#I did not buy comics out of pocket to be treated like this

[jasontoddsguns]

When someone accuses me of not reading comics because I get confused with the 74 different canons and timelines.

[lizdive]

Heyy :3 I saw your Lynette! Reader and I'm love with it 🥰 Can I also request some version for Welt, Gallagher, Argenti? Ofc platonic all they wayy [I love ur work 🫶🫶🫶]

Yes you can nonnie 🫡🩷 thank you so much for your sweet words MWAH MWAH 🫶🫶 thank you for requesting !! if you’re unsatisfied just tell me and i’ll redo it <33 ALSO !! NOT CLICKBAIT I GOT TWO POSTS OUT TODAY AND THE CROWD WENT HOME 💯‼️ *Comically gets tomatoes thrown at me* /j

notes 𐙚 gender-neutral reader — "you" used to refer to reader ,, reader is a teenager ,, reader is based off of "lynette" from the game genshin impact ,, platonic relationships ,, mentions of being sold, close to being 'used', creepy old men, and other things relating to lynette’s past ,, mentions of various other characters in various parts ,, platonic relationships ,, not proofread ignore typos

⭑ Much like Dan Heng, WELT did not expect you to fully trust anyone on the express quickly, which was why he tried to make himself seem as welcoming as possible even though he very much is welcoming on his own.

⭑ He was patient with you and respected your boundaries, and when you’d give him your wacky replies he’d just nod his head and leave you alone. He never pushed you to do stuff with any of the members and was overall pretty chill.

⭑ His comforting and welcoming vibes alone helped you trust him easier than the other members of the express, and soon enough Welt found himself walking around with you trailing behind him like a duckling. If he was sitting in the parlor cart, you were next to him practicing or showing him your card tricks. If he was in his room, you were probably there just in the corner doing your thing.

⭑ Tea time anytime anywhere. WELT will always have the time to enjoy tea and snacks with you whenever you’d like! If you make your treats yourself, he’ll help you make them, too. It’s nice bonding time. He’ll also learn a thing or two about tea making from you as it seems that you take the art very very seriously.

⭑ He’s not a swordsman by any means but he’s seen many different fighting styles in his time so he’ll give you some tips on how to improve. He’d still prefer for someone else to properly mentor you and by someone else I mean Dan Heng as he’s the closest one to a swordsman on the express.

⭑ Like some others in the first part, he’ll keep something sweet with him in his pocket so if you’re ever craving something sweet or feeling hungry in general he’ll be able to hand you the sweet treat easily. Feels bad whenever he doesn’t have anything on hand, especially when there aren’t any stores nearby.

⭑ He can do the talking for you if you want him to. He’ll calmly tell others that you aren’t comfortable with conversations and that he’ll be doing the talking for you during interactions. If they don’t cooperate then he’ll just,, leave with you. He needn’t waste both of your times with someone who cannot respect boundaries.

⭑ Not surprised by your feline features as he’s seen many things in his time, but if you lean more into the feline mannerisms he’ll give you extra head-pats and ear scratches and may buy you cat toya if you want them. Makes sure you take care of your nails too!! Doesn’t want you hurting yourself.

⭑ He doesn’t mind participating in your performances. He,,,, he has experience on stage,,,, ahaha,,,, WELT can entertain a crowd! Doesn’t like the tricks that involve the both of you getting a bit messy thought like the water container, but he’ll indulge you in any other tricks! He also doesn’t mind watching your performances! He’ll smile and clap after every trick, praising your skill and what you do. He’s very supportive and would be honored if you teach him how you do what you do.

⭑ If you ever open up to him about your past, he’ll be there for you as he pats your head and rubs your back soothingly, telling you to take your time and that he’s so proud of you for getting through that and having the courage to tell him all of this.

⭑ Like Veritas, I don’t think WELT do anything to the man should he still be alive. He’ll help you forget him if you’re bothered by the memories and help you heal should you be repressing emotions. He’ll teach you how to accept and will make sure by the end of your journey you’ll be the best self you can be. He’s already so proud of you.

⭑ You both are like old people with technology and both learn as you go. A member of the express teaches WELT something, he’s quick to message or tell you about it and vice versa.

"Humans are complicated creatures. Even when they are not doing so intentionally, they will still unconsciously hide their true selves. Though I can always notice a few 'redundant' details, I won't expose their facades when it isn't necessary."

"That’s… very nice of you?"

⭑ You were a performer at the bar, many of the patron and visitors flocking to the bar just to watch your amazing performances. GALLAGHER couldn’t deny that you were a talented kid, and he also quite enjoyed your performances.

⭑ You were young, so it’s not surprise some people did try to get you to work for them instead in hopes of exploiting you. GALLAGHER would always step in if they were being too insistent and sometimes even kick them up, however most of the time they left you alone due to your eccentric replies. They always made him snicker in amusement secretly.

⭑ GALLAGHER will make you drinks as you work and fix up small snacks if there’s anything available. Because of you he’s become a bit of a tea-making expert. Every time you take a break or finish a performance he’ll have a nice cup of tea set up for you in the staff room at the back. He awaits your feedback.

⭑ When you invite him to joins you in your tea breaks? He’s either tossing the bar to Siobhan or another employee, and if there’s non then uhm,,, yeah he can’t join you but he’ll make it up to you! And if you help him with drink making he’ll cry a bit internally. You’re such a good kid,,,

⭑ Not only are you both a good duo in the bar, but you both are a good duo in officer work. He’s is a bit intimidated with your swordsmanship, but he also admires your quick and clean cuts. You become his unofficial official assistant sometimes when it comes to snatching up criminals and it’s actually kind of fun.

⭑ You suck at technology, he’s decent at it, he doesn’t mind. If you want to improve he’ll help you out but if you don’t he’ll supervise you whenever you’re using anything relating to technology so that you don’t burn the bar down or something. Is it possible to get hurt in the dreamscape? I can’t remember. But still, he doesn’t want you to get hurt.

⭑ Calls you 'kitty' jokingly but if you get upset he’ll drop it. Also, only he’s allowed to call you that. Nobody else. He feels that if others do it then it’s mocking you — even if they mean well he just doesn’t like it so only he can do it.

⭑ He’ll help you practice but I don’t think he’d perform insane acts with you. Maybe the more simplistic ones or ones that don’t require him doing really complex things. He just doesn’t want to mess up and ruin your acts. If you want him to do a dramatic announcement for you before you go on stage, he’ll do so happily.

⭑ The moment you open up to GALLAGHER trust that he’ll make sure you’re much more guarded and kept safe. He’ll also be much more observant of the patrons and visitors and nobody will be offering you work offers. He’ll ask you during your break times if anyone tried to do anything to you, and if so, to give him as many details as you possibly can. No need to ask why — he’ll deal with them.

⭑ Should the man that you were sold to dare be alive and enter the bar, GALLAGHER will have him out of there before you even catch a glimpse of him. He’ll also make sure that man is out of the dreamscape. Man, Sleepie has been needing a new toy as of recent!

⭑ Does the talking for you but at the same time not many people will be talking to you anyways after your performances because you’re having your tea break and so he’ll tell anyone that wants to interact with you that you’re unavailable for the rest of the time.

"If you explain a magic trick, then the allure of the performance is lost. Personal relationships are the same. If you want to understand me, why not learn a bit at a time, and gradually piece together a complete picture?"

"I like how you think, kid. Don’t change your mindset ever, got it?"

⭑ A new feline-featured performer holding a show in a planet nearby? Oh how delightful! ARGENTI’s getting a ticket to your show the second they’re available! He’s always loved performances and shows as they show how skilled others are and are always so beautiful.

⭑ He absolutely loved your performance and even wanted to thank you personally for the lovely time! And so after the lights were back on and all guests left, he made his way outside in search of you with an appreciative rose in hand which he expected he’d be able to give to you.

⭑However, what ARGENTI didn’t expect was for you to give him the wackiest response ever. He blinked, handed you the rose, and then continued to converse with you. He’s like Sunday but oblivious — there is no winning with him he can talk for hours.

⭑ It’s a huge yapper / listener situation. You travel a lot for performances and he travels a lot in search of Idrila, so you can’t escape him because he has the excuse to follow you around. Well, he does protect you even if it’s not needed due to your swordsmanship, but it’s convenient so you guess it’s fine.

⭑ ARGENTI also does all the talking for you which is a nice and huge bonus. Sometimes he does it without even realizing and nobody is able to make him shut up. It’s a big win win for the both of you and he never brings it up out of concern because you don’t seem bothered by it.

⭑ Finds your feline features beautiful and would love to help you groom your ears and tail if you’d let him !! He’s be very gentle as he brushes out the loose furs and if you like head pats / ear scratches he’ll sneak them in while he grooms your ears. He’s somehow so good at it for being a first timer (or so he claims.)

⭑ Very present in your performances and will always be there to support you and cheer you on, handing you a rose as a congratulations for the successful show. If you perform for him alone during your free-time, he’ll clap with a big smile and tell you how wonderful that was and how you’re improving so much.

⭑ ARGENTI is probably the best performance partner out of everyone because he puts in so much emotion with the tricks and acts he pulls. Also, he doesn’t mind being in front of a large crowd and he manages to captivate their attentions so that’s a bonus. You’re deadpan and he’s very emotional. A good duo.

⭑ If you open up to him, ARGENTI will be appalled. Not at you — never ever you — but at that disgusting man who dared to even think about using you. He’ll promise you that he’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens again and then he’ll ask if there’s anything he can do to make you feel better. Would you like a specially prepared fish dish? Some sweets? Tea?

⭑ Speaking of tea, he loves tea time with you! It’s a nice time for the two of you to bond and relax from life, enjoying the flavors of the teas that would vary each time you prepared some. If you teach him how you make your teas he’ll be over the moon.

⭑ I don’t think ARGENTI is bad with tech, he’s probably pretty good, so he’ll help you figure out how to not bust everything that contains some sort of tech or machinery. If you break things he won’t be upset or anything — he’s a pretty patient person. He’ll care more about you and if you’re injured.

⭑ Spars with you and constantly praises your agility and clean cuts. You both share tips and tricks for tending to your weapons and fighting in general, too. ARGENTI won’t be too rough on you but he will put up a challenge — he genuinely wants you to improve!

"Building a relationship with someone is like gambling. No matter how much information you have, it's hard to predict how other people might change. I've always had the habit of keeping a safe distance from others, but in your case... I'm willing to shoulder the risk of losing a bet."

"I promise you, you will not regret this gamble nor will you lose."

[notmorbid]

hacks: season three.

dialogue prompts from the third season of hbo's hacks.

i'm so proud of you, you have no idea.

give me a hug.

you look the same.

it's just sad that you're so wrong about this.

crashing a party is big lambo energy.

you really think i could make it?

not everyone goes around announcing their sexual orientation.

i'm going to have another drink. do you want one, before you go?

i've been busy, too. that's not an excuse to just not respond. especially to objectively funny memes.

what are you, mr. miyagi? and i'm the karate kid?

i had to go to couple's therapy because my girlfriend was so sick of me talking about it.

did you even think about how that would make me feel? did you think about me at all?

you've got to scratch and claw, and it doesn't get better. it just gets harder.

just try to enjoy where you're at right now, because you'll miss it. and you can never go back.

what time were you born? i want to look up your birth chart to see what houses your planets are in.

tax loopholes are my love language.

do you not have anything better to do with your time?

it'd be so much easier if you just came here.

don't you need to get back to your actual job?

ask me. i'll say yes.

i'm sorry i just proposed.

is there anything i can do to convince you?

you've gotta set boundaries and keep things appropriate.

my childhood wasn't always stable or normal or even lucid.

in kindergarten i learned my abcs backward so i could recite them to a cop.

i know you don't like when i get all sappy and sentimental.

i can't just come out and say what i want.

have you been spying on me through my camera?

i'm depressed, and i don't want to talk to you, so i'm leaving.

you got in my head.

i'm mad at you. where are you going?

i wanted to be here with you. because you're in my head.

it makes you sound old when you say your parents are dead.

why don't you just come out and say why you want it?

i don't have the luxury of playing it safe.

i'm finally respected. respectable.

your superpower is that you're shameless.

i have writer's block. you have manic depression. why don't we go for a walk or something?

you have to concentrate on what's best for you. just buy a vibrator.

i had a husband. he's in hell.

you can't re-cork champagne.

i recently got into foraging. well, the idea of it. i haven't actually done it yet.

i don't put anything in my pockets. it ruins my lines.

it's perfectly natural for you to not be able to do all the things you used to.

the goal is to keep everything the same, because i feel the same.

you're one of the biggest climate criminals i know. your carbon footprint is huge.

i'm crippled now. i have more rights.

don't judge a book by its giant fake tits.

billionaires shouldn't exist. i used to have a pin on my jean jacket that said that.

philanthropy's just a fancy word for tax evasion.

i was fired after one shift for being too openly depressed.

you are gonna be shocked by how 'of the people' i am.

it was stupid of me to even think i had a chance.

i'm just gonna go live in the woods.

you talk about this stuff a lot?

i think you should come to my room.

you're a gay republican? how does that make sense?

oh, wow. a liberal kink-shamer.

i would happily let a socialist pee on me.

why don't you come over here and show me?

get it, you dirty diva.

i saw you doing the walk of shame this morning. high five.

trying to be a good person is hell, but at least you're trying.

thank you for inviting me after i texted you that i wanted to come.

we'll be cordial, i'll be a fabulous host, and that'll be that.

how did you get this way?

i've never been interested in being pregnant. of course, i have been, but ugh.

i put the jokes in comic sans so you know they're funny.

just because it's edible doesn't mean you can eat it.

you're ____. i like ____. and i'm a hugger.

you were always good at wrecking homes.

it's okay if i cry. i'm sad.

i'm just still so angry at you. i don't want to be, but i am.

frown lines are the hardest to treat.

that is the best twist i've ever heard. even better than an evil twin.

would you say jealousy plays a big role in your life?

i get it. don't shit where you eat ass.

have a fun, safe, and very queer weekend.

how old do you think i am?

nice mouthfeel, right?

i can't be 'woke'. i'm exhausted.

it's so easy for you to say what's right or wrong, but it's never that simple. one day you'll understand that.

you okay? i mean, i don't know you. this could be your personality.

sometimes left behind is good. cher wrote the 'believe' album at 55.

i think i'm just going to listen. i've said enough.

to be honest, i'm really afraid of saying the wrong thing.

i appreciate you telling me in person.

you make one mistake and you're crucified like jesus christ on the freaking cross.

why have i spent my entire life trying to make amends with someone so awful?

i can't keep going to the hardware store for milk. it's a therapy thing.

the universe works in mysterious ways. maybe our paths will cross again.

that was insane, random, rude, and weird.

big risk, big reward.

please don't leave. stay here with me.

sometimes the most innovative visionaries struggle with executive functioning.

i don't trust you. you're a fucking liar.

i don't want to be a shark or whatever the fuck.

stop crying. this is just the way it is.

i know you'll do the right thing.

i realized i belong here, no matter what.

[shunshunrika]

╰──╮YUUJI ITADORI - LOVE LANGUAGE ╭──╯

 *ੈ✩ A wholesome young lad. Any parent would want him as their son-in-law. You met him because you were in the same club and were smitten by how kind and communal he was. You fell first and started finding opportunities to be around him more. He was oblivious at first but when you outright confessed, he fell harder than you did. Eventually you came to be known as the 'parent couple' of the club and people would treat you like a married couple.

 *ੈ✩ He's the type who waits after school to walk you back home even if he lives in the opposite direction. Sometimes your schedules don't align he stays back anyway to walk with you. And no, he doesn't do this to get into your pants. He's a genuinely nice person who wants to ensure you get back home safely, especially if it's late.

 *ੈ✩ The type who plans weekend outings because he knows you don't have to many people who invite you out for things when you really want to go and have a social life. Eventually his friend group becomes your family too and beach trips, karaoke, arcade, evening walks - all become a norm of your life, just like you wanted.

 *ੈ✩ Gives you company when you are doing arduous tasks. He won't talk or bother you, he just sits in close vicinity, listening to music, reading comics or doing his own thing quietly while you work. His presence is comforting and makes the tedious task go by faster. You don't know what you'd do without him.

 *ੈ✩ He's bad at giving gifts. He really wants to. He's always short on money though because he doesn't have any family to give him pocket money. Once he picks up a part-time job just to scrape up enough money to buy you a Christmas present. You cry that day. You scold him first though and then start crying. You tell him that he doesn't need to buy you material things to make you happy, he could've just shown up with his puppy face and you'd melt.

 *ੈ✩ He's a good listener and has great memory when it comes to remembering things. Also has an iron will. You note how people keep calling him stupid and blockheaded, but he really isn't. He is quite caring and compassionate, and you love this part of him, rarely found in the smartest or the hottest boy out there. He remembers little things you tell him. He remembers all your problems and the streams of thoughts you have about those problems. He remembers all the expressions you make and all the times you'd bite your lip or fumble with your fingers.

 *ੈ✩ Learns to cook for you because he's concerned you don't eat enough and are always tired. Becomes pretty good at cooking actually as he's a natural. Cooks up various cuisines, multiple times a day and makes sure you are well fed and happy. Makes sure he's using the right ingredients with the right nutrition output to boost your serotonin.

 *ੈ✩ Once, Yuuji Itadori showed up outside your house in the dead of winter, because he was super happy for some reason. He called you and asked you to look out the window as he waved his hands frantically. When you finally see him, standing there in knee deep snow, he starts moving around, writing something in large letters on the snow.

"Happy Anniversary" he spells out and grins big.

You are speechless as you walk out of the house barefoot and hug him tight.

"Happy Anniversary, you idiot."

There may be many hot men like Gojo, or cool men like Megumi - but there is only one Itadori Yuuji and he's yours.

I love him so much!!! literally the best boy in the show. He deserved more attention y'all!!

[muzanswaifu]

Fic Preview!

Vexing Love

Sanemi x Florist!Fem!Reader

Here's a little tidbit from one of the requests I'm working on! Momma's been working so hard lately and ik you guys have been too so here's a lil treat hehe (sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes)

Warnings: Fluff, Sanemi is bad at flirting, Reader is sassy, Reader is a bad bitch, Sanemi has it bad, Nemi is allergic to pollen

-

"Well hey you," she leered, a single brow raised as she fluffed up the daisies that laid on the front table at the entrance of her shop. "You finally gonna buy something or are you just hear to nag. I'm gonna start charging you by the minute y'know." The sly sparkle in her eye made his gut twist, sweat beginning to collect in his already clammy palms. He shoved them into his pocket before she could see.



"Nah, just here to see if this place is still fuckin' dead like it always is. No surprises there."



She scoffed, turning her head away in distaste, her hair wagging to the side so gently he wanted to fucking touch it, to run his hands through it and mess it all up. He didn't care if it smelled like flowers either. He'd enjoy either way.



"You're such an asshole! Maybe if you'd stop scaring away all my customers, I'd get more business," she hissed at him. He laughed at the insult, forcing himself to move along with it, despite the feeling that ate him slowly.



She thinks you're ugly



He shook his head of the stupid thought, instead lingering to stare at today's attire. She wore purple today, a soft shade of lavender that went quite nicely with the hair piece she dawned. The homemade fabric clung gently to her figure, the grains tastefully swirling around her body in the uniform pattern. The sleeves of this yukata seemed to be floral themed as well as the ends tattered along into delicate petal shapes. He liked this one more than her others. It was -



"Flashy."



She turned to him with a confused look, eye twitching. "What did you just say?"



"You look flashy," he repeated curtly, casting his eyes away. Compliments were hard to make, so she should appreciate that he put in the effort honestly.



"Flashy?"



"Yah."



"So I look too flashy to you?" she inquired, crossing her arms and cocking her hip with a glare. This wasn't going how he thought it would. Shouldn't she be thanking him or something?



"Uh no," he shrugged, "just the right amount."



She turned around from him, bundles of flowers in her arms that were wilted and grey, ready to be thrown out. Comically mirroring her patience. He could see the clench to her jaw and strain to her temple.



"You're so... - so clueless!" She stomped off angrily into the shop.



Sanemi was taken aback by her vexed response, hesitantly going in after her. He hadn't even noticed how scratchy his throat and nose had gotten with his distraction. How was she angry? He'd heard Tengen give his wives that line over a million time, and they practically dropped their panties on the spot. Did he say it wrong or something?



"What did I do?" he called after her.



"Let me guess, you're gonna say I smell weird again too?" she remarked, recalling the time he'd first met her all that time ago when he'd said the damning words, so unused to the smell of flowers as he'd avoided them without an after thought. But he hadn't had a reason risk it then.



He felt bad, truly. He didn't want her to think he was insulting her. He didn't want the relationship his parents had, his father constantly demeaning his mother to keep her confidence low enough that she saw him as better than. Sanemi wanted to make her feel good about herself! She deserved praise from time to time.



"It was a compliment!" 

"In what world?" she asked dramatically. He could see how her posture was cringed now, as if to hide herself from him. But the stance was short lived as she turned back around, finished with dumping her spoiled product.



"You're lucky I don't care what you think," she announced, fixing her hair, "Because I know I look good."



He pinched the bridge of nose and sighed. No, she was lucky she was fun to be around sometimes, or he wouldn't even give her the time of day.

[rrrrinmaru]

the taste of vanilla on your lips (marius x mc)

wc: 923 rating: T

When he shows up before you in an ice cream truck, the first thing you do is check the date. 

“It’s not April Fool’s yet,” you tell him, brows furrowed even as your lips curve up of their own accord. “What are you doing in that thing?”

“Making an honest living,” Marius replies, one arm braced against the counter as he tilts his head at you. From this angle, you can see the sharp slant of his jaw when he grins at you. “Is the pretty lady interested in ice cream? I’ve got every flavour under the sky in my truck.”

You stare at him, torn between exasperation and amusement. This isn’t the first time he’s shown up in an ice cream truck, but this time you aren’t at HoyoLand and he’s not in the signature uniform. 

He’s dressed casually. A white T-shirt with a rounded collar sits loosely on his shoulders, and the usual over-jacket is nowhere to be seen. There’s a dark blue apron tied around his waist and neck. Marius looks younger than usual, looking the very picture of a university student sneaking out to do some part-time work. It’s like a breath of fresh air, watching the way his lips curl as he grins at you.

And you’re in a park. You’re honestly surprised there aren’t more kids running up to try and buy ice cream from the handsome man in the eye-catching truck. The sun sets in the horizon, casting a gentle orange glow over the place, and the light catches on the bridge of his knuckles when he braces his palm against the roof to lean out. 

“So, what’ll it be, pretty miss?” He asks, eyebrows raised as he smirks at you. “Are you a classic type of girl, or more adventurous? Vanilla, or cereal and milk?”

“You have cereal and milk flavoured ice cream in there?”

“I have everything you want,” Marius says smugly, giving you such a self-assured smile that you can’t help but want to kiss it off his face. “Have your pick. Everything in this truck is at your mercy. And we have an ongoing discount! Two for the price of one, a special treat for our thousandth customer.”

The charm that rolls off him is effortless. You try to resist it, maybe give him a hard time for driving an ice cream truck all the way here, but you’re helpless to the twinkle in his eyes.

You hope it’s not too self-centered to think that he’s here for you. Marius certainly didn’t pick this park out of the entirety of Stellis for no reason. 

“Vanilla,” you decide. “Two scoops.”

“You only get to pick one,” he tells you, already ducking back in to scoop ice cream into a cone. “The other one is a surprise!”

You huff, shifting your weight from side to side as you wait for him to be done. Instead of handing you the cone through the main window, however, Marius turns to the door.

The door to the van. As if he intends on leaving.

You stand there, surprised as he does just that—he unties the cute blue apron with his free hand and slips it off his neck, hanging it up as he goes down the steps.

“For the lucky lady,” he says, offering the cone to you with a flourish. “Happy birthday, jiejie.”

The flush rises almost immediately. You put a hand to your face, trying to cover the redness of your cheeks. “I didn’t—how did you know? Did I tell you before, in the past?”

“I checked your ID,” Marius replies playfully, pulling at your hand to drag it away from your face. “No need to hide such a pretty face. Here, one scoop of vanilla ice cream.”

You grab the cone, trying to focus on tasting the ice cream instead of looking at Marius. But you can tell that he’s staring at you, one hand tucked lazily into his pocket as he smiles, and the flush stubbornly stays on your face. 

“I thought you said I could get two scoops,” you point out in a weak attempt to change the subject. 

As if on cue, Marius puts on the worst shocked expression ever. His eyes go comically wide, mouth dropping open in surprise as he pretends to gasp, and he looks at you like you’ve discovered the secret to world peace.

“Why, jiejie,” he says, smile clinging to his lips once he’s done acting. His fingers interlock with yours, grip tightening slightly like he wants to make sure he’s holding onto you properly, and he tugs you close.

“I said it was a two for one deal. Everything in the truck is at your mercy. Including the ice cream man, you know?”

��You—!”

Marius laughs, swinging your entwined hands lightly as he watches you get flustered. “I’ll get you another scoop if you really want one, jiejie. The actual ice cream man should be coming any minute now. I just borrowed his truck to surprise you.”

Ah, you think, seeing someone round the corner and head straight to the truck. He waves at Marius, giving a meaningful look in your direction, and your fingers twitch around Marius’ hand when Marius nods back. 

“How about it?” Marius points at the newly reclaimed ice cream truck. “Want another scoop?”

You shake your head. “I’ve got everything I want right here,” you whisper, and squeeze Marius’ hand. 

He blinks, surprised, and then it’s his turn to try and hide his flush behind the palm of his hand. 

==

(a/n: written for a friend! happy birthday 🥳 )

© rrrrinmaru 2023 | no unauthorised publication or reproduction allowed

[hoppingonjim]

learning love again (i) - holland march

chapter one. summary: i really wanted to make a little fic about holland meeting his old love again and again throughout the course of his life. so here we go! cw: mentions of losing virginity, talk of america/political views of war, brief mentions of the vietnam war

she was eighteen when they met. and nineteen when the military swept him away. it was for america and back then she could understand, there was no higher pleasure for a man than dying with stars and stripes adorning his heart. there was no greater shame than hiding behind a borderline. 

a street lamp was the first time his eyes soaked her up. limbs crossed over, back against a void of color. with the eyes of bardot and the body of cardinale he swore he fell in love. did her mind possess curie? a streep lamp stalked above him as he inquired her for her name.

“mary.”

“that's my mom's name. that was also jesus' mom's name.”

“that's nice.”

the woman only gave a smile. eyes glanced upwards to the canopy that flickered above, “what's your name?” the boy would only watch for a brief second, fingering his pocket for a pack and lighter.

“holland,” soon a companion of a light screamed between them, making messy love to the stick suddenly dangling below his cupids bow, “my mom liked the country holland. so. now i'm named holland.”

“ah.” the closeness grew far. the repellence of smoke sniggering in her nostrils. until they flared, “i don't like people who smoke.”

in a matter of seconds the cigarette found the soles of his boot, “that better for you?”

a smile dressed itself in the light swirling above, “yes.” when her wrist grew itchy of her curfew she suddenly kept the distance between the two close, “i'll catch you later, okay holland?”

she was eighteen when he dressed her in a luxury menu. treated her eyes to the cul-de-sac of spaghetti. the vines and checkered table cloths that draped over glossed wood. an ambiance of gold and the adriatic.

“what's the cheapest thing on the menu?”

“you're not getting the cheapest thing.”

a crinkle popped from the furrowing of her eyebrows, quizzically she watched him, “what do you mean? it's not cheap here. i don't want to blow money..”

that sentence would see its hand once holland gave her a swooshed hand motion, “you're yapping. i'm paying. buy what you want.”

she was eighteen when he alleviated a confession with a staggering stutter.

“i t-think i l-love you.”

tangled limbs resting in limp sheets. joints deep in discombobulated slumber while the sun beckoned for a crowing rooster. navy coating her clothed back. navy encapsulating his matching boxers.

“think or you do?” her voice bore no volume. a mingling whisper.

“i do.”

“i do too.”

she was eighteen when he held a virgin in his arms, nineteen when his sheets were the last to feel virginity. nineteen and lonesome, she wore the title of his only companion. in those navy sheets roses fell scattered and trampled. his parents enjoyed their slumber next door as they made love, innocently. giving their minds over to passion and their bodies to the palm of the other. with moans waltzing with low groans, the gentle sun remained hushed. the sudden man snapped his hips, celestial bodies tuned into comic ballads. beethoven's symphony ringing out with every muffled crack that leaped from her voice. breathless and panting.

"holland, how are you not worried about- holland, oh my god you're inside of me- oh my god your dick is- oh-"

"doesn't it feel wonderous?"

the suns kiss on the wavering weeds outside stood a void from inside the window pane. and when she gave herself to him, and he found a climax, their bodies fell into one. the velvet curtain closing as the scent of diminished chastity grew thick. a question echoed about his first time and in came a lie. vulnerability husky under the guise. and while they tip toed under their new title to the washing machine he swore to himself his lips would never behold the truth. his virginity was washed up on those sheets too.

she was nineteen when home seemed like a good option. here was the time for picnic play of war to unveil a realistic shoulder. for little boys to mold into their mossed figurines. under a street lamp she found squalor plucked on her knees. the collection of rain fall staining a once stunning plaid hem. the velvet curtain withdrawing to the sight of her hands gripping onto the bulk of his jean clad thigh.

“stay, please-america will never know. just stay, stay?”

the girl he had assisted into transcending womanhood mirrored a child once more. breaking over. porcelain lips shattering with every deafening word. his own were lost on the train he was sure he would be taking. a mind heavy on decision and a heart torn with two sacrifices.

“i love my country mary, right now america needs to be my love.”

“will america remember if you die though? i will! i'll remember if you die! i'll remember your name holland, and your eyes.. america will call you lifeless and put you in a bin of meaningless men. just stay with me.. please.”

“get off the sidewalk mary.” a tone imitating the wading winds that croaked the downfall.

“you aren't being made to.”

“i'm staying with america, mary.”

“but i love-”

“go home mary.”

she was nineteen when she was thrown the pitiful ending with her knees soaking up abandoned down pours. the array of dusted water pooling around her once pure white dress. on the sidewalk she surrendered to fate with rain soaking her flag.

he was twenty one when he took a train. when he casted aside her letters that piled on his front stoop. distractions were something he couldn't tear himself from. on the train he sat with empty pads beside him, the others crammed ahead. their eyes gaunt at the faces of their weeping future widows. swallowing his affection, his eyes found his creased palms. still he felt blessed to feel her touch, to dance with streams of her stranded tresses. to guide her into the land of absolute pleasure he could grant. with a grumbling stomach he continued to feel full of home made mac and cheese. the only dinner she could properly serve. in his lips he could taste the entire year he knew her for. from when he questioned her identity to when he left her questioning his heart.

she was twenty one when she spotted a doppelgänger of the man she wasted pens on. where she discarded stamps.

“is that, holland?”

her sister, tall and eclectic, wondered aloud. her neck claimed by a dangling ring gifted by the man that had rang their doorbell numerous times in one week. all mary could remember about the man was that he was taller, muscular, his name was either jackson or jake- mary was unable to remember.

with a tense throat she glanced at the man who had clutched her butterfly heart in the creased palm of his hand before he'd drop the butterfly into a discarded moth. the man who ushered her thorned moans into his ears, the boy who made earnest love to her on navy sheets.

“no.. i don't- no..” a stammer pushed through. the sight of a scraggly man holding the mature hand of a golden decorated lady.

mary glanced down at her very own strands of hair. plain brown.

she was twenty one when she realized it indeed was the real man. the con artist bishop.

[druidgroves]

Chapter 12: Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

Fandom: Fallout 4 Words: 9,327 Characters: Georgia Tate (Canon Divergent Sole Survivor), RJ MacCready, Piper Wright, Nick Valentine Notes: warnings for self-harm, but otherwise enjoy ! also go check out the rewritten chapter one if you haven't already! read on ao3 / read on tumblr

The days spent in the house by the river went by relatively quickly. Far too quickly for Mac’s liking, who for once was in favor of sticking to one spot for more than a day. Having a breather between taking down the Gunners and whatever came next was a blessing as far as he was concerned. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still bored, however.

Georgia seemed to pick up on his antsy energy pretty fast. With no injuries preventing bodily-movement, Mac was able to futz around the house as he pleased. Mostly, he paced in front of the broken windows, half reading a comic and half looking out at the water. It wasn’t long before his back and forth in her peripheral made Georgia delegate a task to him. When they arrived, the group had done a preliminary sweep upon arrival, clearing out the radroaches in the process, but had neglected to do a real sweep.

“If you pick over this place good enough,” she said, nodding towards the rest of the house, “my treat at Power Noodles when we’re back in the city.”

Mac perked up at something to do. “What do you want me to look for? Probably not anything good.”

Georgia gave him a doubtful look over her glasses, “You know what I like.”

Thinking of all the junk in her backpack (bar the rings he still pretended he knew nothing about), Mac knew he did. He channeled her energy during his search, and within an hour, he had every leftover knick-knack, lamp, and alarm clock from every room in the house laid out on the kitchen counter. He’d even found a few bottle caps that he pocketed cheerily. Once he was done, he not so subtly got the attention of Georgia, who had been quietly observing his comings and goings over the pages of her book.

Turning down the corner of the page, Georgia sat it on the couch next to her and peeked over the cushions. Her eyes scanned over the spread and she gestured for him to continue with a nod of her head.

Mac cleared his throat and got right into it.

“Three table lamps, with one intact lightbulb, six screws, and usable wiring,” he began, gesturing to the items as he went. “Two alarm clocks with complete circuitry and wiring—I had to bust ‘em open to check. One phone with four screws on the bottom that I could count, plus whatever’s inside. I found a camera in the hall closet with a cracked lens, but I shook it around and nothing inside sounded loose, so that’s good, right? Then I saw a mini toolbox in there I thought you’d be interested in, too. Oh, and another fan.” He paused for a moment then turned back to her. “How’d I do?”

“Not too shabby,” Georgia said with a grin. “Help me strip it all down, and I’ll even buy you a beer at the Dugout.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.”

Picking junk apart down to its base components had only occupied him for so long. Stripping metal and wires wasn’t exactly quiet work either, meaning that once they were ready to bed down and it was his turn to be on night watch, it had to be put away. Naturally, idle hands and minds were prone to wandering. On the table across from Georgia’s sleeping form on the couch, was a stack of books prime for picking through.

After the first couple pages, The War of the Worlds had been the only thing keeping Mac from falling asleep during watch out of pure fear (aliens, man). Of course, Mac would never tell her that, not in a million years. After he had read the chapter describing the extraterrestrial creature emerging from its silver tube, Mac knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that he’d actually sleep. That kind of thing had always freaked him out, and the book had only cemented that fear further into his psyche. Besides, just the two of them, out there by the river, alone where anything could snatch them up if it so chose...

But Mac had more tangible things to worry about than aliens. Didn’t stop him from staying up the rest of that night, though. Since they had nothing but time, he planned to take a couple of cat naps throughout the day to catch up on sleep, but upon noticing her stack different from how she left it, Georgia seemingly couldn’t help but pester him about it.

“I didn’t know if you were a science fiction type of guy,” she said, holding up the book, “I figured your super heroes were more your speed.”

“What can I say, I’m a complex person.”

She snorted. “So what’d you think about it? Did it leave you with anything?”

Mac raised a brow. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Y’know,” she said, trying to find the words. “Themes, messages, commentary. Personally, I think there’s somethin’ to be said about the theme of invasion and how it can be applied to critiques the old world, though I guess hindsight gives me the ability to recognize that more than most.”

“Hindsight?” he asked, then snorted. “What, you some sort of time traveler?”

“You can travel through time with a good book is what I meant,” she replied quickly, seemingly distracted by a hangnail. “Read a lot of…first hand accounts about life before, is all.”

Boring, he refrained from saying out loud. The old world was the old world for a reason; he didn’t see the point in even thinking about it too much. It was all bombs and ghost stories now as far as he was concerned.

“Anyways,” she continued, turning the conversation back to him, “did you have any thoughts at all? The War of the Worlds is a classic. Apparently.”

Mac blanched. He hadn’t gotten past chapter six.

“It, uh…It was good,” he started, awkward and sweating under her attentive look. “Had a lot of interesting themes, but uh…I don’t think aliens are for me.”

Georgia had almost looked a little disappointed, but then waved it away as she said, “Ah, don’t worry about it, we’ll find you a book you like yet. To tell you the truth, I tend to be more of a romance kinda gal myself, but I figure it’s good to branch out into other genres to keep yourself well rounded, know what I mean?”

“Yeah, sure,” he’d agreed, if “well rounded” meant reading both Grognak and The Unstoppables. He hadn’t been much of a book guy since leaving Little Lamplight, where attempted performances of old world plays had been one of the many ways to keep themselves entertained whenever the holotape player broke for the thousandth time.

On the fourth day, they decided to move out, but only after Georgia swore up and down that her foot was fine and Mac’s own battle scars had healed enough. With generous stimpak applications for each of them courtesy of the Gunners’ loot, they were back in fighting shape again.

“I’m serious. If you fu—mess it up again,” Mac warned her once more before they left, “you’re on your own.”

“Somehow, I doubt that’s true.” He replied with a heavy roll of his eyes, making her laugh.

“Yeah, well, I’d make you work for it first. Maybe press you for that extra medic pay, huh?”

“What, is my friendship not payment enough?”

Mac laughed, then paused for a moment, thoughts turning to their contract and where it hung in the area between employment and friendship.

“Are you even still paying me technically?” he asked suddenly. He almost felt bad about asking, but not bad enough to not ask. “I mean, I know we’re friends now, but uh, a guy’s gotta get by, you know?”

“You’ll still get your fair share, that much hasn’t changed,” she assured him, “but I guess it’s more equal. It’s like we’re...partners, now, instead of a boss and an employee.”

Partners.

For days, Mac had been trying to put the discovery of the wedding rings in her pack out of his mind, but now she had brought it all back to the forefront. Before him, before Piper, before Preston, did she have a partner? Someone who watched her back and kept her alive for more do-gooder shit? Someone who could have worn one of those rings, having or holding depending on which golden band belonged to them? Who were they, and why, Mac suddenly found himself asking, did he care so much?

He spared a glance at Georgia’s hands. Her fingers were short but thin, with surprisingly well-trimmed nails that were currently tapping an anxious rhythm against her thigh, waiting for his response.

“Partners,” he repeated, nearly choking on the word. He cleared his throat and looked back up at her face. “I can work with that.”

She smiled, her nervous tapping subsiding as she reached for her pack, “Well then, partner, let’s get a move on. Diamond City awaits.”

-----

By the time the walls of the Great Green Jewel came into view, the sky was starting to fade from a dusky orange to a deep blue, with black encroaching on the horizon. It had been a quicker journey with just two people, but the closer they got to the city proper, the more Georgia appeared like she was walking to her tomb.

She still hadn’t told him what her business was with Valentine, even over the four days they’d spent cooped up by the river. He hadn’t bothered to press her for anything either, especially with the thought of the rings sitting heavy on his conscience. Mac couldn’t help but wonder what she planned to do once they got into Diamond City, how long they’d stay, what they’d do afterwards. Whatever she did, Mac just hoped her plan included having him there beside her once it was done.

Georgia nodded a greeting to every wandering guard patrol the closer they got, and to Mac’s surprise, the guards nodded back. When they came upon the outside walls of the city, though, she stopped at an aged statue of some old world swatter player and considered the gate, which was decidedly closed.

“Somethin’ must have happened for them to be closin’ the gate this early,” she muttered, shouldering off her pack to dig out her Pip-Boy from inside. The screen flashed on after a handful of seconds, illuminating them both in blinding green. “It’s not even seven o’clock. I mean, I know it gets dark early this time of year, but the market shouldn’t even be closed yet. What gives?”

“Well, whatever’s going on, we’re stuck out here until they open,” Mac shrugged, leaning against the base of the statue. “Wouldn’t recommend it, but if we were sneaky about it, Goodneighbor isn’t that much further. We could hit up the Rexford for the night, come back in the morning.”

Georgia shook her head, rolling up her jacket sleeve and slapping her Pip-Boy over the cuff of her shirt, “Uh-uh, not tonight. I told Piper and Mr. Valentine I’d be back in a month and we’re already a few days late—you know how I like to be punctual.”

“Then what do you suggest we do? Ring the doorbell and hope they let us in?” Mac quipped, crossing his arms. A look fell over Georgia like she was seriously considering the idea.

“Oh, come on.”

Georgia yanked her backpack onto her shoulders again and walked up to the speaker box outside the gate with purpose. “Just watch,” she said as they approached. Mac complied and watched as she stood up straight and pushed her shoulders back, even smoothing down the flyaway strands in her hair before taking a breath and pressing the button to speak. Oh, he thought as the speaker crackled to life, this should be good.

There was a gruff voice on the other side that said, “City’s closed. Come back in the morning.”

“And good evenin’ to the night shift,” Georgia replied with an eighteen karat grin even though the guard on the other side couldn’t see it. Her accent came out long and put upon, thicker than yao guai hide. “Is there a Mister Danny Sullivan on duty tonight? I come bearin’ gifts.”

Mac balked at Georgia, eyebrows raised and wondering where the hell all…that had come from. What was she playing at?

“Unless you’re a trader, gate don’t open until six tomorrow, sweetheart—” the voice began, but it was abruptly cut off by another.

“Don’t you worry about him. I’ll get that gate open for you in just a second, Miss Georgia,” the second voice said, sounding pleased as punch with themselves.

“Thanks, Danny, you’re a doll. See you in a bit,” Georgia replied, and did Mac just see her wink? He breathed a laugh through his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. Maybe those rings weren’t the bomb he thought they were. After that, the speakers crackled once more before going silent.

The act fell from Georgia’s face as she turned to him, a singular, scarred eyebrow lifting over her glasses, “What?”

“‘Thanks, Danny, you’re a doll,’” Mac repeated, mimicking her tone and batting his eyelashes before laughing outright, “What the heck was that?”

The gate began to creak open and Georgia pursed her lips at him, “Oh, hush up, it’s not like that. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Besides, I didn’t wanna be stuck outside all night, did you?”

“Hey, I grew up in a cave, I’ve roughed it plenty of times. You’d have nothing to worry about, though. I’m sure ol’ Danny boy would make sure of that,” he smirked with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. A flush spread over her face, betraying the narrowed look she gave him under the security spotlights.

“Don’t say anythin’ when we go in or I swear, MacCready—”

“Hey, hey, ease up. You got us in, I’ll give you that, so go grease those wheels,” he conceded, holding up his hands, “I’m sure Mister Danny Sullivan is waiting on—”

“I will make him leave you outside!” Georgia hissed, but he just laughed and ducked her hand when she tried to swipe at him. The gate had stopped halfway and she gave him a pointed look before she ducked under. “Not a word. I’m serious, Mac.”

“Not a peep outta me, Boss.” Despite his shit-eating grin, he mimicked zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

“You little—Danny! You didn’t have to meet us at the gate, you know you were my first stop—”

Mac did his best to school the look on his face before he ducked under, biting down on the side of his tongue to keep his mouth from moving an inch. He popped up behind Georgia to see a man a little taller than she was, with ginger hair and a boyish look to him, but he couldn’t have been that much older than either of them. Either way, nothing about the man said it was any bother for him to make his way over to her.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Miss Georgia, I’m glad to see you back.” He gave a sideways glance at Mac. “With company.”

Georgia just grinned and waved off his concern. The guy definitely wasn’t subtle.

“Can’t expect a girl to roam around the Commonwealth alone, Danny. Besides, I pick up friends wherever I go. Can’t help it,” she shrugged, putting just enough emphasis on friends that Danny picked up on it quickly. That seemed to be enough for him and he grinned down at Georgia as he spoke.

“Guess that’s just part of your natural charm,” he agreed and Mac nearly broke when he saw her roll her lips between her teeth for just a second. Ol’ Danny boy had it bad, Mac could tell. He knew in that moment, Georgia was aware she may have gotten herself in too deep.

“Guess so! Now, Danny, I’d love to stay and chat, but me and my friend over here have walked from one side of Boston to the other it feels like to sell our scrap—you know, just some ammunition for Arturo and odds and ends for Myrna—so, I was thinkin’...we could skip the bag check this time?” she asked, pushing her glasses down just a touch to look up at him from under her lashes. “There could be a little treasure in it for you. I did say I came bearin’ gifts, didn’t I?”

Mac had to clear his throat to stop a laugh from escaping him and he certainly did not miss the look Georgia shot him out of the corner of her eye while Danny lit up.

“If I didn’t know you, I’d say you were trying to bribe me, but I know that isn’t your style, Miss Georgia,” he said, though he no doubt felt flattered by the notion. “I’d let you through without it because you’re you, but McDonough’s been cracking down lately and I’ve already let you past the gate. Just after you left, we had another person lose their minds in the market, accusing someone just reading the paper of being a synth. Pulled out a knife this time, but thankfully no one got hurt. McDonough thinks putting a curfew on the gate will help keep out ‘undesirables,’ but I dunno. Not everyone coming in after hours is always unwanted.”

With that, he grinned widely at Georgia, who looked perturbed by the news before switching back to a gentle, unconcerned smile.

“Oh, that’s awful to hear, but I guess I understand,” she conceded, albeit unhappily. Then she yawned, stretching her arms. “But could we still make it fast? Like I said, we’ve been walkin’ all day and would love to catch some sleep as soon as possible.”

Danny considered her for a moment, giving a deferring look towards Mac who had long ago furrowed his brow at the mention of the marketplace incident. “I’ll try to be quick. Just let me know when you’re leaving next time so I get a chance to say goodbye…if your friend here doesn’t mind.”

Mac raised an eyebrow, giving Georgia a glance. Why the hell would he care?

“I’m sure he doesn’t,” she said quickly, suddenly growing a little testy. “But let’s get a move on, shall we? I’m likely to fall asleep on my feet.”

At the security desk, Danny barely skimmed the top of Georgia’s pack. There were two other guards, one flipping through an old catalog and the other sat in a chair with his feet propped up, watching them behind dark tinted sunglasses. It struck Mac as a little odd, wearing sunglasses at night, but he turned his attention back to Georgia, who was still working her magic.

She was chatting to Danny the entire time, giving him short little snippets of what she’d been up to since she’d been in last. She had him wrapped around her little finger, even though by that point Mac knew she probably didn’t want him to be. Danny may have been somewhat motivated by it though, given that he would have liked to lay everything inside of Mac’s pack out on the counter before she stopped him. Georgia cleared her throat and started asking him about what it was like being a security guard. It may have all been an act, but Mac would be damned if he said it wasn’t working for them.

“Well, it’s been nice catchin’ up with you, Danny,” she said once the ordeal was over. “See you around.”

“For sure,” he beamed, oblivious. “You take care, Miss Georgia.”

She gave Danny one last smile before heading towards the stairs leading to the marketplace. As soon as they were out of sight, she retreated into herself and the smile fell as she let go of a heavy sigh.

“That looked painful,” Mac said.

“Jesus, you’re tellin’ me. You’re polite to a guy one time and he thinks he’s got a chance,” she groaned, pushing her glasses up and running a hand down her face. He raised a brow at her to continue. “He needed a reason for the logbooks when I first came to Diamond City, and I overshared. Now he thinks he’s gonna get lucky.”

Mac shrugged, “If he couldn’t tell that any of that was phony, then I don’t think you can blame yourself for this one.”

“I guess. But hey, we’re inside and that’s what matters,” she said as they came into the marketplace.

The shops were still open, but Georgia steered the both of them to the side door of Publick Occurrences instead, knocking a pattern into the metal door.

“First stop is Piper. She’ll let us drop off our stuff and sleep on her couch if I promise her some news,” she told him as they waited on the reporter’s stoop.

It took a while, enough for Georgia to knock again with a little more force, but when the door eventually opened, they heard Piper speaking before she had even touched the handle.

“—supposed to be with Ellie for the night, Nat, you said—”

Half in the doorway, Piper froze when she realized who was outside. She didn’t look like the put together journalist Mac remembered from the brief time he’d met her over a month ago. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her clothes—casual, not her usual getup—were wrinkled like they had been thrown on only seconds before.

Mac couldn’t stop the snicker that came out of him as Piper froze in front of them.

“Blue! And this guy! You’re back!” she said, her body filling the gap between the door and its frame as she put two and two together. “And you’re probably looking for a place to stay because I offered you my couch when you’re in town. Because of course I did.”

Briefly, she put her head in her hand and sighed. Behind her, a low yet distinctly feminine voice called out. 

“You alright, Pipes?”

Georgia spared a glance towards him, mouthing ‘Pipes?’ with barely concealed interest and he just shrugged. Through a gap between Piper’s head and the door, Mac caught a glimpse of another woman peeking into frame. She was taller than the both of them, with strong features and pale hair that tickled her chin, and equally as messy as Piper’s. Her clothes were just as wrinkled, too.

Mac’s eyes met Georgia’s again, attempting to suppress the smirk working its way onto his face, while she looked a little pink in the cheeks at their unintended intrusion.

“Yep, yeah, I’m fine!” Piper responded quickly, moving to step fully outside. “I’ll be just a second. Friend in town.”

With that, Piper closed the door behind her as quickly as she could without hitting herself with it on the way out. Georgia held up her hands before she could even speak.

“Don’t worry about it, Piper. We’ll hit up the Dugout this time,” she said and Piper deflated with visible relief.

“Thank you, Georgia,” she muttered, running a hand down her flushed face. “You’re the only person left in the Commonwealth that still has tact.”

“But you’re definitely tellin’ me everythin’ the next time I come in,” Georgia smirked. “Now shoo, don’t keep your company waitin’.”

Piper looked comparable to a ripe tato before she disappeared back into her dwelling, thanking Georgia profusely. Once she was gone, Mac let loose the bark of laughter he’d been holding in.

“Alright, alright, get it out now,” Georgia said, eyes falling towards the direction of the Dugout Inn. “Guess we’ll be spendin’ money on some rooms tonight.”

Mac quieted it down when heard the seriousness that began to pervade her voice. She fished a pouch of caps out of her pack and tossed it to him.

“Sell off all that scrap, grab two orders of noodles, then get us some rooms, my treat. Think you can handle that? I wanna touch base with Mr. Valentine as soon as I can.”

“If it’s on your tab, I can take care of it,” he teased as he caught them, trying to gauge where she was at. “Everything gonna be alright with Valentine?”

“I hope so,” she said after a pause, then straightened her pack and pushed her glasses up, trying to put on a cheerier voice, “I’ll meet you when I’m done, okay? See you in a bit.”

Mac didn’t say anything, but nodded. As he watched her retreat, he hoped that whatever she needed Valentine for, it worked out in her favor.

— — — — —

Georgia sighs as she walks away from Piper’s doorstep, leaving Mac with the easier task between the two of them. She’s had her time. She’s put this off long enough.

The walk to Mr. Valentine’s office seems almost too short, but it gives her a little more time to think (like she’d need any more after the month she’s had to do so). She wonders what the detective will have for when she steps through the door, what sort of world-shattering news he’ll give her this time. Before, it was that the person she watched murder Nate and snatch Shaun out of his arms was a man named Kellogg, and that he had been seen in Diamond City just a few months prior to her arrival. She also learned that a ten year old boy had been seen in his shadow.

She still got shivers when she thought about the man. He was the starring role in her worst nightmares, the face that put revenge in her heart like a knife, twisting it each night. She’d been apt when she described his voice like sandpaper across her face. She had been in a panic when he peered into her cryopod and called her “the backup,” but it stuck with her whether she liked it or not. Two simple words that opened up a sea of questions, but only one remained: what did he want with her son?

Before she left for a month—or, rather, if she was feeling particularly cruel to herself, before she ran away—she and Mr. Valentine had made an attempt at getting into the old house in the abandoned West Stands. She had broken six bobby pins before she finally gave up. Whatever lock Kellogg had put on his door, he made sure no one was getting in, plain and simple. Mr. Valentine had suggested talking to the Mayor’s assistant about getting a copy, but they quickly shot down the idea once they rationalized it. Given that she had taken to associating with Diamond City’s most reviled reporter and its most detested detective on the same day, all her charm could only do so much against good old fashioned bigotry. That had almost been her last straw, and she must have looked like it, too, because Mr. Valentine had put a hand on her shoulder and just told her he’d find a way to push through. She knew now that he had meant to inspire hope, to keep her going forward, but all it did was make her wish she could just stop.

Whatever vigor she thought she was going to face this new world with had disappeared when reality didn’t match up to her optimism. For the past month, she had been scared of what she’d find in chasing after the ghosts of Shaun and his kidnappers. The world Georgia had woken up in was far more dangerous than the one Shaun had been born into, even without the threat of nuclear war.

If, miraculously, the boy seen with Kellogg was her son, it meant two things: one, that after watching her own personal horror show play out in front of her, more time had passed between getting refrozen and being thawed out again, and two, it meant that she had missed out on ten or so years of Shaun’s life. Ten years possibly spent wondering if he ever had parents who loved him, when the reality was one was dead and the other a coward.

Georgia had her month of running away from her problems and not facing the truth for what it was: that her son was more than likely gone. She couldn’t bear to say or even think the other, more definitive word. She had given herself a month of putting it off and now that it was over, she had nowhere else to go.

If Nate could see me now, she thinks to herself, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s seen me at my worst.

What breaks her heart the most was that even with one parent still alive, Shaun had no one. No one to hold his hand when things were scary, no one to tuck him into bed, no one to be there for him when he needed someone—needed her—the most. She doubts there are any other Little Lamplights around to take in another of the wasteland’s lost children, and when the thought hits her, a different kind of heaviness settles on her.

She needs to tell Mac.

She’d been too fucking cagey and was starting to slip. She told him she would come clean at some point, and after tonight, it would have to be sooner rather than later. There was no more hiding it. Yes, she trusts him with her life, that much has been clear to her for a while, but they had only just breached the threshold of friends. Dumping her personal problems on top of him makes her worried she will lose the one person who wasn’t already caught up in them. Preston had known from the get go and she only told Piper on the condition that she be the deciding factor in when her interview got published. Mac had virtually no idea who she was or what her past entailed when they met, and for some reason that had enamored her enough to stick with him. For the better part of a month, between helping settlements and traveling the Commonwealth with Mac, she got to be Just Georgia. It was the closest thing to being herself, instead of General Tate or the Woman Out of Time. A savior and a spectacle. There was very little room for the person underneath.

Before she last left Mr. Valentine, she told him to take his time with her case and had put on all the old world manners she’d held on to. She thanked him graciously for his help and told him she’d be back in a month, then sobbed on Piper’s couch for two hours. She had only barely held it in before getting there—she hated crying in front of people and Nate had never known what to do with her when she did. It made her feel more than just a little pathetic.

A month ago, that walk from the office had felt miles longer when she’d been entirely focused on not breaking down in the marketplace. Now, as she realizes she’s been standing in front of the glowing neon sign of Valentine’s Detective Agency for more than a couple minutes, it still feels far too short.

Georgia snakes shaking fingers under the left sleeve of her jacket and pinches, hard enough to draw blood and focus her attention again before turning down the short alley to the detective’s door. She is in the moment now whether she wants to be or not.

She knocks first, because she’s not an animal and her mama raised her to know better. She doesn’t enter until she hears Mr. Valentine shout, “Come on in, Ms. Tate. It’s unlocked.”

Georgia pauses, smiles to herself, and turns the handle.

“How’d you know it was me?” she asks when she enters.

The synthetic man is sitting behind his desk, surrounded by a cloud of smoke that already has her itching for the carton in her pack. He has stacks of papers and faded manila folders spread out in front of him, obviously in the middle of all manner of casework. He smiles back at her, replying, “You’re the only one in this century that still has the decency to knock.”

Georgia looks around for Ellie before remembering she was babysitting Nat for the night, but beside Mr. Valentine on the floor, to her surprise, is Dogmeat.

“Well, don’t he look comfortable,” she says to him, bending down to give him a good scratch under his collar before sitting down across from Mr. Valentine. He barely acknowledges her, as if her comings and goings are inconsequential to him save the twitching of his tail saying otherwise.

“Sorry to bother you so late,” she says, turning her attention back to the synth. “Had a bit of a delay gettin’ back, but I thought I’d check in with you before I turned in for the night.”

“It’s no bother really. Glad to see you back,” he replies, always the gentleman, and nods towards Dogmeat with a chuckle. “I don’t know why he’s pretending like he’s not happy to see you too. He showed up a few days ago, looking plenty eager to find you.”

His chuckle sounds like his robotic lungs are actually capable of being affected by the haze of smoke in the room, a pack-a-day smoker’s laugh that reminds Georgia of her grandfather. It's so rough and human and familiar that it begins to calm her nerves. Even with his appearance and the general attitude towards synths in Diamond City, she has to hand it to him for knowing how to put people at ease. She wonders, vaguely, if his way with words is what drew him to his career or the other way around. She wonders the same about herself, before everything.

“Strange, because I left him with a friend back at the Castle last I knew,” she replies, picturing Preston in an absolute tizzy once he realizes he lost her dog. Mama Murphy had told her that Dogmeat didn’t really have an owner, but she knew that wouldn’t stop the man from fretting anyways.

“Minutemen keep you occupied past your shift time?” Mr. Valentine asks, picking up the cigarette filling the room with smoke from the ashtray and putting it between plastic lips.

“That, and I picked up another friend since we last spoke. Helped him out with a little bit of trouble—that’s why I’m late.”

“On time, more like,” Valentine counters as he produces another cigarette from his breast pocket and offers it to her.

Georgia didn’t realize she’d been staring it down, but she takes it without a second thought. Once she’s lit up and feeling a little more grounded, she asks, “What do you mean?”

He nods down to Dogmeat and her eyes follow. “While he’s been here, he’s certainly put in the work. Helped me out on a few local cases, actually. Folks tend to be a lot more forthcoming when he’s around. But he must have had a yearning for clues, because he started poking around near the West Stands this morning and found this.”

Mr. Valentine leans over to open one of the drawers in his desk, shaking it a few times before it finally gives. He takes something from inside and sits it down on top, moving his intact hand away to reveal a key. Georgia holds her breath.

“I tried it on Kellogg’s door, just to be sure,” Valentine says as he slides it across the desk to her. “The handle turned, but I wanted you to be there when we go inside. Are you ready?”

Georgia steels herself, lets go of the breath she’d been holding, and nods.

“As I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”

-----

Mac watches the hard line of Georgia’s shoulders disappear into the alleyways of Diamond City. There seems to be a lot weighing on her now and in this moment, he can help just a little by completing his list of tasks.

It doesn’t take long to offload the scrap and sellable trinkets. The stall owners, Myrna in particular, seem eager to close up shop and give him better prices than they usually would in an effort to shoo him away faster. Mac can only attribute it to the synth paranoia.

Getting two covered bowls of noodles from Takahashi takes even less time, though he hopes Georgia comes back before they get too cold. After that, he heads over to the Dugout.

The bar is in full swing when he enters, the beat up old radio on the counter next to Vadim cranked up as high as it’ll go. Even so, Mac can hear the man shouting over the music to his patrons as he serves drinks. He squeezes past a few people surrounding the Port-A-Diner, waving at Vadim when he catches his attention. He reminds himself to remind Georgia about the beer she owes him, then makes his way to the quieter of the two Bobrov brothers.

“Oh, a customer,” Yefim says to himself at Mac’s approach, standing up from his chair where he seemed to be having no fun at all despite the packed house. “Need a room?”

“Two if you got ‘em,” Mac says, taking Georgia’s pouch of caps out of his pocket.

Yefim shakes his head, “No good. There is only one room available for the night, bed and couch. You can take it or leave it.”

Mac sighs. At least he’s not paying for it.

“Then I guess I’ll take it,” he says, handing the caps to Yefim. “We’ll make it work.”

“Room two is yours,” the man replies as he counts the caps in his palm. “Enjoy.”

Once inside the room, Mac throws his pack onto the couch pressed up against one of the walls. He decides Georgia can have the bed—besides, there’s a chance she might fall victim to her own manners and tell him he can have it anyways, just to be nice. His stomach growls when he sets the bowls on the low coffee table and he wastes no time in inhaling his own. The warm broth and the soft yet slightly rubbery noodles fill him better than anything he’s had in the last month. When he’s practically licked the bowl clean and Georgia still hasn’t shown, Mac decides to relax a little. Surely her business with Valentine, at this time of night, wouldn’t take too long.

So he waits. He goes through the remaining inventory of his pack, counting and recounting caps and bullets.

And he waits. He pulls out his journal and doodles in the back of it, then starts on another letter to Duncan that doesn’t get very far after the standard “Hey there, kiddo. It’s Dad” before he puts it away again.

And he waits. He speeds through an issue of Grognak twice by the time a knock—the same pattern he heard knocked onto Piper’s door—comes from outside the room, making him jump. Mac doesn’t know how much time has passed, but he’s killed enough of it waiting on Georgia.

He hops off the couch to answer and when he opens it, the look on her face is all it takes to let him know something is very, very wrong. Tears streaks and red eyes make not the perfect picture of his friend.

Whatever went down with Valentine didn’t go too well by his count. He quickly ushers her inside and waits for her to say something, anything, so he doesn’t have to pull out the there, theres and the it’ll be alrights just yet. He’s never been the best at comforting people; it went hand in hand with his poor bedside manner. But by the looks of it, Georgia is in need of some sort of…sympathy, he supposes. He’ll make it work.

She doesn’t speak though, not until she takes off her pack and sits down on the bed, head in her hands. It’s awkwardly quiet for a few tense moments. Mac is watching the rise and fall of her back, wondering what angle he should come at her with, when she takes a deep breath.

“So, uh, obviously I’m not doin’ too hot right now,” she begins. She still won’t look at him and her voice shakes. “But don’t feel like you need to do anythin’ about it, alright? I just wanna explain myself.”

Mac is more confused than he’s ever been. What is he about to get himself into? Despite his confusion, he’s still curious. He can’t help himself. He nods.

“Okay,” he says slowly, leaning against the wall with arms crossed.

Georgia sucks in another breath, preparing herself before she speaks again. Her words are hoarse and paper thin this time.

“By now I know you know somethin’ is…up with me, for lack of a better word, so I’m just gonna come out and say it, okay? It’s goin’ to sound insane and crazy and, and made up, but you can’t make fun of me,” she tells him seriously, words pouring out of her like water now, and he holds up his hands in defense. Whatever she’s about to tell him, she’s treating it as grievously as the bombs.

“I make no promises,” he says, trying to add some levity to the situation, but it’s apparently the wrong thing to say. Her head whips up to look him in the eye, expression fierce in spite of the watery look in her eyes.

“RJ,” she pleads and he folds instantly, giving her an apologetic look.

“Sorry. Continue.”

She sniffs and wipes her nose on her sleeve, but then he sees one of Georgia’s hands disappear up the opposite one, catching how she flinches in a way that makes him just a little more concerned than he already is.

“I told you that I wasn’t technically from a vault,” she starts again, trying to find the right words. Mac feels a tingle run up his spine—is she finally about to tell him what he’s been wondering and theorizing about for the past month? “And I’m not. I mean, I spent some time in one, way longer than I thought I did, but…”

She trails off with a distant look in her eyes, the same one she’d gotten in the diner when she told him that story about dance halls. Georgia flinches again and tears her gaze away from the wall she had started to bore a hole into. Mac feels incredibly awkward now, unable to move a muscle, but he listens with such intensity it makes his teeth grind together.

“I’m not technically a vault dweller,” she says again after a moment, and meets his eye, “because Vault-Tec fridged me up for two hundred years and only thawed me out a couple months ago.”

Mac almost laughs outright, thinking she’s playing some elaborate prank on him—a great use of her planning skills, for sure—but stops himself when Georgia doesn’t crack a smile after. Surely she had to be fucking with him, right? Because not even in his wildest theories about the woman in front of him did he ever think to consider that she was a pre-war popsicle. It wasn’t exactly his third or fourth guess, either.

“Believe me or don’t,” she says when he fails to say anything back, “but it’s the truth and nothin’ but.”

The more he considers the idea, the more everything about her starts to fall into place. The Rad-X. The manners. The penchant for old world trinkets. Her teeth, her skin, her god damn hair. She was a walking relic of a world gone by, a living ghost from the time of dance halls and classrooms full of healthy children. A time before the bombs. To think that she had been there before everything went to shit…

Mac has so many questions rattling around in his skull. But only one manages to make its way out.

“How?” he asks after a moment.

“Cryostasis,” she explains, the word coming bitterly from her mouth. “They froze us. We were warned just a few minutes before the…before the end. We almost didn’t get in.”

She stops and this time when she flinches, her fingers come away from the inside of her sleeve smeared with blood. Mac’s expression hardens at the sight.

“What the hell are you doing to yourself?” he demands, crossing the space between them before he can stop himself. She moves away from him when he gets to the bed, holding her arm to her chest with a frown. “Georgia, you have blood on your hands.”

“I’m fine,” she hisses, and she has to know she doesn’t sound as convincing as she thinks she does, because her voice cracks in the middle when she speaks again. “I’m not hurtin’ myself, I’m just, I just—”

Mac sets his jaw and points an accusatory finger at her arm. “Pull your sleeve up then. Prove it.”

Georgia throws him an impetuous look, but relents when he crosses his arms to tell her he’s not going to let this pass. She huffs a sigh and doesn’t look at him, yanking up her jacket and the sleeve of her button up to reveal her work. All along her wrist are scarred and scabbed over crescent moons, evidence of finger nails dug into the skin until they drew blood. Three new clusters still have fresh smears around them.

“Georgia.” He can’t stop the twinge of pity that comes with it.

“I’m fine,” she tries again, though it's obvious by now that she doesn’t even believe herself when she starts to tear up again. Mac sighs, shaking his head.

“Just stay there,” he tells her, and goes for his pack. She doesn’t respond as he digs around for the medkit and snatches the roll of bandages from inside. He presents them to her without much fanfare.

“Do you want to do it, or do you want me to?”

She gives him a petulant look, almost childish as she says, “Will I need to pay you for it?”

Mac rolls his eyes, annoyed, but takes that as an answer and tentatively sits down beside her. The mattress doesn’t sink under his weight as much as it does for her—he realizes now that pre-war, she must have had access to the best, non-irradiated foods money could buy. She’s probably never known a life full of hunger and wanting, and for a second, envy surges through him before he remembers the moment they’re in, gripping the bandages tightly. Petty jealousy has no place here when she’s been nothing but helpful and kind to him, even if she’s being a pain in the ass right now. But right now, she needs his help. He gestures for her arm and she slides it over to him without a word.

Mac unwinds the bandages, rolling out a length that should wrap around her forearm more than once. If anything, it’ll stop the current bleeding and hopefully get in the way of any further marring.

“Vault-Tec told us they were decontamination pods,” she says, almost startling him. “Gave us some vault suits and told us to hop on in. God, we were so fuckin’ stupid.”

He says nothing as he starts to wind the bandages around her arm. Still, with the way she keeps saying we, he has a hunch about who else went into the vault with her. He makes sure the bandage is just tight enough that trying to wiggle a finger under it is more hassle than it’s worth. As he touches her skin, though, he realizes why she always felt so cold. A lingering remnant of her time on ice.

“We didn’t realize what was happenin’ at first,” she continues listlessly. “One second I’m in the pod, waitin’ for a bullshit decontamination process to start, and the next I’m wakin’ up to see a stranger pointin’ a gun at my…at my…”

He looks up to see her staring off into space again, her face shiny with tears. Gently, he shifts beside her on the mattress and she starts a little, coming back to the moment like she had suddenly forgotten he was there until he reminded her of his presence.

“Mr. Valentine told me the stranger’s name is Kellogg,” she says, voice feather light but the most coherent she’s been so far. “He’s the man who killed my husband and stole my son out of his arms. That’s why I’m workin’ with Mr. Valentine. To try and find him.”

Mac stops, both because he’s finished wrapping her arm, and because he needs to let the real bombshell she just dropped settle over him. Her situation hits him right where it hurts, makes his chest burn with paternal instinct. All this time, he’d known more about her than he’d ever thought. He knew what it was like to lose a partner, but to lose a child, too, a son…Christ, Mac doesn’t even want to consider it. He feels compelled for a moment to share a bit of his own past, tell her that he gets it and commiserate a bit, but he’s barely handling Georgia’s cascade of emotions. He doesn’t need the added difficulty in dealing with his own.

“Ask your questions now,” she tells him, “or forever hold your peace.”

Mac considers the moment for a while. There’s so much running through his head right now, a thousand things he wants to know. Eventually, after a breath, he settles on one.

“Two hundred years old, huh?”

“Technically somethin’ like two hundred and thirty-four, but who’s countin’?”

The corner of Mac’s mouth twitches. “You’re like something out of a comic book, you know.”

The corner of her own mouth flickers. “Oh yeah? What’s my hero name?”

He thinks for a minute. It has to be good.

“What about ‘The Cryo-General?’”

A sad, pitiful laugh comes out of her, but it’s a laugh nonetheless. It’s snotty and wet and a little gross. Mac lets himself grin just a bit.

“We’ll workshop it,” she says, and takes her arm out of his lap to wipe at her eyes.

“Can I ask you another question?” he asks. She nods. “What did you think of the wasteland? When you first got out?”

He remembers Flora telling him once that she thought she had walked out of Vault 101 and straight into hell. An apt first impression of the Capital Wasteland as far as he was concerned.

Georgia doesn’t miss a beat. “That roaches the size of a toddler were a bit much.”

Mac’s laugh causes a smile to fully settle onto her face and for that, he’s grateful.

“Dogmeat was there when I went to Mr. Valentine’s office—don’t ask me how,” she says after a quiet moment. “We broke into Kellogg’s old house and found some things we can use to track him. Mr. Valentine said a Commonwealth dog like him could sniff a man out for miles.”

“I believe it,” Mac nods. Dogmeat was nothing short of an impressive companion, one he suddenly began to miss.

“So we’re goin’ out tomorrow mornin’ to find him. Bright and early,” she says and looks him in the eye, making him hold her gaze. “You don’t have to come—”

He interrupts her before she can even finish the thought. “Didn’t you say you used to be a teacher?”

The dissonance is enough to stop her in her tracks. “I—What?”

“I just thought that meant you would be smart enough to know that I’m damn well coming,” he says with finality. “You helped me take out the Gunners like what, five days ago? And you don’t think I’m gonna be settling our score still? If you won’t take those caps back, then I’m coming with you.”

Georgia almost looks like she’ll start crying again and Mac is scared she might before she wordlessly throws her arms around him. He’s sitting sideways next to her, so it’s a little uncomfortable and it catches him entirely off guard, but he only flinches a little. She squeezes harder than he thought she could. Her head is next to his shoulder when she whispers “thank you” into his sleeve. He gives her arm a tentative pat before she releases him, face flushed.

“Sorry,” she says, taking off her glasses and using the edge of her shirt to clean the lenses. “I…Thank you, MacCready. RJ. You’re a real good friend.”

“Hey, you’re fine,” he tells her. “This is what friends do, right?”

She puts her glasses back on and leans over, falling towards him slightly on the mattress.

“Then can I be a hundred percent honest with you? As a friend?” she asks.

“More honest than you’ve been already?”

Georgia looks over at him and nods once. Mac nods back.

“I don’t even know if I’m even ready to find him,” she says quietly, like she doesn’t want the world to hear, but once it’s out it’s like she can’t seem to stop it. “I’ve spent all this time avoidin’ the truth like the plague. I tried to justify it, that runnin’ around with a Minuteman was me tryin’ to make this place even just a little bit safer for my son when I finally found him, but fuck if this new world doesn’t suck sometimes. I mean, you can’t go anywhere without runnin’ into mutated abominations around every corner and you heard Danny talk about that synth incident in the market—that’s the second one in as many months, Mac. Why should I even try to bring him into a world like this, when this entire time it’s more likely that he’s probably better off dead—”

“Hey,” he says sternly, cutting her off, “don’t talk like that. You don’t know for sure.”

She’s probably right, but it’s the one fear he can’t validate. Not with his own son’s life hanging in the balance back home.

“And that’s the worst part,” she whispers. “Sometimes…sometimes it feels like the not knowin’ is more bearable than knowin’.”

“Well,” Mac breathes, “how do you know until you know?”

She considers his question for a moment, running her hands down her face as she sighs, “Does it make me a shitty mom that I still don’t know the answer to that?”

“I think the fact that you’ve fought like hell to even get here means you’re the best damn mom in the Commonwealth,” he tells her, entirely earnest. “I don’t think you would’ve come this far if you didn’t want to know.”

Something inside her brain seems to slot into place at his words. It takes her a second, but Georgia starts to return to the person he knows better, the bright, actionable woman he’s known from day one. He’s glad she wasn’t lost entirely.

“We’re gonna have an early start tomorrow,” she tells him, and he can already see the gears turning in her mind. “Mr. Valentine will be taggin’ along and Dogmeat’s back on deck. I don’t know what we’ll find or where we’ll end up, but if it brings me closer to finding my son, I want to go after it if I can. No matter the cost. Are you sure you still want to come?”

For the first time tonight, there’s conviction in her voice, a promise behind her words and she means every bit of it.

“It’s not like I have anything better to do,” he says and she smiles. “I don’t think I could stay behind even if you asked me to.”

“We’ll say that’s because you can’t bear to part with my company, and not because you can’t let go of a debt,” she laughs, giving him a gentle punch to the shoulder. “But like I said, early start tomorrow. So which room am I in?”

“Oh, uh. This one. Yefim only had one room available,” he says and pats the mattress beneath them. “You can have the bed, if you want it.”

In a move surprising even him, she takes the bed without complaint or counter-offer. Later, in the middle of the night when the sag in the couch brings on aches in his back, Mac only feels a little bit annoyed.

[kalims]

Zhongli dating with mother!reader and he is single father. His son, Xiao is not happy with the squabbling situation. А boy afraid, what Zhongli will forget him and stepmother will hate him. Imagine his surprise when he finds out that he may become one family with twins. Contrary to expectations, Mom!the reader is friendly with Xiao and treats him, if not as a relative, then as a close person. And in the end, Xiao also begins to consider the Reader a mom. (I repeated the request as I wanted.) 🍃

✉ ⋮ what happened to ganyu 🧍🏾‍♀️also there's like a pre introduction before I went in the headcanons. I HAD SO MUCH FUN MAKING THIS!! but I'm also kinda disappointed :D mom!reader is the best mom warning.

FLUFF, established relationship. xiao is our new child.

xiao hates growing up. as time passes by, he finds the disturbing effect of time taking the toll on his mind. all the memories of his mother, already so vague as it is grows more distorted and blurry to remember.

all he knows is that he took over her. the same old hair and shiny yellow eyes, like the sun yet he prefers to hang back in the shadows instead.

when his dad announced he started seeing someone, he mentally prepared to meet the spawn of the devil that he'd be stuck with, the typical mother who was probably in it for the non-existent money or either plain attraction they mistook for love, zhongli was painfully attractive thus the delusions.

either way it was a pain, especially when he noticed that said person always seemed to be included in every literal thought and action zhongli does.

groceries? oh right zhongli's supposed spouse needs some too, how about passing a flower shop? just wait zhongli needs to buy some for them in his next visit.

"xiao, this is (name)." zhongli cast him a reassuring look, a hand over his shoulder while the other gestured to you. the sheepish look on your face stood out to him.

you looked... way more timid and shy? he'd understand since if he was in your position he'd kinda be nervous too. you weren't perfect. he thought but you looked pretty even with your hair sticking all over the place.

he stared at you for a while, the white apron decorated with strawberries contrary to his expectations before letting his eyes drift to the ground. "hey." he greeted quietly, not bothering to hide the tone of his sharp voice. beneath his pockets lays clenched fists.

"hello xiao.. uh.. did zhongli tell you already?" you scratch your head with an embarassed laugh. your chest pounded with erratic heartbeats, what if he didn't like you?

he nodded. "I can tell even if he didn't"

"oh, I see. you must be very perceptive then! that's a very impressive feat to have." you mindlessly rambled with a bright smile. he was taken aback and the embarassed flush to his ears rose without consent.

when did he last get praised by someone other than zhongli?

two bundles of yellow hair popped from an open door.

as if having some kind of sixth sense you turned around and hurriedly made a motion for the two unknown to xiao to come near.

they both obeyed almost immediately. it almost made him scoff at the obvious puppy behavior to display. he admits that it must be nice having a relationship like that with a mom.

you were stuck in between the two that had a striking resemblance to you, they seemed rather quiet, obviously displaying the same displeased feeling he bore. atleast he wasn't the only one, right?

"xiao, these are my twins, aether and lumine! I hope you'll get along with them nicely. If they cause you any trouble come tell me and I'll make sure they won't bother you!" you chirped, a total contrast to your threatening words. the one probably known as aether comically sweat dropped.

the other, lumine furrowed her brows and pouted rather childishly for a woman that seemed too headstrong for her own good. "hey...! why are we the ones in trouble?" she huffed in feign offense but xiao can tell she's still quite peeved.

you pinched her side to which she yelped in pain. "don't ask, hun. just listen to your mother. xiao's a good boy."

zhongli smiled and glanced at xiao. he'd fit right in.

to xiao's suprise later that afternoon, you left. claiming that you had to pick up someone. this only being brushed off as he quietly sits by the couch, making one sided small talk with the twins before you eventually back with a white haired child that whined about being hungry perched on your hip.

she was soon introduced as paimon, your youngest in elementary whom was adopted after you and the twins apparently found her on a floatie in a river. he didn't even know what to believe but he labeled her as the sassy child since she kept looking at him with weird eyes.

then he decided he 'hated' her after she called him ugly nicknames as she called it, even giving him horribly weak insults ranging from hoping he eats raw cabbages to telling him to look out for an empty plate in the middle of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

it took a while for him to willingly help you around with chores when zhongli unofficially moved in with you, dragging him along. at first he only did so because of common courtesy but he appreciates the atmosphere being full of light chatter that he quite enjoyed rather than the cold, chilling silence.

the twins and xiao surprisingly get along quite well. due to all three of them being heavily interested in video games, at times they'd let xiao borrow consoles and vise versa whereas it's xiao bringing cd's for their ps5.

for some reason they like to diss zhongli. xiao complained about his poor mora management once and it just carried on with them actively agreeing that you're way out of he's league even though he's supposed to be in zhongli's side.

he won't admit that you had a certain charm, and be certainly won't admit that he kinda feared you after he saw you chasing aether with a slipper with a pissed of look on your face. he sipped on water while lumine took full advantage and filmed her brother being chased around by you. zhongli was out that day with a freind he called 'childe'.

HE FELT SO SHAMEFUL WHEN HE GOT SCOLDED BY YOU 😭💀

xiao's been named paimon's babysitter without his will for some reason. somehow he really stuck onto her and got fiercely protective, he once growled at this creep and paimon said and i quote "lmao" out loud, proceeding to growl with him. the creep got so creeped out and ran away. (see what I did there) 👀

xiao's a little distant at first, watching by a corner when you usher the twins to help you and zhongli decorate the tree for christmas even though it was still a month or two before. but he grows surprisingly shy when you raise an expectant brow at him and drag him over. even he didn't know that was possible.

he feels bad when you give him over three presents for christmas that looked like it surpassed a normal budget while all he got you was some necklace he got off online as a token of gratitude for your kindness. did you really have to buy him the latest game cd, saying that you heard that teenagers like it? 💀

he feels as though he's not someone worthy of your binding love. and when he's distant you just laugh at him to stop looking so depressed and help you dry the dishes, he hates the fact that maybe zhongli was right.

anyways, he looks grumpy as hell when you put a santa hat on him that matches with the twins and paimon. but you holding in your laugh was a sight to see so he accepted his fate ig. 🙄

he gets so pissed at school and feels scared when he gets average grades. but you just hand the paper back to him and pat him on the back, congratulating him for passing the first quarter. you didn't even mention anything about his grades, you literally just praised him and it made him try more harder to see your proud smile.

stupid ass dumbass. xiao cursed inside his head, mentally sending bad vibes to the person that had the literally audacity to cheat. the moderators were fucking useless because the dude was on the server for WEEKS, and they still haven't banned the mf.

light poured in his dark room making him wince and raise a hand to block out the light.

you raised a brow at his sleep deprived state and flickered your gaze to his monitor. staring at the program of minecraft on display. he merely stares back with tense shoulders for being caught.

"it's late, hun. make sure to sleep properly, goodnight." you whispered quietly, scooting a little further to place a glass of steaming, hot milk on his bedside table. you send him a wink.

"I'll tell zhongli you're asleep, just don't get caught by him." and by a second you shut the door close. xiao only watching as the light under the door completely vanishes, leaving him embraced by the darkness and ears welcoming the pleasant sound of music flowing in his ears.

he stares at the spot you stood on and gazed at the ceiling with an uncharacteristic giddy look in his eyes.

now the only thing on his mind is when he can call you mom without wanting to bury himself into the earth's core.

[multiples-fandomswontkillme]

~Metal Family headcanons~

These are like my... general hcs)? which means I didn't include my main hc that Glam, Ches and Vicky are polyamorous, married and started dating after Glam met Vicky, and absolutely everything that implies for the kids and the relationships between each member of the fam. Maybe I'll make a separate post for that or maybe not! Who knows lkfwnlfqnf

Glam

Bisexual

Glam has constant nightmares and ocasional night terrors ever since he ran away home and is an active sleep walker. Ches helped him through the worse ones when they were younger, and learned how to deal with them, always preferring not to wake him up but being with him until the episode passed. Vicky has learned how to deal with them, though she normally asks Ches for advice with it cuz she comes out short sometimes.

He has PTSD. I bet it's diagnosed too, he takes medication and goes to therapy, it doesn't mean he still doesn't have his bad days anyway. He's trying to get better.

Glam has talked to Vicky about his past, his father and his family. This is a direct contradiction of Alina's confirmation that Glam doesn't talk about it with anyone but man FUCK THAT. We love good communication in this house, Vicky tries her best to help him, but there's only so much she can do to help.

Glam enjoys gardening, cooking and making models, he also likes doing his make up, painting his nails and dressing up in fancy, extravagant clothes even if he has nowhere important to go.

He likes taking care of everyone's hair, and constantly helps Vicky brush her hair cuz there's so much of it, Dee when he gets stressed over how tangled it can get, buys Ches hair products so he actually takes care of it, and chases Heavy so the kid actually washes, untangles and brushes his hair.

This one is kind of weird, but I refuse to think any adult in the family is unarmed at any time. Glam owns a taser and pepper spray. They're bright pink and sparkly.

This man cried his eyes out while watching Coco. He's hell to watch movies with cuz he talks and predicts what's gonna happen during the movie, judges them with scores at the end and all.

Vicky

Also bisexual!

Vicky's the one who does everyone's laundry most of the time. She prefers it that way since she's the only one that knows how to wash their black clothes so the colors stay vibrant. (This is based on my gf shaming everyone but Vicky cuz their black clothes always look so muted and almost gray, but Vicky's whole outfit is always the same vibrant black colors, so we decided that neither Glam or the kids know how to wash dark clothes)

She has anger issues, if it isn't obvious. I think she also has PTSD, mainly survivor's guilt due to her surviving the accident her brother died in. She blames herself and cannot bear to talk about it, in some sort of deep denial. If she can't remember, it can't hurt as much, right?

She has scars on the right side of her back and her hip, from the road rash she got on her brother's accident, she never treated it due to grief and it scarred badly. Apart from that, the scar of the caesarean section from Heavy's birth. She doesn't really mind both of them, they happened, nothing to do about them.

She likes watching boxing competitions, brawling matches and motorcycle repairing on TV. Loves doing BBQ's and going to the pool. Also an enjoyer of teasing her kids, kissing and loving her husband at random times, spending time drinking and bonding with Ches and bragging about her family and punching anyone who thinks they're not that cool.

Not particularly a fan of make up, skirts and dresses or any traditionally femenine-perceived stuff. But has been making exceptions due to Glam and Ches being unashamed of being seen as femenine, and actually rocking the looks. The internalized misogyny is kind of slowly dissapearing.

Apart from the guns she carries in each arm (I mean her biceps, have you looked at the size of those?? She strong) she has brass knuckles on her at all times. Glam gifts her new ones sometimes, she loves having multiple choices to punch people teeth in.

Loves horror, thrillers and action movies. Falls asleep during rom-coms and dramas. Ironically, loves gossip and talking shit about people. Enjoys hearing Ches talks about the gossip going on in the nursery home even if she doesn't know who the hell he's talking about.

Rest of the family under the cut!

Heavy

Heavy is a trans boy! He doesn't know his sexuality yet though, he's still figuring himself out. When he's older, i think he definitely dated some men but had better luck with girls.

Heavy has had innocent crushes on some girls on his class before, but they never turn into anything more cuz he's not the best at expressing himself. He follows the bother-the-girl-to-death-until-she-hates-you gimmick, and unsurprisingly, it doesn't work.

I'm sorry to break this to u but Heavy totally had an among us phase, and uses so much reddit and twitch slang... You know he does.

Likes bullying and teasing his brother to death. You know that when Dee had his first romance, Heavy was ALL up in his business being a tease and a bad attempt at a wingman. He means well tho.

He's not squeamish at all. Also has great pain resistance. This kid has picked cockroaches with his bare hands and loves cats, of course the cats have scratched him. He's tough!

Grows up to be the charming himbo he was always destined to be.

Dee

I hc him as demisexual. Kind of inherited his dad's tastes for the takes no crap, intimidating but pretty kind of people.

Can't cook. He tries but he can only do basics like rice, cereal, chicken nuggets or eggs. Complicated meals always burn or don't taste like anything at all. It drives him crazy.

Dee was a quiet and very well behaved toddler before Heavy was born. He never threw tantrums or got whims. After Heavy was born though, and despite the fact he understood his brother was small and needed special care, he started craving attention often and cried and got mad at little things. Typical jealousy of the oldest sibling.

The first time Dee fell in love with someone, he didn't recognize it was love at first. He just thought his interest on the person was born out of curiosity and aesthetic attraction, but as soon as he realized he seeked validation and companionship, that he liked seeing them smile, that he wanted to protect them, that he yearned for more time alone with them and that he wanted more than what just a simple friendship implied, it was an instant 'oh hell no'. He wanted those feelings to get the hell away, but unfortunately, they were there to stay.

Canonically likes MLP, psychological and horror anime like Death note and Hellsing, so I'm deciding he also watched Death Parade, had a FNAF phase, is very into The Walten Files. This guy enjoys any kind of specially dark ARG's and knows a ton of lore of real crime, unsolved cases, ghost appearances and other stuff. Doesn't believe in the supernatural, but sure is entertained by it.

He's a mess at romance. Flirting? His attempts at compliments are hardly flattering. Giving gifts? The best he can manage is jewelry and you can kind of tell he asked his dad for help. Dates? He's so nervous he's silent for most of it, but begins getting comfortable and having fun if his partner really knows how to get him down from his negativity cloud.

Ches

Pansexual.

He's very good with kids. He has the patience of a saint and he's laid-back, chill and fun but still is an authority figure who knows how to put limits. Sure, he's gonna let the kids light up a house on fire BUT hey, now they know everything about fire precautions, burns and how to treat them AND how to get away with arson. What an educational evening, am I right?

Due to certain info from the "Goodbye" official comic, I headcanon Ches as depressed. I don't want to elaborate a lot 'cuz of spoilers, but... God, everything related to his mom fucking hurts, man. How did he deal with all that?

Ches has been Dee and Heavy's babysitter so many times he cannot count them with all his fingers. He learned how to put those kids to sleep almost immediately (Sing Bon Jovi's "This ain't a love song" and any cheesy love song in a slow lullaby style and they're out), which movie were their favorite as kids (Heavy loved 'Monsters Inc.' and Dee never looked away during 'Meet the Robinsons'), how to console them after nightmares (Heavy needed reassurance, sweet words, and to be with someone until he fell asleep again. Dee just had to be tucked in, get his nightlight turned on and kissed in the forehead). He practically raised those kids along with Vicky and Glam.

More than once, Dee and Heavy have slipped and called Ches "Dad". Ches immediately gets his shit eating grin on and answers "Yes, son?" and does a couple of dad jokes just to mess and embarrass them. He's actually very flattered and surprised at how proud of himself he is for being a father figure to both kids.

Has a scar on the left side of his forehead due to a bottle his mom threw at him when he was younger, around the time he met Glam. He hates the scar with passion, it's a permanent reminder of the fact she never cared, that's why he always keeps it covered with his headband. Gets sad about it sometimes.

Ches likes to spend his time with a group of grannies of the nearby nursing home. He genuinely considers them his friends and gossips and hangs out with all of them on weekends. Bingo, billiards, walks in the park, soap opera marathons, you name it. I even designed them, gave them names and backstories... God, i just love the concept too much. I'll make some art about Ches and his granny gang FOR SURE, you're NOT ready for them.

Carries a pocket knife on him at all times. This man grew up on a bad neighborhood and absolutely knows how to defend himself, he can be intimidating when he wants to be and will pose a threat if needed. He's fucking terrifying when genuinely mad. Just cause he looks harmless doesn't mean he is, darling.

That would be all!

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Hermes

Hey guys, still doing what I can to stay healthy (and entertained) in quarantine. Staying still, keeping calm, and trying not to exert myself too much because of the shortness of breath thing going on. My lungs just can't get enough air it seems… 😅 Anyway, I've gotten a lot of suggestions on this series and I'm excited to keep it going. Just going to be a tad slow until I'm feeling better. Thank you for the support, y'all!

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes

Lucifer

Oh no… it’s everyone’s worst nightmare… Another Mammon, but competent. Devil help us all…

Had he known who their father was, he'd have never assigned Mammon to watch over them. Hell, he would have made sure those two never even met. They became a new handful for him to manage from the day they first arrived…

When even more things started going missing around the House than normal, he knew he had made a grave mistake… They were clever, quick, and skilled. About the best WORST combination for a burglar to be…

Worse still, they were fast on their feet. He would pretty much have no way to nab them on foot and always had to resort to his wings or magic to have any hope of catching up to them… At least Mammon usually gets himself cornered!

But, paradoxically, he also came to notice that the mortal had an odd honesty streak to them... Like, they’d steal but they’d always admit to it, unlike Mammon who would try to deflect till he was blue in the face.

Were they proud of their work, maybe? Or just didn’t see the point in trying to get away with it...?

There would be several occasions where they’d take something, sell it with Mammon, and then steal the thing back later just to put it back where it belonged, seemingly never with Mammon’s permission to do so either… 

Is it better that they returned the stolen item or worse because their actions went from just robbery to a full-on scam? Either way, it gives him headaches trying to deal with it…

He pretty much gives up getting the mortal to stop after 6 months, they are legitimately that good, but makes them swear to always put back whatever they take at some point. It seems to work out and he lets more things slide, but please someone get them out of here soon… 

Mammon

Soulmatesoulmatesoulmatesoulmate, or maybe more accurately “Partner-in-Crime” but that means pretty much the same thing to him anyway. 🤷‍♀️

He’s never met a person better at thievery than they were. The day they met, they managed to pick his pockets without breaking a sweat (or a finger) and that was it. He was in love.

They could teleport! Actually teleport!! Suddenly, NOTHING was off limits to him any more! Lucifer’s rare records? Easy. Levi’s secret safe? Cakewalk. The Castle vault?? Child’s play!! It was like they could steal anything they put their mind to!!

He didn't even have to worry about them when they made getaways because they were fast too, the two actually have parkour races through the streets for the hell of it!

On top of all that, they were wicked creative. He’d come up with a money-making scheme then they’d offer him all sorts of little tricks to help get away with it...

HE’D have never realized that they could turn themselves into rats in order to frighten and sneak past Barbatos, but they thought of it the instant they heard of his fear of things. They're a mad genius!!

The only real downside was they seemed to like stealing for the sport of it instead of for the money… so they always steal back whatever they took.

That kind of defeats the purpose of all that work in the first place, right? Ah well, at least that's more money for him.

These two pretty much became a walking menace to Devildom society- Sorry, not sorry.

Leviathan

Not another Mammon!!! WHY?! What did he do to deserve this?!?

When he started noticing that EVEN MORE of his stuff was going missing than usual, he straight-up flipped! Like, had the mortal not been pretty tough in their own right they would have been Lotan-chow. End of discussion.

… And then they started using their powers for good? Kind of?

Like, first off they would always give back what they stole, which was a nice change from Mammon. Annoying, but at least he didn't have to go buy replacement games or anything…

And then they started stealing him limited edition merch or tickets and stuff because they… liked him?? He guessed???

Why else would they go to all the trouble of swiping one of the five ultra-rare Kitsune Ruri-chan figurines from its original collector? He would have had to pay Mammon half his tail for something like that but the MC just brought it to him one morning because they could!

Is… is this love? Has he grown to love that which he hates?! What is even happening anymore!?! Who is he?!? 😫

Eventually he has to reconcile his conflicted feelings by dubbing them the real life Peony Phantom Thief, Jane and even making them a cosplay. Yes, they have to wear it when they bring him things. No, it's not weird, shut up.

Satan

He wants to be irritated, no - furious, that they keep taking his stuff… But he’ll be damned if they aren’t making Lucifer’s life a living hell right now. 😏

He's honestly not even sure how they managed to swipe half of the priceless portraits in the Castle (a considerable feat since there's one for Every. Room.) but they pulled it off in under a week. Barbs didn't even notice the replicas…

If that's not mildly terrifying, he doesn't know what is. Who knows what things he could be missing at any given moment...?

At least the mortal had the good sense to return his things, unlike Mammon, which gets them off his shit list for the most part. 🤷‍♀️

It helps that they’re also impressively well-traveled. They claim to have been across every human continent and sailed every ocean. Though he was skeptical at first, just hearing their stories eventually convinced him.

What sort of person has sailed the Amazon River, hiked through Arctic tundra, seen every major capital city, and still had time to explore the sights of the French Riviera?

One that has magical teleportation powers apparently.

Frankly, he could listen to their stories of the human world all day and still ask for another. He's told them that they may as well just write a book of their own for him at some point, it'd be beneficial to their poor vocal chords.

Asmodeus

Ugh! Really? Another thief in the House?? Wasn’t one hard enough to deal with?!

Honestly, stolen beauty products aren't exactly something you can just sell or give back, so unfortunately a lot of Asmo's clothes/accessories get targeted and he is NOT happy about it...

Around the time his favorite scarf was stolen for the third time, he was about to gut the mortal himself, but they struck a deal with him. They could nab his clothes SO LONG as they returned them with an extra little "gift."

Jewelry, perfume, creams, nail polish, etc. Asmo kept a running list and pretty much treated his thieving friend like a less moral version of Akuzon. Whatever he asked for, no matter how rare or expensive, they always got their hands on so who was he to complain?

He once decided to test them by asking for the Hope Diamond - which they got for him - but he made them return it after a week after the curse on it made him ruin a particularly intricate manicure so…

Like Satan, he's also pretty impressed with all the places they've seen. He's pretty traveled in the human world himself so they exchange travel stories all the time!

He may bother them to him out traveling from time to time. There are so many gorgeous and romantic places to visit in the human world after all, it's not like anybody could stop them from just… popping in to have a look. Right? 😏

Beelzebub

They learned very quickly that his food is absolutely off limits and after that, they were good.

Seriously. Beel caught them once trying to swipe a piece of pizza from his dinner and he nearly ripped their arm off for it…

But on the flipside, he also knows that he can go to them if he REALLY needs a snack and is short on cash. 

It's pretty comical watching the fleet-foot mortal running from angry demon vendors with a basket of stolen apples for their buddy… But he appreciates their enthusiasm! 🙂

Beel actually likes to hear about their travels too, but mostly what they've eaten. They can keep him enraptured for hours by describing all the food they've come across in the human world…

Watch out for the drool, though.

Since they can teleport, they'll sometimes pop up with a human world treat for him and the man internally swears his undying love for them every time...

Outwardly, though, he just smiles. 'Cause he's a sweetie.

Belphegor

They… they opened the attic door on, like, the first day they met… They didn’t even make it look that hard, they had some kind of knack for breaking and entering…

Seriously, imagine the look on his face when they just walk into the attic to say hello… He had this whole, “Lure and Trick the Human” plan all thought out then they pulled out a magic lockpick or something and BOOM! Freedom!

He laughed, perhaps a little closer to the edge of sanity than he was intending, and he tried to attack them but they were so damn fast he couldn't land a single hit!

Damn was it embarrassing when the others came in…

MC: "LUCIFER! LUCIFER!! There's a monster in your attic!!!"

Lucifer: "That's not a monster that's my brother!!"

MC: *stops midway through kneeing Belphie in the stomach* …. Ooooooooh!

MC: Whoops. 

It was a… rocky start.

After they settled their differences quelled Belphie's bloodlust he found that they kind of grew on him rather quickly… Something about that mischievous energy and how much they gave his brothers (minus Beel) grief with it.

He absolutely helps them with their plans if it will annoy Lucifer in any way. Occasionally, they'll even take Belphie out on raids instead of Mammon.

Turns out he's surprisingly good at distractions because all he has to do is pretend to fall then take a nap. People around him will legitimately believe that he needs medical attention so the MC can sneak through crowds undetected...

Of course, Mammon gets PISSED when they do this, though. How dare his baby brother try to steal away his perfect partner!! Get your own damn mortal, Belphie!!! 🤬

[neoculturetravesty]

We met in online class - Part 4

Image taken from here. Originally had this image in mind but Tumblr won’t let me upload it. 

Pairing: Renjun x Reader Genre: College AU, romance, fluff, angst, maybe humor???? Warnings: Strong language Word Count: 4.3k

Navigation: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | You are on Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Last Part

A/N: Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!

It’s funny how quickly people form habits without really meaning to. You don’t realize you have a new favorite word till someone points out you’ve been using it so much. You don’t realize you’re addicted to caffeine till you get headaches from withdrawals. You don’t realize you can’t live without dessert till the sugar crash hits. And in the same way, Renjun didn’t realize he had gotten used to your company till he’s waiting outside your lecture hall with an almost expectant inclination to see you. 

A lot of it had to do with who you were as a person. You had pretty much infiltrated Renjun’s life, even though he still kept you at an arm’s distance. One day, he had walked into the library and found you with Jaemin, while the two of you had your heads together over a laptop and a huge gift basket in the making on the table. Jaemin wasn’t the kind of person who invited a lot of new people into his life; so he must have really trusted you because it wasn’t the last time Renjun saw the two of you together. 

But worse than Jaemin was Donghyuck. Renjun was pretty sure that since you’d asked him out, you had probably hung out more with Donghyuck than with him. Almost as if seeing Renjun was just an excuse for you to hang out with him, as you had often joked. It was as if the two of you were kindred spirits, long lost best friends who had finally found one another. Donghyuck would invite you everywhere, get up to no good with you in tow; and before Renjun knew it, the two of you were even planning parties together. Neither Donghyuck nor you needed Renjun as an excuse to hang out with one another anymore, and it amused him. A part of him wondered if Donghyuck was playing along to help his bigger cause. But his friend always looked so genuinely happy around you that any ulterior motive he might have seemed to have been forgotten. 

“Why can’t the sun always be like this?” you said as you laid on the grass using your backpack as a pillow. Your hand was reaching out over your face, your fingers wiggling as you played with shadows.

While you soaked in the sun, Renjun chose to sit under the shade of a tree, sketching away in his book, completing his assignment before his next class.

“You wouldn’t appreciate it as much if it were always like this.” Renjun replies, not looking away from his work. He much preferred paint over charcoal, but he had to admit that the scratching sounds it made against the grains of paper--coupled with the chirping of birds and gentle ruffling of leaves around him--was really relaxing. As was your company.

“Hmm. But it’s still nice to see it without fine dust couture. I like seeing it fully in the nude.” you say, a soft, funny smile on your face while your eyelashes cast shadows on your cheeks.

“Pervert.” Renjun accuses, smiling as he drew. It just makes you laugh and lay sideways to face him. You prop up your head on your hand.

“I’m the sun, Huang Renjun. Now draw me like one of your French girls.” you say in a comical voice and Renjun actually laughs without reservation. 

“Do you have any more classes?” he asks, fixing his black and gold rimmed glasses over his nose.

“Nope. I’m done for the day. Yeri’s supposed to pick me up, so I’m just waiting for her call.” you say, rolling onto your back once more, resuming your dance with the shadows.

Renjun hums a reply as he sketches, but really, he’s thinking that he hadn’t formally met Yeri. At least not yet. He had just had two very awkward run-ins with her the couple of times he had been to your apartment. Come to think of it, he hadn’t been to your place since that last time. And you had never been to his place at all. 

It wasn’t on accident, though. All of it had been by Renjun’s really convoluted design. He had met a few of your friends on campus in the passing, sure. But you were more a part of his life that he was yours. That is exactly what Renjun had planned. Lately, however, that plan seemed to be fading away into the ether. Slowly but surely dispersing from memory till it was more or less abandoned. 

Because Renjun did not realize that he had adopted you like a habit. Any time he saw a witty meme, he had to send it your way because you would text back with an equally witty reply that scratched Renjun’s intellectual itch. Any time Jisung would bring home a baguette, he would take a picture for you with a caption like ‘Francophile life going strong’. The two of you had even developed a silly game where you would look at different marketing taglines and wonder if it would still work to sell condoms. 

‘Nike. Just do it.’ Renjun had once texted.

‘That is a low hanging fruit, Huang Renjun.’ you had replied.

‘Okay, true. But how about Imax: Thing big.’ he had texted back.

‘Hmm, almost but not quite. I need something stronger.’

‘BMW: Designed for driving pleasure.’ he had actually found himself scrolling through a long list of taglines while his assignment laid forgotten.

‘Oof. Now you’ve found the sweet spot. Keep going.’ Renjun had smiled at your reply and had found himself hurriedly looking for something better.

‘Geico: So easy, a caveman could do it.’ 

‘Mmm, didn’t think you were a kinky boy, Huang Renjun. Go on…”

Renjun had actually laughed out loud, making Jisung look up at him quizzically and replied ‘1010 Wins: you give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world.’

‘Yessss! Right there, right there!’

Renjun hadn’t even realized he was grinning wide and standing up from his desk, a list of taglines open both on his laptop and his phone while he scrolled to find the perfect response that would make you happy. ‘Rice Krispies: Snap! Crackle! Pop!’

‘So close, so close, I am almost there!’

‘Washington Post: Democracy dies in darkness.’

‘THAT’S IT, THAT DID IT, THAT HIT THE SPOT!’

Renjun had actually belly laughed at the entire conversation. He didn’t remember the last time he had laughed this way because even Jisung was looking at him with an amused smile, asking “What’s so funny?”

So yes, Renjun had adopted you like a habit. But it wasn’t just through text. When you weren’t the one waiting for him on campus with a couple of cups of coffee in hand, he found he would go looking for you. You would spend all your free time together, just like this. He would find himself missing you on days he didn’t get to see you. He found himself disappointed when you didn’t have time for him because you and Donghyuck were on a very important mission or you had to meet your friends or you had extra work that was demanding your attention. You had just inserted yourself in his life in such a manner that Renjun didn’t even notice.

Perhaps you had nothing to do with it, but Renjun’s life had been treating him pretty well, too. Maybe he was more inspired these days, because his work was getting better and his professors were noticing. His painting instructor had held him back after class one day and offered him an internship at his studio. While it wasn’t huge, it was enough that Renjun had thrown his fist in the air in celebration as soon as he had left class. And you were the first person he texted and he was glad he did because you had texted back a freakout that made him grin like an idiot. You had come to see him as soon as your own class had ended and you had flung yourself in his arms and had jumped around excitedly before dragging him along so you could buy him an artist’s apron as a present. 

“Do you have any more classes?” you ask him as you stare at the evening sun through your fingers.

Renjun’s about to reply when he is interrupted by the sound of your phone buzzing in your pocket. You fish it out and sit up, telling Renjun “Hold on…” before answering it. “Are you here, Yeri?” 

Renjun goes back to scratching away in his pad, thinking. Maybe he should introduce himself now when Yeri comes to pick you. But what would he say? ‘Hi, I’m Y/N’s friend?’ Everyone on campus knew that the two of you weren’t exactly just friends. It was thanks to your stunt during that one online class, where he’d met you. ‘Hi, I’m Y/N’s boyfriend?’ But he wasn’t that, either. While the two of you had become pretty comfortable in each other’s company, you hadn’t really done anything, or had any serious talk about what you were. You two always found yourself tiptoeing “the line”. Actually, no. It was Renjun that tiptoed that line. After his two failed attempts to kiss you, the conversation had just not taken that turn ever again. You two hadn’t leveled up on the PDA front, either. Sure, you had cuddled into him in the back of the cab that one night, and he had half-carried you to your apartment till Yeri took you from the doorstep. But you didn’t seem to remember any of it, so it was basically back to square one. Sure, you had hugged him in joy when he had gotten the internship, but did it really count when the two of you hadn’t even held hands yet? Aside from the innuendo-filled condom tagline talk, the two of you hadn’t really done anything that would constitute as… something a couple might do.

“Okay, but how long would it take?” you’re saying into the phone, a gentle crease growing between your eyebrows. Whatever you heard back must have been distasteful because you grimace. “Okayyyy, Yeri, I’m hanging up now!” you say pointedly and groan, laying back into the grass.

Renjun chuckles “All good?”

“Yeri has brought home a ‘distraction’.” you say, making air quotes, and a face like you’ve tasted something sour. “I’m banished from my own home for the evening.”

Renjun looks up. 

He thinks about his next words carefully. “Um… what are you gonna do?”

You groan once more and say “I’m probably going to crash at Lia’s till my exile is over. So inconvenient!”

“You could come over to mine.”

Renjun didn’t know how it happened, how he found the courage to think it and then actually say it out loud, but now there’s no going back because the two of you are walking down the hallway to his place. He doesn’t know why, but his throat is a little dry and he peeks over his shoulder to see that you seem a bit nervous as well. He takes a deep breath and decides to break the tension.

“Here we are.” He says as he punches in the code. He holds the door open “Hello, MTV. Welcome to my crib.”

It works because it makes you smile. “So, this is where the magic happens.”

“Mhmm, but I hope to God my roommates have at least attempted to clean it up some, because I did text them a head’s up.”

“Lead the way, Huang Renjun.” you say and he does. He walks you into his living room where Jisung is currently sitting, playing video games. The smell of something delicious makes his head turn towards the kitchen where he finds Jaemin.

“Hey, Y/N!” he calls out then wipes his hands on a towel before coming in to give you a hug. 

“Hi, Y/N!” Jisung says without looking up.

Renjun is amused and a little confused. Perhaps you and Jaemin got even closer while he wasn’t noticing, but Jisung? When had the two of you met? By the looks of it, Jisung was comfortable enough with you that he wasn’t even minding his manners and greeting you properly. Probably because he was too busy dwindling his thumbs on his controller furiously. 

“Damn, Jisung, you’re really going at it, huh?” you say to him easily.

“Mhmm. I would’ve been doing even better if Jaemin hadn’t interrupted and kicked me out of my own room because you were coming over.”

There is a two second silence before Jisung’s audience of three begins talking at the same time.

“Jisung!” Renjun yelps, bringing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, no, we aren’t going to like… do anything--” you find yourself explaining at the same time, face heating up.

“Jisungieeee!” Jaemin also sings out to scold, yet he grins as he mock-chokes the boy.

“You are so dead.” Renjun gives the back of Jisung’s head a death stare.

“Nooo, our Jisungie means well, don’t you, Jisungie?” Jaemin coos while Jisung dodges his kisses.

Renjun shakes his head and places a hand to your arm to guide you along. “Let’s go.”

“I’ve made food if you crazy kids get hungry!” Jaemin calls after you and it’s the most animated he’s been in a while.

His friends being, well, his friends was probably worth it because Renjun is feeling a lot better as he brings you into his room. It had been a while since he had brought a girl over and looking about, he can tell that his mates did a good job at hastily cleaning it. 

“Damn, Huang Renjun. You’re a clean boy.” you’re saying as you look about. “I thought you’d be the artfully messy type.”

Renjun grins as he runs his fingers through his hair. “We can mess it up together if you’d like.” But Renjun mentally smacks himself in the head as soon as the words leave his mouth because you’ve looked up at him and quickly looked away, muttering something awkwardly.

“I… I didn’t mean that. I just meant with like, paint and, like…” Renjun blows air out of his mouth and then your eyes meet. Before you know it, you both are giggling at each other because the awkwardness is probably making you a bit delirious. 

Renjun watches as you take a deep breath to stop the giggles and turn to start looking around. “Oooh. Mr. Fancypants is a tea connoisseur.” you say as you run your hands over his teabag display box. 

Renjun chuckles “Do you want me to make you some?”

“Sure. Let’s have tea, Mr. Fancypants.” you take a seat on his wheelie chair and your eyes go to the artist’s apron you had bought him that is currently hanging on an easel. You give it a fond smile.

“What flavor would you like?” Renjun asks as he puts the kettle on and sets up two mugs.

“Umm… I don’t know tea. I’m a coffee drinker.” you reply, your fingers tracing over the pictures he had at his desk.

“I’ll make you a simple chamomile, then. I’ve seen you and Jaemin enabling each other’s coffee habits and I don’t approve.” he knots his eyebrows.

“Oh no, no, no. Jaemin is on a different level. I took a sip of his coffee by mistake once and my entire life flashed before my eyes. I don’t know if that boy drinks coffee or straight up cocaine.”

Renjun bites his smile because he’s still holding onto the look of disapproval. “That would explain the random spikes and falls in his energy.” he says as he pours out the water in the mugs and seeps the teabags. “Here you go.” he sets your mug on the desk and takes a seat on his bed.

You take a sip “So, which one is your bunk?”

“Top.” Renjun also wants to make an innuendo but he stops himself because the awkwardness surrounding the fact that you and him are alone in his room has only just subsided with the tea.

“Isn’t the bottom bunk more comfortable?” you muse as you drink. You seem to be enjoying your tea because you haven’t set it aside yet.

“Of course it is. It’s why Jisung has it.” he comments, cocking his eyebrow. “And I sleep here on this bed.” He pats where he’s sat.

You grin as you sip then quickly wipe your chin as some tea spills through your smile. “Where do you keep all your paintings?”

“In the studio. On that top bunk. Behind that door. At my grandma’s house.” he lists off on his fingers.

“Why behind the door? If I had your talent, I’d basically cover every bit of my wall in my art. Like the most egomaniacal artist in the world.” you fantasize, looking up at the ceiling.

Renjun chuckles. “I kinda like my space to be a bit cleaner, you know? Because I’m always around art. It kinda helps with my imagination, having a clean environment. It’s almost like a clean canvas.”

“Interesting.” you’ve said and it sounds like you genuinely mean it. “It’s still a bit sad. All the work you’ve created should have a home. It shouldn't be hidden away behind doors or on top bunks.”

“You can give some of them a home if you’d like. If you have space, I mean.” Renjun gives you a fond look. You haven’t replied but you’ve set your mug down and looked at him with a very tender look in your eyes. You stand up.

“I wanna see your bed.”

Renjun grins. “Be my guest.”

“Ooooh.” you make an excited squeal, almost like you're about to enter Dexter’s Laboratory. You plop yourself on it and bounce up and down, almost as if to check the pliability of it.

“So this is where the magic happens.” you giggle and then Renjun finds your gaze moving to a picture frame on his headboard. “Is that your grandma?”

“It is.” Renjun smiles as he watches you pick your feet up and make yourself comfortable.

“She looks exactly like you.” you say, looking back at him with an affectionate look.

“A lot of people say that. People in school used to think I’m adopted because I looked nothing like my parents.” Renjun scoots back to sit next to you.

“Are you close to your parents?” you ask gently, looking at him.

Renjun looks away. 

The two of you hadn’t had that many deep conversations. And anytime you did, he had found a way around it so that nothing was shared, nothing was learnt. 

But no one had ever asked him that… not in so many words. He finds himself shrugging and responding before he can stop himself. “Nah. They don’t even talk to me. They’ve never really cared.”

“How do you know that, Renjun?” you’re asking him in a very soft voice. The kind of voice that has Renjun sharing more than he wants.

“They pretty much abandoned me very young,” Renjun laughs ironically. “They would fight all the time, you know? Like, they really would go at each other one moment then make up the next moment. They kind of forgot they had a son.” Renjun finds himself saying while his eyes fixate on a loose thread on Jisung’s bedsheet. He realizes he’s warm and comfortable and that’s when he notices that you’ve put an arm around him.

“That must have been so hard, to go through that.” you’re speaking to him so softly and your head and your body is angled towards him, giving him all your attention while Renjun talks into the abyss. 

“They were just like… kinda dysfunctional, you know? They fought like crazy and I had to hide away so I wouldn’t hear them. And then the next day, they’d be in each other’s arms like nothing happened. They would pretend like everything was all right. Like the trauma they gave me meant nothing.”

You’re not speaking anymore, only listening. Your hand around him has started to gently stroke his arm. Your other hand softly combs through his hair.

“It was such a vicious cycle and they wouldn’t stop. I think they were kinda addicted to it. They would’ve been happy living like that with each other if it weren’t for me.” He had never shared so much with anyone. But now that he had started, it was difficult to stop.

“Renjun…” you say empathetically and pull him into you. Renjun pauses for a moment, but decides to give in. What did it matter, anyway? He rests his head on your shoulder.

“If it weren’t for my grandma, I wouldn’t even be alive, you know? She saved me from all of that and took me in. She raised me. It wasn’t even her responsibility, but she raised me.”

You are holding him to you and soothingly stroking his hair when you say “Then I think your grandma is the luckiest person in this world. Because she got to see you grow up to be such a good man.”

Renjun feels a lump in his throat grow and before he knows it, there are tears stinging in his eyes. You turn your head and press a kiss into his temple and slowly rock him. It was odd, being here like this, because Renjun realizes that this was the first time you had kissed him. But more than anything else, it was the first time someone had held him like this. 

The last time he remembered being held was probably when he was a child, and it had been his grandma. No one since had held him in their arms to listen to him, to comfort him, to love him without any conditions. No one had tried to take his pain away without wanting something in return. The thought puts more tears in his eyes and he finds himself leaning his weight into you. 

He allows you to hold him and comfort him and coo at him. You’re speaking to him gently but Renjun isn’t hearing your words. He’s only concentrating on the soothing sound of your voice and how melodic it is. He liked hearing you talk. He’s concentrating on how you’re rocking him, and how the movement is slowly lulling him. He liked how warm and soft you were and how protective your arms were. He liked the smell of chamomile on your breath. Had you enjoyed chamomile? He thought you had. Maybe you would’ve enjoyed a different flavor more. Renjun decides he should make you an Earl Grey next time; it would probably be better suited to your caffeine tastes. Maybe you wouldn’t like Earl Grey as much either, but it would be nice to discover that bit about you. He’d make you try all the flavors till he learnt which one your favorite was. 

“How come I never saw your cat?” He asks sleepily after you’ve been quiet for a while.

“Hmm?” you ask, confused.

“Your cat. Galbi. How come I didn’t see him when I came over?” Renjun can feel your smile against his temple.

“Oh. Yeri had dropped him over at the vet’s that day. Do you want to meet him?” you ask him.

“Yeah, it would be nice to meet him.” Renjun says and brings an arm up to cuddle closer into you.

“Okay. Next time you come over, you can meet him… shoulder gangster Renjun.” you’re only whispering at him now as you tease him.

“Mmm.” is the only reply Renjun can manage as he chuckles lazily. He didn’t even feel like killing Donghyuck for telling you about that because he feels so good like this, in your arms. Renjun hasn’t even noticed that you’ve laid him down till he realizes how horizontal he is.

It felt nice. Being held by someone, being protected by someone, being comforted by someone. Your hands haven’t stopped soothing him for a single moment ever since they started. Renjun hadn’t even noticed that you’d put the covers on him. Or that you were kissing the top of his head till he feels the warmth. It all felt so nice. He barely registers that your shirt is wet from his tears. All he feels are the relaxing patterns you’re drawing onto his skin. It’s the last thing he feels as he drifts off. And though you're gone in the morning, Renjun can swear this is the most sound sleep he's slept in many nights. He feels a thousand times lighter, like someone had lifted a heavy weight off of his chest and he was finally breathing fully. 

He smiles as he grabs his phone and sees your name right on the top of his notification list. He reads your message:

‘Hey, shoulder gangster. Sorry I left without telling you but you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. I wanted to ask you something AND YOU CAN TOTALLY SAY NO. But my brother’s hosting a spring art festival of some sort at my parent’s house this weekend. A lot of his artist friends from his company will be there. Do you maybe wanna come with me?’

And there it was. 

Yes, it was funny how quickly people form habits without really meaning to. And in his new habit, Renjun had forgotten the real reason he was with you in the first place. 

Eyes on the fucking prize, Renjun thinks as his reality comes crashing back on him.

Copyright © 2021 NeoCultureTravesty. All rights reserved.

[lovethisletters]

Devilish nights || A fantastic 3 one-shot!

I love this idea ngl, I love the dynamic between the three of them! And I tried to do them justice here but... there's definitely a Whole ass ranch for improvement... :C

also Diavolo is Mexa xd

Summary: the fantastic three go to a concert but things don't go as planned.

Additional notes: I was going to make this a comic but decided against it since it was gonna take me much more time to finish it, but perhaps I'll do it as a small follow up to this one-shot.

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

There's a reason why the Demon elite are very protective of their private life...you see: everyone has a side of their personality only the ones closest to us are allowed to see and for the demon prince, the avatar of pride and the loyal butler this is no exception.

—Uhhh?!?! You're going out?!!—all 6 brothers questioned in surprise.

—Yes, and I hope that when I arrive, the house is not a mess!— Replied the avatar of pride as he placed a distinctive blue coat over his shoulders.

—Ehhh? Are you going on vacation to the human realm, Lucifer ?! And without me ?! How cruel!—Asmodeus inquired dramatically, hugging his older brother's arm like a child begging his mother to go out and play.

The black-haired demon was unfazed by the avatar of lust childish demeanor, released himself from his grasp with ease and continued with his speech.

—Diavolo has important matters to resolve in the human realm and he needs me and Barbatos to support him, it is not a vacation.—

—I hope all of you behave in my absence; Satan, you're in charge, ”Lucifer declared.

-What?!?! Satan in charge ?! - the rest complained.

—As much as it bothers me to admit it… Satan is the most responsible among you — Lucifer looked at the blonde demon in the eyes — I'm counting on you — and the avatar of pride came out hurriedly before he could even hear the answer of the fourth brother.

—Don't— whispered the avatar of wrath as his lips settled into a sinister smile at the plan that was being formulated in his head.

[…]

—Ahhh ~ finally it's THE day! I can't wait any longer !!!— upon hearing the title "prince of hell" we could normally assume that the person bearing it is someone intimidating, ruthless and rude; but there he was ... the heir to the throne of the Devildom jumping all over the place with immeasurable enthusiasm, glow sticks in each hand and a white shirt with the image of a sun with the face of Luis Miguel on the chest.

—Diavolo, I'd appreciate it if you could calm down a bit.

—Calm down?! Lucifer! I have been waiting for this for years! I will finally be able to be at a concert of my favorite singer from the human realm! Do you have any idea how much I struggled to get these tickets?!?! I had to do it the human way! line and everything!—The redhead claimed at the lack of enthusiasm from his best friend.

—His majesty stopped time and he moved a couple of old ladies to be able to acquire the tickets in the front row; it would be appreciated if you showed a bit of enthusiasm, Lucifer.—Barbatos finally spoke, the same formal and cold smile always etched on his face to which Lucifer could only replay in the same way.

—Oh! I won't let you two ruin my night with your formalities! At least pretend you're as excited as I am!—Diavolo begged but his stoic companions could only mutter a mocking ���yeeei”as they waved their respective glow sticks reluctantly and the prince of hell could only roll his eyes.

[…]

Mistakes happen, they happen when we least expect them and even worse; at too inconvenient moments.

—Quick, Lucifer, we're next!— The tallest of the 3 hurried, still jumping up and down.

—Give me a second — The black-haired demon searched in his pockets for the tickets that Diavolo had asked him to keep until the day of the concert because he was afraid of losing them among all the paperwork that week and knowing the responsible nature of his friend he entrusted them to him .

The thing is ... Lucifer could not find the tickets ... and when he realized this, with all the tranquility of the world: he cleared his throat, clasped his hands and positioned himself firmly like a teacher about to explain something to a child .

—Diavolo, in terms of tickets… I forgot the ttickets— At first the prince of hell gave his friend an incredulous look and even proceeded to laugh.

—Sure, stop playing games, Lucifer— the redhead expected a laugh from his friend followed by him handing over the tickets, but that gesture never came.

—Your Majesty I think Lucifer is not joking— Barbatos corrected

And oh my god, have you ever seen a child's face when you take a toy that he just can’t have out of his hands? And then the endless crying begins? Yes, at that moment the heir to the throne of hell simply bursted in tears.

—It’s Okay, your majesty, everything is going to be fine— The butler tried to calm him down by patting him on the back.

—Diavolo, I can buy others, don't worry— But the redhead only limited himself to pointing at the sign above the theater entrance "Sold out" was written in large letters.

—Well… I guess I owe you the next concert, how about we go to your favorite restaurant, hmm? My treat — Despite his offer, his friend only let out a sigh of despair and helplessness.

—You have no idea where you left them?

—Ummm… I guess in my office…

—Tell your brothers to bring them to you! Please!!— Lucifer was quick to dial Satan's number, because by the way things were he would not be surprised if Diavolo's despair at this moment led him to pray.

By pure chance, Lucifer noticed that he had several unanswered messages and calls from one of the angels: Simeon

—You can't reach them?—the prince questioned

Lucifer just stood there, glaring at his phone with a mixture of regret and anger.

"Damm you Simeon" was all that came to mind.

—Oh? Aren't those Solomon, Simeon and Luke?—Barbatos voice interrupted his thoughts.

And sure enough, there at the entrance of the theatre were the inhabitants of purgatory hall, dressed in human world clothing, waiting in line, the youngest of the group with tickets in hand.

—Oh!? I didn't knew they had bought tickets for this!

—They didn't

—How do you know?

—Because those are YOUR tickets!

—What?!?!—Diavolo's confused expression was quickly met with Lucifer's phone right in front of his face, showing him the text messages.

—I'll go get them—but before the avatar of pride could take another step towards the purgatory hall group, Barbatos hand stopped him in his tracks.

—Your Majesty, I believe Luke's birthday is just in a few days and he seems to be enjoying himself, why don't we let them keep the tickets?—the butler suggested politely.

It took a couple of seconds for the prince of hell tho make his desicion, but the smile on the small angel face made all trace of doubt dissipate, and with a heavy sigh he finally spoke.

— leat it be, Lucifer...

—...are you sure of it, Diavolo?

—yes, perhaps next year we'll go together...all of us, right?

Lucifer was surprised but with a small smile forming on his face he said yes.

—Now... who's hungry?! We should go to the fanciest place in town, after all, It's Lucifer's treat!—the prince joked

—Perhaps the restaurant we attended last year would be fine, your Majesty?

—Ah yes! That would do!

And while Lucifer's wallet had started regretting his desicions, he was happy he could spend this evening with his dearest friends.

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

I was going to put a drawing of the fantastic three hanging out but I only did Diavolo bc while I was finishing Barbatos and Lucifer my computer crashed and didn't save anything :c

So here's a Diavolo in front of bellas artes to compensate:

If you find any grammatical errors let me know! I'm trying to improve my english and that would help me so so much!

I will forever thank you if you go check out my other profile: @aileysmirnov  where I post things about my OC: edits, one-shots, imagines, art, etc. If you like Greek mythology and the bat family maybe you would get to be as fond of her as much as I am!

Anyway, thank you for reading!

[cheri-translates]

[CN] S2 Gavin - The Stories Project

🍒 Warning: Detailed spoilers for content not yet released in EN!🍒

Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide

Features S2 Gavin but contains no spoilers regarding the S2 storyline

This is a continuation of The Broadcast Countdown Project. Do read that first!

[ This was released on 25 August 2021 ]

[ Chapter One ]

Gavin and I are standing outside Door 501 of the 7th block in Pavilion Village.

This is also the home of Zhang Nian, the kidnapper who handed me an anonymous letter in the TV station before eventually committing suicide.

A thorough investigation of the case involving the anonymous kidnapper and his suicide has ended. The STF has also removed the cordoning around the scene.

I liaised with the TV station, planning to showcase the incident from start to end in a special episode of the show which will be aired in the last episode of “Inquiries”.

Gavin: This used to be a crime scene. If you’re afraid, wait for me here. If you need any materials, I can head inside and find them for you.

MC: It’s okay, I don’t avoid such things... Also, I have a feeling that there’s definitely something behind this case worth seeing in person.

The husband and wife who were kidnapped had related the details to me, and mentioned that even though Zhang Nian had kidnapped them, they weren’t treated harshly at all.

It’s just that Zhang Nian was deaf and couldn't speak. He could only communicate with them with hems and haws, which ended up frightening them.

In hindsight, they realised that Zhang Nian never harboured malicious intentions towards them.

MC: What was Zhang Nian’s goal and what did he want to tell us? The answers to these riddles... they might be hidden here.

Gavin pushes the door open, and we step into Zhang Nian’s house.

Gavin: This place was sealed off since the incident, which is why the arrangement of furniture we’re looking at is the same as when he was still alive.

In contrast to the dim and cold space I had imagined, the living room is well lit.

The cream coloured wood flooring, a white cloth sofa, a simple wall painting of the ocean... all of these elements set off one another in the indolent afternoon sunlight, displaying a warm atmosphere. 

MC: This place gives me such a strange feeling... the person who lived here must have really loved life...

Gavin: His fiancée decorated this place.

Gavin taps on a magnet on the refrigerator. Tiny colourful slips of paper are stuck underneath zebra, bunny, and elephant magnets. 

“Special discount for wax gourds on Tuesday, special discount for pork ribs on Thursday.” - It’s as though the weekly booklet of discounts from the supermarket had been copied down.

“Invitation cards, wedding dress, decide on the hotel.” - The ring which had rolled onto the zebra crossing in the news immediately flashes across my mind.

Aside from that, they have simple recipes on them.

MC: What a pity. If that incident didn’t happen, they would have had a perfect life here.

Gavin: All the furnishings and decor came to a halt when the incident happened to Xu Wen. He did everything he could to retain traces of her existence. As for his own life...

Gavin opens the refrigerator, showing me that it’s more or less empty aside from condiments which had been used a few times. 

White cold mist hover in the empty space, out of sync with the warm tones in the living room.

Gavin: This too.

He opens a wall cabinet to reveal a few boxes of ordinary flavoured cup noodles. The incandescent light in the cabinet is chilly, shining on plastic film surrounding the cup noodles.

Imagining the taste of cup noodles submerged in MSG, I once again turn towards the recipes stuck on the refrigerator.

Gavin shuts the cabinet, then points at the bedroom.

Gavin: MC, I want to show you something.

-

[ Chapter Two ]

Gavin: During the investigation, we found these.

Gavin guides me to the bookcase, then pulls open a drawer at the bottom.

MC: A disability ID, marriage certificate, graduation certificate, guarantee card for a hearing aid and a bank book...

Gavin: We checked his background. He grew up in an orphanage. 

Gavin: Back then, the orphanage didn’t have adequate facilities, and didn’t have teachers or special medical setups for guiding people with hearing issues. He was always reclusive in the orphanage, and didn't have friends. 

Gavin: When he was ten years old, people from the orphanage and community sent him to school.

While saying this, Gavin retrieves a pile of books from the drawer and shows them to me - they are all sketchbooks, and the pages have long since turned yellow. It’s evident that they were here for a very long time.

MC: He can draw?

Gavin: In these books, there are some sketches of streets and still life. Some are comics modelled after existing works. Although I don’t know much about art, I think he could draw pretty well.

While flipping through the pages, I find myself affected by the exquisite details conveyed in these drawings.

Perhaps because he didn’t go through systematic training, he wasn’t limited to one style in the way he expressed his art.

A distinct and unique style leaving a deep impression seems to break through the sheets of paper, revealing the emotions the artist had hidden in his heart.

MC: ...he must have been a really talented artist. 

Gavin points at the wall - there’s a sketch hanging on it. It takes up almost half of the wall, and it’s mounted in a white frame.

MC: The person in the drawing is Xu Wen.

MC: ...it’s drawn really well.

Gavin releases a “mm”, and is unable to hold back a sigh.

Gavin: Extraordinarily well.

It doesn’t matter if it resembles the actual person. It doesn’t matter if it was meticulous or not. 

The person in the drawing has her eyes curved upwards with a smile on her face, and she looks like any other young girl you can find in a crowd.

But the limitless gentleness and happiness contained in her eyes - that’s a unique feature belonging only to one person.

Gavin: They seemed to be schoolmates. I read through Xu Wen’s background - she graduated from the same school for deaf students. But there weren't any questionable points in this case, which is why we didn’t probe further. If you want to know the specifics, we'd have to investigate again.

My heart hovers in the air, wanting to figure out everything about this matter.

But from the STF’s perspective, this case is already closed...

Gavin gives me an affirmative gaze.

Gavin: I know what you're going to say. I want to continue listening to this story too. He wasn’t able to speak, but he left behind a voice that he hoped for others to hear.

After a pause, he turns his head, once again glancing at the drawing hanging on the wall.

Gavin: I can feel such emotions.

Gavin says this softly, and the light in his eyes grow deeper.

Floating dust in the surroundings gather on Xu Wen's portrait. We stand in this warm and tranquil space, as though we can sense their story surging forth without a sound.

-

[ Chapter Three ]

After this, Gavin and I gather information about Zhang Nian and Xu Wen from various sources.

A few days alter, we arrange to meet at a cafe to exchange materials collected from our individual investigations.

MC: I found the teacher from the school for deaf students. He said that when Zhang Nian first arrived at the school, he didn’t even know how to use sign language. He was gloomy and blue. 

MC: Only Xu Wen knew how to converse with him, and would teach him sign language after school. 

MC: After learning of his interest in drawing, she used her pocket money to buy him colouring pencils and drawing paper in secret without her parents’ knowledge. 

MC: They had a pretty happy time in school. Zhang Nian even organised a small exhibition in school, and many teachers and students supported it. 

MC: But after graduation, his days became a little more difficult.

He didn’t have a place to stay, and he couldn’t find work. While Xu Wen could rely on her parents for financial assistance, he could only rely on himself. 

MC: During this time, Xu Wen seemed to have been using her parents’ money to buy him stationery for drawing, and even accompanied him to set up a stall for his paintings...

MC: But they couldn’t earn money at all.

Gavin opens a few files in front of me.

Gavin: Afterwards, he found a job in a finance company. He went around conducting financial transactions for people, and earned commissions based on the number of successful transactions.

Gavin: Not long after, this company was reported for illegal fund-raising. Both he and his boss were jailed for three years.

I recall seeing his ID from before - a crew cut and a white shirt along with a black suit which looked tidy and fitting.

Turns out he wasn’t working at a bank...

Gavin: Even during his time in jail, Xu Wen never gave up on him. She’d visit him every weekend and converse with him via sign language from across the glass.

Gavin: Of course, Zhang Nian behaved very well in jail, and gave his own drawings to many prison guards. After he was out of jail, he found a stable job.

Separated by the scorching 3pm afternoon sunlight, the gaze Gavin gives me is deep with a tranquil light.

Gavin: Do you know why he planned this kidnapping and handed you the video clip anonymously?

I shake my head. This has been my biggest question.

Gavin takes out a few photographs from the file.

Gavin: Before the case was closed, these documents couldn’t be disclosed to the public, which is why I didn’t tell you at the time.

I scrutinise one of the photographs - an A3-sized sheet of paper is stuck on a door, with a few lines written on it.

From the format of the digits, they appear to be bank account numbers.

Gavin: He was behind this door.

MC: Then these bank account numbers...

Gavin: We checked them.

He points at the first line of digits, then speaks calmly.

Gavin: The first account is for an animal treatment centre. It treats stray cats and dogs which meet with accidents. 

Gavin: This one is for a 10 year old girl with hearing issues. She lives with a granny who sells fruits, and is currently saving money for surgery.

Gavin: The both of them had a habit of sending money to these accounts.

Gavin: Even though Zhang Nian continued sending money to them after Xu Wen passed away, he could only maintain his own livelihood with his income.

MC: What you’re saying is, if the video camera could capture this... and document them properly so that more people would know about them...

Perhaps he could help these people. Even if it was for the last time.

MC: ...but that was such a complex method. There was no need to do a good deed in such a roundabout manner, and even kidnap people to reach that goal.

Gavin silently picks up one of the photos from the table - it’s a note that Zhang Nian wrote before he committed suicide. A short message is written on it - It’s Wen Wen’s birthday today.

Gavin: Aside from that, he more or less did think of seeking revenge.

Gavin’s finger remains on the photograph.

Gavin: In Zhang Nian’s life, Xu Wen was the only one who gave him warmth. She was his lover. 

Gavin: After losing such a person, it isn’t difficult to guess what kind of an attitude he had when facing this world, and facing the people who caused such an ending.

Gavin: When people are in pain, their hatred will involuntarily become amplified.

Gavin: From this perspective, at least he didn't take things even further.

Gavin’s voice is dull, as though he’s mulling over something, or affected by their misfortune.

I can’t help but reach across the table, gently bumping the tip of his finger with mine. 

Silence permeates the air. He curls his finger slightly, hooking it around mine.

-

[ Chapter Four ]

The files, photographs, and a few scattered pages of a notebook are spread on the table randomly, as though illustrating their entire story in front of me.

The car accident was a tragedy, but it wasn’t the only tragedy. I find myself hesitating to speak. When I open my mouth, I sigh.

MC: Xu Wen was such a good person. She tugged onto him from beginning to end, and never gave up on him for a single moment. She actually managed to pull him out of the abyss.

Even though she couldn’t hear nor speak, she used her gentle gaze to heal the person she loved.

Gavin tidies the items on the table one by one, storing them properly.

His composed voice is mixed with ruefulness. He seems to be slightly moved, but has more or less come to terms with his emotions.

Gavin: From the perspective of an observer, there were many dismal and extreme traits in Zhang Nian’s personality. This is a point that can’t be denied.

Gavin: However, he was abandoned from the moment he was born. The path he walked on all these years, and the world that he saw - those are things we’d find difficult to relate with.

Gavin: Perhaps from the time he knew about the world, he realised that living was already something requiring courage.

Probably seeing such stories again and again when handling various cases, Gavin’s attitude is objective and calm.

Gavin: No matter what attitude he had when he made this decision, he shouldn’t have done so.

In contrast to the practised manner in which Gavin handles his emotions, I remain immersed in the regretful ending experienced by the two.

MC: Aside from her, he had nothing else.

The furniture, the recipes underneath the magnets, and the drawing hung on the wall... these images flash past me one by one.

MC: If I were the one who experienced this, and the only important person in my life was gone, I’d lose my connection with this world. Perhaps death would be a form of liberation.

Before I can finish speaking, Gavin raises his voice, cutting off my impending sigh.

Gavin: It wouldn’t.

He looks at me resolutely and decisively.

Gavin: No matter when, death will never be a form of liberation. Pain can always be treated. 

Gavin: Whether it’s because someone important is no longer around, or if you were to lose contact with someone, it’s inevitable to carry some pain.

Gavin: Perhaps time is needed, and perhaps meeting a certain someone is needed, to gradually put an end to such pain, and to use various methods to put an end to such pain.

Gavin: But things will always get better.

Gavin seals the brown paper bag which is filled with materials related to Zhang Nian and Xu Wen, then places it at the corner of the table which has been warmed by the sun.

I watch as his palm presses against the paper bag, a moment of hesitation surging past his slightly lowered gaze. Almost at the same time, he looks up at me -

There’s only certainty in his eyes.

Gavin: No matter when, never give up on yourself. Xu Wen was constantly pulling him out of the abyss. He shouldn’t have given up like that.

-

[ Chapter Five ]

By the time Gavin and I walk out of the cafe, much of the sun’s heat has dispersed. Wind blows over from the river, and it’s refreshing and soothing.

Countless little flowers with names I’m unaware of bloom among the grass along the street, swaying in the evening breeze of midsummer.

MC: The weather is really nice today.

After sitting down for an entire afternoon, I can’t help but stretch, relaxing my shoulders and back.

Before I can take a few steps, I suddenly remember the moment I met Zhang Nian face-to-face, causing me to halt in my footsteps. He had walked towards me in a timid manner, a sincere and apologetic expression on his face.

He had handed me a letter, its edges creased from being pinched. Then, he turned away hurriedly before running away.

Too much time has passed. Even his Evol has lost its effectiveness.

Gavin senses that something is off about me, and draws a few steps closer. I wave my hand at him, signalling that I’m fine.

Having second thoughts, I can’t help but sigh with emotion.

MC: If only Zhang Nian was willing to contact me earlier and tell me about what exactly happened...

MC: If only I could tell him how nice today’s weather is. I wonder if he’d have made such a decision.

Gavin responds decisively from beside me.

Gavin: He wouldn’t. 

Gavin: If someone told him that the weather would be nice today, he’d have definitely held on for a while longer.

Gavin: But he couldn’t always wait for someone to pull him along and bring him out of the abyss. He had to muster his courage and walk out by himself.

I nod quietly, gripping the notebook in my hand. 

MC: Gavin, aside from the original plan for this episode, I think I’d need to add some new content...

Gavin halts in his footsteps, immediately reading the thoughts in my heart.

Gavin: Are you thinking about how there are many people in the world like Zhang Nian?

MC: Mm.

There are definitely some people who are shouldering pain alone, and are hesitating at the crossroads of life and death.

MC: Although this tragedy can no longer be salvaged, we could prevent even more tragedies from occurring.

I turn towards the direction of the river, looking afar at the boundless sky.

MC: I want to tell them about the beautiful scenery all around the world, and the beauty of the four seasons.

MC: Tell them about the colours of sunset, the sounds of the ocean...

MC: And tell them that as long as they’re willing to wait for a while longer, there are still people on earth who will love them.

MC: I want their eyes to be able to see the world that I see. I want them to believe that this world is always worth it.

Realising how overly idealistic and visionary my words are, I give Gavin a smile.

MC: ...I might have sounded too exaggerated.

Gavin: Nope. It will be a very meaningful show.

He suddenly reaches out, combing my hair which has been blown messy by the wind. His fingers linger on the ends of my hair for a long time.

The corners of his lips curl upwards slightly, and he brings me into his arms.

Gavin: Thank you.

Gavin: This world is always worth it.

His voice is far too soft. For a moment, I wonder if I misheard.

MC: What did you say? I couldn’t hear you clearly.

Gavin chuckles, then raises his volume.

Gavin: Since the weather’s pretty good, want to go for a drive?

MC: Did you drive here today?

Gavin: Mm. It’s rare to have such nice weather, so I took the car out for a drive.

MC: Wow~ That is rare. It’s been such a long time since I sat in Captain Gavin’s car.

Gavin takes my hand, striding with large steps as he leads me forward.

Gavin: Let’s go. The car’s in front.

- End -

Filming for the special episode of “Inquries” came to an end. When the final episode aired, the show became a trending topic. After watching it, many members of the audience provided assistance and support for organisations targeted at disabled individuals. Although Zhang Nian and Xu Wen have already left this world, they’ve enabled people who experience difficulties in life to obtain warmth. Such warmth continues to last. I guess being able to allow more people to believe that the world is worth loving, and to do what little they can to help those in need is what it means to be a person in the media industry.

More S2 content: here

[leejungchans]

— reunited.

🆕 ask juliet anything!! | juliet’s masterlist

word count: 1.3k

warning(s): none!!

note: words in bold are spoken in english!!

set in early 2017

summary: in which juliet bumps into someone very, very familiar and dear to her heart.

Juliet nods her head along to the music playing from her earphones as she peruses the snack aisle in the supermarket. Her classes ended a bit earlier today, giving her more time before she has to be at the company for training. What better way to spend that time than getting snacks to share with the others during their breaks?

Definitely chocolate, she thinks as she grabs a bar from one of the shelves, pausing for a few seconds before grabbing two more. Who am I kidding? We’ll inhale it within thirty seconds if I get just one. What if I also got chips? Or is that too much if we’re going to get tteokbokki after training?

Sighing, Juliet looks wistfully at the assortment of snacks before lowering her head and speed-walking through the aisle. If I can’t see it, I won’t be tempted.

Stopping by the dairy section, she reaches for a bottle of banana milk after much deliberation between it and the strawberry milk. This specific brand of flavoured milk was the first thing she had after landing in South Korea, and since then she’d always try to have either before practice or evaluations as a good luck charm whenever possible.

Juliet is about to head to the cashier when she spies a boy around her age standing only a few feet away from her looking at the selection of bottled tea. Her heart skips a beat when she catches the side profile of the boy. It can’t be him... can it? But he looks so awfully similar to...

Before she can be sure, the boy makes his choice and disappears behind the aisle she was just in. Juliet finds herself following after him. She wanted—no, needed—to confirm she hadn’t been seeing things, that he is indeed who she thinks he is. It’s been so long since she’s seen him, she can’t just leave without being sure.

Doing her best to act natural, she walks back to the snack aisle and grabs a bag of spicy chips, pretending to read the label when she’s really trying to get a better look at the boy out of the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, the boy isn’t near enough for her to be sure, and before Juliet can inch closer to him, he leaves the aisle.

Damn it, I knew I should’ve put on my glasses.

Hastily shoving the bag of chips back into its original place, Juliet hurries to catch up with him, carefully peeking behind the shelves to see which section he went into.

Wait... do I look suspicious right now? What if someone’s watching me through the CCTV and thinks I’m trying to steal something? The thought causes her to shudder, hoping she’ll get her answer as quickly as possible so she won’t have to act like this anymore.

Passing through the aisles, Juliet finally finds the boy looking at the instant ramen before casually slipping in and grabbing a random one from the shelf, once again watching him using her peripheral vision. Is this weird? This is so weird. Man, if he’s not who I think he is, I would’ve done all this for nothing... Fuck! He’s looking this way! Don’t look at him, don’t look at him, don’t look at him... 1790mg of Sodium... interesting... what riveting information...

So deep in thought, Juliet doesn’t realises that he’s approaching her until she feels him trying to squeeze past her in the narrow corridor in an effort to leave. Jumping in surprise from the sudden contact, the bowl of ramen slips from Juliet’s hold and falls to the ground with a clatter.

“Sorry!” they both squeak in unison, the boy crouching down to pick up the ramen before she can do so herself. When he looks up to hand it back to her, they freeze upon getting a good look at the other’s face, eyes widening with realisation.

“Felix?”

“Juliet?”

Huge smiles slowly spread across their faces after getting over the initial shock before they pull each other in a hug.

“It’s so good to see you!” Juliet squeals. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here now!” Felix explains once they separate, laughing when her eyes widen comically at his revelation.

“Shut the front door. Really?”

“Yeah! I auditioned for JYP a while ago and got accepted, and they told me to move here immediately. I wanted to contact you, but I think you changed your phone number...”

“Oh, I did,” Juliet says sheepishly. “But I’m glad we ran into each other here! Well, not really ran into... I was kinda following you around the store like a creep because I was trying to make sure if you were really... you.”

Felix giggles. “Were you? I didn’t notice. I just thought you were another student trying to buy snacks after school.”

“I mean... that part’s true,” Juliet says with a grin as they walk back to the cashier to pay. “But anyways, it’s so great that you’re with JYP now! Are you doing okay with settling in and stuff?”

He nods slowly. “I think so, I’m still adjusting to the culture shock and practising my Korean, but the boys there are helping me a lot! One of them is also from Sydney, can you believe it?”

“You’ll have to introduce us sometime then,” she says as she hands the cashier some money while he scans her items. “Plus, you found me now! So if you need anything or just someone to talk to, you can reach me! You have a Korean number now, right?”

He nods again, rummaging for his wallet and phone in his bag before handing the latter to Juliet so she can enter her number in while he pays. The two leave the supermarket with a quick “thank you!” to the cashier as she returns his phone.

“‘Aussie sister’?” Felix laughs, reading the contact name she saved for herself.

“Yeah! You can change it if you want, or if you already met another Aussie sister at JYP,” she pouts. “In that case, I can be ‘Aussie sister #2’ or ‘Julie’ or whatever.”

“Nah, I don’t know any other Aussies here other than you and the boy I mentioned earlier. His name’s Chan, by the way! Where are you going now? To SM?”

Juliet smiles melancholically. “I’m not with SM anymore, Lix,” she says softly, watching his eyebrows crease with worry. “I’m with another company now called KQ. It’s much smaller compared to SM, but I’m happy there and they treat me well, so don’t worry.”

“Well, if you’re happy, then it’s all that matters!” Felix says brightly. “I have to go back to JYP too, but we’ll meet up more now that I’m here, right?” he adds the last part hopefully.

“Definitely! When we have time, I’ll take you to all my favourite food places in this area,” Juliet promises.

Felix beams. “I can’t wait! Take care, okay? And good luck with training.”

“You too. Again, it’s really, really nice seeing you again.”

“Likewise... so, this is goodbye?” he asks when they come to a intersection, being able to tell that Juliet has to go the other route from the direction her feet are pointing at.

“Yeah... but only for now! Remember to text me later so I’ll have your number!”

Felix nods. “I will. I’ll see you around?”

“You bet. I still have so much to tell you,” Juliet tells him before they hesitantly go their separate ways, knowing they both have to be at their companies soon but still wanting to catch up more.

It doesn’t take long for her to turn around to watch Felix’s retreating figure, though she immediately bursts into laughter when he does the same, and the two friends give each other one last exaggerated wave before disappearing into the crowds of people.

Despite the freezing temperature, Juliet feels warm and fuzzy on the inside, overjoyed from seeing her childhood friend for the first time in years while also knowing that there will be more to come now that Felix also lives in Seoul.

Things really are starting to look up.

She walks into KQ’s building with a spring in her step, arms clutching her banana milk and chocolate securely when her phone chimes from a notification. Clumsily fumbling with her uniform skirt’s pocket, Juliet fishes out her phone, instantly grinning at the message that pops up on the lockscreen.

[Unknown Number] [16:03] your aussie bro right here!!! 🐨 fighting today!!!!!!

— bonus!!

juliet following felix around the supermarket trying not to look sus like:

a/n: i can’t believe it took me this long to write a scenario with felix but here it is 🥺🥺 bc they were both in a hurry, they didn’t exactly have time for an emotional reunion but rest assured they were very, very happy to see each other :3 especially for juliet, she was still adjusting to everything and everyone at kq, so when felix came into her life again it made her so happy 🥺💕

[voskhozhdeniye]

Daft Punk's Discovery is the first CD I ever bought. The first CD I ever felt compelled to buy. I started this month saying F# A# has always been there for me. Well before I knew F# A#, Discovery was there. My record collection has been the only real friend I've ever had.

On August 31, 2001 Toonami on Cartoon Network did a special episode where they played a collection of animated music videos. They started advertising for it a few weeks before the episode.

We had just recently gotten our fiber optics infrastructure, so home internet and home computers were still pretty new around here. We had dial-up, but that was a joke.

My parents hated Cartoon Network, and later banned my nieces and nephew from watching it.

On this special episode of Toonami they were going to play some of the videos from Interstella 5555, a movie that's made of music videos for every song on Discovery. They also played videos from Gorillaz and other bands, but I wasn't interested in those. They were getting airplay on MTV.

I circled the date on my wall calendar and waited.

This was before YouTube, so this was really my only way to see these videos at the time.

The show aired midnight Saturday morning. About fifteen minutes before it starts, my mother tells me to get dressed she wants to go get ice cream. I am livid. I don't want any fucking ice cream I want to see these music videos. I'm twelve, so it's get dressed or get your ass beat.

After we get ice cream at McDonald's, she wants to drive down to a local island to watch the water. We don't get home till almost two.

I get to see the Gorillaz video for 19-2000, but miss all the Daft Punk ones.

We had never gone out to get ice cream that late before, and we never did it again.

I know she saw that date circled on my calendar, and started thinking of shit to do.

After that, I stopped sharing things and hid what I was interested in from her.

Later on she tried to do a family therapy thing, but that blew up. At some point, I was put on anti psychotic medicine and placed in therapy, but I never trusted them either.

Listening to her complain about how I don’t interact with her, or show any emotion towards her is comical.

She taught me not to. Her blow up in October was hilarious because after I really sat down and thought about it. I realized she was searching for ammunition to do damage, but had none. So she threaten me with kicking me out.

She kept saying she was disgusted that I had my father's attitude. In the almost three months since, I've realized I don't have my father's attitude. I have hers.

My father is grumpy, typical emotionally damaged man. When my mother is angry she attempts to destroy you like she tried and failed to do to me.

I remember her doing that shit to my sister when I was little.

I didn't realize what she had tried to do till hours later. A nasty boss in Metroid was pissing me off, and then I started thinking about what she said.

All of this because she password protected her phone while trying to change her email password and forgot the password. Then got mad at me when I pointed out how technology illiterate she is.

I haven’t gotten over the fact that she compared me to some guy who is selling his mother’s land and pocketing the money while his mother lives in squalor.

Steals from mother, treats wife like shit = Tells mother if you don’t know what you’re why are you doing it

Two weeks later she texts me, “you forgot to put your phone number in my phone.”

I didn’t forget.