#and i hope other people go as crazy as i do :)
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nothorses · 3 days ago
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Regarding the Congress bathroom thing. I cant help but think their strategy is to try to cast it as 'dems are wasting time standing up for trans people instead of focusing on real issues' while making a hostile workplace so they can just make her look crazy. A lot of people think trans issues are a waste of time bc there aren't that many of us, and it's in their favor to make it look like other people are the ones wasting time on it. It's bait - fighting it would be falling into a trap.
I think the problem with this is that Republicans are actually literally passing very enforceable laws that make it illegal for trans people to use the bathrooms that correspond with our gender, and by extension also put us at greater risk of transphobic violence- and MUCH greater risk of police brutality- if a visibly gnc/trans or passing trans person uses any other gendered bathroom, too.
It's dangerous for me to visit my fiancé's family in Florida right now, and I haven't tried in over two years, because they passed a law there that makes it essentially impossible for me to safely use the bathroom in the airport after I land in Florida (and many other bathrooms!).
Anyone who suspects me of being in the wrong bathroom can tell me to leave, and I have to comply immediately or risk arrest (and police brutality as a result). If I don't leave immediately enough when told, they can call the cops to "verify my sex assigned at birth", a thing that there is currently no documentation to prove, meaning I'd have to show my genitals to the cops... and again risk police brutality! Even if I'm in the "right" bathroom by their standards!
Either I try the men's bathroom and hope I pass well enough to everyone there that nobody thinks to question it/that there are no "transvestigation" freaks feeling particularly inclined towards vigilantism that day, or go to the women's bathroom and hope even harder that the only people in there are trans allies. Again: even in a women's restroom, I would have to leave or risk the cops. Because I do not and cannot look (or sound) like a woman.
This is so much worse for people who actually live in FL, and who can't just, like, choose not to fly in. And this is happening in other places, too.
Bathroom laws aren't a silly niche unimportant issue that can be sacrificed to Republicans in pursuit of more meaningful justice. They actually literally matter, in real life, right now.
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onyx-syn · 20 hours ago
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LA! Buggy, LA! Shanks, and LA! Mihawks Favorite Positions
Warnings: Smut, Mostly Female Reader, Teasing, Flirting, Spooning, Spanking, Blowjobs, Pet Names, Pussy Eating, Sub! And Dom! Elements, Inappropriate use of devil fruit power, Fingering, Praises and some Degradation
*Don't steal my writings and claim it as your own*
*18+ Only*
A/N: AHHHHH finally something after being gone for so long! Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did writing it!
🌹Buggy💠
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🌹Oh the flashy fool of the East Blue sea, a man of many talents, tricks and mischief of his sleeve ready to serve and entertain during your special time with him
💠This man can be 50/50 when it comes to sex overall. He can be more simple, with regular positions that make it intimate with you and him, or he can go crazy and give you a mind-blowing back arch that breaks the bed in half (happens a couple of times with him)
🌹Truly depends on the time and location of where sex is happening. He also thinks a bit more about it than others. Think about how loud are you guys gonna be, do you and him want people hearing it, public or no public sex, etc
💠So that is why, this man has certain favorite positions to answer these questions
POSITION: 69
Both partners are stomach to stomach as one partner is positioned on top of the other. Each one at opposite ends of each other performing oral sex
🌹It does take him time to get used to oral sex -due to his insecurities with his nose- but when he does get used to it, and how much power his nose has on your clit? Ohhhh he's in love
💠Okay this might be a little bit out there, but Buggy prefers being on top during 69 and having you below him
🌹With this position, him being on top he's able to control the way of his hips more. Granted he can detach him, and deepthroat you like he most of the time always does. But the way he brings his knees closer to your head -raising his hips up- before letting them slide and thrust his hips in your mouth adds pleasure to him and you. Movement, is sexy
💠With the way you are positioned down below, seeing his pretty blue curls at the base of his shaft, a long with the toned v-line this man has obtained is immaculate
🌹He keeps well care of his hair, makes sure it smells nice and is trimmed. Doesn't shave it fully, but doesn't allow it to become a full bush
💠This position allows him a perfect overall view of your pussy as well. His hands rub your thighs before teasing at your clit, watching your bottom half shake as you moan before being shut up with his cock, detaching it and letting it go at a unimaginable speed. A smirk appears on his face as he begins to tease you
"Having your cheeks full over there huh sweet cheeks"?
🌹Suffice to say, this man has become a found lover for oral sex, and has found ways to make it more enjoyable for the both of you
POSITION: THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
The penetrating partner positions themself in a plank position while the receiving partner has their legs positioned over their partner’s shoulders or waist
🌹Unlike the first position where it was a bit more out there with the switched positions, this one is a bit more intimate but still filled with lots of heat and intensity when Buggy is caught in a bad mood and wants to let off some steam
💠This position allows him to go deep into you, hearing the wet sounds of your slick and his mixed together all over your inner thighs and his hips
🌹What he loves more about this position, is the direct eye contact he is able to make with you. Seeing the cloudy look on your eyes filled with love and lust in them is such a turn on for him. He'll detach one of his hand and lets the stub of his arm hold him up. He uses his hand to caress your cheek, seeing how beautiful you look below him
💠 He'll start of slow, seeing your facial reactions to getting used to his size before speeding up, getting louder and faster. He'll praise you and degrade you, most of the time not at once but it all depends
"That's it -fuck- babe, taking me so good like the slut that you are for me. -nnn- ya like that? Like being called my slut, good, good girl"
🌹This position allows him to go in deeper into you, feeling your wet walls coat his cock. So deep, he almost hits your g-spot each time he starts fucking you hard. Despite the degradation, he always checks up on you, making sure you are taking this well and if you need him to slow down he will
💠He knows this position can be intense with how fast he can go and his devil fruit powers. He wants to make sure you both are being pleasured during this, not just him
🌹Overall, great position for both the intimacy that evolves between the two of you, and the great penetration as well
POSITION: THE HOT SEAT
The partner penetrating sits on the edge of the bed or against a chair as the receiving partner positions themself on their thighs (back against their partner), ass snuggled up against their partners groin
🌹We all know that Buggy is filled with stamina the majority of the time. The way this man moves quickly with his devil fruit power, quick with his words and much more. But there comes a time here and there where he has no sort of energy and wants to be more laid back when providing intimacy
💠This is when you sit him down and take it from here, which he is all for. He doesn't admit it a lot, but he really loves when you take control and lead. There's only been a few times where he allows you to take full lead
🌹This position provides you a comfortable seat on his thighs, your hands gripping his knees feeling his body hair underneath your fingers. Your ass right up against his v-line. He gets such a perfect view of your backside and ass
💠When you position yourself on his cock, taking him in slowly before going down -fully taking him in- he hisses, feeling his body start to let loose and an overwhelming sensation of pleasure washing over him
🌹His hands go insane, he'll have one holding onto your breast the other on your hip, not fully gripping it but softly on it as you take control. Rolling your hips in circle motions, feeling his cock touch your ways in many ways
💠Soon, you begin picking up the pace. Bouncing up and down on his cock. You use his knees as leverage so you can let your lower half do the work. The movement of your ass going up and down in his lap is sending him to the moon
"Fuck fuck fuck, babe, fuck you feel so nice. This feels so good. Just like that, a little slower please? Thank you, oh God thank you so much, God I love you"
🌹Him begging nicely is like music to your ears. He's softer with his words during these times, enjoying being under your mercy
💠And if you smother him in kisses before and after he melts in your back. Hanging his head over your shoulder as he moans and groans from the sex
🌹This position is by far one of, if not his most favorite, for the sheer intimacy you both have during this
🌹Shanks🌹
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🌹Shanks, O' Shanks. The man under Gold Roger, the man with the plan and eye for the sky and sea. He knows his way around stuff, especially around you, and would be pleased to know how he can satisfy you in any way possible
🌹Shanks I view as being more laid back during sex, while still being a giver and being a top, he likes being on the bottom during sex half of the time. Giving him perfect view of your body enjoying sex just as much as he is
🌹He finds it more intimate seeing you enjoy yourself first before him. Speaking through sex with you with praises and some little degradation
🌹Here, you'll find what positions this man goes crazy for and how he has mastered them into pleasuring you
POSITION: FACE OFF
The penetrating partner sits on the edge of the bed or chair as the receiving partner positions themself on their lap facing them. Wrapping their legs around their waist
🌹A classic for Shanks right here. He loves being up close with his partner, finding the intimacy of being so close to one another to being very enticing and pleasurable
🌹In this position, not only is the intimacy great, but penetration is nice and slow with him here. He takes it nice and slow with you, speaking to you through kisses and husky breaths
"That's it my love, ah. Feels so good, you're doing amazing, yes, just like that"
🌹His face will be positioned in the crook of your neck, smothering it in kisses and soft bites. His breathing heavy as he starts picking up the pace in his thrusts, bouncing you on his lap
🌹His hands roams your back as sweat starts to form on each one of you. It's between your back, thighs and ass. Most -if not always- his hands will be on your thighs
🌹This position is up and close, face to face. Just the way shanks likes to handle most situations he's in, especially with you
POSITION: OPEN-LEGGED SPOON
Both partners are in a spooning position. The partner in the big spoon position moves their partners one leg up and over their thigh
🌹Like the first position, Shanks loves being up and close with you anytime he can get. One of Shanks favorite times with you, is when you guys are laying down in your shared bed in the ship spooning after a long day or week of constant work
🌹It starts off slow. Shanks starting to leave kisses down your shoulder, whispering 'i love yous' in between. His arms wrapped around your waist as he starts to grind against your bare ass
🌹It doesn't take long for this man to move the blankets out of the way and raise your leg over his thigh. Using his hand to position himself in your wet slick folds
🌹This is the position where the simple and laid back, and the speed and rough part start to mix. Cause once he has a better position with you oh he starts to pick up the pace
🌹Grunting in your ear, hearing the way you moan and whimper from the pleasure and his breath touching your skin sending chills down your spine
"oh so nice darling, you feel absolutely -mm- wonderful like this. So good for me"
🌹This position has everything current Shanks could want. Laying back with his partner cuddling turning into a sensational mess for the both of you
POSITION: REVERSE COWGIRL
Similar to the cowgirl position where one partner rides the other, but reversed
🌹Now I know I have been saying that Shanks is mostly laid back and simple when it comes to sex. Mostly being the key word here, cause this is his favorite position for when he gets very angsty, for a lack of better terms
🌹When he's away from you for a while, or really in the mood to try something. He is very eager to see you ride him. Not just ride him regularly no no no, Shanks is a classy man. He wants to see you get behind on this ride
🌹His hands will be gripping your hips, lowering you up and down on his cock. His eyes will be memorized with how your ass just 'hides' his cock from his line of sight. And how your hips move? Rolling them in circles on his hips? Dear god
🌹The penetration with this one is quite deep and mildly uncomfortable, with how his cock is (size and length) and the position of you. But, Shanks makes sure to make it pleasurable for you. Making sure to go slow and steady at first before he quickens himself
"That's it, doing so good for me fuck, there you go. You think you're ready for me to go quicker? Cause I will assure you that I won't be too nice on your beautiful ass darling"
🌹This man is whipped for you with the way he takes his time with you, and speaks to you. This position has it all and much more for when you guys get more into it
♠️Mihawk♠
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♠️This devious being of a man is one to behold. With his quick thinking and his mysteriousness adds a bunch to the table. Especially for a particular 'minx' like you, as he calls you
♠️Mihawk provides and gives, showing his raw talent for those to see and experience. And you my dear, are the lucky one to have him be yours
♠️Mihawk is a busy man when it comes to sex. He knows what you like and he knows what he likes, and he has his ways of achieving absolute pleasure for the both of you
♠️To him, your pleasure comes first. He wants to make sure you are being provided the care and love you deserve. He is a classy man, a dangerous one, but classy regardless
POSITION: STAND AND DELIVER
The penetrating partner stands at the edge of the bed or desk, as their partner moves their legs around the penetrating partner’s waist or to their own chest
♠️Mihawk puts your pleasure before his like stated before. Seeing your facial reactions and eyes are a core part of his enjoyment during sex and yours
♠️But a long with that and being busy, when he gets angsty or pent up to have you, he will love to have you here and now if you so love to be taken
♠️ He'll start off kissing you, passionately as his hands roam your bare body. Feeling your soft skin underneath his rough skin. He's always constantly carrying that sword around, his hands have grown a sort of rough texture, not too rough, but rough enough to where touching your skin makes his pants feel tight
♠️This position such a unique view, your legs draped over his waist, his hips slowly starting to rock into yours. His eyes watching as you lean your head back, moaning softly at the feeling of his cock deep inside you, getting used to his size
♠️He could see each and one of breath leaving your throat, the movement of your throat down below him sends him images of more ways he can treat you to a nice surprise with that movement
♠️And how beautiful your skin looks from his desk lamp, seeing the sweat appear on your skin and how you tell him how good he feels. Oh does he love it. A deep groan leaving his throat as he grips your thighs and starts picking up the pace
"Oh darling, you feel absolutely wonderful. Look at how beautiful you look right now on my desk, such a pretty thing you are, so beautiful"
♠️One thing about Mihawk is his choice of wording. His praises will be ones ripped out pages of poems and old romance books it seems like -same with some degradation-
♠️And lets not forget the view you see from your angle, looking at his well defined body and nicely trimmed v-line that follows down to his shaft
♠️This position brings such a delight and enjoyment to this man, even if his face doesn't show it
POSITION: STANDING O
The receiving partner stands with one leg over their giving partner as they perform oral
♠️Mihawk isn't a big fan of creating messes, let alone messes where people don't clean up after themselves. This position, allows him to clean up and provide you with a dinner service
♠️His large hands grip your thighs, the one of his shoulder he'll start kissing maybe even leaving a few bite marks before he starts eating you out
♠️His tongue rolls up your folds, tasting your wetness on his tongue, seeing how wet you are for him telling by how your inner thighs glisten with your slick
♠️His beard and mustache tickles on your inner thighs and lips sending a chilling feeling up your body, ending up making your thighs quiver. It does leave a bit of beard burn after a while but it ain't nothing that Mihawk can't take care of afterwards
♠️This position, allows him to look up at you with those bright golden eyes, narrowed up at you as he sees your sweaty face, panty lips, and your chest -breathing in and out heavily- it's a sight to behold for sure, but oh does he love it
♠️After a bit, he starts using his fingers to penetrate you, his tongue and mouth busy sucking on your clit -sending shockwaves through your body and core- you clam your leg over his shoulder down, bringing him in closer and locking him in place
♠️He chuckles when you do that. Seeing how his fingers, curling up inside you, and his tongue can do so much to your body. And when you cum on his face, he makes sure to clean up every last single spot
"Darling, seems that you made a mess, dirty girl. Always getting into sticky situations now, are we?"
♠️With the need he has to pleasure you first during sex, praising you after doing such a good job. He loves it all
POSITION: THE BALLET DANCER
Both partners are standing. The penetrating partner holds their receiving partner leg over their waist (holding it with one arm and the other around their waist)
♠️Mihawk may not seem like the type, compared to Shanks and Buggy with how close and personal he likes to be. But deep in the comforts of your own bedroom, he shows you just how close and personal he loves being with you
♠️He's not to crazy when it comes to sex positions, opting for more missionary styles when you guys get more intimate like this. But there's one position that he loves where it's both intimate and something's out of the ordinary
♠️This position has the intimacy that Mihawk strives for sex with you, and also something that lets him use his ability to make you feel pleasure
♠️The way his cock is angled into your pussy -with your one leg over his waist, his large hand gripping onto your thigh for sure leaving a hand mark for tomorrow- sends waves of ecstasy through your body, to the point you can see stars with his pace
♠️For this one he does start slow in the beginning, not knowing entirely how you would react to this new position as opposed to missionary. His eyes picking up any signs of uncomfortability, if you don't end up liking it or look enjoyed with it he will change positions
♠️But seeing your face create a perfect O, moans escaping your lips gives him all the info he needs to know. His lips latch on to yours, kissing you as he takes in all your sweet sounds as his cock thrusts in and out of your pussy
♠️ Your chest is up against his, bodies starting to heat up and cover in sweat. His head leans down and whispers in your ear, sending a chilly feeling as his hot breath breathes on your skin
"I can tell you're enjoying this darling, don't worry, this is only just the beginning before I have you bent over the bed for me like the good minx you are"
♠️Mihawk gets intimate and personal with this one. Making sure that you are enjoying yourself and making sure you are feeling pleasured by all means, since it is something you both haven't done before
♠️Seeing you enjoy yourself and getting a beautiful kick out of it, tells Mihawk this isn't gonna be the last time you wanna get stand up fucked by him
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paigesluver · 14 hours ago
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for me? | chapter_1
paige bueckers x fem reader
synopsis; you and paige share unspoken feelings for each other, resulting in an escalating tension that complicates your friendship and challenges your emotions
warnings; sexual tension, emotional conflict
hi hi! this is the first chapter and it took me so long to be happy with the outcome. i hope everyone enjoys it and let me know what you think!
Waking up at eight in the morning was part of your daily routine. As the director of the media team at UConn, you had a lot on your plate: ensuring everyone had their assignments for upcoming practices and games, approving various media, scheduling everything meticulously, and preparing for interviews and conferences. You loved the hustle. At just twenty-three, you were already one of the most dedicated directors, a title you’d earned after starting out as an interviewer and photographer.
After finishing your morning routine, you laced up your shoes, grabbed your keys, and tossed your laptop into your backpack. You gave your apartment a quick glance before locking the door and heading to your car. 
A few minutes later, you pulled into the parking lot of the basketball facility, you slid on your headphones and grabbed your key card to enter the building. Typically, you were the first one in, but as you passed the basketball court, you heard the unmistakable sound of squeaking sneakers. Curious, you paused and spotted a blonde ponytail in motion. You walked backward until you reached the glass windows, peering inside. There she was—Paige Bueckers, effortlessly sinking shots from way beyond the three-point line with the kind of ease most people could only dream of.
You walked back to the nearest door, slipped inside, and made your way to the court. As you approached, Paige’s voice rang out. “I was wondering when you’d show up,” she said, watching the ball swoosh through the net before turning to face you. 
“How did you even know it was me?” you asked, tilting your head with a smile. 
“You’re the only one crazy enough to be here this early,” she said, chuckling. “And look who’s here.” She pointed at you with a smirk. 
“You’re here, aren’t you?” you shot back. “Touche,” Paige said while you laughed, shaking your head as you jogged over to meet her. “You really have a thing for calling me out.”
Paige shrugged, giving you a playful wink. “Hey, someone has to keep you on your toes.”
You exchanged a quick dap, but before you could fully pull away, Paige wrapped her arms around your waist in a sudden hug. The warmth of her caught you off guard, and for a second, you just stood there, soaking it in.
“I missed you,” she said, her voice quieter than usual, though still full of that familiar playfulness.
You chuckled softly. “Alright, you got me. I missed you too.”
She pulled back just enough to look you in the eye, her mischievous grin back in place. “So, what’s the plan? Are you ready to show me up on the court, or are you just going to stand around being all cute?”
You glanced down at your watch. “As much as I’d love to stay and shoot hoops with you, I’ve got a million things to do today.”
“Right,” Paige said with an exaggerated eye roll. “The director’s got to direct. You’ve got all that important work to do, don’t you?”
“I do,” you said, feigning seriousness. “But don’t worry, I’ll make it back later. Might even grab some footage of you practicing... just because.”
Paige raised an eyebrow and shot you a teasing look. “Oh, so I’m your muse now? Better get my best side.”
“Always,” you replied with a smirk. “But honestly, every side’s the best side.”
She laughed, tossing her head back, her ponytail swaying. “Smooth talker. Alright, director, go do your thing or whatever.”
You waved as you turned to head out. “I’ll be back. Don’t miss me too much.”
As you walked toward your office, the light in your chest made it hard to wipe the grin off your face. Not just because of the work that lay ahead, but because you’d been lucky enough to get a little piece of something special every time you spent time with Paige.
You settled into your office, finally diving into the mountain of emails that had piled up overnight. The routine of work—scheduling, approving media, prepping for upcoming games—helped keep your mind from wandering too much. You focused on the tasks at hand, pushing away any stray thoughts of the court, of Paige, of the way her laugh echoed in your mind long after she was gone.
The hours passed, and your stomach rumbled around noon, reminding you that you’d barely eaten. You grabbed a protein bar from your drawer and got back to work, responding to emails and crossing off one to-do after another. Between finalizing the schedule for an upcoming game and reviewing media coverage, you barely noticed the time slipping by.
Around 2 p.m., your phone buzzed on the desk. You reached for it absently, expecting another work-related message. Instead, it was a text from Kaia: hey, want to hang out tonight? maybe grab dinner or watch something?
You stared at the message for a long moment, your finger hovering over the screen. Kaia had been sweet to you, and you liked her—really liked her—but things had felt different since that night at the bar. That night with Paige. The tension that had simmered between you two, that casual teasing... it had unsettled you in a way you hadn’t expected.
You couldn’t deny it any longer: something was shifting between you and Paige, and you couldn’t ignore it. And yet, here was Kaia, reaching out with the kind of ease you wished you could feel.
But you knew you couldn’t go out with her tonight—not with the feelings you were trying to suppress, not with the way your mind kept circling back to Paige. You didn’t want to lead Kaia on when your heart wasn’t entirely in it. And you definitely didn’t want to be unfair to her. She deserves someone who could give her their full attention, not someone who was tangled up in confusion.
You set the phone down without replying, forcing yourself to focus back on the work in front of you. But the knot in your stomach remained. You weren’t sure if it was guilt for ignoring Kaia’s invitation or the unresolved tension that still lingered in your chest every time you thought about Paige.
The clock ticked on, and you tried to push both thoughts aside as you finished up the last of your tasks. Just as you were about to close your laptop, your door creaked open.
"Hey, director," Paige’s voice called out, light and familiar. You looked up, and there she was, leaning against the doorframe with that grin of hers—the one that always made your pulse pick up a little too fast.
“Busy?” she asked, arching an eyebrow as she stepped inside.
You smiled, leaning back in your chair. "Not at the moment. What’s up?"
Paige walked further into the room, the scent of something delicious filling the air as she set the bag down on your desk. “Thought I’d check in on you. And, y’know, bring you something to eat. You’ve been working through lunch again, haven’t you?”
You raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Too late, already did,” Paige grinned, pulling out a Caesar salad wrap, crispy fries, and your favorite passion fruit juice. “You’ve been stuck here all morning, so I thought you could use a little pick-me-up.”
You couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. “This is very sweet of you P, I was just starting to get hungry.”
“Figured as much,” she said, flopping down in the chair across from you. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you, making sure you don’t work yourself into the ground.”
You laughed, opening the bag and grabbing the wrap. “You’re spoiling me now, my favorite from Gansett’s? How’d you know?”
Paige leaned back, resting her arms behind her head casually. “We’ve known each other for a long time now, you think I wouldn’t know where one of your favorite meals is from?”
“Not a lot of people pay attention to things like that” You laughed, shaking your head.
Paige’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Well good thing I’m not just anybody.”
You felt a strange flutter at her words, a mix of admiration and something else that was harder to pin down. She wasn’t wrong—she had a way of making you feel like she really saw you, and that made you feel… something more than just friends. You quickly brushed the thought aside, not sure you were ready to unpack it.
Paige laughed, but this time it was softer, like she caught the shift in the air between you two. She held your gaze a moment longer, her expression a little more serious than usual. “So… you’re still sticking to that ‘all work, no play’ routine? No chance of you coming out and having some fun tonight?”
You paused, considering. There it was again, that casual invitation. The kind of offer you would normally take without thinking. But with everything that was swirling inside you—feelings you couldn’t even begin to sort through—you couldn’t bring yourself to say yes.
“Actually, I was supposed to meet up with Kaia later,” you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them. A flicker of guilt washed over you. You hadn’t really planned anything with Kaia—you’d just ignored her text earlier. “But, uh, I think I’m going to go meet her after all. Just need to get out for a bit.”
Paige gave you a long look, her brow furrowing slightly. “Oh yeah? That’s a change. Haven’t seen you take a break in forever.”
You shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Yeah, figured I could use one.”
Paige didn’t press it, but the air between you felt a little heavier. She stood up, brushing off the hem of her hoodie, and gave you a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, don’t let me keep you. But if you ever want to ditch the routine, you know where to find me.”
"Thanks," you said, your voice quieter than you meant. "Maybe next time."
Paige paused at the door, glancing back at you with a look that you couldn’t quite read. “Yeah. Maybe next time.”
You watched her walk out, her footsteps fading down the hallway, and a strange knot tightened in your stomach.
Kaia’s message was still there on your phone, waiting to be answered. You were going to meet up with her, but something about it felt a little off now. The weight of Paige’s words and the tension in the air lingered, but you pushed it all aside for the moment.
You grabbed your phone and typed out a quick response to Kaia: 
hey! dinner sounds good, is Latina Cantina cool with you?
You hit send and tossed your phone back on the desk, hoping dinner would help take your mind off everything.
A couple of hours passed since Paige had dropped by your office. You buried yourself in work, crossing off to-dos and reviewing media, but your thoughts kept flickering between the tasks at hand and your conversation with Paige. Before you knew it, late afternoon had rolled around, and practice time was approaching. You decided it was about time to head over to the court to get some footage of the team.
Grabbing your camera gear—lenses, extra batteries, and your bag—you made your way toward the gym. The familiar sounds of practice greeted you as you approached: the squeak of sneakers, the bounce of basketballs, and the low hum of players in motion.
When you reached the court, you immediately spotted Paige. She was in the middle of a drill, her blonde ponytail swinging as she drained shots from beyond the three-point line with ease. You smiled to yourself, knowing you'd be in for some good footage today.
You pushed open the door to the gym, which creaked slightly as it swung wide. Paige turned her head and, as soon as she saw you, her face lit up. She waved you over with a grin, clearly enjoying herself.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” she said, tossing the ball up into the air, making another effortless shot. "I was starting to think you forgot about me."
You chuckled and adjusted your camera, walking over to her. “Busy doing responsible adult things, you know how it is,” you said with a smirk. “But I’m here now, and I’m ready to capture all your greatness.”
Paige shot you a teasing look. “Better get a good shot of me then,” she said, setting herself up for another shot. She launched the ball into the air, sinking it with ease. She turned toward you with a playful grin. “That’s one for the highlight reel, right?”
You snapped the picture, laughing. “Definitely.”
Paige ran to the other side of the court, getting back into position, and you quickly moved to adjust for the next shot. She continued to hit shot after shot, making it look effortless. With every successful basket, she’d glance back at you, pointing toward the camera as if to say, “That was for you.”
The entire team was in sync, their chemistry on full display as they went through drills, but Paige was in a class of her own. Her movements were smooth, controlled, and she made it all look easy. You kept snapping photos, capturing everything from her perfect form to her focused expressions.
After a few minutes, you decided to move around and get shots of the rest of the team. You greeted the players with high-fives and daps, snapping pictures as they got into their respective drills. Some of them flashed quick smiles for the camera, while others focused on their practice. You even took a moment to greet the coaches, giving them a wave and a nod before heading back to catch more action. The atmosphere was relaxed, but you could feel the energy in the air as the team worked together.
About an hour or two into practice, you decided to start wrapping up. The team had been working hard, and it seemed like a good time to pack up for the day. You took a last round of shots, then slung your camera bag over your shoulder.
As you headed for the door, Paige caught your eye once more, flashing that signature grin. “Don’t forget about me now,” she teased, tossing the ball to a teammate. “Make sure you get my best angles next time.”
You waved at her as you walked toward the exit. “I’ve got plenty of footage. Don’t worry,” you called back with a grin, feeling the weight of your day settling in.
As you stepped out of the gym, the sounds of practice fading behind you, you made your way to your car. You had done what you came to do, and now it was time to head home and get ready for your dinner with Kaia. The evening was calling, and though your mind was still half on the court, you knew you needed to focus on the night ahead.
Your phone buzzed again as you walked toward the exit. It was Kaia: “Latina Cantina works for me, see you there?”
You typed out a quick response, feeling the familiar pull of anticipation as you headed for your car.
“perfect, see you later.”
With everything wrapped up at the gym, the rest of your day fell into place. You were ready to unwind for the night, but that lingering feeling—thoughts of Paige—seemed to float just under the surface. It was hard to shake them off, but for now, you’d focus on getting ready for your date with Kaia. Tonight was about having fun.
You drove home, the familiar sights of the city passing by without much thought. The conversation with Kaia lingered, but so did Paige’s smile and the way her eyes had met yours with that unspoken hint of something more. You shook it off and focused on the night ahead. Kaia was sweet, and you liked her. You were determined to be present for her.
At home, you tossed your bag on the couch and started going through your closet. You wanted to look good without overthinking it. Something casual, but still special. You settled on a fitted jersey, leather pants, and your black Amina Muaddi heels. Comfortable yet stylish. After a quick glance in the mirror, you felt good enough to head out.
Before leaving, you took a couple of mirror pics, capturing the outfit just right. You checked your phone, made sure you had everything, and grabbed your keys.
Your phone buzzed again—it was a message from Kaia: i’m already here, can’t wait to see you!
You smiled, the familiar excitement bubbling up. You shot her a quick reply: omw now, see you soon, pretty girl.
The drive to Latina Cantina was short, and you found a spot right in front. Walking in, the warm scent of spices and sizzling food hit you instantly. You spotted Kaia almost immediately—sitting at a corner booth, scrolling through her phone, her easy smile lighting up when she saw you.
"Hey, you made it!" she said as she stood up, giving you a friendly hug. "Glad we could finally catch up."
You smiled, the tension from earlier slipping away. "Yeah, me too. It's been too long."
Kaia looked great, dressed in a soft, oversized sweater in a pastel shade, paired with a sleek mini skirt and chunky white sneakers. She completed the look with a simple silver necklace. The outfit was relaxed yet chic, and she pulled it off effortlessly. "You look amazing," you said, sitting down across from her.
"Thanks," Kaia smiled, her eyes twinkling. "I figured I’d dress up a little, hope I didn’t overdo it."
"Not at all," you said, grinning.
The night went smoothly—good food, easy conversation, and laughter. Kaia was warm and attentive, and though there were moments when your mind briefly wandered back to the gym, you quickly refocused. You didn’t want to spoil the night.
As you finished up dinner, Kaia leaned across the table, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "So, what's been going on with you lately? You’ve been a little... distracted."
You hesitated, your thoughts drifting back to Paige, but before you could respond, Kaia smiled playfully. "I’m just glad we’re hanging out tonight, no distractions, right?"
You chuckled, grateful for her easy-going nature. "Yeah, no distractions tonight. Just us."
The conversation flowed effortlessly after that. Kaia’s warmth and lightheartedness made it easy to be present. You talked about funny stories from work, what you both had been up to lately, and random bits of pop culture.
As the meal wound down, Kaia leaned back in her seat, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "So, what’s next on the agenda for you? I know you’ve got a lot going on."
You took a sip of your drink, considering. "Honestly? I just needed a night off. No work, no stress—just hanging out."
"Well, I’m glad you’re here," she said, her tone sincere. "We should do this more often."
You nodded, feeling a flicker of warmth. "Definitely. I’d like that."
For a moment, the two of you just sat there, the noise of the restaurant buzzing around you. There was something about this moment, about Kaia’s easy presence, that felt... right. You smiled, grateful for her patience, for how effortlessly she seemed to make everything feel comfortable.
The waiter brought the check, and after a few moments of back and forth, you split the bill. You both stood up, and Kaia pulled on her jacket as you followed her out of the booth. Walking toward the door, Kaia brushed her shoulder against yours, a playful grin on her face. "Same time next week?" she teased.
"Sounds like a plan," you said, your voice a little lighter than when you first walked in.
Outside, the cool night air greeted you both as you walked to your cars. Kaia stopped, turning to face you. “I had a really great time tonight. Thank you for coming out.”
You smiled. "Of course. I had a great time too. See you soon?"
She nodded, taking a step back. "Definitely."
As you drove home, the warmth of the evening stayed with you—Kaia’s laugh, her playful teasing, and the easy flow of conversation. But beneath that warmth, the thought of Paige lingered. The way she had looked at you earlier, the invitation to meet at the bar—it all kept running through your mind. You wondered what it would have been like if you’d gone.
You pulled into your apartment's garage, parking your car and taking a moment to sit in the quiet of the space. The night had been a whirlwind of emotions, but you couldn’t shake the pull toward Paige.
You glanced at your phone, the text to Kaia letting her know you made it home safely, but still no message from Paige. You stared at the screen, your thumb hovering over the phone, lost in thought. Without second-guessing, you grabbed your keys, unlocked the door, and stepped out of the car.
You ordered an Uber almost instinctively. There was no hesitation—this felt like the right thing to do.
The Uber ride flew by, the hum of the city at night drowning out your thoughts. The anticipation grew as you neared the bar. When you arrived, the noise hit you immediately—laughter, the clink of glasses, the hum of conversation. You made your way toward the bar, scanning the room for the bartender.
As you were about to order, you felt a presence behind you. "Amaretto sour, right?" Paige said, her tone playful yet confident.
You turned, surprised but smiling. "Exactly."
She ordered for you, adding, “And I’ll take a Shirley Temple. Can’t have you drinking alone.” Her hand brushed against your lower back as she guided you toward the team’s table. The warmth of it sent a rush through you, and you followed her, completely at ease.
As you reached the table, her teammates greeted you. Paige pulled out a chair and sat next to you, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Glad you made it," she said softly, leaning in closer.
You smiled and settled in beside her. The night felt lighter now, the tension you’d carried throughout the evening melting away.
“I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately,” you said, your voice quieter. “Been trying to figure some things out.”
Paige didn’t push further, but there was a knowing look in her eyes, like she understood. “It’s okay. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Sometimes you just have to let things play out, you know?”
You nodded, her words sinking in. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
The music in the background seemed to swell for a moment, and for a second, it felt like you were the only two people in the room. Paige’s gaze softened, and she leaned in a little closer, her shoulder brushing yours. It wasn’t obvious, but the closeness carried an undeniable charge, as if there was something deeper at play than mere friendly conversation.
“You’re a good person,” she said, the sincerity in her voice catching you off guard. “I can tell you’ve got a lot going on, but I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you came tonight.”
The words hit you harder than you expected, and you found yourself smiling, feeling the weight of everything lift just a little. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the way Paige made everything feel easier, but in that moment, you felt a little more at peace.
“Thanks, Paige. That means a lot,” you said, your voice quieter now, more real than it had been all night.
She smiled, her eyes meeting yours. “Anytime.”
The night stretched on, but something had shifted. Whatever was lingering between you and Paige, whatever unspoken thing had been hanging in the air, it was finally starting to feel a little clearer. And for the first time that night, you were ready to let yourself just... be.
The night seemed to stretch on endlessly, the laughter of the bar around you becoming a distant hum as you and Paige found yourselves slipping into a quieter, more secluded area. The sounds of clinking glasses and chatter faded, leaving only the space between the two of you, thick with unspoken words and tension.
Paige stood close now, closer than before. The small distance that had once felt comfortable had dwindled to almost nothing, and you could feel the heat radiating off her, her presence impossible to ignore. Her eyes locked onto yours, an unreadable expression playing across her face as if she was waiting for something—waiting for you, or perhaps waiting for the right moment to make the first move.
You could feel her body heat, the subtle shift of her posture, her breath just a little quicker than usual. You couldn’t remember when exactly the conversation had stopped, but now, words felt unnecessary. All that was left was the tension—the tension that had been building from the moment you walked into the bar and locked eyes. It was suffocating, thrilling, and you weren’t sure whether it was the alcohol or the attraction, but you couldn’t deny it anymore. The pull was undeniable.
Your hand brushed against hers in the dim light, a touch so fleeting but loaded with meaning. Her gaze dropped to where your fingers hovered for a moment, then back up to your eyes, an almost imperceptible flicker of something—desire, maybe—flickering in her expression.
The air between you grew heavier, the silence stretching, each second pulling you closer to a decision, to a shift in the unspoken tension. But before either of you could take that final step, Paige moved first. She leaned in just enough to press a soft kiss to your lips, her touch gentle yet full of intention. It was a quiet moment that spoke louder than words ever could, the space between you both crackling with a charged energy that had been building all night. Her lips were warm against yours, hesitant at first, like she was testing the waters, but it only took a heartbeat for you to feel the pull between you deepen.
You didn’t hesitate. Your hand reached up instinctively to rest on her waist, drawing her closer as the kiss grew more urgent, more assured. Her lips parted slightly, just enough for your breaths to mingle, and you could feel her pulse quicken, her body pressing softly against yours. Everything around you seemed to fade—there was only the two of you, suspended in this moment where nothing else mattered but the way your lips moved together.
The world outside ceased to exist, the hum of the city and the dim glow of the streetlights blurring into the background. Her fingers found their way to your jaw, tracing along your skin with a featherlight touch, anchoring the both of you in this stolen moment. Each brush of her lips told a story—of longing, of unspoken feelings finally set free, of a connection too strong to deny.
The air between you seemed to hum with its own rhythm, matching the steady beat of your heart as you tilted your head slightly, deepening the kiss. Her breath hitched, and you could feel her relax into you, her body molding effortlessly against yours as though she’d always belonged there. The taste of her lingered, sweet and intoxicating, leaving you lightheaded yet desperate for more.
When the kiss broke, it wasn’t abrupt but gentle, like the tide pulling back from the shore. Her forehead rested against yours, and for a moment, the only sound was the soft cadence of your shared breathing. Her eyes searched yours, wide and vulnerable, yet shimmering with something unspoken—something fragile but unmistakably real.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, as though saying it too loudly would shatter the intimacy of the moment. Her confession hung in the air between you, a quiet truth that made your chest tighten in the best possible way.
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nerdasaurus1200 · 2 days ago
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A little fix it fic cause the Zaun family deserved a better ending. Also, I just realized, this is my first Arcane fanfic, so I hope y’all like it!
Not Over Yet
“Is that singing I hear?” Caitlyn’s voice pulled Vi away from the fire for a moment. Despite the teasing smile, she still tried to covertly look at the plate on the table beside her partner. The sandwich was half eaten this time. That was at least some progress.
“Oh, yeah. It’s just this..silly little song my mom used to sing to me and Jinx when we were little.” Vi laughed under her breath. It was still a little strange calling her sister that.
“Before she…you know.” Vi looked back at the fire and shrugged, and she could see Caitlyn nodding slightly. The fire was a welcome distraction, but it still put her on edge. It reminded her too much of Vander dy-…of the accident. She swore she could see all their faces in the flames if she looked hard enough. All those she lost…or maybe she was just starting to see things too. Was this how Jinx felt all those years? That weird sense of…of emptiness while never being alone? Like some ghost was always watching over her shoulder?
Well, it wasn’t like she could ask her now.
“How did the service go?” Caitlyn wrapped an arm around Vi and leaned her head on her shoulder.
“Alright.” Vi shrugged again, unable to pull her face away from the flames, “I don’t know how I didn’t break down by the time it was my turn to get up there and spew sappy shit.”
Caitlyn chuckled, a dry and bittersweet sound.
“I think little man’s taking it pretty hard. He couldn’t even look me in the eye.” Vi recalled.
Caitlyn’s brow furrowed for a moment as she took in Vi’s words, trying to think of anything that would provide some comfort, “…I think Ekko just needs a bit of time. We all grieve in different ways.”
“Oh yeah, cupcake, some people go crazy, and other people decide to play dictator and declare martial law.” Vi remarked with a playful glare. Caitlyn huffed affectionately and flicked a strand of Vi’s hair, which in turn made Vi chuckle.
But then as soon as the happiness came, it vanished. It was so hard to be happy these days, with all that had happened.
“Have, uh…have the reports come back yet?” Vi asked cautiously.
Caitlyn’s eyes softened in sadness as she leaned forward to kiss Vi’s cheek, “Still no signs of any remains in the Hexgates. Only the bomb shrapnels we were able to initially recover.”
Vi’s jaw clenched ever so slightly and her eyes hardened for a moment. Damn it all, three times and they still couldn’t find any sign of her family??? Weren’t Enforcers supposed to be good at sticking their nose in stuff like this?
“However, I was looking at the schematics of the Hexgates, and…” Caitlyn let herself trail off as she dropped a piece of paper into Vi’s lap.
Vi’s eyes narrowed as she looked it over, some of it made sense but some of it was just nonsense, “Cupcake, what the hell is this?”
“If you and I know anything about your sister, it’s that she’s always two steps ahead.” Caitlyn pointed out, “The Hexgates have plenty of air ducts that she could’ve used as an escape route and we’d be nonethewiser.”
Vi’s eyes widened as Caitlyn’s implication hung in the air. So Jinx and Vander could be…her family really could be…
“If she’s alive she’ll turn up sooner or later. But we have a lot of work to do until that happens. For Piltover and for Zaun.” Caitlyn spoke softly, a gentle determination in her voice. Vi was helpless to the smirk that appeared on one side of her mouth. There she was, there was the Cupcake she knew.
“…Are you still in this fight, Violet?” Caitlyn couldn’t help but ask. At her question, a fond huff escaped Vi. She turned to look at her partner with a smile as she interlaced their fingers together.
“I am the dirt under your nails, cupcake.” She declared, “Nothing’s gonna clean me out.”
Caitlyn’s eyes sparkled with love, and then she smirked playfully, “That’s Sheriff Cupcake you you, creampuff.”
The couple shared another laugh as their forehead gently pressed together. For a moment, the world fell away…it was just them.
“…could you teach me that song?” Caitlyn asked.
Vi blinked in surprise, and then nodded, “Yeah sure.”
Then she began to sing, “Dear friend, across the river…my hands…are cold and bare…”
~~~~
“Dear friend, across the river, I’ll take…what you can spare…”
Jinx alternated between humming and singing as she steered the airship, just staring out at the horizon before her. She wasn’t even sure how far away from Piltover they were now.
A familiar little shove pulled her attention away however.
“Heyy, do not distract the driver.” Jinx scolded, though her tone betrayed that she wasn’t actually that serious. Not that she ever was.
Janna above, Jinx was more grateful than ever for that mischievous that little smile now. If Ekko hadn’t saved Isha, then, well…
Jinx thought it best not to dwell on that. Or else Mylo might start up again and the last thing she needed was his smart mouth. Either way, she owed Ekko a solid for it. And of course, for helping her steal an airship.
Isha giggled and hugged Jinx, but still made a bit of a stink face as she saw Jinx’s hair.
“What, you don’t like my new haircut?” Jinx teased, and rolled her eyes fondly when Isha shook her head.
“Ah, you’re just mad cause you can’t play jumprope with my braids for a while.” Jinx reached out and gently pushed Isha’s helmet to cover her eyes for a moment. Isha giggled again as she pushed her helmet back up. Jinx stepped back and let Isha take the wheel.
“Sooo, what next Fishbones?” Jinx pulled her shark rocket launcher out.
“We’ll do our laundry, wash the dishes, pay some bills, and get Isha into a good school!” Fishbones ‘spoke’ sounding rather excited about such mundane activities. Isha looked excited too as she steered, while Jinx looked incredibly annoyed.
“Stupid dumb rocket launcher.” She muttered, giving Fishbones a firm smack. At the sound, a rough old growl was heard a few feet away. Neither Jinx nor Isha flinched, they were used to that sound by now.
“Hey, don’t worry, Vander.” Jinx set the rocket launched down and sat beside her adopted father, “We’ll find another way. We always do. In the meantime, Vi can relax a little playing housewife to the Hat Lady.”
Isha pulled a lever near the steering wheel of the airship and moved over to sit next to Jinx and Vander. After she was settled all snug and cozy in Vander’s fur, she signed at Jinx.
“Oh, you want me to keep singing, huh? Mmmm…well alright.” Jinx agreed.
“You still haven’t mentioned where exactly you plan on going.” Silco’s voice could be heard, his hallucination lingering in the shadows by Mylo and Claggor.
Jinx smiled and shrugged in acknowledgement. She still hadn’t quite figured that part out yet. For now, the top priorities were keeping Isha safe, and getting Vander’s mind back.
This time, Jinx chose to ignore Silco for once as she sang, “We raise…no mighty towers, our homes…are built of stone, so come…across the river, and find…the world below…”
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defuckingthrone-dot-com · 2 days ago
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Lucky
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A/N: BTW I’m still very much stuck here so I decided to write a lil something about it. (Pardon me, I don’t know the terms for what I should call this)
Sorry if this sucks, I did it while I had down time at work. Not proof read. Hope y’all like it.
Warnings; none, pure teeth rotting sweet fluff
*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It’s had been a pretty good day so far, I was sitting next to Noah on one of the sofas in the creative studio where all of desigin for their merch took place.
All of the guys where gather together having a good time after a good day of work. We were drinking our favorite drinks cracking a joke here and there. If I’m being honest I don’t really bring much to the table when it comes to designing stuff but my favorite thing is to hang out with the boys especially Noah, he was one of my favorite people ever.
“So Y/N, what do you think about the designs so far?” Davis asked, he was head of designs here so I appreciated that he even asked for my opinion.
“I really like them, fans are gonna go crazy over them, so cool that this time around you guys don’t have limited quantities so everyone can really get what they want”, I said
“yeah that’s a plus, I’m really glad we where able to do that this time around” Jolly chimed after he took a sip of his drink.
The conversation went on for a little while about random topics here and there . And somehow we ended up talking about true crime which is one of my most favorite subjects.
“Oh yeah! I recently watched a documentary about serial killers” I took a breath “sometimes I can’t believe what a human being is capable of doing whatever the motive is”
Folio looked at me “I don’t know how you can watch all that stuff and not feel sick, you’re so brave”
I chuckled a bit at the comment “my family is big on horror so I grew up watching docs and horror movies”
“that explains it” Nick said laughing
As I went on to explain something else regarding the topic I noticed that Noah really wasn’t involved in the conversation, he was just humming and looking directly at me. I turned my body so i could fully face him.
“hey big boy, what’s got you thinking and smiling like that?” I said intrigued
“Oh nothing” he chuckled
“Please tell meeeee!” I made my best puppy eyes at him, completely putting on second plain the conversation happening in the background. “Are you even paying attention?” I asked.
“Fine I’ll tell you but you have to promise not to make fun of me” he said looking quizzically at me.
“I can’t promise anything” I said looking around to the others getting up from their seats and making their way around the room, but when I looked back and catched Noah’s brown eyes looking at right at me I couldn’t resist “okay fine I promise I won’t make fun of you”
He stared at me with a wide grin “ Oh I was just thinking about how lucky I am”
“Lucky?” I questioned
“yes lucky, lucky to have you.” Noah mentioned
“silly old me?” I said joking
“Absolutely, I’m gonna be honest I haven’t heard anything you said in the last ten minutes but damn did I realize that I love watching you ramble on about your interests” he says laughing “I love looking at how you express yourself and how pretty that face of yours is” he said grabbing my hand.
“im lucky to spend everyday i can with you, and even know the rest may not realize it; they’re lucky to have you in their life as well, even if it’s just in little moments like these.” Noah said adjusting his position.
I didn’t know what to say; heat rose to my cheeks.
“You’re beautiful and I’m so lucky you’re in my life” he said leaving a small kiss on my temple .
I couldn’t resist just giving him the biggest hug, but what he didn’t know is that I was the lucky one to have him in my life.
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beegomess · 3 days ago
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Dark Paradise || Theodore Nott
Don't forget to watch the previous chapters
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19. Birthday gifts
The festivities of return to classes were many, the communal ones, for example, began their organization for the first clandestine party of the school year. And coincidentally or not, Draco and Y/N's birthday was in the first week of September, being always celebrated twice, once at a formal dinner and another at school, without their parents knowing about the latter.
I was still in the first week of school when this was interrupted by the formal festivity of the Malfoy brothers. Y/N, Draco and his friends went to his family's big mansion at the end of the week for the then birthday. For that night not to be so boring, the plan was to go back to Hogwarts and make the most of the clandestine party that took place in their communal in celebration of the beginning of the school year.
At dinner all the family friends were present again, which perhaps gave some sleep in Y/N. The conversation was definitely not interesting, since she and Draco were obliged to show all their gratitude for the presence of people they never heard of. However, the boredom on Y/N's face broke down when he saw Lorenzo enter the place accompanied by his family. The girl excused herself and addressed him with a cheerful smile.
- Enzo, you're back! - She hugs him, and maybe she didn't realize that that was the first time she hugged him. It was beaten for her, but for Lorenzo it might be a sign that she missed you. - I thought you were going to extend the trip for a few days.
- I wouldn't miss your birthday. - Y/N and he leaves the hug, finally being able to see each other's face clearly. Definitely Berkshire had been a little different since the last time you saw him, a different good. Maybe even more beautiful, if that were possible.
- To be honest, you wouldn't be missing anything too much. - She jokes.
- But it's still a chance to see you. - He says in a more serious tone, but soon continues to soften and make her smile. - Even if it's in a boring event.
Y/N would answer him in the hope that the conversation would continue, however, it was interrupted by the approach of both families in another boring conversation.
Her mother's request that she leave her circle of friends a little that night was the reason why the girl had not yet talked to them. A little anxiety hung over Y/N's mind when he saw Theodore arrive with his father, the boy had not yet returned to Hogwarts because he was accompanying his father on a business trip.
At a certain point during the night, Narcisa noticed the boredom open on the faces of her two children when they heard her parents' conversation with two other friends, and decided to make an exception for the two.
- All right, say hello to your friends and their families, but I don't want to see them piled up at all, do you understand me? - Y/N and Draco nodded quickly like children and with a hopeful smile and walked away before the woman changed her mind.
The two brothers approached families that didn't seem to be talking to other people so as not to disturb the conversation, so Y/N subtly searched for Theodore, but saw him and his father with their backs to Laila's parents, which made her automatically look again to make sure she wasn't going crazy. His blood boiled at the thought that his mother had invited a girl she doesn't even want to like.
- Merlin, why is she here? - Y/N asks his brother who seemed distracted looking for the Greengrass.
- Look around, Y/N. If this party was really about us, this here would be practically empty. - Draco says sincerely what makes Y/N reflect and come to the conclusion that his wills really didn't matter in the eyes of his parents in most situations.
- Y/N! Draco! My congratulations on the party and well, on the birthday, of course. - Pansy's mother had a gentle smile as she approached and gave each one a quick hug.
- Thank you, Mrs. Parkinson, but I must confess that the merit in the preparation of the party is all our mother's. - Draco said kindly, which even sounded strange to Pansy and Y/N's ears.
- Happy birthday to you, including. - Pansy said to her friend while her was talking to the blonde next to her.
- Thank you. - She answers distractedly, still paying attention to Nott and Laila's interaction. - What do you think they're talking about?
- About a wedding, of course. - Pansy said simply and Y/N looked at her scared.
- What? But so soon?
- I'm just kidding, Y/N. - Pansy hides a laugh with her hand when she sees her friend's reaction, but soon she regains her composure. - But one hour the subject will be this if you don't do anything. - Pansy warns and Y/N looks at her confused, however, decides not to continue with the conversation. He would be exposing himself with any answer he gave.
[...]
Few people were still in the Malfoy Mansion at that time, the end of the party was already a reality and most of them went back to their homes, including their friends' families. Pansy, Blaise, Mattheo, the Greengrass and Theodore sisters were just waiting for Y/N and Draco, who were still saying goodbye to some guests.
- I promise we're going, I'll just say goodbye to a few more people and I'll be right back. - Y/N said to the friends who were thrown on the chairs of a round table, all bored with her delay.
Y/N moves away again, but with the emptiness of the hall, it was still possible to see her. She and Draco said goodbye to the Berkshires, which meant that no friend lost a movement of the situation if you want. The girl laughed with her brother at some joke told by her father.
At a certain point, Lorenzo takes out a small black box with a pearly bow wrapped in one of the pockets of his pants and handing over the Y/N, who looks at him with some surprise.
- It's very beautiful, Enzo. Thank you. - She ran her fingertips with a small smile over the thin silver bracelet with small diamonds decorating it.
- I'm glad you liked it. - The boy replied without taking his eyes off his reaction for a second if you want. - Can I? - He referred to dressing her with the accessory.
- Yes, please. - She holds the box with the other hand while Lorenzo takes the object, closing it around the stretched wrist of his right hand.
The small touches of Berkshire's fingertips on the girl's wrist made her throb quickly, which seems not to have gone unnoticed by him, who looked at her immediately, smiling without showing his teeth and looking back at the object he was handling.
- It was perfect. - Narcisa's voice reaches Y/N's ears, taking her out of the daydreams that gradually washed away her memories with Theodore.
And then, the farewell ended, making Draco and Y/N go in the direction of their friends again.
- Let me see the bracelet. - Pansy asked, curious to see the accessory more closely. Y/N just reached out for her and her friends to analyze.
- Merlin, he really has good taste. - This time Daphne had a silly smile when she said, Theodore and the other boys just rolled their eyes in response.
- Can we go? - Mattheo gets up already a little impatient for more comments.
Everyone followed him without even answering and Y/N did not react to any of the comments made about him or Lorenzo. Well, you can say that his mind wandered for his concern about Theodore and Laila.
[...]
The friends were rushing through the dark corridors of Hogwarts Castle after disappearing in the black forest. The laughter between them was audible as they approached the entrance of Slytherin's communal.
What broke the smile on Y/N and Theodore's face was the vision of Laila waiting at the communal door to be let into the party as well as the others. The friends came in and Laila, who followed them inside, was just waiting for Theodore inside now. However, she was completely ignored by him and the others of the Elite Slytherin.
Y/N went to the improvised bar made with magic in the corner of the room, while she was stopped from time to time to receive a suggestive happy birthday from some boy, who only received a "thank you" in response and nothing else. The loud music and the dimly lit place gave the last characteristics of a party full of people from other houses.
Theodore was looking for her with some anxiety, he hadn't been alone with her since he arrived, and well, maybe he had a gift for her too. The boy dodged people directing to Y/N, who was still drinking with Riddle next to him, when suddenly Nott feels a pull on his arm and looks back ready to curse whoever it was.
- Theo! - But he avoided a curse when he saw it was just Laila who called him. - Can we talk? - She said loudly for him to hear.
- Can't it be later? - Theodore tried not to look rude, but it was in vain.
- Please, it will be quick. - She insists and he accepts just going to a corner, but a little closer to Y/N, who seemed to have fun with Mattheo in the middle of the other people while they danced. - So, I was thinking about what you did some time ago and... - Theodore tried to pay attention to Lufana, but quickly turned his gaze directly to Y/N dancing while Laila explained why she had forgiven him for getting his name wrong during sex, the interesting thing was that he never apologized, an asshole attitude if he really stopped to think.
- Great, Laila, that's good. Now I have to go. - Theodore said as soon as he realized that she stopped talking and walked away from her, leaving the girl confused and a little disappointed with the reaction.
Theodore walked to the place where Y/N was, but she was no longer there, however, luckily for her she was just further ahead, this time talking to Daphne.
- Y/N, I was looking for you. - He said a little panting, maybe he let his anxiety shine through.
- It was, wasn't it? - Daphne said with a suggestive smile and Y/N just looked at him shining to know that he was looking for her.
- Can you come with me? - This time he went to Y/N, who asked Daphne for permission following him.
- See you tomorrow! - Daphne was visibly altered, she was never very scandalous.
Y/N followed him throughout the community and in the corridor she began to feel an unusual heat, mainly because she was in the dungeons and it was not very common to feel heat there. Maybe this feeling at the foot of the belly was given by the memories of the last time they were together and how much she used this memory to touch herself during the time they were away.
- May I know why we are going to your dormitory? - She asks in a suggestive tone, which makes Theodore smile in response.
- Your gift is there. - Y/N frowned confused if this was some kind of double meaning or if she was misinterpreting the signs. - And I had no way to take it to you.
They entered the room, and Y/N cared little if it was what she expected or not, she was very in need of him to wait for whatever it was. So, as soon as she saw Theodore turning to her again after closing the door, she brought their faces closer and took her gaze directly to the boy's mouth, who reciprocated.
- I see you've missed me. - Y/N shuddered when she heard him say that even better than she imagined. The girl hung her hands around his neck, then lowered one of her hands to rest on her chest.
- I don't know... - She had a malicious smile and a nebulous mind to have him so close again. Theodore really had a gift for her, but that would be for later, he wouldn't postpone one of the opportunities to have her just for him once again, after all, he also felt it. - But you I'm sure you felt it, wouldn't you?
Theodore decides to stick his mouth to hers once again, taking his hands directly to the waist of the girl dressed by the thin fabric of the dress she wore. Y/N sighed heavily when he felt the boy's hands on himself again, which made him smile during the kiss. Nott lifted her on his lap, running his hands under her clothes and putting them on top of the desk. The boy went down the kisses all over her neck and collarbones, like a complete needy. Y/N let out low moans and slow sighs while biting her lips, and for a moment she thought she was in heaven. Merlin, he was hot.
- Teddy. . .- However, Y/N thought he heard a different noise and ignored it, but the noise was repeated, but Theodore didn't seem to hear anything since he was too busy already running his mouth through her apparent thighs. - Did you hear that? - She pushed him away and he looked confused. Y/N jumps off the table and tries to listen again.
- What...
- Shh! - They are in complete silence, when the noise is heard again.
Now easily identifiable, the cat meow came from inside the closed bathroom. Theodore gets up and heads to the door, opening it and bringing a box in his hands. The meood that came from her only increased as he got closer.
- Happy Birthday. - He leaves the box on the bed and Y/N approaches with curious eyes, smiling big when he sees the little black kitten inside the box.
- Merlin, Theo. - She takes the animal on her lap carefully, and as she caresses his little neck he purrs and stops meowing in complaint. - I can't believe it. - Y/N was visibly happy with the animal in his arms while sitting next to Nott on the bed. - He's so cute. I loved it, Teddy. How did you know I wanted a kitten? - She asks without taking her eyes off the cat who was already starting to close his eyes on her lap.
- You told me in one of your letters. - Theodore watched her happily for getting the gift right. It was a sweet moment that he would never forget, not even Y/N. - What name will you give him?
- I already had a name for a black kitten in mind even before I had one. - She said with some pride. - Your name will be Toast.
- Toast? - Nott laughs lightly with the name, and Y/N throws him a fake indignation.
- Well, he's a little toast that passed the point, isn't it, Toast? - Theodore admires her even more for the affection for an animal that has so much indifference to the human being. - Tomorrow I'll go to Hogsmeade to buy several toys and beds for you.
Y/N may have never won such a significant gift like this. The two spent the rest of the night caressing the cat and learning how to please him, when Riddle caught them sleeping again, Y/N was hugging Theo, while the little cat was curled up on Nott's chest, Mattheo couldn't avoid the proud smile that insisted on leaving. This time he decided not to wake them up.
_______________________________
next chapter>>>
xoxo, bee🫶🏼✨
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stxrrnightjxr · 2 days ago
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Autistic Regulus, whom I hold so near and dear to my heart, they can never take you away from me. 😔
As an autistic person, (who gets probably way to hyperfixated on certain characters) these are my HC’s:
- He was diagnosed late. Like, REALLY late. Canon compliance, he wasn’t at all, and in some modern AU it was probably late into his twenties, maybe early-to-mid-thirties, and after he was out of his parent’s hold. Because Walburga and Orion could never accept that there was something wrong with their daughter, son (because I live for trans Reggie) so why should they ever enable anyone to believe that he was ‘mental’? Or ‘slow’? No, a Black child wasn’t those things. (OOC; Just for reference, autistic people are not, nor do I think they are, mental, crazy, slow, or any of those things. I am autistic myself, and have many friends who are, and know that is not the case 💚)
This also leads to a lot of trauma for Regulus, and a lot of repressed emotions. He learned how to mask very quickly, and very well.
- he’s sensitive to bright lights (which his light blue/gray eyes do not help with), and so he squints his eyes a lot. Barty once told him he looked like he was scrutinizing his face, and Regulus simply said ‘I am, it’s ugly.’ (He doesn’t believe that, but he’s not going to tell you that.) (I love sneaking in unrelated Bartylus)
- along with bright lights, he’s sensitive to loud noises. That was hard for him when he would have to listen to, or endure, his parents screaming. When they’d scream at Sirius, Regulus would hide up in his room, in the closet, with his hands over his ears, hoping nobody called for him. When he was the one being screamed at, he’d just zone out and hope they would just go away.
- he used to be that he couldn’t bear to hold eye contact, like it physically hurt him; but his parents beat it into him that it was disrespectful, so now he’s ended up being that guy who will just dead-stare into someone’s eyes if they’re talking to him. It often unsettles them, and makes Regulus out to be some ‘weird, creepy kid.’ (Regulus was originally confused by this; wasn’t he doing it right? Do you look at their eyes or no?)
- his voice is very monotone. He was often able to get away with this, because it sounded much like his father’s. (Orion had a number of peculiar habits, and quirks. No one talked about it.)
- intimacy (even friendly touch, like hand-holding, hugging) is difficult for him. Regulus does not hug, he does not hold people’s hands. (Unless it was Sirius’, because Sirius was the one who’d hold his hand when he was melting down every other night. Sirius’ hand feels too familiar to hurt, like most others’ do.) he’s only comfortable with touch once he REALLY gets to know a person, and even then, there’s still strict no-no’s. (No touching his hair, his neck, his wrists, his legs, his feet, his stomach, (basically nothing below his waist) )- in retrospect, not much. (Those rules had more leeway with Barty, he supposed.)
- he HATES certain sounds. Cannot stand chewing, cannot stand repetitive sounds (even though he occasionally makes those, only when he’s alone), sounds of bugs, cannot stand certain textures, too- velvet, for one (formal events were nightmares, for that, and many other reasons), microfiber, and certain denims.
- he loves the water. It’s very calming, has a nice sound, has a nice texture. He listens to thunderstorm/rain sounds to go to sleep to, (because another thing is he cannot tolerate silence.)
Again, this may be me way too much projecting, but I really don’t care 🫶
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oddp1ant · 2 days ago
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Talking here instead of in the tags on this post because. My head is steaming.
This version of Viktor is 1) human and 2) older. In my dream reality, this implies that the de-arcanified version of Viktor we see at the end of ep 9 survives, regains physical form but is forever changed by the arcane = a mage, who eventually travels through time/realities to give Jayce the guidance he needs as a child and in the post-apocalypse wasteland, effectively securing the timeline in which he (and the rest of the world or w/e) survives, making it a closed loop. I like to think Jayce is with him for most of it, both of them figuring out their new magical interdimensional existence together.
Ofc, the take I've been seeing most of so far is that Jayce and Viktor were both destroyed in that final moment. I mean yeah, being at the center of hexcrystal/gem/shard activity like that tends to do that to people, as we've been repeatedly shown, but they were also in the weird metaphysical arcane-space when it happened so I'm honestly not sure the same principles apply. If that is the end for them, I guess mage-Viktor was just a product of some other reality where that was the trajectory for him, who due to his magic was able to see all the infinite Bad timelines and took it upon himself to interfere with this one to prevent them, likely nullifying his own and himself in the process. This is cool too, but makes mage-Viktor feel a bit like a random Deus ex machina since we have very little sense of where he came from or how he became what he is.
I may be delusional, but I feel like there's hope in Jayce's face when he sees mage-Viktor. Seeing him human again, seeing him older (something I am personally in tears over - Viktor getting to grow old ;;;;) seems to give him hope that there's a way back, AND a way forward for them!!! Idk. I'm crazy.
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[Screencap credit to @lesbian-sansa]
Edit to add: I guess my mind skipped over the option that mage-Viktor is the post-apocalyptic reality's Viktor, who presumably went full glorious evolution, saw that it sucked, and somehow turned himself back to a human form. I guess that lessens the Deus ex machina issue and is also very cool bc we love a villain who spends a thousand years bored and lonely in the desolate wasteland of their own creation until deciding the only way to fix this involves timefuckery and empowering the heroes to take you down before it can happen. There's something so "go sit in the corner until you've calmed down" about it. Also implies that Viktor had the ability to come back to himself even without Jayce, but not before it's too late. Always preventing each other from stepping off the ledge at the last moment, these guys.
Idk which theory I prefer, I think I'll have thoughts about this show until I die
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readerstories · 23 hours ago
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When You Touch Me - Wolverine x male reader x Deadpool 8/?
A little shorter one, but it felt right. Next one is definitely going to be longer. Still on vacation, so I got no idea when the next chapter will be, but it will be longer. Hope y'all are having a good time! (AO3) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)
Warnings/tags: male reader, canon-typical violence, enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn
Wordcount: 797
Summary: You’ve heard many stories about how people met their soulmates. Everyone crazier than the last, ranging from typical meet cutes, meeting with one of them at death's door, in war, meeting at your soulmate's wedding to another, and everything in between and outside of that. You had just never expected to add yours to the crazy list, meeting yours in a fight, only realizing after trying to kill each other for at least half an hour. And you certainly don’t expect to have another.
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This time you get two weeks of what is blessed silence to your mind, but torture on your body before you see either of them again.
Yet again it's an unexpected location, though a slightly less strange one. You are finally back in the gym, after Evelyn giving you the go ahead. Dave had agreed to spar with you after calling her, just being a good friend, but you are working out frustration of not being able to do much training for weeks. 
Your body hurts and aches, but you hope getting to move and use it will soften it up somehow. 
It can’t hurt too much to at least try.
You need to keep yourself strong and able. You steadfastly ignore the hurt in your shoulders and upper back, the pain so constant now that you have gotten used to it.
You are just done with warming up, slowly and carefully, and manage to get your boxing gloves on and hit Dave’s sparring gloves all of three times before you are interrupted.
“You put on a show like this for anyone pookie?” You freeze mid-punch as you hear a familiar voice. Turning around, just outside the mats you are currently standing on, is Wade. He’s dressed in his full Deadpool suit, weapons and all.
“Dave, let's take a break, give me like ten minutes.” You address your sparring partner as you glare at Wade.
“Uh sure. You going to be okay?” You look over your shoulder, and see him eyeing Wade’s guns. 
“Yeah, nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He nods, taking off his sparring pads before walking away and leaving the two of you alone.
“What are you doing here?” You take one glove off, dropping it on the floor in favor of grabbing your water bottle and taking a swig. Wade watches you, tilting his head as he speaks, and you swear you can hear the grin on his face.
“I was just in the neighborhood, and happened to see you through the windows, putting on the most titillating show.” You eye the windows, which are pushed high up in the ceiling of the gym. You take off your other glove and put your water down, hands on your hip as you glare at him.
“Sure, right..... Now, since you were just in the neighborhood, you have no reason to stay.”
“Seeing you, sweaty and panting, canceling your inner ‘Real Steel’? I think that’s a good enough reason.” He steps onto the mats, raising his hands. “I’m no Atom, but I can shadow box well enough.”  He raises his fists up in a loose guard, making a come hither motion with one fist. You sweep your leg out, catching one of his, making him fall on his back with a yelp and smack of the mats. A second later one of his guns is no longer in its holster, instead it's pointing at his chest, while your knee on his stomach and your hand around his throat keeps pins him down.
“If there weren’t people around, I would shoot you right now.” You know people keep to themselves here, but you think if you actually shot Wade they would pay attention. His voice is breathier than normal as you press down on his throat as he answers.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time. Besides, there are much more fun things you can do with me if we were alone.” You roll your eyes, ignoring how you’re actually feeling better by the second. For a fleeting moment the thought of getting your hands on skin instead of his suit goes through your head, but you shake it away.
“There isn’t.” You let go of his throat to take the magazine out of his gun, dropping it and the gun on his chest as you get up, standing next to his hip. He tilts his head, staying quiet long enough that you are able to talk again.
“I’m going to go take a piss, I expect you to be gone when I get back. If you’re not, I’m going to use your own damn blades to start cutting limbs off, audience be damned.”
“I think the audience would like that, the freaks (affectionate).” He winks somewhere off to his left, towards a weight rack.
“Wade.” You are sure the irritation rolls of you in waves, even without the bond between you both.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties in a twist, I’ll get out of your lovely hair.” You roll your eyes again, but turn your back on him and walk away.
—--
When you get back from the bathroom, Wade is gone. But, he has carved a heart with ”pookie” inside into one of the mats, making you curse his goddamn name under your breath.
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lemoncattea · 2 days ago
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Arcane 4am Rant season2 act 3 SPOILERS
Its like 4 in the morning and I'm losing it!
I just finished arcane act 3 season 2 and fuck I don't have friends to talk to this about so...
tumblr rant
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!
SEVIKA
Sevika being around and present for Piltover because of the connection she and the other zuanites have to their home and just the show of there compassion but also they only want those who are willing and not just those who have fighting ability. But seeing they care for their own; sending mothers and children away for safely. Makes you wonder if Jinx told her what happened to Isha.
Also love the fact she takes up the mantle of being a symbol of Zuan after jinx but also because she's seen each side Vander's (Peace) but only for some parts as that all he could do. Silco's (Power) causing infighting and sacrificing the weak and those out of his control and the one jinx made by accident (Hope) for life without the grey and enough food for everyone and one where everyone is equal topside or the undercity. Then Sevika left with a chair at the councillor's table now a leader for the Zuan taking up where jinx left she's hope but also remembrance of what divide can cause.
JINX RANT part
Jinx cutting her hair and finally letting go of all of her past and moving forward for her sister and the world. Lovely to see her grow and change this past season. It destroyed me which the fact we know that had she not died along side Vander. She could have had a life with Ekko and her sister. Also her and Vander's death were a great parallel to her death of powder and Isha. Being the death of innocent and agape. Also been loving the people who also noticed the parallels of jinx and Viktor being brought back from the dead pretty much by someone who cares so deeply for them. Their crazy smart minds and suicidal tendencies, their self worth issues and the fact the go out with someone who cares for them.
Jayce Viktor part of rant
Getting to see what Jayce saw destroyed me and the way Jayce said he never viewed Viktor's illness and disability has something to be a ashamed of but rather a part of Viktor that he admired as it made him who he was.
It's a confirming how much Jayce cares for Viktor. Then when Jayce shows Viktor that he was mage and the one to send back to stop himself. The fact that he was the mage was a theory I had but the fact he lead there to the hammer because what Viktor did resulted nothing but loneliness and destruction. Also when Viktor said in all timelines and all possibles only you can show this.
Also just the way he held Viktor's hand to help him contain the rune. But more than once they were separated and the fact at the first few times Viktor reached out to Jayce but stopped reaching out in the same way he stopped reaching out to Jayce in the first season when was getting sicker and changing himself with the shimmer and runes. It a great parallel of that but also it reflected the fact that he felt like he shouldn't reach out but each time Jayce comes to him like he's done time and time again.
You can see it in Viktor's eyes he's nervous and frustrated then for finally time Jayce's hand comes in wrapping around Viktor's. The way he place his other hand on Viktor's neck and they let the foreheads touch. They are so cannon!
Then they turned to dust and returned the world to normal together and then disappeared together that was Affection LOVE *cough cough* that held them together but seriously arcane took doomed gays ideas and did well like.. together then drifting apart, separated, enemies, friends to lover again to only be returned to dust as if they never existed but forever together. Its sweet and well written like a hozier lyric
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robinsegghead · 3 days ago
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Danny's Daycare Part 18
Masterlist
“What the fuck was that?” Jason hissed the second Danny was out of earshot, looking around the table at everyone who’d questioned Danny after his obvious flashback. A few minutes after dessert had arrived Danny excused himself to find the bathroom which Alfred offered to show him too and Jason took the opportunity to thoroughly reprimand his family.
Duke nodded in agreement. “You guys need to chill out. I know we all want answers but cornering and interrogating him isn’t going to get the answers.”
“That was a flashback, right?” Tim looked to Jason for answers which made him feel like shit cause, yeah it was a flashback but why did Tim seem convinced Jason would know much more than they did? He’d never seen Danny like that before.
Bruce had the decency to look abashed. “He’s clearly hiding something, Jaylad-”
“So are we!” Jason hissed venomously. Dick startled at Jason’s tone but he didn’t care. “We all have secrets that’s all this fucking family is! Just because someone else has secrets does not mean you get to know them all! Besides, he doesn’t know ours so he’s not likely to tell us anything of value!”
“Scared.” Cass said, shutting everyone up to look at her. She frowned. “Don’t bring up parents.”
Jason nodded. “Yes- thank you Cass. As a family of people with crazy and traumatic relationships with our parents- do you think we could have a bit more- I don’t know- TACT?” When his family nodded, sheepishly, he sighed. “Let’s hope you didn’t scare off the only friends Demon Brat has outside of Jon.”
A few minutes of uncomfortable silence and glaring later Danny returned and retook his seat.
“I’ve gotta say, your house puts the mansions I’m used to shame.” He chuckled, taking a sip of water. “Like, I cannot wait to rub in the Mansons faces that their house is practically rundown in comparison.”
Bruce smiled back, one of those fake smiles that no one but his family seemed to be able to see through. Jason was pretty sure Danny had seen through it from the start. “You know the Mansons?”
“Yeah, their daughter is one of my closest friends. They hate me.” He tacked the last part on with a mischievous grin that earned a laugh out of Steph and Jason. 
Things weren’t so bad from there. Danny told some story about his best friend’s parents and how they hated him and did their damn best to break him and their daughter up when they’d dated only for her to end up dating their other best friend who her parents hate just as much as him. It was nice and Jason noticed Danny untensing as the story went on and nobody tried to interrogate him again.
Good.
Dick jumped in and started telling his own story- something about Wally probably- while Jason zoned out. Last night he’d gone to the cave to tell B everything Phantom had told him about the GIW, ectoplasm, and the Anti-Ecto-Acts, and, like Jason’d predicted, he was pissed. Most of the family were off doing their own things, on their own cases, out of town, etc. so he, Damian, Bruce, and Babs had spent the night researching.
When Jason finally admitted what Phantom had said about Danny (omitting any information Danny had given Red Hood in confidence), Damian had immediately suggested inviting him and his kids over for dinner to see what they could learn. Jason had protested but Bruce liked the idea, and once Bruce was set on something, nothing would stop him.
So Jason had agreed to come over as well, also omitting the part where he- as Jason- was acquainted with Danny and the boys. Thinking back on their three interactions so far Jason wasn’t sure ‘acquainted’ was a strong enough word for them. He didn’t think they were best friends or anything, but you don’t just call someone sweetheart and flirt as suggestively as Danny had and then call them an acquaintance.
Hopefully.
God, Jason, snap the fuck out of it. He’s GOT a boyfriend.
Then why was he flirting with you?
An uproarious laugh took him by surprise and brought him back to the scene in front of him. Danny was cracking up at something Tim had said, a smug look on Tim’s face confirmed Jason’s guess, and everyone else at the table was laughing along. Jason smiled, watching as Danny wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and admiring how pretty his laugh was and how good he looked in a cardigan and how -
Stop.
Nope. Stop it.
Straightening up, Jason tried to reintegrate into the conversation. 
“I’m glad I’m not the only person who's friends with some crazy theorist who thinks he’s got all the answers!” Danny finally managed to curb his laughter. 
Tim nodded with a smile. “Bernard once told me he thought Lex Luthor was secretly Batman because ‘the butts match’.”
Danny snorted. “Wes works at the Daily Planet and he’s convinced the guy who always writes about Superman- Clark… something- is Superman! Worse- he’s pretty sure Superboy isn’t his son, but his clone!”
The forced laughter around the table was, hopefully, only obvious to the family. Danny didn’t seem to realize the sharp look Bruce gave Cass, then Jason, then Danny, trying to analyze the situation and figure out if he needed to do some kind of damage control. He came to the same conclusion all of them had already come to though and that was- Danny really thought Wes was wrong.
They were saved from the awkward interaction when Santi ran into the room shouting.
“Danny Danny! You have to come see Damian’s cow! And he has a turkey! You’ve gotta come see ‘em! You ever seen a cow in real life before, Danny?” 
Being dragged out of his seat and shooting an apologetic look towards the table, Danny followed Santi out of the room. “You know I’m from the middle of nowhere Illinois, right? I’ve seen cows before…”
Once again out of earshot, Bruce started talking. “I want everything you can find on this Wes who works at the Daily Planet.” Tim nodded, already typing something on his phone. “Jason why don’t you go with them, keep an eye on Danny and the boys.”
“And you’ll be..?” Jason asked accusatorially.
Raising his hands in surrender, Bruce sighed. “We’ll be around, I don’t want to… overwhelm him again.”
“You mean send him into a flashback about his traumatic childhood?” Jason scoffed.
“You never mentioned he had a traumatic childhood.” Bruce pointed out.
Shrugging, Jason stood to escape the conversation. “There’s a lot about Danny I haven’t told you, but I think we can all agree the way he reacted to being asked about his parents and hometown wasn’t the reaction of someone with fond memories.”
He could hear his family trying to excuse themselves from what had happened as he left. At least they hadn’t ALL bombarded him. Duke had been pretty quiet at dinner, Cass obviously hadn’t said much, happier to observe and analyze, and Tim had mostly talked to him about Kon and Bernard.
Danny had seemed rather interested in Tim and his boyfriends which threw him for a loop. Jason would never claim to be a detective. He wasn’t like Bruce and Tim, hell he wasn’t even as good as Damian, Dick, or Steph when it came to detective shit, but he wasn’t a complete idiot! Except Danny’s interest in Tim’s relationship really had confused him. He’d asked how Tim’s boyfriends were, what they did, how they’d all met, how they got together, and while Jason had put together that Danny and Tim somehow already knew each other, he couldn’t figure out what Danny’s fascination with Tim’s boyfriends was.
Catching up to Danny and Santiago didn’t take long. He found them outside, still on their way to the barn where he assumed Miguel and Damian were, and jogged up beside them.
“Hey guys, checkin’ out the barn?”
Santi smiled. “I’m showin’ Danny Batcow!”
“Batcow?” Danny asked, furrowing his brow in a way that made Jason want to hold his face and smooth away his confusion-
“Batcow!” Santi agreed, hurrying inside the barn with Danny in tow.
Damian and Miguel seemed to be deep in conversation, both crouched down and petting Alfred. Santi led Danny and Jason past the boys and towards the cow. Jason hadn’t ever really seen Batcow. He’d heard the story of how they’d gotten her and ended up keeping her and it was often brought up when Damian asked for a new pet or animal of some kind as a way for Bruce to say ‘you already have a cow, what more could you want?’ but he was never actually around the manor this much.
It was an odd feeling.
To know that his family had large parts of their lives he never witnessed because he was rarely around them as civilians. He heard bits and pieces, Dick taught acrobatics, Cass taught ballet, Damian had a cow, Duke got a job, Steph and Tim were going to GU, but he didn’t know the details. Why would he? Why would he care?
 What age group did Dick teach? Had Cass ever taken her ballerinas to a competition? Did they win? How many animals did Damian really have? Why did Duke get a job at the daycare specifically? What classes was Steph taking? What was Tim’s major? 
Why did he care? He’d never cared before.
But looking at Batcow was like looking at a picture of his entire family that he’d been cropped out of. It left a bad taste in his mouth, to realize he was barely part of the family he’d been part of longer than almost anyone. Isn’t that what he’d wanted? To work alone? To distance himself from the bats and be his own person, neither hero nor villain? 
And yet… He’d been spending a bit more time at the manor recently. He’d been less angry and when the anger receded he saw it for what it really was; hurt, loneliness, insecurity. He didn’t like to think too much about it. He was the Red Hood, feared crime lord, murderer, monster- he was the monster in the closet parents warned their kids about. Who cared if he had no one to go home to? Why did it matter if he had to stitch up his own wounds? He was fine with lonely birthdays and even lonelier death days and he didn’t need them to check in on him he was fine-
“Jason?” A cold hand brushed against his jerking him right out of his downward spiral.
“Huh?” He asked, plastering on an unconcerned face.
Squinting, Danny grabbed his wrist. “Come on, Damian says you’ve never met Batcow.” He didn’t let go of Jason’s wrist until they stood right in front of the cows stall. Immediately, Jason missed the cool feeling of Danny’s hand against his skin. “It really does look like the Batman symbol.” Danny confirmed.
“Tt. I didn’t name her Batcow for nothing.” Damian cut in.
Miguel was eyeing Jason in a manner he thought was subtle. It was not. It made his skin itch. Why did Miguel hate him so much again? Something about flirting with his dad?
Leaning closer to Danny until their shoulders were touching, Jason hoped Miguel would stop staring at him like he’d killed his dad- well. He had. But Miguel didn’t know that- actually wait- did they know Hood had killed their dad? Danny told them, right? Was that why Miguel seemed to like him so much?
“You’re doing it again.” Danny muttered only loud enough for him to hear.
Snapping out of it, Jason looked over to see everyone else had left. “Where-”
“Damian mentioned his dog Titus and I convinced the boys to go play with him. You okay?”
Jason nodded. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I- I don’t usually spend this much time around the manor. Brought up some feelings I wasn’t… prepared for.”
Danny nodded in understanding. “I know what that’s like.”
“Yeah?”
Biting his bottom lip, Danny seemed to debate his next words carefully. “A lot of people contacted me after the attack. Some people I… don’t want to talk to anymore.”
Jason let the silence hang over them for a moment. “Your parents?” Danny shook his head, watching Batcow instead of looking at him. “Good.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I know what it’s like to be… reminded of things you don’t want to think about or… of who you used to be.” 
Swallowing, Jason decided to take the plunge. “When I… died…” Danny tensed. “Things changed. I changed. And I can’t stand being reminded of that. That I was… a better person- a better son- before. Sometimes I… I wonder what it’d be like if I’d stayed the optimistic kid I’d been but… death…” He trailed off, feeling himself getting choked up.
“It changes you.” Danny nodded solemnly. “And no one understands. Even the people who don’t care that you’re different, the people who love you, they don't get it.” He whispered.
Jason nodded.
They stood there, looking at Batcow, shoulders pressed against each other but not daring to move closer, silent, for minutes. Jason tried not to think about how Danny having died meant he could probably understand what Jason had gone through- he couldn’t burden Danny with his fucked up feelings on the matter anymore.
But Danny didn’t seem to share those feelings.
Thank god.
“I understand.” He breathed, finally looking away from the cow they’d been staring at for way too long. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but… But I understand. I know what it’s like for everyone to look at you differently, like you’re broken, or volatile, or a time bomb waiting to go off, and I know what it’s like for them to want the person who died back and I know that you’re still that same optimistic kid deep down but it’s also impossible to be him anymore and I know that because I’m the same.”
Jason let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding (he had no idea when it started but he’d been able to hold his breath for a really long time recently and sometimes he wondered if he even needed to breathe) and met Danny’s eyes.
“You’re the same person as before but you’re also not and no one understands because that doesn’t make any sense but it does, Jason.” It was at the moment Danny said his name that he realized how close they were. “And it’s fine if you have complicated feelings about your childhood home or your family or anything else because it IS complicated. You don’t have to apologize to me for spacing out or needing space or not knowing what’s wrong because I do that all too.”
Fuck.
He couldn’t breathe. (He wasn’t sure he needed to) When was the last time someone had said something so… tender to him? When was the last time someone had looked him in the eyes for this long? His family usually looked away when they sensed his feelings getting too big, when they saw a hint of green, when they couldn’t take looking at the scarred remnants of the child they’d loved anymore.
Danny kept staring.
Danny held his gaze.
“I… sorry-” Jason’s voice stopped working. He looked down, unable to stare directly into the sun any longer, his eyes burning. 
Cool hands hesitantly grabbed his and squeezed. “You have nothing to apologize for, Jason.”
“This is dumb.” Jason scoffed, pulling one hand away to swipe the tears off his face before Danny could see them. “It happened so long ago.”
Danny shrugged. “I died nine years ago and it still bothers me.”
Jason’s head whips up so fast he almost headbutts Danny. “That’s- that’s so-”
“Young?” Danny guesses with a sad smile. “Yeah, but it is what it is. Besides, sounds like you were pretty young too.”
“Fifteen.” Jason admits.
“Fourteen.” Danny adds. “But it doesn’t matter if you were fifteen, twenty five, fifty five, that shit stays with you. Whether it was for a few seconds, minutes, or much longer, death holds on. It changes you and no one can understand it if they haven’t been through it too. They just can’t.”
The situation felt ridiculous. Jason and Danny, who’d only met a few times (in his civvies anyways), holding hands in his adoptive dads barn, staring at his little brother's cow, crying about their teenage deaths. It was too much. Jason let out a pitiful laugh. “This is the dumbest place to have this conversation.”
Danny smirked. “Well I think it’s fine, but if you want to continue this conversation sometime over, say, dinner, I’d be more than happy to do that.” Jason stared- was that? Was he asking Jason on a- “I mean, I do think you mentioned getting dinner before and I’d certainly like the chance to get to know you better.”
“Are you-”
“Asking you on a date? Yes.” 
Oh. Holy fuck. Either Danny and Phantom were in some kind of open relationship or he’d read the situation very wrong. Either way he didn’t care. “Yes. I’d like that.”
“Yessss!” Someone hissed from the other side of the barn.
Peaking over Danny’s shoulder, Jason spotted Santi crouched behind a stack of hay. Danny also turned around, letting go of Jason’s hands (he tried not to think about how disappointed that made him), and put his hands on his hips (also tried not to think about that or how good his hips would feel in his hands-). “Santi?” Danny said with the patience of a saint.
“Uh… noooo?” Santiago responded.
Danny sighed loudly. “Santi, I thought you were going to play with Damian’s dog?”
The boy, realizing he’d been caught, stepped out shyly. “I was but I- uh, I wanted to see Batcow again?”
“Nice try, kid.” Danny deadpanned. “Come on, let’s go find your brother. I don’t want to leave you alone and I think I’ve been a terrible guest.”
Jason tilted his head. “How so?”
With a smirk, Danny crossed his arms. “Well it was rude to leave mid-interrogation. I’m sure there are many more questions your family would like answered before I leave, wouldn’t you agree?” Then he walked away with Santi, and Jason had only one thought.
Fuck.
He’s in love with that twink.
~~~~~~~
By the time Danny and Jason had made it back inside the house, Danny had calmed down and prepared himself for more insensitive questions. He wasn’t exactly angry about the questioning, he kind of found it hilarious, but he wasn’t sure how to explain the whole ‘dead ghost king who’d been vivisected by his parents’ thing so he just didn’t explain anything.
He and Jason came back to what seemed to be a mario kart tournament that Tim, Dick, Steph, and Duke were all competing in. Cass watched from the sidelines, she’d apparently been banned from playing in the tournaments because she always won. They offered Danny a slot but he was happier to watch than to play.
At that point they’d been there for a couple of hours and he was starting to get tired. Life had been crazy recently and even though you’d think getting some actual sleep recently would mean he wasn’t tired all of the time, it had the opposite effect. Like his body had realized how it was supposed to feel after getting a full night’s rest and had started a revolt in protest of the last two months of power naps.
Santi, Miguel, and Damian had gone to Damian’s room to hang out (although Danny couldn’t shake the feeling that Damian was keeping the boys occupied so that the rest of his family could get Danny alone for questioning) after it had gotten too dark to continue playing with Titus outside.
When the tournament finally wrapped up it was almost nine and Danny decided that was long enough for their first time coming over. He sent a text to Miguel to finish up and meet him in the Foyer in the next ten minutes so they could head home.
“Aww, come on Danny, just one match!” Steph whined.
He chuckled. “I don’t need to be demolished in mario kart tonight, thank you very much.” He was actually fairly certain he’d give most of them a run for their money, but he didn’t want to issue a challenge and get caught up in the game. “Next time.” He said without thinking.
“Ha! You owe me fifty bucks!” Dick shouted at Tim.
Tim grumbled, reaching for his pocket. “Come on man, couldn’t have hated my ridiculous family like a normal person?”
“What just happened?” Danny asked, looking between Jason and Cass. Jason shrugged, Cass gave them a knowing smile, and Danny remained in the dark. “All right, well. It was nice to meet you, Steph, Cass, and nice to re-meet everyone else. Duke- no work next week, seriously- take the week off.” He waved to everyone, following Jason to the foyer.
The boys were already there when he arrived and Damian said something about how they were already on their way downstairs when Miguel received his message. Before they could say their goodbyes, a pair of footsteps was rushing towards them. Tim turned the corner, almost slamming into Danny before stopping himself.
“Where’s the fire, Timbers?” Jason raised an eyebrow.
Tim rolled his eyes. “Kon just told me he was on his way with Ma’s pie.”
“I will accept that excuse for the small small price of one piece of pie.” Jason grinned.
“No way! Ma’s pie is like liquid gold- no way I’m giving you any of it!” Tim retorted just as the door opened.
A man, probably about Danny’s age, wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses (it was night?) walked in holding what appeared to be a pie. “Hey guys- I brought-” He cut himself off, immediately freezing and dropping the pie. Tim and Jason shouted as the so-called liquid gold crashed into the ground, pie pan shattering and red liquid seeping onto the floor. Must have been cherry. 
That wasn’t what startled Danny. What startled Danny was the way that Kon stared at him, like he was seeing more than what Danny showed on the surface. Like he was peering past the barriers and barbed wire disguised as jokes and seeing something he shouldn’t.
“Sorry!” Kon squeaked, ripping his eyes away from Danny and kneeling to pick up the ruined pie. Danny heard the quiet ‘what the fuck is wrong with his heart’ whispered under Kon’s breath and immediately felt his pulse quicken. Kon froze again and Danny decided to try something. Something he didn’t do often but his body did on its own whenever it felt like it.
Or rather- whenever his body didn’t feel like it. He stopped his heart.
“Oh my god are you okay!?” Kon shot up, grabbing Danny’s shoulders and looking him over.
Pulling away, slightly startled by Kon’s intensity, Danny’s theory was confirmed. Kon had super hearing. He must have been startled by Danny’s slow heartbeat and panicked. Then he realized Danny was fine and tried to cover it up. Danny stopping his heartbeat would scare anyone with super hearing- it had scared him a few times until he’d gotten used to the on and off heartbeat.
“Kon?” Tim asked, placing a firm hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You okay?”
The man nodded slowly, hearing Danny’s heartbeat return. “Uh- yeah, I’m- I’m good. Sorry, I- I’ll clean this all up, just… gonna use the bathroom first.” And then he was gone, faster than Danny thought was completely human but, well, he’d kind of already confirmed Kon was a meta.
The foyer was completely silent at that point, confusion laced through the room and Danny decided the best course of action was to shrug it off. “Well that was strange- Tim, your boyfriend is odd, but seems nice. Sorry about your pie guys.”
“Uh- I’m just- I’m going to check on him. Nice seeing you again, Danny!” Tim rushed off, leaving the destroyed pie behind.
“That was weird as fuck.” Miguel muttered.
“Language.” Danny said. Really, he didn’t care if the boys swore, but maybe not in the fucking Wayne’s manor? “We’ve got to get going, but thank you for inviting us over, Damian, it was nice to see you again.” Turning to Jason he smirked and spoke so no one else could hear him. “I’ll text you, doll.”
His smirk grew wider as Jason’s face grew pink and felt victory settle in his bones. Despite some of the weirdness, it was a really nice night. At least he’d gotten a date with Jason out of all the interrogating.
~~~~~~
“Kon what the fuck was that?” Tim demanded, barging into his bedroom where Kon had chosen to hide out until Danny left.
Kon turned to face Tim slowly. “He- god Tim he’s covered in scars he-” The man ran a hand through his hair and met Tim’s eyes. “He had an autopsy scar like Jason.”
Tim had noticed Danny’s scars before. He had one on his hand the looked like the beginning of a Lichtenberg scar which didn’t make any sense because those were supposed to fade after a few days, he had another on the back of his neck which he seemed to try and hide with hoodies and collared shirts, his fingers on his right hand had varying degrees of scarring like a ring around each one, but he’d obviously never seen more than that.
An autopsy scar was… well it was another clue, somehow. He didn’t know how Danny dying and having an autopsy and coming back to life like Jason had connected to anything else but it had to be why Danny and Phantom- King of Ghosts- had some kind of connection. Was- Was Phantom the ‘friend’ who’d asked Danny to come to Gotham in the first place?
“That’s not all- I mean, that’s why I dropped the pie but- Tim his heart stopped.”
“What?!” Tim hissed, jerking out of his thoughts. “What do you mean-”
“His heartbeat was really slow, it was concerning but then it just- it just STOPPED. Altogether. And then it started again after I’d already freaked out on him.”
What the fuck did that mean? “I have to talk to B- what the fuck, Danny?”
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happyandticklish · 2 days ago
Text
Morning Breath
Summary: Nancy is worried for her upcoming job interview, and Steve tries—inadvisably—to lighten the mood.
Notes: Commission for @ultimatelee19. I don't often write for Stranger Things, so I hope this is up to par! I had fun writing it nonetheless. I love these two dorks <3
“You’re up early.”
Nancy stiffened from her position on the couch, her hands immediately flying to her chest. She cursed herself for the involuntary action afterward. She was still in pajamas, after all, thus leaving anything that would have been there thoroughly protected by a thin tank top. Not to mention, it was nothing Steve hadn’t seen before. She still wasn’t quite used to knowing that it was only her and Steve in the apartment. She kept expecting annoying little brothers or overprotective parents to barge in at any moment.
She turned around to find Steve leaning against the railing midway down the stairs, his mouth quirked in a half smile. He was, noticeably, dressed only in some thin shorts. Nancy’s gaze roamed his torso for a moment before she caught herself and smiled in return.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“You’re going to be fine. It’s only one job interview. I'm sure you'll do great, and if you don't, there will be others, I promise."
“A job interview that I only barely secured,” Nancy corrected as Steve made his way down the stairs. “A female reporter is a ridiculous notion according to this society we live in. I mean, they could cancel right now. They hardly need to keep their word, after all. Sure they may think it’s an ‘interesting concept’ now, but—”
“Nancy.”
She broke off mid-rant as two arms wrapped around her from behind. Soft lips pressed into the back of her neck, peppering her shoulders with featherlight kisses so she couldn’t help but shiver. “You’re going to do great. You are incredibly smart, a verified badass, and you can articulate yourself better than half the dying old men in the profession. Not to mention, I’ve never met anyone so skilled at getting into other people’s business as yourself—”
“Hey.” She elbowed him lightly, but turned her head to grin back at him. “I suppose I’ll choose to take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
He leaned forward to kiss her and she sighed a little as her lips meant hers. Her and Steve’s relationship had never exactly been a stable one, but five years had passed since the craziness that Hawkins had brought about; things were different between them—calmer. And she often found herself in moments like these realizing how lucky she truly was to have found him.
“Although, Nance, no offense, but if anything is going to throw them off, it’s this bad breath.”
…or not.
“Seriously, I love you babe, but it smells like something gross died in there.”
Nancy’s brows twitched in irritation, and she squirmed out of his embrace, whirling around on him. “For your information, I haven’t had time to brush my teeth just yet. And who are you to judge? Your breath doesn’t exactly smell like roses either.” She opened her mouth, breathing at him and he lurched back. “How does that smell, hmm? Since you’re such an expert.”
Steve held a hand up to his throat, faking a gag as he fell back on the couch. “Gross! Ach, the smell! I may never recover.”
“You—!” Nancy smacked a pillow lightly on his stomach, and he grinned over the top of it.
Steve held up his hands in mock surrender, though the shit-eating grin on his face didn't make him look all that apologetic. “Relax, I’m just trying to lighten the mood. You know, make you less tense.”
“Oh yeah? Why don’t I just make you ‘less tense’?”
“What is that supposed to mean—woah!”
Steve grunted as Nancy tackled him back against the couch, clambering quickly atop his waist.  He opened his mouth to retort something back, perhaps an apology or some further continuance of the bit that had gotten him here in the first place, but a bark of laughter escaped instead as Nancy dug her fingers into his ribs.
“W-Woah, woah, woah, Nance—shit, not thehehere!”
Nancy tried hard to fight back her giddy smirk. Steve’s ticklishness had become apparent not far into their first relationship, though she had forgotten about it for a while once they reopened things. She had made sure to make good use of the information once it had reappeared after cuddling during a movie night had led to its revelation. Nancy was hardly immune to it, but Steve was ticklish enough that it was easy to make him forget that revenge was a possibility. Convenient for her.
“How’s about it, Stevie?” she crooned, gently climbing her way up his ribcage. “Are you feeling the tension leaving yet?”
His hands shot down to latch around her wrists at that, but they didn’t do much to actually shove her off. “This is cruhuhuel!” he whined, yelping the closer her fingers grew to his underarms. His legs kicked against the cushion, attempting to push his body further up the couch to failing results.
“This is payback.” She teased the edges of his armpits, scratching against his top rib without actually leaving the area just yet. Steve shook his head, letting out noises that could only be described as giggles. “Besides, I have to get out my nervous jitters somehow, and you’re the perfect subject to release them on.”
One of her fingers inched ever so slightly higher. Steve yelped. “Don’t."
“Don’t what? Tickle you?”
“D-Don’t go thehehere!”
She raised an eyebrow, this time unable to hide her smirk. “Ahh, just don’t go there? But not, ‘don’t stop tickling’? Interesting bargaining. One could be led to believe that you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Nohohot lihihike thihis!"
“But there’s another way you could enjoy it?”
A flush had begun to creep its way up Steve’s neck and he groaned, glancing away. “S-Stop twisting my wohohords! And—fuck, get ohohout of there!”
Nancy had gone in for the kill, allowing her hands to free roam under his arms now in quick, spidery motions that were quickly destroying his composure. Steve’s arms twitched violently, struggling not to jerk down but to stay up in the air. He had let go of her hands in favor of gripping the back of the couch, his face twisted up in expression of helpless mirth.
Honestly, Nancy thought, Steve had only himself to blame for getting tickled like this so often. She couldn’t be faulted for taking advantage of someone who was so obviously leaving themselves vulnerable on purpose.
He continued to let her tickle him like that for another few minutes before it finally became too much for him. Nancy’s eyes widened as he lurched forward suddenly, grabbing her hands and pushing back until she was lying trapped underneath him on the couch instead.
“Too much for you?” she asked innocently, knowing she was digging her own grave, but unable to help it. And it did have wonderful results as Steve’s flush darkened even as he transferred both her wrists to one hand, leaving his other free to sue.
“How long do you have before your interview again?”
She frowned. “An hour. Why—”
“Ten-minute car ride, fifteen minutes to get ready, fifteen to eat—I believe that leaves us twenty minutes.”
Nancy’s pulse quickened in her chest, from fear or excitement she couldn’t tell. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’d consider putting this whole thing behind us?"
“Ask me in another ten minutes.”
Nancy’s laughter rang through the house as Steve followed through on his promise. In reality, he only kept her there for another five minutes before a particularly effective strategy against her hips had her shrieking for mercy in mere seconds, though to Nancy, it felt like much longer. Not that she would learn her lesson for the next time she decided Steve needed to be taken down a peg.
After all, standing down was not within the nature of Nancy Wheeler.
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Might sound like a crazy one but may I request MafuShizuRuiKasa? If that makes sense 😭
You've got it! Sorry this took so long, it was way too hard for me to come up with something, lol. I hope you enjoy it, though.
(It's a bit of a long one. Hope that's alright.)
Mafuyu Asahina and Rui Kamishiro are both merfolk- Mafuyu is a squid, and Rui is a jellyfish.
The two have known each other since they were small, and despite their very different personalities, they were much closer to each other than they were to most people. They balanced each other out- Rui would drag her into all his most recent shenanigans, and Mafuyu would talk him out of his more dangerous ideas.
One night, Rui swam up to her with his all too familiar wild grin, and Mafuyu immediately knew he had something up his sleeve. What she hadn't expected was for him to suggest that they swim up to the nearby shore, so that he could show her the sunrise.
Any merfolk going anywhere near the water's surface was strictly forbidden, especially during the day- humans were often hanging out at the beach, and it was incredibly dangerous for them to know that merfolk existed.
Mafuyu was against the idea at first, but Rui was able to convince her that there was nothing to worry about. He had visited the shore numerous times by himself, and he'd never seen a human swimming there so early. With that reassurance, Mafuyu allowed Rui to take her hand in his and lead her up to watch the sunrise.
Early that morning, before the sun was up, Shizuku Hinomori dragged her boyfriend, Tsukasa Tenma, down to the beach near their place. As the sun rose up from the horizon and signified a brand new day, Tsukasa collected seashells from the shoreline as Shizuku dove into the ocean for a morning swim.
Shizuku had swam in that water many times in her life, but she's never done it so early in the morning, and it may have been her new favorite thing ever. She loved the feeling of the icy cold water all around her as the sunlight slowly began to glisten across its surface, and being able to glance back and see Tsukasa gathering more seashells to scatter across their shared home never failed to bring a smile to her face.
She'd swam out a little further than usual, and while she could still see the shore from where she was, Shizuku thought it best to head on back to dry land, lest she get all turned around and lost. Before doing that, she dipped under the gentle waves, hoping to take one last good look at the world below for the morning.
And soon found herself face to face with a sea person. With another one not too far away.
The three were startled, and Shizuku breathed in the sea water from her shock. As the human swam back up to the surface to cough up the water, Rui grabbed Mafuyu and swam off as fast as he could.
Shizuku took some deep breaths before dripping back under the water to try and get another look at them. She caught only a glimpse of the two swimming away behind some rocks, deeper into the deep, dark ocean.
As she tried her hardest to wrap her head around what she'd just seen, she suddenly felt strong arms around her waist and Tsukasa's worried voice in her ears, asking if she was alright.
After Tsukasa pulled her back to the shore, Shizuku explained what had happened and what she had seen. He wasn't really sure if he believed her, and honestly, she wasn't sure if she believed what she thought she'd seen either, but they both agreed that it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out. Maybe there really were sea people out there, somewhere in that deep ocean.
Rui and Mafuyu had no plans of returning to that shore anytime soon, not after being seen by a human, however briefly. But maybe, just maybe, the four could all see each other again someday...
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dykedvonte · 18 days ago
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I keep seeing fanarts of ppl's OC's being on the ship, so do you think that if there was 6st crewmember (specifically, another woman) Anya would've been more safe? Like, someone to actually call Jimmy's begaviour out, someone Anya might wanna trust? Is there a possibility something might have changed (even if a little) or it would not have mattered at all?
-💀
I feel like the game would make it part of the commentary on where she would believe and help Anya but still be sort of dismissive? Like the whole “don’t waste time crying and being scared keep going and move on, don’t let him win”. It’s supposed to be positive and reinforcing but sometimes it does more damage in those times of mourning and grief, it feels patronizing, like you don’t understand what you’re going through but they do. Even if they did call out his behavior it’s still on Curly to act and while another voice would help, it’s still 4 against 2 on guys that don’t get it until they have to vs women who always have to.
I don’t mind mouthwashing OCs but I do get a bit bored as they tend to be borderline saviors or like Jimmy aligned. They are either more complicit than Curly or just Jimmy haters for no reason, outside of what the creators know about what he did to Anya. I am never irked by OCs but in a story like mouthwashing you really need to think about what your character adds to the commentary, especially if they are there during the crash. It’s nice to have like characters on Anya’s side more whole heartedly and interesting to see characters who placate Jimmy but sometimes it’s one note.
I can’t and don’t want to police peoples OCs it’s never my intention when I comment on trends I notice, but I do feel like the way people make their OCs interact with these two characters and especially Curly, really show a grave misunderstanding of the narrative and these characters as people vs roles in the story. Still, I know people just make up characters for fun and that’s fine. Great even, but I guys I’m focusing more on OCs that are supposed to have those serious dynamics. My favs tend to be pretty-Tulpar or post-Tulpar au OCs.
The inevitably of the crash is on Jimmy. He did that not because he wasn’t stopped but because all his means to kill Anya were taken. The gun, the axe. Even if Curly did strip him of his co-pilot privileges and try to keep him contained there’s only so many people. An extra body helps but they have jobs they have to do, he’s the only one steering the whole ship and Jimmy would likely have an out: food, bathroom, etc. He’s not new and if he couldn’t crash the ship directly, who’s to say he wouldn’t sabotage something else? A clunker like the Tulpar wouldn’t take much. An extra person helps but it’s just another thing that prolongs what a person like Jimmy is willing to do to shirk responsibility.
It’s more than just needing someone to stand up to him and think that’s what is missing when it comes to inserting a character into the mouthwashing setting.
#like again most people treat Jimmy like a misanthrope and he’s not and the way he’s just evil/rude to everyone all the time just isn’t real#like he’s snarky and rude but it can’t be 100% of the time like hes not going out his way to instigate#he’s the type to say shit and hope it stirs the pot like Daisuke likes him at first#thinks he’s a bit of a jerk but he likes him like unless you specifically make a character he’s dislike he’s not just gonna be#readily antagonistic to strangers or at the get go#not to mention it’s not just about Anya needing a friend but someone with the power to do something#a point in why she confides in Curly is he’s the captain she’s not just gonna tell the only other woman just because it’s still personal#not every girl tells their friend or another woman especially if they are new and they don’t know how they react not all girls are#girls girls some can be just as toxic as the men they are being confided in about#the nuance of the situation is not solved by having more people who actively hate jimmmy if anything it would make him escalate further as#clearly has issues with how people perceive him and being liked like another woman who hates him that’s gonna do something crazy in his mind#I think it’s interesting when OCs explore another side of the pre established dynamics as Jimmy uses each remaining crew member to fill a#something Curly provided for him and represent his dynamic with Anya and being an abuser I just feel like a lot is being missed out on#and it’s mainly cause people don’t want to make OCs that aren’t great people like it’s okay to have a grey mediocre OCs in situations like#this its realistic and helps you write more grounded characters like idk i like the ocs but eh im not like a super fan#I really should make an analysis on Jimmy cause people hate discussing him and his character is being really misunderstood#like not saying she’s innocent or an excuse but just not getting how he is supposed to work like he’s no dick fucking dasteredly#he’s a shitty guy who gets shittier like he ain’t start out an avengers level threat#mouthwashing#💀 anon#mouthwashing game#ask#anya mouthwashing#curly mouthwashing#jimmy mouthwashing#mouthwashing oc#now I gotta make an oc just to prove myself but I can’t draw#so maybe not cuz what’s the point if I can’t explain the fly drip
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lovesodeepandwideandwell · 2 months ago
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ok this is a deeply deeply weird manifesto and i'm sorry but i feel suddenly very burdened to say it so. if you felt like we were friends and i unfollowed you, this is for you. (don't be scared this is not about problems with anyone this is just my mess. that I think is ok to have which is why I'm talking about it)
so I joined tumblr in 2020 when a) the world was isolated b) I had just moved to a new city and was living alone taking Zoom classes in my apartment. what started as a mindless distraction became such a lifeline of connection and friendship! and still such a support as things started to open back up and get busier in 2021, when I was teaching and in class in person but still struggling for close in-person friendships. I know the group dynamic on here has shifted a number of times, as some of you probably experienced from various vantage points. my use of tumblr has shifted too, on and off, as I've needed different things out of it and been in different spiritual and emotional states. and I've kind of come to realize that I probably threw myself in too eagerly in some ways. it was so exciting to have actual friends on here and for them to actually turn into friends in person, that honestly I maybe prized that dynamic too much for what it symbolized over actually valuing the people. I'm sorry for doing that.
anyway, that worked fine for a bit, but as (glory be to God) I've become much more plugged into my in-person community in the last couple years, I've felt more and more emotionally strained. I've taken up a new attitude towards my family that's much more in line with God, but also much more draining as it means I have to just pour out in prayer and love and wait with patient sorrow over some things rather than fighting and defending my perspective as always right and necessary; and then there's the church-related grief my family has gone through over the last year. I've had a very delicate and difficult friendship that pulled up a lot of unresolved stuff from a college situation and felt endlessly wearying at times. I've had another issue from college recur in a way I thought had been healthily resolved years ago. I've had this whole roommate marriage situation that as y'all know is a very weird trial and pressure. My church has been dealing with a strange and tough ongoing struggle that was already stressing me out before I started working there. My small group has been amazing and I've loved connecting with and relying on them more, but that connection also means more fully bearing the griefs of a lot of different people dealing with the different struggles of life. My advisor situation has been so weird and tough, making my academic work really hard, and then this recent church work has been fulfilling but physically and often mentally exhausting. My future location, work, and community is up in the air after a few years of stability. (I really didn't mean to make this a recitation of my woes, but honestly it's really helpful to see it all written out here; helps explain my deep deep exhaustion, I guess.)
If I ever followed you on tumblr, I love you. In a number of different ways. I feel fondness at the thought of you and at your presence; I want to know you more fully; I desire the good for you; and I find my well-being to be, at least a little bit, tied up with yours. That last one is the rub. As I'm sorting through all the callings and duties in my life, trying to identify what counts as changing my tires versus what wears my tires out, I've found that my tumblr dashboard can switch back and forth very unpredictably between one thing and the other. Often it's a delight to come on here and find my friends and the cool things we're showing each other and the joys and sorrows and goofy moments of our lives! But at other times, when what I desperately need is an escape and rest and humor to provide solace from in-person cares, I find myself pricked all over again by the sorrow of the world and the stress of sin--or even just irritated by stuff I find irrelevant or disagree with or don't want to be reminded of.
To be clear, I'm not saying anyone's doing anything wrong on here. The opposite; I love the freedom y'all have to seek out what helps you, whether that's a lot of facts and ideas or a lot of goofy content or recipes or weird TV or music or venting about life or seeking prayer or advice! We all have the freedom and responsibility to determine how to use the tools we have to aid us in pursuing the good, whether the good is a quick laugh or building up virtue. But I think for me, at this point in my life, my duty and calling has swung back towards my in-person connections in a variety of ways, and I have to honor that.
The lie of infinity that the internet offers is just that--a lie. for me, that lie right now is being laid bare in my inability to have infinite care for everyone whose path I cross. I could follow everyone on here whom I'm endeared to, could keep messaging and replying and building relationships, but it would be a lie to think I can offer that love and care to everyone I would like to. In-person friendships are limited by physical proximity and time; online friendships can't be unlimited either. I need to apologize for acting as though they could be, and committing myself beyond my limits; but also, my life has really changed, and I'm not going to be caught either by the lie that online is only worthwhile if it's permanent.
I want to be clear that I value the connections I've had with you. I've loved exchanging mail and phone calls, messaging fun things back and forth, being online at the same time or learning about your day after the fact. Please know, also, that I have gone to war in prayer for you, and I continue to do so. I wish that I knew how to love widely without feeling pulled apart and worn down, by difference and sorrow and sin (mine and yours). I hope God is sanctifying me toward that end. But right now I'm fairly convinced I need to honor my calling to in-person friendships; I need to protect my mind and heart from even little pricks and distractions, so that I can keep my desires in order and use my energy for prayer and Scripture and to do good work and love the people God's made my physical neighbors. I really do love you, and I wish we had infinite time to talk and think together. I'm so excited to be with y'all in heaven forever. And who knows--maybe my life will shift yet again (it's looking likely) and I'll have a ton of spare energy and love and will come sheepishly back looking to connect with you again. We'll see. You deserve love and attention and connection, in person and online, and I'm sorry that--at least as it feels to me--I held out the promise of giving you that and then had to withdraw it.
so. there's all that. My dash is super quiet these days, thwarting my dopamine search but pushing me towards texting friends, towards meditating more fully on Scripture, towards praying over my work and burdens. I hope you can understand and maybe even be glad that, God willing, this is how I'm able and needing to work for the kingdom right now. love you love you
#wow! that was crazy!!!! at least this is the neurotic overthinking website#so i hope you can not neurotically overthink what you did to make me unfollow you. and instead rest in our mutual finitude#the other day i had the experience of clarifying with a friend that i'm her best friend but she's not mine. in almost so many words.#(she asked who i'm closest to and i named a couple people here and away. then i asked her and she named a couple people and me)#she got teary but didn't have an anxiety meltdown which is huge progress for her! and we kind of acknowledged the difficulty and moved on#and kept hanging out and texting and loving each other#super weird experience but kind of like a lightning bolt of realizing things i've been intending for a while#we have to give each other the dignity of making choices even when the choices aren't each other. on a social level#we have a higher calling! all of us do! it sucks when the social stuff gets weird but we shouldn't let the weirdness distract from the call#and frankly once you start choosing the call over the world then the world's structures stop being at all compelling#for a neutral tool tumblr can be quite amazingly powerful for the Lord#but it is of the world and runs on some lies and i've hit a breaking point where i needed to confront those lies before i kept going#anyway. the point is. I LOVE YOU. and God has told me I have more urgent loves right now.#what an insane post to be making !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#oh wait edit to add! just to be clear i'm not trying to say don't message/reply/send stuff to me!#if i have to set a boundary i will but things are fine. just needing to reduce the dashboard noise#i highly recommend setting online boundaries btw. it's so much easier than stewing and stressing and wondering if blocking is justified#to just message someone and say ''hey you're doing nothing wrong but this way of interacting bugs me so please stop''#(which i've done only to followers never to people i follow. yet.)
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oceanwithouthermoon · 7 months ago
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i think its weird that i have to make this disclaimer but the internet is crazy so wtvr,, anyway,,
if i say i dont like something, that doesnt mean "that thing is bad and nobody should post it.."
i swear literally every time i even mention that i dislike something, people will go "wow does that mean u fucking hate me cuz i post that thing? ur a fucking stupid bitch and all ur opinions r wrong" LIKE ?? er.. no. just because i say i dont like certain characterizations of certain characters (the saiki k fandom is CRAZY about this cuz i can state an opinion on literally any character and a group of people will still go 'well only we're allowed to post our opinions about them because we're always right!1!1!'), or certain ship tropes (mentioned my hatred of toxic yaoi maybe once or twice on here months ago and people STILL get mad at me as if i said toxic yaoi lovers r evil or something), or certain ships, or WHATEVER, does not mean that i HATE the people who are posting them or that i think they shouldnt post them at all, NO, im just posting about my personal tastes on my personal blog and it would be extremely weird and hypocritical if i decided that i was the ONLY person that was allowed to do that,,
i think the only reason people assume that is because there are a lot of other people on here who ARE like that, and a lot of people toe the line between posting that they dont like something and posting that they think everyone who likes that thing is stupid, annoying, and wrong,, so i guess all i can say is, sorry for whatever made you make these assumptions but they arent true about me so plz leave me alone ʘ‿ʘ ur doing the same thing to me that ur accusing me of but i didnt do it in the first place so ur just actively being a dick for no reason
#crazy that the mindset some people on here have is that theyre the only ones allowed to post their opinions#ive repeated this a lot on this blog but i rlly think people forget that the person on the other side of the screen is in fact a person#if ur harassing people and publicly making fun of them then ur just as bad as any real life bully#that shit isnt as funny or harmless as u like to pretend it is#not once have i ever targetted anyone or went on someones blog to harass them over my opinion#yet people think its fine to do the same to me and treat it as if its like. revenge or something#like ? me saying 'i dont like toxic yaoi' is not equivalent to someone going on someone elses page and going 'how tf do u like toxic yaoi'#I DONT CARE !! all ive ever done is sit in my own little bubble and had opinions and that makes people mad#honestly though the people who will publicly talk and post abt it are significantly meaner#and i want to act like im not bothered by it because i know most of them r just angry that someone has a different opinion#and they want all their followers to bandwagon off of them (idk why maybe for validation or whatever-same reasons anyone would bully)#but seriously if u actually do think that something i said was out of line and crossed thise boundaries- just fucking tell me ?#im a person bro. ur solution to disagreeing with me shouldnt be 'lol im gonna post abt this and make everyone harass them'#have a conversation with me dude i dont bite ? if u cant talk to me like a person then just dont fucking say anything wtf#its so cowardly to be like 'well no i didnt wanna say anything to u cuz i didnt wanna be rude.. so instead i publicly made fun of u!'#LIKE WHATTTT STOPPPPP </3333#ok anyway this post wasnt supposed to get THAT serious.#MY POINT IS just be considerate of other people and dont base ur hatred off of assumptions#ur deflecting the blame onto someone else because u dont want to admit that ur just a fucking bully lol#being inconsiderate on here is something ive also been guilty of back when i first joined the fandom and was clueless#but grown ass adults who have been on here way longer r still doing that shit which is crazy#and i cant say anything because they have so much leverage over me and idk if its on purpose or if they dont even realize#ok im putting fandom tags cuz i want people to see this sorry. this is my one post thats actually targetted but its at a lot of people#so if u look at this and think 'hey i do that' pls evaluate urself<3#i mean its also targetted at everyone who does this anonomously so i dont know who it is OKOK IM DONE BYE SORRY HOPE THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE#watch nobody read this fr#saiki k#tdlosk#the disastrous life of saiki k.#meows post
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