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dropintomanga · 2 years

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Anime NYC 2022 - New York Be Back, Y’All~

What a return. What. A. Full-fledged. Return.

After last year’s chaotic line mess, Anime NYC returned with a new panel queue system and revamped health check. This year's event was a possible glimpse of a full-on NYC anime convention would be like, post-pandemic emergency times. They were front-loaded with guests from top to bottom - one of which was the creator of Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama.

While it’s impossible to check out everything, I had a fun time.

Friday was somewhat chill as I got to avoid the line for regular pass holders. It sounded like a bit of a mess from what I heard, but things apparently got better as the day went on. After the Press check-in, I went up to check out the riichi mahjong gaming area held by Riichi Nomi NYC and bought a lanyard from them that matched my now-mahjong state of mind. I did play with the group for a little bit before heading down to the Exhibit Hall.

At the Exhibit Hall, I bought some manga from Denpa Books and checked out their panel. What’s nice this year about the Denpa panel was the promotion of the BL imprint, KUMA. So not only it was Ed Chavez of Denpa fame talking, but also Andrea Donohue, the head of KUMA, who promoted a good amount of BL titles that I actually want to take an interest in. Especially a title called Crappy Happy Life because a gag BL manga is something I would eat up in a hurry. Ed would then talk about current and upcoming Denpa releases like the final volume of Inside Mari, the first volume of Under Ninja, TabeGirl: The Art of JUN, and the first volume of March Comes in Like a Lion. What really impressed me the most is the community that supports Denpa and I noticed how excited fans at the panel were about their books. There’s something else that happened there that I want to talk about, but that will be the main topic of a later post.

I also checked out the return of Anime for Humanity, the anime-centered mental health NPO that I volunteered for back in 2019. They got a booth this year and were still giving out Anime Therapy Kits. I caught up with the main guy I worked with there and talked about many things, anime and manga-related. I would see them through the whole weekend and donated to them as well. It was good to see AFH back.

After that, I just straight up left the convention because I wanted to go home and get my Kaname Date (AI: The Somnium Files, a game franchise which I wrote about) cosplay ready for Saturday and Sunday. While the Exhibitors’ Hall was packed, I never felt that it was congested as in years past.

Anyway, on to Saturday, busy, busy day. I went to my first ever Yen Press panel! It was nice to see the a good sized crowd show up and even writer TurtleMe (of The Beginning of the End fame) stopped by to talk about himself for a bit. There’s way too many books Yen Press announced and I won’t mention them all here. But Yen Press did mention an upcoming Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun box set and they licensed the Elden Ring gag manga that I heard about, so now I’m intrigued. I also wish them luck for their print release of Oshi no Ko.

I later checked out a Yakuza/Like a Dragon/Ryu ga Gotoku Studio meetup and it continues to amaze me to see how much the franchise has blown up since 2017. As a fan of the franchise before it became mainstream, I think Westerners like myself are super-spoiled with what’s to come. I don’t think it’s a bad thing because I think everyone should play RGG Studio games.

I next went to the Dark Horse Manga Panel. And they really did not disappoint. The big news was that Innocent by Shin’ichi Sakamoto is coming to the U.S. around Fall 2023. I would have never foreseen the day that this work would get licensed here. There’s a really good video of Sakomoto and his thought process on Archipel. He has made an emphasis on promoting about the value of manga despite Japanese readers treating it as “one and done” most of the time. Also, Carl Horn (who I love hearing talk about comics) mentioned how much manga has made a significant impact in America. He talked about how he brought a group of Japanese manga editors to a Barnes & Noble bookstore one time to check out its manga section. The editors were amazed that manga had its own unique section in a store that’s known for Western-centered material. It’s funny because a month ago, a friend and I were at a Barnes & Noble checking out the huge manga shelves on display. We had a conversation about how different it was back in 2009-2010 for manga fans like us in terms of promotion (Spoiler: it was dark times). To see how far we’ve come, it’s a bit surreal. We don’t get every manga licensed, but damn, the Americans who appreciate manga and work in promoting it know how to give the titles we do get the spotlight they deserve.

I also won a free NieR: Automata artbook at the panel too! I was the 1st winner out of 6!

I would later take part in a Zero Escape/AI: The Somnium Files meetup. There weren’t many people sadly including myself, but we all made the most of it. I was also amazed at the amount of people who recognized me as Date at the con. I’m so glad that there were fans who have played the Somnium Files games and I will always recommend the franchise whenever the games are on sale.

I did find out what happened in the Hajime Isayama panel that I didn’t get into. I heard that fans at the panel had a positive reception to Isayama ending Attack on Titan the way he did and that their reaction almost made him cry. Isayama wrote a message on Kodansha’s website prior to the event saying he knew the ending was controversial and that people should be kind to him. I wish he didn’t had to write that because the internet isn’t always real life despite what social media says otherwise. But I do get that for every few positive comments that get you hyped, there’s always that one nagging negative comment that overshadows all the positive ones. I’m glad that Isayama got a chance to meet people from the one country that really ate Attack on Titan up when it became mainstream.

Finally, as I left for the day, Saturday night was banging with DJs blasting hip-hop and fans dancing in front of the main exhibit hall entrance. I even recorded a video looking from above and it was, as the kids say, lit.

So onto Sunday. I went up to where the Community Stage was for the “Defending Manga” panel hosted by the brain behind Manga in Libraries, Jillian Rudes (who I finally got a chance to talk to in person at the Dark Horse panel). Unfortunately, it got canceled. I was really looking forward to seeing it too. It’s possible that someone might have gotten sick and given that COVID/RSV/cold/flu cases in the U.S. have gone up the last few weeks, it’s understandable to not let something spread at the con. I gave up on going to the Kodansha USA panel due to mental exhaustion, though I did hear what they announced and Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, The Darwin Incident (I’m interested in this one the most), My Lovesick Life As a ‘90s Otaku, Limbo the King, a Magic Knight Rayearth paperback release and an upcoming Blue Period box-set stand out to me.

So I just decided to play mahjong with the Riichi Nomi NYC gang. Originally formed in 2020 by a small group of passionate New Yorkers interested in riichi mahjong, they have become a juggernaut in the North American riichi mahjong scene. Ever since I became a part of the club in the summer of 2021, Riichi Nomi NYC has gone from doing organized meetups to hosting multiple tournaments at their leader’s apartment and running a huge 2-day tournament of 70+ players in NYC in July 2022. They also made their anime convention debuts in 2022 at Anime Boston and Otakon with huge positive reception by both convention fans and staff. I felt that Anime NYC would be the perfect way to end the year for Riichi Nomi NYC and the culmination of all their 2022 success. This was the also the first time Anime NYC ever officially had mahjong in all of its 5 years of existence.

Riichi Nomi NYC absolutely killed it. They ran a 12-person tournament on Friday and a 16-person tournament on Saturday with little-to-no problems all while teaching newcomers and selling great merchandise. The gang did an excellent job in ensuring beginners weren’t frightened and that players already skilled in the game had a great time. I got a chance to play with 2 Cantonese-speaking players and I got a chance to show off my Cantonese outside of talking to family. We all felt a sense of communal/cultural pride that was wonderful and only something I could experience via mahjong, so huge props right there. I’m so proud of what Riichi Nomi NYC has accomplished and I’m looking forward to see what they do next year!

I finally went to Artists’ Alley and got some Spy x Family and Chainsaw Man goodies. The crowd over there wasn’t super-packed like last year’s. I also got a chance to check out the big Hajime Isayama “Thank You” message wall at Kodansha’s booth and I wrote something too.

Overall, I thought Anime NYC was fine for the most part. They really addressed the line problems last year to check-in at the con and for panels. The staff enforced an attendance cap for all 3 days and it showed. With only 4,500 3-Day passes sold, it wasn’t crowded to the point of being super-congested. I got to walk around crowds with little to no problems. I also liked how bag checks were replaced with walkthrough scanners unlike in previous years. Mask enforcement was hit and miss for the most part, but I felt comfortable because I wore a KN95 mask the whole time I was there, kept to myself a bunch, and was in parts of the convention center that were well-ventilated. I think the last part is key here because I honestly think great indoor ventilation on par with outdoor air levels makes going mask-less bearable in my opinion. Let’s not have the Anime Expo 2022 Artist Alley mess here.

I do notice that the Anime NYC panel lottery now makes panel hopping not as hyped as before. I know people sneaking into the biggest and coolest panels even when they were jam-packed was a thing and it was great. Those days might be over for the most part. But I do wonder about the after-effect since lines for other panels might become jam-packed as fans want to see what other options are there. However, I haven’t heard anything of that sort at all. I might be talking out of my butt here. I think the Community Stage helps to alleviate concerns and having panels there is refreshing. They provide a more fan-perspective view that’s needed and is sometimes missing in a industry-focused con such as Anime NYC.

I’m also now curious about Anime NYC’s continued co-existence with New York Comic-Con. This year’s NYCC gave a huge spotlight to anime and manga - arguably the best ever. VIZ Media did show up at Anime NYC, but there were really no manga promotions from them. Those seemed to be now saved for New York Comic-Con. I don’t think NYCC will supplant Anime NYC with regards to anime-related experiences, but I will admit that there’s things about NYCC on the manga side of things I want to check out now compared to Anime NYC.

Yet I will say, after cosplaying as Kaname Date, I still think Anime NYC is a good spot for underrepresented Japanese-related series. I found a small group of fans for AI: The Somnium Files (which wasn’t a hugely marketed franchise) somehow. Anime NYC still has some issues, but for me, it was worth going. The experience I had this year was far better than last year’s and this was due to all of the various people I connected with and the friends I already made who showed up.

So much love to the Anime NYC staff and here’s to 2023!

I will have a follow-up post (if anyone is interested) about a fan Q&A moment at the con that made think and reflect, so that will be up soon.

#Anime NYC #conventions #anime conventions #convention report #anime #manga #Hajime Isayama #riichi mahjong #Like a Dragon #AI: The Somnium FIles #2022 #manga industry

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wolvesandpetals · 3 years

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Loki x Sylvie Post-Finale Fanfiction (Angst, Rated Teen) Part 1 of 2

SPOILER ALERT.

It's probably just the alcohol, but the beats of the music are starting to sound a little bit like a marching drum that's announcing war. She can feel herself dancing along to it, but her whole body is on alert, ready to switch to fight and flight any second.

"So, cool place huh?" The bloke in the leather jacket asks.

She tries to remember his name. Jeff something. Or maybe Jed. No, not Jed, she's thinking of Star Wars again. That's what happens when you binge watch a multiverse of movies in a single day.

Oh, yeah, that's right. She broke the multiverse.

Another shot of tequila, and she takes not-Jed's hand in hers. It doesn't feel right, at least not the way-

No.

She realises he asked her a question, but she can't remember what, and she just laughs, because that always works.

Encouraged, he leans in close and whispers into her ears. "How about we get out of here?"

"And go where, exactly?" She asks, but she's not sure he understands, not with how slurred the words come out.

She laughs again, and this time, it's bitter. This time, she's laughing at how this is so him, this getting drunk in the face of imminent danger and making a mess of things.

(But I'm not you.)

---

She's frozen in her place the second the glowing yellow door appears. But it's not for her, at least not this time.

She hasn't been on the run for a while. Doesn't need to be. Because even though she is the one who unleashed the chaos, it's the chaos that needs to be contained immediately. She's low on the list of priorities.

The TVA will come for her. But not right now.

---

It's extremely easy pretending to be a psychic. All she has to do is take her client's hands and enchant him, find a memory, describe it back to him.

Sometimes she does it just for fun, just to see the look of amazement on their faces.

Other times, she does it for the money she needs to survive.

"And I see a blonde woman. Very beautiful."

"That's my wife."

The way he smiles, loving and proud, makes her heart drop.

"What do you see in her future? Is she happy? Does she get the job at the magazine?"

There is definitely at least one timeline where she does get the job, but The Enchantress cannot exactly tell if it's this one. She can't actually see the future, after all.

She sees the colors drain from his face as her silence swallows the room. "She's going to be okay, right? I just want her to be okay."

(I just want you to be okay.)

There's that bitter laugh again, because-

No. She can't do this right now.

"She loves you very much", she whispers, to the man in front of her, and to the man who is not there to hear those words.

---

Mobius finds her in the middle of a concert by a Nirvana where Kurt Cobain never died. She can easily slip away, disappear into the screaming, writhing crowd if she wants.

Or she can just take him some place quiet and hear him out.

"Help us", Mobius pleads. He sounds exhausted, and not just physically. "We're outnumbered and outwitted. Our world is in danger."

"This isn't my world", she reminds him.

"Yet, you're here", he retorts.

Her smile is pained. "Where else will I go?"

He is sympathetic, like he always has been. And he offers her a new glorious purpose. "Come with me. We need you. He needs you."

She feels the air find its way out of her lungs the same way she pushed him out of her life- painfully, forcefully. "H-how is he?"

"He's okay... all things considered."

Now there's a cocktail of relief and disappointment that will give her months of sleepless nights.

"Tell him I'm-" she starts, but she doesn't know how to finish that sentence. What can she tell him? That she's sorry for not trusting him when she should have? That she's sorry for making the universes collide?

That she's sorry for betraying him and breaking his heart?

(How will I know you won't betray me at the end?)

"Nevermind."

---

It's been really hard facing the consequences of her actions, watching the timelines bleed into each other and destroy people's lives- families torn, achievements gone, every little anomaly delving into death and destruction. Every headline on the newspaper is her fault, and she has to live with that.

But that seems so easy compared to this moment where she has to face him.

The plan was to send him away, kill He Who Remains, give people their free will back, save the world, then come back to him. Yeah, he'd be mad at her at first, sure, but he'd forgive her eventually, she was confident.

Then the timelines started to branch the minute she stuck the dagger in that terrifying man's chest, and she knew she had screwed up.

She had sunk to the ground in defeat as the realisation of the repercussions hit her, and she did what she has always done- run.

She didn't even realise she had sent him to the wrong universe until she teleported herself into another universe as well. The journey back was long and lonely, but she dreamt of him in colors while the world was bleeding red, and that was enough to keep her going.

She doesn't really know what she'll do when she sees him again. Neither does she know what reaction she expects from him. Nothing he can say to her can be worse than what she thinks of herself.

A part of her hopes he would be overwhelmingly happy, he would come running to her, just like he did at The Void, greet her with the smile that has won a hundred hearts- including hers, and tell her everything will be alright. Another part of her fears that he would be furious, and he would confront her with accusations of unleashing havoc on all worlds- especially his.

What she never expected is this eerie calm that makes her feel like she is standing in the storm center.

His walls are up.

And it causes her to redirect the anger she feels at herself towards him. There's venom in her voice. "So you do get to rule, after all."

"I don't feel much like a king." He shrugs. "I'm more of a multiversal janitor. Mopping up multiversal messes."

"My messes."

"Our messes." He corrects, his features softening around the edges. "We made a mistake." He has been saying that ever since he found himself in the alternate TVA, and that hasn't changed even after getting back to his own version of the bureau. Always "we", never "she". He simply cannot bring himself to blame her without taking accountability for his part in the mess.

"Don't patronize me." Her hands are shaking, just like her voice, a sharp contrast to his steady silhouette, and can he just hold her, please? "I don't need you to take the fall for me."

His eyes go cold, like they were forged in the heart of Jotunheim. "Of course not", he says, fully composed. "You don't need me for anything. It's not like we're in this together."

(Maybe we can figure it out-together.)

---

She now knows her walls don't- can't- keep the hurt out- it just keeps her locked inside this cage of distrust and insecurities. And the price she has to pay for it is too high.

They could have been lying on a beach somewhere, sipping mimosas right now. Instead, they're here, in the vast, silent library of the TVA, sitting on separate tables, reading files on variants.

The only thing worse than bearing the weight of his gaze is having him stare at his files without looking in her direction even once. She can't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry." She suddenly blurts out.

He looks up, confused. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm sorry for what I did." She repeats. It's difficult to start an apology, but once she finds the strength to begin, the rest of it flows automatically. "I'm sorry I messed up everything. I'm sorry I broke the timelines. I'm sorry the world is in danger." She takes in a deep breath. "And I'm sorry I betrayed you."

His smile is the saddest kind. "A Loki betraying a Loki. That's the least surprising thing in the world. What's shocking is how I didn't see it coming. You really had me going with that kiss. Very nice distraction. Very Loki."

Free will comes with the fine-print of living with the consequences of your choices. And she has to live with hers every day. The tears finally spill out of her eyes. She hasn't let herself cry for a long, long time. But now she's breaking down worse than the multiverse. "I didn't do it to distract you. I did it to say goodbye."

He gets up, and she panics that he's leaving. Instead, he sits down in front of her, reaches for her hand, but changes his mind mid-way and lets them fall to his side. "You didn't have to say goodbye."

"It's all I've ever known." She feels like that scared little girl, far from home, running from minute men, with nobody to turn to but herself. "I told you, I don't have anyone."

"You had me."

That's the saddest part of it all, isn't it? Everything else in her life is the TVA's fault. She's torn from Asgard? Hasn't seen her parents in years? Can't remember her brother Thor? Spent her whole childhood running and hiding? All TVA.

But this? This is all her own doing. This is the one time she had something real, something worth holding onto, someone worth fighting against the world for. Instead, she questioned his intentions, didn't hold on, fought him and ruined everything.

"I didn't want to rule, Sylvie", he finally tells her. "I wanted you."

She has dreamed of this moment when he tells her how he feels. They have come so close to it so many times, the words dangling off the edge of his tongue but never quite finding their way out. She has always known- every word, every action pointed to it. But it was so hard to imagine someone could love her.

It's so hard to imagine someone can love her again. The past tense in his wording terrifies her worse than any danger ever could. "Is it too late to fix things?"

His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "We are fixing things. That's why we are here. Saving the universe."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't know how to trust you again, Sylvie." He tells her point blank- no deception, no lies, no Loki-ism. "And you never trusted me to begin with."

That's not entirely true. She trusts him more than she has trusted anyone. "I really thought I was doing the right thing."

"I know."

(Not to be dramatic, but yeah, we're saving the universe.)

---

The Avengers are much nicer than Loki described them, considering they don't kill her for what she has done, instead tell her about their own journeys towards redemption. Wanda tells her about the man she has loved and lost, and the pain she has caused to an entire town. Barnes talks about his past as a brainwashed assassin. Clint tells her the story of Natasha and how she took charge and changed her life.

Thor is the kindest of them all. He talks about how far Loki himself has come. He tells her stories of his version of Asgard, the nine realms, the glorious battles, the beauty of earth.

She still dreams of death, but sometimes she doesn't.

Sometimes, she hopes.

---

(To be continued)

#loki x sylvie #fanfiction #sylvie x loki #loki fanfic #loki #sylvie laufeydottir #sylki fanfic #sylki

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andawaywego · 4 years

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Hey!! Could you maybe write a jealous Dani fic please? I mean we all know Jamie is a catch.

she totally is. but...they both are. here you go! i hope you like it.

The first time that Dani ever saw Jamie—coming into the kitchen at Bly, dusty and dirty in with those rolled-back sleeves and that unaffected smirk on her lips—the sight of her knocked the breath from her chest. Even under the grime on her cheeks and the shimmer of sweat, Jamie somehow looked like a Hollywood starlet. One of those black-and-white movie stars that Dani grew up fascinated by. Her curly brown hair brushing the tops of her shoulders, her eyes happy and bright, even the pink shape of her mouth and the pale column of her neck. It was almost hard to look at.

Of course, Dani kept that to herself for a little while. It wasn’t as if she’d never thought of girls as beautiful before—or that she hadn’t daydreamed about them every so often. It was that Jamie was a colleague, an associate, and someone she saw practically every day. Throw in the added bonus of Dani having just lost her fiancé who was haunting her, the mess that was everything Flora and Miles, and all the rest and it’s amazing that they found each other at all, really.

But then they’d kissed and Jamie hadn’t run even when Dani had and it was as if she came even more beautiful every time Dani became aware of something else in this hard world that tried to put her down. The lines beneath her eyes were something she caught herself staring at, that scowl she came to love a near-permanent fixture on Jamie’s face. The way she looked in the summer sun, pruning roses and wiping the sweat from her forehead. It was...a lot.

And Dani is only human. Of course she thought Jamie was beautiful the moment she first saw her, just as she knows she is now. It’s a truth she’s come to live with: Jamie is absolutely breathtaking, even on her worst day.

And she would absolutely roll her eyes if Dani ever said that aloud.

It’s been thirteen months since that first day at Bly and Jamie is still beautiful, yes. All the time.

But Dani isn’t the only one who notices that.

Of course she isn’t. She could be so lucky.

Jamie has had a myriad of smitten fans since they opened The Leafling—teenage girls shopping for corsages who aren’t sure what to make of her winning smile and winking eyes; men who come in shopping for wives, or girlfriends, or mothers and trail after her around the store as she suggests different arrangements; even little boys who come in with their parents who turn bright red the moment Jamie greets them.

And Dani knows it shouldn’t bother her. No matter who it is that’s fallen under Jamie’s spell, she’s the one that goes home with her at night. She’s the one who knows what it’s like to touch Jamie and kiss her and be loved by her in return. It isn’t as if she owns Jamie—you can’t be the property of someone else.

But again: she’s human. She has flaws.

And one of them is the bitter knot of jealousy in her chest as she watches the bearded guy—who’s come in three times in the last week—listen to Jamie describe the meanings of different rose types.

He’s handsome enough—tall and blue-eyed with a dimple in his left cheek that’s put on display every time he smiles. And he smiles a lot at Jamie as she speaks. Every so often, he’ll say something Dani can’t quite hear from her spot behind the counter—working on an arrangement for someone’s recently-engaged daughter—and Jamie will laugh, this genuine, joyful noise that never fails to make Dani’s stomach bottom out.

“What about pink, then?” the man asks and Dani narrowed eyes bore holes into the back of his head. “If red means love and desire.”

There’s a quality to his voice when he says this that sort of makes Dani want to smack him across the face. Briefly, she imagines going over and forcing herself into the interaction—wrapping her arm around Jamie’s waist and pulling her tightly into her side. Glaring daggers until the man gets the hint and stops his incessant and completely unsubtle flirtations.

“Well, they can mean a lot of things,” Jamie begins, and her voice trails off in a list of the different emotions that pink can convey. The familiar cadence of her voice washes over Dani’s ears, making her mind calm a little, her hands steady.

Her ears still feel hot, yes, and her chest tight, but she forces herself to watch Jamie’s profile as she talks. The way she moves her hands. The smile on her face that’s always there when she’s discussing something she’s passionate about.

She’s mesmerizing, really. Sometimes it’s like Dani can’t even think clearly because of it.

Her eyes trail down Jamie’s neck to the collar of her shirt, buttoned high to hide the love bite Dani left on her neck the night before. She’d scolded Dani when she saw it that morning, while she was getting dressed, but she’d been grinning as she did it. Biting her lip. And she’s been stealing kisses between customers all day.

Dani does that, too—pretending to be bother by the marks that Jamie leaves behind, but she’s never really attempted to hide them once they’re there. There’s something to being able to see the evidence of Jamie on her body. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of it.

Mr. Beard laughs and Dani’s eyes flit over to him. He looks way too charmed with himself. She rolls her eyes so hard it kind of hurts, then forces herself to return to her arrangement.

Eyes down. Hum a song to herself so she can’t hear what he’s saying to her girlfriend. Good distractions. Clean and non-violent thoughts.

Eventually, she’s jarred from them by a light touch at her waist. When she looks up, Jamie is there, smiling fondly and it makes Dani’s heart stutter in her chest.

“Can I squeeze by ya’?” Jamie asks. “Need the till.”

“Oh. Right.”

Dani moves to the side, letting Jamie slide behind her, and has to force herself to keep from making a truly inelegant noise when she feels Jamie’s hips press into her from behind as she goes.

It takes her a moment to realize that Mr. Beard is standing in front of the counter, a single yellow rose in his hand. He gives Dani an awkward, close-lipped smile as Jamie reads him his total, fishing into his back pocket to pull out a few bills.

“Um, so,” he says once Jamie has handed him his change. She leans forward against the counter curiously. His eyes flit to Dani for a moment, an expression she can’t quite read on his face. She thinks it might be slight aggravation. She turns her attention back to her arrangement. “I’m sorry if this is forward, but I’m actually buying this...for you.”

Everything falls silent. Dani’s muscles freeze and she blinks down at her flowers, trying to figure out if she’d just heard him right. Beside her, she feels Jamie’s similar reaction and she can see—out of the corner of her eye—that the man is offering her the rose he’s just bought.

“I thought maybe you’d like to get dinner sometime?” he says, continuing on like the air in the shop hasn’t just been viciously murdered and is now stagnant and thick.

Dani clenches her jaw so tightly, grinding her teeth together, that it could snap.

“Oh.” Jamie’s voice is understandably surprised. Dani feels, rather than sees, Jamie glance over at her and then away. “Um…”

“I know this great place just up the street—”

“I...uh…”

“—and I’d love the chance to get to know you better.”

“Excuse me,” Dani says, so quietly she almost can’t hear herself, and turns on her heel, marching into the back room and closing the door behind herself.

The office is really nothing more than a desk, two filing cabinets, and a couch that had been part of the shop’s lease. Frustration is licking the back of Dani’s neck, hot and livid, and she has to clench her fists to keep from hitting something.

She’s never been a violent person—no, never—but the audacity of this stranger to think he has some sort of claim on Jamie—that Jamie would even be interested—is doing interesting things to her poor heart.

This isn’t how she thought her day was going to go, that’s all.

The door is just thick enough that she can hear voices, but can’t actually make out anything that’s being said. After a moment or two, she collapses onto the couch and buries her face in her hands, trying to calm down.

It isn’t as if the guy actually has a chance with Jamie.

They live together, for God’s sake. They have a shop together and a life together and when Dani says, “I love you,” Jamie doesn’t even hesitate to say it back. There’s no realistic risk of losing her to this guy.

It’s fine. Everything is fine. There’s no reason to be upset.

She’s still telling herself that when the door opens sometime later. There’s movement—she can’t really tell because her hands are still covering her eyes—and then a warm hand is wrapping around her arm, gently guiding her hands away.

Jamie is kneeling in front of her with an apologetic smile on her perfect lips. “Hey,” she says simply, softly.

“Hey,” Dani returns. Then, bitterly, “So when’s Beard-o taking you out?”

Jamie’s smile falters for a second, but then she shakes her head. “Oh, Lord. That was the...absolutely worst, wasn’t it? I was actually embarrassed for him.”

It shouldn’t be, really, but her words are still a bit of a relief.

“You mean that’s not your type? Making you pick out the flower he gives you? From your own shop?” Dani asks.

Jamie feigns a shudder. “He loses points for creativity there, yeah.” She grabs one of Dani’s hands and pulls it nearer, pressing her lips to her fingers in a gentle kiss.

Morbid curiosity bites at the back of Dani’s throat. She can’t help but ask, “What did you tell him?”

“What do you think?” Jamie says, a breathless little laugh accompanying the words. “I said no.”

Dani’s shoulders deflate. “Right.” She’s trying her hardest not to sound as frustrated as she’s feeling, but she knows it’s not working.

There aren’t secrets between them anymore. Dani doesn’t think she’d be capable of keeping any even if she wanted to. So Jamie’s smile slips away and she shifts nearer, finally understanding what it is that’s going on.

“You’re not...Poppins, are you actually...jealous?”

Dani shakes her head, looking away. “Of course not,” she says, hating the way the messy swirl of emotions in her chest is making her feel so juvenile and silly.

“You are,” Jamie decides.

And, okay then—

“Yeah, okay,” Dani confesses, her voice pitched a little more exasperated than she’d like. “Some handsome guy comes into our shop and makes you laugh and asks you to dinner because he can do that—he can just ask, and he could hold your hand at dinner if he wanted or give you things that I—” She shakes her head, trying to clear it. “I’m sorry. I know it’s dumb, but I…”

She trails off, unsure of how to finish that thought.

Jamie is staring at her silently, her expression one of serious consideration and it makes Dani all the more nervous. All this time together, part of her has been so scared that, one of these days, Jamie will finally find the thing about her that’s made everyone else want to leave, too.

“You wanna know what I told him?” Jamie says after the silence has lingered for a little while and she doesn’t wait for an answer. “I told him that I’m taken. That I’m in a relationship with somebody I love more than anything.” Dani looks up, finally, to meet her eyes. “And even if I wasn’t...even in a world where I never met you, Dani, it still would have been no. But I did meet you and I love you. So you have nothing to worry about.”

And she smiles again—that brilliant smile that never fails to make Dani’s knees feel weak; she’s so glad she’s sitting down—and, just like that, all those worries and fears drain away. She knows Jamie better than she’s ever known anyone and she knows that Jamie would never lie to her.

She leans down and Jamie meets her halfway, grinning into the kiss in a way that makes Dani grin, too. She scratches a hand through Jamie’s hair, one arm coming down to grip her upper arm, kissing her back with everything she has.

“I’m so in love with you, Dani,” she whispers, dotting her kisses to Dani’s cheek and pulling her into a one-armed hug.

And it’s been over a year, but those words still make Dani feel like the ground has been dropped out from beneath her feet.

“Well, that’s convenient,” she says. “Because I love you, too.”

Jamie laughs, kisses her again, whispers, “What a coincidence,” into the air as she leans their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry that I—” Dani begins, but Jamie doesn’t let her. Kisses her to shut her up.

“No need,” she says. She runs her fingers down the side of Dani’s face and then pulls her other arm—the one she’s been keeping tucked behind her back—out to reveal a yellow rose, which she offers up. “As a token of my affection.”

“Is this—?” Dani asks, biting her lip to keep from smirking too wide.

“The same.” She shrugs. “He was in a rush to get out. Just left it there on the counter. Figured...it’s paid for. Might as well go to a pretty girl.”

“And that’s me?”

Jamie nods. “That’s you.”

Dani takes the rose and then they’re kissing again and, by the time Jamie is weaving her fingers into Dani’s hair and straddling her on the couch, Dani can hardly remember what she was worried about in the first place.

#send me prompts lads #and love #bc i need it for motivation #and other totally selfish reasons #the haunting of bly manor #damie #dani/jamie #dani x jamie #andawaywego fanfic #prompt #damie prompt

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sturchling · 4 years

Note

A salt fic where Chloe tears Lila a new one how she has to lie because the real her is so pathetic that she has to lie because she isn't amazing as she thinks Lila has some bad memories and breaks down in tears

Here you go! Hope you like it! Let me know what you think.

Lila Rossi had made three mistakes. First, she took the spotlight off of Chloe. Everyone who knows Chloe, knows she doesn’t like sharing the spotlight. Second, she started making Dupain-Cheng miserable. The only one who can torment Dupain-Cheng is Chloe. Finally, Lila had humiliated Chloe with that fake Ladybug summoning dance and lied to her face. Chloe was furious with this girl. And as the old saying goes, three strikes and you’re out! Chloe was done humoring the liar. She was determined to destroy Lila.

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Chloe began her plan. The first rule of war is know your enemy. Chloe was so determined to end the liar, that she actually did her own research. She had tried to enlist Dupain-Cheng, but apparently, she had agreed to Adrien’s request to stick to the high road. Dupain-Cheng and Adrien now knew that wasn’t a good idea, but the class was already completely enamored with the liar. Any time they tried to tell the class about her, the class either ignored them or called them the liars. Chloe knew the only way to get this to end and to put herself back in the spotlight, was to make Lila confess. To do that, Chloe would have to play dirty.

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Her plan started slow. First, she gathered evidence that refuted all of Lila’s lies. Chloe figured it was better to have that on hand, in case the class still tried to defend the liar or Chloe wasn’t able to get the liar to admit it. Chloe interviewed all the celebrities Lila had claimed to know, and she wasn’t surprised when they were all confused when she asked about Lila. Now that Chloe had confirmation that Lila had been lying, she moved on to the next stage of her plan. Chloe had realized that if Lila was lying about these celebrity contacts, she might have lied about a bunch of other things. It was time for Chloe to go digging into Lila Rossi’s past. It was easy to find out where Lila used to live and where she went to school. It was time for Chloe to make some calls.

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It had been a few days since then. Chloe had found out a lot about the Italian. Hardly anything, she had told the class was true. Not that Chloe was surprised. Pretty much the only thing that was true was her name. Chloe could not wait to destroy the girl at school the next day. She was practically buzzing with excitement. Chloe double checked that she had everything she might need tomorrow. She had all of the evidence in case that ridiculous wannabe reporter asks for sources. Chloe had also made arrangements for Mrs. Bustier to be out of the class room for about 20 minutes, so Chloe would have the chance to strike uninterrupted. Knowing that she had everything ready, the blonde went to sleep, eagerly anticipating the blood bath that would happen in the morning

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The next morning, Chloe arrived at school early. The students at Francoise Dupont felt a chill in the air as she passed by. When Chloe smiled like that, nothing good happened. The rest of the student body felt sorry for whoever poor fool was that had crossed the mayor’s daughter. Chloe marched into the classroom, excited to end this liar’s whole career today. The class looked at her like an omen of death. Much like the rest of the school, they knew that when Chloe smiled like this, there was going to be destruction. Everyone had gone quiet, just staring warily at Chloe. All except Lila, who did not seem to notice the tension in the room. She just kept blabbering about some new celebrity story. Chloe was tempted to just end the liar right then and there. But Chloe wasn’t going to rush into this. Some of the class wasn’t there yet. She had to wait until the rest of the class arrived. Besides, Mrs. Bustier was still in the room. She knew that Mrs. Bustier had a pretty hands-off approach to bullying, but she didn’t want to take the risk that today would be the day that Mrs. Bustier finally grows a backbone. So, Chloe sat at her seat and waited for her chance to strike.

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The day seemed to drag along. All of the class was here by now, but the distraction she had set up for Mrs. Bustier hadn’t started yet. Chloe looked at the clock, and saw that it should start any minute now. Right as she thought that, Mrs. Bustier was called to the office. The class was left for silent reading, but as soon as Mrs. Bustier was out of sight, the class started chatting. Chloe heard Lila telling another story. This time it was about how she helped the president of Italy pass a law to improve the environment. Chloe took this opportunity to strike. “Lila you are a ridiculous liar. Utterly ridiculous!” The whole class froze, as they realized who that smile this morning had been directed at. Alya got angry and yelled, “What do you mean?! Lila isn’t a liar! How could you say that?!” But Chloe knew not to get distracted by this. She simply threw the file of evidence at Alya that proved Lila had been lying about all the celebrities and continued going after Lila. “You know what that is? That is proof you are nothing but a liar. And not even a good one. You are pretty pathetic. You had to lie about the celebrities, your family, and even yourself, just to get some friends. You are pretty useless.”

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The class was shocked. Chloe hadn’t been this vicious in a while. Alix spoke up from the back, “What are you talking about Chloe?! She wouldn’t lie about all that!” Chloe just kept staring at Lila, “Wouldn’t she? You can ask Alya, she is staring at all the proof. Come on Lila, tell everyone how you lied just to sound important. Your mom may work at the embassy, but she isn’t a diplomat, she is just the assistant to one. And you weren’t so popular back home, were you? According to your old school, you had a lot of problems with bullying. Nobody would even talk to you. Were you such a loser that you had to leave the country and lie about everything just to find a friend? I have never met anyone more pathetic than you!” The class was about to jump to Lila’s defense when they heard crying from behind them.

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Everything Chloe had said about Lila was true, and when Chloe brought it up, it also brought up some bad memories. Lila’s time in Italy was not a happy time. Most of her school either ignored her or outright bullied her. They were so cruel. They would trip her, push her down the stairs, shove her into the wall, and did many more horrible things to her. All of the memories flooding her mind were too much to take and Lila burst into tears. For the first time in a long time, the tears were genuine. The class looked shocked and were about to rush up to console her, but before they could move Lila started speaking, “Its true. Its all true. Nobody liked me at my old school. I was determined that this place would be different. So, I reinvented myself into this girl who had done all these incredible things. I just wanted someone to like me, anybody. I just wanted to have some friends for once!”

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

The class was stunned. Lila had really been lying? Her life in Italy had been that bad. Chloe continued talking while the class stood there in stunned silence. “If you wanted friends, you could have just showed up. This class of goodie-goodies would have been your friend no matter how much of a loser you are.” Marinette had been sitting in the back of the class and watching all of this unfold. Certainly, she was happy that Lila couldn’t trick her friends anymore, but she felt bad for the girl. Marinette had had no idea that Lila’s life had been so unhappy before coming here.

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Lila did end up leaving class for the day, since she was so upset by what had happened. Her mother was contacted regarding the whole issue, which is how her mother found out about all the lying. Mrs. Rossi was mad at her daughter for lying about the school being shut down, but she did understand why her daughter felt the need to lie about her life to her classmates. Mrs. Rossi ended up getting Lila some counseling to deal with the self esteem issue that had caused all of this mess. Mrs. Rossi also escorted Lila to school the next day and had her apologize to the class for lying to them. Lila may have lied out of fear, and Mrs. Rossi could understand that, but it still wasn’t right and her daughter needed to apologize. The class was still mad at her, but they could understand where she was coming from. They forgave her, but they knew now to be careful about trusting her.

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Time went by and things returned to normal in Mrs. Bustier’s class. The counseling that Lila was getting was really helping her with everything, and she didn’t feel the need to lie about herself anymore. Lila was even making friends with the rest of the class again. This time without lying. Lila had even started making amends to Marinette. It wasn’t long before Mrs. Bustier’s class put aside the lying incident and everyone became friends again. Chloe was just happy that her plan had worked. Chloe was back in the spotlight and was the queen bee of the class again.

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candycorncarl · 4 years

Text

Right Here, Right Now

Heyyyy guysss :) Not only is this my first post to this blog this is the first time I’ve written in a long time. I was listening to Kiss U Right Now by DUCKWRTH and a small idea I got from the song turned into this! I recommend playing the song when you get to that part of the story ;)))

Description: You've always been able to feel his eyes on you, his presence when you're in the same room is unmistakable. Yet he never gets too close to touch. Until right here, right now. Warnings: angst, case discussions, alcohol Word Count: 4.6k

Part 1

You could not wait for today to be over. It's been filled with paperwork that always seems to be never ending, which turns into never ending coffee, which turns into you fidgeting for most of the day. Unwinding at Garcia's place tonight was all you could look forward to. Starting to zone out you stare blankly at your computer while twirling your pen in between your fingers. You are finally pulled away from the screen by Emily approaching your desk. She sits on the edge of your desk and you watch her roll her eyes.

"So how many bottles of wine do I bring to girls night tonight?" She sounded just as fed up with today as you were.

You chuckle and hold up all ten fingers raising your eyebrows as you both begin laughing. As you turn to face Emily you notice Spencer looking at you. It was subtle with his head down and eyes up not wanting anyone to notice, especially you. He quickly glances away, eyes darting back to his work while biting his cheek. The two of you seemed to share these small unspoken conversations more than you actually talked. You try to focus back on Emily telling you about her bad nights sleep. Luckily JJ serves as your distraction from Spencer as she walks up to your desk.

"Garcia wants to know everyones snack choices for tonight. I'm bringing a variety pack of chips. Henry's soccer team will just have to settle on fruit snacks tomorrow." JJ says as she raises her eyebrows and tilts her head. You all giggle but you can feel Spencer peeking up at you again. You've always been able to feel when his eyes are on you.

"Well you can tell Garcia mine will be that amazing ice cream she can only seem to find." You smirk.

"You know I can't pass up the chance to indulge in some oreos." Emily says as she sticks her tongue out from the corner of her mouth.

"Ohh you kill me every time with the oreos. My guilty pleasure!" JJ groans before heading off to relay the snack list to Garcia.

Emily pats her hand against your desk a couple times before heading back to her own. Suddenly you hear Hotch announce "We've got a case" from above. He marches over to the conference room. Emily looks at you while groaning, and you drop your head in defeat.

"Well that was fun while it lasted." You mumble as you all begin making your way across the bullpen.

As you all file into the room you see Spencer right behind you. Taking a second you notice how nice he smells you say a quick prayer in hopes he sits next to you. Suddenly Rossi plops down in the seat instead replacing Spencers cologne with the smell of cigars. You glance up at Spencer for a split second and he returns the quick exchange taking the seat across the table. Suddenly he feels so far away.

"How is that every time I get a fresh set of cigars we get a case?" Rossi sighs. Normally you would joke with him but you can't help but be a little annoyed.

"Maybe it's a sign to stop." You say dryly the annoyance more apparent in your voice than you meant it to be. He frowns at you along with a few others, obviously surprised by the reply from you. Feeling guilty you go to say sorry before Spencer cuts you off.

"Studies show cigar smoking causes 9,000 premature deaths annually." He says turning to stare at the screen.

"Well I think with this job I'm willing to risk the odds." Rossi says as he leans back in his chair. The team is quiet for a second. Still feeling a little embarrassed you glare at Spencer before Garcia walks in. As the files are being passed around the table she starts explaining the case.

"3 bodies have been found around the Myakka River in Florida and they think the cause of death was poison. All random, all within the past 4 months. If the unsub sticks to his timeline we have a week to find him before he strikes again."

"Why are we just now hearing about this?" Derek asks.

"2 of the victims were found by alligators in the area. So running tests on them took longer than normal." Penelope replies sadly.

"He's betting on the alligators finding them, not people. The alligators clearly didn't want much to do with them though." Emily looks over they pictures in her file.

"So whatever they're being poisoned with is strong enough to stop hungry alligators?" JJ says doubtfully.

"It's more likely that the alligators were able to detect they were sick in some way before fully... continuing further." Spencer says as the team groans in sympathy.

You wait for Hotch to give the go. "Alright, wheels up in 30."

________________________

Stepping onto the jet you notice the back of Spencer's head in his seat. You make you way over and sit in the seat next to him.

"Um so why did you defend me earlier? I was kind of a bitch to Rossi back there." You peer at him still feeling slightly embarrassed from the team seeing what happened. Your thumbs twiddling in your lap. He just stares at his book and scrunches his nose. You wait for a response before letting out a sigh and standing up.

"Just making sure he knew the facts." He stays focused on the book and doesn't elaborate any further.

You move to the back of the jet waiting for the rest of the team. It's so hard to read Spencer. He doesn't talk to you as much, but you can always feel his presence when you're in the room together. Frustrated in him not wanting to talk more you rest your head on the back of the seat and twist your hair around your finger, he glances at you one more time as the team files in.

After going over the case on the jet Hotch starts pairing you off into groups. "Prentiss and Morgan head over to the M.E to see what else you can find. Rossi, JJ, and I will head to the dumpsites. Reid and Y/n set up at the station and start working on a geographical profile."

You felt your breath hitch for a moment as you glance over at Spencer to acknowledge the pairing. He keeps his eyes on Hotch. As the flight lands everyone begins pairing off into their groups. Getting to the SUV's Spencer climbs into the passenger seat and you quickly start driving. You were feeling a little nervous with Spencer now. It had been awhile since you've been teamed up even though you two tend to work well together. Despite the lack of personal conversations the two of you had, working with him was easy. The silence was finally broken when you worked up the courage to speak.

"I noticed you were writing down some notes earlier. Do you want to share?" You asked, biting the inside of your cheek.

"Why were you watching me?" He looked over at you finally.

"I- I wasn't watching you. I just happened to notice." Furrowing your brows you glance over at Spencer.

"The bodies all seem to be within a 15 mile radius of one another. There's something within that area of the lake he's attached to." He says with a frown staring out the window.

"Well we've ruined whatever plans he's made finding his dumpsites." You start to call Garcia.

"Sugar, spice, and everything nice. Hello Blossom to my Buttercup!" She says with such excitement you can hear her smile.

"Um I'm pretty sure you're Blossom, Garcia." You reply letting out a little laugh. Moving your phone to its car mount, your arm gently brushes against Spencers for a second. He quickly moves his arm to rest by his side and tugs on his seatbelt. You notice a heat rushing over his cheeks.

"Garcia you need to do a search for anything of significance that has happened in or around the lake in the past year." Spencer speaks up.

"Okay, but lets try asking a little more politely?" Garcia replies in an annoyed tone.

"Uh- please." Spencer clears his throat.

"There we go. Your wish is my command!" She says before hanging up. You can't help but let out a quiet laugh. He frowns at you before looking back out the window.

Making your way into the station you greet the local PD. They go over the latest victim and you are led to their conference room. You start putting notes together and pictures on the board. Spencer is staring intensely at the map, his finger held up to his mouth.

"Can I borrow that marker?" He sticks his arm out waiting for you to hand it to him.

"Wow for an eidetic memory you sure do forget to say please a lot." You turn your head to him as he looks at you slightly annoyed. Instead of just handing the marker to him you take a step over and look at the map. Keeping hold of the marker you begin pointing.

"So he's dumping the bodies here, here, and here?" You turn your head with the marker purposely pointing at the wrong spot. As you turn to look at him he's still staring at you. Locking eyes you notice his jaw clenching.

"No, here." He says still staring at you, leaving barely any space between your hand and his. It starts feeling hot in the room. You normally don't act like this with one another, but you feel something stirring inside you. Feeling your nerves take over, you can feel your cheeks blushing deeply. You stand there for a second longer before you finally hand him the marker.

"Thank you." His eyes look you up and down before marking the map.

Becoming flustered you turn and tuck your hair behind your ear searching the table for something to break the tension. A breath of relief washes over you as Emily and Derek enter the room. Sharing their new found information you start putting more pieces together. Eventually it's time to head to the hotel.

Grabbing your keycard from JJ you plan on taking a nice long shower to clear your mind. Stepping off the elevator onto your floor you say goodnight to JJ. You notice Spencer down the hallway, your nerves rising back up. As you approach him he slows down and stops at the door which happens to be across from yours. You can see him peek at you from the side of his eye as he unlocks his door. You begin to open your door and turn back to look at him. He stares back at you before closing his door.

Dumping your bag in your room you try relaxing your muscles and take in a deep breath. Quickly undressing you head to the bathroom bringing your toiletries with you. Turning the shower on you bite your lip thinking of the feelings between you and Spencer today. He always seems to be slightly frustrated around you, which made you feel confused. It's hard to ignore the way you feel when you catch him looking at you, but you try to calm the butterflies down convincing yourself he doesn't feel the same way. Stopping yourself you step into the shower and feel the warm water wash over you, taking your mind off of how confusing today was. Finishing your night time routine you make your way to the plush bed, scrolling through your phone before trying to fall asleep without thinking of Spencer.

____________________________________

As Spencer closed his door he let out a loud huff and put his bags on the bench in the room. He stuck his arm out to lean on the wall. Dropping his head down the need to feel her touch is firing off of him. His pent up frustration caused his pants to grow tighter. Thoughts of her keep racing in his mind, all the times he catches her before she catches him, when she softly brushes past him in hallways, the way she plays with her hair while she's deep in thought. He starts taking deep breaths to try and stop thinking about her. Still too afraid to admit his own emotions to himself he steps into the bathroom. Feeling hot while trying to ignore his growing bulge he undoes his tie and pulls his sweater off. Rolling up his sleeves he starts splashing cold water on his face. Leaning over the sink he lets the water drip off his lips and nose. Something about the way she catches his attention scares him because he feels like he could lose control at any second. He closes his eyes and continues breathing slowly. After cooling down he dries his face and goes to change. Grabbing his book from the plane along with 2 others he makes his way to his bed, forcing himself to read.

____________________________________

Waking up to your 5:15 am alarm clock you groggily turn it off. You get a text as you pick your phone up.

Hotchner: Good morning everyone. Be up and ready in 30. We will meet down in the lobby.

You begin to scroll over the rest of your notifications until you jump out of bed and stretch your arms up. After getting your thoughts together you go through your morning routine with a slight jitter in your hands as you begin to think about Spencer. Luckily it wasn't enough to keep you from messing up your eyeliner or mascara. You slip on a pair of black jeans, your favorite black boots, and a white tee shirt. Completing the look you holster your gun, and pop your blazer on. Giving yourself one final scan in the mirror you finish with a quick spritz of perfume and head out the door. Stepping out in the hallway you notice Spencer waiting down by the elevator. Dressed in his usual sweater, button down, tie combo you take him in. He's fiddling with his bag and doesn't seem to notice you nearing.

"Good morning..." You say softly hoping not to startle him. He continues searching his bag without returning a hello. Biting your lip you can't help but ask what he's looking for.

"Did you lose something?" You keep your voice quiet not wanting to annoy him or the people still getting to enjoy sleep so early in the morning.

"No." He finally replies, giving up on his search. You nod and the elevator finally dings, its doors open. He looks a little more tired and stressed than usual so you choose to stay quiet.

"It's just a small bottle of some cologne. It was a gift from my mom, otherwise I wouldn't really care if it went missing." He presses the L button and the elevator starts moving. You were a little surprised he elaborated on his answer.

"Oh, well I'll make sure to look out for it. She has good taste, it smelled nice." Your face immediately goes red, you look down in hopes your hair will hide your blushing cheeks. You could smack yourself for letting that slip out. As the doors to the elevator open you feel Spencer's finger brush against yours so softly you hardly felt it. You shoot your head up as you watch him exit, almost forgetting to get off as well.

Spencer's finger is burning as he takes off down the lobby. Clenching his hands around his strap he tries to keep his focus on the team ahead but he can't shake the feeling away. His mind is yelling at him for his actions, but his chest is about to burst. The burning from his finger getting a touch of your skin is overwhelming him. The butterflies he's kept caged forever are starting to stir. Reaching the team he hears her footsteps approaching making his heart beat faster. Tucking his hand in his pocket he takes a gulp. Hotch starts breaking down the day but as hard as he tries to listen he can't. All he can pay attention to is the smell of her perfume; sweet and warm. It matches her personality perfectly. Staring at Hotch he sees his lips moving but doesn't hear a word he's saying until he hears his name. "Reid and Y/n head to the latest victims house." He bites the inside of his cheek as he fights his feelings in his head. Preparing himself for another day of controlling his urges, he makes his way for the door. Hopping in the car he stays silent, as does she. The air feels like its on fire and he begins to wonder if he's made the wrong move.

You can still feel his touch as you grasp the steering wheel. All it took was his pinky gliding over yours to put you in a tizzy. You peek over at him but this time you're too nervous to speak. Resting your arm on the center console, he places his arm next to yours. Leaving the smallest bit of space between the two of you again. Your hand clutches the steering wheel tighter too afraid to move. You both stay silent the entire ride over.

Walking up to the house you flash your credentials to be let in. Your mind is finally able to shift gears. Entering the house you follow him into the main room carefully taking a look around. The home was filled with plants of every shape and size.

"It's a shame most of these plants are probably going to die after being so cared for." You say in a bittersweet tone while appreciating them. Pausing for a moment you feel a thought brewing. "Wait, what if our unsub is creating his own poisons? I'm seeing some dangerous plants here, I think that could be our connection." You say walking further around the house.

Spencer scans over the bookshelf in the room and calls you over. You walk over and stand closer to him than normal. He pauses for a moment before pointing to a picture setting on top of the shelf.

"Do you know what that is?" He asks quietly, still scanning the picture.

"The plant? Umm not specifically, no." You return matching his quiet volume.

"It's nerium oleander, an extremely toxic plant that is poisonous to both livestock and humans. The toxic principles are two glycosides, oleandrin, and nerioside. Symptoms if ingested can be severe, cardiac irregularities can begin, often characterized by an increased heart rate. However, a slower heart rate is often detected in the later stages. Each dumpsite had this species of flower growing around it." He says quickly scanning over the rest of the shelf.

"I think we just found our secret ingredient." You stare at him for a second admiring just how smart he is before calling Garcia.

____________________________________

Spencer's discovery of the flowers lead to the break in the case saving the life of one more victim. The unsub was an alchemist abducting customers from the greenhouse he owned. Finding him didn't take long once you knew where to look. The team gleefully boarded the jet since the case was a fast one. You all were able to leave before the day was even over.

"I think a quick case calls for some celebration!" Derek says.

After excitedly agreeing you sat with JJ and Emily. You couldn't help but notice Spencer deep in thought while reading.

"What about you pretty boy?" Derek shoves Spencer's shoulder. Spencer glares at Derek and replies to get him to back off.

"I'll think about it." He says before quickly glancing over at you before looking back at his book. You turn your attention away from him and back to the girls.

Spencer feels the cage rattling in his stomach again. He tries making it stop but he doesn't want to miss the chance of seeing her celebrate tonight. He starts replaying the first time she went out with them in his head. Her laugh filling his ears over the loud music, her smile beaming from across the room. His biggest regret was leaving early when she finally sat down to take a break from dancing. She was tipsy and breathing a little heavy from dancing. When she sat next to him she let out a soft moan of relief when taking a sip of her drink. He clutched his glass harder hearing her.

"You don't look like you're having much fun Doctor!" She rested her hand on her chin looking at him and then his glass of water. He was clenching his jaw and began to remove himself from the table.

"I'm not so that's why I'm leaving." He noticed her frown before turning to walk away. He forced himself to do the exact opposite of everything he wanted to do. His fist clenched in his pocket and he stepped outside waiting for a taxi to appear. After realizing how worked up he was becoming he told himself to stop. This time there would be no seeking advice from Derek, no getting too close, no butterflies. That was the plan he set in stone and that was the plan she was now quickly unraveling after all this time.

Pulling himself back to reality he peeked at her every now and then the rest of the way home, catching her eye from time to time.

____________________________________

Having a little spare time you decided to get ready with the girls at Garcia's place before heading to the bar. You always kept a backup outfit in your car for times like these. She was the best person to get ready with, always hyping her girls up.

"Y/n that dress is capital H.O.T." She beams at you while slipping her shoes on. You wink at her and pull out your makeup bag. You had to admit the dress hugged you perfectly and made you feel confident. Popping your lipstick on you turned to the girls and shook your head.

"I think we all look capital H.O.T" You smirk before turning to leave. You could feel your nerves rising as you all gathered into the car, you tried to calm down since you weren't even sure if Spencer was coming tonight.

Spencer was unsure of what to wear for tonight. After trying a few things on he opted in on a simple light blue button down and rolled his sleeves up. He was fumbling with his hair as his phone buzzed knowing it was Derek. Before heading out he made sure to spray on a little of his no longer missing cologne. Hopping in the car Derek noticed a little shift in his demeanor.

"What's got you all nervous?" Derek asks with a smirk after driving for a bit.

"Nothing, I just haven't gone out in awhile. This isn't really my thing you know." He kept his eyes on the road.

"Well maybe if you drank with us you wouldn't feel so awkward every time." Derek let out a little chuckle.

He felt his palms getting sweaty as they pulled up to the bar. Seeing Penelope's car he knew she was already here. He wiped his palms on his knees quickly before getting out of the car. Making their way in the bar Derek yelled out "Now the real fun can begin!"

Everyone cheered in return as Spencer searched the room for her. Once he found her at the bar his eyes took her in before she could find him. He's seen her dressed up before but this time he was truly appreciating just how beautiful she is. Once her eyes met him he felt his heart thumping. Spencer tried to distract himself by taking a seat hoping no one noticed his staring.

The team talked for a bit while enjoying some drinks. They finally got up and started heading to the dance floor. You felt yourself a little confused as it seemed like Spencer was avoiding you. He was quiet and didn't seem to be engaged in any of the conversations. Instead of heading to the dance floor you made your way over to the bar asking for a water.

"You know I don't think anyone has said good job to you yet on breaking the case." You held out the water offering it to Spencer. Surprised by your presence he cleared his throat.

"What? Oh... thanks. You deserve credit too." He gave you a small nervous smirk and took the water. You sat down across from him shrugging.

"Once I saw that photo it was so obvious. I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner." He frowned.

"Spencer, you don't give yourself enough credit. You can't put that pressure on yourself to connect every dot right away. Don't be so hard on yourself, please. Maybe consider celebrating with us tonight?" You smiled and raised up one of your eyebrows.

"I think I'm good for now." He pushes his water between his fingers slightly. You sigh and get up from the table.

"Well as long as you don't leave early again..." You say and down the rest of your drink before walking over to JJ, Emily, and Penelope dancing. You can feel his eyes focused on you.

Dancing for so long you start to lose track of time, letting the warmth of the alcohol take over you. Enjoying dancing with your girls after while you decided you needed a slower song to take a break. You walked over to the DJ and requested a song you knew would grab Spencer's attention. The DJ said ok and started playing "Kiss U Right Now" by DUCKWRTH. You walked back over and smiled slightly. Penelope let out a loud "OOOO! I like this!" As she began dancing slower. You found Emily and started dancing closely with her. You both giggled a little bit as you swayed your hips against each other. Feeling your dress inching up your thigh you peek over at Spencer. You knew he was already watching you, you could feel it. As your eyes met his, he got up from the table and took off towards the bathroom.

"I need to pee!" You said in Emily's ear before heading towards Spencer. She nods and joins Penelope and JJ.

As you finally made your way through the crowd you saw Spencer stepping out of the restroom. He didn't even bother to look at you but as he passed you, you felt his pinky brush against you again. You hooked your pinky around his and he stopped dead in his tracks. You turned to look at him as he stayed frozen for a second. Your heart was pounding waiting for him to make a move.

Spencer felt his entire body tense up. The small heat in his chest turned into a wildfire. He turned and pushed you up against the wall. His hand moving to the hem of your dress, his hot hand touching your thigh. He kept his other hand intertwined with your pinky. His heart was thumping as he moved his lips close to yours. He could feel your heavy breathing as his eyes were locked on yours. You gripped his pinky a little tighter to pull the rest of his body closer.

You can feel the heat pooling in your stomach as you stare Spencer down. His gaze told you everything you needed to know. The song booming as it narrated both your thoughts. He wanted this just as much as you did. You wanted him to prove it, he was killing you as he hovered over you.

"You need to get back to the girls before they wonder where you are." He whispered before letting go of your hand while backing away from you. He passes the table pushing towards the door. You glance over at the team to see if they notice, if they do they're not acting like it. You take a breath and decide to follow him.

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

#spencer reid #spencer x you #spencer x reader #one shot #criminal minds #spencer reid fanfic #angst #spencer reid fanfiction #spencerxreader #spencer reid angst

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inkandpen22 · 3 years

Text

Beautiful Angel of Darkness (7/?)

Pairing: Spike x Female!Reader

Warnings: Mild swearing

Word Count: 1.8k

Part Summary: Y/N is starting to improve and live by Angel’s lifestyle. Then, someone pays her a visit.

Masterlist

Six months later...

Who would've thought working at the law firm as one of Angel's team members would be so fulfilling? Granted, it took a moment to get settled... more like a month. There was a withdrawal period, not pretty. Angel sort of locked me away in his basement for a few weeks. After that, I bounced right back and started fresh! Now, I'm Angel's assistant, much better than Harmony. I gave her the boot as soon as I got released from the basement cell.

I step off the elevator to Wolfman & Hart with Angel's usual blood bag in a cup and my iced coffee. I drink my blood bag on the way here.

I set everything down at my desk in front of the firm's sign. The normalcy of having a daily routine again is nice. When I was with Spike, I thought normalcy would bore me to death. I guess Angel was right, there is some humanity left in me.

I knock on Angel's office door, blood cup in hand. When he announces for me to enter, I greet him warmly and immediately get into the day's agenda.

"Morning Boss, we have a busy day ahead of us!"

As per usual, he wears a crossed expression as he stands behind his desk shuffling through some papers.

He sighs in frustration, "Y/N, have you seen the-"

I place his mock coffee cup in his hand so I can grab the case file from under my arm. He glances between me and the file in amazement.

"You left it on my desk when you were leaving last night," I explain with a light chuckle.

"You're a lifesaver," he thanks as he eases down in his chair.

"It's what I'm here for," I shrug and lean against his desk beside him.

"Sorry for keeping you here late this week. I'm sure you much rather be home," he apologizes as he reviews the contents of the case. "I just... I don't know how to go about this."

"Maybe a fresh pair of eyes?" I suggest, reaching for the file.

Angel hesitates to hand it over. He doesn't like me working directly on cases. He believes I'm not ready for the gruesomeness of them and that the blood may trigger me to regress.

"Angel, I'll be fine!" I assure him confidently.

Reluctantly, he hands over the papers and I begin to skim the crime scene photographs. The police are involved, believing it to be a violent murder. However, Angel and the others are pinning it with a series of animal attacks the last few days. They suspect a werewolf. Angel wasn't wrong, these images are rather unsettling, but nothing I can't handle.

"Based on the slashes on the neck, I would agree with you and say it's not cut wounds. There are no signs of forced entry either," I analyze.

"But all of the damage..." He debates.

"It's from the attack. If you were being attacked by a werewolf, you'd toss a lamp and vase at it, wouldn't you?" I reason. "The front door is in perfect condition, except for the blood, of course. I suspect the victim knew their attacker," I determine and hand the file back to Angel.

He leans back in his chair, deep in thought. Humming, he considers my predictions. "That would certainly narrow down the suspect list."

"Was she single?" I question.

He frowns in confusion, "I think so, why?"

"Check her calendar, see who her latest date was with," I suggest as I rise from my leaning position against his desk.

"You got all of that from looking at one photo?" Angel remarks in astonishment.

I glance over my shoulder as I head toward the door. "Told you shouldn't let me help sooner," I wink.

_____________________________________

At noon sharp, Angel likes his second cup of O Neg. It sounds tedious, knowing exactly when my boss likes his blood. If someone told me months ago that I would be fetching Angel everything he needs, I would've killed them. Ironically, I've never felt never more human than when I'm at Wolfman & Hart. I feel like I have a life of my own, my existence. Before...Before Spike, I belonged to my family. Then, I belonged to Spike. Now, I belong to myself. Granted, Angel watches me like a hawk, but he's easing up.

Angel and the others hold a team meeting at the same time I'm supposed to deliver his refreshment. More and more lately, Angel lets me sit in on the meeting. It's usually so that I can act as a scribe while they talk, but I still appreciate the invite.

Carrying my files, notepad, and Angel's drink, I back into his office door as I'm handless at the moment. Right when the door gives, I immediately announce his dinner plans with a major banker to discuss his Greed Demon issue. "Don't forget tonight, the meeting with Stuart Lawrence! You have to be at his residence in Brentwood at seven o'clock sharp and-"

I stop dead in my tracks as my eyes flicker toward Angel's desk. Instead of just seeing Angel stressing over some papers, as usual, I see a bleach blonde vampire reading over his shoulder.

The paper coffee cup falls from my hand and spills on the floor by my feet. The substance coats my left heel, staining it crimson.

"Y/N..." Spike utters my name with his smooth accent.

"Oh my God..." I whisper breathlessly in awe.

Angel flies up from his chair and points to the door. "Y/N, get out of here!"

"Never took you for the lawyer type," Spike smirks mischievously as he slithers toward me. "Gotta admit though, loving the working woman style." He gestures at my body up and down like I'm a mannequin in a store.

Behind me, the other members of Angel's team enter for their meeting.

"Lorne, take Y/N home!" Angel instructs.

"Right away, Boss," Lorne complies.

"Take one step closer to her green goblin and I'll bite your head off!" Spike threatens sharply.

"Spike, stop it!" Angel barks.

"Oh come on, Angel," Spike dismisses as he closes in on me. His fingers comb through the ends of my hair. "It isn't like you to ruin a perfectly good reunion!"

My body tenses under his touch, much to Spike's dismay. It wasn't long ago that his embrace was the only thing that kept me tied down to Earth. Now, it makes me shutter.

"You shouldn't be here!" Angel growls as he rushes over to us and yanks Spike away from me. "She's been doing great without you!"

"Have you forgotten? She was mine before she was yours," Spike chuckles wickedly.

The English vampire turns to me again and caresses my cheek. His eyes continue to linger in my memories late at night staring at me intensely.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go?" He mumbles to me and the words make my heartache.

"Get away from her!" Angel hisses warningly, on the verge of throwing Spike through the top floor window.

Spike ignores Angel and continues to admire me. "Did you miss me, My Love?"

Yes.

I shake my head while I slip my hand over his to remove it from my cheek. "You hurt me. I can never forgive you for what you did."

Spike's face falters immensely. "Y/N... Let me explain! I-"

"No!" I stand my ground, something I never used to do when we were together. "You deceived me, used me, broke me!" I switch my gaze between Spike and Angel frantically until I find myself overwhelmed. "I... I can't do this... I'm sorry Angel, excuse me."

Thus, I hurry out the door past my coworkers before anyone can stop me. Both Angel and Spike call for me, but I ignore each of them as I gather my things and disappear onto the elevator.

________________________

After today's cluster of events, a long shower was much needed. I have no doubt Angel will be visiting me once the workday is over, just to check-in. I can't believe Spike is here in Los Angeles. It all felt like a dream or perhaps a nightmare. How dare he come here after half a year and expect me to act as though nothing happened.

Immediately after my shower, I go to my kitchen to fix myself a cup of tea. I stick the kettle on the stovetop before I get dressed. At first, living alone startled me, but since then I've grown to prefer it. I like the peace. After long days at the office, time alone and space alone is what I need.

"Y/N," a voice makes itself known.

My hand flies up to my chest as I pant. "Spike! Jesus and Mary! What the actual fuck?!"

"A vampire scared of the dark... how ironic," he teases with a smirk.

"Get out!" I shout, pointing toward the door. "I'm not even dressed you feen!" I start to march back to my bedroom which makes Spike follow. What part of 'get out' doesn't he understand?

"Oh come on, Love. It's not like I haven't seen anything before," he insinuates.

"Get out!" I repeat.

"No, not until you hear what I have to say!" He insists.

"You love Buffy! Congrats! Now, go be with her!" I urge him away.

Abruptly, Spike grabs my forearm and yanks me to a halt. His free hand flies up to my chin and forces me to meet him in the eye. I fight him off, prying at his arms, but nothing works.

"I never loved her!" He barks at me. "Well... maybe a little once... but that was before I met you! That night I didn't cheat on you! I swear it! I went over to her house to kill her and when I got there she was crying! Her mother has been ill! That's why I couldn't come sooner... plus I... I..."

"You what?" I growl in disdain.

"I got a soul for you," he remarks calmly, nearly solemnly.

I frown, how is that possible?

"You what?" I question.

"I went to the desert, got my soul back so I could be like Angel..." He explains. "To be like someone you'd want to be with," he adds.

He softens his grip on my face. To my surprise, I don't pull away. I stare into his blue eyes with astonishment. How could he get back his soul? Is that why it took him so long to come and find me? For months I wondered if he would ever come... but he never did. When I finally started to get settled and moved on he shows up. Spike's hand falls from my face with a sigh.

"Forget this. Never mind," he starts to back away. "Have a good life, Y/N."

I stand frozen, speechless, and unsure what to do as Spike struts away toward the door. Thus again, he has disappeared from my life.

________________

Masterlist

Tags: @currently-obsesed-with-spike @mx-pibbles @shy-ginger-in-the-graveyard

#Spike x Buffy #spike fanfic #spuffy #spike #btvs fanfic #btvs imagine #btvs imgaine #btvs #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #Angel x Buffy #buffy summers

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sinsbymanka · 4 years

Note

Hey. I'm sorry. So. Your post about sunseekerknight is really long and it seems out of date. I thought everything had been resolved and she promised to make amends but this all started back around again and it sounds like your issue isn't solved. Can you update me real quick? Sorry.

Thanks for being polite and coming to me. I’ll try to summarize things to the best of ability while also noting this is kinda a clusterfuck. It got long, so it’s under a cut.

In March 2020, I commissioned @sunseekerknight (I’m blocked so I can’t actually @ her) to do a Tarot Card commission of my Inquisitor for $80. I sent the money via PayPal friends and family as she requested which is something I no longer do for artists, even though I’d done it before with no problems.

The main post goes over my initial experience really well - the repeated attempts at contact and missed deadlines. This post was made on June 18, 2020 and blew up. I informed Ada that day I was making the post and she told me she’d be doing so as well.

I’d already filed the PayPal claim which was ultimately denied because I’d sent the money via friends and family, despite SSK’s assurances she’d help me resolve it in my favor.

I didn’t hear from SSK after this and I didn’t contact her. My father passed away on June 20th and I was busy dealing with the personal fallout of that (he’d been in the hospital the whole month of June as it was) so my priorities swung towards processing my own grief and planning what happens next.

On July 10th, my PayPal claim was denied. I forwarded the claim to SSK with the following message:

I want to inform you that PayPal has indicated, due to the way you asked me to send the funds (friends and family), they are unable to provide any sort of refund based on their policies. It is your responsibility to make the refund.

Because of the history of fraud I've uncovered, I will be pursuing this further. I am, in particular, asking PayPal to mark this account as one used for fraudulent transactions and scamming money before closing it. My hope is that this account is in your real name and that getting this account marked for fraud has real consequences you have to live with.

I honestly didn’t expect to hear from SSK again, but I did on July 12th:

Oh, I see. Now the difficult situation has become even more difficult. I'm sorry to say this, but, as I said earlier, I had only two offers for people affected by my actions - a PayPal dispute or finished art. And since PayPal is useless in this situation, all I can offer you - is art. I’m still ready to finish your commission because I don't want you to be left with nothing. I would like to return the money, really, but it will take time and I don't know how much, considering the current situation on Tumblr. I still want to resolve this issue peacefully, despite what is happening now. I know that you don't trust me, and I understand this, as well as the fact that you are disappointed, angry, etc., but still I want to do at least something so as not to leave the situation as it is now. But if this is your final decision, then okay, I understand and accept it.

This message struck me as victim blaming. I am, after all, responsible for the situation on Tumblr which means she can’t get commissions. I reacted with some venom and my tone is not great here, but I do ask you to understand the frame of mind I was in here on July 13th:

I don't think it's fair to claim that PayPal is being unhelpful in this situation when it is you who are refusing to refund money for a service that was purchased and not completed. I think it would make me feel better if you started phrasing the "situation" in a way that took responsibility for it. Such as: "I cannot refund the money to you myself, because I spent it before delivering what you paid for, and I cannot get your dispute resolved through PayPal because I asked you to send the payment a specific way that precludes disputes."

I also feel hurt that immediately after I sent my email on Friday, you blocked me from Tumblr and turned all your social media accounts private. I can't think of why you would do this when you claim to still want to resolve this and when I have been more than kind. I find it difficult to believe that you didn't know what my review would cause - it sounds to me like this is something that has been brewing for awhile. Frankly, I'm amazed it took three years. I would also appreciate if, instead of blaming the "situation" on Tumblr for your inability to receive new commissions, you began taking responsibility for that as well. May I suggest: "My actions in the past three years have harmed many people and they are angry about it with good cause. Because I have damaged my reputation to a great extent, I will probably not receive many, if any, people willing to pay me money for commissions."

I fully expect to receive nothing from you: art or my money returned. When speaking with PayPal on Friday, they advised the only way to shut your PayPal account down is if I file a criminal complaint with the IC3, which is the US's Internet Crimes division of the FBI. I did so and sent them the screenshots I have of all our conversations, your posts on Tumblr, and links to the posts of other people who publicly came out regarding the same behavior they experienced. I'm uncertain I can withdraw my complaints from both PayPal and the IC3, and if I could I don't think I would. I'm sure this isn't something that is high priority for them, but I assume eventually they will contact you to discuss your actions. The way I see it, you have three options at this point in time:

Find some way to issue a refund to me, and any other customers you've wronged. If I am contacted by investigators, I will say a refund was eventually issued in my case.

Deliver the art you promised to me, and any other customers. If I am contacted by investigators, I will say a product was eventually delivered in my case.

Continue to ignore what you've done and hope that no real consequences come of it.

As to the art, I don't want it anymore. It has been tainted by this awful experience and I will not enjoy it. I will, however, accept it if you choose to do it to lessen whatever consequences you may end up facing because, truly, I'd rather you learn from this than end up with financial or legal consequences that are even more burdensome.

Honestly. I never expected to hear from SSK again. But I did because this is the drama that never ends. On July 20th:

I must apologize for the long silence. Sorry, I just got home from an unexpected vacation with my family, and I followed the advice of my parents and friends - spend these days away from work and the Internet to feel better. As I said, I understand you. You sound reasonable and you are totally right - it is my responsibility for that. And I'm trying to work it out, even if these are rather strange ways. And it wasn't about you personally. This was part of another problem with a friend I was trying to protect, and I followed the advice to keep the accounts private during the "war" and block some people on the tumblr during this time to avoid any collisions. But still, I was available for correspondence via email, and now all my accounts are again freely available. I know how it looks like, especially for you, when you have really been more than kind to me, and I cannot apologize enough to somehow change and improve this situation. I just fucked up on all fronts and I admit it. And I see, yes. I don't mind returning your art or money, it's just a matter of time. These are not days, these are weeks or months, and it is solely a matter of your patience. If you do not mind waiting, then I will try to return the money to you, since you no longer want art for obvious reasons. I understand and accept it, and it's okay. If you're willing to wait, I'll keep you informed of the refund situation and will do it as soon as I can.

You’ll note earlier I told you I can’t tag SSK cause I’m blocked. I’ve never been unblocked since July despite her saying she would. This is also the last email I got from SSK. I’ve had no communication since to my knowledge.

At this point in time I was tired. Really tired. It was bad news I got this email exactly a month after my father passed because I just didn’t want to do it anymore. This is my second to last email to SSK in response also on July 20th:

Please feel free to do what you need to do to manage the situation. For my part, I have said and done all I can. I have asked for a refund for a service you have been unable to provide in a reasonable time frame, and thus you are legally obligated to return my money in the same reasonable time frame. That time frame has passed already.

When I am contacted by authorities about this matter in response to my complaints, I will tell them you have promised refunds but have not delivered. The only thing you could do to change this answer is to issue a refund before I am contacted.

This exchange is draining and unhelpful for me. I ask that you please do not contact me again until you are ready to issue a refund.

On September 25th, I was informed SSK had successfully opened commissions on Twitter and Instagram. This spurred me to send one final email:

I've been informed you recently reopened commissions to buy yourself something and met your goal, even though you only advertised on Twitter and Instagram.

I would like to remind you that I'm still owed a refund AND you shouldn't spend that commission money until you deliver on that art. Please do not rip and entire new group of people off.

There are other people, in the notes of the original post, who can attest to terrible experiences similar to mine. In particular, @starsandskies, @vorchagirl, and @charlatron have all come forward to talk about what she’s done and their experiences. Her pattern seems to be to open commissions, deliver a few, have the rest dragged out of her, and then to not do other ones. I drew the short straw this time.

I don’t know if she’s reading this - if she is, at this point all I really want is an apology, a list of people who are waiting for art/refunds from her, and a plan as to how she’s going to make it right. If she doesn’t do those things, I suspect I’m going to keep getting dragged back into this cluster for awhile to talk about my experiences.

If you’re waiting for artwork Non, open PayPal disputes and file complaints if you need to. The sooner the better.

#manka answers asks #sunseekerknight #this again #I'm tired of it again #sorry guys

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bbarican · 2 years

Text

life updates • 02/02/2022

finally got some time to just sit down and pour my thoughts out on here and there is a lot on my mind right now so if you want to take a peak at what has been going on in my life since the start of the year until now, then feel free to read on

work:

our alabang project is done and im so so so happy with how it turned out! im super proud of myself too for basically overseeing the whole project for the majority of the time we were handling it and im just really glad my boss and senior are proud of and thankful for my help too!

still adjusting a bit to the fact na ako lang talaga naghahandle ng 2 residential projects na iniwan sakin ng senior ko now kasi sobrang busy ng boss ko; i know for a fact na i can handle it naman, i just really need to get my shit together and organize everything para im not so lost sometimes

i need to clean and organize my desktop tomorrow; kalat kalat kasi files from last month

i also need to start making to do lists more often and writing on my planner more often as well para naman mas organized yung thoughts and tasks ko per day also para hindi sayang planner ko

medyo hindi ko na ulit nagawa yung sa design ng condo ng tita ko only because hindi naman rushed yung project kasi nga nag spike yung cases so hindi naman niya priority ang construction now pero since its been a while plus the cases are starting to decrease na ulit, i have to speed things up in terms of my progress of that unit design

personal:

its official - magrereview na ulit ako for the board exam this july and nasabihan ko na din boss ko this morning about it; might take up part time from march to april depende if kakayanin but if not sabihan ko lang naman daw boss ko if gusto ko na mag full leave

im really excited to start studying again and hopefully even squeeze in a good work out routine either before or after review classes; here's to finally losing weight hopefully!

i also want to have a side line during my review season kasi i still want to earn kahit na nagrereview ako so ill probably think of a side hustle along the way

cooking and cleaning really is the best stress relievers for me; i made dinner tonight and it was amazing plus it made me feel so calm and seeing my family genuinely enjoy the food just makes me feel so happy too

im just really excited to have a new routine once mag start yung review classes

im also almost done with people we meet on vacation by emily henry and i will defo post a review about it soon! tapusin ko lang yung book tonight kasi super konti nalang naman natitirang chapters/pages

goal ko talaga this year is to save money and learn how to spend it wisely

but at the same time, im so excited to buy new notebooks kasi lahat ng notebook ko na gamit ko back it 2020 halos puno na eh

family:

thankfully we're all safe at home and when we get the chance to, we all go out for quick trips out of town for brunch and stuff like that pero ofcourse we still stay safe no matter what

im excited for holy week kasi we usually go to the beach to spend the holiday there and i can just see myself now - just sitting by the beach and reading till the sun is already setting infront of me

im also excited kasi baka may plans yung parents ko for an out of town trip for their 26th wedding anniversary so fingers crossed na hindi na hassle umalis by then

i miss my kuya a lot; i like how he really calls me up just to annoy me, makes me feel like he's just in the other room, bored out of his mind, when he's actually at the other side of the world

im just eternally grateful to be this close to my family

but at the same time, im always working on myself and trying to be a better daughter and sister everyday

friends:

i miss chie and jed and noel; si chevy okay lang kasi nag sama naman kami ng matagal sa la union but either way i miss all of them so much

noel is sick AGAIN and its worrying me and chevy pero hopefully he recovers kaagad kasi syempre and hassle since hindi naman siya gaano kaclose sa family niya

i miss going out with my friends and just having coffee and talking about whatever we can come up with and laughing at how stupid we actually are

i also want to meet new people! if youre reading this and we dont talk at all or we dont talk often, please send me a message! i would love to get to know you more!

yung anon na ka pair ko sa note it, he or she is really cute and super ma effort, talagang nagiiwan siya ng notes everytime

food:

super random topic but my current obsession right now? cheesy broccoli YUP YOU READ THAT RIGHT i love broccoli and when you put salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese on it? CHEFS FUCKING KISS

im craving for pizza so bad you guys as in i want a really cheesy pizza; pepperoni sound really good too

ngayon lang ulit ako nakapag-tim hortons and their stuff is always going to be good in my opinions

im super happy i gave food panda a shot back when i was in quarantine kasi may times ang weird ng grab so food panda is definitely one of my favorite apps as of the moment

lasang taho yung soy milk na ininom ko kanina

pero surprisingly it doesnt make me feel like i have to go to the bathroom right away so ibig sabihin super helpful nga if i do cut down on the dairy

love:

valentines is coming up soon and a part of me is okay with the fact na im just going to be having my annual ritual of cooking myself some food and watching a movie and drinking wine but a bigger part of me really wishes valentines day was different already; flowers lang naman oh lord

super nalungkot ako the other day kasi yung kausap ko sa note it, asked me "why the rush?" in regards to looking for love so parang it made me feel like im desperate eh in the back of my mind, i just really want to be loved genuinely already; is that so wrong?

especially with the fact na my friends are going on relationships that have lasted for years, tapos my other friend got married this week like what the fuck, why cant i have my own story diba?

also when i do attract men naman, sobrang palpak? i matched with this guy i ghosted back then tapos i decided to give him a fucking chance and it was going well for a bit pero tangina sobrang daming red flags: 1. he got upset when i didnt reply right away (only because i was in a car and i get car sick) and 2. he said i love you both on a video call and on chat after a day of talking LIKE GIVE ME A BREAK LORD

this guy naman ive been talking to and i can clearly say na ive fallen for already, its been okay, again we've been on 2 dates already, the convos between us are either meh or super great, tapos when we videocall, ang sweet niya and talagang he knows how to make me feel kilig pero wala eh, ang lungkot kasi hindi pa siya over sa ex niya and i obviously dont want to be a rebound pero god it would be the best thing ever (next to me passing the board exam) if we do work out and try and date more seriously

im gonna buy myself and my mom flowers for valentines day

so yeah, thats it for my life updates!

i hope you guys are doing okay; if youre reading this part of the post, please know na you can message me any time for anything and i will reply as soon as i can

thank you for reading everything! i hope you guys are okay and i hope february treat you well!

#bbarican #prsnl #thoughts #writings #life #love #work #list #recently #updates

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artificialqueens · 3 years

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You Light a Fire in My Heart (Rosénali) - Moonshot

A/N: I wasn’t expecting to write a follow-up to the first diner au this fast but I’ve genuinely fallen in love with the little au verse I’ve created. For context, this is set about a year after the events of ‘On The Ground’, and it spans across three months (March, April, and May). Flashbacks are in italics, and I hope you enjoy it x

Summary: The time(s) Rosé tried to be the best girlfriend to her Nali

Also on Ao3

If you had told Rosé a year ago that she would be dating one of the most amazing girls she’d ever met in her life, she would have believed you. Who wouldn’t want to date a fine bonnie lass like her?

What she wouldn’t have believed would have been that she was admittedly a tiny bit jealous of her girlfriend’s crush for a K-pop singer that shared her name.

Rosé was working on her laptop, busy mixing a track she had recorded with Jan and Lagoona when Denali had walked into the living room.

“OH MY GOD! I just finished watching Blackpink’s interview with James Corden and Rosé’s got the CUTEST accent! Her Aussie accent is so sexy too…” she remembered her girlfriend saying as she walked into her living room, her eyes glued to the phone in her hand.

“Hey!”, the pink-haired girl puffed out, “my Scottish accent is sexy too!”

Denali looked up, her left brow raised, “Says who?”, she asked teasingly.

“…My grandma”, Rosé replied unconvincingly, causing her girlfriend to laugh out loud.

“My Rosie is so cute when she’s jealous!”, she sing-sang, stamping a sloppy kiss on the older girl’s cheek.

“I’m not!”, she huffed as the black-haired girl sat next to her on the couch.

“You know she’s not my favorite in the group. Wanna know why?” Denali asked, draping her arms around Rosé’s neck.

“Why?”.

“Because you’ll always be my favorite Rosie”, she whispered in her girlfriend’s ear.

Rosé was sure her cheeks were matching colors with the shade of pink of her hair.

“Cheesy bitch”, she muttered as Denali hid her face in the crook of her neck.

“Yours truly”.

She remembered letting her girlfriend rest on her chest, the sweet strawberry scent of Denali’s shampoo filling her nose as she tried to focus on the track she was working on.

However, another thought was buzzing in her head.

The brunette’s birthday - the first one since they had started dating - was coming up soon and Rosé had absolutely no idea what to get her.

Dedicating her a song, while definitely in her range, was too obvious of a gift. She really wanted to surprise her, to give her something she would remember for years to come.

With less than a month to the date, Rosé decided to go to the very familiar diner to pick up something quick to eat before going to grab the equipment she needed for her weekly set across the street.

As she walked up to the register to pay up after having grabbed some pastries, she couldn’t help but notice the absence of a familiar face. She was sure Denali was set to be on shift at that hour.

Her attention was drawn back to the guy behind the counter.

“Hey, gorge! Looking for me?”, Mik asked as he took the pastry bag from the pink-haired girl.

Rosé rolled her eyes playfully, “Hey to you too, Mik,” she replied as she took out some cash, “Sorry to burst your bubble, short king, I was just wondering where my lovely girlfriend is”.

The shorter guy shrugged, “Your loss. I’m always open for a tall glamazon like you, gorge”, he winked before presenting her the receipt, “it will be 4,99$ for that, and also Nali was allowed to go home early by Miss Iman because she was trying to get tickets for some concert, I think?”

Rosé gave a little nod of acknowledgment and was handing over the cash when a voice caught her attention.

“Oh, no!”, both Mik and Rosé turned their head to another of the diner staff, Olivia, who was looking down at her phone pouting, “Nali just texted me saying that the Blackpink show in Chicago she wanted to go to sold out before she was able to get a standing ticket and the VIP ones are too expensive for her! Oh, poor baby Nali”.

“What other tour dates are they doing?” the singer asked, an idea forming in her head.

The other girl furrowed her brows, trying to remember, “Well, Nali wanted to go to the Chicago one with some of her friends there, that one was in mid-May. If I’m not mistaken, they are doing one in Newark at the end of May, and then the other ones are down south and on the west coast as well? Pretty big tour from what she has told me”.

“Wow, that’s an impressive gig,” Rosé commented, genuinely surprised.

She grabbed the paper bag from the counter, waving goodbye to the two employees, “Well, divas, I’ll leave you to do your jobs. Thanks for the info, I guess my set has to be delayed a bit to deliver these to my girl, and hope to cheer her up a bit, wish me luck!”

The other two waved her off as she exited the diner.

The pink-haired girl grabbed her phone from her purse and quickly texted Jan and Lagoona to meet her at her place after her set.

Maybe she had just found the perfect birthday present for her Nali.

Rosé and Lagoona were sitting at the kitchen table, the Scottish girl’s computer between them open on the ticketing site while Jan was busy gushing with her girlfriend over the phone in the living room.

The blue-haired girl stared at the laptop, clicking her tongue, “Is that the VIP price for both…?”

“Nope, just one. I could afford to get only one VIP ticket for her so she’ll get to enjoy it all by herself”, Rosé replied.

“Holy shit, I fucking wish you were this in love with me to spend that much money for my birthday!” Lagoona commented jokingly before noticing a small detail, “Wait, did you see the date of the concert?”

The pink-haired girl nodded, “Yes, I am aware that the concert happens to be on my birthday. However, this is an opportunity I can’t let Nali give up on,” she reasoned, “Also, I plan on spending many more birthdays with her, so her spending mine doing something she loves makes me happy as well”.

Lagoona shot up and started reaching for kitchen drawers, seemingly looking for something.

“Can I know what the fuck are you doing?”, Rosé asked, arching her manicured brow.

“Looking for a whip because you’re fucking whipped for the girl! I can’t believe it!”, her best friend cackled, actively avoiding the kitchen towel thrown at her.

“Oh, fuck you, bitch!”, the pink-haired girl said in return, unable to hide her own grin at the situation.

At that moment, their purple-haired friend entered the room, saying her goodbyes over the phone before she sat down on the opposite side of Rosé.

“Oh look, who decided to join us!” Lagoona teased as she sat back next to the Scottish girl, “how was the call with the sugar mommy?”

Jan blushed furiously, “Shush, you two! Jackie’s not my sugar mommy! She just… happens to be richer and older than me. Also, she called me because she’s stressed from organizing this big event in May and needed some advice!”, she blurted out, only causing the other two to laugh even harder.

“Yeah, sure whatever you say, Stuntalina the sugar baby. C’mon, I’ve got a new piece I wrote for us to show you!”, Rosé said as she closed the ticket receipt.

She opened her music editing program, pressed play on the last recorded file.

While her best friends were busy enjoying the new song she produced, Rosé checked her phone to find a new text from Denali.

10:52 PM:

thank u so much for the pastries, I really needed them today. You always know how to cheer me up. Goodnight my Rosie <3

The singer smiled.

She couldn’t wait to show Denali her birthday present.

Denali was lying down on the couch, her eyes on her best friend - and soon-to-be ex-roommate - as she packed the last few things she needed to move out.

“I still can’t believe you’re moving out,” the brunette pouted, “You’re leaving me allllll aloooooooneeeee”, she said dramatically.

“Nali, you’re acting as if I’m moving across the country”, Olivia chuckled, “I’m literally moving in with Utica and Symone, and they live across the street”.

The Alaskan skater threw her head back, “So close, yet so far”.

The younger girl rolled her eyes, reaching for a silver sharpie before throwing it to Denali, “Okay, miss Dramanali. Will you get your ass up and help me finish labeling these boxes?”

It took them a little over an hour to have most of Olivia’s things labeled and boxed, ready to be taken to their new home.

A bottle of soju later, they sat together on the couch in front of the TV as they ate some take-out for dinner, reminiscing of their time as roommates.

“It’s going to be weird to live alone,” Denali confessed as she took a piece of kimbap with her steel chopsticks, “We’ve been roommates ever since I literally moved in from Chicago. But I know it’s the right thing for you, you know”.

Olivia nodded, “I didn’t expect it to take this turn, I mean, I started it out a year ago single and now I’m dating not just one but two of the most awesome people I know?”

“I remember you being bummed when Utica started dating Symone. I sneaked out way too much ice cream from the diner to cheer you up, but look at you now, dating both Utica and Symone, moving in with them? You won the jackpot, Liv!”, the older girl replied, smacking her free hand against the other girl’s thigh.

“Girl, I could say the same about you and miss Rosie. All lovey-dovey, sweet kisses and I love you’s”, Olivia winked as she saw Denali’s cheeks take a pink tint.

“Actually…”, the skater confessed, “she technically hasn’t said the big L word out loud, not like that at least”.

Denali was sure Olivia’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, “WHAT?”

The brunette smiled shyly.

“It’s just… this past year everything has been so perfect with her and what if forcing her to say it will ruin that?”

“Nali, baby, the girl basically lives here. Do I have to remind you just how many times I’ve walked in on you two doing the whole devil’s tango while she looks at you like a lovesick puppy and you are worried about her not saying I love you back?”

The Alaskan girl tried to lighten the mood, “To our defense, you did say that you were spending the night out and that movie was very intense-”

“Nali…”

“I love her, Liv. Like really really love her. And I do see a future with her, but she is such a free spirit, someone who says and does things her own way and I’m worried that I’m going to scare her away,” Denali bit her lower lip, trying her best to not let the emotions get the best of her.

The younger girl took her hand, “Do you remember what I told you that day at the rink when you were scared to ask her out?”

“That you would unleash Kandy on her?”

They both chuckled.

“That’s still on the table if she breaks your heart,” Olivia replied honestly, holding Denali’s hand, “I told you to give it a chance. Tell her about how you feel your relationship is heading, and I got a feeling that she feels the same as you do”.

The two friends savored the moment, only the sound coming from outside the window to fill the void.

Denali was the first one to speak up after a couple of minutes of silence, “See? Who am I supposed to have those heart-to-heart conversations with if I’m alone? The wall?”

Olivia laughed out loud, “The cat lady that lives on the first floor sure seems like a good replacement for me!”

“Donut would run away before I could even let her in, girl”.

“True that,” she took another bite of her rice bowl before setting it down and getting up from the couch, “maybe, after you have your talk with your pink highlighter girlfriend in time for your birthday next week, she can babysit your pillow princess ass!”

Denali’s mouth was wide open in shock but unable to restrain the laughter.

“Liv! How dare you!” she said as the younger girl bolted into her room, prompting a not-so-sober chase.

They would totally be getting an angry noise complaint the next day.

Denali felt like her birthday went faster than she would have liked.

It had started with a call from her mom while her friends were trying to make her breakfast in bed - emphasis on trying - only to end up ordering delivery from the bakery two blocks down the street.

Since she would have still had to work that day, they had opted to hang out at her place the night before, waiting up to midnight to wish her a happy birthday.

What Denali was really looking forward to was the cute night-in her girlfriend had promised along with her mysterious birthday gift that was seemingly months in the making.

Having barely made it home from the diner, the brunette had just taken off her jacket and scarf when she heard a familiar knock pattern on her door.

She smiled as she was greeted by a small bouquet of forget-me-nots, a bag seemingly full of takeaway boxes, and a bottle of Rosé.

“Isn’t it cannibalism if you drink Rosé?” she teased, letting her girlfriend in the apartment and closing the door behind her.

“I’m letting that slide because it’s your birthday, baby,” the pink-haired girl replied as she set everything down on the kitchen counter.

Denali took a moment to take in how her Rosie looked.

The signature pink leather jacket was open to reveal a very deep low cut top that left close to nothing to the imagination. The black high-waisted jeans hugged her curves in a way that drove Denali crazy just to think about.

“Liking the view, mama?”, Rosé’s smirk was one of the few things able to make her weak to her knees like that.

“You’re a tease-y bitch”

“Thank you for noticing”, she winked as she walked over to Denali and sneaked her arms around her girlfriend’s waist, towering over her thanks to the pumps she was wearing.

The brunette couldn’t help but smile as she wrapped her arms around Rosé’s neck, getting on her tippy toes to kiss her.

“Happy birthday, my angel”, she whispered against her lips before her strong arms picked Denali up with a small yelp from the younger girl.

“What about dinner?”, she chuckled.

“I’m in a mood to eat something else right now…”, Rosé simply said as she reconnected their lips and started taking her girlfriend to the familiar bedroom.

Denali lied with her head on Rosé’s chest like she always did after they slept together. She could fall asleep just with how the older girl was gently combing her hair with her fingers.

“Don’t fall asleep on me, mama. You still got my birthday gift to open up”, she whispered, making Denali chuckle.

“What? Wasn’t the mind-blowing sex your birthday present?” she teased.

She could feel Rosé smile against her hair, “Thanks for the ego boost, diva, but I think you’ll like the real present more”

She went to reach for the pink jacket on the floor, taking out an envelope and giving it to Denali.

“What is this?”

“Open it up and find out for yourself”

The brunette straightened herself, not caring about the sheets pooling at her waist, and opened the present.

She couldn’t believe her eyes.

“You’re kidding me?!”

“Well, it’s not my fault your birthday happens to be on April Fool’s day but it’s all real, angel”, Rosé smiled at her.

“Ahhh! VIP Tickets for Blackpink’s concert?! I love you!”, Denali blurted out and went on to hug her girlfriend.

When she felt the older girl get slightly stiff, she realized just what she had blurted out and did what she did best: she panicked.

“Oh gosh, sorry I didn’t-”

Rosé didn’t reply, just went on cupping her face to calm her down.

“Baby, it’s okay. Don’t ever feel sorry for how you feel”, she reassured, kissing her forehead, “I just… don’t have the best track record when it comes to being told those three little words. I know how strongly I feel about you. I just want to mean it 100% when I say it, okay?”

Denali nodded, not trusting her words as she knew how hard it was for her girlfriend to talk about her feelings.

Rosé tilted her head, “Now, let me snuggle my…”, she looked over Denali’s shoulder, the clock read 11:05 PM, “birthday girl for another hour”.

She went on to press her girlfriend’s body against hers. She let a couple of minutes pass, making sure that the shorter girl had calmed down.

“Sing me to sleep, Rosie?”, she heard the faintest voice coming from the younger girl, whose arms held her sides tightly.

“Anything for you, angel”.

Almost two months later, Denali couldn’t believe she was actually there, waiting under the smaller stage for the concert to begin.

The soundcheck had been overwhelming, she definitely had almost cried when the girls waved at her section of the crowd. She was sure Lisa was waving at her.

She had even managed to become friends with some of the other fans in the VIP section, having gone to the concert alone - she still was a bit sad that she was missing Rosé’s birthday but understood the argument that this was one in a lifetime opportunity that she couldn’t pass on.

“I can’t believe how close we are to the stage!” one of the girls to Denali’s right, Sakura, commented, “Based on the videos from the other dates, this is definitely the best side to be on, especially during Lisa’s dance solo!”

“Girl, I know! I’m ready to see her shake that ass!” Denali replied, making both of them chuckle.

“Oh, is that how it is, mama?”

Denali froze.

Was that…

“Rosie?”

There was her girlfriend, sporting the VIP tag around her neck and around her wrist.

“How did you get in? I thought you didn’t manage to get another ticket?”, while she was beyond ecstatic to see her girlfriend there with her at the concert, she was also very confused.

“Up until a couple of hours ago, I didn’t have it, so that was as much of a surprise to you as it is to you,” she smiled, “Remember I told you about how Jan’s girlfriend was busy organizing a big event?” she asked as she recollected what had just happened hours prior.

Both Rosé and Lagoona were sitting on the former girl’s couch, watching reruns of America’s Got Talent and commenting how there would totally be no competition if they decided to audition.

Jan walked in, sipping on her frappuccino, “I know you love us but why aren’t you spending your birthday with your girlfriend?”

“I told you she’s at that Blackpink’s concert today” Rosé reminded her, lowering the TV volume.

“Blackpink? Oh! That’s the project Jackie was helping with organizing. She even offered me a full VIP ticket. Do you want it? It’s barely 3 PM, you just missed the soundcheck”.

The two friends sitting on the couch looked at each other, then at Jan, then back at each other before bolting up from the couch.

“COULDN’T HAVE YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER, JANICE?”

“I can’t believe it, Jan is really something else,” Denali smiled, now feeling that everything was complete.

“Me neither, baby. That girl is a mystery,” Rosé replied as she positioned herself behind her shorter girlfriend to hug her from behind, kissing Denali’s cheek “Now, I can check out my competition with the other Rosie in your life”, she joked.

“I promise you’ll be a Blink by the end of the night,” Denali said confidently, melting against the embrace.

“We’ll see about that, little diva”.

When people said time flies by when you’re having fun, Denali just realized how fast.

The concert was a rollercoaster of emotions, from the powerful beginning to the member’s solos - she definitely didn’t miss her girlfriend’s ‘mom dancing’ behind her.

And now, the soft guitar notes of Hope Not filled the stadium. The ballad had always been one of Denali’s favorites, those raw emotions she had felt so many times were being so beautifully sang out loud and it made her teary-eyed.

Rosé kept her arms secured around her waist, rocking her from side to side. The brunette closed her eyes, fully letting the song guide her.

That’s when she heard Rosé’s voice in her ear, so quiet yet overpowering everything else.

“I love you”.

Denali’s eyes shot open and quickly turned around to be met with the most beautiful smile Rosé had ever given to her, she could only see pure love in her eyes staring back at her.

She hadn’t even realized the tears spilled down her cheeks as she went in to connect their lips.

Nothing else mattered to her at that moment.

It was just her and her Rosie.

The warm autumn air filled Denali’s living room as they cuddled on the couch, watching a movie.

It was almost midnight when the end credits started rolling, the younger girl was already half-asleep, clinging to her girlfriend like a koala bear.

Rosé turned off the TV and turned her attention to her girlfriend, “C’mon, little diva, let go of me, I have to catch the bus home”.

Denali grunted, “Noooo, don’t leave meee,” she protested, her cheek firmly against Rosé’s chest.

“I gotta get home, baby”, the pink-haired girl tried to reason.

“This is your home too. You should just move in already,” Denali replied, slugging her words.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Rosé stopped for a moment to think about it. She smiled looking down at her girlfriend’s serene face.

She definitely could see herself wanting to wake up to that every day for a long time.

Denali woke up in her bed the following day, not remembering how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the couch with-

She shot up and went to the kitchen. She found a still-warm cup of coffee and a note.

She almost choked on the drink as she read the small piece of paper.

I thought you’d never ask

to move in together

Get those papers ready, angel

Your Rosie

PS: we’ve some remodeling to do, mama

Denali couldn’t help the pink tint from erupting across her face. She definitely blamed her sleepy self for being so open with her girlfriend.

On the other side, she had to call her landlord.

Her search for a roommate was over for good.

#rpdr fanfiction #s13 #denali foxx #rosé #olivia lux #lagoona bloo #jan sport #gottmik #rosnali #mentions of jankie #fluff #lesbian au #diner au #moonshot #submission

21 notes · View notes

natsugia · 3 years

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Sneak Previews

I know, I know. I said that the next chapters to The Weight We Carry Is Love (TWWCIL) and Of Soul And Spirit (OSAS) would be up like two months ago, but I'm sadly, I'm still working on them. Writing has been a little bit slow lately, but we're getting there. Hoping to post the next chapters really soon.

For now though, I thought I'd at least give a sneak preview for each chapter, since you guys have been so amazingly sweet and patient, absolute saint-like. Hope this can tide you over until I'm finally able to post.

TWWCIL Chapter 4 Excerpt

“Hey you!” They both turned in response to the shout to find a short Korean girl wearing pigtails and glasses, lips downturned in a frown, rapidly marching up to them.

Jess eyed the girl appreciatively at first -- finally someone that breaks the mold -- until seeing the “Jesus is my homeboy” t-shirt. He quietly groaned. One of them. Wonderful. Just what he needed.

Luke let out a similar groan and opened his mouth to speak, but the girl just plowed right through to Jess, a finger pointed at his chest.

“Listen here you opportunistic, devious, sex-addicted fiend!” yelled the girl as she jabbed him repeatedly in the chest.

Jess’ eyebrows rose sharply. He’d been called a lot of things in his life, even some of these words in a different context over the years, but considering he’d barely been in this town for a day, he had to say he was surprised by the accusation. He hadn’t even had time to do anything devious or fiendish, and where the hell did sex-addicted come from? He made out with Rory once - ONCE - less than twelve hours ago. Surely that’s not enough to ascribe him that label.

He glanced back down at her shirt again and reconsidered.

“Excuse me?” he finally asked her, a bit of annoyance bleeding through his tone. He glanced at Luke, but his uncle only shook his head and sighed in exasperation. Gee, thanks for the help, Uncle Luke.

The girl growled as he leaned out of reach from her finger before squaring her shoulders and placing her hands on her hips. “Where the hell do you get off putting your hands all over Rory like that?” she questioned. She was shorter than him by a few inches, but she easily stood her ground, eyes boring into his with indignation and suspicion.

He frowned. So this was about Rory? Word sure travelled fast. Also, what was wrong with kissing the girl you’ve liked for months? First Lorelai. Then that total circus act at the diner. And now this girl. He did not understand this town. “What?” he asked again in a sharper tone.

The girl again plowed through his confusion. “First off, she already has a boyfriend--”

He might have smiled at that. Sure, he may have dreamt about him and Rory together for months, but he never really thought it would happen. It was a pipe dream. And then he moved in with his uncle who just so happened to live in the same town as her. Which meant he got to live in the same town as her. If he actually did drugs, he would check the quality of his stash right about now.

“--One she’s absolutely crazy about--”

He sure hoped so. Otherwise moving out here would just be another cruel twist of fate in the life of Jess Mariano.

“And even though his dislike for Sting is questionable, he’s perfect for her--”

“Right,” he said slowly as pieces clicked in his mind. Only two people knew how much he hated the British rockstar. He took another assessment of the girl in front of him. Korean, fiery, protective of Rory, and now that he was paying attention, her voice was familiar. This girl could only be one person. His lips widened into a smirk. This would be entertaining.

“--And while he lives in New York, and you look like Stallone’s younger hotter brother--”

“Thank you.”

“--that doesn’t give you the right to put any of your greasy paws all over my best friend. She’s not like that. She’s amazing and brilliant and she’s going to Harvard--”

His smirk turned warmer. “I know.”

“--So don’t even think about messing that up for her since you’re obviously headed to working 80 hours a week in a sweaty garage--”

He nodded once. “Got it.”

“--And I don’t care if you’re Luke’s nephew or where you come from, but if you touch her again, you’re gonna find yourself fending off broken bones from a giant cricket bat! My mother taught me how to swing one.” She shook a fist at him.

He bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. “Noted. You done?”

She squinted at him. “For now. But I’m watching you. That Metallica shirt barely gets you any points.”

“Ah, but it does get me some points?”

“NO!” she yelled in his face. He grinned.

“It’s just they’re a great band,” she amended with a haughty air before she turned her head and muttered, “And the shirt might match your eyes.”

“Huh.” He turned to Luke. “Imagine that.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Ignoring that.”

"But," Lane interjected with a stern look, "any very miniscule points you may have earned were wiped out by your inability to keep your hands to yourself. And not just wiped out, but negatively netted. You're in the red with me."

"Uh huh. And if Rory asked for the hands?"

Her finger was back in his face. "You!!!" she yelled, outraged.

Luke stepped in between with his palms up. "Okay. Knock it off." He pointed to Lane, who was still glaring at Jess. “If you couldn’t guess, that’s Rory’s best friend, Lane. Lane, this is my nephew Jess.”

Jess watched in amusement as Lane's eyes grew wide as saucers and her jaw dropped, the anger completely disappearing from her face. “Jess?!” she finally squeaked. “As in Rory’s Jess?”

“In the flesh.”

“You’re Luke’s nephew?”

Luke narrowed his eyes at Lane. “You knew about them?”

Lane pointed to herself. “Best friend.”

Luke gave her a pointed look. “Right.”

Jess shrugged. “World’s too small.”

She absently nodded. “No kidding. This is what you look like?” she asked as she scanned him head to toe, surprise still etched in the corners of her mouth.

“Yes?” he drawled out hesitantly. He quickly glanced down at his shirt, jeans, and Vans. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

She blinked rapidly, as if to clear her vision before shaking her head. “So trippy. This has got to be like fate or something.”

He tilted his head in agreement. “The universe works in mysterious ways.”

Slowly a smile worked onto her face as Lane realized just exactly who her best friend was kissing last night. “That she does.”

OSAS Chapter 8 Excerpt

“You!!!” Her shout danced off tables and floors, and how she wished a hole would swallow her now that everyone in the room was staring at her.

Including the guy from the bodega earlier, the book hanging loose in his hand.

Including the Boss, whose eyes felt cold and empty as they locked on hers.

“There a problem?” Bennelli asked in a measured tone.

Her mouth dried up under his gaze. “How are -- this is -- he didn’t--” she stumbled over her words, tongue rough against the roof of her mouth as she stood too in shock over her gaffe, over this mysterious person’s presence at the meeting to truly speak.

Johnny stood slightly behind Bennelli, a wry half-grin on his face. She did not want to know what that meant. Interrupting the Boss as he was speaking couldn’t possibly lead to something good.

She swallowed hastily, the lump barely making its way past her constricted throat.

Bennelli gave her another once over before switching his gaze to the young Italian with the book.

“Jess, you know her?”

Jess. His name was Jess. She had no clue why her brain filed away the information. Probably because of the book.

Definitely because of the book.

Jess shrugged and gestured to her with the novel in his hand. “We bumped into each other while shopping today. She threatened me with a pair of packaged scissors.”

Rory internally groaned as a few chuckles scattered throughout the room. She needed all the cool points she could muster at this point, and that confession was not helping.

“Should have taken them out of the plastic,” she heard Nick mutter as he tightened his grip around the blonde’s neck. “Would have done more damage.”

Angelo next to him just shook his head with a sigh. “Wasted opportunity.”

There was a hint of jibe at Angelo’s words, a mock at the relayed event, but she couldn’t tell if it was directed at her. She turned back to Jess with a sharpened gaze, and that smirk on his face said it all. They were making fun of her. She could see the smirks matching with a young Tristan’s at Chilton, matching the tone of voice as he steadfastly called her Mary. She knew that smirk, and she hated it. So, pushing the embarrassment aside, she grabbed hold of her old friends, wit and spite, and said, “Funny you call it shopping when you didn’t even pay for the super glue.”

Shit. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say because now the smile seemed genuine. Rory was definitely not looking.

“That is funny,” she heard him say, traces of the Burroughs lingering after the words trailed off, “since I don’t recall you paying for your gum either.”

Rory felt her jaw drop for a second time. “How did you--”

He lifted his eyebrow as he interjected, leaning toward her slightly, “That was a nice touch with the shelves though.”

Oh god, he thought it was intentional. “That wasn’t--” She bit back her reply quick when she saw the Boss’s eyes slide to hers.

“Shelves?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Shit. She definitely couldn’t say that it was an accident now.

Jess had no problem answering though. “She might have knocked over a few as a distraction.”

“I--” she started again, but the words were stuck in her throat. There was definite interest in Bennelli’s eyes now.

She couldn’t stop the shiver at the back of her neck as he replied, “Is that so?”

#fic previews #sneak peaks #gg fanfic #literati fic #twwcil #osas #natsfics #previews under the cut #i know it's been like a year and a half #but i swear they're both coming #chapter four of twwcil will probably be first #cause I only have two more scenes to finish up with that one before it's done #i don't know about chapter 8 for osas though #fingers crossed i have both of them up by the end of the month #we'll have to see though #most likely it'll just be twwcil #and i'll probably have osas up some time in september

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jemej3m · 4 years

Text

objection

because im now a law/crim student, this is all im gonna fuckin write about

anyway here’s andrew as neil’s defence attorney (totally inspired by @aymmidumps‘ amazing andrew here)

gruesome crime descriptions but neil’s not a butcher in this one

“Wesninki’s applying for an appeal,” was all Andrew heard from the minute he’d stepped into the office. It was all anyone could - and would - talk about.

Reasonably so, Andrew presumed. Nathaniel Wesninski had been locked up since his nineteenth birthday, when he slit his father’s throat. Andrew reckons he should’ve never been charged with murder, especially when considering his father was the Butcher of Baltimore, but Andrew had been just an undergraduate student at the time. There was nothing he could’ve done.

Now, though.

Now Andrew was just over thirty and steadily climbing the ranks. He hadn’t intended on becoming a defense attorney, but it just so happened that he was damn good at keep kids out of jail. The juvenile detention system was just a cog in the wheel of dysfunction, after all: he knew that first hand.

Survivors of violent assault who had killed their attackers were also common clients of Andrew’s. Those with mental illnesses and drug addictions found their way into his stack of case files, too. He’d always thought he’d be on the right side of the law, throwing shitty people in jail and fixing the system one day at a time.

This was alright too, he supposed.

“Hey, Minyard,” Boyd leaned against the door-frame of Andrew’s office. He had his own private space, unlike the others, who often shared offices with two or three of their colleagues. Andrew was just lucky. Or favoured.

“Let me guess,” Andrew said, without looking up from his file on a thirteen-year-old being charged with battery and theft. “Dan’s pissy because I didn’t turn up to dinner on Friday, there’s free coffee in the break room, Wesninski’s applying for appeal and Wymack wants me?”

“Uh,” Matt squinted. “Yes? How the hell did you guess?”

Andrew gave Matt a bored look. “You talk too loud. The walls are thin, you know.”

The man huffed, conflicted between being impressed and disgruntled at Andrew’s usual bitchiness. He simply threw his hands up and vanished from Andrew’s doorway, most likely to groan to his wife about how incorrigible Andrew seemed to be.

He threw his file onto his desk, locked his office door behind him and swung past the break room to dump three packets of sugar into a free latte. By the time he arrived at Wymack’s door, the man was already stood up, most definitely unimpressed by Andrew’s tardiness. And his lack of tie.

He did wear a tie to court. Most of the time.

“Nice of you to finally show up,” the old man grunted, tugging on the cuffs of his casual blazer. Andrew fucking hated blazers. They were always too tight around his shoulders. “I suppose you already know what this is all about?”

“Seeing as Allison, Robin and Renee have all tried to talk my ear off about it, yes. I’m aware Wesninski is trying for appeal.”

Wymack wasn’t impressed. “What you don’t know is that he’s come to us to represent him.”

Andrew paused. Now that was interesting. Nathaniel Wesninski was halfway between New York and Baltimore. Why the fuck would he recruit from seedy South Carolina? There was no viable reason, unless -

“Kevin,” he deduced. “How do they know each other?”

“Moriyamas and Wesninskis ran in the same circles, before it all got shut down.” Wymack arched a brow. “Wesninski figures that Kevin is the only person he can trust.”

“Kevin won’t do it,” Andrew shook his head. “He doesn’t touch anything Moriyama related with a ten-foot pole.”

“Wesninski knows that. Which is why he’s asked for you: Kevin passed him on.”

Andrew closed his eyes, very, very briefly, as he cocked his head at his boss. “You want me to get the most notorious gangster’s son out of jail.”

“At least have him commuted to manslaughter,” Wymack suggested.

At least, Andrew thought. He remembered looking over the Wesninski case in his third year. Nathaniel Wesninski had laughed, incredulous, as the FBI lead him away in handcuffs, nearly losing his fingers in an effort to cling onto the knife that he’d used to end Nathan Wesninski’s life.

That wasn’t manslaughter. That was homicide of the first degree, plastered over the front page of every newspaper the next day.

"You’ll owe me,” Andrew warned.

“I’ll cover your bar tab at the Foxhole for the rest of the year,” Wymack conceded.

Andrew huffed. “It’s February.”

Wymack arched an eyebrow.

Andrew had a feeling he’d regret this. He hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his slacks and rocked back on his heels, looking to the ceiling. “Fine.”

“It was an order, not a request,” Wymack grunted. “Get out of my office and get a visitation permit.”

Andrew, already fed up with a case he’d only just been assigned, turned on his heel and dutifully marched off.

The drive was nine and a half hours. Andrew could’ve made it a single-day round trip on a plane, but he refused to fly somewhere he could drive instead. He booked a half-hour slot with Wesninski on Saturday afternoon: if he found the man interesting enough, he’d bribe a guard to let him back in Sunday morning. Then he’d drive home, midday Sunday.

At least Wymack was letting him stay in a nice hotel in Philadelphia. It almost made the journey worth it, but he wouldn’t jump the gun. It would only be a worthwhile trip if he figured that Wesninski wasn’t hopeless. The man was just 29. It was nearly 10 years since he’d been locked up. Andrew’s chances were - practically slim to none.

Half-way through the drive Nicky called.

“Heard you’re going to see Wesninski,” he said, the phone somewhat masking Nicky’s obvious curiosity.

Andrew sighed. “Aaron needs to shut his mouth.”

“Aaron comes to family dinners,” Nicky objected. “He has every right to tell me whatever he wants. Speaking of - if I promise you a whole loaf of garlic bread, will you come to the next one?”

Andrew huffed. “I’m busy.”

“Yeah, yeah, you hate socialising, you’ll tolerate dealing with Aaron at work but nowhere else, blah blah. What about me? Your dear, old cousin?”

“Fine,” Andrew grunted. “Now, leave me alone.”

“Yes!” Nicky crowed, but whatever response he had after that was cut off. Andrew dropped his phone back in the passenger seat, turning the radio back up and relaxing into his chair.

It was a further five hours after that disturbance till his arrival at SCI Phoenix, Philadelphia. Andrew would always despise how depressing prison complexes looked. Chain link fences and brick boxes, splayed out like a progression of architectural failures. The parking lot was enormous and empty. Andrew parked far enough away that his nice car wasn’t in direct sight from the prison’s visiting entrance, fixing up his suit and tie and slinging the strap of his briefcase over his shoulder.

The guard by the door snapped his fingers for identification. Andrew flicked his license towards him, gaze deadened by boredom. The guard almost winced when Andrew sighed, looking to the clock. Once he was finally granted access, he took the lanyard and shoved his way through the doors.

Visitation was close to shutting up when Andrew arrived, miserable loved ones reaching for final hugs and brief kisses. Andrew was lead by the duty guard to a private room, waiting by the barred door.

Wesninski was already waiting for him inside. His hands were cuffed to the table, fiddling with a blunt key. His red curls were overgrown and messy, the grey jumpsuit hanging off his small frame.

When the door clanged shut, Wesninski looked up. His eyes were the most spectacular blue Andrew had ever seen, his face marred by horrific scars and the stitches used to hold him together. He looked ridiculously unimpressed. Andrew, meanwhile, smothered any flickers of emotion as intrigue sparked in his chest.

Damn, he thought.

“Unlock him,” Andrew said, to the guard.

The guard arched an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“Obviously,” Andrew said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t have knives on his person - they’d set off the metal detector - but he was never vulnerable. He made a promise that he’d never be taken advantage of again.

Wesninski flexed his wrists when the guard unlocked them, giving Andrew a thinly veiled look of appraisal. The guard immediately skittered off to stand outside the door, holding the interrogation room’s keys in tightly clenched fists.

“So,” Wesninski said, holding out a hand. “You’re the famous Andrew Minyard.”

"And you are the infamous Nathaniel Wesninski,” Andrew returned, ignoring the warmth of his skin as they shook hands. He sat down: the shitty metal chair creaked. “We both seem to have names and reputations that precede us.”

Nathaniel’s eye twitched slightly. “I prefer Neil.”

Andrew leant back in his chair, leg crossed at the ankle. “You seriously think they’re going to let you out?”

“Well,” Neil admitted. “Probably not. But I figured I’d give it a shot. It should be safer out there now.”

“You’ve been hiding in here? Who from, your father’s ghost?”

Neil was not impressed. “His bosses, actually. But since Kengo’s second son was shot between the eyes and his first son locked up for it, I should be fine.”

“Riko and Ichirou,” Andrew deduced. “Kevin’s mentioned them once or twice.”

Neil just glared. “I can’t believe that coward won’t help me.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes. “He owes you, does he? What for? Helping him escape the Moriyamas? Wait - that was me. What about coping with his trauma and reestablishing his career? Nevermind - that was me, too. Goodness, you haven’t been around much, have you? Right, right,” Andrew leaned over the table, resting his chin on his laced fingers. “You’ve been in jail for ten years.”

“You are not funny,” Neil snapped, gripping onto his blunt key.

“I don’t know if it’s worth my time, Mr Wesninski,” Neil flinched again. “Convince me.”

“Other than it’s what is just?” Andrew arched an eyebrow. Neil huffed. “Fine. I’ll pay you. Double your normal fee.”

“Prison pays well, does it?”

“Blood money,” Neil had the audacity to wink. Dammit, Andrew thought again. “I already know you’re quite happy to spend dirty cash, Minyard. A G6, right? Bit of an upgrade from your mother’s car.”

He should not know that. “You’re not exactly winning me over, here.”

Neil leaned back in his chair, fiddling with the stupid little key. He must have spent the last decade tracing it down to its current blunt status. Andrew wondered what it used to unlock.

Okay - he was intrigued by Neil. And yes, his narrative fit Andrew’s bill. And some spare cash wouldn’t hurt: he could sent Nicky and Erik over to Christmas for the summer.

“What’s something you’ve never given anyone?” Andrew inquired.

Neil looked up from under his ruby-tinted lashes. “What?”

“I want something that no one else has.” Andrew leaned further forward, leaning in close. “What do you have to offer me, Wesninski?”

For a moment, Neil simply stared. His fingers stilled. He definitely had a few tattoos and scars, from what Andrew could glean at the little slice of a sharp collarbone, exposed by the jumpsuit.

It was silent - almost electric. Andrew watched as something behind Neil’s eyes crumbled, the exhaustion settling in, the loneliness of a man who had known nothing but pain and suffering and isolation.

“Everyone knows Nathaniel Wesninski,” Neil said. “No one knows Neil.”

Andrew felt the remnants of a smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

“I’ll tell you the truth,” Neil offered, glaring at the table like it offended him. “I’ve never told the truth before.”

Andrew stood up, offering his hand. Neil followed suit, grip hesitant where he clasped Andrew’s hand.

“I’ll get you out of here,” Andrew said.

“You’ll try,” Neil corrected him.

“Here’s something you should know about me, Neil,” Andrew tugged on his suit jacket, fixing his cuffs. “I never fail a promise.”

Andrew felt Neil’s gaze, watching him as he left. As Andrew filtered past the guard, he snuck a two hundred into the guard’s pocket.

“Nine o’clock, tomorrow morning,” he said. “Bring him here.”

The guard, moon-eyed, just nodded.

Andrew glanced over his shoulder for one last assessment of his newest client. Neil was leant against the table they had spoken at, arms crossed as he glared in Andrew’s direction. His hair flopped forward, masking one eye. Like this, with his tattooed forearms and shoulders and hell-fire hair, he looked dangerous.

In his right hand, he played with his key.

Andrew spun on his heel and left. He knew he’d made the right decision.

Neil Wesninski would get out of jail, if it was the last thing Andrew did.

#andreil #andrew minyard #lawyer!andrew #felon!neil #neil josten #all for the game #defence attorneys don't always suck!#aftg #tfc #the foxes #law firm!foxes #david wymack #kevin day #tw: a lil bit of mentioned murder #the tension between them is just #mwah #i love my boys #jem writes

758 notes · View notes

criminalminds4days · 4 years

Text

Family Matters | Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

Hello my beautiful souls!!

I hope this of you who celebrate Christmas had and amazing time, and those if you who don't had a great Friday!

I had a really chill holiday, and although I was supposed to be home and that didn't happen, I'm still glad I had a good time. I got a watch for Christmas and I'm obsessed!!

Anyway, I also wanted to let you guys know I'll be posting the story on Wattpad, and thanks to @meowiemari I also have a cover. I have attached it below! My wattpad user is @criminalminds4days so feel free to follow and read along!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's one of my favorites. 💙💙

Warnings: Swearing, sexual references, violence and murder references, public embarrassment, and very bad jokes!

Word Count: 3.6k

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Tag list: @mcntsee @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel @evelyncade @haylaansmi @paulaern @myfandomlife-blog

*************************************************

(This gif is not mine)

Chapter 4: Saying Sorry is a Virtue

It had been a little over three months since her absolute wrecking of the family retreat. She had managed to get her mom to get past it, and though she had promised to apologize to the rest of her aunts and uncles, she had not gotten around (well, more like she didn't think it was necessary, they probably had already forgotten, and she did actually mean every word she said).

Her team and she had evaded more danger than possible in the last couple of weeks, and she had a feeling today she would not be returning to her bed to sleep. She also had to figure out what she wanted to get Spencer for his birthday. She was so excited to celebrate with him that she wanted to spill her idea of a surprise birthday party to him, but she needed to remain strong. She just hoped he would like it, and that she could find something to give him. She knew him so much better now and had so many things that he would like, but she wanted this gift to be unique, something that reminded him of her. Not that she wanted him thinking about her all the time because that would be weird, but maybe once in a while?

A knock on her door made her get out of her head. She walked to see Tyler Hemingway standing on the other side.

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"I just-" He looked at the floor, nervous. "I was just hoping we could talk."

"We can talk right here, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to say I am sorry, for what happened."

"What exactly? That you humiliated me in front of my family, or that your wife called me and my boyfriend liars."

"All of it, I should have known better."

"Yes, you should have." She debated whether to say something else but decided against it. "I honestly don't understand where this is coming from, it was two years ago."

"I know, and I am also sorry it has taken me so long to say anything. I just didn't know how to approach the situation, and what we had was so special, I wish I hadn't ruined it."

She had waited to hear those words for so long that how wrong what she did, didn't occur to her until the damage had been done. Even if her feelings for the man in front of her were not the same as they were two years ago, those words were enough to make her become less hostile towards him. She let Tyler in, forgetting Spencer was waiting for her to pick him up in about twenty minutes.

"Spencer? Why are you late?"

"Because she didn't pick me up like she was supposed to. I assumed she may be running a little late, so I waited and then I called her, but it went straight to voicemail." He responded to Emily.

"That is so not like her, should we be worried?"

"I don't know, but I already am, maybe we should go see if she's home or something."

The elevator doors opened once again as Spencer and Emily were preparing themselves to raid her house in order to find her. She stepped out, a look of immense guilt present as her eyes landed on the brunette. He did not seem upset, more like relieved she was there. Emily dropped her jacket and embraced her, a huge weight lifting off her shoulders after seeing her. When she was released from the woman's hug, she directed her eyes back to him.

"I am so sorry; I was on my way-" before she could explain Aaron Hotchner told them to join the rest of the team at the round table to discuss the next case.

"This one is a bad one," JJ said as she read through the file. "These people are killing families. Not even the children are spared."

"Yeah, and it's only getting worse." Said Penelope as she shared the pictures of the crime scenes. She wished she could concentrate but Spencer kept glancing at her with worry. He knew something wasn't right, but she didn't know how to explain it without sounding like she was digging herself in a bigger hole.

She avoided him on the jet, as she pretended to be asleep and then engaged in a very interesting conversation with JJ about diapers and toddlers. As much as she loved the blonde, she sometimes didn't appreciate learning all these baby facts, it took the wishes to have children away faster than anything else.

She was now in a black SUV, with Spencer in the back seat and Emily driving. She sat in the front seat as they drove towards the hospital. One of the girls had been spared and they were hoping to talk to her about the unsubs.

"So, why were you late this morning?" Emily questioned, "You left Cinderella over there without his carriage."

"Yeah, I know. I am so sorry Spencer."

"It's okay, I just got worried."

"I know, and I am so sorry." She took a deep breath, preparing to explain to them why she had been delayed. "I just got some unexpected company this morning."

"Was it Anna?"

"No, she has been radio silent for these past couple of months, I'm assuming she is building a bulletproof alibi for when she decides to murder me."

"Is there something I should know about?" Emily asked as she stole glances at her.

"Spencer and I went to my family retreat a couple of months ago and when we were there I may or may not have basically told my aunts and uncles to go fuck themselves."

"You explicitly told them to do so." Spencer clarified.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because they all sucked. Emily if you would have been there, you would have done the same." Spencer responded. "But going back to the main topic, who came to your apartment today? Was it your mom?"

"We need to have a conversation about this whole family retreat thing!" The woman behind the steering wheel complained.

"I will tell you all about it tonight." She assured her. "And no, Spence, it wasn't my mom, it was someone a little closer to Anna."

"Her mom?"

"No, Tyler."

There was no response to that, Spencer looked like he didn't know exactly what he was feeling, while Emily seemed like she had returned to watch her favorite show only to find out she missed a whole season, and she had no idea what happened to the storyline she was following.

"Who's Tyler?"

"Anna's husband." She clarified, "he came to apologize for everything, and to say that he didn't think what Anna did was okay."

Reid scoffed, "and you believe him?"

"He seemed very genuine about it."

"Unbelievable."

"I am so lost right now."

"Spencer, are you upset about this?"

"Me? Why should I? It's not like I pretended to be your boyfriend to prevent him from making you feel any worse than he had already, and you ended up right back at where you started."

"Are you implying I slept with him?"

"I never said that."

"Well then what are you saying? Because need I remind you, he is a married man. I would never do something like that." She crossed her arms, becoming defensive of the situation. "He simply wanted to talk, so I listened. It was a conversation, and it's just going to be a dinner. Nothing more."

"Oh, so you're going on a date with him too?"

"It's not a date! Did I not mention he was married?! To another woman!"

"Being with someone else has never stopped him before."

"What is happening right now?" Emily asked, to no one in particular.

"Seriously Spencer?"

"Did I lie?"

"Why are you so worked up about this? It doesn't even concern you."

"I am upset, because even after he told you in front of all your family that he was in love with your cousin and married her, breaking your heart, he says, 'I'm sorry' and suddenly he's back on the top of your priority list." He spits out, his emotions running high.

"This man did what now?" Both looked at Prentiss as if remembering she was there all along.

"I can't believe you just said that! I confided in you."

"And I trusted you."

"It was one day! I forgot to pick you up one day and suddenly I am the worst person on this planet, really?"

"Are you seriously so oblivious to think this is about some stupid ride?"

"Guys,"

"No? Then what is this about? Is this about me making you look bad or something?"

"No, it's about the fact that after all we've been through and the fact that I have done all I can to help you and be there for you I am still less important than Tyler fucking Hemingway."

"Guys,"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys,"

"It doesn't even matter anymore, enjoy your dinner." He undid his seat belt. "Why didn't you tell me we were here Emily?"

"I have been trying."

"Let's go then." He said as he exited the SUV marching up to the hospital entrance.

"What is his problem?" She asked Emily, still heated by the discussion.

"Well,-"

Before Prentiss could respond she was cut off. "I mean, yes, this guy broke my heart but that doesn't mean I have to hold a grudge forever, right? I might as well move past it, don't you think?"

"If you ask me-"

"And it was one conversation, and we're going out to dinner to finish it, there is nothing wrong with that. I don't know why he got so worked up about it, do you?"

"Yeah-"

"You know what, screw Spencer, if he wants to be a jerk for no fucking reason, let him do it. I am not going to lose sleep over it, nor am I gonna give him explanations. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"I think-"

"Yeah, you're right Emily, when Reid decides to get his shit together he can talk to me, in the meantime, we need to find out who these unsubs are before they hurt anyone else." She undid her seatbelt and opened the door, Emily still sitting there, trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, sure." She followed suit and they both entered the hospital. Spencer was speaking to the girl's nurse as they approached, he didn't make any comments, but he also didn't acknowledge her, nor invite her into the conversation as he did to Emily. He was acting professional and doing his job, but his stance and emotions were very clear by the lack of interactions between them unless it was absolutely necessary.

As soon as Emily entered the room to interview the victim, the silence that engulfed them made her heart tighten. Spencer and she had gone past this already, they were friends, there was never a silent moment between them, and now all of that seemed to vanish in the air, all because of her decision to let Tyler Hemingway apologize.

She chose to ignore the situation until further notice. Emily was right, Spencer was being a dramatic prick and she was just gonna give him the time to realize that he was wrong. So when she got to bed, grateful for a bit of peace knowing one of the killers had been identified and was going to be caught soon, the last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with Emily about the topic this same one had told her to not think about.

"I didn't say to just ignore it. As a matter of fact, I didn't get one sentence out during the whole drive to the hospital."

"That can't be true."

"Oh, but it was. Now I know how Reid felt when Gideon left." She fixed her shirt and continued, "well, regardless, what happened between you and Tyler, and what exactly does Dr. Genius know?"

"Spence knows pretty much everything, it kind of came with the territory." She recounted the story and this time she didn't leave any detail out, well, almost didn't leave any detail out.

Emily learned about Anna and their rivalry, Tyler and him choosing her cousin over her, the only thing she never even brought up was her dad. Only Spencer knew about it and she wanted to keep it that way. She finally landed on the weekend in question and the words she had shared with her cousin. Though that wasn't exactly what Prentiss found worrisome.

"You and Reid kissed?! Like on the lips?!" She screamed.

"Yeah, it was just so they would stop bugging us. It's not even the first time we kissed, so why is it a big deal?"

"Wait, you've kissed him before that day?"

"Yeah, at my cousin's wedding."

"Holy shit! I was not expecting that. My OTP is getting all these moments that will eventually lead to the ship sailing and I didn't even know about them!"

"Have you started talking another language by accident or something? I don't understand anything of what you just said."

"Don't worry about it. On a scale of one to ten, how good of a kisser is he?"

"Eleven." She responded immediately, "but that has nothing to do with this whole situation."

"It definitely does! Now it makes sense, Reid thinks you still have feelings for your ex, and he's jealous. He probably doesn't even know it, and he's probably trying to understand why he is so upset with you. Oh my god, he's jealous!"

"Emily, he's not jealous. Spence and I are not dating, we pretended to be a couple." She explained, thinking the woman hadn't understood her.

"Yeah, I know that, but I also know that any fake dating movie or book has always reached a point where the two main characters become unconsciously aware of their feelings. This is it! THIS IS IT!" She shook her and laughed, then suddenly came to a stop. "Oh my god, I am the best friend. I am definitely the friend that gives some wise advice that makes it click in your brain, let me think," she looked around the room as if inspiration would pop out of the bed. "I got it: get your shit together and marry Spencer." She stood and walked out the door, before fully closing it she spoke again, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk some sense into our little genius. Love you, hope I am invited to the wedding!"

Though after the break in the case they had found themselves relieved and on their way back, the nagging feeling she called Emily Prentiss kept insisting that both doctors were actually in love and that all they needed to do was kiss and become a couple. It was so constant that even when she wasn't around she could hear her echo. Like right then when she was trying to brush her hair and mentally prepare herself for whatever this dinner with Tyler was going to bring. Though she and Spencer had not yelled or continued to argue, there was nothing else left of their friendship, at least that's what it seemed like. It was as if the past months were a dream and they were just back to being coworkers, and that feeling was burning her up inside. She did not realize how important he had become in her life until he wasn't a part of it anymore.

"You look great," Tyler said as she entered the restaurant.

"Thanks, Spence helped me pick out this shirt when we went to the mall a couple of weeks ago. He said blue always looked good on me."

"That's great." The man responded, clearly uncomfortable. "So, I know you had to leave for work the other day, but I was hoping now we could talk more about what happened between us."

"Yes, of course."

She didn't really understand how she had gotten to the point of having an actual conversation with the man sitting across from her, because she had been angry at him for so long, that it never occurred to her as a possibility. He had once again apologized and given her a tale of how he had let his emotions guide him without realizing he could hurt others, and while that didn't excuse his actions, she still accepted his apology, choosing instead to move on from their current limbo. They had quickly changed the conversation, like if two old friends had reconnected after so long. Tyler was a great friend when he wanted to be, he was pleasant company, to say the least.

"And the other day, Spence was trying to learn to play the piano, and I told him there was no way he could learn in a week. So what did he do? He-"

"Stop, just stop!" He interrupted her, and she furrowed her eyebrows confused. "I have been sitting here for an hour listening to you talk about your stupid boyfriend and his IQ of 187." He rubbed his hands through his face and tried to calm down. "Was this the plan all along? You heard me tell you that I wished I hadn't ruined our relationship and decided playing with me was perfect revenge? Accepting dinner only to humiliate me by ignoring me and choosing to talk about that Spencer guy? Is he in on it or something?"

Oh. My. God.

Reid was right, this man was not looking to mend old friendships or start a new chapter, he was looking for a mistress.

"You, are the worst type of jerk I have ever met. I actually believed you wanted to be friends, to turn the page but all you wanted was to get in my pants." She stood, grabbing her drink and spilling it over him. "I hope I never see you again. Go fuck yourself Tyler." She walked, but before she exited the restaurant she returned and gave him a fake smile, "and also, Thank you for humiliating me in front of my family, you showed me how little you were and that I could do so much better. Say, an FBI agent with an IQ of 187." Once again she turned and this time she didn't even bother looking back.

The drive to her apartment was long, mostly because she didn't drive there, but to Spencer Reid's home. She felt her palms sweat, she hated admitting she was wrong, but she hated not having Spencer around much more than a bruised ego. She knocked on the door and Spencer opened, he looked confused, but as soon as he registered her in he simply raised an eyebrow and changed his confused demeanor to a completely neutral.

"I came to tell you that you were right. He just wanted to get in pants." There was no response, and she fiddled with her hands. "I actually thought he wanted to apologize, and I think part of me just wanted to believe that for the first time I was not being used, that people actually cared about what I felt."

"There are people that care about you, they are just not the wants you wanted to."

"No, they are! I thought I needed the people who wronged me to fix it, to show me that I was worth the trouble when in reality all I needed was for me to understand that I was. And I just needed a reminder that the people that care about me are the ones that should matter the most." A trace of a smile formed on his lips. "I am so sorry about how I acted, and I am sorry I left you here waiting for me. Spencer Reid, you are my best friend and you come before any other jerk out there. I need you to know that this time in which I didn't have you with me was miserable. I missed you so much I spent the whole dinner with Tyler talking about you."

"You did?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, I did. I missed you, and I hope we never fight again, I don't know what I would do without your friendship."

"I missed you too." She bit her lip, and he smiled. "Wanna come in and watch TV?"

"I would love that."

"That's good to hear, I am trying to get Spence here to watch Dance Moms with me but he refuses, maybe if there is two of us, he'll change his mind." A voice inside his apartment spoke. He opened the door to reveal Emily Prentiss wearing Pjs with The Hunger Games symbols on them. "May I say, you look hot. Blue suits you."

"So I've been told."

"Are you sure you can handle being in that close all night though? Maybe Spencer can lend you one of his shirts." She said, winking at them.

"Has she been drinking?"

"It's her third bottle of wine."

"We need to cut her off."

"Yeah, we do." He smiled at her, "She's right though, if you want to borrow something more comfortable let me know."

"Careful Spencer Reid, I might take you up on that."

"Awwww, YOU TWO ARE ADORABLE!" The woman screamed. "Just get married already!"

The pair laughed and made their way to the sofa, she closed the door behind her and sat down, feeling whole for the first time this week. Emily and Spencer were the best friends a girl could ask for, and she couldn't think of a better way to spend the rest of her night than watching trash TV with the two of them as they laughed and joked.

It was home.

#spencer x y/n #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds #cm

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salenakingston · 3 years

Text

Mystery March Day 20 - The Future

(Today’s prompt is very special. Today’s actually my wedding day! So how could I not do something wedding themed for today? I’ve done this one in a similar format I did for Dream. I hope you all have an amazing day, and I’ll see you tomorrow!)

It’s about time.

Whenever it came to Vivi and Lewis, those three words could be applied to a multitude of things. It was about time the two friends that spent months dancing around each other finally took the next step in their relationship. It was about time when they reconciled once the gang got back together. It was about time their flame was rekindled. And finally, it was about time they went through with making their union official.

Did it matter that Lewis was now a ghost and couldn’t really give Vivi as much as he would in life? Of course not. In fact, he would argue she had grown more starry eyed over having a supernatural partner. There would be complications, but nothing the pair weren’t willing to put all their love into making work.

And he couldn’t help but be happy for the two of them. It had been a long time coming.

I'm worried 'bout the future, future

Ain't fuckin' with that past shit baby

I'm worried 'bout the future, future, future, future

It did make him think about both the years to come, as well as looking back on the past.

Looking back was dismal. Sure, he could point back to all the good times the three of them shared, but it was marred by everything that once tore them apart. Arthur’s feelings he kept to himself, the leading cause that brought Lewis to his death. Those the others did everything to put the blame on anything but him, it was something he would never let go. He had a part to play, and to gloss over such a thing would be foolish. As Mystery had once put it, if they didn’t learn from what happened to them, something was going to happen again. Their past was a lesson, one all of them had grown from in a way. Granted, he probably took the longest, as he wasn’t always the best when it came to opening up to the two most important people in his life, but to his credit, he had gotten better.

No one could predict what would come of their future. There were many hypotheticals, so many possibilities. One thing was certain, nothing was going to break these two apart. Not anymore.

Ain't got no money for the nice things

I barely got enough for rent

Ain't got no clue 'bout where I'm going

Ain't making dollars

But at least I'm making sense

It had been a smart choice on both parties to ensure that not only was this ceremony small, but consisted only of family. Anyone outside that group would have made things… complicated. There was only so much Lewis was able to do in order to disguise himself in front of others, which usually came with a pair of sunglasses. To anyone else, it might seem a bit odd to have them be included in his outfit. The only person outside those that knew the man’s secret was the officiant.

And even that one person didn’t have to stay the entire time. Once the ceremony was over, they would be on their way. Then the groom could be free to be his true self. By now everyone else was in on the whole thing. It took longer than most, but the Peppers were overjoyed to have their son back, even if from beyond the grave.

Vivi’s family seemed suspicious, especially when Mystery’s true nature came to light. Oddly, the one least surprised was the bluenette’s grandmother. He wasn’t sure if there was a reason for that, and for someone as small as she was, she was certainly intimidating. Perhaps it was best he didn’t even try touching that subject.

And his uncle Lance, well, he seemed to be taking everything in stride. He imagined the older man would have been on the same level as Vivi’s family were it not for the fact he had been present the night all of them finally came together again. He never did understand their dynamic, but was just glad his nephew had those special in his life. So long he had spent alone, and neither Kingsmen could imagine being reverted back to a time before Tempo.

Neither bride or groom went for anything too flashy. That had never been the most important part. All that mattered was the two of them.

Don't need no cash, it ain't got no soul

Don't need the flesh, just want control

Never grown enough, you know it's just the way I do it

I want the gold

I ain't no sucker, baby

And when you least expect it

I'll be coming for ya

The ceremony was beautiful, but damn what higher being there might be if it didn’t turn out to be a little chaotic. Being that there was only family present, there weren’t as many bodies for the traditional sort of stand in. Of course Lewis wasn't hesitant to ask him to be the best man, but it was a lot more hectic on Vivi’s end. The only stand-ins for her would be Lewis’ sisters, and each one of them were, at least at first, trying to clamor for a chance to be the one standing up there with the three friends.

Eventually it was settled that all three of them could be on her side, which made for an interesting procession.

Everything from there seemed to follow a traditional format. When it came time for the vows, it was almost predictable the groom would say the sappiest things. He poured his heart out to her, and as a demonstration of his love, passed her the locket he wore. There wasn’t a day he didn’t have that showing, the excuse being it was a glowing locket given to him by someone special. Everyone bought it.

Her hands wrapped around the heart, and then it came her turn.

In typical Vivi fashion, there was no way to hide the enthusiasm she shared with everyone around her. He could see her struggling, if only not to bring up the fact that her soon to be husband wasn’t really alive. Then again, if there was anything that came from reading all the time, it was her clever use of word play. Arthur found himself chuckling mentally a couple times through the whole thing.

“Til death do us part.”

Quite, though he was sure if the bluenette died, she’d find a way to come back as a ghost too.

“Til acceptance do us part.”

I'm worried 'bout the future

Ain't fuckin' with the past

Everyone filed out, the ceremony coming to a close.

Vivi and Lewis walked arm in arm, the latter nearly taking off into the air with excitement, taking his new wife with him.

Arthur watched from the distance, a smile he held since the very beginning faltering.

Ain't got no time to waste on bullshit

You know I gotta keep my head on straight

'Cause at the rate the times keep changing

I don't really care about second place

Lance placed himself at his nephew’s side, now two sets of eyes falling on the newlyweds. Their focus rarely left one another, content to bask in the joy that was their union. He spotted the smile fall. It was hard not to look at your two best friends in the world, knowing they had so many years together in the comfort of one another. Where did that leave him? Well, he wouldn’t be a third wheel anymore, but there was that worry again.

He couldn’t possibly insert himself into their lives whenever he wanted. Would they seek to push him out now? They hadn’t before, why would they now?

He felt a hand along his shoulder, amber gaze bringing his uncle into focus. He didn’t turn his gaze to meet Arthur when he spoke, “What’s eatin’ at ya kid?”

“What? Nothing Uncle Lance.”

The gruff man only raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced by that answer. It seemed no one would believe it coming from Arthur. Not his friends, and now not even his own family. Something always seemed to bother him, and no one would settle for him bottling it up. Before he could come up with something to say, the older one spoke again, “Are you upset?”

“No, that’s not it Uncle Lance. I’m overjoyed for them. I just…” he sighed, looking back to the happy couple as they embraced, “I don’t want to be forgotten again.”

“Geez, fur bein’ best friends, ya can be so thick sometimes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Have a little more faith in ‘em.”

With that, his uncle left the blonde to himself, heading over to mingle with the other adults. Arthur’s gaze drifted to the side. A little more faith.

Don't need no cash, it ain't got no soul

Don't need the flesh, just want control

Never grown enough, you know it's just the way I do it

I want the gold

I ain't no sucker, baby

And when you least expect it

I'll be coming for ya

The night went on as normal, and soon enough, it was just the three of them, alone. All families had gone home for one reason or another. Really the only one that seemed to have a good excuse were the Peppers since Lewis’ sister were still young. They probably had a set bedtime, one that couldn’t be broken. They spent what remained of their time talking, just like they always did.

It was nice, but even they would have to get home soon enough.

Arthur pushed himself up to head to the van, offering the lovebirds a ride home. Vivi was quick to grab him by his right wrist, ensuring he felt it. His head spun around, looking at her. Confusion washed over his face as she pulled him back down to sitting with them. Lewis and Vivi exchanged glances before the ghost pulled a small box out.

When it popped open, there was a simple, golden ring resting inside. He looked between his friends and the ring, “I don’t understand.”

Their smiles softened, Lewis pulling his hand close and Vivi slipping the ring onto his finger. His face felt a little hotter, but his confusion just deepened. What was the point of all this? When the ghost released his hands, his eyes didn’t seem to focus on anything but that ring. The bluenette gave a small laugh at his reaction, but tried to clear it up, “It’s our gift to you.”

“To me?”

Lewis came next, “Our biggest mistake was making you feel unwanted, or that you had no business being with us so long as we were together.”

“So, this is our way of showing we don’t want you to leave. Anytime you start feeling like you’ve been left out, you look at that ring. We’re all stuck together until the end. Are you with us Artie?”

He didn’t say anything at first.

Lewis piped up when the silence continued to stretch on, “What do you say Artie?”

Finally his smile returned, “You two don’t even have to ask. I couldn’t imagine going on without you two.”

I'm worried 'bout the future

Ain't fuckin' with the past

Arthur sat in bed once he got home, holding his hand out in front of him to marvel at the gift his two friends gave him, on the most important day of their lives. Have a little more faith in them. He had far more than just a little.

He wasn’t sure what the future might hold for them, but it was far brighter now than it ever was before.

#MysteryMarch2021 #mystery skulls animated #my writing #my submission

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