#I know it’s important to know what could happen

[cargopantsman]

I'm going to say that the critics do have to review the marvel movies the same way any of us should be reviewing the tomato pictures being hung in a subway restaurant.

And I'm going to put Duchamp's "Fountain" here to stall.

Marvel movies have become drivel. The initial rollout series had a level of honesty behind the writing that probably most of us could say we genuinely enjoyed the first Iron Man, the Ed Norton Hulk, or even the first Captain America.

The value of critiquing these films comes in seeing what happens when an overwhelmingly corporate agenda comes into play.

Like... you can't say Black Pather was a Bad Movie (as long as you kinda know what's going one [which is a critique in itself]), but with many themes and points in the MCU, a solid point is struck on a hollow anvil.

So any good story-telling is going to be overshadowed by this monolithic shadow of the studio trying to maximize gains, even when the heart of those stories (going back to the golden age comics) generally balk at the concept.

Is the MCU a good story-telling platform? No... Prachett's Discworld handled any given "nobody" wandering in and at least catching on to what is important better than Marvel ever, whether in movies or comics, could ever let someone wander in.

Does the MCU tell good stories?... yeah. They do. And there's a pivot where if you don't care (or aren't obsessively compelled) for context, the movies can kinda be one-offs.

But there's a critique right there...

Because the MCU relies on the US Department of Defense for so much of it's infrastructure, we have to criticize the films for bowing to the state in ways that the actual comic characters wouldn't.

We have to criticize the WWII era super-soldier as an allegory for the Greatest Generation and watch him support the next fascist power. (Winter Soldier fans calm down, I'm playing the Man out of Time angle here.)

But also Iron Man/Tony Stark being the billionaire playboy the Muskovites tried to pretend their boy wonder being a legitimate actor in global diplomacy. Part of critiquing the MCU is the fact that the amount of resources Tony spent in spiffying up his power armor probably could saved thousads of more lives in setting up supply chains and resource distribution that in making the next better Jarvis/Power Armor combo.

Now you're thinking "jesus cargo what the fuck are you going on about?"

but look at that tomato picture, look at that sharp chopped iceberg lettuce.

it's a wall decoration. but it's a wall decoration as you come into the subway. it's meant to make you feel like you're making a healthy decision.

there's a mcdonald's next door but you chose the subway. A BigMac with fries might just be another DC Batman movie. It's familiar, you bite in, knowing that you have to see Bruce's parents die, again. But it's a familar taste. It get's you through the day.

the subway... it's fresh. that's what it tells you at least. the pictures on the wall say so. (not, now that you think of it, that mcdonalds comes off as rotted) and you pick and choose the ingredients you want (i could see Black Panther but I'll choose to see Captain America again) [this is choosing the turkey and mayo on white bread option]

And the turkey with mayo on white bread miggt be tasty enough for you... but probably not for any one else...

but thinking you went with subway makes you better than the mcdonald's crowd is gonna bring up some issues (most likely by your general practitioner)

and neither is inherently better or worse then the other.

as long as you fucking think about what you are feeling and doing.

it's all just a urinal in an art gallery.

[readwritealldayallnight]

I am obsessed with your page and EQUALLY excited for part two to the coffee-place-stalker-fic !!!

I saw your requests were open and was wondering if I could request Simon with a teacher!reader? Maybe he’s helping her with crafts for Valentine’s Day or hes back from deployment and surprises her at school?

Just something wholesome and fluffy?

Thank you🩷

“Well, what should we do-”

“It doesn’t look like he’s got anything with him-”

“Definitely not any parent I recognize-”

“Do we go into lockdown? Or safe school-”

“He hasn’t done anything wrong, I mean he’s just standing there-”

“Yes, but why is he standing there-”

“Hi ladies.” You murmur, walking into the staff room you notice a group of your coworkers huddled up around the window, peering intently outside at something

It’s not often that anything going on outside of the staff room during recess could be important enough to pull their attention away from the food they have 20 minutes to scarf down before they’re back to caring for other people offspring, those issues are precisely why the board hires lunch monitors

But apparently whatever is happening outside in the school parking lot is interesting enough to have nearly half a dozen of your colleagues poking their heads between the blinds to catch a glimpse, pre packed lunches and yesterdays leftovers forgotten

“There’s some weird man standing in the parking lot.” One of the younger teachers says, pulling the dusty blinds back for another not so subtle peek

“What’s he doing?” One of the schools educational assistants asks, having come in just behind you

“Nothing. Just standing there, this whole time.” The math teacher shrugs, never moving her eyes off the window

“Well how long’s he been out there?”

“Mrs Ashton says she first saw him almost a quarter of an hour ago, just before the bell rang.”

“We’re sure he’s not a parent?” One of the newer student teachers poses the question

“Well, no. But he certainly doesn’t like any of our parents.”

“He’s not done anything wrong, technically. Just odd that he’s lingering like that.”

“You don’t think the mask is odd as well?”

At that last remark from your colleagues, your head perks up, glancing towards the gaggle still gathered by the glass

“Has anyone told the vice principal yet? Maybe we should-”

“That’s aright, actually.” You say with a sigh, peering out the window for the first time and confirming your suspicions. “That one’s mine.”

You’re pulling your jacket tighter around yourself as the wind whips your hair all about, shaking your head in playful disbelief, but the smile stretching across your face cannot hide your delight in seeing him as you walk closer

“Okay, no more mask when you drop off my lunches from now on.” You tease, finally stepping near enough to see the slightly crinkled paper bag sat in the passenger seat of his truck

“Well maybe if someone didn’t forget her lunch, wouldn’t ’ave to be in this situation, would we?” He teases right back, both of you knowing very well that Simon lives for these small, mundane moments when he’s off from deployment, able to drop you off and pick you up from work, bring you lunches, have dinner ready when you get home, the small things that might seem tedious and boring to others, he lives for, knowing he gets to do them with you

“Well maybe if someone didn’t keep me in bed for an extra half hour this morning and had me rushing for work-”

“Don’t remember hearin’ many complaints this mornin’ about that extra half hour you spent bouncing on my c-”

The sound of the school bell ringing cuts him off, the both of you letting out small chuckles before you’re standing up on tip toes, reaching to give him a quick peck on the cheek over his mask, his large gloved hand giving your waist a slight squeeze before he tells you he’ll be around to pick you up soon as the dismissal bell goes off

You tell him that if he makes your favourite for dinner tonight, you might have dessert ready for him back in bed afterwards, an idea which the glimmer in his eyes tells you he’s more than okay with

You’re still grinning to yourself, walking back towards the front doors with your sack lunch held tightly in hand, when you send a quick wink to the now even larger crowd of colleagues watching you from the window

———

Thank you so much for the sweet words and the suggestion! I hope you’re okay with the way I took this lil prompt

I’m hoping to have stalker/fluff Simon posted by the end of the week, I’ve changed and edited that story more times than I can remember now, I just really want it right before it’s out there!

- M 🫶🏻

[unabletonotlovesatoru]

nanami kento and his certified yapper of a girlfriend, whom he loves very dearly <33

nanami has perfected the art of the “hm.” it’s his go-to response when you’re on one of your enthusiastic tangents. but don’t be fooled—there are different versions of his “hm.” there’s the supportive hm (when he agrees with you), the tired but still listening hm (when he’s too drained to fully engage but doesn’t want to ignore you), and the you’re absolutely ridiculous but I love you hm (his most common one).

he may seem like he zones out, but he retains the important things. you could talk for ten minutes straight about which nail color you should get, and he won’t remember a word. but if you offhandedly mention that you really love those matcha cookies from that one bakery, guess what’s waiting for you the next day?

he’s the only person who can actually get you to shut up—for a moment. whether it’s pulling you into a sudden kiss, placing a warm hand over your mouth, or just giving you that look, he has his ways. you’ll still continue after the interruption, though. always.

sometimes he just lets you talk because he enjoys how animated you get. you’re waving your hands, switching between different tones, going off on dramatic tangents—he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t cute. sometimes he just sits back and watches you, letting the sound of your voice fill the space around him. and you’re so absorbed in your own storytelling that you completely miss his lovesick gaze and his warm smile.

he has definitely fallen asleep to the sound of your voice. you don’t even take offense anymore. it happens often enough that you’ve just accepted your voice as a lullaby for him. sometimes, he’ll wake up to you continuing your story, completely unbothered by the fact that he passed out halfway through.

when he’s in a bad mood, you’re the only person who can make him laugh. sometimes, all it takes is a well-timed, ridiculous comment. other times, it’s just your sheer determination to get a reaction out of him. if he tries to stay grumpy, you’ll narrate his emotions out loud, complete with a fake dramatic voice: “behold! the great and brooding nanami kento, burdened by the weight of existence. will he ever smile again? will he ever—oh wait! there it is! a smirk! ladies and gentlemen, we got him.”

he gets oddly worried when you’re quiet. if you go more than twenty minutes without saying something, he immediately assumes something’s wrong. “are you okay?” “yes, why?” “you’re quiet.” “…so?” “so, it’s suspicious.” if you get quiet for too long, he’ll gently nudge you. not because he doesn’t enjoy silence, but because he knows something might be wrong. “what’s on your mind?” he’ll ask, and when you start rambling again, he knows things are back to normal.

he absolutely refuses to take you grocery shopping anymore. the last time he did, you spent fifteen minutes analyzing which brand of rice was superior, picked up random items purely because they “had cute packaging,” and got distracted by the tiny honey jars again. now, he just goes alone and comes back with everything he knows you like. (or he relents to your endless begging and tells you to not give promises you won’t be able to keep— like you sticking to his side and not prolonging the trip.)

he loves your voice, even if he pretends it exhausts him. he may act like you talk too much (which, to be fair, you do), but if you ever go away for a few days, or if he has a long, quiet work trip, he finds himself missing the constant sound of your chatter. the first thing he does when he comes back? sit down and listen to you ramble about everything he missed.

he’ll never admit it, but he secretly finds your endless talking comforting. it makes the world feel less heavy. it reminds him that, no matter how chaotic things get, you’ll always be right there, filling the silence with something only you would say.

he’s developed a high tolerance for your rapid-fire conversation shifts. most people would struggle to keep up, but nanami has learned to expect the unexpected. you could be talking about your dinner plans one second and then suddenly ask, “do you think sharks are self-aware?” without missing a beat. he doesn’t even flinch anymore—just calmly responds, “if they were, they’d probably be very concerned about their reputation.”

he has a hidden soft spot for your random facts. sure, he’ll sigh when you start a sentence with, “did you know—” but deep down, he’s actually listening. later, he’ll casually use one of your weird facts in conversation, and when you catch him, he’ll just adjust his tie like it never happened.

he’s learned to predict the exact moment you’ll start talking during movies. without fail, right when an important scene starts, you will have a thought. every time. and somehow, nanami just knows when it’s coming. he’ll pause the movie right before you open your mouth, giving you an expectant look. “go ahead.” and you’ll happily share your insight before he presses play again.

nanami secretly finds your over-explaining adorable. sometimes, you’ll start explaining something completely unnecessary—like why a certain restaurant’s menu design is superior to another’s—and he’ll just watch you, arms crossed, pretending to be unimpressed. but inside? he thinks it’s the cutest thing in the world.

he loves when you talk about your day, even if it’s just the small stuff. you could spend twenty minutes telling him about how the barista at the café made your drink slightly different than usual, and he’ll still sit there, listening, occasionally nodding and asking questions. because no matter what you’re talking about, it’s you, and that’s enough.

he will not—under any circumstances—let gojo encourage you. if gojo hypes you up for talking even more, nanami is done. he’ll literally drag you away before you and gojo can start bouncing off each other with endless nonsense.

he may sigh, roll his eyes, and pretend to be exhausted by your constant talking, but if anyone else ever told you to “be quiet,” they’d get a very cold stare from nanami. no one—no one—gets to dull your spark except for him, and even he doesn’t really mean it.

[kittviolet]

Oh my goddd this post is for me i FUCKING LOVE michael chrichton's Jurassic Park book. please read the book its insanely good.

YES 1000 times the message absolutely was against private companies cutting costs and not paying workers etc etc but also another message I interpreted from the book that I like to point out is how it talks about the enviormental issues. The message people got from the movies wasnt entirely wrong. In my opinion.

I specifically remember a part in the book where one of the chatacters was talking about how dinos just arent fit to live in todays enviorment. Bringing them back would destroy the ecosystem and be harmful to the animals. From what I remember, a character described that even the air is different, and the dinos could be suffering from that. It just is bound to fail and it's not only because of corporations(not that thats not an important message).

If every worker at Jurassic Park was paid perfectly and this was a community project that didnt care abt profits, etc etc, I think it would still fail due to its enviormental harms. (And, you know, chaos theory... Dinos are unpredictable and stuff)

Small tangent... Whats ironic about Crichton taking this stance is that he was a climate change denier. I think his stance was that if it's going to happen then it's natural and we cant stop it, which I dont agree with. It's not natural lol. Authors are flawed and biased so I choose not to agree with that stance, but his other warnings about this issue I do agree with.

Dear necromancers, why would you bother summoning human corpses when dinosaurs are an option

[victoryai]

ASCENDANT DEGREES IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Here it is dear 👇

Degrees are as important as the rising sign itself. From my observations, they really don't influence how a person looks like for a year, they rather act as part of the main theme of a year highlighting how the ascendant sign will work with it's full energy(00°) or the energy of another sign within it.

0️⃣00° degree: I love to call this the full or fresh energy of a sign. When this happens to be the degree of your Sr asc, then you're going to be fully immersed in the characteristics of your sr asc. i remember having this for a particular sign and everything related to that sign was just double.

��✋ During further observations, I've noticed that the higher the degree of a sign, the higher the characteristics it exhibits. For example, if 06° would mean stress, exercise or routine, then 18° would mean stress, sicknesses, exercise, service, routine, enemies, conflict (just double of what 06°would mean)

1️⃣01°, 13°,25°:This degree belong to Aries, so expect starting a new chapter of your life, being more energetic. The characteristics of your Sr ascendant will be presented bodly no matter the Sr ascendant. You are the 001!😆bby.

2️⃣02°, 14°,26:This taurean degree brings a hint of stability to you this year. It could also point to being more comfortable than previous years.

3️⃣03°,15°,27°:Honestly said, this could mean you multitask a lot or travel alot (mostly short distances like from home to school, vice versa).

4️⃣04°,16°,28°:This one could influence you to be more concerned about home or stay at home more often. Or leave you feeling emotional mostly 🥲.

5️⃣05°,17°,29°This adds a tint of luck to you this year. A happy feeling that everything will turn out well for you. Makes you feel like a kid again. Might also bring fame too especially 29°

6️⃣06°,18:As I said earlier this might indicate illness and is not generally favourable in terms of debt and lawsuits. 18°is even more worse as it amplifies this but if you're in the medical field then it'll mean more work for you in terms of your patients.

7️⃣07°,19°: This is really favourable if your seeking romantic connections or just want your relationships to flourish well. You are attractive!

8️⃣08°,20°: I almost don't know what to say anytime I have to deal with this sign because I haven't experienced it so much. However, this might point to some change in you, or they are themes of death surrounding you. I have this as Sr ascendant this year and a lot of people I know have died. it's really creepy.

9️⃣09°, 21°: When I had this I really wanted to go to school, the determination was so much. I just wanted to fly. Staying stuck was like a disease to me. Themes of religion also arise too.

1️⃣0️⃣10°,22°: This adds a layer of stress and responsibility to you this year.You decide to become more serious with your life this year and focus on stability.

1️⃣1️⃣ 11°,23°: This is the degree of uniqueness and individuality. Might also mean you become you stay online more than usual, you join a community and build a network for yourself.

1️⃣2️⃣12°,24°: This one makes you instrospective and gloomy. There's a chance of escapist tendencies and frequent dreams.

[princesseilish]

QUIET GRIEF

Billie Eilish x Fem!Reader

Warnings: heavy angst, like just fully coated angst

Synopsis: Billie lost the love of her life but, Rosie lost her mommy

A/N: my last draft, yay mee !!

Title: The Quiet After the Storm

It had only been a month since Y/N’s sudden passing. A month that felt like years. Billie’s world had shattered into a million pieces, and the weight of that loss was something she still couldn’t comprehend. The love of her life, gone. Just like that. And now, she had to navigate this new life as a single mother to Rosie, their bright, beautiful little girl.

Billie postponed her tour—there was no question about it. Music was important, yes, but nothing was more important than being there for Rosie. She didn’t even know how to grieve properly. She couldn’t. Not while Rosie still needed her, needed her strength, even when Billie didn’t have any of her own to give.

In the first few days, everything felt like a blur. The funeral, the calls, the arrangements. And then the silence. The empty space where Y/N’s laughter and presence used to be. Rosie had been clinging to her mother since the moment they told her the news. The little girl had barely left Billie’s side, as if she couldn’t process it either.

But as the days dragged on, things started to settle into a new normal. A quiet one.

There were nights, though, when sleep wouldn’t come. Billie would lie awake, the empty side of the bed beside her mocking her. And Rosie—Rosie would often sneak into Billie’s room, needing to be close. Sometimes, they’d sit in the living room, trying to distract themselves with a movie, but it never worked. The silence in the house was too loud. They both missed Y/N. They missed her more than words could express.

One night, the silence was especially heavy. Rosie was sitting next to Billie on the couch, her tiny body curled up against her mother’s side. The TV flickered quietly in the background, some animated movie that neither of them was really paying attention to.

“I miss… I miss Mommy,” Rosie’s small voice broke the quiet, her words more fragile than she knew.

Billie’s heart cracked. Her little girl was still so young, and yet she was carrying so much weight. It was unfair. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Billie pulled Rosie closer, wrapping her arms around her tight. She didn’t have the words to fix this. She didn’t know how to make it better. But she had to be there. For Rosie. Because this little girl was everything Y/N had wanted. Everything they both had wanted. And now, Billie would have to fulfill that tsunami sized hole y/n left in Rosie and her hearts, all while still trying to heal from the brokenness inside.

“I miss her too, baby,” Billie whispered, pressing a kiss into Rosie’s hair, trying to steady her breath. She didn’t want Rosie to see her break. But the tears came anyway, hot and unstoppable.

“I want her back,” Rosie whispered, her voice cracking as she nestled closer into Billie’s chest.

“I know, sweetheart,” Billie said, her voice shaking. She ran her fingers through Rosie’s hair, trying to find some comfort in the action. Trying to find a way to reassure her that it would be okay, even though she didn’t believe it herself. “I want her back too.”

The house was silent except for the soft sound of Billie’s voice and the occasional sniffle from Rosie. They didn’t speak for a while. There was nothing left to say. What could you say to a child who had lost her mother, who didn’t understand why this had happened? What could you say to yourself when you couldn’t even understand it?

Billie watched as Rosie’s eyes fluttered, the exhaustion from the day catching up with her. Slowly, the little girl drifted off to sleep in her arms, her tiny breath steady and peaceful against Billie’s chest. Billie wasn’t sure how long she sat there, just holding her daughter, the weight of everything pressing down on her.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed Y/N’s presence in their home until now. There had always been so much noise, so much love. Now, there was only silence.

Billie wanted to scream. She wanted to ask why. But the house was too quiet, too still. Rosie shifted in her sleep, her little hands clutching at Billie’s shirt, and Billie fought to hold back more tears. She had to be strong. For Rosie. For Y/N. She couldn’t fall apart in front of her daughter.

“I love you, Bug,” Billie whispered into the stillness of the night, even though Rosie was already asleep. “I’ll always love you.”

And as Billie sat there, the weight of grief on her shoulders, she knew that the pain would never go away. But in the quiet of the night, with Rosie in her arms, she promised herself one thing: she would keep going. She would keep fighting for Rosie. For Y/N. For their family.

The nights might be long, and the silence may never feel the same, but Billie wasn’t alone. She had Rosie. And somehow, that had to be enough.

[onbearfeet]

Generally speaking, any story gets a certain amount of time at the start to set up its premise, however absurd. Anything that differs from everyday reality can be acceptable if it's set up properly.

A kid gets bit by a radioactive/bioengineered/magic spider and gets superpowers? Cool, now I know this is a universe where people get superhero powers from weird shit. Tell me a story about it.

There's a space war and two robots are on the run with a macguffin they got from a space princess? Okeydoke, I will accept the existence of all those things for the next hour or two. Tell me a story.

There's an island full of magic science dinosaurs and some idiots are touring it? Noted. Tell me a story.

"This would never happen" is only a valid criticism when "this" violates the established premise in some important way. If the dinosaurs get loose in Jurassic Park and everyone on the tour remains calm and unbothered, THAT is something that would never happen because the premise has not established that the humans in this universe would somehow not be scared of a T. rex. If you establish the tyrannosaur at the start, I will accept anything that seems to flow logically from that premise. She eats goats? Sure, carnivores sometimes do that. She wants out? Lots of caged animals do. She makes Godzilla noises? Ehh, I don't know what they sounded like, so that's as good a guess as anything I could come up with.

If the T. rex suddenly sprouts wings and flies away, on the other hand, I will call bullshit. If she builds a spaceship, I will call bullshit. If she starts reciting Shakespeare, I will ... actually be very interested, but I will also no longer even pretend to suspend my disbelief.

The T. rex herself is not a plot hole unless the movie hasn't established that dinosaurs are a thing that can happen.

"This would never happen" is a statement about rules being broken. It has its place, but only AFTER we all agree on what the rules are.

Call me a bad movie lover if you want, but I legitimately think people are being too critical on movies in a very uncritical way. “this would never happen” that’s the premise of the movie. What if it happened, what would the characters do? What is it trying to say about a situation and the people in it? Sure, some movies don’t do a very good job of tying up plot holes or creating believable motivations, but it’s also up to You to buy into the plot, to suspend your disbelief enough to watch the fucking movie.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

wedding. l Joel Miller

Summary: something unusual happened in Jackson

Warnings: mostly fluff, but also a little bit of angst, alcohol; Ellie, Tommy, Maria - appear there; reader feels insecure, mention of pregnancy

A/N: I like writing this series, it's comfortable for me. I think I've mentioned this before. I hope it makes someone smile too.

your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

Joel smoothed his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked really decent, although he felt stupid at the same time. There were quiet noises behind the closed bathroom door, after a moment it opened and in the reflection of the mirror he saw you coming out wearing the dress he liked so much. He smiled to himself as your eyes met.

"You look good." You said, walking over to him and adjusting his collar.

"Not as good as you. Do we really have to go there?" You rolled your eyes "We could go somewhere together. You, me and your dress."

You patted his shoulder, amused "It's Shane's wedding. We should be there. Can you help me zip it up?"

You turned around and Joel deftly zipped up your dress, taking the opportunity to kiss the base of your neck. It was a beautiful day, and even if Joel thought the wedding was a stupid idea, he didn't want to ruin anyone's mood. Especially not you. 

A few weeks passed. You slowly made your way outside of Jackson, with Joel or Shane. What happened to you was slowly becoming a bad memory, and you never asked Joel what happened that day when the door separated you both, and Maria walked you home.

You didn't have to ask, you knew. Joel had kept you safe in the way he thought was necessary. His family had to be safe, and you were definitely a part of it.

He felt really good as you walked together to the orchard where flowers adorned the trees, and Shane and Ann decided to join in matrimony. The priest, an older man who had been in Jackson for a few years, was preparing for the ceremony as you took your seats somewhere in the back. Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Ellie, who sat down on the other side with her friends, waved at you and raised her thumbs up to show that she liked your dress.

The excitement grew with every minute, weddings in Jackson were rare, and every resident knew Shane and wanted to accompany him at such a moment.

"She looks so beautiful..." you sighed as Ann, in a modest but beautiful white dress, stood with Shane in front of the priest. Her blonde hair flowed in waves down her back, and you saw total delight in her eyes.

Joel tilted his head to murmur in your ear "Mhmm, but not like you."

You nudged him lightly in the side. "Have you ever been married, Joel?" you asked without taking your eyes off what was happening in front of you.

He was silent for a moment, but finally spoke up "A long time ago, and for a very short time."

"I'm sorry."

"No need. I practically forgot about it." he replied, and when you looked at him he smiled slightly "These things happen."

"Yeah, you're probably right." You smiled too, although there was a bit of contemplation in it, and after a moment you looked back at Shane and Ann "I hope it won't happen to them. Especially since Ann... Shit."

Now you had Joel's full attention on you. And although you weren't looking at him, you felt that his brown eyes were glued to you with curiosity.

"What do you know?" he asked in a whisper, because you were still surrounded by many Jackson residents.

"Nothing." You answered far too quickly and too nervously.

"You know something. Tell me."

You bit your lip to hide your smile. Finally, however, you looked at him again and came closer to whisper in his ear "Ann's pregnant. Shane told me on the last patrol. They're so excited."

Joel mumbled something, but you didn't pay attention to it anymore. You didn't notice the strange shadow that appeared in his eyes, because the guests started clapping, and Shane and Ann kissed, thus officially becoming a married couple.

The Tipsy Bison looked different than usual. Fresh flowers were on every table, the space seemed brighter and more festive. The buzz of conversation and laughter mixed with the music, and the clinking of cutlery and glasses meant that everyone was having a great time. Joel and Tommy decided to check out the bottle of whiskey that Shane had placed on their table, and you took Maria's son into your arms so she could eat in peace.

"I feel guilty that you're here and not there." The woman mumbled as she put food on her plate. "Tommy should be watching his son. What are they even doing?"

"Leave it, it's not a problem. I love this guy." You kissed the chubby hand of the boy who was sitting on your lap and cooing happily. "This roast chicken is delicious."

"You convinced me!" she put on a chicken leg and took a sip of juice "I'm glad this wedding happened. People need positive moments like this."

"Yeah. I had the impression that the whole of Jackson was living for this wedding." you laughed.

You gossiped for a moment, stopping every now and then to greet someone who came to your table. Maria managed to eat in peace and even reached for a second helping. The baby in your arms played with spoons, and the music drew more and more people to the dance floor.

"Oh!" Maria suddenly straightened up and frowned. "It's her again."

"Who?" you asked, not really paying attention to anything, because Tommy's son had just decided to bite your fingers off.

"Hazel."

You turned around and noticed a slender brunette standing near Joel and Tommy. Her gaze was clearly fixed on the older Miller. Something twisted in your stomach. 

Hazel had arrived in Jackson a few months ago along with a few other people. She quickly settled in and started working at a local store. That was probably where she noticed Joel. You had seen her start a conversation with him or approach him around Jackson a few times.

"Tommy said it was weird that so many things were breaking in her house." Maria mumbled. "And she always asks Joel to help her with it."

"Yeah, I know that." you replied, Hazel's hand squeezed Joel's shoulder. "Maybe... Oh my!"

The glass of juice tipped over, Maria's son must have tried to catch it while you were talking, and it spilled on your dress. The woman quickly stood up and took the little one from you, scolding him a little and at the same time trying to apologize to you.

"Don't worry, it's nothing." You replied, trying to wipe it with a napkin. "It's just juice and just a dress."

"But you looked so pretty in it!" Maria groaned. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry, really, it's nothing."

However, it was a lie, not a big one, but still. When you approached Joel a moment later, you felt very insecure. Hazel looked beautiful, and you had a huge stain from the juice on your dress. Maria quickly pulled Tommy away and pushed his babbling son into his arms.

"Hi. Nice dress." Hazel gave you a charming smile.

"Thank you." You mumbled uncertainly, and after a moment you felt Joel's gaze on you.

"Oh, what happened?" he asked "Do you want to go home and change?"

You shook your head. "No, it's just juice. Your nephew was a little careless, it'll dry soon."

The wet fabric stuck to your body unpleasantly, but you didn't want to show it. You realized that if Hazel wasn't standing next to you, you wouldn't even care, but now...

"I was just telling Joel that the washing machine in my house started making some strange noises. He promised to come over and take a look at it." Hazel smiled at you, "It's good to have someone with such talented hands around."

"Yes, indeed." you replied.

Joel's attention was drawn by Shane, who was determined to push another bottle of whiskey into his hands. For a moment, you and Hazel were silent, only exchanging polite smiles.

"How are you feeling in Jackson? I think you've settled in." You finally spoke up, and Hazel nodded.

"Yeah, it's a big change. But people are really friendly here, you know. And what do you do?"

"Patrols. Getting supplies. Stuff like that."

"It's good that you're helping Joel."

You felt awkward, but you plastered a smile on your face. "Right."

When Joel came back to you, Hazel's hand rested on his shoulder again, and a charming smile appeared on her pretty face. "So can I count on you? Will you come over tomorrow and check out the washing machine?"

The man nodded. "Sure, I'll come."

"Great. I'll make your favorite coffee."

This was beyond you and you quickly retreated towards the exit. The evening was warm and many people were spending it outdoors. Mr. Russo greeted you with a smile, and Rory ran around with the other kids.

"Running home already, huh?" Shane's voice almost made you jump.

"I needed some fresh air." You replied. "You look amazing, and your wife... Good luck to you both."

"Thank you." He took a sip from his glass. "You're not worried about this Hazel thing, are you? She's got her eye on Joel, but he's totally into you."

"You think so?"

Shane looked at you carefully. He knew you really well, trusted you, and knew how hard you'd been through, so your insecurity was painful for him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

You sighed and folded your arms tightly over your chest. "I don't know. I don't remember feeling like this before... Sometimes I think I'm too weak... That maybe I'm not good at anything, at relationships, you know."

"Bullshit!" Shane hissed "I've been watching you and Joel for ages, you're made for each other."

"Please..."

"No, I'm telling you the truth! This guy would burn the world down for you, without hesitation. He'll fight for you, and you'll do anything for him too. Ask anyone you want."

"And Joel told you that?" you scoffed, but Shane just smiled.

"The world's biggest grump? Please! But I have eyes and I can see." He spread his arms "Come here."

You approached and Shane hugged you tightly. "I'm glad you're here with us. We're all happy."

"Thank you, Shane."

Someone cleared their throat behind you and patted Walsh on the back.

"I'd like to remind you that you're married, and she's here with me."

A warm feeling crept into your heart as you saw Joel standing behind you. His brown eyes looked at you with tenderness and attention.

"Everything okay?" he asked, Shane tapped him on the shoulder and disappeared inside "You left so suddenly."

"I'm okay." You smiled slightly "And you? How's Hazel and her washing machine doing."

Joel raised an eyebrow. "Is someone jealous? Honey, her washing machine can boil her clothes, I don't give a damn." His arm wrapped around your shoulders and he pulled you in, kissing your temple. "Ready to go back or do you still want some cake?"

"Let's go back. I'd like to get out of this wet dress." You groaned.

"I'd love to help you with that."

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist, i think: @picketniffler @orcasoul @bbyanarchist @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @somedayheaven @underneath-the-sky-again

[mylovesstuffs]

Little Hands, Big Hearts — Lee Seokmin

Genre: Non-idol au-ish, babysitter au and rom-com

Pairing: Seokmin × fem!reader

Content: Friends-to-lovers (?), babysitter & hot uncle, found family, single parent vibes (but he’s actually just an uncle), mutual pining, jealousy but cute, domestic fluff, protective love interest, small Joshua cameo (no dialogue), idol life elements (seokmin’s busy schedules), “i want to be someone important to you” confession

Word count: 2140 words

A/N: I actually had something else planned for his birthday, something much longer and (hopefully) better but Tumblr decided to be a piece of shit, and I physically cannot format it all in one sitting without losing my mind. So maybe next month (or the month after, knowing my luck). Anyway, when I realized mere hours before Dokyeom’s birthday, mind you—that my original post wasn’t happening, I had to speed-write this incredibly cliché thing instead. Am I satisfied with it? Absolutely not. Are we running with it anyway? Absolutely yes.

Huge, massive, life-saving thanks to @gyubakeries !!! I swear you are the only reason this got beta-ed last minute. I hope your pillows stay cold on both sides forever, your WiFi never betrays you, and you obliterate your exams. Ilysm, truly. I was fighting for my life with this schedule, and then Tumblr came in and delivered the final boss battle. But anyway happy belated birthday, DK! May your high notes always soar, your jokes always land, and your days be filled with nothing but love and warmth. Love you endlessly, you absolute gem of a human being! 💛🎉 And sorry in advance for whatever this is.

Babysitting wasn’t exactly the most glamorous job in the world but it paid the bills. Plus, you genuinely enjoyed spending time with kids. That’s why, when your friend recommended you to a new client who needed an occasional babysitter for his niece, you said yes without hesitation.

What you didn’t expect was that the ‘uncle’ you’d be working for was Lee Seokmin, the bright, cheerful vocalist of SEVENTEEN.

The first time you met him, he nearly tripped over the couch trying to grab his niece’s stuffed bunny before she could burst into tears. His energy was exactly what you imagined from someone who spent most of his time performing on stage.

“Hi! I’m Dokyeom,” he said, flashing a beaming smile that was so radiant it could rival the sun. “Thank you so much for helping out. I’d do it myself, but—”

“—You have a busy idol schedule,” you finished for him.

He blinked. “Yeah…exactly.”

His niece, Hana, was an absolute angel. She had his same bright smile and she grew fond of you immediately. You spent the next few weeks looking after her whenever Seokmin was busy with schedules and little by little, you saw different sides of him.

He wasn’t just the loud, happy-go-lucky guy everyone knew. He was also a doting uncle who could lull Hana to sleep with soft hums of ‘Circles’, and a surprisingly good cook when he had the time.

One night after a particularly long day, Seokmin returned home just as you were tidying up Hana’s toys. He let out an exaggerated sigh and collapsed onto the couch, covering his face with a pillow.

“Long day?”

“You have no idea,” he groaned, voice muffled. “But I kept thinking about Hana and—” He hesitated. “—and wondering if she gave you a hard time.”

You smiled. “She was great, as always. Though, she did insist I tell her a bedtime story about ‘Uncle Min and the Princess.’”

Seokmin peeked out from behind the pillow, eyes twinkling with interest. “Oh? And what happened in this story?”

You shrugged, playing along. “Well, Uncle Min was a very silly prince who made the princess laugh all the time.”

“Sounds accurate.”

“But then he got lost in a giant castle of laundry and the princess had to help him find his way out.”

Seokmin laughed, sitting up. “Okay, that part is true. My laundry pile is terrifying.”

The conversation melted into comfortable silence, the only sound being the soft breathing of Hana sleeping in the other room. After a moment, Seokmin glanced at you with a thoughtful look on his face.

“You’re really good with her,” he said softly. “I—uh, I really appreciate you.”

You felt warmth creep up your neck. “It’s my job.”

“I know, but…I think Hana really loves you.” He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “And I can see why.”

Your heart did a tiny flip at the way he looked at you, gentle and sincere. You quickly busied yourself with putting away the last of Hana’s toys, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way your face heated up.

Maybe Hana wasn’t the only one growing attached.

The weeks turned into months and before you knew it, babysitting Hana had become a regular part of your life and so had Seokmin.

You didn’t realize when the small moments started meaning more, when you started looking forward to his late-night returns just to chat about your day or when you found yourself laughing a little too much at his terrible dad jokes. Seokmin was always there. Bringing you snacks before he left for work. Texting to ask if Hana was behaving. Staying up an extra ten minutes just to keep you company before you left for the night. It was easy. It was natural. It was dangerous.

Because one evening after you put Hana to bed, Seokmin walked you to the door like he always did but this time, he hesitated.

“I, uh…I have a day off tomorrow,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hana’s been asking to go to the park and I figured…maybe you could come too?”

You blinked. “You want me to come? You don’t need a babysitter tomorrow.”

“I know,” he said, smiling sheepishly. “But I thought it’d be fun if we all hung out together. Y’know, as…friends.”

Friends. Right.

You ignored the way your heart did a stupid little flip and nodded. “Okay. That sounds fun.”

-

“Push me, push me!” she squealed.

You laughed, helping her up. “Okay, okay! But what about Uncle Min?”

Hana turned to Seokmin and pouted. “Uncle Min is too slow!”

Seokmin gasped-pouted. “Betrayal! How could you?”

Hana just giggled and you couldn’t help but shake your head. “She’s not wrong, though.”

Seokmin narrowed his eyes at you. “Oh, you’re in trouble now.”

Before you could react, he scooped you up, yes, actually lifted you off the ground and spun you in a circle.

You shrieked. “SEOKMIN! PUT ME DOWN!”

“Nope! You insulted my speed, now you must pay the price!”

Hana clapped her hands, cheering. “Again! Again!”

When he finally set you down, you were breathless from both laughter and the way his arms had felt way too strong around you. It was hot.

"You’re absolutely something else,” you muttered, smoothing your clothes.

Seokmin just grinned, completely unfazed.

The day continued with moments like that, Seokmin challenging you to silly races, losing horribly at rock-paper-scissors to Hana, and stealing your ice cream just to see you pout and somewhere in between all the teasing, the laughter, and the stolen glances, you felt something change. Maybe it was when Hana fell asleep in your lap during lunch and Seokmin just sat there watching with a soft unreadable expression. Or maybe it was when he gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and said, ‘You’re really amazing with her. She adores you.’

Maybe it was just him.

And you were starting to fall.

You should have known that nothing could stay simple when Lee Seokmin was involved. Seokmin wasn’t just ‘Hana’s uncle’ anymore. He wasn’t just the funny, sunshine-filled idol who stumbled into fatherly duties with zero experience but a whole lot of love. He was…Seokmin. Your Seokmin. (Not that he actually was. But he could be. If only you were brave enough to admit what you were feeling.)

One evening after another long day of babysitting, you found yourself lingering. You weren’t sure why, because Seokmin had already come home, Hana was fast asleep, and yet…you just didn’t want to leave yet.

Seokmin sat on the couch, running a tired hand through his hair. He looked exhausted—schedules had been brutal lately but when he saw you standing awkwardly near the door, he smiled anyway.

“Leaving?” he asked, voice soft as usual.

“I…should,” you said, shifting on your feet but you didn’t move.

Seokmin noticed. Instead of saying anything, he patted the empty space next to him, an invitation. You hesitated for about three seconds before giving in.

As soon as you sat down, Seokmin sighed and leaned his head against your shoulder. Your heart nearly stopped.

“Just for a second,” he murmured, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. “I’m too tired to sit up straight.”

You should have told him to sit properly. You should have shoved him off before you lost your mind. Instead, you sat there frozen, too aware of his warmth, his scent, the soft rise and fall of his breathing.

“Hey.”

You hummed in response, too scared to actually speak.

“I was thinking,” Seokmin said, voice still quiet, still sleepy. “I like spending time with you. A lot.”

Your breath hitched.

“You’re great with Hana,” he continued, eyes still closed. “And I always feel better when you’re around.” He suddenly sat up and faced you, his expression unreadable. “And…I think—” He swallowed. “I think I—”

BANG.

A loud noise from Hana’s room made both of you jump apart.

Seokmin was on his feet instantly. “Hana?”

The moment was gone.

He rushed to check on his niece, leaving you sitting there, heart pounding, mind racing, stomach doing cartwheels. What had he been about to say? And why were you so scared to find out?

A few days later, you were out shopping when you ran into your ex. It wasn’t a big deal. Really, it wasn’t.

He was just some guy called Joshua from years ago and the relationship had ended on neutral terms. He saw you, waved, and you exchanged some small talk before parting ways. Simple. Harmless. Totally normal. But when you got back to Seokmin’s apartment, you knew something was off. He was acting weird. Not his usual ‘I just tripped over air’ weird. Weirder. Quieter. Sulkier.

And then as you were helping Hana with her drawing, he suddenly blurted out, “Who was that guy?”

“What?” You blinked animatedly.

“At the mall,” he said, not looking at you. “I saw you talking to some guy.”

Oh. “An ex,” you said simply. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Seokmin nodded slowly, lips pressed together. “You seemed happy talking to him.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Are you…jealous?”

“Me? Pfft. No.” He scoffed, crossing his arms. “Why would I be jealous? I mean, we’re just—you’re just—”

You waited. He struggled.

Finally, he groaned, rubbing his face. “Okay. Maybe I’m a little jealous.”

Your heart did a very unhelpful little flip.

Seokmin exhaled and looked at you. “I don’t want to be just ‘Hana’s uncle’ to you,” his breath caught. “I want to be someone important to you,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “The way you’re important to me.”

Silence. Your brain screamed at you to say anything but before you could, a tiny voice interrupted.

“Uncle Min,” Hana said, tugging his sleeve. “Stop making her sad.”

Both of you turned to her.

Seokmin paled. “I—I made her sad?”

Hana pouted. “She looks like she wants to cry.”

You did, honestly. But not for the reason she thought. Because finally, finally, you had your answer.

You swallowed hard and forced a smile, ruffling Hana’s hair to distract yourself. “I’m not sad, sweetheart. Your uncle just…surprised me.”

Hana looked between the two of you with that suspicious little squint of hers. Then she sighed dramatically, shaking her head. “Grown-ups are weird,” she muttered before skipping off to continue coloring.

Seokmin chuckled but when his gaze returned to you. “Hey,” he said. “Are you okay?”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. “Yeah. Just…processing.”

Seokmin nodded slowly. “Take your time.”

And just like that, he gave you an out. No pressure. No expectations. Just him, waiting, hoping. Maybe that was what made you nervous the most.

-

A week passed and things were almost normal again. Except now, you were hyper-aware of everything Seokmin did. It was getting too much so when Zhang, one of your childhood friends, texted you out of the blue asking to catch up over coffee, you jumped at the chance. It was not a date and you made that very clear. But Seokmin didn’t get the memo.

When he saw you getting ready, actually putting in effort, wearing something cute, doing your hair, he panicked.

“Where are you going?” he asked, pretending to be casual about it.

You glanced at him. “Just meeting a friend for coffee.”

Seokmin squinted. “A friend?”

“Yeah.”

“A male friend?”

You smirked. “Why does that matter?”

“It doesn’t,” he said too quickly.

You bit back a laugh. “Seokmin. Are you jealous again?”

“No.” He crossed his arms. “I just…I just think you should be careful! What if this guy has bad intentions? What if he—”

“Zhang is married,” you interrupted, amused. “To a man.”

“Oh.”

You grinned. “Were you about to ask me not to go?”

He opened his mouth, closed it, then groaned, rubbing his face. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” You patted his cheek. Big mistake.

Because the second your fingers touched his skin, he grabbed your wrist, holding you in place. Your breath hitched. For a moment, neither of you moved. Neither of you breathed. Then, softly, so softly you almost missed it, Seokmin said, “If I asked you out, would you say yes?”

Your heart literally stopped.

He was still holding your wrist, thumb brushing absentmindedly against your pulse. If he could feel how fast it was beating, he wouldn't have to ask anything.

Slowly, you met his gaze. “Would you actually ask?”

He didn't say anything at first but responded a few seconds later, “Maybe.” His lips twitched. “Depends on if you’d say yes.”

You exhaled a laugh, shaking your head. “You’re so dumb.”

“And you still haven’t answered.”

You rolled your eyes but your smile gave you away. “Yeah, idiot. I’d say yes.”

Seokmin beamed. “Cool, cool. So, uh…” He cleared his throat. “Wanna go on a date tomorrow?”

You grinned. “Yeah. I do.”

⌦ 🌻 © mylovesstuffs | est. 2025. thank you for reading—your reblog means everything. until we meet again, stay cozy and keep dreaming! ◜ᴗ◝

[whos-the-seme]

Shen Qingqiu was doomed.

He stood still, fluttering his fan nervously and trying to avoid catching his counterpart's, the real Shen Qingqiu, glaring eyes from across the room. Instead, he idly observed the other Cang Qiong Mountain Peak Lords, trying to spot the differences between the ones he knew and their alternates.

Liu Qingge had brought back a strange artifact from one of his hunts to the monthly Peak Lord meeting. It was a mirror, rimmed an ugly tarnished gold, topped with a decoration that was shaped into an unidentifiable creature with ruby red eyes.

[Important Artifact Detected: Red-Eyed Sphinx's Mirror! Quest starting...]

Shen Qingqiu had been trying to remember where it might have appeared in PIDW when the surface of the mirror suddenly began to glow a dull yellow. It quickly brightened until it obscured everyone's vision.

And then, there stood another set of peak lords across the room, facing them down.

System, what on earth is going on???

[Quest started: Lost Long Spirit in My Reflection! Other characters have been transported to this universe. Host must find a way to send them back without revealing his identity as a transmigrator.]

WTF? I didn't agree to this!

[Good luck!]

System??? Get back here!

While the two Yue Qingyuans and Xu Qinglis conversed together to try to understand what had happened, the other peak lords had begun to mingle with each other, curious about their counterparts.

Shen Qingqiu tried to suppress his panic, sticking close to Shang Qinghua. His Yue Qingyuan occasionally flicked his softened gaze towards the alternate Shen Qingqiu, likely noticing that the other still acted as he used to before his qi deviation. In fact, several of the peak lords he had gotten to know over the years were sending some looks at the other Shen Qingqiu.

With the original goods right there, how long would it be before something exposed him as a fraud?? What if he was confronted about why he acted so differently?

[Host must avoid having his identity exposed. Being revealed as a transmigrator will result in Host being immediately sent back to his old body.]

Yeah, yeah, same shit as always!

Looking to his side, Shang Qinghua seemed to be experiencing the same threats, desperately looking away from the more dead-eyed Shang Qinghua across the room who, luckily, was barely paying him any attention.

Fuck, what do we do?

---

Shen Qingqiu continued to glare at the Other Shen Qingqiu in the room. The other Shen Qingqiu was so obviously a fraud, he could tell within minutes of being here. While his alternate seemed somewhat familiar, he didn't act like him at all, his mannerisms were all off, and despite the attempt at keeping a poker face, Shen Qingqiu could tell that he was nervous. Probably at being caught out.

His alternate self had likely been replaced with a bodysnatcher or some sort of spirt, if they truly were supposed to be the same person. Was everyone else stupid, or had they had their brains sucked out by a Heart Mouthed Lobster-Squid?

Or maybe they simply like the bodysnatcher better and didn't bother to investigate.

Shen Qingqiu's face became stormier, turning his glare to the Other Yue Qingyuan, wondering if he had felt happier once his precious Xiao-Jiu had vanished. The other Yue Qingyuan's face grew even more pathetic. Tch. Typical.

"That stupid System--" Shen Qingqiu nearly snapped his neck in looking at the bodysnatcher upon hearing his murmur. The fraud, upon noticing his sudden attention, clammed back up and looked away. But Shen Qingqiu knew what he heard.

Xi Tong.

He hadn't heard those words in years, not since--

He stepped forward, scanning the other once more. Upon a second, more thorough look, Shen Qingqiu realized that he grew more familiar. He wore his hair in the way that Shen Qingqiu wore it, but looser and less severe. His eyes were clearer and lighter, with hints of a smile, despite his nerves. He occasionally quickly glanced up and to his left, as if seeing something there, before bringing his attention back to the room at large.

No. It couldn't be. He was long dead, despite Shen Qingqiu's best efforts. Even if the fake had some similar things about him, that doesn't mean--

Shen Jiu had once had a brother, besides Qi-ge. Slightly smaller than him, despite the fact that Shen Jiu passed him along as much food as he could when on the streets. He smiled so much despite their circumstances, and was so kind despite Shen Jiu constantly telling him that he was making himself a target. But he looked so, so similar to Shen Jiu himself. They could have switched their clothes and looked exactly the same, if one didn't notice the difference in their demeanors.

His brother has also always been a little odd, talking to himself and arguing with an imaginary friend that only he could see named Xi Tong. One of the reasons that they survived as long as they did on the streets was due to the inexplicable knowledge that his brother seemed to have. Somehow, his brother knew about the various plants or small animals that they could hunt and sell for a pretty coin in the markets. Shen Jiu never asked, not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

But his brother was dead. He had died years ago, in the time during when they were in Qiu's manor. During a punishment for Shen Jiu's attempt to get them both to join Wu Yanzi; he had switched their clothes and taken Shen Jiu's place and died for it. That had been the final catalyst that made him set the manor ablaze and escape, mourning his brother's death as his fault for daring to be free. Cursing Qi-ge for not coming back for them.

Dazed and his vision dim, Shen Jiu took another step forward, and another. Hope, something he thought he had killed off long ago, slowly rose in his chest.

Had his brother survived in this world? Had he managed to escape alongside Shen Jiu? Or had Shen Jiu died in his place? Dimly, he can't help but think that the world would be far kinder if that were the case. If his brother had made it to Cang Qiong Mountain and became a peak lord all on his own and still managed to keep his smile. If he didn't have Shen Jiu dragging him down with him.

The other Shen Qingqiu, not having noticed his approach, laughed at something the other Shang Qinghua said ("Wonder if Shang Qinghua is a traitor here, too," Shen Jiu thought dimly). His laugh was the same. He rose his fan to hide his face, but Shen Jiu noticed how his nose crinkled, and his eyes nearly closed in delight, exactly like--

"A-Yuan?"

[raccoonrobyn-imagines]

With the advent of the invention of the time machine, cloning technology had come along decades beforehand. And when those two combined? It only took about 0.2 seconds after the invention became common knowledge that the first incident of someone using a time travelling clone to kill someone who would either become important or had important children.

After that happened? It resulted in a type of mass hysteria and terror that resulted in some rules that people made that would be taught in preschool.

Rule number one was the most important.

It said that everyone would make a single password that they would never tell anyone, under any circumstances, so if a future self came to see you (highly regulated by the government, though some insane people could manage it through the black market or other illegal means) the future self would have to whisper your own password before you could talk to them in private.

The first meeting would always be in public, and if any sort of "you" showed up secretly (without the proper guards or police, which would give you an assurance that its truly you, and even then, it would only be the most important people in the world that could have that happen, and you know for a fact that you would never be important enough to have that happen), you would have the knowledge that you might be able to kill them, and stop them from killing you.

These rules rang through your head as you looked at who seems to be... you, but older, wearier, and hidden within your apartment.

Instinct demands you ask for your password, and you ask in a trembling voice, "What is our password?"

The older you replies in a desperate voice, "we always told people we made one, but we never did. We always thought that we'd get to it later, even when our parents and teachers asked, we lied. That is our password. That we never made one in the first place."

Silence fills your apartment, and you nod slightly, knowing that it was true.

Your older self goes on after that. "I have to tell you something. Someone is coming. Someone is going to try and kill us tonight. They never gave any warning except to myself and our fiance. Our lives are about to get far more complicated tomorrow. You can't die tonight. You have to go and hide and stay safe. I can't be here anymore, but take this to heart."

They take a deep breath in for a moment, before smiling at you.

"You're far more important than you think. That's why I'm here, in our shitty apartment with rats and cockroaches. You have to survive until dawn breaks, and then you'll finally be important. You are the most important person right now, and you need to survive. Good luck."

"If you're me from the future, what's the password?" "We never made a password, we just told everyone we made one."

[ihaznoclue]

Panic Attack

Pairings -> Shadow the Hedgehog x Reader

Warnings -> Panic attack, mental health issues

Note -> Reader has been bottling up their emotions for a very long time until they break

Genre -> Angst to Fluff

Shadow the Hedgehog

It wasn't fair..

You just couldn't anymore with the pressure that has been holding you back, that has been haunting you for a long time now

You didn't want to come as weak or sensitive as people always used to call you

But today was the day you were going to breakdown

Today was a horrible, the reason why is because everyone has been pressuring you to doing stuff that you didn't want to do

Your family, your friends they never notice the amount of stress you've been though work, your emotions were getting the best of you as you tried and tried to not cry in front of them

So you excused yourself into leaving the place back to your house, where shadow might be

Shadow was the only guy that understood you, that helped you

But you don't know if he was going to help this time as he always seemed to be busy saving the world and stuff so you just didn't want to bother him

So you stayed silent once you got home, opening the door to hear his footsteps coming the front door to greet you as always

"Hey Shadow" You said faking a smile to which Shadow didn't think any of it

Shadow then took your stuff and put your jacket on the front draw near the front door

"Are you hungry?" Shadow asked, his ear flicked as he looked up at you, you shook your head "No thank you, I'm quite tired at the moment"

Shadow nodded as he went to the kitchen to make himself something

You walked over to your bedroom as you shut the door and leaned on it giving out a huge sigh

Now was the time you started to break, tears spilling down from your eyes as your face scrunched up in a frown

"I'm so stupid, so weak" You mumbled as you started to hit your forehead with the palm of your head

You tried to be quiet as possible for Shadow to not hear you, you didn't want anything in your doing to go to Shadow, you just didn't want to bother him

Everything started to overcome your body as your tears didn't stop, your breathing has become more and more heavier as you tried to breath normally

Shadow on the other end could hear something coming from your room, well he does have ears

He put everything down as he walk to your room, only for it to be locked

He tried turning it a couple of times but it wouldn't budge so he called out to you

"Name?"

No answer

That caused his fur to stick up, something is wrong and he needed to get in that room to see what was happening so of course he used his chaos control to teleport into your room

Once he did, his eyes widen to see you panicking, your hand was clutched onto your clothes as you tried to breath

Your face was soaked with tears

He needed to do something but this has never happened before and he didn't know what to do

So he carefully kneeled in front of you to get you to know his presence was there

He then reached out a hand to touch your knee which caused you tense up

"I'm right here, try to take a deep breath for me" Shadow softly spoke as he now was holding your hand gently

You then took a deep breath and a couple more, Shadow was focusing on you as you closed your eyes as you took one last breath

You were back to normal

"Sorry, I didn't mean to"

"Don't apologize"

"But-"

Shadow then shushed you as he pull you to him as he hugged you

"If you are ever going through something like this, always let me know instead of doing it yourself. You're important to me and I can't stand to see you like this"

You were never comforted like this, Shadow's presence was so warm and gentle

You then nuzzled your head into his chest where you felt his white fur, Shadow was gonna stay with you until you were okay

"You matter"

-A<3

[3hks]

Various Ways to End Your Story (But SPECIFIC)

How you end a story can make or break it, so it's REALLY important to end it in a way you find fitting! If you're looking for some ideas on this topic, you've come to the right place! Not only will I list the different types, but I'll detail them, break them down, and hopefully, include some that you've never thought/heard of before!

CIRCLE ENDING

Yes, I know, this is a pretty basic one; most people have heard of this ending before. However, that doesn't mean it's not a good way to end your novel!

As its name suggests, this is when the story circles back to the beginning, or at least references it, for an ending. It sounds basic, but there are a few different types of this!

I. Repeating the First Sentence

This is where your last sentence is a repeat (with none or few changes) of your very first sentence, which makes it super effective if you have a powerful first sentence!

II. Repeating the First Sentence (But Different)

As you can tell, this is nearly the same as the idea I mentioned above. The first and last sentence are the same, but the meanings of them differ because the readers have read through the whole story. When they re-read what was written, they'll see it through a different perspective.

For example: "He thinks it'd be amazing if he could fly like a bird."

At first, you might think that the character just finds it cool how birds can fly, and he wants that. But after reading, the readers might realize that there's a metaphorical meaning to "bird" or "fly", and they may realize that the character actually longs for freedom, peace, etc.

The point is, that ONE sentence takes on a different meaning despite remaining the same.

III. Returning to the Same Timeline

Unlike the first two, this one does not repeat the first sentence of your story. Instead, it references the beginning as a whole, often returning to the same timeline the narrator began at.

You can see this in works where the narrator is actually reciting the past (so they're speaking from the present), and around the end, they return to the present for final words.

ABRUPT ENDING

This is literally in the name--these next few conclusions are ones that are more abrupt. You'll see what I mean!

I. Cliffhanger

We've ALL heard of this, I'm sure. This is where the story ends at a point with high tension and suspense. While cliffhangers don't always have to be a quick ending, they technically leave the story unfinished, which I why I included this here.

All in all, this is good for maintaining interest and encouraging your readers to continue reading any sequels you might have!

II. Quick Ending

You might be thinking, 'what's the difference between the "quick ending" and the "abrupt ending"? The answer to that question is that the quick ending is the more general subcategory of the latter.

Basically, this is the ending where all--or at least most--loose ends are tied and there is a concrete resolution that satisfies your readers. However, there often is little insight to what your characters' futures may hold, since everything is ended often in a sentence or two.

Still, this is one of my all-time favorite ways to end a story because it can be very empowering if done right!

ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVE ENDINGS

I definitely feel like these are less common because they can get kind of off-track and they're hard to really fit in, but that just makes it more interesting!

I. Different Character's Perspective

I've honestly seen one author do this, and while I can't say it was my favorite conclusion, it was certainly fascinating to me.

This is where the story ends through the eyes of a side character, not the protagonist. Your stories actual resolution could have happened earlier, but the ending is from a different character's POV of a past, present, or future presented in a meaningful way.

II. Time Skip (Epilogue)

Out of these two subcategories, the 'time skip' ending is more popular for sure! If you have a more complex story (by that I mean one with a bigger cast, a lot of plot events, etc.), a time skip ending could be a good choice for you!

Usually, these time skips aren't just a couple of days or weeks, but often years or even decades. This is great if your protagonist has a super ambitious goal, and you want your readers to see what happens years after they reach it!

III. Reflection

This ending typically happens after a long time skip, where the narrator reflects upon their last actions/events that happened. Truthfully, I see this a lot more in stories that have sad or bittersweet endings, which we'll get into next!

IV. Flashback

If you're looking for a different one that ties back to the main character's past, this might be it! Instead of your story ending during the present or the future, in this case, your story ends in a meaningful flashback of a character. This is great if you want to emphasize how much the character changed and grew from their beginning!

EMOTIONAL ENDINGS

Let's talk about emotional endings, real quick!

I. Happy Endings

We all know about happy endings. Typically, the protagonist (and often their close friends/family) achieve their goal(s) and is satisfied with the results of their journey.

This is the most common story ending, emotion-wise, because it provides the readers with a good sense of closure and appeals to them!

II. Bittersweet Endings

This is where the resolution feels both happy and sad. Perhaps the protagonist achieved their goal(s) but lost things they valued along the way, or vice versa.

III. Tragic Endings

This ending can be both happy and sad, but there's definitely a lot more sadness than happiness. It can be like the one above (where they reach their goal but lose stuff/people they care about), or it can be a situation where the main character lost essentially everything.

"NON-CONCRETE" ENDING

I. Open-ended Ending

This is where the ending is up to interpretation! There might be suggestions of what happened, but it's ultimately unconfirmed, allowing the readers to draw their own conclusions.

Personally, I've never attempted this type of resolution (because I have a bad feeling it won't end well if I did), but it's pretty common!

II. New Beginning

This is where the story ends when the main character is starting a new life. Maybe they've moved to a new city, underwent changes as a person, and is escaping from their old life to start fresh.

This is one conclusion I see sometimes in dystopian novels!

III. False Victory

If you've ever watched a movie or read a book about a person whose goal is to make a HUGE impact on the world, you might've experienced this ending.

A "false victory" ending is where it seems like the protagonist has won, but the readers know that the victory itself is empty and/or temporary, with no permanent change.

Although, yes, this is technically a pretty concrete ending, it can leave readers--for lack of a better word--rather unsatisfied. However, that doesn't mean it's a bad choice!

EVOCATIVE ENDINGS

For this next section, I'll be talking about a few endings that I think heavily resonate with the readers--final words that your readers will remember.

I. Wordless Ending

Throughout the last few paragraphs of a resolution, there often is dialogue involved somewhere, and that's not a bad thing! I will never deny that dialogue is powerful, but so is the opposite.

This ending revolves around having no dialogue (and thoughts!). Instead, it focuses on imagery, the characters' actions, the setting, and literary devices to create a more immersive, beautiful ending!

II. Anonymous Hero

This one, in all honesty, this ending type applies to a more specific type of stories.

So basically, this is the situation in which your protagonist achieves their goal, normally a pretty impactful and important one at that, but no one actually knows it's them who accomplished this, resulting in their life returning to--more or less-normal than--their old one.

III. Proverbs, Quotes, Questions

We all know that we can begin a story with any of these options mentioned above (and more), but that doesn't mean we can't end them the same way! Granted, I do prefer the former, but there's undeniable charm in ending your work this way!

By making your last sentence(s) a quote, proverb, question, or even a poem (I like the idea of ending it in a couplet), it reemphasizes the theme of the story while providing resonant, beautiful final words.

CONCLUSION

If you made it all the way here (or skipped here), thank you for reaching the end! Remember that you can shape endings however you want! You don't have to pick only one of these and stick with it--combine them! Actually, I think several of these resolutions overlap each other.

If you have sent me a question/request, I PROMSE I haven't forgot! I'm getting to it (albeit very slowly), so I thank you for your patience; your support means everything to me!

Comment any other endings you can think of! I'd love to see what you guys come up with!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[marscardigan]

family line, part ii

ellie williams x fem!reader

family line masterlist

summary: falling in love with ellie was easy. it was harder to hate her once you knew she was the one hunting your sister.

word count: 3.2k

warnings: this fic doesn’t follow the original plot of the last of us part ii. canon typical violence. no use of y/n. emotional dependence.

Five years ago

Abby paced the length of the hospital room - that was now your room, her hands twisting together nervously. You watched her from the couch, curiosity piqued as she muttered under her breath, glancing toward the front door every few seconds. She was never this jumpy—at least, not without good reason.

You were younger than her, but that didn't make you any less smart. “You’re going to make a hole in the floor,” you teased, tucking your legs beneath you. “What’s got you so worked up?”

Abby's expression was somewhere between anxious and determined. “I... need to tell you something,” she started, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s, um... important.”

You arched an eyebrow, leaning forward. “Okay...?”

Before she could continue, the front door creaked open, and Owen Moore stepped in, his presence immediately filling the space with that too-easy smile of his. He looked comfortable, familiar, but there was something different in the way he hovered near the door, hands shoved into his pockets as if unsure of his welcome.

You glanced between them, piecing things together, and then looked back at your sister for explanation.

Abby’s face flushed, her gaze flicking to Owen before settling on you, "We’re... we’re together," she admitted, the words stumbling out in a rush. "Like... officially."

There was a beat of silence. The weight of her confession hung heavily in the air, her eyes locked on yours, waiting for your reaction. You could see the vulnerability in her eyes, how much your opinion mattered to her.

You knew Abby could handle anyone’s judgment. She was tough and stubborn, but when it came to you... your approval meant everything to her.

For a moment, you just stared, processing the news. It made sense, you supposed. But still... something about Owen didn’t sit right with you. Maybe it was the way he always seemed to joke his way out of serious conversations, or how he’d laugh off things that clearly mattered to Abby.

Or maybe it was how he looked at you now—cautious, uncertain—as if he knew you weren’t thrilled about this.

You forced yourself to look at Abby, taking in her anxious expression, the way she almost held her breath. "Oh," you managed, keeping your tone neutral. "I didn’t know... you two were... like that."

“Yeah,” Abby replied, visibly relieved that you hadn’t freaked out. "I wanted you to hear it from me first. I didn’t want you to feel... left out."

Left out. That's funny, you thought.

Being Abby Anderson’s clingy and annoying little sister hadn’t exactly helped your reputation around Salt Lake City, especially when your father, the lead doctor of the Fireflies.

Not that you could blame her—Abby was beautiful, a near-mirror image of your father. Meanwhile, you were a carbon copy of your mom, the bookish one, always more clever than charming.

It was too easy for you to feel left out around her, even if you tried to hide it, she could always notice.

"Does dad know?"

Your sister shook her head, suddenly uncomfortable with your dad’s mention. You nodded, "Well, I am happy for you two."

Abby’s eyes softened. She took a step closer to you, her tension easing now that the secret was out. “It means a lot, you know... you being okay with this.”

You swallowed the discomfort, the unease lingering at the edges of your chest. For her, you could try. Even if something about this didn’t feel right, even if you weren’t entirely convinced that Owen deserved her, you’d try.

For Abby.

Present day

The road back to Seattle was quiet.

You shouldn't feel bad about what was bound to happen sooner or later. But it wasn't Joel's death what hurt your chest, it was how he died that made you unable to sleep.

Abby had her jaw clenched, eyes forward as she drove, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. You saw how she tried to make her look through the rearview mirror The others sat in the back, their voices low and occasional, as if speaking too loudly might break something fragile in the atmosphere.

You kept your gaze out the window, focusing on the passing trees, the fading daylight. But inside, you felt trapped in your own mind.

No one dared to speak to you until you were back at the city. You dragged yourself inside, all but ignoring the others as you passed them in the hallway.

Needing some fresh air, you escaped from some guards patrolling the halls and made your way up to the rooftop. But before you could enter the elevator, you heard two muffled voices near one room.

It was Abby and Owen.

You should’ve ignored it, but then you heard your name in the conversation. You stopped your tracks, and got closer to the door.

"For god’s sake, Abby, if you knew she’d react like that, then you shouldn’t have brought her!"

You haven’t heard Owen this angry since your dad’s passing.

"And what? Leave her alone here!?"

"Abby." The male’s voice was stern, but uncalm. "You’re not helping her by coddling her all the time. She can’t even stand being away from you for a second without falling apart."

You felt your stomach drop, a cold wave of embarrassment washing over you.

Abby’s voice was sharp, defensive. "She’s been through hell, Owen. We both have. I’m not just going to abandon her."

"I’m not saying to abandon her," Owen countered, "but you can’t keep acting like she’s a child. She’s never going to learn to stand on her own if you’re always there to catch her."

Silence hung heavy for a moment, and you could imagine Abby’s face—stubborn, jaw clenched, eyes burning with that fierce protectiveness she always had when it came to you.

"She’s my sister," Abby finally said, her voice dangerously low. "I promised Dad I’d take care of her."

Owen’s tone softened, his voice dropping almost to a plea. "I get that, but... she depends on you for everything. And people are starting to notice. They think she’s—"

"Don’t you dare," the blonde snapped, cutting him off. "Don’t you dare finish that sentence."

"They think she’s weak," Owen finished, refusing to back down. "They think she’s a liability. That she’s holding you back."

A sharp intake of breath. You pressed your back against the wall, heart pounding so loudly you were sure they could hear it.

Silence. It stretched long and heavy, filled with words neither of them seemed willing to say. You bit down on your lip, hard enough to taste blood.

When Abby finally spoke, her voice was cold. "Get out."

"Abby—"

"Get. Out."

There was a pause, and then the sound of footsteps retreating, the door swinging open. You barely had time to duck behind the corner before Owen stormed past. He didn’t see you.

Your heart felt like it was shattering, piece by piece. You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t think. Inside the room, you heard Abby collapse against the wall, a choked sob escaping her.

And it broke you.

Because even though she defended you, even though she stood up for you... Owen was right. Compared to everyone in the group, you were nothing. A couple of inventions weren’t going to change that.

For the rest of the day, you didn't talk to anyone. You locked yourself in your room, hoping for the pain inside your chest to disappear. And even if you especially didn't want to see your sister, she always found a way back to you.

"Hey," Abby said quietly, standing in the doorway of your shared room. You didn’t notice her arrival. "Can we talk?"

You didn't respond. You kept your back to her, fingers gripping the edge of the counter as you stared down at your failed inventions. She waited, and the silence stretched out painfully, but you couldn't bring yourself to turn around.

"Please, bug, look at me." Abby’s voice cracked, just a little, and it felt like a knife twisting in your chest.

Still, you stayed silent.

She took a step closer. Her hand almost brushed your shoulder, but she stopped before touching you. "I didn't want you to see that, okay? You don't have to agree with what I did, but—"

"You don't get it," you whispered, your voice sounding raw after not using it for the whole day. "Killing that man like an animal only made you just as vicious as him."

You paused, finally looking at her eyes. "I don't even know who you are anymore."

Abby flinched. The words hit harder than any punch could, and for a moment, she didn’t say anything at all. She just stood there. But you couldn't let her in. Not now. Not after everything.

With a shaky breath, Abby turned away, leaving you alone in the dim room.

Both of you knew it would take a while for you to move on from what happened back in Jackson. And even if Abby couldn't shake the image of you in pain, she didn't regret any of it.

Maybe that was what made you two different.

They think she’s weak. They think she’s a liability. They think she’s holding you back.

Weeks had passed since the incident in Wyoming, and even if everyone forgot about what had happened, those words didn't leave your head. You were not weak. You were not a burden. And you were going to prove it.

You moved swiftly, fueled by determination—and maybe a little bit of anger. You found Jordan gearing up by the gate, his rifle slung casually over his shoulder, a half-smile on his face as he exchanged jokes with the other patrol members.

"Hey," you called, trying to sound as steady as possible. "You heading out?"

He turned, surprised to see you. "Yeah. Going to check the local school for supplies. Why? You wanna tag along?"

You nodded, forcing confidence into your voice. "I could use the practice."

Jordan raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that. You rarely volunteered for patrols, not unless Abby was by your side. "You sure? It’s a long route. Could get dicey."

"I can handle it," you replied firmly.

He studied you for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself. Just try to keep up."

You grabbed your gear, hastily strapping on your backpack and double-checking your only pistol, and a couple of hand-made bombs in case of crossing any infected. You could do this. You had to.

No more being a burden.

Without another thought, you followed Jordan through the gates, slipping out before anyone could stop you. You didn’t leave a note. You didn’t tell Abby. You didn’t owe her an explanation—not this time.

If she thought you couldn’t do this on your own, then you’d show her.

You’d show all of them.

The route to the school wasn't easy, but you made it in one piece.

It wasn’t until you reached the Serevena Hotel that things started to go sour. You had the gun in one hand, and even if it trembled beneath your touch, you felt confident.

Jordan was on the top floor, clearing out infected, when you stumbled into a room—and nearly threw up at the sight before you.

"Jordan!"

The male came running to you, shotgun risen up and eyes wide.

"Nick’s dead," you choked out, your voice barely above a whisper. You turned away, bile rising in your throat.

"We need to get out of here. Now."

You and Jordan ran through the crumbling streets, your breaths coming in ragged gasps as the school came into view. Relief flooded you at the sight of the familiar building, its walls fortified by the rest of your group. But the feeling was short-lived.

A whistle pierced the air, and your heart dropped. Scars.

"Get down!" Jordan shouted, and before he could shove you behind a rusted car, an arrow jabbed above your shoulder, making you unable to move.

Jordan, tense at the situation, tried to come to you, but an arrow was shot almost in his head.

"You need to go! I'll be fine!"

"What? No! You're crazy if-"

You shoved one of your smoke bombs with your intact arm. "I'll stay here, you get backup!"

He thought about it. And in reality, there wasn't much more to do. You couldn't move right, and him leaving would distract them. So he nodded, still worried, and left you there.

Alone. At least those fuckers followed him.

Once you knew they left, you tried to move inside the closest building, the arrow still stuck in your flesh. A growl snapped you back to reality. Your eyes widened as a Clicker rounded the corner, its face twisted and jagged.

You didn’t have time to react. But before he could come any closer, a gunshot resounded in the room, making him turn back, where there was a girl, around your age, with dark eyes and curly hair tied back, with a pistol in her hands.

The clicker ran to her, pushing her to the ground and getting dangerously close to her neck. You used your last strength to grab your gun and aim at the monster, killing it before he could sink its teeth into the brunette.

"Holy shit." She breathed out.

Your vision became dimmed as the girl knelt beside you, her face a mixture of distrust and worry. When she realized you were almost collapsing from the loss of blood, she grabbed you tightly by her side. "Come on."

You fought to stay conscious, the sounds of battle echoing in the distance.

She found an abandoned storefront, kicking the door open and laying you on a dusty mattress. “This is gonna hurt,” she warned, her voice tight as she broke the arrow’s shaft, pulling the rest out in one swift motion.

You screamed, the pain a white-hot flash that made your vision go black.

The pain was overwhelming, exhaustion dragging you under. You tried to fight it, but darkness crept in at the edges of your vision.

The girl worked fast to clean and patch up your wound, but your dizziness was stronger. The girl tried to talk to you, but you were already slipping, as the world faded to black.

By the time you woke up, you weren't at the storefront anymore. You were lying on something soft—a couch. Your shoulder throbbed, the makeshift bandage tight around the wound.

You blinked, eyes unfocused as muffled voices drifted from the other side of the room.

"She just collapsed in my arms," a voice argued, familiar and sharp. "I couldn’t just leave her there!"

A second voice responded, "You don’t fucking know her, Dina! What the hell were you thinking, bringing her here?"

Your heart raced, confusion clouding your mind. Where were you?

"She saved my life. She could’ve let that Clicker kill me, but she didn’t."

You tried to move, a groan escaping your lips as pain shot through your shoulder. The voices stopped, footsteps approaching.

Dina’s face appeared above you, her eyes wide with relief. "Hey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?"

Before you could find the words, the other girl appeared, and her presence sent a chill down your spine. Her posture was rigid, shoulders tense. Her hands gripped tightly, a revolver, aiming at your head.

"You better be smart and answer my questions, or I'll put a bullet between your eyes right now."

You tried to sink into the couch, curling in on yourself, your injured shoulder throbbing at the movement. You opened your mouth, but no sound came out. The pain made it hard to think, to breathe, to do anything but tremble under her gaze.

Your throat felt tight, strangled by fear. Your sister would be so disappointed at you right now, you were even ashamed.

The freckled girl's eyes narrowed. "Are you from here? What were you doing there, huh? Are you alone?" She took a step closer, "you better start talking, or—"

"Ellie, that’s enough," Dina interrupted, stepping between you and the other girl. "She just woke up from passing out. She’s hurt. She’s not gonna answer your stupid interrogation."

Ellie’s jaw tightened, her eyes flicking between you and Dina. “We don’t know who she is. She could be dangerous.”

"All she had on her was a gun, a couple of comics, and a Walkman," Dina argued, crossing her arms. "She’s just a girl. She’s not a threat."

Ellie hesitated, her shoulders loosening just a little. “She could still be.”

Your fingers dug into the fabric of your jeans, trying to keep your hands from shaking. Ellie’s glare didn’t waver, but she took a step back, leaning against the wall with her arms still crossed. Her eyes never left you, the revolver still resting in her hands. Watching. Waiting.

A few minutes passed, none of you daring to speak. Then, in a whisper, you finally said your name. Both of the girls looked at each other.

Dina repeated it, as her expression softened, relief washing over her face. She repeated your name, her tone gentle, almost kind. "Where are you from?"

Your gaze stayed glued to your lap, eyes tracing the dirt stains on your jeans. "Utah." It wasn’t a lie—you were from Utah. Coming to Seattle a couple of years before didn't change that.

Dina nodded slowly, seeming to accept your answer. "Are you hungry?"

Your stomach churned at the thought, but you managed a weak nod. Ellie remained silent, her eyes still locked on you, face unreadable.

The brunette left the room, leaving you alone with Ellie’s stare. She didn’t speak, she just watched you, her eyes piercing through the dim light. You shivered under her gaze, shifting uncomfortably.

After what felt like an eternity, Dina returned with a bowl of soup, the smell warm and inviting. She handed it to you carefully, "Here. It’ll help."

Your hands trembled as you took the bowl, the spoon clinking against the ceramic as you lifted it to your lips. Dina sat beside you, her presence comforting. She didn’t push you to talk, just watched quietly, a faint smile on her lips.

Ellie, on the other hand, leaned against the wall, arms still crossed, her eyes never leaving you. She was so still, so silent, it was unnerving. Her face was hard, expression impossible to read, freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks.

She was beautiful.

The thought made you freeze, heat flooding your cheeks. You wanted to look away, but your eyes lingered on her face—her sharp jawline, the curve of her lips. Even with the harshness in her eyes, there was something captivating about her.

Your heart fluttered, a mix of fear and something else swirling in your chest. You’re an idiot, you thought bitterly. She threatened to kill you, and you’re staring at her like some dumb schoolgirl.

You quickly turned back to your soup, cheeks burning as you forced another spoonful down. But you could still feel her gaze, heavy and piercing.

Dina must’ve noticed your discomfort because she leaned in closer, her voice low and soothing. "Don’t mind her. She’s just… cautious. She won’t hurt you."

You weren’t so sure about that, but you nodded anyway, clutching the bowl tightly as you continued eating.

The room fell into a tense silence.

As you finished the soup, the pain in your shoulder returned worse than before. Dina noticed, gently taking the empty bowl from your hands. "Get some rest. We’ll talk more later."

You hesitated, glancing at Ellie one last time. She hadn’t moved, her expression unreadable. Yet, something in her gaze shifted, a flicker of emotion you couldn’t quite decipher. Even if you couldn’t fully understand her, you sensed she no longer saw you as the same level of threat as before.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

author’s note: i knoww this is slow but i really wanted to show the sibling dynamic they have because it is very important for the plot :( promise there is more ellie to come heheh

taglist !

@kaykeryyy @vahnilla @autisticintr0vertf

[moran-with-a-g]

You must understand that a political issue is not something that's just going to disappear once you stop caring about it. It's not like "A x B are a toxic ship and you should only ship A with C!!" or whatever other fandom drama people participate in.

And in fandom, if you follow what's popular, it becomes the fanon. There's no fanon for real life issues.

You won't hurt anyone by getting the point of a fictional story wrong. You hurt a LOT of people by not understanding the holocaust and acting like you do.

People call it "whataboutism" when you try to try and tell them "why do you care about this, and not that?" The question doesn't mean to say "you should care about that more", or "you should care about everything horrible going on in the world rn". It's "why, out of every horrible thing that's happening in the world, did you choose to focus on this issue and on this perspective?"

Some people focus on gay rights because they're gay or know someone who's gay. Some people focus on climate change, or pollution, because they learnt about the impact it has on our world and want to make it better for us and for future generations. Some people focus on a war because they have families or friends living there.

And then a lot of people look at them, go "this is what a good person does nowadays", and join in on supporting the issue without the proper research of what they're supporting. And when you don't properly understand what it is you're fighting for, what it is that your movement is trying to achieve, and what's the best way to tackle the issue - a lot of times you will cause way more harm than good.

A cis person who doesn't actually understand what being trans is could go and protest for our right to have our gender in our ID instead of our agab, protest for us to be treated like our gender and not our agab, and then also promote that doctors treat trans men exactly like they treat cis men - and end up blocking trans men from treatments related to pregnancy, breast cancer, etc. The same cis person could also go and say that transmascs can't be lesbians and have nothing to do with the lesbian community because they're men, without bothering to learn the shared history the two groups have.

Some issues are more clear-cut than others. Some APPEAR more clear-cut than others. In politics nothing is ever a simple right and wrong, good and evil. And if you're going to actually dedicate yourself to an issue you have to understand what it is you're supporting, what the goal of the movement is and why, and the history behind it. You can't ever claim you know everything there is to know, or that you know enough. There's never a point where you'll know everything. And you definitely cannot know everything about an issue that went on for over a thousand years.

Self doubting is SO important when it comes to political issues. You ALWAYS need to ask yourself "Why am I supporting that? What am I supporting? How will that affect others? Is this truly the best course of action to take?" and sometimes the answer should be that you don't know. That it's too complicated to know, that you don't have enough information to form an educated opinion. This is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of maturity and responsibility. Those things you support affect the life of real people, and you can end up hurting the ones you support more than the ones you oppose.

I tried to make it as general as I could because this is not just about I/P for me (even though this is mainly about I/P). This is about every political issue that becomes a "trend". It's good when a political issue gains a lot of support, but if that support is uninformed and only follows what the trend is, it could snowball very fast and turn a crowd of people to support a very new and harmful perspective instead. It makes it so easy for people who are against this issue to chime in, alter the way they explain it a little bit, popularize the new idea and repeat until suddenly the whole issue is flipped.

open your third eye QUICK by realizing that people engage with politics in the same way that they engage with fandom

[sssammich]

fic: if only today had been any other day

hello hello

this is inspired by @ekingston's flash fiction challenge! she was so right tho like i ended up making my wip list worse by adding this on there. but whatever it's off the wip list and now on the complete list, so!

ANYWAY here's what i spun:

genre: tragedy premise: in a fender bender trope: idiots to lovers subject: bandaids

word count: 1000

(LINK TO AO3)

pls enjoy thx love u bye

--

"Kara, there's something I want to tell you."

"Everything okay?"

"Yes. I think so."

"You think so?"

"It's a good thing. I hope."

"Lena, you're—ah, sorry, hang on a sec, I'm getting a call."

"Answer it."

"But—"

"It could be important."

"Lena…"

"It's okay. We have time."

She pushed the dilapidated convenience store door open. Relieved the shelves somehow hadn't been completely ransacked, she only took what she needed, the rest for anyone else who showed up after. She stopped by the makeshift pharmacy shelf, eyeing a first-aid kit that dangled on its broken handle. It couldn't hurt to retrieve it, benefiting from a few extra bandaids. The kit was soon buried under all the provisions she could stomach for the rest of her travels.

Finally she headed to the register, hoisted the basket onto the counter until she remembered.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she knew it wouldn't do to dwell. She retrieved the basket and left.

—

"Come with me."

"Lena."

"Please. Please, Kara. Please."

"I'm sorry, Lena. But I can't leave, not until I know they can't get to you."

—

The accident would have been ruled as a simple fender bender. Unfortunate, yet unsurprising: trudging through slick rain, the car hydroplaning just to slide and crash against whatever was ahead. Incurred damage wouldn't have cost more than a small pittance in her coffers before the fender was fixed anew.

It would have been an ordinary thing.

Except nothing was the same and hadn't been for a long time.

—

"Breaking news: National City has been invaded by an aggressive alien race known as the Daxamites. Supergirl and Superman stand at the helm of the fight, backed by various military forces while officials evacuate as many of the citizens to safety."

—

Her hands shook from the adrenaline more than the impact, glancing at the stationary car in front of her.

She gripped the wheel as she focused on evening her breathing and calming her pulse.

Had anything else happened, the back of that car could have been the last thing she ever saw. Slamming the brakes and bracing for impact could have been the last thing she ever did. Regret wrapped so viciously around her mind, her heart, when she thought instead of what she wished she'd done, what she wished she'd said.

Before it had been too late.

Fat drops of tears fell in succession down her cheeks unable to stop the outpour of her emotions, of her grief, at the world that once was.

—

"You have to go, Lena. There's no time."

"Tell me she's okay."

"She's okay."

"Alex—"

"They have her, but she's alive. They have her and they'll use her to get to you. Please, just—go for now and once we figure out what's really going on, I'll find you."

"How?"

"Because you'll find me first and let me know where you are. Isn't that how this works?"

"…"

"…"

"I never got to tell her."

"Ten bucks says she already knows."

—

She arrived at the sanctuary early the next morning, just after dawn, her body exhausted from more than just the drive. She stood by the side of her car, glad to stretch out the ache in her limbs, her joints. Before her was an old church, stained glass windows bright against the rising sun.

She'd lost her faith somewhere along the way, somewhere around the time a flash of blonde, red, and blue dropped from the sky and failed to get back up again. Somewhere along the thousands of miles she'd traveled all over the country, making herself useful, making herself forget.

She hoisted the small basket of supplies and water from the backseat and took a forward step towards the large wooden doors. She paused when said doors creaked open and out came an empathetic face and a welcoming smile.

"Kelly, hi."

"You made it."

—

"Name?"

"Kieran Walsh."

"Where you coming from?"

"Metropolis."

"A long ways away."

"There's nothing left there."

"Where you headed?"

"North."

"…"

"…"

"Let her through. Safe driving out there, Kieran Walsh."

"Thanks."

—

Kelly gathered up her meager basket of offerings and placed them in the pantry before seating her at the large table with a cup of tea.

"Can I get you anything else?"

She shook her head, satisfied with simply taking a deep breath of the soothing tea and the warmth of a familiar face. Kelly placed a hand atop hers.

"Alex is coming back in a week. Last I heard."

Lena clasped Kelly's hand between hers, anchoring herself in case she dared to hope too much. Too soon. Too fast. "You think she…" afraid to finish.

"I hope so."

—

"I miss you."

—

The rumble of a vehicle startled her awake, having pulled up in front of the church. She rushed from her cot, but lingered by the door when Kelly greeted Alex with a tight hug. Alex pulled away and caught Lena's eye, tilting her head towards the backseat of the black tinted van.

She didn't move, not right away, not until Alex nudged her with a tap on her hand arm and, "You owe me ten bucks, Luthor."

—

"There's a sanctuary ten hours north of National City. Head there as soon as you can."

—

A trembling hand pulled the van door open and revealed a face she'd missed for nine grueling months. After the world had been turned upside down and she'd lost everything she'd ever known and loved while on the lam just to survive.

In the middle of it all was Kara who now sat with her arm in a sling and whose visage bore a long scar that sliced through the right side of her face, shutting her eye permanently. Still, the smile was there, directed at her.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"You wanted to tell me something?"

Lena laughed, despite the anguish and grief that had carved a cathedral inside of her, and simply wrapped her arms around her heart's greatest wish before she kissed Kara soundly on the mouth. A taste of homecoming.