#and by that I don't mean memorizing which fish show up at what time I just wake up each day and don't know what to do

[mnonep]

I'm kind of like a baitpilled fishcel recently, really been squidmaxxing lately

[rex-rambles]

➤ SOMETHING FISHY (SMAU + FIC)

pairing: charles leclerc x reader

summary: you dress up as a mermaid for your niece's birthday, and end up rescuing a f1 driver that's convinced you're the real thing

wc: 4.3k

warnings: mentions of a minor injury - photos from pinterest

➤ MASTERLIST

Your niece wasn't your niece by blood, but that didn't matter. You had been there for your best friend through pregnancy, through labour, through the late nights when Ruby was just a newborn, and now that she was four? She was your niece in every sense of the word, which meant what Ruby wanted, Ruby got. 

Even if it was you dressing up as a mermaid for her birthday. You had rented the tail from some costume shop near the beach, set yourself up on some rocks near the shore for them to "discover" you as they stormed across the beach, more of a hunt than a party as you watch them. When they get close enough, you happily push yourself up on the rock, waving at them, and they gasp in unison. 

"It's a mermaid!" One of the younger girls says, quite easily believing in the fantasy of it all, and your best friend helps them up the rocks to sit near you, and instantly, there are little hands everywhere, grabbing the tail, the shells woven into your hair, but Ruby? Ruby is perched right in front of you, beaming with her gap teeth. 

"I told you!" She says, clapping her hands together. "A real live mermaid!" Then, she leans in close to whisper, "I know it's you, auntie." 

"Nonsense," You say, gently splashing some water up at her. "I have no idea who this aunt is you speak of. I am a Mermaid, of the Coral Sea." 

"Coral Sea is up North," Your best friend scolds softly. "I think you mean Pacific?" 

You flick water up at her with a grin. "I travelled a long way to get here. Coral Sea." 

"Are you tired?" One of the little boys asks, now intently trying to braid your hair and failing. 

"No, I made sure to get plenty of rest for your big day! I hear a certain someone is turning five!" Ruby happily shows off her birthday sash as your best friend begins to take some pictures. "I asked some of the other mermaids to join me, but they thought it was just too far." 

"Like Ariel?" Another little one asks, as you gently try to guide her away from ripping one of the fins of your tail off. 

"Well, she lives much farther away! More like...Siren-a?" You pull the fake name out of nowhere, but they all seem to accept it as fact, before returning to their questions. 

It was a precious thing, you think, getting to do this for them. They might not believe in mermaids for much longer, but for an afternoon, you get to be a real, live mermaid, taking pictures and reciting facts about fish and shells you memorized this morning. You get to hand out little mermaid-themed gifts, wave to those wandering by who also happen to stumble across a mermaid. It was a perfect afternoon, you think, until the waves picked up. 

"Oh, my." You say as they creep up on the rock, gently spraying the group with the salty water. "Seems like Poseidon is eager for me to get home!" 

"Aw, but Auntie-" Ruby pauses, sparing a glance to the other girls, "But Mer-Auntie, we don't want you to go!" 

"I'm sure you have snacks waiting for you back home! I hear you got a special cake, made of sea sponges!" They all pause to look at you, and you try to put on your best Little Mermaid impression. "Sponge cake? Isn't that sea sponges?" 

"No, silly! It's just cake." The waves pick up again, but this time, a hand appears at the edge of the rock with it, and the girls scream as they stumble away. 

For a moment you're terrified it's not attached to anything, but there's a person hanging off the edge of the rock, obviously washed in with the waves, and you and your best friend quickly grab him and pull him up onto the rock as he coughs up water. He's breathing, considering he's coughing, but he's clawing at his chest to get his life jacket off, which you quickly help remove to get some pressure off his chest. 

"It's Prince Eric!" Ruby shouts, coming to splash in the water next to the poor man. "Like the story!" 

"That's not Prince Eric, sweetheart." Then, gently from below you,

"Ariel?" 

-

Charles wouldn't call himself a gifted surfer, but he'd say he was alright. Good enough to take on the waves of one of Melbourne's beaches before the race weekend. He wasn't alone, either, an instructor and some friends joining him, and for most of the morning, it was fine, in fact, it was better than any of his previous surfing had gone. 

And then the waves picked up. He hadn't expected it, easily overtaking him and forcing him under with the current, and he had thought he was going to drown until he hit up against a rock and desperately tried to claw his way up it against the force of the tides and waves, board lost somewhere in the water below him. 

Spots began to appear in his vision as he almost broke the surface, and quickly, people pulled him from the water, helping him up onto the rock as he gasped for air, choking up the sea water and probably bits of sea weed. His life preserver felt like a weight against him as he tried to get it off, and luckily, someone from his team seemed to understand what he was trying to do and helped him out of it. 

A small voice screamed something near his ear, and opening his eyes, Charles realized rather quickly that it wasn't anyone on his team who saved him, but a mermaid. 

A real live mermaid. He must've hit his head, he thinks, as he blurry blinks up at the figure, peering over him like that scene in the movie. Your hair is woven with shells, top made from something that looks like seaweed and netting, a blue tail to accentuate it all. He lays there, panting heavily as he tries to blink away the vision, before finally coming to terms with the fact that mermaids are real in Australia, or he's died and is hallucinating a mermaid in heaven. 

"Ariel?" He creakily manages to get out, and you gently wipe water away from his face, hitting something high on his forehead that has him seeing stars as he hisses, reeling back and into the rocks and only jostling himself further. 

"SEE!" The tiny voice continues screeching, "HE'S REAL!" 

He's real? Whoever's child got loose ought to be freaking out at the fact that the mermaid currently tending to him is real. It might be the concussion, or the delirium that comes with seeing mermaids, but he can't help but think you're pretty as he manages to open his eyes again. You look blessed by the water, the kind of sight that Charles thinks would make a good siren. He'd follow you into the water, anyway. "Let's give him some space, girls." Another voice says, and very gently, your hand returns to check out his forehead. 

"Can you hear me?" You ask, voice as melodic as he'd expect a mermaid's to be. You shift closer to him, your tail coming to press up against his leg, and it even feels real. "That looks pretty bad." 

"You're real," He breathes out, hand awkwardly reaching out to poke your tail. "This...Australia has mermaids?" 

"No, no." You answer gently. "This is a costume, sweetheart. I'm just dressed up for a party." 

He squints, trying to focus on where your tail meets your waist, and he softly shakes his head. That's something a mermaid would say to try and hide its existence. After all, your tail seems to meet perfectly with your skin, which he most certainly isn't focusing on. "I don't believe you." 

"Oh?" You laugh, sitting back as Charles props himself up. "Must've hit your head harder than I thought." 

"You look so real!" He finds himself saying, hand reaching out to gently pet against one of the little side fins on your tail. "This is...like the Little Mermaid, no?" 

"Well, I did save you from drowning." Your hand comes up to find his forehead again, tilting his head towards you. "But I'm serious about that, you might be concussed." 

Then the panic starts to sink in a little at the tone of your voice. He can handle a scrape or two, but a concussion? He'd be out of the race, and he'd be out of the race for potentially a long time. "I'm sure it's fine," He says, coming up to move your hand away. "It doesn't hurt that bad." 

"Here," That other voice says, and Charles looks up to see another woman, handing you a bag. "There's some first aid supplies in there." 

"It's a real mermaid, right?" Charles asks them, and they just sort of stare at him, like one would at a delusional man. 

"It's for my daughter's birthday party." Then, giving a small pause, "They're actually a werewolf. Werefish. Fish by night, person by day." 

"Enough of that, you two." You say, beckoning Charles forward. You gently wipe over the cut on his forehead and he hisses, hand reaching out to clasp over your tail-knee, and you hum gently. Werefish - you both were mocking him. He had made the discovery of a lifetime, and you were mocking him. "Easy there, Prince Eric. I need to clean this." 

"Charles," He says finally, "My name is Charles." 

You wipe over the cut again and then apply a bandage, offering a smile that makes Charles's heart do things, and he's pretty sure it's not the seawater he ingested, or the potential concussion. "Well, Charles. That's the best I can do, for the time being." 

"Is the Prince okay?" The tiny voice returns, and Charles turns to see a young girl with a birthday sash slung over her shoulder peering up at him. 

It was a child's birthday party, and his subpar surfing skills crashed it. 

Literally. "Yes," Charles answers. "Sorry for interrupting your party." 

"It's okay," She says, gesturing to you. "We were waiting for her prince anyway. Now you can kiss!" 

"Ruby!" You say with a small laugh. "Prince Charles here just got hurt!" 

"And you can kiss it better," Ruby states firmly. "Mermaid magic." 

Then, there's a little swarm of girls behind Ruby, all looking at you and Charles intently. "I'm sorry about them," The woman says quickly. "It's sort of a mob mentality." 

"I can only kiss it better if the prince gives me permission." You say, crossing your arms over your chest, and making Charles's eyes widen. He has to give permission? For you to kiss him? He would say it's the other way around, considering you're a majestic mermaid, and he's a drowning man you just pulled from the water. 

"Go on!" Ruby says, glaring at him. "Let her make it better." 

"I-of course." He rushes out, tilting his head down. "Anything to stop the pain." 

Then, to his shock, you lean over and gently press a kiss to his forehead, and the tiny crowd erupts in cheers as heat flushes from Charles's cheeks to his ears. "Now, you all have to let Prince Charles go to get actual medical help." 

"I'll take them back to the car." The other woman says, quickly herding them away as Charles wobbly stands. 

"Sorry about that," You say up at him, and he has to remind himself that you can't stand. Tail, and all. Maybe he'll have to carry you out here, and he'll get to be the hero in reverse. Maybe, he thinks before he can stop himself, he'll get another kiss for helping. "If that was uncomfortable, or you felt forced, but-" 

"No, no!" Charles says, sounding far too eager. "It's not every day you get the chance to kiss a mermaid. I should make it up to you, and your niece, for crashing the party and all. Dinner?" 

Then, because today is truly full of surprises, you slip your phone from the bag and unlock it before handing it to him. A mermaid with a phone. Part of him thinks you'd use a shell.

Part of him thinks he might be genuinely losing his mind, and his team should come and rescue him soon. "Dinner sounds lovely, Prince Charles." 

"Will you wear the tail?" He asks over the phone as he types in his number. 

"Unless it's a swim up bar? No." 

-

f1gossip Something fishy is going on! Charles Leclerc suffered a nasty fall while surfing in Melbourne this week, only to be saved by a mermaid! the unnamed sea creature was seen tending to Charles's wounds on the rocks before returning to his crew. (We don't really know either.)

↳ carcarcar ...what timeline did we enter for Charles to be saved by a MERMAID?

↳ forza-ferrawri hopefully a timeline where Ferrari can win

↳ brocedes never letting go of the disney prince allegations 

↳ fan44 f1gossip, I think it's time for a nap...or a reality check

-

"Okay, okay-" Pierre wheezes out, barely managing to block the pillow Charles tosses at him. "Okay! Let me get this straight: you wiped out and got saved by a mermaid? With-with the tail?" Then, when Charles can't bring himself to answer, "And you believed it!" 

"You'd believe it too!" It had been a few days since you'd rescued Charles, and he was sort of still losing his mind. His team had given him a clean bill of health, no concussion, safe to race, but he couldn't stop thinking about you. It had been real, your texts to him had proven. You were dressed up for your niece's birthday but deep down in Charles's heart, a young part of him still wanted to believe that you were an actual mermaid, if only to help his bruised ego. "It was either a real mermaid or I was hallucinating." 

"You never thought it could be a costume?" When you'd just been dragged underwater and smashed against a rock?

No, a costume did not cross Charles's mind. "It looked so real! Even the tail!" 

Max appears in their little rest station, Red Bull in hand like it always is, offering a matching, shit-eating grin as Pierre's, and without having to say anything, Charles throws a pillow at him too. They wouldn't understand! He wasn't just being an idiot, or delusional, you had been so ethereal, so beautiful, you had to be magical. Magic was the only way to explain why you'd say yes to dinner with him. Magic was the only reason any of this could have happened at all. "So," Max finally says, coming to sit beside Pierre, "You were saved by a mermaid, who helped bandage you up, and who you then asked out to dinner?" 

"They also kissed it better." Charles admits quietly, and both Pierre and Max blinked at him before finally speaking again.

"You're fucked." Charles throws another pillow, now out of them on his couch, and Max catches it and launches it back, and Charles can't block it in time. It hits against his head and he hisses, gently rubbing at where you'd applied the bandage, and all Charles can think is that you technically already had your first kiss together.

He wasn't like this, with people, with dating. He didn't randomly give out his number, most certainly now that he was a driver. It had to be magic, for you to have won him over so easily, or maybe it was his injured mental state. All Charles knew is that he was, in fact, fucked, and there was nothing he could do but see it through.

"This can't be real!" Pierre says, shaking his head. 

"They are too real." Charles snaps back, already pulling his phone out to show off your Instagram. He didn't do that normally, either, stalk social media accounts, but he needed to see if you worked as a professional mermaid or something, or if you were hiding a secret mermaid identity. 

"Who, the person or the mermaid?" Max teases, and Charles pauses to stare at a new post, underwater shot of you and your tail and all, and Charles just sort of stares at his phone until Pierre and Max come over to join him. 

"Oh." Pierre says, reaching over to zoom in on the photo of you with a tail. "That does look real." 

Vindication, Charles thinks, has never looked so good. 

-

Liked by yourbestie, charles_leclerc and others

yourusername we take playing mermaids very seriously in this house

↳ yourbestie the best aunt/mermaid in the world 

↳ yourusername anything for my baby 🥰

↳ charles_leclerc how can you tell me you're not a real mermaid? look at the second photo!

↳ yourusername maybe you hit your head harder on that rock than we thought...

↳ charles_leclerc this is a conspiracy against me.

↳ f1_fanatic CHARLES???

↳ mclar_win they really weren't kidding that he was saved by a mermaid

-

It was just supposed to be dinner.

You weren't crazy, after all. Most of the world thinks you are, considering pictures have ended up everywhere of you and Charles, apparently an F1 driver, with you in a mermaid tail, but you were not crazy. You didn't just randomly accept guy's numbers, especially those you're pretty sure are concussed, but there was just something about Charles that made every little crazy thing seem normal. 

Because it wasn't just dinner, it was an incredible, five star experience that turned into drinks the next day. 

And it wasn't just drinks, it was laughing and bonding and skipping what felt like a 100 first dates and just going straight into getting to know each other. He'd told you about his race, and you'd watched it, and you told him how happy you were for him, and he didn't understand. He'd placed eighth, injured and all! He didn't seem thrilled with the number, but to you? You'd save his life, and then he'd gotten eighth in a grand prix. 

You deserved part of his points, you'd joked, and he told you he'd send every trophy he got your way. 

That's how you ended up on a boat that he'd rented, alone off the coast. Your best friend said you'd be crazy to turn him down, but now, you're starting to wonder if you're crazy for seeing this through. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but there was something about Charles that just sort of made you see it through. 

"I'm still not convinced," Charles says from where he's sprawled on a beach towel. "I think this is all a disguise." 

Even if he was still pretty caught up on the mermaid thing. "What? My legs?" You say, rolling onto your side to squint down at him

"Mermaid magic," Charles answers like it's the most obvious thing in the world, hand coming up to play with your drying hair. You'd spent a better part of the morning in the water, spending Charles's last day in Australia together, and something unspoken was stuck between you. The way you feel isn't just some fling, but you'd only known him for three days. You wouldn't blame him for moving on and forgetting about you, and all this mermaid stuff. "You don't want the world to know mermaids are real, so you're hiding it from me." 

You laugh, falling back down onto your towel, and Charles shoots up onto his elbows to offer a soft glare. "Oh, you're serious?" 

"It looked so real! This-" He pokes at your leg a few times, before his hand flattens out to smooth against your thigh, and your faces heat up in tandem. "This isn't right," Charles says finally, giving your leg a small squeeze. "Where's the fins? The shells?" 

"Do you have a thing for mermaids?" You tease, and Charles rips his hand off your leg, cheeks turning a rather nice shade of pink.

"All I'm saying is you make a very beautiful, believable mermaid, and that your secret is safe with me." A beautiful, believable mermaid. You can't immediately think of anything to say after that, stuck replaying those four words on a loop. He doesn't move to lay back down, just perched at your side, and you reach over to grab his ankle.

You'd have to address it eventually, you think. Until then, however, you'll play along, even if it's starting to grow old. "I should get my shark friends to eat you." 

"See! Proof." Charles says before rising to his feet, and he smugly crosses his arms over his chest as he peers down at you. "You're terrible at hiding your secret identity." 

"At what point do I get concerned that you think I'm a mermaid?" And, instead of answering you, Charles bends down to pick you up, an arm easily slotting under your back and under your knees to haul you up. You gasp, quick to wrap your arms around him, and pressed this close, you think he really might be a prince. 

He's wealthy enough to be, surely, but it was just the way he looked, but more specifically, the way he looked at you. You couldn't find anything particularly poetic to say about his eyes, or his hair, or that damning smile, but when Charles looked at you, it didn't matter whatever else was going on. 

You just wanted him to keep looking. "Well, I suppose there's one way to test if you are a mermaid or not." 

Then, with little grace, Charles throws you overboard.

You gasp as you hit the water, sputtering as you breach the surface, and Charles squints down at your legs pedalling in the water. You splash water up at him as he laughs, and you wouldn't take back any of the things you'd said about him, but you would add that you were getting annoyed at his antics, and fast. "Charles!" You admonish, "I'm not going to grow a tail!" 

"You can forgive a man for trying, no?" You swim back to the boat, trying to get up the ladder. "Oh come on, ma perle. Your secret is safe with me." 

"Help me up," You say, and as Charles takes your hand, you get a wonderful, terrible idea. 

You let go of the ladder, falling backward and pulling Charles with you, and he screeches as he hits the water, payback for all the ridiculous things you've put up with so far. If it were anyone else, you think, all this mermaid business would have grown old fast, but with Charles's charm, it's hard to hate it, especially when he's wrapping his arms around you again. "You," He says as his hands find your waist, and your arms wrap around his neck, "Are mean." 

"Payback." You answer happily, and Charles's eyes dip from yours to drag down to your mouth, and suddenly, the chill of the water is gone and replaced by the heat of being pressed so close to him. 

It was barely a week, you try to remind yourself. You'd only gone to dinner, and drinks, and out this afternoon, but something about it felt enticing in a way you'd never felt before. It had never felt like he was a stranger, considering he let you kiss his forehead for your niece, or the way he talked like he'd known you his whole life. 

Maybe you were the one losing it, considering all the things that meant this didn't work out in the end. He was a famous driver who lived in Monaco, nowhere near you or Australia, but it's hard to think of excuses not to kiss a man when he's currently leaning in. You meet him halfway, a clumsy thing as you try to stay afloat in the water, but it's right, like you were always meant to be pressed close to Charles like this, like this was your hundredth kiss, and not your first. Charles deepens it, hand coming up to cradle your cheek before he seems to forget that he needs to keep himself afloat and he slips underwater, breaking the moment. "Maybe you're a siren," He says as he re-emerges, shaking out his hair and spraying you with it. "Trying to drown me." 

"Maybe I am." You tease in response, and Charles feigns a gasp. 

"Proof! Again!" Then, with a grin, his hands find your waist again and he pulls you against him. "You know, you shouldn't be out here, terrorizing Melbourne's beaches." 

"Oh really?" Charles nods enthusiastically. 

"Mhm," He says, pressing a kiss to your lips. "I happen to know a prince, in Monaco, who could use the company instead." 

-

f1gossip Shapeshifter or Siren? After being saved by a mermaid, Charles Leclerc was spotted getting cozy with a certain someone in the water after his race...without a tail!

↳ fan16 why am I lowkey disappointed they aren't an actual mermaid

↳ brocedes after Ferrari's race this weekend?? man probably is trying to drown himself

↳ forza-ferrawri he already tried it with the water in his seat 

↳ totallynotyourbestie can we just appreciate how cute they are??

↳ mclar_win Charles dating an Australian Mermaid? Checks out

-

-

-

Liked by yourbestie, charles_leclerc and others

yourusername he keeps pushing me into the water to see if I'll grow a tail

↳ charles_leclerc it might work, ma perle

↳ yourusername you're lucky you're cute

↳ fan16 my pearl 😭 even her nickname is mermaid themed

↳ yourbestie @/charles_leclerc i hear mermaids like the waters better in monaco...just saying

↳ charles_leclerc tickets are already booked

-

Liked by yourbestie, yourusername and others

charles_leclerc might not have any pictures of mermaids, but plenty of us

↳ yourusername you're never letting this go, are you?

↳ charles_leclerc no

↳ pierregasly no      

↳ yourbestie no 🥰

↳ brocedes the meet cute to end all meet cutes

↳ forza-ferrawri literally a fairytale

a/n: i need to be on a beach. right now. that is where this came from

[metranart]

Hawks chuckled, mirthless. “I’m too tired to jump you, my legs are too tired to chase you, my arms are too tired to restrain you, I’m too tired—… of constantly think about you...” your heart throbs at hearing this.

ft. Hawks centered, Hawks x reader, Slight! Bakugo x reader, Slight! Dabi x reader.

Hawks x UA Student! Reader (Part 9)

- Warning tag: obsessed! Hawks, possessive! Hawks, naive! student reader, violation of trust, dubious consent, mating cycles, rut response, obsessive behavior, uncontrollable thirst for reader, manipulation, forced, thigh riding, hormonal minds out of control, sexual content, first time, cock riding, teenage fuck, Dabi's toxically interested in you, Bakugo bestie yet secretly inlove wit you, love confessions, cock-drunk, Hawks trying to be good but failing miserably, gaslighting, HEAVY plot, lots of smut. -

Your jaw dropped as you stuttered. 

“...N-Nest?” 

Hawks bumped his fist at his sides, like a very uncomfortable child who was being forced to hear the `sex talk’ for the first time.  

“Yes, the nest I built for YOU.” Hawks explained, seemingly completely unconcerned with the prospect of you still being fully naked and at display, never mentioning it once. His eyes stealing glimpses from time to time. “It´s your—OUR nest.... as recently bond-...as mates.” He explained, face burning. “Please, baby bird.... p-please?”

Hawks knew there was really nothing you could do to stop him from carrying you over his shoulder like a caveman and claim you over the nest. But he wanted to atone for his misdeeds. So, he asked very sweetly, as if chirping melodically to please your ear with his voice, like a bird courting a female which he desired to impress. He was even willing to show you his best moves, but he had two left feet. Not his best bird trait.

You started to breath heavily, not believing your ears, stuttering out some incoherent words. “Wait-… what? I don´t... I mean, this is so....... WHY?” you ended up asking and he shrugged. 

“You are not going to like the answer.” 

You sighed frustrated, slowly growing angrier. “—The Rut’ bullshit.”

Hawks pursed his lips before nodding lightly. 

“And if I refuse?” You mused, hugging your chest to realize you were still naked. Your face acquired an adorable rosy color according to Hawks, even so, you felt like screaming at him for not mention it earlier. Damn that man! 

Doing your best so that your hands covered your private parts -Hawks didn't see the point, he had already memorized you in detail- you opened a drawer to fish out the first shirt you found and putting it on, it helped you feel less exposed, brave enough to ask what you really feared. 

“...Will you force me?”

Hawks seemed torn apart for a solid minute before he suddenly said. 

“Don't you like the nest that I built for you?” 

Keigo sounded disappointed, almost hurt. “If you want, I can redo it... tell me how you would like it to be....” it looked like he was holding back a fit of angst, you had never seen him like this, this feeble and confused. You only knew each other for hours and most of them, he was rutting into your conquered cunt with frenzied exhilaration, even so, he didn’t seem like himself. “I can put more fabrics around, put my feathers in a different position-…. Whatever you want, just ask.” He lifted a pillow from the ruffled of red feathers to fluff it with his hands and for the first time your eyes focused on the nest.  

It was a flurry of crimson feathers in the shape of a cradle which looked extremely soft and fluffy, like a cloud in the October sky. The clothes of both were piled up in different places, the skirt of your uniform, your shirt, his jacket, your underwear, everything... arranged in different strategic places to permeate the nest with both your scents.

Hawks stood stoically by the nest, which was situated directly above your mattress, patiently waiting for you to point out the flaws in his architectural vision. 

At your lack of words, he felt the need to fill the void. "Maybe you don't like it because I haven't explained how I vision us inside—you and I are going here" he pointed to the central part of the nest where there were more fluffy feathers "and once inside, I'm going to cover ourselves with this cloth I found-" Oh hell! That was the duvet on your parents' bed. 

“There won't be any holes but don't worry, you can breathe and sleep inside without a problem." Hawks looked so proud of his masterpiece, so expectant of the pat on the back, that your heart ended up aching for him. 

You wanted to yell at him, get mad and storm out. But you weren´t like that, you were easy going and had a nursing nature, you liked to take care of others... which is why you were in this mess in the first place, your nature was to give in to the whims of your loved ones most of the time, please them and see them happy. Neglecting your own needs. You never believed that this quality which you saw as an advantage would end up harming you. You were not a push over, not at all. You just liked to take care. Like the Hero, you wanted to be. 

Hawks looked really, REALLY hopeful and you searched for the words that would do the least damage.

“It's not that I don't like it—” You started, his whole attention turned to you, “It's just that I don't feel comfortable being THIS close…. to you.”

Hawks was stronger than you, faster- at least a foot taller, HE was the perfect mate. Designed that way to protect you. He wasn´t the problem-…. No! he was the problem—This was his rut-response speaking and ragging against your rejection to the nest, to him being close to you, to him touching you, to him trying to banish you from his mind, his instinct recognized you as his new everything but Hawks kept resisting... and he knew it, as he knew shouldn’t let it win, even so, here he was allowing himself this little slip. It was just nesting, nothing macabre or sexy had to happen, you just had to lay down beside him-...maybe let him wrap one arm around you, nothing to be this feisty about. 

He wanted to allow himself this slip, so he pretended that didn’t understand your arguments—he DID. Hawks aimed to bend your bleeding heart at his convenience. You were vulnerable and only a villain would take advantage of that, even so, he’d done far worse before. He had lied, deceit and murder for his country. This was nothing, just a whim. He was truly a piece of shit, and in his mind accepting that, endorsed him with the right to keep going. Just this one time.

“If you feel more comfortable,” he said, tapping his lips while thinking, “you go in first and once you're sound asleep, I'll go in.” He advised.

Honestly, if you continued cornering him and he decided to attack you again, the sleeping arranges would be the least of your problems here, and you knew it.

You didn’t want to rile him up- make him mad or provoke him, unleashing another round of helpless humping. He wasn’t giving much of a choice either, he wanted this. The bird wanted to nest with his mate, so you could only wait. Watching him. Waiting for Keigo to snap again at your lack of cooperation, you couldn’t, as nursing as you were, your body refused to move. 

“Just half an hour, baby bird, that’ll do—….” He took a step closer, hands inside his pants pockets, shirtless, head cocking down almost shyly. He was trying to make himself look less threatening, “I promise not to touch you…. beyond a hug,” he took another measured step. He was so tall that only two strides were enough for him to reach you, standing in front of you, waited for your eyes to lift from the ground. 

"I know you don’t want to hear it, but I'm-” Hawks wanted to apologize again but it seemed like a meaningless sentiment now. Even more when he was orchestrating everything. God! He hated himself, he hated to be doing this to an underage girl and he hated how euphoric his heart pounded at the thought of you being unable to truly deny him anything. 

“Just-… It’ll be okay, I promise. Trust me.” Your gaze snapped up at his comment, he was asking you to trust him, you didn’t remember how. Hawks, the ever-attentive bird, did not miss how your expression change.

“—how dare you ask me to trust you?” Your voice was feeble and weak. You felt emotionally exhausted. He could feel it, your smell was screaming to him that you needed to rest. 

Hawks chuckled, mirthless. “I’m too tired to jump you, my legs are too tired to chase you, my arms are too tired to restrain you, I’m too tired—… of constantly think about you” he chews the inside of his cheek, “… so, yeah?” He did look tired, you were as well and he immediately detected the change in the air, you were thinking about it, it smelled like resignation. A grin ghosted his lips, at the thought that he might have chosen the right words to reassured you. 

You squirmed uncomfortably when his hands abandoned the prison of his pant pockets, slowly reaching for you, unfaltering fingers searching for intimacy ignoring your utter disdain for this entire situation. 

“Yeah.” You heard yourself agree, even so, you slapped his hand away, hard. Sending him mix signals.

“… Yeah?” he repeated with a hint of eager confusion.   

“I'm not stupid, Hawks,” you pointed out, “I know I don’t have a say in this even when you like to pretend I do.” You were so smart, his heartbeat fluttered at having found such a worthy mate, “—you were my favorite hero, can you believe it?”  

He nodded in understanding, this time with a heavy sigh.

“It´s my carefree and jovial attitude... drives the ladies, crazy.” He joked, the smile never reaching his eyes. The posters on the wall kind of hint it to him, even so, hear it from you felt equally flattering and devastating. 

He offered his hand for you to take it. “Last thing, (y/n), I swear.” 

Eventually, you took his hand, slowly letting him guide you inside the nest. It felt strangely soft and fluffy. Hawks observing you the whole time, every movement he swallowed with attentive eyes. From you testing the softness of his feathers among your fingers, how you played with them, sending delicious and very welcome tingles to his owner. His feathers were like nerve terminals for him, he could feel everything, every move, every pinch, every caress, every sensation went straight to him. You didn’t have to know. It was useless information for you. 

Once you looked less uncomfortable, hopped inside, sitting cross-legged right next to you, discretely reading your mood swings. At first you were tense, then curious, then close to amazed and now tense again, and you were about to get more anxious at hearing him spell the next words. 

“You need to take the shirt off, baby bird.” He murmured, holding his hands up in feign surrender, like trying to diminish the outburst he knew was coming.

“Why?! This is the only thing covering me...” You urged, your voice cracking before the air exuded irritation. 

“I know... but we will need less time inside the nest if we are naked.” He tried to explain in all sweetness and slow motions. Taking off his pants, he threw them out of the nest and waited for you to follow his lead. Please follow his lead. 

“Naked? Again!? No.” You ranted. 

The air was filling with stress, Hawks scrunched his nose, his instinctual need to keep you safe and comfortable was about to unleash hell upon you. 

He growled deep in his chest. Pissed out. Was it too much to ask for you to calm down? He wasn’t going to touch you, nor fuck you, nor lick your pussy, nor hold you against the nest and breed you, humping into you recklessly like a rabbit in heat more than a bird of prey. No! he wasn’t going to do that, even when he wanted to! Even when he had been annoyingly half-hard for the last fifteen minutes, he was controlling himself. Why couldn’t you give him the same courtesy? Cut him a fucking break?! Fuck! 

His mind was more and more agitated, you were in danger, just obey him, dammit! Just submit… 

JUST TAKE THAT FUCKING SHIRT OFF.  

The shirt landed on his palm out of the sudden, it was so spontaneous that it cut short his fit of anger. His nostrils stopped from flare, his eyes regained the golden color, his muscles relaxed, and he felt air filling his lungs again. What had happened? Hawks looked confused, you on the other hand looked close to tears. 

Bunched up against one edge of the nest, Hawks crouched over you menacingly, towering over your trembling figure. When did he close the distance? He didn’t remember. Immediately sitting on his heels once noticed the aggressive posture his body had acquired. He needed to fix this. 

“Baby bird-… I didn’t mean…” Hawks could assume what happened but still needed to verify, “baby girl,” he called gently, “darling, please, come here.” You were sobbing, hugging your knees and he felt his heart clench. 

He just had a black out. 

“Did I yell at you?” he asked concerned, kneeling at arm’s reach without touching you. You nodded weakly. Apparently, he had lost control and the words he thought were only on his mind were also coming out of his mouth. 

“I didn’t mean to,” he insisted, and finding you clamped down, felt the urge to spoil you back to calmness.  

“Here,” he offered, “this-… pretty bird, this you can wear.” 

A long minute passed before you spied from under your hands to find a soft garment being pressed against you. It was his hero jacket, your big puffy eyes looked at him from the rim of your arms and he smiled, understandingly.

Understanding that he was a selfish bastard, he had been denied so much for so long that now he was unable to control himself, the greed in him was relentless, he was a bystander of his unknown possessive nature.

“I’m sorry, (y/n), about EVERYTHING.” He murmured, genuinely moved “Nothing of this is your fault, I’m the one at fault, just ME. I can’t change what I did, but I swear on my life that—” 

You rushed to him. You hugged him. You reach to him, and he melt around you. He didn’t care, he hugged you back, tight and shamefully predatorily.

He knew you were only looking for comfort, any kind of release, you were exhausted, you didn’t want him per se, but he ignored that truth and just pressed you against his chest, laying you on the nest locked his arms around you, your hair sprawled on his shoulder. You snoozed off at the sound of his heartbeat. You were his, for the time being at least, he´ll take it. 

Knock! Knock!

Who dared to disturb your peaceful nap? Go away!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“W-What's...what’s that noise” you stirred in your sleep, words smothered against Hawk’s warm pecs.

“��Housecleaning?” Hawks mumbled still sleep.

“You are not-... in a hotel, y-you spoiled...spoiled bird.” You yawned, reaccommodating inside his arms. You were so close together that your bodies could fuse. 

“I´m not spoiled-...baby...awwww.... bird” he yawed, long and lazy, “I'm just too busy with... Hero stuff.”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Ranking up on the charts... must-must be exhausting-” you teased back, too comfortable inside his heat, almost wanting to forget how much he hurt you.

Hawks grinned like a fool at how much joy this little witty exchange brought him-...if only you could stay like this forever, half-sleep and willing, and his. He hugged you tightly rejoicing in the laziness of the cute momentum. He still felt tired, so tired. 

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

“Dinner is ready. One-chan~…... mom sent me to get you, one-chan?” Your younger brother singsong from the other side of the door.

His childish voice seeped into your exhausted brain and your eyes opened. 

"Toji...?" you drawled, lazily, what was Toji doing in the UA dormitories? You wondered wiping traces of saliva from your mouth with the back of your hand. 

“One-chan...?”

“Toji~...OMG! Toji!” you finally went out of the drossiness.

“T-thank-thank you, Toji...ehmmm, give me a sec...” you yelled back, your voice sounding groggy.

“Open up, I want to show you my drawing.” The little boy insisted.

Shaking Hawks to wake him up was like an impossible feat. The young hero had gone back to sleep with you trapped in between his arms, it would be futile to try to open the lock in which he held you, the most euphoric hug. 

"Hawks," you whispered, close to his ear. “Hawks!” you tried a little louder. 

"You tickle me, baby~" he beamed lazily, still half-slept.

"Hawks!" You shook his frame more vigorously, but he still saw it as playful teasing from his playful mate. "I like when you tickle me.... so niceeeeeeee.... do it again, baby-...baby bird."

“Dammit! You lazy bird! Wake up!” There was no way to move his body, he was anchored to the nest.

“Can I come in, one-chan?” You saw the doorknob turn slightly and terror seized you when you noticed that the lock was not on. "Just a minute, peanut, don't open the door...."

“What's taking you so looooong~” The small child complained. 

Why Keigo was so strong, this was ridiculous! You scratched at his arms.

“It will be only a minute—” you pleaded to your little brother.

“Then I'm making the countdown....1.....2.....3” the boy playfully started. 

“HAWKS! HAWKS....please wake up......” The Hero merely rolled his body to the other side taking you with him to then snuggled you harder, “Five more minute, darling-… I can barely keep my eyes open...AWWWW-” he yawned loudly.

“4....5.... 6....7....8....” 

“Fucking you that well is a victory on its own buuuuut-…. AWWWW.... was not easy task, it took a toll on me,” he gloated, silly grin curling his lips haughtily, eyes still closed. “It´s the curse of the Alpha bird.” 

You rolled your eyes at his manly show of ego. You needed to think and fast.

“9....10....11....12...13....14....15....16....17....18....19....20!”

Time was running out because you knew that Toji only knew how to count to forty. You'd already tried everything except this, "Please don't attack me." You implored and reaching his exposed neck you laid your lips softly. 

"Someone-e... someone got up naughty~" Hawks teased, smirking and letting out a goofy giggle, but that sound turned fast into a deaf scream that you had to muffle under your palm when instead you bit him hard on the neck.

Hawks would have bolted from the nest if he hadn't had you on top of him, your teeth digging into the tender skin of his neck until you heard him frantically mumble under your palm. "...Are you finally awake?" you asked clearly annoyed, jaw opening.

"Jeez, baby bird!" Hawks growled, the skin around his neck turning red among your saliva, "I like it rough but not this early."

Hawks was still confused, it wasn’t early in the morning, it was almost night, and you weren’t one of his easy conquests. 

“21.... what was that noise, one-chan?”

Hawks felt stunned when hearing a child's voice on the other side of the door. He turned to see you worried and you immediately nodded. "It´s my little brother."

"-You said there was no one else in the house." He reminded you.

"It wasn´t, surely he came later -...with my dad." OMG! Probably your dad was home as well.

"One-chan?" Touji insisted.

"Uh-...I hit my finger against the bottom of my bed, peanut." You lied and heard him laugh mirthfully on the other end, "You always sound like a man when you yell." You deadpanned at his too clever comment for a five-year-old. 

The little boy had no filter yet, everything that came out of his mouth was either extremely humiliating or extremely cute, there was no middle ground. Hawks was trying not to burst out laughing but he was having a hard time.

“Really?” you chastised the Pro Hero.

“I already like Toji—” Hawks chuckled lowly, making sure to muffle the sound against his bicep. 

“—Too bad because you are NOT meeting him.” At last, you were free and without acknowledge the change of mood in the winged man due to your comment, you set out to collect your clothes, which you balled up in your arms to then offer his to Hawks and speak. 

"Get dressed quickly and get out of here." You spatted coldly. Ignoring the hero's furtive glances, Keigo wanted to make eye contact with you, while both got dressed, he looked for your eyes, but you never turned his way.

“22....23....24" Toji kept going.

“Why is he counting?” Hawks mused, keeping his voice low while tied the laces on his boots, expecting for you to at least turn around to answer him, but not such luck. “He's counting the seconds for you to leave.” You said sharp and unapproachable.

Regardless, Hawks grinned, he really loved this witty side of you, maybe a little less biting and cruel.... Nah! He loved it. Even so, he ought to try yet again. “Have you seen my visor?”

“How would I know. I did not undress you—” your back was still to him, so you missed how he snorted a laugh.

“Baby bird~” 

“You have the money to buy other, get out NOW!” 

You opened the window with a harsh tug and the fresh air entered ruffling the few feathers that were still attaching to his back. Without looking at him, you took a step back and waited for him to leave. 

“25....26....27....28....29"

“I understand how upset you must be, but I can't leave if you don't even look at me.”

Crossing your arms in front of your chest, you fumed, finally turning around. "You understand how upset I must be? Seriously, Keigo?" Your voice was low, like an angry whisper.

You saw his feathers ruffle excitedly and it angered you more. “You sick fuck—”

“30....31....32"

“I can't control it, okey?... don´t call me a sick fuck,” All his feathers dangerously flared acquiring a sharper look, each one now attached to his back and making him float a little off the ground, “it's like when you run a finger over the sole of your foot... tickles are automatic, that's how it is-…" he hesitated a little but ended up saying, “—to hear my name from your voice.”

“How romantic! I'm melting away for you, KEIGO.” You scoffed. “Is that one of your pickup lines? Pfff! What am I saying? Of course, it is! Bachelor number one of the country.”

“33....34"

“I don't know if you're angry or jealous, anymore....” Hawks snarled, getting frustrated by your changing attitude. “I'm trying to have a civil conversation with you...MY mate.” He pointed out and you gasped audibly at his nonsense, you were definitely not jealous more like superbly resented, “at least give me a fucking chance to—”

 “35....36”

“To what? To rape me again!?” this time you closed the distance rushing towards him, your index finger poking at his chest viciously as you glare at him, defiantly. Hawks just stared down at you, unreadable look on his face. “—Why do you ALWAYS refuse to leave, Hawks? Is the only thing I ask! Fly away from here and don't EVER come back.”

 “37...38….39”

“I cannot.... I cannot-…. baby bird” His hands found the way up and without asking for permission nestled your warm face between those cold fingers, his golden eyes were mesmerizing up close, like molten gold shinning in the dim light. You couldn't move, his grip was fierce and stubborn, why did his eyes keep tracing the shape of your lips? Why was his face suddenly SO close? His lips kept babbling something. 

“Ask me for anything, (Y/N), I will be the genius of the lamp for you, infinite wishes, all you can dream of.... everything money can buy, it's YOURS! Just don´t ask me to leav—”

“40!!!!” 

The doorknob turned completely, Hawks brushed your lips uncaringly as the door slammed open, and chaos entered. 

COMING SOON PART 10....

⭕️ In my PATREON you will find NSFW art of this story and more spicy MHA NSFW art and exclusive smut fanfiction. ;)

@wtvbabes @dreamlessnight @naomi1247e @alicecil87 @geniejunn

[ritzcuit]

PART 2 of "looking at all the times datz says something gay or familial that drives me crazy." i guess?! should look at part 1 if you havent yet

soj spoilers ahead obvs. part 1 here in case u missed it

i skipped A LOT between the last post and now, bc datz doesn't show up for. a while. Well like he does a little bit but it's not gay or anything. it doesn't matter. what matters is that we're back in khura'in now, we're apollo now, and athena is here

and um, dhurke is arrested for murder. lol. but talking to athena in one of those "what to do" segments gets this.......

which up until this point i haven't actually seen yet. the noise i made. DATZ HAVING A HEART ATTACK? IM GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK!!! WWAAAHHH!! :(!!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!! THINK ABOUT DATZ SCARED OUT OF HIS MIND FOR DHURKE'S SAFETY. THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! i don't exactly know what "wanted datz to go to him" means exactly. go to dhurke? well it doesnt matter i guess. cus the way they know damn well datz would freak out and try to bust dhurke out of jail...Sniffle... Sob........ i love datz so much.... loyalest man alive fr dont play with me

and then a Lot more bullshit happens, but good news;

theyre at the defiant dragons hideout again ^_^ with the photos ^_^ if you investigate them, you get this! here comes datz jumping at the chance to talk abt his (friend's) family again. the day WEEEEEEEEEE all went out fishing. shut up. WE!!! i always knew datz was there, in my heart, taking the photo... earlier, dhurke says "the three of us [dhurke, aj, yuty] living in the mountains", but clearly datz came by often enough. WE! WE WENT FISHING! WEEE!!! its just so easy to imagine... datz insisting they take a photo .. i cant take it... how many times was datz there. fishing w them. helping cook dinner and dealing w two rambunctious boys...crying

he also takes the chance to be hurt over yuty again.. datz has a lot to say about nahyuta.

investigating the sign [sic] gives datz a chance to geek about how cool dhurke is. "his fame as a lawyer spread far and wide!" i'm sure that's how they intended for datz knows about dhurke's lawyer days, but again, i like to believe datz was his weirdgirl. he probably was the advertising campaign if we're honest 😭

now we're talking to datz directly again ^_^ asking him about the sahdmadhi law offices. "and i quote" is so annoying. i know he's doing a deep voiced impression of dhurke right there. Stop memorizing shit he says. Gay

then! he says dhurke mentioned he wants apollo to take over the offices one day...which cute and whatever, but this isnt abt dhurke's dadliness, this is about datz being such a FUCKING GEEK! he's talking to dhurke directly, right, so why are you gassing him up 😭😭 TO HIMSELF! HE'S DHURKE! "must've been because of you, dhurke!" he's too much of a good friend. he's convinced everyone thinks dhurke is as cool as He thinks dhurke is. it's insane. the fanboy behavior will never end

it's nice to see dhurke and datz interact too. we really don't see much of that in this game. dhurke always seems kind of understated with datz as compared to when he's being Boisterous Dad or Rebel Leader in public... how many quiet moments did they share together... just sharing news and shooting the shit...dhurke doesn't have to put on big leader charisma 'cause datz uplifts him no matter what. Gay

Why Do You Know That, Datz

well, it's obvious why he knows that. BC HE WAS THEEEERREEEEEE of course, as a friend of someone, you wouldn't be totally blind to how they raise their kids, but we KNOW datz was there running around! paying attention. noticing these things. crazy. knowing another man's parenting style is crazy. "that much i'm sure of" knowing another man's Thoughts is crazy. Gay

also just makes me emo :( datz rly got front row seats to dhurke's parental anguish. i can imagine a hundred convos just like the earlier one, where dhurke regrets it, and datz is trying to cheer him up, same as always ...

datz has a lot to say about nahyuta. (asking him about nahyuta obviously) actually it isnt that much. but it's so funny. him being a hypeman for both sahdmadhis is so cute... and also him seeming frustrated that he doesn't know Why yuty is acting this way...'cause he cares :( he cares for his yuty :( CAUSE HE HELPED RAISE THAT DAMN KID!

ill smack dhurke rn he pisses me off so bad sometimes. datz is out here worrying over YOUR CHILD! and you're leaving him out to dry :( datz really loves that family...thinking about him trying to nudge answers out of dhurke, but respecting his boundaries all the while...GRRRRRR he's too good for you dhurke. you need to treasure what you have

asking datz about apollo's biological father leads to another Datz Exposition Dump in which i lose my mind bc he remembers too much about this fucking family. it's almost like he cares for them or something. "dhurke's the kinda guy who can become%$^%&#$%^" THIS ISNT ABOUT DHURKE QUIT GUZZLING HIM FOR 5 SECONDS! STOP!

this part is key to me cause, again, WEEEEEEE. *WE!* it proves that datz had been friends with dhurke before anything happened... a lot of his Datz Yapping could have just been recited stories, stuff he knew secondhand, but being close enough with dhurke to help him look for an orphaned baby's mother While fending off accusations of terrorism..... it's key. real ones get it. it isnt just "oh datz is a family friend" it's "datz was there at the beginning of everything". before the dragons started at all! Gay

presenting dhurke's law book gets this. not explicitly dhurke guzzling rly but idgaf. I also refuse it being metaphorical. give datz a gay chest tattoo. COWARD! just imagine it. how intimate it would be... who was doing the tattoos for the dragons at that time anyway? a stick n poke by dhurke would be cool and badass, but then asking dhurke to do a whole chest piece on his best friend... dhurke's like, "are you sure? that's ... pretty intense," but datz's burning passion for the revolution is intense, isn't it? fellas is it gay to impart your personal symbol of revolution onto your best friend's chest by candlelight? because i'm making it by candlelight now? Hello

presenting amara's assassination file. "i got the whole thing memorized" i should smack him genuinely. ive had enough of this man for real. CUS WHY ARE YOU MEMORIZING THAT? his loyalty knows no bounds. also datz sad about yuty again.. omfg i know he is SO SAD about that boy

he is genuinely the sahdmadhi's number one fan. him being dhurke's boyfriend would be less gay than what he has going on now. like despite everything there's still Something to be proud of yuty for...even if it's being a turncoat enldkfngd ... datz cant help it...that's his lil baby 😭

there isn't a lot left in the way of like, anything, but there is this

datz coming in at the last second with Dhurke Can Do No Wrong again. not very gay but i do like them existing together :)

he's just so. ugh. i wonder what happened here so bad. how did dhurke and datz meet up at all? but dhurke asked datz to break him out and datz was like OKAY YAY ^_^ bc he probably was itchy about dhurke being in custody at all. sorry aj! objectively it looks bad but datz is, i think, incapable of seeing dhurke in a critical eye, so he just assumes dhurke's Got A Plan and he's totally coming back 'cause why wouldn't he :) he doesn't even think dhurke got caught again or anything. hes like. well surely dhurke did escape, because he's dhurke and he's the coolest most capable amazing perfect man in existence. Obviously

(those who know..)

:(

honestly, a little underwhelming all things considered, he bounces back immediately right after this because he is A Freak. well, no, it's bc he knows damn well it's what dhurke would have wanted, dragon yielding and whatnot. but seeing his sad little face devastates me. he tries to put on a determined face at first, only to revert back to this sad pensive sprite... datz... honey....

how freaky is it that datz was running around with the ghost of his bestie without even realizing it? well, that dhurke's been dead for so long... even "you're a sight for sore eyes" is with ghost dhurke, right?!

oh he got over it

"like how dhurke always wanted" WHAT ABOUT YOU. DATZ. YOU. AS A PERSON. YOU ALSO WANTED THIS. YOU COULDNT SAY "WE"? well it's in memory of dhurke, right? to honor his death? that makes sense. surely this is the last time he attributes something to dhurke specifically

STOP

and that, actually, is it. well roughly? considering i found a new section of dialogue that i totally missed up until this point, i wouldn't be surprised if something slipped my mind. I also have no idea if this was worth anyone's time, but i had fun with it anyway :3

if u read this far then cheers!! if u have any thoughts abt these specific morsels then tell me about them..!! again, like, i know it is Literally datz's purpose as a character to be the sahdmadhi lore dump in lieu of dhurke and yuty, but that just means they created an uncle who loves that family with all his heart. if we ever EVER!!!!! got any canon acknowledgement of khura'in again, which i doubt we will, i'd pray and beg for another crumb of datz content. please...

[selfshipping-shapeshifter]

Cw: Slightly yandere and obsessive behavior

A oneshot I wrote a long time ago that got deleted when I deleted and remade my blog, so I rewrote it again :3

This would've been one of his worst work days he's ever had. Keyword; would've. Most of the day was exhausting and stressful, yes, but there's one factor that makes this day memorable to him; his new obsession.

Saltbaker sighs heavily and closes the door to the kitchen, collapsing on a nearby chair and leaning his head back against the wall. The day is almost done and he hopes no one else will walk in and order something. He's had enough for today; he can't deal with another impatient customer.

He perks up when he hears the chime of the front door bell ringing and he's about to sigh in exhaustion before he pauses when he hears their voice.

“...hello?” A soft, kind voice asks from the bakery. Their voice is feminine and quiet, almost like they're too shy to speak; he could barely hear them. Maybe dealing with this last customer won't be so bad…

Standing up, he steps out from the kitchen and closes the door behind him. “Welcome in! What can I get you?” He asks, putting his cheerful mask on once again and taking a look at the last customer for the day.

Dear lord, he was not prepared for how pretty they were going to be. Short, plump, and curvy, his exact type in a woman, with a black dress and a dark brown trench coat. They're a merfolk covered in monochromatic turquoise scales with golden glowing eyes he could stare into for hours.

“Oh, hello! For a moment I thought you were closed-” Amber beams at him.

“Ah-hah, not yet I'm afraid. I close up in an hour, but I was debating on closing a bit early today.” Saltbaker replies politely, although it's clear he's a bit tired.

“Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- don't let me stop you from closing up.” They say sheepishly. Is that…genuine remorse? Just for showing up an hour before closing? Maybe if they were someone else, he'd take them up on the offer, but part of him wants to keep them around for as long as he can.

“No, no! It's alright, don't worry about it!” Saltbaker reassures.

“Are you sure? I don't want to overwork you or anything…” Amber says, not sure if they should stay or go.

“I'm sure, I wouldn’t mind taking care of the order of such a pretty lady.”

Amber smiles at his flattering words and glances away. “I-If you're sure…”

“What can I get you this evening?” He asks in a softer, more gentle tone to persuade them to stay.

“Um…” Amber looks down at their options, biting their lip in contemplation. There's quite a few sweets left over from the busy day and they all look really good, however Amber has rather picky taste buds, so only one thing catches their eye. “Can I have the chocolate chip cookie, please?”

“Of course! That'll be $3, miss.” He gives them a small nod. Amber fishes out three $1 bills from their purse and hands it to him, which he takes before handing them the cookie.

“Thank you!” They beam at him and take a small bite out of the cookie. “Mmm, this is delicious! No wonder everyone always calls you the greatest chef in all the lands!”

For the first time in a long time, Saltbaker blushes; although it's barely noticeable. “Oh, thank you dear! You're too sweet…”

“I'm just being honest; this is the best cookie I've ever had!” They beam at him. They hesitate for a moment before adding; “Um…would you mind if I started coming in more often to write my book? O-Of course I'll still buy something every now and again so I'm not loitering or anything.”

They…want to come back? As a regular? They want to see him again? A bright smile grows on his lips. “Of course, it's no problem! As long as you don't mind if I chat with you occasionally when you're here!”

“Aw, of course I don't mind!” They beam back at him.

The hour passes fast, it almost feels like minutes. The whole hour is spent just the two of them chatting, occasionally snacking on some of the goods that didn’t get sold. The best part in Saltbaker's eyes? They helped him clean up the bakery before they left.

“Bye Saltbaker, I'll see you tomorrow!” Amber beams at him as they walk away towards their home, waving him goodbye.

“Goodbye, Amber!” Saltbaker waves at them before closing the door to the bakery. He leans his back against it with a dreamy sigh, looking up at the ceiling with a bright smile plastered on his lips.

↠❀↞

Months have passed since he met them and his love and obsession for them has only worsened. They visit quite often and when they do, his day is always instantly made. They even occasionally help out in the bakery when there's too many customers, which gives him an idea…

Once again, Amber’s sitting in his bakery writing in their book; a cup of ice cold tea and a plate of cookies on the table in front of them, which they've occasionally snacked on while they write.

Saltbaker hopes his staring isn't obvious, however the way he's leaning against the counter and watching them like a lovesick puppy gives it away. He can't help it, they're just so pretty. The way they're sitting there with their legs crossed, biting their lip as they think about what to write next.

A thought comes to mind and Saltbaker breaks the silence. “Amber?”

They perk up when he speaks and they turn to him with a hum of questioning. “Yeah?”

“Have you ever noticed you bite your lip when you think?”

A shy smile appears on their lips and they turn their body to face him better. “I do?”

“Yes, you do. You bite your lip quite often, I'd say. It's pretty cute.” He says.

“Aww, you noticed that?” They ask with a bright smile.

“Of course I did! How could I not?”

“Aww…!” Amber turns to hide how bright their smile is and the blush on their cheeks just from that one comment.

The two are interrupted when someone walks in; another customer he has to serve. Unfortunately, it's one that has a reputation for being unpleasant to serve.

“Hello ma'am, what can I get you today?” He asks the woman politely, dreading the inevitable.

“Do you have any pots and pans for sale?” The woman asks, already irritated with him. A simple question he wouldn't be annoyed by, however this woman has come in once every week for the past month asking the same god damn question only to yell at him when he gives his answer. Although, this is the first time Amber’s been in the same room as her.

“You already know the answer to that, ma'am. I don't.” Saltbaker says politely, hiding his irritation behind a forced smile, trying to not make it look like a grimace.

“I know, I’m waiting until you finally sell some. Why don't you?” She asks.

“I've told you; I focus on baked goods here, not kitchenware.” He says politely.

Amber turns and gives the two a confused look, baffled by the woman's demand. They stand up and approach the two as she belittles him for something so small and meaningless.

“Excuse me, what's going on?” Amber asks politely, stepping up to the woman.

The woman turns to Amber with a glare. “Did you seriously not hear me? Or are you that ignorant to the world around you?” She snaps.

Not only is Amber taken aback by the undeserved insult, but Saltbaker is too. He clenches his fists, not intervening yet. He knows he shouldn't do anything too rash, he has a reputation as a sweet baker to uphold.

“No, I heard you. I'm just…confused as to why you're yelling at him for something that isn't his fault.”

“It is his fault- he's the one who's choosing not to sell me anything!”

“What you're asking is something he isn't selling; there's literally a kitchenware shop a few blocks down you could be shopping in.”

“Well I want the same stuff he has so my cooking gets better.”

“That's…not how it works.”

“You just don't understand because nothing goes on in that pretty little head of yours.”

That does it. “You shouldn't talk to them like that.” Saltbaker snaps as politely as he can while showing his irritation.

The woman turns to him with a surprised look before glaring at him. “Why shouldn't I? She's the one who's being rude.”

“No they're not, they're being just as polite as I am. They're one of my closest friends and I can't let you insult them like that. If you're just going to insult us and not buy anything, I'll have no choice but to kick you out.”

“B-But-!”

“No buts. You've kept coming in once every week and you've never bought anything; do I need to ban you too?”

The woman huffs before storming out of the store, slamming the door shut. Amber turns to Saltbaker. “Damn, what's her problem?”

He chuckles softly, the tension in his body easing. “I have no idea, dear. She's been asking the same question for about a month now.” He replies, turning to them as his shoulders slump.

“Really?” They ask, even more baffled. “Hopefully she stops this time.”

“Agreed…” He nods. There's a pause before he speaks again. “Thank you…for helping me deal with her.”

“Of course! Thank you for standing up for me.”

“Aw, it was no problem honey.” They blush slightly at the pet name and beams at him. He admires their bright, adorable smile before he realizes now's a good time to ask them something. “My dear, may I ask you something?”

“Of course, what is it?” Amber asks, tilting their head to the side a bit in questioning.

“Well…would you ever consider working here with me? It gets stressful doing this all alone, and I love your company.” He asks.

“Really?” They perk up, their smile brightening. “I'd love to!!”

Perfect, they agreed! He didn't have to try to persuade them or anything; maybe they like him as much as he does? “Great! I'm looking forward to it!”

[ganthritorchic]

No, you don't understand.

After a paltry 300 ish hours, I emphatically cannot play stardew valley any other way than that tweet or whatever asking why four teenage girls are yelling at each other like military generals or whatever.

There are Goals. There are Timeframes. Decisions, Layout, and Logistics Must Be Decided Upon and then Enacted. There will be No Deviation. You Will Comply. Unfortunately I get very "why didn't you turn in anything today why are you spending money you didn't earn any what are you doing with your day what do you have to show for it" and so on lol.

I will never be shamed by Dead Grampa.

I Will Not.

Now...I don't minmax minmax it bc even that is too much for me. But I do ensure a decent coverage of produce so we can complete community center bundles. So we can get the greenhouse ASAP. Which, takes time and you can fuck up the timeframe if you don't get the correct shit grown lol.

There are generally multiple goals running concurrently in the beginning that are important! If you want to livestock you gotta get that silo up so you can gather hay and not waste any you cut down when clearing the farm. Also it's cheaper when your ass is poor that first year lol than buying hay for animals unless you have to.

You have to farm enough but you need to get started on socializing if you want to get that reasonably going in any amount of time. After the first time, way way back when, that my bestie and I had to dance with each other at the spring dance we promised NEVER AGAIN lolololololol.

So it can be a push to get the farm up and going, AND socializing enough for any given positives you can pick up early on and your selected prey-i mean dance partner lol. Whatever you choose to do outside of farming must provide income lol. If you're fishing you better fuckin FISH lol. If you in that mine, you better mine lol. There are scheduled runs for foraging, like at the beach lol.

Then, it's the Aesthetic of the farm. You gotta plan for that or so much time gets wasted especially if you're tryna move shit and all that jazz. Our last playthrough, we realized we could plant tea bushes as fences and then you have permanent fencing and it's pretty. But you gotta friend up Caroline to get those, and that is someone we never spent a lot of time with in most games lol so. Lolololol

This SVE mod is HUGE. I didn't realize how much I have the og map mostly memorized or at least some kind of muscle memory lol. And now it's bigger in all kinds of places and it's been throwing off my timing lolololololol.

I told my brother that this would be his circus and I would be his monkey so he's gonna need to figure out what and where he wants shit lololol. And he just. Did not have answer. He has played this before lololololol.

So. I repaired the beach. Cleared some on the farm, set up a tree farm, began laying out rough layouts with decorative/productive trees like maples and the new birch tree. Been farming and fishing and socializing lololololol when I'm low on energy bc what I forage mostly gets sold bc we are poor lol. Did get us the first backpack upgrades though lol. I'm sure he'll play while I'm at work lol. So maybe I won't have to worry about the dance lololol

[expectiations]

Do you think River would get jealous? Because I don't think we've ever really seen her jealous in the show? (Except maybe that time with Cleopatra, though I'm not sure if that really counts?)

On one hand I really feel that she would be because the Doctor is her's goddammit. Her spouse. She's the woman they (intentionally) married!

On the other hand I've seen a lot of fanfics where River and the Doctor have an open marriage (which... I do not agree with, to say the least). I also feel like with Rivers thors opinion of her loving the Doctor so much more than he loves her, if he even truly loves her at all, she'd surpress any jealousy because at least she has some part of the Doctor in the first place? Does that make sense?

I'm always worried about interpreting someone wrong and genuinly don't know the answer to that question, so I'd be very interested in your opinion 💜

Ah, jealousy—a word that can stir up a storm in Doctor Who discourse, especially when River Song is involved. I am going to approach this carefully and thoughtfully because River, as we know, is an immensely layered character.

Does River feel jealous?

The short answer is: yes, I think she does. But not in the stereotypical or possessive way one might expect. Jealousy often stems from insecurity, and while River exudes confidence, she's also riddled with trauma and vulnerability beneath the surface. She's endured so much: being raised to kill the Doctor, having her childhood stolen by the Silence, and living with the knowledge that her time with the Doctor is finite. That's a recipe for insecurity, no matter how fiercely independent and self-assured she appears.

But here's the thing: River is mature enough to suppress her jealousy when it arises. Not out of apathy, but because she loves the Doctor so deeply that she won't let her insecurities come between them. Her love is selfless and vast—sometimes heartbreakingly so, as we see in her THORS monologue about loving the Doctor so much more than he could ever love her. That doesn't mean she's immune to feeling those pangs of jealousy; she just prioritizes what matters most: the time they do have together.

I don't think we've ever seen River explicitly jealous in the show, but there are moments that hint at it. Take their exchange in THORS when the Doctor brings up her side quest involving King Hydroflax and it devolves into them bringing up names. Is she annoyed? Obviously. (Oh, how many times? I married the diamond.) Jealous? Possibly. (Spoilers for the Nine x River audios: Honestly, the Marilyn the Doctor accidentally got married to turned out to be River herself. She just couldn't remember because that timeline got reset. Which I find hilarious because they both really just get jealous of themselves.) But she brushes it off with her usual wit and charm, proving she's more interested in being playful and in control than letting jealousy dictate her actions.

And then there's THORS, where her insecurity takes center stage. When she doubts whether the Doctor even loves her, that's a kind of jealousy—not of another person, but of the Doctor's own mysterious and aloof nature. Her worry isn't about competing with someone else; it's about whether she's truly enough for him.

The Doctor may have an inkling of River having these insecurities, and in their own way, they try to assuage them. The lengths they go to—breaking the rules of time to give her unforgettable moments like "kidnapping" Stevie Wonder to sing under the bridge during the Last of the Great Frost Fairs for her birthday—show how much they want her to feel loved and valued. And let's not forget the subtle ways the Doctor listens to River in ways they don't with anyone else.

Calderon Beta. Easter Island. Whatever memorable adventure they had with Jim the Fish. All those other adventures/dates between them we have no idea of. The fact that River is famously (or infamously) known as the Doctor's consort. These aren't just extravagant gestures—they're declarations. Not one living thing is worth you. You are always here to me. They're the Doctor's way of saying, "You are my equal, my partner, my wife. And I do love you."

The idea of River and the Doctor having an "open marriage" is, in my opinion, a misinterpretation of their relationship. Their marriage isn't about exclusivity in the traditional sense, but it's also not about detachment or a lack of commitment.

If anything, their marriage transcends traditional labels. The Doctor may have had prior relationships with others, but it's clear that River is the only one they've intentionally and deliberately married. She's the exception—the woman who they break all their rules for.

River's jealousy, if it exists, is subtle, mature, and deeply tied to her insecurities—not petty or possessive. And while their marriage may not fit conventional molds, it's undeniably rooted in love, respect, and an unparalleled connection. River is the Doctor's wife, partner, and equal, and no amount of timey-wimey shenanigans can change that.

[queer-froggit]

the thing I hate about League is the characters' skins, but more specifically their "Special Edition" ones (as in the ones other than their classic skin).

the issue i have the most is that none of them have some form of a trademark, for lack of a better word.

like, look at this skin, and take a minute to guess who it is:

have your guess? well you're fucking wrong because this is Jinx.

yeah, that's right-- blue-haired, braids to the floor, manic pixie dream girl, Vi's sister, Jinx.

let's do another one, shall we? look at this skin, and i want you to think really hard about who this could be:

got it? whatever you said is probably wrong, this is Vi.

you see the problem here? you wouldn't have known who these skins belong to if i hadn't told you, unless you're some intense League fan who's memorized each one (also the outfits are really just bad but that's a ramble for another time.)

and you can't tell me that they do this "for the budget" or "they don't have enough artists", because not only is League one of the biggest games in the world, they have their own fycking show for crying out loud, but also because a few amount of characters actually do have a trademark.

for example, my favorite skin from Caitlyn is her "Arctic Warfare" outfit:

not only does the card look cool as fuck, along with the drawing being immaculate, but you can easily tell that's Caitlyn. i mean, look at it! she has her Piltover rifle, her hair is the same blue and straightened style, and she looks ready to go to war the way a sheriff would be willing to be in order to protect their town.

it's the same with her "Battle Academia" skin-

again, blue hair, except this time her sheriff element isn't there. why is that, you ask? because now she's a schoolgirl, she doesn't need to be keeping the peace or preparing for war, so instead they give her a prestige look. everyone in this photo is waving their flags and cheering her on, and she simply looks down at them and expects them to, because she's from Piltover.

she's literally positioned above them, and she has gold in her design just like Piltover itself is covered with, because Piltover essentially embodies prestige and privilege. and guess what? she looks amazing! i would honestly buy this skin if i played League.

because the thing is, if you ask me, being able to recgonize characters can make their skins better.

take Miss Fortune for example. even though she's kind of sexualized to hell, i think she's one of the champions who has the best skins! in all of them, her hair is flowing in the wind, she's holding her signature twin pistols, and she looks like she means business while still looking gorgeous.

and now i'm not just saying, "oh, that skin looks cool." instead, i'm thinking, "oh wow, that Miss Fortune skin really fits her style, and it looks really cool, i love it!"

so obviously, League's not going to listen to this post, and they probably won't see it in the first place. but deep down, i hope they do, because as someone who designs their own clothes, i think me (and maybe others) would enjoy champions having their own unique trademark.

my last examply is Seraphine. i love Seraphine as a character, and majority of her skins are stunning. my personal favorite would probably be her "Prestige Ocean Song" skin-

i mean, first off, it's called "Prestige Ocean Song", obviously referencing her role as a songtress, which is why the fish are drawn to her (which looks adorable!). the background looks wonderful, the design and colors of her outfit are ethereal, her beautiful hair is even longer, and instead of pink it's an almost strawberry blonde that fades into pink, then fades into a nice purple. she almost looks like a mermaid, and it's overall just a nice skin.

but then i look at her "K/DA All Out Superstar" skin, where her hair is tied up instead of let out in all its glory. her charming, happy-go-lucky personality looks more toned down, and her signature pink and purple elements are overrided with blue. i find that i just can't say the same.

[rpgsocialservices]

RPG Review: The Forest of Drizzling Rain (2022)

The Forest of Drizzling Rain is a largely exploration based horror game, in which newly orphaned college student Shiori goes to her parents' childhood village in an attempt to reconnect to a past she has no recollection of. The original version came out in 2013, and then a remastered edition was launched on Steam in 2022. I have not played the first edition, so this review will focus entirely on the remastered edition. There will be spoilers, but not in detail.

Plot: The game begins right after Shiori buries her parents. It is established that she has no recollection of her early life, and she decided to visit the village her parents grew up in (and where she spent her early years) in an attempt to piece together her history. I won't go into detail, but essentially a long time ago a man was driven crazy when he angered a forest spirit, and killed a woman's husband and unborn child when he imprisoned her unjustly. She turned into a vengeful spirit upon her death, and would tempt the village children into the forest and kill them so their spirits would be her children. Shiori's family were guardians who could ward off the spirit, and she and Koutarou (the other main character) have both been hunted by the spirit since they were children, and have to (essentially) break the curse so the spirit can pass on.

The first half of the game has a lot of build-up, but the tone carried throughout the events, characters, and character interactions all work together very well to convey a deep and disquieting sense of mystery and unrest. There's not a sense of urgency until the second half, but in the first half you know that that urgency is coming, and you're simply waiting to trigger the event that sets it off without knowing when or what it will be. For that reason, an unspoiled first run is ideal for this game; the air of mystery and impending doom is heightened drastically when you don't know who you can trust.

While the spirit's history ultimately fell flat for me personally, and I think the game would've been tighter and more cohesive if it had been done differently (though I do understand why people would like it), the second half of the game where you try to get rid of the spirit makes up for it. The shrine and the cave maps especially manage to capture the same uneasy feeling that the museum does in the beginning of the game.

Gameplay: There's no fighting, but there are chase sequences and occasional puzzles. The puzzles largely come into play in the second half of the game with a couple small ones in the beginning. This game is very dialogue and flashback heavy, in a good chunk of it comes across more like a visual novel than anything else. Unfortunately I do think that is to this games detriment, as the strongest sections are the exploration and puzzle ones. This game suffers a bit from telling instead of showing, which is ironic considering Koutarou doesn't talk, but if you get past that (or if you like it even) the other elements of the game make up for it. There is a fishing minigame, but the game play for it isn't the best and I found it nearly impossible to get the achievement for it.

Characters: The characters are by far the strongest element of this game. They have tangible personalities and traits which help or hinder them depending on the situation. They react in ways that realistically fit their characters. Character interactions are organic and unforced, even when the interaction is with a background character (who are memorable in their own right). Each character has clear motivations that drive them, which makes it easy to like them.

Extra: The largest element of this game that didn't work for me is the disjointed vibes. I really wish I could put it into words better, but essentially the spirit's storyline and the way its told comes across as a completely different story from the main one. I mean, in game obviously it is two different stories, but there should be a greater sense of narrative cohesiveness between the two. It might have worked better if they had told the spirit's backstory some other way, like if the only bits the player got was what Shiori is able to find out.

Despite the less than stellar mechanics for it, the existence of a fishing minigame is always a plus for me. The maps are visually interesting and don't take long to walk through, and mostly add to the atmosphere. The multiple endings are, aside from the characters, my favorite part of the game. I found each one interesting and realistic in its own right and thought they each added to the story and to the character arcs.

[casspurrjoybell-27]

Claimed by the Beast - Chapter 13b

*Warning Adult Content*

Possession - Part 2

After they head back to Knox's bedroom and shower, separately, they get dressed in fresh clothes, grab a bite to eat in the kitchen and then Knox finally takes Everett outside to show him his favorite spot by the river.

They walk and talk about everything and nothing, time passing by quickly as they get lost in one another.

Something that's been happening frequently.

"Wow. It's crazy beautiful out here during this time of the evening," Everett remarks. "I bet it's terrifying at night, though. All these big freaking trees everywhere. Hell no. I'm glad I never tried to run away because my dumbass would've immediately gotten lost out here."

Knox chuckles, glancing out at the river coming into view.

"I know this place like the back of my hand. I'd have found you and dragged you back to where you belong."

"And where might that be?" Everett asks, teasingly.

"Wherever I'm at, obviously," Knox smirks.

"Come on. We aren't that far away now."

The clubhouse sits at the front of the fifty-acre property owned by Gavin.

Massive trees cover most of it, including the perimeter and near the south end is where the river passes through.

The path that Everett and Knox walk hasn't always been around but Knox has since kept maintenance up on the area to prevent it from being taken over by weeds and other debris.

Contrary to what Everett believes, Knox finds that it's most peaceful out here at night.

"This is it."

Knox leads them into a small, secluded section where the grass fades into dirt and rocks.

A perfect spot to settle into if one enjoyed fishing.

"This is where I come to clear my head when the demons start to get too loud," he speaks quietly, so low that Everett almost misses it. "It ain't much but it's mine. Brings me peace, if only temporarily."

"I love it. I think it's absolutely gorgeous."

Everett sits next to Knox on the ground, his eyes scanning and memorizing the area.

Across the river are more trees, presumably the ending of somebody else's property.

"The sound of the river and all the insects chirping around us..."

Everett closes his eyes for a few seconds, soaking up the sun's warmth.

"God, I bet I could take a killer nap out here."

Knox laughs.

"I have once or twice before. Wouldn't recommend it unless you bring along a can of bug spray."

"Yikes. I can imagine how bad the mosquitoes get all the way out here. No fucking thanks," Everett says, opening his eyes.

He glances at Knox's profile, secretly admiring him.

All sharp features until you get to his stormy grey eyes.

Right now, they're the softest they've ever looked.

"Do you ever wish that all this could be yours? The clubhouse, the property..."

"No," Knox says without even thinking about it. "Can I afford to purchase something like this for myself? Yes. Do I want to have it all right now? No. There's still too much work left to be done."

"What do you mean by that?" Everett asks.

"When you join a MC, you're in that shit for life. At least I am," Knox says. "Something drastic will have to happen to me before I willingly step down from my position and leave the club and my brothers behind. I'm not ready to settle down. It ain't my time yet."

Everett nods in understanding.

"You said you could afford all this, which is honestly blowing my mind because you definitely don't look or act..."

"Like I have money?" Knox questions, smirking.

Everett nods again, blushing.

"Yeah, well, you should know by now that I'm not exactly the flashy type. I don't wear my wealth to prove that I have it. I think that shit is corny. I don't give a damn about what people think of me. If I did, I'd never get any sleep at night."

"I feel that," Everett says.

"Let me know when a job opens up around here because I have student loans to pay off and your Pres seems to give out pretty generous salaries," he jokes.

"You have options. Strip club, motel or funeral home?" Knox asks.

"We dabble in a little bit of everything, but there's always an opening at the strip club. We don't discriminate when it comes to hiring dancers."

Everett gasps, confused.

"You're serious?"

"Hell no. I'm just fucking with you." Knox laughs, shaking his head.

"I mean, yes, we do own a strip club, motel and a funeral home because they're extremely profitable businesses but someone like you wouldn't last a day at either of our establishments. No offense."

"None taken," Everett mutters. "I remember you told me once that MCs primarily make money through illegal means. Is that what you guys use the businesses for? A cover for whatever illegal activity you've got going on?"

Knox meets Everett's gaze, briefly flashing a smile filled with sadness and something else the latter can't quite decipher.

"I talk too much around you."

"So what? I like you better when you're talking versus being all broody and mute," Everett replies.

He scoots closer to Knox and grabs his hand like it's something they do all the time, carefully interlocking their fingers together.

Anything to get rid of that wounded look in Knox's eyes.

"Don't worry. All your little incriminating club secrets are perfectly safe with me."

Knox laughs again.

"I know they are."

As they watch the river, silence falls upon them but it isn't loud or awkward.

Quite the opposite.

And that's precisely why Everett ignores the alarm bells ringing in the distance, trying to warn him that what he's doing right now isn't right.

Getting closer to Knox on a deeper level, having easy conversations with him, kissing and touching him when what he should be doing is doubling the distance between them and closing off his heart completely.

Fuck.

The bastard's already done it, hasn't he?

Knox has somehow managed to climb over the walls that have kept Everett's heart intact.

He's practically moved in and made himself at home.

One he'll eventually have to be evicted from because none of what they have going on right now will ever become a permanent thing.

The Fallen Angels' war with The Jackals will end one day.

Everett will have to go back to his mundane way of living, return to school, get his degree and then step into the next chapter of his life.

One where Knox doesn't exist.

"I'm curious," Knox says moments later. "What does your future look like? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?"

Somewhere, anywhere, with you…

"I don't know," Everett mumbles instead, resting his head on Knox's shoulder.

"What about you?"

"I guess you better start living each one to the fullest, then."

Everett produces a half smile, squeezing Knox's hand.

"I'll help you."

Until it's time for me to go.

"I'd like that."

Knox squeezes his hand back, the rational part of him knowing he can't take any of this to heart.

"You've got yourself a deal, kitten."

[tartrazeen]

Look. I have a theory.

I've had this theory for a long time. It's even one of my crack AUs for my precious Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog daydreams.

It's this:

Being able to know the future would be annoying as fuck.

I don't think I could handle it! I think I'd have to turn every fortune I tell into a binary search that answers a yes/no question. You don't get to ask me what happens, only if something specific has happened.

Why?

Because ohhhh my god, watching people struggling on epiphany-based riddles when I already know the answer is SO FRUSTRATING.

I grew up in love with brainteasers. I read every single one I could get my hands on. Did I like solving them? No, they were hard, I just wanted the answer. But that means I have now - as an adult - memorized all of those answers. I made a game out of the game, which is what I'd have to do if I was an oracle: I'll look up your future for you, but I'm gonna try to predict (no magic) what part of your future you're gonna ask me to look up.

That's why I'm always writing these elaborate predictions for any mystery I watch: at the end of the day, I'm not gonna be impressed by the actual answer. I'm gonna be impressed by how early into whatever-it-is I can work out the ending using all the clues and foreshadowing put in place. (That's also why I'm so outrageously disappointed when a show careens away from its clearly established, early logic.)

So there's little me, trying to interrupt people with answers as fast I possibly can:

The poison's in the ice.

It was daytime.

Fold the rope in two before you burn it.

Light the match first.

They were fish.

Leave the wolf with the cabbage and bring the sheep back with you.

He lived in a lighthouse.

On and on. So many memorized. Maybe a third of them that I figured out myself, many of them I can now extrapolate, but I wouldn't trust myself to actually escape out of these death games if I was ever in one.

With that said

CAN YOU PEOPLE MOVE ON FROM THE LIGHTBULB RIDDLE

WHAT IS THE OBSESSION

"HURR HURR EUREKA LIGHTBULBS GET HOT" ENOUGH

IT'S DONE TO DEATH

SOOOO MANY DIFFERENT DEATH GAMES HAVE THIS, AND THEY MAKE WATCHING THE CHARACTERS FIGURE IT OUT SO GRUELING

I hate watching people have epiphanies for something that's dead-simple obvious in hindsight arrgghhhhhh I don't care how hard it would've been for me to figure it out the first time, I know what it is now, move onnnnn

I would be in agony if I had the future memorized and I only got frustrated watching people stumble over something that they're gonna go, "Ohhhhhhh that's clever" over.

The first couple of puzzles in this movie? Thank God they brushed those off as either being too obvious to answer, or just very easy warm-ups (I liked the three boxes riddle though 👀 #memorized). I liked that. Call it what it is, and then move on.

But this is like the third or fourth death game where people bring out the lightbulb riddle and treat it like the most elaborate, complicated, Smart Person struggle and I'm over it 😭 Spit it out, skip to the next one, let's goooo, you're gonna get crushed, I already understand it, move move move move move

On the bright side, once we get past this, we should be back to fresh puzzles again ☺️ Or at least 'good' ones that don't just rely on an epiphany and insist on a long, drawn-out explanation of what that epiphany is. Just say "lightbulb hot, feel it for a minute" and go.

We use LEDs now anyway 😭 Those don't get hot!

New death game movie: Fermat's Room 👀

I don't know what it is about murder-puzzles, but I love murder-puzzles. I guess it's the stakes? Or else there's just some part of me deep down that lives to be like, "HELL YEAH, PUT THOSE NERDS IN A BOX AND SQUISH 'EM 'TIL THEY SPIT OUT MATH."

[misscrazyfangirl321]

is it just me or is tumblr letting me send a lot of asks tonight? anyways au where will and henry, platonic, are room mates? collage or just mundane au or whatever?

"Dude, what is wrong with you?"

"Depends on which psychiatrist you ask. Why?"

Henry doesn't respond immediately, just continues to stare as Will flips through his novel. He may have the stories memorized, but rereading Sherlock Holmes and catches new details every time is one of his favorite hobbies.

Finally, he looks up, to find Henry looking past him, horror in his eyes, at Will's bookshelves.

"What, you don't like books?"

"You can't just-" Henry shakes his head. "That's not how that works, okay? Look, I've got to take a picture of this to show the doc. This is just... Wrong."

It's not like Henry's the first person to criticize Will's book storage, but honestly, Will doesn't see the issue. It's effective, he knows where everything is, and it looks nice. "I think outside the box. I thought you said she liked that."

He isn't sure who this mysterious doc is, really, but Henry talks about her a lot. Not a girlfriend, he's decided, or anything along that lines; possibly Henry's mother, though it'd be weird for him to call her doc in that case. Normally, the stories kind of make Will want to meet her... Normally.

"Trust me, this would be too far, even for her." He gestures to the shelves. "You can't just stack books on other books. Why would you even do that? You can't get to the ones underneath."

Will arches a brow, sets Sherlock Holmes fully aside, rises to his feet, and makes his way to the shelves. Slowly, dryly, he lifts up a stack of books, pulling out a volume from the lower row. Wordlessly he meets Henry's eyes, waiting for a response.

"Yeah, and now you've completely messed up your nice display. Now it just looks like a bunch of books." Henry shakes his head. "I mean, it is, but-"

"You know, I was going to order a huge pizza tonight, but now I'm thinking I should just skip it. You weren't wanting any, right?"

Henry grins, holding up his hands in surrender. "Your bookshelves are the best. Pepperoni?"

In spite of himself, Will laughs, reaching for his phone. "Fine, but we're not getting anchovies this time."

"They're just fish-"

[mxvladdy]

HI I LOVE YOUR WRITING! aaa sO I don't know if you still accept prompts but if you do could you do one with MC being fascinated by the brothers' demon forms and seeing the brothers react to them carefully inspecting their horns/wings/tails??

AHHHHH I love that you love it! And of course! :) Horns are my weak spot lmao. Hope you like!

Lucifer

Hmph. Isn’t ecstatic about you wanting to nose around in his business at first. No matter how touched starved he is, just the thought of your tiny human fingers exploring him…Well on the other hand-

At first, he thought you had some weird fetish for his demonic form. Wouldn’t be the first time a human had. But slowly he realizes you are genuinely just enamored with him. It strokes his ego sky high.

He loves it when you stroke and pet his horns. The bases of which are super sensitive. The amount of time you have spent just looking at the gold-tipped bone, he is certain you probably have memorized the number of chips and notches in them.

You start bringing ornaments and tassels for his horns. Things you made or found pretty when out shopping. He doesn’t wear them in public but likes it when you put them on him in private.

It takes him longer to let you get your hands on his wings though. Looking at the mess of his back isn’t pleasant for him.

He has a dust bath. He loves dusting, and when you help him. Ugh-it’s like his own little paradise.

He teaches you how to preen and find broken feathers to pluck. Your cooing over his soft feathers just makes him fluff up more.

He shows off his horns and wings just a touch more in public now.

Mammon

Hells yeah you can see his demon form. Why wouldn’t you want to? He is absolutely delighted to have you lovin’ all over him. He’s big on scenting.

He is especially proud of his wings, in all his forms. Leathery or feathery, they are his favorite part of his body. They are strong, reliable, and fast if he needs to protect you.

He makes sure you are extra careful about his horns though. The spirling columns of bone aren’t smooth like Lucifer’s and have a wicked sharp point on the tips. His horns grow a lot faster than his brothers. A lot of his horn upkeep is him shaving them down and oiling them.

You take delight in doing that for him. The keratin of his horns flakes quickly so you like to help with that too.

He doesn’t have much feeling around his horn area so you won’t get too many reactions from him. Now his wings~

He gets a kick out of watching you open and close his wings. You are mesmerized by his leather wings stretching to their full wingspan.

His wings look fragile upon closer inspection. You can feel the beats of his hearts through the thin membrane stretched over black bones. It almost makes you forget that you’ve seen him bludgeon demons to death with them before.

You’re so enamored with his wings you miss how flustered he gets when you trace your fingers around the base of his wings. Right where the limbs attach to his back. It’s a very tender spot that hurts most times when he touches it, but maybe because it’s you it feels really good.

Leviathan

He is apprehensive to have you inspect him at first.

Doesn’t have wings and is kinda jelly. But he has a bitchin’ tail, and you remind him often of it.

His tail is strong. A lot stronger than you originally thought. You can feel the slide and pull of thick muscle underneath his leathery skin when he swifts around.

It took you a while to get him to understand you are 1000% ok with his tail and horns being out, in public or private.

He notices that you can't keep your eyes and hands off his tail. While he never does it in front of his brothers he loves to pick you up with it. Your giggles and gasps of awe, while you dangle above him in his secure grasp, brings a huge smile to his face.

He has the most strenuous care routine out of all the brothers. His tail sheds a lot and dries out easily. It is usually a very intimate affair. Lucky for you, he likes you.

He shows you how to use his dry brush to sluff off the dead skin from his tail and scaly parts of his back. It's therapeutic to him. He talks about his newest hyper fixation while you brush and pet his tail.

His horns are a bit more persnickety. They are made up of a delicate ecosystem of coral and sea vegetation. It’s a beautiful vivid array of purple, pink, and blues. Henry and schools of smaller fish make little homes in it when Levi is in his tank.

It has to be kept moist and landscaped or it gets overgrown. He has a knack for aquatic horticulture and gives you a chance to learn too.

It naturally changes size and color based on the Devildom seasons. Your favorite displays are during the warmer seasons.

You buy little tank ornaments to decorate his horns to post on devilgram from time to time. It gets so many likes he gets so excited.

He wears your work proudly, even if it’s not up to his usual standard. His water monster brethren are jealous of the attention, and that’s what matters most.

Satan

If you bring up your interest in a scientific or educational manner, he is more willing to share. He has had far too many run-ins with witches and humans vying for him to be comfortable flaunting his demon form.

As the only born devil out of the group you have to be extra careful with his horns and tail. The bony structure of them is like fine sandpaper. Rough, course and far too abrasive for your tinder human skin.

You have to wear gloves when handling his horns and tail. He apologizes a lot about it. It angers him that he is the one brother that has to be so careful around you.

You really don’t mind though. Even through the thick leather gloves you feel the pulsing heat of his magic. You like the tingling feeling of his magic through your gloves, it’s like licking a battery.

He doesn’t need maintenance on his horns and tail as much as the others. But his horns do fall off like deer antlers.

He gets really irritated when it’s shedding season. The itching and throbbing of his horns when they are ready to fall off is maddening.

You always know when it is horn season due to the deep gouges in the stone walls around the house. You help him though this by scratching around the bases of his horns. It feels so good to have it scratched, and it’s 10x better when it’s not him.

Normally he would just dispose of his horns when they fall off or use them for alchemical purposes. Now, he gives some of them to you. You collect them and have turned a few sets into some lovely pieces of art in his opinion.

Asmodeus

Very much like Mammon- who wouldn’t love his horns and wings? He loves them, so obviously everybody should.

Absolutely eats up your praise and curious touches. He shows you the best places to pet or stroke.

His wings are leathery like Mammons but 1000x more sensitive all-round. He can sense air currents with them, so sneaking up on him to touch a wing is out of the question. As much as you would like to.

Loves see you try though. Will fake being surprised when you come at him from behind to lovingly touch a wing.

He shows you the best places to touch and examine his wings and horns. His smaller set of wings have this one spot underneath their pit that is super ticklish. When you find it, exploit it. He has the best laugh.

He admits to you that he dyes his horns. What can he say? Pink is the best color and his horns just look that much more fabulous in it.

You can convince him to try different colors, but only if you help him dye them. Starts matching colors and outfits with you and his horn color of the month.

His cleaning and maintenance routine he likes to do himself. Sorry! Nothing against you, but he is too meticulous to ask for help. But please stay and watch!

He shows off a lot more when cleaning and moisturizing his horns and wings. Stretching them out, or making sure his horns are shiny enough to catch the light of his room.

Absolutely soaks up for enamored gasps and wide eyes stares.

Beelzebub

Just shrugs when you ask to see his wings and horns.

Of course, he doesn't mind you touching them. He just finds it odd. Kinda forgot that it's not a normal occurrence in the human realm.

He has no issues with you touching or rubbing on his horns. He doesn't have any feeling in them anyway.

But, unfortunately, you can only look at his wings. The cuticle is very fragile so he can't just flare his wings out whenever he feels like the others.

You find the hard casing that protects his wings just as fascinating though. The iridescent sheen of it is mesmerizing. Your eyes can't pick up all the colors that it gleams, but it's still beautiful regardless.

You have a hard time getting any of the shell bits when they shed. Beel normally eats them and he is much faster than you.

But he will temper himself and save a few for you once he figures out why you are pouting.

His paper-thin shell casing resembles stained glass when you hold it up to the light. You have taken to making a large wind chime out of the shedding of the brother's horns and wings. His chitin is the perfect addition to give the slightly macabre piece some color.

He-and the other brothers find it kinda odd that you collect essentially garbage to them, but they chalk it up to a weird human quirk.

If it makes you happy-*shrugs*

Belphegor

Like his twin, doesn’t get the hype around it. But, if it means you’ll be spending more time with him then he won’t complain.

You pet his tail a lot when he is sleeping. His tail is soft and fluffy. It wraps around you while he slumbers, locking you in place by his side.

He wakes you up by tickling your nose with the tuft of his tail. He teases you when it makes you sneeze.

If you thought his bedhead was bad, wait till you see him struggling with the tangles at the tip of his tail.

You offer to help comb it out. Maybe even convince him to invest in a good bottle of conditioner. He takes you along to buy it and lets you choose the scent.

He has a penchant for cucumber and melon scents when it comes to his detergent and pillow sprays so you keep to that realm.

He cannot express how much he doesn’t care about upkeep so if you want to brush his tail and examine his horns go to town, means he doesn’t have to do it.

Belphie gets addicted quickly to you doting on his form. He sleeps harder and better after a session with you brushing his tail or rubbing at his horns.

You’ve learned just how to massage his scalp and where to scratch around his horns to help him fall asleep. He doesn't realize he does it himself as a self-soothing mechanism until you bring it up one night.

When you hit the sweet spots at the base of his tail or horns he can’t control the twitching and movements of his tail.

[annabtg]

8, 13 & 15 for the nationality ask game!

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

I don't really find myself often in situations where people could've get me mixed up - or rather, I expect people have Thoughts when they see me abroad but I wouldn't know what they think.

Once, though, I went to a cafe with my Spanish teacher and we spent the afternoon talking in Spanish. When the time came to pay the waiter, he asked about our languages and we explained to him we were just practising. He said "oh, I thought the girl might have been Spanish".

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

Ooh definitely, lots of them! We've already talked about drinking from another person's glass ;) To stay in that vein, it's bad luck to clink your glass with another person if it's empty or it contains water, and you're not supposed to clink glasses during a funeral meal. Speaking of which. a funeral meal may also be an unusual tradition outside of Greece? Basically, after the funeral service, the attendants are supposed to gather and have lunch all together, courtesy of the deceased person's family. And the food traditionally served during a funeral meal is... fish soup!

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

Again, LOTS of them! I'll pick a fun one:

There's this Greek sitcom, Konstantinou Kai Elenis (of Constantine and Helen, Wikipedia link). It came out in 1998, ran for 2 seasons and has basically been on re-run every afternoon ever since. Lots of people have gotten sick of it by now xD but for all its shortcomings (it's 25 years old by now, let's not forget), it was super quotable and the characters were such perfect caricatures that they have become synonyms for certain characteristics.

For instance, Mánthos Foustános, one of the show's side characters, is now a (derogatory) synonym for skirt-chaser, and his line "Peggy, my only love" (spoken to his official girlfriend) is used to denote someone who is lying about being faithful. Eg.:

Girl #1: He said he needs some time and it's not me, it's him.

Girl #2: Peggy, my only love. (Which means: he's seeing someone else, duh.)

I am the type of person who memorizes these sort of lines and feel such kinship with people who also have a good database of K&E quotes! xD

[marvelship-oneshots]

ITALY (STONY)

AU where Steve and Tony fall in love one summer in Italy, inspired by this beautiful fan art made by @vindemiatrix-moonpies

Tony had been left at the altar. The wedding was organised down to the very last detail, everything already paid for by Tony. Everything was perfect, everyone was there. Everyone except the bride. Mary didn't show up. Nor called, or texted. She just disappeared. Tony found out later that night that she had ran away and eloped with her lover. She could have had a perfect life with no one less than the Tony Stark, but in the end she had chosen love. 'Plenty of fish in the sea' Tony had told himself, because it was true, every single lady, and some single lads, was willing to marry Tony. Who wasn't? Mary apparently. The problem was that Tony loved Mary. He really wanted to marry her, she was not just another strategic economic move. He really thought she was the love of his life. But he wasn't hers. This was not going to stop Tony from enjoying his 3-month-long honeymoon in the sweet Italy. Tony laid on his bed the tuxedo, hoping that it wouldn't be there once he came back, he probably had to leave a note to Pepper or Happy. He definitely didn't want to see that suit ever again. He jumped into the first sweatsuit he found in his closet and, without even bothering to take his suitcase, drove to the airport.

Steve was 18 when he decided that America was not his home. As soon as he was out of High School, he took the first plane for Barcelona and went backpacking through Europe. He had always known that, eventually, he had to come back, but then he found the perfect little fishermen's town in the south of Italy, a place that he could finally call home. It was true, what the stereotypes were all about. Italian were indeed nice and friendly and welcoming and when Steve was offered to work for the son of the nice old lady who was kind enough to give him a roof over his head when he got lost in a storm, he felt like he had found his place in the world. Steve hated bad weather, after all he didn't know any fisherman that didn't hate bad weather. But that storm, that storm was a miracle, it might have put him on the wrong road, but it sure showed him the right path. Little did Steve know that he would have to thank bad weather once again.

It took Tony three days to realize that staying in his luxurious hotel room,drinking scotch and snuggling with self loathing wasn't going to take him anywhere. Eventually, he had to get back on his feet. "Stark men are made of iron" his father would say. One morning, he set the alarm way earlier than his usual. It was a nice day outside, although he could feel in his bones that a storm was arriving. The Tony of just one day before would have taken that as a sign to stay in bed, but not the new Tony. He only had 3 months to spend in what in his opinion was the most beautiful country in the world. He had his fancy breakfast, got into a nice linen shirt and drove out of the parking lot of the hotel with the beautiful red Ferrari he had rented for Maria. He drove to a nice little private beach, bought a straw hat because why not, and started walking on the shore, in search of a boat to rent. Tony eventually found one that he could rent and take out without any particular licence. Tony had never sailed a boat before, but he did drive some expensive cars, so he figured it wouldn't be that different, nor much more difficult. Also, he was a fast learner. Indeed, after listening to the renter explain how the boat worked, it wasn't that big of a deal for Tony. At least not until the big storm arrived. It started with the sky turning darker and the wind blowing harder. At that point, the waves were way too high and violent for Tony to come back. If he had had any experience sailing, he probably wouldn't have had any problem going back to the shore. But he didn't know how to face an angry sea and he panicked, which is something that every fisherman would tell you not to do.

The storm was finally over and Steve was walking on the shore, looking for possible damage caused by the storm. It was nothing out of the ordinary, storms happened in summer and that one wasn't any different. No boats were damaged, but he liked walking on the beach after the rain, the sand was humid and fresh and there was a nice breeze. He was collecting nice little seashells for his collection, he already had a handful, but he let them go as soon as he saw something laying on the sand, something that should not have been there. That something was Tony's unconscious body, dragged here by the waves. Steve needled by Tony's side trying to wake him up. He checked his vitals and looked for injuries that luckily were not present. He picked him up in bridal style and took him to his house. From there, he would decide whether he needed to go to the hospital or not.

Tony woke up in Steve's bed. He was feeling exhausted. There was a little ray of sunlight coming in from the window that was hitting him right on his face. Tony rolled over, trying to hide from the light, but fell on the floor with a loud thud. As he loudly growled, more from the frustration than for the pain, Steve ran in the room, as if he was standing right out of the door, which he was, kind of. "Hey, hey, do you hear me?" Steve asked in Italian. Tony was not sure if he understood him, but he could hear a thick American accent in his voice. Truth was, that, no matter how long Steve had been living in Italy, he could not produce an authentic Italian accent, although he knew the language like his own. "Water" Tony mumbled, closing his eyes. Steve ran away and came back with a glass of water. "Here" Tony took the glass with both hands, eagerly drinking it. "Do you know where you are?" Tony shook his head. "Do you know who you are?" Tony nodded "Anthony...Tony" Steve held out his hand. "Very nice to meet you Tony. I'm Steve" Tony shook his hand. "How are you feeling?" Tony nodded. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" "N-no I'm fine" Tony replied nodding. "Ok, let's get you something to eat, ok?" Steve got up, holding his hand out for Tony, waiting for him to take it. Tony looked around while walking to the kitchen. Steve's house was extremely small, it was all on one floor and it consisted of the bedroom, a small kitchen and what Tony could only assume was the bathroom. Tony sat at the rather small table while Steve fixed him a plate of pasta salad and sat next to him. Once he finished eating, Tony got up and reached for the door. "I-I have to go" But before Steve could reply, Tony collapsed on the floor. "It's late and dark, I think it's best if you spend the night here"

Despite wanting to leave the very first second he was conscious again, he soon realised that the quiet little fishermen's town and Steve's company were all he needed. Steve would go to work in the morning, before sunrise and would be back just in time to have breakfast with Tony and they would spend the rest of the day together. It was nice for Tony not to think about Mary for a while. But the dream had to come to an end, eventually. Tony had obligations and a multi billion dollar company to run waiting for him in New York. It was the beginning of September, the days were shorter and the nights were chiller. But it also meant that the town was quieter. Almost every last remaining tourist was leaving. In town there were only the fishermen and their families. Even they were starting to go back to their winter houses because the kids were going to start school in a few days. Soon Steve would be among the last remaining people in the town, with some old ladies. To them, Steve was a saviour, taking care of their groceries and their errands. That could only mean that it was the end of summer and, despite being the saddest time of the year for the residents, it also meant that the happiest days of the summer vacation were coming up. Every single free moment there was, was used to organise a more memorable feast than the year before. And Tony helped. Well, he mostly founded the feast, anonymously. He hadn't told Steve, nor anybody else, who he really was, he figured that, if no one recognised him, he would be nice to live like any other normal person for once. What he didn't take into consideration was the possibility that he could become attached to a certain muscular blond man.

The last night of the feast was also Tony's last night in Italy. He had already begged Pepper for more time, but she couldn't give him any more. There was live music and fresh seafood for everyone. Everyone was smiling, singing and dancing, celebrating the great summer they had. Tony was sitting at a table, a kid had just come to say goodbye. He was running out of time, and that little time he had, he wanted to spend it with Steve. "Steve" "Heeey Tony" He sounded slightly drunk. "I need to talk to you" Steve nodded and took his hand, walking him to the brickwork in front of the sea. "So, tell me" Steve was sitting facing the sea while Tony was facing the other way. "I'm leaving tomorrow" "I know" "I'm...not sure you know who I am" Steve looked at Tony. "You're Tony" "I am Tony Stark" "As in..." "Yes, as in Stark Industries" Steve sighed and looked back at the sea. "Ok" "Just ok?" Steve shook his shoulders. "Yeah, I don't care. It just explains how you could pay for everything" Tony giggled. "I don't want you to go, Tony" "Yeah, I don't want to go neither" Tony put his hand on Steve's. "Steve?" Steve hummed and slightly turned his head towards Tony. "Ithinkimfallingforyou" Steve giggled. "What?" Tony inhaled deeply. "I think I'm falling for you. Deep, like really deep" Steve smiled and caressed his hand. "I fell for you a long time ago, Tony" Steve turned to Tony, sitting astride the brick wall. He put a hand on Tony's cheek. "Can I kiss you?" Tony nodded, biting his lip. Steve put their lips together, pushing Tony back, making him lay on the wall and standing over him, while Tony threw his hands around Steve's neck. Tony mumbled. "What are we going to do?" Steve rolled his eyes "I don't know. We'll think about that tomorrow, now shut up and kiss me" Tony smiled, biting his lip again. Steve smiled and kissed Tony, trying to gain access to his mouth, that Tony kept denying. Steve bit Tony's lip and Tony gasped and Steve, catching the opportunity, slid his tongue into Tony's mouth, feeling Tony's body relax under his touch. Everything was going to be fine, the end of the summer meant the beginning of a life together.

[subject-2-change]

4 10 13 21 52 67 68 87 157 and 167 sorry it's a lot of questions but it was also a lot of questions :)

THIS IS SOOOO LATE. Forewarning, it is almost 2am my time and that means long answers to some things. I am not sorry. You quite literally asked for this.

4: What was your favorite video game growing up?

Animal Crossing and The Sims 2. Now I'm older. And I like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and The Sims 3 and 4.

10: Are you allergic to anything?

Yeah. Pine trees. As you can imagine, I'm thrilled about Christmas season.

13: Are you a cat or dog person?

Answered in the last one, but basically both. I was a dog person, but then got a cat who changed my whole view and then thought, "por que no los dos?" and now I'm both. huh. Funny. Same reason I'm bi.

52: Favorite movie? (same as #30, which I answered, but I shall again because why not? I took the time to make the gif.)

Best movie. Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles. What more could you want?

67: Favorite meme:

This is gonna date me and also show how fucking dumb my humor is. But this one gets me every time.

meme in general? I like the relatively recent "perks of being a marine biologist." The meta amuses me. Meta, irony, and absurdism are my favorites.

68: What is your MBTI personality type?

ENTP : The debater (me? What?! Never.../s)

87: Do your socks always match?

No, but it's a choice. If ever they don't, it is because I bought a set that doesn't match intentionally, because I like the aesthetic of the two socks, or the very rare occasion I am out of matching socks. V fashun.

157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious:

I'm not a particularly anxious person. But two things about kill me. The ocean and learning new languages.

The ocean because WHAT THE FUCK IS IN THERE?! I have also been stung by jellyfish 5 times and almost drowned twice (that I know of). It's dark. It's deep. It's scary. I don't like it. Whales in particular. Not sharks. I love sharks. BIG THINGS in the ocean. Ya know how fish can grow to the size of their tanks? WHAT IF 70% OF THE WORLD WAS YOUR TANK I DON'T LIKE IT OH MY GOD

New languages because, though I have tried many, it is the one thing education wise I have always struggled with. I'm not SO bad and pick up colloquialisms pretty quickly when I travel. Really, I'm self conscious about my accent and I have a hard time with vocab. I hate rote memorization. I'm bad at that part. Conjugation, fine. Grammar, fine. Vocab, I'm the worst. ASL I picked up pretty fast, though. Makes more sense to me than the spoken English language does.

167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created?

Actually? Not really. But theoretically? INFINITELY. Talk to me sometime about any creation myth, origin, or scientific theory you got and I am there for it! I love creation myths. I also study astrophysics (more of a hobby now). If you are asking because you want to discuss, hit up my DMs. It is one of my favorite topics. That and death of the universe.

21: Are you religious? GOOD QUESTION (put this under a break because it got long because you caught me in a mood. tw: religious talk)

"religious?" depends. I am Christian, but I've had issues with The Church™️. #spiritual I guess. I heard emphasized in church something once:

(Matthew 22:37-40): “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Since then, I've lived my life by two main rules: "Love God. Love people." I keep judgement out of mind as much as I can (he who cast the first stone and all that). Who am I to judge? Who am I to be unkind? God loves all of his children and we are all his children. What kind of person would I be to do anything less than love others?

It really grinds my gears when I meet Christians who don't meet these tenets. The only thing I judge people on is how they treat others. Fuck racists. Fuck homophobes. Fuck Islamophobes (and hatred against any other religion or lack thereof). Fuck body shamers and slut shamers. Fuck cringe culture. Fuck etc. It is literally not our job to determine who is 'virtuous' or whatever, based on our simple mortal perception. And, just from a basic human desire, let people enjoy things. Life has so few joys, let people be happy with everything they can find.

Subsequently, this made me realize... who am I to do anything but love myself unconditionally. That is something I'm definitely still working on. But how can you "love your neighbor as thyself" if you don't love thyself? That's why I started going to therapy. But now we are getting into too much late night conversation.