#Hopefully not a second verse that's same as the first

[tcfkag]

2024 and the Return of the To-Done List

So, after a year during which (a) our daughter ran full-speed (literally) into the trying two's, (b) I had multi-focal pneumonia that resulted in a week or two in the hospital (including a brief sojourn in the ICU), (c) I had bizarre, seemingly inexplicable seizures for the first time ever [which meant I couldn't drive for six months...right after we moved to a semi-"rural" town...for the northeast that is], (d) had an acute kidney injury, (e) had several bouts of unexplained pitting edema in my legs, (f) started a new job that I actually really like, even if there is a steep learning curve, and (g) lost my Mom after a long battle with mild to moderate dementia/Alzheimer's that then dropped off a cliff into end-stage dementia in less than six months (depending on how you count it), and (h) just generally felt like I was never managing my physical or mental health as well as I could or should be, I'm going to try to make some changes. These aren't resolutions because I truly think that New Year's resolutions just set you up to fail. Instead, I'd call them goals. Or, at least, hope that I want to support with action as much as I can. While still giving myself grace knowing that I can and probably will mess up along the way. But, the first step is that I'm going to try to bring back a kind of journaling-like activity (since I suck at journaling) that my old therapist recommended when I was feeling like this before. Each day I make a list, generally on Tumblr for at least a tiny modicum of peer pressure, and I just make a list of everything I've done that day. No matter how big or how small. As she put it "make it your base assumption that each day, you will do absolutely nothing, so you get credit for everything, even things as simple as showering. I frequently restart these lists when my depression and anxiety have gotten bad enough that I know I'm not taking care of myself, mentally and physically, so a big part of my goals are (a) to move more [in whatever form that takes], (b) eating healthier, and (c) to take care of several medical/dental appointments that I've been putting off for way too long. The beauty of the list is that, a lot of the time, I ended up doing stuff BECAUSE of the list. So that I won't be staring at an empty page as I try to make my list each year.

Things I'm proud of today...so far:

when we took Peanut to the trampoline park to burn off some of her "no daycare today suckers" energy and this time, I bought a jump pass for myself. I only made it ~30 minutes but it was a great work-out. 10/10 would recommend.

I took the dogs for the "long" trail walk out to the back of our property,

I did a core and flexibility routine this morning,

I decided to take one for the team and point out to my Uncle that the nostalgia he feels about Aunt Jemimah as a syrup mascot isn't as important as the company making money off the likeness of a woman who died 100 years ago who was used as a stand in for the generic idea of what an enslaved (or recently freed) Black woman did or should do, and (finally)

this one is a few days late, but not only did we drive 12+ hours to visit my in-laws for Christmas, but we also stopped in NJ in both directions to pick up Monotasker's Aunt who is 80-years-old, hard of hearing, and in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's and I didn't even lose my shit at a single person...even the ones who deserved it.

Happy New Years everyone!

"May the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows." (Jason Mraz) And even if the worst of your todays are the best of your tomorrows, I hope you can still find your way out and through by the light of the moon to guide you.

[shaisuki]

｡‧˚ʚ°ɞ˚‧｡ ─── MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE.

when toji entered his shared home with you — he can hear the crying of his son. it hasn't stop since he left to get the medicine prescribed by his son's pediatrician. fever was it.

soft footsteps echoing in the floor. toji removing his coat and went to your bedroom. there he sees you. standing in front of the window. moonlight shining through it giving you a halo effect on you. he would be awestruck at you but his son's wailing had been relentless.

his baby with you, flushed skin with tears rolling endlessly in his chubby cheeks. a fever relief pad for babies pasted in his forehead to ease the heat of his fever. he watched as you cooed, rub the back of your baby but still it was useless.

toji sighs. it was rough. it wasn't all shit and giggles when parenting and seeing his baby isn't laughing or doing the same thing all over again plus you. exhaustion visible in your face and tiredness all over your body tending to his little boy. you didn't even notice him and before toji could take a step he hears you hum before you began to sing a familiar tune you always sing when you were pregnant with megumi.

“moon, a hole of light~” you began to sing the first verse and megumi's wailing turn to sniffles upon hearing your voice. the tears rolling in his cheeks turning into drops like dew in leaves after rain. the song hasn't been sung since your pregnancy and megumi stares at you wide eyed. the green in his irises similar to his father turning into one of calmer one.

you raised megumi to distract him while you continue to sing. “cause my love is mine, all mine~” his fingers making grabby motions to you and toji is entranced how you manage to calm your sick baby. “i love mine, mine, mine~” your voice soft. singing the song like a lullaby intended to heal the sick and mend broken hearts and the scarred man gazing at his son and especially to his wife can't help but to feel warm and giddy inside.

“nothing in the world belongs to me~” you continue to sing. your baby eyes wide while he stares at his mother. “but my love mine, all mine, all mine~” placing your son's body in your chest and his head into your shoulder. his breathing softening with hiccups. your palm rubbing his back to soothe the ache and megumi thankfully calmed down. sighing a small smile graces in your lips before bestowing a chaste kiss to his head. hair spiky and you softly laugh imagining how toji would look with his hair spiked up.

you began to sing the second verse and then you turned around to see toji. “my baby, here on earth~” he can see the words forming in your lips added by your angelic voice and he didn't know if he could love you better when you look at him to sing the words intended for him. “showed me what my heart was worth~....” the volume of your voice decreasing not breaking eye contact with your husband and then you greeted him. “toji.”

“megumi finally calmed down but the fever is still there. hopefully it'll be gone by morning.” you say. rocking back and forth to further your baby's comfort. “let me take it from here.” extending his arms and you slowly placed your baby in his. toji isn't good at it. stabbing a man's head is easier than carrying his blood and flesh but toji tries. be a good father and husband in which his father wasn't. it's different now. he thinks to himself. he wasn't alone. he have you and toji intended to make it this way until.... forever.

you rest your head in his shoulder while your hands softly brush megumi's hair. checking his temperature with worry etched in your face. “our child is strong.” toji comforts you. another feat he doesn't know he's capable of and the word our. you and him with your pride and joy resting in his chest. “he is.” smiling softly at your baby.

toji peered at you. his wife stronger than anything else. caring and loving with the voice that can touch one's very soul. calms the storms in its wake and toji thinks back on what good deed he must had done to deserve you. to deserve this life but nothing else matters with you and his life and this little brat.

and toji knows that he doesn't have love in him but now, he have and he intends to have it. to give it to you until there's nothing left in him cause his love didn't exist without you in his life.

[weaselle]

now get rest how's it best to be wired but tired bone deep? doin' meets clever where humans take better care - eat a bite and then go sleep

tip tap these slip slap keys on the board while bored and turnt; the double lit candle bit: trouble gets handled if i can find a wick unburnt

[seunmong-in]

•Midnight sessions & Love Confessions🌙🤍•

Genre: Fluff, best friends to lovers, flirting, slight sass on Chan’s part, cursing (very minimal) Idol!HanxReader 

Words: 1.6K

A/N: This is my first time writing again in almost 5 years... Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this as much as I did!! If you guys want to see more of this please reblog/like the post or if you have any feedback please DM me!!

⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*

“Okay Y/N, that was good but do you think you can sound like you're actually in love? You know, like how you are in love with Jisung.”

You glare at Chan while you mouth the words “Fuck you” to him. As Chan and Binnie start laughing at you as you simply roll your eyes. The boys have been teasing you about your crush on Jisung, the other 1/3 of the 3racha, for a while now. They accidentally found out about your feelings for him a few months ago during one of your usual movie nights at your place. Since then, they have been either making jokes or pushing you to confess your feelings to him. However, you have always refused, thinking that he doesn't feel the same way and you didn’t want to jeopardize your friendship with him. After all, Jisung has been your best friend for years and you both have been inseparable since you debuted together. You walk out of the booth frustrated and sat on the couch. Chan and Binnie at the same time turned their chairs around to face you. It was already 12:30 AM and you were exhausted.

“Why can’t you give this part to Lee Know or Seungmin, they can sing this better than I can anyway,” you say stubbornly, closing your eyes for a few seconds.

"Because I had you in mind to sing the girl's response to this love song, Y/n. Plus, Bin and I have been wanting you to sing this for the past year now. We've even discussed having you as our featured artist for this album so you really can't back out now princess," Chan responded with a smile.

You couldn't really argue with Chan about this because he brings up a good point. You and the boys have been begging management for a song collaboration for years, and as soon as they agreed, you all teased the collaboration to your respective fanbases. Scrapping it now would be a waste of time and bad from a publicity standpoint. Knowing you had no way out of this session for at least tonight, you groaned as you stood up back up from the couch and walked back into the booth, grabbing on the headphones that rested on the mic. Once you had the headphones situated properly and the lyrics in front of you, you look at Binnie for the next instructions.

“Okay Y/n, start from the top of the second verse until you reach the bridge. Remember, try to sing this as if you're falling in love. Put lots of emotion into this bunny,”

You nod while Chan signals to Binnie to hit the record button. The instrumentals start playing as you take a deep breath, closing your eyes, and trying to mimic the feeling of being in love. Instantly, you pictured Jisung in front of you, smiling ear to ear as he cheers you on from the other side. You couldn’t help but crack open a soft smile as memories of the two of you played in your mind. You start to recall all the times he saved you from bad blind dates and all the all-nighters you both would pull just because you both got heavily attached to some anime series that was 10 years old. You continued to sing into the mic, putting all the emotions you were feeling into it and not missing a beat. This was something you didn’t do in your first couple of recordings. You were so deep into your feelings, channeling that feeling of being in love, that you didn’t even realize you were hitting all of the high notes in the bridge that Chan originally took out because you couldn’t hit them. Once the music starts to fade away, the memories of Jisung and you fade away too. You slowly open your eyes to see not only Chris and Binnie smiling at you, but Jisung was also in the room, staring at you in amazement. He pushes Chris over to the side and speaks into the mic. 

“Damn Y/n that was absolutely fucking amazing!! Who knew you had that in you, Angel.” 

Angel... He just called you angel. He’s only ever called you Bubba or Bubbles but never Angel... You feel your face turning red as you quickly put the headphones back down on the mic and walk out of the booth.

Ignoring that you are blushing over this new nickname, Jisung attacks you in a hug as he whispers in your ear about how beautiful you sounded in your recording. When did Ji sneak in? Did the boys text him to come sit in as you sang? Did he see you blush when he called you angel? You were so deep into thought trying to figure out what just happened, that you didn’t hear Chan talking to you.

“Earth to Y/nnnn, did you hear anything I just said.”

“Huh, no sorry what did you say Channie?” You let go of Jisung's embrace, and as you turn to face Chan, you see him smirking. Unlike Jisung, he could tell you were clearly blushing over the compliments you were receiving.

“I said I think we finally got our take. If you want, you can go home for the night since I know it’s getting late, and we can play it back first thing in the morning for you.”

Sighing in relief, you agree while you pack up your things. You thank the boys for having to spend/ deal with you the last few hours, telling them you will see them in the morning, and start to walk out of the room when Jisung stops you. 

“Y/n wait up!” He grabs you by the arm, spinning you around. 

“Here let me take you home, it’s late and cold out.”

“Oh Ji, I don’t want to bother you with that! I was planning to Uber home anyway.”

“Well, luckily you aren’t bothering me with asking since I am also the one offering. Plus it is my civil duty as your best friend, so I am taking you home and that's final. Now come on, Angel.”

He interlocks his hand into yours as you both walk out of the company building and go to his car. You couldn’t help but look down as you try to contain your smile though this is something the both of you usually do consistently. Jisung walks up to the passenger's side of his car and opens it for you, bowing down and signaling for you to hop in. You giggle at his silly gesture as you playfully curtsey back to him and get in. It’s moments like these you can’t help but fall more in love with him. He closes your door and quickly runs over to his side of the car, turning it on. He puts on some random playlist and he puts the car in drive. 

“Alrighty, off to your house.”

⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*

After 10 minutes of listening to music in silence, you finally arrived at your apartment building. You could see from above your sister’s lights were still on which means she was still up playing video games with Felix and I.N. As you turned to face Jisung, thanking him for the ride home, you noticed he was already facing you, softly smiling. 

"I know I said this earlier at the studio in front of the boys, but I really meant it when I said you really killed it with the song, Y/n. I can seriously listen to you sing all day." 

That compliment made your heart skip a beat. You couldn't believe what you just heard. Although you are very talented and often hear comments like that from fans, there was something different about hearing it come from Jisung. It made you feel all bubbly inside as if you had butterflies fluttering everywhere.

"I am being 100 percent honest, Y/n. Hearing you sing with such passion and emotion, I would be lying if I said I didn't fall in love with your voice. I mean, I am already in love wit--" Jisung stops speaking as he covers his mouth and quickly looks down.

You look at him, taking a moment to process what was just said. Han Jisung, your best friend and long-time crush, has unintentionally confessed his love for you. Now the car is now truly silent as the music stops playing. With some newfound confidence, you reach over and gently lift his chin. He looks at you with red cheeks, clearly embarrassed, and tries to avoid your eye contact. You couldn’t help but smile as you finally, say the words he's been longing to hear.

“I am in love with you too Ji.”

Jisung grabs your face and kisses you passionately, and within seconds, you feel a rush of sparks running through your body. It's the answer you've been waiting for after years of not knowing. As Jisung pulls away, he places his forehead against yours.

“I've been waiting to do that since we first met, Angel.”

“I’ve been waiting for the same thing Ji.” You smile at him as you kiss him again. 

After that night, the two of you officially became a couple. The boys were ecstatic to learn that you both had finally confessed your feelings to each other after almost a year of teasing. You also later find out that Jisung had actually written the song that had become a global #1 hit as a confession of his feelings towards you, not Chan and Binnie as you had initially thought.

So not only do you have the #1 love song trending worldwide, but you also got the best boyfriend by your side.

[3584-tropical-fish]

Working my way through some Silt Verses reference sheets, part 1!

I have notes on the pages (transcribed in the alt text) but I’ll throw some bonus thoughts beneath the cut:

First image: The first drawing is basically what I imagine her wearing for most of season one, and probably for most of her life with the Parish. Something that's practical to walk through marshes in and can keep out the rain. The long coat is also good for concealing a revolver. I included the steel toed boots because I love the bit in the season 1 qna where they talk about whether she had a goth phase when she was younger, and then decide that she got a good pair of steel toed boot and kicked people in the shins with them.

The other two were largely because I have been convinced by my friend that she would wear skirts, at least occasionally. I don't think she wears skirts often, but they'd definitely make for good disguise, so I thought it might be a good episode 2 fit. However, if I remember right, episode 2 and episode 4 take place on the same day, so it needed to be an outfit that could become a little more practical for walking through the woods in, and wouldn't get her killed when she burns down the church. Hence the Victorian biking skirt-inspired design! The skirt can easily transition into pants, and the poncho is easy enough to take off so you don't have to deal with any loose clothing.

Second image: The s1 finale look was taken from clothes I'd already drawn her in that made sense to wear while walking through a flooded town. No loose clothing, and sturdy enough to last a walk through a lot of mud.

The clothes she got from Acantha are lighter in color, because Acantha is described as wearing white, which I always find cool. Big fan of the fact that it's healers and Acantha who are described as wearing white. I didn't necessarily get it across very well, but I do imagine that the clothes are a little ill-fitting on her. The backpack with the corpse could probably stand to be a little bigger as well, but hopefully he's a good bit desiccated and can fit nicely.

Third image: I probably could have put her in the same clothes as she had been wearing for the Siege of the Gulch, but I figured she would've been wearing those clothes for a while and would've taken the opportunity to change. Also maybe it would've helped some newcomers trust her more? I don't really know. I did come up with a few symbolic thoughts while drawing the first one, mainly that her color palette would be darker when she was doing stuff directly related to the Parish, to contrast the lighter colors she wore with Acantha. I also decided that she tended to wear her hair down with the Parish so she could hide her face better and avoid people a bit easier (or at least feel less vulnerable. I know I at least feel more exposed when I tie my hair back). So when she goes back to the Gulch, she has a moment where she almost takes it down again, and then decides against it because she's trying to distance herself from who she was before, and ties it up instead.

I don't really have a lot of thoughts on the second drawing besides what I wrote down, but I do like that for the third one she has a blend of who she was at the beginning of the series (long coat) and also who she is becoming (a lighter color scheme). She trimmed her hair at some point while at the Grace because it most definitely had become a mess between seasons 2 and 3, and I like to think that Paige managed to find her a cane once she noticed how her limp had worsened. It's probably not the perfect height and Carpenter probably doesn't use it unless she's having a particularly bad day, but cane user Carpenter my beloved <3

Fourth image: The alt s3 fit is largely for situations where she wants to appear less menacing, especially if once they get into Glottage. Long sleeves also hide any injuries she's gotten so she doesn't rouse suspicions with the authorities. I don't really have a lot of thoughts on the other two! Mainly i just need to do a bit more workshopping on the snare dog bite. Don't really know how that works. Luckily for me she's always wearing long pants so I'm basically never going to draw it.

[tmrwds]

I'm sure I've misheard some (most) words since he raps very fast but I translated some parts from the alt version of Sinkkumies we heard yesterday:

No worries or stress Getting many beer cases from the store Every day the first sip is a new beginning And on the weekend the name of the game is Karhu Drink by drink let's see where it leads to ?? my pulse is rising Got a hangover in the morning And a hole in my wallet I don't care what my boss says Down the throat again The night is stretching until morning

Single man single man He came from there and that's where he rushed to Hot and frantic, soon you'll be sweaty Single man single man He came from there and that's where he rushed to Single man single man la la la lai la laa

The rest of the lyrics from second verse onwards I can't catch enough to translate but from what I can:

--when you drink harder Without a child or a woman There's more space to do all kinds of things Living my own life for myself Without the fear of ?? after you

In a relationship The woman is watching The man is dancing to the whistle of the others She orders you to do things like that That won't do

In the end, let me assure you it's quite similar to the version we heard in Böle which I tried to translate here! It's more obvious with the Finnish lyrics that he uses similar words and talks about the same topics. (I'm trying to piece it together, still missing at least 1-3 words in a each line so it's untranslateable lol.) Hopefully he plays it again and we'll get more clear audio!

[be-my-ally]

Snowballs and Kisses

Hello darlings!! Merry Christmas! I hope everyone celebrating has a wonderful day, and everyone for whom it is a usual monday has a better than usual start to the week!! 

I have been MIA the last few weeks on here, but never fear I have been busy behind the scenes and hopefully more things and fics will be finished very soon!! I cannot wait for my little new year break, and *finally* catching up on all the stuff I've missed!! In the meantime as a ittle teeny tiny Christmas gift please enjoy this timeskip for my Splashing Around ‘verse to Christmas Eve 1960 and my shameless OC self insert of what I’d like to gift Elvis. 

a/n not totally accurate weather references: it didn’t actually snow in memphis in the latter half of 1959 but, this is fanfiction after all and it *was* very cold november 18th 1959. (I also cut a whole 4k of angst that will come out at some point as a separate chapter, Anita getting a poodle, and the colonel dressed as santa because honestly i just wanted to write and read fluff, but here's a warning that there may end up being more festive fics posted…a little late). 

warnings: 18+, smut lite; gentle fingering and references to cumming in pants. UNEDITED

Graceland - December 1960 

The excitement of having Elvis back at home for the festive season was only slightly tempered by the knowledge that it was his first Christmas at home without his mother. He’d not really tried to celebrate properly in Germany; sure they’d done the best they could, and he raved about the gift of a fully dressed tree for weeks,  but it hadn’t been the same as it would have been at home. 

This year though, Elvis seemed determined to restore the festive spirit. Perhaps even further than just restoration - an attempt to make it as bright and jolly as possible in response to both his mother’s passing, and missing the last two. He’d bragged to anyone who would listen about how excited he was to give out presents, his plans for even more lights than ever before; signs and lawn decorations.

While Louise was excited, it had left her in an almost constant state of anxiety, Christmas wasn’t just about the gift-giving… but it was a large enough part of it that it’s where her mind immediately went. From the moment he suggested they hang at Graceland that first year, from the first time they’d all pored over the letter to Frances, and his promises to “have a ball next Christmas”, giggling and whispering about what fun they were going to have the following year. From all of those times Louise had been preoccupied with what to get him and whether her secret plan was good enough for Elvis of all people. 

That first year he had reiterated to them all and was absolutely adamant no-one needed to gift him anything and wouldn’t hear of anything being sent over to him. But his frequent calls and mentions of the upcoming holiday belied his actual feelings and besides, Louise wanted him to feel special. Wanted him to know they’d been thinking of him as much as he must have missed being home. It wasn’t until the 27th of November and the slightest of snowfalls had occurred, tiny little snowflakes, delicately falling down when the temperature had dropped just enough for the rain to crystallise when a flash of inspiration hit her. She couldn’t send it, so instead she’d waited patiently, adding to her bundle throughout the months. Now that it was almost time to give it though she was second-guessing that two year decision. Was it too juvenile? It’s just so tricky to buy for the man who literally has anything he could ever wish for. As the festive period hurtles on she resigns herself to having to hunt for a back-up gift…maybe a nice sweater. Maybe that will do.  Or maybe it’s best to have options. 

Elvis’ melancholia about the holiday doesn’t seem to stretch into Christmas Eve, and he encourages them with all the enthusiasm he’s ever had. The party starts from mid-afternoon and stretches long into the evening and night with all the makings of an excellent time from the music to the food until eventually they all find themselves around the extravagant tree to exchange presents. It’s a little chaotic, so many people about and frequently someone’s having to dive from room to room to fetch people or hidden gifts. Louise finds it almost dizzying when she finally manages to take a seat on the long sofa, catching her breath from being sent to find someone. She was already finding herself struggling to think whenever she glanced over at Elvis - he looked outrageously good in a white shirt, black trousers - well, he looked outrageously good all the time at the moment - but there was something about the feeling in the air of the day that made it all the harder to act natural around him. Elvis had been quiet for a moment, but now he was sat on his armchair across the room, looking for all the world like a king on a throne ready to bestow his generosity on the peasants. Except, that’s not the feeling in the room at all; it’s jolly and wonderful, picture perfect - all of them slightly tipsy on champagne and vodka cocktails and finding the evening all the more entertaining for it. He announces he wants to give the presents that he’s bought everyone before he opens his own, and Louise dips her eyes when he hands her a little bow-tied box. No-one else’s comes with a ribbon and she strokes it, feeling a glow emanating from her stomach and chest as she imagines his nimble fingers tying it on, totally ignoring the fact that she knows someone else probably wrapped it for him. Still, she tugs it off to hide from the others - not wanting to be teased about how such a little gesture has made her blush so strongly - and tucks it into her palm, fully intending on slipping it into her shoe or around her wrist in a moment, knowing she’ll keep it forever - wear it in her hair like a declaration.

When she looks back up everyone has a similar box and she opens it quickly in case they’re all the same - she doesn’t want to ruin her surprise. There, nestled in a little velvet box is a ring, a huge, gaudy red stone in the centre, almost too big for her finger.  Louise is transfixed, staring at it, barely a thought in her head as she tries to wrap her head around the way it sparkles in the light. Despite the size of the gem, the band was more than a little small when she tries to slip it on, and she quietly puts it back into the box, not wanting to draw attention to her apparently larger than expected fingers. She glances around, suddenly coming out of her shocked obliviousness. Her face falling when she realises that everyone around her is unboxing similarly precious jewellery. She’s resigning herself to having to sneak it off to get it resized and hating herself a little for it, wondering if there are exercises she could do or maybe a special diet to shrink her fingers to size, when she suddenly realises all the other girls are turning each-other around, kissing Elvis on the cheek in thanks, or asking him to clasp their new necklaces. Louise looks back down at her box and the others. What does a ring mean? It’s been gifted with such casualness that it can’t possibly mean anything can it? When she looks back up Elvis is staring right at her, and she makes eye contact with him - her wide eyes meeting his laughing ones. He winks, and turns back to Red. She tries her best to distract herself from it, ooh and aahing over everyone else’s and keeping quiet about the little box clutched tight in her hand. 

Half hour later Elvis is admiring his own little haul, when he catches her eye again, 

“You forget about me Lou?” Louise cringes at being called out so publicly, 

“Of course not!” She looks around the room, at the large group gathered there, “No, uh, why don’t you, well I’ve gotten you something else….It’s a sweater. It’s not great really, but I… your real gift I’ve made you, but,” She swallows building her courage, unsure why she’s so nervous suddenly when she’d been so excited for so long; the whole idea just seemed juvenile and silly now. “… you’ve gotta follow me for it.” He stares into her eyes for a second, before nodding and standing up, gesturing at her as if to say ‘lead the way’. 

He grins at the boys when they walk out, making a salacious movement as if to suggest her gift may not be all too family-friendly to accompanying guffaws of laughter. She ignores it, even as her tummy churns; should she be offering that? Is that what he wants these days?

“Don’t laugh.” She asks nervously as they walk into the little pantry. Elvis looks bemused to find himself there, leaning against the wall of the tiny space 

“I won’t” Louise nods, shutting the door, only to hear Elvis giggle, “You tryin’ to get me alone, doll?” 

“You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“One hell of a christmas present! to be locked in a cupboard with a pretty little gal.” 

She rolls her eyes, wiggling past him to get to the freezer, 

“Close your eyes.” He obediently does so, and she reaches into an old box of ice-cream to pull out a Tupperware, “Hold your hands out.” And she puts it in his cupped fingers, “Ok…open.” He blinks down at the Tupperware.

“Um. Well, thanks, I’m uh, sure this will be useful.” Louise rolls her eyes, impatiently tugging off the lid herself, “Oh.” Elvis goes silent, staring at the three perfect, teeny snowballs balanced in the tub. Each resting upon a little piece of paper with Louise’s very best cursive handwriting spelling out the date; December 12th 1958, 18th November 1959, and 20th December 1960.  

The silence stretches as Elvis stares at the box, and Louise starts to ramble nervously,  “I was starting to panic this year, but at least I’d thought to pick some up back in January — it snowed so heavy on the 5th.  I think it was, or maybe the 15th? I’ll have to check my diary… so I mean it isn’t entirely accurate that it’s all from the 20th - but I mean, I had to have something and well I know how much you loved it when, when your mother… and I wanted you to know I’ve been thinkin’ of you non-stop while you were away. So, here, the first snow from the garden from every year you missed.” Elvis is still staring at the box, one finger poking each little round ball. 

“This really snow from two years ago?” 

“Uh-huh… I mean I don’t know what you’re gonna do with it now, but it really is… been in that box in the freezer this whole time…I hid it from everyone. Every time someone said they wanted some ice cream I panicked.”  

“Lou.” 

“‘M sorry this is really stupid, god - what are you gonna do with some snowballs, I should’ve gone in with the other girls, got you something really good… I just - well, I thought you’d like it and I know you misse-”

“Baby, I don’t, I don’t know what to say. I… I didn’t think anyone would think of me like this, like mama did, ever again. I - well, thank you, Lou darling, this is, well, its the best damn gift I’ve ever gotten.” He grabs her arm, tugging her to him - pressing a hard kiss to her forehead, the force of it surprising her.  “I’m gonna show everyone - c’mon - quick before they melt.” He runs out of the kitchen, leaving Louise to follow meekly behind. 

He shows them off like he’s a new father, proudly holding them up in the box, delicately picking one of them up and sighing at it, holding it up at the light for everyone to marvel at. It’s a little ridiculous in some ways - everyone in the room had been gifted something hugely lavish, and yet the thing  everyone was talking and gossiping at was a snowball. 

Hours later the party finally winds down enough that Louise realises she’s one of the last few stragglers of a night so late it’s turned into Christmas morning. How she’d ended up in this position she’ll never know, and she questions it herself as she stands quietly in the doorway, watching Elvis fumble on the piano. Just his fiddling is beautiful, little snippets of remembered carols, before he hammers onto the keys, singing along to Santa Claus is Back in Town. Louise can’t help the breathy gasp that escapes her and he looks up at her, smiling almost teasingly, perfect glint in his eye as he pauses for a second to run a hand through his hair before he continues for another verse and a half. He stops almost abruptly, standing up to stretch before turning to her. She’s trying to find the words to explain how beautiful it was, how perfect he sounds - how she can feel it throughout her whole being, but before she can express those sentiments he’s in front of her and grasping her hand. 

“C’mon,” He tugs her over to the armchair he’d been sat in earlier in the evening, “Over here hon, that’s it - you’re the last.” Elvis throws himself onto the chair, holding onto her, pulling her stumbling body against his. “You’re the last of my girls left…” He sighs melodramatically and Louise giggles uncontrollably back at him. She’d had an illicit two glasses and a half of champagne earlier in the evening; Elvis had playfully wagged his finger at her as she’d accepted it from Red although she’d seen him have more than a few drinks himself. She can feel the bubbles still settling into her tummy and head, fuzzing her thoughts a little and making her giggly and affectionate. Still, she wasn’t so tipsy she couldn’t call out his overdramatic behaviour. 

“They’ve just gone home for the night. They’ll be back tomorrow I’m sure.”  She shakes her head. He ignores her, crying out, 

“I’m all alone!” He tugs her by her elbow, catching her as she stumbles into his lap, pulling her onto him, flattening her wide skirt. It wasn’t really the fashion anymore but while she’d been momentarily hesitant about her holiday dress she wasn’t self-conscious, and she liked how it made her shape look. Some might suggest the bow and petticoats were juvenile, but it made her feel more adult than the tighter styles that were starting to become popular with her peers, more herself than playing dress-up. 

She snuggles under his arm, head pillowed on his chest, cheeks pressed against the little buttons of his shirt. He pretends to choke at her hair brushing his nose, using his free hand to flatten it under his chin and she grins, shivering against him as his breath tickles her skin. They stay cuddled for a few moments, sinking into the kind of happy exhaustion that seems to only occur on holidays. It feels different than before, although Elvis is more similarly carefree than she’d seen him in a long time. He’d grown up a lot over the years she hadn’t seen him, or so it felt, and his adultness didn’t match the image of him playing and fooling around that she had in her head. It’s an awful feeling, she thinks, that even with him right there, surrounding her, she still longs for a little more of the playfulness of the past.

Suddenly though Elvis shifts, interrupting her thoughts and murmuring against the top of her head, 

“Y’hear that?” Louise stops breathing, and all she can hear is the solid thump-thump of his heart against her ear, he waits a second but she can’t work out what he’s referring to and doesn’t respond, he gasps “There it is again! Do you hear it?” 

Louise shakes her head against him, frowning a little, “No?” She tries really hard to listen out, but other than the faintest hint of the music from the boys in the other room she can’t hear a thing. “The music?”  

“No! No, listen.” He puts his finger to his lips, shushing her,

“I really don’t hear anything Elvis.” He wraps his arm around her waist a little tighter, tugging her up so she was sat more upright on his knee, her face close to his. He whispers into her ear, 

“I think I hear hooves…” Louise frowns, 

“Hooves!?” God, it would be just her luck that he’d gone and bought her a horse or something, and she’d have to act grateful even though she was terrified of them.  

“Mmhmm, that’s right.” His hand rises up to brush across her back gently, fingertips dancing around her side, “Hooves. Hooves and bells.” He pauses for dramatic effect, jabbing his finger into her side in a tickling poke. His voice dips lower, as his arm squeezes around her, “Someone must have been a good girl this year.” 

Louise grins when she realises what he’s implying and couldn’t bring herself not to play along. 

“…You think it’s Santa Claus?!” 

“Hmm, definitely…who else would it be, on the roof with hooves and bells on Christmas eve?” She giggles, both in response to his kind-natured teasing and his fingers poking her side with an exaggerated motion.

“Oh, I wonder what he’ll leave in my stocking…” Elvis hums against her hair, 

“Mmm. Coal.” 

“Nooo!” She giggles back to him, “You just said I’ve been a good girl!”

“You’ve been a very good little girl.” His voice has hit that low pitch that immediately sends a jolt down her spine, right into the pit of her stomach and she swallows, trying to keep up with the joke. 

“Well, I’m, uh, I’m sure I’ll like whatever it is.” 

“Mmhmm….” His hand brushes up her leg, “Bet ya I’ll like what’s in your stockings more…” 

“Elvis!” She shrieks, playfully batting his hand away, he pulls it off of her, smoothing down her skirt, and resting it onto her lap for a moment. Louise feels her breath catching as he presses a kiss to the side of her head, brushing her hair out of the way and shifting her on his thigh so that she’s facing him. It’s almost a struggle for her to meet his eyes, she felt so desperate for his attention - but there was nowhere else to look that made her feel any less heated. His hair, god even his eyebrows were Elvis-enough to make her squirm. It’s only a second of him kissing her jaw, before she’s gasping for him, and before she knows what she’s doing she’s grabbing his hand and shoving it back on her thigh. 

She’d kept herself for him, even as it felt that she’d been playing before, doing it for someone who would never notice or care - ostensibly in general, but really if she was truthful - for him. She’d touched herself, hadn’t been able to resist the temptation, especially after his deep voice came through the phone - but the other boys, the boys in school, the ones with blue collar jobs and careers, had all lost their appeal whenever she imagined kissing them, and her imagination interposed the image and feeling of him, his slippery body in the pool, the feel of him in front of her on the bike. He was thinner now, even still, than he was before, puppy fat replaced with lean muscles. His face shape changed just the tiniest bit, perhaps unnoticeable to some, but so very obvious to her, cheekbones and chin more angular than before. But his lips feel the same as they did before he left, and since his return home - she’d expected they’d have lost their eager nature, but still she can feel the hint of desperation as he presses them against her jaw.

She gasps, rocking against him as he roves down her neck - a place no one else has ever touched, tiny points of pressure feeling like a heat was expanding across her neck and chest, matching the clench of her thighs. His hand gently strokes up her stockings before he hitches her up, capturing his mouth with hers and shoving her underlayers up to her waist in the abrupt movement. Louise moves with him, desperate to stay in contact with his lips and she moans in upset when he starts to pull away. 

“C’mon baby,” He whispers, “C’mon, Lou-Lou let me - let me say thank you,” He’s barely audible as he speaks against her lips between pressing bruising kisses onto them, “I just - wanna, wanna make you feel good, Lou doll.” She gasps out her agreement, eyes falling closed and her head falling into his shoulder as his fingers find their way to rub against the silk of her underwear. He shifts her again, balancing her so she can rock against his thigh and his hand, whilst also rubbing her leg against his covered crotch. Louise is almost surprised at the heat of him against her thigh, but her curiosity has no chance to be satisfied when he hooks a finger under the leg band of her panties, totally distracting her from anything but the feel of him under her and attempting to stay somewhat upright. His finger feels softer than she’d imagined, and yet, in comparison to her own the pads feel foreign, rougher and surer than hers ever were sliding into the wetness they find there.

“God, you’re so soft baby, so fucking soft in here, perfect for me, you been waiting on me, honey?” 

“Uh-huh, waited, waited so long for you Elvis - didn’t, I didn’t want anyone but you.” He groans in response, his fingers moving faster. Until he’s forced to stop, tangled in the fabric and he growls in frustration. Louise feels it go straight down her body, and her thighs clench, trapping his hand even more. He pauses for barely a second to manhandle her up, just enough to roughly tug her panties down enough that it’s now entirely her bare skin rubbing against his hand and clothed thigh, the fibres of his trousers almost giving her a friction burn with her rapid movements. He continues as he was a second earlier, but now with far easier access he’s able to swipe his fingers across her clit, taking her to the edge almost immediately. She has no idea if this was something he’s always done well, or if this is a trick he’d picked up while he was away, but whatever the reason she was grateful. She doesn’t even consider how they were still, essentially, in public, too distracted by his slender fingers to be concerned about her now partial nudity. The only noise to break up their combined breathy moans is the layers of of taffeta rustling between them, as she continues to rock against his thigh, but this all changes when he delves his thumb into her wetness, bringing it back up to stroke circles on her clit, gently but repeatedly running it over her. 

“Oh, Elvis?” She cries out,  

“What baby? You’re so - I can feel you’re close,” His own breathing is getting heavier, and he holds her steady with his other hand grasping her thigh while his thumb continues to stroke her, 

“I don’t - I don’t…” She doesn’t even know what she’s trying to say, and before she manages to turn it into a complete sentence she’s shaking on him as she rides out her orgasm. He sees her through it, continuing to stroke her with the same pressure before rapidly shoving his hand down his own pants, roughly rubbing himself off to quick completion. She watches him closely, unable to do anything but stare as his own eyes slide closed, head falling back against the couch and mouth opening as he gasps out a high-pitched moan. It was about enough to make her shudder again against his thigh, the look on his face, his mussed hair, open collar and the noises of sheer pleasure. Louise finds herself bouncing on his chest as he breathes rapidly from the effort, and he holds her tight for a few moments while they both regain use of their limbs. Louise feels almost a little shell-shocked and she only really comes to her senses when Elvis shifts, wiping his hand on his trousers with a grimace and patting her thigh, 

“Gosh that was, I, um, thank you El,” He grins at her, clearly pleased with his success, and he pats her leg again, 

“Thank you, honey, for just about the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me earlier baby, it was just - I’m gonna treasure them snowballs forever, you’ll see.” She grins back at him before an unstoppable yawn takes over her face, “C’mon lil girl, time for bed.” She gulps, thinking about all the people on the house - worrying what will happen next, 

“D’you…where am I gonna sleep?” Elvis frowns, little furrowed line marring his previously relaxed face, 

“With me?” 

“Oh,” Louise swallows, “Um, I think my parents will be expecting me - you know, Christmas morning’s all about -“ 

“Don’t worry honey, I’ll drop you home at the crack of dawn,” He winks, “-gotta make sure the house is all in order in any case anyway.” Elvis pauses, “Or, or you could invite your mama and pops over. They’d be more than welcome…nothing my mama liked more than a full house - especially at Christmas.” He’s looking at her with that earnest little boy expression again and it takes everything in her not to just suggest she should stay forever, it was so absurd that he’d want her to stay, instead of the other way around. 

“Well��maybe I could stay. And, well, I mean, I could come over in the evening? If you swear you’ll make sure I get home in time -“ He’s quick to interject, 

“Cross my heart darling,” She hums at him, and he motions the crossing of his heart across his chest, solemnly holding eye contact, “I swear.”

“Ok then, I’d love to stay.” 

Somehow, and (despite his promises) to Louise’s surprise, she’s dutifully shaken awake and dropped off home, albeit not by Elvis himself, only a few very short hours later. Coming up the driveway of her childhood home it feels almost inconceivable that she should have spent the day and night how she has, and she wonders for a brief moment if she hadn’t knocked her head or something and just hallucinated the whole affair. She’s so in her thoughts that she doesn’t yet notice, as she traipses past the lounge and kitchen where she can hear her mother singing to quickly change, a new set of boxes under the Christmas tree. Elvis’ script on the gift tags declaring “To Louise, a very good girl, from Santa.” 

taglist: (it's been so long that I've lost the list for this verse - lmk if you want to be added, or taken off!)

@lialocklear @ellie-24 @vintageshanny @thatbanditquee @lookingforrainbows @whositmcwhatsit @from-memphis-with-love @missmaywemeetagain @peskybedtime @powerofelvis @dkayfixates @shakerattlescroll

[melancholyshadow]

Hello! I couldn’t help but see your post about writing for COD men! If so, could you please do one that’s Price x reader where she takes a bullet for him? Angst and Fluff. Typical scenario I know, but there’s never enough Price. If that doesn’t work that’s okay too! Thank you!!

Desk Duty

pairing: john price x female!reader

word count: around 2.1k

content warnings: canon-level violence, injured!reader, mentions of someone getting shot, mentions of gun-shot wound, medical talk, kissing an authority figure.

an: hello! first off, thank you anon for this lovely request, hopefully you enjoy it, i am a bit rusty bc i have not written in forever. second off, to address the elephant in the room, i know this isn't marvel related, but i'm really into call of duty right now, and wanted to write for them instead. third of all, if you liked this piece, and want to request your own, my request are open! i am really only writing for cod men right now and maybe some select marvel people. thanks guys!!!!

You never understood the saying “It happened in slow motion.” 

This was real life, nothing happened in slow motion, that was physically impossible. 

Or so you thought. 

All five of you were pinned down, trapped in a warehouse, taking massive amounts of fire. The enemy was closing in fast, and you were vastly outnumbered. It was the five of you, and a couple Marines, that’s it. This was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill mission, no one expected it to go sideways. Especially not this bad. 

“Low on ammo, Captain!” Gaz yelled, tossing an empty magazine behind him. “Conserve. Wait till they get closer!” Price barked back. “Where is air support, sir?” You asked, as the both of you crouched down to reload. “Five minutes out, we just need to make it till then.” He explained, popping back up and firing towards the building across the way. Five minutes was a long time in combat, almost too long. 

When you had this much adrenaline pumping through your body, it was natural to get tunnel vision. Only able to focus on the thing standing right in front of you, and at the moment that was about twenty enemy soldiers. Except, they weren’t all in front of you. They were obviously more well-versed in the area than you guys were, so they knew about a door to the warehouse you didn’t.

Out of your peripheral vision, you saw the sudden flood of light come from the door being ripped open. That’s when everything slowed way down. Three of them rushed inside, you were able to drop the first two, but the third one was too quick. And when his eyes landed on Price who was still facing towards the opposing building, you panicked. So, you did the first thing you could think of. 

Grabbing your Captain’s ‘oh shit’ strap on the back of his plate carrier, you pulled him to the ground and out of the line of fire. As you kneeled beside Price, the enemy’s gun repositioned on you and before you had time to raise your own weapon again, he fired. The bullet connected, causing you to fall back against the cold concrete. Just as quickly as you fell, you watched the enemy’s body fall to the same concrete. Price let two bullets rip, one into his leg and the other into his skull. You stared up at the ceiling, clutching your wound, trying to apply pressure. 

“Monarch is down!”

You woke up in the hospital two days later. 

Apparently you passed out from blood loss. 

It had been a tricky wound to treat in the field, so you had to wait for the air support to show up. 

It was difficult for you to remember everything leading up to you being injured. You don’t remember the actual impact or being carried to the helo. It was all hazy. Gaz, Soap, and Ghost had gone over the incident with you many times, but it just never really came back to you. Not that you were complaining. No one wants to remember getting shot.

After a week and a half in the hospital, a month of physical therapy, and another month of training and sparring with your teammates to get you back in shape, you were finally cleared for the field. It was a miracle that you were able to bounce back this fast, it usually took many months to recover fully from an injury like that, but you liked to think it was solely because of how stubborn you were. 

Everyone was super happy to have you back. Well, almost. There was only one more step you had to do: submit your medical release form to Price and have him approve it. You had only seen the Captain a few times, in passing, since the incident. It felt like he was avoiding you entirely, but you chalked it up to all the paperwork he was probably buried under right now, especially when a mission went that far south. 

You walked down the familiar hallway, Price's office was at the very end. Nervousness flooded your body with every step you took. What could you possibly be nervous about? Was it because you were afraid to face him for the first time in over two months? Of course not, he was the same Price he was during that mission. Were you nervous he wasn’t going to approve you for medical release? No, he had to approve it, hell, you saved his damn life. 

As you approached the door, you took a deep breath. You noticed a shake in your hand as you brought it up to knock on the door. Three loud racks echoed down the hallway. “Come in.” He called from the otherside of the door. You gripped the doorknob, turning it and pushed the door open with your shoulder. Price, as you suspected, was looking over a mountain of paperwork. His signature cap was discarded, and he was dressed in civilian clothes. He was in on his day off. 

“Hello.” You greeted him, closing the door behind you. “Sergeant.” A man of few words, as always, but his tone seemed different. “I hate to do this, but I have some more paperwork for you.” You said with an awkward chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s my medical release form.” You added.

“Set it there.” He pointed to the only clear space on his desk. His words sounded cold. After placing down the documents, you stood there for a few more seconds, seeing if he would say anything else. You know, ask how you were doing, or something, literally anything. But to no avail. 

So, you turned on your heels to walk out without another word. As you touched the doorknob, Price cleared his throat to speak, spiking some hope into your heart. “I’m putting you on desk duty.” Almost instantly, your stomach dropped past your toes. He said it so monotoned, no ounce of emotion in his voice.

For a few moments you were stunned, left speechless. But once that initial shock wore off, anger began to bubble up in your chest. You could feel the warmth overtaking every inch of your body and your chest began rising and falling irregularly.

“W-What? But I’ve been cleared for the field.” You tried to keep your tone even, unwavering as you slowly turned around to face him. He had finally looked up, head propped up on his palm. Like his tone, there was no legible emotion on his face. No anger, sadness, or guilt. “Desk duty until further notice.” This time it sounded dismissive, like the conversation was over. What is said is done. Clicking his pen twice, his eyes landed back on the report in front of him. 

“This is bullshit!” The words climbed up your throat before you could stop them. You could feel your fists clenching and unclenching at your sides. Your words caught the Captain off guard, but he only showed it for a moment. Not once had you ever questioned Price, or his intentions. But this time was different, if he thought you were gonna take this lying down,  he was dead wrong. 

“I’d watch your tone, Sergeant.” He spoke at you more sternly than before, clearly agitated by your outburst. And what he said next only added insult to injury, literally, “After that stunt you pulled, you’re lucky I don’t reassign you.” He used his pen to point at you, reaffirming his statement. That’s when all the logic and camaraderie flew out the window.

“You mean the one where I saved your life?” You spoke with malice, like venom was dripping off your tongue. “God forbid, I interfere with you taking a bullet to the skull.” You scoffed. “Is that the stunt you’re referring to?” You mocked him, echoing the term ‘stunt,.' You were trying to get under his skin, whether you knew that at the moment or not.

The Captain was boiling, you could practically see the steam coming from his ears. As you open your mouth to further instigate the situation, he slams his fists down on his desk. He stands up quickly, his chair tumbled to the ground behind him. “Exactly that stunt!” He barks. You’re the one caught off guard this time. It was rare for the Captain to raise his voice outside the field. Especially to you. 

“You could have got yourself killed, soldier!” It only takes him a few steps to be in your face. You hold your ground even though you're terrified, you had never seen Price like this. “It’s in the job description, sir.” You rebutted between your teeth, adding the ‘sir’ to irk him more. It worked. “You were careless and clearly have no regard for your own life. You are a risk.” He spat. 

“I’d die for you, Captain. No if, ands, or buts, about it.” You said with a straight face. “ So, if that categorizes me as a ‘risk,’ so be it.” He opened his mouth to speak again, but quickly closed it, and you noticed. “Say it, Captain. You never have been one to hold his words back.” You pushed him, feeding on his anger. 

But all that anger seemed to be disintegrating. One moment it was there, and the next it was gone. Like your words flipped a switch inside him. He had this look on his face, like he was truly debating on his next words. “Say. It.” You demanded, necking craning upwards to look him in the eyes. His eyes fell closed, and a defeated huff passed his lips. 

“Having your blood on my hands is something I can’t handle…” His voice was hushed, and now his eyes refused to meet yours. That was the last thing you expected him to say. He has always kind of coddled you, he was very protective. You always thought maybe it was because you were the newest member of the Task Force, but now you’re thinking it’s for another reason. 

“W-What do you mean?” You asked, your mind went blank. All that anger was now mixed with a good dose of confusion. He didn’t speak, just ran his fingers through his hair, still avoiding eye contact. “Captain, look at me.” You uttered softly, and he didn’t listen. You’re not sure what overtook you in the moment, but your shaky hand reached towards his face.

“Please.” You begged, gripping his chin and forcing him to face you. When he didn’t pull away, you brought his face closer, your noses only inches apart. His eyes did finally flutter open, and you were greeted with a stoic, immersive shade of blue, you couldn’t look away. 

“Captain, I–” He didn’t let you finish your thought, cutting you off by leaning in closer, pressing his lips against yours. They were soft, softer than you ever imagined. Especially compared to the coarse hair of his mustache and beard against your face. You even picked up on the taste of smoke, he had smoked one of his cigars recently. 

All you could focus on at that moment was him. The way he placed your hands against his chest, you could feel his heartbeat through the soft fabric of his t-shirt. It was racing, ramming against the inside of his chest.

How his rough, calloused hands cupped the sides of your face, further melding your lips together. The way he handled you said a lot. He kissed you like he was in distress, barely giving you time to breathe between the last and next kiss, not that you were doing much breathing anyways. He made your body feel like jelly, your knees barely able to carry your body weight, so you gripped his t-shirt, tight, trying to steady yourself. 

When he finally pulled away, he kept his forehead against yours. There was no talking, just heavy pants coming from the both of you. Did that really just happen? Was this a joke? You wanted to pinch yourself, wake yourself up from this dream. That’s when he spoke, breaking the silence, “‘m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He apologized, trying to create more distance between the two of you. 

Luckily, you still had a hold of his shirt, stopping him. “Respectfully, Captain, shut up.” You chuckled, which earned a small smile from him as well. “Is this why you avoided me for two and a half months?” You asked, snaking your arms around his neck. “If you think I’ve only had these feelings for you for two and a half months, you're more delusional than I thought, Sergeant.” He chuckled this time, placing his hands on your hips.

“So, the real question is, am I still on desk duty?”

[lavenderchqn]

𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 — TABLETOP TROUPE CUTIES 𝑅𝐸𝐷 𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐸𝑆 — lyney x f!reader smau

𝑆𝑌𝑁𝑂𝑃𝑆𝐼𝑆 —

Second year of university should've been everything you thought of it - more studying with human interaction sprinkled throught... What it definitely wasn't supposed to be was an investigation saga where one of your friends goes missing out of nowhere

“Charlotte, I swear to heavens— slow down!” You did your best to catch up to the girl whose excitement turned her walking speed up to an 11. Hearing your pleas, she stopped turning around so you could join her.

“Sorry!” She scratched her cheek lightly. “I’m simply too excited about the club days! You can simply see articles writing themselves.” You sighed, finally managing to get to her. 

Charlotte had become your friend, the moment you stepped into your shared room. Whoever had thought that putting the same major students together was a genius! The flow of inspiration shared between the two of you was simply amazing and boosting each other to constantly do better. 

While at first, you had found her personality to be overwhelming, as the first days of university had happened you managed to get used to her energy levels. You would never be able to match them… but at least it was the thought that had counted. 

“We’re here!” She stopped before one of the rooms, dubbed “Table Troupe Club”. You’ve known of the existence of what it entailed… But you still racked your brain at the explanation of your roommate choosing this club specifically. 

“Why this club?” You asked confusion in your tone. “I’m sure there are other clubs that would be more beneficial towards your studies, than a role-playing game”

 “For starters, it sounds like a lot of fun!” She put her hands on her hips, as she began explaining. “Besides, being a stellar journalist means you need to be well-versed in multiple genres.” 

Charlotte was correct in her reasoning — to create good pieces, especially reviews, you needed to know your source material. Inaccuracy was the first step to losing your job, after all. 

“Oh it is a ton of fun, trust me!” A high-pitched voice made the two of you suddenly become aware of your surroundings. It belonged to a blonde with the most beautiful curls you'd ever seen. “Would you like to try it out?” 

After agreeing, you quickly learn that she was called Navia. Thanks to some chit-chat, you’ve learned that she ran the club alongside a friend of hers. 

“Is this your first year here?” She asked, setting the two of you up with teacups and freshly brewed tea. Charlotte answered for the two of you, mentioning how you were both studying journalism. 

“While it’s a challenge to throw yourself into this career, I feel like there’s still undiscovered horizons of tasteful journalism.” You said, thinking of all those times when journalists were out of line. That was the last kind of them you wanted to become. 

“Admirable.” A lower voice said, bringing out some dice. “Nowadays, all you seem to hear is about journalists overstepping their boundaries,” Clorinde said, taking her seat at the central spot of the table — as the person running the game. 

Navia seemed to agree with you, humming while placing some snacks in the reach of your hands. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to read one of your articles.” She smiled. 

This lovely moment was disturbed by the slam of a door, and a girl quickly shutting it behind her. 

“O-oh.” She said, awkwardly. “Sorry— I didn’t realise anyone was here…” She whispered while backing herself into a position that allowed her to get out of the room.

“Are you alright? Do you need any help?” Navia walked up to her, keeping her distance to not scare her further.  The girl shook her head, muttering something so quietly, that none of you managed to catch it. 

“It’s just… loud outside.” She sighed, her body finally showing signs of calming down. “I thought I could take a breather in a quiet room...” 

“You’re very welcome to stay with us,” Navia said, smiling from ear to ear. “We’re much more quiet compared to some of the people outside.” With that, it seemed like the girl was finally composed enough to agree. 

Thanks to this, in some way grandiose, entrance… it was the five of you in the club room right now. Navia was still attending to her host duties, talking more about the concept behind the making of the club and such. 

“Oh, Miss.” She turned to the latest guest. “Can I interest you in some tea?” 

At the simplest mention of the beverage, her ears perked up. She has now taken her place at the table, next to you. “I’m Lynette.” She said. “Tea would be lovely, thank you”.    

 Navia poured a cup of tea for Lynette, who accepted it with a quiet "Thank you." The room settled into a comfortable atmosphere, each person finding their place in this newly formed group.

"So, are you ready to dive into the world of role-playing games?" Clorinde asked, her purple eyes sparkling with the upcoming challenge. “I’ll make sure to go easy on you since it’s your first time playing”

Charlotte’s eyes sparkle with the same energy that had brought you here in the first place. "Absolutely! I can't wait to see what this is all about. ”

You nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of anticipation. "I'm ready to give it a try.” Lynette also mentioned that she was ready to participate. 

Navia clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! Let's get started then.”

Clorinde began explaining the basics of the game, detailing the roles and rules. The more she spoke, the more you understood Charlotte’s excitement. This wasn't just a game; it was a chance to tell a story, to explore new perspectives and thus expand your horizons as a journalist.

"Now, let's create your characters," Clorinde said, handing out sheets of paper and pencils. "This is where you get to decide who you want to be in this world."

You glanced at Charlotte, who was already scribbling furiously, her mind clearly racing with ideas. Lynette, on the other hand, seemed more reserved, carefully considering each choice before committing it to paper.

As you began to fill out your own character sheet, you found yourself getting lost in the possibilities. What kind of person would you be in this fictional world? What skills and traits would define you? It was a liberating experience, allowing you to step outside of your everyday life and explore new facets of your imagination.

"All set?" Clorinde asked after a while, looking around the table.

Everyone nodded, the energy in the room charged with anticipation.

"Great. Now, let's embark on an adventure.”

Clorinde wove a tale that drew you in from the first sentence. You found yourself fully immersed in the game, navigating challenges and making decisions that would shape the course of your journey. Charlotte's infectious enthusiasm kept the momentum going, while Lynette's quiet determination added a layer of depth to the group dynamic.

Navia, true to her role as host, made sure everyone felt included and engaged. Her character has taken a supportive role, giving the three of you to experience the world that Clorinde was creating. They must’ve played together a lot — their energy was truly in sync. 

As the session progressed, you lost track of time, caught up in the excitement and camaraderie. It was only when Clorinde called for a break that you realised how much time had passed.

"This is truly amazing," Charlotte said, her eyes shining. "I knew that Tabletop Troupe was fun, but I didn’t realise it was this fun!”

You nodded, feeling a sense of contentment. “You’re a remarkable storyteller, Clorinde.” She acknowledged your compliment with a “thank you.” 

Lynette, who had been mostly quiet, finally spoke up. "Thank you for letting me join. This has been... really nice."

Navia smiled warmly. "You're always welcome here, Lynette. We're glad to have you.”

As you sipped your tea and munched on snacks, you felt a deep sense of connection with the people around you. This club, with its mix of creativity and collaboration, has given you a new perspective on storytelling. Charlotte was absolutely right earlier with her views on expanding your knowledge leading to becoming better at capturing your thoughts. 

While you couldn’t put it to the test at that exact moment, it reminded you of the childhood wonders that made you want to become a journalist in the first place. 

The day ended with the three of you joining the club, as well as exchanging contacts. This day was just the beginning of a new adventure — both in a world created by your shared storytelling, and also your journey of becoming a fully-fledged journalist. 

𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐼𝑂𝑈𝑆 — 𝑀𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐿𝐼𝑆𝑇 — 𝑁𝐸𝑋𝑇 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 date of posting — july 12th 2024

[tryingtodotheright-thing]

Hello, Sunset - 9

AN: It ended up being a long wait so thank you to everyone who waited patiently. I think I'll be slowing my posting to one chapter a month. It was a lot of pressure to get a chapter written for every week (I put it on myself). I think this is more realistic and hopefully I'll enjoy the process more. I'm still trying to get into the flow of writing and none of this is proof read so please excuse mistakes. PAIRING: Seungcheol x fem!reader GENRE: exes to lovers, idol verse, angst WORD COUNT: 3,697 WARNINGS: reader has anxiety and depression, swearing, mentions of alcohol Text in blue is spoken/written in Korean. PREVIOUS / NEXT

The next three weeks in Japan fly by in the blink of an eye. Y/N made the most of her week’s rest in Kyoto before she moved to Tokyo for rehearsals. To her relief, the six nights of concerts across Japan went well. In fact, she was still buzzing from the last performance in Japan, when Fuji Kaze joined her as a surprise guest. She’s been rotating her discography, reworking songs to be duets based on who was joining her on stage as well as singing songs of the guest artist as a duet as well. She was enjoying learning from the experienced and talented musicians around her, not just the ones joining as guests but also the band who were playing live for her concerts. Y/N sometimes regretted not studying music as a subject in university. There was so much she didn’t know about music theory and often felt like she was making things up as she was going. The reassurance she received from the world-class musicians she worked with for the concerts boosted her confidence as an artist tremendously.

Y/N had just finished rehearsals for her first concert in Seoul tomorrow night. Out of all the famous celebrities she’s met since fame came into her life, the special guest for Seoul had been the person she had been most nervous yet desperate to meet. Y/N had been introduced to Kpop as a genre in 2007 when she was 11 years old by Eun Ji and one of the first bands she’d fallen in love with was BIGBANG. Everything about them had been cool to put it simply. The fact that she would be standing on stage and singing with Taeyang, the singer she’d admired for so long, is something Y/N still couldn’t get her head around.

The man was humble. Meeting him for the first time in person earlier today, Y/N couldn’t immediately connect that the person in front of her was the same one who’d put on a fearless performance in front of thousands. He’d walked in quietly in simple clothes and bowed politely to everyone in greeting and shook hands with all those who were involved in the production of the concert. He had asked if Y/N would be more comfortable speaking in English and foregoing honorifics but Y/N was too uncomfortable to refer to him as just Taeyang or Youngbae, remembering how he ruled the music scene in South Korea. 

“Taeyang sunbaenim, it’s such an honour to meet you! I can’t believe this is real,” Y/N had gushed.

“I really enjoyed listening to your latest album. I think it embodies why people say music feeds the soul.” 

He had blushed and thanked her before returning the compliments. The rehearsal that had followed still brought goosebumps to Y/N as she reminisced. Taeyang is Taeyang for a reason. 

Hearing a knock on her hotel room, Y/N got up from the sofa in her hotel suite. The boys were here. Knowing she’d be exhausted and would be flying out immediately after the second concert night, she had arranged to meet Joshua, Vernon and Seungkwan tonight for a meal instead. It was nothing elaborate, she’d ordered some food for them all to enjoy in her hotel suite. The boys had initially invited her to their dorm but she’d declined using rehearsal timings as an excuse. In reality, she’d said that as she didn’t want to take any chances. An article had been released when she was in Japan that Seungcheol would be using his outstanding holiday days and as a result, he would be discharged on 16 March 2026. The date was 19 March 2026 and whilst it was extremely unlikely Seungcheol would be anywhere near the dorms and was most definitely catching up with family in Daegu, Y/N was not going to try her luck. 

Opening the door, she was greeted with a blonde haired Joshua who immediately wrapped his arms around Y/N whilst Seungkwan and Vernon waved at her with occupied hands that carried more food. She ushered them in whilst Joshua still clung onto her like a koala and closed the door behind Vernon once they were all in.

“Hyung, get off. It’s our turn to hug, Noona.” 

Seungkwan pried Joshua’s claws off Y/N and was successful only because Joshua relented. Y/N was able to take a breath of freedom before she was engulfed in Seungkwan’s arms. She rubbed his back as he murmured his complaints of not seeing her for so long. Vernon peered over them hesitantly before shrugging and hugging her from the side. 

“Group hug!” 

Y/N groaned at the extra weight as Joshua joined in. Y/N took it all in, grateful that despite her disappearing act, they still cared for her and missed her. They eventually let go one by one, with Seungkwan the last to let go. She ruffled his fluffy brown hair in affection before patting his cheek as if to say she understood. If Joshua was the annoying elder brother, Seungkwan and Vernon were the adorable younger brothers she doted on. Y/N slung an arm around the shoulders of each 98 liner and guided them to the table where a delectable spread of Korean street food had been laid out for them to gorge on. Seungkwan and Vernon added to the feast some fried chicken and pizza as well as some soft drinks. Y/N was surprised the table didn’t give out under the weight of all of this food. She gestured for the boys to start eating and that she’d be right back. She ran to her room to grab the birthday presents she’d purchased for the three boys. When she returned to the living room of the suite, the boys stopped their conversation and turned to her. Deciding it was better off not knowing, Y/N ignored their suspicious act and passed each parcel to the correct member. She told them to open it later when they got home and they agreed, thanking her.

Slowly, the lingering awkwardness dissipated as the dynamics of their relationship came into play naturally. The target of their jokes was Joshua most of the time. Y/N would side with Seungkwan whilst Vernon would judge their antics as always. However, when Vernon joined in on the banter, the teasing was almost always aimed at Y/N. They joked about Y/N falling for Vernon’s tricks yet again as they munched on the food on offer. Y/N threw a rolled up tissue at the laughing men only to miss all three men, making them laugh harder. She caught up on what they’ve been up to, making sure they knew she’d done her best to keep up as she referenced Seungkwan’s latest appearance on a variety show. They updated her on their upcoming activities, from the maknae line’s album release to Joshua’s front page on the next Vogue issue. They spoke about Y/N’s tour, how this time was so different to her last tour due to its scale and how she envied the boys getting to tour together since it got lonely for her at times. She’d be flying to Hong Kong the morning after the second concert night. Joshua commented that it was a shame she won’t be spending much time in Seoul. Y/N suggested that they all come to her final show at the end of May in London and she promised to host them and play tour guide. 

“Yes, yes! I want to go to London! I can’t believe we still haven’t completed a Europe tour.” Seungkwan voiced with excitement.

“I always thought Seungcheol hyung would beat us to visiting you in London though.” 

Joshua slapped the back of Seungkwan’s head but it was too late; the words had already been spoken. It was as if someone had taken a big, sharp needle to a balloon. The safe space their camaraderie had built burst immediately. Joshua hesitated whether to acknowledge He Who Must Be Not Named. As much as Seungkwan had brought the male up with no warning and definitely no tact, Joshua had wanted to broach the subject. He’d spoken to Coups upon his discharge and as soon as the pleasantries had been spoken, his friend had brought up Y/N. Joshua had just told him she’s doing well and moved the conversation along but he knew Coups wasn’t satisfied.  

“Actually, Y/N-yah, a couple of days ago, I got a call from Cou-”

“Oh, look at the time! I really need to go to bed so I can make it to rehearsals in the morning.”

Joshua sighed at the avoidance and accepted that his friends would need to figure things out themselves. They said their goodbyes not long after wishing Y/N good luck for her performance the next day. Y/N refused to linger in the remorseful atmosphere and went straight to bed.

The moon gave way to the sunrise quickly. Y/N ate a light breakfast after freshening up, whilst pulling together a mental checklist of everything she would need to complete that day before the concert kicked off at 6pm. Soon, she was back at the concert venue for soundcheck. The next few hours passed in a flash as Y/N completed soundcheck, freshened up before putting herself under the care of her make up artist. The KSPO Dome was vast but cold, with spring not quite blooming in Seoul as the frost of winter still lingered in the air. Once Y/N was dressed in her first outfit for the concert, she’d sent a quick message of thanks to Joshua and the others with a picture of the flowers that rested in a tall vase of water in front of her. Cute, she’d called them. She hadn’t expected and was pleasantly surprised. 

When the trio had confirmed their attendance for her Seoul stop, Y/N had asked if they were sure. It had only been six months since the fiasco during the summer. She didn’t want to stir the pot again or start new fires. They had reassured her that there would be no problems; in fact, they’d encouraged her to recognise and mention during the concert if she felt comfortable to do so. The secrecy sometimes just blew things out of proportions. Maybe if they’d been open about their friendship from the beginning, it wouldn’t have been so easy for the narrative to turn against her. Y/N shook her head, as if the action would shake the thoughts out of her mind. She needed to focus on the present.

The next 30 minutes was a blur as she greeted Taeyang who had just arrived, got her mic set up and completed her last set of vocal warm ups. Then, she was on stage, almost blasted on to it actually. She loved it. Every second of it. Y/N had been content enough with her life before, satisfied enough to get by with a few loyal fans (most of whom were friends) and some comments on her YouTube channel. Now that she had experienced the adrenaline, the exhilaration of performing on stage, she knew that she could not give it up. It was like a drug. When others had explained it as such, she’d scoffed at them. She knew better now. It was pure ecstasy. The thrill that washes her from head to toe as she performed to thousands, who were all there to listen to her sing - there was nothing like it. She was sure that if pharma companies could come up with a way to bottle it up and sell it, they would make millions. Humans were greedy and she was human after all. Y/N wanted to be adored. She wanted to be treasured. She wanted to be needed. Being on stage filled gapes within her that she didn’t know existed. 

Soon, Y/N was singing her song ‘Honey’ and watched in amusement as she saw the jaws drop and the silent gasps from her audience as the stage door opened to reveal Taeyang as he sang along with her. It was the first time she’d rearranged this song as a duet and it came across much more playful as a duet. It was also fitting to sing a song called ‘Honey’ with the man whose voice melted hearts. After introducing Taeyang, Y/N had run off for an outfit change whilst he sang his latest release. People who had ever experienced performing would know that time flows differently during a show, of any kind. The moments on stage slowed down almost to the point as if you were watching a recording on your old VCR player, with the video rolling on 0.5 speed. As soon as your part was done and you moved backstage into the darkness, time sped up as if someone was pressing the control buttons, pressing the fast forward button again and again until you were back on stage. It’s how it felt to Y/N as she walked back on stage cheering Taeyang after he’d finished singing two songs on his own. After a small chat between them on stage, they’d moved to sing one last song together. 

“Please raise your hands together for the one and only Taeyang everyone!” 

Taeyang waved to the audience before walking off stage with a salute. Then, it was back to the program. Three songs later, Y/N was giving her final thanks to the audience before she sang the last song. She thanked the live band, the tour production team, the W Music staff and of course, the audience who had made the effort to come and see her perform. Emma had asked if she wanted to recognise any celebrities in the audience and Y/N had said no. She didn’t want to make a faux pas or miss anyone. She’d not done it before at her shows and she didn’t want it to seem as if she was deliberately calling attention to the SEVENTEEN members in the audience to validate her friendship. However, as she was finishing thanking her two best friends, Rachel and Eun Ji, who were in the audience, the spotlight and camera flicked to land on Joshua, Seungkwan and Vernon. The audience began to scream in excitement, and that’s when Y/N turned to face the screen and saw the trio on the screen. Y/N was grateful her back was to the audience and hoped people were distracted enough to not notice the panic on her face. 

“So SEVENTEEN is in the house today!”

Y/N remained standing with her back to the audience as if she was admiring them on the screen but in reality was avoiding hundreds of fancams of her reaction being filmed and uploaded to Twitter (nobody calls it X) and Instagram. She watched as they waved to the camera before Seungkwan raised his finger to the camera, gesturing to ask for a second. Confused, she turned back to look at them directly as if she could figure out what was going on better that way. She kept turning her head between the giant screen and there friends who were now standing up from their seats, even Vernon, who was in the middle. Joshua unravelled something in his hands and Seungkwan seemed to be helping him and then they were holding up a banner between the three of them that read, “Our Y/N is so cool!” 

Y/N giggled at their antics as Vernon threw his hands up in the air in jazz hands as Joshua and Seungkwan looked pleased that they could show off their banner. 

“Ah yes, thank you! Thank you!”

Joshua and Seungkwan rustled the banner as if they weren’t quite convinced they had gotten the message across. 

“Thank you, SEVENTEEN. SEVENTEEN is also cool!”

Joshua and Seungkwan looked to be relaxing and Y/N laughed at the relief on Vernon’s face at the thought of being able to lower his arms that must now be aching but then Joshua and Seungkwan nodded at each other and held up the banner higher with a flourish and Vernon tipped his head back and sighed before putting up his jazz hands again.

“I get it. I’m cool. Now stop it. Stop it!”

Joshua gestured as if to ask her if she saw the sign. 

“Yes, I saw it and I appreciate it. Now sit down and let me continue with the show. This isn’t GOING SEVENTEEN.”

Seungkwan showed the okay sign and the trio sat back down. The audience’s laughter slowly teetered to an end. 

“I promise I didn’t bribe them to do that.”

The audience gave a short chuckle at that. The tour producer told her to wrap up and move to the last song in her in-ear. Y/N walked to the chair and the stand mic that was set up in the middle of the stage. She picked up the acoustic guitar that was seated on the chair and sat down. 

“Thank you for joining the Shining tour in Seoul and this is Stripes.” 

Y/N strummed the guitar to play the instrumental opening of the song that started it all. A costume change and a 20-minute encore later, Y/N was in the green room of Taeyang, who’d stayed to watch the rest of the show. She was bowing and thanking him for the nth time for his guest appearance. He wouldn’t be joining her tomorrow as he could only commit to tonight’s show. Y/N gave her final thanks and asked him to let her know if he ever needed her to return the favour and of course if he would like tickets for any of her upcoming shows. 

“I’ll definitely take you up on that offer!”

“Please do, sunbaenim! Just let me know when and where, I would be happy to -”

“Noona! Noona! Where are you?”

Seungkwan’s calls from the corridor caught their ears. Taeyang chuckled and said he would leave her with her guests. Y/N followed Taeyang and his team out of the room and saw Seungkwan a few yards away peeking into her own dressing room. Y/N rushed towards Seungkwan and saw Joshua and Vernon had now also arrived backstage. The boys greeted Taeyang and they spoke briefly before he left to go home. Then, it was just the four of them if you ignored all the staff who were rushing to finish the last of tidying up for the next night so they could get back for some sleep. 

“Wow, you were so cool! So amazing! How do you sing like that?!” 

All three of them said a variation of compliments, exclaiming how much they had enjoyed the show and were blown by the performance. They didn’t linger for long as they could see Y/N was scared. They promised they’ll be back for tomorrow’s performance as well and hugged her goodbye. Joshua hesitated to follow the others and leave. He asked the 98 line to head back first and that he would be there soon. 

“Y/N?” 

She was busy packing up her personal items into her tote bag and looked up briefly to acknowledge she was listening before returning to the task.

“Coups messaged me tonight. He saw that we were at the concert.”

Y/N stilled for a second before forcing herself to keep moving, and continued packing. She knew Joshua had more to say. 

“He knows you’ve got the concert tomorrow night and that you’re flying straight after.”

Y/N put the now packed bag to the side and gave her full attention to Joshua. He looked nervous and uncomfortable. Whatever message he was passing on, Y/N could tell he was worried about her reaction. She could tell where this was going.

“I tried to mention this last night but you … anyways, uhmm, he asked me again if I could pass on a message for him.” Joshua paused when he saw Y/N take a deep breath. She nodded for him to carry on.

“I know it might be too late but I wonder if you too are hoping if we can talk. I know I’m being selfish but whether it’s new beginnings or goodbyes, I think you deserve an apology and I deserve to share my side too … uhm that’s what he said.”

As if to prove it, Joshua held up his KakaoTalk messages for Y/N to read. Y/N saw that he had also asked if he could come to tomorrow night’s concert instead of one of the others, which Joshua hadn’t mentioned, probably assuming she wouldn’t agree to that idea. 

“It’s getting late, you should go home, Josh.”

Joshua nodded but didn’t make a move. He didn’t know whether to push for an answer so he could update his bandmate or leave his friend so she can gather her thoughts and sleep on it. Deciding he had already pushed his luck and it was unfair to ask for more right now, Joshua nodded to himself that leaving now was the right decision. He hugged Y/N from the side since she was facing the mirror and taking off her makeup.

“I’m sorry for springing this on you. I just didn’t want either of you to regret missing the chance. I won’t say anything more on this, okay? Goodnight Y/N, make sure you get home soon, okay.”

He let go of her and walked away. Vernon had closed the door to her dressing room earlier so Joshua twisted the handle and pulled the door open. He saw Vernon and Seungkwan hovering just in the periphery, waiting for him. They were probably guessing about their discussion and most likely had been correct on the topic. 

“Bye, Y/N. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Josh?” 

He pivoted to face her again with the door still open. 

“I’ll ask for an extra ticket to be left at the door. Good night.” 

Joshua wished his friend goodnight and closed the door behind him. He really hoped that tomorrow would bring a happier outcome for all of them. 

[erinsworld]

My first finished fic since December of '23. Feeling pretty accomplished right now. ☺️ Hopefully it won't be the last one this year.

[nervousladytraveler]

Smutty one-liners:

“Don’t act innocent when we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.” 🙈

Ah @veryflowerobservation my dear friend, you probably thought I'd forgotten this (but like Ross, I forget nothing). I do apologize for the delay. Untitled, but on the theme of quick learners, this is roughly from The Shift universe (but only barely).

---

Ross squinted into the sun as Demelza, dripping and shimmering, emerged from the sea. 

Aphrodite, subtle of soul and deathless,

Daughter of God, weaver of wiles, I pray thee

Neither with care, dread Mistress, nor with anguish,

            Slay thou my spirit!

“Ha!” Demelza cried. “The water is brilliant!”

“Is it then?” Ross managed to reply. He suddenly felt as though he’d never really seen her before.

Where had those lines even come from? Classic verse forced upon him in school stored out of reach--In the head? In the heart?--until such moments when it could be properly applied. 

Yes, Demelza was something like a proper goddess, wasn’t she? Although less ruthless than Aphrodite and hopefully less vengeful as well. Perhaps there was some other mythological being who controlled the tides and men’s hearts in equal measure.

Her face was serene--muscles relaxed, eyes fixed forward in a soft focus. Eyes the same blue-green as the sea. Her usually spirited curls had temporarily been pulled straight by the water but a single jerk of her head put things right. She strode slowly and purposefully forward as though she belonged there, on that beach. And always had.

Demelza was good that way. A quick learner but also someone who’d early on come to understand--as a means of survival--that people had a tendency to take you at your own valuation so poise, or faking it, could carry you quite far.

Ross admired her for this. He knew that In fact, she’d come rather late to swimming altogether. While so many Cornish natives claim to have the sea in their blood, Demelza’s upbringing in Illogan had been a somewhat landlocked one. 

“First time I ever swam wasn’t by choice,” she’d once explained. “At my mate Tamsin’s 14th, her brother threw me into the pool--he was having a laugh and didn't mean any harm--but I figured I'd better sort it out or drown then and there.”

“I'm quite glad for your sake that you’re a quick learner,” Ross had replied.

“Oh no, it wasn't for my sake at all. It just didn't seem fair to ruin Tam’s party since she was having a rough go anyway. Her parents had just split and her dad was living at a hotel for the time being--which is why there was even a pool. Maybe your set had pools of their own but mine most certainly did not.”

“No, not my friends. Francis, my late cousin--he went to pool parties quite regularly as a teen but I just swam here at the beach with the village kids,” Ross had explained. One wouldn't suspect now that Demelza hadn’t been one of those village kids, let loose on the strand as soon as they could walk. 

She was a quick learner.

In the few years that he’d known her, he’d watched her quietly and casually collect new skills time and again, often to his benefit. On her first attempt at making a pie, she’d gotten it nearly right--but the second time, she’d absolutely nailed it. Since then, without any great fuss, she did most of the baking for the cafe. 

Of course, recently there was another domain where Demelza had honed new abilities. When they first slept together, she’d openly admitted to not having much prior experience but her sharp instincts--and eagerness to practise had taken her far.

Now, five weeks into their romance, there were times he felt she was the master and he the apprentice. She certainly had bolder inclinations than Ross did when it came to where they made love. The cafe storage room was an early favourite, as was his car after hours. On those rare occasions when she mustered enough patience til they got to his, even before they made their way to the bedroom, she often first required a dalliance in the kitchen, the sitting room, or on the hall stairs.

Today had been no exception. Before they’d had their swim, they’d been exploring one of the many caves carved in the rockface long ago. 

“Come, Ross…” Two words but he knew what she meant.

“Demelza,” he’d said weakly as she deftly undid the front of his swim shorts. 

“No one is here,” she’d assured him. “Just a few odd gulls.”

“But your knees…the rocks are so sharp…” 

Her fingers were cool but her mouth was smooth and warm and he quickly forgot his objections. Their exclamations no matter how quiet and muffled they aimed to be, still echoed in the empty darkness, and afterwards they stood breathless for what seemed like hours, until they made their way back out into the warm sunshine.

She’d stayed in to swim longer than he had. Content, in more ways than one, he sat on the soft sand and watched while her body glided through both air and water. Around them all was dazzled by that particular light only found by the sea in summer.

Dipping vibrant wings down the azure distance, through the mid- ether…

“Right ho! Hullo!” An unfamiliar--and unwelcome--voice now called down the beach from the north.

Ross pulled his gaze away from his beloved damsel emerging from her seashell and saw the Reverend Mister Odgers walking towards them. A wet black dog ran circles at his heels.

“Good day to you, sir,” Demelza returned the salute with a wave. She was wiping herself off using Ross’s shirt--they’d forgotten to bring towels--and though still clad in only her swimsuit, she’d suddenly transformed herself into the model of demure respectability.

“I say,” Odgers went on after a cursory nod to Ross. “Have you seen a dog round here?”

“You mean that one?” Ross asked sarcastically. He would have been considered the one with the ill manners had the beast not taken that very moment to shake his wet fur in Ross’s general direction.

“No, not our Daniel. Another one--a buff sort of colour, quite a bit like sand!” The man laughed and tugged irritatingly at his collar.

Like sand? That’s fucking helpful at a beach. Ross let out an exhale and grit his teeth, resenting that his intimate moment had so abruptly been intruded upon--and by a pompous man of god, no less.  

“Oh?” Demelza immediately began to scan the horizon. With hand raised shading her eyes, her present posture seemed to accentuate her lovely bust line. Then she licked her lip, presumably to taste the salt from the sea, but it reminded Ross how she’s done the same thing earlier in the cave to signal a job well done. This did little to assuage Ross’s annoyance.

“He couldn't have gone far…” Odgers fretted.

“Oh there he is!” Demelza laughed and pointed to a very small creature, barely noticeable amongst the sharp dune grass behind them. 

“Mufasa! Come, boy!” Odgers pleaded but the dog in question lifted his hind leg in defiance, ignoring his master’s calls. The man took a few steps and the little devil immediately scurried off in the opposite direction.

“Oh dear!” Odgers began to run in an inefficient arc to catch the errant Mufasa. The black spaniel barked great editorials at his heels then abandoned the scene entirely to chase a gull at the water’s edge. “Thank you, miss--and God bless!” Odgers called over his shoulder to Demelza, failing to acknowledge Ross was also present.

“Good lord!” Demelza laughed and took Ross’s hand in hers.

“The man's a fool,” Ross grumbled.

“In more ways than one.” She wove his fingers through hers, then raised their joined hand to admire her work. “First of all, Daniel? Daniel, the spaniel?” She rolled her eyes playfully and Ross found himself smiling. “And the other one? Oh you didn't catch it? No, you wouldn’t, would you. Our dear Reverend Mister Odgers thinks he’s so very clever. Mufasa is a lion from The Lion King. So Daniel and the…?” She danced on one foot waiting for Ross to catch the vicar’s Old Testament joke.

“Is that what passes for humour at the vicarage these days? Or for dog training?” Ross was someone who tended to like dogs but the Odgers pack had gotten under his skin.

“I think the small one is what’s known as a Chiweenie--dachshund and chihuahua mix.”

“Well, the man’s giving him exactly what he wants. A game of chase.”

“Then we should admire the little fella for being such a quick learner,” she said, then read his mood and softened her tone. “Oh Ross, forget Odgers. He’s long gone now. It's just us and the gulls again.”

“Yes, of course,” Ross said and watched her lick her salty lips again. 

Come to me now thus, Goddess, and release me

From distress and pain…

“Demelza,” he teased, ”Tell me, when did you get so friendly with clergymen? Is this one of your newly learned devices?”

“Are you suggesting that somehow I shouldn’t be polite to him of all people? That I should quiver in his very reverent presence--and that of his sacred dogs?” She dropped his hand in mock alarm and raised a brow. Then she smiled to show she was teasing back. “Truly, Ross, I was no more neighbourly to Odgers than I would be to any other passersby,” she added. 

Still, she’d managed the scene so well. And once again Ross was impressed at her poise, her own valuation of herself--and her deceit.

“Demelza,” he laughed. “You may very well act innocent but we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.”

“Hmmn…” She played along. “I seem to recall something vaguely entertaining occurred between us this afternoon but that was far more than two minutes ago. In fact, it has already faded from my mind. Or maybe it just wasn't so memorable?”

“Oh, you are a little devil,” he said and pulled her close for a kiss. “Perhaps you need a fresh lesson to remind you.”

“Yes, Ross,” she said, “Perhaps I do.”

----

Notes: Verse Ross quotes come from Sappho’s “Ode to Aphrodite”. Read it here.  Do I think Ross would have read A level Classics and Sappho at school? No, I do not. But I liked the poem so let's just tuck that away under “artistic licence.” Also, line borrowed from Demelza’s first Trenwith Christmas visit in Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall: “But she was learning fast that people, even well-bred people like those, had a surprising tendency to take you at your own valuation.”

[insertcoolusernamehereee]

Spider-verse, but Nightwing

OK I once saw a comment somewhere which went along the lines of...

"I wish Dc would give us a animation-like Spiderverse of Nightwing"

and at first i kind of ignored it- cuz idk, i don't really care about Nightwing- I mean, i love him! He's great, but not one of my favorite batfamily members.

BUT THEN I REALIZED THE OTHER CHARACTERS WOULD BE THERE TOO

so, here's what i think a Spiderverse movie would be like,

(If the plot was similar)

Nightwing- Obv he's Miles Morales, the main character!

Gwen- OK, the love interest. So we have three main competitors for fan favorite ships! Dick/Wally, Dick/Barbara, and Dick/Kori! Now one of them is already cancelled by default, because Dc is a coward, so we only have Barbara and Kori left! and well, Barbara fits Gwen's personality much more than Kori, and that paired with the fact that DC favors DickBabs in general, WE HAVE A WINNER!

SpiderVerse- okay, this is where it starts to lean a bit away from the movies and a bit from the comics; Spiderverse is now the Court of Owls! My headcannon is that for some reason all vigilantes (minus Batman and one other person, u will find out) join the court of owls thinking it has the right idea, and then BOOM its not actually that good (it kills people it can't control). BUT its not that wrong either. When it figures out what its doing wrong, it starts helping the vigilantes against the real evil, which is...

Spot- The league of assassins :)) YES I KNOW, IT ISN'T REALLY A MAIN VILLAIN of Nightwing's, but STILL, it's too good of a opportunity to give up seeing Ra's and Talia in the movie.

Miles Parents- Bruce and Selina, obviously. I think Jefferson's personality as a parent is PERFECT for Bruce-emotionally-constipated-dad! Selina is Bruce's wife, obv, BUT there is one change here...Y'know that scene where Rio gives Miles that 'your un-grounded" talk? I think it would be Wally giving Nightwing a super cool heartwarming speech (it won't be the same though) and then turned out Selina was listening to it all and at the end is just like "sigh, ok, you're ungrounded, come back soon, i'll deal with Bruce."

NOW FOR THE REST OF THE BATFAMILY MEMBER'S

Tim Drake- DRUM ROLL PLEASE, Hobie Brown! Hobie's smart, and while his personality might be a bit too much....It's still perfect for the role Tim would be playing. Hobie doesn’t trust the Court, and at the end he’s the one who had everything prepared for when they realise that the Court Of Owls is wrong!

Stephanie Brown- AND SHE'S GOING TO BE OUR FAV CINNAMON ROLL, Pavitr Prabhakar. And as much as it pains me as a Pakistani to remove his Indian heritage, it must be done. He's goofy, he ships the two main characters, and is just adorable, he's perfect for Stephanie, and will definitely give her justice.

Cassandra Cain- Sadly, Cass is going to have a less prominent role in the second movie, but hopefully she shows up more in the third; Margo Kess! the scene where she lets Miles go is perfect, because she can detect body language and would understand that Nightwing is right, and Miguel is planning on hurting him.

Damian Wayne- FINALLY MY FAV CHARACTER, but this one is more of a original character instead of a already made character in the movie; Damian is going to be the person Dick has to save. Because i love their dynamic. So, Damian is probably being manipulated by LoA, and idk maybe Ra's is trying to use him as a body vessel without Damian knowing, and the court of owls needs him dead because "HES A WILD CARD" but Dick just NEEDS to save him "BECAUSE THAT'S MY BROTHER, DAMN YOU, IM NOT LETTING ANOTHER ONE DIE" and cue everyone fighting LoA and then a wholesome Dick and Dami scene; Feel free to elaborate on it.

Jason Todd- I had to think a lot for this, but i have a PERFECT answer; Uncle Aaron. ITS SAD AND WILL BREAK HEARTS BUT ITS PERFECT, HELP- The relationship with Jefferson? check. Dies? check. What more do we need?

a happy and alive Jason

Hey! Maybe he comes back when hey go to save Damian! Actually, yes, that is 100% the plot. They find Jason revived at the league and save him :3

Duke Thomas- I CANT FIND A CHARACTER FOR DUKE BUT HE HAS TO BE HERE DAMN IT- please either come up with a original character for Duke or find a already made character PLEASE.

RANDOM OTHER CHARACTERS

Peter B. Parker- Must i explain why? No, no i do not. its perfect.

Mayday- Jon Kent :))) Because why not///

MJ- (Peters wife and Maydays mother) Obv Lois Lane.

Miguel- Random court of owls leader (any idea's?).

SpiderWoman- Can't think of anyone...let me know what you guys think in the comments!

Peni Parker- Kori!! She's perfect

Pig Spiderman- Beast Boy lmao

Black and White Spiderman- Meme version of Raven.

Roy Harper- Just another original character who i need in the movie.

King-Pin- Mr. Freeze! his goals match up pretty well with Kingpins anyway.

The rest of the villains Miles faces will be random Rogues from Batman's gallery.

The rest of the Spiderman's in Spiderverse will be random Justice-League members (OMG I LOVE THIS)

And, well, the first movie takes place when it's only Dick and Jason adopted (Before Jason's death, and then a bit after, when Dick is dealing with the grief)

Feel free to add more stuff in reblogs/Comments! Really want to see what you guys come up with :3

[lin-lizzie]

*cracks knuckles*

this was a detail i noticed a while ago when listening to and watching the persona 3 the weird masquerade version of brand new days however i was only watching the male mc version and it was grainy quality but at the very end the lights go dim and everyone does this weird gesture/motion with their hands, everyone doing it at a different pace, then it looks like they're sending it up into the air. now, i didnt watch p3twm HOWEVER i think it's based off p3p hopefully meaning the story is still pretty much the same aside the songs the cast sings (because i mean. its a stage version what else do u expect) and a few scenes probs but ANYWAYS lets also make note that in the game when everyone's persona awakens and they've resolved something in themselves and it appears as a weird little ball of light, im going to assume that that's what's being sent up into the air

okay, now back to p3twm im assuming the gesture/hand movement they're making resembles something, as everyone does it at a different pace and some people do NOT do it at all, what could this mean? i'm going to interpret it as when they've found a reason for life, i cannot say answer to life as only Aigis and the MC learn the answer to life and it isn't exactly shared to us and both of them only learn at the end of their games

everyone finds their reason differently, everyone has their different reasons. everyone finds it at different times, some later than others. im going to list from who does the gesture first to last (discluding mc) assuming it's who found their reasons first and who found theirs last, and some of their reasons if i can remember:

Aigis (protecting and staying by mc's side), Yukari, Fuuka. Junpei (theres probs another, but also for Chidori after she gave her life to him), akihiko (something about shinji i think), ken (also because of shinji), mitsuru, Chidori(? she isnt seen doing the full thing, however she brings both of her hands together and in the same way everyone else does. her will would be the love she found for junpei and yada yada)

and then the characters who do not do the full gesture (discluding chidori):

jin, takaya, and ryoji

now, I noticed when we zoom back out that Jin and Takaya dont exactly do anything until they send something into the air like everyone else, because i couldnt see what exactly they were doing though i went to search for another version which was the femc version now i know they both may not be the exact same however it is close enough and it actually stays zoomed out and you can see when everyone does the thing but anyways

jin and takaya use one hand, about a second after chidori they reach for something and pull to to them, but not like the others. its almost as if they keep it at a distance, but still keeping it close. they do however follow the others by sending it into the air.

ryoji however, does not do anything. that is until it's mc singing the final verse, his hand reaches up. i cant see what hes doing tho unfortunately smh

jin and takaya share similar ideals, albeit jin only does because he's loyal to takaya and such and such (ok idk how to word that but pls understand what i meannn), which leads to both of them not looking towards the future as they believe they do not have time and will die. which also leads them to wanting nyx to destroy the world and humanity.

ryoji is essentially death. he is the embodiment of it. that's why he doesn't do anything. however, he knows he will be at mc's side, bc yknow mc dies at the end becoming the great seal.

now, mc doing the hand gesture last may just be because he's singing the final verse however his is also different, he reaches out towards the audience/camera instead of sending it up. again, may be bc hes singing final, but it's still an interesting detail, as he is the one who finds the answer to life, and giving it up for the future of his friends.

i love this little detail. i dont think my interpretation is exactly right but boy is it still something that got me thinking. such a small detail too

[jkuniverz]

Ok, first long MSM post, let’s see how this goes.

Do you ever think about how all the Rare Core Seasonals follow a specific design principle? While the Commons are basic embodiments of whatever holiday they’re meant to represent, the Rares tend to take a negative aspect of that holiday and incorporate it into their design.

For example, let’s look at Punkleton for a second:

Pumpkin head, skeletal body, autumnal leaves decorating the neck and arms- yup, this sure is a Halloween Monster all right!

So what about Rare Punkleton then?

Well, since the poor guys’s head decomposes faster than usual, it dresses up in a paper bag to help hide itself from other Monsters. It’s taking the Halloween aspect of costumes and dressing up and using it to cover up this Monster’s insecurity, especially since it uses a brown paper bag to cover its head, which often in media represents embarrassment or shame at oneself.

I’m not sure if I did the *best* job at describing that, but looking at the other Rare Core Seasonals will hopefully better convey what I mean.

So, we’ve got:

-Rare Yool: based off of the Grinch and social outcasts

-Rare Schmoochle: have had conflicts and quarrels with one another

-Rare Blabbit: inversely steals Monster Eggs and covers its tracks well

-Rare Hoola: uses their extra hoop to distract Monsters while tricking them

…Ok, so the theme between them is a little loose, but hopefully you’re able to understand what I’m getting at. There’s some negative aspect to its respective holidays that the Rare Seasonals incorporate into its design and lore.

…but that’s just the Rare Core Seasonals. What about the Rare Auxiliary Seasonals? Do they follow this design principle as well?

Let’s take a look at the current 3 Rare Auxiliary Seasonals:

Rare Gobbleygourds have an indomitable will to try and fly- it’s all they really do. How this is supposed to be a negative aspect of Thanksgiving is… beyond me. Maybe it’s that it mirrors Gobbleygourd’s intense desire to feed everyone during Feast-Ember, but all Rare Gobbleygourd does it hurt itself? I don’t know.

All that we know about Rare Jam Boree is that it’s made of chocolate (or rather, chokkolit), and it may have something to do with poems, as it’s ingame Bio reads like one. Maybe Rare Jam Boree likes to write poems in celebration of events? It’s definitely a more deep and meaningful way to celebrate, by writing it down in contrast to plain partying, so there’s that.

Finally, there’s Rare Clavavera. I’m not too familiar with the Day of the Dead holiday, so I don’t really feel confident about pointing out any sort of reference it may have to its real life holiday equivalent. Though, it’s Bio does state that, “Unique to the Rare… is a special interest in writing of short, witty verses that poke light-hearted fun at those same ancestors”, so that may be the aspect of the Monster that fits with the Rare Seasonal theme?… though, I can’t say for sure.

It doesn’t look like the old Rare Seasonal design philosophy is being followed necessarily anymore, at least not with my analysis. Maybe it is, and I’m just not realizing it. Maybe there’s no such thing as a design theme with Rare Seasonals and I’m just a crazy man on the internet rambling about something that doesn’t matter. Regardless of that, I’m going to make small predictions for the next two Rare Aux Seasonals anyways that follow this probably made-up theme, and no one’s going to stop me.

The next Rare Seasonal to be released will be Rare Carillong, coming sometime soon. For it, I predict it to be based off of/poke fun at New Year Resolutions, and more specifically, how no one can ever follow them. The design would be more rugged and unkempt compared to the Common Carillong’s, maybe with frizzled hair, wear showing on the Chimekeeper, and so on. It’d be funny to imagine Rare Carillong as a hypocrite, preaching about turning over a new leaf and setting goals at the start of the year that it itself clearly doesn’t follow.

After that, we’ve got Rare Ffidyll, which I think would be cool if it were the unluckies Monster in the Monster World. Its nose can only sniff out disaster instead of money, it would look slightly beaten from all sorts of comical trouble it’s gotten in, and to show how unlucky it is, its clover hat would only have three petals.

Will these be accurate predictions for the next two Rare Aux Seasonals, following this theme I may have made up? Probably not. But it would be funny!

[polysprachig]

tell us more about these projects! i’ve struggled to pick up languages again after an extended break and no time and a project-based approach seems very refreshing!

Apologies in advance for the long post. I do plan on making a more detailed post on this at a later point hopefully a video but I make no promises these days.

Important note!! Before you start any short- or long-term learning projects, begin a polyglot journal outlining your objectives and check in every two weeks with an extra detailed summary of what you’ve done, haven’t done, dislike, feel needs changing, etc. either once per quarter or 2x year. Your micro-goals, methods and timeline should shift over time, showing that you can reassess the project and try out new things to suit your needs. If you don't update on time it's nbd, but at least try to write a note in your planner or calendar about what you did when because it can be extremely helpful one year later when you try to revisit where you are now and how you got there. 🧿🤍

The main projects from 2019 to today include the following

Greek - Conversational Speaking, 2019

Goal: meet for casual 30-minute lessons with a teacher, 2 or 3x per week to build up conversational skills and high frequency grammar in use as a passive bilingual (it being the native language which I actively lost growing up for various reasons).

Reflection: The real studies were repetition in speech and looking up key vocabulary I would need to use to tell my teacher about what happened in the last week, and my teacher supplied me with additional vocabulary to help me be more specific. Now I have a record of that vocabulary which I can review whenever by topic/story. Plus my family did notice my drastic improvement and asked if I had been studying.

Irish - The Merlin Project (Quarantine Project), 2020-2022 (+ ongoing, needs new methodology because I met my aims a while back at this point)

Aim: Go from A2 to B1 by learning to write so that you can have the skills to be able to read longer texts

Challenge: Rewatch an episode from the last show that you watched and write down what you see in as much detail as possible, making sure to use a grammar point you’re currently studying in your writing. Look up new words to make the text more specific and add them to the description. Correct your text. Watch the same scene again and add more detail, as in the following:

(Basically: first: do a grammar practice, then: watch 30 seconds, write using that grammar, translate dialogue if you want, consult dictionary, write again incorporating the new words and/or make the sentences more complex, at the end: correct your text yourself or with a teacher, start again and repeat until the scene or full episode is complete or you've exhausted the usefulness of the exercise.)

Alternatively just write or translate fanfiction, but I don't say that here.

By self-correcting you should become very confident on the basic skills at your level, whereas the rewriting itself allows for varied attempts at forming sentences and vocabulary acquisition in a specific context.

FYI I posted the project itself along with the notes to my website (here) and intend to share the presentation on the experience I gave in the Gaeltacht this past August soon enough.

Multilingual, select Romance and Germanic languages - The Diana Project, 2022-present

Challenge: dive deep into the rhythm, melody and sound of certain languages (which relate to a poet I’m analysing) via a slow read of poetry and familiarisation with the poet, poet-translator and poet-actor

Components: read, write, translate and recite poetry on the subject of Greco-Roman tragedy (now its shifting to satire after 1+ year or so of tragic influences) from select eras and in select styles, ex. ottava rima, rhyming verse & simultaneously learn about the rhetoric of poetics that influenced these authors and their poems or translations

These writings I’m still adding to my website as part of a translation, recitation and poetry portfolio.

Most recently, I’ve started what I call the Secret Senecan Project which requires reading certain ancient and mediaevil texts on stories I’m familiar with in the original, identifying key words based on context then extrapolating the grammar from their features (declinations, location in reference to other word forms, etc.). The next step will be to compare these predictions with the bilingual translation and consult my grammar books in those languages to confirm or improve my predictions.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope to polish this up and make the details more learner-friendly sometime before 2024. (: