#I felt so bad about not posting

[tigerf00d]

Only a Whisper (Part I)

George Karim x Reader

Tags: no use of y/n, gender neutral reader, before Lucy! Pre-slash? 

Word Count: 1k 

Summary: Reader runs away from home after a lifetime of awful treatment to meet up with her friends George and Lockwood… more to come! 

A/N: My first request! I took some liberties, mostly because I have no concept of American life. As always, you can also find me on Ao3. Also, if anyone is interested on being put on a notify list (for this fic or others) let me know!

PART I <PART II> <PART III>

You checked your boarding pass for the umpteenth time. 

Only 20 minutes now, and you would be on your way to London. Free of your stupid boss and free of the stresses at home. 

When you were small, you’d been to England once, which was how you knew you had Talent, hearing the whispers outside the house you were staying at only to be told there wasn’t anyone outside. 

Not anyone who was living, anyway. 

And now, you’d be returning. You’d gotten certifications 1 through 4 online and managed to practice your rapier skills regularly. That wasn’t your strength, though; your strength was in communicating and, more specifically, in interpreting. It wasn’t a widespread Talent classification yet, and you were a listener on paper. 

It had been a long time since you’d communicated with any sort of Visitor, the first time being a Type One, the flickering image of a grubby boy who’d been around your age and was more confused than anything. 

His power wasn’t strong, so it’d taken longer to understand him and for him to understand you, but once you’d both gotten on each other’s page, you’d learnt his name, Lionel, that no, he hadn’t died very recently (about a century before the Problem was even a notion, you’d guess) and that he was bored. You’d told him about the agents, what they could do and how maybe if he helped you, you could help him pass on. That excited him. Being stuck for so long was lonely, and he was sick of it. 

The next night, Lionel had led you into the backyard and mimed digging next to the largest tree on the property, and when you had finally dug it up, whatever it was, you realised he’d figured out his source. 

In your hands were the remnants of a treehouse or some sort of cubby, the old wooden sign held tenderly in your hands as you read “Lionel’s Castle.” When you’d shown it to him, Lionel flickered, looking sad for a moment until you reminded him that now you had this, he was free. 

Ten minutes now until you were like Lionel. 

Ten minutes until you finally, finally were closer than ever to seeing George and Lockwood in person. And even though you were only going to assist them on cases and were more like a glorified receptionist, you couldn’t find it in yourself to care.

You had met George online two years ago, browsing forums on the Problem, how it may have started and why it hadn’t spread globally (yet, you mentally corrected). Then, he’d begrudgingly introduced you to Lockwood, and you’d all been thick as thieves ever since, as the head agent liked to put it, tactfully ignoring George’s murmured, “Certainly thick on your end.” 

You couldn’t wait. 

✧☽────•⋆°˖⋅✹⋅˖°⋆

The plane ride itself was boring a little nerve-wracking, but uneventful (and mercifully on time) nonetheless. That was fine. You weren’t excited because of the plane, but rather what happened after landing. George had promised he wouldn’t let Lockwood get too carried away, but even now, you weren’t sure how much he’d been able to persuade him.  

He wasn’t right at your gate, which was fine because you hadn’t forked over the stupid amount of money for in-flight wifi to tell him which gate it was. But you wanted to find them before finding your bag, so you decided to familiarise yourself with the airport. 

There were cafes littered about the place, and the ride had been long… it couldn’t hurt.

Never mind, that croissant was Far Too Much. Ok, time to focus then. 

You turned and walked towards the front of the airport, passing baggage claim and noting where it was for later. Maybe the boys were at the entrance? 

Lo and behold, adjacent to the service desk was a tall, pale boy and his scruffy compatriot that you’d come to care for deeply. As if on queue, Lockwood spotted you, lighting up and holding up a large sign. Walking towards them still, you were able to read the words through the mess of glitter glue more easily. 

“Does that say ‘Welcome home agent’?” 

“Well… yeah. I tried to talk him out of it. I mean, we should still have interviewed you firs–” 

“Ah, George, ever the optimist. Ignore him. He’s pretending he hasn’t been talking my ear off about you for the past week.” Lockwood smiled, and George’s expression shifted to something awkward and slightly unreadable before you pulled the both of them into a hug. 

“Thanks you two, seriously.” You regretfully pulled apart, gaze lingering on George’s face. Had he always been that cute? It was hard to tell through pixelly video calls that dropped out far too frequently. You dismissed the thought quickly, hoping you hadn’t watched him for too long, and clapped your hands, rubbing them against each other as a distraction. 

“Right, well, shall we go get my bags? I’m afraid the trip over has made me more tired than I realised,” You paused, feeling a cheeky smile growing. “And I need two strong men to help me carry them.” 

George rolled his eyes as Lockwood puffed up his chest, pretending to show off his muscles. You began walking to the baggage claim, and they took their time following you. 

“Come on, slowpokes! I’m pretty sure it was this way, and I was hoping someone would carry them.”

“Yes, I was hoping if we took long enough that someone would be you,” George added, a small smile revealing his humour, and you gasped in mock outrage. 

“And here I thought I was moving in with two gentlemen…” 

Lockwood looked horrified, playing along. “Whatever gave you the idea that there were two gentlemen?” 

George paused before his smile grew wider, “Yes, why on Earth would you think Lockwood was a gentleman?” 

You couldn’t stop the pleased laugh from bubbling up and out of you, having to stop walking to let it wash over you properly. Anthony’s expression shifted from horrified to speechless, and George’s private fondness was evident in his eyes. 

After a moment, you took a breath and nodded towards your bags, spinning around, waiting for you to collect them. “Come on then, let’s go home.” 

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[robo-writing]

Biker! Logan who spends his days traveling on the road but always seems to find his way to a specific diner with a specific waitress because unlike other places she smiles when he walks in and doesn’t hold him in contempt for being what he is.

Biker! Logan who always makes sure he has a nice tip for her at the end of the night, who stays with her until closing because he knows the area is kinda shady and he can smell the fear on her even if she plays the part of the brave employee.

Biker! Logan who tells her stories of his travels while she sits enraptured, never having left her small little town. One day she asks if he could take her for a drive someday, and his answer?

“Why not now, darling?”

Biker! Logan who swings you into his iron beast with one arm, careful to make sure you’re comfortable. He doesn’t miss how wide your eyes get at the display of strength, an impressive swell of pride in his chest.

Biker! Logan who is far, far too on edge when your arms wrap around his waist, when your body leans against his back, when he can smell your body wash every time you move.

Biker!Logan who has to end the drive early, managing to drop you off at your house while being grateful it’s dark enough that you can’t see his hard-on pressing against his jeans.

Biker!Logan who falls asleep with his nose buried in his jacket, inhaling the remnants of your scent as he fists his cock, damn near animalistic as he imagines it’s you stroking him.

Biker!Logan who makes it a regular habit of taking you out on a drive, relishing in your soft hands on his body, then cumming his brains out at the thought of fucking you on his bike.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 3: Enveloping Feelings.

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 4)

[bookshelfpassageway]

the only Minecraft movie I will acknowledge is Minecraft Story Mode full gameplay no commentary 1080p

does anyone remember Minecraft Story Mode, that was really self indulgently fun actually

[fl0ydzie]

cruel twist of fate

[julijbee]

girlbossing too close to the sun.

[a2zillustration]

Does croissant and gale get married in your story?

It's certainly something they plan to do!

But not just yet.

🥐 Croissant Adventures Masterpost 🥐

[somewhereincairparavel]

i have ALWAYS promptly looked forward to jason grace's povs in the hoo books to the point where'd I'd flip the pages till I find the words "JASON" and would count the amount of povs he has in the whole book before I even finished reading, so I feel excited knowing that I'll get to his povs soon. there, I said it.

[hello-sweetheart]

Wouldn’t it be so fucking funny if we finally get to meet Steve’s parents in s5 and they’re like…typical suburban parents

After making them mostly monsters in fanfic like guys fffff half the time we make them emotionally abusive and/or neglectful, the other half physically, and then like if you’re on the dark web then 3% of the time they work for the lab and Steve’s like a failed number…

For like, the vibes ya know

…But then we actually meet them and it’s a pudgy office dad with glasses married to an “I can be cool >:(‘ mom.

-“Steve, I thought you said your mom doesn’t trust your dad…looks like they love each other?”

Steve: “???wym, of course they love each other. But obviously she doesn’t trust dad on trips cuz he got lost in a Texas airport once, duh.”

-“ok, what about when you said he’d kill you if he found out you drink?”

Steve: “Yeah??? I’m literally underaged and if he found out I’ve been watering down his $200 liquor he’d be so pissed 🙄”

Like, TO BE FAIR Steve’s dad telling him to get a summer job to figure out the value of money or whatever is pretty typical like baby boy didn’t work in high school 😭 and he’s like pouting and huffing about in scoops

He has a fancy car that his parents trust him to drive and take care of

And him not wanting to work for his dad is valid of him like imagine his dad is trying to be supportive like “if you ever need a job son you can come work with me :)”

and steve would hate that cuz to him it would feel like he didn’t deserve it or work for it, working for his dad feels like it means he failed to make something of himself

And like Steve’s not a bad kid, he’s a teenager who just hates his first job cuz customer service sucks, does stupid kid shit like drink and go to parties, and feels like he missed his chance to makes something of himself that he and his parents can be proud of just because he’s a little behind than the rest of his peers

I relate to that so hard

Like bro said he was having a party at his house and it was just like…4 people he invited with a six pack. No music or anything just chillin on lawn chairs and shooting the shit

Even his home is in warm colors 💀

But we love the angst 🤌 the drama 🤌 and torturing our favorite character

[thefirstknife]

Some lore tabs that killed me dead and I'll never recover from them. Seasonal gauntlets are about Zavala realising and coming to terms with the fact that he is mortal and has mortal pains. Also, finally, the full confirmation that Guardians resume aging when they lose their Light:

He moved his chair back and considered his knee. What had he done to hurt it? He had not exercised yet, he had not gone on his usual patrol… he had done nothing. Why would a knee hurt from doing nothing? The riddle dissolved. He was starting to age.

But also:

He allows a hand to rest on his aching knee. To venerate it. He feels it solid under his palm. It is his, it is real, it is both portentous and precious. He is aging. He will age. An absurd and joyous thought warms in his chest: how fortunate, to have lived long enough to grow old. How invaluable, to make the space between himself and the horizon matter. How much time is left? And is it best spent with his knees under a desk?

Genuinely crying over this. How fortunate to live long enough to grow old. Man. Also at the end he asks for a break for one week and Ikora offers him two weeks.

The next one just... I have no words. It has to be read in full. It's about Saint going through it, having memories of his past and also dealing with the guilt with what's happening to Mithrax. Truly every sentence in this one is a gutpunch all the way to the end. Excerpts:

The hum of activity was overpowering yet reassuring to Saint-14 as he stopped to watch an older Eliksni expertly weave fabric on a well-worn loom. The woven symbols were unique and unfamiliar to the Exo, but he watched in awe as an iridescent glow emerged within the vibrant cerulean cloth. Fit for a Kell, Saint mused to himself— Breath caught in his throat; hands shook— Flashes of memory echoed in his mind. All he could feel in this moment… was shame.

Saint remembering his crimes against the Eliksni and feeling shame.

He hurried past the weaver and through the crowd, landing squarely in front of a tea stand, a sample placed in his hand before he could open his mouth to refuse. He looked down. The opaque liquid steamed in his cup, pungent and medicinal. Like distilled Darkness, Saint realized— Breath caught in his throat; hands shook— Flashes of memory filled his sight. All he could feel in this moment… was sadness.

Tea reminded him of all the stuff with Osiris and he is not processing it well. I say excerpts but I have to put the rest entirely because like. Okay.

Saint placed his favorite keepsake, a small stuffed bear, on the Kell's throne. Gently, he adjusted the lavender ribbon at its neck; the crisp satin sat in stark contrast to the bear's hazy black eyes, to its slightly worn ear and well-loved fur. A gift, once a comfort to a child of the City. A gift, once a comfort to Saint in the face of loss, in the face of— Breath caught in his throat; hands shook— Flashes of memory swelled in his heart. Osiris. His strong laugh. His deep, soulful eyes. The warmth of his smile. Of his touch. Memories of comfort, but all he could feel in this moment… was guilt. Intense and overwhelming, like daggers cutting through him, sharpness bleeding through sweetness. Saint breathed deeply and stared at the medical equipment around the empty throne before him. "The cost of my joy," Saint whispered, and he wept.

He has a teddy bear. He once gave it to a child, but someone returned it to him when he was grieving about Osiris, to comfort him, and he'd kept it. And he put it on Mithrax's throne because he feels guilt that Mithrax is suffering because he helped him and Osiris.

I'm ending it all.

[inkskinned]

hello! are there any updates on the book, date, where to buy etc ? can't wait, I love your work ! ♥️

it's yours in september :)

click thru below to see what i look like w/long hair. it's short now, but my heart is bigger.

so many things to talk about this. when there's a link to purchase, i'll talk more but - all i can say now is that i am so grateful for each of you. for every single note and comment and thought. i can't wait to share this part of my life.

this is easily the best thing i've ever written. bar none. i want to give it to you so, so badly.

my life has been more bright for having you each in it. i am keeping you like stars in my heart.

[shouldprobablybereading]

AITA for taking an overseas position without consulting my wife?

Throwaway in case my wife sees it.

I (51m) was recently offered the job of my dreams, it came out of nowhere but fits with everything that I have worked towards for the last 30 years. Really the opportunity of a lifetime and will allow me to actually make a difference. However I would be required to move out of the country very far away, with limited ability to travel back and forth. At first I was ecstatic and said yes pretty much immediately, but when I was speaking with my colleague on zoom he kept telling me that I was getting in over my head. And then my recruiter seemed to think it was weird how quickly I agreed.

My wife (47f) and I have been fighting a lot more lately. She keeps complaining that I am not involving her enough in my life and gets annoyed when I spend time with my friends. I’m starting to get the feeling she resents me for never becoming as successful of an engineer as she wanted to. Which is ridiculous since the truth is that she simply never had what it took, and I don’t think it’s fair for her to be angry at me. She also gets angry with me when I tell her this, for some reason. If I tell her about the job offer I am sure she will go crazy.

Thing is, if I don’t take this position I know they are going to ask my brother (47m) instead which I am certain would be a disaster. He is really successful in our field, but he is reckless and throws himself into things head first. With a skull thick enough that I would not be surprised if he could survive a rockslide. It feels like I have been babysitting him since we were children and I am scared of what he would do without my direct supervision. If they put him in charge I am sure it would burn to the ground. His wife died a while ago and he did not take it well, so he and his boys (13m & 17m) have been staying with us for a while to sort things out. Which is actually a reason why I am not as comfortable leaving, you see I am not comfortable with how much time my wife and he are spending together. They were friends before me and my wife met, it was how we were introduced, and while they never dated I am also not an idiot. You do not keep friends of the opposite gender and bring them to parties without there being some interest. I am afraid that if I leave they might start something.

My children (28f) and (21m) are both adults, so they are no real reason for holding me here. I have paid for both of their college educations as well as my son’s wedding last year. So clearly I have done everything that is expected of me. I would have done the same for my daughter, but she seems hellbent on getting her PhD and seems to get upset whenever I suggest that she should try to settle down. Which is actually really annoying because if I am actually leaving then I need her to have a husband who I can leave the family company to, as my son is the only person I know who is potentially more of a loser than my brother.

I don’t think I have done anything wrong, but my coworkers do not seem to agree. So am I the asshole? I just want to make a difference and be away from all of this mediocrity.

[secriden]

*cracks knuckles* Okay lets talk about the elephant in the room: Style going to the support group for those who've suffered loss and telling what appears to be a fake story about losing his pet dog.

I'm going to point out a few things that I think provide a framework for Style's actions here. Not because I think it excuses what he did, but because I think a nuanced read is what the character deserves.

Point 1: An irresistible opportunity

The subs put the "Support Group for Loss" on the image in the notebook, but I'm not sure there's anything to suggest that Style would've known that was what this image represents until he showed up and saw the sign on top of the door.

In episode 2, Bison says, "He plans everything down from years, months, weeks to days" and then tells Kant:

So Style is literally just going to addresses/locations at given days and times, potentially not knowing what to expect. And as much as Fadel is certainly attending this meeting as a response to having that heartbreaking flashback (😭), this is also something he attends regularly and has planned to attend way in advance. So Style has no reason to think Fadel is attending this meeting because of a recent resurfacing of his pain.

What we, the audience, and what the characters know are very different things.

Now, should Style have turned his cute ass right around once he realised what this meeting was? Of course he should. But that wouldn't have been true to Style's character. We've been told by his best friend that he is "crazy" and been shown repeatedly that he lives right up to that description.

Style is impulsive. He's all base instinct and he acts on his desires without thought or contemplation. And by this point he is desperate for a deeper connection with Fadel. He's fascinated, captivated by the mystery that is Fadel and this is an excellent opportunity to finally see behind the wall Fadel so carefully maintains.

When Style sees the sign above the door, Style looks at the notebook (which, again, shows nothing but people sitting in a circle with the words RISE UP) like he's just realising what it means. He then gets this amused, almost rueful look on his face (like he's thinking "am I really going to do this?") before it shifts to determination and he walks through the door.

(My soul for the ability to once again gif something because FUCK Dunk is doing SO MUCH in this show!!)

To Style, this is just too good of an opportunity to give up.

Because let's be real, Fadel is so clearly lying and hiding something:

Fadel is shady as FUCK. He is simultaneously actually a really good cook (Style finally tries his burger so he knows, now), and also has the skills to work at a strip host club, and also can take on 3 guys in a fight, and also can break a man's arm with his thighs. Can you honestly blame Style for losing his mind just a little bit about wanting to get his hands on something, anything, to figure this man out?

Style is being absolutely consistent in his persistence to understand Fadel. This isn't about the car or about finally 'winning' the fight (thank you @airenyah for giving such a detailed framework to understand what Style's been doing until this point) anymore. This is about Style wanting to know Fadel himself.

Point 2: The potential implications of the setting

Now, what might give us a bit of insight as to why Style is this way? I have a theory (albeit one that could prove to be very wrong, but hear me out). I think this whole entire show is set in what could potentially be quite a small town/suburb.

There's a few things that make this theory plausible:

(1) Fadel and Bison are in hiding after Bison blew their previous cover. They're probably on the run from some section of the authorities and so it makes sense to settle in a quiet/out of the way place.

(2) Style seems to be really familiar with the people in the area. Like he grew up there and its the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone is in everyone else's business.

(3) Style is clearly the darling of the market aunties and uncles.

Style just lost her a sale and potentially a loyal customer, and she's still rooting for him? In episode 2, when Style asks the uncle to let him borrow his cart, it takes nothing but his word for the uncle to give Style his entire cart of produce for his ridiculous scheme.

Style is so clearly someone they all know well and have great affection for, and a very plausible explanation for this is that they all watched him grow up and the entire market (town/village) is fond of him.

And honestly?? Yeah, we see the way Style is actually quite sweet in that careless, guileless, thoughtless way. He goes the extra mile to fix his mistake with Fadel by replacing his car parts for free in episode 1. He helps out by taking orders in episode 2 without being asked and takes it seriously. In episode 3, he tries to drive more business to Fadel's store (bless him, he so clearly does NOT understand how restaurants work, but he MEANS well!!), and can we all acknowledge that it works?? He understands how to appeal to potential customers in the area because he knows the people there. It's not (entirely) his fault that Fadel wasn't remotely prepared for an actual rush crowd and Bison was off getting kinky with Kant and not doing his (fake) job. He is so clear about not judging Fadel's host job and tries his hardest to help him (to absolutely NO effect, but still) when the 3 guys gang up on Fadel.

Style is so loved and more importantly so very loveable.

Point 3: What this could mean for Style's character

So, potentially, Style is someone who grew up in a small town, who has been well loved, potentially spoiled and coddled, but also very much kept within the confines of the narrow viewpoint that a quiet, country town places on you.

It's in the way his dad scolds him as if he was still a child when he's at least in his mid to late 20s. It's in the way Style was so mad at Fadel for scolding him ("thanks for the lecture, dad"), like that hit a sore point for Style. It's in the way no one in the market takes him seriously; they're fond, but he's still a kid in their eyes. It's in the way he has an abundance of free time like he doesn't REALLY need to work at his dad's shop. It's in the way he sees Fadel beat 3 guys up with ease, starts wondering if Fadel is an assassin or a hitman, and is completely unfazed like he doesn't quite have a handle on reality.

It's in the way his best friend is a man who has no qualms about lying to him and putting his life in danger, and how Style seems to have no other friends or people (aside from his dad) in his life.

@wuxian-vs-wangji made a comment to me about Style being desperate for a meaningful connection, and I think she hit the nail on the head. Because along comes Fadel, a mysterious stranger with a suspiciously versatile set of skills who is also very hot and keeps giving Style these wonderfully complex reactions? Who sometimes wants nothing to do with Style, but at other times seems to be at war within himself about desperately wanting him? Who treats Style with anything but apathy?

This is catnip to Style; he never had any hope of resisting this.

Breaking news: Style is a complex and imperfect character...

Here's the thing, though: he was never going to try. The show has been incredibly upfront about who Style is as a person. Regardless of whether I'm correct about why he is this way (ie. that he is very much the product of the environment that didn't know how to handle a kid with Style's personality), episode 3 shouldn't have surprised anyone about Style. He's been incredibly consistent and true to himself.

He wants Fadel and he's "crazy" enough to go all in, no holds barred about it, and the Support Group was the biggest doorway to finally discovering something REAL about Fadel.

And its not just about sex or to prove his superiority anymore. Because if it was just that, then Style would have reacted very differently to their first time.

In this scene, Style is pleased and evidently enjoying himself, but he isn't exuberant. He isn't overcome with joy. If anything, he was more happy and excited when Fadel let him help out in the diner (I mentioned this in the tags in this post too) than he was when Fadel is literally fucking him. He lets Fadel set the pace; barely moves to touch Fadel except to hold him close. Almost like he doesn't want to accidentally mess this up, like he's worried he'll take too much, so he'll take what Fadel gives him and no more (please appreciate @braceletofteeth's amazing tags on this post). For a character that has been so aggressively on the offensive, this is shocking until you realise that sleeping with Fadel - while it's a step in the right direction - isn't Style's end goal anymore.

And he makes that abundantly clear in this episode:

Does Style even fully realise the weight of this desire? I doubt it. But I do believe that Style is in earnest. He doesn't fully understand his own feelings, but he also doesn't really care to either. All he knows is that he wants Fadel, wants his attention and his passion and his focus and his heart.

...but Style is also kind of, sort of, perfect.

Because he's exactly, precisely, breathtakingly exactly what Fadel needs.

Because Fadel is hurt and broken and bleeding inside. Because Fadel is barely holding it all together for Bison's sake, but has already given up hope for any true happiness for himself. Because Fadel can't trust anyone or anything in his life, when he's been used and used and used by the family who should've loved and cared and protected him.

Because it's going to take nothing short of this kind of unwavering, unshakable, uncomplicated determination to give Fadel even a chance of healing and opening his heart to love again.

[gerardway-is-my-babygirl]

Probably a horrible time to post this but whatever take this tumblr (I'm sorry to my followers who don't care about tally hall)

[bittsandpieces]

thinking really nasty fucked up horny thoughts this morning, and for all I post about sibling fucking and kidnapping and shit on here I still feel like this is a step too far for me to post about