#and everybody would just go ‘oh name? yeah she’s the art kid’

[cxlrose]

drawing is kinda nice actually<3

[donutz]

Yandere Smiling Critters x male child reader

Request from Wattpad-! Here you go Dracunyan1987☆

An employee escorted you to Playcare, after the train ride and Elliot’s long speech of course. You were a new kid added to the bunch. You’ve been hanging around in Playtime co for a while, so the employees told the upper staff, then they told Elliot.

Elliot instructed them for you to stay at Playcare, so you’re here now. This place was huge. There’s… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... 5 buildings, you counted. You looked up at the ‘sky’, and saw ‘clouds’. Further up, you could see glass, is that the real sky?

The same employee escorted you over to home sweet home, and you were pretty shy, due to you being new to the huge place. The tons of people, toys, big buildings, it's all so new. And kind of scary, due to the big toys. But you do like one.

Kissy… Missy? You think that's her name. She's really sweet.

You entered Home Sweet Home and saw a bunch of kids running around. And… Are those animals..? A dog, a bunny, a bear, a chick—

“Oh, hello!” Somebody greeted you, being out of your vision so you had to turn around.

“You’re new here right?” You nodded your head, being a little surprised by the sudden interaction.

“Ok! I’m PickyPiggy! What’s your name?” You said yours, and she brightened up by that. Even if you were shy, you could at least introduce yourself. Hm. You’re an interesting one.

“Here, follow me! I’ll introduce you to the other critters!” You raised your eyebrows at that, there’s more? How many? You hope there isn’t too much.

Picky took you somewhere, hopefully actually taking you to the critters. She did, no worries.

“Guys! There’s a new kid and—” The other critters were dealing with the kids, not having time for introducing themselves. “Oh.. Uhm..” 

Dogday was dealing with telling kids not to be rude. Kickin was trying to get his soccer ball back from the kids. Craftycorn was trying to get her art supplies back from little 5 year olds. Bobby was being crowded by random 7 year olds. Bubba was looking for his math papers, that were stolen by kids. And Hoppy was being dragged around by younger children.

You, as a 6 year old, not knowing what’s going on, couldn’t even take a bit of charge. So you were standing there, waiting for something(other than this) to happen. Picky was getting impatient, so she raised her voice, just a little ^_^!

“GUYS! THERE IS A NEW KID HERE!! YOU NEED TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!!!!” It went quiet. Nobody expected for a critter to raise their voice! Picky had no problem though.

“... Oh uhm! E- Everybody gather at your tables and PLEASE resume your activities!” Dogday spoke up, if he could sweat, he would, he’s never seen or heard Picky yell before…

You hid behind Picky, somewhat trusting her more than anybody else at this place. Also you were shy. And new. I’ve said that already, right?

Dogday saw your shyness and reassured you, “It’s okay little one! This place is safe! Even with the chaotic kids… Anyways, we are the smiling critters! I’m Dogday! … Guys, introduce yourselves—”

“I’m KickinChicken! I like sports—”

“ANYWAYSS!! I’m Hoppy Hopscotch! I’m the better version of Kickin!” “HEY!”

“I’m Bobby Bearhug, I do love.. Stuff..”

“I’m Craftycorn! I do art, and accentuate creativity!”

“I’m Bubba Bubbaphant! The ‘smart one’, that’s what the kids call me…”

“I’m sure Picky Piggy already introduced herself to you, right?”

You nodded your head, still being behind her. You were such a cutie!

“Alright! There’s one more, but he’s.. Somewhere… I’m not sure where he is…” You looked around, trying to see if that ‘he’ is in the room.

“D- Do you mean that one..?” You asked, pointing to a high area. It looked like nothing was there, but you could see his white beady eyes in the shadows.

“Oh! Yeah! That’s Catnap!” Dogday said.

You stayed staring at him. Slightly wondering why he was up there and not down here. He seemed mysterious, especially with that purple color.

“Oh and— What’s your name buddy?” You tensed up, you have to say your name… Again?

Picky saw that you didn’t really like speaking that much, so she did it for you. “Okay kiddo! Would you like to do the activities, or take a tour of the place?” Well, you were hungry, but he didn’t state it as an option.

Your stomach spoke for you, saying you were hungry with a loud rumble. Some of the critters giggled from it, “Guys… Anyways, you’re hungry right? Do you want some food?”

You nodded your head. No duh you’d want some food.

After eating, you wanted a tour of the place. There were a ton of rooms, but since you came out of nowhere, there wasn’t really a room ready for you. The critters had a room, so you could stay there when it was time to sleep.

The critters now having an introduction, and a bright smile, you could trust them. For now.

You did the activity with Picky by your side, because you trusted her the most. You quickly did the activity, proving your smarts to somebody. Bubba Bubbaphant. He found you quite the smart kid, and it’s your first day here!

Good job.

For the next few weeks of being at Playcare, you had a lot of reasons for the critters to like you, you were also clingy to them, so they can’t ever be lonely.

They wanted to keep you here, particularly getting a little bit more mad than usual if somebody was rude to you. One time a kid stole your art supplies, Craftycorn got more mad than usual, she was kind of holding back on fully outlashing at the kid.

… You were doing something to them.

They didn’t want you to have your own room. They wanted to keep you in theirs.

Hm. You wanted to meet Catnap, but couldn’t, he didn’t come out at day, he came out at night. And at night, you were asleep. What if you secretly stayed up one day?

“Good night everybody!” Dogday said, everybody said it back, but you didn’t. (Almost) All of the critters noticed this, wondering why you didn’t respond back like you usually do.

“What if I stayed up..? I wanna see uh, Catnap. That’s his name, I think.” The critters looked at each other, communicating whether it was a bad idea. “Well, the workers never come in here. So we won’t really get in trouble..” Kickin spoke up.

They all agreed to stay up, for some time, not pull an all-nighter or something. They’re all talking, while you were silent. Finally, the sound of a door creaked open. There he was! Catnap!

It went quiet again, you got out of ‘your’ bed(Which is Catnap’s) and went up to the cat. You two stared at each other. You didn’t know what to say, Catnap didn’t want to talk. It wasn’t awkward, for you two at least. The other critters didn’t know what to do in this situation.

You let out your arms, signifying you wanted a hug. The other critters were wary about that, Catnap wasn’t really into that stuff, especially when it came to children.

But, he actually hugged you! Everybody in the room was bewildered by this! You really are the chosen one! Yeah you’re staying here.

Forever. Hopefully.

A/N|| I almost broke my back putting in the different colors on my computer🤣🤣

[aspirationalpeony]

Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)

Summary: While you're trying to puzzle out the mysterious Ms. Schemmenti, Janine invites you to a dinner party--at Melissa's house. Board games, bonding, and lasagna... What could go wrong? (See author's note at the end for prompt credit.) Content Warnings: A brief paragraph discussing homophobia. AO3 Link

Does Melissa Schemmenti like you?

You've got everyone else figured out. Janine would befriend an electrical pole if it had a smiley face stapled to it; Jacob befriends anyone Janine befriends. Gregory stays a little aloof, but he's been warming up the more you show him your LEGO sets. Barbara--well, she sees you as another one of the kids, you think, but you know she appreciates your self-sufficiency, tolerates you with a smile when you're in the conversation. And Ava is... Ava.

Melissa? Who knows? She called you by the wrong name the first month you were at Abbott, knowingly, watching your face with a wry twist to her mouth, waiting for you to take the bait. When you didn't, you earned your name back. She started making dry comments to you, like "You got enough glitter glue there, Martha Stewart?" as you passed her in the hall, arms full of art supplies. She saw you struggling with the copy machine one day and said, "Here," giving it a swift kick that brought it wheezing to life, but followed up with, "Thought your generation was good with tech. What do we keep you around for, huh?"

After those backhands you'd be in a spin, wondering and confused; then later that day or the day after she'd say something else, like, "Hey, not bad, shortstop," when you got something off a high shelf for her (why shortstop when you’re taller than her? Reverse psychology?), or "Good job on lunch duty. They didn't kill ya," and you'd go warm all over and your confusion would deepen and all you would think was: does she like me or not?

You’re just not sure. So you try not to listen the day they’re all in the break room, talking about a party at Melissa’s house. You can’t help but overhear snatches—Janine insisting she’ll bring lasagna, Jacob saying he’ll do dessert, Melissa saying “oh, brother” and Barbara assuring her gently, a smile in her voice, “And I’ll bring the wine”—but you keep your head down over your lunch and turn the page of your lesson plan and ignore them until Janine realizes, suddenly, that the room isn’t empty, that you’re at the table just next to them, and burbles, “Hey, you should come, too!”

Your eyes go to Melissa right away. She glances up over her cat-eye glasses and her look is inscrutable.

“Oh,” you say, “um, I don’t know. I have, like, a thing—“

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Janine says. “We’ll eat some amazing food—“ she flicks a curl over her shoulder, playing at an Ava-like preen—“we’ll play board games, we’ll bond…”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding!” Janine looks imploringly at her friends. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Melissa says at last, still looking at you. Your heart thumps. “You should come.”

And that’s how you end up here: Melissa’s house. You crossed the welcome mat reading GO AWAY, a cheesecake in your hands, and tried not to make it obvious how badly you wanted to stare around yourself, scrutinize every photo and every piece of furniture, trying to get a window onto this woman you can’t figure out. Everyone’s piled onto the couch or onto chairs, plastic creaking under them as they lean forward to the table to swipe a snack or their glass of wine, and there’s an open box, a few stacks of cards.

“I found this amazing get-to-know-you game,” Janine declares, sliding down to sit on Mel’s carpeted floor. “So, you spin the spinner, right, and whatever it lands on, you take a card with the same color, and then you ask the question that’s on it, and everybody answers, and—“

“How do you win?” Melissa says. She’s holding a glass of wine, its rim printed with her pink lipstick. She’s got her hair in a ponytail that leaves lots of little curls hanging everywhere. She’s wearing a tank top. These details feel incredibly important; you try not to think about them.

“Oh, uh…” Janine frowns at the instruction booklet. “I don’t think you win.”

“What’s the point of a game if nobody wins?” Melissa leans over to the coffee table, grabs a grape off a serving plate, pops it into her mouth. She glances over at Barbara, who’s perched very straight-backed in a plastic-covered armchair, nursing a little bit of wine.

“I, for one,” Jacob says, “think competition is over-valued in our society. American individualism—"

“Just spin it, Janine,” Barbara says.

Beaming at the approval of her mentor, Janine spins. She plucks a blue card: “What’s your favorite sexual—“ her eyes widen. “Uh.”

“Oh, this just got interestin’,” Melissa says, and sits up straighter.

“Let me take another one.” Janine puts that card aside. “Have you ever had a threes—okay, no. Are they all like this?”

Gregory, a silent presence sitting stiffly alongside Janine, turns over a card from the green and red piles. He reads one: “How do you like your partner to style their pubic hair?” Then, the red: “Confess to a sexual fantasy you’ve had about… A member of the group.” The questions sound even more bizarre in his level voice, although his lifted eyebrows and widened eyes telegraph his discomfort. His gaze darts to Janine, then away.

“Janine, what’s the name of this game, please,” Barbara says, looking as though she’s one syllable from combustion.

Janine lifts the lid of the box. “Adult Dinner Party. But I thought, you know, adult dinner party, a classy kind of—oh.”

Jacob picks up a blue card gingerly and turns it over. “Have you ever had sex in a public place?”

“I have,” you say. Every face in the room turns toward you. Your cheeks heat. Your eyes flicker between each incredulous look. “What? We’re supposed to answer them, aren’t we?”

“This just got interestin’,” Melissa repeats. There’s a strange look on her face, not quite amusement; you wonder if it’s respect. “Me, too.”

“Melissa!” Barbara gasps.

“What? You never got fingered in a dark ride at an amusement park?”

Barbara stands up with her wine and walks out of the room, muttering to herself. Glances pass between the rest of you. The corner of Melissa’s mouth curves up. “Spin again,” she says.

The next few questions are mercifully tamer: do you think French kissing is overrated, what’s one thing you’ll never do for a partner? More wine is poured, Melissa going around and topping off each glass, saying to Gregory and Janine, “Lighten up a little, will you?” Eventually she comes to sit on the floor with everyone else, four people around the coffee table. She’s picked a spot right at your side, your knees bumping, thighs aligned.

“Is Barbara okay?” you ask. You can smell her perfume; it’s spicy and floral and it makes you feel tipsier than you are.

“Oh, she’ll be fine,” Melissa says. “You don’t wanna know how many of my parties she’s walked out of. Hey, Barb!” She bellows it close to your ear, making you wince; it’s followed by a twinge of peculiar affection that so much volume can come from one little woman. “Check the lasagna, will ya!”

There’s an indistinct answer from the other room, full of barely-contained irritation. Melissa slugs back another swallow of wine as Jacob flicks the spinner.

He draws a card and reads, “Have you ever kissed a member of the same sex? Oh, well—obviously.”

Gregory and Janine shake their heads.

Melissa says, “Listen, what happens in cheer squad stays in cheer squad, alright,” to scandalized gasps from her audience. She looks at you. “How about you? No girls, huh?”

You’re arrested by her green gaze so close, the wine on her breath, the question itself. You start to tell her, yes, plenty of girls, but you’re blushing again, embarrassed, all your bravado from earlier draining away into the floorboards.

“Here,” she says, and leans in. You register the thought Holy shit in the moment before her lips touch yours. Her nose brushes your cheek. Her mouth is very soft and a hot breath puffs over you in the instant before she delicately parts her lips and you feel the sweet flick of her tongue. She leans back again. “Now you’ve kissed a girl.”

“Melissa!” Janine says, outraged, bewildered.

“I bet Ava would have come, if she’d known it was this kind of party,” Jacob mumbles to the bowl of pretzels in front of him.

“I’m going to go check on Barbara,” Gregory says, his shellshocked eyes firmly on the ground as he gets up.

“Hey, I’ll come with you,” Janine says, all nerves, “maybe the lasagna needs more parm,” and scrambles up after him.

Melissa’s pouring herself the last of the wine. She’s smiling to herself. You don’t get it: what was that for? Was it bait, like your name, like the ribbing comments, trying to get a rise out of you? Or maybe just out of the people around you—trying to be the most shocking in the room? You stare, trying to read the look of satisfaction on her face.

"I'll--the bathroom," you say, and get to your feet. "'Scuse me."

You've got kind of an idea where it is. The problem, you realize, is that you have to cut through the kitchen to get there. It's savory-smelling, rich with tomato scent, and full of furious whispering that dies instantly as you cross the threshold; Janine, intently grating parmigiano into a bowl, gives you a guilty look as Gregory quickly parts from her side. Barbara is at the island counter, maybe only half-participating, but she looks at you, too, and you know they've told her.

You feel it all over again: these are people who've had years to get to know each other. Who are you to them? Not really a friend, just a colleague, half-acquaintance. You're the new invitee, the odd one out, and even though it was Melissa that kissed you, you'll be the one who gets the blame for the ruined party, the awkwardness now swamping Mel's rowhouse. Your gut clenches. "Excuse me," you repeat and dart past them to the bathroom.

You run cold water from the tap and stick your wrists underneath the faucet, like you've got heatstroke. You wet your hands and press them to your cheeks, your neck, your nape, trying to quiet your thumping heart. You look in the mirror: there's a glazed look in your eye; you're conscious your lips are tingling. Why'd she do that?

You've been played with by straight women before. Not always out of conscious cruelty: some women, you've realized, are hungry for a kind of attraction that doesn't have fear and imbalance, and they can't always have that with men. They want to be wanted by someone they think won't hurt them, and they pick you--never thinking about what it does to your heart; never imagining that desire for a woman can be real, that it can mean anything to anyone.

Is that Melissa? She said that thing about the cheer squad. If she likes women, too, why would she mess with you? If she thinks you're straight, is she just trying to shock, the way she did Barb with that dirty answer about fingering, needling at what she thinks are your reservations and limitations? Because that's what she does, what she's been doing. Poking and poking, trying to get a rise. Should you have shouted? Should you have cried? What would satisfy her?

"Melissa Ann Schemmenti," you hear Barb say from the kitchen, muffled on the other side of the door. You freeze a moment, heart pounding all over again, then turn the water down to a trickle and inch toward the door, leaning closer. All you can hear are bits and pieces of what must be a thunderous lecture: "That girl... Well, I won't... You know that... Sweet, but... Learn to behave."

There's a sulky rumble in Mel's voice in answer.

You're going to have to go out there eventually. You listen a few more seconds, but if there's footsteps of people dispersing, or more conversation as they linger, you can't hear it. You resign yourself, turn off the water, dry off your hands. You give your cheeks a last press with your cold fingers, trying to ground yourself. You'll go out there and pretend it didn't happen. You'll make it through the night and see what happens tomorrow. That's all you can do.

Of course, you go out into the kitchen, and everyone else is gone, and Melissa's there.

She's frowning deeply and scrupulously wrapping the parmigiano in plastic. She says something under her breath; you catch a Sicilian curse and a "kids don't know..." When she hears the bathroom door click, her head goes up, and there's a moment, her eyes meeting yours, where she looks as nervous as you feel. She looks back down at the cheese, tightly sealing and wrapping its edges, then crosses to the big stainless fridge to put it away.

"Guess I scared you back there," she says. There's a challenge in her voice. Suddenly, your fear and loneliness uncoil; they spool out into anger. It's one thing to mess with you in words. You could call that friendliness, call it teasing. It's not fair to mess with you like this.

"You didn't scare me," you say. Your voice is stronger than you expected. Not loud, but sure. "I've kissed more girls than a cheer squad."

"Huh, look at you," Melissa says, "big player."

"What is your problem with me?"

The question catches her in the act of moving to the oven. She looks sharply at you--then away. There's something strangely un-Melissa about the act. She fiddles with the oven dial, then leans her hip against the counter and folds her arms over her chest. "Hon, if I had a problem with you, you'd know."

"Then what the hell was that?" You catch yourself starting to cross your arms, to mirror her, and lower them to your sides, where your hands clench tightly.

"I kissed ya." She lifts her chin and looks at you. "What, you didn't like it?"

Your anger wobbles; the question stumps you. "It--that doesn't--look, you've been doing this all year. Pushing me around. I don't get it. I didn't do anything to you. Maybe you think I'm annoying, or stupid, or--"

"Pushing you around?" Mel moves closer. Her voice gets a little tighter, a little louder. Her eyes glitter with challenge. "I invited you to my house."

"Yeah, you invited Jacob and Janine to your house, too."

"I don't like them the way I like you," she says, and freezes. You have a sense she's blurted something she didn't mean to say. It's stopped her right in the tracks of what she might have made an argument, draining the confidence out of her posture.

Your heart is thundering in your ears again. You replay that delicate, barely-there kiss: her face leaning toward yours, spicy scent of her perfume, wine on her breath, her green eyes, her soft, hot mouth. Her tongue. "What?" you say.

Her mouth twists. There's something faintly absurd about it, how it turns a grown woman toddleresque, and you get another pang of that strange affection from before, when she yelled right in your ear. It's strong enough to filter through your anger.

She shifts from foot to foot. With her shoes off in her own home, she suddenly looks half her usual height. Fondness washes against you. "Look," she says, "I'm forget-about-it years older'n you and I don't have time to play games, so--"

"This isn't playing games?"

She ducks her chin toward her chest. It's another gesture that's strangely unlike her. You hear Barbara's voice in your head: Melissa Ann Schemmenti... Learn to behave.

You move closer again. Her eyes flick up to yours and there's a sulky defiance in them, even when they drop briefly to your lips.

"Is this..." You don't know how to ask it. How do you ask Melissa Schemmenti do you want me in her own kitchen? "Melissa, what do you want?"

"C'mere," she says. She takes your chin in her grasp and brings you closer and kisses you again.

Wine, perfume, her skin. This time, it's not some playful schoolgirl thing. You can feel intention behind the slow press of her lips against yours. She lets it linger for a second, two, then leans back, looking into your eyes.

Whatever she sees has her turning you, your back against the counter, a hard line of granite. This time, you lean forward into her kiss. Her body presses into yours, all hips, soft belly, breasts. Her hands bracket your body against the edge of the countertop. Her way of deepening the kiss is to nip your lower lip and make you gasp, so that her tongue can flick into your mouth, brushing against yours and sending tingling ripples through your whole body.

You cup her jaw. She’s so, so warm. You slide a hand back and brush some of those loose, careless locks of red hair behind her ear. You kiss her and kiss her; when your tongue teases against hers, deliberately now, she makes a sound like a whimper that you feel head to toe, like a current of lightning passing through you, dispersing into the ground.

“So,” she says, with you securely pinned, flushed, breathing hard, “what do you think?”

What do you think? You go back in for another kiss. She chuckles against your mouth and can barely kiss you back for her smug smile. This time, it’s your kiss, not hers, and you explore exactly how you want to: sucking and nibbling her lower lip, licking into her mouth, your hands dropping to her waist, pulling her against you. She melts into you, and there’s a thunderous sense of power and desire in you, tied to how her arms come up to loop around your neck, how her spine softens and her body sways into yours.

When you’ve got your breath back, you ask her, “Should we go back out there?” You know you have to, but you don’t know how you’ll manage it. You’re sure you have this moment written all over your face, glassy-eyed and out of breath. Melissa does, too: her lipstick is smeared. “Maybe in a few minutes?”

“I think,” she says, “I should kick all of ‘em outta here, and you’n’me keep the game and the lasagna, and we have some fun.” Her hand drops, intervening between your body and the counter so she can firmly grab your ass. You squeak. “Huh?”

“I—I think that would be pretty rude.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” she says, though she doesn’t let go of your ass. “And they planned this whole thing for us, so…”

“Wait—” you lean back a little to get a clear picture of her face. “What?”

“Janine’s idea,” she says. “I found out after they invited you. They knew I thought you were cute—“

“You told them that?”

“Course I didn’t,” Melissa says, “I look like somebody who goes splashin’ their business everywhere? ‘Specially where Janine can hear it? I’ll tell you about what she did to me’n my sister some time. They figured it out on their own. I mighta been lookin’ at your ass at work.” She gives it a pinch.

“So the board game…” You frown.

“I think that was an accident for real.” Her face pinches in a frown. “‘Magine Janine tryin’ to get us to talk dirty to each other out there?” The frown vanishes and the leer she gives you makes you feel very, very naked. “We could talk dirty in here, if you wanna.”

“Okay,” you say, “I think we have to go serve dinner.” If you let her keep going, you don’t know if you’ll have the will to stop her. You hear the next thought in her voice: What? You never got fingered in a kitchen with all your coworkers right outside? “Wait—“ your brow creases. “Did Barbara seriously go along with this?”

Melissa clears her throat. “She didn’t know at first—and then, I wanted her here, y’know, in case, uh…”

“Things went badly?” you supply. Melissa pinks. You smile at the sweet strangeness of it. “Were you guys going to drink a bottle of wine so you could… Mope about me?”

“I wasn’t gonna mope about ya,” Mel says, “because I knew you weren’t gonna turn me down, and you’d be an idiot if you did, so.”

“I would,” you agree, and have to go back in for another kiss, two, three. “I would be an idiot,” you murmur against her.

“Okay,” she says when you can finally stop kissing her, “okay.” She gives your ass a slap that makes you gasp. Her eyes narrow, cataloguing that response, and her smirk, of course, resurfaces. “You take the lasagna out of the oven. I gotta fix my lipstick.” She steps away, and pauses. “You might wanna…” She gestures to her mouth.

You rub your tingling lips and your fingers come away with the pink of her lipstick. Your face heats.

“Or keep it,” Melissa says, “looks good on you,” and she gives a preening toss of her high ponytail as she turns away to the bathroom.

You watch her go, her hips swaying as she moves. You have a sense of the world tilted on its axis: all that teasing and game-playing—because she likes you? More than likes you—wants you? Janine inviting you, Jacob and Gregory playing along—because they really do care? Barbara scolding Melissa in this kitchen—because she wants her best friend to treat you right?

You find a napkin and scrub the lipstick off your mouth. Each step you take across the kitchen feels like levitation, an inch or two above the floor. You check the lasagna. There’s two: one big lasagna, and another small, plain one for Gregory. You lift each casserole dish out of the oven, and they smell better than ever in a house full of friends.

You cross to the doorway and peek out into the living room. “Lasagna’s ready,” you say to the four faces that turn to yours, and you know you’re smiling like an idiot, but you can’t help it.

Janine bounces up. “I can’t wait for you to tryyyy itttttt,” she sing-songs. “I learned from the best!”

Barbara passes you to find plates and ready the table. She gives your arm a little pat as she goes—the first time she’s ever touched you. You feel a Janine-like burst of effervescence at the thought that Melissa’s best friend approves.

Melissa reappears. She picks up a cutter for each lasagna, an armful of cloth napkins, another bottle of wine. Jacob and Gregory gather the glasses from the coffee table. You stick your hands back into the oven mitts to carry each dish in.

As everybody gets settled in, pulling out chairs, Janine proudly adding her bowl of grated parmigiano to the table (“just in case!” she burbles), you catch Melissa’s eye. She’s looking at you, a soft fondness in the gaze; the tender creases at the corners of her eyes make your chest squeeze around your heart, which feels three, four times as large as it was before.

“What do you think?” you ask the table. “Should we bring over the cards?”

Your friends laugh. Barbara shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Melissa Schemmenti, looking at you, smiles.

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

Author's Note:

My next fic was intended to be a sadder hurt/comfort fic, but I received the following prompt from @morgana-larkin:

I love your first fic and I wanted to know if you could do one more on the fun side. Where the whole group goes to either Melissa or reader’s place for game night and they all end up playing truth or dare while drunk and someone dares one of them to kiss the other. Then after everyone leaves the two of them end up admitting their feelings. Thank you!

I did make some tweaks to the premise to suit my storytelling style, which I hope is okay. I did my best to honor this fun and lovely prompt. Thank you so much!

[collectingmuses]

The Last Boy Scout  (  1991  )  sentence  starters  taken  from  the  1991 action  movie.  Violence, self harm mention, and very harsh language TW. Feel free to change pronouns as needed. "__" spaces designate character names for you to add in.

"Nobody likes you. Everybody hates you. You're gonna lose. Smile, you fuck."

"I'm thinking about smoking some cigarettes."

"Wrong place, wrong time. Nothing personal."

"That's what you think. Last night I fucked your wife."

"It just happened, __."

"Bit late for a stroll, don't you think?"

"Coulda happened to anybody. It was an accident, right? You tripped, slipped on the floor and accidentally stuck your dick in my wife."

"I'm not your fuckin' son."

"You think you're so fuckin' cool, don't you?"

"All right, you want it in the chest, or the head?"

"I'm gonna dance a jig, I swear to Christ."

"Shut up, fuckface."

"I'm fuckface. He's asshole."

"Better give up, __. We're dealin' with a couple of geniuses here."

"Water is wet, the sky is blue, women have secrets."

"Yeah, that's what your wife said."

"What'd you do last night?"

"I seem to have dropped my cigarette. May I have another?"

"You touch me again, I'll kill ya."

"At least I liked the guy she was fuckin'. He was my best friend."

"All private detectives are scumbags."

"What are you, my father?"

"I wish that water wasn't wet, I wish the sky wasn't blue and I wish that I didn't still love my wife."

"Right now, I'm trying to figure out which one of you looks the most like my dick."

"__ attacks his job with a certain exuberance."

"He's still in a good mood, __. Kick him again."

"You know what? Fuck you, __. I was lonely!"

"Why don't you just go ahead and hit me?"

"So now you know my name?"

"I told you, if you ever touch me again, I'll kill you."

"Can we do a formal introduction here?"

"Who gives a fuck? You're the bad guy, right?"

"I am the bad guy."

"I'm supposed to be trembling with fear, something like that?"

"Yeah, I believe in love; I also believe in cancer."

"I figure you gotta be the dumbest guy in the world, __."

"Where are you goin'?"

"Okay, what would __ do at a time like this? He'd kill everybody and smoke some cigarettes."

"If you go any faster we're gonna travel back in time."

"You know, for a dancer, he is one hell of a detective."

"This the only kind of music they play in this joint?"

"What, is everybody stupid around here?"

"__, how long have we been friends?"

"You still want the job?"

"500 bucks is 500 bucks."

"You wanna be left alone, don't you? I'll be in the kitchen, over here."

"Good morning, gentlemen. Is there a problem?"

"Too risky, I might start thinkin' about you and slash my wrists."

"Wow, an actual house. I was thinking a cave with… skulls and shit."

"Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared."

"Oh, you're a lot of fun to be with."

"Go buy yourself a new pair of pants."

"Looks like our evidence got blown up. I think we might have to get some more."

"Just won't let go, huh? You're like a dog with a frisbee."

"Push this vile fuck off the road, man!"

"I've got bad news and bad news."

"Give me the bad news first."

"Since it's the '90s, you don't just smack a guy in the face. You say something cool first."

"I'm drawing them a picture."

"It's called a vocabulary. You got one of those?"

"Sorry, my subscription to JUGGS magazine ran out."

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Hey, that's not funny, man. I almost bought it there!"

"Tragic loss to the art world, let me tell ya."

"Hey flash, rescue attempt?"

"You got friends? When did this happen?"

"Okay, now that's not polite."

"You're a real bastard, ya know that, __?"

"This ain't no game, flash. Real guns, real bullets. It's dangerous."

"Danger's my middle name."

"She gets evidence to use against 'em, right?"

"What I'm going to do is count to three. Then I'm going to put a bullet in that door."

"The truth is a beautiful thing."

"If I were a cat, I'd purrrrrr."

"Hi, you're nobody."

"Shhh, don't tell anyone."

"Do you want to get kicked off the planet?"

"Water's wet, sky's blue...and ol' Satan Claws, __, he's out there and he's just getting stronger."

[nochi-quinn]

exandria unlimited: divergence: episode 2: be the change you want to see in the world

pfft calling themselves out for the marathon ad read

the dragonbjorn

"this is where the belt goes"

A PAPER

either they have backups ready for when these guys die or they somehow survive

"crokas is a creature of legend" correct

I'm torn on the split screen bc I like being able to see their expressions but I miss seeing everybody else's expressions

"you don't have to worry about me" "s'my job" I love him

tall people privilege

liam getting to experience the full spectrum of dice rolls

FIVE?

roll for pneumonia

crokaaaaaaas

not to get distracted from everybody dying to death but matt looks really good in that shirt

"unless you're throwing something at us" always a possibility

gond :(

LIAM

"SIX :D"

brennan don't DO that

not the letter opener

what did brennan do to liam's backstory

he made liam's backstory a refugee camp

I mean even the slapdash medical training nia has would probably be a godsend

…no pun intended

"that one I can stop. I can't stop this." listen I'm already emotionally compromised you can't make me cry

I need art of this hobgoblin immediately

I need art of both of them

"miracles abound. we're all about to die!"

"we can put her on a shelf!" wild robot vibes

"you are family to us" what did I just say about making me cry

is brennan mean enough to kill the mom and make those crokas' kids now

every word that comes out of everyone's mouth is a death flag

"fiedra thinks she might have died and this is the line to get into hell"

"in which case she would also be looking for the other members of her gang"

not the fever hallucinations

"the ill-advised kindness of strangers"

fiedra goes in the overhead compartment

"unfortunately that pillow's a rock"

who's siri went off

oh god it feels like home

what did I JUST SAY

lmao the hunt for the booze

the dice said get fucked up

dwarf thanksgiving

where's grog

YEAH roll for meat

matt who u textin

wild how after one episode I'm more deeply invested in these characters than I was after 50+ episodes with bells hells (or whenever I quit watching)

(the crown keeper members don't count, I loved them already)

erro :(

crokas :(

"or if it simply clarifies a gift he already had"

go find fiedra, she needs protein

TIGER TABAXI

idk what non-copyrighted name they came up with for tabaxi, they're tabaxi

oh right I forgot about his arm

"just an old drunk" "well I LOVE this old drunk"

roll to prevent a riot

"congratulations, you didn't die!"

can you use ale to sterilize? is that a thing?

"let's not think too hard about that"

brb I have to go fight alex for his mug

…..is Nez's name a play on "pince nez"?

crokas is a Good Boy

fiedra threatening bitches with a boozy scalpel

medical dagger

"what?"

oh no it's cute

THE BOYS

not all the boys?

"I think keph might be like 200 years old"

keph joined a cult?

"we simply left"

"he's still out there" "don't say that. makes me feel bad."

crokas making sure nobody trusts that motherfucker

"your coterie" immediately looks at alex

"this fucking guy"

alex does such great faces

I hope this guy gets eaten

why couldn't he get fantasy pneumonia

fucking carpetbagger

quality ink and paper you say

"you say anything and I'm on him. that's my whole job."

"fuck! that! fucking! guy!"

I love when brennan says a lore thing and matt just nods approvingly

PHRASING, brennan

apocalypse lesbians

oh no, she's a bitch

"we thought it was the right thing to do, so we done it!"

bluray, got it

I mean if you've already been branded for it you might as well own to it

not the battlefield earth reference

"don't just give 'em to your friends!"

"the oxen are in it with us!"

he rolls like a beast when hammers are involved

marlath I don't know what you're doing but I know you need to fuck off

"he cheered too hard! he passed out!"

great now I'm crying about the bugbear

well. shit.

VOMIT WEAPON

MAP

everybody being so excited for their minis brings me such joy

he's old, it happens

"one of the kids" alex no

fuck yeah shovel guy

I need an anime-style crokas Battle Activating

yesssss put that shit in my VEINS

yes use the mug as crokas' mini

"he gives excellent piggyback rides"

"grotesque. I love it." matt gets me

how. how many hitpoints does erro have.

kenku!!

I'm love

"when they drop get their shit!!"

"kill that dick! take his sword!"

emotion-based power incontinence my beloved

GODZILLA BREATH

double it bc he's wearing metal armor

the godzilla laser charge noise

alex's dragon noises my beloved

THOR HAMMER THOR HAMMER

"we'll unpack this later!"

they get color art when they get their first level AHHHHH

"what do tens look like?!"

"nia is the ten!"

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD

god I missed enjoying critical role

"miracles, when they touch the real world, get dirty"

nia you're a cleric now, fix him

kiri no

erro no

brennan he's not deAD YET

LIAM YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET

STAB YOUR WAY INTO YOUR FIRST LEVEL

RIP THE LEVEL OUT OF HIS GUTS

crokas saw fiedra do a stab and just sat straight up out of the dirt

MONK?

I did not see that coming. absolutely thought he was going barb

BITE HIS FACE OFF

roll chomp damage

"get karate chopped by godzilla"

I am pleased that the "guest gets hdywtdt" trend continues with all three of them

stonks

"be made again"

"that's what I get for getting cocky"

"he gets a plus three" "for why?!"

(I am not satisfied with that "they're soldiers", BRENNAN)

hey if we could stop this that would be great

ranger!!

"what's a spell?!"

vex'ahlia whispers across the eons: "hunter's mark"

tail attack TAIL ATTACK

MATT

CELIA

liam o'brien spellcasting flair my beloved

the way the skyrim level-up sound played from behind me just as nia came back up

otto!!

"I will never be brave again. that's the last time."

luz :(

I mean I love the narrative but. luz :(

matt.

crokas rumbling the water

(please look up alligators rumbling the water it's wild)

fiedra get your boy

what is on alex's cup that he can't have it on the table

or is it just Big

CROKAS

"…..WHAT."

the kids!

the kids have names!

celwyn and celdria!

what did I say about the crying

that's his mom now

"it means you saved us"

I was okay until I saw alex tearing up

(that's a lie, I've been a mess the whole time)

MARLATH

marlath over here trying to invent organized crime

they're gonna kick his ass

marlath

celia's little stabbing motions under the table

"it's too heavy to flip"

you can't flip The Table matt

I take it back matt flip the table

is liam gonna find a way to romance matt again

fiedra hatched him?!

nia don't do that

"don't let her leave"

garen's secret stash sdfjslk

tail-slap marlath

"gigantic monk shiiiiit"

well crokas and marlath don't have lips, so

matt don't punch brennan just bc he's being marlath

the stabbing with the pencil

not standing on the tail

FUCK YEAH FIEDRA

fiedra said cut capitalists' tongue out

"you should get that looked at"

smother capitalism in the cradle

"well. you're very frightening."

garen level??

alex settling in for Matt Storytime

"tough as nails. old as dirt."

[zack-is-silly]

In no particular order here are my favorite lyrics from my favorite yungblud songs because uh yea

Loner

"All my friends will desert again and I don't wanna be a loner in my head I can sleep when I'm dead baby don't let the hype delude you"

Kill Somebody

Right now I feel like an alien like I'm sitting in a state of perpetual frustration go on shove me again fuck with my head leave me for dead please and yet you may think you may think thus is a metaphor something you've never heard before I know I've found on the floor and then subconsciously pinned to the door but then you motherfuckers could cross 'em out and I still won't believe what you thought"

Fleabag

"I dance 'round the truth I'll be a ballerina boy for you no matter what I do you twist my words and get confused so I fade and i fade and everytime I try to change to change I stop 'cause I'm just a fleabag nobody loves send me to rehab somebody touch me"

Medication

"You cannot pretend there's no dirt on your shirt 'cause that's nt how it works no that's not how it works you try to perceive thet you're so squeaky clean but that's not how it works that's not how it works"

11 Minutes (with Halsey feat. Travis Barker)

"Tell me what you need I can make you more than what you are come lay the roses on the floor every single Sunday don't get bored I just want to freeze I can give you more than what you are now I see you standing all alone I never thought the world would turn to stone so call me stupid call me sad your the best I've ever had your the worst I've had and that keeps fucking with my head"

Mars

"She was only 17 had the saddest pair of eyes that you've ever seen wore then lips and a coat that was matching green but she can't be herself when she's somebody else"

"Every morning she'd wake up with another plan yeah her mum and dad they couldn't understand why she couldn't turn it off become a better man all this therapy eats away gently at the side of her mind that she never had yeah this story told too many times it makes me sad I bet her author made a fortune out of the autograph give her her money back 'cause she dreamed she'd go to California there everyone would adore her and her mates will call her 'till four in the morning is there any life on mars"

"Do you feel like your irrelevant? Do you feel like you're scared as fuck?"

God Save Me But Don't Drown Me Out

"Not gonna waste my life 'cause I've been fucked up 'cause it doesn't matter so waste my time and God Save all of us and the walls they'll shatter and I won't let my insecurities define who I am I am not gonna waste my life 'cause I've been fucked 'cause it doesn't matter (goodnight everybody see you tomorrow I think we might be alright you know)"

I Love You, Will You Marry Me

"I love ya will you marry me? Oh what a shame we gotta pay for reality ain't it sad sad sad park hill romance we got the Love but they put out the fire park hill romance coz they expect us to walk on the wire park hill romance we got the Love but they put out the fire park hill romance coz they expect us to walk on the wire they didn't write her name on the article that to me just seems pretty farcical now the coppers take copper out of hus hands from a ban from alcohol fundamental narcissistic tried to make out he didn't exist when they wrote on the what when they wrote on the t-shirts cool merch and postcards and lighting it up like a piece of art they kicked him to side and left his to starve the memory that's re-breaking his broken heart"

acting like that (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)

"Hey I'm back on my bullshit your a libra I'm a taurus heard you hooked back up with your ex and now your asleep on my doorstep you're way too hot to acting like acting like that acting like that"

Psychotic Kids

"I see pictures in my head a world where the suffering's dead and they can't fight or unjustly arrest anybody for the color of their body psychotic kids they don't know what they want psychotic kids we've got to keep control of them drop a hairdryer into my bath shocks like that make me laugh it's fun to laugh when your sad be happy come on let me be happy"

strawberry lipstick

"They're gonna lock me in the closet but I'm coming out singing fuck all the oppression and the self-doubt"

weird!

"I want luck I want love sharing earphones on the bus and wake up next to you in Glasgow some days I'll laugh some days I'll cry see my mum and father die but the sun will shine tomorrow only those who are awake will make mistakes and learn to face everybody worried about things we are thinking and the enemies the remedies take the self-deprecation up your sleeve and say 'fuck the friends who leave when you are sinking' come hold my hand hold it tight we're in a weird time of life don't wreak your brain it'll be alright we're in a weird time of life"

Anarchist

"'Cause they took my favorite old game set and then they pawned my toys for a perimeter and then they tied up a toaster to my head and then they chucked me off a cliff but Un still not dead d-dont know where I am I don't where I am I don't know where I am I don't know where I am I don't know where I am I don't know where I am they say I'm an ana-ana-anarchist I'm an anarchist ana-ana-anarchist not lkek the other kids"

Sex Not Violence

"Whatcha' got between your legs honey science is ignorant to you I drown myself in aggravation tie myself to my temptation"

original me (feat. Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons)

"Hide under an umbrella and try to shelter myself from the rain try to stop my head from going insane counting down all the days swear that there's a bright side to being alone outside they cannot suffocate when they cannot fucking chase me I anagram all the letters that are telling me that I'm gonna be fine I climb the walls inside of my mind piece 'em together and jump off the sides I'ma be alone tonight if I smtry to stay alive and realize I'm going blind"

Die A Little

"Just when life gets messed up just when you can't turn back sometimes life gets like that it's my addiction take my foot off the gas step on paper-thun glass play the music and dance it's my addiction"

hope for the underrated youth

"Every day is an episode like fiction mixed with something true my head won't let me go like if I died you'd never know I made friends with the dark parts that are inside of my mind its headin' up to cool match black jn juvenile rhymes and my eyes are about to blow but thats all part of this freak show my personality got fucked uo by the adderall got called an alien for being myself I ain't got the patience to be someone else so just take my heart out that'll make it better I won't be sorry better late than never just take my heart out that'll make it better hiding all my feeling but I know that I'm not dreaming"

The Funeral

"I can't leave my bed but I can't sleep I got no clean clothes and I can't easy and I smoke too much 'till I can't breathe I'm emotional I'll always be and I hate myself but that's alright and I love myself but that's alright and I tell myself that it's alright that I dream about the day I die to my surprise there's no one to blame nobody came what a shame shame shame I've been dancing at my funeral waitin' for you to arrive I was hoping you'd look beautiful dancing with tears in your eyes but nobody came what a shame shame shame my hair feel out 'cause I dyed it cheap I want a real fake smile but I hate my teeth I wanna tell you taht I love you but I just can't speak I got a fucked up soul and an std do you hate yourself well that's alright do you love yourself well that's alright do you tell yourself that it's alright that you dream about the day you die"

"I wanna prove my love before I leave I wanna make you come and scrape my knees I want you to bite my tongue until I bleed and you can put these fuckin' words in my obituary we all hate ourselves well that's alright we all love ourselves well that's alright we all tell ourselves that it's alright that we dream about the day we die"

Breakdown

"I've been fightin' the changes tearin' my heart out wantin' to die before I open my eyes been fightin' the changes tearin' my heart out wanting' to die before I open my eyes go around the bend before the sun comes up things in my head just don't like up don't wanna leave my bed 'cause every time I do I feel like I've been fightin' the changes tearin' my heart out wantin' to die before I'm livin' my life been fightin' the changes tearin' my heart out wantin' to die before I breakdown think I'm gonna breakdown think I'm gonna fade out"

"Don't forget to put your feet in the ground tell your mum that you love her say that you cleaned up your act give money to the homeless man help him buy a bay when your buying your morning coffee ask them how they are god save the Sunday morning pray for me on the Saturday night talk polite don't start fights don't tell lies that for the people with oblivious short sight one day we'll meetvman and I'll say '!alright' see the worlds pretty big but don't feel small in it sometimes yiu lose a number but I swear you're still calling it I promise you it'll be alright in the end fuck the depression it's all in your head stay with your friends and walk up the hill at quarter to six in the morning take in the air while everyone else is still snoring express yourself with your friends they'll save your life you know everything's about connection you don't have to alone"

[juniper-sunny]

The Art in the Heart - Chapter 7

An unexpected detour brings out a different side to Silco and new people into your life…

Everybody Lives AU | Pre-Act 1 | Silco x Reader | Female!Reader | Slow Burn | Eventual Smut | Fluff | Mild Angst || SFW | TW: Alcohol Consumption | WC: 2.67k

ao3 || Masterlist || Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 3.5 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

taglist: @sherwood-forests @deny-the-issue @let-the-monster-out @ariaud @joscelyn02 @crunchlite

───────────────── ●◉◎◈◎◉● ─────────────────

It’s one thing when Silco calls you “sweetheart”; you’re actual friends, and he seems to have a genuine affection for you. He never says it to tease, unlike this bartender. When a man uses it casually with strangers, it’s a sure sign that he’s up to no good.

Still, you’re caught off-guard by his greeting.

“This is The Last Drop?” you ask, incredulous. Everybody knows the name of the Children’s headquarters, but you didn’t know it was a bar. Or what it looked like on the inside.  

“Sure,” says the bartender. “Something wrong with that?”

“No, sorry,” you say quickly. “It’s just— my friend made it sound like— like a war room, or something.” 

“This ‘friend’ wouldn’t happen to be Silco, would it?” he asks. He gives you another scrutinizing look. 

Something about his gaze makes you self-conscious. You stand up a little straighter. “Yeah.”

“Did he ask you to drop by?” Now he’s trying to suppress a grin. 

“No. Is he here?” 

“He’s in the back, I can give a shout for him if you like—?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” you shake your head. “I need to get going.”

“Not before you tell me your name, miss,” he says, smiling fully now. 

You pause hesitantly before telling him. 

“The name’s Vander,” says the bartender. He extends his hand out.

“You’re Vander? I’ve heard a lot about you,” you take his hand. Silco had described his brother-in-arms as a big man with a big heart. The man in front of you certainly fits part of that description, as first impressions go. 

“All good things, I hope,” he chuckles. Instead of a handshake, Vander turns your hand so he can kiss your knuckles. As if he were Topside gentry.

Oh this guy is definitely bad news. 

“Vander, we’re out of—” Silco himself appears next to Vander behind the bar. Freezing at the sight of Vander’s lips on your hand.

“Silco! Hi!!” Your voice comes out as a squeak. You yank your hand back. 

Why are so many people materializing out of thin air tonight? You’re surprised, but happy to see him as always. Right now, however, something about this current situation feels a little… uncomfortable. The drink in front of you looks tempting for your suddenly parched mouth.

Silco seems just as surprised as you right now. His mouth falls open, the bright lights of the pub reflecting off his chipped teeth. 

“Hi,” he finally says. One end of his mouth quirks upward.

“Hi,” you can’t help but beam at him. (He’s here now. Everything’s going to be fine. What were you even worried about in the first place?)

“What brings you here?” he asks. He rounds the bar to sit next to you. His shoulder brushing yours.

Uh-oh. You’re not about to tell him about your stalker in front of a stranger. Even if that stranger is Silco’s best friend. “I was just in the neighborhood.”

Silco eyes you thoughtfully. Can he see your concerns on your face? If he can, he doesn’t comment on them. His lips twitch before breaking out into a smile.

“It’s good to see you,” his voice is warm. 

“You too,” you press against him playfully. 

“Hey, kid,” Sevika’s voice cuts in on your other side. She sits on a bar stool next to you, blowing smoke in your face.

“Oh, sorry,” you cough. “Got your drink right here.” 

You pick up one of the drinks and set it down in front of her lightly. 

Sevika and Vander exchange glances. A silent conversation playing out between them. Mischief brewing in their eyes.

Her lips part slightly when she smiles, as if releasing a mirthful energy into the room. “You’re not gonna make me drink alone, are you?”

“I can’t. I have to work early tomorrow, sorry,” you wince. (Sheesh, is there anything else you want to apologize for tonight? Breathing the air, maybe?)

“Cheers, Sev,” Silco says brightly. He picks up one of the glasses and clinks it against hers before sipping.

“You know each other?” you ask politely. 

“Sure do,” Sevika smirks. She drinks before taking another pull on her cigarette. “Saved his scrawny ass from Enforcers more times than I can count.”

“I believe our ledgers are equally balanced in that regard, my friend,” Silco rolls his eyes. 

Sevika snorts in amusement. “You sure you don’t want me taking over the accounting? ‘Cause I keep better track of our numbers than you do.” 

“Now, now, kids,” Vander snickers. “No fighting in front of the guests.” 

Vander refills Sevika’s and Silco’s glasses while they begin bickering. Their words are pointed, but their tone is humorous. Sharp words blunted by a friendship forged through many years. 

The bartender turns to you. Picking up glasses to wipe.

“So how did you meet our man here?” Vander asks, tipping his head towards Silco.

“Oh, um…” you glance at your friend. “Saved him from Enforcers?”

Vander releases a bark of laughter that gets the other two to look at him. “Pretty little thing like you? What’d you do, blow a kiss at them?”

Silco tenses at the compliment and scooches closer to you. “Not quite.”

“I just dropped paint on them,” you shrug. 

Vander leans forward, brows furrowed. If you thought he was watching you too closely before, he stares at you openly now. 

You take an unconscious step back. Lightly pulling on Silco’s sleeve. (Maybe turning down the drink was a bad idea. At least it would’ve given you something to do with your hands—)

“You’re the muralist?” Vander asks. He grins even wider than before. The knowing look he shares with Sevika is almost as obvious as them nudging each other in the ribs with their elbows. 

Uh-oh. You don’t like the look or sound of this at all. 

“Yeah?” You look at Silco questioningly. “I mean, I’m a muralist— I also paint on canvas— and I sketch too.” You cut yourself off with a nervous laugh. 

Silco scowls at his cohorts. “Please don’t judge my companions too harshly. I assure you under most circumstances, they are fully capable of behaving themselves.”

“C’mon Silco, if she’s going to be one of us we gotta be real with her,” Sevika says. 

“Wait, what? ‘One of us’?” You turn to Silco. He’s suddenly red-faced and— flustered? Embarrassed? Or both? 

“I hoped that my friends would know better than to unduly surprise you,” he addresses you directly, but keeps his eyes trained on the bar. “I merely proposed to them that we should consider extending a formal invitation to join the Children. I hadn’t realized that the final decision had already been made without my input.” He glares at Sevika, who merely shrugs at him. 

“C’mon, Sil, if you got your eye on her she must be good people,” says Vander. He turns to you now. “He likes to leave most of the recruiting to me. You must be something special if you caught his eye.” 

Oh boy. If you had been drinking right now at least you could’ve blamed the reddening of your face on the alcohol. “I was just in the right place at the right time. That’s all.” 

“If you can get lucky, that’s good enough for us,” Sevika bursts out laughing. Vander nods emphatically. 

Silco rolls his eyes and downs the rest of his drink before turning to you.

“My apologies,” he says. His eyes flick upwards, meeting yours for a heartbeat. Then falling back down onto the glass in his hands. “I should have discussed it with you first, I only meant—“

“Silco, it’s okay,” you reassure him. “Can we talk about this later?” 

He nods. Anxiety coming off his fingers tapping on the counter.

“It was nice meeting you all,” you say. Giving Silco an affectionate pat on the arm. “I’ll see you around—”

For a millisecond, you could swear that Silco looks crestfallen. His associates break out into a chorus of protests.

“You only just got here, lass,” pouts Vander. It’s funny seeing a man his size try to give you some pleading puppy eyes. “Are you really going to turn down a free drink?”

“Tell you what,” Sevika pulls out a deck of cards from her pockets, shuffling them expertly. “We’ll play for it. If you win, you get to go home. If I win, you stay and I’ll tell you how Silco fucked up his teeth.” 

“That’s— that’s not necessary—” Silco sputters. 

A snort escapes you, but you quickly disguise it as a cough. 

Even if you do have to work early tomorrow, why are you in such a rush to get home? Right now, you have a rare opportunity to see Silco around his friends, in his natural element. At home in the heart of the Undercity. And you’re not going to lie, it’s pretty funny seeing people get under his skin. And you have never seen him blush before.

Screw it. You only live once. 

“Sure,” you pull out a bar stool and take a seat. “I’ll take that drink too, Vander.” 

“Cheers,” he says approvingly. Bringing out another glass for you. After pouring yours half-full, he tops up Silco and Sevika too.

How long has it been since you last had a night out? Just basking in the presence of friendly company fills you with a warm glow that could keep you comfortable in the coldest of winter nights. Vander guffaws heartily when the first liquor he pours for you is too strong. While you try not to choke, Silco pats your back. Rubbing gentle circles that you’re tempted to lean into. The barkeep pours you something less heavy that tastes much more agreeable, teasing you the whole while. 

Sevika explains the rules of the card game to you patiently. You’re only half paying attention to her, though, as you’re distracted by the beautiful art on the face cards. When you draw The Magician, you ruin the game by playing it out of turn. Placing the card on the counter so you can enthusiastically explain the symbolism of the runes and the magician’s third arm to anyone who would listen. 

Another distraction comes in the form of Silco, hooking his head over your shoulder. His cheek warm against yours. Advising you on what cards to play. The alcohol in his breath growing more potent as he imbibes throughout the night.

Even with Silco whispering in your ear, Sevika wins most rounds against you. 

“Hope you’re better at painting than cards,” she chuckles. “Drink up, loser.” 

You groan. Face flushed and warm, and a little woozy from drinking. “I’m an amazing painter, Sev. I’ll paint you under the table!”

“Hell yeah!” Silco slurs. “She’s great!” 

He raises his glass in a toast. You clink yours against his before sipping again. 

“I can’t believe I’m the one saying this, Sil, but I think I gotta cut you off now,” Vander shakes his head. The twinkle in his eyes makes you think he won’t try that hard, though. 

“I’m fine,” he smacks his lips. “Here, watch this.”

He pulls a knife from a sheath on his hips with a flourish. Its sudden appearance makes you shriek and lean away from him. 

Silco splays his hand on the bar, fingers spread wide. He points the knife downwards in the space between his pointer finger and thumb. Tip scraping the counter. He raises and lowers the knife between each gap of his fingers—

Sevika grabs his wrist while Vander pours him some water. 

“You don’t need to try this hard to impress the kid, Silco,” Sevika says through gritted teeth. Prying the knife out of his hand. “We already know you called dibs.” 

“Dibs on what?” you ask, too loudly.

“That’s none of your concern,” Silco stammers frantically, shaking his head. 

Vander winks at you. “You, lass.” 

Silco buries his face in his hands. Red cheeks visible even underneath the curtains of his dark hair. 

“What the hell,” you scowl. “Nobody gets to call dibs on me! I’m not a— a sandwich—”

Vander and Sevika erupt into laughter. She tucks the knife into her belt before excusing herself to the bathroom. 

Silco thunks his head down onto the counter. Looking at you sideways. 

“You’re the cutest sandwich I ever did see,” Silco sighs.

The compliment cuts through the tipsy fog clouding your mind. The rosy tint on your face now has nothing to do with the beverages you’ve been consuming. 

You’re at a loss for words. A part of you— the part that knows Silco— wants to believe that he’s being sincere. Even in his drunken state, he would still choose his words with careful deliberation. 

And he’s never lied to you in all this time you’ve known him. Why would he start now? 

Another bigger part of you is struck glum. He’s too drunk to know what he’s saying. Much less stay awake any longer. Still, you can’t help but give him a sad smile when his eyes droop shut. Lips parting to let a great exhale escape his chest. 

Oh boy, he’s not going to fall asleep here, is he? You scan the room: Sevika is nowhere to be seen. Vander is preoccupied with other customers at the far end of the bar. 

“Silco,” you gently shake his shoulder. “You live here, right? Where’s your bedroom?”

He jerks his head in the direction of the wall behind the bar, mumbling unintelligibly. A doorway encircled by a curved metal beam stands invitingly. 

You hop off your barstool and gently grab one of Silco’s arms. Looping it around your shoulder. Gods, even if he wasn’t drunk, his weight presses down on you like a waterlogged jacket. It takes all your strength not to fall to your knees. Luckily, the gentle encouragement you give him is enough to nudge him back into consciousness. 

The two of you stumble your way to the exit. Carefully descending a wooden staircase, feeling out each step one at a time. 

A cozy den with an orange couch, yellow armchair, a dented coffee table, more wooden barrels, and exposed pipes welcomes you. You barely get a glance at the multitude of framed photos on the walls before Silco’s weight finally becomes too heavy for you to support. 

You drop him onto the couch and stumble onto the armrest. 

“Sorry,” you apologize with a groan. As you look farther into the room, you spot yet another staircase descending into darkness. “Is your bedroom down there?”

“This is fine,” he smacks his lips. “Ask me why.”

“Why?” you ask, humoring him. You take a seat next to him on the armchair. 

He opens his eyes as widely as his sleepy eyelids will allow. “Because you’re here. Don’t roll your eyes at me, sweetheart. I mean it.”

You let out a sigh. He raises a wobbly finger at you.

“And I meant it when I said you were cute. You are cute. Feel free to ask me when I’m sober. I’ll tell you again and again, as many times as you need to hear it,” he rambles. Eyes drifting shut again. “I promise.”

That gets you to chuckle. “Sure, Sil. Go to sleep.” 

As you get up to leave, his arm shoots out in your direction. “Where are you going??” he whines. 

“Relax, silly. Just helping with your boots,” you walk over to his feet and start unlacing his shoes. Setting them at the foot of the couch. 

He beckons you with a finger. You kneel down next to him. Resting your head on the edge of the couch. Close enough to feel his breath on your lips. 

Whatever he’s trying to say, it trails off before you can make it out. His breathing deepens as he finally drifts into slumber.

You brush his hair out of his face. As picturesque and soft as a sleeping baby.

Gods, his forehead looks so kissable right now. 

Instead, you shrug out of your jacket and drape it over him. Settling in for the night in the armchair. As close to him as your aching heart can bear.

Chapter 7.5 Chapter 8

[booksrbetterthanpeople]

Any mlb as parks and rec quotes maybe even the sb and ib one

Aurore: Can you be civil?

Jean: I am civil. He's the stupid garbage head doo-doo face.

Aurore: That's perfect.

—

Marc: So I go by Narc now. They already had a Mark in the Parks department, and they suggested that they change my name to Narc. I told them my real name was Marc with a C, and they said "who cares?" What a fun bunch of guys.

—

Nino: Hey, John McClane!

Adrien: Who's that?

Nino: Die Hard.

Adrien: The battery?

—

Nathaniel: You know, "nerd culture" is mainstream now. So, when you use the word "nerd" derogatorily, it means you're the one that's out of the zeitgeist.

Alix: Yes, that's perfect. Just like that: be incredibly boring.

—

Austin T: How do I fight back? Give me some options.

Marc: Do you… Want me to seduce Austin A?

Austin T: How would that help?

Marc: I don't know. I just want to see if I can do it.

Austin T: I appreciate that but I don't know if it's something worth losing your virginity over.

—

Chloé: Eagleton is a bunch of rich snobs, and that's coming from someone who has a Mercedes with a Harman Kardon Logic 7 Surround Sound System.

—

Kim: Max, you... blew it! Take one last look, Max, because you'll never see this body again!

—

Ismael: *talking into tape recorder* 7:34 p.m. Man dressed as a nerd. Female dressed as... crazy witch.

Adrien/Marinette: …

Adrien: Neither of us is in costume.

Ismael: Case closed. Candy please.

—

Alix: It's your fault Manon is missing!

Nathaniel: You were the one who was supposed to be watching her!

Marinette: Nath, could you please shut up? I can't hear myself not talking to Adrien!

Adrien: Cosette, I don't know what I did wrong.

Marinette: Cosette, tell him he's stupid.

Cosette: Oh, all of you shut up! Adrien, Marinette is mad because you said 'Awesome sauce' instead of 'I love you, too'. Marinette, he loves you, so stop being a child. Alix, we all know that you lost Manon. Nathaniel, you shouldn't have been burying your face into funnel cakes. Now all of you apologize.

—

Reshma: There are two things I know about white people: they like Matchbox 20, and they are terrified of curses.

—

Ivan: You can't say your favorite kind of cake is birthday cake, that's like saying your favorite kind of cereal is breakfast cereal.

Kim: Mmm. I love breakfast cereal.

—

Lila: I shot Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Chloé: You shot my Mercedes?! *She tackles Lila to the ground*

—

Sabrina: I didn't even ask you last night: What is going on with Chloé?

Alya: You just violated rules number one and three. You lose your coffee privileges. *Throws Sabrina’s coffee out of its cup*

—

Nathaniel: Every great work of art contains a message, and the message of this painting is, "Get out of my way unless you want an arrow in your ass."

—

Butler Jean: *teaching Chloé and Adrien how to do laundry* You always separate your lights from your darks.

Adrien: That's racist.

—

Zoé: *To Félix* Enjoy the fact that your overlords are a frail old woman and a tiny baby.

—

Zoé: I thought you needed some air, even if that air is fouled by the stench of European socialism.

—

Zoé: I'd invite you for a drink, but where would we find one here?

Félix: Are you kidding? This is London. There's a pub over there, there's a pub over there, and there's a pub between those two butcher shops.

Zoé: Let's go to that one, but we'll be stopping by those two butcher shops first.

—

Rose: Look, I don't like to throw around the word "butthead" too often. If you call everybody a butthead then it kinda loses its impact. But I can say without hesitation that Austin Q is being a real dick.

—

Ali: Hey! This is my girlfriend Rose, and this is Rose’s girlfriend Juleka.

Rose: Hi.

Mendeleieve: Hello. Oh. Wait, sorry. What's the situation?

Ali: What do you mean?

Mendeleive: How does this work?

Ali: Rose is gay but she's straight for me and she's gay for Juleka and Juleka really gay for Rose. And I just like Juleka.

Juleka: It's not that complicated.

Rose: No.

Mendeleive: Oh. Yeah. Sure. *In confessional* The thing about youth culture is I don't understand it.

[thencitytales]

Work of art - HHJ

🌷Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin of Stray Kids x fem!reader

🌷wc: 1.9k

🌷 FLUFF, info: reader likes art.

🌷 warning: drinking but it's never specified alcohol, it can be non-alcoholic cocktails :) , use of one sexual word (c*ck-blocked)

🌷 Hey!! Check out this little thing I wrote! I think it's pretty cute! Feedback is always appreciated <3 Hope you like it!!

(not my GIF)

You have no idea how you ended up there.

Well, you actually did but the whole thing was just a new kind of crazy to you.

Let's rewind a few weeks.

You were out with your best friends, just a chill night out, having dinner and going to the cinema. After that, though, you thought that it was still early to go home, so when one of you suggested going to the bar you would always go to it seemed like a good idea.

It was one of those bars always filled with new people. Living in a city like Seoul seeing the same face twice was a pretty rare occurrence. But your group of friends found this bar, which was the perfect spot to have a drink because it was more or less the same distance for everybody, the aesthetic was just right and the prices were pretty good considering how amazing cocktails and snacks were.

So, when you got in, the waiter recognized you immediately and, noticing that your table was still free, pointed in its direction and asked you:

"The usual?" looking at you with a bright smile.

"Yeah! Thank you Hae, you're the best!" your friend answered, at which the waiter winked at her and moved to the bottles so she could start preparing your order.

Sitting at the table waiting for your drinks, you and your friends made small talk to each other, further commenting on the film and the actors' acting skills as if you were the ones giving out the academy awards for this year.

In the middle of a sentence, you just stopped listening to them because another conversation at the table right beside yours caught your attention.

It was involuntary, just a habit you picked up, finding it interesting to know what other people were up to, even if it wasn't your business.

In this case, there was a guy and a girl about your age, both very attractive if you had to say so yourself and it seemed like they were on a date, but if you had to guess you'd say a pretty bad one. She was totally a pick me girl, just agreeing to everything he said and faking interest in things she clearly didn't know anything about.

As for him he just seemed like a very nice and cool guy, long and black hair moving every time he moved his head while speaking about what he liked, eyes sparkling and a smile that was just completing it all very nicely.

Then you heard the girl quickly excuse herself to the bathroom so you tried to get back to the conversation about the film. But the guy spoke up again:

"You know, technically my conversations are none of your business" a light chuckle escaped from his lips.

You were pretty confused as to whom he was talking to seeing as there was nobody around.

Then he turned to look you in the eyes, while your eyes trailed down his half-opened black shirt for a second before realizing he was talking to you.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to be rude! I just... it's something I picked up when I was little and..." You started panicking.

"Yeah, if I was you I wouldn't take it too personally, my friend here has been doing it for years." Your friend started to defend you.

"Nah, You don't have to worry. Actually, I was way more interested in finding out your name than whatever Minjae and I were talking about." He said with a smirk.

"How did you even know I was listening?" the question suddenly popped in your head.

"Oh, when I am bored I listen to other people's conversations too. I just noticed you hadn't said a word in a while and kept glancing in my general direction"

"I see... well my name is..." you were suddenly cut off by the girl returning from the bathroom.

"Hyunjin! Have you found some of your friends?" She asked giving you and everybody else a dirty look. You looked at him and noticed a hint of desperation in his eyes. He clearly couldn't stand another minute alone with her.

"Yeah! Hi! I'm y/n, Hyunjin and I go way back! it's been years since the last time I saw him, we were just catching up, I hope I am not interrupting anything?" You said with a bright smile looking between the boy beside you and the girl in front of you.

"Well, in fact..." She started.

"No of course you are not!" He cut her off, offering you a grateful smile.

"Oh, I was thinking we were ready to go?" she interjected.

"Actually, you know what? It's been so long since I saw y/n last time and you know how busy I am, it's going to be difficult to meet each other again. I would like to stay a bit if you don't mind. If you want to go I can call somebody to come and get you, you know that."

She rolled her eyes and answered: "I'm just going to call a friend, I guess, but thanks for the drinks."

After a few more dirty looks in your direction, she just went out the front door, leaving Hyunjin behind with the bill.

"Yeah I earned that," you said laughing at the last glance she gave you.

"Well, she does think you cock-blocked her just like that." he laughed.

"All right, I'll take the blame if you pay for the next round, or I can just bolt out there and tell her everything was a prank and bring her in again as soon as I see a car approaching."

"There's no way you're that fast, y/n"

"Do you really want to take the risk, Hyunjin?"

"You make great points," he said as he stood up to see where the nearest waiter was to call them over.

"Yeah being my friend is not easy, right guys?"

All they could do was nod and laugh.

After an hour and a half or so, your friends were ready to leave and, given that they were your ride home, they told you, so you could bid goodbye to Hyunjin.

"Can't you stay? One more drink and I promise you I'll let you go." He said pouting, with a little help from the alcohol he'd been consuming.

"I would love to, but my friend, right there" You pointed at her and his gaze followed your finger,

"She has to get up pretty early tomorrow," You looked at the rather expensive watch on his wrist "Or should I say today? Anyways she's got to go home and she's my ride so, you know..." You said with a bittersweet smile.

"I can get you home!" He said, but you tried to reason with him.

"Hey, you seem like a great guy, a nice one if I've ever seen one. But I'm still a girl alone with you in a big city, I hope you understand how I can't entirely trust you tonight." He looked at you, puzzled.

"Damn, you do make some good points, then I guess goodbye." He faked wiping a tear from his cheek.

You laughed and said goodbye to him. Before closing the door you could've sworn you heard him say:

"See you soon, y/n"

A few weeks went past but you never saw Hyunjin again, neither at the bar nor anywhere else. You were feeling a bit bummed out about it because you really liked him but let your fears stop you, and for some reason, you also did not exchange numbers or anything, so he was lost forever.

Or so you thought.

"Hey, you! I think you owe me a drink or two!" You heard behind you.

You were getting home from work, stopping at Starbucks to pick up coffee when you heard a familiar voice. You turned around and you were met with a beautiful sight.

Hyunjin was standing in front of you in casual clothes. A pair of black jeans adorned with some chains, an oversized blue sweater, and some combat boots were his choice that day. All you could think about was how he looked good in everything, at that point.

"Next!" You were, in fact, the next in line so you quickly told the barista your order and then added:

"And I'll pay for whatever he's having," you said nodding your head towards Hyunjin, as you got your wallet out of the bag.

"I was kidding you know"

"No, you're right, order whatever you want," you added with a smile.

He promptly told his order to the barista and you paid. Then you moved to the waiting line.

"Do you want to sit at a table?" He asked nicely.

"I would love to."

You ended up talking for two hours straight about every possible thing that came to mind, neither one of you wanted to say goodbye, so you just kept bringing up whatever topic.

After that, though, the bar was closing. This time you gave him your number and happily returned home.

After this last episode, you texted each other more and more. Even went out for coffee one or two other times. You liked his company. Through these meet-ups (and texts and calls), you found out quite a few things about Hyunjin. But a simple thing didn't come up, on your part you didn't bring it up because you didn't care about it, on his part he didn't want to tell you, fearing it might change your view of him all of a sudden.

The thing is, he was rich. Like RICH rich.

And that's the simple answer to the question "How did I end up here?"

He invited you on a date, offering to go to the museum, knowing there was an exhibition by your favorite artist.

You gladly accepted, but what you were not expecting was being the only two people there.

"Why's nobody here? Like, look at this masterpiece!! Do they not want to see it?" You asked, baffled, looking at one of the best works of art there, in your opinion.

"Oh, no. Trust me, they would love to be here..." He chuckled.

You turned to look at him with a puzzled face.

"Then why are they not here?"

"Well... I may or may not have rented out the place... You know, not to have any distractions and to be alone, it's a date after all."

"You did WHAT?" You whisper-yelled that last part.

" I... rented out the place," he chuckled lightly.

"What? How? That's crazy!! You are absolutely bonkers!! That must've cost you a fortune!! I can not just pay this back! I-" You were cut off by Hyunjin embracing you.

"Listen... This is seriously nothing. You are paying me back by enjoying this with me, that's why I did all of it. To see you happy. I like you y/n, don't know if you've noticed, but my attention is always only on you. You are honest with me and you don't want to get to me because of my money or the people I know." It was now your time to cut him off.

"Well, not that it changes things, you know... I liked you even before you did this whole thing."

"Yeah I know," He smiled looking into your eyes, slowly leaning in for a kiss that you gladly accepted and returned.

"Well, I thought this only happened in movies or something" You laughed as you both continued your visit through the exhibit. You were looking thoroughly at every piece, trying to find a meaning or just basking in the beauty in front of your eyes.

Hyunjin on the other hand couldn't keep his eyes off of you, because you were the only work of art in the entire world he cared about then and there.

[midnightstar-90]

Live Laugh Love~ Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System

Masterlist | Taglist | Request

Georgie Cooper x Reader

Summary: To appease his worried mother, Sheldon employs the techniques of a self-help book to try and make a friend.

Warnings: None

AN: I plan to write a new chapter once a week. It may change at the end of the school year. On the other hand, I tried to add more to the story. I hope you guys like it.

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

Y/N's Pov

I am walking to lunch, and when I round the corner, I see Mary and George looking through the lunchroom window and talking to each other. I make a confused face while listening in on their conversation. "Look at him. It breaks my heart," Mary says sadly. "Poor little guy. Sitting all alone", George says sadly while responding to Mary's comment. "I don't know why his brother or even Y/N can't sit with him. Actually, Where is Y/N. I don't see her anywhere."

"I'm right here," I say, spooking Mary and George before continuing with, "Also, I tried to sit with Sheldon on his first day, and he said it would be best for me to sit with people who have the same intellect as me. I found that rude because he meant Georgie, and I am so much smarter than Georgie. Anyways, Georgie doesn't sit with him because he says In school, they don't know each other". I look between Georgie and Sheldon, then look at my godparents. "Yeah, come on Mary, when you were in high school would you have lunch with a nine-year-old," George asked Mary. "Yes, I would have," Mary responded.  "Well, there is something wrong with you." I took George's words as a sign to leave.

"Well, I'm... gonna... go," I told the married couple before heading into the lunchroom to sit with Georgie and our friends. I sat down to Georgie, trying to fit as many grapes as he can into his mouth. "Fourteen," he yelled out while all of Georgie's friends cheered him on. Georgie spits them all out before turning to me. "What did you think," Georgie asked me, trying to get my opinion on his 'cool' trick. "Georgie, if I wanted to see you stuff your mouth, I would just wait till dinner. In other words, not that interesting," I told my best friend. Georgie replied with a sad "oh" before going back to talking with his friends. I went back to finishing my newest sketch of a finch.

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

Georgie and I walked into the house. "Georgie, would you do me a tiny little favor," Mary asked Georgie while he was getting a drink out of the fridge. I sat with the girl I thought of as a little sister before saying hi. Georgie responded back with a "like what" before Mary asked Georgie to sit with Sheldon. I already told Mary why I don't sit with Sheldon. Missy with her smart remarks told Georgie, "Don't do it. I ate with him in second grade, it really hurt my social life." Georgie walked off while replying to Mary with a "No thanks". I kicked Missy under the table, then gave her a 'seriously' look. I shook my head and followed Georgie to 'help' him with his homework, which was more like do his work.

I don't follow Georgie because I'm his lost puppy. I follow Georgie to help him. Without me, Georgie would grow up to be a homeless man with great hair. I am basically Georgie's Guardian angel.

"Georgie, why do I always end up doing your homework? At this point, I don't even think you know how to read. Those magazines are just for show, and you know it. You probably only look at the pictures," I said to Georgie while sitting on his bed doing our geometry homework. "Aw, come on Y/N, don't you know that you're the smartest out of both of us. Without you, I would probably still be in the 5th grade. You were right about something though, those books are for looking, but I can read you." I roll my eyes at Georgie's comment before looking down and smiling.

I admit I might have a bit of a crush on Georgie but we're best friends, and how could I ever compare those girls in his magazine. If I tell Georgie that I like him, that could ruin our friendship, and that would be weird because we live together. So, I just stick to being his best friend. That way our friendship isn't ruined and I can still be as close to him as I can.

"Well I finished your homework and it's 10 o'clock, so I guess this is it. Have a good night," I said before heading out.

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

Georgie's POV

Y/N walked out of my room. I felt sad because she was gone. We talk all day, she does my homework, and we have practiced together, but I still miss her. "Maybe I like her," I mumble to myself while laying down staring at the ceiling. "Naw, that can't be," I said. I shut off my light and fell asleep.

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

Y/N's POV

I was leaving my art class when I see Sheldon talking to one of the cheerleaders. It's weird to be seeing Sheldon interacting with people without them running off and crying. It interested me so much I decided to listen in.

"Go wolves," Sheldon said in a monotone voice. Jessica closed her locker confused. Sheldon responded back to Jessica with, "You're a cheerleader, and by saying "Go Wolves" I'm initiating a conversation about something that interests you." "Oh, are you one of those special ed kids," Jessica asked still trying to understand what was happening. The older sister part of me kinda felt angry that she said that, but on the other hand she was talking to Sheldon. "My mom says I'm special. Would you like to be friends" Sheldon asks. She tells him, no, but Sheldon keeps going, "Are you sure? What if I told you I admired your boldly-applied makeup?" Jessica walks off offended.

I walk up to Sheldon frantically and say, "Sheldon, you can't say mean things like that. I'm at the top of the pyramid today, and Jessica is right underneath me." "Oh, I didn't know what I said was offensive. I thought that I was complimenting her," Sheldon says. "Well, just try not to insult people. If you don't know what to say, don't say anything to them." Sheldon replies with an "alright" before walking away from me. I watch Sheldon go before heading to my next class.

I got to my next class and I sat down beside Georgie. "I just ran into Sheldon trying to make friends," I told Georgie while I get the stuff I need for class out of my backpack. "I feel bad for whoever had to put up with Sheldon. That boy is not one for making friends," Georgie responds to my comment. "Well, I think it's cute, but I feel bad because he didn't make one friend." "You sound like my mom," Georgie says. I glare at Georgie. The teacher walks in and starts the class.

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

I hear Mary yelling about how Sheldon made a friend. I felt happy for him. I feel like Sheldon would really benefit from having a friend. I mean, I have Georgie, and we're inseparable.

I also heard Sheldon ask if he can start his rocketry hobby again with his new friend and I dipped. The last time he launched a rocket he killed a family of squirrels and my eyebrows. I wanted to bond with Sheldon so I helped him with his rocket.

I went downstairs to watch tv with Missy. She was watching DuckTales. "I'm surprised you're not with Georgie," Missy comments as I sit down with her. I roll my eyes and say, "Georgie isn't my whole life. I talked to Sheldon earlier, and now I just want to hang out with you. Sheldon has a new friend now, I have Georgie, but I feel like you don't have anyone to hang out with. So, what do you say tomorrow I take you to get your nails done." Missy's eyes go wide and she excitedly shouts, "Yes, I'm gonna go tell mom!"

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

After school, Missy and I went to get our nails done.

(Missy's Nails)

(Y/N's Nails)

When Missy and I got home Mary told us that Sheldon's friend was coming over. Missy and I sat down to talk and watch tv. There was a knock at the door, and that set Mary off. "He's here," she yelled. "Everybody, stay calm! Just a normal day, just a normal dinner," she continued. Missy asks if she and I can eat in front of the TV, which obviously didn't end well.

We're all sitting at the dinner table, except for Mary, when George starts asking Tam, questions. George makes it weird when he asked Tam if his mom was named Kim-lee. Me and Georgie look at each other with a cringed look.

Georgie releases us from the weird vibes when he asks Tam, "So, Vietnam, like in Rambo." Tam responds with a "yes" and then Georgie continues with, "That's a cool movie." Georgie asks Tam if he's in Rambo and I look at him and elbow him in the ribs. Georgie says, "oww, what was that for" before Tam tells him "no". Sheldon brings the conversation back to George's comment, but it is cut off by Mary serving dinner.

We learned a lot about Tam's family and life. It was very interesting. Georgie said a couple more stupid things, which earned him a few more elbows to the ribs.

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

I was in my room, getting ready for bed. Georgie walks in and sits on my bed.

(Y/N's Room)

(Y/N's PJ's)

"How was the day with my sister," Georgie asks me. I sign for Georgie to get off the bed and say, "We had fun. After our nails, we went to Dairy Queen and got a blizzard. I think Missy and I really needed today, you know." Georgie helps me make my bed and continues the conversation, "I missed you today." "Is Georgie Cooper jealous? Georgie Cooper didn't have someone to do his homework and now he's sad," I said mocking Georgie. Georgie grows a sad look on his face and says, "No, I missed my best friend. Not the girl that does my homework, or the girl that helps me clean my room. I miss the girl I talk to for hours. The girl that makes me feel special compared to the rest of my family. I miss that girl and that girl is you."

"Wow, that was deep for a kid that went a couple of hours without seeing me, but I know how you feel. Missy and Sheldon don't know how to do the things we do. I almost made Missy cry by insulting her earlier. I think I hang around boys too much," I say getting ready to lay down. Georgie climbs into the bed with me and we silently talk for the rest of the night.

[nochi-quinn]

exandria unlimited: divergence: episode three: dynasties and dystopias

First time doing this in notepad++ bc Fuck All That Noise, let's see how that goes

(context is microsoft is putting notepad behind a paywall)

the way it's going is I managed to get pulled away from my computer for the EXACT length of the ads lmao

yk I guess I could have used Sublime Text. ah well, I'm here now

one-shot of keph's cult when

oh celia's top is Nice

so is alex's

SO IS LIAM'S EVERYBODY STOP BEING PRETTY (don't actually)

otto no

this is just the mafia. this is how mafias start.

fiedra hugging their knees

"DON'T LOOK AT ME" mood

you can't make me cry about the kids fifteen minutes in, it's illegal

the colors in nia's art are so tasty

like a claddagh but a locket?

knowing mentor? not knowing mistress? am I misremembering something?

crokas is her kid now. joint custody with fiedra

you can't make me cry about the mom twenty minutes in, it's illegal

fiedra

AH knowing mentor same thing, interchangable god name

(I have not read Explorer's Guide to Wildemount)

okay but fast forward twenty years and torm's hill has a guard force called the seven swords

garen be nice

erro puts the team on his back

turn into goldfish and throw yourselves off

you're (mostly) level one, you're practically gods, it'll be fine

skeleton crab bucket??

"bones."

she's little, she's hard to see

"DANGIT"

"you're all under arrest"

why do I drink things while watching this, I inevitably choke-laugh

garen be nice

CAPTAIN GUBBLING

captain gubbling one-shot when

I am the snow guardian, guardian of the snow

"with our crosSBOWS"

"who doesn't like joy? you sort of have to"

GOD I wish I liked D20, brennan's NPCs are some of my favorite NPCs

"he left a boot"

"or drag a hoe" BE STRONG CELIA

(one time my brother and I got sent away from the table bc my dad kept talking about a "broken hoe" and we could not. stop. giggling.)

"is this the sea"

what is liam doing to his character's parents this time

dead parents AND dead spouse, he's going for a hat trick

crokas no

"you can't breathe down there"

crokas rushes in

if the only fire is a candle, the meal was cooked long ago

thee shield

"there has never been a week like this week"

liam

nat 20 to stealth into the trap

I'M SORRY WHOMST

YELLS

crokas solve puzzle

gee crokas how come mom lets you have TWO vestiges

patia counts, shut up

meanwhile nia gets thrown off the mountain

liana throws herself off the mountain

I was joking

I was JOKING

I stepped away, is the moonweaver hiding in liana?

oh, moonweaver WAS liana

please read edda-earth

OH nia is the proof of concept for clerics!!

moon bone cheek light bone hook hand car door man

"yeah! yeah we will!"

my roommate's been playing avowed and at one point I just turned around and went "is that fuCKING MERCER"

I just remembered that the moonweaver canonically tried to murder artagan for being a fuckhead

you broke crokas

did the orb give him an int point

it gave him SIX points!! it DOUBLED!!

can't wait for them to need those 20s later

ORB OF AVALIR

I didn't even clock the wis bump!!

no shut the fuck up immediately I will cry on you

HE MADE IT

I WILL CRY ON YOU

I STILL want someone to play cerrit's great-great-whatever descendant

"boarding a ship" shut the fuck your mouth

"I'm gonna end up carrying that, aren't I"

crokas is getting used to knowing things

"I don't know if I like smart crokas. he scares me."

does matt realize he's still "holding" the hammer

"I just realized how weird kephkedriel is"

is anyone here old enough to remember when windows would ask you Where Would You Like To Go Today when you turned the computer on

still no respect for crokas

them's ents

"would you like some magic nuts" BE STRONG ALEX

LIAM

alex fought so hard and liam just dove straight for the low-hanging nuts fruit

aw, I was wondering if he'd take draconic from the thing, I also like this better

they had to get at least one

"that's for the theatre people at home" "I'm right here" "go home"

ah yes, the magic 8 ball spell

not. what I was expecting.

"matt's running up to his bedroom"

yeet a tree onto the field

yeet a bunch of fire onto the field

matt just made me remember 311, I will be crumbling into dust presently

guys you're still only level one please

YOU'RE LEVEL ONE

GAREN ISN'T EVEN THAT

we love a tail attack

he remembered!!

BRENNAN THEY'RE LEVEL ONE

matthew

alex is in suffering

(matt and liam are having the time of their lives)

"laura bailey would be so proud"

do not say "mouthful of nut", do not say "mouthful of nut" -

dear The Dice please let him pull this off

shove IS a bonus action

aw, he can count now

"pelvically"

awakened shield!

"what time is it?" "it's clobberin' time"

dagger dagger dagger

well. crossbow dagger dagger

fuck yeah unicorns

these fucking nerds

I ship these old men so badly

thousand burning suns, etc

"flecked with white stone" I WILL CRY ON YOU

"I will cry as much as I am asked" "usually you have to pay good money for that" matthew

"I'm not carrying it"

ofc they made this silly moment heartwarming/breaking

alex you have to stop quoting stuff under your breath. I understand, I am that person. but also.

this is what breaks garen

big "ELVES CAME FROM SPIRITS" energy

"by road's end" BRENNAN

armley

his house is named sleevely

bc you keep your armleies in y- [giant hook yanks me off stage]

key's cursed

key punned, yeet the key

this is the lockpick thing merle had in balance

"I wish I was still dumb"

quick get fiedra a ukelele so she can apologize properly

MAH BOI

[elderly stammering]

garen get on that fucking boat so help me

GAREN GET ON THE BOAT

insight check the key

cross-examine the parrot

"whatdayisit"

[teddy06writes]

A Day In The Life

requesred by this genius anon: “Aight imma hit you with a good one: Literally everything as platonic, but a day in the life of reader in high school with the minor gang (too my, tubbo, ranboo) and all the faculty at the school are dreamsmp members”

Platonic! Minors gang (tommy, tubbo, ranboo and purpled) x reader

trigger warnings: none

premise: a day in the life of a student at the DSMP public high school 

{with all the shit that goes on the smp there's no way it could be anything but a public school}

{also if I do things slightly off or something its cause my high school is weird, we only have four blocks a day, but I think most have seven, so we’re going with that}

{also the dream/george thing, is based on two of the sciences teachers at my school being suspected of having an affiar}

{Full teacher list:

English: Mr. NotFound

Drama: Mr. Soot

Spanish: Mr. Dream (its mexican dream lol)

Gym: Coach Sapnap and Coach Punz

Home ec: Miss Nihachu

Music: Mr. Quackity

Chemistry: Mr. Halo}

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

Home room: Mr. Callahan

You sighed, trudging toward the school entrance, god it was way to early for this. 

The halls were already crowded with people heading to there home rooms, and Mr. Minecraft, the principal, was standing outside the admin offices, greeting everyone with a smile. 

“Good morning, (y/n).” 

“Good morning Mr. Minecraft.” You grumbled as you passed. 

You hurried through the foyer and up the stairs, toward Mr. Callahan’s room. 

“Hey!” Tubbo called, hurrying down the hallway, “(y/n)!”

“Hey Tubbo.” you yawned.

He fell into step with you, “You think Callahan will actually show today?” 

The one good thing about your home room teacher is that none of the kids ever seemed to have seen him. It meant that some days, while other home rooms had lectures of bullying or something, your class got to hang out for 30 minutes. 

“I don’t think he even exists.” Purpled said, falling in on your other side. 

“He definitely doesn’t.” You agreed. 

~~

History: Mr. Blade

“Hey (y/n)!” Ranboo called from his seat at the front of the room as you came in. 

He was lucky enough to have moved homerooms and ended up getting the same room as his first block. 

“Hello Ranboo.” you sighed, sitting down in your seat next to him. 

Tommy came in and plopped down behind you, “Well you sound like shit.”

“No swearing in my classroom, Tommy.” Mr. Blade chided, hardly looking up from the book on his desk. 

You turned to look at Tommy, “It’s too early for this.” 

“You say that everyday!” He laughed. 

“Yeah! Cause this class starts at 7:45 in the god damn morning!” You half exclaimed. 

“Bloody hell you’d think you’d get used to it-” 

“Tommy, what did I say about swearing?” Mr. Blade cut Tommy off. 

“But you didn’t yell at (y/n)!” Tommy yelled, “That’s not fair Tech!” 

Me. Blade glared at his brother, “Do you want me to send you down to Phil’s office Tommy?” 

“I didn’t even do anything!”

After a moment under Mr. Blades glare, Tommy sighed, “Please don’t send me down to Phil.” 

The teacher didn’t respond, instead standing up and moving to stand in front of the board, queuing up the intro slides for the day, “All right everyone, settle down. Today in our ��tour of the ancient world’ or whatever, we’re going to start our mini unit on Greece.”

~~

Statistics/Math: Mr. Was Taken

After a class that ended mostly in a rant about the myth of Heracles, you said goodbye to Ranboo and Tommy and met up with Purpled to head to math. 

Mr. Wastaken was already passing out the notes when you two got there, sliding into your seats at the back of the classroom just as the bell rang. 

“You’re late.” He chided, dropping the papers onto your desk, then Purpleds. 

“Purp needed to refill his water bottle.” You explained. 

“Seriously?” Mr. Wastaken questioned, “Dude, it’s second block, why the hell was your water already empty?” 

Purpled shrugged, “P.E?” 

“Ehh, wrong, Sapnap doesn’t have you till sixth period.” 

“Stairs... are murder man.” He fumbled. 

You nodded, “First floor to the fourth floor is tough Mr. Wastaken.” 

Rolling his eyes, the teacher moved back to the front of the room, “Alright, last nights homework was a bit of a flop so we’ll be more review for the quiz tomorrow.” 

You groaned internally, pulling out your pencil. 

Purpled nodded, “I fuckin hate review days.” 

“I can hear you, you know!” Mr. WasTaken half yelled. 

~~

Chemistry: Mr. Halo

After Math you and Purpled headed down to the science hall to meet back up with Tubbo to head to Chem. 

“Welcome back everybody!” Mr. Halo greeted cheerily, “Good to see smiling faces for chemistry!” 

How he managed to stay so upbeat, no one would ever know.

You sat down at your lab table with Tubbo, “You think we actually make it to doing the lab today before he starts talking about Mr. Skeppy again?” 

“Oh no chance.” 

You chuckled, pulling out your notebook as Mr. Halo pulled up the opening review before the lab. 

Twenty minutes later found you elbow deep in the lab, quite literally. 

“It was supposed to just be a small scale elephants toothpaste!” Mr. Halo cried. 

Purpled grinned, “You should’ve taken my wildcard factor into account sir.” 

You laughed, wiping the foam off your apron (thank god for lab aprons), “That was brilliant!” 

A few minutes earlier, Tubbo had helped him do out the math to scale up the experiment by 20%, and you had willingly given up your own materials to help.

Now most of the classroom was covered in the foam, and Purpled and the girl who had been unfortunate enough to be partnered with him were knee deep in it. 

“I sent the video to the groupchat.” Tubbo whispered.

“Good.” You chuckled again. 

Mr. Halo groaned, “You three start cleaning this up, Elizabeth, dear, why don’t you join a different group.”

“I volunteer to switch with her!” Drista yelled, “they look like fun!” 

Mr. Halo sighed, “No- no absolutely not- I can’t deal with you added to the mix.” 

Drista pouted, the rest of the class went back to there work, and you, Tubbo and Purpled began to clean up the foam. 

~~

Drama: Mr. Soot

As Purpled left for his history class, you and tubbo headed twoard the music/performing arts suit, where you met up with Ranboo. 

“Tommy said he wished he could’ve been there to see the foam.” Ranboo reported as Tubbo peeled off into the band room, and you both continued on to the green room. 

“Hello, Hello, Hello!” Mr. Soot greeted in an aussie accent (you know the one). 

“Oh god please say were not doing accents today.” Ranboo muttered. 

Mr. Soot laughed, “Nah, we’re going to do some more rounds of improv.” 

“Oh thank god.” You said as you moved to take a seat at one of the side tables. 

“That would have been hell.” Ranboo agreed. 

More people poured into the room, take seats all around as Mr. Soot began to dig through on of the closets. 

As the bell rang he let out a triumphant cheer, turning around and brandishing a very large bowl of paper slips, “I found the prompts!” 

“Oh dear lord.” Ranboo muttered.

“Mr. Soot can we please do like, anything else?” You asked, “Like scenes, or hell I’d even take monologues, you know we’re all shit at improv!” 

The teacher sighed, “I suppose we could do something else. I guess we can begin our next topic, you’re all going to be assigned scenes and given time to practice them, we’ll present on Friday!” 

The entire class breathed a sigh of relief that you had managed to change his mind. 

~~ English: Mr. NotFound 

After a very chaotic lunch full of Tubbo retelling a bunch of jokes Mr. Quackity had told during music,  you trudged off to the one class that didn’t have any of your main group of friends in. 

The one good thing about having Mr. NotFound as a teacher was that he had no clue what he was doing. 

More often then not you would be left to do essays or read the required books, and then watch the movies that went along with them.

And, just your luck, your English block happened to take place during Mr. Wastaken’s prep period. 

“Right, everyone, today’s a work day, finish up anything you need to for this class, or another, and I’ll put on a movie.” Mr. NotFound said as soon as everyone was seated. 

Ten minutes into the movie the teacher had left, and you pulled up the group chat.

(y/n): Mr. NotFound has yet again suspiciously left during class. 

Purp: sus

Purp: just went by WasTaken’s room

Purp: he’s not there

BooBoy: I saw him down in the science hall ten minutes ago

BeEs: Science hall is oposite to English isn’t it

(y/n): yeah it is

BooBoy: very sus

Purp: I swear their having an affair

BeEs: defintly a lesbian

BeEs: *leassion

BeEs: lesion

BeEs: le-a-zon

BeEs: you know what I mean!

BooBoy: take your time Tubbo

You chuckled quietly, putting your phone down to look back up at the movie on the screen. 

~~

Spanish: Mr. Dream (its mexican dream lol)

“AYYYY kids!”

You groaned as your Spanish teacher burst into the room.

“What is with this guy?” Tommy muttered. 

“ayy man not cool.” Mr. Dream said. 

“Mr. Dream your ten minutes late!” Someone pointed out. 

“SHut up man. And I told you just call me Mexican Dream!” The teacher said. 

You frowned, “That doesn’t make sense, theres no way your first name is ‘mexican’.” 

“Well its not,” He explained, “But its cause I’m the Mexican version of that math teacher!” 

“Why couldn’t I have taken French like Boo and Purp?” Tommy asked the ceiling quietly.

~~ Home ec: Miss Nihachu

The last block of the day was always the best, but not just because school would be over soon. 

There were three main reasons why everyone agreed it was the best. 

1. Miss Nihachu was the nicest teacher in school

2. baking was done often, and everyone always got to take some home

3. it was the one class you, Tommy, Tubbo, Ranboo and Purpled all had together. 

Soon your found yourself crowded into one of the tiny kitchen areas with all your friends, as Miss Nihachu gave instructions. 

“Now, if you make a mess you will be cleaning it up! I’m looking at your kitchen a!” She said, half threateningly.

Ranboo pushed away from the group, “I’m not with them I swear!” 

Miss Nihachu rolled her eyes playfully, “Sure your not.” 

Surprisingly, a mess was not fully made. 

Somehow between Tommy wanting to taste the cookie dough at every step from butter to flour, Tubbo trying to add as many chocolate chips as he could, and Purpled all but refusing to move from where he was sitting on the counter, you and Ranboo managed to get the cookies into the oven with no real disasters. 

As you wiped down the empty counter space you sighed, “That wasn’t too bad.” 

“Yeah.” Tubbo agreed. 

Tommy only nodded, still eating the large glob of cookie dough he’d stolen. 

Ten minutes before the bell rang and when everyone was supposed to be finishing cleaning up you sniffed the air suspiciously, “Why do I smell burning?” 

Tubbo took a deep breath, “I smell it too.”

“Oh yeah, something is definitly burning.” Ranboo agreed. 

You whirled to face Purpled, who was absently scrolling through his phone, “Purp you did set a timer right?” 

[d-criss-news]

20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11.  What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

[olderthanthemorning]

gold rush (bill weasley) part 1

pairing: bill weasley x reader

summary: “everybody wonders what it would be like to love you.” bill weasley is a golden boy, but i don’t like a gold rush. (based on the song “gold rush” by taylor swift)

wc: 3.1k

warnings: none, someone walking in on someone else but nothing dirty, swearing

a/n: hello! so i didn’t mean for this to be so long lol but anyway, there will be more. once again, a song has inspired me to write. i feel like gold rush totally describes bill and so i tried to run with that. as always, i would love comments/feedback. also if you like it please reblog/follow! i want to start taking requests!

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what a cliche it would be to be hopelessly in love with bill weasley. the charming gryffindor was the poster child of his house, his year, and his family. don't get it twisted, it wasn't that he didn't deserve all the praise; he was kind to younger students, witty in his classes, and bloody brilliant in your shared defense against the dark arts class. you just found it a little funny that everyone he met instantly fell in love with him. how could you take someone like that seriously?

"so you really don't think he's cute?" your friend, rose, asked you as you entered the great hall, the smell of fresh bread and pumpkin juice temporarily distracting you.

"no, that's actually not what i said. he's quite fit, it's just think people make too much of a big deal about it. sometimes i think you'll wet yourself when he looks at you in the corridor." you threw yourself down at your table and started reaching for the pile of sandwiches in the middle of the table. if you two wanted to make it to the beginning of the gryffindor vs ravenclaw game, this would have to be a quick lunch.

"well it's not everyday you see an arse like that in the corridor!" rose says. taken aback by her forward statement, you shove her shoulder, "gross, rose." after a few more minutes of conversation and inappropriate comments from rose, you down the last of your juice and pull your companion off the bench and toward the door.

you could hear cheers long before you were close to the game. after finding a spot with your house, you saw madam hooch release the snitch and the players shoot up to start following the quaffel. a flash of red hair passes in front of the stands as another weasley, charlie, flies at lightning speed.

The game was action packed, but not short. your cold muscles ached a bit as you moved them to walk into your dorm and sit on your bed. as if reading your mind, your roommates crowd into the bathroom to start the showers. you groan, knowing that at this rate, it'll be an hour before you can warm yourself with hot water. then a thought crosses your mind. the prefect bathrooms. your sister had been a prefect years before and had told you where they were, something you were silently thanking her for now. you gathered your towel and robe and slipped out of the room before anyone could ask where you were going.

The prefect bathroom was large and dimly lit, something that made it seem even colder when you walked in. on the far wall there was a myriad of knobs, all leading into a large bath that looked like it could hold your entire upper level herbology class. throwing down your stuff on a nearby bench, you rush to turn all the knobs you can, as blue, and green, and sparkling gold liquids splash into the basin along with steaming water. you slid out of your cold clothes and into the tub, hissing at the difference in temperature between your skin and the water. the water was heavenly and you sunk in until your shoulders were under the water, pulling your hair up from the nape of your neck so not to wet it. the room had filled with the scent of lavender and honeysuckle, and you closed your eyes to take it in.

suddenly there was a creak that you immediately recognized as the door opening. 'fuck, fuck, fuck,' you thought. you could chance jumping out and hoping the person didn't see you naked or you could wait to get caught. you decided that your clothes were too far, and started frantically ushering as many bubbles to you as possible, trying to cover your body. you turn your back to the entrance just as you see the shadow of someone begin to round the corner.

"oh, shit, i'm sorry i didn't realize someone was in here." you wanted to curl up into a human ball of embarrassment. not only did the voice belong to a boy, but you knew exactly which boy it belonged to, and it rhymed with will beasley. unsure of how to respond, you just let out a nervous laugh, not wanting to let your voice give you away as someone who was definitely not a prefect.

"okay, well... i'll just come back later." you waited until you could no longer hear footsteps to climb out of the tub. once dry and wrapped in your fluffy robe, you reentered the hallway, but only after sticking your head out to make sure bill wasn't waiting by the door. as you walked back to your dorm, you could only begin to imagine all the teasing rose would give you when she found out he had seen you in the bath. luckily, by the time you cocooned yourself in your comforter, she was already asleep. you would have to tell her in the morning, or maybe you wouldn't.

**

by breakfast the three days later, the bath incident had left your mind. after the first 24 hours, you felt sure bill hadn't suspected anything, and even if he did, there was no way he could tell who the student in the bath was. you had to pause with the spoon of porridge halfway between your bowl and your mouth, because rose's impression of flitwick had made you burst into laughter. an owl fluttered down in front of you, dropping an envelope with your mother's handwriting on the front. you ripped it open and began to read.

"Dear y/n,

Hello love, I hope you're doing well with all of your classes this term. I'm writing to tell you that we'll be spending part of the Easter holiday with one of my friends and her family. Her name is Molly and she has two sons at hogwarts. Be sure to say hello to them, Molly says they're nice boys. The three of you can leave school together to travel home for break. I miss you dearly and can't wait to hear about your term in person.

love always,

mum"

rose put her chin on my shoulder to read the letter. "i didn't know your mum was friends with the weasley's," she giggled, obviously thinking about bill. "yeah, well that makes two of us." to be honest, you never really realized your mum had close friends. there was no reason for her not to, it had just never occurred to you that your parents were people outside of being your parents.

"actually, it makes four of us," you whipped around to see bill and charlie, a letter you assumed was similar to yours grasped in bill's hand. "my mum wrote they met here as kids and ran into each other a few weeks ago in diagon alley." his easy smile was attractive and his hair fell effortlessly into place, with one soft strand too short to be pushed behind his ear. it looked almost like someone had written it in, it was so perfectly placed.

"wicked," escaped rose's lips as a strained whisper. you elbowed her, praying that she would come to her senses and start acting like a real person.

"listen, i got to run to practice, but let's meet in the main entrance tomorrow morning, yeah? 10am?" charlie butt in, reaching around his brother to grab a banana off your table and without waiting for even a nod, turned to catch up with the rest of his team at the other end of hall.

"sorry about him, he's..." bill was suddenly looking down at you with a slightly funny expression, a small grin on his face.

"preoccupied?" you finish his sentence, marking the first words you've said since he approached you.

"yeah," then, he leans down close enough that only you can hear him when he says, "next time you go for a soak, i suggest trying the orange blossom bubbles," maintaining eye contact with you the whole time.

taken aback, you feel yourself get blush and lean back, your brow furrowed, "what? how did you-"

"i didn't realize you were so interested in astronomy, y/n," he says a little louder, standing back to his tall figure and casually tapping the back of his neck.

you mimic his motion and remember the small tattoo of a moon that sat at where your neck met your shoulders. you close your eyes and cover them with one hand. maybe if you shut your eyes hard enough and clicked your heals he would disappear. or even better, you would. "i'll see you tomorrow," he sent another cheeky smile and turned to walk away, hands in his pocket, laughing quietly to himself.

"um... what the fuck," rose spoke, making you realize you were still watching his back. "what was that about? how does he know about your tattoo?"

"he might've walked in on my while i was bathing a few days ago," you said, bracing yourself for the inevitable.

"WHAT?!" it was even louder than you expected. honestly, you loved rose but bringing attention to herself, and by proxy, you, was something she had a knack for, but not in an endearing way.

"would you calm down please? everyone was taking too long in the showers so i went to the prefects' bathroom and he came in. he only saw my back so i didn't think he knew who it was, but i forgot to account for moony back there," you rolled your eyes, how could you forget about something that you had chosen to put on your body forever?

"merlin, that's so not fair, do you know what i would give to be seen naked by bill weasley?" once again, you were slightly horrified by a comment made by your best friend. this is what you didn't understand about everyone's fascination surrounding bill. even as he walked away, you had noticed a handful of other students following him with their eyes. it was a fact that bill was attractive, beautiful even, but the way people would do anything for his attention freaked you out. being treated like that had to go to someone's head eventually.

"okay, that's enough of that. i'm just glad he didn't give me detention or something," you went back to your breakfast, although you were no longer very hungry.

**

the journey to the weasley's cottage by the sea was uneventful. in the morning, you boarded the hogwarts express with charlie and bill. you didn't speak much, but read a book in your shared compartment while charlie talked to bill non-stop about the latest quidditch techniques. "and i've been reading about dragons, and how they fly, and i think it would be really cool to try some of their flying patterns on a broom. it would be really hard and i'd have to make a few adjustments, because obviously i'm not a huge majestic creature, but if it worked, it'd be brilliant!" you looked up to see charlie on the edge of his seat, trying to mark some of the flying patterns, and looking intently at bill, as if waiting for him to be just as excited. "that sounds great, charlie, really. how did you start on about dragons?" bill quickly caught your eye and tried to share some of the amusement his brother brought him. "hagrid gave me a book, they're really something, bill."

your party gets off at king's cross, and you followed the older boy through the station, until he stops in front of a women's toilet. "uh, i think the men's is over there," you said pointing behind you. charlie laughed. "hah," bill faked a monotone laugh, "there's a portkey inside that will take us to shell cottage. dad said it was a," he looked down at a paper in his hand, "toilet brush. lovely. right, we have three minutes until it leaves. ladies first." he gestured and you entered the room. it was somewhat cramped with the three of you and your trunks, but in the corner was a white, and thankfully clean looking, toilet brush. you grabbed it and held it out for the others to hold on too. after about 10 seconds of waiting, you felt your body being pulled up and then like you had just jumped off a high diving board at a pool. falling, but strangely still feeling like you were upright. before long, your feet hit solid ground again, well somewhat solid ground. the sand made your landing shaky, as it moved under your weight. you looked up and saw a cozy house with warm light glowing from the windows.

after lots of introductions and even more hugs, you finally settled yourself in to a guest room. the view was beautiful. the sun was just starting to set over the sea, the orange hues reflecting off the vast water. putting away the last of your things, you walked down the stairs and announced to your mum and molly that you would be going on a walk. they nodded and made you promise to be back for dinner before returning to their conversation. as soon as you got to the beach, you slipped off your shoes and feel the cool sand swallow each of your toes. it was crisp, but not too cold. you walk for a bit and then sit down on a dune, just taking in the picture the world had created for you.

you see a figure walking toward you and, as it gets closer, you notice it's bill. "mind if i join you?" he asked.

"of course not," you watched him as he sat. "it's beautiful here, your family has a really lovely house."

"thanks, mum has a talent for making any place feel like home." he looked out at the water, but for some reason you kept looking at his face, trying to find details. bill felt your gaze and his eyes met yours. normally, you would've looked away, but a new confidence allowed me to hold his eye contact. "so, tell me more about your tattoo." you chuckled, you should've known it would come up at some point or another.

"i got it with rose on holiday using fake muggle IDs," you explained.

"any special meaning behind it?" he asked, his eyes were now flickering from yours to your neck.

"nope, just liked the art," it was true, you knew you wanted to get a tattoo but didn't want something that held too much weight, so you got something that was simply beautiful.

"that's cool," he said, reaching to touch it with his index finger, "did it hurt?" you shivered at the contact and he pulled away, "sorry."

"no, that's okay," you said turning slightly away from him so he could see it better and indicating that he could touch it. he went back to tracing it with his finger, leaning in to get a closer look. "it didn't hurt as much as i thought it would. but now that you've seen it, it's only fair that you tell me if you have any secret tattoos."

you heard him laugh, "obviously, i've just got the gryffindor lion across my chest, nothing crazy," he joked. you smiled and turned back to him.

"seems very fitting for you."

"oh yeah?"

"charismatic prefect, brave older brother, top of our DADA class? if you were any more gryffindor-y you'd be called godrick," you poked fun at him and leaned back to lay down.

"merlin, you make me sound unbearable."

"well–" you start to trail off only to feel a foot hit your knee, just hard enough to show playful anger. "alright, alright, kidding!"

"do you know what you want to do after school?" he asked, also lowering himself to the ground, but staying propped up on one elbow, his body turned to you.

"not exactly, i really like herbology and history of magic, so maybe find a job where i can study how wizards lived in the past? like how they used plants and stuff" it was something you had thought a lot about, but hadn't really found an answer that fit well.

"you'd be great at that." you shot him a skeptical look. "what? it's not hard to notice you're brilliant in herbology. sprout has you practically teaching half the lessons." you felt a blush spread across your cheeks, and felt thankful that the sunlight was starting to dim. you hadn't even realized you two shared that class, you were always more occupied in the nearest plant.

"what about you?"

"something to do with defense against the dark arts, mcgonagall told me about a career in curse breaking that sounds good. i think it'd allow me to travel, which is a plus."

"that sounds amazing," you say, your mind whisking you away to all the places you wanted to see.

"you can come and visit me, wherever i am." bill chuckled, letting another heart-breaker grin fall into place on his lips.

"and what makes you think we'll keep in touch after we leave hogwarts?" the tone turning back to a lighter banter. you push yourself up onto your elbows

"well, for one thing, our mums. but i also just have a feeling." you're betrayed by your cheeks heating up again. you look into his eyes and find sincerity. they're a deep blue, almost like they've been taken from the nearby water. once again you're reminded of his handsomeness, but this time it's a little different. maybe it's because you've talked more and he's shown you the things he's taken time to notice in you. but his beauty feels warmer. like it was only for you, like it could engulf you. you can see he's started to move closer, and you start to mirror his actions. your eyes move from his to his lips and the light stubble that runs along his jaw, and back again to his eyes. "can i...?" you close your eyes and start to nod, anticipating the feeling of his lips on yours, until, "kids! dinner!" and just like that, the moment is ruined. the two of you open your eyes and put space between yourselves. you clear your throat and stand up, brushing sand off of your legs.

"we should get back," you say.

"uh, yeah, totally." he says, also standing and following you back to the house.

on the walk back, you make sure to stay a few steps ahead of bill to allow yourself some time to think. what had just happened? did you like bill? surely it was just a weird moment following a minor existential crisis about the future right? you should just forget about it and try to focus on spending time with you family the rest of the trip.

[awanderingdeal]

Helloooo could we maybe get Kasey Leo bonding time? I adore how you write!

Hello, hello, hello. Thank you so much, anon! That is very kind of you <3 Kasey and Leo bonding time you say? Yes, please. Enjoy!

CW: Food talk 

Rating: G

These characters and the Sweater Weather universe belong to @lumosinlove

“Hey blizz,” Leo waved his hands to gain his fellow goalkeepers attention, waiting for him to remove the AirPods he’d shoved into his ears after finishing his shower. “Finn headed back to New York straight after practice, and Lo’s just informed me he’s going to some art thing with Cap, so the apartment is going to be pretty lonely, if you wanna hang. I think we might have some leftover barbeque?”

He didn’t think either Sirius or Logan would object to him tagging along, but it appeared there was something emotionally cathartic about their rants in their native tongue for the pair of them. His french wasn’t good enough to keep up with their rapid conversation, however, in his defence, he was pretty sure their huffs, snipped sentences and aggravated hand gestures weren’t comprehensible by the rest of French - speaking Canada either. Still, Logan always seemed to come back in a better mood than he left in, and according to Leo’s reconnaissance with Remus, the same was true of Sirius, so he left them to it. 

“Sure,” Kasey nodded, “You’ll never find me turning down good barbeque.” He started to pull his slightly damp hair into a ponytail, letting out a small laugh. “Besides, Nat will probably appreciate having me gone a bit longer anyway. She’s editing it, and you didn’t hear this from me, but she gets a little...intense.”

“To be fair to her, editing is a bitch,” Leo chuckled, shoving his sweaty uniform into the laundry trolley. Back in high school, he’d had a small gaming channel that by now was buried in the depths of Youtube, and editing had always been his least favourite part. 

“Yeah, I keep telling her she should just pay someone to do it, but you know Nat,” Kasey shrugged, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. “You ready?”

“Ready,” Leo hummed, taking one last glance behind him to ensure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He fell into step alongside Kasey as they walked down the hallway.

***

“What’s this?” Kasey drawled. Leo looked up to find Kasey leaning casually against the doorframe, expression smug. It took him a second to register exactly what the maroon item of clothing dangling from his teammates’ finger was.

“Oh, that’s,” Leo cleared his throat, “Finn’s?” He felt himself cringe as the name left his mouth, the questioning tone not even the slightest bit believable. 

“That’s odd,” Kasey tilted his head feigning confusion, “because it says LK, here on the label.” 

Leo sighed, cursing his mom’s insistence on labelling his clothing before she’d packed him off on his senior trip. “Yeah, alright it was mine. Did you drag that out of the donation pile, anyway?”

Kasey pushed himself off the doorframe, crossing the room. “It was on top of the donation pile, which by the way, rude,” he slipped one of the plates Leo had been piling food on from the counter and set in the microwave. 

“Kind of weird to have in my closet now,” Leo managed a small laugh, hoping his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “Anyway,” he crossed his arms over his chest, “I was a goalkeeper, am a goalkeeper. Of course I had your jersey.”

“Sure it had nothing to do with a little crush,” Kasey teased, draping the jersey over the back of one of the stools. 

“Wrong cub. Have a word with Finn,” Leo scoffed, immediately feeling a bit guilty about how quickly he’d dropped his boyfriend in the deep end. 

“O’Hara brothers have good taste,” Kasey retorted. “Don’t donate it,” he cocked his head towards the shirt, “I’ll sign it. Imagine how much my jersey worn by you will rake in. We can give the money to a charity. Maybe something that helps queer kids?”

“You know, just when I want to hate you, you say shit like that and it just makes it impossible,” Leo swatted Kasey’s hand away from where he was about to reach for the hot plate with his bare hands mumbling something about impatient hockey players. “Sounds like a good plan. But circling back to O’Hara brothers, I heard a certain one dropped the L- bomb recently.” 

“No, no, no,” Kasey shook his head, his forehead creasing into a frown, “we are not talking about that.”

“That’s alright,” Leo smirked, “I’ll just call Nat later.”

“How about a compromise?” Kasey suggested. “We don’t talk about this, and I don’t tell the whole team I was little Leo’s favourite.”

“Fine,” Leo relented. “Just one more question,” he let the pause hang for a moment. “Did you cry?”

“Everybody thinks you’re the cute one, but you’re just a little shit really.”

“You love me.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Finn and Logan,” Kasey grabbed the tray Leo had gestured to, and followed him into the living room. 

“Okay, serious talk for a second. Sure, it’s weird to have that jersey in my closet now, but you really were an inspiration for me growing up,” Leo sent Kasey a shy smile, as they sat on the sofa. “I never thought I’d get to thank you in person, but here I am and you played a massive part in that, so yeah, thank you,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Still coming for that first choice goalie place though, old man.”

“Hey, you’re a hell of a player and I’d be happy to see you take my place one day, but not quite yet, rookie,” Kasey snorted. “Barbeque is great, by the way.”

“Just keeping you on your toes,” Leo nudged Kasey lightly, turning the TV on and selecting an animal documentary they had started the last time Kasey had been round. And really, 17 year old Leo could never have imagined telling Kasey Winter how much he admired him, but here they were, team mates, best friends, family.

[arvinsescape]

Bracelets, Amortentia and the Patronus

A/N: Did i combine my love of Tom Holland and Harry Potter? Of course.

Summary: The Gryffindor boy is in love with the Hufflepuff girl. She comes to some realisations with the help of these three things.

Warnings: None.

W/C: 3.4K

You’d been paired in classes with the Gryffindor boy for years, he became one of your best friends throughout your time at Hogwarts. He wrote to you over summer and even sent you gifts when he’d been abroad, the last gift he’d sent you before sixth year started was a bracelet, it was possibly the most beautiful and ‘you’ gift you’d ever received. It wasn’t too flashy but it was enough to catch people’s eye and pull a comment about how lovely it is.

“He loves you.” Ellie said as you made your way to the Hufflepuff common room.

“Well he is my best friend so I’d hope so.” You laughed.

“No, I mean he’s in love with you.” She teased and you snorted.

“No he isn’t. I’m sure he has his eye on a Gryffindor girl, you know one that can match his talents.”

“I don’t think so. You know they say Gryffindor’s and Hufflepuff’s make the best life partners.” She shrugged as you arrived and sat down on one of the couch’s.

“I don’t think he sees me that way.” You said.

“Look at that bracelet he sent you! You are not gonna convince me that Tom Holland is not in love with you and the way he looks at you all the time.” She said as you shook your head with a small smile. “Do you like him? And not just as a best friend.” She asked and you bit your lip. Did you?

He was always the guy you sought out when things went wrong. You practically had all the same classes together. You helped him with the book smart lessons and he helped you with the mostly spell based lessons, there is no way you’d be passing defence against the dark arts without him. You studied late together and most people assumed you already were a couple. He made you laugh and he knew what to do to comfort you when you were sad.

“I don’t know.” You answered honestly after a long moment.

“You’ll probably find out in potions this year or maybe even defence against the dark arts.” She said and you furrowed your brows.

“What do you mean?” You asked confused.

“Well we’re learning the Patronus spell this year and you know, apparently it takes the shape of your favourite animal at first but it can change if you’re in love someone, so you know, his will probably be the same as yours after he’s seen it.” She said and you shook your head. “Then potions we’re making amortentia potion, the love potion, smells like whoever you’re in love with.” She shrugged.

“First of all that potion actually only smells like the things you’re attracted to, that’s what my mum and dad told me. Secondly, maybe we have the same favourite animal, so how would that prove anything?” You laughed and she smirked.

“We shall see.” She teased. “He’s in love with you and I don’t know why you deny it. It’s so obvious, ask anyone.” She laughed.

“I think you read too much into things.” You laughed. “Come on, we should probably go to the feast, see how many new kids we get in our house this year.” You said as you made your way out of the common room.

The Great Hall never ceased to amaze you, it was huge, then again it was made to fit hundreds of people in all at once. The banners were neutral again, when you’d left before summer they held the scarlet and gold colours of Gryffindor after having won the house cup for the second year in a row. Just before you could take your seat you heard your name being called by that oh so familiar Gryffindor.

“Hey!” He said as he engulfed you in a hug, to which you happily returned, burying your heads in each other’s necks.

“Tom! I missed you.” You laughed as he squeezed you tight against him.

“I missed you too, so much.” He said as he let go, you glanced at Ellie for a second who was biting back a smirk. He glanced down at your wrist and saw the bracelet there and he grinned. “Did you like it? I saw it and thought of you.”

“I love it! Thank you so much. Although I feel bad, I didn’t get you anything.” You laughed and he waved you off.

“I’m just glad you like it. I was worried you wouldn’t.” He said and you could have sworn you saw a tint of red cover his cheeks. Dam Ellie, she was making you think too much into it.

“I love it Tom. It’s an amazing gift.” You said as you hugged him again.

“Brilliant, I should get back, they’re about to bring in the first years, see you in potions?” He said as he pulled you into one last hug before walking away. You sat down next to Ellie who had the biggest grin on her face you’d ever seen.

“You know to say you’re as book smart as you are you’re very clueless.” She smirked.

“Shut up.” You playfully glared at her as the first years made their way into the hall. They all looked the same, awestruck and nervous all at the same time. It was a look you were all used to seeing after six years here. The feast was brilliant, as always and you gained ten new first years who all had the usual look of relief that they weren’t put into Slytherin.

“You should ask him to that dance the six years hold at Christmas.” Ellie said as you were getting into bed.

“No.” You said hoping to stop the conversation.

“Nah, who am I kidding, he’ll ask you.” She laughed and you threw a pillow at her.

“If he does, it will be as friends, like he did the yule ball.” You quipped.

“Oh yes, the night everybody realised he was in love with you. You made a lot of girls jealous that night. The way he held you, looked at you, fawned all over you, need I go on?” She teased.

“Ellie, seriously. I love you but please stop.” You huffed as you turned over in bed and she laughed before doing the same. Was he in love with you? You doubted it, he could do far better than you, he could have any girl he wanted so why would he pick you? He’s always been attentive sure but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s in love with you.

Do you love him? You’re not sure, you’ve always found him attractive and of course when you’d first met him you had a crush on him. He was funny, kind, brave and you admired everything about him and maybe that admiration had been a mask for how you truly feel about him. Whenever you were separated over the summer you’d miss him, it would always feel like you had a hole in your chest, you missed him far more than you did anyone else at the school.

You huffed as you turned onto your back, running your hands down your face. You needed to sleep, you could figure this out later and so you tried your best to fall asleep but your thoughts were consumed by the brown haired, brown eyed Gryffindor boy.

“Tom, do not add that yet.” You almost shouted as you watched him move to put an ingredient into the cauldron.

“But it says here that you add this next.” He said gesturing to his book.

“Yes, but look, you need to stir it first.” You laughed.

“What difference will that make?” He huffed. “Come on I wanna finish it.” He groaned.

“You need patience Tom.” You teased.

“Of course the Hufflepuff would suggest more patience.” He laughed.

“Hey, I’m also loyal and hard working. There’s more to us Hufflepuff’s than patience you know.”  You huffed as you stirred the cauldron and he laughed again as he playfully punched your arm. “Do that again and you’ll see how little patience a Hufflepuff can have.” You teasingly glared.

“You love me.” He smirked.

“Do I?” You teased as he feigned offence. You added the ingredient Tom had tried to and watched as the potion changed colour.

“Okay, just need to stir it again and then add the last ingredient.” You said as you stirred the cauldron. Meanwhile a Gryffindor girl had finished her potion with her partner and was asking Professor Slughorn to look at it.

“Very well done, now give it a sniff and tell me what you smell.” Slughorn said and she did. She took a sniff and then looked at Tom.

“It smells like you Tom.” She battered her eyelashes at him and you laughed, he was about to hear that more than once in this class.

“Erm, thanks, I guess.” Tom awkwardly said you added the last ingredient and stirred it in.

“What does yours smell like? Tell me it’s me.” She said as she watched in anticipation. You found yourself wishing that it would smell completely the opposite to her, a small feeling of jealousy taking over but you quickly tried to dismiss it.

“No, sorry.” He exhaled and she huffed turning back to her partner as he leant in to whisper in your ear. “Do you actually think it smelt like me?” He asked and you laughed.

“I don’t know but a lot of girls are gonna tell you that today so I’d get used to it.” You said and he groaned as you took your own sniff of the potion. Instantly you smelt almost everything you’d associate with Tom. You were taken aback, maybe it was a coincidence? You smelt coconut similar to what he uses to wash his hair and the familiar scent of his cologne. Loads of people use those two things, perhaps you just found the scents attractive.

“Well?” Tom asked, pulling you from your thoughts and you panicked abit.

“You first?” You said and he shrugged.

“Mine smells exactly as I thought it would.” He laughed and you felt your stomach sink slightly, so he was in love? Or at least attracted to someone and you couldn’t know for sure if it was you.

“Mine did but didn’t.” You shrugged.

“Come on give me a hint. Give me one scent you got.”

“Coconuts.” That seemed like the safest bet. “What about you? Give me one”

“Strawberry and mint.” He said.

“That’s two.” You snorted.

“Yeah well they go hand in hand.” He said. You were dismissed after that and made your way into the hall for lunch, ultimately meaning you had to separate. Ellie was there when you sat down.

“So, what did you smell?” She asked straight away.

“Tom.” You sighed and she squealed, practically clapping her hands together as you shot her a glare. “Maybe I just find those scents attractive you know.” You sighed.

“Oh come on Y/N. You are in love with him or at the very least attracted to him. What did he smell?” She asked.

“Strawberry and mint. That was all he gave me but he said it smelt exactly how he thought he would, if he did like me do you not think he’d have told me? Also I’m not sure why I’d smell like strawberry and mint.” You said and Ellie shot you a knowing look and you furrowed your brows.

“First off, maybe he’s trying to decide if you like him before he ruins a six year friendship and secondly what was the one thing you said you needed to do as soon as we could get to Hogsmeade?”

“What? I forgot my shampoo so I need more.” You were utterly confused now.

“So you’ve been using mine which just so happens to be that particular scent.” She grinned.

“But it’s not my natural scent so why would he smell that? Surely he’d smell the shampoo I use all the time. Maybe it’s you?” You said and she laughed out loud at that, drawing a few funny looks from other students.

“It’s not me, trust me. I don’t think I’ve said ten words to the guy since we started and if he’s in love with you, that potion will smell like whatever you do on that day.” She reasoned.

“Maybe. But what do I do? What if you’re wrong?”

“Listen Y/N. if there is one thing every house in this school can agree on it’s that Tom Holland is in love with you. I’m pretty sure you’re in love with him too, you just won’t admit it to yourself.”

You’d thought about what she said for a long time and by Christmas you’d come to the conclusion that yeah, she’s right, you are in love with him but you’re not sure he’s in love with you. Defence against the dark arts had been interesting because he’d cast his Patronus first and you watched a lovely dog burst from his wand. You’d done yours, after much guidance from your best friend and out shot a tiger. When you’d been asked to do it again, Tom miraculously started to struggle which makes no sense because he it was his best subject.

“They can’t change that fast can they?” You asked Ellie.

“I don’t know but he probably didn’t wanna risk it. How would he explain that? If it came out the same as yours that shows a truly deep connection and love.” She reasoned.

“But what if mine came out a dog when I did mine for a second time?” You said and she sighed.

“And you did and it didn’t come out a dog did it? He probably got nervous.” She reasoned. “Y/N, maybe you just need to approach this one.” She laughed and you nodded.

“Yeah maybe you’re right.”

You made your way up to the owlery, wrapped up for the cold weather to send a letter home when you bumped into him again. He was all wrapped up to, he looked adorable with his cold rosy cheeks.

“Hey Y/N, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” He said and you felt your heart rate pick up in excitement.

“Sure.”

“Will you go to that Christmas party thing with me?” He asked and he seemed nervous as you grinned at him.

“Of course.” You smiled.

“Great. As friends.” He said and your heart sunk. Maybe everyone was wrong.

“Sure, yeah. Of course. I need to head back to the common room, I have a lot of homework before Christmas break.” You said.

“About that, are you staying here for Christmas again?”

“Yeah, I always do.”

“Me too.” He grinned and you returned it. Usually he’d go back home but maybe something came up this year. You said your goodbyes as you made your way back to the common room and you felt the tears.

After that you’d carried on as normal. It was quite easy to act natural with him because you’d been doing it for months and when the party came round, the night before everyone went back for Christmas you were excited to spend the evening having fun with him, you’d both been busy with homework. You made your way out of the common room and there was Tom as he said he would be.

“You look beautiful.” He said as he held his arm out for you and you placed yours through his as you made your way towards the party.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself.” You said as you took in his appearance. He had a lovely suit on.

“Look, I’ve got a different idea for tonight. I have something planned elsewhere.” He said and you looked at him confused.

“What, you’re throwing a party of your own. Lets go.” You said excitedly as you followed him. He was heading up to the astronomy tower and he sat down on the top step as you sat next to him. “This doesn’t look like a very good party.” You teased and he sighed.

“Can I talk to you?” He said seriously.

“Of course, Tom anything.” You replied quickly and he sighed again.

“Okay, so I’m in love with someone, like a lot, I have been for a while now, like an embarrassingly long time and I’m not sure she feels the same.” He said and your heart beat picked up with nerves because he was probably going to tell you who he was in love with.

“Maybe you should just tell her?” You suggested.

“I’ve tried, hell I’ve tried three times since we got back but I just get nervous because if she doesn’t feel the same it’ll ruin everything.” He ran his hands through his hair.

“I’m sure she will Tom, you’re an amazing guy. Maybe if you can’t tell her, show her.” You suggested as you placed a comforting hand on his bicep.

“Show her? I suppose I can think of one thing.” He sighed as he stood up and you looks at him in confusion. “Wait, I don’t know if I can.” He sighed again.

“Tom, you can. Trust me, just go and show her. Come on you’re a Gryffindor, bravery is your thing.” You teased. You felt utterly crushed that he’s just confirmed he’s in love with someone but you needed to be supportive as his best friend. He took a deep breath as he looked at you and muttered a spell you didn’t quite catch and as you watched him your heart nearly burst out of your chest.

From the end of his wand shot out a white animal and it definitely wasn’t a dog. It was a tiger, a complete copy of your own. You watched as it ran around the room for a while before disappearing. You felt tears of relief making their way down your face, he was in love with you. Your heart was beating insanely fast as you turned to look at him to find him already looking at you.

“But, when you asked me here tonight you said it was just as friends?” You said.

“It was supposed to be more of a question. I wanted to see if you’d bring it up first, you’ve not given me much to go on.” He let out a light laugh. “I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable.” He said.

“It doesn’t, I’m in love with you too.” You said and he let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God for that. I was worried you wouldn’t. All I had to go on was coconuts and I can name at least six boys in my dorm room that use that scent in different things.” He said as he sat next to you again. “I was so nervous to do my Patronus again in front of you.” He said.

“Did it change straight away?” you asked.

“No, it took a month or so, I kept trying on my own. Looked kinda weird for a few weeks.” He laughed as you joined him. “I wanted to tell you in potions that it smelt like you but I got nervous.” He said as you rested your head on his shoulder and he rested his head on top of yours.

“You know, it wasn’t until potions I realised I was in love with you.” You admitted. “I don’t know why my Patronus has stayed the same.”

“Me neither, magic might be great but it doesn’t always make sense. You know I was hoping you’d mention something about the bracelet, I was hoping you’d figure it out.”

“Ellie did, she told me that you were but I didn’t believe her until just now.” You laughed.

“I love you.” He said as he moved his head and put his hand under your chin turning you to face him. His eyes flicked between your own and your lips.

“I love you too.” You whispered as he leaned closer to you, you doing the same.

“Can I kiss you?” He whispered as his lips were inches from yours and you nodded as he grinned and connected your lips. It felt amazing to finally kiss him, it was sweet and innocent but so full of love. He pulled away eventually, grinning.

“Wanna go that party?” You asked and he shook his head.

“Maybe later but for right now I just wanna kiss you for a bit.” He grinned and you laughed as you brought his lips back to your own.