#always looking for new people interested!

[navybrat817]

Back Off, He's Mine

Pairing: Husband!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: You put an agent in her place after she flirts with Bucky.

Word Count: Over 2.5k

Warnings: Established relationship, violent threats (not against the reader or Bucky), protective vibes, catty behavior, possessive vibes, implied sexy times, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?).

A/N: Inspired by an anon ask asking for Bucky's wife to stick up for him. ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky stared at you from across the break room table, his pretty blue eyes not blinking as you looked back at him. The two of you were locked in a lengthy staring contest and you didn’t want to lose. But as the air in the room began to dry your eyes and he flashed you a beautiful smile, you couldn’t stop yourself from blinking. And the moment you did, he struck.

Snatching the last bit of the beloved pastry right from the middle of the table.

“Damn it,” you muttered, crossing your arms when he chuckled. “You cheated.”

“Oh, yeah?” he smirked, making a show of taking a slow bite. Your eyes followed his tongue licking his lips and you pressed your thighs together without thinking. The bastard made eating look sexy and he didn’t even take a full bite. He was taunting you. “How did I do that?”

“You cheated by existing.” You gestured to him, your smoking hot husband in his black t-shirt and tactical pants. To the person who made those clothes, you saluted them. “And you have serum in your veins, so I’m pretty sure you don’t have to blink as much as I do and that’s an unfair advantage.”

He chuckled again, graciously passing over the last small bite of the pastry. Your eyes lit up in thanks, popping it in your mouth with a moan. It was true love to share food like that. “I don’t think that’s how the serum works,” he teased. “And you’re a goddess, so isn’t that cheating, too?”

“Okay, but I’m not actually a goddess,” you countered, though he did make you feel like one.

His eyes softened, leaning across the table and crooking his finger. “Yeah, you are,” he whispered, kissing your lips once you met him halfway.

Before you could deepen the kiss, a shrill voice rang out in the breakroom. “Sergeant Barnes! There you are!”

Bucky’s cheek twitched as he settled back in his seat. The voice echoing in the room would’ve been enough to make anyone wince, but his enhanced hearing made it worse. He worked hard to block out noises so he’d be comfortable, and your eyes instantly narrowed at the person who brought him discomfort.

You recognized her after a moment, a pretty woman who would likely fall out of her top if she sneezed too hard. She hadn't worked there long, but she had her eye on Bucky from the start. She always flirted with him, tried to stand close to him and push her chest close, and he always dropped in the conversation that he was a married man. Apparently she didn’t get the hint that he wasn't interested. Either that or she was into taken men.

“Hi, agent,” Bucky politely said.

“Agent. Always so formal,” she giggled, dragging a chair over from another table and taking a seat without asking. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Barnes. You're a hard man to track down.”

Bubbly agents didn’t bother you in the slightest. You appreciated anyone who could stay upbeat in the line of work you dealt with. It wasn’t the enamored look in her eyes either that bothered you because you understood people wanting Bucky and you were secure in your relationship. No, what bothered you was that he had clearly been kissing his wife and she pointedly avoided looking at you after interrupting. That was just rude.

It also bothered you how uncomfortable Bucky looked when she moved her chair closer to him, his shoulders stiff and smile not reaching his eyes.

“Been spending some time with my wife,” he said proudly, reaching across the table to take your hand. You dipped your head down with a small smile, your heart still doing that funny flip like it had since the moment you met. He even managed to clear out the room so you two could be alone. “We were just finishing up.”

She didn’t spare you a glance as she set a hand on his metal arm. His cheek twitched again, squeezing your hand. It took a lot of effort for you to not knock her back from the table for touching him without his permission. “Excuse me,” you began, your tone even. “I don’t-”

“Do you think you could spar with me later?” she cut you off and either didn’t see or ignored your glare, leaning forward in her seat to make her chest stick out more. Bucky didn’t look. “I’ve been having trouble with a couple of moves and you’re so good at them,” she added, her eyes on him like she wanted to eat him up.

Which wasn’t going to happen.

“I don't think…” he stopped when her fingers trailed higher.

“Please, Sergeant?” she pouted.

Your eyes went back to your husband to get a read on him and make sure he was okay. He wasn't. His smile still didn't look right and his back was ramrod straight. Squeezing his hand seemed to ground him since he breathed a little easier, though your anger was simmering.

“I, um, don’t mind sparring if you really need the help,” Bucky began, gently pulling his arm away. “But you interrupted my time with my wife.”

Her smile faltered while yours widened. Bucky didn't like anyone cutting you off, whether that was your time together or interrupting you speaking. “What?” she asked.

“Hi there. Been sitting here the whole time.” You wiggled your fingers when she finally looked your way. “Excuse us for a second,” you said, avoiding her stare the way she avoided yours. “Bucky, do you think you can wait outside? This agent and I need to have a little chat.”

Your husband looked like he was trying not to laugh and you would take laughter over discomfort any day of the week. “Be nice if you can,” he teased, pressing a featherlight kiss to your hand. “I love you, baby,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” you whispered, something unspoken passing between the two of you.

Defending each other was second nature, always would be.

Bucky didn’t immediately leave the room when he stood up. Instead he rounded the table so he could bend down and kiss your mouth, too. You smiled as it lingered, your heart skipping a beat. “Don’t keep me waiting out there long, Mrs. Barnes,” he whispered.

“I won't, Mr. Barnes,” you teased, tucking some of his hair behind his ear.

Straightening up, he gave a small nod to the agent for her sake. “Come find me later if you still want to talk about sparring. Maybe I can find someone for you.”

“Okay, Sergeant,” she smiled, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. That look wouldn’t last.

You waited until Bucky was gone to face the agent, who stopped smiling the second your husband was out of sight. Leaning back in your seat, you crossed your arms and asked point-blank, “You trying to fuck my husband?”

The wide-eyed expression was priceless when she realized you weren't asking as a joke. “What are you... I just asked him to spar,” she tried to brush it off.

“Please, don't insult my intelligence,” you said. It was beneath both of you to do so. “I get why you want him. Besides being one of the sexiest creatures to ever exist, he’s a good man. Polite, probably treats you with respect. More than most of the men around here.”

She shifted away from you and nodded. “He's a nice guy.”

“He is,” you agreed. They didn't make men like Bucky anymore. “And I’m not going to tell you to stop hitting on my husband, but I highly suggest that you back off. At the very least, don’t throw yourself at him right in front of me. It’s sad.”

“Why?” She had the nerve to smirk. “Worried I’ll steal him away?”

You smirked, too. She had balls and you respected that, but this wasn’t a battle she’d win. “Steal him away? You make it sound like he’s a toy and he isn’t. He’s a man, my man,” you said, holding up your hand so she could get a good look at your wedding ring. “And you are not a threat in the slightest. Our bond is much stronger than that.”

Her smirk went away fast, replaced by something sad. You almost felt sorry for her until she said, “Jealousy isn't a good look on you. It’s kind of… ugly.”

You scoffed. If she wanted to play, you’d play. “Jealous of what? You hitting on a married man who doesn't want you?” you asked, not feeling guilty in the slightest when her face fell. “I’m not telling you to back off because I'm jealous. I told you that because you’re only going to embarrass yourself if you keep trying and you’re going to make my husband more uncomfortable than he already is. I don’t like people making my husband uncomfortable.”

An unspoken threat hung in the air long enough that she swallowed. “And how exactly did I make him uncomfortable?”

“Besides you hitting on him, you touched him without making sure it was okay to do so,” you answered, letting a bit of venom seep into your tone. Bucky went years without autonomy and consent was important to you. He suffered enough and didn’t need to deal with things like this. “I’d hope as an agent you’d be able to pick up on subtle body language cues enough to know that he didn’t want you touching him.”

“And how do you know he doesn’t want me touching him? Are you a mind reader or something?” she sneered, flicking a nonexistent piece of flint from her shirt. “If he really didn't want me touching him, he would've said so. And guess what? He didn't say a word.”

You saw red, your hands curling into fists. For her to ignore the nonverbal cues… “I know my husband. I know Bucky. He doesn’t want you touching him nor does he want to start anything with you because he’s extremely faithful. He won’t throw away a loving, trusting marriage for a quick fuck or doomed affair,” you stated. She bristled, but tried to recover. “If you make a pass at him, he’ll reject you. He’ll do it as respectfully as he can because he’s a good guy, but he will reject you. That’s a promise.”

“Because he loves you so much. Jesus, what makes you so special?” she spat, surprising you both. But the longer you looked at her, the more she deflated under your stare. “I mean… He doesn’t say much to me, but when he does it’s always about you. ‘My wife this’ and ‘my wife that’ and he’s always so… proud.” She shook her head. “Do you know how lucky you are?”

You did feel a little sorry for her now. Crushes hurt, but better that she hurt now and heal than to keep pushing and hurt more later. “I’m not special. We just love each other, that’s all. And, trust me, I’m aware that I’m very lucky to have him. Someone who gets me and will fight for and beside me,” you said, a loving smile touching your lips. You hoped Bucky was listening outside the door. “There’s a guy out there waiting for you, but that guy isn’t Bucky. So don’t lower yourself by trying to go after someone who’s taken.”

She side-eyed you, crossing her arms over her ample chest. “And what if I don’t stop?” she asked.

You giggled humorously, all sympathy gone. The agent actually looked nervous at that sound and you were glad because you weren't going to play nice. “Well, if you don't back off, Bucky could make a complaint about you harassing him or at least request that you’re transferred. Maybe fired since you’re still in your probationary period,” you began, looking at your wedding band when she began to protest. “At the very least, I could have your schedule rearranged so you can spar with me. You see, Bucky taught me a few moves and if a bone or two breaks, well…”

It wasn't an empty threat either. Bucky loved fighting for you, but you could hold your own. It turned him on.

Her eyes darted to the door when you stood up and stretched. “Listen, you don't need to-”

“But do you know what I'm going to do for now?” you asked, cutting her off the way she cut you off. “I'm going to take my husband to one of the interrogation rooms and suck the soul out of his body through his incredible cock,” you smiled sweetly, taking pleasure in the sputtering sound she made. “And after he recovers, he’ll have the choice of bending me over the table and either eating or fucking my pussy. He’ll probably choose both. He’s pretty insatiable.”

She got to her feet, too, and you half expected to see smoke come out of her ears. “I don't need to hear–”

“What? Does hearing that Bucky is going to fuck me and not you make you uncomfortable?” you asked innocently before you got close to her. “Shove your tits in my husband's face again or touch him without his explicit consent, and I won't just make you uncomfortable. I’ll make your life a living hell.”

While you lost the staring contest to Bucky earlier, you very much won against this agent. She stood perfectly still and averted her gaze as you pushed your chair in. “Is that a threat?” she mumbled.

A cliche question, so why not give a cliche answer? “It’s a promise,” you smiled, heading to the door. “Oh, if he does decide to spar with you, I expect you to apologize and behave yourself. I’ll hear about it if you don't.”

Bucky leaned against the wall, waiting for you as you exited the room. He looked over the moon. “We’re going to one of the interrogation rooms, huh?”

You giggled, taking his hand as your cheeks warmed. “Of course, that's what you took from that.”

“How could I not?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “Thanks, baby. I thought I dropped enough hints that she’d back off.”

“Nothing to thank me for,” you assured him. He deserved to be comfortable at work. If some guy kept hitting on you, he would've stepped in, too.

“You think she’ll back off now?”

“I think so, but you tell me if she doesn't,” you said. You’d keep an eye on her, too, just in case. And if she pushed again, you’d put her back in her place. Maybe you’d make her listen while Bucky fucked you. With his permission, of course. “So, which room should we go to?”

He chuckled, the sound a happy one in the hall. “Room B. We can be as loud as we want,” he replied, tugging you closer. “I’ll show you just how special you are to me.”

Heat filled your body, anticipating how good it would feel to have him fuck your throat and more. “My body is ready, Sergeant,” you teased, shrieking when he picked you up and ignoring the whistles from other agents that walked by.

They were used to the shenanigans of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes by now.

And you couldn't wait for more.

Just like we deserve a loving Bucky, he deserves love, too. ❤️ Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[dmitriene]

cw: pregnancy, rushed plot writing.

being simon's riley high school sweetheart, you just stuck to each other, somehow, there was something in him that pulled you easily, as if a treat shown in front of the grabby child, the way he kept himself aside from all the commotions and class gangs, his stoic, brooding facade, his eyes, usually so heavy and dark, gleaming tawny under the morning sun, never looking at you with hatred, something addictive.

a silly, simple crush, but it's transcended years, always close to each other, a brief exchange of greetings, sharing a book, helping with homework, sitting together because it's more comfortable this way, quieter, and then exchanging clumsy kisses on the back of the school building, where nowhere can see, find out about your little secret, a weakness of simon.

when you both graduate, simon suddenly dissappears, not a single word uttered, as if you never knew each other, as if you didn't mattered, and perhaps, that was it in the reality, just a childish mess of love, a complex thing you lose interest in, making you move on forward, looking over small, cheap polaroids where you two are hugging, making faces to each other through laughter and little kisses, something now forgotten.

years later, you meet an attractive, sweet man in the towns pub, when deciding to travel in scotland, clean your head a little bit, look at mesmerizing, incredible landscapes and get close to other's people culture, that's how a first taste of whisky suddenly ends in a bed of an cheesy, charismatic scott, johnny, not just a stranger with deep ceruleans that stole your breath, but your husband, the father of your baby.

johnny is military, you know well, deciding to step away of all this business as much as you can, and also because of him, he wants to shield you, not burden your and the baby with fear of wars, terrorism and endless missions, when he comes home, there's never soap, it's just johnny, always back to you with wide, lopsided grins and arms spread wide, scooping your precious baby in his beary hold, while peppering your scrunching from giggles face with kisses.

your new, perfect life that's snaps so easily, when your calendar starts missing days of johnny's comeback, the red circled date is far away from the current day by now, and there's not a single message from him, planting a gnawing, chilling feel that makes you walk back and forth all over the house, bouncing the baby in your hands, cooing worried, but suppressed to soothing lullabies, until you hear a knock to the door.

but instead of your husband, there's a masked, beefy man, an envelope in his gloved hand, a situation too forbidden, and a voice too familiar to you, apologizing for the death of his friend, simon riley, a man you remember by his eyes alone, even through painted with sorrow.

main masterlist. quidelines.

[book-of-my-dreams]

So it's been a hot minute, or maybe a few years, since I've been on here, but I saw this post on reddit and wanted to add my take to it. Unfortunately I couldn't find the post Realismas made in the couple of seconds I've bothered to spend on searching for it, so here's a screenshot:

I hope the fact that it didn't pop up in the search when I looked for it means they've deleted it, because this level of selfishness, entitlement and stupidity is way too much. With that logic you're never allowed to talk about anything because everything is a potential spoiler to someone. You wouldn't be allowed to talk about the Titanic sinking or Romeo and Juliet both dying or even fucking Jesus dying and rising again because some idiot out there could get spoiled.

My hot take: If you're interested in something that's not original and brand new, and you don't want to get spoiled, IT'S YOUR JOB TO NOT SEE SPOILERS!!!! Block the tags, stay off socials, whatever, but you absolutely can't tell other people that they're not allowed to talk about something just because of you.

This entitled attitude is annoyingly common. Whenever a movie comes out in one country, people from a country where the movie hasn't been released in yet get all angry at seeing spoilers from the people in the country that got the movie first. Fucking cry about it.

Recently I saw a reddit post by an American in a The Great British Bake Off sub who was annoyed that people were already discussing the new season even though it hadn't aired in America yet. It's a British show. But he was seriously outraged that people wouldn't wait until the season was out in every. single. country. Just to be clear, the posts he was talking about were all labeled as spoilers, very easy to avoid.

I was always an entire year behind on GoT because I had to wait that long for each episode to be dubbed so I could watch it with my family who don't speak English. And guess what, I didn't get spoiled! Because I'm responsible for what I see on the internet. I didn't stupidly walk right into a discussion about the series and get spoiled and then complain about how everyone should've waited to talk about it until the show was completely dubbed in every language.

Yes, just because something came out a long time ago doesn't mean everyone's seen it, but it also doesn't mean nobody is allowed to talk about it. You're responsible for not getting spoiled. It's your job to censor your online experience depending on what you want and don't want to see. Stop whining about how everyone else should do it for you and, for once in your miserable life, be responsible for own shit.

If you're allergic to nuts and ignore the allergy warning about containing nuts on a food item, you don't get to be mad at the person who gave it to you or demand that nobody sell food containing nuts anymore. Stop looking at posts about a piece of media that you don't want spoiled. That's in your control. But you can't control what other people are talking about, so stfu and cope with it.

[unoislazy]

Take A Break

Viktor x Reader (Part One)

Viktor doesn’t want you to be like him. You’re taking a break and you’re gonna like it.

A/N: Gonna let y'all in on a secret, this is a revamp of a very old fanfic i wrote years ago when arcane first came out. It's on an old account of mine on a different platform, not gonna mention which one, but it's still up if you can find it.

You were committed.

Committed to helping out Viktor in any way that you could. You were just an apprentice in the academy, technically you weren’t even supposed to be near Viktor when it came specifically to rankings, you should’ve been focusing on lesser issues.

But with Viktor it was different. You always admired his want to help people, the way he put his all into every project that he believed would benefit the people of the Undercity.

He saw in you the same passion to help, so he kept you around. He very quickly learned he also just enjoyed your company which made you the perfect lab partner when his original one, Jayce Talis, was no longer able to help as often. The two of you very quickly became good friends, great friends even. It is to be expected for two people who get along that also spend almost every waking hour of every single day together.

The ideas he held for the potential of HexTech and how it could help the people always warmed your heart. It gave you a new spark of inspiration every time he would rattle on about some new idea he had.

Because of these ideas, you wanted to put your all into helping him achieve his goal, even if that meant spending countless hours in the lab overnight. It became a habit of yours, unbeknownst to Viktor, as far as he was aware you just got to the lab really early in the morning and just left very late at night. It wasn’t until one day, he walked into the lab extremely early in the morning, having come up with an idea and wanting to test it out, and found you fast asleep on leaning against your workbench.

The soft clink of Viktor’s cane echoed throughout the room as he made his way over to you. He looked around at all the things you had written down, all the work you had accomplished, as well as the mess that your failed attempts had made. Once he finally got close enough to you, he had noticed the slightest bit of drool that had begun to collect atop your hand that you had resting under your face to give yourself some sort of cushion. He let out a soft chuckle at this before clearing his throat rather loudly.

This attempt to wake you didn’t work, so he tried again. Once that was also met with a fail, he tried once more, this time making sure to tap you on the shoulder with a bit of force. This finally managed to wake you as you shot up from your seat, almost falling back onto the floor from the sheer force you rose with.

“You know, sleeping in the lab… it isn’t exactly advised.” Viktor said in a teasing manner as you looked around frantically before your eyes landed on him. You sighed with relief, calming down as you finally figured out who it was that woke you.

“Viktor, it’s just you.” You said, a hand over your heart as you tried to almost manually lower your heart rate back to normal. The scare he gave you was almost enough to make you think you had entered cardiac arrest. He chuckled at your reaction before taking a seat on the stool next to you, his cane still in hand as he spoke,

“You’ve been busy I see. Find anything new?” He asked, interested in your developments. You sighed, this time not out of relief but instead out of disappointment.

“Nothing yet. I can’t seem to figure out exactly how these runes work. They just don’t make any sense. It's like learning a new language without a dictionary to go off of.” You said as you rested your head on your hand once again, now noticing the drool that you quickly wiped off.

“I see well, there's no sense in returning to it right away.” He said as his eyes drifted from you, down to the pile of papers that had been spread across your desk. Some of them were his, a lot of them were yours. He could easily tell they were yours by the random doodles you would have littered across the margins of your pages. Before meeting you he would’ve thought such a thing would be a waste of space, since then however, he finds it an endearing quirk of yours that he looks forward to seeing when he goes back to look over both of your notes.

“What? But I know there is a way to fix this. I just need to,” You began to explain, eager to finish the work you started only to be interrupted by a sigh from the thin man.

“Can’t believe I am the one saying this, you are overworking yourself.” He said, his face fairly blank of emotion as he spoke to you.

“I can’t believe you just said that either.” You said, your eyes widening slightly as you met his gaze. If anyone had room to talk about overworking oneself, it certainly was not Mr. HexTech number 2.

“Something new every day I suppose. As I said, sleeping in the lab is not advised.” He said with a shrug, one of his hands leaning on his crutch as he leaned a bit more forward, knowing you would still object.

“You’ve done it.” You, as he knew you would, objected.

“Well eh, I’m not exactly the best rule follower…” He retorted with a bit of strain towards the end of his sentence.

“So why should I be?” You asked.

“Because you need a break.” He responded in a lighthearted yet still somehow stern way. He was serious but he wasn’t mad, he knew better than anyone that it was hard for such a committed worker to finally take time to prioritize themself. Half the time he only took breaks because Heimerdinger told him to.

“But you-”

“Ah, no. This is not about me.” He interrupted again, holding a hand up to signal you to stop talking.

“But I-”

“A break.” He said, leaning forward.

“But-”

“A. Break.” He repeated, almost as if he was telling you to drop it, which in a very obvious way he was. You sighed once again, realizing you weren't going to win such an argument.

“Fine, yes I’ll take a break.” You finally agreed. You rolled your eyes before turning back to your desk, and resting back in the position you had once been in. You head of your hand and your eyes facing the ungodly amount of work you still had yet to finish.

“Good, now come with me.” He spoke quickly, getting up from his chair as if he had somewhere to be.

“What, why? Where are we going?” You questioned, propping yourself up as you watched the pale man walk around your desk towards the door before stopping to turn back and look at you.

“We are going to take a break.”

Confused by his words you felt you had no other choice but to get up and follow the strange yet intelligent man. Everything he did confused you, you could never confidently predict what he was going to do next, every time you thought you could he would just add another option to the board. Knowing better than to question him at this point, you stood up from your desk, taking a moment to stretch your limbs which had been held in the same position for hours.

In the process you hadn’t realized Viktor’s eyes had remained on you, taking in as much of your body as he could see whether he realized it or not. You then caught him staring and looked down at yourself, confused as to what he was looking at. Did you have some paper stuck to you?

“What?” You asked him, looking down at yourself before looking back up at him trying to figure out what exactly he could’ve been looking at. He seemed surprised, not just by your question, but also by the fact that he had been staring in the first place. It was a habit he had, but when directed at you it felt different for him… he didn’t know why but he wasn’t going to bother exploring that area of the unknown just yet.

“Nothing, follow me.” He responded quickly before turning back towards the door and hurriedly walking out.

You followed him out of the lab, closing the door behind you, and making your way into the very intricately decorated hallways of the academy. It was a place you prided yourself on being able to work at, they didn’t just accept anyone through their doors so the fact you made it this far, even just to be an apprentice, was something you would never let yourself forget.

Even so, sometimes just being an apprentice did sometimes diminish your excitement about working in such an extravagantly intelligent place. You wanted to do things, you wanted to make a difference, you wanted to help people, and oftentimes being stuck in the role of an apprentice didn’t guarantee much of anything.

That’s why you were so eager to help out Viktor. He saw potential in you and worked upon it, he gave you things to do and actually valued your opinion when working on projects. He made you feel seen more than anyone else in the academy had at this point.

You hadn’t noticed him looking over his shoulder at you once again, watching as your eyes traced the design of each pillar that littered the hallway before smiling a little to himself.

“This way.” He spoke up, grabbing your attention quickly as he turned down a hallway and towards the main doors leading out of the academy.

“Where are we going?” You asked, now walking alongside him.

“You will see.”

“Do you ever give any straight answers?”

“You’ve been around me this long and still don’t know the answer to that?” He teased back with a smile on his face, it caused you to laugh slightly as you rolled your eyes.

“So that’s a strong no.” You laughed to which he shrugged.

Before long he brought you to a place that was rather secluded, in fact, you hadn’t even known it existed. It was, for lack of a better term, a hole in the wall outlooking the water that sat between Piltover and Zaun. It was quite nice as the sun glittered across the water giving it a twinkle that you could really only see from certain angles. It was only then did you realize how long you had fallen asleep in the lab, it was already midday.

Viktor took a seat on the ledge, looking to you to join him, which you did. You were a bit hesitant at first as the drop was quite a far one, but eventually you made your way and sat down properly. There was still enough distance between you and Viktor that it wasn’t uncomfortable as you both looked out at the view.

“How did you find this place?” You asked, looking over to him as he leaned against the wall next to him. There was a certain look in his eye that you couldn’t quite place, almost melancholic, maybe even nostalgic as he looked out at the water.

He shrugged a bit before dragging his eyes away from the water to look at you.

“I’ve always known about it. I come to relax or think, which Is part of what I think you need right now.” He said with a smile as he leaned back on the ledge a bit with his arms behind him.

You nodded before looking back out at the view before you.

You both stayed quiet for a little, just enjoying each other's company as you listened to the sounds around you. You thought it would’ve been awkward to just sit in silence with him but you were actually surprisingly really comfortable with it. You couldn’t help but wonder why he even bothered bringing you out here, if anything wouldn’t it be more important to just get you back to work as quickly as possible. So you asked,

“Hey Viktor?” You began, to which the man responded with a gentle hum, letting you know he was listening even if he wasn’t looking in your direction.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“So you can have a break.”

You sighed and shook your head knowing he was so straightforward that you had to spell things out for him sometimes.

“Yeah, I know that part but… why? Why let me have a break when this work is so important to you?”

His eyes left the scene before him before looking back towards you. A new emotion behind them that you couldn’t quite place, but it looked much more lively than the melancholic look he had before.

“Jeopardizing people you care about is not worth the sake of a project.”

His words seemed to almost float in the air for a moment before sinking in as you looked at him. He was serious about what he had said but it seemed like he hadn’t intended to say something so heavy hitting, but Viktor wasn’t exactly a sugar coater. He didn’t like to dance around the edge of things, if he had something on his mind he would say it.

But he saw your reaction and realized that maybe this once he should dial back his full passion towards everything.

“Eh, and besides, what good would it do me if my assistant was falling asleep on my all the time.” He joked a bit as he nudged you with his elbow. You smiled at him a bit, appreciating his words before looking down once again.

“This is nice.” You said quietly with a smile, now looking down at your hands which we’re responding on your lap.

“Perhaps this means you will take a break more often?” He asks, leaning a bit forward as he looks towards you.

“Perhaps it does.” You said, your smile remaining.

[bronzeyslcve]

remind me why i love you - lucy bronze

paring: lucy bronze x female reader

theme: angst

summary: you and lucy have been together for three years, and both play together for manchester city, however you discover that lucy is moving to lyon and she tries to push you away to not break your heart

warnings: lucy being a dick, brief mention of panic attacks

notes: set in 2017 just before lucy moved to lyon for the 2017/2018 season, you might want to grab some tissues! might make this a series if people are interested🤔 x

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The new season was right around the corner and you couldn’t wait to put on the Manchester City shirt again, to represent your club alongside your friends and your girlfriend. Sure Lucy’s new contract hadn’t been finalised yet, but you knew it would be, you just knew she would stay a Citizen, why wouldn’t she?

“Narla, come out the way,” you exclaimed with a soft smile as you bent down to get the lasagne you had made out of the oven, however Lucy’s small West-Highland Terrier was in the way.

The dog refused to move, which made you laugh a little. To avoid the food from burning, you gently pick her up and set her in her bed before grabbing the dish out of the cooker with the help of the oven gloves.

Just as you got it out, you heard the front door open and Narla’s little feet padding towards the hall, to where Lucy had just walked in. You grabbed two plates from the cupboard and dished up the dinner, as your girlfriend walked into the kitchen. The normal cheeky grin that she would wear is replaced by a small, almost forced looking, smile.

“I missed you today,” you hummed, walking over to Lucy to give her a small hug.

“I missed you too. Let me just go get changed and I’ll be right back,” she stated simply before pressing a chaste kiss to your cheek.

“M’kay, don’t be too long Luce, otherwise your food will be freezing.”

Lucy just nodded before slipping out of the kitchen and seconds later, you heard her walking up the stairs. A soft sigh escaped your lips at her distance and you knew instantly that something was up with her. For now, you decided to ignore it, laying the dining table and deciding to pour you both a glass of red wine, a small luxury you’re allowed when not in season. After everything was all sorted, you settled down in your chair, waiting for Lucy to return.

Forty minutes of waiting had passed and you had just given up. You grabbed your plate and glass of wine and ate your now freezing plate of lasagne in front of the tv: a few tears running down her cheeks simultaneously. You suffered a little with your anxiety, you always had, and with Lucy’s distance you had yourself all worked up. But you manage to calm down a little, reminding yourself that Lucy probably just fell asleep after a long day.

After you’d eaten, you returned to the kitchen, setting your dishes in the dishwasher. Then, you wrapped your girlfriend’s plate, that was still on the dining table, up in tinfoil and then placed it into the fridge: so she can heat it up tomorrow. Once you’d sorted everything out, you dragged yourself upstairs, flicked on the light to the bathroom and then started up the shower.

Usually, when you would take a shower after Lucy, it would be incredibly slippery as she used about five thousand different hair products to get it to be all smooth, shiny and whatnot. However today it wasn’t, therefore meaning you didn’t have to risk breaking your neck and that you could enjoy your shower.

You stayed in there for ages. Just standing under the warm water, letting it cascade down your back, it being incredibly soothing. Following your shower, you flicked it off and then wrapped yourself in a fluffy towel.

Whilst wrapped in your towel, you stood in front of the mirror and did your usual nighttime routine, brushing your teeth and then the various, meticulously thought out steps of your skincare routine. After that was all done, you tied your hair up in a loose, messy bun, not wanting to feel the water dripping down your back any longer.

Upon exiting the bathroom, you practically jump out of your skin, Lucy is just stood there, waiting for you to come out of it. But she was looking at the ground, she seemed awkward: almost as if she didn’t want to be there.

“Er sorry I took so long getting changed,” she mumbled under her breath, being so un-characteristically quiet.

“No it’s okay, don’t apologise Luce. I wrapped your food up and put it in the fridge if you want to reheat it,” you explained, offering the right back a small smile, which she reciprocated - but only at the mention of food.

“Thanks babe, I’ll go do that now. I’m actually quite hungry,” she replied with a small laugh, her eyes still anywhere but on yours.

“Alright, I’ll be down in a sec.”

All you earn is a small nod before she’s walking back downstairs. You are beyond confused at her awkwardness, of her distance but yet again you just shrug it off to her being tired: even though your gut is trying to tell you it’s more than that.

You open up your bedroom door and see Narla snuggled up on the bed, half asleep, which makes you smile to yourself. It’s then when you notice the suitcase that’s packed and sitting in the corner of the room, Lucy’s passport sitting neatly on top.

Tears brimmed in your eyes as the realisation that Lucy was leaving pretty much slapped you in the face. They left a silver, slippery trail down your cheeks, little sniffles left your nose which made Narla cock her head to the side. When she noticed you’re crying, she nudges the back of your legs with a small whine.

You smiled and sat down on the bed, allowing her to sit in your lap. Narla got your full attention, your hands busying themselves with giving her strokes and scratches behind the ear.

“I’ll be alright Narls, just need a minute,” she whispered shakily into her fur, trying to calm yourself down, trying to settle your anxiety.

Ten long minutes passed and even worse Lucy didn’t even notice you’d been that long or she did but she just didn’t care. You’d managed to get into some pyjamas in the time and dry your hair properly. Now, you felt like you could face your girlfriend without being too emotional, without breaking down into tears: you just wanted some answers. You deserved them as her girlfriend. As you wondered down the stairs and into the lounge, with Narla hot on your heels, you could hear sounds coming from the tv.

“You alright love?” Lucy asked as you sat yourself down into one of the armchairs that nobody really uses, instead of of your normal spot beside her.

“Mhm, perfectly fine. Food okay?” you said, voice lacking any emotion as you’d already shut yourself off in preparation of this conversation: not wanting to cry in front of her.

“Oh it’s perfect babe, thank you,” she smiled but her eyebrows furrow as she hears the tone of your voice, devoid of any emotion whatsoever, but she just ignores it.

The smile on her face was fake. You knew it, she knew it and Narla knew it from where she’s now sat in her bed in the corner of the room. The way she was being so calm yet so fake just irked you and you lost it.

“So, when were you going to tell me that you’re leaving?” you asked, not looking at her, focusing on the shitty reality tv show playing out on the screen. You can’t look at her. You probably will burst into tears.

“You went into the bedroom,” she sighed, placing the plate down onto the coffee table as she finally looks at you.

“Of course I went into our bedroom, when the fuck were you going to tell me?”

“Look, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t of found out like this, it’s just, I signed for Lyon earlier and I thought I would try and leave as quickly as possible without you realising until it was too late, so it wouldn’t hurt you as much,”

“Wait, go back, you’ve signed for Lyon? The French team?”

“Yes. You should be happy for me,”

“Jesus Lucy, of course I’m happy for you. This is an incredible opportunity in your career. I just wish you told me that you were considering this move. You were just going to up and leave, which would’ve hurt so much more,” you explain, genuinely so happy for her, she has a better shot at winning the Champions League with Lyon: something she’s always wanted to do, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t want her to tell you first.

“Baby, I don’t want to hurt you. I never have done. But I’m putting my career first, you knew before we started that my career would always come over you. I still love you.”

What she said was true, but the way she said it, so harshly, creates a small pang in your heart. It’s almost as if Lucy doesn’t care whatsoever about what she’s saying to you, about how much she’s hurting you. It almost seems intentional like she’s trying to push you away.

“Really? Because I’ll be honest, it doesn’t fucking feel like it Luce, I get that your career is everything to you, trust me I do. But it still would’ve been nice for you to consolidate me on this decision,” you exclaimed, your voice raising slightly and your eyes now becoming wet.

“Don’t you dare be like that. God Y/n, you’re so fucking selfish. Thinking everything is about you all of the time. Fucking hell do you know how tiring it is for me? Having to be careful about all of your insecurities and anxieties all of them time? It’s draining and I hate it. I hate how I have to walk around eggshells around you all the time, to scared that if I say the wrong thing you’d have a mental breakdown! Jesus, I thought we’d be fine doing long distance, but I’m bloody rethinking that decision.”

Immediately, Lucy hated herself for what she said to you, every word that slips from her lips was false. She had been a complete and utter dick, she knew that, Narla, who was now glaring at her as if she understood everything single last word that she had just said, knew that. And of course, you knew that. But for Lucy it was the only way. She just had to push you away. Because if she did, if she hurt you, surely you’d be able to get over much quicker. Lucy couldn’t have been more wrong if she tried.

You had pushed yourself up from the armchair and practically ran into the kitchen, getting away from her for the moment. Tears were in your eyes, hands slightly shaking and your breathing was all over the place. You had to calm down. You had to breathe. A panic attack was something you really didn’t want to be having right now, not after she’d essentially labeled your mental health as a burden to her.

After about thirty seconds of quiet, Lucy comes storming in behind you, watching as you’re leaning on the counter, eyes closed, just trying to breathe. She feels horrible. Like the worst person to ever exist. But this is the only way.

“I’m not being selfish, I just asked why you didn’t tell me. I always would’ve let you go, I would’ve even encouraged you if you were worried about it. I would never ever stop you from having the wonderful career you deserve, Lucy, but doing it all behind my back. That’s what hurts,” you sighed once you felt as if you had your breathing back under control, your voice thick with shed tears.

“Look, I am sorry Y/n, but I felt like you wouldn’t have let me go, that you would hold me back. My god you’re so clingy and it genuinely feels like I can never put a step right with you anymore. That’s why I did it behind your back. It was easier for me and that way I wouldn’t have had to face this screaming match.”

“Oh I’m sorry, Lucia. I’m sorry I’ve made your life so fucking miserable. I had no idea that this was a screaming match, I’m not screaming? All I’ve done is ask you about the suitcase and you got all defensive and up in my face, making me feel like shit.”

You just lost it, freely sobbing in front of her now, which causes Lucy’s heart to break. She didn’t want you to cry. She hates seeing you cry. But she had to go along with this little plan she formulated in her mind, because it would help you to move on quicker from her, as she believed. Lucy also believed that you’d be okay because you would have the support from everyone at City; teammates, coaches, physio, etc. Of course, Lucy being Lucy doesn’t realise how far away from the truth she is. She’s not only hurt you, but she’s destroyed you. It’s going to take a very long time for you to get over her.

“God, remind me why I love you. Such a fucking drama queen. Can’t even handle the truth,” she muttered, and that was that, the holocaust was complete, you were done. You looked up at Lucy, your eyes latching onto hers and it made her want to break down crying too.

“I c..can’t do this anymore,” you managed to squeak, through tears, pushing past her to walk into the lounge to grab your phone as you left it in there earlier. You open up the phone app and scroll until you find the number for Jill Scott, dialling it.

“Hey Jilly-bean, could I stay at yours tonight. Please?” you pleaded into the phone, using your special nickname you have for Jill to butter her up and make her even more inclined to agree.

“Of course you can sweetheart. Want me to pick you up?” Jill replied, hearing the tears in your voice. She knew something was up and she was worried.

“That would be perfect, thank you,”

“Of course, I’ll be there in ten.”

“Y/n? Who was that? Where on earth are you going?” Lucy asked from behind you, growing rapidly concerned by the second. She had gotten what she had wanted. She had pushed you away. That still didn’t mean she wanted you to go, she wanted to spend one final night with you cuddled up in her arms. Deep down she knew that it was extremely selfish based on what she said, but she just didn’t expect for you to leave.

“I don’t want to look at you Lucia, let alone talk to you. I need to go somewhere to get my head straight.” you deadpanned, walking back up to the bedroom, locking the door behind you.

“Oh come on Y/n, open the door. It’s my final night for god sakes,” Lucy exclaimed as she banged on the door, her own tears threatening to fall from her eyes, it then hitting her how much this was going to hurt her. She didn’t really take into consideration her own feelings about losing you when deciding to push you away. She honestly didn’t feel like long distance would be good, that it would work. But now that she’s lost you, she realises that it would’ve been and that she’s lost the best thing she ever had. You were far more important to her than her career, a revelation she discovered far too late.

You just ignore her banging and what she says, you don’t care. You just need to get out quickly. A small suitcase is thrown open on your bed and you’re just tossing key essentials in it for a few nights away. Once all packed, you grab the case and walk out of the room, ignoring Lucy’s sad eyes as you walk downstairs for the fifty time today.

The suitcase wasn’t too heavy, so it was easy to lug down the stairs. You set it in the hall before grabbing your a pair of your trainers from the see rack and quickly put them on, Narla now standing in the hall, wondering what the hell is going on.

When the trainers are finally on, you just decide to wait for Jill outside. You lean down and give Narla a quick stroke, before unlocking the front door and shutting it behind you.

It takes Lucy all of ten seconds to rush outside after you, Narla too, and when she does, Jill pulls up and her heart drops. You immediately rush to throw your case into the boot when she was parked, whilst Jill got out of it, looking between you and Lucy.

When she saw the tears on your cheeks, the ones she’d suspected to be there since you called her, she pulled you into a tight hug, her lips pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

Small tears finally started to slip from Lucy’s eyes at watching you cry and get comforted in the arms of your best friend. Poor Narla just stands by her feet, utterly confused by what’s going on.

“Jill, please don’t let her go. I fucked up. I need to make things right,” Lucy pleaded the older midfielder, a look of desperation on her face as she watches you get into the car.

“I’m sorry Luce. Look, I’ll make sure she’s okay, I’ll look after her,” Jill reassured with a small smile.

“Y/n please, please I’m sorry, I still love you. I always will. I was a dick, please.”

Her pleading breaks your heart even more, as does seeing the tears on her cheeks. Lucy never cries. Never ever.

“Just let her go Lucy.”

Jill then gets back into her car; she straps herself in, places one hand on your knee in a soothing manner and then begins the small drive back to her place.

Lucy’s heart completely shatters as she watches you go, heart torn into millions of different pieces. She’d lost you. And it was all her fault. She was properly sobbing now as she made her way back inside, Narla following after her. The front door was slammed and she then slid down it, crying uncontrollably. Narla whined and yipped as she watched, concerned. Lucy looked up at her little Westie, her face red and blotchy, a little bit of snot dripping from her nose, tears leaking from her eyes and staining her cheeks.

“I fucked up Narla, she’s gone.”

[hhughes]

♡ 𝆬 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝓹airing , jack hughes x bsf!reader

fourth of july is usually one of jack’s favourite holidays , but this year he can’t help but wish he was anywhere but their annual lake house party . . . (wc ; 4.1K)

꒰ 𝓷ote , not a big fan of the ending but this has been stuck in the drafts for a while so it needs to go <33 . . . ꒱

there were many times over the years that Jack has known Trevor where he’s been grateful to have him as a friend. that one time where Luke got stranded with a flat tire and Trevor went to help his little brother out when Jack couldn’t. or another time when Jack accidentally ran over someone’s mailbox but Trevor took the fall for it because he knew Jack’s parents would be way madder than his own. people could say what they wanted about Trevor. that he was too cocky, too loud, just too much to handle in general, but he’s also a great friend, a loyal friend, his best friend. which is why the sight before jack’s eyes baffled him so much.

they were having their annual July 4th party at the lake house. the deck outside by the lake was filled with people waiting for the fireworks show to start, some faces he recognized but most he didn’t. normally he wouldn’t mind the amount of strangers in his house, knowing most of them were friends of friends of friends of his own friends but right now he just found the crowd annoying as he tried to keep his eyes on you and trevor on the makeshift dance floor. a small part of him was amused by the horrendous way trevor was moving his feet, but most of his attention was drawn to trevor’s hand on your back. a hand that kept wandering a little lower and lower each song. a hand that jack has imagined slashing off a hundred different ways in the span of the last ten minutes alone.

you and jack have been friends since high school. jack hadn’t really admitted it to himself all these years but he’s always had a little thing for you. maybe it should’ve been obvious by the butterflies swarming his stomach every time you pay him a slither of attention. or the way he’s always going out of his way to do things that will get your attention. perhaps deep down jack was aware of the feelings he had for you, but there’s always been something holding him back. the fact that you two lived in different states, or the new boyfriend that appears every few months once you realise the old one wasn’t good enough for you. or the fact that you’ve never shown even a little interest in jack past a platonic friendship and jack was scared or ruining that and losing you in the process.

jack’s never been this bothered by a guy flirting with you before. perhaps because deep down he knew it wasn’t gonna last. but the sight of his best friend twirling you around while whispering things in your ear that makes you laugh, more than jack’s seen you laugh in a while, leaves his stomach in knots. jack’s sure if he untangled those knots he would discover long ropes of fear. fear that trevor’s flirtations were out of genuine interest and not just drunken friendliness. fear that the way you snuggled into trevor was out of affection and not just the fact that alcohol makes you drowsy.

“might wanna loosen your grip on that glass Jacky. drunk lucy that’s passed out on our couch already broke two and we’re gonna run out soon at this rate,” quinn jokes, lips forming a tight line when he follows jack’s line of sight and sees trevor tugging you off the dance floor and gently pushes you onto a deck chair.

jack drags his eyes away from you to glance at his drink, loosens his grip and looks at his older brother. he momentarily forgets about the sight he saw moments earlier that made him so upset, overwhelmed by the fact that him and quinn were at the same place. it always takes jack a few weeks to adjust from seeing quinn once every few months to seeing him daily. and just when he gets used to it, they have to go their separate ways again.

“it’s not like we can’t afford it,” jack teases, and a commotion on the other side of the deck catches jack’s attention and he turns his head in time to see his younger brother miss a step on the deck and land on his ass.

“you gonna go fix that?” jack asks quinn, trying to keep the laughter out of his tone as luke tries and fails to get up a few time. having obviously had one too many.

“nah, I'll let him learn the hard way,” quinn replies but jack knows he’ll go check on their little brother in the next ten minutes. quinn was a bit of a mother hen and he was just gonna punish himself by not checking up on luke.

“you gonna go fix that?” quinn asks in return, gesturing to where trevor was tucking strands of hair behind your ears.

“nothing to fix,” jack says, downing the rest of his drink.

“I’ve got a prefect execution plan for zegras. it’s all planned out already. I just need a reason,” quinn says and jack can’t help but let out a soft cackle at the serious expression on his brother’s face. anyone who didn’t know quinn well enough would think he was dead serious.

“do you?” jack asks softly, just to be sure.

“no. but I can come up with one if you need me to,” quinn responds, knocking his shoulder into jack’s gently and jack sends him a grateful smile in return. I can if you need me to. if that didn’t sum up his brother perfectly, jack didn’t know what could. Jack’s always been jealous of quinn’s selflessness. He crushes his red solo cup, along with the guilt building up in his chest that he was sitting here brooding instead of spending quality time with his family like he should be

“Nah, I don’t have plans to kill my best friend any time soon. But if I do in the future I’ll make sure to call you,” jack says and quinn sends him a smile

“Even when he’s flirting with the girl you’ve been in love with for ages?” quinn asks, finishing the last of his own drink

“I’m not in love with her,” jack argues weakly, the words sounding false even to his own ears.

“are you making it a habit to lie to me lately? first about the orange juice this morning and now about-“

“I told you it wasn’t me who drank the last orange juice. I swear to God. I’m telling you, it was luke!” jack stresses and quinn lets an amused chuckle slip past his lips. thoroughly amused that his little brother was getting this worked up about it.

“okay okay,” quinn defends when his brother continues to glare at him but his laughter fades when jack suddenly stands up from the deck chair

“where you going?” quinn asks

“anywhere but here. I can’t stand to watch any more of that happen tonight,” jack mumbles, referring to you and trevor giggling a few metres away

“you can’t just leave. this is your house and your party. you’re a host,” quinn argues

“so are you. and it’s not like you’re going anywhere so…” jack shrugs

“what if I had plans to slip away too?” quinn asks

“with a lady friend?” jack inquires, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly and quinn sends him a deadpan look

“no. to my bed. by myself. I’m exhausted,” quinn admits and jack lets out a booming laugh

“you old fuck, it’s not even 1 A.M yet,” jack teases and quinn just shakes his head, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

jack squeezes his older brother’s arm as he passes and makes his way through the crowded deck, pushing past people and mumbling a few apologies.

the sight of you and trevor together put him in a sour mood that even joking around with quinn couldn’t get him out of so he avoided all the people that were trying to rope him into their conversations as he passes. he lets out a sigh of relief once he made it through the back door and into the house, taking his time to cool off and get his mix of emotions together.

plopping down on the couch, his thoughts immediately go back to the sight he saw of you and trevor together not even ten minutes ago. jack silently cursed at himself, realising that not being able to see what the two of you were doing was almost worse than having to see it. because now jack didn’t know if it was escalating or not. if trevor’s hand has moved from your waist to your lower back, or maybe even lower. if his little whispers in your ear have transformed to words mumbled against your neck.

jack found it hard to swallow past the ball of bitter emotions lodged in his throat. it just wasn't fair. if anyone should’ve been flirting with you, it should’ve been him. if anyone should’ve had their hands all over you, it should’ve been his. because quinn’s right, jack has been absolutely in love with you since highschool and he’s tried to keep those emotions at bay, one obstacle or another always standing in his way, preventing him from making a move. and the one summer you were finally free, trevor swoops in before jack even has a chance to try and do something.

jack ran a hand over his face, desperately trying to get the image of trevor making you laugh out of his head but it continued to taunt him instead. he was sure it would be embedded into his mind for the next few nights as he tried to get some rest. he was so deep in thought he didn’t even notice the shuffling of feet in the hallway.

one moment he was consumed by his thoughts and next thing he knows you were standing in front of him, calling his name softly. your hair was messy, strands falling down your face and your cheeks flushed, no doubt due to the alcohol. or trevor’s sweet nothings whispered in your ear jack things bitterly.

“hey” he mumbles quietly, fiddling with the empty solo cup in his hand and trying desperately not to let the bitter emotions bubbling in his chest show on his face.

“you’re hiding in your own house now?” you asked and there was a slight teasing tone to your voice as you took a few steps closer to the couch, but not sitting down.

jack forced himself to look up at you, biting his lip and taking note of the way the fabric of your dress hugged your body.

“wasn’t hiding. just — not in a mood for a party I guess” he replies and he silently curses himself when he hears the slight edge in his tone. his annoyance from earlier hadn’t faded, even when you were standing directly in front of him, looking beautiful and so unaware of how you made him feel. and jack was never good at hiding how he was feeling, except when it came to his feelings for you apparently. but he was sure his jealousy and annoyance was all over his face. an open book for you to read, examine and judge.

it took everything in him not to reach out and touch you, brush back a strand of hair that was clinging to your forehead. to do something to keep your attention solely on him and not leave to wander back to the party. to trevor.

but he kept his hands firmly placed on the couch. trying to maintain the little bit of self-preservation he had.

“yeah I noticed” you say, a slight frown pulling at the corners of your mouth. jack always loved the fourth of july party. it was one of his favourite summer events.

“surprised you did honestly. trevor’s been keeping you occupied” jack mumbles, the words slipping past his lips before he could stop them.

you don’t say anything for a second, letting his words settle, trying to figure out what they mean. what you want them to mean.

“yeah he’s had way too much to drink. you know how he is. talks your ear off on a regular day but once he’s got a few drinks in him, the guy just won’t shut up” you shrug with a little laugh, hoping to lighten the mood a bit as you take a seat next to him.

a small smile tugs at the corner of jack's mouth. trevor’s ability to never shut up is one of the things people don’t like about him, but it’s always been one of the things that jack’s found particularly endearing about his friend.

"yeah, I suppose it is part of his charm. well, at least to some people" he says with a wry smile. despite the envious feelings bubbling in his stomach, he couldn’t deny that you and trevor would be good together. trevor was genuinely a good guy, he might look unserious most of the time, but jack’s seen first hand how his best friend can flip and become dead serious about the things he wanted to commit to. hockey being one of them.

“you guys would look good together” he says, having a hard time forcing the words out past the lump in his throat. he wasn’t used to feeling like this. and he wasn’t even sure what this was. jealousy? envy? insecurity? all of the above?

“me and trevor?” you ask, voice tinged with amusement

jack can feel his stomach twisting into knots as you ask the question. he tries to keep his expression neutral, but he knows he's failing miserably. he can feel his heart racing in his chest as he nods in response.

"yeah... I mean, you two seem to get along really well" he says, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

he's aware of how pathetic he sounds. he feels like a jealous boyfriend, even though he's not even your boyfriend. he wants to tell you that he doesn't want you to date trevor. that he doesn't want you dating anyone. that he wants you all to himself. but he keeps his mouth shut, knowing that it's not his place to make demands like that

“well yeah but that’s because I only see him two to three months of the year. I think if I saw him any more than that I would smother him while he slept” you say, laughing softly at the idea

“you’re the second person threatening to kill him tonight” jack says dryly

“really? I bet you there’s gonna be a third” you say and he laughs softly. your heart speeds up at the sight of his grin, and you reach out to trace the laughing lines on his cheek.

“there he is. was wondering where my happy guy went” you say softly, cheeks heating up when you realize how close the two of you have gotten, your hand still cupping his cheek.

“what’s wrong jack? tell me, maybe I can fix it for you” you ask pouting slightly, and jack leans into your hand, soaking up the warmth

“nothing” he reassures softly but you know that’s a lie

“you lying to me now hughes? first about the orange juice this morning—“

“jesus not you too! i’m telling you it was luke!” he insists and you can’t help the giggle that escapes you at his serious face, that only transforms to a slight pout when he realizes you’re laughing at him.

“whatever” he mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest and you smile at the sight, leaning a bit closer and putting both hands on his arms

“but seriously what’s wrong? do you miss hockey already?” you ask, knowing jack felt a little restless without the routine hockey provides him with the other three seasons of the year.

“no. not yet at least. i’m perfectly happy having some time off and just spending it at the lake house with you and my brothers” jack says and your heart swells when you see the genuinity behind his words.

“me too. besides this might be the last summer we have like this. since I graduated from university, i’m about to get a big girl job and will probably be working during summers starting next year” you pout and jack immediately frowns, not having considered what your time coming to an end at UMICH meant until now.

“don’t say that” he whines resting his head against your shoulder, and you laugh softly, running your hands through his messy hair.

“I know,” you pout slightly, the reality setting in for you too that you and jack probably won’t see each other as often anymore once this summer is over.

“you uh— gonna stay in Michigan?” he asks, fidgeting with his bracelets

“not sure yet to be honest. I like the idea of staying close to home but I also like the idea of going somewhere new,” you say and jack has a moment of panic, not knowing what he’ll do if you decide to move out of Michigan. He’ll barely see you then.

“maybe I’ll move to the west coast. see how I like that,” you think out loud and jack immediately pulls away from you, your words enough to make him stand up and pace around anxiously.

“the west coast? you can’t move to the west coast!” he insists

you look at him surprised by his reaction. you hadn't expected him to be this upset by the idea of you leaving Michigan.

"but why not?" you ask, wondering why he's so adamantly against the idea

jack continues to pace, running a hand through his hair anxiously

"there's a lot of reasons why not! it's so far. we wouldn't get to see each other. and what about hockey? the devils play in the eastern conference!"

you can't help but smile at his reaction, secretly loving how worked up he's getting over the small topic.

"it's not that far, and we could still keep in touch. we can call or facetime each other whenever we want to" you try to reason, but jack doesn't seem convinced, still looking rather distressed about the idea of you moving away

“face time?” he spits the words, as if just the existence of them utterly disgust him

jack freezes in his pacing, turning to look at you with a deadpan expression

"yeah, facetime. you know the little app on your phone that allows you to call someone and see them at the same time" you say mockingly

his face transforms from one of frustration to one of annoyance, his eyes narrowing

"very funny,” he responds sarcastically. he wasn’t in the mood for jokes. this night has gone from extremely bad to excruciating.

he never thought he was the dramatic type, but the idea of you leaving for the west coast was enough to send him into a panic. you being so far away from him would drive him completely crazy. he couldn't stand the idea of only being able to see you once or twice a year. not to mention that you’d be closer to trevor than you would be to him.

“absolutely not. you’re not a west coast girl. you belong here” he says, you belong with me, is what he means.

“I was considering Carolina too” you say casually, laughing at jack’s mocking groan

“now you’re just trying to piss me off” he says, plopping down on the couch next to you again.

the two of you sit in silence for a few minutes, both contemplating what your lives are gonna look like a year from now.

“you should move to jersey” he blurts out, and the two of you simultaneously turn your heads, eyes connecting in a long stare.

“what would I do in Jersey?” you ask, biting your lip before the words ‘except you’ can slip out

he shrugs, just looking at you for a moment before letting out a big breath and turning towards you completely, taking one of your hands in his.

“it could be summer all the time” he states simply, as if you should know exactly what that means.

you look at him dumbfounded for a moment before saying, “have you seen east coast winters?”

“I mean metaphorically,” he explains. “you’re summer” he shrugs, hand reaching up to cup your face gently.

“I don’t like summer because of the weather, or even the fact that it’s off season. I like summer because I get to come here and I get to see you. For at least two months straight I get to wake up every day and know I will see you that day. And that’s the best feeling”

“jack—“ you say softly, a bit choked up and he smiles, bringing his other hand up to cup your other cheek, both hands now holding your face gently as he stares into your eyes.

“I’m already mad at myself for letting us be friends this long without admitting my feelings to you. I’ll never forgive myself if I let you move to the west coast, or Carolina, or anywhere that's not right here next to me" he adds softly.

you can see the vulnerability behind his eyes as he stares at you, thumbs stroking your cheeks slowly.

he can feel his heart racing in his chest, his stomach twisting into knots as he waits for your response.

he looks at you, studying your face and seeing your expression change slightly at his words

"it's not that I'm trying to pressure you into anything, I mean if you don't feel the same way I get it. and I'll support you no matter what you choose to do" he says, the words tumbling out of his mouth faster than he can stop them. he can feel the anxiety building in the pit of his stomach, the thought of you rejecting him and moving away anyway making him nauseous.

“y-you have feelings for me?” you ask, still trying to come to terms with that part of his confession.

jack looks at you, slightly surprised that you didn't already know that. did you really not realise how he felt about you?

"yeah, you didn’t realize?" he responds, a small hint of disbelief in his voice

“no. I’m not really your usual type, if you haven’t noticed” you say softly, and jack loops his arms around your waist pulling you closer. not liking the way you said that. his face twists in a look of annoyance and he suddenly looks slightly insulted

"and what is my usual type then?" he asks, his voice coming out a bit harsher than he intended

“c'mon jack. every girl you’ve ever dated has been the exact opposite of me” you say

“it’s not like the guys you’ve dated have been anything like me either” jack argues softly and you shrug. fair enough.

“that’s why you were upset earlier? you thought trevor was flirting with me and you were jealous,” you say putting the pieces together and jack’s cheeks redden slightly as you catch on to what was happening.

“yeah. I wasn’t happy. I’ve been waiting two years if not longer for you to be single and the one summer you finally are, my best friend beats me to it,” jack mutters, hands tightening on your hips slightly, pulling you even closer so now you’re practically straddling his lap.

“you should’ve said something earlier,” you say, resting your forehead against his, hand running through the hair on the back of his neck.

he groans softly at your touch, the feeling of your hand running through his hair making his body tingle. he can’t stop the shiver that runs down his spine as you run your fingers through his hair, and he tilts his head back just slightly to give you more access.

“it was just never the right time. but I realized tonight that the right time is never gonna come and if I wait too long, I might lose out on having any opportunity at all” he mumbles, tracing your bottom lip softly

“then stop waiting, and kiss me already” you order, and jack doesn’t spare a second as he crashes his lips onto yours, not disconnecting them until the two of you absolutely need to breathe.

it’s all so much. your lips, your hands, the taste of you, the scent of you, your body pressed so close to his. he’s never felt this way before, wanting something so much. needing it. needing you.

he’s spent so long wanting this, imagining what it would be like to have you here in his lap, kissing him and letting him touch you, that it’s almost overwhelming.

“looks like we’re gonna have summer all the time now jacky” you mumble against his lips and he grins, utterly thrilled by the idea.

[fixerbot]

“Libs are dealing with it well I see”

Very well. Glad to see it, actually. 😊

Harris ran a great campaign.

Harris didn’t win the 2024 elections.

⬆️ Both of these things can be true. ⬆️

Plus, anyone who is media literate knows that “where the Harris campaign went wrong” is not news. Hey everybody, look, CNN has it figured out. 🤨

PSA 😬

News articles are written by people who are fallible and especially oblivious to their own faults; people who usually have an agenda that may or may not align with yours. (Can lead to confirmation bias)

In fact, do not assume that the news is written for you to consume like water from a pipe. It is always “framing” angles and perspectives.

Yes, fixerbot has worked in a newsroom.

Every headline and every story is an angle. Heck, even the ads are angled. If you’re not critiquing you’re doing it wrong.

Assertion: “Where the Harris campaign went wrong” is a fallacious title for a news article for its circular reasoning rooted in a false premise.

Circular reasoning and false premise - The title is framing the results of the 2024 presidential election as a failure or fumble on the part of the Harris campaign.

“Where the Harris campaign went wrong” = “The results of the elections are a reflection of the failures of the Harris campaign - why did they fail”

On integrity alone, I wouldn’t read an article with such a headline unless to critique it harshly for its own bold assertion.

The framing matters and it’s not just about CNN. It’s about news, and particularly in America, the responsibility of the fourth estate.

I understand that, to the layman, those might seem like an arbitrary, not even particularly interesting grouping of words but what assertions is the statement already making?

CNN and the people responsible for that irresponsible headline are suggesting that they have discovered the deciding factor for the results of the 2024 presidential elections not going in Harris’ favour.

Critique: What is the question that the title is seeking to address? What would need to be determined to answer that question? What would be the associated assumptions and limitations when answering such a question?

Point: a cursory glance should suggest that the information that CNN is reporting on with such decided pomp and certitude could only AT BEST be the framing of popular opinion.

Once you read the article with this understanding you’ll probably realise that it’s not saying anything very interesting or even news worthy. It might be valid as an opinion piece but is it putting itself forward for critique or just trying to make an assertion?

lmao, libs are dealing with it well i see

[luminatricky]

Vampire? In Gotham! (part 1)

Summary: Danny's 19, a prince, a halfa, and tired of being these things. So he jumps on the idea of a vacation as soon he's given the hint of a chance. The only caveat is that he's going to go undercover as a vampire in a big city - Gotham - far from his home dimension. He finds it's easier than he thought it would be. He's already mostly there.

Relationships: Dead on Main (Jason Todd/Danny Fenton), John Constantine & Danny Fenton

Um? Inspired by several prompts and other fanfics. Lost Between Our Needs and Wants AU definitely, with a background Danny's summoned by Ra's as Damian as a sacrifice. Nothing bad happens (to Damian) don't worry. Also, the one in which Danny decided to fight ghosts as a human too.

And John is almost definitely ooc, he's a character I enjoy a lot even though I don't have a firm grasp of his canon.

Danny's afterlife has been way too interesting for way too long. It's gotten to the point that when things suddenly go quiet for months, he hardly hesitates to give his "human" life some over-due attention.

For obvious reasons he's not going to try his "vacation" in his own dimension. Anyone he once might have stayed for know how to get a hold of him, whenever and wherever.

The Amity Park portal is still open. But between the stricter laws on ghosts wanting to use permanent portals he managed to get passed, and the increasingly feral ways the townsfolk have begun defending each other with, Danny feels confident to finally...let go. In his heart, he had always thought of it as still his, despite not being there to maintain it in truth. But now it's not his Haunt anymore, fully and completely.

They don't need him anymore.

And Danny doesn't want to be needed like that again, to be honest. He sacrificed so much to play hero because he got it into his head that he had to do everything alone in the end. As if he was the only one who could kick ghost butt on the daily in town.

Thankfully, a nineteen year old Danny is smarter than a fourteen year old Danny. He's learned the art of delegation. Any tasks that he doesn't need to be present for, he has a whole team of ghostly assistants to handle things for him. The major multidimensional crises have for the most part been solved - his protection Obsession at the very least fed. And quite a few skeleton thralls he freed near the beginning of his reign were suddenly looking for direction. Among them, a decent amount found the talent and fulfillment in positions of bureaucratic power that Danny never will, filling up spots he's unwilling to give out like the candy the various ghosts of nobility treat the roles as. Or ghost nobility. Like the Ancients. Quite a few of the Ancients are assholes.

(At least all the murderous Ancients aren't problems anymore)

With all their help, he's able to occasionally pop in to do paperwork, meet with the High Court for various lawmaking and judicial decisions, and listening to official petitions to the Crown from his people. It's all good. No mountains of unseen paperwork, no audience with the Observants every waking moment, no one across the Realms screaming desperately for help. Even some of the cults have finally caught on that he's not Pariah!

So Danny starts the process of finding a new Haunt for his new, normal, alive alter ego. Staying as long as he has in the Realms couldn't have been sustainable long-term if he didn't want to become a full ghost. As complicated as his relationship with his humanity is these days, he still doesn't want to die again. And Frostbite definitely has been pushing him to finding new territory, in the Infinite Realms or otherwise. Because even for full ghosts going Hauntless for long periods is straining. To say the least.

Although, being just a human again...didn't sit right. Even after all this time. His human form is still one Danny Fenton, in his eyes.

He can never be Danny Fenton again. He accepted that his duties as Crown Prince would keep him away from the identity of the ghost hunter's ghost hunting son, who went to Casper high and had terrible grades in everything but science; the kid who was shoved into lockers and who was addicted to Nasty Burger and played DOOMED with his friends and who wanted to be an astronaut. He accepted that he had to leave that all behind, and be full ghost in all but form. His parents wouldn't want him if they knew everything he lied about, anyways. He didn't actually deserve the name Fenton.

His new Haunt would preferably be in a place where he could reasonably pass himself off as another species, then, and still be safe. Safer than being a ghost at least. Most universes had well-deserved folklore against the Realms. His people are not inherently malevolent...But he knows that they don't play nice and careful with the living.

He would need an ectoplasm rich environment, too. A big city with lots of crime would go a long way for providing the ambient death and fear vibes that would attract Blobs like a bee to nectar. It would also make it feel like the Infinite Realms - hopefully. He's gotten accustomed to that kind of environment. He thinks he may never sleep again in a place quiet and safe.

He'd like a place with a rich history too. Just for fun!

Danny mulls it over carefully, narrowing down universes he could reasonably start his search in. The only universe he can think of with extensive protections for the non-human written into law is one far-flung flavor of an Earth he's semi-familiar with. He's been there twice, both at 16, just starting out and stressed to hell and back with the sheer load of unattended problems Pariah left to rot.

Both times he'd been more than he'd have liked. One Ra's Al Ghul wasn't technically his problem. He was no one's problem now, and that was current Danny's whole issue with it.

John Constantine is an unlamented saint for putting up with a feral teenaged Danny's slap dash attempt at helping the both of them - John with his soul related doom, and Danny with his paperwork related misery.

But. Considering how he handled the contract with Al Ghul, Danny can't blame John for hesitating to renegotiate their terms already. Ra's Al Ghul was an idiot who gave him what he thought was the life of his grandson, in exchange for immortality.

Him. The Prince of the Dead. Immortality.

Thankfully, the wording was imprecise. What he actually traded was the kid's really cool sword - the kid kneeling, terrified eyes meeting his before darting away, offering his own sword to let Danny slit his throat and "collect his due sacrifice", Danny not being able to breathe through his own fear - for pure ectoplasm, with instruction to drink it everyday until he ran out.

This of course killed even him months later from over-exposure.

The man probably felt a mile high in the air, indestructible, right up until he crashed. Al Ghul promptly became a ghost. Which. Closest thing to true immortality the Prince of the Dead could offer him. He kept his end of the deal. It's not his fault that Al Ghul never specified that he didn't want to die to be immortal. It's also not his fault that Al Ghul had so many dead enemies and victims on the other side who were easy to find. It was ridiculously easy - they made a support group around being taken down by the LOA. And who was he to deny the dead their due vengeance?

Right. So John is understandably nervous about Danny owning all the pieces of his soul, no matter how much rapport they've built these past three years. Danny is mature enough to admit that it is his fault for that bit.

On the bright side for Danny, that means one grumpy occult detective in a sad trenchcoat is a guy who lives in his phone. Like an uncle-shaped tamagachi!

He scrolls though his contact list until he thumbs John's number. Surprisingly, instead of going to voicemail, he picks up on the first ring.

"Before you ask, yes I'm cashing in a favor, finally. No, it's nothing evil, I've just got the first actual free time I've had in five years and I'd like to get suggestions on a city to move to."

-------------------

John ended up giving a very detailed list in response. Suspiciously detailed, and hardly prompted. How long had John been thinking on this? And why?

Danny chalked it up to the man's reasonable paranoia when it came to him. John's aware he can pretend to be (fully) human with relative ease, afterall. And the older man knows where he'd need to be able to actually live long term. After-live. Whatever. Point is, John probably made it his business to know where any sneaky invasions would start if Danny ever became a little less morally ambiguous and a little more bloodthirsty.

Entirely fair! Pariah wasn't always a tyrant!

On the very top was Gotham, a city in this world's Jersey, and the crime capitol of the States. Plenty of ambient ectoplasm, and planty of charged emotions wafting from every street corner. He doesn't voice this, but Danny figures that there must be a whole community of ghosts already living there because of that double whammy.

Something about the city's name tickles his memory, but can't quite pin it down. If it was important he'd have remembered. Right?

John is thrown when he asks about his options of other non-humans Danny could reasonably get away with impersonating.

"And why," the occultist half-accuses, "would you of all spooks, want to live in Gotham, as a 'vacation', just to not even pretend to be normal?"

"First of all, ow. John you know just because someone is different doesn't mean they're not normal. I thought you were the cool uncle." He responds half-heartedly. Danny bites his bottom lip, rolling it between his sharp teeth as he tries to think of a part two to that answer that wouldn't get uncomfortably personal.

John doesn't rise to his bait. Danny hears him unscrew something metallic, then the sound of fluid swishing quietly from the other end. Ah.

The silence wears on. Danny should hang up. But winging things have always gotten him into bigger trouble. And John is the guy to call for this. Fuck. And he's bad at lying bold-faced.

Fine.

"I'm half human," Danny responds as if that would explain everything. It doesn't, so he manages to continue in a small voice that he doesn't even remember the last time he'd used. "Sometimes I still pretend to be one when I can't see any other way. But I had my chance at playing the part of both. And I royally screwed it up, literally! I became freaking royalty and I just couldn't anymore. As far as anyone but my doctor is concerned, I'm full ghost. I had a chance - I don't deserve another one. Screw ups don't get nice things."

John takes another swig from his flask, mutters something under his breath that sounds vaguely like 'of course he's a fecking halfa'. His voice is rough around the edges from whatever cheap booze he just drank a concerning amount of.

"Listen. Sounds like you've got trauma dripping from your ears, kid. But what's the point here, huh? Sounds like you want to be human without all the fuss of it." John drawls out.

Danny takes a deep breath in through his nose. He tries to fight down the feeling of being peeled open for the world to see - being afraid isn't helpful right now. He needs to be silly, nonchalant, like he's always been with John in tense situations. Why do they only talk when things are tense, anyways?

"Essentially. It's more like. I want to have all the human experiences I missed out on, but without having to hide being inhuman. That kinda thing."

"And you can't just be a ghost?"

"I really don't think anyone likes being ghosted."

"Don't you start on that. You know what I mean, Princeling."

"Fine. No, I can't be a ghost. That's boring and no one likes being haunted."

John gives a long sigh. After a beat, he acquiesces. "Alright. You could pull off vamps damn well. Got the hair for 'em. The teeth and claws are only slightly off. There's several clans with different looks the same way humans have ethnicities. Although, I don't think that's the same, now that I'm thinking about it. But subspecies doesn't fit either."

Danny hums, tilting his head in thought. "Like the difference between a banshee and a specter?"

"Yeah, like that. All vamps, just different enough, and no kind older than another to say they're the 'main' species." John clarifies. Another pause. "Unless you count Halfas. Which. Some people do but shouldn't. Bloody idiots."

Danny startles, nearly dropping his phone. "Excuse me?"

John snorts. "What? You didn't know?"

"Musta missed that part in the complimentary instruction manual they gave me for having my molecules redecorated." He snarks. "What do you mean I'm already a vampire?"

"I said people who don't know what they're talking about count Halfas as the original vampires. You lot have been around since the bloody dawn of time, it seems." John sounds exasperated.

"That's not what I - never have I ever wanted to take a chomp on anyone's pulse point, what the fuck?"

John gets that smug tone in his voice that Danny has a love-hate relationship with. "And exactly how many undead folks do you hang out with when you're feeling peckish?"

"...you can't be serious." Danny says instead of denying him. What can he even say to that? He's never met a Revenant or Ghoul.

"As the grave, I'm afraid."

When Danny doesn't outwardly respond for too many beats, John takes another chug. "Phantom?"

"John." He begins, pinching the bridge of his nose as more and more dots connect too cleanly for him. "You might be wrong."

"...What awful lore about your eldritch homeland is going to send me into my weekly crisis this time?" The detective groans out.

"Alright. So you know how part of my whole thing as the Prince makes it my job to stay aware of ectoplasmic diseases?"

John hums in acknowledgement, so Danny sucks in a deep breath. "Then you should know two things. One, that I've been to a few dimensions with vampires in them. And like you said, they're all different from each other. I didn't really pay much attention beyond helping the people survive these world-ending scenarios though.

Two, is that in each and every one of those realities, the vampirism was caused by a virus made by an Ancient - don't worry, they're gone. The disease itself is called False Halfa Syndrome. It was their attempt to weaponize Halfas back in Pariah's time."

"Oh shite." John says elegantly. "Bag o' shite!"

"Good luck on that crisis. Me too." Danny is hardly holding in hysterical laughter. "I can't believe Sam and Tucker were right about this. Holy shit."

"How in the world didn't you piece this together until now?!"

"I don't know! I just thought it was coincidence!"

"Bloody fucking hell, Phantom. Nevermind. You can play a vampire totally accurately because you are one. A ghost one." John growls. "Cause that just had to be a thing."

Danny carefully doesn't think about how Vlad might have legitimate claim to that vampiric aesthetic he's got going on. Instead, he's planning on stealing an aesthetic change for his own ruse.

"Nice. Should I know anything else while we're here?" He asks.

John gave a wry laugh, crackling over the phone's shitty old speakers. "About Gotham or your new undead existence?"

"Both." He says instantly. "Both is good."

"Gotham has vigilantes. The birds and bats are efficient, and they spook easy at unknowns. Batman's technically my coworker if we're gonna call the Justice League a job - we don't get paid for this. He and his family deal with the craziest lineup of human rogues I've ever had the displeasure. It's made him a healthy amount of paranoid. If you're doing anything nefarious, he'll find you. And then he'll call me."

Danny isn't exactly afraid of John. But Pariah wasn't afraid of Danny, either, so the halfa takes it seriously. Internally.

"Yeah yeah old man. You've got your eye on me and all that. Uh huh." He genuinely appreciates the warning, too, but messing with John is his bread and butter.

"Watch it, brat," John says with no real venom, unlike a moment ago. "Or I'll bring out the stakes."

"I take mine medium rare, thank you."

"Piss off."

"...About the vampirism?"

"Normal ghost bullshite applies. It's about the ecto, I think. You go absolutely nutters for the stuff in undead folk. Something about how ectoplasm interacts with the reanimated. Liminals are nutritious too, but I've been told it's the difference between cafeteria food and gourmet. One smells absolutely heavenly, the other is barely appetizing."

Oh Ancients is that why all his exes are Liminal? No, hold on, was part of the reason Vlad was so weird about him just ghost-vamp on ghost-vamp mutual hanger?

"What, I'm not the only Halfa in your life? John. I thought we had something special."

"Please don't make this weird. Do not flirt with me." John instantly scolds. "I know you're just being your little weird brand of playful, but I knew you when you were a kid shaped menace. C'mon."

Danny blinks. He didn't think he was flirting, but apparently he was. "Alright. Sorry, John."

There's a sudden crash on the other side of the phone. Followed by John's muffled cursing.

"Listen, I have to go. If you're serious about this I'll get you some good fakes. Text me with what you'd like your name to be." And then John hangs up. Danny smiles into the lingering silence.

------------

PhantomMenace: Dante Nightingale, pwetty please 0w0

God's Favorite Whore: That's the most main character name I've ever bloody seen.

God's Favorite Whore: You're from a dead family in Illinois, farm boy, meta. Had an accident at 14, with a near death experience for believability. You've also been missing since shortly after it. Anyone looking into you will think that's when you got "turned."

PhantomMenace: thats why your the cool uncle <3

God's Favorite Whore: This should count as another favor, don't you think?

PhantomMenace: Yup. I'll be nice

PhantomMenace: 💚 ~2/20 Favors until Soul Return~ 💚

[crystallizsch]

jhgnngggn i’m back to thinking about post-nrc yuusha and jamil--- extremely long ramble below prepare for uh angst??? i guess???

i buried some of these lore in the tags somewhere but anyways-

yuusha and jamil exchanged hair ties when they separated and went off on their own post-nrc as a way to "remember each other by".

they both have different plans for their own futures despite wanting to be "together"— whatever that means. yuusha stayed at nrc working as staff and jamil is out travelling.

at this point though they STILL never officially “dated” but oh they were so so close SO many times to putting a label on it.

“what happened then” <- idk man they’re incredibly stupid. yuusha is still horribly noncommittal and jamil is- jamil. (“…the hell does that mean” <- SHHHH i will not elaborate)

they ended as just "really good friends" (something something on they’re on the spectrum of queerplatonic but they didn’t understand that that was the case) .

━━━━━━✦

at first they did well keeping in touch from a long distance—

yuusha never forgets to check in on jamil, texting/calling whenever possible, she was always the first to initiate.

and jamil still would’ve made the same effort of course, but yuusha always beats him to it. he sort of just expected her check-ins every day.

and he looks forward to that 1-15 notifications that he gets as soon as he wakes up. it does get him going knowing that she was specifically thinking of him at the start of the day.

that wouldn't last though. eventually, the more yuusha met more people and cultivated new relationships, the more she felt herself grow further and further apart from jamil.

yuusha thrives on physical relationships and the majority of the time the only communication and contact between her and jamil is through the phone.

and so the messages from her became less and less frequent as yuusha got more absorbed and interested in her work and other relationships.

don't get it wrong, she still cared about jamil. loved him even, in her own way.

he just became less of a priority.

━━━━━━✦

it was bittersweet to think that jamil finally had the chance to initiate the conversation.

because that meant yuusha had been thinking of him less and he had to remind her himself that— hey he's still there, remember him?— although that's not exactly what he would say. that's a bit too antagonistic and petty. surely, she's just busy. right?

yuusha would respond as if everything was normal. but the usual fondness, the usual warmth, they weren't there. her words through the screen felt dry. forced.

she can use the unnecessary punctuations and emojis she wants but she is not getting past him.

they called. it was nice to hear her voice. but. there's the same feeling of detachment. why are they talking as if this was one of their first times?

yuu, what happened?— is what jamil wanted to ask. but he would also respond nonchalantly. as if everything was normal.

jamil still tried to reach out to her. similar to how she did with him.

but it was to no avail.

their interactions felt too far gone from what they had.

eventually jamil also realized that there was No Point.

if she wasn’t going to make the effort anymore, why should he?

━━━━━━✦

professor yuusha tala walks in to her class which her signature braid and feathered hair tie.

it's lovely having gotten used to working at nrc. her students are surprisingly behaved and she enjoys teasing chatting with her coworkers. surely she isn't missing anything, is she?

and the traveler, jamil viper. he's seen most of the sights, experienced a lot of things. it's like he is slowly fulfilling his childhood dreams.

he ties his hair with the same one he's been using for years. it's a surprise it hasn't snapped yet from how worn out it looks. this really belonged to someone so cheap, huh.

he wonders why he's still using it. he had come across fitting souvenirs that could replace it.

waste of money— jamil convinces himself. besides, this hair tie is fit for every occasion and it's still holding up anyway.

he'll just get a new one when this one finally bites the dust.

if it ever does.

it's really stubborn for a hair tie.

[thekoldun]

Also I think it's really interesting how after Evan framed his question in terms of all the other wizards, present and future, as being Bombini's family, and then asked Bombini what he wanted Evan to relate to his "family," to the community that Bombini was inherently part of, Bombini instead said that he'd see his family soon enough and tell them himself, which was essentially him rejecting Evan's premise. His family wasn't his community and fellow wizards, it was a select group of three people he loved and it could never include anything or anyone else.

That's how reactionary impulses begin. By holding to the idea that you can only ever relate and feel connected to a finite set of people. And when they're gone, as they will be gone, not having the capacity to find belonging, community, teamwork, a network in anyone else. If you can't realize that you are more alike every single other human being than anything else in the world, if you cling to dead friends who after a point are more concepts and ideals than friends, literally embodied as heraldry and color coded uniforms, of course the thing you will preserve will be a horrible, tacky farce.

Everything will always circle back to the institution you founded because it's the only place invested with what bit of empathy and companionship you limited yourself to, and you refused to look for anything new that could exist past its walls.

[kalpeavaris]

Cyn's Synemy Design Playlist - Pinterest

Finished my new design for Cyn! I wasn't satisfied with the first iteration I made all the way back in September when I first released the fanfiction... so I sat down and made a new one! That reflects my interpretation of her OG personality better. B]]

Find Synemy (the corresponding fanfiction to this design) on AO3!

More info, design notes & whatnot under the cut!

This version of her is made from a backup copy the Solver kept of Cyn's "old" code & personality before it took her over as host. This code was secured within the AS' code and extracted by Nori, who then planted it into a new body to allow Cyn to live her own life.

Can either wear two braids or her hair untied (the two ties infront are always there!) her back hair reaches her legs when untied.

Imitates people's voices and takes on vocal stims she heards. Tessa loves to annoy her by showing her random memes and watches Cyn repeat them for weeks on end out of impulse

Gets along fairly well with most people. It's more of a neutral stance - the people she feels most comfortable with are Uzi, Nori and N. Isn't really on friendly terms with J or V. Tessa and her are... indifferent, but they tolerate each other and occasionally bond over shared interests such as videogames or dark humor.

Although she might look very timid und friendly upon first encountering her, Cyn is VERY capable of being the most sarcastic little shit you ever know. She doesn't have a filter and will use dark/self depricating humor.

Is contantly tired due to her faulty code & other lore reasons. :]]

Still needs to consume oil (or other drone parts) to stay within manageable temperature ranges

Has memory issues and can barely recall her time as Solver host actively, but has flashbacks and nightmares about it. Pretends to not care, but deep down these instances disturb her greatly.

Views Nori as her adoptive mom (and Nori views her as adoptive "kid")

Incredibly invested in videogames, computers and other electrical devices. Loves to take them apart and tinker around, especially when Uzi's around to teach her new stuff.

She like dinosaurs. Her favourites are Utahraptors and Parasaurolophus.

Often listens to music and will straigt up ignore everyone around her if she does. Very invested in rock.

Takes things literal, unless they're memes.

Isn't as alone as she hoped to be in her new OS.

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

This au was created with the combined forces of the amazing and awesomely talented group of @griffonskies, @hufflehobbitmakes, @lorienrobins, and myself (and they're all super cool people and you should all check out their blogs!) in an absolutely hilarious conversation, so I had to flesh this idea out. Enjoy!

This is a post-canon AU, where Merlin is still living by the Lake of Avalon in modern times, awaiting Arthur's return. While the world has changed immensely in the time since Arthur's reign, there were a few things that have stayed the same. And one of the things that had stayed constant throughout the last 1500 years were the druids and their worship of Emrys.

As Merlin's powers grew following Camlann, he found that he could hear the prayers that the druids directed at him, and he could answer them to the best of his ability with his magic while staying at the shores of Avalon. Besides, the druids knew better than to seek him out in person unless there was an absolute emergency.

Now, fast forwards to the 21st century, and there's modern druids worshipping Merlin as Emrys, and they pray to him and leave offerings, and he still sometimes answers their prayers. While the most popular offerings to Emrys are physical offerings, such as wooden carvings and food, their songs and dances praising him work as offerings as well.

However, one day, some Gen Z druids get an idea. Their religion isn't very well known, how about they spread more awareness of it online? And what better way to reach a wide audience than to share one of their dances praising Emrys on TikTok!

And of course, their dances for Emrys blows up online and go viral. The consequences of this, besides the rising interest in their religion, is that Merlin has accidentally gained millions of new worshippers, who have performed the dance without really knowing what it means.

Suddenly, with millions of people performing dances in honor of him online, Merlin is more powerful than ever before, much to his own confusion, since he's just chilling in a cabin next to the lake and doesn't really spend much time online.

However, one day, Arthur's reincarnation does the new dance trend at reincarnated Morgana's insistence. Merlin immediately senses his king performing one of the dances made to worship Emrys and teleports to Arthur's location, scaring the shit out of him. Now Arthur's stuck with a maybe-a-god-but-honesty-kinda-hot guy in his flat who keeps calling him "sire" and telling him to go to some lake so he can pick up a sword. It's a very confusing day for poor Arthur!

Bonus: some quotes from Gen Z druids in this au explaining their religion online: "Yeah, we can talk directly to our god, but he doesn't always respond because he's kinda busy being sad next to a magical lake."

"No, we swear he isn't a cult leader looking for a tax break!"

"If you catch him in a good mood he might do a pub crawl with you! That happened to my cousin once!"

"Yeah, I heard he turned water into beer on that pub crawl! Wild night."

[higuchisora]

Seeing as they clearly didn't know what the hell to do with Jinx/the political repercussions of her bombing the council in season 2, I'd like to explore the possibilities of how Zaun would've reacted to this that would've made way more sense than what we saw.

1. Jinx becomes an extremely controversial figure.

Few are neutral to her. This would be largely because, outside of knowing she blew up the council, no one actually knows WHY. What were her motives? Were they politically charged? Was she trying to start a war? What exactly was her goal? It was never really stated that she was infamous prior to this, but I recall in season 1 act 2 that when Vi went looking for her, people knew OF Jinx, and that she worked for Silco, but weren't really aware of any further details (ex: Babette, who knew Vi when she was younger, heard of Jinx but didn't even know that her and Powder are the same person). So those that are aware of her connection to Silco- who objectively did make many of their lives worse with Shimmer- wouldn't be happy. They'd be scared of what will come next.

Those who don't know/don't care might fill in the blanks with their own guesses, maybe that she's some kind of activist- which would split them further into the subgroups of "Oh fuck the enforcers are gonna kill us and it's her fault" and "Finally, a war!" The second of which I'd argue would actually be a very small group. I could imagine the Jinxers being seen by the rest of Zaun as crazy radicals who don't know what they're getting themselves into/are gonna drag the rest of Zaun into danger. I think it would cause a LOT of infighting. Like a civil war inside another civil war.

How Jinx would handle this would be.... interesting. Especially if the Jinxers start making moves on their own. She never really shows much interest in activism- she works for Silco because he's her new dad, and while she doesn't seem to DISAGREE with his opinions, it doesn't seem she's all that invested in actually working to make it happen beyond just wanting to help her dad. His death seemed to take her interest with it.

Now, they could either lean into this, and make people question her motives/actions because of her clear disinterest, maybe increasing some of the controversy around her (no follow through on her action, letting Zaunites suffer the consequences, etc.), or they could make her actually take a genuine personal interest in it. But that, I think, would take a bigger arc that might be more work for arguably less payoff when considering you'd probably have to change a great deal of her character to do it, especially when you could probably achieve similar plot points/outcomes even without her intentionally becoming a political figurehead.

2. Zaun becomes fractured politically/other "symbols" of Zaun

This can be in tandem with idea 1, actually, but can still be it's own idea. Basically, after the fall of the council, and Silco's death, Zaunites are terrified. They've been run so far by Vander, Silco, and then some vague council-like oligarchy of Chem-Barons, who could be interpreted as functioning like very large gangs. The Chem-Barons have always been around, but with Silco's sudden death (and no one who was primed/expecting to replace him), this leaves a massive power vacuum that the Chem-Barons and smaller gangs are scrambling to come out on top of.

The fear of the unknown and the extreme instability would lead to people desperately throwing their lot in with whoever they think would be a better/less dangerous leader, and by extension, political symbol. Season 2 shows a bunch of new people joining the Firelights. In that case, I can imagine that before long, several new potential leaders surface, even if they didn't expect it. Namely, Ekko, Jinx, and Sevika.

Ekko because as I said, people were apparently coming to his base in droves. They don't tell us Jack shit about the Firelights besides the fact that A) Ekko leads them B) they don't fuck with Silco OR Piltover C) Piltover thinks they're terrorists and D) they look rad as fuck. That being said, considering Ekko's Everything, I think we can all gather a general picture of what the Firelights are about. Plus his cool tree would be a great symbol (@srslylini for the idea) of growth, healing, etc.

Sevika, because those that knew her as Silco's second might be hoping for some kind of stability with her. Even if they didn't like Silco, it's better the enemy you know and all that jazz. They'd feel safer with someone who at least seems to know what they're doing, even if Sevika herself has no interest in becoming a leader. I think some would just naturally gravitate towards who they see as "second in line". This could also be in connection to Jinx, as she could possibly been seen as someone who could "rein" Jinx in (again, most people don't actually KNOW Jinx, they just know OF her and that she worked for Silco and was volatile. Think how Finn referred to her as Silco's "attack dog").

Speaking of Jinx, she'd probably be treated similarly to idea 1. Extremely polarizing. Her followers would be seen as crazy, like she is. They'd be seen as warmongers and/or people who have no idea what they're getting themselves into. They'd basically be seen as the stereotypical "young rebels". The average Zaunite would see the average Jinxer as a young, angry, maybe idealistic radical who doesn't understand the cost of war. I'd argue that, again, they'd probably be the smallest and most controversial group just because most people don't necessarily WANT a war, even if they're willing to fight for it. And the suddenness of the bombing would've scared even some of the rebels who DO want war, because they weren't prepared. It wasn't a PLANNED attack, so both Zaun AND Piltover are basically caught with their pants down, which would also bring some ire from the other Zaunites.

There's another option for a faction I'd like to explore, also thanks to srslylini (thank you icon), but it takes a bit of setting up.

In a hypothetical situation in which Vi did NOT become an enforcer, I think it would happen like this: Vi hangs around in Piltover at first out of guilt/feeling like she has nowhere else to go. She's still not on board with being an enforcer, but she attends the memorial out of a sense of obligation. Her and Caitlyn have a falling out over Caitlyn calling Zaunites "animals", and here is where she storms off and goes back to Zaun, with the final words to Caitlyn that "You Pilties are all the fucking same" (or something to that effect). She's still feeling lost, and so maybe this is where she stumbles around, having maybe a similar pitfighting arc (just not as distraught, more like she's broke and angry and has to pay rent somehow so she might as well get paid to punch someone's face in). Because she's not in a massive spiral, there's unfortunately no emo arc (sad), but the bright side of this is that she's recognizable. I don't think she's FAMOUS, per say, but Babette and Ekko recognized her right off the bat in season 1 (yes you can say Ekko was really close to her, but Babette? C'mon), and considering she was older than Powder when she went off to prison, I don't think it's a stretch to assume her face was a little better-known than her sister's (especially considering she was already going on jobs, and in act 1 she gets into a fight with Deckard who I'm pretty sure knew her name, but not Powder's).

This is to say, I think a lot of the "old heads" knew who she was, especially those who liked Vander. It helps that she tattooed her name on her face LMAO. So I'd imagine she'd show up in the ring, no hair dye no makeup, and eventually after consistently knocking her opponents around and winning every time, she'd become a bit locally famous again- to the point that those same "old heads" who remember her make the connection and come looking. Maybe rumors start swirling, especially once they learn she was gone because she'd been in prison- not unheard of, and probably the first conclusion they drew when they realized she wasn't dead.

So eventually Vander's old followers/younger people who idolized him from their childhood start seeking her out. Sensationalizing her. Asking her what she's planning on doing. Is she taking back the Lanes? Will she get those Chem-Barons under control? What about Jinx? Could she hunt her down, rein her in? Hell, maybe even put her to use? Will you give us our relative safety, our security back?

And Vi, who just wanted to knock some heads around and maybe take a nap in her apartment and cry, is suddenly faced with being "Vander 2.0" and Jinx is the new "Silco 2.0" and all the weight of expectations and legacy and history and literal war and politics are being shoved in her face. She, like Jinx, is now faced with becoming a figurehead when she never wanted to be, which could lead into option 3:

3. A joint approach to Zaun

This would primarily be driven by Sevika even if she wasn't one of the possible leaders, because SOMEONE has to be the responsible adult here and it's certainly not any of these traumatized losers (affectionate). She'd be the glue to keep it all together, the reluctant team mom who WILL make this work because she WILL have Zaun even if she has to die to get it.

This could work with either Jinx and Vi, or Jinx, Vi, and Ekko (I genuinely can't imagine season 2 act 1 Ekko willingly teaming up with season 2 act 1 Jinx AND Sevika without some kind of buffer). Basically, once the other "leader candidates"/political symbols have been established, Sevika would round them up with the intention to use their influence to unite Zaun against Piltover. This would take a LOT of arguing, but ultimately I think she'd be able to get them to shut up and hear her out for a moment. Regardless of how different their beliefs are about what the "ideal Zaun" looks like, they can all agree that Piltover isn't in any of those pictures. She could convince them to set aside their own squabbling for the time being, for the greater good: aka, the independence of Zaun.

At the very least, I think she'd be able to get them to agree that Piltover coming down and hurting Zaunites in revenge shouldn't be ignored, and that they're currently a bigger threat than their fellow Zaunite. So eventually they'd reach some kind of truce: behave like a united front against Piltover, push them out of Zaun, stabilize Zaun, and then worry about tearing each other apart later. And because all of these characters- ALL of them- have shown (prior to season 2) anti-Piltover sentiments, they'd at least be able to agree that enforcers shouldn't be allowed to beat down on their people (especially in this version where Vi has better, more consistent writing lmao).

Of course, Rome wasn't built in a day, so maybe they don't reach a total agreement immediately- maybe they just agree to a ceasefire at first, but still refuse to work together. But once Caitlyn becomes a dictator? Once enforcers start gassing the streets, rounding people up, implementing martial law?

That's when the gloves would come off.

I'd imagine this could also be part of how Vi and Jinx slowly start to repair their relationship. They've got bigger fish to fry, but also, this time their enemy is connected to their own personal conflict with each other. Jinx might ask, "what happened to your enforcer girl? What happened to being a Piltie lapdog?" And Vi would essentially, in perhaps more emotionally constipated words, explain that it wasn't really about Caitlyn, it was about being needed. It was about trying to find Jinx, about trying to stop Silco, about trying to "fix" things, only realize that she couldn't. It was about trying to make things better, but that she realized the person she was trying to do that with didn't actually care. That all she wanted was to make sense of the destruction of her old life, and find meaning in a new one. And I think Jinx, too, in her own emotional constipation, would resonate with that, would understand that. It wouldn't fix things between them, but I think it'd be a start.

It could also help their relationship with Ekko. Since Vi isn't an enforcer this time, and season 1 (the One True Season) showed their sibling relationship, I think her and Ekko's bonding would be more like "reconnecting with an old friend", whereas Jinx and Ekko would have a lot of work to do, too. There'd probably be a bit of a cold war between them for a while, once Ekko agrees to help, because he knows actually talking to her would piss him off. But eventually, through Sevika's manhandling of these three, and being forced to make nice with reluctant-figurehead-Jinx, they'd connect again.

Perhaps part of a plan is for them to develop new technology for Zaun. Whether that's weapons against Piltover (unlikely on Ekko's part I think), or just safety gear/ safer city infrastructure ideas for the betterment of their people, I think eventually they'd figure themselves out, too. He'd see the Powder in her, the part he saw on that bridge, and maybe it would give him the ability to try and understand Jinx. And Jinx would realize that maybe these people in her life DO love her, DO care about her, more than just for what she used to be but for who she is now. And somewhere along the way, they'd be friends again (or they can date IDK man I just want them to stop trying to kill each other).

Whatever happens next is so wide in possibility that I can't possibly cover it here so this is where it ends, lol.

[lucehe]

Omg this looks cool let's goooo

Yuki

1) Animal Crossing music

2) Grim! Simba and Gino too! :D

3) Yuno is like a dad to her, even she sometimes feels guilty because she still loves her biological mom and dad even they did something wrong before

Yuki is also somehow close to Malleus, she can tell he is happy to be with her, even a lot of people seems to be scared of him a little, she can feel he seems a little.... lonely, she doesn't know why, but she will be nice to Mr. Horns

4) She is scared of being watched by a lot of people

5) Yuki likes to make potions, so alchemy (Don't worry Yuno will keep her safe and guides her)

6) History (she falls asleep sometimes)

7) No club! She needs to nap after classes, but sometimes she will let Yuno takes her to visit different clubs to play

8) Rook, she is kinda scared of him (but not she dislikes it's just Rook is like the uncle who always scares you when you are still small)

9) Mr. Trein! He got a cat too, and he sometimes will bring cute dresses to Yuki. He is also patient and nice to her, not minding that Yuki slept in his class (she make him reminded his daughters)

10) Pomefiore! She really respects Vil and wants to be as pretty as him, he is like a queen to her

11) Gino (even he is the taller and older one, Yuki will protect him!)

12) Stitch, she loves that blue alien, and that's the first time she goes to the beach

13) She will call her dad or Grim to help her, and Yuno will just spawned /hj

She can't really fight with anyone, so she will run if someone wants to fight or hurt her

14) She doesn't really take tests since she is too young, but she got A on the small test Yuno gave her (ABC, some vocabs, and simple math problems)

15) She used to be a little lack of confidence since she got freckles on her face, but she slowly got more comfortable, because noone will talk about how different she is

She isn't really scared of Rook that much anymore after Rook shows his freckles to her, and told her she is still beautiful with it

16) It's scary because many people are watching them, but it's cool because she got a new cat and the mirror can talk

17) They look like floating marshmallows

18) Everyone is older, which made Yuki feels anxious first, but she got used to it slowly, she feels more comfortable when she became friends with Simba and Geno

Also a new environment did make Yuki a little nervous too, but she is also excited about having a new life in magic world

19) She trusts Crowley

20) Chapter 7, she will grow a lot, however, on different chapters, she will learn a little from experiences, and slowly changing herself

Yuno

1) Headlock - by Imogen Heap

2) Grim, Ace, Deuce

3) He wants to make sure Yuki grow up healthy and safe, even she isn't related to him. He doesn't know what gives him the will to help her, maybe it's just responsibility or sympathy. No matter what it is, he will try his best

4) He hates medicines that taste bitter

5) History

6) None

7) No clubs, as a prefect in NRC, he often will work for Crowley, assist the other staffs, arrange the events and guides the guests when they visit the academy. Sometimes he will spend time with Yuki to visit different clubs, which he can let Yuki try different activities to let her discover her interest, while also check how every clubs are doing

8) Yuno is neutral and friendly most, but sometimes he is cautious towards dorm leaders who overblot since these people had cause harm to the others, which nearly made them criminals if something worse happened. He feels odd how Crowley handed the results. Maybe it's just how this world is.

9) Trein, he is a good father, and sometimes he gives Yuno advises about taking care of kids and cats, it worked a lot. Yuno respects him.

10) Savanaclaw, it seems to have a lot of freedom, and the training is alright to him. Besides, Yuki loves the animal people there too

11) Ace and Deuce, they are still young, but they did bring a lot of fun to Yuno, he enjoys their company, it's something he hadn't felt for a long time before getting here

12) Beanfest, even rook is weird, but they are a good team when it comes with hunting (?)

13) He did want to fight Crowley sometimes

He won't fight with the people in school if there is no reason too, instead of fighting, he prefers suppress when it comes with actually harming Yuki and the others safety

14) A+ the most, even being in the magical world, he somehow managed to learn things quickly

15) He is terrible on singing

16) Is this H@rry Pøtter

17) They looked more friendly then he imagined (reference: Japanese ghosts stories and urban legends)

18) Everything is different from the original world, meaning they have no connection here and needs to start everything over, learning the rules here, and stay cautious most of the time

Gladly they had a home now, and most people here are friendly

19) Yuno remained neutral, but he did thank Crowley from giving them a place to stay and paying money to him for working in NRC

20) Chapter 5, he saw how much everyone grow up after seeing them shine on stage (especially Deuce)

He will also have a development after chapter 7

That's it! :D

Twisted Wonderland OC Questions:

Do you have a song that represents your OC, if so why?

Who is your OC’s closest platonic friend?

Tell us about a complicated relationship your OC has with another character?

What are your OC’s minor fears?

What is your OCs best class?

What is their worst class?

Why did they join their clubs? 

Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

Who is their favorite staff member? Why?

What dorm would your OC be sorted into besides their current one?

Is there a character your OC sees as a sibling?

What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

If your OC could physically fight another character, who would it be and would they win?

What are your OC’s grades like?

What is a secret not many characters know about your OC?

How would your OC describe their entrance ceremony from their POV?

What does your OC think of the Ramshackle ghosts?

What is the hardest thing to adjust to at NRC? The magic? Being away from their family? Ect.

Do they trust Crowely?

What chapter does your OC get the most personal character development?

[coqhee]

OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS 𓂃 박종성

✷ sick of casual relationships and situationships, you tell mall santa all about your issues in hopes for a change

pairing. non-idol jay︲fem reader genre. angst (if you squint), comedy, new beginnings, mall santa! jay (this is not weird he just needs money), fluff warning. none! wc. 16OO / day 1 of melodies to memories

─── ♡

you hated christmas. ever since your ex choi soobin ruined it last christmas, it stood as a reminder of the dreadful holiday season.

it wasn’t always this way. christmas used to mean warm fuzzy nights by the fire, laughter spilling over hot cocoa, and the promise of something magical. at least until he shattered that dream.

“it was just casual, i thought, nothing serious,” the words rang.

you were so tired of hearing that excuse. casual relationships had become the norm, and you hated how easy it was for people to shrug off feelings like they didn’t matter.

you hated being passed off like it was a phasez being someone’s forever, temporarily.

your friends had dragged you out of your apartment to do some mall christmas shopping to brighten the christmas.

“come on, y/n,” karina whined, linking her arm with yours as the group stopped in front of the massive christmas tree in the mall’s center. “you can’t spend the holidays sulking in your room.”

“it’s not sulking,” you mumbled, kicking at an imaginary speck of dirt on the shiny tile floor. “it’s self-care.”

“right because avoiding christmas season entirely is healthy,” jake mocked back, adjusting the mock santa hat before looking at his reflection in the glass.

you glared at him, but before you could retort, karina’s eyes lit up, and you knew trouble was brewing. “oh my god, mall santa!” she gasped, pointing to the oversized chair where santa sat, kids lining up for their turn.

“no. absolutely not. you’re joking,” you deadpanned, sensing what she wanted you to do.

“you need this. tell santa your christmas wish. maybe he’ll fix your grinch heart,” karina urged you with a serious expression.

before you could protest further, they were dragging you toward the line, their laughter drowning out your groans.

jay hated being a broke college student desperate to do just about anything for money. when his friends had sent him a job opening for a mall santa, he hadn’t even read the title, and here he was.

for the past week, he’s been stuffed in red suit with a fake beard, fake belly, asking young kids alike what they’d like for christmas and handing them a candy cane. so when he saw you in line, he was finally excited to hear something interesting and different.

“you guys, this is for kids,” you hissed, trying to resist, but jake just hummed. “and emotionally constipated adults,” he quipped.

when it was finally your turn, karina gave you a gentle shove forward. “go on, grinch. make a wish.”

“and what would you like for christmas young lady?” the man behind the santa suit asked warmly, with a tone of sincerity as it’s no longer just a small kid, rather a full grown adult.

you opened your mouth, ready to brush it off with something sarcastic, but the words that came out surprised even you.

“someone with a pulse who texts back in a day,” you began, your tone soft but laced with frustration, “someone, who’ll take my hand, to go dancing to a fifties band, and promise he’s forever mine,” you finished earnestly.

jay, hidden behind the red suit, the fake beard, and the jolly persona, froze for a moment when your words sank in. his playful santa grin faltered, just barely, as he studied you through the disguise. there was something raw and real in your voice, something that tugged at him in a way he hadn’t expected.

“that’s quite the wish,” he finally said, his voice gentle under the gruff santa tone. he leaned forward slightly, resting his gloved hands on his lap as he tried to hold your gaze. “not everyone asks for something like that.”

you shrugged, trying to play it off, but the vulnerability in your expression was impossible to miss. “well, maybe i’m tired of asking for things that don’t matter.”

his chest tightened. there was a weight in your tone, a quiet ache he recognized all too well. it wasn’t often someone sat down and spoke to santa like this, and jay wasn’t sure why it was hitting him so hard.

jay’s heart ached a little at your honesty. he wanted to say something meaningful, something that would bring you any sort of comfort. but he was just a guy in a santa suit—what could he possibly say that wasn’t remotely weird for being a mall santa?

“sometimes, the best wishes take a little longer to come true,” he said softly, his voice carrying a warmth that felt oddly comforting. “but that doesn’t mean they won’t, would you like a candy cane? he offered holding up a tin bucket of peppermint canes.

“no thanks, but thanks santa, merry christmas,” you mumbled, shuffling back to your friends, telling them about the exchange, not feeling any better. come on, it was a broke college kid in a santa suit, how was that supposed to bring you comfort?

─── ♡

the week after, at the christmas’ eve party your friends had begrudgingly dragged you along to, there you were sitting on whatever chair you could find drinking whatever mystery christmas punch you could find.

the cup was cold in your hands, the overly sweet drink doing little to lift your spirits. it wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate your friends trying to include you; it was just hard to fake the holiday cheer when your heart wasn’t in it.

you were busy staring at the twinkling lights on the christmas tree when someone bumped into you, the sudden motion spilling a few drops of your punch onto your sweater.

“oh, shoot! im so sorry!” a voice said, and you looked up, ready to wave it off.

your gaze met his, as you recognized his eyes, yet couldn’t place your finger on it. maybe somewhere on campus?

“it’s fine,” you muttered, wiping at the stain with your sleeve.

“still, let me grab you some napkins or something,” he said quickly, already looking around for the nearest stack.”

“really, it’s okay,” you replied, managing a small smile. “this punch isn’t worth crying over anyway.”

“im jay, what’s your name?” he asked so sincerely you could almost believe it was the start of something new.

“y/n,” you replied, shaking his hand. his grip was firm but gentle, and you couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes lingered on yours for just a moment longer than necessary.

“nice to meet you, y/n,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “what’s a grinch like you doing at a party like this?”

“grinch? how would you know?” you asked playfully while giving a small chuckle.

“dunno, just a hunch, am i right or something?” he asked, giving a shrug, to which you hummed in response.

“do i know you from somewhere?” he asked cautiously, tilting his head whilst asking.

“i don’t think so..?” you replied back unsure of where his question was coming frome.

he gave you a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “okay, let me try that again. do you, by any chance, visit malls often, and happen to pour your heart out to santa?”

you froze, your brain immediately connecting the dots. your grip on the cup tightened as realization washed over you, and your eyes widened. “wait… no. there’s no way.”

jay’s smile turned slightly apologetic, though the amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. “yeah,” he admitted, his voice lower now as if to keep the conversation between just the two of you. “mall santa. that was me.”

“oh. oh my gosh, i’m so sorry for just dumping all that information on you, i’d never think i’d have to meet santa in the flesh again,” you apologized, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment wash over you.

he chuckled softly, holding up his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “hey, for what it’s worth, you made my day that afternoon. no judgment, i promise.”

“you don’t get it, i just poured my heart out to a complete stranger, and now i have to meet them again,” you groaned, shaking your head.

“and i’m glad you did,” he said, his tone softening. “honestly, it was kind of… refreshing. most people just asked for the usual stuff. but you?” he paused, a genuine smile pulling at his lips. “you were real. it stuck with me.”

you peeked up at him through your fingers, still feeling mortified but slightly less so under the warmth of his gaze. “great,” you muttered sarcastically. “now santa knows my tragic christmas wish list.”

“maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” he offered, leaning slightly closer. “who knows? maybe this is the start of your wish coming true.”

you blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “you really believe that?”

“i do,” he said with a quiet confidence, his eyes holding yours. “and, for the record, i’ve been told i’m pretty good at keeping promises. especially christmas ones.”

“you’re serious?” you asked, your voice quieter now, searching his expression for any sign of insincerity.

jay nodded, his lips curving into a soft smile that somehow made the world around you blur just a little. “completely serious. i meant what i said back then—someone who sticks around, who shows up… you deserve that. everyone does.”

you swallowed hard, your heart pounding. “and you think… what? that could be you?”

his smile grew a little wider, but his eyes never left yours, steady and sincere. “maybe. but only if you want it to be. no pressure, and i promise it won’t just be casual.”

you looked down at the now-empty cup in your hand, then back up at him. “you know, for a mall santa, you’re awfully convincing.”

you smiled feeling a new warmth, a new connection in your brain to christmas, rather than choi soobin, the ex that ruined christmas, it was jay, who made your christmas anew, soon to be every holiday after.

he would be the one to give you the old fashioned christmas of your dreams.

─── ♡

a/n: ok i thought about if it would be weird to make a mall santa fic for the longest time ever, but its christmas cmon, anything flies. happy day 1 of melodies to memories!! hope you enjoyed!! all likes, comments and reblogs appreciated!! <3

m2m tl (open!): @pshwrldd @sainns

@ coqhee 2024. all rights reserved.

[yujiqi]

match made in heaven

stranger!hyunjin x wealthy f!reader

synopsis: you’re feeling desperate tonight so you decide to look for someone to hook up with on a dating app and it seems you guys could be more than a one night stand

genre/s: smut, fluff

warnings: oral f!receiving, vanilla sex, lil bit of dry humping

wc: 1.7k

a/n: listen to singularity - bts while reading! i wrote this 2 years ago so it’s not that good but i feel bad for not posting so heres a little smth! mostly proofread!

you long for evenings like this. sipping on a glass of wine, taking a hot bath with a rich lavender essence filling the bathroom.

"miss y/n, your food has arrived. shall i leave it here?" you hear your butler from the other side of the door.

"leave it on my coffee table, thank you"

you hear his footsteps fading away. being wealthy is fun. many people say money cant buy happiness but you think that's false. they're just saying that because they don't have money.

you live alone, your butler and the others that do your housework come early in the morning, but by midnight, it's just you. a part of you wishes you had someone to spend your nights with. you’re the ceo of the company your dad owns. some say you were born with a silver spoon. they aren't wrong, but it does bother you how people badmouth you behind your back when you could easily end their career.

you take the last sip of your wine and set the glass down. you carefully step out of the bathtub and wrap a towel around yourself. the aroma of food fills your nostrils. you ordered lobster with a couple other sides. your butler left a new bottle of wine right by it. you usually don't have big meals like this but it’s friday and it’s been a tiring week. you hear your phone ring and you hesitate for a moment. you don't feel like talking to anyone right now. it’s your mom calling. she's always bugging you about how you need to get married.

"hello" you finally answer the phone.

"y/n. what did i tell you about ignoring my calls." she sounds mad.

"you know i'm busy, mom"

"too busy to answer the woman that brought you to this planet?"

"mom," you pause for a second because you really don't wanna do this right now. "i have to go"

"when are you going to get married, y/n" you feel like she can practically hear your eye roll at this point.

"why are you so worried about that when i'm literally the ceo of a company? i'm well off, i don’t need a man" you protest.

"i just think it would be best if you settled with a man, have a kid that will soon takeover the company too"

"i'm going to sleep. goodnight" and with that, you hang up.

you’re 26, she seriously needs to back off a bit. although you do feel you should find a man. you don't want a man to settle down with though, you want a man to satisfy you and pleasure you. lord knows you need it. you can't remember the last time you had sex. maybe 3 years ago? you’ve been so busy, you haven't had time to think about yourself. you look at your phone and can't believe what you’re about to do. you open the app store and type in "hookup apps".

you’re shocked you’d stoop this low, but you’re feeling really desperate tonight. you open the app and it asks for the basics. name, age, city, and a few extra questions. the app is very quick to find matches. none of them interest you until someone catches your eye.

hyunjin, 23, seoul

cool, hes 3 years younger than you but you can make it work. you send a request to him and he immediately sends a message.

hyunjin: into younger guys i see?

me: im gonna be honest... im really desperate rn

hyunjin: oh yeah? dont u wanna know even a little bit about me?

me: not really

hyunjin: i could be an old white man yk

me: the fact that ur saying that alr lets me know ur not

hyunjin: true

me: ill give u my address then

hyunjin: already???

me: i told u im desperate

you send him your address and anxiously wait in the lobby area of your penthouse. you mess with the strap on your velvet robe. you’re not wearing anything underneath so easy access, right? you get a message from hyunjin asking for the gate code. you give it to him and soon you hear the doorbell chime throughout the house. you quickly get up and open the massive door for him.

"woah" his mouth wide open, pure shock on his face

"you like it?"

"i'm not talking about the house, i'm talking about you" he says.

well that's a first. you don't get many guests, but when you do, all they talk about is the house.

"you're bold" is all you manage to let out. he's fine. incredibly fine. the way his long black his falls perfectly onto his shoulders. you notice the mole under eye. how unique. he's also very tall, much taller than you at least. he has long, slim fingers and your mind can't help but imagine what he can do with them.

"do you want a glass of wine?" you ask him

"i thought you were horny"

"i am, i'm just building up to it" you look up at him with those eyes. the ones that make any guy melt. you grab his hand and lead him upstairs to your room. we sit on the couch and you pour him a glass. even while he drinks, he doesn't take his eyes off of you. he looks hungry and you like it.

"this is a nice place you have" he says, setting down the glass.

"yeah, i'm the ceo of my dad's company" you’re not really one to brag so you don't know why you said that, internally face palming. he nods and continues to stare into your eyes. he then looks down to catch a glimpse at what you’re wearing. the hunger in his eyes grows even more. with the way he's looking at you, you don't think you can sit still any longer. you get closer to him. he watches you closely. you look at him and ask,

"what do you want?"

"you" is all he says before placing his lips on yours. he kisses you so slow and sensually, just how you like it. you wrap your arms around his neck and your hand moves to the back of his head. he deepens the kiss, if that was even possible. he adjusts himself on the couch, making you sit on his lap. you can't help but to slightly grind against him due to the lack of friction. he lets out a slight groan into the kiss. so he likes this... good to know.

"hyunjin, please" you breathe between kisses

he only lets out a low moan in response. his hands find your robe strap. he wastes no time unraveling it. you get goosebumps from the cold air. but the second his hands land on your bare chest, you feel hot. he plays with your breasts for a while before breaking the kiss. his lips move to your jaw, then neck, then collarbone. you start to breathe heavy as you wait for him to put his mouth where you want it the most.

he kisses the area right above your left nipple and takes it in his mouth soon after. you almost immediately moan at the sensation you haven't felt in forever. you run your fingers gently through his hair as his face is shoved in your chest.

"hyunjin, the bed" you whisper into his ear. he stops feasting on you and looks into your eyes with that same look from before, but this one more desperate. he hurriedly picks you up and places you on your king bed, white satin sheets. your lips connect again with the slow and sensual pace as hyunjin climbs on top of you. it feels like you’ve been doing this all night but its only been a few minutes. you pull his shirt over his head. he has a slim appearance, but also has visible abs. what a sight. he's so beautiful, you admire him before he starts to kiss down your stomach. he gets closer and closer to your pussy and you want to moan before he even does anything. you like that in this moment, no words are needed. you’re taking things slowly. you desperately want him to touch and feel every part of you. he looks up at you before eating you out like you’re his last meal. with every movement of his tongue, you feel like you’re in heaven knowing you’re far from it. you thrust your hips, shoving yourself further into his mouth. he pulls your legs further apart, trying to taste every inch of you. there's that familiar yet unfamiliar feeling building up in you.

a breathy "hyun m’gonna" is all that can come out of your mouth.

"not yet love" he moves away from your pulsing cunt. you’re about to whine before he shuts you up with another kiss. he sits up to unbutton his pants. he discards his boxers as well. he pumps himself a bit before leaning down to place more kisses onto your lips as if he'll never get to feel them again. he adjusts himself before thrusting into you slowly. gosh it's been so long since you’ve felt something this good. he leans forward onto his elbows, his cock buried deep in you. you feel his breath your my ear. you wrap your arms around him tightly. the way you are right now feels so comfortable. it's like you’ve known him your whole life even though you met 30 minutes ago. he ruts into you deeply and passionately.

"y/n you're doing so good" he breathes out. he holds you tighter, kissing the skin by your ear. his thrusts start to get faster as you both get closer to your orgasm, and your moans get louder. there's that feeling again, except it's much more intense this time. with one final thrust, you both release. it's interesting how you’re so in sync with everything. you don't want this to be your last night with him. you guys catch your breath for a second before he removes his head from your neck to look at you.

"you're amazing" he smiles at you, a sincere one.

"you too" you smile back.

for some reason, it feels like you don't need to say anything else. like you both know what the other is feeling and thinking through everything you just did. it's connections like this that you should cherish. you plan on sticking with him.

"lets stay like this for a while, then get cleaned up, yeah?" he says

you just nod, his hair tickles your chin.

you’ve finally found your match, your match made in heaven.