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dovveri · 6 months ago

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sun-kissed

bachelorette masterlist - part 1 • part 2 • part 3 • part 5 • part 6 • part 7

synopsis: an unexpected arrest deters filming for day 4 so instead, y/n and sana spend the day together. almost like a date?

warnings: mentions of child pedophilia! suggestive, cursing - i forget to tag that alot bcs its in all my fics but just assume its always there oop

w/c: 5.2k

a/n: okay this took me way longer than it should’ve to write but i think it’s maybe my favourite chapter so far… or maybe i’m soft rn 🤭 enjoy!

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could they have made any less of a scene?

the sirens have stopped but the blue and red lights continue to blaze as you stand in shock with the rest of the contestants while the cops raid the mansion.

sana had been taken away by the producers as soon as the police cars had pulled up.

when they're finally done checking the mansion, they walk out a cuffed wonsik. his head is down, refusing to look at any of you, hands behind his back as he's shoved into the back of the police car.

none of you had a clue what was going on, you were all enjoying the third rose ceremony and nothing could've predicted where this night had led you.

eventually, after the police have long driven away, the producers return with sana who looks a little shaken up. you head towards her immediately, wrapping your arms around her shoulders, but she can't seem to face you, eyes blank as she follows the producers instructions for everyone to come back into the mansion.

"sana? sana?" you're trying to get her attention, shaking her slightly.

she snaps out of it with a blink, looking up at you in confusion, "hm?"

"you okay? kinda lost you back there."

"mm yeah i just- it was just really unexpected."

"what was?"

she nods her head towards the producers who are now standing in front of the leftover contestants preparing to make an announcement.

"okay guys so we only just found this out but wonsik has been arrested on charges of owning child pornography, engaging in pedophilic acts, and sexual assault of a minor. the police have searched the house and confiscated all of his items and any incriminating evidence they could use in court. as you all know, we do conduct background checks on all contestants before they are accepted onto this show, and we apologise that this incident has been overseen. we won't be editing wonsik's arrest out of tonight's episode, but he has obviously been eliminated. we'll take tomorrow off filming to allow you all a small break and please do let us know if you have any concerns moving forward with filming."

what the actual fuck?

as soon as the producers are done with their announcement everyone is talking on top of each other, trying to figure out just what the hell happened and how this happened under everyone's noses.

"did you know?"

"holy shit i never saw that coming out of him-"

"man its always the quiet ones that are the most fucked up-"

you turn to sana in shock, feeling much like how she had looked just a little earlier. "sana?"

she's still a little distracted when she looks at you, "hmm? i'm tired y/n. let's go back home?"

you're nodding quickly, leading her away from the aftermath to the quiet cool of the outside air. you wave down your driver and quickly lead sana inside, stuttering out directions to your villa and sitting back, sneaking a glance at sana who's looking out the window with glazed eyes.

the drive back is silent save for the low hum of the engine. you're a little surprised when sana shuffles closer to you, linking her arm through yours and placing her head on your shoulder, still not saying anything.

you take her hand in yours, interlock your fingers, and lean your head on hers. the rest of the short drive is spent like this, the silence is thoughtful, but not awkward.

even as you arrive back at the house, your hands never leave each other's, you lead her towards your shared bathroom and brush your teeth side by side. only letting go of each other when you both go to start your nighttime skincare routines.

sana has a much more intricate routine than you because of her obsession with all things health-related and her need to take care of her skin well. so you finish earlier than her, mumbling a quick goodnight while she's still bent over the sink and moving past her to retire yourself to bed.

you close all the blinds, intending to have a full night's rest and wake up late tomorrow because filming was cancelled, climbing under your sheets and sighing at the feeling of soft fabric against your skin.

your eyes are slowly drifting shut when your door peeks open, and sana's slipping in, closing the door behind her, shrouding the room in darkness again. she tiptoes to the edge of your bed, lifting the cover and sliding inside, cold feet come to entangle themselves with your legs, shuffling close as you get a whiff of her night serum, the sweet, tangy smell of mandarin subtly descending upon your senses.

"this is okay right?" she's murmuring against you, you're lying face to face, eyes sleepily open while your eyes readjust to the darkness, making out the soft curl of her eyelashes and the perfect slant of her nose.

you hum against her, sliding an arm over her waist and pulling her closer, resting your foreheads together and closing your eyes comfortably.

you think she's drifted off to sleep after a few minutes, but she speaks up in a whisper, barely there, you wouldn't have heard her if you weren't almost lip to lip, "y/n?"

"hm?"

you feel the soft breath of her sigh against your lips, "i... i should've known... he- i could've put him away faster- i gave him a platform- he was on national television and oh y/n, kids the kids he took advantage of could've seen him on tv and thought-" she's slowly panicking the tone of her voice getting shakier as she spirals and allows herself to voice her thoughts out loud for the first time, "-thought that he was in the right that it was okay that there were no consequences and then i kissed him oh my god i kissed him y/n and what kinda message does that send like-"

"sana sana baby shh, shh c'mere-" you're pulling her into you, tucking her head under yours and she starts crying and shuddering, hands twisted at the collar of your shirt.

"i just- like what's worse is i actually liked him-"

"mm no no sweetie stop stop. listen no-one knew what he was okay? it's not your fault you fell for him you can't blame yourself for that. he literally came here with the intention of making you do that you were just another one of his unlucky victims okay? and look, once this gets out on the news he's not going to have that platform anymore okay? in fact he'll probably hate that he came on here because he's going to be even more infamous than if he had stayed anonymous. we can only be real and truthful going forward so that those poor kids are validated in their feelings. he's going to be put away for a long long time now and he's not gonna have the chance to pull any more of that shit okay?"

she's sniffling into your shirt, listening to you talk and soothe her. you continue whispering sweet reassurances into the night, waiting for her to calm down.

she sniffles again, finally looking up at you, eyes red and snot dribbling out of her nose, your heart aches, "can we go out tomorrow? just us, like old times."

you smile at her request, nodding and pressing a gentle kiss onto her forehead, "of course baby. we can go do whatever you want. i promise i'll be yours for the whole day."

she's smiling, thanking you softly and closing her eyes. you wait to hear the her breath slow into quiet even snores before you stop stroking her hair, just holding her against you and closing your own eyes. drifting off to sleep with the adorable mimimimi sound she lets out only when she's exhausted and sleeping well.

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the next morning the both of you wake up around 10am, a comfortable time that allowed you to sleep-in, but not so much that you'd miss out on the entire day.

some producers stop by to check in on sana and go through a small debrief of everything that's happened and what they have left to film in the show.

you can tell she's still a little on edge and wants to get away from everything as fast as possible so you politely ask the producers for time off today and to leave the both of you alone until tomorrow since no filming was happening anyway.

eventually, they're leaving and sana's throwing on casual white pants, a light cardigan on top of a knit button-up, sunnies, grabbing her prada handbag and she's ready to go.

you're lucky you have so many things at your disposal, even multiple cars in the garage to pick from as you grab a random set of keys and click unlock. spotting a white convertible respond with its headlights flashing twice and leading sana towards the car, hopping in. sana's mood has already improved greatly, bubbling with excitement as she lists off some names of a couple restaurants you could try in town for lunch. you smile at her nodding along and humming as you start the engine, pulling out of the garage and onto the valley road, turning on the radio and laughing at the way sana almost jumps out of her seat, neck craning up, eyes closing, letting the wind sprinkled with a hint of sea salt blow through her hair, breathing in a deep breath of satisfaction.

you know you're meant to keep your eyes on the road but it was empty anyway and sana looked so so beautiful. you traced the slope of her nose, down to the curve of her lips as she smiles, the sharp lines of her jaw, and the smooth plane of skin at her neck.

she's peeking an eye open at you, laughing when you realise you've been caught, her giggle high and airy. you loved her so much. and it was getting harder and harder to say that to her without it meaning something a little more.

you're pulling into town soon, she's babbling excitedly and pointing at things that interest her with the curiosity of a child, you're trying to find parking and smoothly drive into an angled spot just in front of the restaurant you had both decided on.

you're jumping out of the car and running to the other side to get her door, and she's giggling and smiling when you take her hand, pressing a sweet kiss to her knuckles, and helping her out of the car.

you enter the bustling shop hand in hand, smiling kindly at the waiter who greets you and ushers you to a table situated next to a large window, allowing a picturesque view into the bay area with a couple fishing boats coming back in after an early morning.

you continue your act of chivalry, pulling out her chair before she sits, and then walking over to take your own seat across from her.

you both glance over the menu enjoying the hum of a busy eatery.

"do you know what you want yet y/n?"

the words on the menu were quickly meshing together, lots of french and seafood terms you wouldn't be able to take a first guess at the meaning of. you pout and shake your head.

she giggles at your antics, "it's okay i'll order for us." she's waving over the same waiter who greeted you at the door, then listing off a few menu items, her french sounding poised and elegant, though you knew she had not-so-secretly spent a year obsessing over french ballet and had even taken up a few lessons herself, only to realise she was much too clumsy to continue it. she had thanked your mutual friend mina for the gracious lessons but resorted to attempting to learn french as an outlet for her obsession.

"-leave out the pickles in everything. and that'll be all thankyou."

your heart picks up a little at the small gesture. you despised anything with pickles in it, and she knew that, making sure you wouldn't have to pick out any of those sickly green slices.

you smile in thanks when the waiter leaves with your order, only to come back quickly afterwards with a bottle of chardonnay which she pours into two elegantly carved wine glasses she's brought along with her.

you raise your eyebrows at sana, questioning the alcohol, but she only sits forward, propping an elbow up on the table and leaning her head into it with a smile.

"day drinking?"

"what? i'll drink yours if you don't want it."

you roll your eyes at her affectionately, taking the glass and sipping, humming at the sweet and tangy bitterness that fills your mouth.

she copies your actions with a beam, setting her glass back down and licking her lips. you follow the action.

"is there anything else specific that you wanted to do today?" you're asking her, taking another sip from your glass.

"mm, not really. i don't mind as long as i'm with you."

"glad to know you're feeling well enough again to flirt."

"oh always with you baby. you're the only one for me."

"that's a bold faced lie and you know it."

she pouts at that, and you can't help yourself, leaning forward and pressing lightly on her bottom lip.

"stop that. put that back in there."

she licks your finger and you hiss, pulling away quickly in mock disgust while she laughs, "please you've made me suck on your fingers and now you're grossed out?"

the waiter decides to come with your first dish at that exact moment, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks when she overhears sana's comment, you don't fare much better when you flare up in embarrassment, hastily wiping your finger on your skirt and babbling out a loud thank you to the waiter.

you glare at sana who's trying her hardest not to laugh, no shame whatsoever, shaking in her seat at the effort of keeping it in, her lips pursed and eyes twinkling.

"you're so going to get it when we get back." you mumble as you stab into a mussel on the plate in front of you.

"awwwwh poor baby's embarrassed, don't worry, mommy will make it better."

your fork drops at the term and you feel yourself going extraordinarily red. she's laughing now, loud and boisterous, drawing the attention of a few onlookers and you throw your napkin at her, whining and slinking back into your chair trying to hide your face.

it's a few seconds after you've folded you arms across your chest and tucked your chin in, willing the heat in your cheeks to go away while staring into your lap, that sana's stopped laughing.

she picks up a mussel with her fork and holds it out to you, leaning forward onto the table again, eyes bright making an 'ahh' sound.

you turn your head, not giving her the satisfaction of paying her attention, but she's persistent, "c'mon y/n. i'm sorry i won't tease anymore i promise."

it's no surprise that you can't resist her, rolling your eyes and opening your mouth, accepting the fleshy piece of seafood and chewing. she's smiling and poking her own piece to put in her mouth, humming at the taste and making sure it was to your liking as well.

the rest of lunch is spent like this, playful and fun, it's good to be able to feel like yourselves again after all the hectic film shooting.

you're standing up to grab the bill after you're both finished when sana shakes her head at you, "i got it already don't worry."

"huh? what do you mean?"

"i told the waiter earlier in french so you wouldn't know. just let me treat this time? i still haven't really been able to thank you for coming along with me for this."

"what? sana this was like... a one hundred dollar meal at least. don't be silly let me pay you back."

she's humming and putting her cardigan back on, standing up and walking in front of you, "pay me back by winning something for me at the arcade?"

you sigh, grumbling along as she giggles at you, taking your hand and leading you out of the restaurant, thanking your waiter who still looks a little off-put by you, and walking down the street to where you had spotted the small arcade earlier.

you purchase a hefty amount of arcade tokens and get straight into all the classics. sana just barely won air hockey against you, jumping and whooping with every goal, you have to take off your jacket midway through the game, sweating as you try and focus on hitting the little puck. you get her back on the dance machines though, you can't keep in the laugh when she somehow ends up sprawled on the floor, limbs tangled and missing every following beat.

you cycle through the arcade, speeding through mario kart and midnight run, shooting with abysmal accuracy at the gun games, trying your hand at some of the more unique japanese arcade games they have (which sana completely destroys you at), and eventually ending up at the wide variety of claw machines.

sana's pulling you towards one with spy x family collectibles, and you furrow your eyebrows in concentration as you try to get the small anya keychain for her.

she's giving you instructions from the side of the machine, trying to give you as much perspective as possible before the time runs out and the claw drops. you wait with baited breath as it grabs the keychain, comes back up with a whir, and then... the keychain falls out at the bump at the top of the machine.

you don't even hesitate when you push in another token, determined to win this one thing.

sana's with you the whole way, her reactions only getting more and more expressive with each loss.

you're probably on your 9th try, the claw grabs onto the keychain, lifts it up, and with a whoop the keychain's falling successfully into the claim box. sana's caterwauling and jumping into your arms and you lift her up in glee, spinning her around once before setting her back down. you bend down to pick up the keychain, presenting it to sana with a flourish, and then she's kissing your cheek and squeezing you against her in a hug, thank yous spilling out of her in rapid succession.

you giggle against her, hugging back, relishing in the contact.

after you exchange your arcade tickets for prizes, you head down towards the docks, stopping for some ice cream before making it to the boardwalk.

there are a few other couples doing the same thing, and when you nod politely to an elderly couple holding hands, you're hit with the abrupt realisation that you and sana must look like a couple right now. unless people were homophobic, then you'd just be a couple of close friends, maybe roommates.

you're suddenly hyperaware of the sweat starting to collect on your palm, releasing her hand and wiping it on your skirt when she looks at you with a cocked head, mid-lick of her ice cream cone, eyes wide.

you switch your own ice cream cone to your other hand so it looks like you had an excuse to let go, avoiding her questioning gaze.

eventually you both decide to sit down at the end of the boardwalk, legs dangling over the edge and looking out across the bay. there weren't any boats currently docked in so you had a clear view of the blue vastness in front of you.

sana's leaning in and looking up at you with puppy dog eyes.

"...what?"

she doesn't speak, her eyes darting down to your own ice cream cone and back up.

you roll your eyes and hold it out for her.

she's grinning and sticking out her tongue to lick a long strip along the side of your cone, humming in satisfaction.

"wanna try mine?"

"i'm okay thanks."

she's pouting and you can't have that so you lean in and lick some of hers, cringing at the overly sweet taste of artificial fairy floss but the smile she gives you afterwards makes up for it.

you both sit back and enjoy the light afternoon breeze, a calming presence after the hectic running around you did at the arcade.

"i missed this." sana speaks up first.

"me too."

"things have been pretty crazy with the house. i'm really glad that you're here with me though."

you turn to her and smile, "i'm glad you let me come."

"of course. the home visits later on are gonna get a little crazy. every season those are always full of drama."

"do you know who you want to end up there yet? your final four?"

she hums, thinking for a little, "still not really. we have... nine- wait no, eight since wonsik's a pedophile. so jacky, eunji, jihyo, momo, jun, jiwon, nayeon, and dae."

"it's a good mix i think. they all have different types of chemistry with you."

you're distracted by a buzz on your phone, taking it out and opening your messages.

miyeon: y/n!!!!! i just saw the news about wonsik! its everywhere rn r u guys okay?

"who's that?" sana's looking at your with a curious lilt in her voice.

you hesitate to respond, knowing how she reacted the last time you and miyeon were together.

"oh just my uncle. he's asking what to get my mum for her birthday later. you'd think he'd know since they're siblings but..." you trail off, typing a quick response back to miyeon.

y/n: it was crazy no one saw it coming! the producers called off filming today.. probably so they can deal with all the legal disputes that'll come up bcs of this

you tuck your phone back into your jacket, ignoring the new messages you get. you could respond to miyeon later. today was meant for you and sana.

sana's sighing and leaning her head on your shoulder, "wish i wore swimmers. it's such nice weather and the water looks soo good."

"we can head back and go for a swim in the pool if you want? we haven't had a chance to use it yet. may as well get the most out of being the main character on this show."

she's up in seconds, grinning, all fatigue gone as she practically prances back towards the car, only turning back to yell at you to hurry up.

you beam at her, running to catch up, laughing and smiling, just the two of you.

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sana's yelping when you cannonball into the deep end of the pool, splashing her with cold water in your wake.

"y/n!!"

you break the surface grinning and laughing, trying to splash more water on her.

"sto- stop! y/n oh my god-"

"hurry uppppppp! it's not cold if you get it over and done with!"

"no! i need to put on sunscreen first!"

"sunscreen? it's 4pm!"

"there are still UV rays at this time! i don't want to die from skin cancer and if you're a good girl you'll get out and let me put sunscreen on you too."

you narrow your eyes at her while she's lathering her legs with the white cream.

you decide to ignore her, diving into the pool and resurfacing a few times, splashing around by yourself while she takes her sweet time. to be honest, you're glad for the coolness the pool offers you, when sana first stepped out in her pale yellow bikini, you had felt your cheeks blush all the way up to the tips of your ears. you'd avoided her gaze quickly, instead opting for racing her outside and jumping in right away.

now that she wasn't watching you though, you couldn't help the way your eyes drifted over to her. she had finished with her legs and was now applying lotion to her arms. you traced the outline of her-

"y/n!"

you startle in the water, and she's looking at you curiously when you make a sort of weird strangled sound and water goes swashing around. "y-yeah?" you clear your throat, hoping you weren't as red as you felt.

"can you help with my back? i can't reach." she's looking at you with a dangerous pout, eyes pleading.

you mumble incoherently as you swim towards the shallow end, stepping out of the pool and grabbing the sunscreen bottle from her, gesturing for her to turn around while she grins at you.

you squirt some of the lotion onto your hand, rubbing it diligently into her back. you knew how much she cared for her skin, and even though you cared significantly less for your own, it mattered to her so you had to make sure you did a good job.

the problem arose when you started reaching her lower back. the pressure you've been applying becomes considerably less when you realise just how close you are to sana's ass. sana's very very attractive ass, only emphasised in these bikini bottoms.

"feeling shy y/n?"

"s-shut up."

"you can do my ass too if you want y'know. it's not like it's anything you haven't felt before."

you can picture the cheeky smirk on her face while you recap the sunscreen bottle after you're finished. and really, you just felt like you had to do something about that so before you know it, a hand's coming down and smacking her, a loud resounding slap followed closely by sana's yelp.

you're jumping back into the pool, trying to push the image of her cheeks rippling in the most perfect way to the very back of your mind.

when you break the surface again with a bubbly laugh she's still standing by the side of the pool, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face.

"did you just spank me y/n?"

you stick your tongue out her in defiance, sending a splash of water her way.

"oh you are so dead!" she's jumping in now, and you're scrambling away trying to put as much distance between you two as possible. but she closes in quickly, tackling you underwater and pulling you down so you're both submerged.

you're grinning and then you're laughing, but not in a good way because her fingers are at your sides tickling you and digging into all of the sensitive points in your body she's discovered over the time you've known each other.

you spend the next few minutes trying to one up one another, droplets of water flying everywhere, noisy screeches and laughs sounding out. you're lucky this mansion of a house was situated in the valleys with no neighbours or you most definitely would've gotten a noise complaint.

eventually, you decide to call a truce, cheeks sore from smiling, stomach sore from laughing. you float onto your back, closing your eyes and letting out a loud sigh in comfort. you can feel sana floating next to you, your heads next to each other, hearts beating in tandem.

she’s speaking up after a minute, "cats or dogs?"

you snort, "i don't mind."

you can hear the whine in her voice, "just pick one."

you hum thinking about it for a little, "whatever suits my lifestyle better i guess. if i'm really busy with work or i have to stay home a lot then probably a cat. but if i have a big backyard or something then probably a dog. knowing me though, i'll probably end up with cats. i'm too lazy to keep up with the energy dogs have."

"not with me though right?"

"what? of course not with you. also, you're not a dog sana."

"people say i look like a shiba inu."

"that's not the same thing."

she giggles a little before sighing, "you suit cats. okay. it's decided. we're getting a cat when we go home."

"huh?!"

she's breaking into high-pitched laughter again and you can only find yourself to be slightly concerned over whether she's being serious or not. you could deal with that at a much later date though. you drift back into a comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the night wildlife slowly wake up in the valleys next to you.

"y/n?"

"hmm?"

"i love you."

your eyes are opening now, heart rate picking up. there's no reason to panic right? she meant it as a friend. a friend. so why was it so hard to say it back to her? as a friend?

instead, you say, "enjoy our date that much minatozaki?"

she doesn't respond with the same teasing tone you're expecting, "i really did." all honest and pure.

you're gulping, "...me too."

you know she's standing when you feel light waves push against your body, so you lift yourself up, looking at her puzzled, but she only goes to stand in front of you, grabbing your arms and wrapping them around her waist.

you let her, squeezing slightly and dropping your head onto her shoulder, your eyes drinking in the pinks and oranges of the sunset.

"you're not gonna say it back?"

you stiffen behind her, "what?"

"you know what."

she's tightening her hold around you even before you try to subconsciously escape.

you let out an almost-laugh breath, "...i love you too sana."

"was that so hard?" she's turning now, pupils dilated when they meet yours, pink lips slightly parted, noses almost touching.

you're shaking your head no, breath caught up in your throat.

a crinkle appears between her eyebrows, you have the urge to smooth it out, "are you lying?"

another shake of your head.

you feel her breath against your lips as she lets out a soft exhale, the tightening of her hands against your forearms helping ground you, if only slightly.

"i hope one day you'll be able to tell me the truth." you're confused, what was she talking about? "for now i guess this is fine." and then she's leaning in and pressing her lips against yours.

its almost an automatic reaction now. your mouth is moving against hers even before your brain registers you're kissing.

she's sweet, she always is. but this kiss is a little different. it's not filled with passion or heat, not like all your previous kisses that have always led to tangled limbs and heavy breaths. it's soft, tender, like she's trying to tell you something with her lips. you just weren't particularly versed in this form of sana communication yet to be able to tell what that was.

when she breaks away, the sun is dipping behind the horizon, her forehead leaned against yours, breaths coming in shorter after the lack of air.

she shivers a little when a cool gust of wind starts up.

"inside?" you ask.

she nods, letting you go, and following you out of the pool to dry off.

the rest of the night, even when you end up sprawled on messy sheets, sweat coating your bodies and arms around each other, your lips still tingle from her kiss in the pool. you fall asleep dreaming of small kittens, ice-cream, and sana.

#sana #minatozaki sana #twice sana #sana x reader #sana x f!reader #sana x fem!reader #twice x reader #twice x f!reader #twice x fem!reader #twice imagines #sana imagines #dovveri

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partyanimal167 · 4 months ago

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Okay so I SHOULD be working on the next chapter of my Miguel fic...and I promise I am. But I can't stop thinking about this post from @luxthestrange with my lovely man, Crocodile (also ignoring the fact that I'm behind on updating his fic by alot...) So here's a little something to get the writer vibes flowing

cw: none, blurb, one-sided pining, gn reader

Sir Crocodile x Ex-Secretary!Reader

You never thought that you'd end up having a WANTED poster, but you made some questionable choices as a youth which made entering the 'normal' world extremely hard and ultimately not worth it after awhile.

You did managed to get a desk job, but that didn't last long when it was revealed to have owed some money to a dangerous, business-smart pirate named Sir Crocodile. Amidst the raid, you were called out by said captain as it was your questioning of the numbers and certain other connections that brought some attention to what your then-boss was doing. (Oops). Either way, you expected to get interrogated then disposed of.

You got a handshake and job offer instead.

Now of course, you didn't immediately join Crocodile's side, but he noticed your attention to details and ease of conversing with even the seemingly shadiest of connects. Crocodile didn't think you were a pirate, but you certainly weren't a normal civilian either.

The secretary offer came after Crocodile witnessed you boldly standing up to one Warlord (Doffy) when he tried to barge into Crocodile's office while he was on a phone call. You were merely passing by. But you knew that Sir Crocodile didn't like to be interrupted, and the secretary then wasn't holding his place against the giant man.

Doflamingo was pissed. But Crocodile approved.

So then started the years of partnership and endless work where you kept tabs and details organized for Crocodile's use while you were rewarded in both finances and work benefits.

You enjoyed it, so you were a bit let down when things hit the fan and your boss in jail.

However, you were able to start an underground consulting business while hiding from the Marines. It was quite successful. When news came of Crocodile's escape, it was easy enough to track him down and send him a wealth of information ranging from old contacts to accounts that were still untouched. As a courtesy...

Sir Crocodile was quick to send over a bouquet of flowers and a beautiful invitation to welcome you back to working for him. You gracefully declined citing your new business adventure and gave warm wishes.

And so started a relentless array of attempts of winning you back. Several initial consultations for 'new clients' were just lunches of the man trying to convince you. Each time, you'd just sit and listen before taking the check for your time. Gifts of your favorite fragrances, coffees, pastries, and the like were always welcoming you either home or to your office. It did surprise you a bit how much the man knew about you. Your actual clients seemed to nervous to be caught between you both since Crocodile was trying to scare them off, and you were stern in getting your demands and continuing your work.

After some time though, it had been silent. You caught wind of Crocodile's new partners, and you felt some relief that others were able to take on and work with the man. Things would be easier now. You'd both cross paths maybe as partners or each other's clients in the future.

A knock at the door rattles your calm evening and tea. You stood from your living room and peek out your peephole. However, you didn't see anything. You were just about to walk away when you could've sworn you smelled a familiar robust smoke and opened the door.

You nearly gasped when you see Crocodile on his knees with the largest ramo of lilacs, Adam's needles, and roses you'd ever seen--although they were on the ground under his hand. He looked up at you with both desire, stress, and relief.

He puffed out his smoke before yanking out his cigar and pleading. "You are the most competent, skilled, and amazing person I know. I need you back in my life even more now. Please dear, come back to me."

~~~

Teehee

#one piece #one piece imagine #sir crocodile #crocodile #one piece x reader #one piece fanfiction #crocodile x reader #gn reader #gender neautral reader #ex secretary #pining au #mine #partyanimal167

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strawberrynightmere · 5 months ago

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Hi! Can I make a request? I simply loved the fanfic you made of Andrew and Ashley as cats! I think it would be very comical to live with these two as cats, can I ask you for a sequel? Like with Andrew suffering from love for the reader and also with his yandere tendencies to keep every man away from the reader?

Ask and you shall receive.

Also, I appreciate that there are people interested my work

Bad Cats!!! [Part 2]

Warning ⚠️ : yandere tendencies and such, reader has bad memory i guess, I don't know how to put up warnings, so read at your own risk

A/n: Sorry, it wasn't exactly what you expected it to be.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Finishing the project that your incompetent boss pushed onto you, press save and close your work laptop, and you stretch to relive your aching muscles.

"Meow!" Oops. You accidentally woke up Andrew, but he didn't jump off your lap like any normal cat. He just continued cuddling up to you. Andrew was not a normal cat, personality-wise. Where Ashley was the classic feral street cat that turned into those stereotypical house cats.

Lately, you've been having a reoccurring dream about being in an embrace of a guy with black hair and green eyes whispering something that you can't really remember. Something about him felt familiar, but you couldn't really figure out what.

When you told Nina about this, the only thing she said was; "He sounds hot. Maybe that's your soulmate." Why you still confide in her is a whole other mystery. However, when you told Julia about your reoccurring dream, she said, "It's weird that you remember it in detail." And that's true, you don't remember most of your dreams, but when you do, it's always blurry.

Well, whatever. you have chores to do, and you can't procrastinate. Carefully taking Andrew off of your lap and got to work. Funny enough, neither Ashley nor Andrew reacted to the vacuum. They just left the room.

Those two are such strange cats.

Once you finished the chores, you were about to make dinner, but it seemed that you were missing a few ingredients, which was weird because you were sure there was enough from yesterday.

Oh, well. It's time to buy more. Before you head out the door, you announce to the cats that you'll be out for a bit. You lock the door and leave to the supermarket.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Now, it was just Andrew and Ashley left there. Neither of them changed from their cat forms, but you could see the look Andrew was giving Ashley.

"What?" She asked, there was no answer. "If she didn't want anyone to eat it, she should've put a sign or something."

"She already thinks we're strange. She doesn't need to know that one of us turns human just to raid her fridge while she's sleeping." Andrew decided to break his judgmental silence, and that was pretty hypocritical of him considering what he dose.

Ashley rolled her eyes at her brother. She didn't find this to be a big deal. Besides, you weren't suspicious of anything. But it seemed that that wasn't the reason for his grumpy attitude.

And Ashley noticed that.

"Listen, if you're still hung up on the fact that she might find someone and metaphorically ride into the sunset with them. Why don't you just... "Tie her down to you."...?" Andrew continued to stare at her blankly.

That was kind of irritating her.

"God! Do I have to spell it out for you? Get. Her. Pregnant!"

Andrew was shocked, to say the least.

Ashley decides to defend her answer. "I mean, if you don't want those hussies taking her, that is."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

That was a stupid idea, Andrew shook his head and left. Ashley rolled her eyes again at his "dramatic" behavior.

What kind of situation would he be put in to make that kind of decision?

It was a crazy idea.

He's better than that.

Is he, though?

A/n: I could've done better than that, but I hope you enjoyed it.

#the coffin of andy and leyley x reader #tcoaal x reader #andrew graves x reader #yandere andrew graves #yandere andrew graves x reader

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shaunamilfman · 1 year ago

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Dating Jackieshauna

pre-crash headcanons

mentioned this before but i love the idea of y/n dating Shauna first and Jackie kind of just being like “scoot over, I love yall”. i just think it would be a really interesting dynamic for Shauna specifically who tends to feel as if Jackie runs her life in the first place. Shauna would be a little reluctant at first if only because she enjoys having something that Jackie wants for once, but would probably be the first person to actually bring it up to you to test the waters. Shauna for sure would be Jackie's wingman to her own partner; They're such losers, honestly.

so so jealous. they're not jealous of each other, just literally everybody else. they're both extremely jealous people on their own, but putting them together just makes it exponentially worse. like it will really be two dumbass girls who tell each other “exactly!” they'll concoct an entire backstory for the guy you're talking to outside of class in the five minutes he's talking to you about a group project

Jackie and Shauna get into little spats about who's letterman you're going to be wearing to a party. you're like “i have one of my own guys.”, just to get hit back with a “did we ask?? 🙄”

Jackie raids both of your closets constantly. You wake up one morning to grab a jacket because it’s fucking freezing only to realize she’s taken every single one of them. you show up at school shivering and Jackie’s just like “oops. 🤭” shauna gives you a spare flannel she has in her locker but you’re still pretty cold all day. Jackie feels so bad that she shows up at your house later to return all your jackets and give you one of hers. you just roll your eyes because you know she’ll give it a week before she starts again.

teaming up with Jackie to be the clingiest partners ever. Shauna's trying to write in her journal and you and Jackie are in the background making out and just exaggeratedly moaning until Shauna gives up and joins you. poor Shauna doesn't get a single moment of peace: if you and Jackie aren't actively monopolizing her time you're lying all over her. Shauna acts as if she's seriously put out about it, but if you tried to be less clingy she'd just be all in her feelings about it just like 😔😔.

Dating jackieshauna would be a very interesting dynamic considering they've been best friends forever and already know everything about the other. any time you hang out all together they'd always want to know things about you specifically. what's your favorite song, favorite book, etc. they don't tend to talk about themselves personally all that much when the three of you are together because they want to know you like they know each other.

getting personal details out of them together is like pulling teeth, but the second you're alone with either of them they'll answer any question you have. the benefit of their dynamic is you can ask either of them questions about the other and they could answer it perfectly.

it's very difficult to balance your time, I'm afraid. they're both partners that need a lot of attention. While Jackie herself is physically clingy (climbing all over you), they're both people that need a lot of gentle reassurance that you love and value them as a partner. I’m imagining a lot of Jackie getting Shauna to come pick you up so they can both monopolize your weekends after Jackie realized that they could effectively double their time together if they both got you at the same time.

jackie insists on trying to cuddle both of you on her twin bed. it's truly an effort in gymnastics trying to keep the three of you on the same tiny bed. you suspect that she prefers it to anywhere else simply because it makes it incredibly easy to lay all over both of you at the same time. jackie pulling both of you by the hand to her bed and you and shauna just look at each other like 😒

Jackie's ecstatic when she finally convinces you to do a couples costume with her as she gave up on Shauna dressing up with her ages ago. you're not super excited about it but you haven't built up the immunity to Jackie Taylor pouting at you that Shauna has. Shauna sees the two of you walk out and just starts snickering. you get your revenge come Christmas time when the two of you guilt Shauna into wearing matching sweaters. Jackie and you are overly affectionate the entire time she's wearing it, unable to resist the urge to kiss away her grumpy expression

Jackie definitely plans the most elaborate and over the top dates. you don’t think you’ve ever not had an absolute blast as she makes you drive her across the city to whatever she has planned. She always wants it to be a surprise so she reads off the directions, but she’s so bad at it that Shauna always ends up having to make like 4 u-turns in a 20 minute drive. you beg her to at least give you the map but she refuses. you finally get there and she’s just like “see, was that so hard??😁😁” you’ve got to stop Shauna from strangling her on more than one occasion.

Shauna loves to express herself through words and actions more than anything else. She writes you a lot of very pretty and thoughtful notes, and does little things that make your day easier. She likes to take you out on more intimate dates to places that show that she listens to you, things like bookstores or hobbystores. Shauna isn’t the best at expressing her feelings in the moment so she tends to either prepare them beforehand on a little note or just clams up until she can reflect on it afterwards.

#yellowjackets x reader #yellowjackets x you #jackie taylor x reader #shauna shipman x reader

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artemistorm · 1 year ago

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Prompt ask: Cuddles

Bonus points if it includes Wild, Hyrule, Legend, and/or Ravio or Wolfie 💜

Oops. Here's 1051 words of everyone's favorite chaos duo (and Epona too!) somehow managing mischief even when trapped in an icy sinkhole.

******

"Well this is fun," Wild said, hands on his hips and looked up at the tall and ice-covered walls of the circular pit they were in.

"I wouldn't call being portaled into an inescapable icy sinkhole as fun," Hyrule said.

"At least we got the horse," Wild glanced Epona who made an annoyed horse noise and shook her mane.

"And we got everyone's stuff too," Hyrule said eyeing Epona's saddlebags. "We should look through them and see if there's anything we can use to get out of here like a hookshot or something."

"Good idea, ehehehe, and we have a rare opportunity to see what cool stuff they've got hidden away," Wild said.

Three raided sweets stashes, two explosions, and one weirdly angry bottled bee later and the two boys found nothing that could help them escape their icy prison; annoyingly, the rest of their companions had kept their mobility items on their person for the portal jump.

“I hope everyone else is okay out there,” Hyrule said making a little next out of blankets and clothes from everyone’s bags. “The sky is clear tonight which means it is going to be very cold.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Wild said piling blankets on Epona’s back. “Probably. Hopefully…. They better be.”

“How thick do you think this ice is?” Hyrule tapped a bare patch of dark blue ice that filled the entire bottom of the sinkhole. “It looks thick enough to tolerate a fire, don’t you think?”

“If it can hold the weight of a fully-laden horse I’m sure it’s thick enough for a bonfire, let alone a regular campfire.”

“Oh? Bonfire time? I’ll start setting it up!”

“Don’t get too crazy,” Wild cautioned. “I’d rather not go swimming if we can help it. Also, you don’t happen to have any grass or hay for Epona in your pack do you?”

“Uh, sorry, no. I only have breadsticks, salted ham, and all of Warriors’ candy.”

“Hmm. Alright. Sorry girl, looks like you’re having only apples and carrots for dinner.”

Epona made a horse noise that was the equivalent of “I really don’t mind. Give me all the apples and carrots you got.”

******

Two hours later, Hyrule and Wild were cozied up together in the blanket and clothing nest well fed and sitting in front of the roaring bonfire with Epona standing close behind on her own bed of blankets laid down for her (sorry Legend, they’re your blankets).

“How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?” Wild asked. Hyrule sighed.

“Probably a while. The others have no way to know that we’re down here. It’s not like we walked here and left tracks or a trail for Wolfie to follow.”

“I have enough apples for Epona to last two or three days at the most, then we’ll have to start sharing our food with her,” Wild said. “I love you Epona, but I’d rather not give you all the wheat and rice I have, which isn’t very much to start with.”

“I wonder if she likes salted ham,” Hyrule pondered. “Or candy.”

“She probably does,” Wild shrugged. “They say horses are omnivores. Isn’t that right, girl?”

Epona made a horse noise that meant “I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.”

“Despite the literal icy prison we’re in, this isn’t so bad,” Hyrule mused. “We’ve got a bigger fire than Time normally lets us make, all the blankets we could ever want, and nobody to fight with over the food. We can eat as much bread and meat skewers and other people’s sweets as we want.”

“You know what? You’re right,” Wild agreed. “Let’s enjoy being in ice jail while we’re here.”

“I hope they don’t find us anytime soon,” Hyrule said. “We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of exploring what’s in everyone’s packs.”

“Hehe, then let’s get back to it… in the morning,” Wild yawned. “I’m tired and it’s cold.”

“Sure thing,” Hyrule said and nestled even further down into the blankets like a kitten.

******

“Well you guys look cozy,” a voice woke both Wild and Hyrule in the early morning.

“Twilight!” Wild exclaimed disentangling himself from the blanket pile he’d burrowed into. “What are you doing here?!”

“Looking for you two. And Epona. And all our stuff. Which it looks like you took the liberty of exploring.”

“You realize this is an ice-filled sinkhole and we can’t get out of here right?” Hyrule said. “You just trapped yourself down here with us.”

“How do you think I got down here?” Twilight rattled the climbing harness and the rope that connected him to the upper rim of the sinkhole. Sky and Legend waved down at them. Hyrule waved back and Wild gave them a thumbs up.

“Oh yay, we’re saved,” Hyrule said apathetically.

“Why don’t you sound excited?” Twilight asked. “We’re going to fish you out of this hole.”

“Is everyone else alright?” Wild asked.

“Yeah, everyone’s fine. We all managed to find the same hunting cabin and stayed the night there.”

“How did you even find us?” Hyrule asked.

“We saw your smoke signal,” Twilight motioned to the smoldering remains of their bonfire. “You went a little crazy, didn’t ya?” Hyrule giggled.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Wild said.

“It’s a perfectly ordinary regular-sized campfire,” Hyrule said.

“Neigh,” Epona disagreed.

“Are you two going to get up or just sit there wrapped in blankets like a pair of hibernating bears?”

“Alright, alright, we’re going,” Wild reluctantly stood up and Hyrule groaned and wrapped the blankets around his shoulders even tighter.

“Four’s making berry porridge at the cabin, so if you want some before Wind eats it all, you two had better hurry up,” Twilight said.

“The question is how do we get Epona out of the pit?” Hyrule asked.

“That’s the easy part,” Wild said. “I have horse armor that can teleport the horse. All I—or you or Time—have to do is to whistle the horse-call song and poof! There she is beside you.”

“What? Seriously? That’s so cool!” Hyrule exclaimed.

“Let’s do that then,” Twilight said. “You two get up and pack up and we’ll rappel you up.”

“This has been one short lived vacation,” Hyrule said. “But it was a good one.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Wild agreed.

The End.

#an unexpected ask #ask game #I don't pretend to know anything about horses or horse noises #I remember nothing from my elementary school horse phase #linked universe #lu wild #lu hyrule #lu epona #lu twilight #crack #fluff #stormy writes

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ladyluscinia · 1 year ago

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In an ideal world, DJenks could build on Lucius’s poly ideas in “we don’t own each other.” and Stede and Izzy’s (super limited) abilities to compromise with each other (via hostages) and they could both be with Ed and everyone in the love triangle is happy, but that seems super delusional at this point, even if it’d be so cool. So, what do you think a realistic happy ending for Izzy would look like?

I think I pulled up a link I wanted to include to answer this like a day or two after it was sent, and then I promptly got distracted and didn't actually type anything. Oops.

Anyway... happy endings.

So here's a post where I kinda speculated on this before that's worth reading. It brings up some tropes that I think are in the mix of possibilities and how I personally feel about them.

For an answer to your question... The way I kind of see the "compromise" situation coming out of S1 is that all the characters are falling on a sliding scale between two not-ideal extremes of piracy philosophy. One end has Izzy firmly planted as the extreme of Edward's default approach - iron fist, emotionally closed off, total focus on skill and discipline, ruling things through a balance of fear and awe that makes them really good at piracy but emotionally and interpersonally a disaster. The other end is probably Lucius as the extreme of Stede's approach - all focus on interpersonal relationships and emotional fulfillment, wanting to have fun and do no work, flaunting hierarchy, and generally failing piracy in favor of self expression.

(Note it's important that Edward and Stede can't truly hit their extremes - Edward is too seeking of attachment and frivolity even as he bristles at vulnerability, and Stede is too emotionally locked up like a clam to practice what he preaches and now has no money to fund a permanent enforced vacation. They don't really want what they perceive as their culture goal, which is good because both their goals kind of suck in different ways. The Kraken is doomed to collapse because it's further out than Izzy.)

The whole crew, Izzy included, needs to make their way toward the midpoint (which, given this is a romcom, is probably not a true middle but skewed a bit toward Stede and silly hijinks) in order to be successful AND emotionally fulfilled. And I think they can do it!

Like Stede's whole vacation boat and enforcing his own unskilled, atypical piracy in the early eps has already caused friction with his crew. They want to be badasses, face challenges, complete raids, etc. The fact they've grown to like him doesn't mean they've decided Stede's hobbies are better than theirs now, it just means they are more open to doing something silly with him and enjoying it than they were in 1x01. I don't think the show is going to end with "retirement" because I don't think any of the characters really want to retire (including bored-as-hell Edward). And if they are still being pirates - in fact, trying to be good pirates - then it's not unrealistic to think Izzy can chill out a bit via character development and get in on the fun.

This is a guy who met Stede and sliced his shirt up as a hello, and then did literally everything he did in 1x06. He's not an inherent buzzkill of a person lol. He's just stressed.

Izzy and Edward working out their shit is probably going to be a extended part of Edward's general character arc, but once they get through that I feel like Izzy's happy ending will be just moving from lurking on the stairs to being in the circle. Give the man a friend, a knife game, probably a boyfriend for the middle aged love parallels... and throw in a real, much scarier antagonist for S3 just to cement him on the Revenge side (*crossing fingers* please be Hornigold).

He'll do just fine.

#our flag means death #izzy hands ofmd #i'm basically thinking his arc is going to look like villain decay except he's not starting out as enough of a villain for it #like none of them are viewing him as a threat to start with so they don't have to shuffle him into the 'not a threat' category #as soon as he resolves his shit with edward though then his reasons for conflict with the rest of them kinda go away #and i think it's kinda ridiculous when people act like the crew is gonna have a major grudge against *izzy* for mostly edward's actions #ask #ladyluscinia

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iruthomlogs · 6 months ago

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WoW A Empty Shell

This World of Warcraft fanfiction is a entry for @daily-writing-challenge day 6 empty and a spotlight on my Forsaken Death Knight Hulbard and my Classic Hardcore Forsaken mage Amelia. This feature a cameo of @wowtalesofadventurers Dracthyr character Jerephan.

At the Horde capital of Orgrimmar, citizens go about their normal day while adventurers go around the city, looking for quest boards and shops to buy important items that they are going to need for their quests. One Dracthyr adventurer in her visage form is a bit lost and was looking at her map when she bump into someone and said, "Oops. Sorry." and the person she bump into turn to reveal to be a undead man in dark armor with glowing blue eyes, giving the Dracthyr a fright and made her change to her dragon form. The female Dracthyr was prepare to defend herself when the man walk away to her confusion and soon she and a growing crowd left.

Hatlen, a blood elf warlock whose watching the scene with three of his friends, comment to them, "Boy, that was a close one for that Dracthyr. I'm not sure that death knight would let her live." A troll in a mage robe walk to the four and ask them, "Are ye be sure about that?" and they turn to see the troll and said, "Teacher Rol'tu!" Rol'tu sigh at this nickname as only teach them on how to use magic before he said to them, "That death knight is named Hulbard, and he don't talk much. I fought with Hulbard against the Lich King, a evil force that raise him form the dead to make him a slave for him, removing all emotions in the process. Now, Hulbard is just a empty shell of a heroic warrior, one with no feelings." and Hateln and his friends look at each other.

A undead couple, the Forsaken mage Amelia and the Darkfallen Night Elf priestess Celene, are checking out at a flower shop, owned by a orc whose said to be a member of the rumored Flowerpicker clan, when they noticed Hulbard looking at the flowers and Celene ask Amelia, "What is Hulbard doing here, Amelia?" and she reply upon seeing the death knight, "I don't know, Celene. Thanks to Arthas, Hulbard rarely do much when he is not fighting in the battlefield or in raids." They see Hulbard, using sign language, purchase a pair of blue flowers and soon left, which the curious Celene ask, "Where do you think he is going?"

Amelia and Celene followed Hulbard go through a portal to the Plaguelands and they followed him.

The curious pair followed Hulbard to Light's Hope Chapel and followed the death knight, while avoiding being spotted by the Argent Crusade. Amelia and Celene soon see Hulbard enter a graveyard and place flowers at a grave. Celene ask Amelia, "Why is Hulbard placing flowers on that grave?" and Amelia think for a moment until she remember and reply to Celene, "I recall that I was told most of the Death Knights on our side have their loved ones buried here..." before she and Celene realzied that a loved one of Hulbard was buried here.

Hulbard wish he could remember this woman buried at this grave whose he must have loved, but the Lich King has taken precious memories from him after he kill Hulbard for a second time. Hulbard hope that her spirit would enjoy these flowers that he left for her.

#maydwc2024 #mayday62024 #iruthomlogs #world of warcraft #world of warcraft oc #forsaken #undead oc #death knight #darkfallen

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freakattack · 3 months ago

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I know I have a phobia of bugs and spiders and I know (and greatly appreciate) that you started tagging bug posts for that very reason but I have not muted the tag or turned off notifications for your blog. Reasons being 1. The phobia of bugs isn't bad enough I cant handle a few seconds of exposure when scrolling past and the more... exotic? I guess??? the bug is the the less my phobia makes me feel the effects and I can appreciate a cool looking bug (There is no amount of spiders I can stand though, even the thought of them activates the phobia.) And 2. I really enjoy your info dumps about bugs and hearing what you have to say about them, your blog is just really endearing to me, like watching a cool exotic bug wearing a top hat playing wario ware on max difficulty perfectly on the bus. Also I love me a good obscure fact.

I am in a hell of my own creation.

Do not cry for me, for I am already stupid.

Top ten funnest messages to receive after sticking my arm into a tub of cockroaches

No but you're so real for this and I am so happy that I can offer a safe avenue to learn about bugs. I actually was talking to someone at my job today about the importance of invertebrate conservation education (contrary to popular belief i do have a job and it does have to do with bugs), and a big part of that is taking away the unfamiliarity of these animals and presenting them in a way that people can relate to and appreciate. Generally speaking things become less scary the less "unknown" they are, and if the things you know about them are endearing (like centipedes being good mamas, or bees making an "oop" sound when they bump into each other), it can take away some of that fear. And you're right that arthropods are INCREDIBLY important ecologically so that's another reason I'm passionate about this subject.

That being said I'm happy to tag spiders in addition to bugs because I'm not trying to jumpscare people! That'd be counterproductive! (However if you're up for it, I have heard that the Lucas the Spider animations on youtube have helped a lot of people with their fear; it's computer-animated semi-stylized depiction of a jumping spider but it's voiced by a cute little kid, and even though it's a little corny I do think it has done a lot for spider PR. Obviously not for everyone though!) And yeah I feel you on that last point, I would never compare not liking bugs to actual bigotry (especially with simply bugphobic people, whom I am chill with) nor would I ever compare the plight of bugs to that of actual marginalized people, BUT at the same time if someone steps over the line and is viciously hateful about any animal (e.g. commenting "KILL IT WITH FIRE" on someone's pet, adamantly insisting that an entire species needs to go extinct, unloading a whole bottle of raid on 1 ant, etc.) simply because it is different or inconveniencing them, I will be very suspicious of their ability to be normal about human beings who are different or inconveniencing them. If nothing else I will think they are a massive tool!

But ya I so deeply respect your ability to appreciate the value of these animals despite your phobia, cause so many people don't even without that obstacle. Every bug on earth salutes you (from a safe distance)

Here is a pic of me playing smooth moves

#also an aside but i'm flattered that people have notifications on for my blog. I've never touched notifications so i have no idea how that w #orks but i'm tickled by the idea of someone getting an important alert on their phone that dingdong called orbulon a squid again

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zenoes · 4 months ago

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I looked at a beginners guide for ffxiv and I’m already overwhelmed oops

I never really played MMORPGs because I prefer single player typically but I do enjoy a good fantasy game. Any tips for starting out?

OOF yeah guides can be mega overwhelming. SO! IM GONNA DO MY BEST TO GIVE YOU SOME TIPS!! (i havent played long enough to be doing this, probably. but! like you, i also prefer single player to MMO, so maybe this’ll also work for you :3)

most of your game can be played single player!

all of the main story quest can be done completely single player! the mandatory dungeons can be done with NPCs, so you won’t have to queue up with real people so often!!

the first 3 ARR trials allow you to use NPCs as well, but the rest of them don’t. and ofc optional dungeons/trials, and raids require you to queue up with real people, but i promise you everyone is suuuuuper duper nice. especially to new players

okay now that that’s out of the way, time for the actual game stuff

1): pick a role you like

you can change your classes around every which way, but for starting out i recommend something you’re gonna enjoy doing! you’re gonna be learning a new style of game, so at least make sure you enjoy yourself :3

2): don’t let the influx of people scare you!

there are always a lot of people online at once, but i promise most people are just hanging with friends or minding their business to try & get quests and stuff done. of course, some people may invite you to a free company, or send you a tell here & there if they’re friendly but. for the most part everyone just keeps to themselves :3

3): organise your HUD layout!

there’s not right or wrong way to do it, just do what makes sense for you! depending on how you like to play game or your own keybind preferences. make sure they’re ORGANISED though bc trust you’re gonna be pressing a lot of buttons

4): asking for help is okay!!!

if you’re in a dungeon you’ve never been in, or if you need a refresher, trust the people in the party are welcome to help, and will be understanding :]

OKAY THATS MOSTLY LIKE. GAME AND META STUFF. im not good with tips and pointers bc my main things when I started out were just. “they amount of people isnt as bad as i think. people are chill & mostly you’re progressing on your own anyway” and “oh i need to learn some buttons” KSNDND

AS FOR STORY. UHHHHH. its very good :3c ITS LONG & JUICY & I LOVE IT.

this is s terrible tips post but feel free to always come in here w more specific questions. i’ll always vouch for this game, esp since the free trial is such a steal!

#·˚ ༘ sun.ask #im ngl i didnt know what exactly kind of tips you needed #so i just gave you very basic stuff #BUT IF YOU NEED SMTH ELSE YOU CAN SEND ANOTHER ASK AND IM HAPPY TO ANSWER :3c

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writerkatsblog · 7 months ago

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AAAAAAAAAAAA WHY IS GUAN THERE ALREADY ARE THERE TWO GUANS?! …THREE GUANS IF WE COUNT ACTUAL GUAN?

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE STRANGER, WHAT'S IN HIS NECK, WHY IS HIS HAIR ALL RED NOW, WHAT ARE THESE POWERS AND WHY DOES IT GIVE HEYLIN MAGIC VIBES?! GREEN FIRE? RED HAIR AND GREEN FIRE?!?!!?! DOES HE HAVE WEIRD EYELASHES/EYELINER ON HIS FACE? AND WHAT'S JACK GONNA DO AT THE LAB? HOW DID GUAN (BUT NOT THAT GUAN OR THAT GUAN, THE OTHER GUAN) PUT IS HEAD BACK ON LIKE IT WAS A MILD INCONVENIENCE?! WHAT IS HAPPENINGGGG

Ahem

Good chapter! Great chapter! I'm really, really invested in Jack and the stranger's friendship now. His friend who he almost called "D-…" Not his name… Not even a letter in his name… But his brain is a little fried from what happened last time, and they're in the desert, prime time for brain farts! Jack could've brought back a second soda for him. Not that he'd take off the mask toe drink it, but still, he could've!

Those kids are relentless in their chase, they're really determined to get their friend back! So determined that they missed all the hints and were blindsided and caught off guard once heads started rolling! And things only got more violent and gory from there! For all the kiddy battles and gamey showdowns they've been in, I don't think the Xiaolin monks are built for the type of animosity and violence that these two strangers are about to unleash on everyone right now. Or the powers they're gonna do it with. Are these guys on par with the big players and magic users like Wuya and Chase themselves? Is that glove and the things in advanced tech or secret Shen Gong Wu? Does He-Who-Is-Not-Guan's bracelet work the same way? Does this Guan even have the bracelet or is it with other Guan that's not really Guan? Are the kids going to be okay?

This chapter just leaves me with so many questions!

But I gotta list off some non-question parts that I liked while I'm still coherent! Here: Raimundo: Why is he talking like Clay?! Kimiko: Why did his head just come off?! Clay: Why are you guys not dodging?! LOL! Love those kids!

Guan tried to get his lick back in the more direct way possible and complained about fairness. An eye for an eye, a head for a head, eh?

Whatever Guan tried to do with that glove, it didn't work, because of whoever the Stranger thanked, I guess. I'm confused but the math is starting to math, I think this is one part of the mystery we're going to watch unravel real soon!

And the Stranger is in so much pain that those descriptions made me wince! I hope we get to see his face soon so we get to know how expressive he actually is through all this!

And the ambergris from waaaaay back when Wuya was raiding Chase's lair is finally about to come into play! Now that's what I call a Chekov's gun! I'm going to comb back through the earlier chapters to try and see what other Chokov's guns might be firing off soon! Whatever Keiko's mom did first sure, and those lotus flower petals, and and, um…

I guess I'll wait and see!

Oops! All Guans

Masked stranger has a lot of stuff going on, not the least of which is this tenuous situation he has going on with the monks right now after this reveal. Poor guy, he's been dealing with a lot. Including Jack Spicer.

The dragons are very determined to get their friend back. But now they have to deal with this nightmare. So they're dealing with quite a bit right now. And sadly, yes. They're more used to Xiaolin Showdowns, which have rules and are usually set up as games. Not what fresh hell is going on in this latest fight. They're not quite ready for all out brawls and body horror like they're seeing here.

Many many questions, which shall be answered in their own time I assure you!

They're all such goofballs and I love their collective dynamic. Even if it's still not quite the same without Omi.

That ambergris was always gonna come back into this one way or another! You'll just have to wait and see in what way!

I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much! And hope you'll be looking forward to the next one!

#xiaolin showdown #asks #omi #ocs #kimiko tohomiko #clay bailey #raimundo pedrosa

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thessalian · 7 months ago

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Thess vs the Eclipse Resurgence

A little more Forbidden West ... except not really in the Forbidden West, mostly.

Okay, so - off I go to this clearing. Well, there's all the blood, and ... well, here we go, Focus says third person. Let's follow the third person.

Oop, there goes a raccoon. I could Focus it but it'll be got away by the time I-- Oh. I just ... approximated its trajectory and shot it. DAMN I'm good.

Why do these people not just kill the machines when the machines are in their way? It's not hard! You'd figure everyone wandering around outside a settlement would go armed when there's a possibility of machines in the way! Ah, well - at least that means I'll never be out of a job. ...At least, if I save the world. I guess it's not going to matter either way if I don't.

Aha! Cave! Wow. Cave full of shinies. Treasure caves for the win.

Huh. Yeah, that's Eclipse alright. Shooty time.

Wow. I'm getting good at melee stealth kills. Then again, how far am I down the Infiltrator tree? Yeesh.

"We should go check". Yeah, c'mon down into the nice dark cave where I can shoot the living hell out of you people. YOU PEOPLE WERE SUCH PAINS IN MY ASS AND I'M NOT DEALING WITH IT AGAIN IF I DON'T HAVE TO.

...Oh. Was I supposed to fight them out here? Eh well. they came to me. That seems a nicer way of dealing with it.

Eclipse with Focus. Great. And apparently the wanting to set up whole armies in the Forbidden West to TAKE OVER THE WORLD-- oh for fuck's sake. I guess this is what @true0neutral meant by "You'll like what they have in place of bandit camps", hmm?

Right. Mask for proof and ... okay, brief raid of the rest of the shinies in this cave and then I will go back.

Ooh. Nighttime. And Fanghorns in the way. Yay, Zen hunting!

...Fuck. I think I lost a Scrounger down a cliff. Eh well.

Go, Conovar, be freeeeeee! No, please, enjoy the being free. You don't want to dedicate your life to a cause; it sucks. I can take on another cause; it's fine.

Right. Now, how do I glide? Okay, now you're not giving me helpful hints. I want the helpful hints; how do I fucking glide? Lemme check the keybinds - and you don't tell me either! Fuck's sake. Fine, lemme do some testing; I'm sitting on all the medicinal berries in the world anyway.

...Fuck this. The glider no longer exists. Fuck it and fuck my life.

Right. Onward to the scavenger place. Ooh, hey, foxes! I need fox parts! Let's do this!

Ooooooooookay I saw some of that stuff I see in the distance at the far edges of Nora territory etcetera, but I seem to recall it looking somewhat less like a fucking Reaper. Didn't I have enough of this shit on the final run to the Beam in Mass Effect 3? And I had better weapons until Harbinger wrecked my shit up and left me with nothing but a hand cannon to deal with the final boss of Marauder fucking Shields. ...At least I can trust Guerilla not to do that to me.

Ugh. No, dead-by-Blight fox is not worth this. Man, I spend far too much time in games where the Blight is a thing and red things radiate deadliness of that sort. Now I kind of wonder what the colour-blind accessibility options do because for those of us who can see colours in the usual way, red means danger but red is also the grass we hide in for stealth. MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND.

Hi, Scavenger dude. Oh, you want to make spiffy armour? Cool. Ah. You're running a contest and this poor jerk's stuck without parts. Well. You've given me an excuse to Zen-hunt, Poor Jerk, so I will be nice to you. I like hitting up Shellwalkers anyway.

Precision arrow quiver upgraded YEEEEEES. And that's the achievement for having upgraded all the bags at least once. I like achievements. They're fun.

I ... should take a break or something. More coffee. Food. Then pick what the hell I want to do next. I see ... one of those Eclipse camps ... a Large Metal Bird hunting spot, and a whoooole lot of Fog of War, so there's probably a Tallneck out there someplace. ADVENTURE! ...Yeah, okay, and saving the world, but lemme HUNT.

So I'mma go grab some potato salad and coffee and then get back to the ADVENTURE. If nothing else, this has so far been a great way to hyperfocus past the OW I woke up with today. I mean, the paracetamol helped a bit, but sometimes, even when moving hurts, I just have to keep weaponising my hyperfocus tendencies. I could be a grumpy sod about the fact that it took forty-some years to figure out that I probably have ADHD, especially when it's often misdiagnosed as borderline personality disorder in women and I was diagnosed with that over twenty years ago, but ... I'm honestly not that much? I still prefer having a diagnosis when I can, but at the same time, I did at least figure out how to not only work around the whole mess but even use some of it to my advantage. See also: hyperfocus as an all-natural painkiller, and setting my executive dysfunction to work against my impulsivity tendencies so I don't end up bankrupting myself stupidly. I guess we all figure it out eventually.

#Thess plays video games #Thess liveblogs Horizon Forbidden West

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ot3 · 2 years ago

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so i see you tweet sometimes about gw2 and im just curious about your thoughts on it like, plot wise.

i think the story of early guild wars is pretty par for the course mmo storytelling where im paying mostly superficial attention to the plot and mainly enjoying how fun the game is. but around the time you get to heart of thorns they start introducing enough interesting concepts that you decide its worth paying slightly more attention to.

there was a huge problem in the way guild wars 2's narrative flowed because of the way they handled the living world stuff. i love the living world in concept when it was unreplayable because its just neat to me to be able to take such large story beats in an mmo. where you literally nuke your entire main city and change its appearance. but i appreciate the fact they decided to retroactively let you play that stuff in the end! however making it, in the case of living world season 2, optional to buy, but then not also doing lws1 in the same way? it just meant that you got the story non completely and non sequentially. if you just go straight to core from HoT you have to do soooo much Inferring Shit About This Plot from it. It's like your character blacked out and lost several years of their life. 'hello? commander? its us. the guys who are totally already your best friends'

anyway once i got through HoT then i found myself going back to lws2 specifically to unlock the luminescent armor and the respective ascended trinkets since back pre-lws3 the only stat selectable ascended trinkets were from raids, i believe. and then once again it was really interesting to get the map meta-events recontexualized to me from going through the story. and then after that i was invested enough in these characters to go watch the howeverlong supercut lws1 movie someone had on youtube for anyone who hadnt been there to play through it.

all this to say i think there was a lot of interesting story stuff here that would have helped hook more people earlier on if it had been freely available to play in its intended order. anyway

hot: i feel like it benefitted a TON from playing through this on a sylvari pc the first time because the custom dialogue they give that taints it like all of the npcs are suspicious you are going to fucking turn evil. like the sort of 'youre the coolest strongest character in the world!' stuff never really does it for me. i'm way more into 'youre a very powerful person in an extremely fraught and complex political situation' and HoT really felt a lot more like that, with i think it doing a good job of setting the mood for being In An Active Warzone. i like dragons stand meta a lot in terms of things where gameplay really makes the story hit in a certain way. the challenging, large-scale metas make a better multiplayer use of a high fantasy war shining than a lot of them do. getting events that genuinely do take several dozen real human beings coordinating in real time to accomplish makes there be a sense of difficulty and scale that would be rather punishing and frustrating as instanced single player combat.

i know i kind of talked more a bout the combat than the story. oops. but to me the sort of positive feedback loop between getting more invested in playing the actual game and then getting more invested in learning about the characters to continue to future expansions.

I wish I could speak more about lws3 and PoF but i will be real with you right now. those years of my life are kind of a blur and i do not remember a lot of the story beats right now. lws4 felt pretty weak to me in a lot of ways, pretty disparate from itself. PoF though i had a hell of a fun time with. joko was a fun villain he was serving necromantic cunt.

lws4 was ok. definitely more cohesive overall and had some cool stuff. lws5 i think on the other hand really suffered from a bit of covid slump in its content which i will absolutely not blame them for. I would much rather they put out slightly subpar content during a massive health crisis than they overwork people.

CANTHA, ON THE OTHER HAND. WAS EXCELLENT. DEFINITELY THEIR BEST STORY WRITING YET. i had a blast of a time with it and i was specifically fond of what they did with mai trin, a character i was well acquainted with via getting my ass kicked in her fractal back when she was scale 100. they gave her some INSANE dyke drama. it was catnip to me. she fucked that asura they had toxic yuri i knowww they did. kelly hu did her voice for EoD, who i immediately clocked as stacy from phineas and ferb and was as such predisposed to be endeared to her. also who doesnt love an ex supervillain pirate captain. mai trin you will always be famous.

anyway. that is my extnesive opinion on the plot of guild wars 2. great game everyone play it i have over 3000 hours in guild wars 2.

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nancypullen · 11 months ago

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Leavin' On a Jet Plane

Only boomers are going to remember that song. Still, that's what I'm doing in the morning. My bag is packed, my comfy clothes are ready for a long day, and lucky, lucky me - I'm in a middle seat. You know I'll be beside the guy with this carry-on.

By this time tomorrow I'll be yukking it up with my sister and my mom, so it's worth it.

I'm as ready as I can be for Christmas, and just a couple of days after I get home it's going to start raining relatives around here. Matt is flying in on the 22nd, the Edgewater gang will drive over for a couple of days when he gets here, then they'll go home for Christmas Eve and Santa's arrival, coming back on the 26th for a big celebration with us. They'll have to go back to work on the 27th but will leave Little Miss with us until the weekend. It seems complicated and busy because it is. I may need a vacation when it's all over. But enough about holiday craziness. Let me share something that has been providing serenity and beloved quiet time. I haven't been able to touch it for a week or so because I've been so busy, but....

behold this old print that I picked up for a couple bucks.

It's nothing special, kind of corny, but it reminded me so much of the sweet spot where my Grandma and Grandpa Holtz lived. The flower covered arch, the picket fence, busy hens, the pretty little house with pasture behind it. I had to have it. Once I brought it home I started spreading paint around.

I changed most of the flowers to pink, painted the house pink, and roughed in a little figure on that bench. That's my Grandma Ethel. The second chance that I had to work on it I was able to deepen the flowers a bit and paint the window and door trim white (like Ethel's). I gave her a blue dress and an apron, she was always in an apron in my memories. I'll put some little wire glasses on her face and a hint of pink on her cheeks. I'll probably add some trim to that apron (roses?), and the white blob beside her will eventually become a patchwork quilt.

I don't love the yellow trees in the distance, I may turn them green or just change that all to sky. I'll need to add green to that tree hanging just over the arch as well. In my mind this is a summer day on the Holtz spread and that spread had huge shade trees, complete with tire swings and a hammock. Well, the hammock was more of a bed strung between two big trees, all of us kids could pile on. That pasture had sheep and chickens who were great friends for a little girl. For a time it held a pony too. There were berry patches that seemed to stretch forever. Sun-warmed raspberries are still my favorite. Can you see why I thought this spot was paradise? It was the sweetest and safest place in my childhood. This silly project isn't great art, but gosh, it makes me happy. And isn't that what we should be doing, seeking happiness? It doesn't have to be world-changing. We're bombarded with the message that whatever we do must be on a grand scale. Enjoy jogging? You have to do a marathon. Enjoy your hobby? You should turn it into an income-generating business. Enjoy reading? You must start a book club. You like cooking? Apparently you have to video everything you cook for a TikTok or Instagram reel so you can get "likes" from strangers. NOPE. I'm all about soaking up small pleasures. I find joy in quiet pursuits - dabbling with paint or getting lost in a book, making a pot of soup on a chilly day. Why take the joy out of things by making it a competition or seeking approval? Ugh. I'm well aware that maybe it's just me that feels this way. I'm also well aware that I'm rambling about something that you probably don't have much interest in. Oops. I'm going to get upstairs, have a lovely bath and get under the covers with a book. Which reminds me of another small joy - this book!

I admit that since our move I have been unsettled. I miss my sunsets and the deer. I miss the bird song and even the dang raccoons who raided the bird feeder at night. This book has helped center me again. Here's the Amazon link where you can read more, just click through:

I checked it out from the library, but I really need to own it. I could see myself going back to its pages again and again. Small joys. I'm off. Time to soak and then sleep. I'll take along my trusty lap top, but no promises that I'll post from Florida. I think I owe everyone an email (Francie, I love you!) so I'll try to catch up while I'm down there. Sending out lots of love tonight, and hoping that you're finding small joys sprinkled in your days (and if you do, savor them). Stay safe, stay well. XOXO,

Nancy

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amandayetagain · 2 years ago

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It's You | Fedex Secret Santa 2022

a red string soulmate au where Fitz can’t see his string, and Dex can see all of them. Dex’s parents weren’t soulmates- but they were in love, and shamed for it. So of course Dex doesn’t want to turn his back on his family by finding his soulmate. Only, he does- and has kept it a secret for five years. Things get complicated when his soulmate, Fitz Vacker, asks for his help to find the person on the other end of his string. Oops?

Finding the person on the other end of his red string had never been high on Dex’s list of priorities. Especially since he was one of the gifted few who saw all of the strings. Which obviously made it significantly more difficult. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy a challenge- just that he didn’t care.

His parents weren’t soulmates. But they were so in love, it was sickening to watch. Since they decided to essentially flip off society by getting married anyway, by daring to have children- they were ostracized. If his parents could be that happy together, the red strings didn’t really matter anymore, did they?

Yet Dex still found himself wondering. Who was tied to him? Did his soulmate want to find him? Had his soulmate tried to find him? Would something happen to his soulmate if they didn’t find him? Would they be shunned, like his own family? Did that mean he had a responsibility to at least try to find his soulmate?

It was a lot.

Emphasis on the past tense.

Five years ago, he had found his soulmate.

“You’re lucky,” Biana complained, directing her grievance at Sophie and Keefe. “You two found each other the first week you were both at Foxfire. I learned Morse Code for my soulmate, and they won’t even tap back.”

“Have you considered that your soulmate doesn’t know Morse Code?” Fitz inquired. His little sister scoffed.

“Of course not. If my soulmate is anything like me, they would be trying their absolute hardest to communicate.”

“It could be an opposites-attract kind of situation,” Sophie suggested.

“What a slacker.”

“At least you can see your string,” Fitz teased.

He looked down at his pinky finger, tracing the invisible tie to his soulmate. He plucked at it as if it were from a guitar. Shit. Dex jolted upward as a twang vibrated through his body. A pang of guilt struck him, and he desperately grasped at a chance to change the subject.

“It isn’t a competition to see who’s got it the worst, okay? This is, frankly, depressing.”

“He’s right,” Linh piped. “The Neverseen are finally out of the picture, and you all have just found something else to latch onto. It’s not healthy! The elite levels are meant for figuring out what to do for eternity, not moping around over soulmates that you have forever to find.”

“With that logic, we also have forever to figure out our careers,” Tam pointed out, not looking up from his book.

Linh huffed, crossing her arms.

“Not the backup I was looking for, Tam.”

“I’ve managed perfectly well without a soulmate to help me. I've never needed one before, and I’m not about to start now.”

Despite agreeing with Tam, his words didn’t sit right with Dex.

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The day had been going fine before Fitz showed up, if you could believe it. Dex’s mom had taken the triplets to Havenfield with Aunt Eda and Uncle Grady. Kesler was in the shop, so nobody was home to interrupt. Dex could just . . . be. Also, being home alone meant full access to the kitchen. No greedy siblings (or dad) to steal whatever he was cooking.

He didn’t even get to raid the pantry before the doorbell rang.

Making his way towards the door, Dex took a moment to mourn his free time.

“Oh . . . hi, Fitz. Not to be rude, but . . . why are you here?”

His cheeks pink, and he grins, looking down at his feet. He tilted his head up slightly, aiming his abashed smile directly at Dex.

“I need to talk to you about something. It’s pretty important- to me, at least.”

Dex stepped aside, allowing space for Fitz to come in.

“What is it?”

Fitz straightened, taking a deep breath to seemingly summon courage. Dex had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what happened next.

His instincts didn’t fail him.

“I need you to help me find my soulmate.”

Dex stumbled backwards, eyes widening. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate, breaths coming short and fast. How did Fitz even know he could help with that? That he could see the strings?

“Sophie didn’t mean to tell me- it just came up in cognate training. And since I can’t see my string . . . I figured you could help me.”

If you’d bother to try, you’d know I’m right here, he wanted to scream. Did you really just give up because you can’t see your string?

“Why should I help you,” he dared, crossing his arms.

Fitz’s expression morphed to one of confusion, pained. As if he’d just been slapped by someone he cared for.

“Because . . . we’re, or at least I thought we were . . . friends.”

“Friends.”

“Yeah! After the prison break on Exile, I thought we were good.” His eyes dropped to a ring he wore on his right ring finger. “You even gave me a panic ring.”

“I gave everyone a panic ring,” Dex said, softening.

“You still didn’t have to give me one. I can go- I guess I just, um,” he struggled to find the right words. “I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’ll-I’m just going to,” he stumbled backwards, laughing it off. “Go. I’ll go. Um, that’s probably a good idea.”

“Don’t. I’ll help you. Come in.”

He turned, walking briskly back to the kitchen. Fitz rushed behind him, closing the door.

“Really? You will?”

“I said I would, didn’t I?”

“I’ve thought about it a ton,” Fitz said, getting down to business. “And it might be harder, but I think it's best to look for them at an event where most of the population will be. The Celestial Festival is perfect, we can just levitate above, and the string will be easy to see. I can make it up to you however you want.”

“You’re making this sound like a transaction.”

And if Dex was being smart about this, he would treat it like one. When Fitz was around, things got complicated.

“Well- I thought-”

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Such a dangerous thing to be.

Dex could practically feel the warmth of Fitz’s blush from the other side of the cabinet door.

“Right.”

He probably shouldn’t take so much joy in being the cause of Fitz’s blush- or his entire dilemma, but he finally got why Keefe liked to play the “Make Foster Blush Game” so much. It was kind of intoxicating.

“Ripplenuts? They’re roasted.”

“Uh, sure.”

“So, what now?”

Fitz raked a hand through his hair, looking sheepish.

“I didn’t think that far, to be honest. Would you be against . . . hanging out? The Celestial Festival is this weekend, and I have to bring a date, and since you’re going to be there with me anyway, we could, you know, go together?”

“Are you sure your family would be okay with that?”

He shrugged.

“They’re the ones making me bring someone, so they don’t really have a choice in the matter.”

“That’s kind of surprising,” Dex commented, sitting down. “That your family is making you bring a date- I thought they were kind of strict when it comes to soulmate stuff.”

“They are. Dating anyone before your soulmate is viewed as a practice relationship. It supposedly helps you better commit to a real relationship with your soulmate. It’s kind of manipulative, but as long as both parties know what they signed up for, it’s fine. It’s pretty common, actually.”

Dex . . . didn’t know how to feel.

Did his parents think they could shelter this from him? Was he a practice date? A fake practice date? Did he want to be Fitz’s date?

That would certainly simplify things.

He shouldn’t be, though. Distance was key to indifference. And as long as Dex could at least act like he didn’t care, hopefully it would be on its way to becoming reality.

“It’ll be nice to go without having to worry if Sophie will create a big enough spectacle to impress the Council, or if the Neverseen will attack,” Fitz reasoned, blushing softly. “The former was still rather enjoyable though.”

The former.

That was what- four? Four-ish years ago?

After Sophie had gotten her abilities reset, she was under enormous pressure to dazzle the entire elvin world with Silveny as the finale to Orem’s performance. What made it even more stressful was that Silveny had recently broken her wing. It also didn’t help that taking the alicorn to go get her abilities reset was an act of treason (according to Bronte). And since Grady had let her go, the Council had to decide on a punishment.

It was a hectic time.

But while he was there, he realized that Fitz, Keefe, and Biana weren’t just Sophie’s friends- they were his too.

“What do you mean you’ve never been to a Celestial Festival,” Fitz had gasped, mouth agape. Everyone goes!”

“Clearly not everyone.”

“Why?”

“We usually watch a movie instead. My parents said it wouldn’t be the same without Uncle Grady and Aunt Eda, and they haven’t been up for it since before I was born.”

Right. Jolie’s death.

“At least they’re doing better now,” he offered.

“Yeah. I feel like I barely know them- they’re so much happier now. Where’s your family?”

He shrugged, gesturing towards a cacophony of Vackers.

“Somewhere in there. Keefe and Biana got a little trapped.”

“Aren’t you going to save them?”

“Nah.”

Fitz turned back to face Dex, resting on his side. Even under at least three layers of tailored clothes, he was shivering, breath puffing out into the air. A fluff-lined hood framed his face, snowflakes caught in his eyelashes.

“Didn’t your parents teach you temperature regulation?” Dex asked, reaching out to feel how cold Fitz’s pink cheeks were with the back of his hand. “You come here every year, don’t you?”

He blushed at the touch, eyes widening the tiniest bit.

“I’m pretty sure your parents are the only ones unique enough to do that.”

“You mean weird.”

“Yeah,” Fitz agreed. “But weird isn’t a bad thing.”

A gentle smile played across Dex’s face.

Fitz shifted closer, imitating what Dex had done-was still doing- to estimate his temperature.

“You know your lips are going to get chapped, right?”

“I came prepared,” Fitz exclaimed, sitting up abruptly to dig through his pockets. He pulled out a tube of chapstick triumphantly, eyes sparkling. He grinned, carefully covering his lips in deep concentration.

And for some indecipherable reason, Dex couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“Sure. For convenience.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

He had the nerve to be disappointed when this was all to find his soulmate? This was his plan, not Dex’s. It also didn’t really sit right, being a ‘practice date.’ Even if he was Fitz’s soulmate. A lot of things hadn’t been sitting right, recently.

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The night of the Celestial Festival came far too quickly.

“Nobody wants to miss the finale,” Fitz informs Dex. “It’ll have the most highly concentrated number of elves.”

“Yeah, yeah. I remember.”

Dex tries and fails to keep a smile from cracking his solemn facade. His soulmate was just so serious. It was a sharp contrast from what he had grown up with, messing with nobles in Slurp and Burps, having snowball fights in the yard.

“We’ve gone over it a million times,” Dex continues. “It’s going to be fine. You can relax. The Celestial Festival is supposed to be fun, right?”

“Right.”

He exhales, tension leaving his body.

“Better?”

“Much.”

Fitz flashed Dex a smile, and fuck, Dex was screwed. What was he even doing? All it took was a soft smile and warm, trusting eyes, and his heart practically stopped. Where were his defenses when he needed them? When had he dropped his guard?

“Are you alright,” he asked, eyebrows drawn together in concern. “Dex?”

“Y-yeah,” Dex stammered. He had simply lost his control over his respiratory system. No big deal.

“Are you sure?”

A chorus of screams raced through Dex’s mind. No! He was not alright! He was being too sweet with his double-checking, and worried forehead crease, and hands reaching out to hold Dex’s, and oh stars, Fitz’s eyes hadn’t once left Dex’s.

He broke their gaze, looking down at their fingers twined together.

“You don’t have to do this,” Fitz added. His breath was warm against Dex’s forehead, and Dex cursed his growth spurt for stopping before he could at least match Fitz’s height. “We can stay down here, and watch the show.”

His eyes flicked back up to Fitz’s, vulnerable as hell.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Fitz was trying so goddamn hard. He was being so fucking considerate, and if he didn’t know him so well, Dex might have believed he was fine.

“Screw you, Fitz Vacker,” Dex cursed, resting his forehead on Fitz's chest.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Dex let go of Fitz’s hands, fisting his own in the thick fabric at Fitz’s hips. And that boy, that sweet, sweet boy, hugged him.

“Give me your hand,” Dex managed, voice muffled.

It took a beat for Fitz to respond.

“Uh, no.”

“What do you mean, no?”

“I don’t want to.”

“It’s about your string.”

“I got that,” he said, frustrated. “I don’t care.”

Dex drew back, searching Fitz’s face for some sign of a lie, a clue of some sort to help him comprehend the statement. But he came up empty.

“Dex.”

“Give me a minute,” Dex said, shaking his head. “Give me a minute.”

“Dex . . . I don’t care anymore. I don’t want to find my soulmate. Look at your parents! That could be us!”

“I never really aspired to become my parents,” Dex stammered.

“Look, I’ve got my own issues to work through, with whatever the hell the Vacker Legacy is- or was, and expectations, and if I’m being totally honest here, I didn’t ask you to help me find my soulmate so you could actually find my soulmate. I just wanted an excuse,” he confessed, shoulders sagging. “To be with you.”

“You know you don’t actually need an excuse to spend time with me? And if I’m being totally honest, this is kind of out of the blue for me?”

“I’m sorry about that- this hasn’t been going at all the way I wanted it to- let me start over.”

Dex nodded, squeezing Fitz’s hand.

“Would you, Dex Dizznee, want to go out with me, Fitz Vacker, on a real date? None of the not-soulmates business messing it up?”

“About that,” Dex started. “Not to undermine your dramatic confession and rejection of prevalent societal norms, but . . .”

He took Fitz’s other hand, placing it on top of their string.

They met eyes, Fitz at a loss.

“Go on.”

He ran his fingertips across the string, slowly stopping as he came to the other end.

“It’s not going through you.”

“It’s not going through me.”

“It’s tied to you.”

“Yup,” Dex agreed, trying desperately to keep his cool.

Fitz sat down, drawing his knees to his chest. His eyes were wide, errantly blinking.

Dex sat down next to him, making sure to give his soulmate some breathing room. He looked like his brain was going hundreds of miles an hour. It was . . . kind of cute, situation aside.

“How . . . how long have you known?”

“Well, I was pretty sure it was you the day you called me Deck-” Fitz’s cheeks heated “-but I was absolutely certain after the break on Exile,” he admitted. “I didn’t really know how to feel about it. I knew how I was supposed to feel about it, if I was a normal kid, born into a normal family, but I’m not. My parents told me they’d be happy no matter what choice I made. It’s probably true- but it’s still a loaded decision.”

“Then how am I supposed to tell you,” Fitz managed, voice breaking. “I’m so glad it’s you?”

“You just did.”

Fitz buried his face in his hands, ineffectively raking a mittened hand through his hair as he looked back at his soulmate. Wow, his soulmate. They were soulmates.

“Stars, Dex- I’m so glad it’s you.”

Dex tackled Fitz in a hug, laughing.

“And I thought I was a dork.”

“I’m not entirely sure what that word means, but it sounds like an insult.”

“I can’t believe you know.”

“That you’re my soulmate, or that I’m your soulmate?”

“At risk of sounding self-obsessed, the latter,” Dex clarified, chest light. Sharing a secret had never felt so good. It was freeing, almost.

“It’s you,” Fitz whispered, head nestled against Dex’s neck.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

@booksscienceandmath @squishmallow36

#fedex #red string au #soulmate au #amanda writes yet again #secret santa was a little late huh #the flashback is in italics and was my favorite part to write

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