#I’m not being completely serious with this but also. Yeah. Good advice

[angy-grrr]

Note to self for today’s leaks: dont take the summaries too personally or literal. They described how “the boys of the former 2nd year” were all crying over Nejire graduating, implying it’s bc they all had a crush on her/she was really popular, when there was ALSO A GIRL AND THEY IGNORED HER.

[ppleasexanny]

pictures of us.

matt x reader

you’ve never been in a relationship, not that you don’t want to be in one, but no one has ever found you attractive. your friends always came to you for advice, talking to you about their problems, their crushes, their love lives. 

“what should i say to him?” 

“he’s mad at me, what should i do?” 

“he’s been avoiding me for weeks! should i break up with him?” 

of course, you were happy for them, always offering advice with a genuine smile, but sometimes, deep down, you wished you were in their shoes. so many boys were enamored by their beauty, constantly chasing after them, leaving you to wonder, what about me? what was wrong with you? why didn’t anyone ever look at you the way they looked at them? 

it didn’t take long for you to stop caring. you convinced yourself that you didn’t need anyone to be happy. your life could be complete without someone else filling that space. 

“...but i also was- are you even listening to me?” matt’s voice pulled you from your thoughts, his words breaking through your trance. you blinked, realizing that you were sitting in his room on his bed, watching him talk while your mind had drifted away to places you didn't want to acknowledge. 

“hm?” you looked up, surprised by how much you had zoned out. matt was standing in front of you, dressed in his usual grey sweatpants, the waistband of his red calvin klein boxers peeking out from under them. he was just a few feet away, but your mind had wandered so far. 

“oh, sorry. i think i just... zoned out. what were you saying?” 

matt sighed, sitting beside you, his presence a little more serious than before. something about his tone didn’t sit right with you. 

“you’ve been acting... strange for the past few days. what’s up with you?” his voice was soft, but there was a frown on his face, concern in his eyes. 

“what do you mean by strange? i’m perfectly fine!” you didn’t realize how defensive you sounded until the words left your mouth. your voice rose sharply, startling both you and matt. 

he looked at you, his brows furrowing in confusion. why had you raised your voice? he hadn’t said anything wrong. he was just worried. but why did it bother you so much? 

matt’s voice softened, his gaze shifting from confusion to something else—something unreadable. “i’m just worried, okay? you’ve been... different. more distant.” 

you felt a tightness in your chest, but you didn’t know how to express what was really going on. maybe it was just easier to pretend like everything was fine. 

“maybe i’m just tired,” you said quickly, trying to brush it off. “nothing to worry about, matt.” 

but matt didn’t let it go. “i don’t think it’s just that. we’ve known each other forever, and i can tell when something’s off with you. if you’re going through something, you know you can talk to me.” 

your heart skipped a beat. was he just being a good friend? or was there something more? the way he was looking at you—so earnest, so concerned—it made your stomach flutter, but you quickly shut the thought down. no, you couldn’t be thinking like that. 

you didn’t respond immediately, your mind racing. instead, you changed the subject, almost too quickly. “hey, are you still watching gravity falls with your brothers?” you asked, hearing the familiar voices coming from the living room. “i love that show.” 

matt’s frown deepened, but he didn’t press any further. “yeah. they’re probably still watching. you wanna join them?” 

you smiled, but the thought of spending time with matt felt... different now. what is wrong with me? you thought, shaking your head. stop overthinking. 

𝜗𝜚

you loved music. you loved drawing. and those two passions, together, created something perfect for you. when you drew, it wasn’t just about the lines and colors. it was about the rhythm of the music guiding you, inspiring every stroke. you were like a painter with a soundtrack, each note blending seamlessly with the colors swirling on your canvas. music pulsed through your veins, setting the tempo, and guiding your hand. without it, drawing felt like trying to drive a car without fuel—motionless, incomplete. you couldn’t imagine creating anything without the melodies that calmed your mind and stirred your soul. 

matt was in the living room, watching gravity falls with his brothers. you loved this show. it was fun, clever, and full of strange adventures. but today, your thoughts felt distracted. you knew you shouldn’t, but something about the quiet of the house and matt being so engrossed in his show made you do it. you stood up from the chair that was next to matt’s desk and grabbed the diary he’d left behind, curiosity gnawing at you. 

inside, you found something unexpected 

pictures of you and him. 

at first, you giggled, feeling a warm sensation spread through you as you flipped through the pages. it was filled with things you two had talked about, little moments that seemed so simple but meant so much. but then you turned to the last page. 

it was a recent entry, dated for today. 

"might tell her how i feel tomorrow." 

your heart skipped a beat as you stared at the words, your mind trying to process what it meant. could it be? was matt talking about you? 

you ran your fingers over the page, over the ink. your thoughts raced. he’s been acting different, you realized. but i thought it was just me... 

you remembered the way matt had looked at you earlier, his eyes soft and full of concern. his subtle touches, the way he’d always been there when you needed him. you never thought much of it, not really. but now, the idea that he might feel something more made your chest tighten, and a strange warmth flooded your cheeks. 

you weren’t sure what to do with this new information. should you confront him? did you want him to tell you how he felt? what if it changed everything between you two? what if it ruined your friendship? 

you closed the diary, setting it down carefully on the bed. for the first time in a long while, you weren’t sure what to think, and the uncertainty was overwhelming. 

𝜗𝜚

later that evening, you were sitting in the living room, drawing absentmindedly. matt was still watching gravity falls, but his brothers weren’t there. you could feel his presence next to you, a palpable tension hanging in the air. you kept stealing glances at him, trying to figure out how to bring it up, or whether you should at all. 

just tell him, you thought. but fear of rejection, fear of ruining everything held you back. 

when matt finally turned to you, his voice was soft. “hey... i was wondering if we could talk about something.” 

you froze. oh no. here it comes. 

“sure,” you said, forcing yourself to meet his eyes. 

he hesitated for a moment, then exhaled slowly, as if gathering courage. “you’ve been distant lately. and i know you’ve been... busy, but i just want you to know i’m here if you need anything. i... i care about you, okay?” 

your heart skipped another beat, and for a moment, everything else faded away. i care about you. 

suddenly, everything seemed clearer. but as you looked at him, you realized something—this wasn’t the same as what you had imagined. it was more. the butterflies in your stomach weren’t just from curiosity anymore. 

you swallowed hard, your throat dry. “i care about you too, matt.” 

he smiled softly, but there was something more in his eyes. something he wasn’t saying yet, but you knew it was there. and in that moment, 

everything changed. 

a/n... first fic hellooooo what are we thinkingg? send some requests please! i was literally so excited before even posting this lmfao 😭 @strnilolover <3

© PPLEASEXANNY

[americaswritings]

Headcanon: Being Mason Thames Acting Partner in HTTYD and Falling in love

I have no idea how Hollywood works so this is probably completely unrealistic, but who cares, let a girl dream...

Masterlist

HTTYD is your first big acting gig so when you found out you got the role as the female lead you were so excited!!

But also so nervous

And then you were told Mason Thames would be the male lead and your acting partner in most of your scenes so obviously you googled him right away

And oh god that boy is handsome!

That didn't help your nerves at all :))

You actually told your friends you would be in trouble, if he was nice, because how were you supposed to not develope a crush on him when you would spend literally all day together for months (and kiss)??

Well, he turned out to be so sweet and funny so sigh there went your heart...

It was just you two your age at the beginning of filming so you spent a lot of your (limited) free time playing Mario Kart, watching movies or just hanging out

And you looove re-creating silly tiktoks or coming up with your own ideas for videos (you are so goofy together)

You keep them private though (for now)

“If we post this TikTok, we’ll either go viral or get disowned by the internet.”

“Perfect. Let’s make another one!”

If you're both tired or spend too much time together you develope peak chaotic energy

and there is always lot's of banter

You two grew close quickly, because you're both so young and going through this together

“You know, I’m really glad it’s you I get to do all this with.”

When you get homesick he comforts you

He is so funny and always joking around, but if you have something serious to talk about he always listens and tries to give you advice

And if he doesn't have any he is just there for you or tries to distract you - whatever you need

Also you fall asleep on set A LOT and he always takes photos of you

“Delete it!”

“Never. It’s going in The Archive.”

“THE WHAT?”

“My private masterpiece. 11 photos and counting.”

Yeah, the boy has a whole album on his phone just with photos of you passed out somewhere just to annoy you with them later

"What do you think? Should I post this? Or maybe put it in my story?"

"Don't you dare!"

But he actually thinks you are so cute :))

You fall asleep on his shoulder once and he doesn’t dare move for like an hour, because he doesn’t want to disturb you and for you to wake up and move

Someone else takes a photo then (and he loves that one even more) ;)

With time you grow more comfortable touching each other and eventually it has just become natural for you to be touching in some small way a lot of the time

For example you reach out and fix his hair mid-sentence

"Your hair is always in chaos."

Or you rest your head on his shoulder during a break

"That way you can't take a photo of me, if I fall asleep."

You always have excuses though, if someone else points it out

"It's just for the photo so we look like we don't hate each other!"

"Oh we don't?"

"Only most days."

And you like to jump on his back

"You’ve got to stop doing that without warning.”

“But you always catch me!”

“One day I won’t, and you’ll regret it.”

“Liar.”

Oh and he is tall

"Wow I can see the whole world from up here!"

"You're so ridiculous!"

Sometimes he gets overwhelmed and tired, because he is the lead of the film and therefore has the longest hours and the least breaks

And there are huge expectations...

You always notice he feels that way when he grows quiet

When you two are alone you sit down and tell him how good of an actor he is and how perfectly he fits the role

"You don't have to carry it all alone. We're all here to help."

You are not proud of it, but you get a little jealous when you see people on the internet being so open about their crush on him and how good he looks

It's a little overwhelming and makes you feel small and not good enough

Because how could he ever see you then...

Which is ridiculous, because you get to spend time with him every day while the people on social media don't even know him, but feelings aren't rational...

When you accidentally get hurt filming a fight scene he is so worried at first

You are a bit embarassed about all the attention

"It's just a little nosebleed, I'll live!"

And he keeps checking on you to make sure you're really okay

But at the end of the day you both laugh about it

"You should have seen your face!"

And it makes the cut which you both think is really funny

"Some editor out there really watched me bleeding and went, ‘Yeah… that’s cinema."

“Method acting at its finest.”

One day near the end of shooting you admit to him that you’re scared of filming to be over...

“I don’t want it to end.”

“The shoot?”

“Yeah. I mean… yes and no. I’m excited to go home and sleep for like twelve years. And eat food that doesn’t come from craft services. But also…I’ve gotten so used to seeing you every day. And when this is over, we’re just going back to our lives, right? You’ll be on some new set. I’ll be… somewhere else..."

You don't want to lose the close friendship you have developed

You actually tear up and he is so helpless at first

But then he tells you he is going to text you all the time with updates from his life

"Constantly. You’ll block me out of pure annoyance."

And that you are going to FaceTime a lot, send each other funny reels and visit each other whenever possible

"You are going to be so famous now, you will be busy."

"Come on, I'm never too busy for you!"

"Promise?" "Promise."

And when you wrapped he is the first one to start clapping and give you the biggest hug

When filming is done you still have press to go

(It‘s so exhausting)

At first you’re both sooo nervous and try your best to give good answers and speak all grown-up

Interviewer: “You two seem very mature for your age.”

And you just look at each other and think about the dumb tiktoks you did together the night before

But at one point you’re both so jet-lagged and tired you can’t keep it up anymore

When you accidentally say something unfiltered and weird, he bursts out laughing

“I take it back!"

“Too late. That’s going viral.”

After that you just have fun together and laugh a lot and the fans and interviewers love that too so :)))

It’s is so hard though, seeing him dressed up like that every day ;)

You love all the dresses and outfits you get and how you get styled ("I look like I have my life together")

but you’re also just so tired???

He loves seeing you dressed up too OBVIOUSLY and sometimes you swear he keeps looking at you WHICH IS RIDICULOUS WHY WOULD HE

You both talk about how you’re so excited for a day in sweat pants all the time

You have amazing chemistry in the interviews

That's what the fans say and maayyybe you obsess over it a bit

You even found some fans making compilations of your cute moments and you secretly torment yourself watching them and wondering if he feels the same

(Yeah, you really shouldn't go on social media these days...)

But you do have become such a good team that when one gets stuck on an answer, the other jumps in to finish or redirect it smoothly

When it's time to test your knowledge about the other

"So how well do you really know each other? Ready?”

you exchange a playful look with Mason

Needless to say you perform well on all the friendship tests (duh)

But you still learn something new about the other too and it’s your favorite thing

"I once posted a cover of me singing a Taylor Swift song on youtube and it blew up for a moment."

"Wait? Did you really? How did I not know that? I need to find that!"

The thought of him listening to you sing makes you blush

"I am definitely looking that up later!"

"No, you're not!"

"I so am!"

"I need to take down that video!"

Some questions are hard to answer though, because they put you on the spot

“How do you manage the pressure of being part of such a popular movie at your age and staying ‘picture perfect’?”

Like what are you suposed to say to that?

Or they get very personal and sometimes hurtful

"You joined a really beloved franchise, and with that comes a lot of pressure. There was some noise around your casting at first, and as the female lead opposite Mason, fans have a lot of opinions. How do you deal with that kind of feedback or hate when it shows up on social media?

These questions always stress you out and raise your anxiety and bring down your mood

“…so yeah, I try not to read too much of it and remind myself why I love doing this. But I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t get to me sometimes.”

Mason notices when that happens, because he knows you so well, and he always makes sure, in some small way, that you feel better.

If he can with words:

"People forget there’s a real person behind the screen — and she’s one of the kindest, most hardworking and talented people I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t want to be doing this with anyone else.”

Or he might give you a reassuring look if the camera isn’t on him

Or he initiates some little touch and contact with you

Like brushing his knee against yours under the table

You also have quite unique press dates like recording a day at a theme park (which was so much fun!!)

Or answering the webs most searched questions like you have seen real celebrities do

Sometimes you get sexist questions though. At your age it's not so bad and obvious, but whereas Mason gets asked about the action of the film you get asked about fashion...

You bring it up to him once because it's annoying and hurtful and you come up with a way to deal with those questions together

And when it happens the next time he remembers and helps you shut down the question :))

And when press is over

you did the premieres

and watched the final film together (you definitely did not cry over it)

it's time to say goodbye (there might have been even more tears involved)

But you promised

and so you hadn't even taken-off when his first message pops in

and when you land there are a dozen more

and you make it work

in between schedules and life you face-time and call and text and one day...

...Mason stands in front of your door

"Surprise!"

Tags:

PERMANENT

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[razorblade180]

A Sweet Issue

Furina:Aether, I’ve come to you with a problem of sorts…

Aether:One day you’ll come to me with solutions I hope.

Furina:Focus! I’m in a serious bind. I… fancy someone.

Aether:Oh that’s wonderful! Who is it? Clorinde?

Furina:No, I’m her old boss! That would be a little embarrassing.

Aether:Almost everyone was kinda an old employee. Is it Neuvillette?

Furina:Did you just ask me if the person I fancy has been the person I’ve known for centuries?

Aether:In my defense, he’s only recently been more emotionally available.

Furina:It’s not Neuvillette. Frankly that idea sounds disastrous for him specifically. Though he tries to hide it, it’s all too easy to tell how silently misses Focalors when he looks into my eyes.

Aether:…Sh-Should I get Mizuki?

Furina:For the love of- Navia! *red* I fancy her.

Aether:Oooooh. Wait, ooooooh….. that’s a little messy.

He shifts his gaze slightly past Furina to stare at Navia, who stands absolutely frozen with a cupcake inches from her open mouth. Clearly, this situation has gotten more complicated than it was supposed to be.

Aether:This is going to be tough.

Furina:You’re telling me! I’ve been fighting these emotions but recently we’ve been having a lot of one on one time together. I can’t help but feel…safe, happy in her presence. But then I feel so guilty. It was my leadership, or rather my lack of it that cost the lives of her people during the flood.

Aether:Hey now, she doesn’t blame you. Navia understands how rough things were for you.

Navia:*nods aggressively*

Furina:That may be true and while I appreciate it, that doesn’t make this situation less complicated. After all, Navia did reject Clorinde due to their past…

Navia:*tucks in lips*….

Aether:Okay. Counterpoint, you aren’t a lifelong friend that personally murdered her father. Wasn’t even your say to appeal the trial.

Navia:*slouches deeply*

Aether:(Yeah I should really let Mizuki know about potential clients)

Furina:I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t her own feelings are completely divorced from past events.

Aether:Shouldn’t that go the same for you? Like myself, Navia was a very active participant in outing you to the public and making you cry.

The young boss of Spina perked up and flung both arms above her head as if to silently say, “Whose side are you on!?” A very fair question, because Furina was also giving a look of disbelief.

Furina:A little tact would do you good. I know it’s a fair point to bring up but was mentioning me crying really necessary!?

Aether:Sorry. I’m a little off my game today.

Furina:Hmph, to answer your question, I’ve moved past that and you know it. There was so many moving parts to the prophecy that ultimately, what happened was just that; the prophecy. The people of Poisson however, that was no prophecy. It was negligence, a mistake I have to learn to live with and accept. Even as I do, it doesn’t change how others may see it. I’m so happy Navia’s my friend. It’s frankly more than I can ask for. Yet…

Aether:You’re afraid this confession wouldn’t just be rejection, but ruin your friendship too.

Furina:If I’m being honest, the friendship is already in shambles because of me! It’s so flustering talking to her! *blushing* I try acting like myself but she’s just so…amazing! I’m completely head over heels for Navia and it’s ridiculous. Even now, my heart is racing.

Navia:*red* (Why did I have to walk around the corner at the most awkward time!?)

Furina:Anyways, I digress. Do you have any advice? It would really mean a lot to me.

Aether:Ummm. I can’t say how she might feel, but Navia values honesty and sincerity above all else. She’s also definitely one of the kindest people I’ve certainly met, and that’s saying something.

Navia: (Oh great, now everyone is complimenting me!! Maybe I should run, but then I won’t hear anything either!

Aether:You should talk to her. Get it all off your chest. My gut tells me things will be smoother than you suspect. Just have a little faith.

Furina:I was the faith; hard to have it now but I’ll try.

Aether:You pick the worst times to acknowledge you were the people’s deity.

He hugs the troubled girl gently while aggressively shoeing away Navia before she gets caught. She takes the hint and runs away.

Aether:(Oh thank goodness…)

Furina:Alright, enough dillydallying! I’m going to see her! *runs off*

Aether:Wh- Maybe walk slowly! Collect your thoughts! Siiiigh. Well at least there’s a good chance Furina goes to Poisson before checking Fleuve Cendre. Guess that means there’s only one place I should go!

[Hotel Debord]

Aether:*walks into room* Wha- Seriously!?

The girl of the hour was stressing eating her pasties at the coffee table.

Navia:Ah, you’ve arrived!

Aether:I don’t want to be a “witness” to this world anymore. *grabs doorknob*

Navia:Partner, please! I just want to collect my thoughts! Today was supposed to be an errand day!

Aether:…*walks to the bed* I want a cupcake as compensation.

[fieryjeannearchives]

🃏: Senku-chan, we’re good friends, aren’t we?

🧪: Why are you getting gross all of a sudden?

🃏: So ean-may! I just wanted to ask you for a favor.

🧪: Pff, should have started with that. What do you want me to re-invent this time? Mirinda?

🃏: No, no… It’s about helping me out rather than re-inventing something.

🧪: Okay? So, what is it? Stop beating around the bush and—

🃏: Can you help me choose my fiancée?

🧪: Hah?! Mentalist, I’m a scientist, not a matchmaker.

🃏: I know, I know! It’s just… I got all these requests and I don’t know who to pick! I’d usually go with the prettier one and call it a day but at this point, I really want to settle down, you know? So~, who better than my favorite scientist to help me sort this out?

🧪: You’re insane, ask someone else.

🃏: But Senku-chan! You know I would help you out with it if our roles were reversed.

🧪: That’s completely different. First of all, I have no intention of choosing a fiancée and secondly, if for whatever reason I ever did, I would only ask for your advice because you’re a mentalist… That’s kind of /your/ thing!

🃏: I’m not just asking you this as a scientist, although I’m hoping you have some sciencey way to help me, I’m asking you this as a friend. This is important to me.

🧪: Tsk, you have lots of other friends. Ask Ukyo, for example. I bet he would be much happier to help.

🃏: I did, but I want your opinion as well.

🧪: Fine… Did you print their profiles or…?

🃏, taking out the copies from his bag: Yup~! I wrote down my notes from our interviews along with their basic information. No pictures though, not that you would care about that anyway~.

🧪, taking them and starting to read them: No, not really. Okay, these three, out.

🃏: So fast!

🧪: I don’t want to waste more time than the necessary on this.

🃏: At least read them first!

🧪: I did! This one comes from a rich family, which might be something that interests a superficial man like you, but she’s too greedy. You will probably end up with a headache from dealing with her constant demands for more. Then this one has a similar background to yours, being a former celebrity and all that, but I think you’d be better off with someone with more contact with the real world.

🃏: The entertainment industry /is/ part of the real world.

🧪: You know what I meant by that. You need someone more grounded… Like this one, who is a lot more calm and mature than the other two. However, she seems a better fit for a friend than a wife. Even in your description, you don’t sound attracted to her at all.

🃏: I could… eventually—

🧪: Or you could waste both of your time.

🧪, taking another profile from the pile: Alright, this one is too impulsive, will also tire you out, and with this one, it sounds like you’re babysitting rather than dating.

🃏: Now you’re just being mean.

🧪: Hey, you asked for my help. Now zip it.

🧪, continues to discard profiles until there’s only one left: In theory, she would be the best option. You both have a fair amount of things in common to bond over, but she has strengths in what you lack, and vice versa.

🃏: Sounds promising~.

🧪: But! She’s either a liar or you made her up. I would have known if there was a scientist with her qualifications… Could have really helped us out at the main lab.

🃏: Maybe she was just recently unpetrified.

🧪: Doubt it.

🃏: Well… Whatever the case might be, if she made it this far, she might still be worth checking out. Who better than a liar for another liar~?

🧪: That’s stupid.

🃏: Well, if you have any better ideas, then I’m all ears, Senku-chan.

🧪: Ugh… if you are that desperate to get married, then fine. I’ll do it.

🃏: Very funny.

🧪: I’m serious. Compared to the other candidates you brought, I’m a much better option.

🃏: Except for the fact that I want an actual marriage, not just signing up some papers and then continuing acting the same as always.

🧪: Yeah, I know. We can definitely do that.

🃏: Wouldn’t that be a lot of wasted time for you though?

🧪: I already choose to spend most of my free time with you anyway. If you think about it, the only thing that would change is how we spend it.

🃏: And you would be fine with that?

🧪, staring at 🃏as if he was an idiot: I wouldn’t be offering it otherwise.

🧪: Anyway— [breaks the pages and throws them to the trash bin]

🃏, scandalized: Senku-chan!!

🧪: What? Haven’t we settled this already?

🃏: But that has to be the worst wedding proposal ever!

🧪: As you didn’t planned this from the beginning.

🧪: They were all made up, weren’t they?

🃏: Maybe~. Honestly, I was surprised when you ended up choosing the one based on you.

🧪: Ah, that makes sense— Wait, who were the others?

🃏: Nobody you need to worry about~.

🧪: 🙂

[lokeefe19]

UNV Chapter 1

Serial V seemed like the perfect role model for Any upcoming Disassembly Drone. First of all to be upgraded  to leader,Perfect Kill streak,Unstoppable power. There’s nothing that beats her. But there was one thing that she couldn’t beat no matter how hard she tried. And that all relates to her friend/Working buddy N.

She has been crushing on Him ever since he met him and has been trying to confess to him for the past 10 years but every time she has tried to do it she eventually stops herself and does something else with him. So she decided to have a Chat with her Old Boss And New head of The Copper Nine section of the Disassembly Drone Project J to help her out. She knows all about  her crush on N and is trying to make it simpler for her even though she herself is even more hopelessly in love with the Copper Nine Operator and Daughter to the head of the Company Tessa.

“Hey there J.” V begins to say to J over The Phone after dialing in her number and waiting for her to answer.

“Hi V. So? How’s being the boss now?” J asks her.

”No different than things have been normally minus you not being here and being down a member.”  V informs her.

”Good. How’s N?” She then asks V.

“You know. Being his usual helpful self,Killing workers,Being handsome. You know all that good stuff."

“So judging by all of that you still haven't confessed to him yet." J said back to her.

"Well I want it to be perfect. I can't just go up to N and say that I want to make out with You? He will think I'm crazy." V explains to J.

”You are crazy.” J then tells her.

"Hey. Only sometimes. Also you’re not any better at confessing to someone. You're a complete simp for Tessa. I have seen the way you look at her while we're at the meeting's."

"I'm not a Simp! I just... admire our operator. That's all." J said clearly taken back by what V was saying.

"Please. You can admit you think she's hot to you. I don't judge if you're into a human. If N was a human I would be completely over him still. Maybe even a bit more."

"Yeah. And I’m the weird one?" J then remarks back to V.

“I’m Just saying that you can admit that Tessa is good looking just like how I admitted to you that N was Good looking.” V said, clarifying her previous statement.

“Fine. I admit it. I have a thing for Tessa. Now can we focus on you first before you start blabbing to everyone I’m interested in a Human?” J said in a serious voice.

”Sure. So what is the advice?”  V asks her.

"Just ask him out. It's not that hard. Once you do that and have a few date nights together then you too can be mates or however it works. That is if he is not put off by being a feral mess while killing Workers."

"I'm not always feral? Besides... he's seen me like that before."

“Yeah. So have I a lot over the years. And it's not pretty… at all.”  J then said in a monotone voice.

”I enjoy my feral Habits.” 

”Whatever. Just make sure to take care of the New Recruit that’s coming for You And N at some point tonight.” J then asks V.

“The New Recruit? Right. I almost forgot about that. That shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I obviously learned from the best.” V said while Complimenting J on her leadership.

”Flattering. But you should still be on your guard.” J replies back.

”How So?” V asks her, confused on what she meant by that.

“I mean. Who knows? Maybe the new recruit is another female and she is going to try and take N from you.” 

“Don’t you dare Put Ideas Out there!” V yells out to J.

”I’m Just Saying. It might happen so you better prepare for it.” J lets her know.

”Fine. You’re right J. I have to show dominance over that drone no matter the gender. N is going to mine and no other female is going to take Him from Me!” She exclaims over the Phone.

”Alright Lover girl. Now can you get back to killing for your old boss? The chit chat is nice but I have papers to write.” J then asks her.

"Sure You do and definitely not off to admire Tessa again."

"Yeah, I'm ending the call now. Bye V."

So V hung up the phone and then turned around to look around the Pod and let out a sigh.

"I will deal with her human problems after I figure out how to confess to N." She then says to herself.

She didn’t know what was preventing her from saving that She loves N to him. Part of it was her worrying that he would say No to her and she doesn’t want to do that To N all. And the other part of her is questioning if N would even want to be in love with her. 

She has never seen N show the same interest in her as she has shown in him. But that doesn’t mean that he didn't have any interest in her as he's one of her only friends but maybe that's why. N probably thinks that it's better for them to be friends than lovers. But that's just speculation on her behalf.

Speaking of N... He was walking into the Pod room to her surprise and caught her off guard so she quickly got herself into a normal sitting position so he didn't suspect anything.

”Hey N. What are you doing here?” V says to N in a normal tone.

"Hi V. I was wondering about the package that's outside by the spire and if we should investigate it.” He asks her.

"Package? I mean... the package. Yep. We should investigate that." V says at first confused until realizing what it could be.

That is probably the Box that the new recruit was coming in. She guessed that it came sooner than she expected.

"Ok! Off to see what this package is about." N says while making his back outside and V Following Behind him.

V Pov

Outside the corpse spire 

So N showed V the Way towards the package that was outside the Corpse spire that was currently falling down and had been covered in some snow once they arrived where N found it.

”Here it is V. The package.” He happily told her while pointing at it.

”The company could have, you know… dropped this closer to the Spire if they wanted to.” V then pointed out.

So  V then brushed off the snow that was covering most of the package while N continued to investigate it and then saw the Tag that was on it. Disassembly Drone Version 2.0 Prototype. Handle with care.

“V! The Company has sent us a Version 2.0 Disassembly drone." N then realizes.

“Version 2.0?” She asks him confused about what he just said to her.

This was the first time that V had heard about the new recruit being a Version 2.0 Disassembly drone. Those types of Disassembly Drones were in Beta still because of them having some quirks to them that made them a bit more…Teenage bratty. At least that’s what J had told her recently. Maybe this one was more of an updated model that didn’t have these issues within its Data. Hopefully…

”Yeah. Didn’t you read the paper that came in yesterday congratulating us on being the first squad to have this type of Disassembly Drone?” N asks and reminds her.

“Yeah. I totally did that." V said clearly, lying that she did that.

She didn't remember at all there being a paper that she saw at all yesterday night. Maybe seeing as N had looked at her misplaced it and figured that she knew about it beforehand. But that didn’t matter right now. What mattered is that she needed to figure out how to Open this Up.

“Hey! Let me out of this box! I've been in here for like hours?” A feminine voice then shouts out from Inside the Box. “Also the snow has been leaking in here like crazy.” 

"Oh no." V then internally said to herself.

That Sounded from within that Box that Disassembly Drone was feminine which wasn’t good for her at all. She thought back to what J said about having competition and the new recruit being female. There’s no way she could be correct right?

“Oh! I will get you out!” N then shouted out while switching his hand to a chainsaw.

“N! Wait!” V then calls out to Him.

But her shout was invalidated by Him slashing the front part of the Crate open and it falling to the snowy ground. After that happened Both N and V looked into the Box and It was just as J predicted. It was a Female Disassembly Drone sitting on the Bottom of the Box with arms and legs crossed looking pretty pissed from the look of her screen.

"Hey there new recruit." N happily greets her.

”Oh great!” V immediately says in anger under her breath.

[serenadeonacanoe]

Untitled, 2025 (GD x OFC) Chapter 4: Hugs

Pairing: G-Dragon/Kwon Jiyong x OFC Genre/Warnings: Slow Burn, Tour Life, 2014, 2020, 2025, let's add these along the way. More on AO3 -----------------------------------------

January 2025

“So, you have a little crush. What’s the harm?” Julie is my best friend from back home. We’ve known each other since we were seven and even now, years and an ocean apart, we’re still hanging in there. We don’t call as often as we used to, and we definitely don’t see each other enough, but when it comes to the big stuff, the real-life stuff, we’re in each other’s corners. Always. And considering she has two kids under five, I think that’s pretty impressive. Right now, I’m in my hotel room in Paris. It’s 4 AM. I should be asleep, but jetlag has decided to ruin my life. Julie, meanwhile, is getting ready for bed. It’s her daughter’s birthday tomorrow - my goddaughter - and in my sleep-deprived, emotionally fragile state, I wish more than anything that I could be there. Instead, I’m sitting cross-legged on a five-star hotel bed in pyjamas, feeling both glamorous and homesick. Back to the question. What’s the harm in a little crush? In theory, nothing. I agree. In practice? Slightly more complicated. Maybe the fact that I am crushing AGAIN? “Well… there’s the fact that I work with him. Kind of for him. The fact that we were friends once and I don’t really know what we are now. The fact that we already did this before and it didn’t blow up my life, but it also didn’t end particularly well. And… I still don’t feel like I fully know him. He’s constantly changing.” She pauses. I think she’s absorbing the full mess of it all. Then again, maybe she’s just trying to find a diplomatic way to tell me I’m being ridiculous. “People changing isn’t a bad thing, you know, it’s called growth. Maybe it’s not that he’s inconsistent. Maybe he just has layers. People are complex, we just try to make them simple in our head to make sense of them.” Deep. But yeah, she’s right. Why do I expect him to make sense like some cartoon character with a fixed catchphrase and one defining trait? He’s not a hero or a villain. He’s just... complicated. Real. I fidget with the hotel room pen, rolling it between my fingers. “The other points still count, though. Right?” “Only if you’re really still attracted to him, not just charmed. This isn’t just about logic.” “Not still… again. Yeah.” She laughs. I can hear it in her voice - she knows I didn’t want to say that out loud. “You like him?” I pause. Sigh. “Yeah. I like him.” There it is. Out in the open. It makes me feel both lighter and completely stupid. But I’m not going to lie to Julie. Lying to her would take more energy than the entire Paris trip. There’s a moment of quiet on the other end. “No advice?” I ask. She exhales. “Nope. You wouldn’t listen anyway.” That makes me laugh. She’s not wrong. “Just don’t get hurt,” she says, her voice warm but serious. “Or I swear I’ll get on a plane and kick his ass. I may be small, but I’m scrappy.” I grin and sink deeper into the pillows. “I know. But I think he might get scared of you. My money would definitely be on you.”

A few days later, I’m standing backstage, watching rehearsals for the Pièces Jaunes Gala, and I can’t stop smiling. I’m over the jetlag, finally sleeping again, and Paris is doing its magical Paris thing. The schedule is packed - as always - but at least it’s packed in a beautiful city with great pastries. There’s something about this whole trip that feels different. I can’t even explain why, but everyone seems to feel it. Something in the air, maybe. The performance itself is a hit. Viral even. I find myself in an elevator with J-Hope at one point, which feels like a strangely perfect detail in a week of tiny, sparkly wins. All around good, good times. I think people can tell I’m in a good mood. Jiyong definitely does. We’re in the lounge at the airport, waiting for our flight back to Seoul, casually chatting at the bar. We’re mid-laugh over something dumb when he suddenly slides his arms around me and pulls me into a hug. I blink. Freeze. Just a second ago we were exchanging jokes. Now I’m full-on stunned into silence. He notices right away that I’ve gone quiet. “What’s wrong? Can’t I hug you?” “Uhm… not sure? I don’t think we ever have?” His arms are still loosely around my waist. Maybe that’s when it hits him too - that randomly hugging your employee isn’t exactly standard behavior. “Sorry,” he says, backing off a little. “I think the good mood got to me. I didn’t mean to overstep…” He’s about to step away completely when I gently move my hand over his, keeping it in place. Then I wrap both arms around his shoulders and hug him back. “No, it’s fine. It’s good. You’re right. I like it.” My heart is doing the absolute most right now. Not just because of how close we are, but because I actually said that. Out loud. He lets out a soft chuckle, probably because I just made a casual hug sound like a life-altering event. “Because you like hugs?” he teases. “Yes.” I do. But that’s not the whole story. “And because you’re happy?” “Yes.” “And because you think I’m kinda cute?” I take a slow, deep breath. He smells really good. Clean and warm, like laundry and a hairspray that isn’t half bad. Part of my face is tucked into his shoulder and honestly, I want to stay there for a bit. But I know I have to pull away at some point. When I finally look up at him, I nod. “Yes.” He doesn’t smirk. Doesn’t make a joke or get cocky. He actually looks a little shy. And it’s weirdly adorable. Usually, when things get real like this, he covers his face or hides behind a hat or a hoodie or literally anything in arm’s reach. But this time he can’t. His hands are still on me after all. “Good,” he says quietly. “Because I think you’re very cute too.” Just two people in their mid-thirties, standing in an airport lounge, blushing like teenagers over a hug and a couple of sweet words. It’s still nothing. Nothing official, nothing dramatic. I mean… lots of things are cute. Puppies are cute. Ducks are cute. Even some grandmas are cute. Jiyong is.

But this just isn’t the place for… whatever this moment is. And it’s like we both feel that shift at the same time - right when the outside world barges back in with a loudspeaker announcement overhead. We let go. No drama, no awkwardness. Just a quiet little reset. We fall into step and walk back to where the others are waiting like nothing happened. A few minutes later, we head toward the gate. I notice my palms are a little sweaty. Very grown-up of me.

February 2020

It’s a Thursday night but somehow feels like a weekend. The cold is still biting outside but Jiyong’s apartment is warm and softly lit, a little too fancy for how casual everything else is. It’s the first time I’ve been here and I don’t know what I expected, but definitely not floor-to-ceiling windows and a sofa you sink into like it’s made of clouds. The kind of place where you’re scared to spill anything. Or breathe too loud. There’s music playing low somewhere in the background, snacks on the coffee table, someone left a jacket hanging over a designer chair. It’s a mix of comfortable and intimidating. I’m not sure if the others feel the same way, maybe they just don’t show it. Well, I guess some of them have similar apartments.

I’m the odd one out, but in the last couple of weeks, we’ve grown close enough for me not to feel too weird about it anymore. Mostly I forget about it. This apartment just threw me for a little loop.

We’re laughing about something dumb, one of Daesung’s stories maybe, and then someone gets a weird news alert on their phone about that Covid disease. We switch on the TV.

The tone in the room shifts immediately. It’s about that church outbreak, the first one in the city. Shincheonji. That’s the first time the word really sticks. On-screen, there’s footage of people in masks, health officials in hazmat suits, clusters forming. The energy in the room dips.

Cheungha makes a joke about how dramatic the news always is. Something about zombie movies and government overreactions. It’s half funny, half uneasy. Nobody wants to say they’re worried. But I think we all are, a little.

I glance over at Jiyong. He’s leaning back, arms crossed, face unreadable. He hasn’t said a word since the news came on. We don’t talk about it for long. We don’t want to. Someone turns the music back on. The mood resets a little. Not completely, though. I get up and wander into the kitchen to get more drinks, and a few moments later Jiyong follows. He opens the fridge door like it personally offended him. "Why do I have three kinds of sparkling water but no beer?" he mutters. "That's your own fault, Mr. Designer Fridge.” I say, reaching past him to grab a soda. He smirks. "I was trying to look like someone who has their life together." "Well, you fooled me until now." Our fingers brush slightly over a can and he pulls his hand back fast. Too fast for it to be casual. We both look down, then away, then laugh a little. Quietly.

When it’s time to go, we all shuffle into jackets and scarves, saying goodbye in that sleepy, warm way people do when they’ve been together for hours. I hug them all, Daesung, Youngbae, Cheungha. She gives me that extra squeeze she always does.

And then there’s Jiyong. We sort of just look at each other. Smile. I give a little wave that I regret almost immediately. He nods. That’s it. We’ve never really hugged. I don’t know why. Just hasn’t been our thing. And then I guess it was too weird to start. It feels a little awkward now, only because everyone else did. But then again, maybe it would have been awkward if we had. When I leave, I don’t think much more about it.

JIYONG The door clicks shut. The apartment feels too quiet all of a sudden. I walk back into the living room, pick up some half-finished drinks, leave them on the counter. My fingers brush over the throw blanket she had wrapped around her legs and fold it up. It’s still warm.

I let out a slow breath and glance around. She liked the windows. I noticed her staring out for the longest, time like she was seeing Seoul for the first time. Like it was something beautiful. That made me smile. I sometimes forget HOW lucky I am to have this view.

I keep thinking about the way she laughed earlier, how her whole face lit up. How she took the deepest breath when the news came on. How she hugged the others goodbye. How her eyes landed on me at the door and stayed there just a second too long.

I thought about hugging her too. Just a quick one. Casual. But I didn’t. I didn’t know how. Not with her. Not anymore.

It’s not really about her, though. It’s me. It always has been. Since I came back from the military. Since what happened to the band. Since all of it. I used to be good at this. At being close. I liked hugs. And I think I liked her. Now I’m not sure I remember how.

[lvmimis]

I really appreciate your answer! As someone whose social and political views seem to align and you being a black woman doctor I value your opinion. All my adult doctors have been white men which hasn’t been an issue (yet) but it also hasn’t fostered a relationship where I’m super comfortable or I go into a conversation assuming that they’re going to understand or advocate for me right off the bat.

Also!! Not using you for medical advice at all!! I just realized it could sound like that and I swear I’m not trying to get a free Dr Mimi consult! I just saw your post and felt like I was able to ask that question in earnest bc I feel like you take questions (and give answers) in good faith :)

Cross your fingers for me that there’s a bilateral salpingectomy (and a vasectomy) in my future!

omg don’t worry about that!! yeah tbh i’ve never had a male doctor once i became an adult (my very early pediatrician was a man and he was very serious about chaperoning) so i completely get why it would be awkward

it’s definitely a regional thing! i don’t think I’d ever be comfy with a male gyn but i can understand why

this is a very very personal plug based on limited career experience and not medical advice but

i would almost always recommend that if you don’t have to get gyn surgery, don’t. in terms of the placement of female organs and the risk of adhesions and other stuff in your peritoneal cavity, i would almost always insist to go for the vasectomy instead

also an iud is as effective as salpingectomies so doubly so

there are just too many complications that happen from elective pelvic surgery and not enough education about alternatives

but tbh i’m very conservative in general about surgical options i’m almost always trying to find a way to avoid cutting in my personal practice

[pittsick]

hi mika ! i’m asking for advice. if this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to delete / block / ignore, i do not want you to feel pressured into replying or anything

i’m 20 years old and my younger sister is 16. i didn’t have much experience with the internet since our parents are academic based lol but she’s recently reached out to me about seeing nsfw on the internet and how she feels it’s affected her (she’s autistic and now has negative responses to certain sounds / situations because of what she’s seen, affecting her daily life) + i moved out for college 2 years ago and we are only in contact through text

i see you are mdni and are serious about the topic ! so i was wondering if you know any articles / sources that can help me educate her on this topic since i’m mainly on tumblr just for the challengers fics

all i’ve found so far is propaganda and i recommended she talk to her therapist. i don’t really know how to help her and as a big sister, it breaks my heart since she says she didn’t want to see the content in the first place, but yeah

okay, well, have a good one ! take care and once again ofc no need to answer it’s your blog and all 🫶🥹 but thank you, mika. sorry if this was trauma-dumpy in any way, i just really don’t know how to help right now and as i said, it keeps affecting her in social situations

hi! first of all, thank you so much for trusting me with this! i really appreciate you reaching out, and i don’t find this uncomfortable or trauma-dumpy at all. i'm actually really glad you messaged me.

as someone who’s also autistic and was exposed to NSFW content way too early and without my consent, i completely understand how disorienting and lasting that kind of impact can be. your sister’s reactions (like developing sensory aversions or feeling distress in daily life) make complete sense, especially with how intense and unfiltered content can be online. i’m really sorry she’s going through that.

you’re doing the right thing by being there for her and encouraging her to talk to her therapist. in the meantime, here are a few resources you might find helpful, for both you and her—to better understand what’s happening and how to process it:

common sense media: internet safety (they have guides for both parents/siblings and teens)

sexual trauma and autistic people – autism level up! (this org has some materials on how autistic people process trauma, including sexual trauma, in unique ways—worth looking at even if she wasn’t directly abused)

also, she’s not alone in this. many autistic folks struggle with unwanted exposure and how it affects sensory processing and emotional safety. the best thing you can do is keep showing her that you believe her, that it’s valid to be upset even if no one “meant” for her to see it, and that there is a way forward.

you’re being such a kind and protective big sister, and that’s going to help her more than you know. my heart really goes out to both of you. if you ever need more resources or someone to talk to about this, feel free to reach out again. take care 💛

(sorry for taking my time to reply to this, i was searching for the best links to give you and hopefully those will help you)

[destinygoldenstar]

I Almost Killed My Heir (How To Save A Sim From An Emotion Death)

Ah, everyone’s making snowmen at the Snow Festival.

Happy-

WAIT. BHEEDA’s?!?!?

CONNIE BHEEDA?!

DEVONTE BHEEDA?!

They have a kid named Courtney Bheeda?! (We found Sun’s enemy)

(For context, we HATE the Bheeda family in this game)

ARE YOU HELPING MAKE THE SNOWMEN?!

Ruby is not accepting this.

She’s punching Connie.

How dare you mess with her neice’s snowman!

And so since it’s a great opportunity, Sun can yell at Devonte and get the rivalry going.

OH GOSH NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

IT MADE HIM MORTIFIED?!?!!

NO. NO. NO. NO. DYING IS NOT ALLOWED.

Worst part? The closest mirror was at the vacation house, which was A GOOD WAYS AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE AT.

You have no idea how HORRIFIED I was at the idea that I’d kill my heir.

I sent him straight to the mirror and did NOT put my attention anywhere else. I didn’t care what else was going on. I refused to cancel that mirror action no matter what. I refused to let him do another thing until he was safe.

AND IT CANCELLED ON ITS OWN! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?

It cancelled on its own cause he so happened to really need to use the bathroom at the same time.

But if I let him go he’d go back to being mortified and he could die.

I did NOT know what to do.

I just had to PRAY to the Sims Lords that I got lucky and one of the embarrassment moodlets wore off in time…

I GOT LUCKY.

😮‍💨

MY HEART MAN.

I WAS SO SCARED.

I BLAME THE BHEEDA’S.

I thought we would’ve lost Sun the first week of him being a young adult.

Yeah I know if he did die there we could just play with him as a ghost. Kelsey did that with her game when her Green Gen Heir died. (She also made the mistake of cancelling the mirror action… and that was it.)

But here’s the thing with that. She had the next gen heir existing. So she COULD salvage her situation.

I DON’T.

I have no one to be the Grey Gen heir yet. And since Sun is an only child, if he dies, THAT’S IT.

My challenge would be completely failed.

I’m at a higher stake with that context.

Plus I just don’t want Sun’s story to go out like that. He was born in an attic, neglected by his family and losing his one loving family member as a kid, got bullied by the kids and adults around him in school, then the first week he goes into adulthood, he DIES?

Nuh uh.

Our boy needs to be protected and loved. 💛

STRONG ADVICE: If you EVER have your Sim enter a state of a lethal emotion (enraged, mortified, hysterical), locate the closest mirror IMMEDIATELY and take your sim there to calm down. Spam that until they’re fine.

If there is NO mirror in your area, find a way to have your sim sleep. They can’t die if they’re asleep. Unless it’s old age.

No matter what, DO NOT cancel that action until the emotion is gone. Don’t care what the situation is or what dumb thing your other sims are doing, the moment you cancel the action for anything, the game can kill your sim at any point. But they DON’T if the action is the next one your sim is taking. (I learned that from my own game experience)

Hopefully this is helpful advice if this ever happens to you.

[goddamnwebcomics]

6 years ago I gave some advice...

Let's see if I still agree with myself.

Write a script in literaturic form before turning it into comic, the script of the comic must be in advance at least three arcs before you start submitting content to the webs.

I still agree with that, but I don't think you need to go out of your way to write a script, you should also have a general plan of how things will go, even after the first three arcs. But a more "literaturic" script would also work, so you don't come up with shit on the fly.

List each planned thing for the future of your comic so you know what to foreshadow, if you lose interest on a thing you can remove it and all references to it from the script before you have published it. This prevents plot points that lead to nothing, and pointless foreshadowing.

Yes I agree with that, but there are more things to hint at future plot points and revelations than foreshadowing.

Even then it's not the biggest crime in the world if some plot point is abandoned in favour of something else, especially if there is some critical backlash or you feel like the idea isn't good enough. There is a rejected plot point in Peter and Company I won't spoil, but am glad was never really followed up on.

Not everything that suddenly comes is needed to be foreshadowed or built up to, but if it’s a huge twist, like character learning a new ability, don’t pull it out of the blue. Try to be as clever as possible but not too subtle.

I agree, but I do think sometimes ass pulls are justified when they're realistic like, I don't know, suddenly some character gets hit by a car and dies. Because that shit happens in real life. Of course it depends on how it's written, like don't make the character into a blatant diebait, and don't include it for the sake of a SHOCK.

Learn to keep an appropriate distance between comedy and serious stuff, comedy usually lightens serious story if used properly. And if you intend your comedy comic to be comedy, keep it comedy. Don’t transist to seriousness out of nowhere for whatever reason, because it’ll never stop being a comedy despite this. Take my advice.

Yeah.

Avoidfor the love of god taking influences from other webcomics, because those webcomics usually have taken their influence from shit things. Read books, and official printed comics, as well as pick up possible advice books written by masters of creative writing.

Yeah this feels overly elitist. Because just because you're inspired by something written by a great literaturist, doesn't mean your stuff will be good. You can take influence from bad webcomics too, you just have to make it better. Like Gene Catlow has a lot of great concepts, but you have to alter them, like Friendship Island would work well as a villain masquerading as a good entity.

Don’t plagiarize. Just because someone did it cool doesn’t mean you also do it cool. Think this is a school essay and that plagiarizing automatically gives your webcomic F–.

This is pretty useless advice because unless you're SuperSaiyanCrash you always have some awareness that you can't just completely rip something off from a more well-known source.

Not all non-webcomic influences are good though, so avoid using Dragon Ball Z, Lord of The Rings, H.P. Lovecraft’s work and other over-referenced things as influence. Someone’s masterpiece can be your disaster.

I...what? Yeah I probably used to think pop culture references were "influences" or something. And I remember I used to really hate superforms. Otherwise I can't make sense about any of this.

Underrated Creator of Influence is Music, listen to it and form images in your head what atmosphere you want your comic to have.

I agree, go with the mindset that the music you're listening to is like the soundtrack of your comic, and it might help paint a scene.

The most underappreciated influence of them all however, is the real life. I’m not talking putting self-inserts, but rather study nature, learn to use your imagination to make the most boring thing exciting and see fucked up dreams. Avoid doing drugs though, drug-influenced media was only acceptable in 80′s.

Oh you sweet summer child. You didn't know about Peter And Company back then.

This is terrible advice. What can you learn from nature? Unless you're trying to look for backgrounds and doing "pollution bad" story. Nature is something that should be reserved for mindfulness, not creativity.

I think going "HAHAHA WAS THIS MADE ON DRUUUUUUUGS" to anything weird or surreal is cringe, and the last part is not helping that. That and I have some friends whose creativity has been boosted from smoking weed. Just don't overdo it, and don't use dangerous shit like DMT.

There are two important rules regarding this type of story. First, don’t make characters, especially the main one, your mouthpiece or make your opinion or point of view the character’s good opinion, because that leads to Strawmanism, mary sue self-inserts and circlejerk hivemind settings buzzword buzzword.

I am...torn on this. I know that people love to say "every fictional character ever is a selfinsert" which is fucking wrong, but isn't the point of a story you're always trying to make the story's theme, message and whatnot align with how you see the world? Some people do it in more nuanced ways than others. And obviously the protagonist isn't always going to be good or sympathetic. I like a hero with flaws more than a perfect hero. I think my general point here is "the hero should not be a carbon copy of the author, unless you have some justification for it." And no, there is no such thing as "semi-autobiographical".

The Second Important Rule is Five Nos of Webcomic Subjects, five themes you must never insert into your webcomic, especially if you’re not a good writer and add them for “shock” or “drama”. They are environmental messages, political opinions on gun control, using anthropomorphic animals to carry anti-racism messages, miscarriage and rape. Using any of these in serious manner you have gone too far for attention and usually this leads to your comic becoming internet infamous, unless getting publicity one way or another is okay.

Five Nos of Webcomic Subjects is something I wish I had never come up with. Mainly because it feels like policing. That being said I do agree that using rape as a shock factor is terrible. The only way it's justified is if you're writing it to cope with your trauma of being SA'd or raped in the past. Rest of these topics should be handled with the biggest fucking nuance you possibly can. I don't know why I put gun control there, I am not even american!

Aesops are okay, and it’s okay for characters to teach something that you also see as a right method of life, but don’t teach that anyone who opposes it is a villain or such. You’re not George Orwell or Ayn Rand.

Oh for fucks sake. It's literally impossible to depict "side you hate" as not a strawman. I am not going to further touch this topic because the discourse around this topic is so rotten to the point it gives me radiation poisoning.

Never do something for shock value, don’t just avoid stuff that’s listed on the list of Five Nos, but also the murder of a child or an animal most people find adorable. You’re an absolute piece of shit and should stay away from anything creative as far as possible unless you’re intentionally doing this just to trigger people and cause controversy, then you’re just a loser.

This is still true. You heard that, UrbanSPOOK?

Settings that are set on Fantasy World, High School, Space or Superhero-infested universe are overdone, so if you’re using it try to pull an interesting twist to it. If you’re not trying to break any new grounds, just try writing an entertaining story.

Once again this is elitist. It's not cliche to have a story on any of these settings, it's about how you portray it. That being said if you're doing it with "I hate every work set on this genre" mindset, I will make fun of you.

I still agree with the last part though. Not everything needs to be a deconstruction or subvertation of expectations.

For the love of god, AVOID settings where anthropomorphic animals and humans live together in harmony or war. This is never done properly. Ever. Also, if you’re trying to do anthropomorphic animal story, don’t do it to expose your furriness. You can also make an anthro animal story entertaining.

I disagree with all of this. I think it's all bullshit. Sad truth is furries are more dedicated to the craft of writing webcomics than anybody else. Why else would I have SO MANY furry webcomics on the rifflist???

No character in your comic should ever have a superform, moving on.

Female characters are an interesting piece of cake,let’s get this down though, Strong Independent Female Characters are even more blander than stereotypical damsels.They have only one character trait, they‘re women but they fight.Making your female character STRONK and INDEPENDENT isn’t revolutionary, it’s as generic as possible. What you should do is to write female characters like how you see them suiting your story without trying to pander to PC bullshit, because then you just come across as pretentious. 

I still...kinda agree with this aside from the last part. Let's just say, the defining trait of a female character shouldn't be they're a woman. It goes both ways.

I’m not that good talking about diversity

And I still am not.

Villains must have a motivation, other than “i’m evil”, “i want revenge” and “i represent the side of the world author finds uncomfortable and scary”. You know you’ve made a bad villain if you’ve basically created an edgy teenager who might also be a school shooter. Villains need to show sympathy to at least someone and they should also have an excellent fashion sense. I’ve heard someone say Flawed Webcomic Protagonist makes a good villain, so seek on to that.

Flawed Webcomic Protagonist still makes a good villain and Gene Catlow is proof of that.

Once again this feels elitist. We kinda live in post-villain society where a lot of the mainstream stuff is afraid to depict a villain that is evil for the sake of evil. It's funny how villains who have sympathetic backstories became so common when in real life, evil people are evil for the sake of being evil.

But what about a third option, a villain who thinks they are the hero? Someone who acts like everything they do is for the greater good, they've just mastered good PR, therapy speak and logical fallacy accusations to make themselves unquestionable source of virtue? The definition of "Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions".

I used to not understand what they meant by "villain who thinks they're the hero" until I saw what Family of Intelligent Life is. This goes back to Flawed Webcomic Protagonists making good villains.

Fanservice is okay, as long as it doesn’t distract from the plot 

Fanservice is still okay even if it distracts from the plot. Just don't make it Monster Girl Academy please.

Don’t use your fetishes as fanservice, or disguise them to be part of a joke. Please.

Everything is fetish now. So don't write anything. Got it.

But seriously, I feel like "haha is that a fetish" has harmed creativity immensely. We have people overreacting on Twitter to that new Mario game because there's inflations and elephants.

Yes, there are times when writer's overly specifc fetish sticks out like a sore thumb and webcomics are the biggest example of this, but don't act like it's possible to make something with nothing anybody would find kinky. It's only bad when a sicko is making something absolutely disgusting that they get off to under the guise of "commentary" or "horror" (again, looking at you UrbanSPOOK)

I am not the kind of person to be asked about this, because i believe good script makes up for bad art, but good art doesn’t make up for bad script, you heard it Spinnerette.

I STILL stand by this after all these years. That being said, good script can't justify inconsistent artstyles, bad designs or worse redesigns!

I have one thing to say about art, if you want to go with anime-inspired style, it’s okay. Just don’t include chibi faces or other animu art cliches.

I still don't like chibi faces. Oddly enough it's a webcomic specific issue. I don't really have an issue about those in anime and manga because they have the hometown advantage, of course if it's overused or it causes tonal issues I am still going to complain about that.

I don't know what other "animu art cliches" are there, speed lines?

Don’t get your style inspired from so-called “Cal Arts style”, or Steven Universe art style. This website fucking loves that style, and it’s used to make some terrible false-ass diversity shit. Even good script can’t save how simplistic and….ugly that style is.

I stopped using that term the minute I learned John Kricfalusi was the one to create that term, and it didn't originally even apply to Steven Universe style, just any mainstream american style in general. John K's style is not any better.

What people call "Cal Arts style" has been on its way out since the pandemic, and it's just another style that will pass. I think people only hated it because of the Tumblr noses. Like I am willing to admit, I hate the tumblr noses too, but it's odd because Steven Universe almost never features those noses.

I will still raise an eyebrow if I see a webcomic use that style instead of something more unique. But trust me, I've seen bad artstyles that are even worse than the "Cal Arts" style.

Let’s get one thing down, react to critism with neutrality, don’t get angry at people who don’t like your comic. I know there’s a difference between troll saying “this is shit” for cheap reaction and a person in actual real life way disliking your comic, but as person with good guts you should learn to see the difference.

Yes, not sure what critism is, but it's funny how I advocate for neutrality when I also tell you to learn to differentiate between flaming and reviewing.

Listen, flaming, riffing and reviewing are all different levels of criticism. Flaming is destructive, reviewing is constructive and riffing is...in between. Like obviously I am not going to start acting like my blog is all 100% constructive criticism, I like having fun, I like cussing out fictional characters, I like making stupid theories. But if the author of any comic I was riffing came to me, I would be able to present them with genuine critique. And that's why I make separate reviews for webcomics after the riffing is over. I am also open to criticism myself, which is why I am critiquing all this advice!

If people start liking a character audience isn’t supposed to like, don’t kill them off. It just makes you come across as petty douche. Unless you’re trying to be George R.R. Martin, then at least kill them because plot demands them to be killed.

I still agree a lot with the first part. Don't kill a fanfavourite off just because you don't like them.

Killing characters is rather so-and-so, don't do it for the sake of a shock. And also if the character is dead, most of the time they should stay DEAD. Don't pull Marvel or Dragon Ball and resurrect everyone all the time.

And that was me critiquing my old advice. A lot of it is a product of my mindset back then, but there was still a lot of valid advice. And it could've been a lot worse, it could've been Lily Orchard's writing advice. I might look at that another day.

[caffernnn]

Hi! I love your blog 💙 also as a fellow makoharu shipper (I finally watch the Final Stroke) I noticed the parallels of Kiyofumi and Ryuuji vs. Makoto and Haru and they are kind of interesting? Kiyofumi tells Ryuuji that "your swimming makes everyone feel good/happy" similar to Makoto saying that he felt happy seeing Haru swim after his race with Rin (also kind of parallels to episode 9 of season 1, where Makoto tells him he felt happy to swim in the relay with him). Also Hiyofumi saying "Hisashiburi" to Ryuuji, which parallels at the end of the movie with Makoto saying it to Haru. Fans on twitter have said that the Fanbook of Free! The Final Stroke mentioned "Kiyofumi is the indispensable presence of Ryuji Azuma as Makoto for Haru but since he passed away Azuma is alone now and really sad." Sorry for the rambling, I just love the meta 😅

Thanks, friend 💚 and YEAH the setup for Ryuuji to see himself in Haru and for his relationship with Kiyofumi to come back in his mind when he sees Haru with his close bonds (especially Makoto) is definitely an interesting one! I think there are more people out there who have spent more time sitting with Ryuuji’s character to properly understand him (I’m trying to be less of a hater) BUT from what I remember (being several months removed from watching the FS movies now) the few insights we got to see into Kiyofumi/Azuma’s past had me curious as to how it would all play into how Ryuuji reacts to seeing Haru’s spiraling trajectory once he chooses to take his advice and isolate. Imagine your grief manifesting into this idea of “I didn’t have a choice, but if you have one, leave before you can have a chance to lose them,” and then not seeing the flaw in that until this kid you see a lot of yourself in falls into that trap and loses touch with himself completely. If the first season of fr! could’ve been seen as a story of lost lonely former swimmers relearning the importance of connectivity through rebuilding (forming a new team, watching Rei learn from the ground up, building skills and trust in each other and everything else), there was ample setup from s3 to the FS movies for Azuma’s arc to mirror that same discovery process. His loss is different (there’s no getting back Kiyofumi for him :/) but there’s still a chance of rebuilding after, connecting after. Coaching is a shot at rebuilding, and the ways he approaches Haru had potential for rebuilding… but I don’t think we got to see as much of that tbh. Part of my delight/frustration with FS is that there are seeds for so many storylines and relationships to care about at this point, but that overwhelm of potential left a lot of avenues not fully explored. I’m not saying that out of all the fun crumbs introduced that the Ryuuji-Haru mentor/mentee storyline should’ve been top priority or anything, buuuut I would be curious to see that whole parallel setup get a proper follow-through. What do they learn from each other, if anything? Does Ryuuji ever realize he’s too close or invested for reasons not related to helping Haru? Do they have a serious talk during his rehab about a way forward that might not involve the pro world long-term, or that might not involve them moving on together? Could there be more moments between Ryuuji and Makoto as he keeps growing as a coach/trainer, since there’s also something interesting there?? Would be curious to see more takes on this 🥲

[mull3ts]

[ 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒; ONE WAY TICKET ]

⚠︎ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 | Smut (18+), Dilf! Aged Up! Friend’s Dad! Mark, Daddy Kink, Blowjobs, Dry Humping, Degradation/Praise Kink

Mark thought he was like you once, shy, timid, unsure. But one singular move proves him completely wrong. 

You were introduced to him as his daughter’s friend, the daughter of the couple next door, swinging by for a few weeks before heading back to campus. He gave you a handshake, a polite smile. He thought you were just a little shy when you could barely hold up a conversation with him, only speaking when he asked you something.

Initially, Mark didn’t think anything of it. 

He knew you were watching a movie with his daughter, so he went back up to his room, tending to whatever business he needed to. That’s when he thought something of it. He thought about how pretty you are, gorgeous even. Sure you were shy, but he’s sure that some people are like that at your age. He knows he was like that at your age. 

Mark’s not blind, he could see right through you from where your eyes subtly darted when he spoke to you. He likes you. Besides being a sight for sore eyes, you’re smart, clever, witty, he sees the way you talk to his daughter. He just wishes that maybe you were a little bolder. 

Mark Lee doesn’t make first moves. 

That’s when you lied between your teeth to your friend saying you needed to use the bathroom. You didn’t really. You didn’t even know why you even told her that. So, you walked upstairs, hunting for the bathroom when you decided to go…left, right, left…right—you decide to go right. As soon as you do, the bedroom door swings open making you stumble back into a wall. You blink a couple of times.

Oh look, it’s Mr. Lee. 

“Holy shit,” he apologizes, his eyes widening in horror. “A-Are you alright? Are you hurt?” 

You’re still rapidly blinking, also in horror. “N-No, sorry, Mr. Lee. I- I didn’t mean to, uhm, yeah.” 

He’s confused for a second. He glances at the bathroom door. “Were you gonna go in there?” 

“Uh-” 

“Because, honestly, the toilet’s just kinda like a little-” 

Screw it. The next thing you know you’re shoving his chest back into his room. He hums a little in surprise, muttering “What the—?” the moment the door clicks behind you. You’re a little surprised you did that.

He’s a little surprised he let that happen. 

You breathe in. “I want to suck your cock.” 

What the fuck. You’ve never done this before. Why did you just tell him that? You're only acquainted with Mr. Lee and, to be completely honest, you don’t even remember his first name—John? Marcus? William? You're sure it starts with an M. You’re also sure it’s probably Mark.

Mr. Lee does a double take. “Did you say…?” 

You nod. “Yes. I wanna get on my knees and gag on your cock.” 

He narrows his eyes down at you. 

“Please.” You add, hoping that maybe it’ll convince him. 

“Y/n, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he trails off like he’s skeptical. “You’re young, I’m like twice your age..and I don’t think maybe you’d wanna mingle around some guy like me, honey. You should go for someone younger, maybe, closer to your age, y'know live your life.” He continues, “Besides, I’m an adult, you’re probably barely an adult, and I just don’t think you should be getting into adult games you should be getting into young adult things.” His hands are on your shoulders at this point. 

Is this man serious? He’s not your dad. “Y’know, Mr. Lee, thank you for the fatherly advice, but, I’d rather you give me life lessons while your cock is in my mouth.” 

One of his eyebrows is cocked up, probably in amusement. “Uh-huh…you sure you wanna…” 

“Suck your cock? Yes.” you answer immediately. “Please.” You add, again. 

“Well,” he shrugs, walking over and sitting in one of his cushioned chairs. “Just tell me if it gets too much for you, honey.” he sighs, pointing for you to sit in-between his thighs—you quickly oblige, getting on your knees in front of him. 

You look up at him as you unfasten his belt, pull down the zipper; your fingers reaching for the waistband of his briefs. His voice interrupts your movements, “You sure my kid’s not gonna wonder where you went?” he pries “Whatcha’ gonna do if she comes in to see her pretty little friend gagging on her dad’s cock, hm?” 

Fuck you for wearing shorts. You could feel your wetness begin to ooze out of you. 

The corner of Mark’s mouth curls up just a little when you don’t respond to him, opting to pull his briefs down lower until his swollen dick slips out, slapped against his stomach. Your lips part in awe, looking at it up and down; your eyes fixate on the white fluid beading at the tip. It’s precum according to Twitter. 

Your stomach is doing somersaults. Why did you think you could do this? Why did you think you could fit all of that in your mouth? You have a gag reflex!

Fingers creep through your hair, almost soothing you, messing your hair just a little. “Go on, baby,” he pushes. “Take it just like you told me you wanted to.” 

You press an unassuming kiss on the base of his cock first, earning a curse from him. 

God you’re such a virgin. 

You stick your tongue out, letting it glide from the base up to the precum where you close your mouth around the tip. His fingers in your hair leave your scalp, the fingers wrap around your hair creating a makeshift ponytail, insinuating he wants to have control over her. Maybe he’s holding back.

Yeah Mark is definitely holding back. 

If it was anyone else like one of his flings, he would’ve already been far into their throat, shoving his dick in as far as allowed. But he’s not. Because you’re different. He likes you. He definitely likes you. If you were just anyone else he would be less…reserved. He doesn’t want to scare you. He’s refraining himself. 

It’s not for long, though. You come to realize that you need more, you want him to teach you about his stupid “adult games”. You use one of your hands to play with his balls and the other to hold onto his calf. You release your hold when you wrap your hand around the base of his cock, a.k.a the part you couldn’t fit in your mouth. He twitches in your mouth, while he cusses again, his grip on your hair tightening. You assume you’re into pain by the way your cunt clenches around nothing at the feeling. 

Mr. Lee clicks his tongue, the “tsk” he gives is just a little condescending. Using his free hand, he grips your jaw to help you out a bit, easing his dick further into your mouth. “Such a pretty girl with a pretty mouth,” he grins. You take another inch of him, trying your best to use your tongue more than your teeth. You conclude sucking dick might be harder than you thought. 

“Look at you, struggling on my dick. Pretty baby’s havin’ a little trouble down there, isn’t she?” he chuckles at the way you glare up at him, all helpless and at his disposal. “Don’t forget to breathe through your nose, baby.” 

You try to breathe in, breathing in his scent as you take him deeper, letting him guide you by your hair. You swirl your tongue around his base, emitting soft groans from him. Gosh your jaw hurts. And he hasn’t even hit your throat yet! 

He groans, loudly. “Fuck, I love your little—shit—You ever had a cock in your mouth, baby?” 

You don’t answer, his hold on your jaw tightens. “Answer me.” 

Tears are forming in your eyes as you shake your head. You pull back a little only to plunge his cock farther, his pubes tickling your nose just a little. 

“Good girl,” he praises, your chest swells with pride. “Such a smart girl, aren’t you?” 

You’re so wet now, you’re desperate. You bob your head, tears becoming more prevalent in your eyes everytime he hits your throat. He smiles, using his thumb to wipe away your tears while still holding your jaw. 

You finally have the courage to look up at him, seeing how large he appears from this angle. He’s got a small smirk on his face, a strand of his greying hair fallen on his forehead. 

“Fuck,” he groans. “Look at how fuckin’ gorgeous you look,” He praises, now rubbing your cheek with his thumb. “You’re such a slut too, beggin’ to suck your friend’s dad’s cock. You love my cock, don’t you?” 

You whine around his dick, gasping when he yanks you by the hair to pull out. He’s looking at you expectantly. A smirk plastered on his face. You bite your lip, nodding your head eagerly. “Yes!” you cry “Yes, sir!”

He’s immediately satisfied, plunging your mouth back straight to his dick. This time, you hollow out your cheeks, sliding your mouth even further and backwards. His hips thrust upwards, clutching your hair harshly as he uses your mouth. “Such a good girl for me, baby, fuck. Baby knows how to use her mouth for some good, huh?” 

His praise makes you hum around his shaft. Though, a part of you feels just a little jealous he’s been with other people. Not to mention the fact that he’s clearly had a wife. 

Mr. Lee’s dick hits the back of your throat making you gag around him. “Thaaat’s my little slut,” he groans out. “Gag on my dick like I know you wanna.” 

You do as you’re told, letting his cock slide into the back of your throat over and over again. You feel him twitch inside you, his hips beginning to stutter. 

He cusses again, “M’gonna cum, baby,” he pants “M’gonna cum down your throat, and you’re gonna fuckin’ take it, aren’t you?” he chuckles. “You’re gonna take it just like you wanted, pretty girl.” 

You whine around his cock. He smiles. 

Mr. Lee is beyond pleased. Good. 

“Fuuuck,” he lets out a long drawl before he shoots his cum straight down your throat. Your eyes nearly roll to the back of your head at the feeling. He yanks you off his dick, a string of saliva connecting your lips to his dick. “Swallow it all.” 

You oblige. Looking up at him when you’ve taken everything. “I’ve never done that before.” you timidly admit. 

He scrunches his nose at you, his eyes still hooded. “Lying is a bad, bad thing to do, little girl.” 

You pout, “I swear!” 

“Then you’re very good at it,” he holds your jaw again, his thumb parting your lips. “You ever been kissed before?” 

“Once or twice.” you murmur, a little ashamed. 

He gives you a little smile, his lips now touching—kissing yours. You whine against him, your hand resting on his thigh. He grins against your lips, reaching down to pick you up and place you on his thigh. You’re pretty sure he can taste his cum now that his tongue made its way inside. 

Something possessed you when you were straddling his thigh, the next thing you knew, you were rubbing your cunt on his leg. 

Mr. Lee chuckles softly, watching you in complete amusement as you humped his thigh. You’re so sensitive from rubbing your thighs together that you’re such a whiny mess on him. Yes, you still need to get back to your friend (his daughter), but yes—you feel too good to do so. 

He keeps you secure, his hand still on your waist as he watches you use his thigh to your heart's content, moaning and whining out just for him. You don’t even care that you’re leaving a damp spot on his stupid trousers. “Get off on my thigh, you poor baby, you need to cum so badly, don’t you?” 

You sob, his hand on your waist comforting you. “Please,” you begin to beg, “J-Just wanna cum, Daddy, please~” 

That’s the exact moment his grasp on your waist tightens, his already dark eyes grow darker. “Good girl,” he praises, his heart swollen from pride by the name you called him. “Such a good girl making yourself cum all over Daddy’s thigh.” 

You cry out, your body shuddering and clinging onto the man for dear life. As if you could get any closer to your orgasm, he continues. 

“That’s why you need me, huh, you need a fuckin’ Daddy.” he groans “None of these boys, lousy little inexperienced college boys. Do they bother you, baby? Is that why you come to me to get off? You come to me to guide you? Why you need your Daddy?”  

A loud moan leaves your lips, “Yes, yes, yes, Daddy! T-That’s why I need you, need y-you so…so bad!” 

“Good baby,” he coos, drawing out the “O” as he lifts your flimsy shirt above your head, pushing your bra out of the way, pinching your nipples. “Cum. Cum for Daddy, sweetheart.” 

Your limbs turn all jelly-like, and the next thing you know you’re like a puddle in Mr. Lee’s arms. Screaming and crying as your body spasms with nothing but pleasure, it’s like you’re seeing stars. You can barely hear him praising you endlessly as you cling onto him. You’re a hundred percent sure you’re sobbing tears. 

He’s got a shit eating grin on his face as he takes you in. His finger dipping in your shorts to find the slick that’s gushed out of you, holding it to his mouth to taste. “Pussy’s so fuckin’ good,” he mumbles to himself as his eyes shoot to your tits then right back at your face. “Pull your shirt down, baby.” The smile never leaves his stupid face. “And fix your cute little bra.” 

Your face is on fire. You glare at him, fixing your bra. This man can’t be real.

You’re both just staring at each other now, not really paying any mind to the time or anything else, really. But, the clock on his wall is like a slap in the face. You sigh. “I- I should really go.” 

Mr. Lee looks at his watch. He sighs, “Guess so, baby.” 

You place a kiss to his cheek and throw him a demure smile when you pull away. “You know where to find me.” 

He rolls his eyes at you before grabbing your face, kissing you right on the lips. He pulls away. “Dunno ‘bout that honey,” he teases. 

“Then maybe open your window later for a little something, Daddy.” you tease back. 

You both realized your rooms’ windows face eachother. 

Perfect. 

“Maybe I will.” 

Your teeth sink into your bottom lip, biting back another smile. “See ya, Mr. Lee.” 

“Later, gorgeous.” 

You leave his room, closing the door behind you with an ear-to-ear grin on your face. Before you know it you’re lying to your friend again about how sick you feel, saying you need to go home. 

On your way up to your room, you’re mouthing “Mark” until you open your window. Your face heats up when his window is already wide open, he’s already there giving you one of his shit-eating grins. 

You beam back at him. Luckily, you managed to get his number from his daughter. You call him. He looks at you questionably, but picks up, amused. 

“Hey there, old man.” you taunt. 

“You really shouldn’t have came into my room, honey.” 

“Really? Why not?” you pout. 

“Being with your friend's dad really isn’t good for you.” 

You narrow your eyes at him. “And how do you know what’s good for me Mr. Mark ‘know it all’ Lee?” 

“Cause' I’m older.” he extends his arms, stretching “Got more life experience.” 

“So,” you prod. “Whatcha’ gonna do about it, hm?” 

“Knock some sense into you.” 

“Uh-huh,” you raise your eyebrows. “How do you plan on doing that, exactly?” 

His eyes never leave yours. “You’ll see.” 

★ Adult Games | A “One Way Ticket” work | wc: 2.6k

★ Taglist | @chitaphrrrr @nctdom @shescharlie @marklexleaf @jenos-bbygirl @the-universe-in-you-jjh @shiningdery @aecu @moonlightjaemin @donutswithjaminthemiddle @f4irycoven @meowniee @jenoxygen @yincotton @luvjeongjaehyun @gyyyyyu @sunshinedhyuck @3ranch @pinkynana @dialosthermind @ishireads @icy-thot @fineapplehoe @sbngcha @chaerincl @lookingforangst @skye-is-here @hyuckypjm @airpodbaekuwu @bellamendoza @miyahhhhh @damiien-haas @imrinana @cyclothimikhh @back2jisung @aintdprian @tacojisung @nana-blair @xuxibelle @billboard-singer @yesohhsehun @w0nuuu @lava1004 @kpoplover-19 @allofuswantgwinam @if-i-like-i-reblog @beautywine @anowamij @beautywine

©earth-to-that-asian/mull3ts, 2023

[wolfjessedragon]

Based on @liliacamethyst Webs of series

Webs of What if Part 2- Webs of Friendship

A few days later…

Sunny: So I took your advice.

Peter BP: And? How’d it go?

Sunny: He wants to be in the picture, even asked me to move in with him.

Peter BP: That’s great! So when am I gonna get to meet this baby daddy?

Sunny: *chuckles* Actually you know him already

Peter BP: Wait… is he another spider?

Sunny: Yes

Peter BP: Wow, oof that’s gonna be a toughie to explain to Miguel if he ever finds out.

Sunny: Well… about that..

Peter BP: No way!

Sunny: Yeah

Peter BP: You and Miguel?! Shut the front door!

Sunny: *chuckles*

Peter BP: Sunny! Girl! I want the deets, I mean how? You're like this embodiment of warmth and kindness and he’s… he’s…

Sunny: Finish your sentence

Peter BP: Kinda the complete opposite, so how?

Sunny: *sighs* Sure most of the time Miguel can be-

Peter BP: A serious stick in the mud and oftentimes downright terrifying.

Sunny: I was gonna say guarded, but I guess yours works okay. But during those times when it was just the two of us, he was sweet, gentle, vulnerable, like him being with me gave him that freedom to take his armor off and be him. That’s as best as I can describe it.

Peter BP: Wow just wow. How long has this been going on?

Sunny: Well at first he made it clear it was just a sex thing, hooking up for the sake of hooking up, stress relief he had called it.

Peter BP: *clenches his fist and teeth* What?

Sunny: Easy brother from another mother, it’s no longer like that now.

Peter BP: Phew thank goodness because if it still was I would have-

Sunny: Gotten annihilated

Peter BP: Hey!

Sunny: *chuckles then alarm goes off* Oh snap, sorry Peter I gotta bounce. *opens portal back to Earth 586*

Peter BP: We’re talking more about this!

Sunny: *leaves through portal*

Peter BP: Sunny and Miguel… I did not see that coming

Somewhere in Nea Yorkey…

Sunny: *sits in a cafe waiting* C'mon dude, where are you?

*A disheveled woman comes in and sits across from Sunny.*

Sunny: You’re late

???: Sorry Spider Sun

Sunny: You’re fine Veronica, is everything okay? Are you taking your medications?

Veronica: Yes ma’am, I’m being sure to stay on top of my medications. Still having trouble finding a place to live though.

Sunny: That’s actually what I’m hoping to talk to you about. *places a large envelope on the table*

Veronica: What is that?

Sunny: The keys to my apartment, some money, and some other documents. They're for you.

Veronica: What?

Sunny: They’re for you.

Veronica: W-W-Why?

Sunny: Let’s just say I’m moving away. I’m not gonna be in Nea Yorkey as often anymore because of personal stuff. The city is going to need a new protector.

Veronica: No it can’t be me, I nearly destroyed this city, everyone hates me.

Sunny: That was the old you, before you got help. Since then you’ve helped me save this city more times than I can count and more than redeemed yourself in the eyes of the citizens. You’re the best person to take the mantle. Besides, you'll have Venom and Eddie backing you up.

Veronica: I don’t know what to say.

Sunny: Say you’ll try.

Veronica: Okay, I’ll try.

Sunny: Thank you, Vulture.

A couple days later on top of Sunny’s apartment building….

Miguel: *exits the portal and is shocked to see Peter B. Parker and his daughter Mayday, he groans*

Peter BP: Well *groan* to you to

Miguel: What are you doing here?

Peter BP: Waiting with Mayday

Miguel: Is Spider Sun here?

Peter BP: If she was I wouldn’t be out here waiting with Mayday. Also no need for the formalities, I know you and Sunny are a thing and you’re her Baby Daddy.

Miguel: I’ll ask again, what are you doing here?

Peter BP: I’m waiting with Mayday for Sunny so I can help her move to your place.

Miguel: Well your assistance is no longer required so you can-

Peter BP: Yeah I ain’t going anywhere. *glares*

Miguel: *a little taken aback, glares back*

*A tense atmosphere surrounded the two men as they glared each other down like two gunslingers at high noon.*

Sunny: *swings in and sees them* Hey guys *dissipating the tension*

Peter BP: Sunny *high fives*

Sunny: Peter, Mayday *tickles making Mayday giggle then steps to Miguel*

Miguel: *smirks* Soleada *kisses Sunny’s lips softly*

Peter BP: *jokingly gags and covers Mayday’s eyes*

In Sunny’s apartment…

Sunny: *Keeps Mayday busy while Miguel and Peter move the few boxes Sunny has back and forth through the portal. There wasn’t much as Sunny was leaving most of the furniture to Veronica since they take up too much space in Miguel’s place. What was in those boxes were… irreplaceable.*

Miguel: *picks up one of the boxes when something falls out, he goes to put it back when he sees it’s a video and photo camera*

Peter BP: Oh no way *web grabs the camera and starts looking* Sunny look what Miguel found

Sunny: *looks at what Peter is holding and blushes beet red* You wouldn’t dare

Peter BP: *grins mischievously* Miguel check it *shows him a video, in which a much younger Sunny costume’s zipper breaks and she’s frantically trying to get out, then laughs his ass off* It’s like one of those dog paper bag vids *continues laughing*

Sunny: *glares at Peter BP* Oh like you haven’t had wardrobe malfunctions before

Miguel: *somewhat curious briefly scrolls through the other pictures and videos, getting an array of reactions from Sunny*

Sunny: That’s when I first met Venom and Eddie, that’s when Veronica got out of the institution, and- *stops as she sees the picture of a giant bridge*

Miguel: *notices* Estás bien amor?

Sunny: *on the verge of tears* Yeah I’m fine just memories and hormones

Miguel: *just hugs Sunny*

Peter BP: *Pats her back* Tell ya what Sunny, how about one last hurrah?

Sunny: Pardon?

Peter BP: How about the four- I mean five of us go down for dinner to that shindig down the street. Ugh I always forget the name.

Sunny: The Milano?

Peter BP: Yeah that’s it!

Sunny: *looks up at Miguel who just nods* Okay..

A while later at The Milano…

*After a very pleasant meal they’re about to pick up the check when “The Dog Days are Over” by Florence + the Machine comes on the radio.*

Sunny: *pauses and grins*

Peter BP: Uh oh

Miguel: What?

Sunny: *gets up from table and holds out hands* Peter, my tiny partner.

Peter BP: Alright *Hands Mayday to Sunny* Don’t go nuts

Sunny: No promises! *chuckles and starts dancing with Mayday in arms*

Miguel: *just watches her wide eyed, seeing her like this is… woah*

Peter BP: *watches* I might be biased because she’s my best friend but that kid the two of you are having is gonna have an awesome pair of parents.

Miguel: …… thank you and thank you.

Peter BP: Miguel, we may never be buddies but we have got to change our attitudes about each other. Because like it or not we’re gonna be more involved in one another’s lives. If not for each others sakes then for the sake of our families. Can we agree on that? *goes for a handshake*

Miguel: *sighs and shakes Peter’s hand*

Peter BP: Oh and uh one more thing

Miguel: Wha- ow!

Peter BP: *squeezes Miguel’s hand hard* Break Sunny’s heart and I will break every bone in your body.

Miguel: *pulls his hand away* Anotado. Maldito sea, que apretón vicioso tienes.

Peter BP: *chuckles*

Miguel: *watches Sunny dancing with Mayday, finishes his drink, gets up, and walks towards them*

Sunny: *notices Miguel approaching*

Miguel: *bends down to Mayday’s level* Disculpe, señorita Mayday, mind if I steal your dance partner?

Mayday: *squeals excitedly and starts waddling back to her daddy*

Miguel: Now fair warning I got two left feet

Sunny: *giggles and takes Miguel’s hands as they “dance” to the second chorus while Peter BP watches with Mayday in the background.*

Later in Miguel’s apartment…

Sunny: *waves bye at Mayday as Peter holds her while going through the portal*

Miguel: *walks up to her and puts a hand along her waist* Had fun?

Sunny: Yeah, thank you by the way.

Miguel: For what?

Sunny: For a lot of things but to keep it simple just… thank you. *her head leans on his shoulder*

Miguel: Well I have to admit I had fun too. *Looks and grins a little flirtatiously*

Sunny: *bites her lip and blushes*

Miguel: *gives her a peck on the lips then crouches down and kisses her abdomen as he wraps his arms around her* Hey baby, fair warning, your mom is salvaje.

Sunny: *scoffs and playfully hits him*

Miguel: *chuckles* But to be fair, so is your dad.

Sunny: *smirks*

Miguel: One more thing baby, cover your ears. *Suddenly picks her up.*

Sunny: *Yelps then giggles as Miguel carries her to the bedroom.*

{Authors Note: Taking a bit of a creative liberty, I decided to make Earth 586’s Vulture a villain turned hero. (In Veronica’s case here’s the summary she was a homeless girl with serious mental issues taken advantage of by 586’s Doc Oc. Doc Oc performed inhumane experiments on Veronica turning her into a harpy like beast that would be known as Vulture. Fast forward a bit and after a particularly fight where Sunny had found out Vulture’s history as Veronica. How like the vultures, everyone had treated her like pest, Sunny chooses to do what few have done for Veronica. Treat her like a person in need of help. In the aftermath of the fight Sunny got most of the charges on Veronica waved and instead of jail got her put in a good rehabilitation center where she also learned how shift between human and harpy forms. Time passes and there were several times when Sunny was in a bind only for Veronica to come bail her out. And when Sunny started working for the Spider Society, Veronica had occasionally taken her place. (Cause TBH one of the things that kinda bugged me about the Spider Society is that the Spiders would leave their native realities for noticeable amounts of time.) Sunny, now moving in with Miguel, is giving the resources she’ll need to be the full time protector.) Taking further liberties I decided to make some other changes that I will happily answer in the comments and in future posts.}

[americaswritings]

Ghost from the past

Warnings: mentions of a toxic past relationship, an ex who’s an asshole, anxiety, lots of angst (you know me lol), protective Connor, also fluff

Summary: Your toxic ex-boyfriend, who you ran from and hoped would never find you in Chicago, shows up in the ER and Connor notices something is up. He worries about you, but will you be able to tell him the truth?

Words: 5.4k

Pairing: Connor Rhodes x reader

A/N: The summary sucks, but I couldn’t come up with anything better. I also never planned to write this, but the story basically wrote itsself. As always, I hope you enjoy! :)

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"Alright, we’ll run some tests to make sure it’s nothing serious. You’re in good hands here.” You finished your exam on a young woman, offering her a friendly smile. 

“Thanks, but when can I get out of here? I need to get back to work!”, she told you, visibly troubled at the thought to spend the next hours in an ER.

“I assume the stress of overworking is what caused the symptoms in the first place. So I reckon you should take a few days off to destress.”

You saw the woman’s face fall, but she seemed to know you were right. “If that’s what my doctor says, I guess I should listen”, she sighed, and you offered her an encouraging smile. 

“Trust me, I know how easy it can be to get caught up in work, completely forgetting about your own wellbeing in the process. But it’s essential for your body and your mind to get breaks too.”

“Okay, okay. I will take a few days off”, she gave in, and you send her a satisfied smile.

When the woman pulled out her phone to call her boss, you quickly excited the room. You handed April the patient’s record and told her to order the blood work and labs as she passed you another iPad and you hurried to your next patient.

The ER was quite full today and it only seemed to get worse as your shift went on.

“Hey, my name is doctor (Y/L/N)”, you introduced yourself to your next patient. Your eyes were focused on the screen as you quickly scanned it for the information you needed.

“And you must be-”

Your whole body froze in shock as your eyes fell on the patient’s name. You looked up, hoping that it was just a coincidence, but your eyes were met by the same green ones that had haunted you since the day you had decided you couldn’t take it anymore and left.

“Hello (Y/N).” He wore a cocky smile as he enjoyed the reaction he still had to you. When you didn’t say anything, he raised his brows. “That’s rather unprofessional, don’t you think?”

Your heart was racing in your chest and mouth had gone dry “What- what are you doing here?”, you stammered, upset with yourself that he still had that effect on you.

Just his presence was enough to make you feel small and insecure again, a feeling that had accompanied you every day for the past year when the two of you had been dating. 

“Shouldn’t you know that?” He tilted his head to the side, and you knew he was mocking you. “You just read the document they made me fill out, didn’t you?”

“Y-yeah, right.” Your voice was trembling a little and you adverted your eyes, hoping you would regain your composure when you weren’t looking at him. But you could still feel his stare on you, making it impossible to concentrate on the words in front of you.

“Chest pain and shortness of breath”, you read out loud. “And it says the symptoms started a few hours ago. Why did you wait this long to come to the emergency room?”

You could hear him huff. “You want to lecture me, huh? Guess what, I’m not taking advice from someone who just left one day without a word. Someone who ran and then hid, just like the coward you are.”

You looked back up at him. Your uncertainty had vanished a little into anger as he was using every opportunity to tear you down. “Who is being unprofessional now?”, you shot back.

But your words didn’t have the effect you had wished for. Instead, the man in front of you smiled, satisfied that he could get a reaction out of you this easily. He still held power over you and both of you knew it.

“I will page a cardiologist”, you stated, using the opportunity to turn around and take a deep breath. In a few minutes you wouldn’t be alone with this guy anymore and hopefully you wouldn’t have to deal with him again when he was assigned to a different doctor.

You knew you had to listen to his chest until the cardiologist would arrive, but the thought of coming close to him again sickened you.

“Why did you come here, though?”, you asked, buying yourself time. But a small part of you also desperately wanted to know the answer.

After you had made the decision to leave him, you had known that you couldn’t stay in the same town. You didn’t want him to ever find you.

So from one day to the next, you packed your things and left the state, moving to Chicago to start your new job at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

But now he had found you. How?

“Oh sweetheart, you really thought I wouldn’t find you?”, he smirked, and you felt bile rise in your throat.

“I knew you would be working in an emergency room somewhere. In the beginning there was no trace of you. But I knew it would only take time for you to seek the attention you so pathetically need. And I was right. Last month your name was published as a guest speaker for an upcoming medical panel.”

You could see how proud he was to tell you all of this and you gulped. He was right, you had been reckless.

When you had first come to Chicago, you had made sure to be extra cautious with everything you did. But eventually you had made friends here, found people that felt like a family to you, and you had let your guard down. 

When you had been offered the chance to be a guest speaker at one of the most important medical panels in the country, you hadn’t thought twice about it. Everyone in the department had celebrated with you and you had felt on top of the world.

But you should have known better. Now you had to face the downfall of your thoughtless actions.

“So you came all the way to Chicago to prove that you found out where I live now?” You couldn’t help the judgement that crept into your voice. “Is your chest pain even real?”

You knew you had gone too far when you saw the anger rise on his face, an expression you had grown to fear. But you needed to know the answer. You were a doctor. You had to do your job after all. You couldn’t waste your time on someone who was making up symptoms, especially not on such a busy day like today.

Besides, how would that make you look like as a doctor, if there was no medical evidence supporting his claims and you hadn’t noticed? If you had been too distracted by your own feelings to make rational decisions that you could stand by and explain if needed.

The man in front of you narrowed his eyes and you saw the storm raging in his eyes. “You want me to report you to your superiors?”, he threatened. “Because I could easily do that. And you know that when it comes down to it, no one would believe you. Or have you forgotten already?”

You flinched at his harsh words and the reminder they carried with them. Of course you hadn’t forgotten how your ‘friends’ had turned their backs on you after you had finally admitted the truth to them. They had taken his side, told you that it was impossible he would even be capable of doing what you accused him of, too blinded by his charm. 

He had fooled everyone, and, in the end, you had been the one to be alone.

You could never risk something like this happen ever again, especially not here in Chicago, where you had finally found people who really cared about you and were important to you.

Your family. You would never risk losing them. You couldn’t give him this satisfaction.

So you stayed silent, like you had grown used to all this time and began your examination. “I need you to unbutton your shirt so I can listen to your heart”, you explained, trying to keep your voice neutral and regain the professional part of you that would handle this guy like any other patient.

His anger had vanished, now that he was back in control, and he smirked. “If you’re asking for it”, he teased, and you felt sick again. But you stayed silent, deciding not to give into his provocations. 

You took a small step into his direction and leaned forward so you could place the stethoscope on his bare chest. “I need you to be quiet now”, you ordered and closed your eyes to fully concentrate on the sounds of his beating heart. You wouldn’t be surprised if you wouldn’t hear anything, considering the man in front of you could not have anything in him resembling a heart.

To your surprise he stayed silent during your examination. You could smell the faint scent of his cologne and your heart stopped for a beat when you realized it was still the same one he had worn when you had been a couple.

The same smell. You would be sick again.

“Enjoying yourself?” His voice snapped you back to reality. It was low, just above a whisper, but your heard it anyway. Because you were close to him, too close.

You jumped away from him the moment you heard the curtain being ripped to the side. 

“What have we got here?”, you heard a deep voice behind you and felt relief wash over you now that you weren’t alone with him anymore. As you took another step back from him, you tried to collect yourself before turning around.

“Dr. Rhodes”, you greeted the man in dark scrubs, hoping the dread you still felt wasn’t visible on your face. 

“Male, 35 years old, no underlying medical conditions and no family history of cardiovascular diseases. He complains about chest pain and shortness of breath. The symptoms have begun a few hours ago, but not worsened over time. I couldn’t hear any abnormality when I listened to his heart.”

Your voice sounded steady and emotionless, despite the raging feelings inside of you. 

Connor listened closely to your words, nodding as you finished. “Alright Mr.-” His eyes flickered to yours since you hadn’t mentioned the name of the patient. “

Wright.” Your voice was quiet as you spoke his name, the name you hated with a passion, but it was loud enough for the two to hear.

“But we go with Daniel, isn’t that right?” Your head shot up as his words registered in your ears and you saw Connor turn back towards you, his brows raised in surprise. Your cheeks burned in shame as you bit your lip to keep a neutral expression. As if his words hadn’t bothered you, while in reality, they had been a punch to the gut. You had thought he would act different now that Connor was around, but he was still trying to get under your skin. And it was working.

“How about we wrap this up quickly? I have other patients waiting for me”, you suggested, desperate to get this encounter over with. You knew you couldn’t just leave, not without raising questions you didn’t want to answer.

Connor’s eyes lingered on you a second longer, trying to read what was going through your head, but he respected your request and redirected his attention back to the patient.

“Alright Mr. Wright”, he began once more. “It doesn’t seem like we are dealing with an urgent condition here. I would like to listen to your heart and run some tests to make sure we don’t overlook anything”, he explained, noticing how his patient’s eyes were focused on something else than him. Or rather someone.

A little annoyed at his patients’ attitude, he pulled out his stethoscope, leaning in to start his examination. 

“Is that really necessary? She did that quite well before you came.” Connor huffed, growing a little impatient. You were right, there was an emergency room packed with people waiting for a doctor and he didn’t want to waste his time debating whether his approach was necessary.

“Am I interrupting something here?”, he asked, looking between the two of you, the tension hanging heavy in the air. “I have to admit, we had quite a lot of fun before you came”, the man smirked, and Connor felt the urge to wipe that smile from his face.

Instead he focused his attention on you, who was watching the interaction from the corner of the room. Your cheeks were red from embarrassment, and he could see that you felt uncomfortable, yet you didn’t say anything. 

He frowned. Usually you weren’t one to stay silent. You had been quiet when he had first gotten to know you, but he had always seen something in you that didn’t fit your behaviour. As if you were imprisoning yourself, choosing to stay quiet when you had so much to say.

Eventually you had warmed up, first to him and later to the others. Now you and Natalie were practically inseparable. Since then he had been impressed by your confidence and courage multiple times.

He knew you as someone who wouldn’t take no as an answer, if it wasn’t in the patient’s best interest and you weren’t afraid to stand up for yourself. What was different now?

He decided to end this as soon as possible, hoping to be able to talk to you about it after stepping outside.

“Well Mr. Wright.” He stood up, reaching for the iPad you were clutching in your hands. It took you a moment to snap out of your thoughts before you handed it to him. It earned you another frown.

“I will order the labs now but expect to spend the next few hours here. You chose a pretty busy day to make a trip to the ER”, he said as he typed it into the iPad.

“As long as she’s taking care of me, I will be fine.” Connor felt his temper flare up. Didn’t the guy have any sense of respect? If he made another suggestive comment that you clearly didn’t appreciate, Connor couldn’t be certain he wouldn’t lose his cool.

“I am afraid I have important things to take care of. But I am sure the nurses will take good care of you”, you finally spoke up, your voice much stronger than you felt. Maybe it was Connor being in the room giving you the security you needed. 

With him being here, the guy you had once called your boyfriend couldn’t become personal. But he had already said too much, and you could see the questions on Connor’s face. Questions you didn’t want to answer.

You exited the room without another word, another thing that was uncommon for you and Connor rushed after you.

“Hey”, he called out, before you could round the corner. You froze, turning around slowly. “You want to tell me what happened in there?”, he asked, worry creeping into his voice.

“I’ve got patients to take care of”, you avoided his question. A second later you had turned around and left. Connor stared at the patient’s chart in his hands. Something about this guy had upset you and he wanted to know what it was.

You could feel the guilt for leaving Connor with such an answer the moment you turned your back on him. He had sensed that something was going on and was only trying to look out for you. But you couldn’t talk to him about it. 

You sprinted to the women’s bathroom, emptying the contents of your stomach into the toilet once you reached it. The sickness left with it, but it was replaced by exhaustion. You had only made it halfway through your shift, yet you felt as drained as after most night shifts. 

You sank down next to the toilet seat, hugging your knees into your chest as you allowed yourself a moment of weakness. 

Seeing him had messed with your head. It had robbed you of all the security you had found in Chicago. He hadn’t just found you here but invaded your workplace. A place you thought of as your second home.

And being here, he was around your friends, your family. He could ruin it all in the blink of an eye. Just a few words from him were enough and the life you had worked so hard to build would crumble to pieces.

You wanted to scream or hit something. Instead you stood up, wrinkled out your clothes and smoothed out your hair. Then you walked over to the sinks and splashed cold water in your face. You had patients to take care of and you wouldn’t allow him to terrorize your mind.

You only had to make it through shift. Maybe you wouldn’t even have to see him again. If Connor was right and his condition wasn’t severe, he might have left before you even saw him again.

But then a horrible thought sank in. He knew were you worked. What if he waited for you after shift? What if he had watched you and found out where you lived too? How could you ever feel safe again, when he could show up unannounced whenever he liked, just to screw with your life.

As another wave of panic seemed to creep in, you willed yourself to stay strong. One step at a time. Right now, it was your priority to make it through your shift. The rest you could figure out later.

“Hey, I would watch out for that one”, Connor mentioned as he handed April the iPad. “Doesn’t know any respect”, he grumbled. 

“Thanks for the warning.” April took her eyes off the screen in front of her for a moment, confusion becoming evident on it as she read the chart. “Oh, that guy?” Her eyes flickered to the room he was set in. “He was actually pretty nice when I set him up. Quite charming if I may say so”, she added with a smile.

Connor frowned. That was definitely not the guy he had met. Nothing he had said to you had been charming. To him it had seemed more like he was too confident and enjoyed the effect he could have with his words. Just another self-absorbed asshole in his eyes. 

“Then we didn’t meet the same person”, he stated, making his way back to the elevator.

As he walked out of the ER, he caught a small glimpse of you. But you had disappeared into a patient’s room before he could do anything. He hoped that he would be able to catch you after shift. Until then he needed to focus.

Easier said than done, as the imagine of your troubled expression was fuelling the worry he felt.

-

You let out a loud exhale as the clock finally indicated that your shift was over. You were beyond exhausted and just wanted to fall into the comfort of your bed. “Tough day, huh?”

Natalie had walked into the room, beginning to put her belongings into her locker. “Yeah. It was a hell of a day”, you sighed as you pulled out your coat. 

“Makes me hope the nightshift will be a little calmer. “ You send her a doubtful gaze. “What? A girl can hope”, she joked, and you chuckled. 

“I will go home now and fall into the comfort of my warm and cosy-” “Okay stop!”, Natalie exclaimed. “You’re being cruel!” But she was smiling at you.

You laughed as you put on your coat, knowing it wouldn’t help with the freezing cold of Chicago’s winter. “Have a good night”, you told her, grabbing your purse. “You too!”

The smile quickly faded from your lips as you saw someone was waiting for you.

It was Connor, wrapped in his own coat and his leather bag hanging over his shoulder. For a moment you considered pretending to have left something and turn back around, but you knew that Connor wouldn’t buy into that. You needed to appear normal, not cause more attention by acting despite yourself.

“Are you waiting for someone?”, you acknowledged him. “The pretty blonde from your station perhaps?” “Her name’s Ava”, Connor commented. “And no, I am not waiting for her. I-” 

“She must be rather disappointed then”, you interrupted before he could speak further. Connor rolled his eyes at your attempt to distract from the obvious topic. “I think she’ll manage.”

You had started walking towards the exit, Connor easily falling into step beside you. “I was waiting for you”, he emphasized, and you pretended to be surprised.

“For me?"

The cold wind hit you the moment you stepped outside, and you pulled your coat closer to your body. It was dark already, not that you had expected anything different at this time of year, but the lights of the hospital were enough to illuminate your surroundings.

Connor sighed audibly, putting a hand on your shoulder to stop you. “Can you please stop this show?” He had moved in front of you, hindering you from walking away and forcing you to face him. 

You were tempted to make a sarcastic remark, but his voice sounded sincere, and you knew his intentions were pure. It wouldn’t be fair of you to make this extra hard for him. You reluctantly met his eyes, your confidence leaving a little under his attentive gaze.

It felt as if he could see right into you, that every little thing you did would reveal something to him you might not want him to see. “Fine”, you sighed, crossing your arms over your chest while waiting for his questions.

“You weren’t acting like yourself today when we were around that patient. What happened? I mean- why did he affect you so much? Did something happen before I came?”

You were torn between shutting him down and answering at least partly truthful. Maybe it would help you to be honest with him. And if you denied his perceptions all together, he would be suspicious. You didn’t want Connor investigating the guy nor him being upset with you. 

But you also couldn’t tell him the whole truth. 

You felt too ashamed, too scared of losing him like you had lost your friends back then.

But if he came back for you, you would need to leave Chicago. The thought broke your heart. You didn’t want to leave, having finally felt at home somewhere. But the chances were slim that he wouldn’t show up again after what had happened in the hospital today.

If you had to leave, didn’t Connor deserve an explanation? They all did, but he had been the person you had grown closest too. From the day you had met, Connor had made so many efforts to get to know you, despite you being reserved back then and making it hard for him. He had been a huge part in you opening up more and more.

And during the last months you had felt something growing between the two of you.

It wasn’t just a friendship anymore or a bond between co-workers.

It was something else.

Maybe it was the way he was looking at you when he thought you didn’t notice or how he paid attention to the little things, buying your favorite flowers for your birthday and ordering your lunch without needing to ask what you wanted.

Maybe it was the way he would seek your company during work by coming up with excuses why he would need you to work with him on a particular case. Or the way he made you feel safe, when you had thought that feeling had become unattainable to you.

He made you feel beautiful, smart, funny, and cared for. Something you hadn’t felt in a long time. But the two of you had never addressed any of it, pretending to be oblivious to the change in your relationship.

And now it was too late. You would have to leave Chicago and would never see Connor again.

You realized he was still waiting for an answer and sighed.

“I don’t know how to answer that”, you told him truthfully. A shiver went through your body as the cold wind whipped through the air. Of course Connor noticed. “How about we talk in the car? We can turn on the heating”, he suggested. 

You knew joining him in the car would make it impossible for you to leave as easily, but the coldness was seeping into your bones. So you agreed.

As you had settled into the passenger seat of his car, Connor was looking at you expectantly. You still hadn’t answered his question.

“That guy- I knew him”, you began, casting your gaze to your hands in your lap. Not having to look at Connor, see the disappointment on his face, would make it easier to tell him.

“We were dating once”, you confessed, and you heard Connor exhale in surprise. “At first he was the best boyfriend one could ask for. I even thought he was the one”, you admitted, choking out a bitter laugh. You looked up to meet Connors eyes, curious for his reaction. 

He was watching you, a painful expression on his face. He seemed to guess where this story was going. 

“But eventually things started to change. He got upset over nothing. Everything I did was wrong or not good enough. We were always fighting. He had become so obsessive and controlling-”, you trailed of as memories played back in your mind.

You weren’t in the car any longer. You were back in your apartment, crying yourself to sleep after his hands had finally left your body. You were at a friend’s party, pulling down the hem of a dress he had forced you to wear, one that was too revealing for your comfort. Back at the restaurant where he had been beyond rude to the waitress after you two had another fight to the point he had made her cry. You had never felt so ashamed before.

You could still smell his breath full of alcohol, feel his hands gripping you too tightly for it to be a gesture out of love and hear his manipulative words in your ears.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me more than you’re comfortable with.” Connor’s voice brought you back to reality and you blinked to take in your surroundings. 

“No, I- I need to say this.”

You had never expected it to feel so freeing to say it out loud. Maybe your relationship with Connor would never be the same again, maybe he would never see you the same way he did before your confession, but in this moment, it didn’t seem to matter. 

This was about freeing yourself from the walls you had built up to guard your heart. It was about telling the truth, hearing it out loud and knowing it wasn’t just a story you had made up to justify leaving the relationship. It was your story and you deserved to tell it and be believed.

“In the end he was everything a boyfriend should not be. Manipulative, aggressive and controlling. Belittling me at every chance he got. But we had met through shared friends and when I finally decided to speak up, they sided with him. He made sure no one believed me. So I packed my things, left the state and started a new life in Chicago.”

Connor slowly reached for your hand, making sure you were okay with the touch. His skin felt soft on yours and filled you with warmth. A simple reminder that you were safe with him.

“I am so sorry (y/n)”, he whispered, his voice so sincere and gentle that it nearly broke your heart. “I wish you didn’t have to go through that. You must have been so alone.”

You nodded, giving him time to process what you had just revealed. “That’s why you were so closed off in the beginning, right?” You nodded once more, and he squeezed your hand a little.

“I have to ask this.” His eyes had grown darker, and you could see the tension in his shoulders, in his jaw. “Did he ever physically hurt you?” You quickly shook your head and saw the tension slip a little from his body as Connor exhaled in relief. “I left before he could”, you stated.

“But he was never supposed to find me.”

You thought back to the moment you had walked into the room, not in the slightest bit prepared for how your life would change the moment you realized who the patient was.

“But he did”, Connor said grimly, and you nodded. “And now I have to leave.”

You saw his eyes widen in shock and he frantically shook his head, his calm demeanour gone the moment he understood that you had a plan. “No, (y/n)! Do you want to spend the rest of your life running from him? That’s not a life, that’s-” “I have to!”, you interrupted him, growing desperate too.

“He knows where I work. He probably knows where I live. You really think he will leave it at that encounter today? You don’t know him. He will make sure that I know he’s still in control of me and make my life a living hell!”

You wished you wouldn’t have to leave. You wanted to stay more than anything, but the thought of him terrorizing you again was too hard to bear.

“If you leave now, you give him that control”, Connor argued. “You have people here that care about you. We won’t let anything happen to you!”

You snorted. “So what? You guys can’t spend every minute of every day by my side making sure he doesn’t show up. That’s impossible and that’s not a life either and you know it!” But Connor wasn’t giving up this quickly. You had to admit you would have been disappointed if he did.

“There are other solutions”, he offered. “Yeah? Like what?”, you challenged. You wished he would win this argument. You wanted to stay, but you needed a good enough solution how it could work.

“Restraining orders for one”, he began, and you sighed in frustration. “I would live in fear of him every day”, you explained, tears clouding your vision. “I can’t do that anymore.” You sounded broken, defeated even. “I won’t let that happen”, Connor promised, reaching for your other hand.

“Why would you do that for me?”, you asked, your voice trembling as a tear ran down your cheek. 

“You know why.”

Connor leaned forward slightly, brushing the tear away with his thumb. It was a simple and gentle gesture, soothing you in a way you hadn’t thought possible. “You are a respected doctor. You have friends here. You build a life in this city. Please, don’t let him take that from you.” You were surprised to hear how torn his voice sounded. How defeated he sounded himself. 

He knew that if he couldn’t convince you now, he would lose you.

“What choice do I have?” Your voice wavered as you searched his eyes for the answer you so desperately needed.

“You have the power to decide what you want to do. But when you decide to stay, know that I will be there with you every step of the way, if you want me to.”

Your heart was beating loudly in your chest, and you couldn’t help but wonder if Connor could hear it. You knew it wasn’t possible, but he was listening to hearts all day after all.

“You trust me?”

“When I met you and we started to spend more time together, I finally felt safe again for the first time. With you I feel safe”, you admitted, nodding your head in answer to his question.

Connors eyes lit up at your words, clearly touched by them. “How about you stay with me for a while? In the morning when he both have a clear head we can come up with a plan, okay? But we should tell the others too, they will be able to help.”

You were torn. The thought of telling your other friends scared you, but then you remembered what Connor had told you.

I will be there with you every step of the way if you want me to.

“Okay”, you breathed, squeezing his hands to show him your gratitude. “Thank you.”

Connor responded with a soft smile, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen into your face behind your ear. “So you will be staying?”, he asked, needing to be sure you had abandoned your plan for good. 

“Yes, I will stay.”

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[paradisetemporarilymisplaced]

So I was being a basic bitch the other day and listening to my true crime podcasts when it occurred to me just how suspicious Nile’s “death” would look to everyone not in the Guard, leading me to a train of thought that, 2200 words later, absolutely got away from me but I can’t let go so I’m inflicting it on all of you!

To set the stage, we know the movie takes place over approximately a week. Here’s what happens to Nile from the military’s point of view:

She dies is very seriously injured

She heals without a scratch

Just before she’s supposed to be shipped out to Germany, she vanishes, leaving two men concussed (and presumably reporting being knocked out by a woman with short hair wearing civilian clothes)

She goes AWOL for several days

They get word from the CIA that she is to be reported killed in action (details unclear)

So, at the beginning of this very weird week, the USMC has to tell Nile’s family of her death critical injury. What her family was told depends on how long she was dead – a Google search tells me that family will be notified in person within 8 hours of a soldier’s death, but we don’t know how long her first death lasted. For an injury, however, they’d get a phone call to notify them and the unit would arrange for them to visit as soon as the soldier is transferred out of a combat zone. Like I remember when I was in high school, a guy from my church who was a Marine was really seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Iraq and from what I could tell, his parents were told immediately and were flown out to Germany to see him, so it stands to reason that Nile’s family would have been informed relatively quickly after her throat was slashed, one way or another.

And then, she goes AWOL. Her family would be notified while the USMC tried to figure out where she went, not least because the military would want to know if she’s contacted them. (And it’s possible that her family may have been on the way to Germany to see her since we know that’s where she was supposed to go!) So for several days:

Nile’s mom and brother have no idea where she is

They know she was seriously injured and most certainly should not have been moving around on her own

They can’t get a hold of her

The military can’t tell them anything

And the next thing they know for sure is that she was “killed in action.” After being injured and vanishing into thin air. And they presumably cannot produce her body or any concrete evidence of her death. In any case, something sketchy is going on, so they’re like. SMELLS LIKE A MILITARY COVERUP.

In a surprise to probably no one, there is a well-documented legacy of mysterious US military deaths, particularly of women of color (TW for sexual assault in these links). The cases of LaVena Johnson and Vanessa Guillenin particular have made national news because of their families’ persistence in seeking justice. Likewise, Nile is a Black woman, and her mom and brother are most certainly hypercognizant of (a) state violence against Black people and (b) these high-profile cases of suspicious military deaths. So her family are seriously side-eyeing the situation, knowing that (a) the military has a serious incentive (and a documented history) of covering up things that make them look bad and (b) nothing about Nile’s disappearance and supposed death are adding up.

And Andy’s right. Nile does come from warriors. And you know who else does? Her brother.

Don’t get me wrong. Nile’s mom would absolutely not back down. She’d know something was up and want to get to the bottom of it. But based on what I know about Gen X parents (mine), they’re not the most technologically savvy. Like they can use the internet, but they didn’t grow up with it the way we young millennials and Gen Z did. So Nile’s brother takes the lead. And what do zillennials do best?

Social media.

Nile’s brother starts going hard on any site he can, trying to get the word out to see if anyone knows what happened to his sister. He starts a Reddit thread. He starts a Facebook group. He reaches out to the media and true crime bloggers and podcasters à la Sarah Turney, getting loud and being a general nuisance in hopes of getting some answers. He gets his friends and Nile’s friends involved. Maybe eventually Dizzy, Jay, and others from Nile’s unit hear about it and reach out, telling him what they saw and how weird it all was. He’s drumming up interest, and soon “Nile Freeman” becomes a household name (at least among the true crime fans).

Copley is, of course, trying his best, but at this point there is just so much that it’s impossible for him to scrub everything. Sure, he can erase new footage of Nile and the Guard, but what can he do about Reddit threads and podcast episodes that are speculating something weird has happened? Maybe he could hack the sites and shut those things down, but honestly, that’s the last thing he’d want to do, because that only adds weight to the theory that Nile’s disappearance is a military coverup. So eventually he has to tell Andy what’s going on.

Andy, obviously, does not take the news well. However, she is also completely computer illiterate, because that’s Booker’s job and he’s the only one who ever bothered to learn what the internet is in any meaningful way. (She probably calls Booker for advice, and for the record, I think Booker would have no qualms about shutting down conspiracy threads, tinhats be damned, but Copley is too concerned about the consequences. He’s ex-CIA for crying out loud, he knows how it’ll look if they scrub every mention of Nile’s name from the internet.) Maybe she confers with Joe and Nicky but, let’s be honest, they’d be equally unhelpful. So at this point, she knows they have to bring in Nile.

But the thing about Nile is that she, too, knows how to use the internet (duh). Aside from her being a young millennial/digital native, we know from the cave scene where she’s giving Booker suggestions on how to track Copley that she clearly is even more computer savvy than the average person. And for that reason she almost definitely took over the day-to-day tech stuff after Booker’s exile. So I think it would be foolish to expect her to be unaware of what’s happening. She’s not contacting her family or posting on the message boards or anything, but she knows what’s up. So Copley and the team probably sit her down to “break the news,” but we know the girl does not have a poker face (see: literally shooting herself in the foot and not being able to play it cool whatsoever) and cracks immediately, telling them she’s seen everything about her case – she’s not interacting with any of it, she certainly didn’t instigate anything, but she knows. (And she is so goddamn proud of her brother.)

At this point, I’d like to pause and consider Nile’s role in the overall narrative of this movie. She’s set up as a foil to Andy, obviously, but she’s also a foil to Booker. Booker, who, like Andy, is a serious pessimist, but who, unlike Andy, still has very fresh memories and trauma associated with being the new kid, which have destroyed him. In his mind (and Andy’s), if Nile communicates with her family, she’ll become just like him in a century or two – bitter, alone, and stuck with her grief and memories of watching her family die and knowing they died resenting her. It’s a small sample size, but this is the only experience they have to go off of.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

There’s been a lot of discussion of TOG being a fundamentally queer movie – a group of people brought together because of something inherent about themselves that is different, that must be hidden, that causes others to hate, fear, and reject them. Booker’s backstory is the archetypal traumatic “coming out” story – his family learns who he is, hate him for it, and attempt to cast him out of their lives. He’s stuck with his trauma, his pain, his loss, and it consumes him.

But what if Nile’s family would be the opposite? What if her “coming out” to them as immortal is met with acceptance, love, celebration? What if her family is just overjoyed to have her back, and they don’t care what the circumstances are? I'm reminded of this incredible post from @shitty-old-guard-deaths a while back, where Nile’s mother hits Booker with a frying pan because “my baby let me believe she was dead for FIVE YEARS based on your bad advice???” (which may or may not have inspired this whole tangent). Nile takes the advice of someone who did the same thing she wants to do because she doesn’t want to risk her family’s rejection. She wants the good memories with her family and is afraid that showing them her true self will bring her unbearable pain, forever replacing those memories. But, with high risk comes high reward.

Anyway. Nile and the team are trying to come up with a plan for how to handle this whole thing, but she’s not really participating because she’s too afraid to hope. Until finally, quickly, so she doesn’t lose her nerve, she suggests she reach out to them, knowing that, realistically, that’s the only solution before things snowball even further out of control. The team is shocked, but realize that she has a point. They decide that Copley should actually be the first point of contact, posing as a US government official to talk with them and test the waters.

So Copley goes to Nile’s family’s house to talk with her mom and brother. They’re probably distrustful and apprehensive, but nonetheless secretly ecstatic that their work has paid off. They talk and review all of the information that they’ve collected, including testimonials from the people on Nile’s base and recent sightings (along with photos) of Nile (with the same three people) over the last few years that people have sent them but they haven’t posted publicly. At this point, Copley’s like, yeah this is about to blow up, we gotta put our cards on the table. He convinces them to come with him to some safe house/black site/whatever he can get that is technologically impenetrable (I’m picturing them in like, an interrogation room at a police station kind of deal), takes their phones, locks the doors, and brings in Nile.

What follows is the most delightful reunion scene of all time, bringing Joe, Nicky, and even Andy to tears as they watch and listen from outside the room. With Copley’s help, Nile tells her mom and brother about her immortality and what’s been going on since she died (within reason, of course), and they are thrilled. They don’t understand why (because no one does) but they don’t question it and they see it as a gift from God – she’s been resurrected, she will live, and she has a purpose. Her mother and brother are so happy to see her again and are willing to agree with pretty much anything to stay in her life as long as they can.

So. They set up some complicated agreement (they bring in the other three for support/intimidation as needed) setting the terms of their relationship. They swear Nile’s family to secrecy, maybe bringing up the lab to show how high the stakes are, and they readily agree. They come up with some cover story for Nile’s brother to share on the message boards (maybe that the government has opened an investigation but because it’s an open case he has to shut it all down? Tells people to direct their tips somewhere else? Something to that effect). There’s still speculation, of course, but without Nile’s brother at the helm providing the energy, the hype dies down as news stories are wont to do without any movement. And Nile’s family goes to work for the team. The experience has taught them that Copley can’t possibly do everything himself, especially when it comes to social media, so Nile’s brother takes the lead on the day-to-day tracking/social media while Copley and her mom focus on finding jobs and scrubbing their traces afterward.

So there you have it: Nile gets to integrate her biological family into her found family and spend the rest of their lives with them as it should be, Copley gets some badly needed help managing the reality of social media, the team finally has a positive narrative surrounding outsiders Knowing About Them AND about interacting with people from their previous life, and the audience gets the happy ending to this very lovely and very queer story to counteract the pain associated with Booker’s family.

Plus, you know, I’m a sucker for both a good government conspiracy theory and for Nile getting every good thing she deserves.