#a small part of me actually wants to write this but like

[bunnys-kisses]

head principal!max verstappen was supposed to retire over five years ago. but that never happened. he often joked that the allure of racing pulled him back in. it was only on his second year of being head principal that he met you. painfully beautiful in the gear for the promising verstappen team. his logo over your heart as you followed him like a lost puppy around the paddock. max didn't want to think about the age gap, or the power dynamic or how you were able to bound the stairs so easily while he had a dull throb in his leg from decades of wear and tear.

when he was racing, he thought he had his whole life planned out. but, life never planned out that way. his fellow drivers all got married, moved on and even had families. while max was still finding his comforts on the track. it was why you were such a surprise. max took a gamble on you and it paid off. powerful on the track and a darling in front of the press. you were trained to a t for formula one. smiles and trophies, a beaut for them. max remembered when he saw you for the first time in the fireproof underlayer of your uniform. the 'm' and the 'v' of his logo partially warped due to the size of your breasts. his gaze lingered and made you stand up a little straighter. you swallowed and meekly asked, "does this look alright, mister verstappen?" and max simply replied, "you wear it with pride." as he reached out, testing the waters to rub your shoulder, "continue to wear it with pride." and you, with a big smile nodded happily. he knew you fought like hell to get to where you were, a girl from a small town in the middle of nowhere. no one wanted to sign you, except for max.

it was only about time you two collided into each other. and that started over your car. the pretty black of the vehicle looked lovely against your form as he bent you over it. his hands on the zip of your jeans before he pulled them down to your ankles. he admired your behind before he gave it a slap. you whimpered. when he eventually got the two of you naked enough and sank into your cock. it was like everything clicked together. this what was what he was missing. he held onto you tightly, like you were going slip away from his grasp. he groaned against your skin with his nose in your hair soon after. his cock nudged against some of the softest parts of you. he wouldn't find out till later that you were actually a virgin which only excited max more. oh, you were a virgin? no other man was able to get their hands on you just like no other team in f1 could. you were max's in any way he could get you. he had sex many times, there was no dry spell in his life for pussy. but when he pulled the first orgasm out of you, you having to cover your mouth and squeeze your eyes shut, he knew he was far gone. anything you wanted, he'd give you. except something licked at his brain, wearing verstappen branded gear was hot on you. but wearing his last name like a title only made you more stunning to him. wouldn't be the first time someone his age got with someone who was questionably younger. even though you were an adult, it would still raise a few eyebrows. your voice was strained when you called out for him, "mister verstappen! mister verstappen!" he came back to reality and heard your sweet voice say, "can you slow down, you're going to bruise me." and max almost came right at that moment. instead he slowed down, letting you enjoy this intimate feeling.

when he eventually finished inside of you, your sweaty half-clothed body over the hood of your precious car. he helped you back into your clothes and when you got back up right, you clung to him like a gentle kitten. you even pouted when you said, "you didn't even kiss me, mister verstappen." and he simply chuckled and took you by the chin before he kissed you. he then said, "if you win this weekend there will be more where that came from." max waited for the write up, or the press headline or something the following week. but nothing came, instead max received pictures of you whenever you were apart. speculation did swirl when a photo of you seated on max's thigh while he explained how your free practice went, his hand around your waist. those same hands would be on both hips as he buried his cock into you. your sweet moans echoed in his mind as he took you apart on the bed. you were in the netherlands and he wanted to 'wish you luck' which meant letting the fat tip of his cock nudge against your sweet cervix. after most races you'd whine about body pain in your lower half from how you couldn't sit comfortable due to the damage that max had did. "shouldn't you be going slower, old man!" you whined as he continued to fuck you. you tried to hit his strong back, but years of formula one followed by other trainings post "retirement" left him easy to overpower you. pin you down and take you by the waist. let his cock drool pre cum into your sweet sex. even if you hit and scratched up his back when it all became too much. it felt almost romantic, max's lips against your neck as he thrusted into you. when he wasn't fucking you quickly, he was taking so hard thrusts that made you drool all over the bed. you complained about him being too fast, but now you were going to feel every inch inside of your sore pussy.

you were so eager to please. you wanted to do the team right. max would make sure that you were taken care of. contracts, cars, all of it. you just sign the dotted line and keep looking as beautiful as you were. don't worry that the team branded t-shirts were always a little too tight on you and don't mind that it was max's last name on your track pass. "it was just a printing error." "they think i'm married to you though." "is that a bad thing to think?" "no, sir."

slowly seeding ideas into your head. could you imagine the contract you'd have if you got closer to max verstappen. he'd often hold you in his arms after sex and remark that it had been too long since there was a verstappen on the track. while he enjoyed the position he was in now, he longed for his last name on the podium. you simply cuddled closer to him and let him drag his hand across your thigh, "maybe one day, sir." you smiled, "maybe you'll get lucky and have a child!" while that idea was sweet, he didn't want to cut your career short. not that short at least. for now he'd have to simply put into your mind that while your last name was lovely. his last name would look a lot nicer. as he kissed down your neck, it was a promise. you'd be his super star on the track and his loving wife off of it. <3

a/n: reader is an adult, just with an age gap to raise and eyebrow at.

[wwwaegoncom]

empty office

At a dull work event, you and Aegon sneak away to a quiet office.

modern!aegon x fem!reader

warnings: 18+, smut, p in v, fingering, drinking/alcohol, semi-public, mean aegon? (ever so slighty mean) few descriptions to what reader is wearing (skirt and heels)

authors note:

i love modern!aegon so much. Basically just sex no plot <3 this was actually originally a rafe cameron smut i wrote last year, but now i rewrote it to be an Aegon smut <333 i feel so cringe anytime i write smut... BUT MHMM HOPE U LIKE IT

"Aegon, we shouldn't be doing this" you giggled as you let Aegon drag you into an empty office.

You and Aegon had quietly slipped away from the work event, with a bottle of wine in his hand. Your father was Viserys' business partner for more than 20 years, which led you and Aegon to meet every now and then. The event had been a dinner, the kind where people stayed afterwards to network and exchange forced pleasantries. You and Aegon had been forced to attend. Neither of you stayed for the tiring small talk - you stayed to have an excuse to get drunk.

The event was as you had expected, boring speeches, boring people, talking business like it was the only thing that mattered. You had considered going home, but that was until you heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, as Aegon pulled up a chair next to you. He knew the people around you were too caught up in their conversations to even notice the two of you, or too drunk to care. He was too drunk to care. He snuck an arm around you, almost as if he had done it a million times before, whispering in your ear, suggesting the two of you should sneak out of there.

And that was all it took, and know you were in an empty office with him. You could have taken a cab to his or your apartment, but neither of you wanted to wait.

You didn't know whose office you were in, and frankly, you didn't care. "Calm down, nobody will even notice we're gone" Aegon reassured you, locking the door behind him.

"If we get caught I'm saying you seduced me"

You teased, the soft clicks of your heels filling the silence as you moved over to the desk. You hoisted yourself up the desk, crossing your legs as you watched how Aegon's eye followed your every movement. A frown almost formed on his lips when you crossed your legs.

You had met each other before. Polite smiles at other work events, the occasional small talk but it was never anything more than that. Even the summer the both of you interned together, you never got to really know him aside from the formalities.

Aegon had tried his best to stay away from you, but the sweet smiles and giggles he heard escape your lips, made him crave you even more. His father had told him, warned him, to stay away from you. He knew why he said it, you were the daughter of his business partner, and you were strictly off limits. So all he got was polite handshakes and a glance.

But when he saw you sitting all by yourself, downing what was probably your 4th glass of wine, he couldn't help but make a move.

Aegon let out a chuckle at your comment, as he opened the bottle of wine, taking a big sip before putting it down on the table.

His hands slid up your thighs, as he parted your legs with ease. "Seduced you? I think it's the other way around" Aegon commented, his voice deep and teasing. He stepped closer, situating himself between your now parted legs, one hand boldly resting on your inner thigh. The smirk that fell on his lips was pure arrogance, knowing you wouldn't push him away.

You leaned your face closer to him, just enough to make his pulse skip, he could smell your perfume and the wine that lingered on your breath. But you pulled away just as quickly, holding in a giggle as you looked up at him. Aegon's head tilted to the side, his eyebrows knitting together as you leaned away from him.

His hand started to move up under your skirt, stopping right at the hem, "pretty skirt" he commented. Aegon then leaned forward, his other hand pushing the hair on your shoulder back, exposing your neck to him.

He started to kiss down your neck. The alcohol in your system made you want him all the more. You could almost feel Aegon grinning against your neck, as he let out a chuckle. "You like that?" He teased, his voice low and almost a whisper. You nodded, your breath was starting to become heavy as you wrapped your arms around Aegon, pulling him closer. Your hands made their way down his sides, slowly caressing his shirt before they found their way to his belt, which you shakily tried to unbuckle. But before you could, Aegon slapped your hand away. "Aegon" you whined his name, leaning back to look into his eyes with a pout, but he didn't let you. He held your wrists together with his hands as you tried to get your hands free.

"Gods, you're impatient" he teased, releasing your wrists, as he gently rubbed them before his hands found their way beneath your skirt.

He was lightly tugging at your nylon tights, but he didn't tear them, just yet. "That won't do" he muttered, more to himself than to you as he looked down on the tights that covered your thighs. You had expected him to pull them down, but you should have known better. Before you even had the chance to react, he impatiently ripped them apart.

Just as you were about to complain, irritated that he just ripped your tights, his hands found their way between your thighs again, as he hiked up your skirt and pushed your underwear to the side. His fingers slid through your wetness, as he found your clit. Light moans started to fall from your lips, desperate for more. Your hands found their way to his hair, raking your nails through it, not even caring about your tights anymore. You closed your eyes, biting your lip to try and suppress them.

Aegons hand found its way to your face, lightly tapping on your cheek, a playful but commanding touch. "No, no" he murmured, his fingers continuing to circle your clit. "Open your eyes" His words were low, his voice smug and direct. You opened your eyes, your lips slightly parted from the moans and your breath was unsteady.

"Such a good girl." Aegon praised, almost in a mocking tone and his fingers started to move faster, and it was getting hard to keep quiet. He knew that. Lucky for you the event was taking place down the hall, but you still didn't want people who might be walking past the office to hear the lewd sounds you were making.

You tried your best to suppress your moans. Aegon tried his best to make them louder.

He was irritated that you would suppress your moans, so he removed his fingers from your clit as his fingers found their way inside you instead. You felt the moans escaping your lips when his fingers entered you, pumping in and out, your fingers desperately holding onto his hair.

You were trying so hard to be quiet, that you buried your head in his shoulder to try and muffle your moans. You felt him curl his fingers in you, and even though you couldn't see him, you knew he was that conceited smile across his lips, pleased he was making you feel so good.

"I don't have a condom with me" Aegon groaned, his face right next to your neck, you could the warmth of his breath against you, his fingers still pumping in and out of you. You leaned your head back, your eyebrows knitting together, trying to steady your voice "I'm on the pill" you murmured, looking into Aegons eyes. "Yeah?" he started to curl his fingers inside of you, hitting just the right spot.

But then he retracted his fingers from you, earning a whine from you. He carelessly wiped his fingers on the inside of his shirt, before taking a step back, the space between your legs now empty. You almost worried you had done something wrong, but Aegon spoke before you could even begin to ask him. "Turn around." He ordered. His tone was stern and his gaze lustful. But you happily obliged, jumping down from the desk, your knees a bit weak, as you turned around, placing your hands on the desk, kicking off the heels you had been wearing for better stability. And you quickly pulled down your panties, letting them fall to your ankles.

You could hear Aegon undoing his belt, and you turned your face to see him out of the corner of your eyes, he was impatiently trying to get his belt off as fast as possible.

"Impatient much?" you teased Aegon, it was almost reflexively to do so, even at this moment. "Shut the fuck up" he groaned, even though his words were harsh, his tone stayed teasing. He finally undid his belt, releasing his already hard cock from his boxers as you felt it against your ass.

You felt Aegon against your folds, and you couldn't stop a moan from escaping your lips when you felt his tip poking against your entrance. His hand wandered from your hip to your waist finally stopping when it reached your face, cupping your face as he turned your cheek so you would look at him, the best you could. You arched your back further into him, your body begging him to just take you.

Aegon's lips curled into a smirk, as he watched you badly you wanted him inside you, "impatient much?" he taunted, using your own words against you. His hand softly glided back down, landing on your lower back, making small tender circles with his thumb. He then fully entered you with no warning, harshly, and your body instinctively jolted forward, but Aegons hands quickly went to your hips to keep you in place.

Your fingers started to curl as they held onto the wooden desk, "you're taking me so well" Aegon breathed, and you could hear how his voice had started to become unsteady.

You felt Aegon lean in closer, his breath ghosting over the side of your neck. His face nestled into the crook of your neck, as he muttered something incoherent. His thrusts became less intense. He wrapped one of his arms around your waist, trying to bury himself deeper inside you, hitting the sweet spot in you. It was almost sweet how close he was to you, but what really caught your attention, was the sounds he was making. A low, almost needy whine as he continued to fuck into you. "you feel so good" Aegon murmured behind you, you could hear how his voice had started to become unsteady. Your moans had started to slow down, and you instinctively moaned his name.

He then pulled back, and his hands went back to your hip. He started to harshly pick up the pace, you almost felt as if he was treating you like a doll. His movements were so brutal, completely different from how tender he had just been. You felt your knees start to get wobbly, as you tried to keep yourself up, using the desk as support.

You considered asking him, begging him, to slow down. But every time he pulled your hips back, slamming into you, his cock hit the right pot. So you didn't do anything but take it.

"I'm close" you purred, looking back over your shoulder to try and get Aegons attention, his gaze fixated on how he slid in and out of you. But you managed to get his attention, a smirk spreading across his face when he made eye contact with you. His hand then sneaked around you, finding your clit, as he started to play with you. The same smug expression he always had on his face. "You gotta be quiet" Aegon chuckled, as he started to slow his movements, lazily playing with your clit. He was close too. You muttered his name, feeling yourself become overstimulated, it was all too much. Anything that was happening on the other side of the door was none of your concern now. Anybody walking past this office would hear your desperate pleas. "I can cum in you, right?" Aegon breathed, as he was trying not to cum inside you right this second, waiting for you to say yes. You nodded, permitting him to come in you. It didn't take him long after that to cum, filling you up.

He stayed inside you after he came, now fully focused on your pleasure. His fingers circled your clit again, doing his best to get you to cum around his cock, staying inside you for as long as he could.

You felt your knees buckle, and you had to lean down further onto the desk, resting on your elbows. You felt the tension build within you, as you put your hand over your mouth to conceal the sounds you were making. It only took a few more seconds and you felt yourself cumming, your breath panting as your fingers dug into the desk.

Aegon then slid out of you, grabbing a tissue off the desk to clean himself off, before putting his pants back on.

“You okay?” He asked you, head leaning slightly over your shoulder, taking another tissue to clean you up. You nodded, slightly whimpering when he cleaned you up. Aegon pulled your skirt back down to cover your ass, lightly slapping your ass.

You turned around to face him, sitting back down on the desk to remove the tights Aegon had ripped earlier. Your knees were too weak, your legs still shaking so you sat on the desk, trying to steady yourself.

"We should do that more often," Aegon muttered, his voice was a mix of satisfaction and amusement. He stepped closer to you, his breath was still unsteady as he reached out, his hands finding their way to your messy hair. His fingers tried their best to smooth out the strands of hair that had become dishevelled. A gesture that felt more intimate than you had expected.

[the-upside-down-umbrella]

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

Part 3

Five Hargreeves x Fem!Reader

(Booth Five)

Summary: After finding out about the seven years Lila and Five spent together, reader walks in to a diner in between all time and space and finds exactly what she didn’t know she was looking for

Warnings: Some cursing, angst

A/N: They’re may be some major grammar errors because I’ve had a massive migraine for several days now but I wanted to get it out as soon as possible ❤️ I hope it’s up to expectations. I had so much fun writing it. This is the last part and then there will be a short epilogue!

Also, Five is still very much alive and dealing with the consequences of his choices. Everything else is left up to interpretation

————

“Come on, there’s someone you need to meet,” Y/N said, holding her hand out for Five to take, “Blink us to the subway.”

“Y/N, what are you-“

“My God, Five, for once in your life would you just do as your told,” she snapped, frustration bleeding from every word, “Blink us to the subway!”

He looked taken aback for a moment before he finally relented, taking her hand and blinking them to the terminal.

She immediately started in the direction she knew the Deli would be in. Five followed her, more than a little confused by her behavior.

He trailed behind her down the stairs but stepped back in surprise when the marquis lights of the deli came in to view.

His steps faltered and he knitted his eyebrows together in confusion, “Max?”

“Max,” she confirmed, “You are, in fact, seeing your name. Come on.”

He followed behind her cautiously but she did not hesitate to open the door of the deli, stepping in like she was a frequent patron of this place in the middle of all of time.

Five instinctively put a hand on the small of her back, ready to protect her if necessary but she inched away from him. She acted like his touch was the equivalent to an white-hot, iron poker. She was also incredibly too comfortable in this new environment.

And he realized why as soon as he was over the threshold. It was like looking in to a shattered mirror. He saw himself all around the room, in various positions as both patron and employees of Max’s deli.

A Five in the middle of the room stood up as soon as he noticed them, a look of sheer surprise on his face. Y/N strolled forward without hesitation and met him half-way. This Five, this him, held out his arms towards her and she fell in to them, welcoming his embrace. All the while his eyes glared over her head, straight in to Five’s skull. If looks could kill.

“What are you doing here?”

“We need your help.” She explained, “Things are going south topside and I figured when it comes to apocalypses, the more Fives, the merrier.”

“I’m sorry, does someone want to explain to me what the actual fuck is going on?” Five interrupted them.

Booth Five bared his teeth, “What’s going on, asshole, is that you left her down here on her own after you fucked-.”

“Hey, no!” Y/N put a hand on his chest to urge him to stop talking, “Come sit down, Five, and we’ll explain.”

She gestured to Booth’s usual table.

“You’re giving him far too much Grace, darling,” Booth growled in her ear as she slid in to the seat beside him, completely ignoring her Five’s pleading eyes as he realized that she was not going to take take the place next to him.

Y/N placed a gentle hand on Booth’s thigh under the table, giving it a soft squeeze in attempt to keep him calm. She didn’t need them going after each other before she even got the first word out.

Booth took that as his cue to move closer to her, closing the small space between them, purposely brushing his thigh against hers. She ignored him, but couldn’t help the goose-bumps that erupted across her skin at his close proximity. It was crazy what reactions he could bring out of her, even with her timeline’s version of him sitting across from them.

Five eyed them, his mouth set in to a hard line like he was trying, with great difficulty, not to say something.

“Explain,” he demanded, “What is going on, Y/N?”

“It’s a waypoint,” she told him, “they’re all you from different timelines.”

Five looked around the deli, taking in all of the different versions of himself. Most of them were lounging, enjoying lunch or a newspaper, while others seemed fresh out of whatever hell their timeline had to offer. A version of him was obviously very drunk, attempting to drown his sorrows in a bottle of something hard.

“How did you even know about this place?”

“I found it when you brought me down here after…everything.” She recalled, “Or more like it found me.”

Waiter Five stopped at the table, sitting two black coffees, two pastrami sandwiches and a cup of tea in front of them.

She smiled up at him, “Could you please tell the kitchen that they’re going to burn the brisket this afternoon and that they should be extra vigilant about it.”

Waiter Five seemed unperturbed by her prophecy, as if he had witnessed them a thousand times. Which she realized, he probably had. “Sure thing, sweetheart. Thanks for the heads up.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re not going to like that,” Booth said as Five reached for his cup, pulling a pastrami sandwich towards himself simultaneously.

“Can we stay on track, boys?” Y/N chastised, “We have a lot to figure out.”

Booth launched in to his explanation about how there was never supposed to be multiple timelines. And how their existence was the very problem they’d been trying to solve this entire time.

“When you look ahead, what do you see, Y/N?” Five questioned her.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the various clattering and background noises of the deli, but try as she might she was met with nothing but a solid, unyielding, darkness. She expected it to feel cold or maybe lonely, but it didn’t feel like anything at all. There was nothing there.

“I don’t feel anything,” she concluded, opening her eyes to find two identical, worried faces watching her closely. “I can’t see anything. Usually I can at least gather little glimpses of things I can piece together but it’s dark.”

“If that’s what you’re seeing, then that means my plan will work.”

————

Five bolted out of the deli so swiftly, she didn’t have time for a proper goodbye with Booth.

She was thinking about going back when Five grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks, “What the hell was all of that back there? Is there something going on between you and…me? Him?”

She pulled herself out of his grip, “And why would you care if there was, Five?”

“Because I love you,” his voice cracked, “You know I love you.”

“You didn’t love me enough to not fuck Lila,” her voice wobbled, but she wouldn’t cry. Not over this. Not anymore. “You didn’t love me enough to not fall in love with her too.”

“It was seven years, Y/N. We…we didn’t think we were going to find a way home. We were alone. We were tired. You have to understand that.”

“No, I really don’t,” the anger in her chest flared up once again, red hot and burning, “You spent forty years alone, looking for a way back to your family, and you did everything you could to do so. But you’re telling me that this time you gave up after just seven? I know you, Five, and I know that deep down you always knew that you’d find a way. But you got comfortable with her and you just stopped trying.”

“What’s worse is that I could understand if it were just the three of us mixed up in this mess, but it’s not! Lila is MARRIED! Lila is a MOTHER! Lila is married to your brother and the mother to your nieces and nephew. You drove their marriage apart. You knew you would be breaking up a family and that still didn’t stop you. You weren’t alone anymore, Five. I was there. I’ve been there. I’ve always been there when you needed me and that still wasn’t enough. You aren’t this sad little boy lost alone in the apocalypse anymore. You’re a full-grown, adult man and it’s time that you own up to your mistakes. And this is a big one.”

“So what you’re saying is that I’ll never be able to fix this?” He asked, “You’re never going to forgive me? You won’t even try?”

“How could I, Five?” She took a deep breath, steadying herself, “How could I when all I can see when I think about you, is her? You kissing her. You fucking her. You loving her. And that’ll always be there. It might dull over time but it will always be there playing in the back of my mind. So, no, we can’t fix this and I don’t want to. I won’t put myself through it just to come out the other side burned again. I respect myself too much.”

“And him?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“He’s literally me. It’s very much my business.” Five was trying to sound casual, but she could tell that her words were eating at him. That it stung more than he would ever let on.

“But he’s not you, not really,” she said pointedly, “And he loves me, Five. In a way I’m not sure you ever did. Why else would we spend all of these years together and never actually move forward with our relationship? But none of that matters anyways. If we do this correctly, we’ll be gone and so will every other timeline. We’ll all cease to exist. And maybe that’s for the best.”

They stared at each other for a moment, a silent standoff.

“I do love you, you know,” Five’s voice was barely above a whisper, but his tone shattered her heart all over again, “But I never felt like I deserved you and I’m so sorry that it took me this long to realize that you’re the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

“I’m sorry that it took you that long, too,” she said, “And I’m sorry that things have to end this way, but they are ending. In more ways than one. And we have to face it whether we’re ready for it or not.”

————

They did it. Not only had they restored things the way they should be, but they had managed to save themselves in the process.

They had lost their powers again, for good this time, but she didn’t care. If she was being truly honest with herself, she never wanted them back anyways. It was nice to look forward to the future without tiny glimpses of what was to come. Glimpses that usually set her on edge and kept her from truly living in the present.

She and Five had gone their separate ways. It was better that way. They both moved out of their shared apartment and she moved in with Allison, Claire and Klaus for a while until she found her footing again. Eventually that footing came in the form of a steady job downtown and a small studio apartment she could call her own.

As for Lila and Diego, they were continuing to try to make things work for their family. Lila had personally come to her and apologized once the dust settled. She told her that she and Diego were now attending couples counseling and were trying to move past things.

As much as she should hate Lila, she couldn’t. They would get along for Diego’s sake. Things were never going to be the way they were before, but they didn’t need to be.

Despite her newfound contentment, she thought about Booth Five often. It saddened her to know that it was likely that he no longer even existed somewhere out there.

She thought about how every Five in that deli had fought so hard to make things right but none of them had even come close to an iota, a fraction, of the happiness that they deserved.

———

It was a rainy Sunday morning and she was spending it curled up on her couch with trashy, mindless TV and a cup of tea.

She was just contemplating the idea of a nap when a soft, hesitant knock sounded at her door.

“Hold on!” She called, pausing the tv and wrapping the blanket around herself to hide the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra and her pajamas had seen much better days. She hadn’t been expecting company.

She looked through the peep hole, her heart dropping a bit at who she found on the other side.

Five stood there, his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels, as he waited for her to open the door. She hadn’t seen him since an impromptu family brunch over a month ago. He typically made himself scarce when she was around. Not that she blamed him.

She did a small round of the breathing exercises her therapist taught her before undoing the chain and padlock.

She had barely cracked the door open when she realized that something was just slightly off about her visitor. His eyes found hers and her breath caught in her chest. Those green eyes, as familiar to her as her own, did not belong to the Five she had expected to see.

“Booth?” She gasped, her head spinning.

He looked utterly perplexed by her nickname for him, but a grin spread across his face anyways, “You call me Booth?”

“How?” She squeaked, throwing the door open, “It is you, right?”

“It’s me,” he confirmed, “God, I’ve missed you.”

She threw herself at him, blanket forgotten, and he caught her with a surprised grunt, steadying her on her feet as she peppered his face with kisses. Wherever she could reach, she planted her lips there.

“How?” She breathlessly questioned him between kisses, “How are you here?”

“It’s a long story,” he told her, unwilling to let her go now that he finally had her in his arms, “One I promise I’ll tell you later, but right now, please don’t stop kissing me.”

She complied, stepping back just long enough to yank him in to her apartment by his collar, slamming the door behind them.

As soon as he heard the latch click, his hands were on her, starving for affection. Y/N returned those affections tenfold, scaling him without reservation.

Caution be damned.

“You’re here,” she repeated over and over, still unable to wrap her mind around it.

“I’m here,” he reassured her, running his fingertips along her spine, taking in the feel of her, “And I’m not going anywhere, if you’ll have me.”

She pressed her lips to his in answer, her fingers threading into his hair, pulling him closer.

“As if I would let you get away again.”

He chuckled against her lips before deepening the kiss, moving his hands to her waist. He dug his fingertips in there, oh so deliciously, and she melted against him. Everything with him had always felt so right, natural, from the moment he first held her in the deli.

Fated. Meant to be. Call it what you will, but she knew that being with him was worth all of the inherent risks that came with it.

They were lying in her bed, wrapped up in each other, as Booth drew lazy circles up and down her arm.

“You don’t mind me calling you Booth, do you? It was just easier to differentiate between the two of you in my head that way.”

He laughed, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, “Sweetheart, you can call me whatever you want as long as you call me yours.”

Her cheeks warmed and she buried her face in his neck, taking in the scent that was uniquely him. Uniquely Booth.

“I love you,” she hummed.

“I love you too,” he tilted her chin up so that they were nose to nose, “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

Tag List:

@hydrationqueensworld

@mangoshorthand

@isabelcor3

@heyyitsreign

@mrfeenysmustache

[fanaticsnail]

Fic authors self rec! When you receive this, reply with up to five favorite fics you've written (include links, and if you want- a few thoughts about each one), then pass on to at least five other writers if you're up for it. Spread the self-love ✨\o/

Hi Quin! Thank you for this! I have been thinking about these for a little while, and I am grateful for the opportunity to talk about them!

Last One Laughing

This platonic fic was for a mutual going through a hard time, and I wanted to give them something to laugh about. This is also where I truly fell in love with the Heart Pirates enough to want to put an OC in there with them. If you like stupid jokes, this is the fic for you.

Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes

One of the closest fics I've come to enemies to lovers. This fic was one of my favourites to write, simply because I enjoyed the idea of making Doflamingo a love-sick, yandere, subby mess. Chuck in the pollen trope and I'm just in love.

Shameless

A three-part series that was only meant to be a mini fic for Eustass Kid. This was where I first fell in love with the big guy and I began slipping away from the love of the Red Hair pirates. Of the fics I've written, I actually reread this one because I enjoy the second-hand embarrassment from the reader character I created. I don't think I've made a reader I've felt that internal shrieking at as much as this one.

Hey Doc

The way this was meant to be a silly writing exercise for an exhausted and exasperated doctor and their crew, it has now dived into something completely unexpected. I love writing this series so much, it's like a little bit of joy all wrapped up in a mess of silliness. The Kid Pirates need someone like this gn!reader, and I was happy to fill the spot. Just purely platonic shenanigans with a crew full of unhinged idiots.

Daughter of the Sea

Benn Beckman needed a small fic about what it was like to aid Shanks in raising baby Uta. I really wanted that softness from him, and I remember exactly how I was feeling when I wrote this in one sitting. I remember I started this at 6am with just a general idea, wrote various parts throughout the day between my duties and my job, and sitting in the bath until about midnight getting it all done. It played out like a movie in my head, and I adored the company it kept me.

[vy-canis-melodis]

the following is a blog post, written by tanja, in the Bird HRT universe:

UPDATE and a cancelled article!

Hi all, it's been a long time since my last blog post. Here's the deal; I was in hospital. Long story short, some things went pretty wrong, and here I am, having to deal with a huge backwards step in progress then having had to retrace those steps with additional gooey complications and therapy.

Anyway, here's a journalistic article I was pretty close to finishing and submitting to actual newspapers before everything went down and I had to cancel it.

Rejecting Humanity - Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Be Myself

As I write this, I'm sitting in the waiting room of a Hospital cross Research Laboratory in London. By the time you're reading this, I'll have been on my treatment journey for over a year. What treatment, you ask? Well, it's Humanity Removal Therapy. One year ago, I undertook a radical new procedure which slowly transforms you from human to another form. Perhaps you've seen strange creatures out and about; a snow leopard at the supermarket, a dog at the drive-thru, or a tuatara at the thrift shop. Or, perhaps, you haven't; as I write this, the number of patients might not yet have reached triple digits worldwide.

Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Tanja ------, and I am an Iberian Azure-winged Magpie, scientific name 'cyanopica cooki'. One year ago, I was fully human, and now I look like a hybrid between our two species. So, let me guide you through my world.

How is this possible?

A little over a year ago, certain medical circles revealed that species transformation had been trialled in mice, turning them into various other creatures, with various success rates from 20 to 80% depending on size and how different the target species was. Now, I'm not for animal testing, but when I heard that human trials were going to open, I kept that pinned to my calendar. And so, after a few months, I was able to finally sign up and have my first interview. Which was… short. Turns out, they had pretty elaborate ways of gatekeeping people who really meant that they wanted it from those that they thought would regret the procedures. They also had a little joke, based on gender HRT, where they would ask if you'd spent years living as your preferred species beforehand. Or at least, I think it was a joke. And then, I was on my way to becoming the bird I love.

How much did it cost?

Well, luckily for me, the NHS provides free healthcare. Then, due to this being a clinical trial, I get paid for being a test subject. Then, due to the effects of the medicine, I receive Disability Benefits. The treatment itself is… a bit of a legal loophole, really. This very article may well be the first you've heard of it.

Is it just a magic pill?

Nope! It's a mix of CRISPR, gene replacement, hormone injections, and surgeries over time. It's a real mishmash, at least in my case. For example, keratinous structures can be grown through selective DNA editing and hormones that stimulate 'hair' growth in specific areas in specific ways. Bone structure can also slowly be altered in some cases through gene replacement, though in some cases, surgery is needed. My back, for example, will soon be undergoing surgery to adjust the way the vertebrae are laid out. Some aspects just are too difficult to be done naturally, and so artificial parts and prosthetics are added. But this complicated procedure has an upside - it means that there is more customisation possible! For example, a Harpy would be a very specific set of applications of Bird HRT that exclude certain aspects such as the face!

Are there downsides?

Definitely. There's the immunosuppression that has to occur to stop new parts from being rejected. There's the high risk of cancers and other diseases to occur as a result of this procedure. There's just the risk that your organs will fail. Most of this is irreversible too.

Why even do it then?

Because, to that small number of people, it's so worth it. This is a new life, an opportunity to discard that uncomfortable human vessel and be yourself at last. For the vast majority of people, being oneself is being human, but that's not the case for everyone.

Is it going to be banned?

Well, that's hard to say. Governments worldwide are, I'm sure, now aware of this phenomenon. And I think it presents a threat to the status quo. This is something new, something scary, something intimidating, that shifts the power balance between subjects and governers. And it's not just because some people have become huge fire-breathing dragons - it's the meaning behind it. They've rejected the very notion of the social contract between humans and crafted a new identity. Do we still count as people? And that's really the question, isn't it. So much of the way government and society works is to split people into groups of those that are 'more' people, and those that are 'lesser' people - and that dictates what societal violences are permissible, for example. This whole new procedure will have to make governments rethink so much, and it can either be a source of worry for us, or a source of hope for everyone. We just have to be loud enough to be heard for who we are.

So what will come next? Well, I'm going to hop on in to my next appointment, and the Earth will keep spinning. My first set of wings has almost reached full-span, and my toe-dexterity is almost at where I was with hands as a human. With my next set of primaries, I may have enough of a wingspan to fly, if I keep my weight low enough. Meanwhile, Parliament will likely have a debate on the issue, as a petition to legalise the procedure has a few thousand signatures on the government's official petition website. I'll be waiting on that result eagerly.

If you have any other questions, I'd be more than willing to answer them!

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

Maybe, Shinichiro with a s/o that is friendly but a bit of an air-head. S/O is 5 years younger than Shinichiro (if this part makes you uncomfortable you may skip it. OF COURSE DO THIS IN THE ADULT TIMELINE WHERE THEY ARE BOTH ADULTS). S/O used to be a gang leader, when she first told Shinichiro about it, he kinda freaked out, warning her about the dangers of gang world but s/o just told him to trust her. S/O is considered pretty, she has heart shaped face and small waist. When she was in high school, she rejected 20 love confessions, her reason? In s/o's words, she didn't understand romantic love (andshealsodidn'tfeelthesameasherpretenders), to the point she was even called a heartbreaker, despite her just being honest about what she felt 🥲. If you need height, s/o is 1.74

Oh, and s/o gets along pretty well with Manjiro and Emma. She came from an orphan center as well. (She lives with her best friend whom she calls a 'sister'). She surprisingly has 'innocent feelings as well (ex. Shinichiro once went to buy an earring pair but he got into an accident that left him in a hospital for a few days, when he came back to s/o with the earrings, s/o saw the injuries, then she cried "I don't want this! I don't want you to be hurt because of me!" 😭. Shinichiro upon seeing this was surprised but mostly moved.)

Gang Activity {Shinichiro Sano}

A/n: thanks for requesting but seriously, I didn't need that much of a detail because you almost wrote the piece yourself. That being said I didn't quite catch what the plot you wanted me to write was because I kind of got lost in the details you mentioned. And also yeah the details were pretty much useless because I don't include descriptions. I made the reader to be around the same age as Shin in the first timeline so about 22 or 23. Anyways, hope you like it.

Pairing: Shinichiro x fem!reader

Trigger Warnings: MANGA SPOILERS

“Shit's not good for your lungs Shin.” You hugged Shinichiro and he returned the gesture by placing a kiss on your cheek. 

  “Ugh I could get used to this.” He exclaimed, throwing his head back to look at you rolling your eyes. A devilish smile was plastered on his face, a triumphant look in his eyes celebrating the way he had actually avoided your comment. But had he really? No, you loved pestering him about him smoking habits and he loved it as well.

  “Listen, I really didn't want to do this but here I go.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I told Manjiro and Emma about you moving in and um… Manjiro wanted to help with the whole process… so he… he wants to carry your things with his friends.” A sigh escaped Shinichiro's lips. 

  “I don't mind really.” 

  Mikey was for sure trying his luck on you, something that Shinichiro despised, to say the least, so having him help you move out of the apartment you shared with your best friend was the worst case scenario according to him.  

  It was funny seeing him being jealous of his brother however. During your first days together, you had concluded that his innocent jealousy was only because he had never had a girlfriend before so he didn’t know how to act but later on you found it was more than that.

  “He is literally twelve, relax.” You giggled. “That's how boys his age act.” It was a desperate attempt on your side to relax your nerves as well and Shinichiro knew that.

You had been honest with him, had told him all about you coming from an orphanage and the difficult years you spent there and he had been more than understanding. But while he could understand how difficult living without any parents was since he had lost his own parents too, what he couldn't quite understand was the fact that you couldn't seperate your best friend that easily.

The two of you living together had only been a natural progress since you now spent most nights at his place rather than your own and even though you had been quite hesitant to accept, you did it because you knew that someday it would happen. You couldn't live with your best friend forever no matter how much you wanted to.

Not surprisingly enough, your best friend had been way more excited than you. In her words it was about time you actually did something for yourself and not for someone else.     

Mikey and his friends came to the shop right after school ended, one hour after yout arrival at Shinichiro’s shop, and by the way the young Sano boy had walked in, you figured out that there had been some kind of stupid argument between the two brothers. Mikey shook his head and introduced you to his friends: Baji, Haruchiyo and Senju, Haruchiyo’s little sister. 

It wasn't long until you found out that they were just as chaotic as Mikey was so it was no surprise that Shinichiro had almost emptied not only his pack of cigarettes but also a small bottle with aspirins by the time you left. 

  “Go and pack your stuff and take whatever you guys can with you. I'll come for the heavier things in like half an hour from now.” Shinichiro had said.   

  “Thank you guys for offering to help me, it means a lot.” You told them once you were alone. You couldn't tell how you managed to be more anxious around four little kids than every other adult you had ever met. It was silly, really, given the reputation you had. But of course, no one knew that yet.

  “It's our pleasure.” Haru smiled and Baji with Mikey aggressively nodded their heads in affirmation. Senju was holding her older brother’s hand, not really talking throughout the entire walk back to your house. 

  “Okay this is how it will go: I'll take my guitar along with two boxes and the rest of you can take this small suitcase with some of my clothes, okay?” 

  It wasn’t okay. They protested because they didn’t want to let you carry both your guitar and the two boxes all alone and so you ended up agreeing on you taking just one box, Mikey and Baji the other two boxes, Haru the small suitcase and Senju a bag with your jewellery. Obviously you didn’t give them any heavy things and they were so excited that they never noticed you taking your guitar even though you had promised not to. 

  “Say Y/n.” Baji spoke while you were all walking towards Mikey's house. You noticed his eyes were glued on the insides of the box he was carrying. “Were you in some sort of gang?” The rest of the kids abruptly stopped walking and turned around to look at you. 

  “I was the leader actually.”

  And yes that was the reputation you have been talking about. It wasn’t much to be honest and it had gotten you in trouble many times but you were proud of it.  

  Everyone seemed to be in awe and suddenly they became even more energetic, saying how amazing and cool you were. If you hadn’t stopped them, they would have set the boxes on the street just to take a look at the box in Baji’s hands. 

  “Y/n, you know how to fight, right?” Baji asked you. You had reached Mikey’s house by that time and were catching your breath, getting ready to leave again.  

  “I do.” 

  “Amazing!” Haru and Senju said in sync.

  “Big bro doesn't know shit about fighting and he always got beaten up even though he was the leader.” Mikey rolled his eyes. 

  “Why are we suddenly talking about gangs?” Shinichiro took the box you had forgotten to set down and placed it on the floor of his room. 

  “Y/n was in one.” Mikey said and Shinichiro's eyes widened at the sound of this new information. He looked at you and then at the box Baji had opened which contained your gang uniform and some pictures you had taken with the founder members. There was also one box back in your apartment that contained the gifts that the members had given you the day you disbanded the gang. 

  “I…” Shinichiro was at a loss for words. You already knew what he was going to say as if he hadn't been a member of a gang himself. "You know that shit is dangerous, right?"

"So? I was really good at it, you know?" You waved him off and picked up the box Baji had been carrying. “This contains meetings, fights and general hangouts with the gang. One of the founding members was aiming to become a filmmaker therefore he was filming everything. If you guys are interested, you can watch it.” You handed the cassette to Mikey and almost immediately he and his friends went to the living room. “Shin?” you reached out to your boyfriend once the kids left. 

  “How can you get even more amazing as the days pass?” He smiled and patted your head, bringing you close for a hug. “Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked."

[kanencrow]

Ponds and Ponderment - Shauna Shipman | One Shot

Summary: Shauna finds you at the pond with a guitar in your arms, after you run off to get away from 'Ben's impromptu gun lesson'. She finds out your reasoning for why you don't want to take part, and the two of you share a moment of mostly peaceful conversation and comforting silence, before it's inevitably interrupted by an awkward Javi.

Warnings: Swearing, Guns, Established Relationship, Triggering Dialogue (brief talk of r's dad's attempted suicide).

A/N: All characters are 18+ by default. Feel like I got a little carried away in writing this, so forgive me if there's too much description and not enough dialogue! I edited this one as much as I could to make it so that you and Shauna have an actually established relationship, too. Didn't want to pull what I did with my last Jackie one shot and make it full of tension lol.

Word Count: 4000+

Somehow, allowing your bare feet to slide through the clear liquid of the pond they hung over provided you with a sense of calm from the otherwise stressful atmosphere, as you mindlessly plucked a tune with the nylon strings connected to the guitar in your arms. The bloom of the sun shone between the trees and onto you, while you sat at the edge of where land plummeted into a small body of water. Even with the distant thought of your impending doom while you all waited for a rescue from the forest, you still managed to find a sliver of serenity in the moment you had to yourself. Granted, the wounds – albeit trivial – still lingered as a soft throb, but the original pain had significantly lessened, which made navigating the new lifestyle you lived a little easier.

The soft melody of the instrument was all you focused on. You hummed softly, matching the notes you played with your fingers and thumbs, but it was mindless and uncoordinated in the way it progressed. Still, somehow, the music that you could hear didn't sound like nails on a chalkboard. It instilled a sense of hope, in a way. You tried to keep the tune that emitted as lighthearted as possible, and you were glad that you had seemed to succeed in something that came across as so simple to someone with a naturally optimistic mind. You made sure to relish in your own little victory, though, as the ghost of a smile creeped up onto your lips, like an annoying pull.

You were certain you would have lost yourself in the act of playing the guitar, if it weren't for the soft clearing of someone's throat from behind you, as a grouping of sticks quietly crunched under their shoe. It didn't take you long to turn your body and look over your shoulder to take in the sight of whoever approached you, and when your eyes fell onto Shauna, your posture visibly straightened, as a natural smile overtook the one that had barely been noticeable just a moment ago. Still, even then, it was small in comparison to the ones you shared with your girlfriend in the past, but it didn't seem like she took offense to your lack of expression.

"Hey, Y/n." The pause between her greeting and saying your name didn't go unnoticed by you. Maybe she was surprised to see you sitting at the edge of the earth, above a pond that hopefully didn't have anything lurking within the depths of it. Maybe she was treading lightly, not wanting to set you off, because it wasn't like you portrayed yourself as a full blown optimist when you stormed away from the cabin earlier, after Travis almost blew everyone’s head off with the rifle you found. Whatever trepidation she carried, it seemed to visibly fade, when you lifted your leg up to rest it on the grass and turned towards the brunette, your palm resting over the strings of your guitar, just so it didn't play an unwarranted tune.

"Hey, Shaunie," you greeted back, which was the ultimate sign that you weren't going to send your earlier annoyances towards her. You could tell that she appreciated such. She sent you a small smile, while she clutched her signature leather notebook against her hip, cradling it with her fingers and palm, and you couldn't help but lower your eyes to ogle the item for a moment, before you eventually flickered your gaze back up to meet her own. "What're you up to?" You made sure to keep your tone light, not wanting to come across as though you were some detective wanting to know her every move and thought, but you couldn’t really help your curiosity, since everything she did interested you.

She was your girlfriend. 

Luckily, she didn't seem to take your question the wrong way. With a simple glance down towards her notebook, Shauna shrugged her shoulders and pressed her lips together, before she lifted her chin to level her focus with your own. "Just... looking for a quiet place to write, I guess," she stated, before she slowly started walking forward, seemingly choosing the spot beside you as a good place to do such. “And, maybe I was also just looking for you,” she added on after a second, with a shy tone underlining her voice, as she lowered her head and smiled awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by her own admittance. 

The gentle smirk that formed on your cheeks in response to her demeanor was immediate, and as you followed her form, your head was forced to lift, just so you could fully watch her face while she lowered her posture and sat down. Her movements were careful, which wasn’t necessarily a surprise, considering the pond was right in front of the two of you, and by the time she set her book to the side to unlace her shoes, you scooted closer to her and slowly leaned in to press a soft kiss to the bone of her cheek. "Didn't want to be involved in Coach Ben's impromptu gun lesson?" you asked quietly, murmuring the humorous question out as you pulled your face back slightly and reached out to settle a comforting hand on her thigh. 

The position was a little awkward with the guitar in your arms, sure, but it was worth the slight discomfort, when Shauna leaned into your shoulder at your small act of affection, when you eventually turned your body to fully face the outcrops of the rest of the forest again. Your leg dropped back down to lull over the pond, and while you felt the weight of your girlfriend rest against you, you felt your chest warm, as the pad of your thumb mindlessly rubbed over one of the nylon strings of your guitar.

"Guess not," she inevitably admitted, pausing to think about it for a moment, while her brown eyes stared towards nothing in particular, "I don't think I'm meant to handle firearms," she clarified, which earned an agreeable hum from you, understanding the sentiment that you yourself couldn't help but share. 

Your girlfriend heard your sound, too, and so it didn't take her long to acknowledge you, when you felt her hand, warm and slightly calloused from the days of work around the cabin, rest against the skin of your knee, "I take it you're not a fan, either?" she questioned softly, "Is that why you left?"

"Kinda," you replied, "you remember how I used to go hunting with my dad? I'd be gone for the entire weekend, so I'd sometimes miss practice?" you reminded her quietly, as the nail of your thumb scraped along the wood of the guitar, and when she silently nodded her head against your shoulder, you continued. "He taught me how to use a rifle. We used it to kill deer, sometimes boar, or even some turkey. Y’know… whatever we could find in a forest."

You paused and squinted your eyes subconsciously, as they narrowed towards the trees. "I never told you this, but my dad had a habit of getting a little... emotional whenever he was drunk," you explained, "so... one night, I went out to the garage to grab a can of soda, and... I saw him on the steps with that same rifle held up to his chin…” you trailed off and swallowed, “it was, uh… pretty shocking."

The moment you stopped talking, your voice trailing off, Shauna's expression fell, and a look of genuine shock painted itself over her features, before she lifted her head from your shoulder and turned her face to look at you. "You... never told me that," she stated, her voice distant in thought, as her tone portrayed her disturbance. "When did that happen?" she then asked, as she subtly scooted closer to your side, pressing herself flush against you, and smoothed her free hand up to your upper thigh. She was attempting to provide you with her own form of comfort, and it seemed to work in her favor, when your knee lulled to the side slightly to nudge against her own, as if to convey your appreciation.

You shrugged your shoulders mindlessly, almost too shy to even continue, "Happened, like, a year or two ago," you admitted, as your finger mindlessly plucked a single nylon string, which emitted a quiet, high-pitched note. "He saw me, and um... I expected him to be angry with me, but he just... he started crying and promised that he wasn't going to touch a gun again." You shrugged your shoulders and flinched your eyebrows down, still confused by his reaction, to this day. "Seeing him like that was pretty... intense," you mumbled, as you lowered your head down to rest it against your guitar, your chin nestling against the wood while a sigh escaped from your nostrils. "After that, we stopped going on those trips, and I was fine with that, but... I couldn't look at a rifle the same way." You suddenly let out a quiet chuckle, "Which sounds kinda dumb when I say it out loud, but..."

"It's not dumb," Shauna replied, her voice stern, but still containing a certain softness to it, while her eyes roamed your side profile, and her hand came up from your thigh to rest against the back of your head. She spotted a fading bruise on the side of your neck when her fingers combed through the strands of your hair, and with no one around, she chanced a moment to lean towards you and press a gentle peck to your temple. "I wish you told me, but I can understand why you didn't," she admitted quietly, while she pulled away to watch you intently, her brown irises filling with concern towards you.

You shrugged, feeling heat rise to your neck at her affection, as your lips pursed in thought. "I didn't know how," you defended, "and it just felt wrong to openly say that about my dad," you told her, before the corner of your lip quivered and you let out a bittersweet huff through your nose. "My mom doesn't even know about it." You paused for a moment, before you spoke up again with a quieter volume to your voice. “It just didn’t feel right to tell anyone that my dad tried to, y’know… shoot himself." Your tone carried thought, like you were only just now thinking about that particular memory and letting yourself go through the motions. 

But you cut yourself off from thinking about for much longer.

Intentionally, you started playing the guitar that remained in your arms when Shauna didn't make the effort to respond to you. You didn't hold it against her. The quiet was something the two of you mutually found comfort in, especially when it also consisted of being in each other's presence. Simply existing together, without the need to try and fill the silent void with meaningless conversation that only came off as repetitive and annoying. It only caused you to lose yourself in the tune of your instrument, keeping it soft and weightless, for the sake of aiding the girl beside you in concentrating on whatever it was that she eventually started doing with the notebook that she had in her hands. You had only glanced down once to take in the sight of the book, but it was so quick that it didn't allow you the chance to truly snoop and figure out her intentions.

It wasn't like that was something you did anyways. You knew better than anyone else not to touch her journal, because she valued the secrecy of it. Like now, with how she was conscious in hiding the page she wrote on by lifting the leather cover to shield the paper that adorned her… questionable handwriting. It was a habit of hers more than anything – she knew you wouldn’t peek, so you couldn’t bring yourself to feel offended by the action, as obvious as it was. If anything, you felt a little envious that she was able to have that outlet. You would have killed to have some sort of camcorder or diary to relay your feelings to. You could vent, or rant, and there wouldn't have been that natural judgement one would typically get from a human being.

Though you digressed.

"What song is that?"

You heard the faint smack of Shauna closing her journal from beside you, while you peered over the guitar and watched your fingers pluck the strings. You weren't wanting to make a mistake, though at the sound of her voice, you almost did, which caused you to bring the made-up tune to a stop and retract your hand, letting your wrist hang over the thick wood of the acoustic. "Just my own," you admitted, as you turned your head to meet her curious eyes.

She gave you a look of confusion in turn, and you smiled small, as you mindlessly glanced down to look at her hands that rested over the book that sat in her lap. Seeing them made your stomach unconsciously flutter, when you thought about how they always touched you with gentleness and love. "Guess you could call it improv music making," you added, while you lifted your eyes up to look her way again, feeling bashful. "Just kinda... going with the flow."

Shauna seemed to become endeared by your explanation when a lopsided smirk creeped up onto her lips. "In all the time I’ve known you, I never knew you played." She shifted in her spot, lifting her leg up, so that it rested against the earth below you and her, and you noticed the way she turned her body to fully face you, as if to silently convey that she was open to you.

"You're good, babe," she admitted quietly, before she gestured towards the instrument and cleared her throat, growing a little embarrassed by her compliment. That wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. "At the guitar, I mean." She didn't need to clarify, but you still appreciated such, as a quiet huff of amusement slipped from you, while your smile grew into a soft grin.

"Thanks, Shaunie," you told her, making sure to address her by the nickname that only you and Jackie were allowed to use for her. You felt heat rise to your cheeks, and it ballooned up your neck and created a borderline uncomfortable warmth that you couldn't push away, no matter how hard you tried. It was hard to ignore the fact that her compliments made you feel important. Maybe it was the reassurance that you were still good at something that caused you to feel so flattered in response to her kindness. You lacked the mental capability to handle a gun, due to the trauma that surrounded it, but at least you could play the guitar. No one else could, but you could. So, that had to count for something.

All you could do was try and search for the light that sat at the end of the tunnel, when it came to the entire situation that you and the rest of the Yellowjackets faced. You tried not to think about it, but you couldn't ignore the new lifestyle you had to live. You tried to smile, you tried to be lighthearted and optimistic towards the fact that you all were stranded in the fucking woods, but it was borderline impossible. You were lucky that you had a medical box full of Tylenol and other pain pills for your wounds – which hadn't caused too many issues for you as of late – or else… well…

You didn’t really want to think about the other outcome. 

"Are you guys not doing the gun thing?"

You snapped out of your whirlwind of thoughts when you heard the distant voice of Javi from over your shoulder. Clearing your throat, you turned your body to look at him, and Shauna did the same, her knees pulled up into her body, while yours crossed over each other to rest completely on the dirt. You hung your arms over your guitar as you addressed the younger boy with a small smile, speaking before the girl beside you could. "Nah," you replied, voice shaking slightly, which forced you to swallow thickly, "that whole gun thing isn't really our thing." Your girlfriend seemed to agree with your sentiment, when she nodded her head and let out an awkward chuckle.

Javi nodded, while he stepped over rocks and lumps that sat on the earth to make it closer to the two of you. His attention seemed to fall onto Shauna and what laid in her lap, and at his obvious focus, you couldn't help but move your attention over to where her hands sat, too. They were covering the journal that had a pen sitting within the spine of it, closed and preventing your eyes from seeing her terrible handwriting, and you found a warmth of affection bloom within your chest, seeing her protection over the notebook in action, which caused the corners of your lips to curve up into a small smile. "What are you writing?" he questioned.

Shauna's attention was immediately drawn towards the younger kid, in response to his question, and she shrugged her shoulders in reply to his curiosity. "It's my journal," she answered simply, as she glanced down at it for a split second, before she raised her brown eyes back up to meet Javi's, who donned a look of innocent confusion on his features in reply.

"Like, a diary?".

"Yeah," your girlfriend replied, "kind of." She flitted her eyes away from him to stare at nothing, seemingly losing herself in a temporary bout of thought. "It's just my way of trying to make sense of what's going on and... how I feel about it." She glanced at you and let out a quiet, nervous laugh, and you smiled softly at her in reply, while she unconsciously continued with a shrug, her focus moving back up to the younger kid. "Well, that probably sounds pretentious, but... hey, when I'm famous, they can go into the archives, right?"

"I'd buy one of your books," you uttered absentmindedly, which earned a flattered smile from Shauna, when she glanced back over to you and sent you an expression of love, just with her brown irises that you often found yourself daydreaming about. And you bashfully shrugged in turn, trying to play it cool – like you weren’t screaming from the inside at the look she gave you, as your chin lowered to rest on your guitar, and your forearm acted as a cushion as you glanced at the floor between you and her. "You know, like... if we ever get out of here," you added on, after a moment.

Javi lingered around, and his presence seemed to cast a shadow over your body, which caused you to lull your head to the side, just so you could look up at the boy while you still rested against your arm. He stared at Shauna's notebook, and it didn't take long before she recognized what he was silently trying to convey, when you heard the sound of something ripping to your left. "Here," she uttered, as he reached forward to grab the pen and slip of paper she held out for him to take, "there's no wrong way to do it."

Javi clutched the gift he received to his chest in response, and you smiled gently at the sight, as he sent her an appreciative nod, before he stepped back and walked away from the two of you without another word. You and she watched his form disappear behind a pairing of trees, and by the time he had fully vanished from your sight, you moved your gaze back over to Shauna, who held an expression of contentment on her features. Seeing happiness exude from her caused your stomach to flutter with butterflies. 

"Are we sure that's Travis' brother?" you questioned quietly, your voice echoing as a whisper. You almost expected Shauna to not hear you, with how hushed you were, but when she shifted her eyes away from where Javi had gone to look at you, it was clear that she had. You immediately noticed the way her eyebrows creased, as though your comment had confused her greatly, and her lack of understanding only seemed to endear you, when you lifted your head up from your guitar and leveled your focus with her. "He's, like... super sweet, compared to his older brother."

"Oh," Shauna hummed, suddenly realizing what you were attempting to convey. It didn't take her long to nod her head in response to your opinion, as a small laugh slipped from her lips, and she nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess he is." She glanced away to think for a moment, and you waited patiently while you shifted in your spot, trying to find more comfort in your position. "He's young, though. Who knows, that sweetness might turn into something else," she admitted, which earned an agreeable grunt from you.

But you couldn't help but grow a little disappointed at her assumption, when you lowered your gaze to focus on the nail of your thumb that mindlessly picked at the ridge of your guitar. "I really hope not." Shauna moved her brown eyes to stare down at you, and she felt a frown weigh on her lips at the melancholic expression that lined your exhausted features. "Between him and Laura Lee, I think they're the only two that have some shred of optimism left," you said, before adding, "and Jackie. I think she's trying to keep everyone's mood on the up and up, but I can tell that she's losing her hope, too." 

The way she couldn’t even get out of bed today was proof in itself. 

Shauna's expression fell into a look of deep contemplation at your words in regards to her best friend, and she absentmindedly nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she murmured, "I think you might be right."

You huffed, though it lacked the usual amusement, as you lifted your chin up to look at her with your eyes that she herself often found herself enraptured by, always loving the colors of them and the way they blended to create a unique, one-of-a-kind hue that was yours. "Unfortunately." You grabbed the neck of your guitar and lifted it off of your lap to set it beside you, and it created a quiet thump against the earth in turn. "I don't mean to be a Debby Downer, but... it's just hard to pretend. I can't pretend." You scooted closer to Shauna the moment you said those words, and she was quick to take you into her arms, when you leaned your head against her shoulder and hugged her tightly. "Not to myself, at least, or someone else who also realizes that things are pretty grim."

"It's not that I think things are grim," Shauna replied, gently countering your implicated assumption of her thoughts, as she tilted her chin down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead. She breathed in deeply the moment she pulled back, before she let the air flow out of her nostrils, and when she turned her head to stare out towards the pond, you lifted your eyes to look up at her face, which allowed you to see the way her brow creased in ponderment. "I just think... people need to be more realistic, I guess," she clarified, which earned an understanding nod from you in response.

"I hear you," you uttered mindlessly, which forced Shauna to turn her head to look back down at you again, her arms squeezing you gently, as a small, melancholic smile came to her lips. You sent her one back, upon meeting her stare with a simple raise of your chin, and after a silent moment that consisted of the two of you keeping your focuses interconnected, you flicked your eyes down and stiffly shrugged, while you pressed your lips together shyly and moved one of your arms away from her waist to pluck at the fabric of her flannel. "I guess all we can really do is make the most of it, though, right?"

At your attempt to keep the atmosphere light, Shauna let out a quiet huff through her nose, before she lifted a hand to rub at your bicep and stared towards the trees, content to just watch the forest while she kept you secure in her own protective embrace. 

"Right," she muttered. 

[ryuichirou]

Who would bathe with their lover and who wouldn’t? If they would, would they prefer baths, bubble baths, or showers?

I wanted to start by saying that I really appreciate everyone’s supportive messages, thank you for your asks! I’ll get to them later, I need some breathing time.

And thank you, Anon, for this ask as well! It’s kind of perfect for today because I wanted to talk about something more lighthearted and fun. Sorry for making you wait, as always.

What I learned while writing this post is that I can picture pretty much everyone in a bathtub with their lover lol I should keep in mind that “would” and “should” are different things, aaah…!! How come I never draw this kind of scenario..? Anyways!

Riddle – I think this is a secret wish of his that is so secret that even he isn’t quite aware of it. Vulnerability, comfort, relaxation – all of those things would be very good for Riddle! Plus, he never normally has bubble baths, and he would probably be very cutely excited about it. But if you asked him, he would be against it – sounds like a waste of time and water to him, not to mention how inappropriate it is.

Ace – he finds the idea too embarrassing, but he still might end up sharing a bubble bath with certain someone at some point… while complaining about how lame it is and also blushing lol In general though, I think he would prefer to do it in a shower.

Deuce – he would be even more embarrassed than Ace because he never imagined himself in a “bathing with someone” scenario. He would also prefer to do it in a shower, but he would still be super embarrassed the entire time. I think he and Ace are the type of boys to stand together awkwardly until someone (usually Ace) acknowledges the elephant in the room.

Trey – he would, and he probably fantasises about having a bath with Riddle. But he is more into the whole washing routine than in lying in a bubble bath, cuddling and playing in the water… Trey would rub his back, wash his hair, maybe even clean his ears, maybe even… brush… teet-

Cater – he loves the idea, so in theory, he would! He finds it romantic, hot, fun And surprisingly magicammable; even though when he does take a picture, he probably is going to feel like he wants to keep those private… for a couple of weeks, and then he’ll add them to one of his “what I did this month” compilations~

Leona – kinda? He wouldn’t mind if his lover washed him, I think. He would fall asleep in a bathtub while getting his back rubbed and ears massaged, but whenever he would wake up, he would complain about this thing (a bathtub, it’s called a bathtub) being too small for two of them, and how this was a stupid idea.

Ruggie – he would also consider it a waste of time and water, but if he is getting paid to wash someone- Ruggie, this isn’t about you and your lover anymore! Anyways. I think he wouldn’t mind having a quickie in a shower because this is actually both fun and efficient!

Jack – another one who is too embarrassed, but also he probably would feel kind of claustrophobic in a bathtub with someone else. He should do it though, imagine him getting comments about his tail looking 5 times less floofy when its wet omg. In general though, I think he is a part of the shower squad. It’s too easy to picture him with Deuce after their club activities…

Azul – weirdly, I think he would, but he needs to be very close with that person. I think despite always doing 1000 things at once and having a lot of plans, Azul enjoys long baths, and it’s kind of his “me” time that he treasures. But he would also share it with Idia, for example… he would actually force Idia into doing something like this once lol

Jade – both of the tweels prefer pools because staying in water for a long time without actually swimming feels very weird, and with Jade specifically, I think he isn’t super into bathing with someone. He wouldn’t mind sitting by the bathtub and taking care of someone for shits and giggles, pretending to be a butler of sorts you know, but this would probably just a part of the bigger game Jade would be playing in his head.

Floyd – like I already said, he prefers something bigger and comfier than a bathtub (for his subjective eel self), but unlike Jade, I can picture Floyd sharing a bathtub with someone more easily. I think he would be more into all the stuff that comes with it: bubbles, a ducky toy… He would be more into the bath itself than into his partner, wouldn’t he? I guess that defeats the purpose lol He would also splash around so much that his partner (very likely Riddle) would start yelling at him, and then Floyd would get some soap in his eye and it will sour his mood forever because it hurts… Doesn’t sound like a fun time for some reason wow

Kalim – technically, he’s been doing it all the time ever since he was a kid! Jamil very often accompanies him whenever he takes a bath and, of course, does a lot of back rubbing, hair washing and other stuff for him. They don’t do it as often as they used to nowadays, but Kalim loves it whenever they get to do it: he always considered bathing together to be like a playtime, but at the same time, cherished moments together with your favourite person.

Jamil – while he probably shares soooome small percentage of nostalgia for this kind of thing, for the majority of time he considers this to be another manifestation of their unequal status, which is ironic because this is the opposite to how Kalim feels about them bathing together. He also loves his own privacy, so in theory he would say “NO”  to something like this. But let’s be honest, it’s very deeply engraved in his brain… he would.

Vil – would on a rare occasion whenever he wants to treat himself and his lover. Bath salts, candles, quiet music, sparkling wine; he would put a lot of effort in creating a perfect atmosphere for relaxing with his man. He knows it’s cliché and he knows it’s cheesy, but sometimes a thing becomes a cliché because it genuinely makes you feel good, okay?

Rook – of course he would. It’s not his go-to usually, but he would never refuse an invitation + he prepared a couple of bubbly baths for this exact purpose in his life. Sometimes he creates bath bombs and different kinds of salts during his science club activities; because you know this is exactly what the rest of the science club members need: to hear him singing about how he is about to take a bath with Vil or something.

Epel – I think he would refuse because he would consider it embarrassing (wow, are all freshmen too shy to take a bubble bath with someone?), buuut once he’s in, he’s in! He’ll pout for exactly 5 seconds, and then he’ll get super into it and start splashing around and giggling. Who are you trying to fool, Epel? You’re clearly into this lol

Idia – wouldn’t; it sounds like a nightmare to him. He doesn’t like spending more than ~a minute for anything shower-related anyways, god bless super powerful S.T.Y.X. showers! And standing/sitting there with his naked boney ass with someone else..? This is just the worst case scenario. Who does he think he is, a BL protag? A romcom hero? I will stop this rant because otherwise the rest of the post will just be Idia’s 1000 reasons to never bathe or take shower with someone. Azul doesn’t agree with you, Idia.

Ortho – he would and he really really really really wants to!! He is working on a gear that is perfect for that! But if we’re talking about real!Ortho, the answer is still yes: he is nostalgic about the time he used to take baths with Idia together and they spent over an hour playing with mecha toys and ships and stuff. He will use this nostalgia talk to pressure Idia into doing it with him again, even though this time he clearly isn’t interested in sinking little robots and plastic ships.

Lilia – another person with a nostalgia… even though bathing with a loved one isn’t really his style, he would still get super excited about bubble baths. He would add so much of this stuff that there would be not a single centimeter of space that is not covered in bubbles. Everything will be so foamy and white and sweet smelling, and his lover won’t be able to find Lilia… Only if he listens to where his laughter is coming from very carefully… It’s hard to tell whether it’s a romantic thing for Lilia or is he just being childish at this point.

Silver – in theory he would, but he would get concerned that he’ll fall asleep. He doesn’t like long baths because they always make him very drowsy. This is why he would probably prefer a shower, but a short and cold one to keep himself awake, so… um… not very romantic? I guess he needs another person to guide him and wake him up from time to time for this to work.

Sebek – aaaand another freshman that is way too embarrassed to even think about it, but this one is so embarrassed that he’d get ANGRY if someone even suggested this! Of course, he did share a shower with Silver a couple of times, but there was nothing sexual going on! And this 100% isn’t some kind of cope because he kept staring at him..! Jokes aside, I think he would do it if he was really into someone, because he finds water a very pleasant addition to an already pleasant thing. And of COURSE if Malleus invites him to do something like this, he would die of happiness and agree immediately; this isn’t even a question.

Malleus – I think he would enjoy something similar to what Vil is doing, but he wouldn’t prepare it himself. He prefers to just waltz in and see how his lover already did everything: the bath, the water, the salts, the bubbles, the music, the refreshments, all those things. But also, even though Malleus is a spoiled prince, he doesn’t necessarily need all those bells and whistles – just plain water with nothing else but his lover’s body would suffice because what he really craves is bonding and intimacy. He has some precious memories of being with Lilia like this, but it was a looong time ago. Nowadays Lilia just says that both of them wouldn’t fit in a tub… Then fill a pool with bubbles, Lilia.

[adastra121]

“The show doesn’t tend to end well for a magician whose secrets are revealed.”

Template from @redspringstudio. Full image of syndicate Alon below:

I also made their wanted poster for fun! XD

Other MC Character Lore:

Mourning Mist (Luneth the Reluctant Unnamed)

[askfallenroyalty]

Not that I needed a NEW project to work on but... Here's my Underfell take. Let's see where this goes.

[beepawz]

I’m working on an actual plot and story ideas now. I’m sick atm so it may be slow tho. (Read tags for more info)

First Set

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF PRIORITY: SUR'KESH

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex With: Lt. Steve Cortez, Dr. Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe, and Urdnot Bakara And a Special Guest Appearance by: Adm. Steven Hackett Alliance R&D has officially begun construction on the Prothean device. The team has dubbed it: "Project Crucible". We're throwing everybody who knows how to throw a hammer at it. This is gonna be the most ambitious undertaking in human history. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge- but we can do this, Shepard. You can do this. Never doubt that. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

+BONUS (the smirk™️)

[quietwingsinthesky]

Prompt: the archangelcule celebrating Jack's birthday 🙏

Lucifer runs himself ragged all week getting the party set up (and despite the fact that he’s done this for Jack every time he needs it since he came back into Michael’s life, it still leaves Michael surprised and wondering what happened to the boy who only knew how to bite the hand that fed when Michael abandoned him, when did he learn to be gentle and reliable, why did Michael waste all this time not seeing him?) to the point that he looks like he might fall asleep in front of the birthday cake before Raphael nudges him with their elbow, and he wakes up to sing.

They sing quietly — loud noises hurt Jack’s ears, one of many little oddities, but they rearrange their lives around his needs: no vacuuming unless he’s out of the house and no yelling from room to room — while Jack looks like he’s about to jump right out of his seat with how much he wants to blow out the candles. Gabriel scoops him up in one arm after, lets Jack’s tiny hand curl around the handle of the (dull!) cake knife while his lays over it to guide him, and helps him to cut pieces for them all himself.

(birthday 3 sentence ficathon! come toss a prompt!)

[yesyourstalker]

Makeup artist:.......... Are you nervous?

Baja: a little bit.... This isn't like in front of a studio audience right

Makeup artist: No sweetie, it's just a one-on-one interview.

Baja: that's good. Who are we interviewing?

Makeup artist: You're going to have to ask the show-runner, Mickey.

Mickey: let's go. Let's go. Let's go what takes so long putting powder on a face. He has perfect skin anyway. We had to get him to the dressing room. We start filming in a couple minutes

Makeup artist: I'm finished. Just need to map down some scales and he's...... All done. You're free to go sweetie

Baja: thank you

Mickey: So you must be then host of the show. Sorry I wasn't able to meet you sooner. I was on vacation. Oshi told me you're a really good candidate for this show. You seem to be competent you know your way around music....*sip* ..... Coffee?

Baja: I don't really drink that much coffee. I like tea though

Mickey: Green tea! *Snap*. .*snap*

Assistant: your green tea

Baja: thank you

Mickey: Well I know one thing for sure. She was right about the pretty face. Now as you get dressed head to the studio so we start filming promotional material Ramon should be there with you. After your interview which will count as the pilot

Tammy: Mickey listen I really think you should reconsider about not casting me for the show

Mickey: No....*sip*

Tammy: but I really think you should I mean I can at least be co-host. I'm great to be around! Tell him, baba

Baja: it's Baja

Mickey: No, we need to bring up the sea slug viewership

Tammy: I can be the second co-host

Mickey:....*sigh*...... Tammy listen to me. You didn't get the job all right. You just don't fit the criteria we need for this show and this channel. But hey you have other opportunities for other networks alright. You're pretty, you're bubbly and you have a nice rack. You can get a job anywhere with those qualities around here.... You're just not going to find it at this station

Tammy: but-

Mickey: goooooood byyyyyyyyyyyyyeeee Tammy!!

Security guard: Right this way ma'am

Tammy: Mickey!!! I'll have your fucking job!!

Mickey: we'll see you next week Tammy we're filming the season finale

Baja: she seemed pretty upset

Mickey: eh she'll get over it ... She's been in a couple of shows here and there on the network. She plays Kate the baby sitter on 'dock and dingy' ......*sip* ..... She'll be fine. Here Is your dressing room your clothes should be folded

Baja: alright... and I just head to set after

Mickey: yep your's and Ramon's chairs will be the brown arm chairs. The musician or celebrity will be sitting on the loveseat and will perform on the stage behind you

Baja: they're going to perform?

Mickey: yeah.. yeah they're starting their Solo career

_______________________________________________

Ramon: hey... You look good. They spruced up your wardrobe too

Baja: yeah. I wonder if we're able to take this home with us

Ramon: probably. I think it'd be easier just to keep in our dressing rooms for now. Keep our work clothes separate from our regular clothes. Feels like bad energy to mix them together.

Baja: how so?

Ramon: I mean this nice brand name stuff fancy designs, colors and a hefty price on it. It's nice but it isn't really me. It's what the studio and the producers want me to be and I rather keep that at work when. I go home I wear my regular off-brand jeans, my 8-year-old sweater and a pair of kicks with a hole in it. That's me. That's who I am. A regular person, I'm not above anyone and I don't want to feel like I am. Get what I'm saying

Baja: yeah... I get it. You don't want the job to change you

Ramon: exactly

Mickey: All right! Hitch you got the shot?

Hitch: Yeah I got it. We can use this for commercials

Baja: you were filming?

Mickey: Yeah yeah no worries. We just wanted to film you guys interacting. We didn't tell you cuz we wanted to look natural.

Hitch: we didn't have any mics on so we couldn't hear what you were saying so don't worry about it. I'm the director by the way names Hitch. Nice to meet you..

Baja: hello

Ramon: hey

Mickey: alright so we're going to start filming the show in 30 minutes. Kikura is their dressing room.

Ramon: Kikura from C-side?

Mickey: yeah

Kikura: sorry I'm late.. I tend to procrastinate when I'm getting ready for these types of things...... Not a good excuse but... yeah

Mick: Well that's perfectly fine. We'll be filming in a couple minutes this is Ramon and this is Baja. They're going to be the ones interviewing you

Kikura: hey

Hitch: while we wait for that, let's do some more advertisements

______________________________________________

Assistant: alright..... Advertisement 2 take one...[clap]

Baja: Hi my name is baja and I'm the new host of the inklab's new show 'music at midnight'.... Me and my new co-host Ramon

Ramon: sup

Baja: we're going to be interviewing musicians from all walks of life

Ramon: and different genres.

Baja: We're going to have nice conversations getting to know them, telling us some really cool stories.

Ramon: a show airs Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. can't wait to see you there!

Hitch: CUT!.... Great! We're going to do some more editing and maybe some reshoots on that but here is your intro You're going to do this during every episode you introduce yourself. You tell them what show they're watching and then you tell the current news what's going on in the music world..... You're also going to have to do that when you start writing articles for the blog, but we'll get to that later. ... Here's the monologue script. If you want to go off script feel free... Go over it, memorize We'll film in 15...... Oshi! Good to see you..*mwah mwah* how are you baby

Oshi: Hitch! Hope everything is going well I just wanted to check in on everyone

Hitch: yes... You're going to start filming soon so have a seat....(Pat...Pat)

Oshi: alright..... I'm getting a call.....*ugh*..............[inhale].....[exhale]...... Hi Shimi! How are you doing dear?... Are you having fun on the farm? I saw some pictures warabie posted on squidder. You look cute riding the tracker hehhe....... Well you only have one week left honey..... yes I've enjoyed my break..... The church? If that works for you honey I guess it gives you a purpose.........*sigh*...(Eye roll)....acting is also your purpose I know...how's warabie is he having fun?......well tell him to try to enjoy himself..............yes ...... alright good bye hun.............

_______________________________________________

Shimi: hm.....

Merv: Shimi it's your turn to take the manatees out to graze, take your son with you. Noiji start up the tractor I need you to harvest the octoberries, ikkan pack up squidmelons and head into town. Koi would you help me harvest some of the squid lemons

Koi-koi: I'd love to

Merv: Cirrina sweetheart you said you're going into the city for a school project?

Cirrina: Yeah just for 2 hours. When I get back I'll feed the krill and clean out their coop

Merv: All right, be safe

Shimi: warabie help me load up the manatees

Warabie: yeah..... What were you calling Mom about?

Shimi: It's none of your concern she didn't let me talk anyway............

Warabie:... All right, the manatees are in (bump...bump).....

Shimi: alright...................

Warabie:............so what's mom up to at home?

Shimi: she's working on project O.E.T network

Warabie: that's nice she's been working on that for years

Shimi: *humpf*.... We've been working on for years.... Typical of her to go behind my back and do things without my permission or opinion

Warabie:...... Oooookkkaaay...........hm.................hey mahi

_______________________________________________

Mahi: hey dude

Warabie: what's going on at home?

Mahi: nothing much. Baja got a new job...... stop!........ Yeah, he's going to be on TV now. That's pretty neat

Warabie: tv?!

Mahi: some talk show.... Midnight music...... Music at midnight something.....neta stop spawn camping!

Neta: I'm not spawn camping

Warabie: he got the job!? How did he get the job?!

Mahi: I don't know, I really haven't had time to talk to him. He's been in and out of the apartment for like days now..... cod damn it!.... Let me leave the base at least...... fuck!

Neta:hehehehehehehe... I'm sorry .hehehe

Mahi: sorry... Neta's being an asshole...uhhhhh...Baja honestly hasn't been here and when he is here he's just there to get dressed and then leave.

Warabie:*sigh*....... good for him... Guess he's going to be the new breadwinner

Mahi: hey so when are you coming home?

Warabie: end of the week I should be home

Mahi: great apartments too quiet and-Neta!

Neta: what?! What am I doing wrong? I'm just playing the game. It's not my fault you always end up in my range of sight. Get good at the game

Mahi:*huff*... Can you come home faster? I miss you

Warabie: aww I miss you too mahi.. I honestly want to go home too. This place sucks ......I'm tired of scooping Manatee shit and hauling crates of squidmatoes

Neta: ask him the question

Mahi: *ugh*........are you able to bring home fresh produce and milk

Warabie: I....... I'm going to have to ask ikkan's dad that

Shimi: we're here unload the manatees

Warabie: I got to go.... text you later..........

Mahi: bye..... I'm not playing with you anymore! I'm done with this game....

Neta: One more round. I want to get a gold badge on this weapon I'm two games away. You can be on my team this time

_______________________________________________

Cirrina: .......this must be the address..........(Knock knock)

Bayou: Cirrina! You showed up!

Cirrina: yeah....hehehe sorry if I'm a little early ...

Bayou: no worries. Come in, come in you can use your shoes on the shelf right here. So what do you want to know about krillarney?

Cirrina: I'm just you know the origins and the history of krillarney...... You lived on the surface for most of your life, right? Is that true for most octolings here?

Bayou: yeah... Most of us here spent their whole lives on the surface though there are some who moved here who previously lived underground

Cirrina: Interesting......so... And did your family move here?

Bayou:...... I think you might get more information from my nan.... Nana!!....... You remember my Nana. from church?

Nana: yes!? Bayou? What is it love?.....oh... Dear the little girl from church. Nice to see you again sweetie

Cirrina: hello..

Bayou: Nan do you mind if she asks you a few questions?

Nana: I have no problems sweetie

Cirrina: It's just a couple questions .. . I'm doing a five-page essay on octarian history in other countries

Nana: wasn't that nice? Well what do you want to know dear?

Cirrina: uhhhh .... When did you move here

Nana: oh I have no idea sweetie It's been years...... The war started when I was around......10 of 11 years old. I lived with my two sisters in a small village My mother was a School teacher and my father passed away years ago.

Cirrina: *writing*

Nana at the time my village was not affected by the high tides but it was targeted with conflict over land and resources. Next thing you know, I was being drafted for the war along with my two sisters. They just turned 13. They never held a weapon before. My mother couldn't even imagine them going to war, it was only after the first bomb we decided to leave. We had to leave quickly so we weren't able to bring a lot. All we had to pack was whatever we could fit in our backpacks. I packed two dresses, pair of pants, three shirts and one skirt. I also packed my Adva doll she's the only toy I played with for years.

Cirrina: *writing*

Nana: My mother was good friends with a man who moved to our village before the war happened. He was a nice inkling man Mr. Doal he offered to help us leave. His son got drafted and passed away early in the midst of combat. He told us about a developing sovereign country called krillarney that was currently taking in anyone and everyone across the world who wanted to get away from the war

Cirrina: *write*..... So how did you get to krillarney

Nana: we were informed that there were fairies and ships offering to help people leave. We set our trip in the middle of the night and met up with Mr. Dole and other people who wanted to leave as well. The walk was 3 hours straight. No brakes, no rest until we made it to the coast and we got onto a ship. It was a squid beak ship if I remember, The S. S. Escargot. We sailed for a week to krillarney making several stops picking others in similar situations.

Cirrina: was it just inkfish who were escaping?

Nana: oh no there were so many people from so many walks of life on the ship. Urchins, fish, cephalopods, Crustaceans. So many were affected by this war. I remember seeing some still wearing their military uniforms. It was their only chance to leave and they took it

Cirrina: when you got to krillarney what was it like? Was different from how it is today.

Nana: Well I can tell you one thing we didn't have these malls, outlets or a nice studio apartment like I have now hehehe. .... When I first got here My mother could only afford a nice small house with two bedrooms. Our neighbor was young octoling and his wife was a bass. They were enlisted in the military for years. When the war started they were completely against it. They were planning on having kids at the time they couldn't do that if they were at war. Unfortunately they weren't able to have kids but they watched me and my sister so many times that they kind of saw us as their kids hehehe

Cirrina: *writing*...... Do you ever think about your old village? What happened to it?

Nana:............. Well....um..... Like I said at the time the high tides didn't affect my home but.............. Soon enough it was............. Everything was wiped out and everyone......... From what I know now....... The water levels have subsided and it is inhabitable but............ I just never went back. Everything I know about that place is gone. My home my toys.....some of my old friends

Cirrina:.... I'm sorry.......

Nana: it's alright love

Cirrina: ....... I think I asked enough questions

Nana: are you sure? I could tell you more

Cirrina: oh that's ok really.... I have enough to write my paper. I have to get home to do my chores

Bayou: alright..... Do you want me to walk you to the fairy dock?

Cirrina: (blush).... well........ok...

Bayou: great..... I'll be right back Nana

Nana: Come back safe

Cirrina:..........................

Bayou:...........................

Cirrina:..................

Bayou:..............you know we have tons of historical sites here if you ever want to check them out..... Add some photos for extra credit

Cirrina: that would be nice but I really need to get home

Bayou: we don't have to do it today.

Cirrina: I leave at the end of the week

Bayou: Well you can plan something for this week maybe Tomorrow maybe?....

Cirrina: I can see.... Yeah I think tomorrow would be good yeah..

Bayou: All right so why don't we meet up here again at 2:00 and I can take you to the lighthouse, The bridge of new beginnings and I can even take you to the museum

Cirrina: Great! It's a date! I mean....uh... No! It's not a date..... it's a day out....an outing yeah it's it's it's an outing we're going out......for the day! We're going out for the day

Bayou:..heheheheheh... Here's my number....... I'll text you tomorrow. See ya Cirrina!

Cirrina: bye..hehehehehe........*sigh*..........

_______________________________________________

Assistant director: 'music at midnight'.... Introduction take three!.....(CLAP)

Hitch:go!

Baja: welcome, welcome! Welcome my name is Baja! And this is my co-host Ramon

Ramon: hey!

Baja: I'm very excited to say that this is the first episode of our very new show called 'music at midnight'. What is music at midnight? Well as the names in the title says we're going to be talking about music and it's going to be airing during midnight.

Roman: yep so while we sit here and talk and do interviews. You're going to be sitting on your couch or in your bed and your nice warm jammies.....

Baja: I wish we could wear pajamas

Ramon: Right? We should ask the exacts for a pajama day

Baja: hahahaha...(CLAP)..... All right, let's get started.... Today's music news....... But before we do that, who's who's with us today

Ramon: today we have Kikura sitting in our guest seat

Kikura: hey everyone

Baja: so we Kikura here today and there the guitarist for the band c-side and she's a part of another group riot act.....now Kikura is it true that riot act actually came before the band C-side?

Kikura: uh....oh my cod.......uh wow..... Yeah actually that is true. It did come before C-side... Technically yes but at the time it was not called riot act.... It was actually called 'no boys allowed' uhhehe.... We were in high school that was our original band.... We were in an all-girls school. We were just a couple of weird kids just screwing around... We were all in theater together and we used to hang out under the bleachers and I don't remember who mentioned it but one of us said "wouldn't be funny if we started a band and we had no idea how to play the instruments"....and heh That's how it really started

Baja: it started out as a bit?

Kikura: Yeah it started out as a bit. We started to borrow instruments from The music room and we started to play, used to write music together like we had our own group chat and everything ... It started to get serious during second year of school. It started out as a joke and then just kind of started to really get into it and we really just stopped seeing it as a joke and started seeing it as more of a hobby and soon after we started to book gigs, shows and sets in people's basements. It just kind of took off after that.

Ramon: so what made you join C-side?

Kikura: so C-side started after I met Beika it was a small underground club. He recognized me from my band and he was really excited to see me! He told me that he was a bass player and his old roommate was a drummer and they needed a guitar player. He had a couple songs that he's written and he wanted my opinion on it. He wanted to see if I was able to do a demo track for him.

Baja: *nods*

Kikura: a couple weeks of talking I went to the studio and I met Uotora... He's such a sweetheart oh my cod.... We did rewrites and we wrote some more music. We did some test tracks and 5 hours later I was officially a part of the band...

Baja: what was your first concert like.... You played in sesame hall as the opener for wet floor

Kikura: I was surprisingly calm during the whole show. Really thought I was going to panic and freeze up because this is the first actual concert like a concert concert like it wasn't just a group of people hehehe in a backyard. I remember the crowd wasn't that enthusiastic when we came up but after playing 'click bate' people really just started to really get into it and we just formed a fan base after that.

Ramon: are you still a part of that band? After you released your new album with riot act

Kikura: oh yeah definitely. I'm still a part of the band I'm not going anywhere. This ain't that kind of band. Do we treat each other with respect...hehehe...hm... But no this is just a side project. We all just started talking again and it's just a passion project we're just doing really

Baja: and speaking of passion projects, let's get to the news....Nami one of the members of beloved yet controversial bands front roe has enough that branching off and starting a solo career. Today on Inkstagram she announced that she's working on a new album and writing her own songs she even took a selfie of herself in the studio showing in the recording booth.

Ramon: I think nami's very underrated in the band. It's good to see she's getting out there

Kikura: I'm so happy that she is. I only met her two times. It was during the black square music festival and the seashore awards she is so nice, she's so kind and so pretty. We were talking and I brought up keeping my music in a notebook and she did the same thing too. She has several notebooks of music that she really wants to make but it doesn't really fit the sound of 'squid squad'..... Well I guess it's front roe now but she's kept those book for years... I truly hope she's putting those to good use

Baja: You know this actually isn't her first solo work. She worked on a soundtrack for 'high-rise falling 4'. It was a video game for the gamer boy x system.

Kikura: really?

Raman: Yeah I know that she composed background music for the menu and she also made The third boss Battle song. Man If they ever make the movie of high-rise falling

Baja: they are never going to make that movie.... It's always in production hell for years now

Kikura: I've only played the second and third game in that series, but I heard the movie is going to be starting off with The fifth installment and going backwards which doesn't make any sense

Hitch: what is high-rise falling? I don't know what that is. What are they talking about?

Oshi: It's just a game that these kids play. The audience will know what they're talking about

Ramon: they should bring her back for the movie. It would be really cool if she remixed her original tracks. I love that for him. I'm happy that she's making music. I'm really excited..... What else we have for the news

Baja: SashiMori are no longer doing fall tours or winter tours like they used to

Raman: oh?

Baja: So one of the members, Paul. He's no longer able to travel because he has school so they're going to have to do summer tours

Ramon: that makes sense.... I remember their last tour was during fall during spook fest. Everyone dressed up in costumes and during their last set, people were giving out candy.... Folks was handed a bucket before they got into the arena. it was good candy too like people were getting full size candy bars..... What type of candy do you like? I like gum.... You could never go wrong with gum..... Good flavor, good texture... And you can blow bubbles with it. What about you?

Baja: I enjoy chocolate... I love a good piece of chocolate..... Especially if it has a filling in it like marshmallow or something.....Kikura?

Kikura: I would say I'm a hard candy type of person.... I enjoy jawbreakers

Baja: really

Kikura: Yes, it lasts longer than most candies and..... Besides lollipops It is the only candy that is socially acceptable to take out of your mouth

Hitch: do we have any chocolate sponsors?

Oshi: no but I can get with the marketing team and see what we can do

[one hour of banter later]

Baja: Well folks that's our show! Thank you for being here for our first ever episode. The riot act album will be released on the 22 so make sure you check your local stores for it....now enjoy one of their debut songs 'No planned survivors'

[riot act performing in the back ground]

Mickey: what are the viewerships right now?

Assistant: Right now the viewerships are sitting at 89.4 million...and online..... only 20k views... But that number might rise in the next week

Mickey: [inhale].....[exhale]...... What do you estimate the viewership for ink lab plus?

Assistant: Well..... Judging from the viewership on TV and the viewership on the app we might be able to gain..................... 100 million first episode maybe even more...

Executive: I don't understand it! they talked about video games and then candy, went on a tangent about handbags and backpacks. How is this popular?! This is supposed to be about music and celebrities.

Oshi: Kids today aren't really all that interested in celebrities showing off their fancy cars, expensive clothes and lifestyle. They're bored at that and so are the newer artists. They just want to know who they are as a person....if knowing about their favorite candy and opinions on games keeps them engaged and interested in their music and our show I see no problem with it

Mickey: hmmmm.....

Hitch: I think we might need a meeting for this. I have an idea

Oshi: what's the idea

Hitch: we haven't had that much traction on the app for a while. instead of making a recorded video the next time we film we do a live stream and have the audience involved with the conversation

Mickey: I like that. Keeps the audience engaged and keeps the viewerships high. it saves money on editing

Hitch:......... These kids are going to make us a lot of money

_______________________________________________

Neta had 12 kills in one match and 6 of them were mahi

lmao fish was fighting for their life @fish-at-fish-fish-resort

[whysamwhy123]

HALLEJUAH!! I REMEMBERED HOW TO ACTUALLY FINISH WRITING SOMETHING FOR A CHANGE!!

Of course, it's not any of the fics I wanted to finish. I went back to what is essentially my bread-and-butter now and wrote a short-ish, random OrangeHook fluff. But considering how much writing's been a struggle as of late, I'm just glad that I successfully finished something. I was back in one of those stretches where I couldn't seem to write much of anything. And this fic isn't about their age difference or Hook being a cuddlebug, so...progress?

Unless I decide I completely hate it (which is always a possibility) expect something to drop on Valentine's Day, tis the season, after all.

[turtlemagnum]

thinking about how the people around me, particularly people i dont know anymore, impacted my fantasy setting. the raccoon people i added because of a friend who wanted to be a raccoon. goblins existing in the way that they do because of someone i still know who really likes a specific kind of goblin, and made me like them too. even minor things, like deciding that a character's eyes were gray because the person i was talking to also had gray eyes. there"s definitely a lot of me in there, but there's still little bits and pieces of others in there too