#I’ve been planning this for a while I guess but somehow it’s still very last minute???

[coolfoxykitkat]

Now that I’ve actually quit my job it is suddenly dawning on me just how fucking insane it is to just. quit your job and move across the country.

[anonf1writer]

Scene 1: “I Only Came Because of You” (ln4)

summary: something written around the prompt “You know, I only came here tonight because I heard you’d be here. How ridiculous is that?”. ofc + lando norris friends to lovers. lowkey angst. word count: 1.4k

note¹: it’s been over a year since I’ve opened a word doc and wrote more than 10 words. might seem silly to you, but feels very cathartic and emotional to me. I missed this, and I missed writing just for me. just to make myself happy. so I didn’t plan, didn’t plot, didn’t take myself too seriously. just went with it and made it happen. so on the one hand I’m sorry if it sucks, but on the other hand I am not sorry at all. lol. 

note²: thanks a lot for your kindness! my inbox puts a smile on my face right now! i promise I’ll get through the messages asap! 🫶

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Danielle opened the pub door still laughing, facing forward and getting through the exit while shaking her head at something Rita had said. As usual, it had been a good night. The perfect opportunity to clear her head, have fun with her friends, and forget about all the stressful, silly moments from that week. 

Once outside, though, she jolted at the sudden drop in temperature. At the sudden silence. At the sudden emptiness. All chattering, music and cheering somehow lingered in her ears, but the night air was sharper than she expected, easily cutting through the ease of her laughter and pulling her back to something heavier. Something real. Something that had her chest tightening while she pulled her shoulders up and crossed her arms. 

Ahead of her, standing near the curb, Lando swayed slightly on his feet. Chin dipped down, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, shoulders hunched forward. Seemingly too lost inside his mind. Seemingly too distracted to even notice she had finally stepped out.

For a moment, Danielle’s heart warmed at the sight, and something exciting fluttered in her belly. It had been months since the last time she’d seen him, since the last time he’d agreed to join them on a night out. And so much had happened and so much had changed since then, that the fact that he had stayed true to his word and waited for her was a win she was more than willing to take. 

At the same time, there was something about this new version of him that had her chest tightening with worry. A lack of energy, perhaps. A lack of presence. Whatever it was, seemed enough to encourage her to open her mouth and break the silence—a silence that had already grown way too heavy and for far too long between them. 

“Hey,” she said. “You okay?”

Lando looked up, then. Meeting her stare. Blinking once, and twice. 

Even in the dim light, his eyes looked glassy. Not glassy as in drunk, but lost somewhere in between the edges of honesty, sadness, and regret. Tired in that emotional way of him that she had come to recognize too well after years of genuine friendship. 

And yet, Lando nodded. 

“Yeah,” he said. “All good.”

Had it been a different time, Danielle would’ve called him out for lying. She would’ve demanded a real answer, or she would’ve named the truth herself. Because had it been a different time, Lando would’ve probably already talked to her about it before. Whatever it was. He would’ve called her just to complain, or to curse, or to stay in silence while she babbled alone for both of them.  

But now…

Now things had changed between them. Now Danielle wasn’t so sure what was going on. Now she wasn’t able to point out where his apparent emotions came from. She didn’t know, because he hadn’t talked to her anymore.

At all. 

Was it a girl? Had he been dating someone? 

Was it his job?

Was it the results from his previous race? 

Was it something with his family?

Danielle snorted and shook her head. 

Trying to guess was pointless. As long as he didn’t talk to her, she would never know. So she gripped her keys and shifted on her feet, walking down the street without expecting anything else from him. 

“My car is that way.”

Only her feet stomping on the pavement echoed on the empty street, and then— 

“Wait.”

Danielle stopped. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then blinked a couple times before she turned back to him. Heart already tugging toward something she wasn’t sure she could name.

Lando was still frozen on the spot, though. Looking at her with narrowed eyes as if he had absolutely no idea what to say, or what to do. As if the words could be written somewhere over her face. Or as if she would explain them to him. 

Except she could never give him the answers, because he had never given her the questions in the first place.

“What?” she asked.

Lando opened his mouth, only to close it again. 

Her heart pounded inside her chest. 

All night, he had barely said ten words to her. A painful contrast to everything they used to be somewhere in the past. 

How the hell had that happened to them? 

“Lando…” she stepped forward, only once, dropping her shoulders while searching his eyes. “What is it?”

A pause. 

And then, Lando looked down, shook his head, and chuckled. 

“Ugh!” He pulled his hands out of his pockets and rubbed his face, the loudest sigh of frustration making all its way from him, through her. “This is just… Fuck me.” 

Danielle held the air in her lungs, watching him press his palms against his eyes and take a moment to collect himself. 

“You know,” he added, “I only came here tonight because I heard you’d be here.”

More laughing. More shaking of his head.

Short, messy curls perfectly cut into a mullet that she had found herself more than once thinking about. Longing to see. 

“How ridiculous is that?”

Lando dropped his arms, looking at her. 

Danielle opened her mouth, only to have no words coming out of it. 

It wasn’t ridiculous. She knew that much. It wasn’t even surprising, to be honest. It was something she’d suspected after her friends had told her he’d been asking about her. But it was also something she had hoped and feared, all at once. A mix of emotions she had been avoiding to think about, mostly because she didn’t know what to do with any of it anymore. 

She didn’t know why he had drifted away. She didn’t know why he had stopped reaching out. She didn’t know why he had avoided her all at once.

She didn’t know, even though she had asked. 

Multiple times. 

“I’ve been crap lately,” Lando said, voice low and unsteady in a way she’d never heard from him before. “I know. I should’ve—I fucked up. And then I didn’t know how to be around you anymore. Because I kept thinking… What if… What if I messed this up too? What if I ruined the one thing I actually care about?”

Danielle blinked. 

And Lando’s words just hung there, soft and bare between them. 

More than anything, she wanted to step closer and hug him tightly. Tell him she’d been thinking the exact same thing about him. Every day he didn’t call. Every text he didn’t reply. Every day he didn’t show up. Had she messed up? Had she ruined the one thing she actually cared about? 

“You didn’t ruin anything.” She shrugged. “You just… Stopped showing up. And you never told me why. But I’ve been here all along… Still am.”

Lando blinked. Like her words hit him. Not harshly, but honestly.

“I know,” he said, nodding once as he took a step forward. “I’m sorry… I don’t know… I just…”

“Yeah…” she added, voice softer now. “Look, I won’t say I’m not mad, because I think I deserved a lot better than that… But I also didn’t need to offer you a ride home. I mean, we both know you’re more than sober enough to drive. And we both know what a terrible fucking passenger you are.” 

Lando smirked, and Danielle felt her own lips curling up. 

“Then why did you offer?” he asked.

“Why did you show up tonight?” she asked, instead.

“Tonight…” Lando sighed. “Tonight I couldn’t not come. I just… I needed to see you. Even if I didn’t say a word. Even if you barely looked at me. I just—I needed to be near you. That’s all.”

Her belly fluttered, and for the first time all night, she finally let her arms fall to her sides. 

“I missed you, you idiot,” she murmured. “That’s why I offered.”

He smiled at that—tired, crooked, familiar. That same smile she loved so much. The same smile that had her smiling as well, right back at him.

“So I still get a ride home?” he asked, that old spark of teasing returning, just barely. 

Danielle rolled her eyes and laughed. “You get a ride to my place and a cup of tea, so I can get a lot of apologies and truthful explanations, how’s that?”

Lando didn’t move right away. He just looked at her for a long moment, like something finally made sense. And then, he smiled even bigger, not wasting any other second before stepping forward and catching up with her. 

“Yeah. Let’s go, then.” 

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[once-upon-an-imagine]

Man On a Wire

A/N: somehow this worked again I really hope you loves like this!

Request - Anonymous asked: For a dialogue, how about Remus thinking you like Sirius so when you ask him to a library date he thinks it's a prank or to make Sirius jealous and he says no. Remus then finds out you were talking with Sirius about him and apologizes.

Warnings: insecurities on Remus' part, making him be a biiit of an asshole, but I think that's it! let me know if I missed anything, also is like 2am here and this is not proofread

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter :) gif isn’t mine :D  

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Man On a Wire

I feel like I'm walkin' on a tight rope My heart is in my throat, I'm counting on high hopes to get me over you

You kept walking back and forth in front of the Quidditch Pitch.

“You need to calm down, love. It’s only a question” Alice tried to reassure you.

“B-but what if he says no?” you asked, feeling anxious.

“He’s not gonna say no” she insisted.

“You don’t know that. There might be a million reasons why he would say no” you said, making your best friend glare at you. “O-okay maybe not a million but… a f-few” you shrugged.

“Hey, ladies” you heard Sirius approaching and landing next to the two of you. “What are you still doing here? We’re gonna be done in a few minutes” he said looking at you.

“She’s second-guessing herself” Alice told him.

“C’mon, love. We’ve been through this. I’ve told you a million times. I know first-hand, Remus is basically in love with you-” Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

“L-love? You never said anything about love, Black!”

“I didn’t think I needed to. He looks at you worse than Prongs looks at Lily or Frank looks at this one” he said, pointing at Alice.

“Hey, don’t drag Frank into this” Alice glared at him.

“My point is, it’s time you both just stop being stupid and get together” he simply said.

“But what if he says no?”

“Why would he say no?”

“I don’t know!”

“He’s not gonna say no, okay? So, just, go up there and we’ll be out here waiting for you two idiots to come out holding hands and we can go to dinner” Sirius said before he started pushing you towards the bleachers, where Remus was sitting.

“Okay, okay, I’m going!” you said, looking at your best friends one last time and taking a deep breath.

You started climbing up the empty stairs and walked over to one of the highest bleachers where you knew Remus always read while he waited for his friends to be done with practice. Not that you knew his every move you just… noticed. You felt your heart beating faster when you spotted him. He was so enthrallingly handsome, it was ridiculous. You always heard girls talking about how stunning Sirius was and, you didn’t disagree, Sirius was very attractive. But Remus’ beauty was completely different. It was hypnotizing. Which is why you were extremely worried about asking him out.

You gripped your books to your chest a bit tighter and made your way over to his spot. He was so concentrated on his book that his tongue was sticking out a little and he was resting his head on his right hand as he read. You cleared your throat a little, getting his attention and making him look up at you.

“Um… h-hello, Remus” you smiled, nervously.

“Hi” he smiled back at you.

“I am sorry to um b-bother you” you started. “Uh, is it okay if I join you?”

“Oh, yeah, sure” he said, getting up and scootching a little to make room for you. How were you not supposed to fall in love with this man?

“Um, th-thank you” you said, placing your bag on the floor and taking your books out. “So, um… what are you reading?”

“Oh” he said, marking the page on his book. “Um, I’m reading A Murder is Announced” he said, showing it to you. “Have you read it?”

“Oh, yes, I read this last year. It’s a really good book. Are you enjoying it?”

“I am” he nodded. “So, what brings you to the Quidditch Pitch today?” he asked, all of the sudden.

“Oh, w-well, there’s a match on Friday” you said. “... right?”

“Right” he smiled. “Are you planning on coming to the match?”

“W-well, I don’t know. I’m not much of a Quidditch fan, as you know” you said, feeling your cheeks burn. “S-so, I thought maybe if I watch them practice I might understand it a little bit better?” you said, nervously.

“Why the sudden interest?” he asked, curiously.

“Um, I don’t know” you said, nervously running a hand through your hair. “It’s our last year, so… I promised myself to try new things” you smiled wearily. “So, um… do you think you can explain some of it for me?”

“Um… sure” he said, putting his book down. “I mean, I’m not the best myself but I did read Quidditch Through the Ages” he said, making you laugh a little. “So, Prongs is the captain” he said, pointing at his friend. “He, Sirius, and Kurt are Chasers. So, they have to get the Quaffle through the hoops” he instructed.

“Okay, that doesn’t seem that complicated” you said.

“Right, but it’s the Beater’s job to throw the Bludgers at them and prevent them to do so” he told you. “Fabian and Gideon are really good. But, we’re playing Ravenclaw on Friday and their Beaters are quite ruthless” he explained.

“So, I take it you’re coming to the match on Friday?”

“I am” he nodded. “I never miss a Gryffindor match” he smiled.

“Oh, Merlin! Look at him! He looks even better with his hair like that” you heard a group of girls a few steps down and to your right. They were ogling and sighing over Sirius, who wasn’t as far, brushing his sweaty hair with his hand.

“Ugh, I know! He’s stupidly handsome” another one giggled.

“So… Sirius has his own cheerleading section?” you chuckled.

“Yeah, he kind of does” Remus told you as Sirius made his way over to the group of girls in his broom.

“Hello, ladies” he said, flashing his signature handsome smirk at them, making them giggle and they all started complimenting him.

When he spotted you, he quickly sent a wink your way. You failed to see Remus rolling his eyes as he started putting his stuff in his bag, which is why he failed to see Sirius widening his eyes at you before pointing at Remus hinting that you needed to ask him. You sighed, rolling your eyes, and took a deep breath one more time.

“Um, R-Remus?”

“Yes?” he asked, looking back at you.

“Um, w-well, I was um…” you stuttered nervously. ��C-could I ask you something?”

“Sure” he said, turning to look at you.

He noticed you were nervously playing with your hands before you looked at Sirius one last time and then you finally faced him. He prepared himself to hear you ramble on about how much in love with Sirius you were and if he could help you fix a date with him or something.

“W-well, I was w-wondering if, uh-” you said, again. “If you’re not busy on F-Friday, um… m-maybe you’d like to um…” you stammered. “G-go with me to the Library to study, b-before the match?” you managed to finally spit out. You felt your heartbeat increase as you waited for your answer.

“What?” Remus frowned.

“O-or if you’re busy we can c-come to the match?” you tried, smiling nervously. “O-or I b-believe it’s a Hogsmeade weekend-”

“What’s your angle?” he asked you all of the sudden, taking you by surprise.

“Um… a-angle?”

“Honestly, if you want to go out with Sirius, just ask him” he said, standing up and grabbing his bag.

“Sirius? W-what are you talking about-?”

“You know, a lot of girls have asked me what’s the best way to ask him out but none of them have sunk so low to the point of pretending that you would like to spend with me to get closer to him-”

“That’s not what I was-” you tried to explain, getting up yourself.

“What is it then? Are you trying to make him jealous or something?”

“What? No! Remus, I don’t-”

“You know what? No, thank you. I honestly have better things to do than to spend a day with you talking about Sirius” he said before walking away, leaving you standing there, mouth opened, dumbfounded. You didn’t even hear the last things he said. The only words ringing in your ears were ‘No, thank you. I honestly have better things to do than to spend a day with you.’

Your eyes kept looking at him as he climbed down the stairs and you saw the group of girls that were looking at Sirius. They all looked at you with sorrow in their eyes. They felt sorry for you. You had just been rejected in front of them. You felt your eyes starting to water as you saw Alice running towards you.

“Hey, what happened? I just saw Remus leaving-”

“He said no” you silently said as a few tears ran down your cheeks.

“What? Why?”

“He said he- um” you tried to explain to your friend as she sat you down. “He thought I was asking him out b-because I wanted to get closer to Sirius” you said.

“What? That’s ridiculous! Why would he think that?”

“I don’t know” you said. “I tried to tell him that wasn’t the case b-but he didn’t let me explain and he left” you finished, crying a little harder.

“Hey” Sirius said, flying over to the two of you. “What happened? Why are you crying?”

“Remus said no” Alice informed him as she hugged you.

“What? Why?”

“He thought she was only asking him because she wanted to ask you out” Alice explained.

“He said that?” Sirius asked you and you slowly nodded. “I’m gonna bloody kill him” he muttered under his breath. “Look, love, I’ll talk to him, okay?”

“N-no, it’s okay” you said, trying to stop more tears from falling. “I d-don’t think Remus likes me that way anyways” you said, sadly.

“Don’t say that, love” Alice insisted. “Let’s just go to dinner and we can talk things through” she suggested.

“I’m not hungry” you said, pulling away and grabbing your things. “You guys should go” you smiled sadly at them. “I think I’m just gonna go to my dorm” you told them, eying the group of girls who were now leaving.

“No, we can talk to Remus-”

“Go and rest, okay? I’ll bring you something” Alice interrupted Sirius.

“Thanks guys” you smiled weakly at them. “I’ll see you tomorrow” you said before making your way out.

“Bye, love” Sirius said before turning to Alice. “I’m going to kill Remus” he repeated.

“If you don’t, I will” she replied.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“What the bloody hell is your problem?” Sirius asked when he burst into his dorm.

Remus was reading a book, James was coming out of the shower, and Peter was just sitting there waiting for everyone to get ready so they could go to dinner.

“Which one of us are you talking to, Pads?” James asked, confused.

“Why don’t you ask your stupid friend Moony” Sirius said, glaring at him.

“What are you talking about?” Remus frowned confused.

“Oh, you’re going to play dumb? So we’re just going to pretend that nothing happened back in the Quidditch Pitch and you didn’t make anyone cry?”

“What?” James and Peter asked at the same time.

“Again, what are you talking about? Nobody cried” Remus said, closing his book and getting up.

“Really? Are you sure about that, Moony? Are you really sure?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Padfoot. You have no idea what happened!”

“Oh, really? So, you didn’t reject her when she asked you out?”

“What? Who asked you out?” James asked, interested.

“Nobody-”

“Nobody? Really? The girl that you have practically been in love with for years is now nobody?”

“What? She asked you out?” Peter asked.

“You said no?” James asked, extremely confused.

“She didn’t ask me out, okay? She was only asking to spend time with me to get closer to you!”

“What?” James and Peter asked again. “That doesn’t make any sense!” James said.

“Yeah, what are you talking about, mate?” Peter asked.

“Why the fuck would she want to get closer to me? We’re friends!”

“Because she’s in love with you, just like every other girl in this stupid school is, apparently!” Remus snapped.

“You see? You see how stupid your friend is?” Sirius told James.

“Stop talking to me as if I’m not here! And stop calling me stupid!”

“Mate, you are stupid! You truly are if you think she was only asking you out to get closer to Sirius!” James told him.

“Shut up! I saw the way that she was looking at him! You winked at her, and all of the sudden she’s interested in Quidditch and she wants to go to the match on Friday, and I’m supposed to believe she doesn’t fancy you?”

“Mate, I highly doubt she’s interested in Quidditch” Peter laughed.

“Yeah, she’s as interested in Quidditch as she is in Padfoot” James added.

“Moons, I winked at her because I knew she was nervous about asking you out. See, it was actually the other way around. She came to me and asked me how she could ask you out” he explained.

“W-what?” Remus asked, feeling terrible.

“Do you honestly not know how much in love with you she is?” Peter asked, confused.

“Yeah, she’s always looking at you, mate” James told him.

“She’s n-not” he insisted, trying to convince himself that he hadn’t just turned you down and that you were not in love with him. “She likes Padfoot. She’s always with him-!”

“Yeah, talking about you, you idiot!” Sirius told him. “She’s always asking what your favorite books are, what movies do you like, and what would be the best way to ask you out! And when she finally got the courage to do it, you said no” he explained.

“Holy shit” Remus muttered to himself, plopping on his bed again. “I am so stupid” he stated.

“Yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, mate” Sirius said, sitting next to him. “So, what are you going to do?”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Throughout the next few days, Remus tried endlessly to find you so he could apologize but it was useless. You were avoiding him like the plague. Even when he tried using the Map, it was as if you were one step ahead of him. He looked for you in the Library, where he thought you’d be even if he said no, but you were nowhere to be found. He hoped you would make it to the match on Friday, but again, you were a no-show.

It wasn’t until Saturday when he begged Alice to drag you to Hogsmeade so he could just ‘casually’ run into you. It took him and Sirius to convince her since she was still mad at Remus for rejecting you, but she caved.

So, here you were, on your way to Hogsmeade as a third wheel on Alice and Frank’s date, although they insisted it wasn’t a date, so Marlene and Dorcas were here too. So, all in all, you were fifth-wheeling.

“Come on, love. It’s gonna be fun!” Marlene said, linking her arm with yours. “We can do whatever you’d like!”

“Yeah, we can go to the Three Broomsticks, or Tomes and Scrolls, or the music shop” Dorcas suggested.

“To be honest with you, girls, I kind of just want to go to Honeydukes to get as much candy as I can carry and then go back” you said with a sad sigh.

“What? No, love, it’s a beautiful day!” Marlene insisted.

“Look, we have some errands to run, why don’t you go to Honeydukes to get some candy, and then we can meet at the Three Broomsticks?” Alice suggested as you entered the village.

“Um… can’t I just by my candy and go-”

“No!” Dorcas and Marlene said in unison. “We’re gonna head to the Three Broomsticks to get a booth, so you better come there after buying your candy” Dorcas added.

“Ugh, fine!” you said, frustrated.

In all honesty, all you wanted to do was buy an endless amount of candy and go back to your dorm. Ever since Remus rejected you, you felt people watching you everywhere you went. You could hear them talking about you and you were certain that the girls that witnessed the entire thing had already spread around your very much public rejection. Which is why you had been avoiding going out of your dorm as much as you could.

You turned around to make your way to Honeydukes, completely missing that your friends joined James, Peter, Lily, Remus, and Sirius at the Three Broomsticks.

“You’re up, Lupin” Alice said, still glaring at him as the rest made their way inside the pub.

Remus took a deep breath before he followed you into the sweetshop. He spotted you on one of the furthest shelves, holding, or trying to, as many sweets as you could in your hands. He felt a sweet smile forming on his face as he watched you. A small part of him still thought that Sirius was wrong. That there was no way that you could ever be interested in someone like him.

But his heart fluttered more intensely with each step he took towards you, and he knew that whether Sirius was right or wrong, he still needed to apologize to you for the way he spoke. When one of the many chocolate frogs you had fell on the floor, he quickly made his way over to you and picked it up.

“Um, here, I think you dropped this” he said, making you turn around to face him. His heart ached a little when the smile dropped off your face when you saw it was him.

“Oh… um” you said, grabbing the treat from his hand. “Thanks” you smiled nervously.

“How have you been?” he asked, cursing himself silently. “I uh… didn’t see you at the match yesterday” he added.

“Right… I wasn’t really in the mood to go” you smiled firmly.

“Oh” Remus said, feeling even worse. “W-well, you missed a good match” he chuckled. “Gryffindor won” he said.

“I heard” you replied noticing a few people looking your way. “Um, I should uh- probably get going” you said, as you were going to start making your way out, but you felt Remus gently grab your arm and turn you around.

“Wait!” he said, getting even more attention from the students around you. “Um, I…” he felt his heart beating a little faster. He didn’t like dragging this much attention to himself and he wanted to ask you to go somewhere a bit more private. But, firstly, he didn’t think you’d like to go anywhere with him until you apologized and secondly, he very much publicly rejected you, so maybe he had to do the same thing. “I wanted to apologize to you” he blurted out.

“Oh, R-Remus, you don’t have to-”

“Yes, I do” he said, getting closer to you and pulling you a little away. “I’m really sorry about the way that I spoke to you” he said. “I’m sorry for assuming that you were just talking to me to get closer to Sirius-”

“Why did you think that?” you asked all of the sudden.

“E-excuse me?”

“Why would you think that the only reason I would talk to you or wanted to spend time with you would be to get closer to someone else?” you asked. “I mean, I thought- I thought we were friends… Is that… um… is that what you think of me?” you asked, sadly.

“What? No!” he assured you. “I don’t- we are friends” he insisted. “I just…” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, here it goes” he said, taking a deep breath. “I like you, love” he started. “I really like you. I’ve liked you so much for so long, I’m pretty sure that I’m very much in love with you” he confessed. “But, I never in a million years thought that y-you could like me like that” he said. “I thought that you were only interested in Quidditch because you wanted to see Sirius and I saw him wink at you, so my reasoning was that you liked him because, for some reason every girl in school does, and that would be the logical thing-”

“The logical thing would be for me to like Sirius?”

“Well, yes” he said as if it was obvious.

“Why?”

“Why would you have any interest in spending time with me then?”

“Because I like you, you big idiot!” you blurted out, frustrated.

“Y-you do?”

“Yes! I figured Sirius might have told you by now, or you might have heard it from the entire school who apparently knows and you’re the only one who’s still oblivious to it!”

“Well, to be honest, Sirius did say something but, I still wasn’t entirely sure that it was true-”

“Why, Remus? Why do you think it’s so impossible for me to be in love with you?”

“L-love? Did you just say love?” he asked, smiling.

“I uh-” you said, realizing you just let it slip. “Well, you said it first!”

“Well, yes, because it makes sense for me to be in love with you, but it doesn’t make sense for you to be in love with me!”

“What? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Why?”

“Why? Oh, I don’t know, maybe we should discuss this on the next lunar phase” he said, muttering the last words.

“Oh, Merlin! Really? Is that what this is about?”

“For starters!” he argued. “Trust me, it would make a lot more sense if you liked Sirius! He’s handsome and always laughing, he’s funny and witty-”

“Remus, are you trying to tell me that I should be in love with Sirius? Or that you are in love with Sirius?” you smirked a little.

“That’s not what I meant!” he glared at you. “Look, I just… I never thought that someone like you would ever want to be with… someone like me” he muttered the last part.

“Wow, you really are an idiot, aren’t you?” you chuckled as Remus rolled his eyes.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Who called you an idiot?”

“Sirius!” he complained.

“Aw” you smiled. “Well, we can be two idiots in love, or you can just reject me again. It’s your move, Lupin” you told him.

Remus bit his bottom lip, trying to prevent his smirk from getting bigger. He walked closer to you and gently pulled you closer to him by your waist before he leaned down to press his lips against yours. You suddenly dropped all the candy you had in your hands and you quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders.

“I choose two idiots in love” he smiled before kissing you once more.

“Good answer, Lupin” you smiled.

“Oh, I also wanted to ask” he said, grabbing your sweets and placing them in a basket. “If you’re not too busy if you… wanted to go on a date with me?”

“Well, I told Dorcas and Marlene I would go to the Three Broomsticks-”

“Yes, they are all waiting for us to get there” he informed you.

“Oh, okay, so that’s a no on the Three Broomsticks then” you said, as you walked over to pay for your things.

“I think that’s for the best” he smiled.

“Well then, it looks like my day is free” you said, as Remus held your hand when you walked out of Honeydukes.

He pulled you back a little and kissed you once more. “I really am sorry, love” he smiled.

“I know you are, Rem” you smiled back at him.

“So, does this mean you’ll keep me company on Quidditch matches?”

“If you’re there, I guess I can be there” you smiled as he kissed you again, neither of you noticing your group of friends looking at the two of you from the window at the pub across the street.

“Fucking finally” Sirius muttered, bumping Alice’s fist. 

The End

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: hope you loves like it! Charlie's coming up next!

[brassrosepetals]

ash & honey (h.a. x reader) [prologue]

Prologue: American Teenager

A.N.// I’ve never really done this before so advice welcome. I have been Haymitch hive-minded for a couple months now and I need an outlet now that I’ve read through all of Move & Countermoves from @nebulablakemurphy and I’m deep in Against All Odds by @flowercrownsandherondales. // title track

warnings: canon typical trauma, mentions of alcoholism, guns

summary: Y/N and Margot change forever.

word count: ~2.4k

Margot didn’t eat breakfast that morning. I asked her to, practically begged, but she wanted to sleep in. This time, I gave her some repreive. She told me she wanted to sleep, and she probably did, but after six years of reapings I  myself had been subject too, I understood that there was more to it. For seven evenings, I struggled to fall asleep. I still did before Margot got reaped. But I didn’t dream of the games. There would be plenty of time to fret over them in the morning. 

Instead, I dreamt of my mother. Of her long brown hair and her dark, forgiving eyes. How she smelled of baking flour and talcum powder, spending her days taking care of the Lochwood children in town. Opal and Dolly and Campbell. They were little then, all babies, and they loved my mother. Everyone loved her. She was gentle, but she was strong. No one knew better than me that she had her opinions, but she had a remarkable talent for a mellow delivery. Behind closed doors she was a little more direct, but never mean. Never once had I heard her raise her voice. She didn’t have to, her disposition directly transfered to Margot and I. We wanted to listen to her, always valuing her opinion. We looked at her like she hung the moon and stippled the stars just for us.

When she got sick, her resolve never waivered until the very end. She dropped weight quickly and it was obvious to everyone in the seam. We started getting gifts from neighbors she had charmed along the way, always food. Whether or not they knew was unclear to me at the time, but after she died it was obvious that they knew before we ever did. People would praise her for “fighting so long” and lamet how “she must have been so tired.” At her funeral I learned that she had been sick for over a year longer than I knew. She didn’t want to tell us until she had to.

I was seveteen when we buried her. There was no heart to heart about how I had to take care of Margot now, or that there was nothing to be afraid of, or how she’d always be with us in some cosmic, ethereal way. I knew all of that, and she knew that I knew. We didn’t need to rub it in, that she was leaving us. I tried to stop thinking of it that way, but I couldn’t help it. I still can’t. Every day of my life I will be hollow with that loss. But, especially on reaping day, I had to make Margot whole again.

When I woke up on those days, I felt like there was something sitting on my chest. While she was alive, Mom would wake us up and that alone would soothe at least some of the ache. But now, that responsibility was mine. And that day I failed Margot.

She got dressed by herself, far too old to want my opinion on her dress. Never mind that I was the most fashion forward girl in the seam, but I guess that wasn’t saying much. While she checked in I looked for a place in the crowd. On her last year, I tried to stand in the front so that I could find her quickly and take her home after. I planned to get her something special to celebrate, we would go to the Hobb and look for something pretty. A necklace, I was thinking. She liked gold, so I would find something gold. I was pretty sure the Undersee’s owed me a favor. But those plans were interrupted. 

When they called her name, Margot looked at me before the other children, sighing in relief, could turn their heads to her. I had never seen her eyes like that before. Her beautiful, big green eyes. They almost scared me then, so wide I almost didn’t recognize her. Wide but somehow still. There was this strange quality to them. She was stunned with fright, they had no emotion. For a moment, they made her look like she was already dead. My mouth opened, but I didn’t hear the sound that came out. By the way everyone looked at me it must have been something ugly, something that clawed its way from my diaphram and up my throat to haunt the outside world like the feeling haunted me. Something worse than when Mom died, becuase this time I had failed. I was Mom’s to love and protect, but Margot was mine. Now what would I do? What would I do now that I’d lost her. I was so sure that I had lost her.

My feet moved. Quickly, floating. They had come for her in their white suits. With their guns and their Capitol pride. 

Faster. They can’t have her. She’s mine. 

I reached them. A hand on a shoulder. Face to face with the enemy. They yelled, not as loud as me. Margot cried. 

No thoughts, just instinct. For the brief time that I held it, it was heavier than I ever realized. Black and oddly shaped, it didn’t fit intuitively in my hand. 

And before I knew it, I was on the ground. Margot screamed.

“Wait,” He yelled. I didn’t love him then. He spoke to them softly but they would only respond with vinegar. When they were gone, he was heaved me up by my upper arms, leaving ten oval bruises. He was there in front of me, I knew that, but he was blurry. For a while everything was, and the sunlight hurt my head, and the neighbor children’s laughter made me angry. He said something in a harsh whisper, something like “Are you stupid?” Of course I was. I was stupid for thinking she’d make it. I was stupid for thinking I could do something. But most of all, I was stupid what I did next. Margot could only call after me on her way to the Justice building. I couldn’t follow her, I was being hauled off. That, I thought, I would regret for the rest of my inevitably short life.

But when they let me go, Sycamore Lochwood was there. The hole in my stomach, the sucking chest wound that consumed everything good like a black hole, had diffused into numbness. My scalp had scabbed over, and I was hungry, and she was warm and stable. They never gave me a definitive reason as to why the let me go without so much as a slap on the wrist, just said to keep out of trouble. I stayed with the Lochwoods after that. It’s no trouble they said, after everything your mother has done for us. My mother. I’m so sorry.

Then, when her interview aired, she looked unrecogizable. She was more than beautiful, she was drop dead gorgeous. With any luck, she would. Quickly and painlessly to go be with Mom. She was also hollow, and I had done it to her. I sent her off to the slaughter with no love, just anguish and despair. For now, she spoke with Mom’s gentle authority. She was polite and she was smart. Witty and tactical, countered Caeser’s quick remarks. When she told him she would win for her big sister, I had to turn it off. 

Most of those games floated pasted me in a weighted haze of tears and liquor. I had never been a drinker myself, but Sycamore had a hefty stock. Never too much, she never let that happen because she had too much respect for me. I had too much respect for her and her family, anyway. They were too kind, too gentle for me to be getting sloppy in their home around their children. I did, however, spend some time getting close to the kids. My mother called them her “bonus children”. Extra little hearts to spread the infinite love she had. Opal was almost at reaping age, and I worried I was scaring her. Still, she sat with me and chatted. Never about my mother. Too raw.

By the time there were only two tributes left, the entire Lochwood family was crammed on the couch, eyes glued to the screen. A career, district four I think, and my Margot. He hadn’t found her yet. She was up a willow tree, hidden in its soft green tendrils languibly bending with the breeze, but she knew she wouldn’t win like that. She was too weak, too hungry to outlast him and his sponsors. So, she set a trap. Some sort of net, something that fell from above. When she caught him in the marsh, all she had to do was wait. Wait for him to stop thrashing, for the bubbles to stop popping up from the water, for the life to leave her eyes as she snuffed out his flame. And she won.

She came home different, something I might have expected if I figured she’d come home at all. That was when I was able to put a face to the voice that talked me out of something unspeakable on reaping day when it wrestled a peacekeeper’s gun from my hands. Haymitch Abernathy. He smelled like alcohol and Teatree and the type of sorrow only awarded by the Capitol. Margot was thin, something she wouldn’t have to worry about on a victor’s salary. My victor, my angel, my Margot.

“She’s shaken up,” he warned, “she probably will be for the rest of her life.”

“What do I do?”

“Nothing. You try to live.”

To move into the victor’s village was to abandon the seam. That was okay, nothing good had ever happened to us there. The home was luxurious with amenities I hadn’t even thought to want. A faucet above the stove, a pot filler, Margot explained. They had one in their apartment before she’d lost herself. A shower that filled with steam. Four bedrooms. Modern, but it was haunted. For the first few weeks neither of us would sleep. Maybe we could, if we really tried, but it was never worth the dreams. Margot’s were worse than mine. She was a pacifist before the games, but now all she knew was self defense. If I tried to wake her up from a dream, her hands would fly out at me, hitting me or grabbing me. She always apologized. So did I.

One night things were particularly bad. Her screams had splintered like lightening all the way across the street. Haymitch showed up at our door in the middle of the night, glass in hand and worry in his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Margot didn’t talk about him much, but she didn’t talk about anything anymore. She was quiet and her teenage spunk was gone with tributes she’d killed. But he stayed through the night, just talking to her. He knew just what to say, stringing together words I never would know to put in the same sentence. He was the only person in the district who could help her now and we all knew it. He sent me to bed, and I woke up to Margot sleeping on the couch, blanket carefully laid over her bones, and Haymitch sipping on the Capitol burbon from our kitchen.

After that, he never really left. 

He was over a lot, feeling just as much comfort as Margot after finding someone who knew the dull, aching pain like he did. I made them food and knitted them blankets, anything to maintain the relationship for Margot. The Lochwoods would visit, too, and for a minute things would feel normal. Margot called her Mom once, then she cried, then she never stopped.

When Haymitch pulled me aside only weeks after meeting, he had a strange look in his eye. I didn’t know him well, he was here for Margot. We spoke, but never about anything serious. Sometimes he would catch me hyperventilating, pacing, or otherwise spiraling and help talk me down, but I never knew his favorite color or his mother’s name or why he looked at my sister like he’d seen a ghost. He’d told me that he made an arrangement at the reaping that day behind closed doors. Margot didn’t know, he didn’t know how to tell her when she was still this raw, the wound of the games hardly scabbing over.

My heart stopped then. What had I done to them? How had I damned my sister and her only friend?  This man, who’d never been anything but nice to me, looked me dead in the eye and explained to me the predicament I’d put them in. Margot, he thought, though he wasn’t sure, won the games because of him. She had to, she was leverage now, against the two of us. At the reaping, the only thing he could do to convince the peacekeepers to spare my life was to appeal to their higher ups. 

“Snow wouldn’t be too keen,” he lied, “on you killing a victor’s girlfriend.”

Since that day, we didn’t separate, not for a second. I refused because staying in his orbit kept Margot alive. When we did expalin it to her, she barely flinched. Her general disinterest for life applying to us as well. We spent time studying each other, our sleeping habits, how we take our coffee, our favorite flowers, and our favorite drinks. He likes the dark stuff, I prefer wine. Eventually, he would start coming home with delicate rounded bottles and fist fulls of irises without saying anything about it. 

For all the time I spent with him, I began to appreciate his… quirks. How he slept in late. How he drank more when the weather got hot and less when Margot needed him. More than anything I appreciated how gentle he was with her. Clearly they forged a bond that I would never understand. Frankly, I didn’t want to understand it. As long as they had each other, I knew they both had some vauge idea of stability. He moved in after a while. With one look through his front door I knew I could not put Margot there. His ghosts and his truama and his fear was all over the floor in the form of empty bottles and abandoned dishes. 

Together, the three of us were safe.

Until the next reaping.

Part I

[twentytwofour]

beautiful coincidences

seok matthew x female!reader | meet cute | fluff, suggestive, slight making out a/n: i believe y'all know exactly what visual of matthew i'm talking about, right? right? *** you and matthew met at a clothing store when you reached for the same jacket. what happened was what one knows of interest at first sight. eyebrows raised, you waited for him to let go – well, he didn’t.

“alright, give me a reason why i should let you get it,” he said, a smile on his face.

“i can give you two, actually,” you dared. “first of all, i have something this weekend that demands this jacket. second, it will look better on me, respectfully.”

matthew gasped, but the smile never left his beautiful features. he took it as a green light to take a good look on your body, making your eyes slightly pop with such audacity.

“right, i admit you’re gorgeous and have a good styling. but it’s actually my birthday this saturday…” he pouted. “you wouldn’t ruin that by leaving with my favorite jacket, would you?”

you had to laugh.

“that’s funny, ‘cause the something i have this weekend is precisely my birthday party.”

“okay, no need to clown me!”

“i’m not! i’ve been planning this outfit for a while, but just got the money for it yesterday.”

matthew bites his lower lip, contemplating. you have a basket from the store with more clothes, which he acknowledges they match the jacket both of you are still holding.

“maybe we could celebrate together after our parties, what do you think? i could use an apology for making me so so sad.”

you smile once again, unable to resist the charms of the man in front of you.

“yeah, poor sad man, what’s your name again?”

“matthew, yours?”

“i’m y/n. now maybe you should give me your number and i’ll analyze your proposal ‘till saturday, is that alright?”

“perfect for me.” he grins.

***

the bar downtown had lounges on the third floor with a view of the city. you rented one of the spaces to spend the night with your loved ones with no worries. it worked so well that your friends were already planning the next events to be in that same room. the place had a glass wall that allowed you to watch the hallway to be aware of anything that was happening outside.

that’s when you saw him.

matthew was standing on the other side of the building – a cup in his hand, hair slicked back and a jacket that looked exactly like yours. he was talking to what seemed to be his funniest friend; his beautiful smile was out for the world to witness, for you to remember how you didn’t text him at all.

it wasn’t on purpose, really. you just got busy with the preparations and ended up leaving it for later – a later that didn’t come.

sensing he’s being watched, matthew looks around and finds you on the other end. tilting his head to the side, his smile changes. he cheers on you with his almost empty glass, you return the action and sign him to meet you in the hallway.

“well, look who wasn’t lying,” he teases while getting closer. “somehow, i don’t see you wearing that so very demanded jacket…”

you hold a smile.

“it was getting kinda hot in there, but i can put it back if you prefer.”

“oh, no, i wouldn’t tell you to do anything you don’t want to. but i can’t lie and say i don’t enjoy this view even more.” there he goes again, scanning you up and down.

“sorry i didn’t text you, things became pretty hectic the last couple days.”

“nah, it’s fine. guess we can seize the moment right now. keep that communication going with no rush this time.”

and you do. the hours pass while you talk about trivial stuff, making sure to be interested in every aspect of each others lives. matthew’s not only handsome and charismatic, he's also part of the production team from a company you know very well — you were invited to work with them for a promotion but the schedules didn't match after all. what did match, though, was the both of you.

the way you laughed in sync, the way you looked at each other with so much attention and curiosity, the way the slightest touches made you two waver. you wish you would've met sooner, but on the other hand, getting to know each other in a place full of people who cherished you and knew how to have fun— oh, that was perfect.

later, when matthew found a more private space to enjoy your presence, you found yourself pretty comfortable on his lap. his kisses were addicting, his hands pressed your curves in ways you could just imagine. first, he was very attentive of your reactions, second, you were the most obvious woman on earth. nevertheless, it was working, matthew’s smoking hot and eager to show his every move. through the few sane thoughts still roaming in your mind, you couldn’t stop the willingness of taking him back home with you.

“wait, i need to pee,” you say, suddenly.

“like in a kinky way, or something?”

“no, what the hell!”

you burst out laughing and hide your face in his neck. matthew pats you in the back, waiting for a real answer.

“i’m serious. i kind of grinded on you in a way that hurt a bit, so it reminded me i’m here kissing you for a long time now.”

“okay, so go relieve yourself and i’ll be right here, waiting to be grinded on for another long time.”

you kiss him again, biting his lower lip as a punishment, but of course he moaned.

“you’ll be a nightmare to handle, matthew.”

“glad to know we have plans together for the next couple days.”

[aziraphales-library]

Lost Fic #222

1. Hello! I know it will probably be a while until you get to this, but I'm looking for a fic I've read before. Crowley was trapped in some way and couldn't speak or be seen, but someone was pretending to be him while Aziraphale was there. I think the person was pretending that this was all Crowley's master plan to win Az's trust and Crowley never actually cared. Crowley was scared Aziraphale would believe them, but Az knew it wasn't Crowley all along, freed Crowley somehow, and threatened the stranger with a toaster. (Bluffing that it was a torture device.) I've been going crazy trying to find it and am getting scared it was deleted. Thank you so much for any help you can give - @write-it-right-2

2. Hello I hope it's okay to ask this here but I have been searching for a fanfic like crazy and have no clue how to find it. I was wondering if yall knew of a fic where crowley and aziraphale have sex in a church and there's like a recently consecrated column and I think aziraphale speaks latin at the end. That's all I can really remember sorry if it's too vague - @fyreblood-clan-altaan

3. Hi! Can you please help me find a fic? I thought I had it bookmarked but I guess I haven’t. It’s a post-s2 fix-it where Aziraphale still goes to Heaven, and Crowley sometimes sneaks up there and bring him things he misses from the Esrth like coffee or food or books and stuff. It was very lighthearted and nicely written and it must’ve been published in august or early autumn last year, I think. 🥺 - anon

4. hi! I’m looking for a fic but I only have a screenshot of it and I’ve no idea what it’s about. the scene is basically C asking A for his name to put on a marriage license for them and A is struggling to come up with with one. It sounds like a really silly and goofy one! thank you! - anon

5. Hello. I know you usually give lists of recommendations, but I've been looking for a fic I read last year for about a month now and was wondering if you could help. In it, Aziraphale finds Crowley (in his flat, I believe) struggling with the trauma from his fall and the physical effects it had on him. The fic explores how Crowley covers his festering injuries, unlike other demons, but they're still there and suddenly getting worse. When he becomes ill and delirious with a fever, Aziraphale heals his burns (I renege a considerable focus on the ones around his eyes) the human way. Thank you so much! - @beellzy

If you know any of these fics please include the number in your reply! Thank you :)

- Mod D

[iwritefandomimagines]

NEW YEAR’S KISS — JAMIE TARTT

masterlist

pairing: jamie tartt x reader

description: last time you saw jamie tartt, he’d laughed off your confession of feelings. now it’s new year’s eve, you’re at a richmond party, and he looks so fucking good in a suit.

warnings: swearing, bit of angst, bit of fluff, alcohol consumption, light sex references but no smut

author’s note: eeeek happy new year’s eve and happy new year for tomorrow all !!! sending lots of love n good vibes <3

———

You couldn’t even believe it yourself that you had agreed to attend the New Year’s Eve party that Dani had decided to host.

Sure, you loved any opportunity to hang out with the men you’d grown close to in your time working with the club, but given the way things went the last time you saw a certain Mr Jamie Tartt… You were regretting your agreement to come immensely.

Even worse, the last time you’d seen him was also at a squad event where one too many shots had been to blame for your actions, and you feared this would be repeated.

You’d stupidly let your guard down when he was flirting with you nonchalantly again, and confessed that you had feelings for him.

He’d laughed it off — assuming that alcohol and clouded your judgement instead of just instilling you with the boldness you needed to be honest.

Since then, you’d avoided him like the plague and turned down all of Keeley’s invitations to places you knew he’d be.

Given that you were only working with the club on a temporary basis anyway, avoiding him had been relatively easy.

But now here you were, because you had no other plans anyway and Keeley insisted that you couldn’t avoid Richmond forever — even if she didn’t know the real reason for it and believed you’d just been busy.

“Oh my God Y/N, you look well fit!” Keeley screamed when she saw you, eyes flitting over your frame before she yanked you into a tight hug, “I’ve missed you, babe!”

“I’ve missed you too,” you hummed, trying to quell the anxiety bubbling in your stomach as you felt all eyes on you, “Sorry I’ve not been around. Lots going on.”

“Too busy for us now, yeah?” Jamie sidled up to your side, a smirk on his face that you couldn’t quite tell the root cause of. Was he just pissing about or was he trying to be snide?

When you looked over at him, you felt your heart race even faster at the sight of him in a gorgeous, well-fitted, and frankly uncharacteristically smart goddamn suit.

Somehow, it made him look even more incredible than usual and only made the feelings you’d fought to deny since you last saw him become impossible to ignore.

You bit your lip, looking down for a minute and not catching the way his eyes scanned over you hungrily.

Your dress was certainly doing wonders for your figure, and he’d have been an idiot not to appreciate it, “Kiddin’, love. You look stunning. We’ve missed ya.”

You nodded for a moment, taken aback by his compliment even though they’d never been rare when you were around him more often, “Uh— thanks, Jamie. You still scrub up well, too. I’ve missed you all.”

Jamie’s smile softened now, reaching out his arm to link it with yours, “Wanna go get a drink, milady?l

You caught Keeley widening her eyes at him with a grin, as if encouraging him.

Oh fuck — did she know what had happened? Were they all laughing behind your back?

“I, uh, yeah sure,” you obliged, almost melting back into being comfortable with him like you used to, “Guess it is nearly midnight, I should probably catch up.”

And catch up you did — champagne glass after champagne glass being knocked back, while you tried your hardest to pretend that Jamie’s hand lingering on the base of your back every once in a while wasn’t driving you crazy.

It also didn’t help that there was a woman hanging around who you didn’t know — a woman who seemed very fond of Jamie, and spent much of her evening gracing him with lingering touches of her own.

He never complained, just smiled and continued about his evening like it was only natural that he was getting female attention.

Well, you supposed, it was.

It was somewhat nice to feel back to normal, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone else was in the loop about something you weren’t.

It was five minutes to midnight now, and you decided that it was best you excused yourself for the countdown and got a little fresh air.

You were overwhelmed by suddenly being back around the Richmond squad — one man in particular — and weren’t sure you could stomach seeing Jamie’s inevitable new year’s kiss with a girl whose name you’d not even bothered to ask.

“What’re ya doing out here, love?”

God, try as you might, you would never get over the sound of him calling you love.

He was stood just behind you, the warmth of his breath fanning over your neck in the winter chill, “‘S nearly midnight.”

“I know,” was all you could muster up as you turned to face him, eyes avoiding meeting his as you took your bottom lip between your teeth.

His eyebrows furrowed as he watched how shy you were, and his hands left his pockets to tilt your chin up to look at him.

“All that time you spent away from us was ‘cos of me, wasn’t it?” his voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but it made your heart race all the same.

You gulped, “I was embarrassed. Didn’t want to see you again and be ridiculed.”

“Ridiculed? Y/N, I wasn’t gonna ridicule ya,” he shook his head, “I shut you down ‘cos I’m trying to be better. Been working on meself and I didn’t want you to do anything you’d regret with me.”

You’d met this Jamie before — this sincere, gentle, kind Jamie who was reserved only for those he held dearest. But it still startled you to hear him tell you all of this.

“I just—,”

“I wanted to kiss you, love, honest,” when did he get so close all of a sudden? “Just didn’t want you to hate me in the morning, or take back what you’d said or nothing.”

You swallowed thickly, “Jamie, I told you I liked you. I didn’t just throw myself at you and say I wanted to fuck you, or-or— anything like that. I was putting my heart out there and you just—you just laughed it off.”

“You were drunk, babe,” he sighed, “I didn’t know if you’d mean it all in the mornin’, that’s all.”

“Well, I did. Although more regretfully, after that.”

His eyes were sad now, almost glassy, as he watched you carefully to see what you’d do or say next.

You stepped back, your own eyes brimming with tears as your back met the fence of Dani’s balcony.

“I never meant to hurt ya, Y/N,” Jamie whispered, once again stepping closer, “I like you too, I just left you alone ‘cos I had some shit to get sorted before I could be good enough for you. ‘Nd I’ve been really trying.”

You finally gave in to the desire to make eye contact again, and felt your whole body crumble at the sound of his words, “You were always good enough, Jamie. I just— I thought I just wasn’t enough for you.”

He scoffed, his hand returning to your chin and his fingers caressing your cheekbones, “You’re too good for me, Y/N. Too good even for Jamie fucking Tartt.”

You let out a giggle at that, followed by a small sob, “What’re you saying here, Jamie?”

He looked down at his watch, “What I’m sayin’ is, it’s 15 seconds to midnight and I’d like to be your new year’s kiss. And, like, not to get ahead of meself… But I’d like to keep kissing you after that. Like, a lot.”

You nodded profusely, wiping away your few stray tears as you heard your friends calling out the final countdown inside, “3, 2, 1!”

He pulled you in close by your face, lips meeting yours with a furious passion as your arms enveloped the back of his neck.

It was everything you could have ever wanted… Even if you did feel fucking ridiculous for never just talking to him about it sooner.

“Happy new year, love,” Jamie smiled into the kiss.

You matched his smile, pulling back for a moment, “Happy new year, Tartt.”

You were silent for a moment as you just gazed at each other longingly, before a realisation hit you, “What about that girl in there, though? She was all over you.”

“Babe, I’m Jamie Tartt,” he shrugged, smiling smugly, “Just ‘cos the girls love me, doesn’t mean me mind hasn’t been focused on one girl in particular, even if she didn’t want to see me.”

“Oi, I wanted to see you, I was just scared to,” you stuck your tongue out as he grinned, “I’m so glad I came tonight.”

“Me fuckin’ too,” he licked his lips, “And in that dress… God, if you could see inside me head right now.”

“Down, boy,” you joked, fully conscious of the fluttering in your own stomach now, “If you’re good, you can take it off me later, yeah?”

Your lips met again hungrily now, your body pressed against the fence as you heard a round of whooping and clapping from your friends who’d found their way to the balcony now.

“A happy fucking new year indeed,” Roy showed the slightest hint of a smile as you and Jamie pulled apart again, blushing crimson, and interlocked your hands.

“Fucking finally.”

———

ok so i may have rushed to get this finish so i could post on nye — sorry if the ending is shit but i hope you enjoyed! pleaaase feel free to request more jamie if you’d like, obsessed again so i’d love that. meanwhile, here’s my masterlist!

[camilasstories]

❝feeling unreciprocated❞ chapter 3 | jungkook x reader (edited version 2025)

summary: Heartbreak was never a plan, but now it's the essence of her existence. Sleeping with one guy seemed like a way to escape the hurt—but sleeping with another, then another, only made things worse. Especially with her handsome crush right behind the wall, watching her spiral and just as confused as she is about her messy ways of coping with a broken heart. As she struggles to move on, the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes: the only person who truly understands her may be the one she’s been avoiding all along.

🩷 SERIES MASTERLIST

you've read chapter 2/you're reading chapter 3/you probably want to read chapter 4

It's been a week. A full seven days had passed, and somehow, the time had flown by, each day pretending like nothing had happened. I burried myself again with old, good routines - lectures demanding my full presence, an avalanche of projects piling up plus an essay at the very top of it. I’d been glued to my laptop for hours, typing away while the deadline hovered over me.

The days had begun to blur together. Late March creeping in quietly, but unlike most of my classmates, I felt a rare sense of calm. While everyone else buzzed with last-minute panic and the threat of all-nighters, I was just a few steps away from finishing. My essay was nearly done, and with it, a real chance at passing the second semester of my first year.

There was no room for any distraction right now. Me and my scholarship couldn't afford that. Therefore, I tried to survive this week without a single thought of memory of that night, yet one message left unread in my DMs was hanging over me like a constant shadow.

[10:04] unknown: welcome roommate, I thought I'd check how's the hangover treating you

I could almost read it with his voice-amused, surely-even if I'd only heard him once in real life. Like he was standing right there, laughing at me through the screen.

The text was sent the same day I'd almost stayed in my dorm, instead of coming to the lectures because of how shitty I felt that morning. It didn't get any better, but I just couldn't afford missing any of the classes. Sadly, I wasn't that privileged.

I choose to childishly ignore the message, not being able to bring myself to delete it.

It was just there, and honestly? I didn’t know what to do with that.

I stirred my iced coffee with the straw, watching ribbons of sweet cream twist into the dark, bitter base. The ice had all but melted, leaving the drink lukewarm-just like my mood.

“You’re in your head again,” Gia said, snapping me out of it. She took a loud, unapologetic slurp from her chocolate shake, grace tossed out of the window, eyes fixed on me over the rim of her cup.

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring into mine, my fingers mindlessly tracing the holder.

“No,” I breathed out through my nose. “That’s not it. Just tired. One of those rough Monday mornings, I guess.”

The hiss of the esspresso machine was followed by the gentle clatter of cups as the barista moved, serving the next order and buttery scent of fresh croissants and the notes of fruit-filled pastries were tempting enough to make go back for seconds. The hum of the café faded beneath the steady churn of my own overthinking. It was still early, late morning, just before the lunch rush-leaving most of the tables empty for a few regulars.

Good, I wasn't in the mood for crowds, anyways.

“Yeah, damn mornings, right?” Gia rolled her eyes, apparently catching my hesitation. “I’d buy it, but I swear I’ve been seeing that look on your face for a week.” She motioned to my expression with a casual flick of her chin. "You know you can't hide anything from me. If I were a detective...".

"You'd be the best one." We finished in unison, the corner of my lips curving up into reluctant smile.

I knew she'd spot something was off right away. Maybe that’s why I asked Gia to meet today-under the cover of a casual catch-up, because right now,

I needed her honesty and her sharp talk more than I needed caffeine.

“I’ve left him on read,” I muttered, furrowing my brows as I stared into my coffee. “I just feel bad.”

Did I ponder whether to text him back, waking up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck? Yeah. But the real kicker was the realization of how badly I'd messed up in front of him that night. It was enough to make me turn off my phone, convincing myself I'd message him later, in the evening. But somehow, the entire week slipped by, my memory of it fading as if on purpose.

The chocolate shake abandoned momentarily as she crossed her arms. "Then text him, or dwell on it more."

"I just can't." I groaned, my appetite for the blueberry bun I ordered suddenly gone.

"Honestly, you're being a coward." Gia sighed, pulling her bangs from her eyes. "I’d get it if you had to text first. But he reached out to you. He made the first move. He wouldn’t have messaged you if he didn’t want to hear back. It’s not complicated. You’re just making it complicated-again."

Maybe, I was. But who wouldn't if the guy who was hanging out with the chosen ones of the college offered you to move in. You would be second-guessing, wondering if it's some kind of stupid joke. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't the one who judged book by its cover. I was simply confused.

„What should I do then?” I shook my head, discouraged.

“Don’t look at me like I have all the answers.” She leaned back, her eyes narrowing in that way that only Gia could manage, sharp and clear. “You can either text him back and come up with a decent excuse, or just delete the whole thing, and stop torturing yourself. But this in-between limbo you love so much? That’s what’s killing you. Here's my opinion.”

Her honesty could be brutal, but right now, it was the only thing grounding me.

"But I can't throw myself into a mess, right now."

"Then delete it, problem solved". Gia finished with a casual shrug. "And next time, remind me not to leave you alone. Maybe you've got some kind of a hot guy charm."

I scoffed. "Only to puke on them later."

"Yeah, we should work on it," she laughed, but the sound faded quickly, replaced b y something quite in her expression. She glanced at me, hesitant now. "Maybe... maybe just text him. See if he even replies."

I didn't answer. I stared at the untouched corner of my bun, then finally picked up my phone from my purse.

"Stop analyzing," she said, this time gently. "Just do it."

A pause.

The soft click of my thumb unlocking the screen.

Then the quiet, deliberate sound of typing.

[09:23] me: is that you, jungkook?

I could feel Gia watching me from across the table, one brow arched. She didn’t say anything, just sipped her drink slowly, letting me work it out in my own time.

[9:34] unknown: yes [9:36] me: sorry [9:36] me: i did see the message, but i got busy [9:37] jungkook: sure [9:37] jungkook: i get it

Acting dumb was reportedly a good tactic. Not the most elegant move, but nothing in this situation was elegant.

I was certain he didn't buy it. I wouldn't have either.

[9:39] me: how bad was i? [9:40] jungkook: bad enough to sign a lease

Gia barked a laugh loud enough that the barista glanced over.

“You did what?” she hissed, grinning like this was the highlight of her week.

“I mean…” I winced. “I actually signed the lease.”

Gia blinked, her grin faltering into something between awe and horror. “Wait. You’re not kidding. You told me you'd agreed to be his roommate. Verbally.”

I shook my head, dragging a hand down my face. “Nope. There's a copy of the lease in my inbox. My signature and everything. I don’t even remember doing it.”

Gia let out a low whistle and leaned forward.

“Damn. You really said ‘new me’ and hit print sign submit all in one night.”

“I told you I wasn’t myself,” I muttered, glancing down at my phone.

“Oh, honey, you were someone. A whole new character!”

I groaned, but couldn’t help the embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

My thumb hovered over the keyboard again.

[9:42] me: shit. sorry again [9:42] me: i wasn't myself really, just drunk and stupid [9:42] jungkook: I know. it's fine, i wasn't completely sure if it was really your place so [9:43] jungkook: what's up?

I bite the inner of my cheek, feeling the warmth expanded. Calmness.

[9:44] me: i'm good i'm just regretting making a foul of myself [9:44] jungkook: don't i had fun [9:44] me: well then [9:44] me: thanks for walking me and listening and the rest i don't remember [9:45] junkook: you're welcome [9:45] me: actually [9:45] me: i want to ask you about the lease and moving in thing [9:45] jungkook: you'll like it, i have a coffee machine

At that, Gia raised both eyebrows over the rim of her drink and muttered, “Well, the guy’s hot and has a coffee machine. Honestly, what more do you need?”

I ignored her, biting back a smile as I continued reading.

[9:45] jungkook: unless you wanna drop it then that's fine [9:46] jungkook: figured you might wanna think it over since you were pretty out of it [9:46] jungkook: someone in your state could’ve been convinced to sign away a kidney

I let out a quiet, slightly mortified laugh, the kind that made Gia lean in again, trying to peek at the screen.

“He’s funny too?” she whispered. “Girl, you really struck drunk gold.”

I glanced at her, then back at the messages. There was a weird comfort in the way he wrote. Casual but not dismissive, honest without pressing. Like he was giving me an open door but not waiting on the other side with any pressure.

Gia smirked as she slung her bag over her shoulder, falling into step beside me.

“What a shame, you almost threw up on him. Makes me wonder, if you had, would he have still offered you a room? Or just handed you a mop and wished you luck?"

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Don’t remind me. I was this close to turning his shoes into a crime scene.”

“Oh please,” she teased, bumping my shoulder. “Some girls flirt, some girls faint. You? You nearly upchuck on potential roommates and still walk away with a signed lease. That’s called a talent.”

[9:48] me: i think i owe you a coffee for dealing with drunk me [9:49] me: and maybe a tour of the place? if that’s still on the table?

I hit send before I could talk myself out of it.

"Did you just agree?" Gia smiled like a proud coach watching a baby deer take its first wobbly step. “There she is.”

“Don’t make it a thing,”

I muttered, but I was smiling too. A minute passed. Then my phone buzzed again.

[9:50] jungkook: it’s on the table [9:50] jungkook: and the coffee machine’s already warming up

“God, he’s smooth,” Gia said, craning her neck again. "You've got a coffee date with a guy who is a freaking boyfriend material."

"It's not like that. We're supposed to be roommates, remember?" I rolled my eyes, ditching her idea.

The tension I’d been carrying around, tight and coiled, suddenly evaporated, and I felt the muscles in my shoulders, my neck, and even my jaw relax. I hadn’t even realized how tense I’d been until now. It was like I’d been holding my breath this entire time, caught up in my own head, and only now did I realize I could finally exhale freely.

[10:00] Your form has been accepted. Payments will be collected in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

taglist: @betysotelo18, @smwhrinthehaze, @goldiemess, @jksusawife, @imurfantassy, @bhonbhon

feeling unreciprocated, edited version 2025 - 09.04.2025

[steddieas-shegoes]

Request: video gamer Steve who is very very private & constantly has competitions with his friends/followers. But one day he does & q&a and someone asks him about his ring/necklace (or something that is noticeable) & he talks about his partner. & Eddie who is a well known musician who talks about his partner Steve. And somehow their fans put it together that Steddie are together. Then they do a really cute q&a on Steve's channel all about their relationship & its really cute

MY LOVE!!! Honestly, if Liam didn't watch so many gamers on YouTube, I would be so clueless. I never got into video games (because I'm so so bad at them you guys it is actually embarrassing) and I never really watched streamers on YouTube or anything. But I know that some of them have like a cult following and so I am picturing Steve to be one of those here. Please don't ask what games he would play because this is a choose your own adventure part of the story. - Mickala ❤️

-----------------------------------------------------

Everyone made fun of Steve for how much he talked with his hands. Even on camera, his hands were constantly in the frame, moving and emphasizing his passion for whatever game he was playing for that stream.

He should have realized that wearing a ring on his usually bare hands would have given him away.

It was his first livestream competition since Eddie proposed on their trip to the Maldives.

He was still a little high off of, well, everything, and he wasn’t thinking clearly.

He ignored the first question that popped up.

who got you that ring?

He shared some basic personal stuff with his fans and followers, but he kept most things private, especially his relationship.

But then questions kept coming in.

R U ENGAGED???

usually the girl wears the ring right

If you’re taken I might have to unsubscribe

The last one made him pause.

It’s not like he was an idiot, he knew that there would always be a handful of people who followed him because he was attractive. He didn’t mind, especially because some of them would message him and explain that they ended up getting into games because of him.

“Okay, wait. Sorry guys. Um. I wanna address something before we start the actual stream.” He held his hand up, looking over at the ring Eddie proposed with. “I share a lot with you guys. I came out about a year ago during a stream as bisexual, and it really shouldn’t have been much of a shock, but it caused a bit of a…thing.” He grimaced. “And I guess most of the reason that I came out then was because my boyfriend had come out as well, and it felt like something we could do together without actually doing it together. Most of you know I was just gone for a week on a much needed vacation. I was with my boyfriend, and he proposed while we were there. I said yes because he is the only person I’ve ever wanted to spend my life with.”

Steve put his hand down, sighing.

“I understand if that makes some of you unfollow me, but I do hope you look at yourself and try to come to terms with why that is what makes you unfollow someone you enjoy watching. Anyways, the ring is beautiful, and it's a simpler version of one he wears every day, so it means even more.”

He felt relieved, but also a little stressed, and knew he’d be calling Eddie as soon as this was over to talk to him about everything.

“Let’s get gaming!” He gave his best smile to the camera.

—-------------------------------------

“Yeah, we had a nice week off together, alone, and I finally got to propose. I don’t think we left the bed for 24 hours after that,” Eddie laughed.

The interviewer laughed too, used to Eddie’s jokes and blunt answers.

“I’m glad you got to spend some time just the two of you. This has been a busy world tour for you and Corroded Coffin and you’re only halfway through!” The interviewer, Hannah, stated. She smiled at him when he nodded. “Anything new planned for the second half of the tour?”

“We can’t give out secrets, Hannah, you know that,” Eddie smirked. “But Gareth did say I should tell you about one thing.”

Gareth definitely had a crush on Hannah and had pouted endlessly about being scheduled for a different interview at the same time as Eddie’s interview with her.

“Oh?” she leaned forward, eyes gleaming.

She maybe had a crush on him, too.

“He actually wrote a song that’ll be on our next album. He doesn’t usually get bit with the writing bug, but someone’s inspired him,” he winked at her, smiling at her blush. “Anyway, it’s been added to the setlist for the second leg of the tour and we’re all really excited for everyone to hear it.”

Eddie felt his phone vibrating in his pocket multiple times. All the guys knew he was in an interview and couldn’t answer a call, so who the hell was calling him?

It was easy enough to ignore through Hannah’s next question, until it started again.

He reached in his pocket and checked to see who it was, eyes going wide when he saw ‘Stevie’ with a picture of them on their vacation lighting up his screen.

Steve never called twice in a row unless it was an emergency. He knew if Eddie didn’t answer, he was truly busy.

He felt his heart racing as he looked back up at Hannah, who instantly seemed to catch on to something happening.

“We’re going to a commercial break, but when we’re back, Eddie’s gonna share a few hints about the next album!” Hannah said, immediately shutting the mics off and gesturing for him to get up.

Eddie took off his headphones and stood, walking out of the room as he answered the phone.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, I just-”

“Hey, no, it’s not bothering me. I was just in a radio interview with Hannah so we had to cut to commercial break before I could answer. What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned that something terrible had happened.

“Fuck, I forgot that was right now. I’m sorry. Call me back when you get to the bus,” Steve seemed like he was trying to rush off the phone.

“No, Stevie, wait. What’s wrong?” his tone was firm enough to let Steve know he wasn’t going to let this drop.

“Um. I just had a livestream thing. And like, people asked about the ring, so I told them I was engaged and some people just didn’t take it that well and then I went online and some people have apparently put it together that the Steve you talk about is me because of something I mentioned about my vacation and something you posted about the vacation and so I think everyone’s gonna know and I’m sorry,” Steve was panting by the end, speaking a million miles an hour literally taking the breath from him.

“Okay, well, we knew this would probably happen eventually, my love. I’ll just call the guys and we can talk to Chrissy about it if it gets picked up by the media. No reason to panic,” Eddie tried to calm him down while watching through the window to the recording booth where Hannah seemed to be introducing a song to kill more time.

“But I ruined our plan!”

“No, love. People ruined our plan. And it’s okay, anyway. We’ll figure it out.”

“But your fans will be mad that it’s me. I’m just…me!”

“You’re not just anything and any fan of mine who says or thinks that, isn’t a fan,” Eddie sighed. “I love you, and we will figure this out. Whatever we gotta do, okay?”

Steve let out a long breath before responding.

“I love you too. Tell Hannah I said hi?”

“Of course. I love you so much, okay? ‘Til death and beyond.”

Steve let out a small laugh.

“You’re not allowed to use those lyrics in the vows. But I love you so much, too.”

“We can discuss that later. I wrote you a very metal love song that I fully intend to use some of in the vows. Okay, bye!”

He hung up before Steve could argue and walked back into the studio, mouthing an apology to Hannah, who just waved it off with a smile.

Everything would be fine.

—-------------------------------------------

“The lighting isn’t ideal, but it’ll be fine,” Steve was pacing, double checking his set up while Eddie watched.

He tried helping, but kept being told not to touch things, so he ended up just sitting on the hotel bed.

Steve had traveled halfway across the country to do this, his stress was at an all-time high, and Eddie didn’t need to get his head bitten off.

“Five minutes,” Steve said, shaking his hands nervously.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Eddie said, waving him over to the bed.

“No, you’ll distract me.”

“Yes, which is exactly what you need for a minute. Come here.”

Steve sighed, but went over to him, dropping onto the bed and resting his head against Eddie’s shoulder.

“What’s got you so worried?”

“Everything.”

Eddie sighed.

“But specifically.”

“I just don’t want you or the guys to lose fans because of me,” Steve was playing with the edges of the hole in Eddie’s jeans absentmindedly.

“Sweet boy, we lose fans because we endorse a certain amp brand over another. We’ll be fine.”

“This is bigger, though. I’m just a nobody who got lucky on YouTube playing some games,” Steve whined.

“And I loved you before that. If they don’t want me to be happy, they aren’t real fans anyway. You’re my future, not whatever woman still thinks she has a shot with my gay ass,” Eddie said.

“But it isn’t just you who suffers.”

“None of us suffer. We lose some homophobic, idiotic fans who shouldn’t ever have claimed to be fans at all. None of us want people like that around.”

Steve’s alarm went off to signal one minute before the livestream started.

He jumped up and pulled Eddie up with him.

They’d already gone over everything together, discussed it with Chrissy and the guys, even Steve’s manager, Robin, about how this would work.

Steve would pretty much act like it was any other livestream, but Eddie would be there for the first five minutes or so so they could do a quick explanation of things.

Eddie would do a phone interview with Hannah in 30 minutes while Steve was gaming, covering a bit more and answering some questions about their relationship.

Then they’d both have a night off to decompress in the hotel before Steve had to fly back home and Eddie had to head to the next tour stop.

Hopefully, the buzz would die down relatively quickly.

Steve did his normal intro, but Eddie’s hand rested on his knee out of sight, squeezing once when he heard his voice start to shake a little while introducing Eddie.

“There’s been some rumors about us, and we just wanna be completely honest about things so that the rumors stop,” Steve continued. “First of all, we’ve been together for almost four years. Way before I got anywhere with YouTube, before Corroded Coffin had even released their first album. And we were friends long before that.”

“Even though I had the biggest crush on him in high school, I didn’t admit I was in love with him until we both moved to Chicago. Wasted years,” Eddie shook his head.

“Second,” Steve smirked, looking over at him for a moment. “The week off in the middle of his tour had been planned for Jeff to go home and be with his family for his wife’s birthday and daughter’s graduation.”

“Anyone who thinks Steve threw a fit about needing a vacation and made the band take a break is just saying so out of spite that we had to move around one of the tour dates to make the week off work. It’s not up to you to come up with a narrative,” Eddie added, brow raised like he was chastising children.

“And finally, most importantly, what either of us choose to share is up to us. We do not owe anyone any explanations. Our relationship is ours. Being public figures already takes away a lot of our autonomy, and this is something neither of us will budge on. We are willing to share our happiness, but we are not willing to let everyone become a part of our life together.”

Sometimes, Steve said things in such a way that Eddie couldn’t do anything but stare at him in awe. He loved him more than anything, and sometimes the only thing he could do was kiss him.

He did so now, not exactly forgetting they were live streaming, just not really caring.

Steve tensed for a second, but then relaxed, cupping his cheek and smiling into the kiss.

Eddie pulled away and looked back at the camera.

“On that note, I’m gonna leave Steve here to his gaming. If you aren’t nice, I’ll ban you from Corroded Coffin shows for life,” he waved before standing and leaving the camera’s view.

Steve rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly as Eddie walked out of the bedroom, blowing kisses back at Steve the entire way.

—-------------------------------------------

After that, Eddie made random appearances on Steve’s live streams, and Steve flew out to a handful of shows to support Eddie.

It’s not that they were hiding before, but they just hadn’t felt like they should have to try to.

Now they didn’t.

Steve even did a Q&A with the band on tour while playing games with them.

They were all pretty terrible at it, complaining most of the time about how D&D was so much easier than this. Eddie didn’t play, but he sat next to Steve and braided his hair while he kicked their asses, asking them all the questions that popped up from people watching.

When he got to one for him, he smiled and kissed the top of Steve’s head.

“This question is for me. How did you know Steve was the one?” The guys all groaned, but they were smiling. “Well, I knew he was the one back in my first senior year. I tripped on the step into the gym and Steve was the only one there. He helped me up and smiled at me, and I was a goner.”

“He’s lying to you all,” Steve said without looking away from the game. “He knew when I made him homemade banana bread. His exact words were, ‘I’m gonna marry you so hard someday, Harrington.’ and then six months later he proposed.”

“Both can be true,” Eddie pouted.

Steve paused the game and turned to him, kissing the tip of his nose.

“Every moment I have with you proves you’re the one for me,” he said before turning back to the game and leaving Eddie silently shocked.

“This is the last time we come on this thing, Steve,” Gareth said.

“Yeah. You broke him,” Jeff agreed.

[imsadstuff]

A Royal Romance - A Jungkook and Royal OC Fic (Teaser 3)

Synopsis: The royal family of Korea changes reigns with a tragic assassination. Crowns are thrust upon the heads of people who never imagined this life. It is a story of many couples, the queen and her prince consort, a king and queen in waiting, a princess and her forced arrangement with Jungkook, but also a disgraced formal royal Yoongi and his boyfriend Jimin. Read along and see how it all unfolds.

Genre: Royalty, Romance, Angst, Love Triangle, lots and lots of romance

Read Part 1 Here, Link to fic masterlist

Authors note: just got done writing this and I think the world deserves to read this NOW! comment if you want to be added to the tag list!

“Have, you, um, how do I ask this?” Jungkook wonders more to himself as he takes another bite of his ice cream. ___ is amused by him, by how he struggles to ask her something, but how he looks a bit too laid-back sitting on her couch as a tv show fills the background noise.

“Have you thought about children, have they been a part of the equation for you? ___ pauses mid-bite, her spoon hovering just above her cup of ice cream. Of all the things she expected him to ask, this wasn’t on the list. She looks at him—really looks at him—slouched on her couch, legs stretched out, a little too comfortable in the clothes she bought for him, yet somehow still nervous about his own question.

“I didn’t want any kids for a very long time, I whole heartedly believed that I didn’t” she answers playing around with her ice cream. “But I’ve had a look at the life plan drawn out for me and it does contain kids, so yes I guess” there’s vulnerability in what she’s saying, and it shakes Jungkook.

“That doesn’t answer my question, I’m not asking of what is expected of you, I’m asking if you want children?” Jungkook asks again as he looks at her intently while she stares at her bowl for a little too long. “Yes, I’ve come to realise that I would love to have kids, twins, but that would be murder to my body”

He watches her, laughing at the last part for a second before the serious look comes back. He isn’t sure if they should even be having this discussion. “Twins run in my family so it’s always a possibility, but who knows,” she stops, having lost all appetite now. “I don’t really run this show”

“What about you, other than the obligation that comes with this thing with me, do you want children?” ___ asks as she stands up, moving by the balcony to light a cigarette. “I’ve always wanted children, I think I’d love being a father” Jungkook answers candidly as he stands up himself, sliding the door open and taking a seat on the outdoor chair.

She exhales slowly, watching the smoke curl into the night air before speaking. “Of course you will, all that time you spend at the orphanage, those kids love you” she speaks resting against the glass. Jungkook chuckles, the memories of him with the kids flashing in his mind.

“They just want to feel seen by someone” Jungkook shrugs, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not much. I just show up, play with them, help with homework sometimes”

She tilts her head. “It’s more than enough. More than most” In an uncharacteristic move, she takes a seat in his lap, which by the look on his face, confuses him. She blames the surge of confidence of the wine they shared earlier.

“Relax,” she murmurs, reaching for her cigarette again. “I’m not about to bite.” Jungkook lets out a breathy chuckle, resting his hands on her waist—lightly, cautiously. “You don’t have to marry me, you deserve someone better, someone that doesn’t come with obligations”

Jungkook stiffens beneath her, his fingers briefly tightening against her waist before loosening again. He exhales through his nose, eyes locked onto hers, searching for something—hesitation, doubt, an opening to argue.

But all he sees is quiet resignation. “Is that what you think?” he asks, his voice quieter now, more measured.

She takes another slow drag of her cigarette, tilting her head slightly. “It’s what I know,” she says, exhaling smoke into the night air. “You should be with someone who loves you because they chose to. Not because they were forced into it.”

“Is there even a thing as choice?” Jungkook asks, gently taking the cigarette from her hand and taking a long drag himself. “For me no” she says, voice quieter now, almost lost in the night air.

Jungkook leans back slightly, his hand still resting on her waist, grounding her. “Then why are you trying so hard to convince me that I do?” She exhales slowly, watching the way the city lights flicker in his eyes.

“Because you are someone who deserve to chose a life of happiness” Jungkook is overwhelmed —not just by her words but by the way she says them, like she believes it for him but not for herself. Like she’s already accepted that happiness isn’t something she’s allowed to have.

He thinks long and hard for a second, putting out the cigarette as his hand reaches to fix the fallen strap of her dress. The simple lingering touch jolts her awake, looking at him more intently than ever.

She holds her breath, trying to find her voice, but it’s stuck somewhere in her chest. It’s the first time she feels like he’s seeing her completely—like the walls are starting to crumble, and she can’t quite decide if she wants to hold on to them or let them fall.

Jungkook’s hand travels from her shoulder to her hair, her hair is always in her face. She never did put on a bra and this white dress leaves very little to imagine, something Jungkook’s trying really hard to not think about too much.

"I’ve never really been happy for as long as I remember," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. She exhales slowly, her gaze flickering back to his. “I don’t think I’ve ever really allowed myself to feel it. I’ve convinced myself it’s not meant for me”

“Who told you that?” he asks, his hand gently cupping her jaw, tilting her face up to meet his. His eyes search hers, they’re close, suffocatingly close, he’s never looked at her like this in private. She doesn’t answer him, she doesn’t really have an answer for him, instead she leads forward, looking between his eyes and lips.

“I think we should go to slee-“ His lips brush against hers, soft and hesitant, testing the waters. It’s not a kiss, but enough to send a wave of heat rushing through her. Her hand instinctively slides to the back of his neck, deepening the touch, pulling him closer as if the space between them isn’t enough. The kiss grows more urgent, more desperate, as if both of them are starved for something they haven’t quite understood until now.

Tag List - @soblavk @lovingkoalaface @solastica @futuristicenemychaos @yooforeaa @11thenightwemet11 @rkivestation

[trafficlife]

Kiss Me Quick, Steal Every Secret I Keep

Etho sees his hard task as a test of skill more than anything else. He thinks it's time he shows Tango what he learned.

Word Count: 3041

A gift for @acolorboom

The reward is none.

Etho stared up at the darkening sky, a collection of whispers flooding his mind.

The risk is great.

He held his breath and closed his eyes. He could only hope that the task wouldn’t be completely impossible.

Let me open the door.

At least, for the most part, Etho was good at completing his tasks. How bad could this one be?

Accept your fate.

The scroll appeared in front of him, an ominous aura radiating from it. He walked away from the Secret Keeper—it’s been a few weeks, yet it still gave Etho chills—to read his secret privately.

A few words stood out almost immediately: Grian, wither, warden, battle, deep dark. And surprisingly, Etho actually felt excited for this task. Would it be chaotic? Absolutely, but that’s what these games were made for. He was also very happy that Grian was tasked with the summoning wither—the last time he tried to bring a warden up to the surface, he ended up dying. 

Etho grinned behind his mask. An idea was already forming in his head: he wanted another person to come with him. But Etho didn’t need help. What he needed was an audience. And he knew exactly who would be interested in watching this.

****

“.... Hold up, you want me to do what?”

“I told you: I want you to come with me and see me bring the warden up to the surface.”

Tango blinked several times at Etho, trying to process the absurdity of this situation: Etho had walked onto the Heart Foundation island and almost immediately grabbed Tango’s sleeve and pulled him away from Skizz and BigB. Then, he tells Tango this plan, which pretty obviously seems to be a task. Tango slowly lowered his rose-colored glasses for extra flair and chuckled. “You- You realize this is a crazy idea, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you realize that this could go either very right or very wrong?”

“Yes.”

Tango pursed his lips, tail swaying behind him. “Well, lucky for you, I do like me some chaos! It would be very impressive if you also succeeded to lure the Warden up.”

“I hope I will. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

A surprised noise escaped Tango’s throat and he felt his face burn. The way Etho said that, with a voice sweeter than honey, coupled with a stare so intense but still so gentle, made Tango short-circuit. And Etho, the smug bastard that he was, knew about this. He walked over to Tango, leaning over his ear and whispering “I want to show you what I’ve learned from your game.”

If dying from being too flustered was a thing, Tango would’ve exploded then and there. However, he was already very close to doing so: his face, neck and ears exploded with heat and his pupils were blown wide. His tail dragged across the cherry blossoms, setting them on fire, but he was too flustered to notice. 

Etho chuckled softly and, oh, he was doing this shit on purpose wasn’t he? He stomped on the flames, leaving black petals on the ground. Tango blinked to look at Etho again, trying to hold on to what was left of his resolve. 

“Fine, then.” Tango purposefully ignored the way his voice wavered and he hoped Etho did too. “Show me what you got.” 

****

Somehow, Etho knew exactly where to go when heading to the Deep Dark. Not once did he turn around or hit a dead end; he kept going, as if the directions were seared into his mind.  He was so confident, it was both impressive and suspicious.

“How do you even know where to go?” Tango asked, as he set up a ladder for them to return to the surface later.

“I stumbled across the Deep Dark at one point while I was mining,” Etho said. “I figured I’d save the location, in case I felt like doing something… Well, crazy.”

Tango raised a brow. “Really… Sounds like a task to me.”

“Does it, now?” Etho turned to look at Tango again, the fabric of his mask twitching as he smiled underneath it. “Why don’t you guess what it is?” The question came out a soft, tender whisper that faintly echoed off the cobblestone walls.

Tango sucked in a breath.

Fuck.

That was the only way to summarize Tango’s racing mind: Fuck.

He was green so he couldn’t guess—both he and Etho were aware of that. But even if he wasn’t, would he want to guess? Absolutely not. 

Etho came to Tango, wanting him to see Etho bring the Warden up. And Etho wanted to make Tango proud and not disappoint him. The thought of it made Tango giddy and his stomach swarmed with butterflies. However, in the very back of his mind, a condescending voice hissed at him: This is only a task. He doesn’t really mean what he says. He wasn’t going to listen to that voice. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t having doubts.

“Tango?” Etho’s voice brought Tango back to Earth. “Tango, you good? You’ve been staring at me for a while… Are you thinking about what you want to guess?”

Tango slowly shook his head, swallowing thickly. “No… No, I’m not going to guess,” he responded slowly. “You know that I can’t guess either way, I’m still green!”

“Fair, fair. But if you had to guess, what would you say?” Etho asked, as he went back to digging.

“I don’t know, you have to bring the Warden up to the surface and make sure it kills someone? You do have a hard task and it’s not like this”—Tango gestured randomly— “is a piece of cake.”

It was time to summon the Warden.

Etho sighed. “That’s not it. If only it were that simple—” Sculk coated Etho’s pickaxe and the stone that he had mined. He raised a brow, shaking the sculk from his pickaxe. “Well… Maybe this’ll be easier than we thought.” He made a larger hole for Tango and himself, and the two of them crawled into the Deep Dark.

As expected, it was pitch black, the only light coming from Tango’s tail. Sculk was everywhere, creating web-like patterns on the ground and crawling up their legs. There were some shriekers visible, along with sculk sensors that were barely obscured by its surroundings. They swayed slowly in the distance, similar to how kelp does underwater. Tango took a deep breath, heart pounding against his ribcage. He met Etho’s gaze and they nodded in sync.

But before Tango could leap down, Etho gently grabbed his sleeve. “Are you going to be okay?” 

“Huh? Why?”

“We’ll need the water elevator.”

“Oh. Right…” Tango grimaced a bit at the thought. He couldn't take damage from water but it didn't make swimming any less unpleasant.

“We could also make stairs,” Etho suggested, “if that makes you more comfortable.”

“What, and risk getting stuck and dying to the warden? I don't want that happening to either of us. I'll…” Tango took a deep breath. “I'll take my chances with the water.”

“Are– are you sure?” Etho asked hesitantly. His concern was very touching, Tango has to admit. But the water was far less risky than the stairs. 

“I'm positive.” Tango smiled. “But, thanks for worrying about me.”

“Of course. Why wouldn't I? Now c'mon, let's go.” Etho leaped down from the ledge he made and crouched down. But Tango still sat there, Etho’s sincere words looking in his mind.

Why wouldn't I?

That was a good question, why wouldn't Etho worry about him? Tango couldn't even say he hated Etho, though they'd had their differences in previous games. Tango didn't know if he loved Etho either but, with how eager he is to spend time with Etho, it was becoming more and more obvious.

“Tango!” Etho whisper-shouted. “You coming?”

“Yeah- Yeah, hold on.” Tango leaped down, one of the sensors picking up on his movement. Thankfully, the shrieker didn’t set off prematurely. They lurked closer to a shrieker, like wolves stalking a sheep. Only they knew that the sheep could strike anytime. He met Etho’s gaze and nodded, communicating with his eyes. I’ll watch your back.

The ground cracked. A dark claw emerged from the fragmented sculk, followed by a low growl. Etho whipped his head towards Tango, handing him a water bucket and making sure none of it spilled. “Get up the ladder- pour down the water when you reach the top.”

Etho understood instantly and went closer to a sensor, making a swift movement.

The shrieker activated in sync with the sensor, the wail bouncing off the walls. Once it faded away, there was tranquility for a moment. They knew very well that the calm wasn’t permanent.

Tango nodded, holding the bucket with one hand and climbing the ladder with another. He shouldn’t have been worried about Etho; he was essentially an expert at this and was already on his way to winning Decked Out. But still, there was a lingering fear that Tango just couldn’t shake off. Maybe it was the nature of this game. If Etho were to get hit—which Tango doubted would happen—he couldn’t recover easily. And if Etho died, it’d set their progress back. Tango knew Etho was strong. Strong, quick-witted, charming, sensible… For goodness’ sake, Tango, this was a life-or-death situation, it was not the time to fawn over Etho.

Tango could feel the ladder shake underneath him, the heavy footsteps of the warden sending shivers up his spine. He knew Etho could avoid the warden but he didn’t want to delay him. The moment he reached the top, Tango took his bucket and poured it down, creating an elevator for Etho to go up. Tango leaned over the edge, eyes wide with anticipation. “Please, come up all in one piece,” he murmured under his breath, despite his confidence in Etho’s skill.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. 

It was mostly muffled but still loud enough to make Tango jump. And it sounded like it came from underground.

Tango physically felt his heart plummet to the pit of his stomach. No, no, no, no, no, please don’t let Etho be dead. Etho was only green but the thought of him dying made Tango sick with dread. He pulled out his communicator, frantically looking through the names, and-

He was honestly torn between sighing in relief and continuing to hold his breath.

Good news: Etho didn’t die. Bad news: Lizzie did. And Tango felt incredibly bad, especially since she’d be alone the entire game. 

 In the water, he saw a figure slowly rise to the surface and heard a low growl from below. Etho’s head popped out of the water, brushing his soaked hair back (which wasn’t hot at all, thank you very much!) and swiftly climbed out. “Warden- warden’s on its way. Stay close to me, I don’t want to lose you.”

Tango nodded, tail flicking behind him. The warden crawled out of the water, outstretching his limbs as its tendrils clicked. Tango felt Etho grab onto his wrist and pull him away, paying attention to make sure the Warden was following them. “We’re bringing him to spawn,” Etho murmured against Tango’s ear, his breath lightly tickling his skin. Tango’s own breath hitched but he still managed to nod. “By the way… What was that explosion sound?”

“Lizzie. She died.”

Etho winced a bit, some remorse flickering in his eyes. “Oh, gosh… That really sucks. We probably should’ve gone to her party, huh?”

Tango nodded solemnly. “Yup. But hey, we can make it up to her after the game ends! That’s the least we could do right?”

Etho chuckled a bit. “Ah, Tango, you’re always so thoughtful.”

Tango beamed proudly. “I try to be!” 

The warden was right on their heels, stumbling about and flailing its arms around. Somehow, Tango and Etho didn’t run into anybody for a long while. The moon was high in the star-speckled sky, shining down ominously as if it knew the chaos that would follow. Eventually, they saw Grian talking to Scar. Grian saw Tango, Etho and the warden waddling behind them, a mischievous smirk on his face. He was hugging something black to his chest and- wait, was that a wither skull?

Tango blinked several times, trying to make sure that he was seeing properly. What was that pesky bird planning? BigB, who had just approached Scar and Grian, seemed to notice what Tango and Etho were planning because his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. When Scar turned around and saw the warden, he was so startled he was pushing back on his wheelchair.

“Etho! Is this- is this central enough?” Grian asked, trying to stifle laughter from Scar’s reaction. He moved closer to the firepit, setting up soul-sand in a very suspicious position.

“Wh- Grian, what are you doing?!” Scar asked, having now noticed the wither skulls that Grian was holding. Scar scrambled to take the skulls from Grian before he placed them down but Grian was too feisty to let go. Tango watched the spectacle, eyes wide. He then turned to Etho, who had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Clearly, there was much more than he was letting on.

“Wait, Etho, did you know about—?” 

Tango was interrupted by a loud, raspy hiss, as a wither emerged from the soul sand, growing in size and flying into the sky, obscuring the moon. There was absolute chaos. The warden had stopped following Etho and Tango and went to chase the next player it detected, wither skulls rained down from the sky, and everyone was screeching “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” at the instigators.

Grian had the largest shit-eating grin on his face and Etho definitely had a similar expression under his mask. Tango, on the other hand, was biting his lip to keep himself from mirroring that expression. He should have been more scared by the wither but he really wasn’t. Partially because he was so close to Etho and that mattered more than anything. 

Mumbo and Jimmy seemed to be running towards the warden rather than away from it and they because of it. The sonic boom rang in Tango’s ears, in synchrony with the lighting that struck. First Jimmy, then Mumbo right after. The flash made Tango’s heart jump but Etho remained completely calm. 

“Where’s the wither?” Tango asked, running alongside Etho.

“Guys- guys, please.” Scar, in his wheelchair and somehow outpacing the wither, rolled up next to Etho and Tango, scared shitless. “Please, do- do you want to give me a hand?” The skulls rained down behind the trio like a meteor shower, plummeting into the Earth and creating rather large holes. The grass and the flowers began to wilt, shriveling up and dying as the skull drained the life out of them. “Please- I don’t know how much longer I can keep up with this—” 

Before Etho or Tango could respond, the two of them fell into a pit that Scar narrowly avoided. Scar went back to being chased by the wither, begging for others to come out and help him, by leading the wither directly into their bases. Honestly, the fact that Scar was able to avoid the wither for this long was incredibly impressive. 

Tango groaned a bit, bringing his hand up to his hair, accidentally elbowing Etho’s chin in the process. “Oh, sorry, I-” He immediately shut up when he noticed the position they were in. Etho was directly on top of Tango, nearly laying on his chest. Etho’s eyes were piercing through Tango’s, as if he wanted to read his soul. And Tango couldn’t help but wonder, would Etho know how Tango feels about him? 

Tango didn’t really want to get out of this position. And, since Etho didn’t move, neither did he. Their bodies were flush against each other, and Etho’s face was so close, his white hair was brushing against Tango’s skin. The mask slipped off of Etho’s face and-- if he lowered himself any more, their lips would be touching—

Oh, void, the realization that he was so close to kissing Etho made Tango’s face bloom bright red.

“Tango.” Etho’s voice was a hushed whisper and, to anyone else, it would’ve been completely muffled by the wither’s explosions. But Tango kept all of his focus fixated on the man who was laying on top of him, ignoring the wither and the world that was falling apart around them. And it was all because Etho was here, his world was right here. “I didn’t let you down, I hope.”

“Never,” Tango gasped instantly. “You could never let me down.”

Etho chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that.”And then he leaned in, closer and closer and closer until it was finally enough. His lips were warm against Tango’s, and it made him melt almost instantly. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been waiting for this forever. Tango’s hand snaked up into Etho’s hair and oh goodness, it was so soft. 

“Etho- Etho, the wither killed the warden!” 

“Etho, stop making out with Tango, and come press the damn button!”

Grian was shouting at them from… somewhere. But they were too busy to care.

 Tango, dizzy from suffocation, reluctantly pushed Etho off of him. “Gah… I had a feeling that part of this was part of a task.”

“Well… Not the part where I asked you to come with me,” Etho murmured. “I did that voluntarily. I was serious when I said I wanted to impress you.”

Tango couldn't stop the giggles climbing up his throat, a large smile on his face. “You did, Etho, you really did!”

“Are you talking about my warden wrangling, or the kissing?”

“... Yes.” Tango smirked. “I'm not going to elaborate. Go press that button!”

Etho nodded, lightly kissing Tango on the cheek, putting his mask on and leaving with Grian to the Secret Keeper. Tango lay there in the withered grass, hands on his cheeks and grinning. Nothing could ruin the happiness and satisfaction he felt at this moment.

… Not even the fact that Tango forgot to complete his own task. 

He'd make it up next session. But now he just wanted to make out with Etho for the rest of this session.

[happikattwuzheere]

sorry you probably get this a lot (like. a LOT a lot) but you know how it is i’ve been rereading tcitwtsiayk (crossfire. it’s crossfire. personally tcitwtsiayk is very clearly a much better name but *sign* i GUESS i can deal with crossfire… smh my head) and haha wow that fic is sEVEN YEARS OLD at this point wow!! so i was thinking to myself yeah this is definitely abandoned by now but *WHAT IF*… so i checked your profile and from there, your dedicated fanfic blog… and i saw you’d posted about it in december and i was like wow that’s actually weirdly recent?? and then i saw some other post about something you meant to post on your main so i then came HERE and was like holy sHIT you were last active last YEAR but you somehow happen to have been online tODAY??? so basically clearly the stars have aligned and therefore i’m meant to ask this definitely over-asked question

anyway point is

do you genuinely reckon you’ll ever continue it :? and,, if not,,,, (which for the record is totally understandable?? it’s been seven freakin years?????) do you think you could perchance share any sort of outline for what you had planned Back In The Day or whatever so that i can daydream about where the story might’ve gone lol

ok thanks sorry to bother you

(p.s. oh shit i completely forgot to check for an faq page i’m even more sorry if you’ve already answered this and i’m being redundant)

(p.p.s. god i didn’t even say anything i enjoyed about the fic i just started demanding answers fuck

it’s quite literally the best fic i’ve ever read—and, if i’m not mistaken, one of the first ones i read too!! i remember back in like 2020 when i was first getting into homestuck (yeah i know still relatively recent but for me it was a while ago okay!!!) i got really mad when i reached the end because >:OOO!! the davekat hasn’t developed in this fic that is tagged as davekat and is therefore davekat-centric!!! and of course the fic was already long completed (and like probably abandoned) by then so i was like nOoOOooOOOooo anyway as i reread it with the wise old eyes of a nineteen year old i’m like wow why the fuck did i focus so hard on the davekat lmao this is very clearly Not About That (fun fact i also thought ben was a good guy!! because i was 14!! and stupid!!!) ok anyway to reiterate BEST FIC I’VE EVER READ the art is gorgeous the writing is amazing the characterization makes me Feel Things gaaah i love it so much!!!)

(p.p.p.s i’m autistic. if you. ah. couldn’t tell. thank you for reading my bullshittery i’m so sorry)

(Im possiprobably also autistic/def a rambler and an obsesser of things no worries)

Thank u so much tho for the kind words (keysmash goes here I’m screaming but mobile hell cannot convey my gratitude correctly ❤️❤️❤️) and also an opportunity to explain what I’ve been up to behind the scenes!

Folks who have been here ages might remember me taking about doing a silly little webcomic about people turning into animals and having a war and stuff and also beefing with the manifestation of the concept of fate. Anyone here remember Altered? Lmao. Anyway I’m back on my bs but like actually for real this time, I’ve been overhauling that and planning to do patreon things about it. Not done w planning stuff but the goal is to get that started this year, and my hope is that once i have that properly going I’ll have time open for other projects. And one of those would definitely be crossfire I have too much in my head not to

So that’s the deal re: crossfire I gotta get my original thing going first and then I’ll get back to u on that crazy train

[1moreff-creator]

DROS CH3 Part 7 First Impressions

Wait this is the end of the trial? Damn, this one was fast! Well, at least we don't have to dread the execution any longer, we just have to confront it now! :,D

CWs

"Ellis: …I guess there is one more person who didn’t have an alibi for the early afternoon. We have no clue what Aidan was up to." Right, that's what we were doing :p

"Davis: But… it just… doesn’t make any sense!" [Puzzling Pieces] Davis is, uh, not doing very well at all! Understandable and cool.

"Mark: We can’t guarantee that he wouldn’t kill someone, even if it wasn’t out of self interest." Are we thinking he wanted to stop the motive? But this isn't his MO. When he wanted to end the other motive, he offered himself up as the victim and wanted someone to choose to help him with that, instead of taking action himself. He doesn't care about anything* and all that.

*Slightly dubious as of recent events involving Davis but you get what I mean xD

"Harper: It seems that, when Davis and Ellis met with him, he must not have been thinking about conveying information…

Taylor: “...Because I was stabbed. I was a little preoccupied."" Okay that's actually a fun use of the Impressionist thing lmao.

"_____ _____ _____ with _____ to _____ an _____." Fun fact about this one, I think you can immediately tell the last word is either "interest" or (more likely) "alibi" because those are the only options that actually work. I'm saying it now but this kind of thing is actually how I usually get started on these things lol. Grammar pog!

Let's go with "Aidan only met with Kennedy to have an alibi." It's a decent argument, actually, as Aidan really had no reason to actually listen to Kennedy in that moment. I agree with Davis that the motive doesn't really line up, but let's explore the possibility anyways.

[Answer: Aidan only met with Kennedy to have an alibi.] And this one didn't take 30 minutes! Let's go!

"Ellis: Like, if your number one enemy invites you to a secluded location at a specific time, it’s either a rivals-to-lovers makeout sesh or a super obvious death trap, right?" Ellis knows the fanfic tropes! xp

"Davis: It still just… doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t. There’s no point to it.

Mark: Would it help to discuss it more…?

Davis: …I guess so." [Nonstop Debate] Well, let's see how right Davis and I are about the motive thing!

"Mark: Maybe he thought he could protect us somehow." Let's shoot this with Third Motive and see how it goes!

[Answer: Third Motive → “protect us somehow”] I never miss! If you ignore all the times I've missed, anyways.

"Davis: That’s not fair, though. He wouldn’t decide to do anything that extreme without consulting everyone else. Even for the loved one’s motive, he offered to work with someone else, but otherwise he waited. I don’t understand why he would have just picked Vivi to die." True! And Vivi doesn't strike me as the type to agree to that, either.

"Taylor: Maybe she volunteered as well…?

Kennedy: Zero chance. Vivi wanted to revive the loved ones who died. Why wouldn’t she wait to see what the new motive was? Why wouldn’t they just plan to resurrect any sacrifices when all was said and done?" Yeah Kennedy, you get your Mad buddy! >:D (Listen these are the last crumbs of Mad Duo I'm getting in main story I have to enjoy them while they last xD)

"Kennedy: Give it up. Mastermind or not, Aidan is the killer here. Traitor or not, you need to stop blindly defending him. You don’t know him, and you don’t know what he’s capable of.

Davis: I said to let me think. Stop trying to convince me I’m wrong.

Kennedy: Fine" Rare moment of Kennedy shutting up? Holy hell :O /affectionate

"Davis: …Okay, I’ve got it. It’s the same reason why we didn’t think Kennedy or I could be the culprit.

Noah: Inherent suspicion…? [...]

Davis: If Aidan was intending on losing a Trial but would risk dying beforehand, do you really think he wouldn’t think to tell Ellis and I that?" Alright, I get the angle. Still no idea where we're going but y'know.

"Paris: Maybe? People’s minds can go to weird places when they’re, like, about to die, right?

Taylor: “I’m not stupid enough to suddenly forget everything I’ve been working towards just because someone stabs me.”

Paris: So true, Tay." Okay these two are pretty fun when they're not worrying me terribly xD

"Jeff: So… now what?" [Puzzling Pieces] Seems I'm not the only one with no idea what direction the trial's about to take lmao. Also I love Puzzling Pieces but how many of them are going to be in this trial???

"_____ _____ be _____ _____ when _____ _____." Bro these are just getting harder and harder what the hell???

Okay I might get this one wrong, because I have no actual idea what the point we're trying to make is, but I'll say "Vivi would be too suspicious when Aidan knocked." It's worded a bit weird, but the point is that Vivi could potentially open the door for Kennedy or Davis, but they'd be a bit more suspicious around Aidan?

[Answer: Vivi would be too suspicious when Aidan knocked.] Never mind I should have never doubted myself. What is in the air this trial? Goddamn! xD

"Kennedy: I see. In that case, Davis must’ve been befriending Vivi so she’d let her guard down. He’s very naturally charming, so I can imagine it worked easily." Damn. I always like when Kennedy hears two options (in this case, "Kennedy or Davis killed Vivi"), and immediately jumps to the one he considers right without even mentioning the other one, it's a fun quirk.

[Third Party Analysis] Alright, let's do this! I'll try not to overshooot the statements' length this time :p

Davis:

Concession: I understand that, given I’ve been on the opposite side of the conflict from Vivi, I might seem the most suspicious.

Defense: I’ve been pushing back against this conflict the whole time, and I tried to stop any violence that arose from it.

Attack: Kennedy, on the other hand, has shown a tendency to solve problems with violence, both before and during the murders today.

Proposal: I think it’s likely that Kennedy hoped killing Aidan would create a diversion, such that we wouldn’t even realize they saw Vivi today.

Kennedy:

Concession: If you find it hard to believe me because I’m willing to kill, then I can’t change your mind on that.

Defense: If I was really trying to deceive you, I wouldn’t have admitted to killing Aidan.

Attack: There’s no one else who would benefit from the lie the Monoquin File presented.

Proposal: He probably planned to get his own alibi later on, but when Aidan presented him with a golden opportunity, he took it.

{Man, Kennedy is... not good at this. I'm starting to get really worried they actually are the killer here. I can't lose both members of the Mad Duo in one chapter, please!}

Inquire: I think this is going to be wrong (I don't think I have a great track record with these Inquire things lol), but I'll shoot Davis' Proposal with Vivi's e-Handbook. He claims Kennedy would have tried to kill Aidan to make people think she never met with Vivi, while before he also argued that the message Kennedy sent Vivi was part of the plan. Either Kennedy wants people to think he met with Vivi because he sent the message, or he didn't want that and that's why he attacked Aidan. I'm not sure how conversation would continue from there, though, which makes me a bit hesitant on this.

[Answers for Distill] Hey, I actually aced this this time! Hell yeah.

[Answer for Inquire: Kennedy’s Account → Davis’ Proposal] Alright, correct reasoning, wrong bullet, I'll take it. I didn't use the account because I figured the point was that Kennedy only said All That as a backup plan when Aidan survived, while the message, which must have been sent when Vivi was already dead due to the lack of response, showed that Kennedy was willing to plant evidence of a connection to Vivi's death even before the plan went wrong, which is more solid evidence that they never planned to pretend they never went into Vivi's room. Does that make sense? I hope so! Either way, this still works.

"Paris: Can we keep going? We’re getting, like, nowhere." I kinda feel like that too lmao.

[Progressive Deduction] Let's see what Ellis can come up with!

1- Why have Davis and Kennedy been acting similarly this Trial? -> d. All of the above {This doesn't wrok with my formatting but just trust okay? xD}

2- Why are we suspecting them again? -> a. Because we didn't have any other options {Oh shit is someone else about to get accused?}

3- What might indicate one of the two being innocent? -> a. Davis stopping us from accusing someone else {I... Are we arguing that Kennedy doesn't really care about who gets voted as long as it's not them, thus making them more suspicious? I might have gotten something wrong here lol}

[Answers: 1 -> d. 2 -> d {All of the above}. 3 -> a.] Did Kennedy and Davis really have more motive than anyone else? I don't remember anyone making that argument, hence why I didn't pick All of the Above for 2 lol. Anyways, this makes some amount of sense! Very worried that we're moving in a Kennedy!Blackened direction ha ha...

"Ellis: …Would a real blackened seriously throw his own ass back in the line of fire for the sake of someone who’s not even here to defend himself?" We are, uh, running out of chapter, and I'm getting more and more worried for Kennedy lol.

[Nonstop Debate] Yay... Help.

"Jeff: Make an excuse for yourself. Go." What is this weak point bro??? We're just highlight words now, what would you even shoot this with in any situation??? xD

"Kennedy: That’s different. There was already going to be a Class Trial, and I would have avoided becoming the blackened." I... the only thing I can think of is shooting this with Regulation #8 (the one about how the blackened is the person who killed the victim whose body is found first). Unless I'm supposed to shoot "I [Kennedy]'d have to have a good reason to kill" with "I would have avoided becoming the blackened", with the idea that killing Vivi was a diversion to protect themselves in case the killing game didn't end with Aidan's death. But having that backup plan is kinda weird, especially for someone as sure of herself as Kennedy, and especially if it meant killing Vivi.

[Answer: Kennedy’s Escape Theory → “the killing game would be over”] Alright this one's on me, I just didn't read the Notes for some reason xD But yeah, reading that note, that says that Kennedy doesn't think killing the mm would end the killing game, compared to what he's saying this trial, it seems we're a little fucked. Goddamnit.

"Noah: But, if that’s how you feel about it… why did you say that we could’ve gone home? 

Kennedy: Because I know I’m innocent, and it’s important to get the Trial verdict right. 

Paris: So, you’re admitting to manipulation, or…? Getting caught in a lie doesn’t exactly make us believe you, hon~

Kennedy: It doesn’t matter. Davis is still the killer, or it’s Aidan. One of the two." This, aside from proving my point that there's too many orange people alive at this point, is a really funny reaction to getting caught on a lie. No panicking, no trying to explain, just straight up going "Yes, I lied, let's continue." Never change, Kennedy xD

"Mark: So, Kennedy…? Got any other points to make…?

Kennedy: Of course I do! You’re all making a mistake!" [Freestyle Feud] Fuck.

"I’m the one who’s been guiding the Trial the whole way through!" -> To make us reach conclusions that benefit you!

"I killed Aidan; that’s the only reason you’re accusing me!" -> Your lack of alibi also isn't helping here! {Maybe? Idk where we're going}

"There’s no reason why I would kill my closest friend." -> That was, except they were against you in the end. {Sort of, anyways}

"Aidan’s one thing, but killing Vivi? The logic’s too grim." -> Unless that's exactly what you want us to think! {I have no idea what I'm supposed to say, so my idea is that Kennedy is lying about having everyone's best interests in heart, just wants to escape the killing game, and that he killed Vivi specifically because it'd make it seem like he couldn't be the killer due to sentimentality? Idfk}

"Kennedy: Aidan’s one thing, but killing Vivi? The logic’s too grim.

Ellis: It’s not when you consider that Vivi could’ve healed him!" Is this really the argument? I guess it's sound enough, but it's not the strongest thing I've ever seen. Also just seems like way too extreme of a measure for this, but what do I know.

"Kennedy: If that was the case, there’d be no reason to kill Vivi! I’d just… make sure Aidan actually died in the first place.

Harper: In the first place…?

Kennedy: …Fine. I’ll admit it. I lied during investigation." Where are we going??? What the fuck are we even doing???

"Kennedy: It’s still true that I took a knife from the kitchen in my room. I told Aidan to meet me at the Villa where Robert died. Once he was there, I pulled the knife on him.

Davis: And?

Kennedy: …And I lost the fight." ... What. Of all the fucking things they could have been lying about, I didn't expect this to be one of them. Unless she's just lying about lying, but y'know.

"Kennedy: …The fight was intense. Furniture got knocked over, and there was a lot of scrambling. But, at the end of the fight, he was inside with the knife, and I was outside with the door locked. He and I both knew that I tried to kill him, and with no way in and no weapon, I wasn’t able to do anything about it." Are you saying that-

"Kennedy: …Aidan stabbed himself." I'm losing my fucking mind. This has to be a lie, right? I get the argument, but it still probably means Aidan's the killer, which is insane. Or, wait. Maybe Aidan didn't know about Vivi's death, stabbed himself to... prove Kennedy tried to kill him? And then survive with Vivi's help? Alright, let me see what the characters are gonna say on this because I don't think I'm being very coherent right now.

"Kennedy: To frame me, probably. He must’ve already told Davis to come over by then. Even though I started the fight, he might’ve been worried that I’d deny it, and people would think he tried to kill me instead. If he’s the one who comes out looking like the victim, people would be more inclined to believe him." Okay, that's... better. But Kennedy messaged Aidan, which should've been enough evidence for that, right?

"Kennedy: That’s why he was still alive when you got there; I didn’t actually land the blow. If I was trying to kill him, why wouldn’t I have gone for the throat? It’s because I never had a chance. He must’ve known you’d save him. That’s why he was willing to take the chance." This does explain why Aidan told Davis to come a few minutes after he was supposed to meet with Kennedy, instead of arriving together for protection. He wanted to get attacked? I'm losing it.

"Taylor: “It’s not like it matters. Since when have I cared about my own life anyways…?”

Davis: I… I don’t believe it. He wouldn’t. There’s no way… 

Taylor: “Believe what you want, Love. It doesn’t change anything.”" Alright now we're weaponizing the impression, got it. This isn't helping, Taylor!

"Mark: If that’s true, then something’s bothering me." [Puzzling Pieces] Alright Mark, help me. Also there's another Puzzling Pieces??? Goodness! Seems I'm not the only one who really enjoys these lmao.

"Mark: Wouldn’t it make the most sense if he stabbed himself because it would give him more of an alibi?" Right, because Aidan would have no way of knowing Kennedy found Vivi's body, or that she sent that message.

"_____ _____ _____ because they could _____ _____ _____." Oh dear gods they're getting even harder.

Uh... Maybe we're supposed to go back? What the cast is saying is that Kennedy had no reason to kill Vivi if he intended to outright kill Aidan, but what they're ignoring is that Vivi claimed she would try to revive the dead, not just heal the injured. And Kennedy would believe them. I will probably be wrong, but maybe "Kennedy killed Vivi because they could bring back Aidan"?

[Answer: Kennedy killed Vivi because they could bring Aidan back.] Alright so my iffy grammar aside (grammar unpog :(), I was pretty much right. I hate this, why are we still going for Kennedy man? T_T

"Kennedy: …Do any of you really believe that? It’s just… madness. That’s all it is. There’s no way to bring someone back. It’s meaningless to believe stuff like that." I don't believe you Kennedy, fuck!

"Paris: And you still killed her anyway. Cold. Wouldn’t she be the key to saving everyone who died, then?

Kennedy: …

Paris: You must’ve wanted to get out of here bad. So bad that you didn’t even care about that “friendship” you made. Typical.

Kennedy: I… I didn’t. That’s not true…

Taylor: “Kennedy… did you really…?”

Kennedy: …!

Taylor: “...How could you…?”

Kennedy: I had to!" GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! I hate it here! (/positive) Why!?

"Kennedy: …I’m sorry. I’m sorry…" I wanna cry bro. I hope you explain what's going on Kennedy what is this T_T

"Paris: Nice job, Tay!

Taylor: Yeah, I’m… glad it worked…" At least these two are having fun. And hey, I did ask for an orange person to die! Monkey's paw and all that. My life is a fucking sitcom plot.

"Davis: We… can’t vote. Not yet. We have to do something else first. 

Harper: What do we still have to do?

Davis: Anything. Please. The Trial can’t end yet…" What? I'm so confused. Wouldn't Davis want to return as soon as possible to tend to Aidan's wounds?

[Evidence Select] What do you mean Evidence Select? What the fuck am I supposed to say about this??? I think I accidentally saw that the answer is MQ File #3 (which I don't think I'd have guessed), but what? Are we gonna talk about how the lie doesn't really help Kennedy, as it doesn't give them much of an alibi? Is that what we want???

[Answer: Regulation #3] "Once a murder takes place, a Class Trial will shortly follow. Participation is mandatory for all remaining players." Okay I actually only saw "#3" so that's why I thought it was the MQ File, but this makes even less sense! What are we even supposed to do with this one?! How did accirax even guess this?

"Ellis: Wait, are you… worried that Aidan hasn’t participated in a Class Trial, or something? He’d be excluded from that rule ‘cause of his injuries… right…?

Monoquin: Rules are rules, Mx. Ortiz. Anyone who does not participate would suffer a punishment." Ah. Okay. That's. A pretty gigantic problem, actually. Uh. What the fuck do we do about this, now?

"Davis: …Monoquin. Can I ask… is he still alive?

Monoquin: That information is not mine to disclose" Evil. I mean, I guess a killing game mascot is meant to be evil, but still. Damn.

Also there's like 13 pages left! What the hell can still happen anymore?!

"Mark: …Ellis, were you planning to summarize the case again? That’s something we can do to pass the time, at least." [Closing Argument] Well, at least we have a reason to do this lol.

1- State of Vivi's Room. Kennedy enters the room and attacks Vivi, messing up the furniture.

2- Vivi's Scalpel. Kennedy takes the scalpel and kills Vivi after knocking them out.

3- Vivi's e-Handbook. Kennedy sends a message to Vivi, giving credence to his later claims about going to her room and finding her body without expecting it.

4- Aidan's e-Handbook. A few minutes later, Kennedy sends a message to Aidan to meet in the Villa. Aidan also sends a message to Davis to meet in the same place, a few minutes after the moment the confrontation with Kennedy would happen.

5- State of Villa. Kennedy and Aidan fight, knocking around furniture.

6- Bloody Knife. After fending off Kennedy, Aidan stabs himself.

7- Davis' Account. Davis and Ellis find Aidan and take him to the Infirmary.

8- Body Discovery Announcement. Looking for Vivi, a few people find their corpse, and trigger the BDA.

9- MQ File #3. Monoquin gives out the File.

10- Kennedy's Account. Kennedy gives their fake account. You could argue Davis' Account should actually come after Kennedy's by that logic, but since Davis' is the truth and Kennedy's is a lie, I'm positioning them on different metrics :p

[Checking Answers] I actually got all of them right in relation to each other except Kennedy's Account, which actually goes fourth. Given that one more or less spans the entire time frame and all the events relevant to the case, the position of that one was always gonna be a toss up, so I'll take it!

"Ellis: I’m still not entirely sure why Aidan agreed to show up in the first place, but he did– maybe out of a desire to save us from the timed motive that was supposed to begin tomorrow. Hopefully… we’ll get to hear why he did it when he comes to participate in the Trial." Well, hopeful thinking, right?

"Ellis: Why… Why did Aidan [stab himself]?" You know a trial went crazy when even the Closing Argument doesn't have all the answers :p

"Ellis: That included the killer, who was remarkably unscathed despite surviving two struggles… Kennedy Rey, the Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist." I hate my life.

"Aidan: Yeah… Sounds about right to me." Pfft- Alright, just come in like that why don't you? xD Well, at least he seems to still be alive, there is good in the world!

"Davis: Aidan! You’re back…!

Aidan: Yeah? That was the plan the whole time." You cannot "all according to plan" your way out of this one, fuckass! You had no way of knowing Vivi was dead! Shit could have gone extremely wrong my guy!

"Davis: …Aidan, you… said that you always planned for this. Does that mean–

Aidan: That I stabbed myself? Yeah, what about it?" Bruh.

[Vote] Can I vote for Paris or Jeff or someone else, just in case? No? Alright :,D

"Kennedy: …

Ellis: …Why…?" Yes. Please explain to the class because I need some kind of closure on your relationship with Vivi my pal.

"Vanessa: Wait, but…! Even if that kinda sorta makes sense, why would you stab yourself…? 

Aidan: Makes it more believable. Let’s say there’s a fight and Kennedy runs off somewhere. They say I pulled a knife on them. Who do you believe? Her or me?

Noah: Probably you, because you told the truth." Come on, Noah, you know there's a couple of people who wouldn't have believed Aidan over Kennedy. You possibly included!

"Noah: …Hey, Harper…?

Harper: Hm? What is it?

Noah: I’m… really sorry. For everything that happened. Before the Trial… and during.

Harper: Don’t worry about it, Noah. I don’t blame you at all.

Noah: Right…" Well it's nice you two are making up, I still wanna hear from Kennedy though :v

"Paris: Oh, totally. I heard Kennedy and Vivi talk about doing something after breakfast the night before, so I was totally sure she was the killer. I didn’t want everyone to go off and accuse Harper for nothing~" And you didn't think to bring this up??? I get lying to cover for Harper, but damn that's risky. At least it explains some of the oddities I mentioned back then, like Paris and Taylor seemingly "forgetting" about the alibi until Harper was put under suspicion. Though, props to Harper for going along with it pretty seamlessly, all things considered.

"Mark: What… was your plan? Why did you do all this?

Kennedy: …You’re going to be disappointed in my answer." Am I now? Could you please explain?

"Kennedy: I couldn’t trust Vivi not to try to resurrect [Aidan]. Even if he was the mastermind, Vivi just… didn’t believe in letting anyone who could be saved die. And, given that I’m sure Davis would be asking for it, she’d try. If they succeeded, I’d be screwed.

Davis: …

Kennedy: Plus, it wasn’t bad to kill someone on “my side,” I guess. Made it seem less like it’d be me. It… wasn’t the greatest plan, but I didn’t have a lot of time.

Taylor: You mean… because of the new motive…?

Kennedy: …If I was going to take my chances, it was worth it to do it before something else happened. If random innocents started dying again… Well, Grace was right that I’d have felt responsible." Well... it makes some amount of sense, I guess. In the insane Kennedy kinda way, but still. I still feel like killing Vivi was pretty extreme, especially when you could have just, like, sabotaged the resurrection if nothing else. I am, in fact, disappointed in you Kennedy, but oh well.

"Aidan: You all heard about it, huh?

Aidan looks around the group.

Aidan: Who’d you hear it from?" Oh my fucking god the motive's gonna be fake isn't it.

"Ellis: Uh… Harper…?

Harper: My attention was directed to it by Vanessa.

Vanessa: I heard about it from Taylor.

Taylor: …Paris was the one who… made me aware of it…" Of course. Of course it's her. Somewhere in my heart, I knew that to be true. The one chapter I don't suspect this woman, geez.

"Monoquin: No, that motive announcement was not provided by Hope’s Oasis Resort and Casino." Well, at least I called this!

"Taylor: …I’m… pretty sure Paris put it there. She didn’t tell me, but–

Paris: Wh– Tay?!

Taylor: I don’t know for sure! But, I definitely… wasn’t sure it was the whole truth.

Kennedy: It… wasn’t real?" Orange people infestation aside, it's nice seeing that Taylor is getting more comfortable challenging Paris. And Kennedy's confusion is pretty tragic, damn, the one thing he didn't question.

"Mark: …Ellis is right. You shouldn’t want people to die…

Paris: It’s a game. Don’t we all want to win in the end…?

It comes out as a mumble.

Ellis: …You won’t." God damn, Paris! Pretty ruthless on that one! Maybe I was right to suspect you the entire time. And Ellis is just as confident as ever in that whole "I win these" mentality he's got going on.

"Kennedy: I… I don’t want to die. I can’t be stuck here. I have to know what happened in this killing game. I have to know what happened to the outside world! I can’t die now!" I do still feel bad for her, even though she turned out to be a significantly more horrible person than I expected. Fly high, monarch! I'll be looking forward to whatever theories you cook up from beyond the veil!

"What do you think will be in Kennedy’s execution?" Oh I am scared! What the hell is about to happen???

"When all theories fail, the truth remains.

What do you think will be in Kennedy’s execution?

YOUR ANSWER: An ending." That's kinda sweet, actually.

"Kennedy stands on a flat, earth-patterned platform that rises up into our viewing area." Flat Earth reference? Really? xD

"Someone who made a mistake." This is purple for Mark, right? {Spoilers: It isn't}. I guess it's something, and calling this a "mistake" is at least a decent show of good faith, I guess?

"Robotic chirping fills the area as small, robotic birds fly onto the scene. They land on Kennedy’s arms, pecking at them, puncturing their skin bit by bit. Scythe-like blades shaped like moons drop from the ceiling, without warning." Robot birds and fake moons, we're really referencing every conspiracy we could come up with, huh? Awesome! In a fucked up way obvs.

"Crying." This is for Paris, and damn that's a kinda weird guess :p Also I am just noticing that Taylor seems to have written the "Kennedy" thing at the beginning of the execution. That's really funny of them actually xD Couldn't be wrong about that one, I guess!

"I don’t care." Fair, Jeff, fair.

"Comfort." Thank you Harper, you're a cool person :,)

"A way out." And while I don't think this is gonna work, good try Noah!

"A mean twist." What the hell, Vanessa? I mean, I guess it's a fair answer, but I kinda wonder why she specifically was the one to submit it. Maybe because she's still sad over Grace, and that execution had some kind of mean twist in a way?

"Something hard to watch.

I can’t see anything beyond the text on the back of the screen." Okay, first, really funny way of interpreting that. Second, this is actually Mark's, and it makes a lot of sense given his presumed forgotten trauma. And so, "someone who made a mistake" was Davis? Even more in good faith than I thought, then! Good boy Davis :)

"I don’t know." Well... that's a hell of an answer, but a fitting one for Aidan.

"All of our words contributed to this execution. But mine is the one that eventually heralded the end of Kennedy’s life. That’s fitting, isn’t it…?" It sure is, I guess. Fantastic execution! I will now solve a difficult math question because math is all that makes sense in life anymore.

"Mark: Hey, Ellis. Are you feeling alright…?

I turn to Mark. Then I realize I don’t know what to say.

Ellis: Uh huh.

Mark: …It’s okay." Aww :,)

[Ending Monologue] Ellis is breaking the fuck down, which I guess is a fair reaction lmao. Her complete lack of understanding over everything revolving this trial is very relatable, and it all had to go down the one time she was trying to keep the peace, too. And they seem less confident than ever about the whole "I will win no matter what and nothing matters" thing, which is definitely a marker of character growth, I guess! Fun stuff all around.

-

Well, this emotionally destroyed me! Which should be apparent given my submissions for the Bonus Scenes this time were, in order, "Kennedy & Vivi", "Vivi & Aidan", and "Kennedy & Paris". Because, you know, I'm normal about the Mad Duo. In order to stave off my depression, let's play some prediction game!

While it's unclear what's gonna happen with the second victim guess for CH3 given there ended up being only one victim, that's something we'll have to deal with when av-multifangan releases the special ruling concerning that. For now, though, we can talk about the CH3 killer guesses!

For starters, my guess, which sucked massively! A CH5 victim guess for Kennedy gives me 2 chapter points and 2 role points, which combined with my previos score of 16, officially puts me up to 20! Someone tell past me that we're supposed to minimize the score xD

My guess was slightly better than Jonas', though, as they guessed Kennedy would be a survivor. That's three chapter points and 2 role points, adding in with their previous 12 for a total of 17 points!

Meanwhile, the accirax comeback is finally real! She gets the second perfect guess in this entire series, correctly calling Kennedy as the killer of CH3 from all the way in the Prologue. With this, she maintains her score of 16 from before, and rockets past me and Jonas all the way to second place!

Because yes, although bronze-ocs' guess wasn't as good as accirax, it was still the second best guess for Kennedy! With a CH2 victim guess, they only receive 1 chapter point and 2 role points, which combined with the 11 points they were carrying, puts them up to just 14.

This is the first round where no one's tied, but what a round it was! The accirax comeback hasn't stopped rolling, I earn the dubious honor of being the worst guesser so far, the first of Jonas' survivor guesses dies, and bronze-ocs extends their lead by a massive 1 point (11 vs Jonas' 12 before this, 14 vs accirax's 16 now)! How will things develop from here? Find out next death in DROS!

Hope you all enjoyed, because I sure did! See ya'!

[ritualofcirice]

Lucifer's Response (Letter Four, a Lucifer x Reader)

🐑 ♡ Final thanks to my beta, Sycamore, for reading this over. You're awesome ♡🐑

You sent a love letter to Lucifer, and he responded.

Teen and Up Audiences, No Warnings, F/M, M/M, Other/M, Tag(s): Love Letters, Fluff, Awkwardness, Gift Giving, Emotional Baggage, Ambiguous Gender Reader, POV Second Person

Find it on ao3 ♡ WC: 442

Taglist: @idonia-dovahkiin

Chapter 4

Letter Four

While Lucifer and yourself had exchanged phone numbers following your meet up, the letters that you sent to one another remained a constant. You hoped that wouldn’t change. Perhaps the courier did, but you started to give them a substantial tip for their work.

It was the least you could do if it meant you got to enjoy the comforts of Lucifer’s words.

‘Dearest, sweetest Admirer, Thank you for having me over. I adored every second of it, and I cannot tell you enough how kind it was for you to host everything. I’m already planning for next time at my place. Just like we organised! You don’t mind a bit of mess, do you? No you don’t, of course you don’t. Still, I’m going to make sure you enjoy yourself to the best of my ability. I really want you to feel at home with me. And thank you for being so considerate too. There’s lots of things you didn’t have to do for me, but you did anyway. Almost like how you sent me a letter to see if I was okay. We wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for that. That sure is something. You know, you’re as sweet as your kisses taste. Which is a lot - I realise you wouldn’t actually know what you taste like. Unless you do. I wouldn’t judge you if you did know that somehow, but I won’t ask how. As for your letters, I won’t lie I’ve been keeping them all safe in the draw next to my bed. Perhaps it would be nicer to have you next to me. We could give ourselves all the time in the world, yet I keep thinking about how much I’d love to let you stay as long as your heart desired. Call me impatient. Call me whatever you want. I just want to revel in your company. Darling, there’s so much I want to say, but it’s all things I’ve said before. I can hear your voice telling me to do it anyway, so I guess that means I get to be a bit of a hopeless romantic. And what better way to summarise feelings of love than poetry! It’s even better when you put the hopeless part into play! I cannot remember the last time I tried poetry at all. Here goes: If I were to find you In a world of your own I would never be lost With you as my guiding star It’s very freeform! No rhyme either, but it’s the effort that counts, right? You really are too bright for Hell. With the most tender of affection, Lucifer M.’

♡ Love Letter Series Masterlist ♡ Previous Chp ♡

♡ Want to help me become a better writer? Why not start here ♡

♡ Want to let me know what you want more of? Click this link ♡

[nari-kami]

I’m really into your magical girl dcst au is there any chance it’s on Ao3 or has some kind of writing form? I’d love to read it if there is one!

Sadly not at this point in time. I’ve been planning to start working on a comic for the AU for quite some time now but I haven’t gotten the chance to get started properly.

I do have a plot lots of lore planed out as well as certain rough ideas for chapters. The main constraint is time.🥲

Honestly I’m debating on just maybe dropping the first chapters in fanfic form before I start grinding away at the comic or even just write some oneshots shots.

I’m just a bit insecure bout writing since I’ve only written things for myself and never posted anything. But better late than never I guess. ^^

Regardless if you are really curious I am happy to share the drafts explains the magic system though be warned it may spoil certain plot points for you (if my busy ass ever gets that far with the AU LMAO)

SPOILER WARNING ✨

DRAFT FOR THE DCST MAGICAL AU BELOW

(Warning this is still a WIP so it is extremely chaotic and maybe inconsistent I’m still figuring out the lore)

TW!!! Mention of death

Starting off every magical girl show has some kind of transformation object (Eccept for like Winx) Madoka magica has Gemstones, miraculous has all kinds of jewelry and precure has pretty much everything from makeup pallets and perfumes to phones. I debated for a while but it’s hard to find something that represents every character well so I settled on crystals in shapes that represent each character somehow.

There are two stages to the crystals 1. The raw stage after just obtaining one 2. The refined version in a shape that takes the form of something associated with said character. (For example: Senku -Rocket, Gen - Nighshade, Ukyo - Soundwaves)

Now I needed a way for the characters to obtain said power. In madoka magica the magic is obtained by making a wish and becoming a magical girl as a way to return the favor, which basically means the character makes the choice to become a magical girl. This is where I wanted the AU to differentiate from that. I kind of don’t feel like someone of the character would willingly become magical girls/boys. So don’t want them to have a choice basically forcing them in to something they were not ready for (angst potential go brrr). So how does one become a magical girl/boy then?

By dying

When a person is on deaths door but still clings to life with every they have. Maybe they still haven’t achieved their dream (Senkus dream of going to space) or maybe there is a loved one they want to protect with all they’ve got (Tsukasa wanting to protect Mirai). It differs for each person but there is one thing they have in common. They have an unbeatable desire and determination to live on no matter what. When someone is still fighting till their very last breath fate grants them another chance at life.

And they are revived by a crystal that is now bonded to their soul and body aka it’s now the only thing that keeps them alive.

Why some people get revived and some don’t or who chooses when someone is revived, that’s for Senku and his crew to figure out.✨

(PS there is a second part of this draft if you’re interested let me know)

[mykoreanlove]

PERCEPTIONS

Chan finally had the chance to take you out and catch up on life but the afternoon didn’t go as planned.

He stood at the counter waiting for your coffee order as he watched you get hit on by the third guy in a row. They were all decent but you rejected every single one. As he watched the last one leave in defeat, he made his way back to you.

„Damn y/n, you’re brutal“, he chuckled amused.

„He‘ll live“, you replied sarcastically and took a sip of your vanilla latte.

Your best friend mustered you for a while before he started interrogating you.

„Why though?“

„Why what?“

Chan took your small hands into his big ones and spoke to you very softly.

„I’ve seen you reject hundreds of guys y/n. You’re not even giving them a chance. Why is that?“

You saw the concern in his eyes. Chan and you had been friends since kindergarten, he knew you very well, yet he couldn’t figure out the reasons for your solo quest in love.

You sighed exasperated.

„What chance is there? It always ends up the same. I’m not interested in getting my heart broken… again.“

Hearing you say this broke his heart.

„Is this because of Innie?“

Your heart stopped beating for a second; you haven’t talked about him for a very long time.

„Drop it, Chan“, you warned him.

„No“, his voice now even softer, „I want you to face this. Are you still not over Jeongin?“

Jeongin.

Memories of him flooded your mind.

You met him years ago during a workshop and fell for him the minute you saw him. He was breathtakingly handsome, confident and a little menace. You still recall him pranking everyone around him, throwing his head back while laughing maniacally.

You barely spoke a word with him, too nervous and intimidated but somehow he was drawn to you.

You got to know each other more, sharing deep secrets and lovely antics until he met someone new.

You remember those nights in which you cried in Chan‘s lap, cursing the world and everyone in it.

„I’m not enough for him, Chan. Why doesn’t he want me?“

Jeongin was aware of your feelings and distanced himself, which made you even more depressed. You lost touch and separated, which helped after a while.

Once his relationship ended, he found his way back into your life.

Jeongin called you out of the blue, solely to apologize and ask for your forgiveness. Ever since, your friendship got reignited.

„I don’t understand, y/n. He is single now, he clearly likes you but you’re still just friends?“, your friend used to pester you.

„I guess he just doesn’t see me that way.“

„Are you really over him?“

A part of you believed so.

Another part knew it was not so. Hearing from him made your day, having his attention on you made you feel alive.

„Innie got cheated on“, you explained frantically weeks later.

„Yeah? That sucks“, Chan replied.

„Innie got cheated on!! INNIE!!! Who the fuck would cheat on him? You can’t do better than him, what the fuck?“

„Guess you’re not over him“, he mumbled under his breath.

You spent countless weeks building him back up, in desperate need to restore his faith in women. In love.

„I don’t get it y/n. You are so great, really I think you’re so amazing. Why are you still single?“, he once asked.

You felt the resentment come up, your heart was still deeply hurt.

Because you don’t love me.

„I guess I haven’t found the right one“, you lied.

„I really hope you do.“

Your relationship got more complicated over time as Jeongin was turning into an egotistical monster.

„He got hurt by his ex and now he’s taking it out on every girl around him? Including you?“, Chan asked.

You nodded, exhausted from all this.

„I asked him to come visit me and he snapped, insulting me in my face.“

Chan‘s nostrils flared up.

„What did he say?“

„He clearly drank too much, slurring his words and all. But he was saying something like we both know how it would end if I showed up. That’s all there would ever be.“

You deleted his number after that.

„He thinks I’m amazing and girlfriend material, yet he doesn’t want me. Fucking me would be okay though“, you explained defeatedly.

„And that’s it? You never heard from him again?“

„Y/N?“

Chan’s soft voice brought you back to the present moment, ending your walk down memory lane.

You tried to swallow the lump in your throat, pushing your emotions away.

„Chan, listen. I loved Jeongin. I really loved him with all of my heart but he didn’t want me. I wasn’t good enough for him and ever since that happened I’m just too afraid. Love shouldn’t feel that way, don’t you think?“

Chan squeezed your hands, an expression of his sympathy.

„Don’t you think there is another meaning to this?“

You looked at him puzzled.

„What do you mean?“

Chan sighed deeply.

„Has it ever occurred to you that he didn’t confess or started dating you because of him?“

You grew irritated, not understanding what he was getting at.

„What’s that supposed to mean?“

„Y/N. Has it ever crossed your mind that you were not „not good enough for him“ but he was not good enough for you?“

You sat there in silence, watching your friend.

„It has not, huh? You always thought that he was so amazing, so out of this world that someone like you could never measure up. No matter how hard you tried. But as a matter of fact it’s him that doesn’t measure up. He is no way near your level, y/n.“

A deep realization hit you, a feeling of knowing and finally understanding.

„I gotta go“, you got up and ran out of the cafe.

You didn’t think clearly but ended up at his apartment, your feet got you there automatically. Impatiently, you rang his bell.

„Y/N?“, Jeongin looked at you surprised.

„What is the real reason you and I never got together?“

His eyes grew even bigger, not understanding where all of this was coming from.

„What?“

„The real reason, Innie. Please.“

The pleading tone in your voice made him feel uncomfortable.

„I didn’t want you.“

His words were still able to cut you like a knife but you pushed that hurt down.

„Because I wasn’t good enough?“

His brow rose, adding to his surprised face.

„What? No. No way. Why would you think that?“

„Why would I think that? Are you kidding me? What else am I supposed to think?“

Tears started to form in your eyes. Jeongin wrapped his arms around you and hugged you tightly, just like he did back then.

„I tell you y/n. You should think that I’m a mess. You should think that I’m not good enough for you. I could never give you what you deserve. I could never make you happy. I would ruin you, hurt you. Even more than I already did. You should think that you are amazing and more than enough and so lovable.“

You cried into his chest, staining his white shirt while doing so.

Hearing his words made you realize that you had doomed yourself for nothing.

He didn’t reject you because you were not good enough, he rejected you because he had trouble on his own. Jeongin‘s actions were a reflection of his troubled heart, not one of your worth.

Suddenly, you felt relief, finally understanding that you were never meant to see yourself as a loveless loner.

For the first time in years you felt like you had a chance at love. For the first time in a while you felt ready to at least try.