#Jack birthday takeover

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Jack Howl: Fluffy is Justice

Me, expecting Jack to be in a tank top and sweat pants:

Twst: HAH, you thought 😩

He looks so cozy! Apparently the patterns featured are inspired by Nordic ones. This makes sense since Jack is from a snowy region in the Shaftlands.

Rise and Shine!

Early to bed, early to rise.

Jack followed his regiment rigidly. He tucked into bed at 10 pm sharp every evening and rose at 6 am every morning. A protein-packed breakfast and a morning stretch, job, and weight-lifting session with Vil later, then he was off to classes. (Ace sometimes poked fun at him and declared he may as well be an honorary member of Heartslabyl.)

But sometimes life didn’t seem to want to cooperate with him.

Peering into a washroom mirror, Jack scowled at his reflection.

He must have been tossing and turning in his sleep—his hair stood on end. It looked as though he had plugged his tail into an electrical outlet, frying his fur.

The teeth of his comb wove through his mane. As soon as the comb retreated, the hair sprang back up again, as if deliberately defying him.

Jack gritted his teeth, letting loose a low growl.

Frustrated.

He checked his phone and nearly jumped out of his cardigan. He had spent longer than he had intended tackling his hairdo. If he didn't hurry it along, he would be late.

Can’t have that, Jack sighed. Guess I’ll have to skip fixing the hair today.

He laid down his comb and turned on the facet. Cold water spilled out and onto his hands.

SPLOOSH!

Jack ran his wet fingers through his hair, matting it with the weight of the water. Tamed, at least for the time being.

He blitzed through the rest of his routine, peeling off his pajamas and shimmying into his P.E. uniform. Grabbing a protein bar and his duffel bag--crammed full of his school supplies and his track and field uniform--Jack rushed out. No tardies on his permanent record, not today.

He was fast. A wolf sprinting, unrestrained, out of the Chamber of Mirrors and thundering down Main Street.

"Like the wind," Coach Vargas would remark.

"I have to catch up," Deuce, his fellow club member, would say.

"Way too eager," Ruggie would snicker.

"Jack!"

He came to a half at his name, his ears perking. There, standing by the statue of the King of Beasts, was a familiar face. You waved at him as he approached, a hand fiddling with the strap of his bag. It snapped against his beefy shoulder.

"... Hey. You're up early," he remarked gruffly.

"I wanted to catch you before you met up with Vil-senpai for your usual workout," you grinned. "Glad I did--I have something for you."

Reaching into your backpack, you produced a water bottle and a small container. Inside were sandwiches sliced into triangles: leftover canned tuna (courtesy of Grim), ham and cheese, and vegetables.

Surprise sparked in his amber eyes. His tail jutted up, wagging excitedly. "You made this for me?"

"I figured you'd need to keep your energy up since you've got a whole day of lectures afterwards," you said bashfully. "Sorry, did I overstep?"

"No, I... I don't think so at all." Jack cleared his throat. "Really. I appreciate this. I didn't pack any real food today. The timing couldn't be better."

Relief washed over your face. You offered the water and the sandwiches to Jack, who stiffened slightly when he felt the warmth of you grazing his fingers. He quickly pulled away, avoiding your gaze, and busied himself with shoving the snacks into his bag.

"Oh....!" you suddenly gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"Your hair, it's..." You gestured to your own.

"Yeah, I know it's a mess," he mumbled, his ears flattening in shame. "Didn't have the time to style it right earlier. I had to compromise."

You shook your head.

"It looks different than usual, but that's not bad. In fact, it's kind of cute."

"What? Cute...?" He scratched his chin. "Not sure if I'm getting it."

"Yes! It looks super fluffy, like a cloud. Or whipped cream on top of ice-cream or cake," you suggested. "And cuz it's sticking up so much, it's like it's inviting someone to come along and pat your head to smooth it down."

"Pat my head?!" His hands flew there, as if to protect him from the terror that was an aggressive head pat.

"You don't like the idea?"

"I-It's embarrassing!" he snapped. "Only my family goes and does stuff like that. I'm getting too old for head pats, anyway."

"That's a shame then. Fluffy things should be cuddled more! Fluffy is justice, after all." You linked your fingers together and chuckled. "Fluffy means plushies, blankets, and coats. All the things that make us feel warm and protected. It fills our hearts with happiness. You're the same, Jack. So... I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed by."

He stared at you, bewildered.

The sun warmed his cheeks--or were they warmed from within? And there it was again, the telltale way his tail moved, back and forth and back and forth, like a metronome.

"I... I guess so," Jack managed to say. “A-Anyway, I need to get going. I can’t keep Vil-senpai waiting.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you for any longer.” You gave another wave and a smile brighter than the sun. “Good luck!”

He nodded before surging off.

His face aflame.

Maybe being fluffy wasn't so bad after all.

[jouska-the-deer]

Sonic Twitter and TikTok Takeover 2023 Masterpost

Guess what? I saved every response to the takeover like I did last year, and here they all are, with a bonus.

I created a transcript of every single answer and saved it in a Google Doc, which you can find the link to [Here]

Links to all the individual Tweets and Tiktoks can be found below in order of when they were answered.

Intro [Twitter Link][TikTok Link]

Sonic: Question from @MetroGamer21: “How often do you keep your quills sharp? Do you brush it yourself or do you have someone else do it?”

Sonic: Alright. Question from At Xyn…qieqie underscore- “Okay Knuckles, I just gonna know what’s under your gloves!” Uh, geez. “Is it weird spiked hands or is it just the design of the gloves?”

Amy: This question is from @SilentNayuri. They ask Eggman, (Clears throat) “Out of every machine you’ve built, which one was your favorite?"

Tails: This question is from @Prisma_Sonic. “To Sonic, have you ever wondered if there were other versions of you out there? Asking for a friend.”

Sonic: This question’s from Jack. “For Eggman.” Oh. “Why did you get rid of the yellow cape? It was so fashionable!”

Sonic: Well this question is for me from At daniel nu beh n… “For Sonic, who in the group do you think is the prettiest!”

Amy: From @Rayfun_25028. “To Knuckles, I always wondered, how are you able to glide, actually.”

Sonic: This next question comes from @pabloandoogway. “Why do none of you use the emerald power anymore?”

Eggman: Question coming in hot from @BlueBlur68. Let’s see. “For Sonic, since you guys were in Eggman’s dream, what would Sonic’s dream be like?”

Tails: Question from Leyla. They ask, “Do you guys sometimes feel dizzy when you do a spindash or jump? If not, why?”

Amy: Aw! This next one’s from @selkadombom1n. They said, “Hey gang, big fan here. Today’s takeover is actually very special because it’s also my nineteenth birthday.” Aw. “If it’s not too much to ask, could I get a happy birthday serenade from your beautiful singing voices?”

Knuckles: wyattron asks, “Do the Chaos Emeralds have different tastes with the different colors?”

Tails: @Razer, Ooh, asks, “Are there any moments where going fast is not the best option?”

Tails: This question is from Pastelz. “Knuckles, does Rouge ever come by trying to steal the Master Emerald?”

Tails: This question is from @thatblockholevt. “To Eggman. What would your fursona be?”

Amy: Yubby asks me, “Do you wear inhibitor rings?”

Sonic: Question from @HannahW_1031 to Amy, “When or how did you get into reading fortune cards and where did you get them?”

Knuckles: knulaa! asks, “What are your thoughts on knowing that you have a biggest fan?”

Tails: Question from At Real-Mephi-One-es-Fan, “To Amy Rose. How was the concert with Shadow? Did you go to any other concerts by any chance?”

Knuckles: Two Stars asks: “For Tails, where did your fear of thunder come from?”

Eggman: Question from @ShadowsTrueBiggestFan, “Can I adopt Shadow? He can’t say no he isn’t in the Twitter takeover.”

Eggman: @DigiDevilTrig asks, “Sonic, if you’re the fastest thing alive, why did you use the train to go to the Mystic Ruins?”

Sonic: This one’s from spiro. Hi Eggman, are you looking for another henchman? I could be your henchwoman? I’m on your side all the way! Team Eggman!"

Sonic: This next one’s from holz. They say, “Since Shadow isn’t present this time, what’re your opinions on him?”

Knuckles: @Sonic_Sunset asks, “We know Sonic was a huge inspiration for Tails, but does he have other sources of inspiration? Like Dr. Eggman’s machinery for example.”

Sonic: Let’s see. This next question is from ‘the dog is very cool’. Interesting, uh, username, there, but, I’m happy for you. They ask, “Can I borrow a couple rings? I wanna buy a bag of funions.” 

Tails: @45Euvee asks, “For everyone. If you were a flavor of cake, what flavor would you be?”

Knuckles: Uh, I think this is for everyone. thehiddenface52 asks, “What’s your favorite winter activity?”

Sonic: This is from sam. “To everyone, how much sleep do you need? Does the fastest thing alive need a full eight hours?”

Eggman: Question from @valiixe. “If Sonic was a worm, would any of you guys still like him?”

Knuckles: Autumn asks, “How can I convince my dad to give me all Sonic stuff for Christmas?”

Eggman: @TailsAustin9922 asks the class, “What is something that you don’t do very well that you’d like to improve on?”

Amy: Okay! Question from @JopieTropi. They ask, “If the five of you could swap roles with someone for an entire day, who would each of you choose?”

Sonic: Question from fan, “Why is it called an oven when you ove in the cold food of out hot eat the food.”

Sonic: At creator-super-long-underscore asks, “Is it painful to give Knuckles a fist bump or handshake?”

Amy: @SpongyRabbit asks Sonic, “Why don’t you just put Eggman in jail?” 

Eggman: @thefortnitelegend190 asks, “Eggman, why don’t you team with Sonic? You guys would be a really good team.”

Tails: @squidboi7674 asks, “Eggman, do you do commissions? Like can I pay you to do a custom badnik all for me, because that would be really cool I think.”

Sonic: @TyphonTwister asks, “You guys have beaten a lot of baddies over the years. This might be a little weird but, who was your favorite to fight? Besides the good doctor of course.”

Tails: ExcaliburSonic asks, “If flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp, then why are you blue? Do you eat blue paint?”

Knuckles: This is from kittyxpickle. They ask, “To Knuckles, rougher than the rest of them, are you allowed on the internet without supervision? If yes, please reconsider.”

Outro [Twitter Link] [TikTok Link]

Feel free to let me know of any mistakes or missing responses, in either this post or the transcript doc, and I'll try to fix it. I'll also take suggestions on how to improve the transcript, since this is my first time making one.

[girlylukehughes]

lake house takeover

ethan edwards x zegras!reader

ynzegras just posted!

liked by jackhughes and 726,814 others

ynzegras: summer on film! (shout out to jack and quinn for letting me steal your house for the last two weeks of august! i love you guys!)

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jackhughes: you're welcome! at least it was spotless when we got back unlike when i let someone else, *cough trevorzegras cough*, have it for two days.

^ynzegras: yeah he still can't work the dishwasher in his apartment jamie calls me just so we can laugh at him

^^trevorzegras: i hate you both.

trevorzegras: literally who's birthday was it

^ynzegras: no one's we just wanted cake

_quinnhughes: why didn't you have this camera for the first half of summer?

^ynzegras: i did i just wanted to keep my film for the girls trip!

^^lhughes06: lame 👎🏻

edwards.73: we need the film cam when you take media pics

^markestapa: i agree

^^dylanduke25: me too

^^^lucafantilli: me three

^^^^ynzegras: it'll be there

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ynzegras just posted!

liked by edwards.73 and 993,241 others

ynzegras: full summer dump!

tagged: trevorzegras, markestapa, mackie.samo, edwards.73, colecaufield, jackhughes, _alexturcotte, lhughes06, g.brindley4, _quinnhughes

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trevorzegras: WHO IS THAT

trevorzegras: YN WHO THE FUCK IS THAT

^ynsegras: shhhhhhh

^^trevorzegras: WHAT

lhughes06: oh you're bold for this one

^ynzegras: it's an arm🤷🏻‍♀️ he can't work a dishwasher i doubt he can go all fbi with an arm

mackie.samo: i still swear on everything a fish bit me that night.

edwards.73: markestapa mackie.samo we look so good here

^markestapa: we so do

^^mackie.samo: we really do

^^^ynzegras: i agree

^^^^trevorzegras: WHAT IS THIS

colecaufield: miss you baby z!

^ynzegras: miss you too!

_alexturcotte: literally how did you get that picture

^ynzegras: im the one you sent it to while you were wasted😭

_quinnhughes: i miss that coconut

^jackhughes: they were so good

lhughes06: out of all the pics you took that has to be the worst one of me and gavin.

^g.brindley4: i honestly don't remember taking that.

^^ynhughes: it's the only one that not blurry 😐

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edwards.73 just posted!

liked by ynzegras and 372,291 others

edwards.73: 🐄👦🏻

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ynzegras: well you know what they say!

liked by edwards.73

lhughes06: and what if i send this to her brother

^ynzegras: luke hughes if you so dare i will get my happy ass on a flight to nj and use the spare key jack gave me to beat your ass

^^lhughes06: you're broke how are you gonna get a flight

^^^ynzegras: trevor's still logged into american airlines on my phone it'll charge him

^^^^lhughes06:....currently replacing the locks

trevorzegras: hmmmmm

^ynzegras: go away

dylanduke25: a cowboy is a man, typically one on horseback, who herds and tends cattle, especially in the western US and as represented in westerns and novels.

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ynzegras just posted!

liked by markestapa and 937,217 others

ynzegras: save a horse!

tagged: edwards.73

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trevorzegras: luke you were supposed to make sure this DIDNT happen.

^ynzegras: funny story... me and ethan met BEFORE umich. we traded snaps when we were seniors in high school

^^trevorzegras: WHAT

^^^lhughes06: WHAT

^^^^markestapa: WHAT

^^^^^ynzegras: trevorzegras remember when you LEFT ME at that mall in canada? when i said i got an uber i lied, i met ethan and he drove me back to the airbnb

edwards.73: you're so pretty

^ynzegras: mwah mwah mwah

colecaufield: baby z pulls?

^ynzegras: i do!

user61: puck bunny

^ynzegras: fangirls when my first and only boyfriend plays hockey

^^user83: oh she cleared😭

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navigation



[malehypnofantasy]

Aside from Casey, millions of people celebrated their birthday on the same day as him. Some of them celebrated the exact same 21st birthday like Casey. But only one of them also gained the revelation of his power that day, and he's not hesitating to try it on to the masses right away

Jens is working front desk in the local gym of his small hometown just a couple hour away south of Stockholm. He didn't need any messenger whatsoever to work on his power as he's been listening to his family about their respective power when they reached 21 years of age. Jens just tapped into his enhanced inner self right when the clock hit midnight and realized that mind control is his power. He smirked as he jumped from his bed right away and started to affect all his slumbering family member with his power, turning them into bunch of normies as he rewired their brain to never remember about magic whatsoever. His mom would be able to counter such move if only she woke up at that time and started to create protection from Jens magic for everyone in the family, yet she's too tired after preparing all the things needed to celebrate Jens birthday. After practically killing his family by making them normal, he simply walked back to bed, excited for the sun to shine quickly

The birthday surprise turned out to be quite nice and Jens enjoyed it very much, especially with his older siblings unable to ruin it with their powers anyway and just genuinely be happy for him. After all the hubbubs, Jens said goodbye to his family as he headed to the gym to start the execution of his plan

The gym is not necessarily crowded in the early morning, so Jens worked with whoever audience that is already available inside the gym. Without even speaking or anything, a simple eye contact is enough to freeze his target. He's slightly drained from making sure all his family member's mind altered, so he needed this extra step of eye contact for now until his whole power recharged. The first target, Erik quickly forced to stand up straight, his gasping breath instantly normalized as his whole body conditioned to be relaxed yet firm.

Jens then started his rewriting process, infiltrating Erik's mind and rearranging it as he wished. After around a minute, Jens controlled Erik to sit down and then just for the fun of it, start jacking his dick off while Jens continued his round of takeover.

Matthias witnessed the weird interaction and rough transition of Erik from being exasperated to then froze off before jacking his own dick in the middle of the gym, but he's directly in the eyesight of Jens so he also quickly froze, his slack-jawed gaping mouth forced to close by Jens as he doesn't want to get distracted while rewriting Matt's brain

The muscle freak is an owner of an "intelligence-led security company" or basically paramilitary troopers and Jens saw certain potential from him, so a meeting will be set later on the day by Matthias with all of his employees attending the meeting where Jens will do his specialty, hopefully recharged and ready to create further mess and expand his control by that time

Not only Matthias, his working out buddy and spotter, Anton, also frozen as soon as his eyes met Jans eyes.

The former Captain in Swedish Army succumbed all the state secrets within his mind as Jans sees fit while Jans also explored everything that exist within. Jens smirked upon seeing the loving memories of the captain's family, which he quickly erased as he then planted this idea that Anton is nothing but a cum slut for Matthias which Matthias exploited really well for the benefit of his company. Matthias is also the one that dragged Anton to work under Jens service, and it's not like he can say no when his master told him to. It's a rather twisted approach that he took, but Jens cannot help himself but laughing on the irony of it all as Anton used to be sleeping with Matthias ex-girlfriends and were the one causing Anton remaining single until now. Guess he bring karmic redsitribution right away for the douchebag Anton rather than waiting for universe to punish him much later

Nils Andreesen (L), Jakob Ericsson (R) and William Gustafsson (B) also fell victim to Jens mind control as they were in the gym already by the time Jens started his rewriting process with Erik. Jakob is the Vice-Mayor and Jens already proposed several regulation and procedure which Jakob will enforce after his gym session finished and the time to works started. A townhall is also requested by Jens to be held the following week, where he will demonstrate the power he has in an even-larger scale

Based on Nils memories, a guy is already inside the locker room as he came early to the gym. It's the gym owner's son, Leo, and with Leo being in the inner circle of the Prime Minister daughter as he went to the same uni as her and used to fuck her until last winter, taking him over becomes important. Jens rushed himself to the locker room and then quickly searched for Leo. Much to his luck, Leo haven't left the gym premise so he quickly shouted on top of his lung by calling Leo's name. Leo turned around and that was the start of his downfall as he just froze all in a sudden.

Wasting no time, Jens quickly built the basic narrative he built in to everyone that they are nothing but Jens loyal servant and will do anything for him and his satisfaction. And then, upon realizing that Leo is in a call, he let Leo returned to normal for a quick second, ended the call and proceed with the rewriting of Leo's mind.

"We are a very tight-knit bro ever since we were kids. I'm your closest friend and you share everything to me, your sadness, your anger, your pain, even your own free-will. You are nothing but a putty little bitch everytime there's only the two of us, and you are so eager to please me. Heck, you always love to sniff and lick my sweat after my workout right? In fact, that's why you are still here, because you are patiently waiting for me to come and give you your morning nutrient. So, in the count of three, you'll start licking me and worshipping my body until I tell you to stop, okay? One, two, three,"

Leo's dark brooding eyes quickly turned hungry and filled with lust as he's positioned on his knee while Jens sweaty body towered over him, showing him who's the boss in the situation and why Leo is nothing but a dutiful servant to fulfill all Jens desired. As the sweat dropped from Jens chin right to the confined erection beneath his black sweatpants, Leo then goes to town with his tongue as his hand started to slide down Jens pants while sniffing and licking Jens crotch intimately

This is just the beginning of Jens utopia, and he's nowhere near finish

[bunnimew]

We were tagged by @9haharharley1 and @overmooneleven who could not have foreseen what a production this was going to turn into 😂 Thank you!!

RULES: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

*Gets out the record player* There's required listening while scrolling this list...

Now that the mood has been appropriately set, here we go!

Warm Bodies 10 Edit9It'sYourBoyJackFrostAightSo High Seas Hijinks pt 2 Android Pitch Neon Ideas Von Kaiser Mix Tape If you don't dance, no romance Jack Frost and the Quest for the Stanley Cup Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide YA Novel Merman/Nature Elf Baby It's Cold Inside Everything but the fresher sink Halloween bodyswap Saiyuki Fantasy AU Coffee and Fruit Snacks Untitled Document Blackice ABOlive Garden Concerned Neighbor AU Obsolete Force Monsters Donut Saga 2022 RotG Bingo RotG Bingo 2021 Free Day Light Magic Soulmate AU Sleight of Hand Android AU Wing fic space vampire arranged marriage fake ppl scifi book pogo kylux AU Hope Week 2022 Let's Play AU Clydeland Ghost roommate Omega hux Techwear AU Original magic apocalypse Holiday kylux Pink hair hux Goose steals the staff Quarantine Kylux twitfic college au ST/Kylux Omega hux sequel cyborg hux Fuck this I'm outtie hux Loud AF kylux Loud AF blackice Every floor is Loud AF Loud AF Zag and Than Angel/Demon AU Gymnast hux Parkour hux 5 times hux blows kylo A/B/O Hades Kylux A/B/Olive Garden Disney Princess Hux Hutt slave Mitaka Femlux Afterlife Bloom Halloween2020 sen aid + sen kid kylux Trivia and Other Flirtations Gertrude Pink hair Jack + Hux Teacher/Teacher Merge ST and EU frank/strange Bingo Fancy Dinner Matchmaker Cape Selection AU Senate Takeover Manny Moonbear's Pizzaria Guardians in Black Party fancy pitch Jasper/Lapis Suzalulu week 2016 horror ideas Untitled Terminator Game Terminator Ideas Frank/Strange coffee shop au Ideas for erotic stabbing Suzalulu week 2017 Zell birthday Gratuitous sleepytime Lulu the professional hand model au Peter has two dads au RotG Coffee shop AU Veelamate AU Sorceress Jack Guardian of the D Blanket Scenario i think Saiyuki bang 10k Clover AU Wizards unite AU X/1999/RotG [Redacted] Pitch's New Groove PoGo AU spacerace magic repo RotGRepo! Colormate AU Overqualified Merlin Caffeine and High Fructose Corn Syrup O2: Teammates Spideypool Bingo 2019 B1: Personal Trainer Spideypool Bingo 2019 Spideypool fairy AU Tie fix Soulmate tattoo AU 3 5 10 AU idea Silent Hill AU O1: Met at the Dog Park Spideypool Bingo 2019 ff8 werewolf au Buffate 2 Kink series Dance All Night Let Me and Your Body Talk Pounded in the Butt by the Physical Manifestation of the Fear That I Will Never be Good Enough While He Tells me I am Good Enough Also He's British  Silent Hill AU Bathtime Evening Horror Husbands Fic art 1 Morning cuddle Fic art 2 Spinel Jack Cover art Croptops Spiderman kiss Gargoyles

We literally do not know as many people as we have WIPs. I'd have to pull out the yearbook and start tagging people from high school and we're not going to do that. But we do have to tag @seekerseekingsomething for reasons they will understand and @askmyname @quillienvii @pheasantmadness for Other Unsaid Reasons ❤

[phandomphightclub]

Phinal Round: Prelude

Tali stepped over Vlad Plasmius, who lay face-down on the parking lot pavement. Someone had dropped a pile of pancakes on top of him. Strangely, each of them had a hair sticking out of the middle, like a wispy white birthday candle.

“Sorry I’m late,” Tali pushed open the Denny’s doors and breathed in the smells of grease, pancakes, and ectoplasm. “What did I miss?”

“Uh. Everything?” Vic blinked. She stood behind the counter, painting I SURVIVED THE 2023 VLAD DENNY’S TAKEOVER on a series of mugs. “We had to sell the Denny’s to Vlad after we got caught in Jack Fenton and Technus’s collateral damage. Danny beat him up and stole back the deed, though.”

“Oh. Good thing property laws can be solved with violence here.”

Vic nodded. 

“Where were you, anyway?”

“Ghost college.” Tali shuddered. “I don’t recommend it.”

On the next mug, Vic crossed out VLAD DENNY’S TAKEOVER and wrote GHOST COLLEGE. Then she filled it with 2% milk and passed it to Tali.

“Thanks,” Tali said. “And thanks for holding down the fort.”

“Restaurant.”

“Whatever.”

“‘Course. I would’ve beat up Vlad myself too, if Danny hadn’t shown up.” Vic grinned. “There’s still the phinal match left, if you wanna commentate.”

Tali nearly spit out their milk.

“There is? Why didn’t you say that??”

“I just did???”

Tali was barely listening. They grabbed their trusty kazoo and flew out to the arena.

Vic sighed.

“They didn’t even finish their milk…”

XXX

Stay tuned for the results of the phinal round coming tomorrow, 1/31/23!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: Sometimes, when you ask the universe for your soulmate, you wind up with your hate mate instead.

On Nami's 30th birthday, she’s reminded at every turn that her life isn’t what she planned. She’s always excelled at everything – until now. Her fiancé blew up their engagement. Her pride and joy, the tech company she helped to found, is about to lose funding. And her sister, Sora, is getting married to the man of her dreams, Jack, and instead of being happy for her, as she knows she ought to be, she’s fighting off jealousy.

Frustrated with her life, she makes a wish on a birthday candle to find her soulmate. Instead, the universe delivers her hate mate, Nami’s old high school nemesis, Jae Lee, the most popular kid from high school, who also narrowly beat her out for valedictorian. More than a decade later, Jae is still as effortlessly cool, charming, and stylish as ever, and, to make matters worse, is planning a hostile take-over of her start-up. Cue: sharp elbows and even sharper banter as the two go head-to-head to see who’ll win this time. But when their rivalry ignites a different kind of passion, Nami starts to realize that it's not just her company that's in danger of being taken over, but her heart as well.

Review:

When your high school nemesis comes back into your life years later only to try and take over your company... but he also seems to want to win your heart. Nami's life is not how she imagined it going, she thought she would be married and living the perfect life with a great job by now... but her fiancee cheated on her, her tech company is about to lose funding, and Nami is feeling so alone. When she gets a text from her old high school nemesis she just knows her life is going to be turned upside down. Jae Lee is egotistical, handsome, wealthy, and bored. When his company is planning a takeover of a start up he is surprised to find that his old high school nemesis works there, the uptight, rule-following, party mood killer, Nami. Nami gets under his skin like no one else, no one else can make him feel excited or even get a fire going in him, no one challenges him like her... and finding out that she's back in his life, he will do anything to be near her again. Nami and Jae can't seem to be in a room without arguing... yet there is something different, there's an undertone of passion between them and both of them can't seem to stop wanting to kiss each other. Yet working on opposing sides, and Nami's beloved company at stake and Jae knowing something... can their relationship survive this company takeover? Nami and Jae felt so immature as individuals, I get being high school rivals and all but come on both of you are grown adults dealing with a company and being in charge of people's jobs and livelihoods but can't stop acting like children. The third act breakup/makeup was meh, I honestly was hoping for a better make up between the two of them after the big breakup. There were some aspects of the book I just didn't vibe with but overall it wasn't a bad read. If you enjoy rival romances then give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[rems-writing]

Jongho requests closed (for now)

This is for anyone who wants to read anything Jongho related. This is what I have so far.

Phantom of the Opera AU

Jack of Spades

Basketball

Sekhmet

Pools and biceps

Punk

Secretary

Baby bear's first overseas university

Uni schemes

Uni schemes 2

Uni schemes 3

Not a uni scheme

JongSan (college AU version)

2Ho (college AU version)

Witchy love (Birthday special part one)

JongSang (Birthday special part two/Egyptian deity AU)

JongGi

Maknae's smau takeover (part one)

Maknae's smau takeover (part two)

Jongho & Y/N (non-college AU part one)

Jongho & Y/N (non-college AU part two)

Jongho & Y/N (non-college AU part three)

Jongho & Y/N (non-college AU part four)

JongHwa

[ripleycano]

The Illusion of Living: Sammy Lawrence Archive

 Long time no see, BATIM friends! In light of BATDR releasing soon, I’ve decided to buy The Illusion of Living and compile all the information we have about our favorite music director. I’ll also include information from sources other than TIOL for a more holistic aggregate of knowledge :)

Full post under cut!

Appearance

 Let’s start with mentions of physical features and attire. We already knew from the Hot Topic takeover that he had a ‘flowing cascade’ of brown or blonde hair:

TIOL adds onto this in Joey’s description of Jack Fain and Sammy Lawrence at the evening party:

“Though I suppose his (Sammy’s) hair could have been slicked back a bit more, not quite so long and floppy on the top as it was. As it still is.”

It looks to be the case that his hair was indeed on the longer side, and it remained that way during his time at the studio. (Personally, I’m a big fan of the idea of his having messy, unkempt hair that’s a little long for the standard of his era.)

DCTL describes Sammy as looking like a bird or insect, TIOL does the same:

“Sammy stepped toward me out of the dark. His angular face was highlighted now from the lights of the party, throwing sharp shadows that only made him look more insect-like.”

In addition to this, TIOL confirms my assumptions that Sammy is both younger than Joey and looks permanently exhausted:

“He was a couple years younger than me but seemed like a fellow who had lived several lifetimes already.”

Keep in mind Joey thinks this on the eve of his thirtieth birthday, meaning Sammy was likely somewhere in his twenties when he started working at the studio.

We already know suspenders were part of his closet, but what else? TIOL portrays Sammy in stark contrast to his musical partner, Jack Fain. This is seen not only in their personalities, but also in their attire.

“The man (Jack Fain) tipped his bowler in our direction. I understood now why he was still wearing it even indoors. His whole outfit was a kind of costume in a way. He wasn’t in a tux or a dinner jacket either. Instead he was in dark gray wool trousers with red suspenders, a white button-up shirt beneath an orange vest and brown bow tie. He fit the description of “a character” to a tee. Sammy Lawrence on the other hand was in a neat simple black evening suit and looked totally appropriate for an opening night party.”

Looks like Jack prefers to dress in bright, flashy clothes, while Sammy’s style of choice is plain, smart, and occasion-appropriate. Unfortunately for him, he is eventually fated to wear only ink-soaked suspenders for the remainder of his life :,)

Past

With TIOL, we finally have some insight into Sammy’s life before the studio! Joey mentions he had already seen Sammy prior to their meeting at Chapter 6′s opening night party.

"I hadn’t realized right away when I met him properly on the eve of my thirtieth birthday that I’d seen him before. Only in that first conversation was it revealed he’d worked for the Grand Cinema as a teenager. I remembered him then easily. I’d been so impressed by the quality of the music that I’d hardly noticed the film.”

Sammy had already been working in the film industry before taking up Joey’s job offer-- looks like his job was to play live music scores to accompany film visuals.

“The music he (Sammy) made felt effortless but what was just as striking was his focus. The way he stared at the screen before him, watching the film as keenly as any of us in the audience.”

"It was an incredible show and I remember the audience applauding at the end of the film, which didn’t happen all the time.”

Not only was Sammy skilled at his job, but it looks like he had a deep predilection for cinema. I wonder how things would’ve turned out for him if he’d continued his path in the film industry.

Personality (oh boy)

Pre-ink

All the information prior to TIOL (audio tapes, DCTL, etc.) point to Sammy being adherent to a specific archetype: the tortured artist. He’s artistic, sensitive, and immensely talented-- however, he’s also irritable and blunt. (“I just hope nobody tells Sammy. Because if he finds out I lost my keys again, I’m out of here!”)

Luckily, TIOL adds more nuance to his characterization! Before becoming affected by the living ink of the studio, it seems that Sammy was fairly quiet and very much introverted.

“’Sammy!’ called out one of the supporting actors in a low baritone. The man at the piano shook his head. He seemed annoyed. I thought it was funny, I didn’t realize that it wasn’t an act. That Sammy was not a fan of attention and definitely didn’t like putting on a show like this.”

When conversing with Joey, he speaks in a curt, brief manner, never bothering with hollow pleasantries. He’s not one to sugarcoat his questions, consequently offending one very ego-driven Mr. Joey Drew. (He only gets away with it since Joey is so enamored with the idea of hiring him, but we’ll expand on that later.)

“”I’d like to talk to you two,” I said, smiling as warmly as I could. I wanted them to know I was a friend. But of course Sammy just stared back at me. “About what?” he asked curtly.”

“Sammy reluctantly nodded. I had no idea then why he was making such a fuss, honestly still don’t know to this day what makes him a grouch, but if being a grouch means beautiful music, I have no problem with that, I’ll tell you.”

““Joey Drew, owner of Joey Drew Studios,” I replied. “And what’s a Joey Drew Studios?” asked Sammy, lighting a cigarette from the darkness by the stone wall at the edge of the terrace. Yes, he said it in that dismissive tone. I didn’t understand why he needed to talk to me like that. I didn’t respect it. I was starting to doubt my own judgment. Did I really want to offer the opportunity of a lifetime to someone so extreme in their indifference?” (Side note: “What’s a Joey Drew Studios” absolutely knocked me out. Joey being incredibly offended about it didn’t help.)

““That was me, I remember you now. You are quite the talent,” I replied. “I know,” he said.”

Being a man of (very) few words, it seems that Sammy doesn’t express his thoughts much, either. Oftentimes, he’ll simply drift off in the middle of a conversation to ponder something with no additional context given. (Essentially, he just throws things out there and expect people to understand exactly where he’s coming from)

““Joey Drew Studios,” he said again, mulling it over. “So like film?” I nodded. “Sure, like that,” I replied. ... “You like movies,” he said, nodding back. Was he imitating me now? “I do.””

““Can we watch a movie?” asked Sammy. “A movie?” Sammy always had and still does have a way of surprising you with what he’ll say or do next."

What Sammy doesn’t say with words, he conveys with the occasional bemused facial expression. Joey finds this especially fascinating, often scrutinizing him closely in an attempt to figure him out. I imagine he treats it as some kind of game.

“Jack was duly impressed, Sammy was unreadable. Typical Sammy.”

““Why do I know you?” he asked then. He was looking at me carefully now. Not in the same suspicious manner. He was truly trying to figure out the answer to his question.”

“Jack on the other hand seemed to love it. “You can feel the creativity!” he said. Sammy said nothing, of course."

“Jack looked at Sammy, then back at me with an expression of “I have no idea what he’s thinking.”"

In fact, Joey has an incredibly unhealthy obsession with trying to read Sammy which begot this... fascinating passage:

“He (Sammy) leaned back on both elbows on the stone wall. Beneath him Fifth Avenue roared and certain death would come to anyone who toppled over the edge down onto it. The man definitely had confidence in that wall. I had a sudden urge to give him a shove. Not push him over, but just to see his reaction. This might sound strange, but I needed to see a human moment from him, I needed to see the man he was hiding from me.”

A mysterious guy for sure.

As if his lack of willingness to verbally communicate wasn’t difficult enough, Sammy is shown to be very, very stubborn and demanding. (Artists, am I right?)

When asked to work for Joey, he first demands that he receives a tour around the studio. Before Joey can even start to schedule a date, Sammy pulls a Sammy:

““How do I know it’s real?” Sammy asked. “Oh it’s real,” I replied. Sammy stepped toward me out of the dark ... “Show me.” I nodded. “Of course, let’s schedule a tour for some time this week,” I said. ... “No,” he said, inching toward me. “Now.” “Now?” “Now.”” (Now I know for one that Joey’s heart DEFINITELY skipped a beat there)

Upon visiting the studio, Sammy kindly (?!) gives his unsolicited input on a group of characters he’s never seen before:

““Do you have other characters?” asked Sammy, not turning around. “A wolf,” I replied. “Boris,” I added. “Good name!” said Jack, turning in his seat and grinning at me. “You need a girl,” said Sammy.” (No maidens???)

Thanks, buddy.

Finally, Joey manages to win him over, to which newly hired Sammy Lawrence responds:

“Finally Sammy spoke again. “I want full creative control over my department. I want to hire my own people. And if the money isn’t good, I’m not signing the contract.” ... “Ol’ Sammy, a man who knows his own mind,” said Jack with a laugh."

It’s a very bold move to speak to your boss like this, but I fully support it. It’s no secret that Sammy is very talented and fully aware of this fact-- I’m very glad he knows his worth :) (Although signing that contract did lead to him becoming a cultist stuck in a time loop)

Post-Ink (I’ll likely touch on his post-ink self and descent into insanity on another post once I find my copy of DCTL!)

That’s all I have the energy for now, but there is one more thing I’d like to touch on: Norman. 

Unfortunately, there is no mention (that I know of) of Norman in TIOL. Perhaps this is because he was hired later on, partly thanks to our very own Sammy Lawrence :)

“Sammy looked around the room. “I’ll need a projector,” he said. “A projector?” I asked. He nodded. “To play with the movie.” Of course, I realized then. Of course. That was what he did best, improvise as the movie played. “Yes! A projector booth, of course, that will be our top priority.” I added it to the mental list I’d started months ago.”

Looks like Sammy was indirectly responsible for the projection booth in the music department! I love the unexpected eye for detail he has when it comes to the video side of the production process. His enthusiasm shows in his insistence on watching the films he plays to, which I find very sweet.

I’ll probably follow this up with posts about Sammy’s in-studio relationships and one focused on his post-ink ‘prophet’ self. Thanks for sticking around for so long!

As for my final thoughts on Sammy, Joey says it best: “I’d never trade Sammy Lawrence for anything.”

[badbf-cb]

Happy Birthday Lisa

/CW/ Alcohol Consumption

Jaebeom cleared a path to the private area on the second floor of the club while Changkyun followed close behind to make sure the girls didn't get lost in the crowd. Of course with it being Lisa's birthday, Minji made sure everyone knew what they were celebrating.

Lisa gasped as they entered the area reserved for them. It was as bright and colorful as she was. "Minji, I love it!" she squealed and hugged the older woman. Dancing in a small circle, she clapped her hands and laughed. "Where is the bar?"

"I'm sure we passed it on the way in," Mina said while she looked down over the railing and onto the dance floor. She spotted a few of their friends that were invited and waved. "I'm going to go dance. Anyone coming?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Lisa took her hand and dragged her back down to the dancefloor.

"I.M," Jaebeom said, "Keep an eye on them until Jungkook gets here." Changkyun nodded and followed his sister and friend into the crowd. "You know you don't have to go things like this for every birthday, right? Don't you get tired of it?" he questioned Minji.

"Not at all," she smiled. "I love seeing the excitement and happiness on their faces. It's perfect." Leaning back on the plush sofa, she wiggled her feet. She hated wearing heels that high.

"You're going to make someone very lucky one day," Jaebeom said. "Why are you even still with us? You don't belong here." Before she could answer, a waitress appeared with a tray of drinks. Jaebeom thanked her and sipped the whiskey. Minji on the other hand, frowned a little when she was handed a jack and ginger ale.

"We didn't order these," Minji said, slightly confused. Sure, a drink at a club wasn't unusual but, that specific drink was. The waitress shook her head and informed her that they were ordered by a friend before she turned and left.

Just below them, Lisa had found a few friendly faces and was enjoying the music. She was close enough to the speakers that it was a little hard to hear anything else but feeling the beat of the music was worth it.

"Happy birthday, littlest one," Jungkook said into Lisa's ear. She spun and hugged him before waving to Hyunjin. "Come on, dance with me." He pulled her away from the speakers and closer to the middle of the floor with Hyunjin right behind them.

Mina and Changkyun had abandoned the dance floor and sat at the bar. Being the caring brother he was, Changkyun made sure to keep the drinks filled and their friends happy.

The hours flew by before everyone made their way back to the private area. Minji had made sure the cake and decorations were set for when the birthday girl was ready.

Hyunjin and Mina made a quick round of the club and gathered all their friends. As they filed into the area, Changkyun handed them glasses of champagne.

"Everyone," Jaebeom said loudly. "Before we get back to our night of fun, don't forget why we're here!" He turned to smile at Lisa. "Happy birthday to my little sister and biggest pain in the ass." Everyone raised their glasses and cheered.

"Guys! Stop," Lisa said as she covered her face. "Thank you so much for being here." Her eyes searched the crowd and she blushed when they locked with one person in particular. "It really means a lot to have you here." Through she meant the last part to everyone, she hoped that one person knew it was more for them than anyone else.

@ateez-angels @bbc-minji-oc @caveofdemons @dad-moonbin @fallenangel-oc @gashaponlixie-cb @glamrockpop-cb @goodagainstevilcb @hybridjisoo-cb @kavengers-assemble @kitsunehyunjun @project-takeover @raiden-oc @omegax-aus @serialkillers-cb @supernaturalbots @switchxbotz @the-hellhounds @ur-oc @urcbs @urderes @uridealbf-cb @uridealgf-cb @vamp-bots @vampirecoven-cb @luminous-dongkiz-cafe @vixen-demonscb @universe-of-superm @tattooartistxbots @streamers-bot @vanilladaises-cb @streetracer-svt @weareallinsane @hybrid-babies @dc-heroes-cb @freakhouse-cb @yourguardiancb @chooseyour97liner @clairvoyantbeasts-cb @lcvrcore @ocluvrs @vivzie-kpop-cb @shangrixxla @urbtsboys

[dollxmania]

ㅤㅤㅤ ❝ 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 ❞

— WRITING LIST.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: nail vibes: snippet undecided.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: .iii summoning reactions: feat. leona, ruggie, jack.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: pucker up!: snippet riddle, leona, azul, kalim, vil, idia, malleus.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: the lost records of the court: oc lore feat. ren

— 3O DAYS OF WONDERLAND.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day three: move night. poly!fic ace, deuce.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day four: dorm takeover. fic ignihyde.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day five: game au. fic leona.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day six: the lead. fic heartslabyul.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day seven: merfolk. fic azul.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day eight: plushies. fic idia.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day nine: rainy day. fic rook.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day ten: soulmates au. fic sebek.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day eleven: massage. fic ruggie.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twelve: father’s day. fic crewel.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day thirteen: telephone game. fic vil.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day fourteen: club. fic silver.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day fifteen: daycare au. fic pomefiore, scarabia.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day sixteen: potion mishap. fic epel.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day seventeen: detention. fic trein.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day eighteen: fright night. fic jade.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day nineteen: fae. fic malleus.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty: mafia au. fic diasomnia.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-one: lost. fic neige.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-two: culinary crucible. fic trey.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-three: sick. fic lilia.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-four: mystery shop. fic sam.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-five: self-aware au. fic riddle.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-six: teacher’s conference. fic crowley,

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-seven: cat’s life. fic grim.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-eight: teacher’s assistant. fic vargas.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day twenty-nine: flying high. fic kalim.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day thirty: freebie. fic cater.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ❝ 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄！ ❞

ㅤㅤㅤ ❝ 𝐈’𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 ❞

— WRITTEN WORKS.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ : cr!au series: as the name suggests, contrary roles, the player is the character who takes their place, and the character takes the player’s place. au created by dollxmania / chocodollxren.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: .i summoning reactions: feat. riddle, trey, cater.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: .ii summoning reactions: feat. ace, deuce.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ : misc: works not apart of any specific series, one shots, snippets, headcanons, or others. may range from over a thousand words, to a mere paragraph per character.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: happy birthday, mon cherie / mein liebling: poly!fic vil, rook.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: kiss, please!: snippet trey, ruggie, jade, jamil, rook, lilia.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: happy birthday, your highness: fic leona.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: the delicious taste of you with the sauce☆: fic jamil.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: kabedonning them: snippet riddle, leona, floyd, jamil, vil, idia, sebek.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: merform snippets!: snippet azul, jade, floyd.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: vampire bites!: snippet vil, rook, epel.

— 3O DAYS OF WONDERLAND.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day one: amusement park. fic floyd.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —: day two: overblot. fic jamil.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ❝ 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑！ ❞

do not request.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Jack, Malleus: Beasts, us Both

Alright, TWST... you friggin' troll 😭 You got me good with those Jack frames... No wolf inspo reveal, I see how it is-- 😂

Because of the angle we're staring at the image from... that macaron Jack is holding looks like a massive GMO green grape… AM I JUST SEEING GRAPES EVERYWHERE BECAUSE OF R*LLO... This would mark the first Disney100 art with some notable changes (how he’s holding the macaron and the angle he’s bending at), most likely to make it look better for a card layout.

A Tale as Old as Time.

A young lion prince and his hornbill attendant were captured in a photo frame. With finger-like feathers, the bird had plucked a strand of fur from the large cat. He lacked amusement, beak poised in a manner that suggested a light telling-off. The cub, for his part, looked upset at the lecture.

That’s right, lions don’t grow their manes out until they’re older.

Jack sometimes forgot that—with his dorm leader prowling around, the most prominent image he had of a lion was that of Leona. Strong, cunning, and self-assured. Nothing like the prince in the painting.

“How cute,” a low voice drawled. “To think that Kingscholar too was once this small and helpless… Fufufu.”

Jack’s eyes cut to the tall, dark man next to him. With long limbs and regal horns protruding from his head, Malleus Draconia resembled a gazelle.

“It’s hard to imagine Leona-senpai like that,” Jack awkwardly confessed. “I met his nephew once, but that only took me more out of it. He was… energetic and bright.”

“Implying that Kingscholar is lacking in energy and a cheerful disposition?” Malleus smirked. “Ah, yes. Much change occurs between childhood and adulthood, some of it attributed to social influences. That child had best be cautious. Perhaps Kingscholar’s attitude will rub off on him, smothering that sunshine.”

“Leona-senpai has his good points too!” Jack blurted out. He didn’t catch himself in time—the words just came, a reverberating bark in the museum.

“Oh? You’re rather quick to defend him.”

The wolf beastman gasped and reeled himself back in. “Y-You don’t see it because you’re not in Savanaclaw, but I can tell… Leona-senpai cares about his students a lot. He’s looking out for us in his own way.”

“Such as when he attempted to have me trampled?” Malleus suggested, his tone quiet yet challenging. “I do so fondly remember that.”

“Urk!!” Jack’s ears flattened. “He does take it too far sometimes. I don’t agree with everything he does. The idea of doing everything you can to protect others, though… that’s something I can understand.”

"It is?”

The first year nodded firmly. “There are stories about wolves working together to chase off invaders who wandered into their snowy territory. Once, a wolf family even took in an orphaned kid. I have my own younger siblings to look after, too.”

“It appears as though you and your ancestors feel a strong sense of duty to your packs,” Malleus noted. Something akin to amusement danced in his eyes. It quickly flickered out, giving way to a deep melancholy. “Family… Hmm. I cannot say I can relate. I have no siblings to speak of. There is my grandmother, but she is my only living relative."

There was a shift—a small, imperceptible change in Jack's stoic face.

"... Sorry to hear that."

"Think nothing of it." Malleus waved a dismissive hand. "The circumstances are as they are. We cannot rewind the threads of fate, only weave new ones.

"Still, it is strange. I have not had the chance to meet my mother nor my father. They were already gone long before my hatching. I should feel no attachment to such strangers. Even so, I feel as though something is missing without them."

He gave a dark chuckle, curling fingers over his heart. "Perhaps there is a part of me that longs for that kind of a family, too."

Jack frowned. His chest throbbed with a dull pain.

“That's..."

Sad.

No brothers, no sisters. No parents, not even aunts or uncles or cousins. Just one big, empty castle, and the creature caged inside of it.

Pacing past ruined wings, furniture strewn about as if a mad beast had run through it in a frenzy. The space filled with loneliness, a hollow feeling that couldn't be fended off.

He shuffled his feet. Resolve slowly solidified. Jack reached for his voice.

"... I don't think you need to worry, Malleus-senpai. You still have people who care about you. Family isn’t all in the blood." Jack bashfully rubbed at the back of his neck, his eyes averted. "It's in the bonds too."

He gestured to the painting before them. "The lion prince lost his dad, the previous king. In grief, he ran away from home--but he still had friends that guided him when he was lost and scared. A warthog, a meerkat, a baboon, a hornbill, the lionesses in his pride. They all came together to show the prince he was loved and needed. Because of that, he was able to come home with his head held high."

Jack clenched a hand into a fist, offering a stiff smile. "Family's something that everyone has, one way or another. They're the ones who always have your back, blood or not.”

Malleus’s face momentarily lit up with surprise.

“My, I didn’t expect to hear such a motivational speech from you. I hear from Sebek that you’re quite standoffish.”

“D-Don’t get me wrong!!” he sputtered, face heating. “On any given day, I’d tackle things on my own. But doing that all the time is pointless.”

“Which is why you choose to follow Kingscholar’s leadership?” Malleus asked teasingly. “You seem to admire him a great deal and acknowledge him as the leader of your pack here at Night Raven College.”

“N-No!!” Jack snapped. “Th-There are just some things I’m not strong enough to do by myself, times when I have to team up with others for a common goal!! Until the day I have the strength to act completely on my own…!”

Malleus laughed softly, his lips lifting into a mysterious curve. "Be at ease, Howl. You needn’t be so defensive. I see your point with crystal clarity.”

“You… You do?”

“That is correct.” The dragon prince’s eyes creased. “You, who seeks strength, shall surely find it—and with that strength, you will not be daunted from protecting what is most precious to you, family and friends alike. You’ve helped me to realize the same. We are both the same kind of beast, fufu.”

Jack took one look at Malleus’s ominous smile and shuddered. It could have decimated the stars, wiping out all the light in the night sky in one fell swoop.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good thing…”

He glanced back at the painting of the lion prince and the hornbill advisor. The distress on the cub’s face suddenly resonated with him.

Jack groaned.

It looks like I still have a lot to learn.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Masterlist: FNF Mods x Reader

Corruption ☠️🖤

Comforting Corrupt!Skid

Senpai x Corrupt!Reader

Helping Corrupt!Pico win fight

“Thank you, for everything” w/ Senpai

Corrupted Takeover (Dad Dearest & Mom Mearest + Corrupt!Reader)

Corrupt!BF + Sibling!Reader

Minus ➖

HCs: Dating Dino Pico

HCs: Dating Monster

HCs: Tank fluff

GF meeting Reader

Insecurities (Minus GF)

Whitty 💣

HCs: Whitty + Teen!Reader (1/2)

HCs: Whitty + Teen!Reader (2/2)

HCs: Whitty x Soft!Shy!Reader

HCs: Meeting Fun-Sized Whitty

Baking Cookies

Comforting Sad!Whitty

Mid-Fight Masses ⛪

Ruv meeting Reader who regularly donates to the church

"Soul" w/ Ruv

HCs: Dating Sarvente and Ruv (separate)

Zardy 🌽🎃

Injured!Zardy being patched up

HCs: Zardy x Monochromatic!Reader

Zardy + Brave!Reader (1/2)

Zardy + Brave!Reader (2/2)

HCs: Zardy x Cottagecore!Reader

Pumpkin Jack encountering Reader who accidentally kills a Crawler

HCs: Zardy & Reader realizing they’re in love

HCs: Pumpkin Jack w/ Reader who plays the ukulele

Zardy meeting Artist!Reader

HCs: Various characters w/ Scarewcrow!S/O who gets attacked a lot

Garcello 🚬

HCs: Cuddling

HCs: Garcello x Motherly!Reader

HCs: Garcello w/ Asthmatic Friend

Nightmare

Garcello meeting Long-Distance S/O on his birthday

Onslaught Trio (Bob, Ron, Little Man)

Bob learning of Reader's death

Friend!Reader seeing Bob's Hell form

HCs: Bob w/ Reader who likes hugging others

Self-aware Reader helping Ron (Bob's Takeover of vs Bob/Bosip)

Hypno’s Lullaby

Reader rescuing Blake on Mt. Silver

HCs: Reader befriending Glitchy Red

Therapist!Reader helping Steven

“Where did all of these scars come from?” w/ Steven

Reader befriending Gray & Shinto after learning they’re sentient

Steven & S/O reuniting after the incident

HCs: Befriending Lost Silver & Glitchy Red

HCs: Child!Reader who likes horror befriending Lost Silver

HCs: Trainer!Reader meeting Lost Silver

Trainer!Reader & their Shiny Hypno meeting Lullaby!Hypno

Other Mods

HCs: Hex x Reader who likes Vocaloid/Video Game OSTs

HCs: BF and GF learning that Tricky is Reader's uncle (1/2)

Tricky + Relative!Reader (2/2)

Male!GF saving Male!Reader (during Week 7)

HCs: Meeting Starecrown

HCs: Starecrown meeting Reader at library

HCs: Meeting Trollge (TBBI)

HCs: Tabi x Pacifist!Reader

HCs: Taki w/ Chaotic!S/O

HCs: Relationship with Eteled

Taki Helping Injured!Reader

Misc/Various Characters

HCs: Zardy & Garcello w/ a Stoic!Reader who cries over minor inconveniences

HCs: Harem AU continuation

HCs: Garcello, Ruv, Senpai, and Tankman who thought their S/O died but returns to them injured

HCs: Spooky Kids, Garcello, Senpai, Zardy, Monster, and Tord w/ Scarecrow!Reader who controls a crow army

[winterscaptain]

push.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

a/n: alright, team! this one covers cradle to grave and the eyes have it. i am so excited to share this with you, and we are that much closer to 100. ahh!! (i also mistakenly noted that infirmity was part three and it is in fact part four. while i can write, i made no promises in regard to counting.)

an ajf fic arc that happily stands on its own! (the pieces stand alright on their own as well, for the most part!) one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven

words: 4.2k warnings: canon-typical violence and discussion of violence, language

summary: “if you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” - t.s. eliot. a shift, a transition, and a lie.

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | requests closed!

Aaron meanders around the store, looking into the glass cases. There’s very little purpose, very little direction. He figures, just like the first time, the right one will make itself known. 

What are you doing? 

He takes a breath, ignoring that pesky little voice in his head, focused on the task at hand.

I’m listening to Haley. What are you doing?

Playing devil’s advocate because you shouldn’t be doing this right now. What are you thinking?

I don’t know. Fuck off. 

The man behind the glass greets him, asking if he’s looking for anything in particular. 

“Yes,” Aaron says, only a little startled out of his thoughts, “though I’m not quite sure what it is, yet.” His gaze wanders. “Can I see that one, please?”

He takes a close look, but it’s not quite right. 

He’ll find it. 

+++

You’re still at your desk when Hotch leaves JJ’s office, late. You throw him a little bit of a smile as he frowns at you. 

Why are you still here? 

You shrug. Work?

He snorts. Sure. and hops up the stairs to his office. There’s a moment where he stops short at the door. With a little bit of a startle, you realize Strauss is in there. 

How did I miss that?

JJ arrives in the bullpen with an armful of files, and you tip your head toward Hotch’s office. She works her distribution, setting folders down, her eyes glued to the window. 

When Strauss leaves, you both busy yourselves, looking up as she passes. 

She greets the both of you with your formal titles, and a chill runs down your spine. 

“Ma’am.”

“Ma’am.” 

You and JJ echo each other, throwing an approximation of a smile in her direction. 

What the fuck? 

You exchange a look with JJ once Strauss is out of sight, nod, and stand. 

Reaching his door, you note that he hasn’t moved. 

“Hotch?”

He’s still as he answers. “Yes?”

Something feels wrong. Really really wrong. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” 

You stand there for a moment as he turns over his shoulder and returns to his desk. He knows better than to meet your eyes - then you’ll know for sure he’s lying. 

Choose your battles. 

Protect him. 

How? 

Just try. 

“Goodnight, Hotch.” 

+++

“You’re kidding.” 

You look up from your file at Spencer, who has a manic little grin on his face. “What?”

“You’re not going to believe this.” 

“Try me.”

He laughs. “Someone started this blog called What Would Carl Sagan Do? and it’s so woefully inaccurate I’m wondering if this is some kind of 100-level school project, it’s -”

Derek walks in and you beam at him. He doesn’t return it. “What’s the case?”

“What case?” You ask, the smile falling from your face. 

“I just got three emails from Hotch about cases.” 

A little confused noise leaves you as you refresh your email once...twice. “I don’t have anything.”

Spencer follows suit. “I didn’t get any emails from Hotch, or did I?” He checks. “Nothing.” 

With a sigh and a huff, Derek puts his things down and walks purposefully toward Hotch’s office. Spencer looks back at you. 

“Wonder what that’s about.”

You hum, looking back at your file to hide your face. “I dunno.” 

What happened last night?

+++

“What’s with Hotch?” Derek catches up to you in the hallway on the way to your hotel room at the end of the first day. Naturally, he’s not at all out of breath. 

You frown at him. “What do you mean?”

You know exactly what he means. 

“You’re a shit liar.” 

You chuff at him and unlock your door, opening it and shepherding him in. “Alright. Fine. He’s stressed.”

“He’s...stressed? Really? That’s all you’ve got for me?”

Throwing your hands up, “It’s not like he tells me everything, Derek.” 

You do know, however, that Jack spent his fourth birthday in protective custody, with only a surveillance feed to satiate Aaron’s need to see his son. 

It sucks. 

“Yeah, but -” He pulls the chair from the little desk and sits backwards on it while you take your shoes off. “ - you know him.” 

“You’ve known him far longer than I have.” 

“It’s different. I’ve been working with him longer, but you know him better.”

You can’t deny that. “Well…” You search and search for a viable explanation. “...maybe he’s just more open to help than he usually is? He knows how good you are at your job, so…” Your mouth twists. “...I think it’s a compliment that he’s relying on you more and asking for your opinion on things.” 

He squints, thinking. He “hmphs” once before standing up, replacing the chair, and heading toward the door. 

“I’ll tell you if I hear anything.” 

No I won’t. 

The side of his mouth lifts. “No, you won’t.” Then, “Goodnight, kid. Get some sleep.” 

+++

Aaron hands him an aggressively annotated copy of the preliminary profile. “Morgan, in order for the profile to be useful it has to generate multiple scenarios about what the unsub is doing. Rewrite it.” 

You have to admit you’ve been looking between each of them like a particularly interesting game of tennis as they volley back and forth. 

It’s tense...and confusing. 

Derek looks completely crestfallen. You wipe the confusion off of your face as best you can and exchange it for something you hope is empathetic. 

Hotch pulls JJ aside to discuss her new findings while Derek joins you at the table. 

“What is with him?”

You shake your head. “I wish I knew.” Your gaze wanders over to him, where he’s watching the pair of you. You look away, focused on the profile Hotch returned to Morgan. 

Your next words are almost a sigh. “I know he pushes hard, but…I just...don't know.” 

+++

You take a deep breath as Derek snatches a piece of paper from the printer and stalks to Hotch’s office. 

Maybe this time, they will kill each other. 

Who would win? 

Hm. Catch-22. They both lose. 

Even then, you’ll always put your money on Aaron. 

You keep your eyes on them and you know JJ’s doing the same. Part of you is always ready to bridge a rift between Aaron and Derek. For some reason or another, they both listen to you when you tell them they’re acting like shitheads. 

So, they listen. Often. 

Hotch’s jaw tenses and, though you can’t hear him, you can tell he’s raising his voice, his tone growing harder. 

That’s it. 

You shove off from the desk and open the door without knocking, interrupting Derek mid-thought. They both look at you and don’t even have the good graces to look caught out. 

“Garcia needs to talk to us.” 

Hotch takes a talking breath, but you cut him off. 

“Now.” You tip your head. “Please,” you add for good measure. 

They brush past the both of you, Derek’s fingers brushing your sleeve as he passes. 

You catch the hem of Aaron’s suit jacket and tug. 

He turns on you - there’s still a lot of fire in his gaze and for a moment, you let yourself be intimidated, looking away from him and bringing your hand back. 

There’s a sigh, and you know he feels bad (just a little). “Yes?”

“You’ll tell me if you want help, right?”

He meets your gaze. There is so much going on behind those deep brown irises you don’t even know where to start. “Yes.” 

Liar.

I miss you. 

Not satisfied, but pacified for now, you turn and lead the way back to the table. You meet Derek’s eyes and shake your head just a little. 

Damn it. 

+++

When you’re done with Penelope, you find an excuse to get Derek alone. Your conversation, somehow, is already heated. 

“He’s just trying to challenge you, Morgan.” Your body language isn’t great, but you can’t bring yourself to care. Arms crossed, tight mouth - you’re the picture of frustration. 

He’s restless - shifting his weight back and forth. “I don’t understand it. He’s on my ass about shit he’s never been on my ass about before.” 

“Did you even hear what I said?”

“Yes, I did.” He stops moving, gesturing sharply with an open, flat hand. “Why is he challenging me, when he’s the one under the gun?” 

You close your eyes and press your fingers to the bridge of your nose. “Did you ever think, just once, maybe, he wants to make sure this team still functions if something happens to him?” 

Derek, finally, has the good sense to deflate. You follow suit, leaning on the desk behind you. 

“We almost lost him a couple of months ago,” you remind him. “If we don’t know everything his position entails, we will not be able to help him if there’s a next time.” 

You step forward, a fond little laugh in your voice. “Derek - you’re a natural leader, a great tactician. There’s no better person for him to build up, just in case.” 

He breaks your gaze, thinking. 

For good measure, you add, “He respects you a great deal. Remember when you said you tolerate him, just for me?” You hold his gaze as it returns to you. “I think that’s bullshit.” 

Another breath. He steps forward, meeting you in the middle of the isolated, small conference room. You offer him a small, closed-mouth smile. 

“Come here, kid.” 

You tuck into his arms with a little laugh. “How did you two manage before I got here?”

You can feel his laugh rumble through him. “You have no idea.” 

+++

Of course, under Derek’s careful tactical direction, everything goes according to plan. Textbook soft entry, no hostages, peaceful takeover, and four rescued victims by the end of it. 

“I love these ones,” you say, standing between Aaron and Derek in the precinct as a family forms before your eyes. 

“Which ones?” Aaron asks. 

“The ones where we all get to go home, and so do they.” 

+++

“Well, I guess it’s time,” Derek says, pushing back from his desk and rising. You’ve both stayed late for one reason or another, with the excuse of paperwork. 

Really, Derek was building his nerve, and really, you were waiting for Aaron. 

You furrow your brow. “Time for what?”

“Hotch wants to see me.” 

“What does he want?”

He laughs a little. “I thought you’d know.” 

You shake your head, so he shrugs and walks up the stairs, knocking twice on Aaron’s door before stepping inside. 

They immediately take a seat, but not at Aaron’s desk. 

Red flag.

You know it’s ridiculous to worry, but nevertheless, you pace around the bullpen as the boys talk upstairs. It looks serious, given the image before you. They both sit forward in their chairs, lit by the warm light from Hotch’s lamp, their elbows on their knees, their hands loosely laced. 

Other than on the plane, you’re not sure you’ve ever seen them sit so close together. 

Aaron didn’t close the door, but still you know to keep your distance. The coffee pot is scrubbed again, the mugs reorganized, and you return to your desk after you run out of tasks, still fidgety. 

“What?” You hear. “No!” 

Your head whips up to the office at Derek’s outburst. They simmer down again after a moment, but continue talking with low brows and lower voices. 

They rise after a few more minutes, and Derek swings out of the door and whistles for you. “Hop to, kid, let’s go.” 

Your brow crinkles, but you jog up the stairs and land in the doorway. “What’s going on?”

Derek and Hotch exchange a look. 

“Have a seat,” Aaron says, finally. You follow instructions, sitting gingerly on the couch. 

What the hell is going on? 

Aaron sits across from you, looking a little lighter than he did this afternoon. You’re hoping it’s good news. 

“I’m resigning as unit chief at the end of this week.” You open your mouth and move to protest with your entire body, but Aaron’s hand stops you. “Wait. Hold on. Feel free to get mad at me when I’m done, but I’m not done yet.”

Is he...smiling? 

No, but it’s close. 

You freeze, waiting. 

He speaks to you like a scared animal, likely remembering the last time he tried to resign and you chased him across the office. “Morgan will be taking over as acting unit chief until we catch Foyet. I will return to my post at the conclusion of the investigation.” 

You still don’t move as you ask, “You’re staying on the team, though, right?” 

He nods. 

So it’s not as bad as you thought. “Why?”

Aaron glances at Morgan, who sits heavily beside you. You settle down and mirror their postures from earlier, feeling a little like a co-conspirator. “I’ve shared this with Morgan and I’ll share it with you, but -”

“- don’t tell anyone. Got it.”

His lips twitch. “Right. The bureau thinks that my ability to lead this team has been compromised.” 

You blink at him, waiting for him to continue. 

“What do you think?” He asks. 

This is a trick. He’s tricking me. 

“What do you mean ‘what do I think?’”

His gaze is definitely a little amused as he watches you. “I mean, what do you think?”

“Hm. That’s helpful.”

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Derek’s head. 

He’s never seen two people more well-suited for each other. The fact that you’re giving Hotch shit right now to avoid answering the question speaks only to the closeness between you. You push him harder, give him more hell, and have the power to make him more miserable than anyone else. 

And yet, he loves you. It’s so clear. Why can’t you see it? Why can’t he see it?

You’re both profilers, for fuck’s sake. 

Derek’s eyes flicker back and forth, watching the raise of your eyebrows and the upturned corners of Aaron’s mouth. There’s a fondness between you - it rests in your eyes - as you wait each other out. 

God, they’re stupid. It’s written all over their faces. 

Aaron repeats himself, but slower. “Do you think my ability to lead this team has been compromised?”

You sigh, finally breaking his gaze to focus on one of the degrees on Aaron’s wall. “Alright, fine. I have been...concerned about some of your choices in the field the last few weeks.” You meet his eyes again. “Though, I believe I’ve told you as much in the moment, so that shouldn’t come as much of a shock.” 

He snorts and you swat lightly in his direction, purposefully missing him entirely. 

“But I don’t think there’s anyone better to lead this team.” You look over at Morgan. “Not to say you can’t or shouldn’t do it, but -”

Derek interrupts you. “- No, I agree.” 

You nod, turning back to Aaron. “Out of curiosity, what’s the alternative?”

His eyebrows rise for a moment. “The alternative is, I remain in my post until I am inevitably removed. In that instance, the team will be split and budgets will be cut.” 

“Oh.” 

“But,” he continues, “if I promote internally, we can avoid that.” 

It’s unsettling, to be sure, but not the end of the world. You think about it - what the team would look like with Hotch as just “one of you,” and Derek at the helm. 

Your eyes flicker to Aaron, taking in his suit, the strong set of his shoulders, the authoritative brow, the serious mouth. It wouldn’t be quite right, but it is better than the alternative.

God, he’s handsome.

We knew that. 

I know, but look at him. 

You’ve looked too long without talking. Derek noticed. He starts to think, already excited for Hotch to resume his post so he can start a betting pool on how long it’ll take for you two to finally give in to whatever...this is. 

Weirdly, though, he wouldn’t call it tension. It’s more like a blanket - covering the both of you in a kind of warmth that radiates to everyone in the vicinity. 

Derek has no idea how you got into Aaron’s good graces so quickly, why he trusted you so early on, but it’s made him a better leader, a better agent. 

He might even go so far as to say you’ve made him a better man. 

“I think,” you say, slowly, “given the circumstances, that Morgan leading the team until we catch Foyet would be a sound decision.” Your lips twitch into a smile. “And now I get to share the burden of being the one who gets pissed at you when you pull risky shit in the field.” 

Aaron almost smiles, but it’s enough. “Alright, then.” He stands and so does Morgan, so you follow suit. He crosses around to his desk, where two massive boxes of files are waiting. 

“If you intend on getting any sleep tonight,” he tells you, “I would recommend you leave now.” 

You suppress a smile. “And miss all this?” You gesture to both the file boxes and the boys. “No way.” 

+++

The next morning is...hectic, to say the least. 

Strauss stole Morgan the second he arrived, so naturally Penelope came up to the bullpen to keep tabs. “So, did anyone say why Hotch is stepping down?” 

You keep your eyes on your work, pretending to be only half-tuned into the conversation. There are eyes on you for a minute before you look up and cursorily shake your head. 

“All Morgan said this morning is that it’s happening,” JJ says. “Business as usual, I guess.” 

Emily’s not so easily appeased, sitting on the corner of your desk. “So we’re just supposed to move forward without any discussion?”

 Oh, there was a discussion. You just weren’t part of it. 

You look up for real and put your pen down. “I think we’d have to prepare for anything after Foyet, don’t you?”

The rest of you quiet down as Hotch descends the stairs. You’re the only one who keeps your eyes on him. 

No need to pretend you’re busy when he already knows you’re paying attention. 

“...I’ll have all my things cleared out and it will be all yours.” 

No. 

Your brow crinkles and you look up at the office. It feels...wrong, somehow, to imagine that room without its shelves of legal citation books, legal dictionaries…

Legal this, legal that. 

Could he be any more of a lawyer?

No. 

“Hotch, I don’t want your office.” Their voices are low, but they carry - especially to shamelessly eavesdropping ears. 

Strauss starts talking, but honestly, it just sounds like static. 

“All due respect, Ms. Strauss,” Derek says, “but both of you have trusted me to step in as acting unit chief. I’m asking you to respect my decision.” 

You drop your head down to your paperwork, a proud smile pushing at the corner of your lips. 

“I’ve decided I don’t want Hotch’s office. That’s where he belongs. If necessary, we can discuss this again at a later date, but right now, we really need to get started on this case.” 

He looks up, and you all pretend to be doing something else. It’s a ridiculous showing, really. 

“Guys. Grab Rossi.” 

Emily huffs, jumping off your desk. “I got ‘im.” 

+++

It’s weird at first as you all settle in and get used to looking at Derek more often. He’s doing well - asking good questions on the plane and stepping in when you arrive at the precinct. 

Aaron still looks like the authority in the room, but that’s just how he is. There’s more than one occasion where you’re forced to hide your smile as he intentionally and mindfully defers to Derek in front of the local officers. 

It’s not actually funny in any comedic sense, but the strangeness of it all gets to you a little bit. 

You’re driving (another perk of Derek being in charge - he lets you drive) while Hotch takes shotgun. You’ve just hung up the phone, where Hotch said again “It’s your call, Morgan.” 

It made you smile, and now you’re under fire. 

“What’s funny?”

You check (again) that you’re the only two in the car. You are. “It’s just weird. I’m getting used to it.” 

“What? That we’re the same rank?”

Honey, we’ll never be the same rank. 

“Sure,” you reply, dubious. “Like you and I are in the same league at all.” 

He shakes his head, playing off the twinge of hurt that doesn’t come from his freshly healing wounds.

In his mind, you’re right in more ways than one. 

That train of thought led him down a rabbit hole he’s now punishing himself for. Why he should even have half a thought dedicated to any of that is completely beyond him...

“What’s wrong?” 

He shakes his head. “Nothing.” 

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. “You know I can tell you’re lying to me without even looking at you, right?”

A sigh. “Oh, yeah?”

DIdn’t think he’d answer that one. 

“You have a tell when you’re lying to me, specifically. It’s different from your other tells.” 

“Is that so?” He sounds skeptical. 

“Mhmm.”

You can almost feel him squint. “Are you going to elaborate on that?”

“Nope. If I do, you’ll stop doing it and I have to start from scratch.” You shoot him another glance and the corner of your mouth tips up. “And I don’t take orders from you, anymore, so you can’t make me.” 

His fond eye roll finally breaks you, and you laugh at the absurdity of it all. He doesn’t break himself, but it’s the thought that counts. 

Your laughter is the best reward to him, anyway. 

+++

Goddamn it, Aaron. 

If you had a dime for every time you’ve had that thought in the last eight weeks, you’d have...a shitload of dimes. 

You’re chasing after him, because of course he ran after the unsub without backup. It’s like he’s on a mission to give you hypertension. 

“FBI! Get off her!” You hear his voice, rough and authoritative (you, of course, ignore what that does to your anatomy) and round the corner. 

You find him grappling with the unsub, cuffing him. 

With a sigh, you take over - holstering your weapon and hauling the unsub to his feet. 

Derek walks over with Emily after you’ve passed the unsub to the local officers for processing. “What happened?”

“Hotch took him down by himself.” 

“You’re kidding.” 

You press your mouth into a thin, facetious line. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Derek shakes his head with a huff that’s almost a laugh and returns to Hotch, who clarifies the aforementioned events. He looks over at you. “Did you tell him you were right behind me?”

You just stare at him. 

Derek takes over, saving you the trouble of getting too annoyed with Aaron. “You should have waited for backup.” 

Unit Chief Derek, in with the feedback. Very nice. 

You look unfairly smug, but the look drops off your face when Hotch answers, almost smiling, “Would you have?”

You're confronted with an image - Aaron, ten years ago, only a little older than you, a young, hotshot agent with a sarcastic streak a mile wide. 

Poor Gideon...

Derek just turns with another sigh, off to do whatever acting unit chiefs do. 

Emily manages to hold her laugh until he’s out of earshot. Hotch, passing her, just smirks. “What?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing.”

+++

Alright, that’s enough. 

You rise from your desk and pat Derek’s shoulder on your way past him. “Proud of you.” It’s casual, almost a throwaway line. If it was any kind of serious, you know he’d hate it. 

A little staccato hum leaves his throat. He’s still working, and you leave him to it. 

You knock twice on Hotch’s office door before letting yourself in. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he replies but doesn’t look up. 

You sit at one of the chairs and prop your chin on the heel of your hand. “How late are you staying?”

“You should go home. it’s late.” His response is absent, at best. You’re not even sure he actually heard you. 

“Hey.”

He finally looks up, his brown eyes tired and bloodshot. “What?” His tone isn’t unkind, but it isn’t patient, either. 

“You should go home. It’s late.” 

He heaves a sigh and lets it out through his mouth, choosing not to acknowledge your use of his words against him. “Can’t.”

You hum, looking over his nameplate to the files on his desk. “He’ll still be there tomorrow, you know.”

“That’s the problem.” 

“Fine,” you relent. “Then let me help.” 

He doesn’t protest when you reach across the desk for the first case file, so you figure you have tacit permission.

Maybe, just maybe, if you learn this case backwards and forwards, too, something will change. 

Your love for the man across from you makes that lie easier to swallow. 

+++

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @hurricanejjareau @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @good-heavens-chris-evans @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @hotchsflower @ogmilkis @marvels-agents100 @hotchslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @dwellingsofrosie @pan-pride-12 @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @buckybau @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandice-ray @ellyhotchner @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @violentvulgarvolatile  @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @violet-amxthyst @bwbatta @roses-and-grasses @lcvischmitt @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @mandylove1000 @cevanswhre @qvid-pro-qvo @jeor @spencers-hoodrat @infinity1321 @zizzlekwum @popped-weasels @evee87 @nuvoleincielo @this-broken-band-girl @reidtomestyles @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @winqhster @spencerelds @the-falling-in-the-danger @nattylite49 @crazyshannonigans @ambicaos

[aubreyprc]

hope ur ok

part three of my sour series

for @ssa-sparks, who requested a hotchniss witsec fic surrounding ‘hope ur ok’ if you have any requests feel free to message/ask💝💗💓💘

-

“Don't know if I'll see you again someday

But if you're out there,

I hope that you're okay”

“God, I hope that you're happier today

'Cause I love you,

and I hope that you're okay”

ao3

-

She tries everyday not to think about him, albeit unsuccessfully, but she tries, all day, to push him from her mind, to forget, to ignore, but he always manages to push himself into the forefront of her mind whenever she has a moments peace, replaying their memories in her head, the good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly…all of them. Forcing her to relive their glorious (but cut short) time together all those years ago, before Doyle, before Paris, before their entire future went up in flames right in front of them, turning to dust behind them as they walked away in different directions. Him into the arms of another woman and her into the unknown, a new country, a new job, a new her.

When she allows the thoughts to takeover she always wonders if she would have done anything differently, knowing what she knows now. That he’d be ripped from her, from all of them in one of the worst ways, leaving them with only memories and questions that will never be answered. Leaving them, her, with the knowledge that he’s out there, hunted and alone, with no form of contact, no way to know if he’s okay, if Jack’s okay, if their even alive. She wonders if she’d have stayed, tried harder to get him back, to become the fairytale romance they laughed about wrapped up in bedsheets across the country back when they could have had everything. If she thinks for long enough, she finds herself wiping away tears, realising that yes, she would have, because all she has now is memories and regrets, a long line of what if’s and maybe’s.

Standing at her window, staring out into the city night, she looks back at the picture of them in her hands, tracing a finger over his smile as her lips curl at the recollection of the moment it was taken, the two of them in their own bubble just a mere eight weeks before their whole thing snapped in half, never to be put back together. She remembers the way her heart fluttered at the sight of his smile, how her stomach filled with butterflies like she was some sort of teenager at the sound of his laugh and how the feel of his hand on her thigh set her body on fire, a strike of lightening shooting into her nerves and its a feeling she doesn’t think she’s had before, and one doesn’t expect to have again.

He was a once in a life time.

They, were a once in a life time.

She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes as a tear falls down her cheek and she exhales with a shaky breath. Looking back down at the picture, she slowly runs a finger over it again and wonders, not for the first time (and not the last) if she’d ever see him again, hear him laugh, feel his hands in hers. Smiling down at the picture, she sighs.

“I hope you’re okay.” She whispers, before placing the frame back down on the windowsill and staring out into the city, inhaling a breath as she thinks that maybe, he’s looking out at the moon as well.

-

Deciding against going back to the BAU once he was able to leave witsec was an easy choice, him and Jack finally setting a routine, creating a bond he’d been unable to maintain before, finally able to relax without any need to keep one eye open, be on constant alert, remaining where he was and staying away was an easy choice. Making Emily unit chief was another easy decision, one he never thought twice about and one he knew everyone would accept. What wasn’t easy was making the decision to remain without contact. With anyone. But especially her.

It was a choice he felt was right, cutting them off, scared that any contact he had could be traced, that he’d put his son in danger again, but just because he felt it was right did not mean it was easy.

The first time he almost breaks it (can you really break a rule you set yourself?) Is on Jack’s thirteen birthday, surrounded by family and new friends. He hovers over her number, her contact picture (one he could never find in himself to delete. A picture only he has. A candid one from their short but remarkable time together.) Her smile staring right back at him as he contemplates on just one call, but, instead of calling he locks his phone, drops it down onto the kitchen counter and walks away, heading back into the room where his new life is playing out, all while he pretends he isn’t aching for just a tiny part of his old one. The part where he has her.

Two years later, he’s lost count of how many times he’d thought about reaching out but never going through with it. And this time is no different as he finds himself watching a press release from a case he imagines their still on the way home from. It’s her on the podium and he feels his breath hitch, the sound of her voice something he’d worked (and failed) on trying to forget. He can’t take his eyes of her, watching in complete awe as she talks to the press with an amount of authority he could only dream of having over such a harsh group of people and he finds himself smiling as she finishes, can see Reid and JJ following close behind her as she walks away and it’s then that he notices it, when she holds up her left hand to push hair from her face.

A ring.

A large, silver diamond on her ring finger and it has his breath hitching for a second time for a different reason.

The clip ends and he closes the laptop, standing and heading over to a box he keeps on top of a high shelf. Placing the box on the desk he sighs and pulls out the picture, one of the few they have together, but his favourite from the small bunch. Her body tilited towards him as they laugh together, his hand rested gently on her thigh as hers curls around his shoulder, tilting her head to whisper something to him as they bask in their own company, he remembers feeling as though no one else mattered in that moment, that the two of them could have it all and they almost did.

Almost being a key word surrounding anything when it comes to them.

Almost together.

Almost in love.

Almost going back.

Almost calling.

It’s almost and never absolutely. Always a what if and never a definite and it’s haunting.

Looking at her smile he can’t help but hope that she’s happy. Happier than she was with him, happier in all aspects because she deserves it. He loves her, he knows he always will and as he runs a finger over her smile, his own lips curl upwards.

“I hope that you’re happier,” he whispers, placing the picture back in the box before he looks out of the window, grabbing his beer from the desk as he looks into the night sky and it’s then he notices the distinct flashing of a plane. Smiling, something in him knowing it’s them, it’s her, he tilts his bottle, a small cheers to them, to her, to himself.

“I hope that you’re okay.” He whispers, watching as the plane travels across the sky and out of a view, a sense of bittersweetness casting over him as he finds peace in knowing she’s happy, even if it isn’t with him.

fin

[itsadamcole]

NSFW ALPHABET WEEK - day 4

➳ kyle o’reilly

have a request? check out the prompts list and follow the steps!

masterlist

***

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

Kyle loves to take care of you after sex. He'll cuddle you for hours, grab snacks for you, get drinks for you. Of course, you'll make sure he and his blood sugar level are okay.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

His favorite part of his body is his hands.

His favorite part of your body is your lips.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Kyle will cum inside of you or in your mouth, all over your face or breasts. He loves when you cum on his dick or on his mouth when he's eating you out.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Kyle loves when you're on top in bed, but he'll never tell you this.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

He's not that experienced but he does know what he's doing most of the time. Sometimes he'll take a while to find your spot but when he finds it, oh boy. He will not stop hitting it until you cum who knows how many times.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Missionary. He also likes to pin your wrists down to the bed when in this position if he's feeling confident in himself.

He loves any face to face position. He likes to kiss you when you orgasm sometimes. Plus, it makes it easier for him to hold your hand when you're face to face.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Kyle can be both serious and humorous. He will crack jokes all the time. He won't crack jokes when he's in a more serious mood, which is rare. Jokes are a pretty usual thing during sex, and you don't mind.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He's well trimmed down there.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He'll hold you hand and tell you how much he loves you. He'll shower you in compliments and praises. Sometimes he'll even set the scene with candles or flowers for a birthday or anniversary.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

 Kyle tries not to jack off if he can help it, but it's hard for him when he's away from you for a while. It's even harder when you decide to be a tease and send him some pictures.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Praise kink.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

In a bed or on a couch usually, but he's never against fucking you against a wall or in the shower either. Against a wall is usually when he's jealous, which is kinda rare.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

When you tease him, which is all the time. Whether that's flirting with him, touching him, or sending him sexy pictures of yourself. Sometimes you do it just for fun, but other times it's how you tell him you want sex.

N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

Threesomes, he would never degrade you or do something that would hurt you.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He loves when you put that pretty mouth to work. He also loves to eat you out. He has no preference on giving or receiving, but he's skillful at making you cum with his mouth.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

He's always slow and sensual. He likes to be careful to make sure he doesn't hurt you. Usually you'll have to beg him just to speed up. "I'm not fragile" you'd always say, to which he'd laugh and speed up his movements.

Kyle is only fast and rough when he's angry or jealous. You'll see a more confident Kyle when he's angry or jealous because he wants to make sure you know you're his and only his.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Kyle prefers proper sex but he's never against a quickie or two a week, especially if it's been a while since he's been with you. Usually they're in his locker room or in the shower.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's not really a risk taker, but sometimes he'll leave the door unlocked. Kyle's willing to experiment in bed if it's okay with you.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He only goes for four or five rounds, but that's because he can make each round last a while. You'll also make him take breaks to make sire his blood sugar levels are okay.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He's against them. He doesn't like using them on you and he doesn't like when you use them. He likes it to be only him that pleasures you.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Kyle does like to tease you, especially when he's wearing his wrestling gear. He knows how much you love seeing him in his gear, and he knows how horny it can make you if you are in the mood. He likes to kiss your neck or grab your ass to tease you.

But you, you love to tease Kyle. When he's away, you'll sext him and send him naughty pictures. You'll surprise him with new lingerie sets when he's home, giving him a nice strip tease or lap dance if you're really in the mood. You're also not afraid to just walk into the bedroom naked after a shower just to tease Kyle.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Kyle's more on the quieter side. He likes to kiss any part of your body while you have sex but he will let out an occasional moan or grunt. You're the complete opposite. You'll scream Kyle's name any chance you get.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

You hadn't seen Kyle like this since his loss at Takeover 31. He was so sad, so angry, and so frustrated with himself that he still couldn't win that damn title. While Kyle was back in the showers, you told Adam and Roddy that you were going home so you can get something ready for Kyle

When you got home, you quickly changed out of your Undisputed Era t-shirt and jeans into a new nightgown that you bought a few days ago. It's white, short, and almost completely sheer. You wear a pair of lacy white panties beneath the nightgown.

The front door opens and you pull your hair down out of the ponytail. There are footsteps up the stairs and you hear a "Y/N?" come from the hallway.

"Bedroom," you call back, leaning seductively against one of the bedposts.

Kyle appears in the doorway and almost drops everything he's carrying when he sees you. "What's this for? I didn't win," he says, putting everything next to the door.

He approaches you and you say, "I'm not going to let you feel sorry for yourself. I'm going to show you that you don't need that stupid title to be a champion."

Your boyfriend looks down at you and says, "I kind of do need the title to be a champion."

You pout at him and say, "Kyle, let me have one of my supportive girlfriend moments please."

A laugh leaves his lips and he says, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, baby. Go on.”

Deciding to be a tease, you say, "Well now the moments over." You go to walk away but Kyle grabs your wrist and pins you against the bedpost you were just leaning against.

"You don't get to dress like that and tease sex then walk away," Kyle almost growls.

You smirk and say, "There he is."

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

Kyle's not too big and not too small. He's perfect for you.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

About average, but he's he's needy or jealous then it's really high.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Kyle likes to make sure you fall asleep before he does. He'll spoon you from behind as you doze off in his arms before burying his face in your neck and falling asleep himself.