#This doesn't feel like my best work 😭😭

[cloudgirlsonfilm]

just answering these all on my own for hitorei because im thinking about them... :] (also gonna be focusing on lili as opposed to myself but some answers might be about me val ^^)

1. rei reminds me of many! snakes, peacocks, tanukis, foxes, hawks... anything flashy or elusive. hitoya is like a bulldog to me

2. me personally i'd give hitoya a gift card to some high-end steakhouse. or a bottle of scotch. and i'd give rei a pie to the face or perhaps rocks. lili might give him something slightly better but idk what

3. i don't know if hitoya lili OR rei have hobbies 💀💀 they're all too employed for that (and rei... is rei). THOUGH i do think hitoya wanted to do magic tricks at a point? it'd be cute if he still knew some tricks and taught them to lili, and then she uses the sleight of hand on rei to make him laugh... lili and rei used to read together a lot when they first became a couple too

4. hitoya sweeps dusts vacuums washes dishes you name it. i think he's very clean, and would make sure to stay on top of it even if he's run thin from work (just more distraction from The Feelings). rei leaves a mess in his wake

5. both of them yes. bonus points for hitoya for (probably) being able to drive a motorcycle too

6. unsure... i think hitolili both use very generic ones, rei has a special ringtone for lili that he like.. recorded himself or something so its unmistaken

7. hitoya would if a situation called for it, rei would if a situation called for it but he's manufacturing the situation himself so he can logically argue with someone online and then get something out of them

8. i think hitoya would seem outwardly stressed by the idea, but actually be very accepting of it (guy who has probably sat through kuko talking about reincarnation). to me rei is the opposite, outwardly indulges the idea but secretly feels stressed or even forlorn about it

9. OH GODDD lili probably gets mixed reviews when introducing rei because everyone can tell there's something about those two that needs to stay in containment

10. receiving a hug from behind in the kitchen or laying in bed together

11. idfk. old woman yaoi

12. hitoya i think is a silvery purple, rei i associate with dark red and gold

13. hitoya introduces lili as a good friend (no one believes him, which she's amused by), rei introduces lili as a drinking buddy of sorts (not exactly wrong, but it frustrates her)

14. if they're not perceiving lili as a doggirl what's the point...

15. hitoya would take lili out to dinner, rei would take lili out for drinks

16. hitoya/rei probably don't consciously think of any pet names for lili... rei calls her 'baby' all the time, but he calls a lot of girls 'baby' LOL. just saying lili's name makes him flustered though

17. hitoya likes sitting in the same room and doing seperate things, rei likes drinking (a given) and engaging in hands-on things together (he strikes me as a type to enjoy mixing vegetables while the other chops them, or doing lego sets together [first hands-on thing i could think of 😭😭😭 but tbh he probably needs that instead of inventing crazy shit])

18. hitoya shows it best through staying by lili's side, trying to be of some comfort, providing her with a place to stay when she needs to fall back on someone. rei shows it best through indirect actions-- ordering in food without being asked to, placing elaborate gift bags on the counter for lili to find later, putting her through a busy day so she feels alive again. lili also has a very weak spot for whenever rei talks really smooth

19. hitoya likes lili's eyes and lips, rei likes her legs and her freckles (her legs happen to have a lot of distinctive moles too)

20. i love how compassionate hitoya is, even if he doesn't give himself the credit that he is!! i love his conviction and his dedication to helping others find justice, peace and joy. rei i love for very opposite reasons LMAO i like that he's elusive and scheming. but i also like how he has a very obvious soft side no matter how much he tries to play the bad guy, but i ALSO like that this cruelly blends into all the bad things he's done. i like how complex he is...

21. i think hitoya's drawing of lili would be kind of sharp, brick-like, and i think she'd laugh and say it's kind of abstract in a way (this is not at all what he intended). i think rei's would be a little more realistic, maybe even scarily so, but i think he'd struggle to make it not look like a scientific plan of sorts (which would make lili roll her eyes a little)

22. yes. hitoya might complain about how big of a bite is taken, rei orders extras to make sure no one goes hungry

23. hitoya associates lili with blue (her uniform) and salmon (her favourite colour), rei associates her with pink (her affiliation with chuo and it's close to her favourite colour, also a colour she used to wear a lot of)

F/O Ask Game!!

A list of questions to answer about your f/o!! You guys can just go down the list and answer them all (I'd love to see it!!!) in a reblog, orrr you can reblog and have others ask you these questions in your inbox! Have fun!! PR.OSHI.P, NOT FOR YOU!

What animal does your f/o remind you of?

If you got your f/o a gift, what would you get them? 

What is your favorite hobby to think about doing with your f/o?

What chores would your f/o do around the house? Are there any they REALLY dislike?

Would you trust your f/o to drive a car?

What kind of ringtone or notification sound would you have for your f/o?

Would your f/o fight someone online? 

Does your f/o believe in soulmates?

How would you introduce your f/o to your friends? How do you think that would go? 

What's the first scenario that comes to your head when you think of being with your f/o?

What dynamic would you use to describe you and your f/o? 

What color do you associate with your f/o? 

How would your f/o introduce you to those they care about? How do you think that would go?

What animal do you remind your f/o of?

What would your f/o get you for Valentine's day, if anything? 

What does your f/o call you in their head? What do they call you aloud/to others?

What does your f/o like doing with you the most? 

How does your f/o show their love best? 

What's your f/o's favorite feature of yours?

What're your f/o's favorite personality traits of yours?

If your f/o drew you, how would you describe the art piece?

Does your f/o share food with you?

What color would your f/o associate you with?

What?? Who's tagging their friends again?- not me... I just really wanna see yalls answers. Formal invitation lest you become worried I don't wanna see it. @jpeg-indulgence @starshakez @moxanji-real @frankys-wife @katsenbergs-soulmate @katanahusband @fl0ralsxgar @one-winged-dreams AND LITERALLY ANYONE WHO SEES THIS.

[peace-hunter]

https://www.tumblr.com/peace-hunter/774219053379239936/baby-op-has-a-favorite-and-is-not-afraid-to-let

OK FIRST OF ALL HOW DARE YOU??! We got baby Orion, look at that bean, so small and cute, but at what cost? The cost of our hearts being shattered….

Now the dramatics are over! The Megatronus doll?! I can hear d-16 seething in jealousy somewhere lmao.

Please tell me I’m not seeing things and Prima pulled out a weapon when he heard the door open?! Ready to defend but not when it was needed most because sentinel is a little bitch.

ZETA BEING ORIONS FAVE?! (It’s so cool you included that because it is part of canon, it’s in the movie novelisation if anyone is curious)

It’s so much more tragic with that piece of info, the way you drew Orion feeling like he’s lost something and having to be snapped out of it 😭 I love your art so much.

It does raise a question though, how old is Orion? Did he age slower or did sentinel do something to was with his ageing?

baby prime orion au

AKJSHDKAHDA THANK YOU I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT!!! and that it seemed to hit the way i wanted it to! it is my mission with this au to make it unbearably cute and painful as fuck <33

that doll... i have plans for that doll.... no spoilers but it will come back...

AND YES THANK YOU FOR NOTICING THAT!! you're the first person i see that points out Prima's reaction to hearing someone come in! he's a little (a lot) overprotective of OP and he's always on guard even when they're deep in the tower where no one but their siblings and some trusted members of the High Guard are allowed to enter. he's also lowkey training OP to keep quiet when he hears someone come into his room and to be cautious of strangers. he doesn't want his baby brother to be scared of the world but he just... wants to keep him safe at all costs. most of the primes think he's being a little paranoid but he Does Not Care. once OP is older and can take care of himself they can talk about his anxiety but until then he's sticking to his guns.

and fun fact! when Sentinel sent his trackers to take custody of Optimus during his coup, it took them just long enough to search his rooms for him to allow the High Guard to send reinforcements and take him away. so. anxiety for the win babeeey⁓

and yeah zeta being OP's favorite is directly taken from the novel! in my mind Prima is OP's primary caretaker with everyone else taking turns to switch out with him, but Zeta being the matrix holder doesn't get the chance to do it as often as everyone else. so him dropping by is a special occasion! and because he doesn't want to ruin the little time he gets with his baby brother with anything, he lowkey spoils Optimus the most. so it's a mix of novelty and over-indulgence that gives him the edge over everyone else 🤭

AND YEAH THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING FOR! in this au OP is looking for the matrix for the good of everyone, he does believe bringing it back is the best thing for their society but deep down he also hopes it will fix the gaping wound in his spark he's been nursing his entire life. and when he sees Zeta Prime's lifeless body he knows the matrix being missing from it should be the thing he should focus on but... it's really not. and he doesn't understand why.

and orion's age is... something i kinda hoped no one would remember to ask about (/▽＼)

jk but for real he's about 52 cycles old. he's definitely older than the rest of the squad for at least a decade! buuuuut as a prime he also does age slower than them. this one is not on sentinel, it's just a him/prime thing. a small part of dee's frustration with orion in this au is because he's under the impression that they're more or less the same age but orion acts much more immaturely than he should, but this is kinda because orion literally doesn't mature at the same rate than he does.

it's not by much but the difference is there and they can feel it even if they don't understand it.

i have a chart in case anyone cares about it akjsdhkja

not my best work but it'll do for now.

so basically OP's mental development is one year for every 2.5 cycles while everyone else's is one per every 1.5. he and dee met when OP was 36 cycles old and Dee was 24 which was the exact moment where their mental development was almost equal, which made them hit off pretty well! but after that it was just a matter of time before dee started leaving Orion behind.

again, it isn't by much but the difference exists and is just one more straw to break the camel's back.

also the poor high guard that stayed behind to keep an eye on Orion was working overtime trying to keep people from wondering why this particular sparkling was growing up so slowly. they faked a bunch of records for him and officially speaking Orion is 47 cycles old, when he's actually 52, but even that only gave them a very limited amount of time before everyone started noticing that Orion was kinda little for his age.

they also did their damn best to keep Orion from entering the mines at the age he was supposed to because there was no fucking way they were letting the equivalent of 12 year old go in there.

they did so much crime and falsification you guys.

as it is OP was still mentally younger than everyone else when they went in, but officially he was almost 5 years older than he should've been. it was the best they could do.

so... yeah!

thank you for asking because i had been postponing doing this for weeks now xD

[krystella-shifts]

All things˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌟₊˚ʚ 🌸 ₊˚ Visualisation˚˖𓍢ִ໋₊˚ʚ₊˚

Visualisation whether you're using it for shifting , manifesting, or to distract yourself while inducing the void state. It doesn't matter if you're manifesting LOVE, MONEY, FAME. or wtv This post will help ya

This will make visualisation much more effortless and fun instead of stressful and forceful

Struggling with visualisation? Here's why:

If you're the perfectionist type of person, you're probably overthinking it, trying to make it perfect, "this exactly greenish-blue curtain with white flowers pattern is spread 57% beside my window", visualising EVERY detail, like your subconscious will get it wrong if you don't or something. is someone holding a gun to your head 😭 like calm down, You're supposed to relax, let yourself, your mind freely play around with it! YOUR MIND KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Trust yourself.

When you let your mind be free, let it play around you might even get ideas and clarity! For example, like when I let my mind wander I got a better idea of how I want one of my DR bedroom to be, i didn't thought about curtains and plants but my mind suddenly showed my the image and it was SO PERFECT AJAJSH like yes bish that's exactly what I want! So I got this idea because I wasn't forcing anything, any picture. So your mind knows even better.

⟡☾How to make your visualization better☽⟡

So, you’re trying to visualize your dream life, but the image keeps going blurry like a bad WiFi connection? Don’t worry, bestie I got you. 😔💅🏻 Here’s how to level up your visualization game so your manifestations hit different.

• Details?

It's definitely better to visualise in details like for shifting, the colour of the walls, the feel of the sheets. and for manifesting, if you're manifesting df let's say, visualising looking in the mirror, your lips shape, etc. But you don't have to cuz there's no right or wrong way. You should do what works for you the best. Don't put pressure on yourself.

If someone has trouble seeing the image with details, it's okay to not worry about the details, you can use other senses, like how it feels, smells. That brings me to our next pointtt

• Engage all your senses (Because Your Brain is Dramatic Like That)

If you can’t see the image clearly, FEEL it, get THE FEELS. Hear it. Smell it. Taste it (only if applicable, pls🫢😭).

Don’t just see it—feel the emotions, hear the sounds, smell the scents, and touch the textures, that it feels SUPER real.

Example: If manifesting money, imagine holding crisp bills, hearing them rustle, and feeling the excitement. (I can smell it rn 😤💸 all this bread so yummy yeah)

• Can't hold the image?

use motion not just still images. (cuz I wanna see it in 3d, in motion), It used to happen to me too, i picture something and it start to fade or get blurry. But in that case i realised it's easier to hold it if it's a moving scene, like a scenario. Instead of holding a still image, visualise a small scene. Static images fade, but movement keeps them alive. Movement makes it real. ✨

• Embody the Feeling NOW

Don’t just think about it—feel like it’s already yours. (Spoiler alert: it is). 🥚🥚ample, If u r manifesting confidence, being a pretty little risky baddie, visualize yourself walking tall, speaking smoothly, and radiating certainty. 🤌🏻✨

• Repeat & Reinforce

Wonder why sats work so well? Visualization is most effective when done consistently. Try visualizing for a few minutes every morning or before bed when your mind is most receptive. so like my girl says it, DON'T STOP AND JUST REPLAY, REPLAY-AY - iykyk,iyk,lmk cuz Lee know >:)

I feel i ATE with this one. I hope this helps you pookie!!~ (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ lmk and remember ALL THE GIRLS ARE GIRLING GIRLING (the amount of kpop refrences in this post MUHAHAH) if you get all the references ily

[kitconnor]

WORKING WITH YOUTUBE QUALITY - HOW TO GET THE BEST RESULTS

helloooo, i recently feel as though i have found the key when it comes to dealing with youtube quality and i thought it was worthwhile sharing! i'm finding that when you're stuck with 1080p videos only, (although there is a lot more 4k downloads these days, thankfully) the quality is pretty poor. BUT, this is speaking exclusively about the quality of youtube 1080p - if you use a site such as sharemania, that's usually acceptable and good quality and doesn't deliver poor results.

but alas, this is about youtube, so let's get into it! this process will simply go over all the ins and outs of working with youtube quality, and will not look into the entire giffing process. i'll be using photoshop 2025, but it should work on any version!

Download your video.

firstly, start by downloading your video with 4k video downloader. (<- this will lead directly to a dl of 4k video downloader if you don't have it already! link is all safe and official <3) i can't really think of any other downloader because i haven't used any apart from this one. it's safe and secure and does a really good job.

you'll want to choose the 1080p option that is the BIGGER file amount. not every video will have that, but i believe that the bigger file size is the youtube premium 1080p. take what you can get with them 😭

2. Load frames, crop, convert to smart object...

just get your normal prep work done! make sure to leave out sharpening. you should essentially just be here:

(if my process looks a bit odd or if, on the other hand, you'd like to know my process, you can check that here.)

3. sharpening.

THIS is the point that changes how your youtube file comes out. often times, you'll find the gif comes out with chunks, squares and overall poor quality. kind of like if i used my regular sharpening:

chunky! gross! trashy! i'm seeing too many pixels and things aren't looking the right way that i'd like. (tbh, it's not the worst i've seen - but you can definitely notice when there's light.) if i went on as it is now and continued to colour it, it would continue to look bad.

so, here's what you'll do.

i use multiple sharpening actions, for different purposes: one for hq downloads, so any movies, tv or downloaded/4k music videos, one making icons and the other for lower quality media and photos. the one that i typically use for youtube quality is @/anyataylorjoy's sharpening action (which many gifmakers use, so i wouldn't be surprised if you do already have it!) which is what you'll use. apply the action, using the 'sharper' lot.

^ that's the settings.

4. sharpening pt 2. (noise)

now, you'll need to add noise to offset how harsh the rest of the gif still comes up.

apply these exact settings onto the gif and ensure that monochromatic is enabled.

sometimes, 2% noise might make it look worse, or not be enough. i personally wouldn't go to anything more than 3%, (i don't think you'll ever want to use 3%) and wouldn't go lower than 1%.

it's grainy looking at the moment, just as is. from here, i'll colour it, and then if i think it's no good, i'll go back and clear the noise filter and toggle it. that's just how the process works, don't stress if it doesn't always go your way 😭 that's just gifmaking!

here's the final product!

and here's another example too, i know this one has a lot going on colour wise, so it can be good to look at it working on something with less bright colours:

as compared to before! before shows the gif was really smooth, as compared to in chappell's, were the lighting was just kind of messing with everything. you're more likely to come across videos that are that weird smooth quality, so i'd say that 7 times out of 10 you'll be applying these settings to something more along the lines of doechii's!

the before :)

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

💧♤𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒆 𝑮𝒐♤💧

𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬 [𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠] 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐲

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞! 🩷

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐀𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐧 [𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭]

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐀𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐬. 𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭.

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭!

𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐳𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐯!

Nancy's trek home was a familiar one. She had remembered every little trail, path, she could tell you the order of each house and who lived there in her sleep. Town was far from her home, living on the outskirts in the more rural, less populated wooded side of Castle Rock. You could say it fit her family and their lifestyle.

But the silence of her walk back to the Sullivan residence was immediately disturbed by a sound that just screamed trouble, causing her to come to a halt and swiftly spin around to see the cruising car off in the distance, growing closer with its increasing speed, the haze of dust like pillars of smoke behind it while it blazed down the dirt road. It would almost be a comical sight with how many boys seems to be nearly pouring out of the top-less car, all shouting and hollering loud enough it almost tuned out the blaring music from the cars radio that grew louder as it neared.

"Oh great." She breathed out, not sure if she was more nervous or annoyed. She was feeling a little foolish that she spent so long just standing there and watching rather than swiftly turning back and all but running home, yet here she was. hoping that they wouldn't have taken notice of her yet.

"Hey, fellas, look who it is! Miss Crybaby herself!"

"Hey there, Nancy!"

"Where you off to, sweetheart?""

She already felt that dread the second she heard her name being shouted, the car screeching to a halt up close to her side as that group of Ace's known as the Cobras began calling out to her from the car, Ace himself in the driver's seat with that smirk on his face you'd wish you could just slap rather cigarette from his lips. One was even holding a baseball bat from their hunt for poor house's mailboxes, now dented in as some sort of summer day entertainment.

"You're not goin' far, I'm sure me and the boys wouldn't mind givin' you a ride." The Cobra she knew by the nickname Eyeball commented, leaning over the passenger side door so far you'd think any false move and he'd fall right out, but he had that Cheshire grin, nudging one of his pals at his side. "Ain't that right, boys?"

"Hop in Nancy, you know you want to." Billy snickered. "Me and the boys could use a little lady's company."

She continues to try and her best and ignore them, eyes trained in front of her on her path as her lips are sealed shut- forming into a tight frown, hugging her books firmly to her chest, her grip almost tightening with each catcall and holler toward her.

But it seems Ace isn't letting her get away that easy, simply hitting the gas peddle and speeding back up to her side, slowing down his speed at her side to match her steps. He leers at her, cerulean eyes looking her up and down as if he was sizing her up, befire looking back to the road ahead. "Just get in the car, Nancy." He says - no, demands, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his lips.

"I'm not in the mood for games today, Ace." She says, quiet and barely heard over the other voices from the Cobras. She stays firm on her word. Finally glancing toward them, her big brown eyes look them over for a second warily. "Or to be a source of entertainment." She adds with a small furrow in her brows.

"Hey now, trynna make me look bad in front of the boys?" He seems to tease, his smirk having a wave effect as the Cobras mimicked it with snickers. "Get in the car. We'll even take you to the soda store and get you something sweet so you ain't complainin' the whole drive to town."

"I'm not goin' anywhere with you." She immediately defends, turning to face the car full of boys, stomping her foot out of frustration. She's speaking to all of them, but it seems slightly aimed towards Ace more than anything. "I've got more important things today than for you to chase me around for some - some necking." She huffs, a pout falling on her bottom lip. "So if you'll excuse me. I'll be headed home now." She turns on her heel again, not daring to look at them anymore the longer they decide to stick around and annoy her.

The mood soured the minute she had verbally turned them down, Ace's eyes narrowed, and his smirk curled into a sneer as he immediately hit the brakes on the car. He leans over Eyeball and another Cobra slightly in the passenger seat, throwing his arm out to make them lean back enough he could see her on the other side of them, still standing outside of the car, walking.

"You're actin' like you have a say in the matter." He comments, which causes her to pause in her steps, turning back just enough to give him an almost offended expression. "Now you can either get in this car without another word out your trap, or I'll drag you in kickin' and cryin' the whole damn way." He raises a brow as if waiting for her to test him, slowly taking his cigarette from his lips and exhaling the gray haze of smoke in her direction. "Your choice."

Her pout quickly contorts into a look of disbelief and anger, that rosy shade her festering in her cheeks, unable to hide the embarrassment imminent on her pale features. She seems to hesitate for those intense few seconds, all eyes on her awaiting with bated breath. The only sound was the rustling grass in the summer breeze and the engine of Ace's car.

"Have a good day, Ace. Goodbye." She stammers out, keeping up the little confidence she had in her pocket as best she could, rearranging the books in her arms she almost forgot were slipping in her loosening hold, and continued her march home.

The Cobras took a second to look at one another with a collective thought - and Ace didn't like that. She's stubborn, and it pisses him off. The grip on his steering wheel seemed to tighten as he watched Nancy through squinted eyes. The tight frown on his lips seemed more like a snarl as he put his cigarette back into his mouth.

"Fine." He spits under his breath but speaks louder with his next statement. "Why waste all that time on a girl with her ditzy head under her old man's boot anyway, huh Nance?" His voice is laced with sarcasm as he taunts after her, only increasing his growing ego as Eyeball gives him a small encouraging nudge with a snicker.

The second her father is mentioned, Nancy immediately halts and turns around again, getting a rise from the teenage boys as that all knowing sense of trouble brewing fills the air with a tension thick enough you could cut right through it. Her brows knitted together in anger. She immediately begins to march over to the side of the car, pointing at him accusingly.

"You leave my daddy out of this Ace Merrill." She says, that stammer in her voice that was either going to end in tears or anger - perhaps both. She knew damn well her fathers dislike for Ace- the boy himself knew that just as much- so much so it seemed her very own father would rather find her dead in a ditch than spending her time with the Cobras. She didn't know if it was for the sake of his pride or her protection, but she wasn't going to have a word of insult thrown toward him in her presence.

"Come on, Nancy, you're dad's got you in a fuckin' coddle!" Ace almost looks ready to jump over Eyeball and Billy, shifting in his seat slightly and harshly ramming his car into park. "He makes you dress like a prissy toddler in Church and has you home by eight. It's pitiful to keep witnessing. What kind of father does that?"

"The kind of father who's doing his best to protect me from boys like you!" She blurts out, her voice much louder than she wanted - and much louder than something you'd ever hear from a shy girl her. She quickly shuts her mouth, almost slapping her hand directly over her lips as regret seems to wash over her.

Ace leans back into his seat, not saying a word while he cocks his head back. Now the silence was deafening, no one even made a move other than an awkward shift or cleaning of their throat. Ace felt challenged. And he hated that.

He hated it.

Nancy casts her gaze down to her shoes, almost ashamed. The words she nearly shouted still felt bitter on the tip of her tongue. The worst part was that she meant it. It was true. She plays with the little gold heart locket around her neck nervously, a habit she seemed to have picked up as a sort of comfort to combat the still festering of their argument lingering in the summer afternoon air.

She doesn't even have time to react to the sound of a car door slamming and marching footsteps before Ace grabs her harshly - ripping her hands away from the very thing he'd given her. She let's out a small gasp as he pulled her close to him, stumbling into his chest while swiftly turning her head away to try and keep herself away from the burning end of his cigarette, the smoke filling her lungs and making her eyes sting.

"Let me go, Ace." She demands, her voice trembling as she keeps her eyes trained away from him, her throat was becoming tight, and her vision went blurry, now unsure.if it was from the smoke of her overwhelming feelings beginning to bubble over.

"What's the matter, Nancy?" He remarks sarcastically, his grip on her wrist and arm firm as she continued to try and squirm her way out of his arms. "Losing your big girl voice already?"

She can almost feel him speaking with how close he was, the warmth from the end of his cigarette a little too close for comfort against her rosy cheek. "Just let me go." She says, and all that demand in her voice fails her, only ending in desperate please as her face scrunched up with a small sob.

"Oh knock it off with the croodile tears." He growls into her hair, keeping both her wrists held in one hand while he brings his other and grabs her curls, not hard enough he'd hurt her, but firm enough to turn her head so she was finally looking at him. "You like Bad Boys, don't you?" He asks her, his face a breath away from her own.

"Get off of me." She struggles against him for a second, trying to rip his hands from her, but his hold is so tight it hurts, speaking into her brown curls. She can feel tears threatening to fall as she finally looks up to him, almost pleading.

"It's why you got this pretty little thing around your neck anyway, ain't it? Got my heart with you wherever you go?" He spits like venom as he snatches the locket around her neck, tugging on it enough to make her fear it would snap with any further movement. "Want me to just take it back?"

The other Cobras have started to encourage the display, howling and whistling from the car as if it was a source of entertainment. Nancy's humilation and ever growing panic only made them cackle and leer like devils in disguise. "Careful, Ace," Eyeball calls out, leaning over the hood of the car. "I think she's about to start cryin'!"

"Ace, please, I don't want to do this right now." She argues, her lower lip quivering and breathing shakey, her lashes wet with tears as she fought so hard to keep them from falling. "I don't want to talk about it.."

Ace ignores her, brows furrowing as he lets go of her hands and grabs her face, squishing her cheeks enough her lips pursed. He hums as if examining her, pulling in close no matter her on going pushes and hits to his chest. "I think you're right, Eyeball." He says with mock concern, a fake pout forming on his lips. "Gonna cry, Nancy?" The pout quickly turns into something cruel. A grin pulling at his lips as he all but spits his cigarette out onto the dirt road, keeping her head turned right toward him as he chuckles.

"Would a kiss make it all better?"

He doesn't even wait for a reply as he starts to lean in, dipping his head to her all while she still struggles in his arms.

Just before Ace's lips could meet Nancy's- the roaring engine of a car pulls their attention- a familiar red Ford truck quickly pulling up to the opposite side of the road. One of the four bodies jumps out of the drivers, quickly marching over to where Ace and Nancy stood, standing just a bit of a distance away.

"You better get your hands off my sister before I knock your teeth in, Ace." Nancy's older brother, Bradley warned, eyes narrowed.

Ace immediately glares at Bradely, his hands dropping to Nancy's shoulders as he almost fights an eyeroll as if her brother was a nuisance in his way while the Cobras snickered. The three other Sullivan brothers had resided to sitting in the back bed of the truck, but each of them looked itching to step in whenever needed. Of looks could kill, Ace would have dropped dead four times by now.

"Come on, Bradley were just havin' a little fun, aren't we Nance?" Ace replies, his tone sickly sweet as he continues to sheild Nancy from Bradley. "She's a big girl, she can handle her own business."

The toothpick in the corner of Bradley's mouth nearly snaps as he sneers at Ace - the three other brothers sitting in the back of the truck looking on with anticipation.

"It becomes my business when I see Fuckers like you making her cry." He states, taking another step toward him, his eyes leaving Ace to Nancy, watching the way she seemed to hide herself against Ace- as if she was ashamed to be seen like that in front of her brothers, a small sob leaving her.

Ace almost laughs as he cranes his head to the side to look at Bradley, eyeing him up at down for a secondnwith a scoff. "Can't believe you got yourself a sweetheart when you don't know a girl's playin' hard to get, huh Nancy?"

She doesn't answer Ace, her eyes still casted down to the ground, tears straining her rosy cheeks. Her hands were on his chest, gripping his shirt slightly as if it was some silent plead to let her go- but something about it also felt like she was warning him not to take this too far and to start something. She didn't want either sides to get hurt or in trouble.

Pitiful. She looked pitiful. And it made something in Ace hurt, something.ache in his heart that made his hold on her shoulders falter enough it made Nancy looked back up at him rather confused, aiming those desperate glassy eyes right up at him. His jaw tenses a bit, and he visibly swallows, something in his eyes akin to sympathy, but she can't reat it for long before he rolls them as if annoyed.

"Shit." He mutters under his breath, his hands dropping to his sides as he looks to the side, turning away from her for a second.

The second Ace let's her go Nancy rushes to Bradley, running into his arms as he hugs her to his side with one arm, his face softening as she hides her face into his chest and cries. "Damn it, Nancy..." He mumbles, sounding almost disappointed as he shoves her toward their brothers, watching her stumble toward the truck. "Told you to hurry home in the first place."

He then looks back up to Ace and the Cobras, a fierce fire of nothing but pure hatred in his vibrant blue eyes, pointing at him with a glare. "This is your final warning, Merrill. The next time I see you with her, I'm leaving you on the side of the street for roadkill." He threatened.

Ace scowls, arms folded over his chest. He could have said something, he could- and probably would do everything in his power to get Bradley do mad he could commit murder right there, but he didn't. For once, Ace kept his mouth shut. He couldn't stop thinking about that look his girl gave him. Like she hated him. She was scared of him.

His lip just curls back a bit as he eyes up Bradley one final time, fists cleching and unclenching, then stalks over to his car without much of a word, not even saying a thing even as the Cobras whisper and pester him l what his deal was. He just swats them away and shoots a 'shut the fuck up' scowl and gets into his car, slamming the door hard enough it made them wince at the sound.

"You ain't little kids no more." Bradley calls out again, stopping and turning to look at Ace before he opens the door to his truck. "You can't just pull her hair, say sorry, and expect her to come running into your arms like a lovesick puppy. She isn't seven - and neither are you." And with that, he climbs in, tossing his work jacket over Nancy who sat in the passengers seat, making a move to touch her shoulder but she merely curls into herself, keeping her focus outside the truck window.

Ace watches her the whole way, he couldn't find himself unable to look away, that weird faint aching in his chest lingered as he seemed to grip and knead his fingers into his steering wheel without making any other move. The Cobras nit daring to have a say in it either as they watched the red truck slowly drive off farther and father away in the opposite direction of them, slowly disappearing into the distance and kicked up dirt.

He almost seems to be thinking, his eyes trained forward and his lips twitch and shift while he bites at the inside of his cheek, jaw so tight you could see a vein strain in his neck.

"Ay, man," Eyeball nudges Ace's shoulder with his own. "Her brothers just a buzzkill, you of all people should know that -"

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Ace says, his voice sounding so monotone you could barely register it as a question. "She's never given me..." He stops after a second as he glances toward the guys, watching them look away in an awkward sense. He just sighs.

"Let's get out if this fucking place." He mutters under his breath before anyone could have the balls to speak up. The engine of hid car roaring to life before he starts driving down the opposite way where the red truck disappeared in the distance.

[bunnyb34r]

Who would have thought that eating cherrios 2x daily when I'm allergic to oats, and several pastries when I'm allergic to wheat, would come back to bite me in the ass? Surely not I! 🙃

[theflyingfeeling]

yes it's just me whining about the same thing for the billionth time, pls just scroll past nothing new to see here 👋

[walrus150915]

My whole experience with Nimona as a movie was like:

[moe-broey]

VIVID fucking idea I had last night....

Background info, I think Moe has some really distinct tendencies that Alfonse ends up being able to immediately identify it by (and finds a lot of comfort in doing so). One of which, is it doing a quiet, hesitant, but steady knock. Persistent, but with long pauses in between.

ENTER..... the Vision........ just. This entire sequence. "You'll never hear from me again". Into, the quiet knock only a few hours later. Into bursting in with the MOST enthusiastic, "HOLY FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Moe really is Some Type of Guy LMFAOO

Fave panels.......

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

An adorable student who I worked with last year told me today that she has roses in her backyard and, after I told her how much I love roses (they're my favorite flower!), that she'd pick one and bring it to me. 😭 And had I not been literally in the middle of doing the job that is expected of me that I get paid for, I might've cried.

[foreverxdaydreaming]

if you know any of these, i respect you and your taste dearly... but also, how hard is that nostalgia hitting you rn? pretty bittersweet, eh?

[magistralucis]

@love-and-pigeons!

Hen and Chicks by Yamaguchi Okatomo, mid- to late 18th century

Masterpieces of Japan on Twitter: Source

[gilverrwrites]

I love imaging Dick, Tim, and Damian sneaking around trying to meet Jasons new gf because they just wanna be involved in his life and they know if they they leave it to Jay they wont meet her u til they're married with kids 😭

AND ‘omg us meeting Jason’s siblings when’

AN: Ngl I love this idea too, its so shitty of them but they have the best of intentions.

Damian

A boy no older than 14 with eyes that pierce the soul was not what you'd expected to find on Jason's couch the very first time he'd left you alone there. Jason had to dip out unexpectedly early, and had promised you run of the place until he got back so you'd slept in as long as you could and were on your way to make breakfast when you're greeted by the hell-child.

Once your initial fright wears off you realise you recognize him from a photo Jay had showed you which makes you feel slightly more at ease.

“Good morning? Damian right?” You offer as you pass him, be-lining for the coffee machine, you're gonna need caffeine if you're meeting any member of Jay's family for the first time. “Can I get you anything?”

“Alfred says it's unbecoming to sleep past 9.” Besides the initial glare he'd graced you with as you emerged from the bedroom, he doesn't even look up at you, his eyes glued to the pages of a book. Like brother like brother, you guess.

“Oh, well. Good thing Alfreds not here then.” You add a small laugh, trying to inject some humour to the situation. Damian does not respond in kind. “Is that a no? I think there's some chocolate cereal around here somewhere.”

“What do you do for work that allows you to be in my brother's home in the middle of the day?”

Jeez this kid is no-nonsense. “Or I could make pancakes, I make really good pancakes.”

“And tell me what exactly are your intentions with my baby brother?” Baby?

“I think there's some chocolate chips around here somewhere. Jason says you like chocolate. Chocolate pancakes?”

“Do you always avoid questions?”

“Are you always so intense?”

He slams the book closed and you nearly jump on the spot. He finally looks at you, really looks at you and as you stare back his features begin to soften slightly.

“I’ll have a coffee.”

You're certain from the sly look on his face that he's probably not allowed coffee. He certainly doesn't need any. But screw it, he's not your kid and if it gets him to like a little, you'll take the risk.

So you pour two coffees and join him on the couch. His questions do not cease until Jason returns about an hour later. He couldn't care less about the coffee, but he does care about Damian breaking in to interrogate his partner and immediately kicks Damian out.

Dick

Dick finds out about your existence from one of Damian’s letters, and he's subtle but pushy about meeting you. Not that you're aware. He keeps ‘dropping by’ Jason's apartment ‘just to see his lil brother’, no other reason but is told to get lost or downright ignored anytime you're there, until he decides to cut out the middle man and turn up at your home instead.

“Let me tell you, you are a hard person to get a hold of.” He informs as he invites himself through your front door.

“Um, hello Dick?” As you stare at his lush hair and sculpted abs you wonder what Alfred feeds these boys.

“Yep! I can't stay so I’ve gotta make this quick.” he gestures for you to come closer, speaking in a playful, conspiratorial whisper. “Jay doesn't know I'm here.”

That would be why he can't stay, Jason is due at your door any minute now.

“But you two seem to be getting pretty serious and I think it's important that we all get to know each other. You following?”

You nod, and he gives you the perkiest, most genuine smile. That or he has that exact look practised to a T. From what Jay tells you, either is possible.

“So, Barbara and I, that's my wife” You nod once more, you're aware of Barbara also. “have booked a table at Casa Gotica for Thursday night. We need you to get Jason there without letting on that it's a double date.”

“I don’t know.” you finally give your nodding head a break. “Jay and I don’t lie to each other.”

“Right. I can't begrudge that. Very glad to hear he's picked an honest one.” He takes a moment to straighten his thoughts, but his moment is cut short but the echo of Jason’s combat boots approaching your door. Dick’s eyes rapidly scan the room for a secondary exit before he settles on an open window. “Don't think of it as lying, think of it as omitting the truth. Whatever you have to do just be there for 6.30. Oh, and it's great to meet you!”

“You too.”

“Thursday, 6.30!”

Before you can agree he’s gone, presumably scaling the side of your building as Jay steps inside.

Tim

Tim was actually the first to be aware of you and your relationship with his brother, however, the very real possibility of being gutted by Jason for snooping in his personal life was too high for him to make a move.

But you seeking him out is a different story; or rather, you being the first to say hi when you bump into each other in line at the grocery store is different. It would be rude not to respond to your attempts at initiating a conversation.

“Hello, hi, are you Tim? You don't know me but I’m Jasons partner. Its so great to meet you.”

“I know who you are.” He states rather ominously, eyes darting around behind you. “Is he here?”

“No, but he's picking me up after.” His shoulders visibly ease.

“Cool cool cool.” He’s suddenly much more personable. “So, I hear you're into…”

That chatting doesn't dry or lul at all as the queue dwindles and both buy your groceries. He waits with you until you get confirmation from Jay that he's on his way. He's easily the chillest sibling you've met thus far.

When Jason arrives he gets out of the car to open the boot and passenger door for you as always, but not before he thrusts his phone in your face. “Where is he?”

Displayed on the screen is a selfie of Tim with you in the background, you absolutely do not remember it being taken.

[midnite-c6]

Omg so I just LOVED the fics that you wrote about thanos and namgyu soo I wanted to ask can you like write more fics about them in like threesome degrading tf out of us so much that we cannot even think of anything or maybe like a second part for timid!reader THAT ONE WAS AMAZING!!!! keep up w your work btw its really good 😭🙏🏻

help thank you😭😭 honestly i love writing abt them i jus.. meow...

thanos & nam-gyu imagine pt. 4!! 🤤

warnings: 18+ DARK content, drugging, dubcon (read at ur own riskk!!)

they both believe you can't fight for yourself since you're so quiet, so they do their best to keep you safe!! they're so kind despite their nature!! you think to urself..., and despite the way they used your body after the six legged race, you still stick with them since they helped you in mingle too!! honestly, thanos and nam-gyu would've thought you'd be getting away from them after that incident, so by you staying, they've confirmed they've got you right in their trap!!

thanos looks up from his food, his eyes lighting up when he sees you "señorita?" he tilts his head, "i don't have any other group to eat with.." you say, looking down at your feet, "nooo! i know what it is!" he nudges nam-gyu's shoulder, "you're here for more aren't you?" he says with that smirk again, dramatically gasping. "what..no.." you weren't like that, you swear! nam-gyu laughed "shit, she's just using our bodies, man!" you quickly shake your head "no!" nam-gyu tilts his head "when did you learn to say no?" thanos stands up, getting closer to you, "listen here, beautiful, we'll do whatever you want, sure.. you're the one in-charge." he smiled 'innocently', leaning in to whisper in your ear "c'mere after lights out, kay?"

nsfw below.. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)/

"you really are a fucking whore." thanos quietly whispers into your ear as he slams in and out of you, your back pressed against his chest, your moans being muffled by his hand, it was a good thing thanos' bed was closer to the ground and that the players above him were already dead, but you know the other players could still hear the faint squeaking of his mattress. "of course you'd listen like a slut, coming here, infact, you were excited for this. hmm?" why DID you go there anyway? ..maybe it did feel good? but poor you! his thrusts weren't giving you any mercy at all.

"i bet.. you don't have any shame at all. you're quietness is just an act.." nam-gyu whispered aswell, with his body infront of you, his hands exploring every inch of your skin, painfully pinching your nipples and biting your neck as you rub your hand in and out of his cock. "you're practically begging for it." "n-n.." you couldn't speak back because of that purple-haired addict's hand!

"wait.. fuuuck, you're sucking me in like crazy, you're gonna cut my dick off, god." thanos whined, putting in two fingers inside your mouth, the taste of his fingers all over your tongue.

"y'knoww.. so fucking funny how she's volunteered to be our personal ..stress toy." nam-gyu's hand find it's way to thanos' necklace filled with ecstacy, he grabs a pill, his attention back on you "we truly thank you for that.. are you proud of your services, freak?" he says mockingly just to spite you, his other hand grabs thanos' hand muffling your mouth. "let go, dude." "she's gonna scream," "nah, nah, she won't. she doesn't wanna die does she?" you whined, shaking your head. "good, slut." nam-gyu smiled, taking the pill he had in his hand and putting it in his mouth. thanos' takes off his hand, his middle and ring finger covered in your saliva as he now places it on your clit, rubbing sloppily. and before you could make any noise, nam-gyu slams his mouth against yours, making you swallow the pill of ecstacy. his tongue tasting your mouth, swallowing each moan escaping your lips. nam-gyu pulls away from your mouth, forcing it to open just to spit inside.

with all the pleasure they were giving despite the mean words, you camee:( your legs were shaking like crazy! "hey! no fair, bitch! i didn't get to cum yet." thanos was frustrated, yet you whimpered in response, you didn't mean to cum!!. "but.. just means we'll be here for muuuuch longer, baby. ya' can't complain, you know you're a whore who can't live without us." thanos didn't lie, your cunt was throbbing and overstimulated by both of their cocks in and out of you. he also didn't lie about how you wouldn't be alive without them, it's true, they saved you anyway, guess you gotta thank them for keeping you safe. ♡

this is pretty long, im srry guyss!! only putting in what my mind is thinking of atm AHHAAH 3somes are so hard to write 😭😭😿🙏🏻

[cheeseceli]

Skz meeting a pretty fan

Pairing: Ot8!skz × Gn!reader (individually)

Genre: fluff, just a tiny little bit of angst, headcanons

Description: their reaction to meeting a pretty fan during a fan meeting

Warnings: kind of love at first sight trope, delusional, some of them are dramatic, they are all idols, not proofread

A/n: the way it's been over a year that this has been in my drafts | daily click

Bang Chan

He was kinda of tired already so he was zoning out

When he sees you he is like "...oh"

He is so invested in your conversation

If you comment about the production behind the music he will be so happy

Genuinely loves when someone acknowledges his work so his eyes will shine and he will smile so hard while explaining everything to you

He is upset when you need to move on to the next member

Sees you laughing with the other members and he's like 🤨

Wonders what they did that managed to make you laugh that much

Lee Know

He would stare at you

You know when his mouth is open and you can see his eyes shining?

Yeah, that's him right now

You say hello and he would give you his nervous laugh before looking at you again with those stary eyes

I swear he is such a softie

Would listen to every single word that you say, you can tell he is paying so much attention

Autographs something for you and makes a funny drawing as well hoping you'd laugh

Side eyes the staff when they say the time is up

Even when you move to the next member and other fan is talking to him, he would still look at your direction sometimes and get so flustered if you catch him looking at you

Changbin

Starts small talk right away

Will 100% compliment you

You ask him an autograph and he wonders how bad would it be if he gave you his number instead

Like he knows he cannot do that

But maybe if he was sneaky enough...

Doesn't do it by the end but he low-key regrets it for the rest of his life

He will wake up one day after five years and be like "damn I should've given them my number"

And he will make that everyone's problem

The boys can't stand it anymore because they've heard enough about you by now 😭

Convinces himself that he will see you again one day

Hyunjin

He sees you before you see him, so he is panicking

Is looking at the line all the time wondering if you will want to talk to him

Asks han if his hair looks good before it's your turn to talk to him

No but fr, he can't take his eyes off you

When you start talking he is like 😯

You look and sound like an angel, he must be in heaven

Even after the fan meeting he can't stop thinking about you

If he's feeling bold enough, he will definitely flirt with you

Low-key forgot he was an idol and was ready to risk it all for you

Han

Might believe in love at first sight after your meeting

Compliment him once and he will get so shy

Like sir, weren't you the one flirting like two seconds ago🤨

Would feel so betrayed if he isn't your bias LMAO

He has like a minute and a half to convince you he's the best stray kids member and he WILL try that

And he hopes that someone will record his flirty antics and post it on tiktok just so he can find your socials

He will make all the boys stalk the internet to try to find you

"but you can't contact them even if you find their account, so what's the point?" idk bro but he wants to see you again somehow

Felix

SUCH A FLIRT

The moment he looks at you he is already trying to win your heart

Kinda forgot he was an idol pt.2

Except he didn't forget

He just doesn't care

He wants to flirt with you and that's precisely what he will do

Will even flirt through his autograph if he can

Uses any kind of excuse to make physical contact with you ✨

And side eyes the staff when they tell him it's time to move on

Like no it's not??

Seungmin

Actually pretty good at hiding his new crush??

The most normal one out here surprisingly lol

He will be able to cover it up as just "good mood" but let's be for real

It's because of you

Anyways

Will smile so much

If you compliment his smile (please do!) he will get shy but so so happy

Also steals glances when you go to the next member

He'll be talking to the next fan but ends up laughing because of something he heard you say to another one of the boys

The fan is like ?? but Seungmin is able to play it off

I.N

So dedicated to give you a good impression

If you tell him your favourite skz song is one of his solos (or that your favourite has that title because of his vocals) this man is in heaven

Forgot he was an idol pt.3 except he didn't forget

He just lowkey very lowkey didn't want to be an idol in that exact moment

Had it been on any normal occasion he would probably try to charm you over

But this was his job

He couldn't possibly get delulu over a fan 😭 although he was already midway to that

Ends up covering a song you said you thought would fit his voice

Sees the comments of the cover wondering each one of those were yours

Masterlist | you'll probably like: unrequited love

Reminder that this is all fiction, this does not represent the members in real life!

Taglist (open!): @yuyubeans @dandelions-143 @sleepyleeji @jinnie-ret @sheraayasherrecs

Dividers by @thecutestgrotto | Images 1, 2 and 3

[beloveds-embrace]

I dunno if I've harassed you yet buuuut,

I just read the newest take on the text and they'll be there guard dogish 141, and just. What if an anxious little bird just walks up to one it the group and just squeezes into the crowd and just.

"ignore me I'm about to lose my shit" or just stands there and gives a small hi cause they're overstimmed or need a break or someone's been creepy and they see that people keep a wide berth from said person or group.

Hi I'm excited I hope anything here made a bit of sense. Also possible reverse 'guard dog' distribution system, the small bird doesn't find a dog. The dog finds a bird.

You aren’t harassing me at all! Please don’t ever feel like that 😭💕 i love, love both scenarios, so I’ll do the second one later as well. Thank you for this wonderful ask!

The dim hum of the pub was comforting- warm light glowing against worn wood, the steady murmur of conversations buzzing around you. It had been your usual spot for a quiet drink after a hard week, but tonight was different, and not in a good way.

Someone had been watching you, and not in the harmless, fleeting way most people did. His gaze lingered too long, his smirk too wide, his attempts to approach you far too persistent even when you refused the drink he’d sent towards you. When you’d brushed him off the third time like that, you could see clearly on his face that he didn’t like that.

Men like him were common, but that just made them all the more dangerous.

The weight of his presence was suffocating, so you’d bolted toward the one corner of the room where you felt the most secure. Them.

You’d seen them here before- an unassuming group at first glance, but the way they carried themselves screamed “don’t mess with us.” Four men with their thighs each bigger than your head at the very least, and tonight, they were your only hope.

Standing up and doing your best to ignore the angry gaze practically boring into you, you approached their table cautiously, feeling several pairs of sharp eyes land on you. Mutton chops tilted his head, pretty boy stood from his seat slightly, brow furrowed. Mohawk’s wide grin faltered, replaced with curiosity, while the last one’s gaze, though obscured by his balaclava, was cold and assessing.

You should probably ask for their names. If they let you sit you with them, that is.

“Uh- so sorry to bother,” you started, voice shaking slightly. “But…there’s this guy…” You didn’t need to finish. Balaclava’s attention shifted subtly, big shoulders tightening as his eyes flicked past you. Mohawk’s grin returned, but this time, even in the dim light, you could tell it was dangerous.

“Where?” Mutton chop asked, his voice steady but just as sharp as his eyes

You subtly nodded toward the man at the bar, who was now visibly trying to act like he wasn’t watching your every move. The second he noticed who you were speaking to, his face drained of color. He turned away, gripping his drink like it might shield him.

Pretty boy snorted. “Well, ain’t that something? Big man suddenly doesn’t have the guts, eh?”

“Stay here.” Balaclava said firmly, standing up with the kind of slow, deliberate movement that made your stomach flip. The other three followed suit, each moving with the kind of quiet unity that could only come from working together for years. Maybe they were a team? You knew there was a military base somewhere nearby, could they be from there?

Still, you obeyed and stayed behind, heart thundering in your chest as they approached the man- not from fear, but from excitement. Ghost leaned in, his imposing frame towering over the guy. Whatever was said was too low for you to hear, but the way your harasser paled, hands shaking as he grabbed his coat and bolted from the pub, told you enough.

When they returned and introduced themselves, Soap clapped you lightly on the back with a bold grin. “Dinnae think he’ll be botherin’ you again, lass.”

Price pulled a chair out for you, right with their table. “Sit. You’re safe here. Anyone who’s got a problem with you’s got a problem with us now.”

You sank into the chair, warmth spreading through your chest. You didn’t know them, not really, but in that moment, you felt like you’d just gained four overprotective, no-nonsense bodyguards. Is this what celebrities felt like? It was amazing.

“Thank you, really,” you repeated, giving them such a grateful, blinding smile. “Again, I’m so sorry for bothering you like that. It was just-“

Gaz shook his head, not letting you finish. “No need to, love. We don’t mind at all. Just enjoy your night now, yeah? No more of pricks like him bothering you.”

And judging by the way Soap was already offering to buy you a drink and Ghost’s subtle but watchful eye, you were honestly more than okay with that.