank fuck.”

“Be happy together, you two!”

And because Ricky apparently wasn’t satisfied with the slander he had put himself through.

“Now kiss.”

Which turned into a chant because even the trainees who didn’t speak English fluently knew what they were talking about. Someone even helpfully throws a blanket over Yujin to protect his eyes.

Jay turns back and finds you giggling. While it looks like embarrassment, now he could feel the way your fingers interlocked with his, your eyes flitting to his lips. The chanting becomes background noise as he leans in, pressing his lips against yours firmly.

Fireworks explode in the background as you pull away.

Everyone applauds with the occasional whistling, oohing as Jay tugs you to sit between his legs, Ricky graciously scooting over to make space.

Kamden claps him on the back and Matthew flashes both of you a thumbs up.

God, he loves hates these guys.

As the conversation settles back down and everyone decides to actually sleep, you sneak another kiss before cuddling up to his side.

Jay smiles. Maybe this is a movie.

[reinvent-and-believe]

7 for Roy x Jamie. Also, I adore your writing! ❤

7. love at first sight

--

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” Georgie says, looking at the pair of them from across the dinner table with a crooked little grin that means trouble, a grin Roy’s intimately acquainted with on a slightly different face. “Love at first sight, weren’t it?”

“Mummy.” Jamie is the palest Roy’s ever seen. “Do not.”

“Don’t be rude to your mum,” Roy scolds, his full attention fixed on that familiar grin. He rests his arms on the table and leans in. “What were you saying, Georgie?”

“Well look at you, coming to my defense,” she teases. “Can you believe it, my Jamie ending up with such a gentleman?”

“It’s lovely to see,” says Simon, setting a tray of fresh cookies down on the table and giving Roy a genuine little smile.

Roy doesn’t know much about Simon; Jamie’s not talked about their history, other than to hint that a teenage Jamie Tartt was as much of a fucking terror as one might imagine and Simon was a prime target. But Roy likes him. Likes how he looks at Georgie like she hung the fucking moon. Likes how easily his love extends to Jamie.

“Mummy.” Jamie’s blushing now, a deep, fast-spreading red. It strikes Roy, not for the first time, that Jamie’s fucking gorgeous when he blushes. 

“Love at first sight? Is that what you said?” Roy asks.

Jamie elbows him. “You ain’t helping.”

Fuck football, this is Roy’s favorite game now. “Who says I’m trying to?”

“Right then.” Georgie winks at Roy as Jamie rubs his forehead. “It must have been, what? 2006? When did you move to Chelsea, Roy?”

“2005."

“2005.” She nods. “Chelsea were here playing City, so of course we had it on telly. And all the announcers could talk about the whole game was the new hot player at Chelsea, making quite a name for himself after only a few games. So of course the camera cut to him over and over, I swear half the game was a closeup on Roy Kent.”

“Mummy, you have got to stop,” Jamie groans.

“This one,” she reaches across the table and pats Jamie’s hand, even as he scowls, “was all of eight years old. You might be a gentleman, Roy Kent, but you’re also a bit of a cradle robber, aren’t you?”

It’s Roy’s turn to freeze. “Right.”

“I’m 25 years old, Mum, I’m fucking grown,” Jamie huffs in an exasperated voice that sounds suddenly 15.

“Of course you are, love.” Her smile loses its bite, fond and soft. “I think you’re lovely together and I’m thrilled for you two, swear down. But I am gonna give this one shit about the fact that he and I would have been in school at the same time and you were eight when he got his big break.”

“Fucking hell,” Jamie says as Roy says, “Fair enough.”

“So Jamie was just a tiny thing, sat in front of the telly as close as he could get, eyes wide. After the first half, he stood up and looked at me with that little look he gets. You know the one. When he’s made his mind up about something and you’ll be wasting your breath if you try and stop him.”

“I know the one.” Roy puts a hand on Jamie’s knee and squeezes gently.

“He turned to me and said”—she pauses for dramatic effect before starting the recitation—“‘when I grow up, I’m gonna be a pretty footballer like Roy Kent.’”

Jamie buries his head in the curve of Roy’s neck. “This is not a cute story,” he insists.

“Keep telling yourself that, love,” Georgie coos sympathetically. “And so began the Roy Kent years. What does he ask for for his birthday? A Roy Kent poster. What do we have to get when we check out at the shop? That magazine with Roy Kent on the cover. What’s he want for Christmas? A Chelsea kit, for Christ’ sake.”

“Now, Georgie, you’ll embarrass him,” Simon chides mildly.

“Yeah, that ship has fucking sailed, man,” Jamie pouts. “When Roy leaves me because he thinks I’m a fucking stalker, it’s gonna be all your fault, Mummy, is that something you want to live with?”

Georgie shakes her head, laughing. “Roy, you’re not allowed to leave Jamie over my cute story. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“I’m just saying,” she says, sitting back and looking at her son with a love so palpable it makes Roy ache, “it’s not like this is exactly a surprise. If anyone knows how to go after what they want, it’s my Jamie.”

It’s fucking weird, hearing about little Jamie’s crush, but it's not like he didn't know most of it, and it's not like they’ve ever really had the most normal of relationships; Roy accepted that pretty early on. He puts an arm around Jamie, smiling when he immediately curls into Roy. “Well, I think you set your sights too low,” he says with a gentle brush of the lips against Jamie’s temple. “You turned out to be a way prettier footballer than Roy Kent.”

“Uh, yeah, obviously,” Jamie scoffs, rolling his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitches towards a grin as he pulls Roy into a kiss.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

For funsies, do you have thoughts about what pokemon each Cullen would be most likely to have? Like idk why but I picture Emmett with a Growlithe

I swear to god I had answered this somewhere but since I can't find it, I doubt others can find it.

Let's do it.

Alice

Per the Pokemon universe, Alice is very clearly a psychic and while a powerful one is more or less bog-standard and less terrifying than Sabrina.

I imagine Alice would have a Kadabra and they would have great fun together as Alice communicates for them and uses them to teleport her places she wishes to go.

Bella

Bella has an Eevee, not only is it appropriately normal/non-interesting looking but it's very vulnerable looking, weak compared to its potential evolutionary forms, and has that evolutionary potential to become almost anything for all Bella wouldn't really recognize that fact.

She'd love Eevee because it's a normal type, just like her, because Bella is so normal it hurts.

"Bella, that means only fighting types are super effective against you"

"I am so average."

Carlisle

Carlisle has a Chansey that becomes a Blissey that is his wife Esme. See, Carlisle was working at a Pokemon Center (as one does) and one day came in a tragic Chansey that had had to run away from its trainer and in the process lost its egg.

Everyone had given up on Chansey and Carlisle, cursing himself for being a vampire and probably terrifying the life out of her, ends up taking her home.

Chansey thrives in her new environment and, as all Chansey do, becomes progressively weird the more happy she is. Chansey evolves into a Blissey, a creature that will run at lightening speeds to offer you an egg in your time of need.

It is accepted in the Cullen household that Esme the Blissey is the Cullen mom. It's so accepted, they forget it's weird.

Bella comes to their house and Edward promises she'll love his mother.

Who is his mother?

The Blissey making Italian food in the kitchen because Isaballa is Italian right? (Despite Blissey only saying "Blissey" the plot does not change at all and Bella just assumes that when Blissey goes on a long chirping rant to her it's about how great Edward is.

Yeah, Edward must be her favorite blood sucking child.)

Edward

Edward doesn't have a pokemon.

This is because as a vampire he didn't want to corrupt a good, benign, pokemon with his presence (only the fact that Carlisle and Esme are so pure prevents him from feeling too terrible about Esme). So, Edward wants to gravitate towards more... ah... let's call them tempermental pokemon such as Gengar.

However, Edward doesn't actually want a Gengar, as he wants to be a good person worthy of the world, and a Gengar also doesn't want him for that same reason.

When he meets Bella, there's a dramatic moment where she helps him accept that he too can have a pokemon like a real boy. As Bella tells him what to get, and he wants to impress her, I imagine he gets a Dragonair as it's so beautiful and elegant, just like Bella thinks Edward is (he's never allowed to evolve it into a herp de derp Dragonite).

Emmett

Growlithe and Arcanine in the pokemon world I think are a little too associated with duty/law enforcement to quite be Emmett's thing. Growlithes, while dogs, are very much watch dogs and have a steadfast seriousness when it comes to protection/the law or what have you.

I'm really struggling with him, actually.

I'm going to go with Aipom, good natured but extremely mischievous (and perhaps a little short sighted) who love to live in groups and are just looking for a good time.

Emmett would think his Aipom is the shit.

Emmett also has a Magikarp because he thinks it's hilarious. Its name is Splash. He will never ever trade it.

Esme

Esme is a Blissey. See above.

Though, a happy (but weird), day might come about when coming back from doing the shopping (which Blissey happily does now without having to worry about eating people even if the towns people of Poke Forks are a little surprised that the Blissey is just out there shopping... alone... or going to parent teacher conferences and just... acting like people) and what do you know there's an egg.

"This is our egg, Carlisle" Esme the Blissey clearly pantomimes.

"Sure," is what Carlisle says because he doesn't want to disagree (and pokemon work in mysterious ways) but he did not do the thing that you know humans do to procreate.

Anyways, point being, Esme at one point might have a little Happiny.

Rosalie looks on it with envy because while she adores Esme, EsMe CaN HaVE ChiLDrEN anD isN't a VAmPIrE.

Jasper

Jasper has a Houndoom from his glory days at war. He tries to tell people it's not a Balrog.

Jasper is wrong, it is a Balrog.

Renesmee

There's a story here.

There is great debate over what pokemon Renemsee should get as it should be as special and wonderful as she is. Edward wants to give he ran Eevee, like her mother (Bella's Eevee having since evolved into some state Bella thinks is more cool/better) and for the symbolism of potential and growth that Eevees represent.

Bella wants to give her daughter a Dratini, something that will grow up to be beautiful and elegant and otherworldly (and never a Dragonite, never, it will only stay a Dratini).

Esme of course offers her beloved daughter Happiny (but isn't that your child Esme???) as well as an egg in Renesmee's time of need.

Alice wants her with something adorable like a Pichu, Azumarill, or what have you. It will look great in pictures. And must never ever be allowed to evolve.

Emmett wants to give her a Magikarp which they will name "Splash Two" or "Splashnesmee".

Jacob, of course, wants to give Renesmee a Mightyena because it's a wolf. "It will eat her face, Jacob" Bella does not want to do this even if she admits the symbolism is touching.

In all the bickering, Renesmee stumbles across a Cleffa (stumble being that a spaceship arrived and hit her in the face). Cleffa, being extremely rare and alien, is not recognized by the Cullens who stare and wonder "what is that thing".

Alice supposes it's cute, if not what she had in mind, she can work with this. Bella, Edward, and Jacob are all still upset and trying to get Renesmee to give the thing to Esme to raise so she can have their pokemon instead.

Renesmee ends up with all the pokemon, but does not get rid of Cleffa.

Rosalie

I actually put Rosalie as having a Chikorita. Chikoritas are steadfast, loyal to those they love, as well as courageous. While a Vulpix and Ninetales would appeal to Rosalie's aesthetics, being incredibly beautiful, Chikorita would have all the qualities she'd look for in a friend/partner that is a Pokemon while also being able to be nurturing/help with chores and things (via the use of helpful vines versus well fire balls).

[margindoodles2407]

So.

Was anyone going to tell me before I started reading the William Shakespeare's Star Wars Series by Ian Doescher

That this man rivals Matthew Stover himself in his ability to take Revenge of the Sith from tragic to absolutely SOUL-CRUSHING?

@whyoneartheven GET OVER HERE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. YOU LIKE SHAKESPEARE WE CAN BE NERDS TOGETHER

Highlights from The Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge:

The use of Rumor as a character and a plot device, like in Richard III, because Dramatic Irony

After the whole "Hey the Jedi Council doesn't trust the chancellor, we need you to spy on him" debacle, Obi-Wan gets a monologue about how much he loves Anakin and has been worrying about a growing darkness within him, and swears to do whatever he can to prevent him from Darkness

The Tragedy Of Darth Plagueis The Wise (tm) is a PLAY WITHIN A PLAY THAT PALPATINE ASKS THE ACTORS TO PERFORM, like in Hamlet, CAUSE PALPATINE AND ANAKIN ARE AT AN OPERA OH MY GOSH I LOST MY MIND IT'S SO COOL

Padme keeps having lines about how worried she is for Anakin and how she keeps praying for the preservation of his soul ;_;

After Anakin's fall, he and Palpatine are referred to for the REST OF THE PLAY as Vader and Sidious

TWO UNNAMED JEDI HAVE THEIR OWN SCENE ABOUT HOW WHILST LOOKING THROUGH THE CLONE HANDBOOK (tm) THEY NOTICED THAT A CERTAIN ORDER WAS SKIPPED OVER. THEY THEN LAUGH ABOUT IT AND GO TO WATCH THE YOUNGLINGS DO THEIR LIGHTSABER PRACTICE

Sidious has a soliloquy about his awfulness. ENDING IN: "Die, light, die, any good that ever was,/Die, wisdom; yea, die, virtue, die, respect,/Die, honor, die, nobility, die, right-/These qualities shall perish on this day./For lo, the Sith do ply their merry tricks,/Come, Death: thy name is Order Sixty-Six."

I AM SCREAMING

FREAKING CODY HAS A MONOLOGUE ABOUT HOW HE DOESN'T WANT TO KILL HIS BEST FRIEND OBI-WAN

I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAKE ANAKIN KILLING CHILDREN SADDER BUT APPARENTLY IT'S POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE HIM ASK THEM IF THEY'VE SAID THEIR PRAYERS BECAUSE, AND I QUOTE, "I WOULD NOT KILL YOUR UNPREPARÉD SPIRITS;/NO, HEAV'N FORFEND! I WOULD NOT KILL YOUR SOULS"

When Yoda sends Obi-Wan to fight Anakin on Mustafar, Obi has a monologue about how PERHAPS, ONE DAY IN THE FUTURE, HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT VADER HAS EFFECTIVELY KILLED ANAKIN "FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW"

The whole "You turned her against me/You have done that yourself/You will not take her from me/Your anger and your lust for power have already done that/et cetera et cetera/I will do what I must/You will try" is done using, of all things, Nautical and Sailorly imagery. High Fantasy Star Wars, Anyone? (this legitimately made me so happy; they also have a similar conversation in The Clone Army Attacketh during the scene where Padme's asleep and they're talking about politicians)

WHEN. WHEN OBI CUTS OFF HIS LEGS AND IS DOING THE WHOLE "YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE" SPEECH. ANAKIN HAS A MONOLOGUE ABOUT HOW HE'D CRY TO OBI-WAN FOR HELP BUT (HE THINKS) OBI-WAN WOULD ABANDON HIM, WHICH ENDS IN "I HATE YOU"

Hey. Hey listen. Obi-Wan, after the battle, SINGS a FUNERAL LAMENT for Anakin

"Although it may be said that I have won,/Herein hath died the heart of Obi-Wan" EXCUSE ME MR DOESCHER WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION

No no, listen to what Padme says about her children: "He shall be Luke, and walk among the skies./Heart of mine heart, and issue of my love." "'Tis Leia, who, like me, is royalty./Brave spirit, do remember thy sad mother."

(loud ugly sobbing can be heard from Margin)

I AM. NOT OKAY

[pinkflufflybunny7]

Believe it, you deserve it

Hello, well this is my first post on tumblr. And my first one shot in English, it is not my first language but I promise that I have tried to review it as much as I could. I wanted to make something of Sejanus, give him some love. He deserves it.🥺 I still don't get over it. 😭🥲 att. Fluffybunny🐰 ____________________________________________________

He still couldn't believe that he had escaped death, two years had already passed since he was about to be hanged. From time to time in his nightmares he could even feel the friction of the rope on his neck causing him to wake up startled and scared. But you were there for him, to calm his anxieties. To remind him that everything was okay. On that dramatic afternoon, all the effort the boy had made to help those the district people had had an effect, his kindness, and need to do the right thing had awakened the duty to help him. They couldn't let him die, not after exposing himself so much for them, and also because you were in the middle. You were very loved in the district twelve along with the Covey and this would definitely break your heart.

That's how chaos arose that day seconds before they pulled the lever so that the floor under those who would be executed would disappear beneath them and the rope would do the rest. But it didn't happen, and he had lived to tell it, to have the chance to escape. To be happy for once in his life, to feel loved and like in family. Although evidently the only one his heart still missed was his Ma. The only person who had always truly loved him before you appeared in his life. If only there was a way to bring her with him, he would do it. At one point he even had the crazy idea of kidnapping her, but it was very risky. In the Capitol everyone believed that he was dead, that they had managed to shoot him down while they were fleeing in the forest. Because of course they hid the reality of there incompetence in having let the rebels escape. If he could just let her know that he was alive, that might ease his mother's pain at losing him.

On the other hand, he didn't even want to think about Coriolanus. Yes, because Coryo died the day he handed him over after swearing that he was his brother, that nothing bad would happen. It was a wound that still hurt him, even so he did not wish him harm. He hoped that he was being happy and that he had found what he desperately sought. The irony of the matter was that now a little boy with golden curls, who could barely speak, called him Uncle Sej. He had become the little boy's father figure, he didn't mind helping Lucy as much as he could with him. Although his little face reminded him at every moment of his father, the boy was the living portrait of Coriolanus, except for the brown eyes of his mother.

But now he would experience what it would be like to be a father firsthand, and although he was excited, he was also terrified. When he found out you were pregnant he almost fainted from excitement. Then he started to get a little hysterical every time he heard you complain to yourself even it just was that you stuck your finger with a needle while you were knitting blankets for the baby. If you wanted something, he ran to look for it and got frustrated if he didn't find it. The week went by, and he kept asking for forgiveness for not getting it. Even when you told him nothing was wrong, that it was okay. He was afraid of dropping the baby. It almost happened once when he held Lucy's baby, he was so small and restless that he thought he was going to slip out of his arms. Luckily he managed to hold it well in time before it fell. Maude Ivory knew how to carry them better than him, even though she was only a child.

—Aren't you coming to bed? — You murmured with somewhat sleepy eyes, as you watched him from behind in front of the small window of the room. —I'm going right now… just…— he didn't say anything else, he just let out a sigh. So you carefully got out of bed. A task that at this point was not so simple, your belly was huge and round, but that would not prevent you from reaching Sejanus when you knew well that something was troubled in his mind. As you approach him you take his arm, wrapping his arm in a hug. — Is something wrong baby? Something is bothering you? — You asked while placing a kiss on his shoulder. The boy turned to look at you and tried to give you a smile before letting out another sigh. — I'm not so sure. I guess I'm a little scared. — He said while he directed one of his hands to your round belly and began to caress it gently. — Do you think I'll be a good dad? — he questioned, it was inevitable that you raised an eyebrow surprised by the question. Because for you the answer was more than clear. It was a resounding yes, the best of all. Sejanus was kind, careful at least if he took care of others although perhaps not so much of himself. He was also gentle, humanitarian, always fighting for what was right. So full of love even when he lacked so much it. Besides, you had already seen how he was with Lucy Gray's little boy, and even with Maude Ivory. You were very young couple, yes, but you knew well that he would take care of both of you with his life.

— The best ever. Don't worry, children don't come with a manual. You learn as you go. Also… Will you take care of us? Will you love us? Will you always see the best for us? — You questioned as you caressed his cheek. — Of course I do, with my life. With my life. It's just that my nerves are getting on me. I never imagined myself in this position. I didn't think I could find happiness until you appeared in my life. And then, everything almost disappeared from my hands. I thought I was dying and the only thing that existed in my mind at that time was that I didn't want to die because I didn't want you or Ma to suffer. I still miss her. I'm afraid that for some reason the peacekeepers will catch up with us and finish what they started, and I will no longer be with you. — You could notice how his eyes were filled with tears so you took his face in your hands and brought him closer to yours, pressing your foreheads together. — Everything is fine now. Sej, nothing bad is going to happen to you. The only valid way that you will no longer be with us will be when you die as an old man. Even so I hope it will be when you are very old, and it will be too long until you are an old man. — You assured him. — Believe what is happening to you, you deserve it. You deserve to be happy, enjoy the stages of life. To be loved, to have your own family. I love you so much. — You assured him as you wiped the tears from his beautiful brown eyes with your thumb. — Maybe one day, there will be a way to get in touch with your mom, or at least let her know that you're okay. Do not lose hope. —

A small smile, now more genuine than before, spread across Sejanus's face. — Okay, and I love you too, until the end of the world. — He said, giggling before leaning down to kiss your lips in a sweet and tender kiss. — Come on, let's go to bed now. Those little eyes tell me that you are tired and sleepy. — You took his hand and led him back to bed. Once there, Sejanus laid his head on your shoulder and hugged you, leaving his hand on your belly as he continued caressing it. He still left small kisses on your chin. While you caressed his curls that had grown back. They were so soft, that your favorite pastime had become playing with them while he fell asleep from the contact.

— Oh… — It wasn't even a moan. It was more of a surprise, but even so you couldn't stop the brunette from quickly jumping to ask if you were okay. — All good? Does something hurt you? —You just giggled while you denied. — Didn't you feel it? She kicked. — you questioned. — How is it possible? If I haven't removed my hand from your belly. — he said, frowning. — Because it was on the opposite side to where you had your hand. — you clarified. — Hey, don't cheat on your dad. Do it again… please. — Sejanus began to talk to the baby in your belly and to the surprise of both of you he received a response. A small footprint was seen forming on the side of your belly. Giving the boy time to pass his hand over it, feeling the shape of his baby's little foot. — She is lovely. — he smiled at you as he placed a kiss on your lips again and wiped away a tear of emotion that had run down his cheek. A little piece of him and yours. The fruit of the love they had for each other. The Plinth line had not disappeared, it was still there. With that baby, with Sejanus and with all the others they could have. Because since he was calmer he knew that he would like to give her little siblings. The rest of the night was peaceful, no nightmares, no worries. His future looked to be a beautiful and happy one.

[dmagedgoods]

15 and 18 for all your boys~

15. How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first? Rowley: Rowley doesn’t speak in lofty and sophisticated terms or only ironically, but he is witty, expressive, and creative - with his vocabulary too -, and has a very dark sense of humor. Usually, he finds the right words fast and without thinking about them much, and with the right words I mean the most terrible thing to say in any situation he’s in. People’s reactions to it are highly endearing to him. It amuses him and he shamelessly provokes. He may have saved someone’s life a second before, but you can be sure he’ll make them forget about it right away by offending them in unexpected ways or by painting himself in the most horrible light and even worse than he actually is. Usually, he doesn’t show emotions when he speaks. It’s mocking or teasing or factual or just some idle chatting. With him, it needs a certain level of friendship or other forms of closeness (like romantic relationships) to reach a point where he starts to let you see his feelings with words and in general. Once it happens, his way of talking becomes softer, even a touch warmer, and he provides insights that make you realize he listens and observes much more closely than one might suspect. He uses profanity a lot. Sometimes with a hint of irony to it, sometimes to insult or provoke, sometimes just a few swear words on the way when something goes wrong or casually interwoven in his speech patterns. He will make up new things on the spot, never-heard combinations and unique creations, funny in his better moments, utter nonsense in his worst.

~ Eneas: Eneas is eloquent and well-spoken; in most cases, he shows sophisticated, polished manners and his choice of vocabulary reflects it. Words are his strongest weapon aside from his magic, he uses them to charm and to captivate, to draw in and paint pictures. Furthermore, he loves to spontaneously recite poems or to quote from famous literature. He is a musician but also a storyteller and lives to entertain and to use words with utmost effect and accompanied by a dramatic flair. He rarely shows his true feelings, still his way of talking or telling little tales never lacks the needed emotion. His words often have a theatric element. While he most often has a clear direction in mind and plans his roles and performances and even his words to a degree, he only truly rehearses when it’s of utmost importance (or an actual stage play ahead of him). As long as he moves within the idea of what he’s representing at the given moment, he is capable of improvising the details. He can make his words simple but he rarely wants to. Speaking has the potential to become a form of art in itself after all. Usually, he still makes sure his sentences aren’t too complicated or confusing, he wants his audience to follow him after all, but it happens that his structures serve to hide a second meaning or a well-placed little lie. In other cases, he just enjoys some theatrics, the drama of his own statements, or obscures in the name of storytelling. Eneas almost never uses profanity and if so with a touch of irony to it. He doesn’t mind profanity used by others (or at least rarely does), but he himself refrains from all too rude expressions in most cases. Of course, when he plays certain roles, profanity might be part of it. Usually, though, he much prefers to insult in more subtle ways coming with a sharper sting. ~ Salvadore: Salvadore is very eloquent with strong rhetoric skills, educated, trained in diplomacy, and even studied speech patterns since he has a natural interest in and talent for words. He loves to talk to people, to convince them of his views, or to hold impactful speeches in front of an audience. While strongly passionate about his goals and for those he cares for, Salvadore rarely gives away many emotions in front of people. It needs a deep bond with someone for him to show his warmer and even surprisingly playful side or his possessive tendencies. (All of this even publicly to a degree with someone he loves romantically.) He makes his sentence structure only as complex as needed to convey an idea. After all, he wants to reach people with his words not to confuse them. His choice of words is sophisticated but he speaks clearly and not in obscuring, long-winded, or highly scientific terms. Sometimes he utters very short and strict orders or shuts something down with a well-aimed remark. Salvadore rehearses his speeches and prepares his arguments for important meetings and consultations or discussions, he likes to be prepared, but he also leaves room for spontaneous reactions. It’s more the whole plan for how things are supposed to go which he studies ahead (and sometimes intensely so) than every word he intends to use. He can easily improvise in his fields of expertise, and his confidence and eloquence usually help him when he’s out of his element. There may be audiences where stronger words are needed and he doesn’t mind going there, but in his usual speech patterns, he mostly refrains from profanity. If he uses it, then the rough, harsh sort. In sexual contexts and roleplays, he enjoys profanity here and there – though it depends on the words in question. If he means to insult, he will hit the mark in different and deeper ways (humiliating his target in eloquent manners) than by making up creative swear words.

~ Cian: Despite his affinity for bringing himself into the spotlight here and there and to present a small performance, Cian slightly prefers using the written word over using the spoken word. He has more control over ink on paper and time to think through any deep aspect of it before presenting it to an audience. He is not too fond of improvising completely freely and in important moments, he rather overprepares his words or repeats them in his mind before saying them out loud to make sure they’ll have the planned effect. Speaking is immediate and correcting mistakes or wrong impressions almost impossible once they are made. Still, he knows how to sell what he wants to make people believe in most cases, is a smooth talker, and quite eloquent, especially in his areas of interest and if he had time to prepare. He hates being caught not knowing something he is supposed to know (in his opinion or even worse: in the opinion of those around him) and struggles to keep his superior demeanor when embarrassed in this way. As soon as he's relaxed and actually feels confident instead of playing it, he will show a witty and teasing side that comes naturally and he doesn't need to rehearse. Cian tries to appear controlled and either charming or distant while speaking without giving away many emotions. This works well for him unless he is in a state where his feelings overwhelm him too much, then it becomes impossible for him to hide them. His sentence structure shows that he’s sophisticated and educated but he speaks clearly and not overly confusing. Nonetheless,  his way of talking has something slightly theatrical sometimes. He uses profanity here and there, mostly when relaxed and comfortable. – Rarely ever to insult, he has more effective means for that, but just to express strong approval or disapproval, for example. 18. What embarrasses them? This one is here. 💕