#also not based on nothing but I'm not about to give you pointers so other people can't tell you're a creep too

[feral-radfem]

Id treat 'em worse in person lol. Got nothing to do with being online 😂

[lucy90712]

English love affair- Fermin Lopez

A/n: yes this is loosely based on the 5sos song I remembered it existed recently and haven't stopped listening to it 

Fermin's POV

It's always fun getting to visit a new country especially to play football but I've never known somewhere to be as rainy as England or London specifically. It's done nothing but rain since we landed but still the boys insisted we go out and explore as we have some free time they quickly regretted it when our umbrellas all turned inside out in the wind so we all decided to just go and get some lunch and watch the busy London streets from somewhere dry. The place we ended up in because it was close was actually rather nice and it was quiet too with just a few other table none of which seemed to pay any mind to us which hopefully means they don't know who we are. 

Once we were sat down one of the other groups caught my eye it was a group of girls who looked around my age. It wasn't just the girls that caught my eye it was one of them in particular I don't know what it was about her but I couldn't take my eyes off her she isn't my usual type but she is just so strikingly beautiful it's hard not to admire her. As soon as I noticed her I didn't stop staring which I know is creepy but the way she smiled and laughed with her friends was just so mesmerising. Out of all places to meet such a beautiful girl a tiny restaurant in the middle of London is not what I expected but I'm not going to complain. 

"Hey are you still with us bro" gavi elbowed me 

"Yeah yeah" I replied not looking at him 

"What have we been talking about for the last 10 minutes then?" Pedri asked 

"The game" I guessed 

"You know it's creepy just to stare at that girl right" Joao said 

"I'm not staring" I lied finally taking my eyes off her 

"You so are" Pedri said 

"Has fermin found love at first sight" Gavi teased 

"Stop it guys she'll hear you" I whisper yelled at them 

"Surely you want her to hear us there's no point just staring at her if you don't say something you'll never see her again" Joao said 

His logic was sound I can't lie. There is no point admiring her from afar if I don't say anything I'll never see her again and if she rejects me well then I don't have to face her again which would hopefully make it easier to take. That makes it sound simple but it's not that straightforward I'm not the best at talking to girls I never know what to say like do I just introduce myself do I compliment them it's all so complicated and I never seen to get it right. Of course in this situation there is the added problem of the language barrier I speak English pretty well but I don't know if I know enough to have a conversation with her and sometimes accents complicate things. It's a lot to think about but there isn't really time to think about it as she could leave at any time and I need to have something to say. 

For the rest of lunch all the boys kept trying to give me pointers on what to say some of which were serious but most were jokes. They also tried to find her Instagram for me but they were entirely unsuccessful which didn't surprise me as we don't even know her name but they tried nonetheless. While they talked among themselves I noticed that she was finally getting up to leave and as if it was meant to be her friends all left her so I had no reason not to take my chance. I was going to get up and talk to her but the boys pushed me out of my seat before I could get up and told me not to come back until I'd spoken to her. I approached her as she turned to leave her table and we locked eyes for the first time and I nearly froze but I didn't I kept walking towards her. 

"Hi I'm Fermin sorry if this is too forward but I thought you were really pretty and wanted to introduce myself" I said 

"Thank you Fermin I'm y/n" she said 

"I know this seems a lot but I'm only here for a few days so would you want to go and get coffee or something as long as you're free" I said 

"That sounds great I have the rest of today off as long as you are available" she said 

"Great you might have to guide me on where to go if you couldn't tell I'm not from here" I joked 

"I have the perfect place to go" she said 

With that we left together and I texted the boys telling them I'll pay them back for my part of the bill later. As we walked wherever she wanted to go we got to know each other a bit more she told me that she was in fact my age and that she's still in university studying psychology but she's on a break which is why she's out with friends during the day. I told her a bit more about myself but I didn't tell her exactly why I was here because I want to get to know her more before I tell her that I play football because that can really change how girls act around me. I'd love to believe that she wouldn't be like that but you never know there's girls I've met before that I thought wouldn't be so obsessed with my career but they were although I do think y/n is different. 

She took us down a few backstreets before we reached this cafe which only had two other people in it which was perfect. As soon as we entered the lady running the place came over to ask y/n how her studying had been going and she offered us our drinks on the house but y/n insisted on paying. If I didn't already like her that interaction only confirmed my thought that she was just truly a lovely person and that's something I find really attractive in a girl. We sat in a quiet corner of the cafe and sipped our drinks but mostly we just didn't stop talking. I've never had such a connection with someone before, it sounds like such a cliche but we really got on like a house on fire instantly. She's really just perfect I've never found someone I love everything about from the moment I met them but that's how I feel with y/n, every good quality you would want she has she's kind, patient and not to mention absolutely beautiful. 

After finishing our drinks and getting to know each other we both had to leave I'm supposed to  eat with the team for dinner and she had to do some studying but luckily her place is on the way to my hotel so we got to walk together. However the walk wasn't very long and before I knew it we had to say goodbye. I didn't want this to be the last time we see each other so I just kind of blurred out that I'm here to play football and invited her to the game. Naturally she had a few questions but I answered them and she agreed to come to the game tomorrow which is how I got her number so I could text her all the details she would need. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Your POV

With my week off from uni I expected to see some friends and just unwind a bit but instead I ended up going out with a guy and not just any guy a Barcelona player who is playing a match in the champions league today and invited me to go. To say I'm nervous would be an understatement, I've never been to a football match before let alone been invited by a player so I have no idea what to expect. All I do know is that I'm really excited to see Fermin again he's such a nice guy and incredibly attractive plus we connected really well so it would've been a shame if we only saw each other once before he had to go back to Barcelona. 

Last night I did so much googling to learn as much about football and Fermin's team as possible I don't know how much I retained but I tried my best. Something I definitely did remember was that this was an important match for the team so they will really want to win and I really hope they do because I'd love to see Fermin happy. I also realised that football was a lot more popular than I thought as Barcelona had over 120 million followers on Instagram and Fermin had over 2 million. Knowing how popular Fermin and the team were did make me anxious because I have less than 50 followers and a private account which I'm fine with because I don't like the attention but I think Fermin is worth the possible complete change in my life. 

Time went by so quickly today before I knew it I was supposed to be getting ready to leave which meant deciding what to wear. The obvious choice would be a Barcelona shirt but I don't own one so I can't do that instead I just put on some blue jeans and a red top so I was close enough to wearing the Barcelona colours. I did some simple makeup and did my hair but that was all I had time for as I had to get to the stadium and find my seat before the start of the match. 

Getting to the stadium actually wasn't too bad but I got so lost trying to find my seat as Fermin didn't get me just any ticket he got me a vip ticket which meant I had a really good seat but it was hard to find the right entrance. Once I found my seat I was offered drinks and all sorts of other things but I just wanted to sit there as I was feeling really nervous all of a sudden. Everyone else in the vip section was very clearly either important people or wives/girlfriends of the players which made me feel a little out of place. Everyone had designer clothes on their hair done all nicely and perfect makeup and there I was in clothes I've owned for years with barely anything done to my appearance. Most of them were also speaking Spanish which I have a basic understanding of but I couldn't make out a word they were saying so I just kept to myself. 

The match was very intense which I think was made worse for me because I didn't really know what was going on but it ended up in a Barcelona win which really made me happy. All of the players celebrated in front of the fans before finally leaving the pitch which was my cue to find my way down to the locker room as Fermin told me to meet him down there after the game. I saw some of the other girls from my section of seats heading a certain way so I just followed them and luckily they were going the right way and I found where I needed to be. I text Fermin to tell him I was there whenever he was ready but seconds after I sent the text he was coming out the door with the biggest smile on his face which made me smile even more. He ran straight over to me and gave me a hug clearly still high on adrenaline but it loved it. As he pulled away he gave me a kiss on the cheek which made me blush so hard I probably looked like a clown. 

"Congrats you guys were so good out there" I said 

"Thank you did you enjoy the game?" He asked 

"Yeah it was a bit confusing but the atmosphere was amazing" I answered honestly 

"That just means I'll have to see you again and explain the rules" he smirked 

"I might need more than one lesson the offside rule seems a bit confusing" I joked 

"I wish I could spend more time with you but we leave tomorrow morning" he said 

"But if it's ok with you I'd love to walk you home so we can spend more time together" he added 

"I'd really like that" I said 

He had to go back to the team for a bit but he gave me a water bottle and an apple incase I was hungry which made me laugh but I appreciated him caring so much about me. He wasn't gone that long but when he came back a few of his teammates followed him so he introduced me to them quickly as they wanted to meet me. They were all so sweet that it actually made me even more sad that they were all leaving and this little fling or whatever it is I have with Fermin will be over. We are lucky to have a bit more time together even if it is just the walk back to my place I will take all the time I can get. 

Fermin took my hand and we walked back to my place together very slowly so we could have more time together. As we walked it became darker and colder outside until it started to rain which is very typically England it always rains at the worst times. I did bring an umbrella but that lasted less than a minute in the wind so we were getting soaked but I didn't care at all I'd stand out here forever if I was with Fermin. He seemed to feel the same as neither of us walked any quicker we just accepted the fact that we were going to get wet and it was worth it. Eventually we made to right outside my apartment building and it was time for us to say our final goodbyes and I can't lie I felt tears in my eyes. It feels somewhat stupid to be so attached to someone I just met but we just had an instant connection and I don't want to let it go just yet. 

"I can't believe how much I don't want to leave you right now" Fermin said 

"I really don't want you to leave either" I said 

"I know we are both busy but promise me that we will try and keep in contact and if it doesn't work then it doesn't work but I can't let you go like this" Fermin said 

"I promise I'm not going to give up on this" I said 

"Can I kiss you?" he asked 

All I did was nod which was enough for Fermin as he leant in and pressed his lips to mine. We were both freezing from the rain but I felt so much warmer when his lips met mine which told me that our connection as new as it is is very real. I've never felt like this when kissing anyone before let alone a first kiss which I think is the universes way of telling me that I've met someone special and to not give up on this without a fight. We kissed for a bit longer before we both pulled away and just stared at each other with our foreheads connected until we couldn't just stand there anymore. Fermin gave me one last kiss and promised he'd text me tomorrow before leaving to head back to his hotel leaving me to go inside and come to terms with all of the millions of feelings I had running through me.

~~~~~~~~~~

2 years later 

Just last week I submitted my dissertation and finished my degree it has been a hard few years but I'm proud of myself for doing it. The big changes in my life don't end there though as not only have I put a big part of my life behind me but I'm moving to a completely new country. Fermin and I have been together for nearly 2 years now and today is the day I finally move in with him in his place in Barcelona. The road to get here has been long but it all feels worth it Nke that I'm going to get to see him in person everyday not over the phone. 

Our relationship hasn't been normal in any way in fact our first date was over FaceTime and we started dating before we even had our first kiss as he asked me to be his girlfriend over FaceTime too. There has been lots of ups and downs and there has been times we have nearly broken up as we were so stressed with other things which affected our relationship but we made it. It feels like the hard part of our relationship is over and from now on I feel like it will be plain sailing. We have always had a special connection from the second we met but that really comes alive when we get to be together in person so getting to live together and be there for each other everyday is going to be so amazing. 

As much as I love Fermin with my whole heart deciding to move to Barcelona wasn't an easy decision. My whole life has always been in England like my friends and my family and I wasn't sure if I was ready to let go of all that and completely start my new life. Fermin was so supportive as well as I made my decision he told me if I needed to move back home for a bit longer to find myself outside of education then he would support that. Ultimately I decided that it was time for me to take the leap and discover who I am with him as I want him to always be part of my life so we decided we'd move in together which it some might seem risky but we know each other so well that neither of us thought it would be a problem. 

Preparing to move has been quite stressful as I've been shipping my things to Fermin so that I only have to bring some things with me on the plane but now I'm ready to go all I feel is excitement. Sitting on the plane sending my last text to Fermin before I land and we get to be together forever felt amazing but strange at the same time the long distance chapter of our relationship is finally coming to an end. The entirety of the flight all I thought about was all the things we can finally do now that we get to spend more time together like we can go on weekend trips if he has time off or spontaneous midweek dates and even just the things regular couples do together. 

Coming through the doors into the arrivals area Fermin was waiting there for me, he spotted me in seconds and we just ran towards each other. His arms wrapped around my waist as he engulfed me in the tightest hug I've ever experienced he held me so tight that he lifted my feet off the floor which he took to his advantage and spun me round. Once he finally put me down his lips were attached to mine almost instantly and we shared what I think was the best kiss we've ever had. 

"I'm so glad you're finally here and our lives together can finally begin" he said 

"I can't wait to see what the future holds" I said  

[lassieposting]

So like, Poppy Playtime is one of those things that I enjoy watching whenever a new section drops, but don't usually get particularly invested in, but if there's one thing guaranteed to give me brainrot, it's a codependent friendship between a deeply damaged, morally questionable killer and a lonely, mixed-up kid who idolises him. So naturally Chapter 3 has me in my feelings about the Prototype and Theodore Grambell.

And that got me thinking in general, which gave me a theory.

The Prototype - or, at least, whoever became the Prototype - had a military background.

If you think about it, the Prototype's skillset - while horrifying in an escaped monster on the rampage - would be an asset in a soldier, and more than once we see him use abilities that would probably be best explained by military training.

We know he's tech-savvy, mechanically skilled and good at improvising under pressure and time limits: he strips down an alarm clock in his cell - which he'd have to do quickly, because he's under constant surveillance - and makes a laser pointer from its parts to disable the cameras. These seem like skills that would benefit a soldier, who would be familiar with stripping his equipment - his gun, for example - down to parts to clean and reassemble them, and who might need to know how to fix a vehicle or a radio or use improvised parts in an escape from hostile territory.

Based on the fact that he's appeared unexpectedly multiple times now to claim the bodies of dead and dying mascots at exactly the right time, it's likely that he's been tracking the Player - silently and without being seen - since they entered the facility. He's doing recon, watching to see what the Player does, what their goals are, whether he needs to worry about them, and whether or how he can use them to his own benefit.

He can stay silent under torture. The tapes confirm that Sawyer continued experimenting on him even post-transformation, and the Prototype's description of these sessions makes it clear that there is nothing ethical or humane about them: "You stick us...beat us...tear at flesh." But Sawyer himself confirms that - other than snarking at him on that one tape we see - the Prototype has been silent, stubborn and uncooperative throughout. Soldiers can undergo Resistance to Interrogation training to teach them to cope with torture tactics; the only thing they're allowed to reveal is their name, rank and ID number. If the Prototype has already had this kind of training, it would make a lot more sense why he's able to keep silent when most people, adult or no, would be desperately cooperating and begging for mercy.

He's fiercely intelligent, excels at manipulating situations to his advantage, and is shown in Project Playtime to be capable of marshalling and directing the other fight-capable mascots. He's also a creative, ruthless tactician who seems to favour surprise attacks - the Hour of Joy works because it takes the entire facility unawares. The escape attempt where he hides from the camera relies on the security specialists panicking at his having vanished in a matter of seconds and rushing to do damage control, forgetting the camera has a blind spot. This thing is a strategist, and he's good at it.

Now, from what I've seen, it seems to be a popular theory that the Prototype was created from Elliot Ludwig. I'm not sure whether I really buy into that, but if it were true, it would actually work well with this little theory of mine.

We know that Ludwig was a young adult - probably in his 20s and 30s - in the 1930s and 1940s. He's old enough to have gotten married and to get divorced, and to have started his own company.

And where were all the 20- and 30-something men of America during the 1930s and 40s?

Conscripted. Fighting World War II.

So if he was created from Ludwig, or from any adult in Ludwig's age bracket, it is very likely that this is not the Prototype's first ugly war. Playtime Co are not the first monsters he's ever seen doing horrific human experimentation on captives and trying to cover it up. He'd have seen it all before, and he'd know there would be no stopping any of it without collateral damage. So when he gets his opportunity - the Hour of Joy - he's ruthless about it. He wipes out every human in the Playtime factory. If he fought in one of the major wars of the 20th century - WWII, Vietnam, etc, depending on the age of whoever was used - that would also explain why he goes to that extreme. Plenty of guilty, awful people escaped justice after those major conflicts, and he doesn't want that for the Playtime scientists. He'd rather massacre every employee, whether or not they knew about the experiments, than risk one who deserves death getting away.

idk I just think that whole idea makes his behaviour and motivations make a lot more sense

[shiraishi--kanade]

Okay I want to clarify smth with my (fairly poor) understanding & revision & not as much emotion:

- Fan translations of events that have already ended will (most likely) be fine. It's both stated directly that the rules and it's also because after the event is done sega compiles it and puts in on YT themselves, so it's no longer "exclusive". As far as copyright is concerned that's open access.

> UNLESS EnSekai team will want to do something about those. Which I doubt they will because EnSekai just doesn't care one bit about anything. And if they wanted to they'd already start doing it, because pre-global release fan translations of main stories & very early events are still around.

> I do see the tl teams putting translations on hold before the end of the event just to be safe though. It depends, but it's likely that the "reading the episodes as soon as the team is done translating" won't be a thing anymore.

> On that note please do remember that sega can do whatever they want forever & nobody can stop them so if they decide that fan tl is not okay one day (a similar thing has happened before with Enstars) we can do nothing about it. My point about media preservation stands.

- What won't be fine is people posting snippets of the current event stories with more than 5 lines and side stories (I'm not sure if it's about current ones or like just in general). It was already not okay tbh, we've just been reminded about it, so it's reasonably to assume they're going to double down on that.

- I still maintain the position that it's not a coincidence it's happening now.

- That said it's also definitely in retaliation to people posting a lot and carelessly about the recent Connect Live, which is meant to be an exclusive paywalled event (as stupid as I think it is). Sega gives a lot of fuck about those & it's not news.

- The prohibition on posting the MVs is just full of shit lol how do you base your game around getting costumes and then... Not let people show off their costumes... Are you stupid. This is stupid. Thousand hammers for you.

> This is also probably a pointer into fixed camera mvs being not okay in Sega's eyes but we'll see.

- In general I think these rules are just shitty. Some of them are very obvious like people blogging about connect lives on twt did it to themselves. But if you want to avoid major spoilers you can... Not go on an app where you can see spoilers...? It's not that difficult.

> I can't say about other media platforms but tumbrl will probably be fine even if you post like 30 screenshots from the ongoing event, because tumbrl staff generally couldn't care less. They can copyright you but tumbrl doesn't remove text posts as a general rule and they're just. Bad at banning people. I think if you want to discuss the current event while it's running tumbrl will be your best bet still (sans like, discord & messenger apps)

- It's hard to say where Sekaibest is right now. They technically do break the rules but you'd have to purposely search out & press buttons to get the spoilers, so that excuse doesn't fly. Card side stories rule? Who knows at this point.

[eldritch-spouse]

I have a nitty gritty question that leans into your world building!

Are your named OCs the main/only employees at the Eye? I’m thinking that occasionally you write fics where somebody goes on holiday, or the employees are messing around in the break room.

What are the opening hours like at the Eye? If Gallon isn’t serving the bar, is somebody else? Does he leave it to the bobbles? Are the bobbles All trained enough to run the place when employees step out? (Other floors included)

Like if there’s two bars at the eye now, does that mean a new bar tender is required?

Do employees have rooms at the eye the can stay in when they’re off or do they always go home when their shifts are done. How do they go home if the building is transporting around the world on the regular?

[Hoo boy, this is long.]

Lore questions

Are the "named ones" the only employees?

Yes. I've left things open ended enough that I can always slot a new staff worker in if I feel like it, but the "base" is pretty established, and everyone has their role, so to say.

Holidays and breaks are usually scheduled, but there's nothing to say that occasional, sudden abandonments of the workplace don't happen, and those are dealt with efficiently. I'm also giving a fair amount of leeway for fics where workers are encountered outside of TCE. For creative purposes mostly.

What are opening hours like?

The workers that don't actively live in The Clergy's Eye ""clock in"" essentially at the same time, so the very beginning of their shifts is spent in the break floor, preparing and conversing.

Employees are warned ahead of time about any special events that may be taking place, and while the building itself can be ordered to mold certain shapes and "spawn" objects -Which removes a fair bit of remodeling work from the hands of staff- Extra hands may sometimes be needed to perfect the settings, which implies coming to work earlier.

The workers that reside in The Clergy, such as Vinnel, Patches, Belo, Sybastian and Fank-e, for example, have a tilted work-leisure relationship and are always somewhat in "work mode". Nonetheless, they commune with the others in the break floor for the start of the official shift.

Admin (or you) is usually always there for a variety of reasons, be it to gouge the overall mood of her subordinates, answer questions about anything special going on, or give general pointers as well as warn anyone of something that's gone awry. She can also ""motivate"" a worker in need.

If Gallon isn't serving the bar, is someone else?

Mainly Martin, his bobble. Martin can and will orient other stray bobbles to come help him with several orders at once. Of course, his speed and skill is nowhere near as remarkable as Gallon's, but the bobble has been expertly trained. He can also protect himself from the hands of unwitting customers by hitting them with a silver tray.

Being a gray bobble, he's very rational and can quickly deal with the loss of extra bobbles by sending one to Patches, requesting more.

Are bobbles trained to replace workers?

Plenty of them, yes.

Citri, for example, is Grimbly's hybrid bobble. She works with him during most shifts and has her own, smaller team of bobbles all equally dolled up to help serve customers during busy days or when Grimbly is called away/absent.

Turnip, Alfredo and Pepper are also proficient at running the kitchen on their own when left alone. Though sometimes Grimbly comes and helps if Morell is truly absent.

Jingles cannot replace Vinnel. Vinnel can't be replaced by anyone, and neither can Patches, for that matter. Santi is also not very easily replaceable.

Purpur obviously can't take the store into his own tentacles, but Admin occasionally replaces Nebul. If not her, then Patches.

Fank-e is sort of a last resort to substitute other workers, but he can put a serious work face on when nudged.

A bobble which started out as a complete accident, deemed unviable, unstable and unprofitable yet quickly rose to a very precious factotum/"jack of all trades" is Agner. Provided the large bobble is stabilized, he's proven himself to be a fast learned and is absorbing plenty of the skills other staff have, though at a slower and less proficient degree- But a sustainable one nonetheless. Agner has replaced Gallon on occasion, acted as a security guard when Belo is away, helped out in the kitchen several times, handed Vinnel a variety of utensils, replaced Nebul for a very brief amount of time, and more often than not helps Patches out at the lab (given Patches has become his sort-of father figure). Santi has occasionally gotten the big boy to help him out but Agner is pretty sexually shy and inexperienced.

If there's two bars, does that mean a second bartender is required?

No. Not exactly. Besides, if a second one was acquired, Gallon might murder them. Because, as mentioned several times, these manbabies are extremely competitive and don't take kindly to someone being better at their own jobs than them.

The aquarium bar is not always open. It opens according to demand, although there's always a selection of drinks readily available for people to buy. Stock, if you will. Sometimes, depending on the flow of clientele, Gallon will relocate to the aquarium bar (as happens in some events). Wherever he is, the other bar is usually held up by Martin and company or Agner. Agner is a tad tired of Glauk pestering him and Magus attempting to steal bottles with one of his massive tendrils. Gallon is better at keeping those two at bay.

Do employees have rooms they can stay at in The Clergy's Eye?

Definitely. Santi does, that's been established in Gifted. And before that as well.

So does Vinnel. And Belo. Patches essentially lives in his laboratory like a gross little neet, but he does have a room too. All of them can rent a room to be theirs whenever they feel they need one.

Seen in Gifted, a couple of floors, two usually, are dedicated to rentable rooms, available to both clientele and workers. There are way too many of these, and sometimes they switch place. But so does the number on the key each worker keeps, so they'll always know where their room has relocated to when The Clergy's Eye is in "refresh mode". Alternatively, they can just look at the number on the door when they leave their room at the start of a new day.

How do they make it home if the building changes locations?

The building used to more commonly change location when it was establishing itself and collecting workers. It was unstable and suffered many changes both in exterior, interior as well as modus operandi. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough about that. This also meant that, initially, workers spent a lot more time sleeping over at the building.

Since this is done for safety concerns, when Krulu feels safe, he doesn't change The Clergy's Eye's location. In fact, at some point it becomes entirely static, especially after he confronts Miara, and is told that siadar authorities no longer surveillance Earth.

Krulu will eventually drop the cloaking The Cergy uses altogether.

Putting all that aside, workers return home usually with help. They request to be dropped off somewhere, and Krulu eventually does it, giving them a set amount of time before they're yanked back into the building via vaguely traumatic hands emerging from the floor and effectively transporting through a rift.

Santi is a special case. He doesn't usually need help going to his frequented locations, since at least one of his rings is always set to aid with transportation. Though if he wanted to appear in Buttfuck Nowhere, he'd still have to request it from Krulu.

[thebigcjart]

Here are some extra bits on Jake!

Again, I'm trying to focus on getting this stuff out of my brain and onto the screen, and not so much an all the little details. I'll get a stick up my butt and do those in a hyperfocus overdrive somewhere down the line.

Infodump under the cut, as per the uzh

Strife Specibus

Jake's strife specibus is penkind, because he read once that the pen is mightier than the sword, and even though Dean (Dean Casuco, another member of the group home, I'll talk more about him later) has proven him wrong on several occasions, he has read too many political dramas to ignore the HARD FACTS (despite the blatant amount of empires that have fallen via brawn).

Fetch Modus

The Mage of Light is predisposed for information processing, so what better for him than to just give him all the data at once? Whenever Jake captchalogues something, the item's code is stored in the current position of the pointer (in base 64, to account for the 64 possible characters that could occupy each position: 0-9, a-z, A-Z, ?, and !), if the data at the pointer reads [00000000], otherwise it'll just bounce out. The boundaries between one item code and another item code are arbitrary, so [...11111111,00000000...] would be stored identically to [...1111,11110000,0000...], and the only difference is what string of 8 digits Jake selects to load onto a card.

When Jake needs an item, he takes an empty card and moves the pointer to select a string of 8 digits. These 8 digits of data correspond to the item's code that you might find on the back of a card containing it. Jake needs to be careful when interpreting and interacting with the wrong data, as being even one position off can result in a completely different object and "Seriously donk up the whole organization!" as Jake might put it. Loading the item onto the card sets the selected 8 digits to [00000000] in his sylladex's memory, and turns the card into a physical object until stored back in memory off of the card. Jake can load up to 4 cards at any given time and can add more storage by turning a blank card into 8 positions of memory.

On the back of his fetch modus, there are two buttons that allow him to completely format his entire sylladex's memory to either all 0s or all !s.

Internet Browser (and Denizen)

Unlike Kane's denizen, Khaos, Soter is pretty straight forward with any symbolism and game role. I'll cover Jake's quest in another post, though.

So, the browser is heavily inspired by Brave, featuring a gray bar on the top and bottom and an orange middle with some branding. The branding is a watermark that appears on every single webpage, and Jake sometimes feels as though it's... watching him.

Jake has spent many years mastering this browser, and can access every feature through hotkey shortcuts, and has not used the mouse in a long time.

Soter (the browser) has an annoying habit of flagging many totally innocent websites and links as "potentially hazardous," which Jake treats with the same amount of caution as those guys feeding some lizard named veno-moose a banana and scratching its chin. The entire world's knowledge is on the internet, and nothing is going to stop Jake from accessing it. Many will try, though, and Jake's browser of choice is leading the charge.

Soter (the denizen) is similar to Hemera and Nix with the swoopy scarfrobes, but Soter has scarfrobes going in both directions. The cross on his upper chest, then swirl behind him, before covering his feet. One is a dark red and the other is a dark grey. I originally wanted to have him be a tiny head in an obnoxiously large suit of armor, but I also want to match the style of the denizens actually shown in cannon.

Soter, much like Jake's ties to Jupiter/Tin, is a preserver god in greek mythology, and provides protection and salvation for many. Hense the protective themes.

[memoamp]

Vivian Tang (she/her) - UCI '23

Career Goal: Army Medical Officer/Physician

Major/Minor: Biological Sciences Major/Psychology Minor

Introduction: Hello! My name is Vivian, but everyone usually just calls me Viv! I recently graduated from UCI with a degree in Biological Sciences and am currently working as a phlebotomist as well as studying for the MCAT. I really, really love cats and spend a good chunk of my day either watching or making cat videos on TikTok with my lovely kitty Bao Bao! /ᐠ.ㅅ.ᐟ\ᵐᵉᵒʷˎˊ˗ I am also a very active person and go to the gym almost every day, so if you have any questions regarding fitness or exercising, I’m more than happy to give you some advice or pointers for you! :’))

Involvements: During undergrad, I was involved in MEMO as Co-PR and Social Chair for two years! I was also a research assistant for the Rose Lab on campus which experiments on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) and studies how aging and diet is correlated to one another. Since this lab is biology and film/media based, I had the chance to create educational documentary videos of our findings and present our data uniquely like a nature documentary instead of a presentation. Outside of school, I worked at a family clinic starting out as a front/back MA until I got my phlebotomy license to draw blood. I currently still work at the same family clinic but as a phlebotomist instead! Extracurriculars: My favorite extracurricular that I look forward to every week during school was MEMO gen meetings! This was a chance for me to interact with all of my friends and build new friendships with others who also show up! The big/little and family programs allow for you to build these connections and I highly recommend that you join them during the school year. Right now, I am currently studying for the MCAT, which is a long and arduous period for me since I'm diving deep into subjects and mentally preparing myself for this 7+ hour test. However, I know at the end of the day, everything will be worth it!

What kind of advice would you be giving? Get involved early no matter what it may be: organizations on campus or volunteering at your local hospital. Try to build connections with those you are surrounded with because this will be the best way for you to network between like-minded individuals! And most importantly, don't be afraid of the unknown! I joined MEMO my freshman year of college and didn't really have friends at the beginning. However, when you keep showing up to gen meetings or to social events, you will start to build these connections with those around you! Fast forward to today, I've met so many of my current friends through MEMO and hope that you can also do the same throughout your undergrad into post-grad years!

Best piece of advice you've received? This goes out to my Army doctor/mentor Dr. Flick. One time when we were having a conversation over the phone about the hardships of balancing Army med and civilian life, he told me "you can only blossom where you are planted." I thought that this was a beautiful representation of what my life would be like in the future because nothing is set when being on active duty. I could be in California one day and in another country the next. But no matter what, being adaptable and malleable in all circumstances allows for you to grow as an individual and blossom into your fullest potential.

Preferred method(s) of communication: Email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram

[karaloza]

So yeah, How To Do Zonai Devices As Toys In Real Life:

10/10, No Notes

Big and Small Wheels, Carts, Homing Carts, Lights, Mirrors, Sleds. All of these could easily behave as toys exactly as they do in the game. Half of them don't even draw any power to do their thing.

Some Adjustment Needed

Beam Emitter: In the interest of a) safety and b) feasibility, this is the only “emitter” I can see having anything remotely like its in-game functionality. Another name for it would be a laser pointer.

Cannon: It would just shoot little plastic or foam balls (included—try not to lose them), lacking enough force to do any harm to anyone, but I think that would be enough.

Construct Heads: AI to detect “enemies” and activate any attached weapons is probably beyond the capability of a thumb-sized toy. But the simple swiveling back and forth would work just fine.

Fan: We could definitely include fans and they could definitely function, just not enough to create any sort of useable lift. Some level of propulsion is probably possible though.

Hydrant: The only change needed here is that it would have to draw water from an internal reservoir instead of creating it out of nothing.

Spring: It would need a specific release button to set it off, and would have to be cranked back into position manually (instead of just being smacked for both), but this one is pretty good to go.

Stabilizer: There’s nothing very difficult about making something with a weighted rounded bottom so that it returns to an upright position when tilted, but I’m wondering about the potential to turn it off and on like the ones in the game. Maybe partly fill it with ball bearings and put an electromagnet in the base?

Lots of Adjustment Needed

Flame Emitter, Frost Emitter, Shock Emitter: All of these would have to be nerfed down to mere light shows with LEDs.

Stake: For its main function, this one is as impossible as the Hover Stone, and there’s not even really a way to fake it. But we could probably mimic the incidental musical function with a light-sensitive strip that plays tones of various pitches when hit with a laser pointer (either an official Beam Emitter or an ordinary one).

Steering Stick: There’s not much point in attaching a control stick to something too small to ride…but you could attach an RC receiver and also include a transmitter that looks like the in-game Steering Stick, so the experience of using it is similar.

Wing: In order to fit in a capsule the same size as the others, it couldn't be a single piece like in the game. It would have to be fabric or plastic on a collapsible frame, and it probably wouldn't be able to maintain its gliding ability in combination with anything else due to the weight. But at least it wouldn't disappear after use!

For Display Only

Balloon: I don’t think there’s a good way to make them float at this scale.

Hover Stone: No real-world levitation, unfortunately. But it would come packaged with a clear plastic telescoping stand so it looks like its hovering if you’re willing to suspend disbelief.

Portable Pot: No Zonai EZ Bake Ovens, sorry. But we could certainly put a pretty blue flickering effect in the artificial fire.

Rocket: To the best of my knowledge, there is no safe way to turn a plastic toy into a functioning rocket. At most, we could possibly set it up so it turbo-boosts the moving parts of whatever it’s attached to.

Time Bomb: Sorry, no.

This brings us to Batteries and Big Batteries, and I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, Zonai devices in-game don’t need Batteries to function, because Link has his magic hip-mounted power supply. On the other hand, nobody in the real world has a magic hip-mounted power supply. Do we want to make people acquire a Battery in order to get their devices to do anything, or should we be nice and include a power supply in each one? Or maybe split the difference and give each one a wimpy internal battery, but require an external Zonai Battery to get the full effect? One factor that must be taken into account is that a Battery will add its own weight to a construction, which would offset any power boost to some extent.

In conclusion...hey, Nintendo, how come you're not already making Zonai Device toys? Did you know you could do that? Just make merch of the stuff that appears in your games? It doesn't only have to be the half-dozen Most Iconic Things--you can turn anything into a real object in the real world!

Legend of Zelda Theme Park: Mini-Attractions

My theme park is still a WIP, even with a big detailed map already created. Lately I’ve been thinking about “mini-attractions”—little points of interest that provide brief entertainment without being so large or elaborate as to require a designated queue space (though they might attract enough people that an informal queue would form). They might not even be listed on the map…although the Grove of the Master Sword, which is about the scale of the thing I am envisioning, is. These are things people would have to stumble across and experiment with on their own initiative. Here are a few concepts:

Don Gero’s Frog Chorus (Zora’s Domain)

Around the side of the Lovely Scales music shop (or maybe in a back corner of the shop itself) is a little artificial pond with a fallen log arch protruding above the water, upon which are perched several colorful frogs. Around the rim of the pond, pressure pads in matching colors trigger the frogs to sing, each in their own register. Try it alone or coordinate with friends to direct the choir!

Gloom Chasm (Dark World)

This one actually is depicted on the existing map, it’s just not labeled. At the far western end of the Dark World, around the corner from the entrance to Into the Depths, a planter bed is marred with a gaping pit, its sides streaked with sludgy black and red. There’s a crude fence around it, as if someone was in a terrible hurry to secure the area, and a sign on the fence reads: “WARNING: Gloom Hazard! Keep Away From Chasm!” Wait beside it long enough, and suspicious reverberating sounds—monster roars and more—will emanate faintly from it as if originating deep below.

Zonai Device Dispensers (Skyward Realm)

For every Tears of the Kingdom player who ever wished Zonai devices were real. A few of these gacha machines are located around the Skyward Realm, looking much like they do in the game but much smaller, and accordingly spitting out capsules containing smaller, toy versions of Zonai devices which can be connected together to make working constructions…within reason, of course! (I’ll do an add-on post describing how I think certain devices would have to be nerfed or otherwise altered to be feasible as toys.) The price per drop is somewhere between three and ten dollars, depending on how large the devices are—it might be wise to split them up into size/complexity categories and give each dispenser a separate stock of items to draw from accordingly. While I’m at it, I suppose we could do like the game does and drop bonus capsules if you buy a bunch at once…just not to the same extent! Twelve for five is a bit much for a real-world bulk discount!

[gurugirl]

The Scientist & the Stripper check-in

Summary: Harry Styles is your scientist neighbor who you've been fucking for a while.

A/n: This has been requested over and over again and I'm just now getting to it you guys - please enjoy!! 1.4k words

based on this one shot

Pairing: Nerd!Harry x Stripper!Reader

Warning: FLUFF, some mentions of sexy time

Harry was cute. He was quite shy in general but every time you got him in the bedroom he transformed into a man who knew what he wanted and he loved to give and he was good at it.

You'd been sharing your bed with Harry (and Harry'd been sharing his bed with you) for a couple of months now. It was nice to have someone to sleep next to, have sex with, and talk to. There were some days when Harry was gone all day and then by the time he'd return to his apartment (you could always hear him coming and going) you'd be stepping out for work.

Your schedules were opposite, which was normal for you. Most people worked during the daylight, while you worked during the twilight. But you'd gotten used to your schedule. And you didn't work five days a week like many you knew. Usually only on the weekends and one or two nights during the regular week. It was nice in all honesty. It wasn't what you'd planned for yourself when you got into stripping, but the money you brought in was nothing sniff at.

You'd also tried to get Harry to come see you at work a few times but he always declined. One night after you'd both had sex he admitted to you that he'd be jealous watching you dance for other men. It was a bit of a turning point for you to have Harry admit that. Because it meant that he felt he had some kind of claim over you. Even though you both were technically just friends with benefits. Nothing was official.

But Harry was so different than anyone you'd ever dated. His work was always first for him. He was obsessed with it in such a way that you found him even more irresistible. He was ridiculously smart and sometimes the conversations you had with him turned into you just trying to keep up with him. He was shy, but he was a little bit possessive and could be the tiniest bit dominant in bed. He was passionate when he spoke about the things that interested him and he was just as passionate in the sheets.

He was the best lover you'd ever had. He was a bit odd at times, but he was very genuine and he loved eating your pussy. And really, what's not to love about that?

You watched Harry from his bed as he moved around his room. He slid his boxer briefs back on and picked up the clothes that were tossed to the floor. His hair was a mess of curls and he had light scratch marks on his back, all from you of course. He was so well built and broad with a cute ass and the best smile complete with dimples. You found him very attractive. It also didn’t hurt that he had a big dick.

You sat up and yawned, “Are you in a hurry to get to the university?”

You’d had a nice morning quickie and you knew he needed to leave soon but he still took the time to give you two orgasms.

Harry pulled a sweater over his torso and turned to you as he put his glasses on his face, “Yeah. Running late already. You can stay if you want,” he gave you a soft gaze and then his eyebrows shot up, “Hold on, I’ll be right back.”

He walked out of his bedroom and returned less than a minute later and held his palm out to you. You looked at the key that lie in his hand and reached for it, “What’s this?” You asked.

Harry laughed as you took the key between your thumb and pointer finger and held it up, “It’s a key. To my apartment. I trust you. Keep it.”

Harry was so unbothered and unaware of the implications or the meaning behind this gesture. He had just casually given you the key to his apartment without a second thought and you sat in his bed dumbfounded by the idea. Should you give him your key? What would that mean?

Harry had left his room again and you could hear him gathering things and then when he reentered his room he moved into his bathroom in a rush and began brushing his teeth. You put the key on his bedside table and climbed out of his bed.

In the bathroom you stood behind him and looked up at him in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. He gave you a look of question.

“You just gave me your key Harry. Do you understand what that implies?” You asked him.

Harry’s brows pinched together as he continued brushing and then once he spit he turned to you and looked down over your bare skin, you still hadn’t put anything on. Harry put his hands at your hips and pulled you closer as he tilted his head, “I think you like to overthink things, but tell me what it means to you so I can understand.”

You laughed and placed your hands at Harry’s biceps, “It’s kind of like the next step in a relationship. Most of the time. It means kind of a commitment of sorts. I know maybe you don’t think of it like that. Like maybe to you it’s just a practical thing given the circumstances but…”

Harry’s expression was pensive. He was unsmiling as he moved his hands from your hips up to your waist before he spoke, “Well, I do really like you. And it was just purely for practical purposes but would it be so bad if that’s what I wanted? A commitment? Like me and you?”

You rounded your eyes and searched his face. Did he mean he wanted to be more than just fuck buddies?

“I think… yeah… I like that idea,” you bit your lip and paused before you continued, “you want to like start dating? Or?”

Harry’s serious expression finally broke and he smiled at you, “Yeah. I would prefer you didn’t see anyone else. Just me. Is that okay?”

You nodded and brought your hands up from his biceps to his shoulders and pulled at him so your lips could reach his.

Harry lowered his hands to your bare bottom and he pulled you in closer, slowly increasing the pressure of his hands as his lips softly kissed over yours. Harry was always so physical and expressive even being as shy and inexperienced as he was. But you felt like you were partly to thank for that, because you'd shown him what you liked and he really dove in head first with it. He never seemed embarrassed by the way he expressed himself with you, always sure and aware of himself in a way no man had ever been with you.

When Harry broke away from the kiss you could feel him hard in his pants, pressing into your thigh. The look on his face was that of conflict. It was clear he wanted to bring you back to his bed right then but he also had to go.

But then he smiled and looked down between your bodies, his clothed, yours not. He looked back up to you and put his hands onto your face, his palms cupping at your jaw on either side, "Okay. So, does that mean you want to be my girlfriend?"

You breathed out a laugh as you squeezed his shoulders, "I guess. I mean, we could just start off dating but if you want to jump right into being boyfriend and girlfriend that's okay. I like you, Harry."

Harry nodded, his dimples poking deep into his cheeks from the big grin on his face, "Yeah. Let's be boyfriend and girlfriend. But I do have to go now."

Before he left he dragged you back into his arms and kissed you for a few more minutes and then spoke against your mouth, "My girlfriend," with a smile.

The moment you were left alone in his apartment you squealed and jumped around like a lunatic. You didn't realize you'd be so happy to be able to call Harry your boyfriend. It felt so juvenile but you liked it. You liked the way you and Harry progressed and how he treated you.

And yeah, you liked that you were his girlfriend and he'd given you a key.

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[queenlua]

hey, i started following you recently and ur bio says ur a hacker? any tips on where to start? hacking seems like a v cool/fun way to learn more abt coding and cybersecurity/infrastructure and i'd like to explore it but there's so much on the internet and like, i'm not trying to get into anything illegal. thanks!

huh, an interesting question, ty!

i can give more tailored advice if you hit me up on chat with more specifics on your background/interests.

given what you've written here, though, i'll just assume you don't have any immediate professional aspirations (e.g. you just want to learn some things, and you aren't necessarily trying to get A Cyber Security Job TM within the next three months or w/e), and that you don't know much about any specific programming/computering domain yet.

(stuff under cut because long)

first i'd probably just try to pick some interesting problem that you think you can solve with tech. this doesn't need to be a "hacking" project at first; i was just messing around with computers for ages before i did anything involving security/exploitation.

if you don't already know how to program, you should ideally pick a problem you can solve via programming. for instance: i learned a lot back in the 2000s, when play-by-post forum RPGs were in vogue.  see, i'd already been messing around, building my own personal sites, first just with HTML & CSS, and later on with Javascript and PHP.   and i knew the forum software everyone used (InvisionPowerBoard) was written in PHP.  so when one of the admins at my RPG complained that they'd like the ability to set multiple profile pictures, i was like, "hey i'm good at programming, want me to create a mod to do that," and then i just... did. so then they asked me to program more features, and i got all the sexy nerd cred for being Forum Mod Queen, and it was a good time, i learned a lot.

(i also got to be the person who was frantically IMed at 2am because wtf the forum is down and there's an inscrutable error, what do??? basically sysadmining! also, much less sexy! still, i learned a lot!)

the key thing is that it's gotta be a problem that's interesting to you: as much as i love making dorky sites in PHP, half the fun was seeing other people using my stuff, and i think the era of forum-based RPGs has passed. but maybe you can apply some programming talents to something that you are interested in—maybe you want to make a silly Chrome extension to make people laugh, a la Cloud to Butt, or maybe you'd like to make a program that converts pixel art into cross-stitching patterns, maybe you want to just make a cool adventure game on those annoying graphing calculators they make you use in class, or make a script for some online game you play, or make something silly with Arduino (i once made a trash can that rolled toward me when i clapped my hands; it was fun, and way easier than you'd think!), whatever.

i know a lot of hacker-types who got their start doing ROM hacking for video games��replacing the character art or animations or whatever in old NES games. that's probably more relevant than the PHP websites, at least, and is probably a solid place to get started; in my experience those communities tend to be reasonably friendly to questions. pick a small thing you want to do & ask how to do it.

also, a somewhat unconventional path, but—once i knew how to program a bit of Python, i started doing goofy junk, like, "hey can i implemented NamedTuple from scratch,” which tends to lead to Python metaprogramming, which leads to surprising shit like "oh, stack frames are literally just Python objects and you can manually edit them in the interpreter to do deliberately horrendous/silly things, my god this language allows too much reflection and i'm having too much fun"... since Python is a lot of folks' first language these days, i thought i'd point that out, since i think this is a pretty accessible start to thinking about How Programs Actually Work under the hood. allison kaptur has some specific recommendations on how to poke around, if you wanna go that route.

it's reasonably likely you'll end up doing something "hackery" in the natural course of just working on stuff. for instance, while i was working on the IPB forum software mods, i became distressed to learn that everyone was using an INSECURE version of the software! no one was patching their shit!! i yelled at the admins about it, and they were like "well we haven't been hacked yet so it's not a problem," so i uh, decided to demonstrate a proof of concept? i downloaded some sketchy perl script, kicked it until it worked, logged in as the admins, and shitposted a bit before i logged out, y'know, to prove my point.

(they responded by banning me for two weeks, and did not patch their software. which, y'know, rip to them; they got hacked by an unrelated Turkish group two months later, and those dudes just straight-up deleted the whole website. i was a merciful god by comparison!)

anyway, even though downloading a perl script and just pointing it at a website isn't really "hacking" (it's the literal definition of script kiddie, heh)—the point is i was just experimenting a lot and trying a lot of stuff, which meant i was getting comfortable with thinking of software as not just some immutable relic, but something you can touch and prod in unexpected ways.

this dovetails into the next thing, which is like, just learn a lot of stuff. a boring conventional computer science degree will teach you a lot (provided you take it seriously and actually try to learn shit); alternatively, just taking the same classes as a boring conventional computer science degree, via edX or whatever free online thingy, will also teach you a lot. ("contributing to open source" also teaches you a lot but... hngh... is a whole can of worms; send a follow-up ask if you want that rant.)

here's where i should note that "hacking" is an impossibly broad category: the kind of person who knows how to fuck with website authentication tokens is very different than someone who writes a fuzzer, who is often quite different than someone who looks at the bug a fuzzer produces and actually writes a program that can exploit that bug... so what you focus on depends on what you're interested in. i imagine classes with names like "compilers," "operating systems," and "networking" will teach you a lot. but, like, idk, all knowledge is god-breathed and good for teaching. hell, i hear some universities these days have actual computer security classes? that's probably a good thing to look at, just to get a sense of what's out there, if you already know how to program.

also be comfortable with not knowing everything, but also, learn as you go. the bulk of my security knowledge came when i got kinda airdropped into a work team that basically hired me entirely on "potential" (lmao), and uh, prior to joining i only had the faintest idea what a hypervisor was? or the whole protection ring concept? or ioctls or sandboxing or threat models or, fuck, anything? i mostly just pestered people with like 800 questions and slowly built up a knowledge base, and remember being surprised & delighted when i went to a security conference a year later and could follow most of the talks, and when i wound up at a bar with a guy on the xbox security team and we compared our security models a bunch, and so on.  there wasn't a magic moment when i "got it", i was just like, "okay huh this dude says he found a ring-0 exploit... what does that mean... okay i think i got that... why is that a big deal though... better ask somebody.." (also: reading an occasional dead tree book is a good idea. i owe my firstborn to Robert Love's Linux Kernel Development, as outdated as it is, and also O'Reilly's kookaburra book gave me a great overview of web programming back in the day, etc.  you can learn a lot by just clicking around random blogs, but you’ll often end up with a lot of random little facts and no good mental scaffolding for holding it together; often, a decent book will give you that scaffolding.)

(also, it's pretty useful if you can find a knowledgable someone to pepper with random questions as you go. finding someone who will actively mentor you is tricky, but most working computery folks are happy to tell you things like "what you're doing is actually impossible, here's why," or "here's a tutorial someone told me was good for learning how to write a linux kernel module," or "here's my vague understanding of this concept you know nothing about," or "here's how you automate something to click on a link on a webpage," which tends to be handier than just google on its own.)

if you're reading this and you're like "ok cool but where's the part where i'm handed a computer and i gotta break in while going all hacker typer”—that's not the bulk of the work, alas! like, for sure, we do have fun pranking each other by trying dumb ways of stealing each other's passwords or whatever (once i stuck a keylogger in a dude's keyboard, fun times). but a lot of my security jobs have involved stuff like, "stare at this disassembly a long fuckin' time to figure out how the program pointer got all fucked up," or, "write a fuzzer that feeds a lot of randomized input to some C++ program, watch the program crash because C++ is a horrible language for writing software, go fix all the bugs," or "think Really Hard TM about all the settings and doohickeys this OS/GPU/whatever has, think about all the awful things someone could do with it, threat model and sandbox accordingly." occasionally i have done cool proof-of-concept hacks but honestly writing exploits can kinda be tedious, lol, so like, i'm only doing that if it's the only way i can get people to believe that Yes This Is Actually A Problem, Fix Your Code

"lua that's cool and all but i wanted, like, actual links and recommendations and stuff" okay, fair. here's some ideas:

microcorruption: very fun embedded security CTF; teaches you everything you need to know as you're doing it.

cryptopals crypto challenges: very fun little programming exercises that teach you a lot of fundamental cryptography concepts as you're going along! you can do these even as a bit of a n00b; i did them in Python for the lulz

the binary bomb lab is hilariously copied by, like, so many CS programs, lol, but for good reason. it's accessible and fun and is the first time most people get to feel like a real hacker! (requires you know a bit of C beforehand)

ctftime is a good way to see when new CTFs ("capture the flag"s; security-focused competitions) are coming up. or, sometimes CTFs post their source code, so you can continue trying them after the CTF is over. i liked Stripe's CTFs when they were going, because they focused on "web stuff", and "web stuff" was all i really knew at the time. if you're more interested in staring at disassembly, there's CTFs focused on that sort of thing too.

azeria has good ARM assembly & exploitation tutorials

also, like, lots of good talks out there; just watching defcon/cansecwest/etc talks until something piques your interest is very fun. i'd die on a battlefield for any of Christopher Domas's talks, but he assumes a lot of specific x86/OS knowledge, lol, so maybe don’t start with that. oh, Julia Evans's blog is honestly probably pretty good for just learning a lot of stuff and really beginner-friendly?

oh and wrt legality... idk, i haven't addressed it here since it hasn't come up in my own work much, tbh. if you're just getting started you're kind of unlikely to Break The Law without, y'know, realizing maybe you're doing something a bit gray-area? and you can cross that bridge when you come to it? Real Hacking TM is way more of a pain-in-the-ass than doing CTFs and such, and you'll learn way more with the latter, so who cares lol just do the fun thing

[vyglitchcraft]

The Hacker X Cavalier Gantz- Neon Spray Paint

Authors note: Erron/The Hacker is by @horrorslashergirl and Gantz is mine also i am not good at writing anything and i absolutely feel bad writing this, this is going to be awkward af

Song Inspiration: New Girl by FINNEAS

Warning: Smut, brief mentions of snuff filming and blood, dub-con, virginity lost/first time, daddy kink

Word Count: 2.2k

“Are you always this prone to bad luck and violence? If so, that’s kind of sad." that's a quote that's stuck in The Graffiti Assassin's head of course that's because if they weren't so violent and unlucky this wouldn't happen.

They looked out the car window as raindrops falls on to the glass calming them down "fuckin' hell it's pretty cold ain't it? I'm surprised that you can keep warm with that hoodie of yours" Gantz crossed their legs and leaned back in the chair, softly sighing.

They met some time ago, Gantz was just finished killing a target but unfortunately they weren't really in a good mood that night. The target had escaped enough time to piss them off which they took out by shredding the target to pieces and unfortunately The Hacker was walking nearby and saw them, Gantz facepalmed themselves at that mistake till this day.

"we're here, let's go" they sighed and opened the door.

It was still raining but the air was nice enough that the can tolerate for a while "Cav stop spacing out, follow me" they nodded and followed Erron

"Yo where are we?" they looked around the building, it was unfamiliar and large. They entered using the emergency stairways and climbed up, reaching the destined floor.

It was easy to realize that this was a hotel but it makes sense that he would do this, wanting to be untraceable and all that. "Do you like it? Paid good money for this" he opened the door to their room and stepped in. The door automatically locked behind them and the room was dark, only letting the light of the streets below to pour in.

"not into the expensive shit but i can deal with it" they sighed, cracking their neck before walking down with him.

"really only one bed? I guess you knew i ain't stayin' here long ay?" Gantz chuckled as they walked to the fridge rummaging for drinks.

The Hacker placed his bag on the desk in the corner of the room, grabbing his phone and scrolling through it before stopping at a message they both had

CG: yo uh Erron i need help with something, can you track down this person for me?

Cyber: what do i get in return?

CG: like i know, we'll discuss it later and I'll think about

Cyber: you better not be late or you're going to get something you won't like

GC: don't worry, I'll get it on time promise, heck I'll share my prize with ya

GC Last seen 03:25 at XX-XX-XXXX

He showed the message to Gantz which they promptly went wide eyed "you forgot didn't you?" a loud "tss" sound came from their mouth, they reached to their pockets and pulled out a stack of money, they counted it before handing it to him "five grand...Is that enough?" the Hacker chuckled behind his mask "sorry doll face but the price got raised for keeping me waiting"

They looked around the room, tongue clicking with nervousness and annoyance "whaddya want me to do? Give ya another grand? Kidnap a girl for you maybe?" he hummed amusingly. Stepping closer to them to place the money on the desk "oh I've got something else in mind baby, and it's not what you think it is" they ran back to the door trying to escape but ending up getting caught by him pulling them by the back of the collar.

"now walk to the bed slowly or I'll make it worse" he kept his hands on their shoulders, forcing them to follow his orders. "you better have those cameras off or I'll gut you like a fish"

"oh don't worry darling, cameras all off, just me and you" he tilted his mask to the side to show a small LED that's turned off, obviously connected to the micro cameras he had imbedded in his purge mask.

"now come here and sit on daddy's lap" he said seductively, they clicked their tongue and followed his order. "this is humiliating" they closed their eyes, refusing to see their reflection.

"Gantz, look at the mirror, this is a punishment afterall" one of his hand traced their hips, moving up to their coat and zipping it off. His hand moved under the shirt they had left and took off the bandages they had on to flatten their chest, he grabbed one of their breasts, rolling the end between his finger tips "guess the rumors are right, you are a new girl, you even got these babies right here, fuck pierced too, tell me how big are they?" under the mask Gantz was more than flustered, they bit their lips as to not let any noise escape "D....They're Ds, i had to wear those so they don't get in the way" they say through gritted teeth, their hands squeezed the bedsheets like a life line.

He took off their top wear, lifting their arms and ripping it off leaving them topless. Their body was lean yet muscular they were covered with bruises and wounds, some old and some new. Their arms were full of tattoos, covering from shoulders to wrists. "what's wrong baby girl? Why are you trying to hide this from me? Are you embarrassed that everyday you get reminded of all the pain you felt? Don't worry, i love it" he palmed their breasts, the other hand tracing the bruises on their waist.

"i just wanna scratch your surface, i wanna feel your all you're grooves, i can be your needle, I'll lick your wounds too, you can be my new girl, just wanna play with you" his voice smooth like silk, they shiver at the feeling, they weren't denying, his voice was soothing and worst of all they needed him inside them.

His hands traced the hemline of their pants before pushing it down to the floor with a thud "naughty girl, you're so fucking wet just from me groping you, do you want me that badly? Guess you paid me late just for me to punish you huh?" the tone he said that in was mocking, laced with venom that stung Gantz's ears "f-fuck you, I'll kill you later" they whispered their eyes shut closed.

He laughed at their anger, resting his head on their shoulder "oh i know you won't, if you kill me, you'll miss me" he pushed inside to of his fingers, moving with a torturously slow pace while his thumb circled around their clit. "Gantz, remember look at the mirror and don't cum until i said so"

They opened their eyes, staring at themselves in the reflection, they couldn't recognize themselves at all. "JUST FUCK ME YA POSH IDIOT! JUST DO IT please"

He wiped their tears that started to pour "shh no need to yell, that wouldn't be fun wouldn't it? I'll give you prize if you be a good girl, sounds good?" they nodded as they climbed off his lap.

They sat between his legs. With a bit of hesitation they unzipped his pants, pulling out his cock. They tilted their mask above their head, enough to block their face from Erron's angle but enough to have access to their mouth. They licked their lips, jacking the cock in their hands and spreading the beading precum that's beading out of the tip. They wrapped their tongue around the base, licking up to the tip where they slowly try to fit all of him inside their throat. The feeling of cold metal against their tounge piercings was driving both of them mad. They jacked their head up and down his length, tracing a zig-zag pattern on the base.

"fuck, you're good, i was right when choosing you, you better take all of me baby girl" he tangled his fingers between their hair, pushing them down onto his shaft. In instinct they covered their mouth with their hand and swallowed. They positioned their mask back like it used to, covering the bottom half of their face.

"i guess i should keep my promise, you've been really good, you didn't even touch yourself, nice" he patted their head, untangling their hair and patting down.

He grabbed their hips, resting them on his lap. They wrapped their arms and rested them on his shoulders "i still hate you, you know? I ain't gonna forget about this just because you touched me good, you'll need to work harder to make me like you" they traced the middle of his mask, tracing their finger down his nose and lips while he grabbed their thighs, slowly grinding them on him.

Erron rested them on the bed, placing himself between their legs. "please go slowly, it's my first time" their voice barely a whisper. He cupped their mask tilting their head to look at him "don't worry darling, daddy's gonna be gentle with you"

Erron rubbed the tip to their opening, slowly inserting himself about halfway through. Gantz winces in pain while trying to get used to his size "are you alright? I'll start to move" they nodded.

He moved in a slow pace at first "you're doing good, fuck you're tight, you're practically sucking me in"

Of course with The Hacker nothing can be wholesome, not even for a while "I'm going to BREAK YOU" Gantz's eyes went wide as Erron sped up his pace making rougher.

"NO NO WAIT DON'T!" they tried to stop him but can't. He holds their hips with a tight grip surely leaving bruises the next morning.

Their breaths were heavy as the pain started to turn into pleasure. One of his hands cupped their one of their breasts while he moved his mask away from his mouth to suck and lick on the other, swirling around the sensitive bud.

With a scrape of the teeth, Gantz's back arched with a sharp inhale. They wrapped their legs around him as he pounded their pussy into an overstimulated mess. They circled their clit with their pointer finger trying to reach their orgasm.

As Erron noticed, he grabbed their wrists "i said no cumming until i say so" holding both of their wrists together in one hand he raised it up above their head but by accident it had hit one of the filter of their mask, taking it off of them.

As soon as they noticed they hid their face behind their hands "NO, don't look at me! Let me put it back on please!"

Displeased, Erron grabbed their wrists harder, successfully putting them above their head. Their face was as clear as day, with the lights from outside making them seem to glow. He moved their bangs that covered their eye now being able to see their dual colored eye but that doesn't seem to be the thing that saddened them, in the left corner of their mouth was a small scar and bruise and a larger scar coming from the bottom right of their cheek and almost reaching the corner of theri left eye and over their nose. They looked tired, black circle around their eyes, seemingly busted lips, bruises on one eye and lips.

"What's wrong? Afraid i won't like you cuz of your face? Well it fits you doll face" they looked shocked, they tried to look for a hint of sarcasm in his eyes but couldn't "it's not about that, it's to hide my identity and shit, and ya got cameras on ya that can give ya evidence, and i don't know what you'll do with that info!"

"Stop lying baby girl, it's obvious you're trying to hide it from me, though you are smart about not trusting me but believe me when i say i have them off" he smirked, planting a kiss on their lips before moving down to their neck.

He started to gain pace, as rough as the last one but now the pain was gone. They closed their eyes and letting quiet moans spilling out from their lips.

Sloppy sounds of skin hitting eachother filled the room. A concoction of cuss words can be heard from one another.

Erron's rhythm started to get uneven, his grip on them was tightening. "i-oh god, fuck I'm gonna cum!" they said between sets of moans and heavy breathing. "shit, go ahead cum for daddy" he bit down ons their shoulders and sheathing himself to the hilt.

Seconds had passed before he pulled out, letting the cum and blood spill out from them.

"i guess i can tolerate you for a bit longer" their voice was slurred, they closed their eyes, letting their tiredness to knock them out.

"sleep tight princess" he nuzzles their face and slowly resting them right on the bed.

The next morning their body was aching, they grabbed their phone on the night stand besides them "huh? Wait a sec I'M GOING TO BE LATE!" they threw off their blanket, trying to stand up before being stopped by Erron.

"Don't worry, payed your boss. I said i needed you to help me film a girl getting gutted but it was just so you can stay with me this weekend" Erron was leaning on the desk, fully clothes and ready for the day. "Yo if my capo founds out he's gonna kill you" he patted their head to calm them down.

"Don't worry he's not going too, now what do you want for breakfast?" he grabbed the room service menu and handed it to them, they looked at him with suspicion even tilting their head "why are you even doing this? You usually just left the girls you fuck so what's the difference?"

"Cuz you're mine, and no one can take you from me"

[theeauthor01]

Thank you @lets-try-some-writing for tagging me 😊

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 7

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 65,692

3. What fandoms do you write for? I’ve done My Hero Academia, Pokemon, Transformers, Star Wars and Ducktales.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Becoming a Hero – 1,023 Kudos  - Ash Ketchum gets yeeted into the MHA world.

2. Diabolical Once More – 259 Kudos – Donald Duck has many secrets, Louie learns about one while being thrust into the machinations of a Loonitic.

3. Duck Timeline – 80 Kudos – Headcannon timeline of the Ducktales lore

4. Abstraction – 76 Kudos – Midoriya and Bakugou get amnesia and need to make like Jason Borne to figure out what is happening. Also, Eri is there being adorable.

5. How Pokemon Battle in “Becoming a Hero” – 58 Kudos – The title kinda gives it away

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I love responding to comments, but I know, I’ve missed a few

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? One day I may finish an actual story, and one of them will have that angsty tang, but I’m not saying which one  

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? When they reach completion there will be stories with happy endings, I just need to get there.

8. Do you get hate on fics? No, I’ve been reading fics for a long time. I have fun with them! But some of them do make me question the state of humanity, and I tend to use a lot of filters.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? No. Just no.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I mean, my most popular fic probably counts.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No, but I did have someone ask if they could base a different fic off of one of mine. I said sure, and they almost copied the dialogue exactly. I pointed this out and gave them pointers on how to make it more their own. They have since deleted that fic. I do not know if anyone has stolen any of my fics though.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No. I wouldn’t mind it though

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nothing on Ao3.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Yeah… thing about that is I’m not a shippy person. I prefer platonic stuff, there are a lot of character dynamic stuff I like, but I’m not really a romantic.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Look, it may take me years, but I’m gonna finish one of them, if not all of them, for sure.

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I’m good at characterization, getting into the minds of a character and let them act in a story how they would based on who they are.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Descriptions? Fight scenes? Villians.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Its neat, I just also like if there is a translation somewhere, but I can guess what’s being said if there is good enough context clues.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Entangled War, it was my Transformers and Clone Wars crossover. I’m sure there are others from before, but that was the first I posted

20. Favorite fic you've written? I like all my fics, my favorite depends on where the hyperfixation takes me.

Now I'm tagging @virgilisspidey, @doritooooo, @smokescreenstuff

those are the blogs that just poped into my head

Tagged by @skeletonsgeorg, thank you so much!!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 21

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 176,709

3. What fandoms do you write for? Right now, just Transformers but I used to write Fullmetal Alchemist fics.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Fun at Work- FMA, roy/ed, this is smut be warned. Kudos: 178 2. Saturdays- FMA, Roy/Ed, SFW Kudos:167 3. 4 Million Years- My first TF fic and my first fic after an 8 year writing hiatus. Megop, Kudos: 128 4. Crossing the Line- Megop, def valveplug going on inthis. kudos: 128 5. A New Kind of Word Sparring- Megop, SFW, Kudos: 100

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I try to respond to most comments but sometimes I miss some.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? oooh probably this fma one: Regrets

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I... don't actually know tbh. a lot of my fics are just little oneshots that already were happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I used to, a long time ago. It's part of why I stopped writing for so long but honestly the worst of the hate came to my roleplay blogs, not my fics.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yessssssss smut is my fav thing to write actually. its fuuuun.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Not really? I'm not opposed to it though if it makes sense.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? IDK

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! I co-write with @lets-try-some-writing! We're working on a TF AU together called Two Sides to a Coin.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Megop omg it has me by the throat.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Omg... I have so many I can't even think of just one... I ahve a REALLY hard time finishing fics, its why I usually just write one shots... but I have a mechpreg megop au i was working on that I WANT SO BAD TO FINISH but am intimidated by its scope.

16. What are your writing strengths? I don't actually know tbh... i know what I have the most fun writing, but Idk if that counts as my strenghts.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I'm on of those people that tends to only care for the romantic parts of the story, so I tend to skip by a lot of other things cuz I just dont care about it often.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I think its cool!

19. First fandom you wrote for? Shoot I think it was Yu-Gi-Oh?? Maybe Pokemon. idk i don't really remember.

20. Favorite fic you've written? Right now I think it was Until Next Time, Prime. It was just really fun to get into how megatron felt about Optimus post Optimus yeeting himself into the Well.

Tagging: @lets-try-some-writing, @steelthroat, @cyberrose2001 anyone else who wants to do the thing!

[zi-i-think]

9 | The Miraculous Bastards

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (OC)

Word Count: 6100+

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

          Around the dinner table, we all chatted happily. After all it's been years since we were together like this. And this time we had some new friends. I sat with my cheek resting on my palm while I watched Aang and Katara tell the story of their engagement again.

         "Honestly, I don't know what came over him. I was so focused on the sun setting that I didn't even hear him ask the first time." Katara laughed, taking another sip from her wine.

         "I thought her being quiet was a no at first." Aang was finishing. "She practically had to threaten me to repeat the question. And when I did she instantly said yes." He and Katara shared a loving look.

         "Threaten you with what? No kisses?" Toph taunted them. Everyone laughed as Aang blushed.

         "N-no." Aang claimed.

         "Then what?" Toph pushed. Based on the deep red blush on Aang and Katara's cheeks. It must be something a little... different than kissed.

         "Anyways." Katara avoided the question, bringing the red wine to her lips again. "Before we all retire to bed. I think Ama had something to announce."

         Everyone's eyes immediately turned to me. Gosh, I already regret telling my sister that I wanted to come out to everyone at once. "One moment." I held up my pointer finger as I chugged the rest of my wine while the others chuckled at me. The light burning in my throat made me clear my throat, as I set my glass down.

         "Here goes nothing." I mumbled to myself and started picking at my nails. "Okay, well as everyone knows, there were a good two years where I-"

         "Disappeared?"

         "Went dark?"

         "Didn't visit?"

         Some of the others finished. My jaw dropped in an offended way as the table erupted in more laughter. "You know what, yes." I admitted. "And in those two years, I sort of fell in love."

         "That's wonderful."

         "What's his name?"

         "Where is he?"

         "How great."

         The table erupted in chatter again. "Okay, you all aren't really helping me with my nerves right now." There was a slight shake in my voice as I spoke and they all stopped talking immediately.

         "I think I get it." Ty Lee said, mainly to herself. I wondered if she actually knew what I was saying and gave the peppy girl a curious look. "You're pregnant!"

         "Ama, really!?"

         "Congratulations!"

         "I'm going to be an aunt!?"

         "No!" I shouted, rapidly shaking my head and my arms out in front of me. "It's been a year since I've last seen them. Besides, it was never even a possibility. Cause- well." I looked around the table. They all either had confused or curious expressions.

         My eyes landed on Zuko, he was leaning back into his chair. Arms crossed over his chest as he waited to hear me speak. His soft golden eyes bore into mine. Immediately, I felt calmer and just blurted it out. "The whole point of me saying all of this is because I'm bisexual and Mulan was a woman who I was very much in love with!"

         "Oh, that's old news!" Toph immediately exclaimed before anyone could say anything.

         "Old news? I just told Katara and Sokka this morning. They were the only ones who knew!" I pointed out, motioning to my siblings.

         "Oh." Toph realized. "Then I guess it's just old news to me. You're heartbeat always sped up whenever you saw an attractive woman." My face reddened and I buried my face in my hands.

         "Moving on. I think that's great, Ama." Suki said, looking at me from beside Sokka, who sat between the two of us.

         "Yeah. We're all very happy for your new found understanding of yourself." Ty Lee grinned at me. "Or would it be an old understanding of yourself? Either way, your aura is very purple and bright!"

         "So, none of you think differently of me?" I wondered, peeking through my fingers.

         "Of course not. You're still the same Ama." Zuko spoke up, giving me a comforting smile. He didn't speak all that much the entire night.

         "So what happened?" Ty Lee's curious voice wondered.

         I shrugged, a somber expression on my face. "She got really sick one day and died." Some voices expressed words of condolences quietly. "It's been hard, but everything happens for a reason, I guess." I began to feel extremely uncomfortable in the dismal atmosphere. The quiet was eating me up.

         "Well," Katara spoke up, standing from her seat. I am so thankful for her ability to see when I'm uncomfortable. "it's been a long day and I'm exhausted." Aang stood up also, ready to go to bed as well.

         "So am I." Ty Lee jumped from her seat. "Who knew traveling could suck all the energy out of a person." Slowly everyone left the table.

         "Don't forget ladies, tomorrow is the bridal shower." Katara announced quickly before entering her room.

         "Good job, sis." Sokka pulled me into him for a side hug. "The execution was a little rocky, but I'm proud of you for finally overcoming your fear."

         "Sokka, your breath reeks of wine." I laughed, shoving him off me. "Get to bed."

         "Mhh. Bed sounds good." Sokka mumbled happily then gave a sly look at Suki. "What do you think, Suki? Bed? Good?"

         The girl smirked back at him seductively. "I think bed sounds great."

         "Eww." I said in disgust. "You're going to make me throw up."

         "Aww, you're just jealous you don't have someone in your bed tonight." Sokka teased.

         "Yeah, it's totally because of that and not because your bedroom is right next to me." I raised my eyebrows and entered my bedroom. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. Finally. I can rest easy, I hope. The walls here are thick, right?

.☽☼☾.

         I woke up early with a list of things to do. But of course, everyone needs  their breakfast. Sitting at the dining table with a bread bun in my hands and a book in another.

         "Watcha reading?" A familiar but still strange voice asked. Turning my head, I saw the one and only Zuko. I gave him a smile as he sat down, taking a bread bun from one of the bowls in the center.

         "A romance novel." I replied, keeping my eyes on my book. "A princess falls in love with the stable boy. But he gets drafted into the war. The princess then disguises herself as a man in order to protect him."

         "Sounds interesting." He responded. "I'll need to borrow it when you're done."

         Memorising the page I was on, I set down the book. "So, how've you been?" I asked.

         "I've been good. Bored, mainly." He shrugged. "You know. When I became Fire Lord, I was never told how much of my time would be spent with paperwork in front of me."

         "That's rough, buddy." I quoted something he'd said a long time ago, cracking a smile from him. "How's Kiyi and your mom?"

         "Good. Kiyi turned 12 a few weeks ago. And mom still asks about you." He responded with a warm smile.

         "Did they get the bracelets I sent? I know it wasn't anything fancy, but-"

         "They loved it." Zuko interrupted me. "Kiyi wears it almost everyday, actually."

         "That's good to hear." I said, taking another sip from my tea. I grimaced at how cold it got from being neglected. I looked over at Zuko with an innocent look. "Hey do you mind-?"

         Already one step ahead of me, Zuko took my tea cup, heating it up with his hands. Giving him a questioning look, Zuko just chuckled. "You're a very predictable person, you know."

         "Well, thank you." I said, taking the cup back from him and sipping it. "So, did you boys plan anything for today?"

         "Aang wants to go to the market." He answered. "Hey, what are some foods you recommend?"

         "Depends." I started, pointing at nothing in particular. "Auntie Ashuna has a booth selling seal jerky. I find that to be pretty filling. There's also a booth selling different sea foods, but fried. Honestly, it's one of my new favorite snacks."

         "Anything sweet?" He asked more specifically.

         "Oh. Auntie Nalle has an entire bakery. She sells cakes, tarts, and all sorts of things." I listed, my mouth already watering at the thought. "She's going to be at the bridal shower, though, so Uncle Perlu will be running everything. Word of advice, don't stare at him. He'll write your name on a piece of paper and burn it."

         He chuckled and looked a bit confused. "Should I ask?"

         "It's kinda my fault." I recalled how I told my uncle that burning the name of a person was a great way of both detaching from them and wishing ill-will on them. "Anyways, I gotta get going. Bridesmaid duties." I stated, standing up from my seat.

         "Have fun." He said as I was picking up my book, placing it under my arm to pick up my dirty dishes.

         "You know me." I smirked. "I'll always have fun."

         "Can you do me a favor?" He asked, just before I left. I nodded, for him to continue. "Keep an eye on Suh for me? I know she's a very extroverted person, but she can feel out of place easily."

         "You can count on me mister Fire Lord." I assured him. He gave me a thankful smile as I actually felt the dining room this time.

         My smile fell as I left. The mention of Suh made me feel... uneasy. I wanted to like her, I really did. But there was something about her that made me wary. I don't know what it is. But I will.

.☽☼☾.

         "What a beautiful knife set." Katara opened the last gift. "Thank you, Mai." The Fire Nation woman nodded a 'you're welcome' while she grabbed a biscuit. Katara turned to look at me, as she set the gift to the side. "I didn't think I could get so many plate sets."

         "You'll never need to worry about not having one." We chuckled together.

         "It was a great idea to host the bridal shower here in the green house." Katara looked around at the place. Vines hung from pots, trees grew strongly, and flowers of all colors filled the clear paneled house. "It sets the perfect atmosphere and it's gorgeous."

         "I know." I agreed. "Plus I think the two of us needed a break of the snow."

         "Oh, please. You were in here like everyday up until two weeks ago." She mocked me, starting to fold up the gift bags.

         "Yeah, some of the bridesmaid duties I were procrastinating on had finally caught up to me." I recalled, looking across the long table I noticed Suh chatting Mai's ear off. The poor girl looked so bored and annoyed.

         Remembering my promise to Zuko earlier, I stood up and went over. "Hey, Mai. Katara could use some help organizing the gifts."

         "Finally. Something to do." She said dryly and left her seat.

         I took Mai's seat and smiled at Suh. "So, how are you liking the South Pole?" I started conversation.

         "Oh, it's beautiful." She awed. "I always believed that the Southern Water Tribe was underdeveloped and unstable, but I was obviously wrong."

         I tried not to feel offended by her little comment. After all, it wasn't like the Fire Nation was taught a whole lot about the other nations. "You should go to the market one day, you can get a taste of some more Water Tribe culture and food!" I suggested. "Zuko told me that he and the boys were going to be there today?"

         "Oh. I didn't know that you and Zu-bear talked today?" It took everything in me not to burst out laughing at the nickname. Zu-bear? Zuko can't possibly like that. "But, anyways. I guess I'll try to go to the market."

         "So, how did you and Zuko meet?" I inquired.

         "Oh, it was nothing special." She swatted the air with one hand and grabbed her tea with the other. "The Fire Nation Council introduced Zuko to lots of women. We went on a couple dates, and just clicked. With all the competition I really didn't think Zuko would want to be with me, but well. Here we are."

         "What does the Council have to do with Zuko's love life?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

         "Zuko, isn't exactly getting younger. The Fire Nation is going to need an heir." She spoke like it was common knowledge. "The Council just made sure that all the women eligible to him are fit to be Fire Queen."

         It made sense. After all, the royal life is a lot more pristine than I know. The year I spent living in the palace had me following proper etiquette. And that was just scratching the surface. Still, having a group of people limiting who you'd spend the rest of your life with sounded terrible.

         "And what did you do before you met Zuko. Were you a diplomat of some sort, academic...?"

         "My father was a general in the war. I never really did anything." She answered. The answer was way too simple for my liking. Especially since she likes to talk. "I hope I don't sound rude, but I'd rather hear more about you." She grinned. "Zuko never really talked about you guys."

         I was taken aback by that. He never talked about us? Why? Is he ashamed? No. Why would he? "Um, well. What would you like to know?"

         "Everything!" She exclaimed excitedly. Her hands intertwined and a hopeful look glimmered in her eye. And I'm starting to see why Mai said she was unbearable.

.☽☼☾.

         I rubbed by my temples slowly, stepping inside the palace with Katara behind me. "Remind me to keep Auntie Vik away from the alcohol at your wedding." I grumbled.

         "I'll remember." Katara grumbled back. "It's been a long day. Oh, you know what would be nice? A relaxing time at the hot springs."

         "That sounds like heaven." I moaned at the thought. "You think the others would want to join us? The sun hasn't even set yet, we have time."

         "That's a good idea, actually." Katara grinned. "I'll go get everyone."

         "And I'll go get the wine!" I exclaimed, sharply turning to the wine cellar.

         And just like that, the second evening with my friends started. With wine in our hands and the hot, soothing water up to our chest.

         "...I was so close to using my trusty boomerang on the guy. I mean, who does he think he is?" Sokka complained about some shop owned from the market.

         "For not lowering the price by a couple copper pieces?" Haru chuckled.

         "I'd already spent most of my money on food. And that dress was perfect for Suki." He grumbled. Suki shook her head, but still smiled at her goofy boyfriend, leaning into him.

         "How was the bridal shower?" Aang turned the attention to the girls.

         "It went well. And now we have a lot of plates to use." Katara grinned, making me chuckle.

         "Props to Ama, though. The girl was hella busy both before and after the event." Toph brought the attention on to me.

         "Oh, please it was nothing." I smirked and swatted my hand. "But the chef was so rude. He told me that the dishes I requested were 'too complicated.' I met with him last week to go over everything and he didn't say a word about it."

         "I saw the way he talked to you." Suki spoke up. "He was way too bold."

         "Seriously though, Katara. You better put as much effort as I am right now when I get married cause I've been busting my ass." I grumbled at my sister.

         "Yeah well I won't procrastinate like you did." Katara crossed her arms over her chest and had a fun-loving smile.

         "That's assuming that Ama will even get married." Sokka quipped, earning some snickers while my jaw dropped. "Hey, I just realized. Katara is getting married before Ama. Even though Ama is older and still single. Ha! Good luck sis."

         "Sokka!" Katara scolded while I actually bent the hot water and splashed his face.

         "Ow! Ow! Ama!" He hissed and with his eyes closed, he reached out of the water, using his hand to try and find his towel.

         "Don't worry, Ama. You'll find someone." Ty Lee assure me.

         "What is with you all?" I chuckled, running my fingers through my hair. "I am perfectly content with my life right now. I got my friends, my family. What more do I need? Besides, I'm not worried about that. After all, I was able to pull in the FIre Lord."

         Zuko just shrugged with a cocky smirk and sipped his wine. "Hey, you got good taste I'll tell you that." Suh looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of Zuko's relationship with me and pressed closer onto him.

         "Minus Jet." Aang huffed a laugh.

         "And we never got to meet Mulan. So we don't even know what she's like." Suki added.

         "You know it would have been nice to meet her, Sis." Sokka said with his chin up in an offended way.

         "It wasn't that I didn't want to," I threw my hands up and some water splashed from my hand. "You know, the world isn't exactly all that accepting of same-sex couples."

         "I was actually really surprised when I found that out." Aang commented. "The Air Nomads embraced everyone's differences, no matter who they loved."

         "Fire Lord Sozin decreed that same-sex relationships be made criminal when he came into power." Zuko said. "I'm still in the process of legalizing it. There's been quite a bit of pushback by the Fire Sages."

         "Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows as I started to feel frustrated. "It makes so sense. The Water Tribe prefers for you to keep it to themselves, the Fire Nation will throw you in prison, and the Earth Kingdom families will kick you out."

         "Is that what happened to Mulan?" Katara wondered softly.

         "Was she kicked out? Yeah." I said somberly. "She was 13."

         "I had a neighbor that was gay." Haru spoke. "He had to leave town because his farm hept getting robbed and received death threats."

         "So now you can all see why I didn't tell you guys anything?" I raised my eyebrows at them all.

         "Yeah, snowcone." Toph punched my shoulder. "But don't do that ever again."

         "Yeah, yeah. You can't read, I get it." I chuckled as I rubbed the spot she just punched.

         "Ama, I promise you that I will reverse what my great grandfather has done." Zuko assured me. "No one deserves to be punished for who they love."

         I broke into a huge grin. "You're all the best I'm going to cry." My hand went up to my eyes, my thumb wiping the tears that started to drip.

         "We're just glad you could confide in us." Katara swam over, embracing me in a hug.

         "Yeah! You can always trust us." Ty Lee also swam over to embrace me.

         "Okay, new conversation before I start bawling my eyes out." I laughed, the two girls left the hug.

         "Ama, so emotional." Sokka shook his head in fake disappointment.

         "Says the guy who cried when Auntie Ashuna ran out of seal jerky." I retorted. Sokka grumbled to himself as he sank further into the water.

         "You know, I'm kind of curious to know about Toph and Kanto." Katara smirked at Toph.

         The earthbender smirked smugly, taping a sip from her wine. "All you guys need to know is that we're together and he'll be at the wedding."

.☽☼☾.

         Another day had passed and we were one day closer to the wedding. Today was chock full of wedding planning, or at least the finishing touches. Katara and Aang needed to confirm the centerpieces and the decorators were going over how to decorate the venue.

         We spent hours there. And it wasn't the stressful atmosphere or the pre pre-wedding jitters Katara was having that made me feel uncomfortable. It was Suh. As best man, Zuko came along to help Aang out. And Suh never even left his side.

         She kept talking out of turn, suggesting things that no one asked for, and was way too loud. "What about roses as the centerpiece instead of the panda lilies? They're so much prettier." and "Wouldn't blue be a more 'Water Tribe-y' than yellow?"

         I had to constantly remind her that it was both Aang and Katara's wedding and that they wanted to incorporate both of their cultures into it. But it never sank into her head. She'd apologize and do it all over again.

         "I can't stand that woman." I complained to the girls. We all, minus Suh, sat in Katara's room as Ty Lee tried different wedding hair styles on her. "Honestly, I don't know what Zuko sees in her."

         "I told you." Mai said dryly. Yeah, I need to learn to listen to Mai more.

         "Oh, she wasn't that bad." Katara argued with her sweet tone. "Sure she had a lot to say, but you can't hold that against her."

         "Of course I can. She was being incredibly inconsiderate of our culture and us." I justified. I didn't know how Katara was being okay with this. I would have thought she'd be on the same page as me since it was her wedding.

         "Ama, do you think you're maybe over exaggerating?" Suki suggested.

         "Why would I exaggerate?" I huffed.

         "Maybe 'cause you still have feelings for Zuko. And she's kinda engaged to him." Toph said without missing a beat.

         "Will you all stop with that." I grumbled in annoyance. "I told you. I see Zuko as nothing more than a friend. My problem is with Suh."

         "You're problem is with Suh because you like Zuko." Toph was blunt and spoke without holding back. She took pleasure in teasing others, but there was always truth in what she said. Still. She's human and can be wrong.

         "You guys simply haven't spent enough time with Suh." Mai came to my defence. "I've had to put up with her for months. The woman has no filter."

         Suki giggled from beside me and shook her head. "How convenient that Zuko's two exes are the only ones who don't like Suh." Mai just rolled her eyes and I scoffed. There was no way I'd be able to convince them anything. Not if they thought I still had feelings for my ex.

         "I think Suh is nice." Ty Lee spoke up, tying the last band into Katara's hair. "How's this one?" She asked the bride. Katara was the focus of everyone's attention now.

         She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Her dark hair was put into a loose braid and then swirled into a low bun to look like a flower. The strands by her face were tied with blue string all the way to the end and pinned to the back of her head.

         "It's beautiful, Ty Lee." Katara complimented after giving it some thought. "It just feels too... posh. And all of the pins are poking at my scalp." She grimaced at the pain

         "Hmm." Ty Lee placed a finger on her chin, thinking about how she could restyle it. "I guess we could try a half-up, half-down style." The girl started to unpin Katara's hair.

         "Katara, shouldn't your hair be a bit more on the 'posh' side?" I asked her, stepping up beside to her to assist Ty Lee in removing the pins. "I mean, this is the biggest wedding of the year. Maybe of the generation."

         "Oh please." Katara snickered, laced with nerves. "Just because I'm marrying the Avatar doesn't mean everything has to be so elegant. There's only 300 people."

         Ty Lee and I shared an amused look. 'Only 300 people.' The vast majority of it were our family and friends, a few others from the tribe. But each nation was also sending reporters to cover the Avatar's big wedding.

         Katara didn't want it to be as big of a deal as it was. But one thing led to another while planning, and it became a big deal. She wasn't complaining, though. Because at the end of the day there was only one thing that mattered to her. That she was marrying Aang.

         Taking out the last pin from her hair, I looked at my sister. She was zoned out, stared at herself in the mirror with a soft smile. The kind that only a person in love would have. No doubt she was thinking about her loverboy.

         "Okay, so what if I tied beads on the top and..." Ty Lee began explaining another style to try, using her hands to run through Katara's hair. I sat back down on the floor next to my sister, seeing how her smile grew at Ty Lee's description.

.☽☼☾.

         The sun had barely touched the horizon. The sky was painted in hues of orange and yellow. The blue sea looked dark except to the line where the sun's light touched it.

         I took in the sight. My back rested against a large oak tree on a cliff. My left leg was out in front of my while my right leg was close to my chest as I rested my arm on it.

         So far, my journey was filled with knowledge and laughter. It was odd, though. I always had my siblings with me. They were my source of joy. Then it was Zuko. And for the past three years, it was myself.

         I still saw my friends. In fact, just a week prior, I visited Toph at her metalbending academy. I rarely saw Zuko. Maybe just twice since our breakup. Once when I passed through the Fire Nation and once at Yu Dao. Apparently, he and Aang were planning on creating a whole new nation. The United Republic of Nations.

         It was an interesting plan. Using the land that was previously Fire Nation colonies to create an entire independent state. One where benders and nonbenders of all nations could live together.

         That was a few months ago. And since then, the United Republic has made advances. Last I heard, there was a vast majority of the population for it. I had no doubt that my friends would be successful in their project.

         I sort of felt like a leaf, I guess. Drifting from place to place. Not that I was complaining. It was nice, learning new things and meeting new people. There was just something missing from my life. And I didn't know what.

         I didn't let myself dwell on that. I knew I'd find this missing thing eventually. But at this moment, I just let myself be content. An apple in my hand and some stupid song stuck in my head.

         Spirits, it was on repeat. It was a song I heard that afternoon from an old man in the town. "When I think of that painter, that beautiful painter. My heart almost bursts and I spin on the spot." It was a beautiful song with a gorgeous melody. But it wouldn't leave my head.

         "Hello there, beautiful." A raspy voice interrupted my tranquil evening. "What's a girl like you doing out here all alone."

         I craned my neck to see who it was. No one I knew. Just some man, perhaps a few years older than me, leaning smugly against the tree. His black hair slicked back with some sort of gel. His layered style was made up of dark clothing. But the most important part of his whole getup was the willow leaf saber in his hand.

         Or in simpler terms. The man literally came up to me with a whole weapon out. I was an unarmed girl just enjoying the sunset. He was a thug.

         During the war, it was the Fire Nation soldiers that caused problems in each city. That spot was now filled by criminals and gangs. They bullied citizens for money or food or anything they could get their hands on. I was lucky enough not to come across any of them. Until now.

         I remained emotionless and just took a bite from my apple. "You know it's dangerous 'round these parts. You never know who might try to rob you. Especially a pretty girl like yourself." I almost laughed at how this man was trying to sound intimidating.

         "Thank you, for letting me know." I replied, covering my mouth with the back of my hand while I chewed. I looked back at the sunset, trying to ignore his staring.

         He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Nice bag." He pointed at my colorful satchel with his sword. "What's in it?"

         "Alot, actually. Some copper pieces, some gold, some silver. Passport, hair ties, good stuff like that." I egged him on and looked up at him. He had a mischievous smirk, thinking this would be an easy steal. "You can look through it if you'd like. But you won't find your dignity."

         His smirk disappeared and he sneered at me. "You taunting me?" He pointed his sword at my chest.

         I sighed with annoyance and got off the floor with my hands on my hips, his sword still pointed at me. "Look man, I was just trying to enjoy the sunset until you got here."

         "Funny, I just started to enjoy my evening when I saw you here." He chuckled.

         I didn't know how long he wanted to keep bickering like this. And I just wanted to get back to the sunset. So I snapped open my waterskin and bent the water in it to spash it against his sword and then froze it against the tree.

         The man's eyes widened and tried to pull the sword out, despite it not budging. "Okay, buddy. It's been wonderful being threatened by you, but as you can see I will be winning any sort of fight against you. So, if you just agree to leave me alone, I'll unfreeze you little toy." I tried to strike a deal.

         But my self-assured ass didn't see the man behind me. Pulling on my hair, he drew me close to him and placed a dagger against my throat. "Nuh uh, sweetie." His gross, hot breath was on my ear. "You see, we never travel alone."

         Three other thugs came out of hiding. Each of them with disgusting smiles. One of them grabbed my bag and looked through it. "Ha!" She exclaimed, pulling out my bag of coins.

         "Jackpot!" One of the others jumped happily.

         "Now if you'll just unfreeze my friend's sword, we'll be on our way. And you'll be unharmed." The man who held me growled.

         "Gladly." I responded and bent the frozen water off and struck the man holding me in the face. Effectively getting him to remove his grip on me.

         The others sprung into action. Mister 'hello there, beautiful' ran over to me, swinging his sword. I dodged it by side stepping to my right, and used my water to, this time, push him onto the ground and froze his hand on the ground.

         The woman stomped her foot on the ground, and the earth beneath me rumbled. I jumped back, avoiding the sharp earth that sprung from the ground. I took my water and used the waterwhip to slap her harshly, throwing her onto a tree.

         But while I did that, I didn't notice that the other guy bent the earth, holding my feet to the ground tightly. It felt like the earth was cutting off the blood circulation to my feet. In shock I looked down. But when I looked back up the man was sprinting, sword in hand and ready to strike me through.

         I called my water to me, but just before I could do anything, a new person entered the fight. A woman. All I saw was a blur of red hair as she tackled the man to the ground. Rolling back up, she lunged again. Punching the man's throat. His hand went up to where she injured him, like he couldn't breath.

         The earth around my feet disappeared back into the ground. I was free, but I was right when I speculated that the rock was cutting of my circulation. It was like tiny needles were continuously poking at my feet, and I fell back into a seated position.

         The man that held me before was back up and held his dagger tightly in his hand. Swinging it across his body to attack the woman. The mysterious redhead jumped back, grabbing his arm to hold him in place as she then kicking his knee in. The man, with a backwards leg cried out in excruciating pain.

         One of the other, that hadn't done anything yet, dropped the bag of money on the ground. He unsheathed his sword and walked over to the woman. She in turn, unsheathed her own sword, a katana to be exact, and the two pieces of metal collided.

         Using his own strength against him, she moved to the side and he fell forward slightly. And while he was hunched over, the woman slammed the butt of her katana against the back of his head, making him fall over in extreme pain.

         The woman I fought earlier was also back up, bending two pieces of rock beside her, she threw it at the redhead. She dodged both as she ran towards her before sliding beside the woman. And when she jumped back up she kicked the back of her knee, getting the attacker to fall on her knees.

         The redhead pointed her katana at the woman's head. And everyone paused. Well, all of them were maimed pretty badly. "You thugs need to watch it." The redhead's voice spewed venom when she spoke to them. "If you ever try to cause pain to another innocent person, I won't be as merciful."

         The ones that were capable nodded in understanding. Satisfied, the mystery woman sheathed her katana walked over to me. With some feeling of my feet I stood up to greet and thank her. But I guess there wasn't as much feeling as I thought and my body started to lean forward. Luckily, the woman was right in front of me and caught me before I could fall any further.

         "Woah there." She laughed lightly, helping me stand by wrapping her arm around my waist and allowing for me to lean on her. "Are you okay."

         "Perfect." I chuckled at myself. "Thank you, so much." I then looked back over to the group of criminals. "That was incredible. The way you moved and everything."

         The woman shrugged. "It was nothing. I do this over four times a week." I looked at her curiously. "I'm part of this group. The Miraculous Bastards."

         "The Miraculous Bastards?" I laughed and was finally able to hold myself up. She chuckled with me. Spirits, her smile is gorgeous. In fact, now that I look at her, her entire self was beautiful. She had dark red hair that hung loose and ended at her shoulders. Sparkling forest green eyes. And she was taller than me by two or three inches.

         "I didn't choose the name." She shook her head.

         "I'm Ama." I introduced myself.

         "Ama?" She repeated like she recognised it. "Wait, weren't you one of the waterbenders that traveled with the Avatar?" I nodded and smiled at her excited reaction. "You literally saved the world! Meeting you is an honor."

         "Thank you." This kind of attention always left me feeling a little awkward.

         "So, what exactly are you doing here?"

         I shrugged. "Just traveling around. That is, until something else comes around and my life takes another turn."

         The woman tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Um, I hate to ask, but would you by any chance want to meet my friends? It doesn't have to be for long and our camp isn't far." She pointed with her thumb towards a direction away from the cliff.

         "The rest of the Miraculous Bastards, you mean?" I inquired with a smirk.

         "Yeah." She chuckled.

         "I'd love to." I agreed. "Just let me grab my stuff." I crouched down, grabbing my satchel and the bag of coins. Ignoring the groans for help from the criminals.

         "I'm Mulan, by the way." The woman said quickly as we left the scene. I smiled at her. I didn't know what it was. But just speaking to her had me feeling something I haven't felt in a long time. Butterflies.

.☽☼☾.

I didn't want Ama's sexuality to be such a big deal. In an ideal world, no one would have to make a big deal or be scared of coming out. Heterosexual is not the default. But after watching Legend of Korra and reading the first comic, I realized that this would be something that Ama would have to confront.

Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

[har-rison-s]

absolutely smitten

Request: Hey, I was wondering if you could do a teen!tony x reader were the reader is the new to his high school and he somehow is the person to show her around. But it’s like a love at first sight thing. Kinda based off of Absolutely Smitten by Dodie. If you don’t mind. Thank you!!💖💖 can’t wait to read it

A/N: Oh my GOOOD the song is so cute, I can totally imagine young tony with it. sfsdjfhbsfhdsbdhs i'm having very warm feelings. Robert, you make my heart do flips. I love this. And I love Tony. Currently watching “Restoration” which is in my rdj's film list in caps because he's got long hair in this movie (sfjsbh). Happy reading! (this gif screams “i'm going to allow that”)

main masterlist

mcu masterlist

Warnings: extreme cuteness and sickening love-at-first-sight stuff. Read at your own risk!!

Am I really lost on my first day?

The question slips through her mind several times as her desperate eyes search for something to point her in the right direction. There's no sign, no nothing. And no people around, as well. How is she ever going to find the counselor's office if she doesn't know where it is?!

Y/N begins to walk towards the end of the hall she has not yet discovered. Couldn't go wrong walking here, she thinks to herself. But suddenly, out of the silence and loneliness, she hears footsteps. Lousy, loud as well, probably belonging to a guy. She stops, hoping he's one of the students and can tell her where to go.

It is a guy, indeed, and he wants to tap her shoulder with his pointer finger to alert her with his presence, but she's already turning around. He's a bit late to withdraw his hand and it hangs in the air as he stares at the completely breathtaking stranger.

“Wow.” He says and raises his eyebrows. Y/N eyes his hand warily and furrows her eyebrows. The guy immediately retracts his hand and lets it fall by his side. 

“Wow what?” She asks, straightening her posture and taking a small step back from him. She does this every time she meets someone new because she is a bit afraid of every stranger. But this stranger... well, his good looks certainly earn him first-impression trust.

“Wow you.” He says. “You, I found you, I was looking for you. And now I found you, and I said... wow.” He speaks in a fast manner and Y/N has to take a short while to figure out what she heard. 

“Okay, um,” she starts to say, “wh-why were you looking for me?”

“I am to,” he starts now, and bends a little, extracting his arm to her, in an old-fashioned polite manner, “show you around your—obviously—new school.” 

She laughs and he lingers on how it looks. A spectacular apparition, her laugh and smile. And that he's caused it—miraculous. He stands back up and straightens his jacket, smiling sheepishly at the girl. She's the most charming girl he's ever seen, he's sure of it. Her charms seem to be quite unplanned and natural. And her smile. Oh, her smile. 

“Thank God.” Y/N says. “I thought I was lost on my first day already.” She offers him a nervous smile and he gives her a wider in response. Though when she sees it, he narrows it down to a polite smile. He's shy. He's shy? Tony Stark's shy? Of a stranger? A damn beautiful one at that. “Hello? I don't know your name, but you seem to have drifted, so—”

“Yes, we're going.” He says and starts walking in the direction Y/N was already headed to. “I should probably tell you who I am.” He says it in a way that makes her think she should know his name, know who he is. As if it's a fact. “I'm Tony. Tony Stark.” He extends his hand towards her again and this time, she shakes it. Even if she is unsure of the horrid formality of his gestures. 

“I'm Y/N.” She says in response and realises she doesn't know his name, even if she's supposed to. It's not that obvious to her. “I would say my last name, but since yours is much more brighter and cooler, I won't.” She admits.

“Ridiculous!” Tony says. “Although, thank you, I know it's cool. Or whatever.” He takes it as a compliment, due to his arrogant ways. Back to my own self, at least, he thinks. Y/N feels a bit awkward from his comment, so she says nothing. 

“Where are we going?” Y/N asks quietly, filling the silence of footsteps and their echoes in the hallway. 

“To the office, sweetheart.” Tony replies. “You'll get your schedule and since you're with me, and since I'm—well—me, I'll show you around the school and no teachers will complain that you're absent!” He says, a bit too excitedly maybe, and Y/N has to look at him to be sure that he's really that giddy. Because of her?

Surely a guy like him wouldn't be affected in any way by her. She's just not that... what he would want. Anyhow. Would she miss the first lessons? But would it be so bad? Passing one day to spend with him? This incredibly handsome stranger Tony. 

How could she actually say no to him? Well, she couldn't, that's the thing. She couldn't deny him, and that's her weakness. Pretty strangers make her succumb, and it's not always a good thing. But, alas, this is not a bar, and he's no creepy guy, so there should be no problem. 

“Okay, but if I fail this semester because I've missed a lesson today, I'm blaming you.” She points a mean finger at Tony, which he moves away and leaves them both standing closer than just-met strangers would. Y/N blinks a couple of times, lost in his eyes.

They're a beautiful shade of brown. A raging, anxious, active, but comforting, deep brown. Beautiful. And he got lost in her eyes, as well, what a coincidence. They're anxious, like his, he sees, and finds comfort in that. But they're calming, too. The orbs are understanding and look like the deepest ocean.

“I'm sure I can take the blame.” He says, talking quieter than before, the foolish smile gone from his features. A blush invades her cheeks and she looks down, looks away from Tony. He closes his eyes for a second, but then turns and starts walking again down the hallway, Y/N following him soon after. She's shy now, they've both gotten shy. Tony doesn't speak a thing. How strange for his usual behavior that Y/N knows nothing of. “So, uh, any plans for the summer?” He asks.

“Tony, it has just ended.” Y/N says to him and Tony almost faints. The way she says his name. So innocently, so purely and shyly. He's ready to give her his heart. “Summer's next year.”

“Still, have any plans already?” He repeats his question. Tony's realised his clumsiness but tries to make it better, still tries to keep up a conversation with the beautiful creature. 

“No, I don't think so.” She responds. “Probably sleeping. I get very tired during the school year.” 

“From all the studying and working hard in the late hours of the day?” Tony asks, a knowing grin on his lips. 

“Quite so.” Y/N confirms. “What about you?” She looks at him, wicked and interested eyes looking into Tony's. 

“A year's the same all around for me, hon.” He admits sorely. “But I would like to join you in sleeping some day.”

Y/N can't stop the playful scoff, although full of shock, that leaves her mouth. She feels it's impolite to Tony - if he was either way horribly joking or trying to flirt. But he enjoys it, hearing and seeing her laugh. But he was serious. 

“Show me around first, then we'll talk of possible, uh, sleeping.” Y/N says to him, patting Tony's shoulder. That's strange, he's never had someone playing with him like that. Everyone is always serious and modest towards him. 

“I'll strongly take that as permission.” Tony tells her. She only laughs quietly, more to herself than Tony. And she shakes her head. He's unbelievably sure of himself. 

Even though they are faintly flirting and catching glimpses at one another, as well as knowing there's some kind of attraction to each other, they don't otherwise speak of it out loud. That would be a crime! They've only known each other for two or three minutes, not known, but met. 

But they know, they knew from that moment, that they were undeniably and absolutely smitten by each other. 

Permanent taglist: @v0idbella @inlovewithmiddleagedcelebs @works-of-fanfiction @destiel-stucky4ever-loki-queen @stfxlou @ur-gunna-h8-ths @one-taylor-one-vision @empressdreams @betweenloveandfire @but-legendsneverdie @deardeacy @mavieesttriste16 @fvckyeahbenhardy @thewinchesterchronicles

A/N: Forgive the ending, it sounds like a corny teen movie's beginning narration. Also, I finished watching Restoration and I have exploded because o h my god. my kink is actually men with long hair. i mean, i've already fallen in love with downey, but this look,,,, W O W. Have a good night!

[amydancepants-peralta]

Cliche prompts - 1, 27, 36 or 49 (i really wanted to narrow it down but this list is gold and i'm indecisive so i leave the choice to you :D )

Prompt time!  For this one I decided to combine two of my favourite options - 27 for ‘Help me I’m being hit on at a bar please be my fake boyfriend for a second’, and 16 for ‘I need a date for this wedding’. 

It’s a little longer than I’d intended for a one-shot, but I hope you enjoy!  It’s also on AO3 if you’d prefer to read longer fics there :D 

Kasia & Anon, I hope you enjoy! xx

Suddenly (I’m in love with a stranger) 

There was nothing about this particular Friday night that seemed to set it apart from all the others.  Jake had met Charles at their favourite bar, Shaw’s, and over the course of the night had managed to confirm his title as the Dartboard King of Brooklyn (Shaw’s Edition).  

He had been on his way to the bar, a spring in his step from his newfound title when a cloud of dark hair, brown eyes and curves had run up to him, throwing her hands around his neck and shouting “BABE!  I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”.

Arms wrapping around her as he absorbed the impact of her body crashing into his, Jake’s brows had furrowed in confusion as the Mystery Woman twisted her head towards his, whispering into his ear - “There’s a guy over there that won’t stop hitting on me and I told him you were my boyfriend, please please PLEASE go along with it!”   

Her breath had felt warm against his skin, and her body fit perfectly against his.  And without a second thought, Jake had tightened his grip around her, loudly answering, “Uhh .. hey babe, hey!  So glad you found me!”  In an instant, he can feel the tension leave her body.

She tucks her head into the base of his neck, giving the illusion of a tender kiss to his shoulder, and Jake turns his gaze to the bar in front of them.   A greasy skinned man with overlong hair is watching the two of them, lips curled in contempt as he stared.  Jake takes the opportunity to glare back, narrowing his eyes in a silent threat as he tightens his grip again, turning his head to whisper into the woman’s ear - “Just stay where you are - I’ll give you the all-clear when he’s gone.”

He feels her nod against his shoulder, and Jake pulls his eyes back to Mr Creep.  He’s shaking his head this time, the eye-roll obvious even through the crowded bar, and he skulks off in search for the next prey.

Jake’s hands move to the woman’s waist, pulling away slightly as he speaks, eyes still trained on the room.  “Okay, you’re good.  He’s moved on.”

A voice filled with gratitude cuts through the white noise of the bar, louder now that she isn’t tucked into his neck.  “Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver.”  His eyes turn to the woman still in his arms, and in an instant, he feels his heart stop.  She was beautiful.  

When he was younger, Jake had picked up a book that once belonged to his mother, long since ‘borrowed’ by Gina. The cover had been adorned with a vivid illustration of a muscle-bound man clad in a ripped shirt, hovering next to a woman that, even years later, could only be described in his memory as a siren.  Dark flowing hair, soft supple lips, and eyes that pierced through the cover.  To the teenage minded Jake, this character had become the Ultimate Example of the perfect woman - the kind of beauty drawn only from the imagination of an author - never to be discovered in real life.

(The book’s contents, on the other hand, had made him gag with its overly sappy words.  How Gina read them, he would never understand.)

There had never been the expectation that one day Jake would meet such a woman.  But, hand on heart, he would swear on his life that such a woman had appeared in front of him tonight.

And he was definitely staring.  

She raises her brows, eyes beginning to turn wary, and he realises that his arms are still around her.  He can feel the heat begin to burn his skin as he flushes, pulling away with a start and running his hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment.  Part of him can still feel her tucked into his side, and he feels strangely empty now without her there.

“Uh, sorry … I just … ahh … are you okay?”  Why is talking suddenly outside of his grasp?

She smiles, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth, and Jake’s heart skips a beat.  “Yeah.  I’m fine.  Seriously, thank you.  I don’t normally do that, but he wouldn’t stop talking to me.  I could feel him watching me when I got up and I saw you and I just … “ her hands flail in the air, trying to find the words to describe her situation.  He nods, and her hands lower again.  

“Anyway.  I’m sorry if I startled you.  You were really good, though.  At playing the boyfriend.  I hope I haven’t disrupted your night too much.”

“Not at all.  I just hope your actual boyfriend won’t mind me walking in his shoes for a minute there.”

She shakes her head in a rapid motion.  “No, no boyfriend.  I’m not here with anyone tonight.”

Jake’s heart skips another beat.

“Wow.  I answered that really quickly, didn’t I?” she continues, pulling back her hair as her face begins to blush.  “I just meant that I was supposed to be meeting my friend Kylie here but I think she’s flaking on me, and I was watching this thing on Dateline the other day about how there are some men who seek out the single woman at the bar as their ultimate prize only the prize isn’t anything except the woman’s naked body being dumped in the woods somewhere so you’ve probably just saved my life for real and oh god I’m rambling aren’t I?”

He laughs, instantly terrified that he’s hurt her feelings, and visibly relaxes when she begins to laugh with him.  It was an amazing laugh, too.  The kind he could listen to forever.

(Wait …. when did FOREVER come into the picture, Peralta?  Who’s the creepy guy now?)

Clearing his throat, Jake runs a hand through his hair before speaking.  “Listen, you’re more than welcome to come and hang out with me and my buddy Charles for the night.  No strings, I promise -” he interjects as he watches the hesitation form in her eyes.  “We’re just two guys playing dartboard.  We’re both detectives for the 99th precinct, shooting off some steam from a case, and to the best of our knowledge we’ve never been put in the Creepy Guy Category.”

Her eyes light up, and it’s his new favourite thing to watch.  “You’re a detective?  I’ve just joined the academy.  I’d love to hear some pointers!”

He beams.  “Right this way, m’lady.”

* * *

The Mystery Woman, as it turned out, was called Amy.  (Amy.  How had he never noticed how beautiful the name AMY was before?!)  And she had just completely robbed him of his title of Dartboard King.  

And the thing is - she hadn’t just beat him at the game.  She’d annihilated him.  Completely kicked his ass.  And he’d be lying if he’d said that he didn’t find it incredibly sexy.

“Alright Jake, hand over the title!” Amy declared, hands raised in victory as she smiled over at him.

Slumping his shoulders, Jake hung his head briefly, trying to hide his smile as he reached towards the nearby booth.  Quickly grabbing something and hiding it behind his back, he returned to Amy, no longer attempting to conceal his joy.

“Wait a minute, I just beat you.  You shouldn’t be smiling.  Why are you smiling?  Charles, why is he smiling?”

“Your majesty,” Jake announced before Charles could interrupt, “I present to you … your crown.”  He releases his hands with a flourish, revealing a gaudy gold toy crown.

“Wait … what?  How?  You actually had a crown this whole time?”

“Nah.  Those guys over there are having a bucks night, and I managed to convince one of them to give me theirs.”

She looks over at him, eyes wide with wonder, and for a moment he forgets his own name.  “Still.  That was really sweet of you.”

Truth be told, he’d been hoping to wear it when he’d beat her at the game, to take a victory lap and remind her of the rightful King.  Turns out, it had belonged to the Queen this whole time.  He shrugs his shoulders, not ready to admit how happy it made him to see her so happy, holding out the crown with two hands as he places it onto her head.

Amy beams up at him, proud in all her splendour, and Jake never wants the night to end.  He never thought he’d be grateful for the presence of a creepy guy at a bar, and yet … here he was.  

It didn’t help that she had the kind of warm brown eyes that drew him in, regardless of the conversation.  It didn’t help, that her smile always seemed to settle in the surprise location of right beside his heart.  And it certainly didn’t help that within twenty minutes of them hanging out, Charles had leaned over to Jake and loudly whispered - “This is it, Jakey!  She’s the one!  Your dream girl!  I can tell!”

He’d shrugged his best friend off with a vehement shake of his head, because everything that he had said was completely insane (except that maybe it wasn’t).  She was beautiful, yes, and incredibly intelligent.  In the last hour she had repeated more NYPD codes than he and Charles, the actual cops, knew put together.  They talked and laughed and drank and danced as though they had known each other for years, not hours, and he found himself watching her lips as she spoke, wondering if they would feel as soft as they looked.  Or if her hands would curl perfectly against his own.

But still, he hesitated.  The whole reason they’d even met was so that she could escape being hit on by another guy.  Hitting on her now would be a total douche move.  

“This has turned into the BEST night, you guys.  Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.”  She smiled over at him, crown slightly askew as she takes another sip of her drink, and Jake looks at the tiny flowers that run along her blouse.  He would find a garden filled with the same, and pick them all for her, if it meant he’d see that smile again.  

She continues, unaware of Jake’s musings.  “You totally saved me from that dude.  If there’s anything I can ever do to return the favour, you name it and I’ll be there.”

He’s already in the process of shaking his head at Amy’s kind offer when Charles interjects, putting on a coy smile as he calmly states - “I have an idea.”  He turns his head sharply to his best friend, eyes wide with concern at what kind of hare-brained scheme was about to be unleashed.

“Wait … this isn’t going to be some weird dare situation, is it?  Because I swore to myself that I would never streak through the bar.  Not after last time.”

Jake’s head turns back towards Amy, picking up on what she’d just admitted, but before he can even begin the line of questions forming, Charles pipes up again, this time announcing “No, nothing like that.  Jake is going to a wedding next Thursday, and he doesn’t have a date.  You should do it.  You should be his date.”

Swinging his whole body back to Charles, Jake nearly ends up with whiplash as he stares his friend down.  “Charles.  Don’t be crazy.  Amy, you don’t have to do that.”

“But … I want to do it.”

He turns back towards Amy, starting to feel like a spectator in a tennis match, and sets his gaze solely on her.  “Seriously.  You don’t owe me anything.”

Her eyes widen, and the tips of her ears begin to turn read as she takes a step back.  “Unless you don’t want me there …”

“No.  Wait.  That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s okay, Jake.  I get it.  You’ve probably got someone …”

“He doesn’t!  He’s totally single.”

“Charles!”

His heart begins pounding, and tries not to take hope from the smile that has returned to her face.  Biting her lip, she shrugs.  “Jake, let me help you.  It’s just a wedding.  It kinda sounds like fun.  If all else fails, there’s always the open bar.”

He watches her intently, trying to determine if she was still offering only out of obligation.  Truth be told, the idea of spending another night with her, regardless of the circumstance, was incredibly appealing.  

“So, it’s decided!”  Charles interrupts, stepping between them and throwing one around each of their shoulders.  “Dianetti wedding, here we come!”  

“CHARLES!”

* * *

Amy pulls in another breath, wincing as her ribs groan in protest.  She honestly couldn’t remember another night where she had laughed as much as she had tonight.  And it was entirely Jake Peralta’s fault.

Okay, technically, it was probably hers.  She had been the one, after all, that had run all batshit crazy into his unsuspecting arms, babbling about creepy guys and fake boyfriends.  Without that, their paths probably wouldn’t have ever crossed.  But oh, how glad she was that they had. 

As they had left the bar she had been complaining about her shoes – still too new to be worn all night (a rookie error on her end) - and Jake’s offer of a piggyback ride home had been met with more laughter.  Until he had lifted her, and that feeling of safe and home washed over her again, and before she knew it she was being carried home in her very own chariot.  His hands never strayed from the back of her knees, ever the gentleman holding her tight as he walked down the street, and when he laughed the vibrations ran through his back and straight to her heart.

He had just been such a shiny beacon of hope in that seedy bar, and his arms had felt so warm around her.  So willing to help a stranger, and so welcoming afterwards.  He was handsome, with his distinctive profile, and had a smile that made her a little weak.  And for the past hour, she had been trying desperately not to think about what it would be like to kiss him.  They had talked all night, about everything and nothing, and Amy couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the start of something much bigger than themselves.  She wanted to get to know him, in any way that he would let her, and the sheer insanity of going to a wedding of two people she didn’t even know, just to spend another night with him, didn’t escape her.  

He’s nearing her apartment now and she leans down to him, cheek brushing against his as she moves.  A countless number of tingles run straight down her spine, and she takes a deep breath in, absorbing his cologne with a soft sigh.  She was starting to feel more than a little bit smitten with this stranger.  Mistaking her sigh as one of disapproval, he cranes his neck slightly to catch her from the corner of his eye.  “Oh, my cologne is probably a little too strong.  Sorry.” His hands lower slightly, releasing his grip as he squats down, letting her feet hit the pavement before straightening.

“No!  Don’t be.  It’s good.” She stammered, averting her eyes as she fights the urge to blush.  Again.  Really good, actually.  Amy rests her hand on his arm as she steadies herself, and as she turns back to him she can see him take in a deep breath.  In a moment of confidence, she keeps her hand there.  “I know I’ve said this already, but thank you for tonight.  You made it so much better than I could ever have planned.”  

He nods, smiling so softly that all the other thoughts she’d been trying to cloud her mind with disappeared.  She feels the mood shift, and finds herself shuffling closer to him.  It’s moments like these that make her grateful that telepathy isn’t a thing, because if it was, all he would be able to hear right now was kiss me kiss me kiss me … oh please, kiss me.

“Hey listen, you need to know - I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t want you to come with me to the wedding back there.  I want you to be there.  If you do, that is.”

She nods, not trusting herself to speak, and he smiles down at her (she doesn’t even mind the height difference, she’s such a goner).  Amy cranes her neck upwards, mirroring his smile with her own.  Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.   They draw closer.

A car carrying drunk guys (that sound suspiciously like the group of bucks they just left behind at the bar) drive past, honking the horn as two lean out the window, singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their lungs.  Jake pulls back with a start, and just like that the moment is gone.

No!

The regret is obvious in his eyes, but still Jake takes another step away from her.  “Ah, I guess this is goodnight, Amy.  I’ll text you about the wedding, okay?”  Before she can even speak, he’s turned in the other direction, and she remains standing on the sidewalk with only her confusion for company.

What the hell just happened?

* * * 

It had been six days since that evening at the bar, and Amy sat at a well-decorated table at the wedding reception, hands fiddling with the handmade jewellery each guest had received as favours.  

She was fairly certain that she had just born witness to one of the most elaborate - and fabulous - weddings in history.  A perfect combination of sugar and spice, which appeared to be the best way to describe the newlyweds Gina and Rosa.  Jake had given her a quick rundown of their history as they had made their way to the ceremony earlier today, and Amy could tell from the pride on his face as he spoke that these two women were very important to him.  

Dropping the jewellery, her hands reached for her cellphone, swiping through to her photo album and stopping on the selfie that her and Jake had taken earlier that evening.  Her intention was to post it, adhering to the ‘Don’t Forget To Tag #dianetti In All Your Pics’ rule that had been posted at every table.  Instead, she found herself staring at the photo of the two of them, eyes raking over Jake’s smiling face.

Over the last few days, her phone had become filled with endless conversations between her and Jake.  She had been relieved, to say the least, that the ease between them had not been a result of alcohol.  Instead, they were fast becoming friends.  

The thing was … she didn’t want to just be friends.  Not with Jake.  His handsome face filled her thoughts whenever her day grew quiet, and when she closed her eyes, she could still remember the feeling of his warm arms around hers.  He made sense to her, which was completely insane.  He made her laugh.  But the craziest part, out of all of this, was how much she could feel herself falling for him already.

A now familiar voice breaks into her thoughts, calling out “Ames!” and she looks up with a bright smile.  Ames.  His nickname for her, born somewhere between day three and day five, and absolutely her new favourite way to hear her name.  

His face was flushed, fresh from giving each bride a turn on the dance floor.  His smile, as bright as hers, made her heart skip several beats, and she wondered if her infatuation was as obvious as it felt.    

“I’m going to grab a drinks for the both of us, and then you and I are going to tear apart that dance floor.  Sound like a plan?”

She nods quickly, praying that her makeup holds strong against the blush that was beginning to spread across her face, and throws him a steady smile.  Oh god, he was going to see her dance.  This was going to be over before it even begun.

Somehow, he reads her reaction, casting a dismissive hand towards the crowd.  “Don’t worry about them, Ames.  You and I are going to DANCE.”

Okay, yeah.  She was definitely falling for him.

* * *

Jake waits patiently at the bar, fingers tapping absentmindedly against the wood panelling as he waits for the bartender to fill his order.  He was beyond impatient to head back to Amy.  There hadn’t been any mention of another night after this (hell, he wasn’t even sure if this was a date or not), and he wanted to spend every possible moment with her.

Out of his peripheral, Jake watches Charles approach.  Work commitments had reduced their chances to speak to each other for the past week, and Jake knew that his friend had been dying to know the details of him and Amy.

“So?  Did you guys kiss, or what?”  Good old Charles, always known for his tact.

Already regretting his answer, Jake looks over at Charles before shaking his head.

“What!?  Jacob!”  he shouts, slapping a heavy hand against his chest bone.

“Ow!  What was that for?”

“You save a beautiful woman, a literal damsel in distress, flirt with each other all night then walk her home, and you DON’T end up kissing her?  You’re a lost cause, Jake.”  This time a punch to the shoulder.

“This feels a little uncalled for.  And for what it’s worth, Amy has never been a damsel in distress.”

“No way.  You’ve got something amazing in the palm of your hands, and you know it.  And I’m not going to stand by and watch you let it slip away.  Not a chance.”

Jake rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he turns his attention to the glasses the bartender had just placed on the bar in front of him.  He had no idea why he’d run away so quickly the other night.  He’d wanted to kiss her, more than anything.  Heck, it was almost a week later, and he was still dreaming about kissing her.  She was everything that he could hope for in a woman, and for some inexplicable reason she wanted to hang out with him.  

He turns, leaning his weight against the bar as he faces the reception hall, zeroing in on the woman in question.  Watching her walk towards him earlier today, in that little red dress of hers, had nearly given him a coronary.  She was literally the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he’d been so proud to walk into the wedding with her beside him.  His arms itched to hold her, and he’d daydreamed doing so several times already today.  He was definitely falling for her.  And it completely terrified him.

“The stakes are through the roof for me on this one, Boyle.”  It was the truth.  She made him feel things.  And not just sexually (although, those feelings were definitely there).  It was more than that.  She was kind, and brilliant, and made him feel like even his most baseless conversations were worth listening to.  He felt important with her - and even though she was still technically just a line above a stranger to him, he was finding it difficult to imagine a life without her in it.  It sounded insane, but he simply didn’t care.   

“It’s just … what if I screw this up?  This girl is amazing.  And if I end up doing something stupid …”

“Jake.  You have to stop assuming that everything is going to fail.  Sometimes, things just work out.  And you’re never going to find out, if you don’t give this thing a try.  She looks at you like you hung the moon.  Trust me.”

Jake nods, heart somewhere up near his throat as he takes in Boyle’s words.  Maybe he was right.  Maybe, this time it was his turn to find happiness.

* * * 

The lights are soft, and an inexplicable cloud of smoke begins to surround the two of them as they circle the dance floor.  Jake smiles as his eyes take in the scene - it wouldn’t be Gina Linetti’s wedding if there weren’t several smoke machines involved.

A hand shifts on his shoulder, and Jake turns back to the woman in front of him.  The woman whom (no offence to the two brides, but facts were facts) was easily the most beautiful woman in the room.  

Amy smiles at him, that soft shy smile he’d been greeted with the night they met.  His heart was beginning to feel like a hummingbird’s wings, and he had no interest in slowing it down anymore.  

“You know, standing here, dancing to all these songs … I can’t help but feel like I’m a character in every rom-com I’ve ever seen.”

“Ah.  Yes, that would be Rosa’s doing.  She has a not-so-secret love for all things Nancy Meyers.”

“Rosa, my love for you is sharper than my favourite knife, Rosa?”

He laughs as Amy quotes the woman’s vows verbatim.  “Yep, that’s her.”

She giggles, a sweet sound that he wants to hear forever, and it occurs to Jake that the risk of losing her was greater than any risk that came with taking a chance.  

His forehead drops to hers, both of their feet simply shuffling against the beat of the music as the act of dancing becomes second priority.  Her arms, now looped around his neck, tighten imperceptibly and he reciprocates by pulling her waist just that little bit closer to his.  She hums, taking in a deep breath, and whispers within their close proximity,  “I’m really glad I came tonight.”

“I’m really glad I came tonight, title of your sex tape.”

She laughs, tucking her head into his neck as her shoulders continue to shake.  “Oh, how you make me laugh, Jake.”

He rests his cheek against the side of her head, closing his eyes in contentment for a moment before breaking the silence.  “Hey, Ames?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really glad you came tonight, too.”

She raises her head, skin brushing against his as she refuses to widen the gap between them.  Her gaze looks onto his, eyes big and bright, and if it wasn’t for his steady breaths Jake would be certain that his heart had completely stopped beating.

Moving one hand from her waist, Jake cups her face in his palm, keeping the touch feather light as his thumb brushes along her jawline, tipping her mouth towards his.  Her breath hitches, and before he can scare himself away, he leans in to brush his lips against hers.

She sighs softly against him, breath warm against his lips, and when he begins to pull away she pushes her face towards him again, capturing him in a kiss that threw all doubts out the window.

This was The Kiss.  The kind of kiss that people wrote songs about, or wrote about in fairytales.  It was the kind of kiss that you held onto, for years to come, the memory of it never fading.  It was the kind of kiss that spelled out forever, and it was killing him that he could have had this six whole days ago, if he hadn’t been so damned chicken.  

Her fingers card into his hair, feeling as though they’ve belonged there the entire time, and he moans softly into her mouth as their tongues begin to tangle together, both still so shy but so very eager for more.  

His hands begin to roam, sliding up and down her back as he pulls her impossibly closer, breathing in her perfume as the feeling of Amy in his arms settles all the nerves that had been building inside.  This was it for him.  He can’t explain how he knew, but he knew.  

“I swear to God herself Jacob, if you upstage me at my own wedding with a porno on the dance floor, I will never forgive you.”  The unmistakeable voice of Gina Linetti pulls him from the trance of Amy’s kiss, and Jake pulls away reluctantly, rolling his eyes at his oldest friend as she glares over at him.  

“Not one for the dramatics are you, Gina?  Relax,” he continues as she stares him down.  “No porn on the dance floor.  Got it.”  His tone is dripping with sarcasm, one arm wrapped around the back of Amy’s neck as her face remains tucked into his shoulder, clearly mortified at being caught mid-makeout.  Gina throws him another withering stare, raising her eyebrows before being pulled away by her newly-wedded wife.  

“The coast is clear,” Jake whispers into Amy’s ear, fingers tangling into the curls at the base of her neck as she stays tucked into his side.

“Hmm, this feels a little bit like deja-vu,” she answers, leaning forward to land a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back with a smile.  Her arms drop from Jake’s neck, sliding against his jacket until her hands are resting on the lapels, toying with the button on one side.  She looks up at him with a coy smile, and if Jake wasn’t already in deep, it would have sunk him completely.  

“So, given the rules just laid out to us …”

“Wanna get out of here?”

She nods, a cascade of giggles bubbling out of her chest, and Jake leans in for another kiss.

“Absolutely.” 

[dontreadthistrashgarbage]

G O T 7 pt.5

JB's private studio was much smaller and less intimidating. Everything was in the same room, and there weren't any extra people there. Guerin couldn't help but fidget nervously as JB gave her some pointers based on the last recording session. She was looking at his computer screen with him when he shot her a glance, noticing her fingers tracing repetitive patterns around each other. He reached out and put his hand over hers to still her, turning casually back to his computer at the same time.

Guerin froze, looking down at his hand then back up to him as he gave a reassuring squeeze before moving his hand back to the mouse. Her chest tightened, sometimes he could be so chic it stressed her out. Even now he was acting like it was nothing which it very well could have just been a friend comforting another. Her brain went back to the conversation with Charlie before she remembered to focus on what JB was saying.

"Ah, sorry, could you repeat that last part?"

JB glanced at her, a slight smirk in place, fully believing he had distracted her, "I said, I think that's everything for now, are you ready to give it a shot?"

She kicked herself mentally, his expression was so cocky she wanted to snark back at him but her usual wit was hindered by her nerves, so she just nodded. JB handed her the headphones and adjusted the mic to her position.

Just like last time it was a bit rough at first, but unlike then JB offered support and feedback. He reacted genuinely and even laughed at some of her voice cracks, but she found it oddly comforting and it helped her relax and find her groove. His reactions would shift between cute praise, to simple eyebrow raises and nods, sometimes even exclamations if she hit a particularly difficult note. She couldn't help but fall into step with his mood.

"That's it. We got it." JB clapped once and turned in his chair to face Guerin as she beamed and removed the headphones. She did a small victory dance as she set the headphones back in their spot. JB held back a laugh.

"What?" She asked.

"It's a good thing you don't need to dance for this song." JB joked.

"Listen here you-" She raised her fist jokingly, making JB laugh again, "So now what happens?" Guerin asked.

"Now I put everything together." He said, turning back to the computer as she sat down next to him, looking at the screen.

"It's almost like another language." Guerin said, impressed.

"Nothing as intense at that." He shook his head, then began explaining basic parts of the programming as he started the process.

"I am in awe." She stated, "The creative process is so amazing. I love music but can't make it. Being able to do so is... mind blowing."

JB looked at Guerin who had moved unexpectedly close while he had been explaining the program. He studied her face for a moment before she looked up, curious about his silence.

"It's a compliment." She assured him, as though he didn't realize, "Your brain is special and cool."

JB tucked his chin into his neck and made an awkward face as a response. Guerin almost spit, covering her mouth as a laugh was startled out of her, volume easily matching Youngjae. JB just smiled as he waited for her to recover.

"What the hell?" She asked in delight, "Why are you so weird?"

"It's my special brain." JB shrugged. Guerin cackled again for a moment. Once she recovered he spoke again, "Guerin. There's an open mic night in a couple days. I go there sometimes to workshop songs. Will you come?"

"Like... to sing?" She asked apprehensively.

"No, just to support and give feedback." He said.

"Oh... yeah. I can do that." She agreed.

"Thanks Noona." He winked and held up a peace sign to his face for a cute moment before turning serious and going back to the song while Guerin was forced to recover from his unexpected attack.

Jackson was leaving for China the next day for some schedules for his upcoming album release. He wanted to celebrate with friends so he had a big get together, inviting all his fellow past trainee friends, Guerin and Charlie amongst some others. It was an odd mix of people, Guerin felt like she particularly stood out since her connection to the celebrity industry was tenuous at best.

"I'm not famous either." Charlie argued when Guerin voiced her nerves.

"Yeah but you work with them all the time." Guerin responded.

"You've met famous people before. You're even friends with one now." Charlie frowned.

"Yeah but usually that was in a very controlled professional setting. And Jackson is... different. I don't know." Guerin was starting to look more nervous. The two already stood out as obvious foreigners, but Guerin's sense of style made it worse. Charlie's purple hair and simple wardrobe helped her almost blend in, but Guerin's blue lips and green crop top felt more like regret than confidence to her now.

"You sound like you need a drink." Charlie turned her friend to a table so she could get started on some soju.

"Hell yeah I do." Guerin didn't need any convincing and went along willingly with the new plan. No sooner had they sat down then they were joined by familiar faces.

"You're going to need more people if you're planning on playing drinking games." Jinyoung had meandered over with JB. They both looked completely at home at the party, but they could have been wearing bathrobes and everyone else would have looked out of place.

"Oh, hi Jinyoung-ssi!" Charlie said as Guerin stood. "Jinyoung, this Go Guerin. Guerin this is Park Jinyoung."

They both greeted each other and bowed before sitting down. Jinyoung claimed a seat next to Charlie and JB nonchalantly slid in next to Guerin. "It's nice to meet you finally. I've heard so much about you." Jinyoung smiled at Guerin. He was so handsome her heart couldn't help but skip a beat. How did Charlie survive around him all the time? She glanced at JB before smiling to herself. The body finds a way to survive apparently.

"I hope it's mostly good things." She said in response.

"Excusively." He nodded.

"I haven't talked that much about Guerin to you." Charlie said to Jinyoung, puzzled.

"Oh, there's other people in our company that do." He said airily, unscrewing a bottle of soju and starting to pour out shots to avoid eye contact. Charlie and Guerin exchanged glances, then both looked to JB who was pointedly glaring at Jinyoung, waiting for him to look up. Jinyoung handed JB a shot first, making eye contact only then, he had to avoid laughing and instead handed out the rest of the glasses. Guerin raised her eyebrows but was distracted by soju.

After the first shot they began playing games and others came around to join them. The familiar Youngjae joined, along with Mark who settled on the other side of Charlie. Two new faces joined as well, Yugyeom and BamBam who would have been the youngest of their group. Yugyeom was now a choreographer and BamBam had many successful restaurants. The two especially were close friends. Yugyeom was on the other side of Guerin. She couldn't help coddling the tall maknae, he was so polite and formal with her and such a baby with everyone else.

"Stop picking on my son." Guerin admonished Jinyoung as BamBam cackled. "He's a good boy, be nice to him." She put a hand on his shoulder protectively.

"Yeah." Yugyeom agreed, a bit flushed from the soju.

"Guerin-ssi don't fall for it. It's an act." Jinyoung tried to reason with her. Mark and Charlie were giggling to each other beside him.

"No, look. He's just a baby." She pinched his cheek affectionately, saying in English, "Baby boy."

"Guerin, he's an adult man." JB tried to join in on Jinyoungs side. He somehow couldn't help but feel a little jealous with the attention his dongsaeng was getting.

"Well yeah. But he's also a baby." She shrugged.

"Noona, it's true, I'm a man." Yugyeom said with a serious expression, "But I can be cute for you if you like it." He said suddenly pulling out aegyo and making everyone at the table yell.

"What just happened?" Charlie yelled as she Mark and Jinyoung were in stitches. BamBam had fallen to the floor acting like he had been killed, Youngjae's loud laugh alerted the whole room to the event. Guerin had recoiled, her hand over her heart.

"I feel so attacked!" Guerin exclaimed, bumping into JB as she fanned herself. JB automatically put an arm around her as he leaned in to speak to Yugyeom.

"Ya, go easy on noona, she's weak to that nonsense."

Guerin had frozen when JB had moved in and she felt him behind her. She looked at his face next to her as he spoke to Yugyeom before willing herself to shake it off, but not before glancing at Charlie who had the most smug expression on her face. Jackson chose that moment to come up.

"Ya, what's all the commotion?" He looked at all of them with a grin that suddenly seemed a little forced when his eyes landed on JB and Guerin. The two separated subconsciously under his gaze.

"Hyung, Yugyeom is doing aegyo. It's awful." Jinyoung snitched readily.

"It was very good, just very unexpected." Guerin argued.

Jackson wasn't about to lose an aegyo competition if it meant showing off to Guerin. He forced his way between Yugyeom and Guerin and proceeded to use every opportunity to attack with anything from subtle pouts or small squirtle smiles to his more classic loud outbursts if he lost a game.

The party went on and they all broke off and intermingled. Jinyoung and Mark seemed to be vying for Charlie's attention so Guerin let them have it. She winked at JB and gestured with her head as she got up to walk away leaving the three on their own, so engrossed in their own conversation they didn't notice.

"I can't tell if she's blessed or cursed." Guerin said to JB quietly, referencing the trio they just left.

He glanced back and gave a half smile, "Maybe both."

"So I'm right? They both like her?" She cocked her head at him with a shit eating grin. He realized too late he might have given more confirmation than intended.

"Ah..." he was a bit tipsy from the alcohol and couldn't think of a clever way to backtrack, so he fell silent instead and shrugged.

"Oh come on, it's obvious." She laughed and patted his back reassuringly. He chuckled and rubbed his nose, still not trusting himself to speak. "It makes sense, she's a total catch." Guerin smiled, proudly talking up her friend, "If she picked one of them they'll be lucky."

"If?" JB asked, "Doesn't she like one of them more?"

Guerin looked at him with a smirk, "Trying to trick me now?"

He shrugged, playing it off as though he didn't really care, "I had to try."

"Well, as far as I know she doesn't even think either of them like her." Guerin frowned.

The irony of Guerin saying that was not lost on JB and he let out a laugh.

"I know, it's so obvious right?" Guerin said, mistaking the reason for his reaction.

"It really is." He laughed again.

"Noona, there you are!" Jackson found the duo after having left to socialize with other guests. He was an unrestrained extrovert and having the time of his life surrounded by friends. More and more people had left as the party dragged on and it seemed to finally be wrapping up.

"Hey Jackson!" She welcomed him back with a smile.

"It's so late, let me take you home." He said.

"You don't have to do that. I can get a cab." She said.

"I want to, I wanted to talk to you." He said earnestly. JB's reaction was nearly imperceptible, his mouth twitched slightly and his eyes flicked to his friend who was not looking at him. He focused on the glass he was holding instead.

"Oh... yeah okay. Let me make sure Charlie gets home safely though." She said, before the three of them headed back to the table.

"Hey Charlie, do you have a way home? Do you want me to call you a cab?" Guerin asked her friend.

"I can take her home." Mark said, before Charlie answered.

"I can do it. We live in the same direction, Mark, you'd be going out of your way." Jinyoung said, looking at Mark. Mark stared at Jinyoung for a few seconds.

"It's really okay I don't need as escort." Charlie said, her skin flush could have been from drinking or the idea of being alone with either attractive man, it was a mystery.

"You've been drinking. It's not safe. Besides, I'm heading that direction myself." Jinyoung pressed, putting a hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"Oh... uh... okay..." she said, turning more red at the physical contact.

Guerin couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Mark who had so obviously been railroaded. Guerin couldn't help but notice his expression was very subtly annoyed, but no one seemed to acknowledge it and he didn't say anything. Instead he turned back to his glass and finished off his beer.

"We'll head out first, if you're ready?" Charlie said as she stood, eager to put some distance between herself and Jinyoung. Her heart could only handle so much at one time. Jinyoung agreed and the two said their farewells, Guerin shot Charlie a look but her friend didn't reciprocate. Guerin chuckled, knowing her friend was nervous as the two left.

"I just need to say some goodbyes but I'll be ready soon!" Jackson said to Guerin.

"I'm not in a rush, take your time." Guerin waved him off, sitting back down at the table with Mark, JB following suit.

"I'm leaving too." Mark said standing suddenly. JB and Guerin waved him off as he forced a small smile and headed out, leaving the two alone. As soon as the door closed behind him Guerin turned to JB who had begun pouring the two of the a somaek.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Guerin asked, accepting the beverage gratefully.

"Hmm?" JB looked up, eyebrows raised unquestioningly. He took a sip, looking at the door Mark had walked out of, then shrugged, "Yeah."

Guerin frowned, unconvinced, "He looked upset..." she followed suit, drinking with JB.

"He'll talk if he wants to when he's ready." JB said. Guerin continued to look at him, so he gave a small smile, "No one can make Mark do something he doesn't want to. He'll either get over it or confront it when he's ready."

"It would just be a shame for Jinyoung and Mark to lose their friendship." Guerin said, casting her gaze down to her drink.

JB watched her pensively, then reached out his glass to clink against hers, "Jjan. Drink up." Then drank deeply. Guerin tsked but followed suit with a small smile.

"Don't worry so much. Focus on me. Let's just have fun." He said with a chic smile.

"Oof. JB." She pretended to be put off by his cheesy line, but the truth was it had made her stomach clench and her face felt warm. It really should be against the law for someone as attractive as him to be so smooth.

The two chatted for a bit before settling into a comfortable silence until Jackson joined them again. Naturally with him around the conversation ramped up until it was time to go. JB waved the two off and went his own way, sparing a glance back to their retreating forms.

"Sorry to put you out like this." Charlie said as they neared her apartment. Her and Jinyoung had chatted comfortably on the walk back, making the trek itself seem very short.

"It was nothing. I enjoyed it." Jinyoung assured her, a natural smile played at the corners of his lips.

"Well... I appreciate the gesture." She couldn't being herself to look at him, instead forcing a smile and turning to head inside.

"Wait, please." Jinyoung reached out and took her wrist, stopping her from moving away from him. She stared at his hand holding her, speechless. He quickly dropped it, "I'm sorry." He added hastily.

"I-it's okay. What is it?" She spoke slowly, translating her shocked brain deliberately from english to Korean.

"I wanted to say... I..." Jinyoung uncharacteristically struggled with his words and Charlie waited nervously. As he stammered out words, a motorbike buzzed down the alleyway past her complex with a large pile of rugs tied to the back.

"Look out!" She said in English, but it didn't matter because in the same breath she grabbed Jinyoung's arm and yanked him toward her and away from the road, backing into the wall of her apartment complex. Jinyoung shot his free arm up, landing it against the wall Charlie was against. He watched the bike disappear around the corner with a scowl before looking down at Charlie, inches away from him, under his arm against the wall in unintentionally close quarters. As she recovered from the shock of getting him to safety, Charlie was then stuck dealing with an issue of boundaries. She couldn't look at his face for more than a glance or two but his neck, clavicle and shoulders were hardly a better option. She licked her suddenly dry lips, "Ah... sorry, he just looked... close to hitting you an-"

"I like you." Jinyoung said suddenly.

"You... What?" She asked, surprised.

"I like you. I want to date you." Jinyoung added to his comment.

"... What?" She said again, shaking her head and blinking.

Jinyoung chuckled, taking her chin in his hand and moving her face to look at him, "I like you. I want to date you."

"You. Like me?" She said in disbelief.

He furrowed his brow, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. A thousand reasons. Do you really need me to name them all?" She argued insistently.

"You could if you want. But I like you. You're good at your job. Clever. Thorough. Cute. Fun. Smart. I look forward to seeing you everyday. Our shooting schedule is ending soon and I don't want to stop seeing you regularly." Jinyoung leaned in closer as he spoke, causing Charlie's breath to hitch in her throat.

"I... what do I say? I didn't see this coming?" She said breathlessly. She quickly continued, seeing Jinyoungs face fall as he waited, "I like spending time with you too I just... you never struck me at the... type?" She argued again, dispassionately

"The type to what?" He asked, brow furrowing.

"The type... to like me?" She added quietly.

"I'm being genuine." He almost pouted and moved back slightly, giving her more space. She was both disappointed and relieved, "But what do you feel?" He asked, clearly looking for an answer to his confession.

Charlie didn't need to think, she wasn't questioning her own feelings. Those were making themselves very obvious as her heart began feeling like it would pound out of her chest. She shut off her brain and all it's arguments and doubts. Her hands moved forward of their own accord, grabbing the front of his shirt to stop him from moving further away.

"I like you too, of course." She said quickly.

Jinyoung, being the experienced actor he was, controlled his facial expression and opted for an amused and cocky smirk as he looked down at her hands and back up at her, "Of course?" He teased her word choice.

"Oh god, stop." She blushed at the call out, sropping her hands and covering her face out of embarrassment.

Jinyoung dropped the act and laughed at her cute reaction, unable to help himself he pulled her into a hug. Charlie was trapped in his arms and it wasn't an unpleasant place to be but she hardly had time to react before it was over. They both hesitated awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. Jinyoung met Charlie's gaze, then glanced up to her apartment, both of them knowing the interaction had to end, but Charlie didn't want him to leave so soon.

"Do you... want to come upstairs?" She asked tentatively.

His eyes widened for a moment before turning his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eyes questioningly.

"Oh god no, not like that, I didn't mean, no, I just meant to, talk or... oh god. Nevermind." Charlie stammered, half of her words in English.

Jinyoung laughed again at his adorable new girlfriend. He took her face in his hands, "I'd love to join you upstairs." He said smoothly, then kissed her forehead, causing her blush to return.

"Not fair." She pouted, then turned and punched her code into the building door.

"What isnt fair?" He asked.

"You're a drama actor and this is all new to me, so you get to be the cool one." She shot him a sulky look and moved inside as he laughed again and followed her.

Jackson and Guerin had been walking for a while, they kept doing laps around her apartment before they opted to walk along the river instead. Their conversation had developed more depth as they talked about their lives and history.

"I'm glad you were able to find success in your dream." Guerin said, "But sometimes it doesn't work out, y'know?" She took advantage of his language skills to relax and pepper her korean with english slang, "And I'm not unhappy, I just didn't see my life going this way." She shrugged.

"Are you happy?" He asked.

"Are you?" She asked in turn.

Jackson looked thoughtful, "Sometimes. I am right now." He cocked his head and she smiled fondly.

"It's a trick question. No one is happy all the time. It's just nice when it happens more than not. I think I'm there." Guerin nodded.

"Are you happy right now?" He asked. She was looking ahead and missed his expression.

"Yeah, this is a pretty good place to be." She smiled as she gave her honest answer.

Jackson reached out and took her hand, stopping so she had to turn to see him.

"I like you."

Guerin was shocked and didn't move except to blink at him, "You... what?" She was convinced she had misheard him.

"I'm happy with you. I want to be with you more. I like you." He said, his gravelly voice deepening with his earnest confession.

"I... Jackson?" She looked at their hands as he squeezed, nervously waiting for her reaction.

"Jackson." She started and stopped again.

"Noona, I'm dying here." He said with a nervous smile, shaking the hand he was holding and stepping closer. Her heart started up again full force, sending the blood back to her brain.

"Sorry." She gave a breathless laugh at how cute he was, "Jackson I don't know what to say. I'm surprised. I mean. I like you too-" his face started to light up, "But that's a lot to take on and I'm not even sure if it's romantic."

His face fell and he took a step back. It was her turn to hold onto his hand as he went to let go.

"Listen, Jackson, you're so sweet and kind and talented and unbearably handsome." He looked up at her, looking more than ever like a hopeful puppy, "I'm serious it's hard to look at you sometimes. I like being around you so much but I worry that we aren't compatible romantically."

There was a few moments of silence before Jackson spoke, "Then think about it." Guerin cocked her head at him, "I'm going to China tomorrow for my album release. Take the time to think about us and answer me when I get back in two weeks."

Guerin paused then slowly started to nod her head, "Yeah... okay. I'll do that."

"Now you know how I feel so think hard." He stepped close again, brushing his free hand against the side of her face then cupping her cheek as he made eye contact. She held his gaze as long as she could before she had to duck away, making him laugh as she exclaimed, "Ah, you're too powerful Jackson Wang."

It started to drizzle forcing the two to end the night. Jackson got her to her door, "Remember, think about me." He grinned boyishly, then leaned in suddenly close. Guerin took a moment to realize what he was waiting for. Turning her cheek to his face she tapped on her face in an invitation. Jackson gave a chaste peck, then exclaimed in excitement, leaning away. Guerin couldn't help but giggle at how cute he was.

"Go home, and dry off!" She shooed him away as the rain started to come down harder.

"I'm standing here until you go inside!" He called back, with a big grin, opening his arms to the rain.

"Oh my god." She chose not to argue and went inside before shooing him away again from inside. He skipped off happily. Guerin exhaled and shook her head. "What the hell." She said under her breath before starting up the stairs.

JB sat on the patio of his apartment, mostly sheltered from the rain other than a gentle splash back causing a build up of dew on him that slowly gathered and soaked into his clothes and dampened his hair. He held his camera, taking pictures of puddles, the lights through the rain and the people hustling below both with and without umbrellas. He was completely in his own head. Finally he got up and went inside to shower and warm up.