#I’ve been thinking so much about the way that I am

[thxtmarvelchick]

JJ Valentine’s Fic Recs

in honour of Valentine’s Day (weekend bc i’m posting this late), here are my favourite fics of JJ Maybank that made the holiday a little less depressing <3 (this was originally supposed to be all obx characters but i got carried away but trust i have SO MANY MORE for the rest of the pogues (and more jj) so i’ll do a part 2 eventually)

only got the courage to post this because of @tinypinkrobot so this is for them <3

most if not all fics are x fem!reader and some are 18+ (therefore i would prefer minors not to interact with this post but i do not have the time nor the energy to check everyone’s acc), the authors are NOT responsible for your internet consumption (nor am i); be responsible, pay attention, and respect the authors boundaries! (all 18+ fics will be labelled! MINORS DNI)

Outerbanks

JJ Maybank

full length fics+series

His To Keep by @pankowperfection (18+)

smut, kinda dark JJ, oral (f receiving), branding

i first read this fic almost three months ago and i still think about it all the time (i have the link in my notes app im not kidding), this author is so talented go read all their fics tbh they kill it everytime, i go to their account and reread everything all the time

summer lovin’ by @murdockcastleslut (18+ blog)

ongoing series, kook!jj, pogue!reader, if jj was raised by larissa, rafe and reader have some history

look… i will eat up every kook!jj fic that is thrown my way. the way the author writes jj and the interactions between him and reader😩, the plot is so intriguing and im always so excited for every new chapter. ALSO reader is SO jj’s girl like he is so down bad, expect cute petnames (HE CALLS HER PRINCESS ICANYSIAKSKSOSIJWIDISJSKS and then he pulled out a “my darling angel” once and im pretty sure i passed out). honestly go read all of her works bc holy shit every single one of them is fantastic.

teach me please by @mrsriddlenott (18+)

smut, bsf!jj, innocent!reader, oral (m&f receiving), reader overhears someone talking badly ab them (indirect bullying), use of good girl🤭

this is another one i’ve had in my notes app since it was posted, since then the author has written a part two and both parts are so incredibly written. their dynamic and the way you can TELL they’ve been wanting each other for so long is EVERYTHING

love on the island by @papercranesandinkstains

ongoing series, love island!au

if you follow me and pay attention to my reposts you knew this was coming… i have said it once and will say it again this is my favourite SMAU (tied with rhythm&revelry) i’ve ever read and it’s not even finished yet. the amount of time and effort put into this fic truly pays off because WOW. the graphics are beautiful. interactive polls. BANTER. jj is fumbling over himself he is so into reader😭enough said go read it.

Rhythm & Revelry by @darlingchronicles

ongoing series, university au, SMAU

the creativity is simply insane, i can’t even imagine how long it takes the author to do these chapters because she’s truly created a whole world to the point where sometimes i forget it’s not actually an app and is actually a fanfic. the relationships between characters is so beautifully developed and it’s not all romance. you get really amazing insights into the friendships between the reader (nicknamed blue) and sarah, cleo and pope. honestly i can’t even explain in words how much i love this fic. definitely a comfort fic (and i LOVE making up theories in my head as to what happened in the past iykyk). this is a long one so great for passing time (or if you’re me, ignoring your responsibilities and binging the whole thing bc you’re simply too hooked)

Kildare University by @papercranesandinkstains

completed series, two different endings (JJ or Rafe endgame depending on your preference), university au, jj plays football, reader is in band, rafe is readers ex, SMAU

ok i couldn’t just put ONE of her fanfics on here let’s be real everything this author writes turns to gold. immaculate build up, amazing chemistry, the way you can choose who reader ends up with is everything to me bc i might’ve curled up in a ball and died if i didn’t see a jj endgame. BUT everyone can be happy (ADDITIONALLY if you’re a jj AND rafe person you get double chapters sooooo what’s not to love)

narcotic by @thebestjjenthusiast

completed series, SMAU, bsf!jj

you can tell the author has an elite sense of humor bc they have me cackling at 3am. also JJ is DOWN BAD for reader it’s so funny, like expect CONSTANT flirting… this man is practically begging reader to get with him and reader is OBLIVIOUS😭, the flirting has me blushing so hard i have to pause reading sometimes just to giggle into my pillow AND the ending is perfect

summer was my first love by @vampiriito (18+) pt.1 pt.2 pt.3 pt.4 pt.5 pt.6

ongoing series, shy! reader, reader has social anxiety, READER WEARS GLASSES (glasses girls rise), reader has secretly had a crush on jj for like ever but he’s always been “out of her reach”… or so she thought

the build-up. readers characterization and the depiction of her social anxiety are everything to me. jj is so soft for her and he doesn’t even fully know it or understand why at first. i’ve cried multiple times reading this series AND NOT EVEN BC ITS SAD just because i feel so seen and represented. this author genuinely writes so well i cannot wait for the next part🥹

Biker!JJ Oneshot by @highpope

biker!jj, motorbike stunt

this had me blushing and giggling i’m not kidding. jj is so soft with reader and reassures her when she gets scared. when he called her pretty girl i think i passed out. the flirting in this makes me flustered no matter how many times i read it😭

First Date Oneshot by @jjsloverre

bsf!jj, sweetheart!reader, fluff, mentions of sex but no smut

the dynamic between bsf!jj and sweetheart!reader is one of my favourites. they are honestly everything to me. he’s so sweet and caring towards her (but expect innuendos and cursing bc it’s jj we all know he can’t help it). additionally you have to check out their other bsf!jj and sweetheart!reader fics too!!!

Gossip Girl by @maybejj (18+)

ongoing series, SMAU, pay attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter

DRAMAAAAAAAAAA. the plot will grasp your attention and not let go and next thing you know it’s 5am and you have class in 3 hours (not at all speaking from experience that’d be crazyyyy id never do that…🥲). JJ LOVES reader and would probably kill for them. readers friendship with kie, sarah and cleo is EVERYTHING, they are truly readers ride or dies.

secret admirer by @voidangxls

part two

kook!reader, pure fluff, jj is DOWN BAD, part of a valentines special

hands down THE CUTEST thing i’ve ever read on this app. jj gets teased by the pogues for not being able to talk to reader😭 the dual pov makes it so interesting bc you can see how in love jj is and wonder how the hell reader hasn’t noticed him staring them down 24/7😭😭 will be rereading everyday.

-blurbs/drabbles/texts (not gonna make notes on these ones but know i have every single one in my notes app and reread them CONSTANTLY, these authors are so incredibly talented <3)

Boy in Love by @everydaydreamer (18+ blog)

pure fluff, valentines blurb

texts with jj by @lillymmb

boyfriend!jj, fluff, jj LOVES reader

breeding kink concept by @moremaybank (18+)

implied but no smut, breeding kink (duh😭)

black cat!reader by @ervotica (18+)

black cat!reader, use of daddy, once again jj LOVES reader, reader is grumpy

texts with jj and desi!reader by @deadpcnned

desi!reader, jj in a kurta😩, established relationship, i just love this

boyfriend!jj by @lovelyjj

“wear whatever you want i can fight”😩, jj can throw a punch, fluff fluff fluff

passenger princess by @rubiehart (18+)

jj being fine, groping, use of “my girl”🤭

valentine’s day with jj by @seasprincess

established relationship, jj saves up to buy reader gifts, pure fluff

[moxanji-real]

Hey everyone, Moxie here with another commission! This will probably be the last one I get for a while, but ahhh—just look at my Sanji! Isn’t he absolutely gorgeous? I really got lucky with him. My handsome, stinky baby. I adore him so much. The way he’s leaning in for a kiss… my romantic man…💞

That being said, I want to be honest—I’m not feeling great right now. I’ve been struggling a lot with college and my own insecurities about myself. Just when I finally started feeling okay again, I saw that Pudding, Sanji’s love interest, is back in the series, and now I’m having a pretty big panic attack. I’m really scared that by the time One Piece ends, they might get together, and I really, really don’t want that to happen. I know it hasn’t happened yet but I have a feeling it will, knowing how the other anime’s from the big three ended with random characters being paired off. I’m scared. I want my baby to be left alone… I don’t think my heart can handle it if he canonly ends up with another woman. :’C💔

I’m trying to stay positive, but it’s been really hard. Still, I want to support this community as much as I can, so I’ll still be here—just not as much. I don’t know how long I’ll need to feel better again if I’m being honest :’D

Anyway, this beautiful piece was drawn by M93 on Crepe! They’re such a kind artist, and they captured us perfectly.

Tag list: ask to be added or removed!

@100shark @katsenbergs-soulmate @vergils-beloved @mr12xu @zoroscanonhusband @a-sasi-selfshipper @brutally-loving @fl0ralsxgar @mahitosoulmate @frankys-wife @lances-wife @flusteredladylover @starshakez @pigeonbksimp @multiversal-selfshipper @fictodreamer @cruising-thru-the-starz @chuunibyouboy @ams-puppy @literally-just-there @sweet-samnang @paulnoa @uravichu @jpeg-indulgence @lady-mole @strawhatwife @mytummyhurtz01

[drdemonprince]

A personal dilemma about dealing with mental health without calling 911: My ex wife is trying to give me her cat and that’s a pretty good indication to me and others that she’s going to attempt suicide (in the past she has said this to me and others). Her actions towards me have been abusive (I have not been an angel to her for the record) so I have been trying to go no contact (but she continues emailing me). I don’t think connecting with her would be good for her even if I wanted to because she’s so fragile that any boundary I try to draw could set her off. She’s pushed away all the friends that I knew. I’ve gotten my mom to reach out to her (my mom is long distance). I’m considering messaging her parents (local) but they have a strained relationship due to her transness and have a very limited perspective on mental health (first generation immigrant things). Is there anything else I can do that you can think of? I feel like there’s nothing I can do, like I’m doing nothing, if something happens and I did nothing I don’t know how I’ll be okay

Sorry if this is too much to dump on a stranger, I will survive if this one gets deleted

Forgive me for repeating myself on this here, but when an abusive partner threatens suicide, you should treat this as a threat to your own well-being first and foremost, and take the steps necessary to keep yourself safe.

Your ex has previously indicated to you that if she were ever to give away her cat, that this would be a huge red flag that she was on the verge of suicide. She knows that you know this, and so she is the very least aware what kind of impact that her actions right now will have on you.

We can view this both as an credible intention to commit suicide, and as a threat that can potentially bait you into making contact with her or otherwise violating your boundaries as a survivor of her abuse. These two things can be true simultaneously and equally.

And unfortunately, when someone who has committed domestic abuse becomes suicidal they do fairly often aggress against their partners or former partners, or try to take them down with them. You should not by any means make direct contact with your abuser, definitely not in person. Whether she is deeply in crisis, attempting to manipulate you into granting her greater access to you, or very likely both, there is no way in which making contact plays out well for you.

I am glad to hear that you seem to be fully aware of this yourself; the fact that you're afraid that she might kill herself because of you setting any boundaries at all is fucking chilling. That really says it all about how volatile she is and how likely she is to attempt to "punish" you for standing up for yourself by harming herself and leaving you with a lifetime of guilt. I am so sorry you had an endure this kind of manipulation and terrorization.

I do not think that you have any reason to call the cops or the psychiatrists on your ex here. We all know the outcomes for people experiencing mental health emergencies when confronted with the police are dire. The odds are just as great that they might kill her or forcibly institutionalize her in a way that makes her more suicidal than that they might help her. You are not being negligent for failing to sic authorities on her. By not involving the police you very well could prevent her from enduring harm, and either way, you are allowing her to make decisions on her own terms.

It sounds like bringing her parents into the picture would not necessarily make things better, and that if anything they might call the cops. I would weigh what you know about them and the situation before making a decision on that front.

You mentioned that she is no longer close with any of the friends of hers that you knew, but perhaps you can contact some of them and just make them aware of the situation, and they can decide whether they are available to support her in some way. At the very least, you may be able to find someone who's willing to come by her house and check on her. Think about any other associates she might be on decent terms with, whether that's from school or work or some shared community space, and you can let them know the situation as well.

Ultimately she does have the right to kill herself if that's what she wants to do, and as horrifying as it might be for you, it is not your fault. You are not in control over what happens here. You have never been in control, she was abusing you and she is continuing to send you upsetting and terrifying messages that make you feel powerless and scared.

I understand that of course you want to do everything in your power to prevent a person you loved from killing themselves, but as someone who has been there and has had their abuser in fact kill themselves, it is truly out of your hands, and what is most important is that you don't wind up pulled back into their web.

[chrissssssmut]

YANDERE Winter from aespa being a friendly schoolmate, sees Karina being a little kind to you day by day as you become friends, before Winter goes berserk calling Karina a b*tch (lowkey could torture or k*ll her, would be kinda hot ngl), before Winter goes and dominates your world, warning you to love her and only her always.

👀

BENEATH THE SMILE

Yandere Winter x Male Reader feat. Karina

AN: Okay so this might be the last one I am writing for this week. I am super exhausted 😆😭. I literally wrote this after making the An Yujin one XD. Enjoy!🙏♥️

Winter had once been Edenvale Academy’s golden student. Everyone knew her as the sweet, caring girl who always went out of her way to help others. She was a shining example of kindness, always with a smile, always ready to lend a hand. If a classmate struggled with homework, Winter would offer to tutor them. If someone was feeling down, she was the first to comfort them. Her reputation was flawless, and her charm was unmatched. She made people feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

But as time went on, something began to change in her. At first, it was subtle. A tiny flicker of irritation when she noticed Karina talking to you a bit too much. Winter, the kind girl who’d once been praised for her selflessness, found herself gritting her teeth at the sight of Karina laughing at your jokes.

It was only a few months ago that Winter had smiled brightly at you and asked how your day had been, her voice warm and inviting. “Did you understand the math problem from class today? If you didn’t, I could help you after school,” she’d offered, her eyes full of kindness.

You had gratefully accepted, eager to get her assistance.

But now, those smiles felt like they were painted on. Her kindness was becoming suffocating, almost possessive. And it all started when Karina started spending more time with you.

“Hey, are you going to the school event tomorrow?” Winter asked one afternoon, her tone light but her eyes narrowing slightly when she saw Karina approach you.

“I was thinking about it,” you replied, glancing at Karina who was standing just a few feet away. Karina smiled at you, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Winter’s voice suddenly became sharper, though she tried to mask it with forced cheer. “You know, Karina’s always so sociable. I think she’ll be there for sure.” Her eyes flickered toward Karina, lingering just a moment too long. “You know, she really enjoys the attention, doesn’t she?”

Karina blinked, taken aback by the implication. “What do you mean by that?”

Winter’s smile didn’t waver, but there was a coldness creeping into her voice. “Oh, nothing. Just that she’s always so eager to be around you. But then again, I guess she always has been, huh?”

You, not understanding where this was coming from, tried to smooth things over. “I think we’re all just friends here, Winter.”

Winter’s smile grew tighter, her grip on her bag a little too firm. “Oh, I’m sure,” she said. But her voice dropped, low and almost mocking, “But some people don’t always know their place, do they?”

As the days passed, Winter’s mood became more unpredictable. She no longer walked through the halls with that radiant smile. Instead, her steps were heavy, her eyes always darting to where Karina was. If you and Karina exchanged a glance or a laugh, Winter’s face would twist, her lips curling into a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

It all came to a head one day after lunch, when she caught Karina talking to you in the courtyard.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that essay. You really did an amazing job on it,” Karina said, leaning in a little closer to you as she spoke. You could see her giving you a flirty smile.

Winter, watching from a distance, felt her blood boil. She stormed over to the two of you, her footsteps loud against the concrete.

“Oh, you two seem close,” she said sweetly, her voice almost saccharine as she slid between you and Karina, wrapping her arm around your shoulders possessively. “What’s going on here?”

Karina looked at her, confused by the sudden tension. “We were just talking about the essay. It was a lot of work, but I think we’ve got it figured out.”

Winter’s grip tightened on your shoulder, a smile still plastered on her face. “Really?” she asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Funny, because I don’t remember you being all that interested in essays before.”

Karina’s brow furrowed, sensing the shift in Winter’s tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Winter leaned in, her face too close to Karina’s, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “It means that I see what you’re doing. Trying to worm your way into his life. But it’s not going to work.”

Karina blinked, shocked by the words. “What are you talking about?” she asked, genuinely confused.

Winter’s gaze flickered to you, and she smiled. “He’s mine. And if you think you can just take him, you’re sadly mistaken.”

That night, Winter put her plan into motion. She approached Karina with an innocent smile, her eyes wide with mock concern. “Hey,” Winter said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’ve been thinking about what happened earlier. Maybe I overreacted. I just got caught up in my feelings.” Her voice was sweet, almost apologetic.

Karina, ever the forgiving person, smiled back. “It’s alright, Winter. I get it. I was a little forward. It won’t happen again.”

Winter’s smile became unsettling. “Actually, I was thinking… maybe we could hang out tonight? Just the two of us. I could really use a night to catch up.”

Karina, who had no idea what was coming, agreed. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

And so, she showed up at Winter’s house later that evening, unaware of what awaited her.

When Karina stepped through the door, everything went dark.

The next thing she knew, she was tied to a chair, her head throbbing from a blow to the back of her skull. She could barely make out the shape of Winter standing in front of her, her once gentle smile now twisted into something cold and calculating.

“Winter?” Karina gasped, fear creeping into her voice. “What is this?”

Winter crouched down in front of her, her hands gently brushing Karina’s hair back. “Oh, Karina,” she cooed mockingly. “You should’ve stayed away. I’ve been patient. But now you’ve pushed me too far.”

“Winter, what the hell are you doing?!” Karina shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion. “Let me go!”

Winter tilted her head, her eyes dark with menace. “No. You don’t get to play innocent anymore. You’ve been trying to steal him from me for weeks, and now it’s time to teach you a lesson.”

She grabbed Karina’s face with an iron grip, squeezing her cheeks painfully, forcing her to look into her eyes. “I’ve tried to be nice, Karina. But now you’re just a problem. A problem I’m going to get rid of.”

Karina’s heart raced, her eyes filling with tears. “Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking, “I never wanted any of this.”

Winter laughed, but it was hollow, devoid of the warmth she once exuded. “It’s too late for that now.”

Meanwhile, you were left bewildered. Karina had suddenly cut ties with you, leaving you with a dozen questions and no answers. You called her, desperately asking what had happened. But all you received was silence. Your confusion turned to worry, so you did what anyone would do: you asked her for her location.

When Winter answered her phone, her voice was eerily calm. “She’s with me,” Winter said, sounding almost pleased with herself. “You should come here, see for yourself what happens when you let someone get too close.”

“Winter, where is she? What’s going on?” you demanded, trying to make sense of everything.

Winter’s voice softened, but there was a strange edge to it. “Just come here. It’s time you understood who belongs with you.”

You rushed to Winter’s house, your stomach in knots. The door was unlocked when you arrived, and you entered, calling out for Karina. The silence was deafening.

When you stepped further inside, you heard Winter’s soft voice behind you. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered, sending a chill down your spine.

A sharp pain seared through your side as she pressed a knife against you, a harsh reminder of what she was capable of. “Now you’ll see the truth,” Winter murmured. “You belong to me.”

She led you toward Karina, whose face was streaked with tears and bruises. As she tied you up beside her, Winter’s touch was possessive, claiming you in front of Karina.

“You see, Karina?” Winter sneered. “He’s mine. And now you’ll never get him.”

Karina sobbed, her voice barely a whisper. “Winter, please, just let us go…”

Winter’s eyes gleamed with delight as she turned to you. “You promised, didn’t you? You said you’d stay with me.”

You nodded, your heart heavy with the weight of your words. “I promise. I’ll stay.”

With that, Karina was freed, but not without a warning. If she ever spoke of what had happened, Winter would kill both of you.

At school, life went on. The students whispered about how perfect Winter and you were as a couple. How everyone envied your relationship, wishing they could find someone like Winter—someone so kind, so devoted, so perfect. They had no idea about the darkness that lurked beneath her smile, and you could only watch silently, knowing the truth.

As you walked down the hall one day, you overheard a group of students talking near the lockers.

“I’m so jealous of them,” one girl said, her voice dreamy. “Winter and him, they’re like the perfect couple. So cute together.”

“I know! They’re always so lovey-dovey,” another girl replied with a giggle. “I wish I had someone like him. He’s so sweet, and Winter’s just the perfect girlfriend. They seem like a fairytale.”

Another student chimed in. “Ugh, I wish I had that kind of relationship. They’re just so… perfect. I can’t even imagine what it’d be like to have someone care about you like that.”

You could hear the envy and admiration in their voices, oblivious to the truth behind Winter’s twisted version of love.

And as you passed by, your eyes met Karina’s. She looked away quickly, her expression full of silent pain. You could only offer a look of regret, knowing that the world would never know the truth about what happened to you both.

And Winter? She stood beside you, her grip on your arm tight, a smile that hid a thousand secrets.

[jellyvibes710]

A year progress (or two, I’ve lost track)

I know I’m two months late since the new year but thank you all so much for reading my comics!

I have a few plans for the future and one of them is I’m going to rewrite “little baby blue” I never fully planned it out before I had jumped into it, the story had a lot of plot holes and it was hard to follow with how frequently it’d jump between parts. It’s not dead! After I finish the “parasite” storyline little baby blue will be set in motion again

The next part in the parasite story is planned to be animated with voice actors and sound effects, it’s a big project I am very excited for! Hopefully, if all goes well, there will be 2 fully voiced and animated parts for the whole series

Last project is still a secret, I’ve been working on it for about 2 years now(I took a short break because of turtles XD), it’s not a tmnt story but it’s an eddsworld story, I won’t bore you guys with those details though

The two newest drawings of Donnie and Leo are from a rough draft story I’ve been considering working on again, the twins are stuck in a loop that was caused after a battle with some bad guys goes bad, after Donnie was able to secure one of the bad guys he doesn’t realize that their battle had caused the building to start collapsing, Leo was able to portal himself and kick Dee out into safety but wasn’t able to get himself or the pinned criminal out in time and ultimately loses his life when the building caved in on him. The villains buddy uses an artifact (that they were stealing) in an attempt to save his buddies life but ultimately trapped themselves and the twins into a time loop, they eventually have to work with the criminals to fix this problem they’ve gotten into. This story has no happy ending and is VERY dark. There is only one way to stop the time loop and Donnie isn’t sure he can go through with it. Cheesy I know but I’m a sucker for a good time loop story, plus it was planned to be a very short comic

Just in case I do decide to pick that one back up I won’t put a lot of details or spoilers

Additional doodles under cut

Some screenshot redraws of Leo , I wanted to try out a few different color palettes and I really like how they look

My first time drawing big mama, I think I did good for only having one reference photo of her, though I learned that I can’t draw crop tops for the life of me 😆

[notbecauseofvictories]

i remember following you since i’ve been a teenager and now i’m in mid-twenties (l o l) but one thing i’ve always admired about you is how much you engage with life. it’s been impressive to watch you succeed academically and in your career while also being incredibly creative, consuming a bunch of media, and doing a bunch of hobbies.

any tips and tricks to do it all lol?

I do think that everyone should remember that I am not in the habit of going online and talking with unvarnished honesty about the lame, boring, embarrassing, stupid, or shameful things I do in real life. "Distance lends enchantment" is an idiom for a reason, and the internet is useful for keeping people away from the thin cracks and peeling paint of your actual life.

(I might not even be the one! I think some other people on here might also be painting a rosier picture of themselves and their activities than is strictly accurate...)

But the truth is....there is no way to do it all. At least, not all of it, not always, not for everyone. Some things will be a choice you can make, other things won't; still other things will pass you by without your even noticing that it was a choice in the first place. You may have desires you can't fulfill for various reasons (time, money, resources, no one spontaneously appearing to marry you and bear your children, etc.) You may have to put some things on pause, or wrap them in tissue paper and store them in a cupboard for later---life is long, and then also short at the same time, so sometimes that's the best we can do.

I like what I've chosen, but I don't pretend that it's anywhere close to "all." Maybe that should be heartening instead---it's not about doing it all, just some things. What you can. It's just about deciding that this year, you're going to watch movies, or borrow your aunt's sewing machine, or get out of the house more. The journey of a thousand miles begins where you are already standing, etc.

[ladykailitha]

Share With Me One Love, One Lifetime Part 5

We are now in the latter half of this story and hooboy is going to worse before it gets better. Again this story is done, I'm just putting out the remaining chapters I have.

We have the Forrest talk, The Wheeler House, and Wayne blows a gasket. Poor, poor Wayne.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

~

“Dustin looks up to you so much, Steve,” Eddie murmured. “It’s all he talks about. Hell, it’s all they all talk about. If Jeff and them didn’t know you before they joined Hellfire they would have gotten psychic damage with how much they talk about Steve the hero.”

Steve snorted. “Yeah, well. I wish he’d tell me more to my face instead of all the bullshit I do get from him. Like he had a bag filled with flashlights and I asked him where he got them, do you want to know what he said?”

Eddie let out a pained sigh. “Something snarky and rude?”

“Right in one,” Steve groused. “He said that I was an adult and shouldn’t have to be told everything. Like no one else gets that amount of disrespect. Including you, who is older than I am.”

“That little shit head,” Eddie said with another sigh. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Thanks.”

They walked in silence for a moment or two before Eddie spoke up.

“I’m learning this week that I’m coward,” he murmured, poking and twisting his hands nervously. “I didn’t think I was until Chrissy. But when I saw her raise up to my ceiling...I–I just ran. I could have stayed. I could have tried to help. I knew that this place was and I couldn’t help her.”

Steve shook his head. “Do you remember the first comic I ever drew for you?”

Eddie’s eyes widen and his hangdog expression cleared. “The gun, the boy running to his car before dashing back into save the day, the fear...”

“Yeah, Eds,” he murmured. “It was always about that. Running in is okay as long you know that when the time comes you’ll do the right thing in the right time.”

Eddie ran his hands over his face. “God, Stevie,” he murmured. “I hesitated. To jump in after you. You had just been dragged in and Nancy went in right after you, Robin merely a second later. But I paced that god damn boat before following suit.”

“So what?” Steve said, reaching up to guide Eddie’s face to meet his head on. “I bet I can tell you what your thought process was.”

“Steve...” Eddie whined. “Jumping in after immediately was the biggest sign of true love I’ve ever seen.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t want her, I want you. Because I know you hesitated to jump because you weren’t sure if you should go back to sure and let everyone know what happened or to jump in and protect me and the girls. You chose to protect us, Eddie. Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay? I love you.”

Eddie closed his eyes and let go of all the jealousy and envy he had over Nancy and what they had before Eddie came along. He knew Steve was gay. He knew that Steve had chosen him and had kept choosing him, time after time. But when he saw the way the two of them teased each other, the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head, causing him to throw his vest at Steve.

He nodded and then accepted the kiss that Steve gave him. They might be in a hellscape running for their lives with an evil wizard and all his minions chasing after them but they had each in other in this.

And they would make it. Together.

~

“They’re gone!” Nancy cried. “They aren’t here. They should be in this shoe box, but all that’s in here are the shoes that I ruined my junior year. I broke the heel on the one and had to toss them both out.”

“What do you mean they’re gone?!” Eddie bit out through clenched teeth. “How could they be gone?”

“It doesn’t make any sense!” she cried gesturing wildly. “They should be here!”

Steve wandered over to the wall and looked up at the poster. “Nance, when did you exchange your Blondie calendar for the poster?”

“Steve is that really important right now?” she snapped and then she turned around to see said calendar on the wall. “Oh!”

“What does that mean?” Robin asked, trying to break the tension that suddenly ramped up in the room.

“I think the Upside Down is stuck in 1983,” Nancy murmured. “But since the revolver isn’t here either, I’d have to guess November 6th.”

Robin and Eddie shared a confused glance.

“I don’t know what that means,” Eddie admitted, sticking his hands in his back pockets.

“That’s the day Will disappeared,” Steve said absently. He poked the calendar a couple of times. “What is so important about that day...?”

Nancy just shook her head. “What are we going to do now?”

“Well,” Steve said with the shrug of his shoulders, “we can always make my weapon again.”

Nancy raised her eyebrows and then grinned. “That will certainly help, yes.”

~

They thundered down the stairs, but Steve stopped. Nancy and Robin kept going, but Eddie slowed down and looked back.

“What’s up, Stevie?” he asked as he watched his boyfriend strain as if he was hearing something the rest of them couldn’t. “Hey, guys wait up!”

Nancy and Robin turned around to see Steve inch down the stairs, his head cocked upwards.

“Can’t you hear it?” Steve asked. “It’s Dustin, I’m sure of it! And I think...Max.” He shook his head. “I can’t quite make it... out...”

Before Nancy could scoff again, Robin giggled.

“I can hear them too!” she said excitedly jumping up and down and clapping.

It didn’t take them long to figure out how to communicate with them and they found out that they had picked up Erica and she had been read in.

“How many times do I have to be right before you believe me?” Dustin barked angrily.

“Jesus Christ. This kid's gotta get his ego in check,” Steve said twisting his lip and shaking his head ruefully.

Eddie leaned over to look past Nancy and Robin, “It’s his tone, right?”

After everything was decided that they all meet up at Eddie’s trailer, Eddie grimaced. “How are we going to get there? It’s like seven miles from here.”

Nancy looked around for a moment. “Well if it is the 6th, then all the kids would have had their bikes here. I mean it might be a little tight for the boys, but it’s better then walking.”

~

Once they were back top side, Wayne bullied the four older teens into showers and changed before sitting Steve down to do a proper stitch job while everyone caught up with what everyone had learned, but especially Nancy’s vision.

“We have to attack now,” Nancy said. “We don’t know who he’ll pick next and Max shouldn’t have to live on borrowed time.”

“Yeah,” Dustin said, nodding along with her. “We know that while Vecna is in the void his body is vulnerable to attacks. If we can lure him into attacking someone to open the fourth gate then we can attack his body in the Upside Down?”

“Oh is that all?” Eddie sneered, rising to his feet.

“Yep!” Dustin said cheerfully and Eddie slowly said back down in disappointment.

Wayne crossed his arms in front of his chest and sat back, allowing Steve to stand up. His back arms had been cleaned and properly bandaged, his sides had been sterilized, stitched, and re-bandaged, his neck cleaned and bandaged to keep further dirt out of the wound.

“Yeah?” Wayne said, “And who’s gonna be fighting this evil wizard of yours? Steve? The fella I just spent the last twenty minutes putting back together? Or the two ladies who are still in high school? Or any of the other children here, present?”

Dustin opened his mouth, but no words came out and everyone shifted around nervously as for the first time an adult put their foot down and said they shouldn’t be doing this.

Max came back into the front part of the trailer. “I tried reaching the Byers again and it’s a busy signal again.”

“Which means we have even less time then we thought,” Nancy insisted, putting her hands on her hips. “We need to take him out now before our friends get hurt, especially since we don’t know who his next victim will be.”

Wayne licked the bottom of his lips slowly. “Well you ain’t doing it with the eight of ya.”

Everyone looked around in confusion as it seemed like they were all counting their numbers.

“Before we get further,” Steve said quietly. “We do know who his next is. I read the files from Ms. Kelly’s office. I know how they all started. For Fred, Patrick, Chrissy.” He paused and then looked up. “Max.”

She froze in place and fought the urge to look over at the person she knew he was talking about, trying to look everywhere else.

“Yeah, Stevie?” Eddie asked gently. “Who’s next on the evil wizard’s hit list?”

Steve sat down hard between Lucas and Eddie and propped his chin on his knuckles. “It always starts off with visions. Visions of things he thinks you’re guilty of. I’m guessing in Max’s case it was Billy, like it was Nancy’s siblings in hers.”

Nancy wrapped her arms around her waist and looked down at the ground, rocking back on one heel of her shoes.

Both Wayne and Eddie tilted their head in the same direction at the same time as they regarded Nancy.

“Something tells me,” Eddie said wetting his lips, “that she knew that. Didn’t ya Nance?”

Max looked back and forth between Eddie and Nancy. “I was about to suggest using myself as bait, because if we can distract him long enough for a strike team to destroy his physical form, we can get rid of the Upside Down for good. But you’re telling me that she knew she was the next victim and was still going to let me be the sacrificial lamb?”

Steve shook his head. “Good ole Nancy Wheeler, only looking out for herself. We could wait a week and have Nancy be bait. Hell, we all have Walkmans. We get enough batteries and enough tapes I’m sure Max could last that long. But she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want to go through the visions and guilt. Because she knows deep down Vecna, Henry, whoever is right. It is her fault Barb died.”

“Uh...” Lucas said into the resulting silence. “So are we going with Max or Nancy because that is really something we should decide before we get any further...”

“I’m all for taking the bastard out now,” Wayne said with a shrug. “But not with just us. We need more people.”

Steve turned to Eddie. “Are the boys still in town?”

Eddie got up and started waving his hands. “No. Nope. Absolutely not, Steve. We aren’t dragging them into this. Ignorance is hella bliss in this case. You know it is!”

Dustin shook his head ruefully. “If you’re suggesting who I think you’re suggesting, it couldn’t hurt. I mean Jason is amassing a lynch mob and we need all the help we can get.”

“I’d want to know,” Lucas said softly. “After what Jason and his goons did to Gareth. If I were them, I’d want to know.”

Eddie turned to glare at him. “And what did they do to Gareth?”

Lucas explained why he was no longer with the basketball guys to Nancy, Robin, Wayne, and Eddie.

“God damn it!” Wayne cussed. “That’s how they found out about the lake house? And Chief Powell just let them go? I’m going fucking sue this whole incompetent asshole county!”

“Well,” Nancy said, “I’m against it. We need a small strike team not a god damned army.”

“The hell you don’t,” Wayne snapped. “I saw the beast that damn near took out the mall and if it’s Henry Creel like we think it is, then we’re going to need everyone we can. And since we’re spread pretty thin on the ground right now with the Cali crew in the wind and Hopper dead... we need people. I would rather it not be children, but I’m out of options right now.”

Eddie pushed his fingers into his eye in frustration. “Fine.”

They all turned to him in shock.

“Fine,” he bit out again, flopping back onto the sofa. “I’ll round up the Hellfire crew. Shit, I’ll even see if Marty and Janice are in town for the week, because if we’re dragging people into this shit, we’re getting the whole band back together.”

“We’re going to need weapons and supplies,” Steve said with a sigh. He didn’t like the plan, but it was all they had. “And way to get all us of there.”

“The weapons are easy,” Wayne said with a huff, “War Zone. They’ll have everything you need. For both.”

“If we’re trying to avoid people from town,” Erica said, rolling her eyes, “maybe we should avoid a store called War Zone.”

Wayne snorted, “And you got somewhere else we can load up on supplies, little miss?”

Erica opened her mouth but no words came out.

“That’s what I thought,” Wayne said smugly.

“That takes care of one,” Robin said with a nod. “But what about transportation?”

“I have something,” Eddie said with a grin.

Steve came up to stand next to him. “You got some hidden car we don’t know about?”

“It’s not exactly a car,” Eddie said smirking at Wayne, “and it’s not exactly mine, but it’ll do.”

“Boy...” Wayne said warningly.

Eddie willfully ignored him. “Hey, Max you got a bandanna or mask I can use?”

~

Tag List: SEVEN SLOTS REMAINING

1- @itsall-taken @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @irregular-child @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @beelze-the-bubkiss @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @themoonagainstmers

9- @steddieislife @chaotic-waffle @strangerfolks

[interact-if]

Black History Month Author Spotlight: Kiki

Our third edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series, features Kiki (@scapegoated-if)!

(I’m rly happy to have gotten to know Kiki better through the feature, and the interview contains really interesting insights on gender and race-locked main characters in interactive fiction, among other things! If you haven’t yet played Scapegoated (and if you’re a fan of Infamous/music IFs, definitely give it a go!)

Author: Kiki Born and raised North London, but ethnic background Jamaican (my parents are a part of the Windrush Gen)

Games: Scapegoated (slice-of-life, music, hollywood, '70s)

Short blurb: Scapegoated is about a female musician in a band that is seguing into an acting career. She is facing a lot of blame and scandal regarding the split between her band that happened in 1968. Not only are a lot of the general public hurt and angry about it, but so is an infamous serial killer that has been terrorising the west coast...

Quotes from the interview

I’m from North London. My parents moved to London when they were children from the Caribbean and are a part of the Windrush generation. I am a black, bisexual woman growing up in the UK, a place that tends to disguise its wider prejudices as a classist issue in all cases. […] A huge part of my love for music is strongly intertwined with my relationship with my late father. He passed away in June of 2023, and he was very much so kickin’ it in the ‘70s. He was a DJ throughout his life, so the legacy of LPs that he left behind was unspeakable and very ‘70s.

Read on for the full interview!

Tell me more about yourself! What are some things new readers or long-time readers might not know about you?

I graduated from a Russell Group university with an English Literature BA (Hons). I think a part of me has always wanted to be a writer in some capacity; I know that I’ve always wanted to write a book. So, I think beginning this IF has existed for me as a gateway to see what that would be like. I thought of it as a brainteaser–the prospect of exploring different outcomes and different pathways that a character may undertake. It has been challenging, dare I say more challenging than writing an actual book, but that’s exactly what I wanted out of this process.

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

My best friend introduced me to the world of interactive fiction one day last year. She introduced Infamous to me and asserted that I would really like it because I’m a huge music nerd. Of course I fell in love with the characters and the world, but I also fell in love with the format of IFs. 

A huge part of my love for music is strongly intertwined with my relationship with my late father. He passed away in June of 2023, and he was very much so kickin’ it in the ‘70s. He was a DJ throughout his life, so the legacy of LPs that he left behind was unspeakable and very ‘70s. I am a huge music lover with such a wide-spanning eclectic taste, but the period of music post-”Dylan going electric”, post-”Elvis being on the out”, Quincy Jones (rest in king) and Beatlemania is just everything to me, so the idea for Scapegoated came into my life in a very natural way. I knew that whichever story I told, I wanted it to explore the Sunset Strip, groupies, rock ‘n roll, The Beatles, The Manson Family and Cher all at its core. 

I am of the opinion that coverage of the ‘70s music scene has been run into the ground lately. There has been a resurgence of nostalgia within the public consciousness when reflecting upon this time due to Daisy Jones & The Six, which was one of my favourite shows the year it was released. So, including Hollywood and murder was my attempt at innovation.

How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?

I’m from North London. My parents moved to London when they were children from the Caribbean and are a part of the Windrush generation. I am a black, bisexual woman growing up in the UK, a place that tends to disguise its wider prejudices as a classist issue in all cases. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that has only been to the US twice for two weeks at a time. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that can only relate to two aspects of my main character. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that has experienced discrimination and has been scarred by instances of discrimination. In university, I tended to be quite outspoken; in my first year, I felt quite ostracised by my predominantly white cohort during the BLM movement, because I seemed to be the only one willing to speak out in favour of it.

When I first wrote Scapegoated, I was inboxed on Tumblr and replied to on the Choice of Games Forum with genuine curiosity about my choice to gender and race lock my protagonist. This is an excerpt of my response:

I didn’t want to have a self-insert MC because I wanted to ensure that the conversations had revolving these social issues and the murders that unfold aren’t danced around. Perspective is an extremely important factor in that, and I want to ensure that the MC is directly involved–rather than just there as things happen because it wouldn’t be interactive. [...] Initially when I planned this story, before it was titled and the only thing I knew was that I wanted to write an IF about the '70s music scene, it was neither gender or race locked [...]. But I did toy with my ideas by self-inserting (I’m a black woman) when I was attempting to figure out the logistics of gameplay. That’s when I realised that due to the time period and all of the change that was happening at the time, social issues had to be discussed.

To this day, I am extremely proud of my decision and the conviction in my decision. I asserted a level of loyalty to the story I am telling in a way that I didn’t know I was capable of; retrospectively, I think I took a kind of power in it. But I really love the story I am telling and the range of representation. 

I am trying to work the line of prioritising my vision, all the while giving weight and importance to my readers’ opinions in the way that these very interesting and thorough opinions deserve. It warms my heart that even one person might care about my characters just as much as I do.

what are some of the most rewarding or challenging aspects of writing Interactive Fiction for you?

Songwriting. I’m tragic at it, but I like to think I’m self-aware enough. There are different characters with different voices and different reasonings behind their songwriting styles. I struggle to ensure that their songwriting oozes with their individual personalities. 

What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

Story beats. However, planning and writing can exist as two entirely different realms to me. What I think the story may be, can develop into something entirely new all on its own once I begin to write. Sometimes characters that I think I know transform into someone entirely new once I start to get to know them through writing their dialogue. I’ve experienced this with several characters already. On the contrary, some characters are so secure in my mind that they can’t be anything other than who I’ve introduced them to myself as.

I really love the writing process I’ve conjured up. It hasn’t failed me yet, but it isn’t secure–writing can never be anything other than an insecure process. Writing, for me, always remains in a constant stage of planning.

Do you have favourite interactive fiction games, characters, scenes or authors that you’d like to recommend?

I have received a lot of IF recommendations due to how new I am to IFs. I truly haven’t read very many, so all I can recommend to anybody are the 3 IFs that I have read which I each loved enormously: Infamous; College Tennis: Origin Story; and Apartment 502.

If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?

I only got here in December, and so far everyone has been extremely welcoming and helpful. Honestly, I have no notes. All I can do is encourage everyone to give writing a chance. It’s been so fruitful and rewarding for me, so I strongly urge everyone to give it a shot if you’re considering it. Stop thinking, just do!

Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or which changed your life (or perspectives on something)?

I’m currently reading I’m With The Band by Pamela Des Barres as research for my IF, which has been a great insight into the mindset of groupies on an intimate level.

As for something that changed my life, I recently watched Sing Sing (2024)--which wasn’t something I did in relation to Scapegoated, I am just an avid film-watcher–and it was such an incredible de-stigmatising eye into the prison system. An extremely important watch for Black History Month, too!

This-or-that segment: (bold = Kiki's pick)

Coffee or tea?

Early mornings or late nights?

City or countryside?

Angsty or Cozy romances? (Or enemies-to-lovers or best-friends-to-lovers?)  

Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?

Summer or Winter?

First drafts or editing?

Introvert or extrovert?

Plotter or pantser?

Characters or plot first?

Kiki’s custom “either-or” pairing: writing in silence or with music playing?

[jamespotterismydaddy]

Lord Husband (Chapter 14)

A/N: for the first time in foreverrrr there’s a new chapter

WORD COUNT: 1,096

“I had heard this was your favourite spot in the castle.” You tilt your head up, hearing your husband’s voice from your hidden alcove in the corner of the library.

“It is. Though, your library is small… and rather unused.”

“Reading is not a very common pastime here. Ladies usually prefer to sew and chatter in their groups while the men train.” He runs his thumb over one of the book spines on the shelf, chuckling lightly at the dust that coats it. “Though it pleases me to know someone is enjoying the space.”

“I usually enjoy its privacy.” The intent of your words is clear.

“Is that your way of telling me to leave?” He asks, only ever amused by your harshness.

“Would you even go if I had asked?” You brush your fingertips over the leatherbound cover of your book, closing it.

“Of course. I respect your space, princess.” He always seems so hurt by your possible judgments of him.

“Why are you here?”

He sighs. “It is my cousin’s birthday in three weeks time. Usually it is the lady of the castle throwing the celebration.”

“So you have a chore for me?”

Cregan’s brows furrow. “Not a chore, simply a task, should you like to perform it. I thought most ladies of high society enjoyed hosting.” He takes in the look on your face. “But perhaps I thought wrong.”

“I’ll have a few things brought in. Who usually sets up these events?” You ask.

“Uh, my aunt.”

“I’m sure she resents her loss of duties. I would leave the rest of the planning to her. I don’t care much for the planning of frivolities.”

“I’ll inform her then. Though, i’m sure she doesn’t resent it or you.” The comment has you making a face, not understanding why anyone wouldn’t resent a demotion in station. “She was actually quite excited when I informed her of the engagement. She always wished to see me wed as she had a great part in raising me… especially since the passing of my mother.”

You suck on the inside of your cheek, seeing how he attempts to mask his sorrow. “Well she did a fine job with you. I’m sure that your mother would be pleased.” You look at your hands, feeling flushed at your own comment.

“That is very kind of you to say. I believe your father would be proud of you as well.”

You snort, finding it unlikely that he truly thinks that. You think your husband must dislike you, though he tries to portray otherwise.

“I meant that in earnest.” He mumbles.

“I hardly believe that.”

“You are strong willed and ride one of the grandest dragons i’ve ever seen. I would think these are very true Velaryon traits, knowing how your father had a thrill for battle.”

In all honesty, you didn’t see much of Laenor. He wasn’t very present and you know you can’t speak the name of the man who was.

“His loss does not sit very heavy on my heart.” Is your only reply.

Cregan sits at the chair in front of you. You don’t protest.

“Is your book enjoyable?” He asks. You raise an eyebrow, wondering why he is still speaking to you.

“Yes.”

“Will you tell me what it is about?”

You think for a moment, trying to decide whether the conversation is worth having. “It's a book of northern folktales.” You toss it to him. “Have you not read it?”

“I have likely heard the stories. Though, I am keen to hear it from your perspective.”

“I’m reading about the white walkers and how they came to be. Do you believe in them?” You look to him, interest in your eyes.

“It is a child’s tale.”

“I am sure in faraway lands men riding dragons would be children’s tales.”

He fiddles with the book, looking down at it before back up at you again. “I have heard things from men who have ventured to the far north and from wildlings who fled south.” The wildling remark interests you as you've heard little of the free people. “There was a girl once, when I was younger, who had been captured by the guards. She was crazed, speaking of men who had come back from the dead with eyes bluer than sapphires. The guards said she would wake up screaming from nightmares. Apparently her father and brothers were all turned into the wicked things. She was mad though. I don’t think the guards believed her much.”

“I believe her.” You say.

“You do?”

“When princess Aerea went missing and came back spouting impossible things. People thought she was mad. I think she saw something she wasn’t supposed to see. Something no mortal should be exposed to. Magic is dangerous to tamper with.”

“I heard the Targaryens lost all their magic. That you can only ride dragons through your blood.” Cregan says.

“Who told you that?” It’s a dangerous thought. It makes your family look weak.

“My father, but it is only rumour, not something I would speak about. Especially not about my wife’s family.” He replies and you know he means it in earnest.

“The loss of blood magic is not something to be mourned. It is a filthy thing, the treatment of the serfs in Valyria. There is no glory in suffering.”

“You have a more forward perspective than most.” He says, appreciating the idea that you are hardly as cold as you seem.

“There is no progress if you do not think forward.” You muse.

“That is true.” He seems to think for a moment before placing the book back down on the table in front of you. “You’re quite clever.”

“I was raised by clever people.”

“You were.” He says, pausing to think. “I should quite like to have you sit in on council meetings. I can’t promise you a position but I think your input would be beneficial to me.”

Breaking out a modest smile, you speak, “I would like that, very much my lord.” You try not to look too excited. You always appreciated how your mother accepted and listened to your thoughts. You didn’t think you’d be granted the same respect in Winterfell.

“Oh and the celebration. I have informed the Queen of it. I believe your step sisters will be coming to visit. I know it isn’t your whole family but i hoped you would be pleased.”

“I am very pleased… Cregan.” You give him a gentle smile and for the first time, you realize you might be growing fond of him.

Comment to be added to taglist

[cokoakeostuff]

Your new comic prompted me to start replaying the tutorial of totk and sndisjsjsksns like I thought it was incredible when I first saw it, but now refreshing with game knowledge makes it so much better.

Link freshly waking up in a mysterious ruin again: torn between feeling like 'not this again', 'at least I have memories this time' and ' Zelda! Is Zelda ok?! What happened to Zelda!' (This was a lot more peaceful when I couldn't remember why I was fighting, and I know I need to pace myself because I'm injured but: ZELDA)

Finding people on the island and one is being really weird about the master sword. Sndjdksksksjsksksbsi, If only he had some bananas to offer, then everyone could be confused.

I cant wait to see how this plays out, from getting the purah pad, to Raru, to the shrines and the battery, and just seeing how multiple people working together in the tutorial changes things.

I am so incredibly excited about this, thank you for making and sharing it!

omg yes you got it, wild for real though he was gonna have to fight some random yiga members because no one ever recognizes him, just his haters 😭 and then he thought sky was talking about zelda at first (he is only thinking about her atm) so that aggressive “what happened to her?” really confused him. I also had to replay the tutorial (well I haven’t finished yet because I’ve been busy) but I already have so many ideas I wish I could make them faster GRAAH.

Working on this project brings me lots of joy really, and even more seeing other people enjoying it with me, thats so cool.

And no, thank youuu for your support, it means a lot to me, and if you want to request some doodle o silly idea you can, take it as a way to say thank u for ur dono!

[16wolke11]

CRESTFALLEN - Lando Norris

A/N Tuesday is for the tears

Summary: The reader struggles with the emotional rollercoaster of her relationship with Lando, who has been increasingly distant, only returning when it's convenient for him. After a painful confrontation, where the reader tells him she can't continue in a relationship where her needs are unfulfilled, and despite Lando's pleas, she decides to leave, acknowledging that it's time to let go and move on.

Words: 2276

Warnings: Sad Ending __________

When I woke up this morning, I just wanted to go back to sleep, avoiding what would happen today and ignoring all my responsibilities forever. Lando is returning home today, and what usually would be a day of happiness for me is now something I await with dread. Today is the day I am going to end this relationship if you can even call it that.

Every time Lando leaves for a race, appointments at the headquarters, or anything else, I am crossed out of his life. It wasn’t like this when we first started seeing each other, but it turned into this miserable thing over time. Even though I’ve seen improvements, I can no longer do this without hurting myself over and over again.

So when he texts me, ignoring the one I sent him while he was away, I make my way to his apartment. Standing in front of the door, I didn’t even want to knock, when I was usually so ecstatic to meet him again. I take a deep breath before finally lifting my hand, and it doesn’t take long before the door flies open to reveal a grinning Lando.

“Hey love,” he greets me, pulling me into the hallway and lifting my chin to press his lips to mine. As much as I would like to sigh, kiss him back, and just snuggle into his embrace, this is not what I’m here for.

“Stop, Lando,” I mutter against his lips and manage to get out of his grip, leaving him with a confused look.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed. But he does take a step back, letting me get rid of my coat, and I need to take a deep breath before speaking up.

“We need to talk.”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” Lando pouts, and I can feel some anger rising in my chest.

"This is serious, okay?" I snap and get a weird look in return. This isn’t a great start for a conversation, but since it isn’t going to be a good one, it might be okay.

"I just missed you. Can you at least give me a proper hug?" Lando mumbles, and I sigh. It feels like being guilt-trapped, but for him, it must be strange. Usually, I’m the first one to hug and kiss him when he’s back. Things have just changed without him noticing.

“I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself,” I mutter to myself but do hug him, knowing that it’s probably the last time I’ll be close to him. Almost giving in to his familiar touch, I lean my head against his chest and wrap my arms around him. Lando did hear what I tried to only say to myself, and I can hear the confusion in his voice when he speaks up.

“What do you mean?”

I pull back from the hug and take a step back, trying to create some safe distance between us. “Me waiting for you to come back, waiting for this to become a real thing,” I begin, trying to find a starting point for this conversation that would make sense for Lando. He furrows his eyebrows, so I just keep rambling.

“Every time I think it might be different, you pull away again, leaving me behind like a convenient space-filler when you’re back home.” I try to stay strong, not wanting to cry at the beginning of the conversation, and calmly tell Lando my problem, but I know it’s going to be hard. Slowly, Lando’s eyes widen, and there’s concern on his face, like he’s slowly realizing which direction this conversation is going.

“It’s not like that. I don’t think you are…” He stutters, struggling to find his words, and ruffles his hands through his hair, messing it up slightly.

“Fuck, I never wanted to hurt you, you know that. Right?” Lando asks eyes fixated on me, and I lift one of my eyebrows at his question.

“Hurt me?” I ask him, thinking about what happened again and again during the last weeks. How my texts have been abandoned as soon as he left the country, and how he acted like nothing happened as soon as the plane touched down back here again.

“You’ve been doing that for months now,” I inform him, crossing my arms in front of my chest. A defensive move while trying to hold myself together and not fall apart.

“Acting like you care, and then just disappearing, acting like I never even existed.” I tell him what he did, at least from my perspective.

“I don’t know what to believe, what to think about you, and I need to figure out what you even want from me.” This is the reason for this conversation. Being with Lando was once my favourite thing, and now it’s something I fearfully look forward to. I can see that Lando gulps, fingers fiddling with each other. Good, at least he’s as nervous as I am about this topic.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Lando admits, and I would love to believe him, but I just can’t. He desperately speaks up again, and I try to listen to his words.

“I don’t even know how to fix this, I try…” At this point, I already have to stop him.

“You try, really?” I scoff at his words because it felt like many things, but not like he tried to make this relationship work for us.

“It doesn’t feel like it. You come and go out of my life like I’m just a side character in your game of life. But I’m not.” There are many emotions on Lando’s face, trying to bubble up to the top, but I’m not finished. It’s finally time to tell him how I really feel about the whole thing we shouldn’t even call an “us.”

“I’m not here for you to just mess with me when it’s convenient and leave when it’s not.” My voice cracks, and I need to blink a couple of times, trying to get rid of the first tears prickling in my eyes. He uses me when he’s back home, and when he leaves, it’s like he pauses his life here and just continues playing when he’s interested in it again. But the world keeps spinning here, even though he isn’t here.

“That’s not my intention. Please, just listen.” Lando begs, trying to grab my wrist, holding onto me, but I snap my hand back, knowing I will fail to stay strong when his soft touch is on my skin. Lulling me back into the good times, but I need to keep a clear head now.

“I’ve listened to your excuses and promises for long enough. You’re no longer the person I fell for. You keep changing, and I don’t feel like I know you anymore.” I am no longer sounding as strong as I would like to, my voice rather thin, but I need to tell Lando how I felt during the last weeks. In the beginning, he was sweet, and I understood that his life was busy, but time passed, and he is no longer the one I fell in love with. The one who called me late at night just to talk for a bit, or even to keep each other company while watching a movie even though we were miles apart. Now he is the one who puts me away and just pulls me back out when it’s convenient for him.

“I never wanted that to happen,” Lando promises, now pacing up and down the room.

“I never wanted to hurt you.” He looks straight at me, and I try to listen to his words, maybe even to an explanation.

“I feel like I don’t even know how to be what you need.” Lando says, hesitating for a moment before continuing his speech. “You deserve someone who gives you everything, and I… I can’t do that.” He admits, and my heart aches. Even though I am angry at him, at the same time it hurts to see him broken. But for my own sanity, this needs to be done.

“Then why are you still here?” I ask him. When he is aware that he isn’t the right person for me, why didn’t he leave? Keeps torturing my feelings even though he tells me he knows better.

“I already gave you all of me, and you tell me it’s not enough? Is that the reason I’m not enough?” The tears flow now, but I don’t care. I could prepare myself for this conversation as much as I wanted, but some things just caught me off guard.

“It’s not about you not being enough. You are everything to me! But I don’t know how to let you be loved the way you deserve by me. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.” Lando tells me, and my heart breaks at the sight of him. His slumped shoulders and the absolutely broken look in his eyes. It does take me only a few seconds to realize the meaning behind his words.

“You’re afraid of love.” I whisper, a realization which does make sense, but makes everything just more painful than it already is.

I take a deep breath before coming to another hard point on my list. “And I can’t keep waiting for you to see me, really see me, without hurting myself.” Trying to keep my head up, I look into Lando’s face, wanting to see his reaction and if he is at least as hurt by this as I am. “How long do you think I was supposed to wait for you to figure this out?” I ask him, my voice trembling, I hate the hurtful feeling in my chest, but I know I need to break it fully now to slowly heal it later. “How long am I supposed to act like it’s okay while you keep breaking my heart?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Lando’s voice breaks, and I need to look twice to realize that he is crying as well. I’ve never seen him so vulnerable, and as cruel as it sounds, it’s almost good for me to see him hurt. That he can experience these feelings and not just brush them off as it felt for me every time he left before.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” he tells me, and I believe him.

“I love you, I really do, but I’m terrified of losing you and pushing you away.” I need to close my eyes at his confessions, warmth flooding my broken heart, but I have to let my head take over before my heart falls again for him.

“You already did this. You already pushed me away. And I don’t know if I have the strength to keep doing this. I don’t know if I can keep loving you like this when you pull away every time it gets too real.” I know it’s cruel to give him crumbs like telling him about the love, but I try to be honest. Put all my feelings into this, and this includes the hurtful things as well.

“Please don’t leave me.” Lando pleads, and he takes my hand in a desperate grip.

“I need you, and I know I messed up. I know I hurt you, but I’m scared. Scared of ruining everything, and I swear I…” He sniffles softly and takes a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.

“I’ve tried too, you know.” I tell him and carefully start to remove his fingers from my hand. Fingers shaking, but I am determined to stay strong. “But it always felt like I was fighting this battle alone. I can’t be the only one trying anymore. I need someone who wants this, wants me.” I explain to him and take a step back, trying to bring back some distance between us.

“I want you, more than anything. I just need time.” Lando tells me, his fingers curling into his hoodie like he needs something to hold on to.

“I don’t have any time left. I can’t keep waiting for you to decide I’m worth it. Maybe I’m not, at least not for you.” This was something I thought about during Lando’s last trip. Maybe I am worthy of love, but not just of Lando’s.

“I just need to let go of the hope that one day everything will be perfect.” The little cry that comes with these words makes me sound even more miserable, but the truth has to be spoken. I need to let go of the perfect image of an “us” and try to go on with my life.

“Don’t say that.” Lando tells me, attempting again to grab my hand, and I let him, probably for the last time.

“Please don’t leave me.” His voice cracks, and I would like to hug him, tell him that everything is going to be okay, but that would be a lie.

“You are everything to me, and I will lose everything without you.” Lando pulls me closer, desperate, while we both just cry. He doesn’t stop me when I pull back my hands, his arms slumping down on the side of his body, and I can see the spirit breaking in his eyes when I step back.

“Maybe it’s already too late, Lando,” I whisper and turn around, finally leaving his apartment, knowing I wouldn’t be able to resist him if I stayed any longer. This end is a beginning, and outside the building, I am finally able to breathe again for the first time in forever.

[abbottfansstuff]

The What Ifs 

Author's Note: Writing has always served as my personal therapy. It's the kind where I don’t need to pay someone to hear me out. Seeing this person unleashed emotions that I thought I had neatly packed away and labeled as “resolved.” As always, thank you for reading! Y'all come get the tea: @schemmentigfs & @rosie6reyes

It was one of those moments where you just knew you had to act on impulse. The idea had popped into your head out of nowhere: a surprise trip back home to visit your parents. You’d been so caught up in work lately that it felt like ages since you spent quality time with them. And with their anniversary coming up, you figured—why not? A spontaneous visit, a small surprise barbecue for their anniversary, and a week spent catching up sounded perfect.

So, without much planning, you packed your bags and booked a last-minute flight, eager to give your mom and dad the surprise of a lifetime. You weren’t entirely sure how they’d react, but you knew they’d be thrilled.

The next afternoon, after you’d had a few hours of sleep and caught up with your parents, you and your mom set out to grab the essentials for the barbecue. The Florida sun was shining, the air was warm, and the whole vibe felt effortless—like home.

As you pushed the cart through the parking lot after picking up the last of the supplies, your mind was still buzzing with plans for the celebration. That’s when you heard your mom’s voice.

"No way! What a coincidence!" she suddenly exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks.

You looked up, confused, but your mom was already walking toward someone across the parking lot, her face lighting up.

"Oh shit… Melissa," you muttered to yourself, still not sure you were seeing things.

Then, as if on cue, Melissa turned, her eyes immediately landing on your mom. The recognition was instant. She smiled, her face lighting up as she moved toward you both.

"Y/N?!" she exclaimed, pausing for a brief moment before closing the distance between you two with a hug.

You couldn’t stop the surprise from showing on your face. It had been years—almost eight, in fact. And yet, standing in front of you was Melissa, looking as confident and polished as you remembered. She was still dressed as impeccably as ever. Yet you were wearing short shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops.

You took a moment to absorb the surprise. “Wow, Melissa... it’s been so long,” you said, still blinking in disbelief.

Melissa gave you a small, teasing smile. “Yeah, it really has. What is it, 8 years? I didn’t expect to see you. Your mom didn’t tell me you were planning a trip.”

Your mom smiled at Melissa, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. “She actually just showed up around 4 am. We had no idea she was coming. She came for me and Mark’s anniversary. She is so spontaneous.”

Melissa smiled, looking at you. “Oh, I remember.”

Your mom continued, “I was actually planning on sending you a text later on tonight to invite you to the barbecue that Y/N is hosting for me and Mark’s anniversary tomorrow. We’d love to have you there!”

Melissa laughed, looking between you and your mom with an amused grin. “Well, I don’t know how I can say no to that!” she said, her tone warm and teasing. “Count me in! What do you want me to bring?”

Finally, you spoke up and said, “There’s no need for you to bring anything! I’ve got pretty much everything covered. It’ll be a small gathering, so you don’t need to worry.”

Your mom, nodding, agreed.

You added, “Will you be bringing anyone? Just want to know the headcount,” and laughed.

Melissa looked straight into your eyes and said, “No, I’m not bringing anyone. Just me and my dog,” and laughed.

After that, your mom and Melissa said their goodbyes and gave each other a small hug. Then Melissa turned to you and offered a hug of her own.

“I’m really looking forward to the barbecue now. It’ll be nice to catch up,” she said after pulling away.

Still, the same perfume… was all you could think about at that moment.

—---

As you settled in for the night, you replayed the events of the day in your mind. The surprise encounter with Melissa, her confident smile, and that familiar scent—everything felt so surreal. It was like no time had passed since the last time you'd seen her. But as you lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, your mind drifted back to a different time—the last time you worked closely with her.

The memory quickly shifts to when you were around 21 years old, just finishing up your unofficial 6-month internship at the law firm. Your mom had assigned you to work directly under Melissa for most of the time, and you’d spent hours together managing paperwork.

You had a lot of respect for Melissa—she was sharp, professional, and incredibly skilled at what she did. And over those months, you couldn’t help but develop a slight crush on her. It wasn’t anything you acted on—it was just a quiet, lingering thing, more about admiration than anything else.

There was one moment, in particular, that stood out in your mind: You had been driving Melissa to one of her court hearings. Parking near the courthouse was always a nightmare, so it was easier for you to drop her off right by the entrance, then find parking and catch up with her inside.

The drive was long, and Melissa was dressed in a sharp suit, her pencil skirt just short enough to catch your eye now and then. As she shifted in her seat, it was hard to focus on anything but the proximity of her legs—every movement made your attention wander. You tried to keep your eyes on the road, but every time she adjusted herself, you couldn’t help but glance her way.

Her legs crossed, and the hem of her skirt rode up just enough to give you a view of her smooth thigh, inches away. You could feel your heart race, trying not to let your gaze linger too long. The whole situation was way more distracting than you'd planned.

Melissa must've noticed your discomfort because her voice broke through the silence in a teasing tone. “You alright, Y/N? You look a little... distracted.”

You panicked for a second, quickly trying to mask your thoughts. “Oh, yeah... just nervous about the case,” you muttered, hoping she wouldn’t press further.

She chuckled softly, her eyes flicking toward you, and laughed, saying, “Well, get it together girl.. I am freaking out too and we cannot have two people freaking out.”

—----

After the court appearance, you’d both grabbed lunch together at a nearby café. You’d mostly talked about work. But at some point, the conversation shifted.

Melissa asked casually, “So, are you single, Y/N?” She sipped her drink, her gaze neutral, but there was a softness to her tone like she genuinely cared about your answer.

You felt your cheeks flush slightly. “Yeah, I'm still single. Haven’t really had time to meet anyone lately with all the work and schooling,” you said, shrugging it off.

She nodded thoughtfully before smiling at you. "I’m actually the same way," she said, her tone shifting slightly. "In fact, I don’t date men at all. I’m... well, I’m gay.”

You blinked, unsure of where the conversation was headed. 

The rest of the lunch passed by in a blur as the conversation shifted back to work, but that moment stayed with you. Melissa had opened up in a way that made you admire her even more. You couldn’t help but think how difficult it must’ve been for her to reveal something so personal, but at the same time, it made you feel a little closer to her.

—---

After that lunch, you and Melissa started spending more time together outside of work. During the workday, you would hang out during lunch, chatting about everything and nothing—work, life, movies, whatever was on your mind. You’d grown accustomed to her teasing smile, the way she could shift between being a confident professional and someone who was surprisingly easy to talk to. There was a familiarity now, a comfort between you that made the time you spent together feel effortless.

It was a weekend that really stirred things up. You had heard Melissa mention a club she was going to with some friends on Saturday night—she’d said it so casually as if it was just another night out, but it stuck with you. You knew she went there frequently, and you figured if there was ever a chance to spend some more time with her, this was it.

You weren’t the type to go to clubs often, but you were determined to take the opportunity. You convinced your group of friends to join you, making up some excuse about how you just felt like having a good time that night. Deep down, though, you knew exactly why you were going. The plan was simple: go to the club, find Melissa, and maybe—just maybe—get a chance to talk to her in a completely different environment.

When you got to the club, it was buzzing with energy, the music loud enough to feel it in your chest. You scanned the crowd, your heart racing a little as you tried to spot her. It wasn’t long before you saw her standing near the bar with a group of friends, looking effortlessly cool in her black leather jacket and skinny jeans. She looked... different, somehow—more relaxed, more herself. You realized then that you had never seen this side of her before, the side that didn’t wear a suit or focus on work but just let loose. You pushed through the crowd toward her, trying to act casual, but your heart was pounding in your chest.

When she saw you, her face lit up. “Y/N!” she called over the music, clearly surprised to see you there. “What are you doing here?”

You smiled, trying to seem nonchalant. “I could ask you the same thing. My friends and I decided to check out the scene. Looks like we have the same taste in places,” you said, chuckling nervously.

Her eyes twinkled as she gave you a playful look. “Well, I guess we do,” she said, her voice teasing. “Are you here with anyone special?”

You shook your head. “Nah, just a group of friends. What about you?” you asked, hoping the question didn’t sound too forward.

She shrugged, a smile playing on her lips. “Just out with the crew. Nothing special.”

You felt a slight sense of relief. This wasn’t a big deal. But even as you spoke to her, you couldn’t ignore the fact that it was still hard to separate the attraction you felt for her from the ease of your friendship. You tried not to let your feelings show, but every time she smiled or laughed, it was impossible not to feel something more.

At one point during the night, Melissa leaned closer to you, her voice just above a whisper, “I need someone to watch my back,” she said with a playful grin. Without missing a beat, you both ended up dancing together—close, letting the music take over. The rhythm of the club and the heat of the crowd made it easy to forget the world outside.

It was more than just dancing. There was a lot of grinding and touching, and it was hard to keep track of where the music ended and where your bodies began. The chemistry between you was undeniable, and as you danced, your bodies moved in sync, caught up in the moment. Every touch seemed to make the tension between you both feel more real and for a moment, you wondered how long you could keep this act up before something shifted.

—----

After that night at the club, things seemed to change between you and Melissa magically. Every other weekend, you somehow "bumped into each other"—like it was a total coincidence. Because, of course, it’s totally normal to show up at the same place at the same time without planning it, right? You’d both just happen to be there, her teasing smile and playful eyes the perfect indicators that this wasn’t some well-constructed plan. 

Totally unplanned, definitely.

One night, the music was louder than ever, and the club was packed. You and Melissa found each other at the bar again, the usual routine of grabbing drinks to loosen up before the dancing started. You could already feel the electricity between you, the way she glanced at you with that knowing smile, the way she would touch your arm whenever she made a joke or shared a funny story.

As the night wore on, you both found yourselves on the dance floor again. The music seemed to wrap itself around the two of you, pulling you closer as you both moved to the rhythm. The space between you shrinking with every song. You could feel her body next to yours, the heat from the crowd adding to the intensity. The last time you danced, there had been a lot of teasing and joking, but tonight felt different. There was something heavier about the way you moved, something almost inevitable about the way your bodies seemed to gravitate toward each other.

Melissa’s eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, everything else in the club faded away. The noise, the lights, the people—none of it seemed to matter anymore. It was just the two of you, dancing closer than before, every brush of her body against yours making your pulse race. She leaned in, her breath warm against your ear. "You always know how to make it fun," she murmured, sending a shiver down your spine.

You leaned in just slightly, your lips brushing her ear as you spoke. "It's not hard when I’m with you."

The tension in the air thickened, and in that moment, something inside you snapped. Without saying another word, you took the chance. You closed the gap between you two, your lips finding hers in a kiss that started soft but quickly deepened with the heat of the moment. The crowd around you, the loud music, everything disappeared as you gave in to the feeling. It was slow at first, hesitant like you both were trying to gauge the moment, but soon, it turned into something more urgent. 

You could feel her hands on your back, pulling you closer. You let your hands slide to her waist, the connection intensifying with every second. The world around you faded even further as your kiss deepened, and for a long, blissful moment, it was just the two of you, lost in the rhythm of your kiss and the pulse of the music.

When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, and your heart was pounding in your chest. Melissa looked at you, her lips swollen from the kiss, her eyes wide with something you couldn’t quite read.

It wasn’t a romance—it was fun, lighthearted, and casual. The chemistry was undeniable, but neither of you ever pushed it past that.

—----

A few weeks after the last club night, your mom called you into her office to discuss a work-related assignment. “I need you to go on this trip with Melissa,” she said, looking over some documents on her desk. “We’re interviewing candidates for those new positions in the offices in Atlanta. We are flying them to Atlanta. Melissa will need your help.”

The trip itself was hectic. There were long meetings, interviews with candidates, and a tight schedule to maintain. But as the days went by, the intensity of your time together began to shift. Away from the usual office environment, you both started to unwind in a way that felt more personal and intimate. In between work, there were shared meals, spontaneous conversations that drifted far from anything professional, and those moments—small but charged—where your eyes lingered just a little longer than they should have.

One night, after a long day of interviews, you both retreated to your hotel rooms, exhausted but still carrying a subtle tension that had been building all week. You had gone to bed early, but a knock at your door interrupted your thoughts.

You opened the door to find Melissa standing there, holding a bottle of wine. Her eyes were softer than usual, and her smile, though still warm, carried a vulnerability you hadn’t seen before. “I was thinking… maybe we could share this,” she said with a playful tone, but there was something deeper in the way she looked at you. Something unspoken.

You stepped aside, letting her in. She settled beside you on the bed, the bottle of wine between you. Conversation flowed easily, and for the first time in a while, it felt like you could both just be—no work, no expectations. Just two people sharing a quiet moment, letting their guard down.

As the night wore on, the energy between you shifted. The playful banter between you faded into something more intimate. There was an unspoken connection in the air that neither of you could ignore. The walls you had built between each other were starting to crumble, piece by piece.

And then, there it was. The look. It lingered between you, a blend of curiosity and hesitation. Melissa’s gaze dropped to your lips, and for a fleeting moment, everything else disappeared. The distance between you seemed to shrink, and the weight of your shared history filled the space between you. 

Before you knew it, you were leaning toward her, the tension between you palpable. Her breath hitched as your lips met, tentative at first, as if neither of you wanted to cross the line fully. 

But then it deepened—passionate, urgent—as though your bodies were remembering something you hadn’t realized you missed. She moved closer, her hands finding their way to your neck, pulling you in with an intensity that matched the emotions swirling between you. You could feel the heat between you rising, the shared history, the unspoken words, everything coiling together in this one charged moment. Her lips parted against yours, and in that instant, everything else seemed to fade into the background. 

You found yourself responding, almost instinctively, your hands tracing the curve of her waist, pulling her closer, the urgency building between you. The kiss grew hotter, more desperate, as you moved on instinct, losing yourselves in each other. As your hands roamed, you felt her body tense, a small, almost imperceptible gasp escaping her. The contact was electric, the pressure mounting, and before you knew it, your fingers traced the edge of her shirt, sliding underneath. The air between you felt thick with anticipation, the moment on the verge of something more. But just as quickly, the intensity seemed to snap.

 She pulled back, her breath coming in shallow gasps, her eyes wide with a mix of longing and uncertainty. She sat up, visibly shaken, her chest rising and falling with every breath. You followed her lead, unsure of what to say or do, the weight of the moment pressing down on you both. 

The silence stretched between you, thick with everything that had just happened, everything left unspoken. The room felt heavy with the intensity of what you had shared, and yet neither of you moved. 

The night ended quietly, but the tension hung in the air like a lingering question, unanswered and unresolved. But it was undeniable now—the bond between you had shifted. 

What had been unspoken before was now clear.

The following day, you both returned to work, professionally, as if nothing had happened. Yet, the weight of what had passed between you was impossible to ignore. It was clear that something had shifted—something important—but the complexity of your feelings would have to be dealt with later.

That later never came…. 

------

As time went on, you moved forward, leaving behind the city where everything had once felt alive. New opportunities, new faces, and new places came into your life, but none of it ever felt quite like it had back then. A few months after the move, you had some friends visiting. Drinks flowed, laughter filled the air, but one conversation stuck with you long after the night ended.

One of your friends mentioned a recent chat with Melissa at the club. "She seemed so happy at first," your friend said. "But then… she said something that kind of struck me."

You felt your stomach tighten, a sinking feeling that something was about to shift.

"She told me she was too old to be feeling those giddy feelings," your friend continued. "She said she’d started her career too late, and now she needed to focus. No time for distractions, she said."

It hit you hard. It wasn’t about you. Was it? Melissa had her reasons. You had yours. You both had drifted into different lives, different paths, carrying the weight of your own choices—choices that no longer left room for the same kind of connection.

And yet, you couldn’t shake the memory of that night—the way her lips felt against yours, the way the tension between you both had crackled, the way it almost became something more. But now, the truth seemed clear: She was focused on a different future, one that didn’t involve you in the same way.

You had your path to follow. And maybe that was the way things were meant to be.

------

Here you are in your childhood room, lying awake, staring at the familiar ceiling, with a heart full of unspoken words. You always told yourself you’d put it all behind you—that everything that happened with Melissa would be just that, something in the past. But she always held a special place in your life, and no matter how hard you tried, there was no erasing that. 

Now, as the night stretches on, you wait for tomorrow, wondering if, just maybe, the story wasn’t over after all.

Maybe she is your biggest ‘what if.’

[dfstolenart]

Out of Love | Criminal Minds

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Summary: All the late nights, missed phone calls and canceled dates finally caught up to you and Spencer.

A/N: Love this song so why not write a fic about it?? Hope you loved it <333

Tags: Sad Spencer and a bit of shouting <-[warnings]

11:30 p.m the clock read

Two hours and thirty minutes was the amount of time your fiancé had been late, and two hours and thirty minutes was the time he took to not leave a message

“Hey” a low exhausted voice said from your front door already knowing who it was you kept your eyes on the tv “hi” you quietly said

You watched the tired man make his way towards you lowering his body to leave a kiss on your forehead “Long case?” You questioned “yeah.” His answer was short but there were traces of guilt in his tone but there always was so it wasn’t new to you

He threw his body on the empty space next you making sure not to intrude to much on your space, before though he wouldn’t care after a long day of work you were all he wanted, all he needed.

“ I won’t tell you I’m lonely Cause it may be selfish ”

What had changed?

“I saved you dinner.” You told him after a long period of silence he exhaled “thank you.” But he didn’t move

You turned off the tv and turned to look at him “Spencer.” You whispered he looked at you “are we okay?” You asked he furrowed his eyebrows “why wouldn’t we be?”

You swallowed feeling nervous “everything feels different.” You admit to him “It has been for months now.” You look away scared to see his reaction

“I know I’ve been working a lot-”

“No it’s not just that” you cut him off “you’ve been different, we’ve been different.” You say as you bit the inside of your cheek

He stayed silent but you knew he was only thinking of what to say, you felt like you can see the gears running in his head trying to figure out what to say

It was silly because he was so quick to find answers for murders or give anyone a fact but for you he couldn’t think of anything not right now

“I don’t want to loose you.” Is all he said, he knew where this conversation was going “I don’t want to loose you either.” You admit “but I don’t know what else I can do for you.”

“What do you mean? I’m right here.” He said with a bit of frustration in his tone, you shook your head disagreeing with him “No you aren’t.”

“You’re in different cities, police stations, at your desk. Everywhere but here.” You tell him as the tears finally left your eyes

Silence filled the room again, he couldn’t even comfort you properly

“I’m sorry.” He said reaching for your hand but not out of love more out of habit “what are we going to do?” You ask “I don’t know” he confessed

“ I won’t ask you to hold me ‘cause that won’t mend what’s helpless ”

For once he didn’t know what to do

You wished he did, you wished he just all of the sudden had a break through as to what it is you guys needed to fix your relationship but he his only human and so are you.

You couldn’t beg him to change, and he couldn’t wake up a different man.

Spencer had tears running down his cheeks so badly you wanted to wipe them away but he felt foreign to you, like his body wasn’t yours anymore

“I think we both know what’s happened.” You say looking down at your fingers intertwined “what’s that?” He asks

“We aren’t us anymore, we’ve outgrown each other. You will always put work first and I am not okay with that.” You tell him as you wipe your tears

“Don’t say that. It’s not true.” He replied taking his hand from you, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes you moved your body to face him

“Then what? If it’s not work then what is it? Is it just you? Did you outgrow me?” You harshly ask getting angry, his silence was loud.

And it also gave you an answer

Maybe you just so badly wanted it to be his job making you guys pull away from each other but could it have just been him not in love with you anymore ?

“ Oh, when did you fall out of love with me? ”

[hrrtshape]

Heyy, hope you’re doing good! First of all, I just wanted to say I really love your content, it’s always so interesting and motivating to read. So thank you for that!

I also wanted to ask you something, and in advance, thanks a lot if you take the time to answer!

I’ve been trying to shift for a while, and I feel like I understand everything logically, but something just isn’t clicking for me, yk? Like, I know shifting is real, I know I can do it, and I know I will do it eventually, but I feel like there’s still something missing, otherwise I would have shifted to my DR already, right?

I‘m really self-aware about all of this, and I do know that we are constantly shifting, and that failed attempts aren’t really a thing. So it’s not like I think I never shift at all, I know that’s not how it works. But when I try shifting to my DR, I feel like… I just don’t see it happening? Like, maybe ( after an “failed attempt” ) someone has pink hair instead of red, but I wouldn’t even notice, so it doesn’t feel like I shifted, if that makes sense?

Sometimes I think maybe I’m still expecting it too much, even tho I try to have the mindset of “let’s see what happens, if not today, then another day.” But then it feels like I’m not trying enough, and that maybe I should be doing more. And idk, I just overthink a lot, like what’s the right mindset, am I holding myself back without realizing, should I just let it be more natural or is that just an excuse not to put effort, you know?

Also, during the day I forget about shifting completely, and when I remember again, I feel like I lost my progress. I usually try shifting at night before sleeping, I listen to a guided meditation and think “if I wake up in my DR, great. If not, then I had a good night’s sleep.” But idk if that’s the right way to approach it. I feel like when I read shifting advice, everything makes sense, but when I actually try, it’s different.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense, I just feel like something’s missing and I don’t know what it is. I know you’re not some kind of therapist who has to have an answer for everything, and that’s totally okay. But if you happen to have any advice, I’d really appreciate it.

Again, thanks so much if you take the time to answer! Hope you’re having a great day <3

you already understand shifting better than 99% of people. you know it’s real, you know you’re constantly shifting, you know failed attempts don’t exist. you’re literally right there. so what’s missing? nothing. except maybe your own permission to stop overcomplicating it.

you’re stuck in a loop of 'am i trying too much? am i trying too little? should i just let go? but am i letting go too much?' . that’s the whole problem. shifting is so easy that your brain is convinced you must be missing something. you’re not.

you don’t need a “right mindset.” you don’t need to “try” more or less. you just need to let shifting be what it is: natural. inevitable. already happening !

now. “i forget about shifting” thing. shifting is not a test you can fail. you can ignore it for six months and still shift in one second. no progress is ever lost because there is no “progress” to begin with. you’re just realising what’s already true !

ok. my advice. stop looking for a missing piece that isn’t there. stop questioning if you’re doing it right. you’re already doing it. shifting isn’t something you have to chase. it’s something you just let happen x mwah

[eloquentcoconut]

Hello! I’d love to see a fic about Ace, Deuce and y/n having like a traumatic event that makes them all super attached to eachother and they’re almost constantly together and if one of them is away they all have different reactions like Ace gets super quiet, Deuce gets irritated easily and y/n getting super anxious. I’d really really love to see everyone’s reactions to this! Thank you so much!

Little Lies That Are Always On My Mind

Word Count: 2,349 words. 

TW: Bullying?

Synopsis: Ace, Deuce, and Y/N find themselves involved in a potionology accident of their own doing - surprise surprise. How are they going to sift through the lies and unravel the truth?  

Notes: I tried - y’all I really tried. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Endless Night, an ancient but once a popular sleeping potion that allowed for the creator to infiltrate their victim’s dreams in order to access their memories, a rudimentary truth serum in today’s standards and I am being liberal with the word truth.” Professor Crewel cracked his whip against his desk, startling some of the students awake.

“Pay attention pups! I won’t be asking again so nicely IF there is a next time.” Professor Crewel began to write upon the black board.

“Endless Night was not 100% guaranteed that it would even work against the victim. Should the victim wake, suspect they’re in a dream, or their disbelief was pushed too far the potions effects would be null and void.”   

“Ace, why aren’t you stirring?’ Y/N whispered to their partner, nudging his side.

Ace jabbed a finger to his left. “That’s not my task! That’s Loosey-Deucey’s!” 

“No? I haven’t touched that ladle once. I’ve been adding the ingredients.” Deuce defended himself, side stepping to show off his collection of canisters as proof. 

“I’ve already put some of them in though…’ Y/N trailed off.

“But that was my job?” Adeuce said simultaneously. 

Y/N sighed and rubbed their head exacerbated. Ace and Deuce were their closest friends, they enjoyed their shenanigans and company dearly, but when it came to schoolwork, Y/N would trade them to professor Crewel for one dog kibble.  

Y/N turned to the duo once more. “Alright well I’ve put a twinge of sage and dried mint.”

“I thought it said a PINCH of sage and mint.” Deuce picked up their potionology textbook and began skimming the list.

“No way. I put a pluck of sage and dried coriander, you two need glasses or better brains.” Ace scoffed.  

Unbeknownst to the trio, their arguing had drawn attention. 

With a fierce crack of his whip, professor Crewel marched over to them. “No barking during my lecture, naughty puppies! You are all to stay behind after class and clean the entire room. Perhaps that will help you three learn to follow directions obediently. Start over.” 

“Yes professor.” We said at once. 

“It's your guys’ fault though. I called dibs first.” Ace whispered.

“Can it Ace.” Deuce mumbled, cleaning off his island. 

“Yeah, get bent.” Y/N flipped off Ace, turning around to examine the potionology textbook.

Professor Crewel coughed, “As I was saying, there is no margin for error. Even just one drop over, and the results would be disastrous to say the least. Sleep poisoning, restless slumber syndrome, and perceived dream world are just some of the few DIRE consequences.” Professor Crewel shot Y/N, Deuce and Ace a stern look.

Whilst people were milling about, caught up in their own business, the unattended cauldron began to bubble and brew with renewed vigor. Pink shimmering liquid squeaked as a violet sweet-smelling bubble floated to the top.

“UH! I don’t think it's supposed to be doing THAT!” Ace ran around the pot, pulling on his friends’ lab coat sleeves. 

“What?!” Deuce flinched back upon witnessing the overflowing cerulean goo.

“Huh?” Y/N jumped back as red spark clouds circled over the potions head.

A puff of black smoke, reminiscent of campfire marshmallows enveloped the trio, ushering them into a fitful slumber. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

 Y/N, Ace, and Deuce are nothing short of a miracle case. It's a marvel in itself that they were able to wake at all. At least, that's what the staff at the infirmary would tell themselves. They weren’t pleased in the slightest when they awoke one by one.

Disoriented, the trio was able to find comfort once spotting one another, but why did they wake up alone?

“Do you guys know what happened?” Y/N asked tentatively. 

Deuce rubbed the left side of his head and scrunched up his face as he recalled the memory. “...We… Our potion exploded?”

“For a dream potion, I find it odd I didn’t dream at all. Just a flash...” Ace trailed off, outstretching his own hands in front of himself, confirming their reality. 

“A flash of black. More like a blink. I don’t feel any different?” Y/N finished. 

A half bear half human violently yanked the privacy curtains. “If that’s all you're going to do is lie there and take up space, get out.” The head nurse scowled and quite literally chased them out. 

The trio were left stunned and lost. Standing outside the infirmary doors, they looked up at midnight blue sky, encrusted with diamonds. No one had informed them what had happened, and no one had waited for them. 

Ace checked his phone. It was still the same day, 0 messages. 

A fast-paced puff ball darted by their line of sight. Y/N tilted their head to the side. “I’ve never seen a black rabbit on the school grounds before.” 

“A black rabbit?” Deuce perked up, albeit cautiously.   

“Why are you bringing up rabbits?” Ace questioned, pocketing his phone as they walked.

“I just saw one, anyway it doesn’t matter.” Y/N waved it off. There is a forest nearby, it really isn’t so strange an animal could roam the grounds. “But isn’t it odd that not a single person reached out to us?”

“Maybe it wasn’t that serious?” Deuce attempted to comfort the duo, himself included.

“Still…” Y/N wasn’t convinced, and the looks on Ace and Deuce were confirmation. 

Ace looked around and asked, “can we stay over at Ramshackle tonight?” 

“Sure.” Y/N reassured. 

Deuce fretted over the knick knacks on his coat. “Don’t we need permission though… I don’t want to get into even more trouble.” 

“If our own classmates, peers, and dorm cannot even manage a ‘get well soon’ DM, I say screw them and let them figure it out.” Ace crossed his arms over his head in a relaxed pose but looked off to the side frowning. 

“...Yeah.” Deuce dropped his hands and continued his walk with more certainty. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The night was ordinary and serene. Y/N, Deuce, and Ace awoke one by one, did their morning routines and went off to class. No new messages, or a sense of urgency from the trio to check in with anyone.

And that’s where their peace ended, and their troubles started.

Entering homeroom, a wave of scrutiny washed over them. All eyes locked on their forms as they made their way to find empty seats.

“I guess that potion accident is water under the bridge. Or should I say goo under the desk?” Ace joked.  

Professor Crewel said nothing, letting out a scoff, and turning back to the board. 

Out of the corner of Ace’s eye, he noticed a poster of a bunny the color of midnight with deep set sapphire eyes. ‘That poster is new.’ He thought. ‘It's out of place in potionology, homeroom or any class at NRC…’

Ace whispered his findings to Y/N and Deuce. Before Deuce and Y/N could find the poster, professor Crewel had thrown a piece of chalk in Ace’s direction!

“Trappola! It has become apparent that you have learned nothing from yesterday’s incident about yapping - move to the other side of the classroom before I muzzle you!”

Professor Crewel was practically radiating anger, and everyone felt suppressed to say anything as Ace took his stuff and switched seats.  

Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Ace could not find it in himself to make light of the situation and decided the best course of action would be to lay low until the whole thing blew over.  Even as his peers taunted him, Ace remained quiet, burning a hole through that off putting rabbit poster. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

History of Magic with professor Trein wasn’t any better. A cloud of tension followed the three into the sinfully boring classroom. 

Deuce clocked a noirette rabbit with ocean eyes resting in the plush cushion where Lucius usually slept. Deuce looked to Ace and Y/N in confusion as the pair let on as though they did not even see the rabbit. 

After a while of taking notes, the rabbit hopped over to Deuce and flung his pencil case off his desk. 

Deuce balked, Y/N and Ace looked bewildered at their friend’s sudden clumsiness, and all the other students turned their heads to the source of noise.

Professor Trein looked up from his papers and gave Deuce a stern look.

“I’m sorry professor! A rabbit-”

“None of your excuses.” Professor Trein returned to grading his papers. “See that another disruption doesn’t happen again.”

“What was that?” Y/N whispered to a flustered Deuce. 

“Didn’t you guys see that rabbit bat my stuff away?”

Ace shook his head. 

Deuce grumbled and returned to his studies. But the rabbit had returned. With a sly smile the rabbit tore out the history pages with its teeth out of Deuce’s textbook!

*riiiiiipp*

“STOP THAT!” Deuce shouted at the naughty rabbit.

Y/N and Ace looked concerned at whatever was affecting Deuce. The peanut gallery gave their two cents in the form of bitter comments or mocking laughter. 

Professor Trein scowled. “Spade, remove yourself from my classroom before I give you detention.”

“But professor-”

“NOW.”

With his head held low, Deuce left third period. 

Deuce wasn’t sure what else to do with his sudden free hour, so he stood outside the classroom waiting for the dismissal bell to toll. 

Other students gawked they passed by, whispering loudly about ‘once a delinquent always a delinquent.’ Or ‘watch out! If you look him in the eyes, he’ll throw something at you! Scary!’ 

Deuce started to sweat. ‘How would they know? Am I really that obvious? I’m not even good at fronting my ‘good boy’ persona?’ 

A few daring students made fun of Deuce until he snapped. Deuce had grown so irritated that he left and decided to wander around campus to blow off steam. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Returning to Heartslabyul after school, Y/N, Ace, and Deuce were met with opposition from Trey, Riddle, and Cater upon entering. Heartslabyul students gave them dirty looks as they passed by the group. 

Riddle was the first to speak, and rather harshly too. “How nice of the Night Raven College punk celebrities to grace our humble dormitory with their presence.” 

Ace crossed his arms. “We were literally in the infirmary from 1st period to midnight. Which any of you would know if you bothered to check on your underclassmen.” 

The micro celebs were met with fierce looks. Y/N watched as the black hare emerged from the rose hedge and ran towards the Heartslabyul higher ups. 

“That rabbit is back!” Y/N said to Deuce.

Deuce didn’t notice the rabbit but believed his friend anyways.  

The rabbit poked Cater’s leg. Cater turned his gaze to Y/N and asked, “so it’s true, you’re stealing other dorm members to fill up your own dorm.”

The bunny tapped Trey’s shoe. 

Trey crossed his arms and nodded. “You think you can get your way with everything just because you ‘helped’” Trey air quoted the word, “with a few overblots… Oh brother.”  

Y/N gave Cater, Trey, and their prefect a harsh look. “Where is this coming from? This seriously cannot be about yesterday’s potion accident…”

Y/N stopped and considered it. They didn’t have any dreams last night, nor did Ace or Deuce, and the actions of the ever-vanishing rabbit are making their school life needlessly difficult. While Y/N was musing over their thoughts, the dark rabbit swatted Riddle’s elbow and winked.

Riddle glared at Y/N. “Don’t act like you did anyone any favors. Not everything is about you Y/N. You literally brought up the overblots just for praise… Wow.” 

Deuce stepped in, “you guys brought up the overblots, not Y/N.” 

Cater eye rolled. “Puh-lease, Y/N is always acting like they're better than everyone. They’re just malding ‘cuz their lies finally caught up with them.” 

Trey added, “How many times does a coincidence need to happen before it's a pattern? I bet they’re causing the overblots to make themselves look good… Talk about messed up.” 

Y/N was upset to say the least but had no idea on how to even defend themselves against this weirdly one-sided beef. Y/N felt as though there was nothing they could do if people were this dedicated about misunderstanding them out of thin air. Their thoughts began to swirl together, lingering on ‘what ifs’ as their breath quickened. 

“You guys are jerks!” Ace had had enough. “Whatever is wrong with YOUR messed up heads, get over yourselves!”

As Ace took hold of Deuce’s and Y/N’s hand, exiting Heartslabyul Y/N made a connection.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“You think we never actually woke up?” Ace’s eyebrows rose in alarm. 

Y/N nodded. “That rabbit, everyone else acting like actual villains but only with the things directly on our mind or what had just happened to us… It’s like a dream, isn’t it?”

“A twisted nightmare you mean.” Deuce rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. 

The day left the Ramshackle club emotionally defenseless. Dreading what would transpire the next day, and the foreseeable future if they could not escape.  

“It's no fun if you’re aware.” A little voice whined. 

!!!

The dream bunny made its appearance seamlessly materializing into existence.

“GAAHHH?!” 

Its coat gave off an iridescent glow as it breathed. Ace broke the stillness. 

“What do you gain from tormenting us?” He demanded.  

The dream bunny said nothing and gave a smug grin, "once you wake after tonight's slumber you’ll be returned to your waking world.” 

Promptly, the creature vanished in a cloud of fading sparkles. 

Y/N, Deuce, and Ace were left with little choice, they agreed it would be in their best interest to stay in Ramshackle and wait until they awoke the next day to leave. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

*COUGH! ACK!* 

Slowly one by one, Y/N, Ace and Deuce attempted to organize their thoughts as they awoke in the infirmary bed. Despite being snuggled in close, they were crowded by a mirage of concerned faces and a wave of questions. 

The three looked at one another, as if asking permission from one another to dare to voice their thoughts. They never did, swept up in the fussing and caring looks of their friends, even professor Crewel was present. 

Eventually when the fanfare settled down, and the three were permitted to leave, they left together to spend the night at Y/N’s dorm to discuss what in Twisted Wonderland they had been through. 

A black rabbit with blue eyes skidded past them. The trio had a wordless understanding wash over them.

‘If we’re together, we’ll always be fine.’ 

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

what did you think about wiege miss raven …

It was cute 🥰

BRO 💀 LUKA IS SO HOPELESSLY IN LOVE AND DOWN BAD FOR HYUNA… He’s smiling like a kid in a candy store and blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush when a GUN is pointed at his head??? Wanting to run to her and embrace her anyway, with zero regard for his own situation or how she might react negatively to him??? Kissing her missing poster (even though kissing isn’t really a thing in their society?) He’s literally SO mentally ill and obsessed with her… This is toxic and codependent het, I KNOW IT IS 👁️👄👁️

The song this time was admittedly not my favorite, honestly (its tone is sort of haunting)—but I love what it represents… A pure lullaby, holding all the hope for a peaceful and happy future. It’s probably one of the few songs Luka ever sang without intent to manipulate or harm his duet partner.

I loved seeing more gaps in the story being filled in!! Mizi after being rescued and Hyuna trying to calm her down, Hyunwoo’s presence in general, Hyuna competing in Alien Stage, Luka and the other children in Anakt Garden… Ooogh, and those flashes to an alternate universe where everyone is alive, well, and involved in their passions… Luka and Hyuna with their matching rings (not sure if they’re promise bands, engagement rings, or wedding rings)?? It was nice but I feel like I might not be as invested in their relationship if that AU lacks the ✨ spice ✨ of being enemies.

LITTLE LUKA WAS SO PRECIOUS BUT ALSO SUCH A LONER LOSER OTL Laying his head against her… Him sitting under that tree alone and huddled up, counting his fingers to pass the time… Hyuna casually joining him… The pure joy that brings him… Hyuna going in for what seems to be a hug, only for the scene to cut to her body slumping on his AFTER BEING SHOT WHILE PROTECTING HIM 💀 That was absolutely FOUL…

TILL, MY BELOVED SON… He didn’t show up a lot this song, but I loved seeing him having so much freedom and creativity. Spray painting, drawing, just acting like a Normal Human Being and not constantly lashing out and being violently subdued 💦 I always feel like I’ve been punched in the gut myself when he’s harmed. Poor guy… He deserves all the happiness in the world.

dhjsvajFagfDah DONmT yhINK i FORgoT MIZI eiThER. Girliepop is fr going through it??? Still having trauma visions of Sua… LOSING HYUNA NOW… and now she’s left with that fucker whose ass she beat in a fit of rage 😭 which does NOT bode well. THE MURDER IN MIzi’S EYES AT THE ENd, HOLY ShIT. I am half expecting the next installment to just be her wailing on Luka, maybe blaming him for what happened to Hyuna and still holding a grudge for using Sua’s death in such a despicable way.

Hyuna’s final words to Luka were so 👌 It wasn’t too long, it wasn’t too short… It was the perfect length and it conveyed everything she needed to tell him. How important he truly is to her, how she hates him because she loves him; he is and always was her one and only weakness, how all she wishes in her final moments is for Luka to live life to its fullest—even the ugly bits. That he should forgive himself and love himself no matter what…

“Luka, live with love. Embrace the pain, the frailty, and the moments so unbearably shameful. Forgive yourself… Again and again, endlessly. Because everything… begins from there.”

P.S. I feel like I definitely got lost on some parts of the story 😅 I wasn’t sure how to interpret that scene where Luka was covered in blood and there were a bunch of his dead clones (?) in tanks?? Is the implication supposed to be that the aliens were trying to make the perfect performer and the Luka we know now is the ideal test tube baby…? I see his hand on what appears to be a control panel of some kind?? So did he accidentally kill the clones?? And I’m not sure why the random gunman tried to shoot Luka. Isn’t Hyuna the leader of the resistance? Why didn’t she command them to stop? Why did she throw herself in harm’s way instead? Was it a spur of the moment or adrenaline fueled move? Did the gunman really dislike Luka or what he represents + want to kill him so badly they disregarded orders to let him go?

P.P.S. Sorry to Ivan fans… I do not have much to remark on other than the opinion I have always held, which is “Man has killer eyelashes.”

P.P.P.S. I actually didn’t cry! 👍 vxjsneksksk I live for angst like this, so I was eating it all up like a bag of chips.

Really looking forward to seeing where things will go from here on out! The resistance is lacking a leader now; will Mizi step up?! What’s going to happen to Luka, is he going to be taken as a hostage and slowly come around to join the resistance? How are the aliens going to retaliate? Will the competitor even continue at this rate? So many interesting questions!