#and im pretty sure you only find out that woman was looking for her brother after she's dead

[totentnz]

that one gig in dogtown in the dodgy clinic? with the woman just trying to find her brother? the woman that v shot? killed? not because she deserved to die but because v was hired to protect the doctor? the doctor that clearly didnt care for the woman's grief? a kind of grief that v fears the most? one that she understands? help me

[ghostbite0]

This discussion physically hurts, all the TRAUMA Shinobu has??? Losing her mother at such a young age, gaining a new father figure (Gyomei) for a short time was kind of healing for her, having Kanae as her second mother figure certainly helped too but when she lost Kanae that's just double motherloss, I KNOW it hurt so badly for her to lose both her mother figures :( and now she has to turn and take care of all these young people when she needs help herself barely being an adult?? She is NOT a mother she NEEDS HER MOTHER!!! :((

I understand that Giyuu lost his mother figure as well but that does NOT mean he's searching for another???? I'm pretty sure Shinobu isn't actively seeking out a replacement for Kanae or her mom because shes trying to be Kanae herself which is NOT at ALL healthy???

Pretty sure Giyuu isn't looking for a mother figure, this point also stands for Mitsuri, so many people go around saying how it'd be so cute if he saw her as his older sister but in all honesty it kind of confuses me... Mitsuri is 2 years younger than him + finds him attractive + he's uncomfortable around her because of her uniform!?!?!?, it simply doesn't make sense for him to think "oh this younger lady who looks nothing like my sister and has a uniform that makes me Oso uncomfy reminds me of my sister!!" don't get me wrong I LOVE giyuumitsu friendship but she is NOT his older sister???

Idk man infantalizing a grown man and making him whine and cry to his two FEMALE younger peers doesn't sit right with me?? It's only ever them people make him cry to, the two female hashira.. Likeee??? It doesnt sit right to me at all, it gives the stereotype of "woman exist to make men feel better" anybody who believes that can eat shit and burn 😞😞

Sorry I got a little pissy there but my point stands it's so misogynistic and WEIRDDD Giyuu being a younger brother who was raised by a woman I'm pretty sure he'd have RESPECT for females, not treat them like napkins that wipe his tears 😕

NO FURTHER POINTS. YOU ATE THIS UP

i have no other comments you absolutely killed it, and im glad you brought up the whole mitsuri and giyuu thing of people often headcanoning that giyuu sees mitsuri as his big sister-- they may have similarities sure but to your point its really aggitating that people keep throwing giyuu into the two female younger characters and making them cheer him up or cater to him. canon giyuu would never

it absolutely does feel like a "women exist to make men feel better" stereotype and i feel like every fandom does this whether they realize it or not. the female characters are not there to make your male blorbo feel better

thank you so much for your addition!! you're so right. everyone point and cheer. shinobu kocho & mitsuri kanroji get behind me

[cherrycrushes]

a little help - chapter 1

a vox x actress!reader story.

a/n: okay so i caved and decided to make this an actual story wml

it was the 50’s. the golden age of hollywood. here you were, sister to a famous actor and daughter of a famous actress. always looking up to them in your childhood, you also wished to have fame.

your family traveled often. you and your brother were born in nebraska, grew up in california, and moved to manhattan by the time you graduated from college. you and your mom were the only ones who stayed in manhattan, with your brother and father leaving to illinois. the state where you are expected to go now.

“y/n, honey, i’m just scared for you to travel alone! you know in this day and age it is very dangerous to do for a pretty young woman such as yourself!” your mother pestered you as you packed your luggage.

you planned to go on a train to illinois. just to get more job opportunities as an actress. sure, new york had a handful of stars but you were always hired just to be in commercials! it was time for a change and fast. you were in your 20’s afterall! stardom could not come quicker if you stayed in manhattan.

“i get it, ma, but I need to leave! you know it’s just 20 short hours on a train and i will be reunited with marlon and daddy,” you responded with a slight sigh.

your mom picked up one of the discarded dresses on your bed and folded it. she neatly put it in the messy pile you made in your luggage. it was the last one. you and your mother closed the briefcase, with one hand on either side. you locked it.

“i guess so, huh? but you better take care of this gordy luggage of yours! gosh you’ve had this since we first moved to cali,” ma rolled her eyes as you walked out of your room and down the stairs.

“i get it, ma,” you hissed. you put the briefcase down as you put on a coat over your travel dress. ma pointed and shook her finger at you. you opened the door and was about halfway out when she shouted.

“and i better not see any ankle-biters running around when you get back! i love you baby!”

“i love ya too, ma.”

and you were on your way to 42nd street. ecstatic as ever, you reread the brochure you got when you first bought your ticket. a discount given graciously after the vendor recognized you from a couple commercials you’ve filmed. the train was a diesel one- only just have made the switch about five years ago. people even called it the world’s greatest train, with the amount of luxuries it provided.

you walked up the carpeted stairs. being on the poorer side of passengers, your seat was all the way back. finding it, you went face to face with your seat. it looked a bit small and uncomfortable but you could make it work. you stepped backwards, your head colliding into someone’s shoulder. the briefcase in your hands springing open.

“im so sorry oh my christ im so sorry…” you rambled to the stranger.

“no no, don’t worry about it dear,” he chuckled in response. “mistakes happen here and there.”

“please accept my apologies. my name is y/n brando,” you stretched you hand in front of him for a handshake. he took it and pressed your skin to his lips.

“call me vox.”

[cinnamoodles]

the language of flowers — part one, daises

warnings: angst, of course, and bad writing? ooc anthony bc i suck and thats unwarranted <33

word count: 1.8k (wowza)

author’s note: hello! this is my first published fic, so im pretty sure it’s going to be horrible, but i had this idea after reading Sherlock Holmes, so… im excited, i guess? this is part of a series i will publish, but for now... yay! first fic celebration!

read the other parts! — part two, irises | part three, peonies

i don’t consent for my work to be reposted or copied, translated, or transferred to any other platform, or this one, in part or whole.

--------- . . . ---------

i. 1802, bellis perennis. daisies, platonic love

It was a day in which the sun blazed as though it had a fury against all of England, the sweltering heat resulting in most of the country to stay indoors, and perhaps enjoy a cool glass of lemonade. The unforgiving rays of the sun shone glitteringly on the lake, as if to mock those who stayed inside, flamboyantly displaying its beauty.

Anthony Bridgerton was a boy, (or a man, as he liked to proclaim himself, as he was just a year from being eighteen), who did not like to stay inside, especially on a glorious day like this. He liked to forget the matter that it was well over 35 degrees celsius, but in his words, such a beautiful, sunny day should not go to waste.

“Why have you dragged me out here, Mr. Bridgerton?” You groan against the thick coat of your own horse. As the only daughter of a Duke with three sons, you had to dress up prim and proper, much to your chagrin, before going out, especially with a boy, whether it be one of your closest friends or not. You run your hands through your hair—which you've left open, because, in your words, damn society, no single person should be subject to those horrid pins in their hair on a hot summer's day!, before you stormed out of your estate, to head to the stables to find solace in one of your most trusted companions.

He grins, sending a flutter of butterflies amok in your stomach. Deep inside, you knew that there was no way that he would ever even consider you romantically, as you were exactly the age of his brother, Benedict, who, no doubt, was ever the charmer, but Anthony had a special place in your heart. Your first love, (could one even call it love? You would often dismiss it as infatuation, but when he looked at you like that, how could your youthful little heart disregard it?), and most of all, your first friend. “Well,” he starts, “first of all, you can cease the formalities, or I’ll push you off your horse.” He leisurely rides up next to you, smirking. “And there isn’t any harm in calling on my closest friend for a few hours of her time, is there not?”

“Of course not, but you know how my mother hounds me,” you sigh tiredly, rubbing the nape of your neck. “It is almost as if…” reddening, you bite your lip. You knew that your mother was always on a tirade on how you and Anthony would be perfect together, but you know that he did not feel the same way. You sneak in a gaze at his soft dark hair, and his gorgeous, deep brown eyes, always glimmering with mischief of some sort. 

He turned to you, frowning. “As if? She hasn’t got a problem with me, has she?”

Your eyes widen, and you quickly backtrack on your words. “No! No, of course she hasn’t got a problem with you, she’s just a bit… spirited, that’s all. Just very spirited and a woman very worried about what society has to say about me—not that I care, of course.”

“Just let her know that I’m most definitely not giving up my friendship with you just because of the nonsense the Ton spews on an hourly basis.” You give an extremely unladylike snort at his words, which sends the both of you into a fit of laughter.

The both of you finally reach the site that Anthony must have wanted to show you. It’s a corner beside the lake, with a patch of wildflowers and a small woodland area behind it. The sunlight shines onto the surface of the lake, and small dragonflies lazily float around the flowers. What entrances you most is the flora near the area. While, of course, you've seen flowers before, since your own father boasts one of the most intricate gardens in London, there isn’t any garden that could hold a candle to the natural beauty, the wild, untamed, disorderly allure of this particular strip of land. Fireweed and cattails rub against the agrimonies and bellflowers, and you have to physically stop yourself from letting your jaw drop and stare at the scene in front of you.

The dark-haired boy enthusiastically gets down from his horse, rubbing his eyebrow, and holds his hand out to your stunned self. You bite back a smirk when you notice his actions, and steady yourself against his glove. “I don’t need you to do all this,” you tease. “I can get down from a horse just fine by myself.”

“Really?” He smirks. “Alright then.” Letting go of you abruptly, he wipes off his hands on his breeches, while behind him, you trip to the ground, dust pooling and clouding around you, and you land on your ankle.

“Ow!” You shriek, your hands scratched from the rough, gravelly grass. You examine your ankle, which is slightly swollen and red, along with giving you large, throbbing pains. “Anthony, you’re such a prick!” You steady yourself against a tree trunk when he turns around and sees you, in pain. He quickly rushes to your side, steadying you by placing his hands on your hips, and you try, (and fail), to ignore your heart working on overdrive. “Y/N, I’m so sorry. Really, I didn’t know it would hurt you, I didn't know you were that high up.”

“What do you know, then?” You grumble, trying to hold weight on your foot. When you wince, Anthony immediately carries you in his arms in a bridal hold, and you have to take all the willpower you have to not stare at his biceps, or worse, swoon right there. “Anthony! Put me down!” You cry, halfheartedly, your inner thoughts wishing that he wouldn’t listen to a word you said. “If you drop me, I swear I will hurt you.”

“Y/N,” he smiles at you, “trust me, I know better than to cross you by now.” He readjusts his hands, and one of them, (you’re too frazzled to notice which), lands on the small of your back, and you are sure that you will combust within a second if he keeps this up. “And,” he continues, “I haven’t dragged you all the way here just so you can go home. And trust me, you're not heavy at all.” He smirks, raising one of his hands so that you can see it, and taps your nose.

“Anthony—oh god—what the bloody hell are you doing?”

“Proving you haven't got anything to worry about. Don’t worry, darling.” The word sends a shiver down your spine, and the moment just seems so perfect: you, in his arms, his dark, dreamy eyes gazing into your own, his breath hot on your cheek. He smells of sandalwood and citrus—the same smell that haunts you day and night, in your dreams and nightmares.

You relax into his arms, and are snapped out of your daze only by the soft brush of something against your nose—petals? You open your eyes to a grinning Anthony, tapping your face with a hastily bundled bunch of flowers.

“Anthony,” you frown, “I was relaxing. Do not forget that you caused my devastating injury.” You pout, widening your eyes and biting your lips, trying to play the fact that you’re merely an innocent bystander of his tomfoolery. He sighs, and waves the flowers in front of your face.

“That is precisely what this is for, you hypochondriac—ow! Sorry! I picked you flowers, because you're so microscopic that I can carry you with one hand.” He gently placed you down on a gravelly stone bench, among the wildflowers and its concomitant insects, hurriedly putting a bouquet of flowers in your hand. 

Daises.

The Guide for Flora for Debutantes: Resplendent in its simplicity, the daisy's tender white petals encircle a sunny heart, a poignant reflection of the chaste and enduring affection shared amongst esteemed companions of a non-romantic nature. The suitor that gives this flower to you may not desire to pursue a romantic relation, but shows no ill will towards you, and would in fact like to continue a relationship based purely on friendship. 

Your mind flashes to a paragraph in one of your least-loved books, but one your governess insisted you study. Perhaps he didn’t mean to give you these gut-wrenching, heartbreaking flowers, flowers that left your soul shattered on the ground, due to your dramatics. Men, in particular, were never very observant when it came to flowers. “Well, there might be a privilege to being microscopic then,” you smile, feigning delight. “Say,” you gaze up at Anthony’s eyes, “what made you pick these particular ones? Is there anything special about daises?”

“Er, no…” Anthony frowned. “They were the only ones that looked nice enough to give to you. The others looked like weeds, if I am being completely forthright.” You stifle a laugh, and perhaps there indeed was no symbolism behind the flowers the gave you, nothing other than fate.

As you settle on the stone bench, your ankle throbbing slightly, you peer at the bouquet of daises now cradled in your hand. The delicate blossoms seem to mirror the delicate dance of emotions within your heart, or so your heart believes. Anthony's actions have always been a mixture of exasperating and endearing, and this moment is no different.

"Anthony," you say, suppressing a smile, "your chivalry knows no bounds, it seems." He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Ah, my dear, a gentleman's duty is to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress, is it not?" You roll your eyes with a playful sigh, though your heart flutters at his words. There's a familiarity between you that goes beyond mere friendship, a connection that has woven itself over years of shared experiences. But society's expectations and the complexities of your own heart keep those feelings hidden beneath the surface. 

"Are you suggesting that I am in distress, Mr. Bridgerton?" you retort, raising an eyebrow. His smile widens, and he takes a seat beside you on the bench. 

"Perhaps not in distress, but certainly in need of a flower-bearing rescuer." He quips, gently nudging your shoulder. You both share a laugh, the tension that briefly hung in the air dissipating like morning mist. There's a sense of ease in his company that you've never found elsewhere, a comfort that stems from him, merely his presence.

A sense of home—of love, and for now, it did not matter if he didn’t feel it, but the warm feeling that enveloped you was merely your own to enjoy.

[builtbybrokenbells]

Spitfire | iv

After a month long battle with your first long distance relationship, you start to wonder if the turmoil of missing a rockstar is even worth it. In true Jake fashion, he makes you forget you ever felt that way to begin with.

Read part three here

Read part five here

Pairing: jake kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 7.7k

Warnings: drinking, swearing, super sweet fluff, slight ldr angst, play fighting, annoying brothers, sorry if i miss any!

hi! i wrote this one super fast because im excited to get to the climax of this story. plus i just love jake and need to write about it to process my feelings. this chapter is pretty light and fluffy. no 18+ yet, but it is coming ;) as always, enjoy, be kind, and don’t mind any grammar mistakes!!

~

You walked off the stage, grad cap and diploma secured tightly in your hand. The main floor was a mess of bodies, making it impossible to find anybody you were looking for. You pushed through the mass of black gowns and proud parents, eyes desperately trying to locate someone with familiarity. After fighting your way to the back of the arena, you noticed a group of tall, slender figures who could be mistaken for the same people if caught in the right situation. You let out a sigh of relief, practically running towards them. When you reached them, you grabbed on to the closest arm. The boy spun around, confused at first, but his eyes lit up at the sight of you once he realized who you were.

“Hey, squirt!” Alex picked you up, spinning you around in a hug. You laughed, begging to be put back down almost instantaneously. “I’m so proud of you.” He said when your feet touched the ground again, his arms still holding you tightly. The rest of the group had begun to catch on to the situation. Within a moment, Sam had joined in on the hug, ushering your other two brothers to join, too. Your parents were laughing, tears threatening to spill from your mothers eyes. Eventually, your parents joined, too.

The group was full of laughter, arms all tangled together, making it hard to differentiate who’s belonged to who. Ally had taken it upon herself to snap a few quick pictures, finding the sight of the situation to precious to pass up. When you all broke apart, the air filled with notes of congratulations and your family telling you how proud they were of you. You breathed a thank you, barely being able to process the situation yet. You had your college degree in your hand; the last three years of torment and despair had ultimately paid off. Your eyes scanned the people around you, finally landing on your best friend. She had her phone propped up, pointing it outward towards the group as if she were on the phone with someone.

A smile began to eat away on your cheeks. You caught her gaze, silently asking her if she was chatting with who you thought she was. She gave a nod, motioning for you to come see for yourself. You pushed past your youngest brother, earning an annoyed look from him. You were too busy to care, only concerned with who she was talking to. When you reached her, sure turned her phone so you could see the screen. Jake, alongside his three band mates, were all crowded into the frame, watching the screen intently. When they saw your face, they exploded into cheers. You couldn’t stop the laughter flowing from you, amazed at how much love was coming your way that day. She smiled, handing you the phone. You took it, whispering a small thank you.

“We’re so proud of you!” Josh’s chipper tone filled the speaker. The background noise in the air would have made it hard to hear them, but they were always loud enough that it wasn’t even a concern in your mind.

“The witchy woman strikes again!” Sam belted, a grin plastered across his face.

“Your speech was fantastic.” Danny complimented.

“Thanks, guys.” You chuckled. “So glad you could join the celebration, even if it was virtual.”

“Well, actually-“ Josh began to speak, but Jake gave him a quick shove, silencing him. He pulled the phone away so only his face was in view. You gave him a strange look, but Jake quickly switched topics, not letting the conversation linger on Josh’s words.

“Let me see it, baby.” Your heart fluttered at his words, a blush involuntarily pushing onto your cheeks. You pulled your diploma up, opening the cover to show him the inside. His eyes squinted, trying to make it out as best as he could. After a moment, a smile crossed his face, too. “That’s my girl.” You were certain you could have died on the spot. He said it with so much sincerity that there was no room for a hint of doubt that he meant it. “I’m so proud of you, y/n.”

“Thanks, Jake.” You responded. “I wish you were here.”

“Me too,” he told you, but his eyes were following something beyond the phone screen. “Soon, okay? I promise.” There was some kind of emotion in his expression that you couldn’t decipher. Excitement, maybe? You couldn’t place it.

“Whatever you say, rockstar.” You teased. Deep down, even if you’d never admit it, you were sad he wasn’t there. You were more upset at the fact you didn’t know when you’d see him again. It was pushing a month since you’d met him, now. The time you’d spent with him at his hotel all those weeks ago was slowly dwindling into just a memory rather than a feeling. As much as you talked to him on the phone, it couldn’t equate to him being there in person. You felt a little ridiculous, missing someone so much when he wasn’t even your boyfriend. But, he was special, and there was no denying it. You didn’t have to be ‘in a relationship’ with him to miss him, or to love him. He was just that type of person.

“I mean it,” he said, looking more serious now. “I want to see you, too.” You were pulled away from his words by your brothers ushering you out the door. When you emerged into the bustling parking lot, you focused back on Jake, trying to ignore the violent glare of the sun.

“I know, I’m sorry. I guess this is harder than I thought it would be.” You chuckled. “I just miss you, and I can’t wait to see you again.” You admitted. A sad smile crossed his face.

“I know, but I promise things are going to get better.” His tone held a note of finality. You gave a nod. “Listen, I have to go. I don’t want to, but I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay, thank you for watching the ceremony.” You tried not to let your disappointment show. “Talk to you later, rockstar.” He looked like he was walking, now. You could hear lots of chatter in the background of the call. You couldn’t quite place where he was, though.

“I’m so proud of you, y/n.” He reminded. He pulled the phone away from him slightly so the rest of his brothers could crowd into the frame again.

“Bye!” The other three chorused. You let out a giggle, giving a wave.

“Bye, guys! Thanks for calling!”

“We love you!” Josh’s voice rang through the phone again, warming your heart. You pulled your camera back, allowing your brothers and two roommates to see them, too. They all waved at the camera. Jake caught your eye one last time, giving you a look full of emotion. It was his way of saying ‘I love you’ without actually having to say it aloud. You didn’t break his eye contact until the phone disconnected. You stared at the black screen for a moment, heart heavy but full at the same time. You knew he was busy, but some days it just hit harder than others. That day in particular seemed to be one of them.

You found it funny, how you were surrounded by people who loved you and wanted to celebrate you, but even so, the only one who you wanted to celebrate with was Jake. You handed Eve’s phone back to her, attempting to break out of your solemn state by quickly covering it with a smile. Eve gave you a knowing look, reassuring you that she knew how you felt, and it was okay to feel that way. You let out a deep breath, shaking the emotion off.

“Does everyone want to go for dinner?” Your mom asked, looking around to the group. You looked between your brothers, who were more than okay with the idea. They were always willing to eat, no matter the circumstance. You turned to Ally and Eve, who gave a nod of agreement.

“Yeah, I know a good place.” You said, giving a restaurant name for everyone to type into their GPS.

You all piled into separate cars. Your parents and Alex got in your car, Eve and Sam went with your other two brothers in her car, and Ally went with Ben in his car.

You all went to a small family diner, crowding into a few tables they had pushed together for your group. The meal was fantastic, filled with laughter and old memories, and even some tears from your parents. Many pictures were taken, some sent directly to Jake and some posted on social media stories. A complimentary dessert was served from the staff as a congratulations for graduating. You loved the small businesses; that’s why you took the last three years to get to know the workers and the owners of as many spots as you could. They were always kind and appreciative of any business they got. You loved the relationships you got to form with the staff, and they always seemed quick to thank you for your loyalty and support over the years.

As you were finishing up and the group was getting ready to leave, you looked to your left to see Eve holding hands with Sam under the table, seemingly undetected to everyone else. Your eyes softened at the sight. For a moment, a twinge of jealousy ran through you, mad that you couldn’t have Jake there to hold his hand. Then, you shook it away, realizing that Eve was so supportive of how you were feeling because she’d been feeling that way for years. Her and Sam fell in love practically the minute they’d met each other, but always lived so far away that they thought it was best to leave things as they were instead of fighting for a long distance relationship.

You thought about it for a moment, uncertainty bubbling in your stomach, knowing you had done the complete opposite. They waited, and still seemed to be waiting for each other, or for the time to be right. They didn’t tell anyone, they barely ever let on about how they felt about each other or how much they talked. You knew about it only because you knew both of them better than anyone in the world. When you eventually asked her about it, she was honest with you. On the other hand, you met Jake, and denied completely that you felt any connection, only to run into him again and start to talk to him so often that your day felt empty when he wasn’t on the other side of the phone.

You pushed the thoughts aside, realizing that you were in way too deep to worry about it now. Even if you put a pause on whatever you and Jake were doing, you were certain it would cause more turmoil than good by that point. You figured it was best to let it run its course; either you would end up really happy, or swear off dating for the rest of your life. Still, as you pushed the thought away, an uneasiness settled in the pit of your stomach. You wondered if getting so close to someone you barely knew was the best idea.

“Ready to head home?” Eve asked, noticing your blank stare. You looked up to her, nodding.

“Yeah, I’m ready to drink.” You said, a smile breaking through your anxious thoughts. You gathered your things from the table, turning to your parents for a goodbye. They walked towards you, past all of your brothers, and pulled you into a hug. “Thanks for everything.” You mumbled, head pressed into your fathers chest. He was holding you tightly, scared to let you go. He couldn’t believe his little girl was grown up and ready to start her life.

“We’re so proud of you, honey.” Your mom said, fixing the strap on your dress. You laughed to yourself, knowing your mom wouldn’t be your mom without her worrying that everything was proper and in place. She was so caring and attentive, wanting to ensure that all of her children were happy and ready to take on the world.

“We’re going to head to the hotel and leave you guys to your partying.” Your dad chuckled, knowing you would all be up to no good. He remembered back to when you were all living at home with them, certain that nothing had changed. “Meet us for breakfast tomorrow before we fly out?” He asked.

“Yeah, what time?” You questioned.

“I think our flight is at three?” He looked to your mother, silently begging for confirmation.

“Three-thirty.” She corrected, causing another laugh from you. “We’d love to see you again before we go.” She pointed the second part of her statement at you.

“Yeah, I’m sure I could manage that.” You assured them. “Give me a call in the morning.”

“Okay,” a soft smile crossed your mothers lips.

“Did you guys need a drive back to the hotel?” You asked. Your mom shook her head.

“We already called a cab.” You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

“I could have driven you! It’s not that far away.” You scolded. Your dad let out a small laugh, shaking his head at you.

“Go home, have fun, but be safe.” He said, pulling you into another hug, landing a kiss on the top of your head. Your mom did the same, holding on to you a bit longer than usual.

“I love you guys.” You said, not wanting them to go. You loved the life you were building, but it was extremely hard living so far away from your family.

“We love you.” Your mom said, finally pulling back. “See you in the morning.” You bid a small goodbye as they turned away, watching them as they walked outside. Alex slung his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side. He was always there to pick you back up when you were sad. He was mind-numbingly annoying by times, in true big brother fashion, but he was always your biggest supporter and the first ear willing to listen when you were upset.

“Let’s head home, squirt.” He squeezed your arm. You gave him a grin, gathering the rest of the group and heading outside, too.

When you arrived back at your house, you and Alex were out of breath from belting along to songs on the stereo and laughing about old childhood stories. You drove a bit slower, wanting to spend a little more time alone with your brother. You locked your car, leading him into the front door. When you stepped inside, your eyes soaked up the unusual decor that was littering the house. You couldn’t help but laugh, looking at the banners that were hung haphazardly on the walls, miscellaneous balloons littering the floors, and streamers dangling from the ceiling. You realized the group must have decorated earlier. You left before everyone else, needing to get to the ceremony for instructions on how the event was going to happen.

“Surprise!” Eve shouted, barely being able to contain her excitement. You picked up a balloon from the ground, looking at the writing on it.

“Happy 7th birthday?” You questioned.

“We were on a time crunch.” She laughed, running over to give you a hug. “But, we have lots of alcohol and food. The balloons were the least of my worry.”

“Thank you.” You meant it. Even when life was terrible, or you never thought things would get better, your friends never failed to show you how great the world could be even when it doesn’t seem like it. They were the best people you’d ever met, and they would do anything for you. You would for them, too, no questions asked. They were beyond friends; more like family, at that point. “I’m gonna go get changed.” You told her. She nodded, letting you go so you could go to your room.

You closed your bedroom door behind you, dropping your purse on your bed. You placed your diploma on your desk, eyes lingering over it with a feeling of satisfaction growing larger by the second. Before anything, you reached over to the wall and ran your fingers over the signed record from Jake, wanting to feel close to him just for a moment. Eventually, you went to your closet and pulled out your favourite pair of blue mom jeans. They had embroidered flowers on the back pockets from a girls night you’d had with your roommates the year prior. They weren’t perfectly done, but the three of you definitely had fun learning how to do it. Eve and Ally both had jeans that matched yours, and they frequently wore them, loving the memory just as much as you did.

You pulled out a black lace bodysuit, deciding to dress up a little bit. You had no idea how many people the girls had invited, so you thought it best to be prepared. You changed quickly, throwing on some more perfume and deodorant. You made a pit stop at the bathroom, tidying your makeup and reapplying your lipstick that had worn off from dinner. As you were finishing, you noticed the golden glow through the window, signifying the sun setting. With a quick brush through your hair, you were ready to rejoin everyone. The kitchen was noisy, filled with all of your brothers and closest friends. When they saw you enter, they let out a collective cheer. Sam went right to the table, pouring a round of shots for everyone. He handed you one first, watching expectingly. You rolled your eyes, but swallowed it down like he wanted. Once you finished, he took his own.

“That was for you, graduate.” He jokingly bowed to you. “I never thought you’d make it.” You lightly punched his arm, laughing off his pass.

“Shut up, Sam.”

“You love me!” He retorted, returning to the bottles of liquor to continue drinking. You followed, grabbing your own cup and mixing yourself a drink. You took a seat at the table, seeing a deck of playing cards messily strewn across the wood. You picked it up, giving it a quick shuffle. You set it back down, in front of Sam, who’d taken the chair next to you. He gave you a look of questioning. You nodded your head towards the cards.

“Cut it.” You stated. “Low card takes a shot.” He straightened up, hovering his fingers over the sides of the cards, as if he was channelling some sort of lucky energy. “Aces are high.” You reminded. He gave a nod, settling on a spot in the deck before he cut it in half. He slumped slightly as he looked at the number, flipping it to show you. You smirked, eyes looking over his choice. “Three’s the best you could do?”

“Fuck you.” He placed the cards back down, looking to you expectantly. You took to the deck, cutting it closer to the bottom. You took a deep breath in before flipping it over.

“Drink up.” You threw the cards down gently, letting him see the queen for himself.

“Whatever. You always cheat.” He picked a bottle from the collection, barely looking at the label before he poured a shot into his glass.

“What are you, four?” You retorted. “Grow up.” You both dissolved into a small fit of laughter at the fake argument. He drank the liquid with a small shudder, placing the shot glass back on the table.

“You’re trying to kill me, woman.”

“You picked the bottle, not me.” You chuckled. “You did that to yourself, Sammy boy.”

“We’re playing king’s cup, later. You’ll pay for it, then.” He warned, standing now. Eve was hovering behind him, giggling at your antics.

“Whatever you say, brother.” You waved him off. Eve gave you a smile, but ultimately followed him as he walked away. You understood, but it irritated you slightly. Not because she wanted to be with him, but because Jake wasn’t there for you to follow after him like that. You hated that you were bothered by it so much, but it seemed as though that feeling was permanent. You even found yourself feeling that way around Ben and Ally by times, and it never bothered you before. They’d been dating as long as you knew them, and you were well acquainted with their PDA. Only recently had it started to irk you. Your other three brothers broke you away from your internal brooding. When you looked up, Alex was holding out a can for you. You reached out, hesitantly taking it from him. You noticed they all had one of their own, watching you intensely. “You guys are freaking me out.” You warned.

They broke character for a moment, letting out a few childish laughs. “Shotgun with us.” Alex said. Relief washed over you as you stood.

“You guys should have just said that.” You rolled your eyes.

“Then it wouldn’t have been any fun.” Austin reminded. You grabbed a knife from the cutlery drawer, poking a hole in the side of your can. You handed it around to the other three, who all followed suit.

“If she wins, she can get her graduation present!” Eve called out, catching your attention. You cocked your head to the side in confusion.

“I thought I said no gifts?” You called back.

“Trust me, you’ll want this one.” She said before looking down at her phone. “So you better beat them.” You gave a shrug, understanding it was best not to argue. When Will put the knife down on the counter, he nodded to the rest of you, silently saying he was ready. “Go on three, okay?” Eve said. You all hummed in agreement, preparing for the competition. “Three, two…..” she let out a long, dramatic pause before letting you all start. “One!” She shouted. Instantly, you all cracked the tabs of your cans open tipped your heads back, side of the cans to your mouth.

You drank it as fast as you could, throwing the can in the sink as soon as all of the liquid was gone. You looked to your brothers, catching your breath, only to see you had finished first. Will was next, followed neck and neck by Alex and Austin. They ooked around, noticing that you’d won. The three all let out a stagger of belches, making you turn your nose up at them. When they caught their own breath, they let out a collective dramatic groan, clearly faking them. You watched them carefully, not sure why their reaction was so docile. Usually they’d be floored if you beat them at any competition. You were astonished. “You guys let me win.” You deducted.

“What?” Alex dragged out his words, faking disbelief. “We would never do such a thing!”

“Yeah, y/n, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Austin shook his head.

“You’re losing it, squirt.” Will said, tossing his can in the sink, too.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” You laughed, but you were genuinely nervous. A knock sounded on the main door, making the tension even worse.

“Well, you won, right?” Eve cackled, finding your confusion hilarious.

“I mean, yeah, but-“

“Didn’t I say you’d get your gift if you won?” You gave a slow nod, still not catching on to what she was saying.

“And that is… a person?” You questioned. She didn’t answer, only watched you, eager for you to understand the situation. You looked between her and your brothers, waiting for somebody to tell you what was happening. “Can somebody tell me what the fuck-“

“Go answer the door!” They all yelled in unison. You cowered slightly at all of the loud voices at once, but did as you were told. All of your brothers pulled out their phones, wanting to capture your reaction on video. When you got to the door, you couldn’t really see outside. It was dark, and your roommates hadn’t turned the porch light on. You unlocked the knob, twisting it and pulling it open slowly. You stepped back, allowing yourself to open it completely.

You stood, frozen, dumbfounded at the bodies waiting on the porch. You blinked once, hard. When you opened your eyes, the sight before you was the same. You blinked again, just to be sure. When you looked for the third time and they still stood before you, you were certain your heart was going to explode out of your chest. You took a step forward, hesitant at first. “You really think we’d miss your graduation party, witchy woman?” Jake let out a nearly silent tsk. When he spoke, it solidified the fact that him and his brothers were really standing in front of you. You sprung to action, nearly knocking him over with the force of your hug. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around you, holding you with just as much enthusiasm.

When you pulled away, without another thought, you leaned up and pressed your lips to his. His hand found your face, thumb running gently over the skin of your cheek. Your own hand found the back of his neck, pulling him impossibly closer, completely lost in the feeling of him being in front of you again. The warmth of his mouth on yours gave you a feeling you were certain you’d never be able to replicate. You barely knew him, but somehow he felt like home, more than anywhere or anyone else ever had. When you broke apart, you were both blissfully breathless, foreheads resting against each others as if you needed the support to remain upright.

“As sweet, and as gross, as that was, we’re here too.” Josh chimed from beside you, giving you a gentle reminder that he wanted a hug, too. Jake sent him a look of warning, to which his twin remained happily ignorant to. You laughed, breaking from Jake to pull him into a hug. You did the same with Sam and Danny.

“Come in, please.” You ushered them all inside, noticing that they were carrying bags. “I don’t even know where to start.” You chuckled. “Are you guys staying here?”

“I mean, Eve said we could, but if you don’t want us to, we don’t have to.” Jake explained.

“No, I’m more than okay with it.” You promised. “Just trying to make sense of the whole thing.”

“I figured that Jake would stay with you. Austin and Will have the guest bedroom, Alex has the upstairs couch. There’s still two couches in the basement, and I’m pretty sure I have an air mattress in the closet.” Eve told you. You decided not to bring up that she didn’t mention your youngest brothers name. You figured he’d end up in her room, anyway.

“So you’ve been planning this for a while?” You questioned, giving her a narrow stare. She nodded. “And everyone knew but me?” She nodded again.

“That’s kind of the whole point of a surprise, y/n.” Sam said, as if it was obvious. You broke from the boys, leaning over to punch your brother in the shoulder. He hissed in pain, rubbing the spot where your fist connected with him.

“Wait!” The tallest of the three Kiszka brothers broke the tension. You all turned to look at him, confused at the sudden outburst. “If he’s Sam, and I’m Sam, how are we going to know which Sam is which?” You looked between the two, thinking about it for a moment.

“Okay, well, you can be Sammy.” You pointed at Jake’s brother. “And you can be Sam.” You then pointed at your own sibling.

“That works.” Sam nodded. Sammy agreed.

“I figured calling you Kiszka may be a little impersonal. And if I called you ‘Tall Sam’, it might bruise his ego.” You explained with a hint of fake sympathy.

“You know what?” You brother said, making a move at you. “Fuck you,” He grumbled before he caught you off guard, tackling you to the ground. The both of you wrestled each other, fighting for dominance, while the rest of the crowd watched.

“Did I cause that?” Sammy asked, looking to your roommate. She shook her head. “Should we stop them?” She repeated her earlier action.

“That’s what they’re like,” she explained, gaze falling to the dispute on the floor.

“And she’ll win, too. She always does.” Alex added. Eve gave a shrug.

“I didn’t want to say it, but yeah, she does.” Eve admitted. The entire group let out a laugh. “Did you guys want a drink? I’m sure this will go on for a while.”

Eventually, you had Sam pinned to the ground. You were both breathless and in disarray, but you weren’t willing to give up without him admitting defeat. After a few moments of him struggling, you felt him give up, tapping the floor twice. You jumped up, giving a quick a-ha, just to piss him off. You straightened yourself out, fixing your clothes and your hair as best you could. You held a hand out, helping your brother to his feet. It was like routine with you both; as soon as the fight stopped, you went back to normal. No hard feelings until the next one rolled around. You and Sam joined the rest of the company around the table, all with a drink in their hand, now.

“You guys can go throw your bags downstairs, if you want.” You told them. “I can show you where to go.”

“No, I can. It’s okay.” Eve assured you. You nodded, eyes falling on Jake. He gave you a soft smile. You nodded your head towards the hallway, a silent plea for a minute alone. He didn’t hesitate in joining you as you walked away. You led him down to your room, prompting him to enter first. He did, but in a borderline cautious manor. You followed, gently closing the door behind you.

He sat his bag down by the end of your bed, turning to look at you. You approached him slowly, reaching for his hand before you said anything. He took yours, locking your fingers together. He gave a gentle pull, bringing you closer to him. A smile ghosted your lips, realizing that the memory of being with Jake was nothing compared to the reality. You wrapped your free arm around him, resting your head on his chest. He placed his lips to the top of your head, lingering for a second more than he intended. He’d been anticipating this moment for days, but now that you were in front of him, he was drunk off your presence. You closed your eyes, listening to his heartbeat, thinking that it was one of the most peaceful sounds you’d ever heard. You wanted to talk, to hear every word he was willing to say, or to ask all of the questions that had been bubbling in your head since he showed up, but you couldn’t. The serenity of the shared silence between you was too comforting to break.

He sat down on the edge of your bed, guiding you down beside him. At first, you just rested your head on his shoulder, never letting your hand fall from his. After a moment, he used his hand to pull your chin up, wanting nothing more than to see your face. You watched his eyes, losing yourself in the brown hue that was threatening black in the dim lighting. You opened your mouth, wanting to speak so badly, but not knowing what to say. He gave a small chuckle, mostly because he felt the same way. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, running his thumb over your cheek, and eventually down over your jawline. His thumb brushed over the bottom of your lip, eliciting a smile from you. You kissed the pad of his finger, remembering back to when he did it to you the night you met him.

“I missed you.” He said, finally breaking the silence.

“I missed you, too.” You almost laughed, knowing that your words couldn’t come close to explaining how you really felt. “I thought you had a show today?”

“Yeah, it turns out that I didn’t, actually.” He shrugged, a small hint of humour in his statement.

“So you lied to me, Jacob?” You teased.

“Maybe a little, but it was for the best, and it’ll never happen again.” He promised, a grin eating away at his cheeks.

“Uh-huh,” you mumbled, your own hand finding its way to his face, now. You tangled your fingers in the hair behind his ear, pushing it away from his face. You’d never dated a boy with long hair, but the more time you spent with Jake, the more you realized what you were missing out on. Then again, you thought it may just be a Jake thing. A lot of things seemed to be. ‘If I had to label myself, I would probably be Jake-sexual,’ you thought to yourself, having to hold back a giggle. You brushed your own thoughts away, shutting down your own stupidity. “And you’ve been keeping it a secret from me for how long?”

“I know, I’m sorry. I almost gave in a few times, but I thought that a surprise would be way better.” He explained. “Then Josh almost ruined it when we were at the fucking airport earlier.” He rolled his eyes. You thought back to the FaceTime call, laughing at the memory. The interaction made a bit more sense now. “I really wanted to be here for the ceremony, but the schedule just didn’t line up. I’m really sorry I missed it.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything. You saw it on FaceTime, anyway.”

“I know, I know, but it wasn’t the same. I was hoping to be the first one to hug you when you got off stage.” He chuckled to himself. “It may be stupid, but I really wish I could have.”

“There’s one more ceremony after this, you know.” You reminded him. He smiled, nodding at your words.

“So you think you’re gonna keep me around for that long?” He raised an eyebrow at you.

“I’ll keep you around forever, if that’s what you want, too.” You admitted.

“I wouldn’t mind that.” He breathed. “So you were surprised? Nobody let it slip?” You shook your head.

“No, I had no idea.”

“But pleasantly surprised, right?” You laughed at his question.

“Of course, Jake. I’ve been wishing you were here every night since you left. I’m more than happy that you came.” You leaned in a bit closer, a bit too nervous to kiss him, for some reason.

“That’s good, because I’m happy I’m here.” He told you, inching closer as well. You stayed in limbo for a moment, both scared to make a move. “I’d like to kiss you again, if that’s okay.” He finally said, not being able to resist the urge any longer.

“It’s more than okay, rockstar.” You said. Within a second, his mouth was on yours, a bit more desperate than the kiss you’d shared outside. His hand released his hold on yours, quickly finding your hip and pulling you closer to him. Your fingers grabbed the fabric of his shirt, holding on to him like you were scared he’d get away. When he pulled back, his nose brushed over yours, causing a giggle from you.

“I have something for you.” He said, moving back a bit. You tried not to show your disappointment at the sudden withdrawal. He reached down to his bag, opening it and rummaging for a moment before pulling a small gift bag out. He handed it to you, his smile never faltering.

“You didn’t have to get me-“

“I wanted to.” He cut you off, knowing exactly where you were going with your statement. One thing you loved about him was how sweet he was, but every now and then he let a dominant side slip out. It made you excited to reveal a whole other side of him when the time came. You took it from him, looking over the simple black gift bag. You pulled up the single piece of tape holding it closed, taking a peek inside. You pulled out a small bottle. Upon first inspection, you realized it was a bottle of cologne. You gave him a questioning look. “It may be stupid, or whatever, but, uh, you said one night on the phone that your bed didn’t smell like me and it made you sad?” He was unsure of himself as he spoke. A blush dusted your cheeks, remembering that statement very clearly.

“Yeah, you… you smell… nice.” You managed to get the words out, feeling like an idiot. “I think that the night we stayed together at the hotel was the best sleep I’ve ever had. It sucks sometimes, because I don’t have anything that really reminds me of you. When I think of that night, I usually remember the smell of your cologne. I think it helped me fall asleep.” You explained, looking over the small bottle, too embarrassed to look up at him.

“Well, that’s the one.” He chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “Josh thought of that, actually. If you don’t want it, it’s okay. I just thought that maybe… that would solve that problem.” You felt the anxiety slip away.

“That’s really sweet, Jake.” You pulled the cap off, putting the bottle to your nose and inhaling. Your eyes involuntarily fluttered closed, revelling in the scent. It smelled exactly like him. “I’m sorry if me saying that was weird.” You said when you came back to reality.

“No, I thought it was cute.” He laughed. “I was more worried that you would think I was weird for getting you that.” You shook your head, shutting that idea down as fast as he said it.

“I think this will definitely help me sleep better.” You admitted, all notes of embarrassment long gone, now.

“That’s what I was hoping for.” You admired his smile, how beautiful it looked on his lips, and you wished it could stay there forever. “Keep going,” he encouraged. You reached in the bag, pulling out a small box. You eyed it wearily, slowly opening it. Inside held a ring with a small ruby gemstone. “It’s not anything serious.” He said, quickly. “I just saw it when we were shopping around, it reminded me of you.”

“Nothing serious, eh?” You teased. “Looks pretty serious to me.” You pulled it out, inspecting it closer. It was dainty, but beautiful beyond its simplicity. “This looks expensive, Jake.” You scolded, the humour disappearing from your voice.

“I don’t care about that. I care if you like it, though, or if it’s too much.”

“No, I do like it. It’s beautiful,” you sighed. “I just feel bad.”

“Don’t feel bad.” He dismissed you. “I wanted to get it for you. It’s not even close to what you deserve.” Your stomach fluttered with adoration for him. “And this isn’t a proposal, or anything, obviously.” He explained. “Although, hopefully someday.” He muttered, but you caught it. You smiled to yourself, still coming to terms with the fact that he was really serious about you. “It’s just something pretty for someone even prettier.” His boyish charm always made you swoon, mostly because you’d never been with someone who courted you like he did. “I don’t know if you like ruby, but it reminded me of the lipstick you wore that night at the bar. Also, in the song you were singing…” he trailed off, but you knew the lyric he was referring to. “Seriously, you can pawn it and kick me out if I overstepped. I just thought you deserved something nice for such a big accomplishment.”

“You’re trying to get me to fall in love with you, aren’t you?” The humorous accusatory statement lightened the mood.

“Yeah, kind of. You’re way behind if you’re just realizing that, now.” He laughed. “There’s something else in there, too.”

“Jake,” you sighed, feeling terrible about the cost of his gift.

“Hey,” he warned “this one is for both of us, so don’t feel bad.” You gave a small nod, pulling out the last thing in the bag. It was a small envelope with your nickname written on the front. You gently lifted the paper flap from the glue, careful not to damage the card inside. You pulled it out, smiling at the design on the front of it. “It was hard to find a card that says for my ‘not-quite my girlfriend, even though I really want her to be, but I’m too scared to ask.’ I figured that one was suitable.” He used his fingers to quote some of his words. You got a laugh out of it, but the nervousness was creeping back in.

“Is that your way of asking me?” Your voice was soft, genuinely inquiring about it. He didn’t respond right away, but he did study your face for a moment, trying to see if that’s what you wanted.

“Depends on your answer.” He replied, voice so quiet you could barely hear him. You didn’t respond right away, thinking heavily about the situation, wondering how you’d gotten here. You swore off dating, promising yourself that school would come first and that you didn’t have time for any drama or heartbreak. But he was different. He was unlike anyone you’d ever fallen for, and he always put you first. Even in the stress of the last few weeks, his main priority was you getting your schoolwork done. You felt like he’d been cheering you on more than you did yourself. You were scared beyond measure, but the more you thought about it, the idea of being his girlfriend was more of a comfort rather than a fear.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “I think that would be okay. I mean, we’re pretty much dating, anyway. Just without a label.” His eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning, wasting no time before leaning in to kiss you again. This one was short, but filled with sweetness and let you know that he was over the moon that you said yes. When he pulled back, he eyes the card as if to tell you to open it. You did so, immediately noticing a paper inside of it. You pushed it to the side without looking, wanting more than anything to see what he wrote.

Meet me in Atlanta and let me take you across the world with me xx - your rockstar

You grabbed the paper that was resting in the card, picking it up to take a look at it. Your stomach dropped at the sight. It was a plane ticket to Atlanta, the date plastered on it was for three weeks in the future. You looked up at him, seeing a hopeful look in his eye. “You don’t have to stay with us all summer, maybe just for a little while. I want you to be in my life, and this is a huge part of it. I want you to be a part of it, too.” You weren’t sure how to respond. It was a huge commitment, leaving home to be with him. There was no doubt you wanted to, but that same fear from before was creeping back in. For something so new, it just seemed to be happing very fast. “You don’t have to answer me yet, you can think about it, first. It’s an invitation, more than anything. Not a demand.”

“Wow,” Was all you could muster out. He was fidgeting with his hands, nervous about what you would say. “I would love to, Jake. It’s just… money, and time, and I’m scared, I think.” You explained.

“Don’t worry about money.” He said. You rolled your eyes, unable to hold the expression back.

“Obviously I’m going to worry about it, Jake. You’re my boyfriend, my very new boyfriend, at that. I don’t want you to have to pay my way for anything.” You sighed.

“I want you there, okay? Even if it’s just for a day. I promised you I’d take you around the world with me, didn’t I?” He cracked a small smile, which you couldn’t help but return.

“I still have to work, though. I have an internship this summer.”

“It’s virtual, isn’t it?” He asked. You were surprised he remembered.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “All that aside, what if you decide you don’t want me there anymore?” A humourless laugh fell from your mouth.

“That will never happen.” He guaranteed you. “I know you’re nervous, and it’s okay, but I want you. I’ve been certain about that since the day I met you.” He said, index finger lifting your chin so you would look up at him. “Even if you just come to our show, then you can decide from there. If you don’t want to, no hard feelings. I’ll still call you every night and tell you how much I miss you.” You smiled at his words, finally giving a nod. “I don’t want to go this long without seeing you again.” He admitted.

“Me either.” You said, placing the ticket back in the card. You placed all of the items back in the bag, with the exception of the ring, which you slipped on your middle finger. It fit perfectly. “If you’re sure about this, I’ll come with you, rockstar. At least for a few days.” His heart leapt with excitement, a grin appearing on his lips.

“Never been more sure of anything in my life.” He promised. You met his eyes again, curious as to why every time you looked at him all of the anxiety seemed to melt away.

“Thank you, Jake. For everything. For the gifts, for showing up… for caring about me.” You mumbled the last part, feeling stupid for saying it.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything.” He whispered.

“How long do have you for, rockstar?” You asked, a mischievous smile creeping up on you.

“Three days.” He said, taking the bag from you and placing it on the floor. He pulled you closer to him, noses practically touching, now.

“I guess we’ll have to make them count, then.” You told him. He let out a small chuckle.

“I guess so, witchy woman.”

TAGLIST: @gvfpal @jakesgrapejuice @hellowgoodbye

[rowretro]

✧𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍✧

WARNINGS: none I think-

✧CHAPTER 3✧

The next day went by silently. All Heeseung knew, was that Jooyeon broke her heart and she drank and got high out of her mind. He didn't know about the harassment, all he heard was that a gang fight took place in a bedroom, and 5 men were killed. Sunghoon was just such a perfect actor. Not even y/n rememberred...

She woke up to find Sunghoon asleep on the sofa in her room. Why was he there? well he was simply installing extremely secret cameras around her room, but y/n didn't need to know that. As far as she's concerned, the latter only stayed behind to take good care of her, and make sure she was ok. Now that was rather flatterring.

Sunghoon stayed for breakfast then left, leaving the girl to Heeseung "Im so glad we don't have to put up with that rockstar wannabe anymore" Mrs Lee pointed out as Heeseung sighed "mom... i get he's a dick but maybe now is not the time... its 9pm and she's still all sad and quiet" Heeseung pointed out as the woman smiled at him. "Oh Heeseung... I know its hard to see her like this but... love is a lesson... all people need to experience some pain you know?" the woman pointed out as she hugged the boy, proud of how protective he is over his dear sister.

Heeseung silently took a seat beside y/n who sat by the window looking outside, glancing at her phone every now and then. "Miss him?" the male asked as y/n turned to him, teary eyed "I-I just keep hoping I'd see his car.... I really miss that car" y/n admitted as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I know... you spent most of ur time with him in that car when you sneak out" Heeseung pointed out "You knew?" "Of course I knew... I see it all the time... it's a good thing you feel this way because you feeling hurt is a reminder that this was a relationship worth having" Heeseung explained.

The night went by with y/n crying in Heeseung's arms, then the male leaving her on her bed. Jooyeon was finally out of the picture, now its time for Sunghoon to win her heart, slowly but surely it will happen. Sunghoon smirked as he watched her sleep peacefully through the camera, that think, silk cami night gown being the only thing covering her body, her cheeks slightly glossy with a few drying tears, the way she snuggled into the pillow beside her as if it were her husband... as if that pillow was him.

The following morning y/n was stuck being home alone, with dear Sunghoon to babysit her. Just him and y/n home alone. God these people trusted him way too much. "Sunghoon- do u want marshmallows?" the girl called from the kitchen "Sure I don't mind" he replied. Smiling, the girl climbed onto the kitchen counter and opened the cupboard, practically balancing on the edge.

As she got a hold of the packet, she felt herself slipping off the counter, "OH SHIT-" she yelped, realizing that her life was basically on the line. Out of no where, Sunghoon caught her in time, the girl in his arms as he stared down at her. He carried her to the sofa "If you couldn't reach you should've asked!" He sternly said as y/n could only nod. Oh her heart... she's never been this close to Sunghoon before. His plush lips, perfectly sculpted face, the way his hair strands fell in place, those eyebrows, sexy beautiful eyebrows, that nose she'd always wish she had, and to finish the look, those perfect moles that god splattered onto his face.

Oh he was such an angel. Sunghoon noticed that look in her eyes, his arms around her waist as she set her down slowly, but she never pulled away, she was too focused on him. His arms resting on the bare skin of her waist, as she wondered how lucky she was to have someone this pretty be there for her 24/7. Her brother's pretty best friend, who was such a sweetheart, was really doing something to her heart.

It was all too easy for Sunghoon, she's so naïve. She knew he was a demon, but she didn't make such a big deal out of it, why would she? he was nothing but sweet to her family and he caused no harm, as far as she's concerned. She doesn't know what hides behind that innocent, warm smile... a hungry monster waiting to pounce on her, and keep her all to himself...

✧𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍✧

[melonminnie]

HI HI ‼️<3

can i pls request an oscar x female reader where all oscar family loves her ,

it can be kinda of part two of mabel's past life friend request

so she could have been oscar's playmate so the empress [mabel mother] loved her and always loved to spoil her and play dolls with her [reader couldn't quite understand the concept of dolls and thought it was a waste of time but she loved the empress so she played with her either way] while esteban got attached to her with time and saw her as his daughter so like the empress he loved spoiling her and after he knew her parents's motive and put them in jail he made sure that a good noble family adopt her while the duchess [oscar mother] met her accidentally and grew fond of her , i read a chapter of the novel because oscar looked so beautiful in the art and he said that she hates ignorant people and the reader is quite responsible for her age so she praises oscar for his choice of future wife lmao . but then she grows to love her like her daughter [when she knew about her parents she was about to go to esteban to ask him to execute them but she stopped herself lmao] .and then mabel was born and the empress died and that was the first time reader cried bcs she lost her mother figure and the first person to give her parental love so she decided to protect mabel until her death bcs she was the only thing left from the empress . and lastly is mabel that was so happy to find her dear friend that she loved so much but lost due to an illness and in this life her friend is completely healthy ‼️[minus the scars that she had, who dared to hurt her dear sister figure‼️] maybe even in their first life reader had abusive parents so mabel got sad bcs can't her friend have a nice family for once‼️so when she realizes her brother love her friend she decides to get them together and then she can have reader as her sister in law ‼️<3AND THAT'S ALL ‼️‼️<33BYE BYE ‼️<3

Strawberry shortcake (Oscar x fem! Reader)

-accidentally posted this so I had to copy the request and write it IM SO SORRY the empresses name is sianna or cianna if you translate it genuinely don’t know how the former empress and Oscar act so sorry

“Y/n come here,” Sianna spoke softly, trying to coax the young girl to sit closer to her.

It had only been a few weeks sense esteban had announced you’d be staying with them temporarily.The empress would call you into her room every day.

Of course she knew it was going to be hard to get you to have your guard down. That’s why she tried though.

The older woman never gave up after she spoke, she kept on coaxing the younger girl to move closer to her, after a while of sianna practically pleading with y/n, the girl agreed and sat next to the empress.

Sianna watched with soft eyes as her lips perked up into a smile, the pink hair turned her attention and quickly grabbed a small box with a ribbon covering it, it was a present placing it In between y/ns hands.

"Open it," she stated the obvious with her sole attention on the child. Sienna's smile only widened once the gift was opened, and Y/N stared at the gift in confusion. It was a doll, yes, and a very expensive and pretty one.

Yet the child couldn't comprehend why she needed it. She lifted her gaze and stared into the woman's eyes. "Don't you like it?" She questioned, worry laced in her voice, She'd never had a daughter nor a child; yes, she had Oscar, but he wasn't really her son, yet she still considered him her son.

"No, I do like it." y/n answered, The situation was awkward; the girl clearly didn't know how to play with a doll, yet she'd try, of course.

The girl quickly got up and hugged the empress out of worry that she didn't enjoy it. "Thank you!" Y/n buried her face deeper into the woman's dress, and Sianna laughed and hugged the girl back. Sure, their first meeting was embarrassing, but she would've been okay with it.

“Y/n!” The door suddenly opened, revealing the crown prince whom had grown attached to his new or only playmate.

A few months had passed sense the girl had been in the castle, There was still anger in the community due to her parents and punishments they’d thought was suitable.

Due to that not a lot of people would want to adopt the young girl from her background, Esteban growing a liking to the girl knew he couldn’t just let her go.

For a few months it was frustrating, nobody was willing enough to help the desperate emperor.Kindness only goes so far.

Oscar turned his head and scanned the room, “What!, your all here” he cried after noticing, he moved his body and sat directly in-front of his playmate.

The silver haired boy picked up the toys on the floor and started playing with them.While the two were occupied Esteban voiced his worries to his wife.

It was out of pure luck that the emperor was the one who was taking care of you, anyone else you would’ve ended up in an orphanage by now.

“I’m sure you’ll resolve it sooner” Sienna smiled.

A few weeks had passed at this point, it had now pasted the third month of a criminals daughter staying with them, that day it was marked the day that Esteban could finally rest.

All the issues were solved, it was declared that they used their own child as a pawn and that she had no part in it, with that came the millions of nobles now stepping up to take care of the girl now.

Esteban looked threw the letters one by one, yes it was annoying him that they’d all decided to accept the proposal now. In fact Esteban almost made the decision of announcing you as his own but he decided not too due to multiple reasons.

The emperor looked threw the acceptance papers one by one, it was only right that you’d be placed with a presentable family, maybe even one of high status If he was lucky enough.Esteban sighed in relief when he got to that one acceptance letter he’d needed. He’d place you with the viscount for now.

On one faithful day, Oscar had decided he’d wanted to have a picnic with you of some sort, and so he did the only problem was that it was a surprise.

The prince was so excited he’d quickly taken you away to hang out with him with knowing how’d you’d react.

But of course things didn’t go his plan, he soon stopped in his tracks and stared at the former empress, or rather his mother.

It was known to everyone how scared he was of her for obvious reasons, yet you couldn’t comprehend why?.

As much as you wanted to stay with her and form some sort of relationship, Oscars feelings were more important to you, so instead of him dragging you you were the one dragging him instead.

“Oscar is something wrong?” After the two of you ended up in a secluded area it was time for the question. “You don’t look too good do you wanna go back?”.

The silver haired boy seemed to go back to reality at the sound of the girls voice, “No! I didn’t show you the surprise come on” Oscar grabbed y/ns hand yet again and dragged her to his surprise.

“Interesting..” the former empress mumbled, her mind still to the interaction that just happened.

After that interaction Oscar was more protective when th e two of you were together, “Oscar what’s wrong your acting weird!” The girl pointed out.

“Am not it just to protect you y/n!” He announced, “from what?” The girl questioned his motives, “From you know!”

“Oscar of you don’t tell me I won’t know what’s bothering you” y/n responded, the princes eyes soften before he stared at the ground, “you wouldn’t understand if I told you” he pouted.

“I can try!” She pried into him, “you know how you met my mom last wee-”

“What about me?” The said woman responded from behind her son, her green eyes sharp as ever staring daggers at the two children. “Duchess..” Oscar responded the atmosphere becoming gloomy.

“I was just asking him about you!” Y/n defended, “Is that so?” It was clear the duchess didn’t believe a word, “Yes! I must say your very incredible from what I’ve heard” the girl praised.

Somehow the atmosphere brightened, though it wasn’t able to be shown at her expressions, yet it was clear. Pacifica turned her attention to Oscar before replying.

“You’ve chosen a great wife I must say”

“!?” The boys face changed color into a bright red. “She’s not my wife though” he tried clearing up the misunderstanding, “she will be though no?”.

Pacifica soon found out about the recent incident, She wasn’t surprised nonetheless, yet for some reason it made her burn with anger.

She resolved her thinking with just going to Esteban for the issue and if he didn’t agree she’d easily pay someone to assistant the parents.

But she held herself from doing so, knowing if she did she’d quickly spark another issue within the community.

A few years had passed at this point, y/n remained one of the closest people to the imperial family, it was known across the entire nation.

“Oscar” the girl cried as she ran up to hug the boy, it had only been a few hours sense the empress’s death was announced, it was safe to say that the entire country was in shambles.

For the first time the silver haired boy didn’t speak when you called his name, as grief struck him too all he can do was cry with you.

Oscar knew that you’d never stop crying after you found out, but he still wanted you to meet his sister in hopes that you feel somewhat better.

After finally convincing you, Oscar quickly pulled you to Mabel’s room, “Cmon look at her y/n!” The silver head spoked urging you to take a look. “What if she cries when she looks at me?” The girl objected.

“Y/n your not ugly for her to cry when looking at you” he urged yet again pulling you closer to the crib, y/ns hands hit the crib Oscar next to her, “see isn’t she so cute?” He laughed.

Mabel’s eyes met Oscar’s friends eyes, “!!” The pink head lifted her arms and kept on wriggling them, “She looks like sienna..” y/n replied, her body leaning forward.

“Mabel is really pretty!” She announced, “See I told you!” Oscar added.

“Oscar” the girl turned her body towards the boy, “Sense this is the last thing that the empress left I wanna protect!” She declared.

“I wanna protect her till I die”

There was a long silence hung in the room, “who am I to deny you?” He answered with a smile on his face.

In Mabel’s little mind, she knew the moment she stared at the girls eyes that this was the same person she’d met in her previous life.

So the moment the person in-front of her declared that they want to protect her, she’d knew that she’d do the same in a heart beat.

Because she couldn’t protect modern life y/n, she’d protect historic life y/n with her entire soul.

Mable slightly appreciated being a baby, she’d found out about your entire past purely by listening on the maids, she was slightly sad that you’d still had cruel good for nothing parents.

And sense she’d have nothing to do, she’d have her entire attention on the two of you, which is how she found out about her older brothers liking to her.

So the pink head put into her mind that she’d make you become her sister in law living with her forever and ever!!.

The plan had started when she was still young but she decided to put it in full commence action when she was 9. (If I’m not wrong Oscar would be 15 ?)

“Aidan come on!” The girl urged as she pulled onto the black head boys hand, she’d let him know about her little scheme and essentially forced him to do it with her.

“What are you getting out of this?” The boy asked irritated, “A sister in law duh!”

Requested by @lind-55 tysm for requesting!! <3

[daedalusdavinci]

Eridave Fic Recs

im 99% sure ive already offered my fic recs for eridave but im going to do it again. i havent gone through the tag in a couple of years and it seems like its gotten more popular than it was back in the day, but heres my list of top fics

Lee Shore

by JumpingJackFlash (@jumpingjacktrash on tumblr i think?)

"I asked Egbert to ask you if you have Ampora's new contact information." "No, man, I didn't even know the old info was old. How can you not have a contact for him? It's not like he changed his chumhandle, email, and phone number all at once." "As a matter of fact, that is apparently exactly what he did. And deleted his Facebook and his photo blog." "Dramariffic." In the years after the game, the twelve trolls and eight humans have tried to stick together, because no one else would understand. When Eridan misses one of their yearly reunions, Dave makes an impulsive decision to go find him.

starting off so strong with THE eridave fic. i have reread this one very recently actually so i can tell you w complete confidence that this is the best one. this is THE one. if you only ever read one eridave fic make it this one. and then come back and read mine no but like im being so real rn its so good. eridans pretentious and a dickwipe and juuust whiny enough and daves complete no bullshit attitude with him works so well. their dynamic is peak in this, like. its everything.

Prince Unicorn (If There's Anything More Important Than My Ego Around, I Want It Caught And Shot Now)

by spritezee

After years spent mastering his job-hopping skills on the interplanetary level, a combination of chance and fortunate family ties lands one Dave Strider a job as a personal bodyguard to Eridan Ampora, prince and heir to an almost unparalleled fiscal empire. He assumes it’ll be just another job he’ll be able to leave behind when the time comes, another story to tell on slow nights where the man with the most tales is the king of the universe, but as all things in life, nothing is ever quite that simple.

spritezee writes some of the best eridave fics out there. this one in particular is my favorite. its not only a space au but its really a love letter to the scifi genre and you can tell just reading through it that a lot of care went into the worldbuilding. dave and bros relationship is a total mess in a way thats honestly really interesting, and zee always writes a great dynamic for eridan and dave. plus, you HAVE to admit thats a great fucking title

Little Brother

by spritezee

When John asked you if you were feeling any better yet earlier you told him you were fucking lonely as balls and considering changing your occupation to prostitute so you could find your own personal Edward Lewis to pay you loads of money for standing around and looking pretty. Then you told him you’d always wanted to have sex on a piano, so it’d all work out fine. The reference went straight over his head, which in hindsight should not have surprised you in the least because Pretty Woman isn’t really John’s usual genre, and even if it had been it’s not anywhere near obscure and shitty enough to catch his eye. When Rose asked you the same thing a few minutes later you told her you discovered the small store at the far side of your street carries penis-shaped candles and that you now swore by watching them slowly burn down right to the waxen ballsack as a therapeutic relaxation technique.

again, always a great eridan and dave dynamic w this author. if it wasnt really clear by the summary, this fic in particular is fucking hilarious and dave and his wandering metaphors are a lot of fun in it.

other than that, tho, all of my recommendations are just going to be more of spritezees fics, so i REALLY recommend that you just save me the time and go check out their stuff yourself. if i ever delve back into the eridave tag ill make sure to let yall know if i find any bangers

[crimson0lake]

Meanwhile, somewhere in Spain

—what about this dress?

—Still too revealing

A huff left the girl's lips before her hands let go of the fabric of dress and crossed her arms with a small pout of a child

—That's the point of it!

—Then the lingerie side might be a better option.

—HEY!

She sigh at man's indifference before turning back to the section

—Mom said there would be a meeting again, if I don't wear something in her preferences, she might throw another tantrum. I don't feel like seeing her crying today.

The man follow her right behind with an umbrella, trying to keep her moving figure under the shadow it creates.

—you are quieter then usual Aki.

—Am I? Didn't realised it.

She turn to look up at him with a curious look, having the innocence of a child lingering in her eyes as she spokes in a now more calmer and softer tone.

—If you were worried, why didn't you go with my brothers? Her words make him sigh and look down at her

—Im sure they can look after themselves, and my duty is to protect you three but especially you, it was only fair to let them go.

—You know what I'm talking about, Aki. You are worried about that place... Didn't know a place can scare the dangerous weapon of Port that much The man paused yet his stern look never moving as he sigh after moments later before mum lingerie in a quiet tone, more quieter than he expected from even himself

—I'm not scared, Mi corazón. Just... The nightmares and amnesia makes it difficult to stay calm since they go there, thinking there's another.. me there, makes me feel weird. And the possibility he might be there as well..

—Im pretty sure he won't find them there before the ability users, he probably be the only one in danger soon. And you know my brother, he probably already burn down several things since the plane landed.

—Your calmness sometimes makes me questions things.

— I feel the same about your stern expression, Aki.

.

.

.

—Am I stern?

—Very much. Ooo, Hey let's look at that shop too!

____________________________________________________________________

H—The main question here is why do you still have examples of mom with you?

A— last time I learned about another child of mom's, I bribe the doctor and got some examples, why so surprised?

Haruto take a deep breath before looking down and rubbing his temples

H—Should have expected..

C—so.. there is more?

A—nope, he was dead.

Andres' words make Haruto turn his face to him with a now stern look that had hidden anger and irritation lingering behind it.

H— What did I say to you just half an hour ago?

It was just been two hours since the DNA test come, two hours since the ginger learned about he was never been his parents' real son, two hours since he was informed he was from completely different mother and father. Just that two hours were enough to turn his entire life upside down.

Two hours since he learned the organisation he gave his every pits of loyalty, was the first thing hide his siblings, first place that build his false reality and keep his real past away. He didn't even know what to do, let alone return and look everything in the same way. Even how much he wanted to refuse and deny, Andres had every proof and evidence in hand, leaving no room for his self denial.

He was a son of a different man, different man other than the one he called father. He was a son of a completely different woman, a woman he never even heard in his life. It took Haruto half an hour to calm him down and shut Andres' mouth before he let out every single false thing in Chuuya's life since now.

The fact this boy had more knowledge about his own life than himself was unsettling and upsetting for him.

And yet again, Haruto was the first one to stand up and get some newly made tea in kitchen, the first try to soften the atmosphere in the room, which was replied with Andres leaving the room.

H—Tea?

Haruto mumbled as he set two cups of tea on the coffee table.

C— Is he always like this?

The ginger asked as he still looks at the door with uncertain eyes before turning them to Haruto who sits across the sofa from him, his tone was unsure and quiet, like he wasn't sure how to feel in this very moment.

H— Andres.. Well, he isn't very open to changes. First was mom's party, then coming here, and the last drop was another sibling, it was all bottled up since now. It was just a unfortunate moment that he snapped. He'll get used to it.

C—How are you so sure about it?

H—simple, he had reacted the same way as you when we find out about our dead brother for the first time...

Haruto paused himself and look down before turning go see Chuuya waiting him to continue. He sigh before continue calmly with a lingering nostalgia in his voice

H—I was around 18 and the twins were around 13-14.. He wasn't dead or unhealthy when we find out... But we were too young, Andres was already in so much pressure of mom, and I was just started to work. And Luna.. she was under more pressure of both parents, she didn't even had time spared to talk with us..

He paused before looking down again, with a sad smile in his face he added with a guilty chuckle.

H—we weren't sure how to react so.. we try to forget about it for a while, at least till the pressure on us lighten or at least one of our parents got a free time... He drowned next week.

Ginger's eyes widen before he turn to look in front him with a sad and pity on his face

C—sorry...

Haruto turn to him before sighing and chuckling, he lend a light playful punch to Chuuya's shoulder before smiling calmly

H—dont be, don't think we are sad. At least he is in a better place. But as you see, Andres probably just doesn't like the shocked and questioning look on your face, he is just like a baby when him and his sister are separated!

The ginger chuckled before rolling his eyes

C—there's no doubt of it.

The both chuckled before Haruto sigh and look outside

H—mind if you stay here for a while? Don't want to worry for another kid running around while Andres gives me heart attacks every hour, or at least be around till you made up on your mind

Chuuya look up to Black haired man before sighing, his lips curling upwards slightly

C—I'd like to. A break doesn't sounds bad... Haruto, so you have.. any information about my real parents?

Haruto turn to him before smiling in a brotherly energy and nod

H—I can tell you everything about your mother, or everything I know. But about the father.. maybe Luna knows some

[s0lar-ch3ri]

tell me all about dnd character(s) please i am begging

OMG OMG OMG OMG OKAY OKAY OKAY!!!!! HAGVJDFD GLADLY I WILL

I GOT A COUPLE SO LETS GET INTO THIS:

ohevet: first ever character! uses she/they i think (and if they didnt, they do now! update: JUST REMEMBERED, IT WAS HE/HIM FOR A CIS WOMAN! THROW OUT THE OTHER IDEA SORRY) and also my first aroace character. his name is a joke with that honestly, as ohevet is hebrew for love. i lost the stat sheet a bit back BUT im working on rewriting the stats so i can make an actual character of him! his backstory is kinda silly and i dont really remember it rn so ill also be redoing that shit for sure, but i do know one thing, he's cursed. with this marking on his face, hes able to get "Stackable Concussions" (which me and my dms came up with stat affection ideas but i do also wanna make my own for funzies, and i doubt either would mind if you also wanted to lol). by the end of the campaign, he had been like the only one to not try to seduce someone (my friend had gotten a nat 20 to seduce "mommy nature" so theres that) and had a stack of 10 concussions. how he was still standing is beyond me. did i fall for him? abso-fucking-lutely, i made him hot and wanted him carnially and yet hes aroace so what can my gay ass do? (fun fact: one of my dms is my now girlfriend!) btw before i forget, mountain dwarf fighter, and had a lizard he took off the floor rather then pay for a pet, one of the players had its brother/cousin.

ivy: meant to be an npc for my campaign (which btw ill gladly talk about BUT MY PLAYERS CANNOT SEE THIS LOL ARCADIAN AND GAYWITCHNERD SKIP TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH ON IVY), but a played character in my friend's (arcadian) campaign (arcadian was the one to try and seduce "mommy nature" btw). speaking of npc, the played character and npc have different stories, so we going with npcs rn! ivy (she/they/star pronouns lol) was meant to be a royal guard who did training and learning in the forests, but im thinking of making her a shop owner (eh, probs for out of dnd oc shit). while in the forest, she sorta fell for a nymph there which looks a lot like one of my players characters (agreed romance thing lol). while in town, i plan for her to sorta like fall for said player after bumping into them and shit. that being said, love wont be her only motivation! i do have some plot ideas i need to think up, but im pretty ready to connect shit in. also shes gonna have a dog familiar (my dog) just to involve her somehow lol. oh yeah she slso has gay moms

NOW WE TALK HER AS A PLAYED CHARACTER! in arcadians campaign, shes a half-elf druid like before, but her lesbian parents arent really too existant. (hey gaywitchnerd, i dont mind you reading this, but your character wouldnt know this info) due to issues with her planet, ivy has had her set of challenges, and is looking for strength in knowledge (literally). back home, theres some fucking secret thing there for some deity. on this route, its a pursuit of learning what the deity is. (another idea i had was that the swamp she once lived in is commonly disregarded, and due to anxiety she worried about it being forgotten and shit happening to it so she went looking for power to protect it) there are religions based around it, but ivy isnt exactly religous but still learning as much as she can about it. (fun fact for this one, but its related to the oc: i was planning for her to have BPD, but i wasnt sure how to play one so as a non-dnd character im gonna find ways to incorperate it, also she likes one of the pcs and an npc, the pc is my gfs one but i doubt they realise it lol)

hunter: like all my characters, i go into it with a basis, something i build around for them (ivy is an acception, she was just gonna be an npc), and hunters no different. since the campaign features 3-4 tabaxis (cant remember for sure), an undead, and other various magical people, i wanted to be just a regular guy, which i am! human fighter guy and all that, pretty normal (most extraordinary thing is that hes a magician)...except humans arent fucking normal here because its a tabaxi village. i fucking love that i didnt know this btw! CAUSE I DID NOT, NOR DID MY FRIENDS REALIZE. the story with this guy that i got is he was a traveling performer, one who used this bow tie made special by his fiancé, which works like the bandana chip uses. this however, got taken while traveling, and hes not willing to preform at a show or anything until he gets it back. for the tabaxi village hes disguised as a cat and his whip is his cat tail (this is to make up for the fact that im not a tabaxi with them all lol)! fun fact for him now: his original design was meant to look feminine and masculine to encapsulate my bigenderness in a character ("the most magical thing about them is their gender!"), but ended up feeling too extra for the "just a guy" vibe and got a total redesign lol (he/him cishet man btw, gonna be fun to try <- bigender afab)

techic: my newest campaign character (who i get to play again in 5 minutes, but by the time i finish writing this, we may have started already lol)! a genderfluid tiefling warlock, who worked as a cashier at a 8/12 before shit went down (its an apocalypse campaign). (update, it did actually, writing while we wait for players to arrive) the funny idea with this one? "what if they made a deal for surgery and just got more out of it?". not much on them rn so fun fact time! their mom is a pc (played by arcadian) and currently being locked in a closet cause they ate their zombified partner!

[mashiee]

Arlo family lore plspls its beneficial to my health

OKAY SO

so i got another ask specifically about [REDACTED] so im gonna talk abt that in a separate ask

BUT i will tell u abt my ocs for arlos fam (almost exclusively on his dads/valeries side, havent thought abt mom much) and general stuff for them and their relationships w eachother and arlo specifically

OKAY SO

i gave Arlo four older siblings because why the hell not and i can (i will get to the parents later)

also while im thinking abt it, im unsure abt Arlo's last name but im thinking Kingston right now

OKAY ANYWAY

also i just wanna say that when made character names i usually just smash sound together until i find something i like and hope it isnt a slur in another language

so what im saying is none of the names have any relevance or importance i just like their sounds and how they look

the first oc is Mammi (pronounced like ma'am-ee)

hes the oldest of the five of them, as of current uno time hes 25

he/him

amab cismasc

haven't decided sexuality. probably gay bc im gay and i self project too much

anyway he currently works with the authorities and is in a relatively high ranking position

but surprise surprise hes a spy for [ERROR]

(a secret organization :) also has a whole Thing that would require a separate post. a lot of new characters and also some world building. plus it also kind of plays into my bod au/rei fic)

but unfortunately the authorities are all fucking idiots and no one would even think of suspecting him

Valeire is the only one who does (she basically Knows) bc their father (her brother) was against a lot of the things the authorities did

but she has absolutely no proof so she cant do anything :)

fun fact Mammi and the entirety of Arlo's sibling except for Arlo himself all Loathe Valerie

2 of them want her dead

one would actively make an attempt on her life themselves if they ever saw her again

pst psst Mammi is the former

anyway Mammi is Tall (TM)

atm his height is fluctuating between 6'5 and 6'6 bc i cant choose

i just think itd be hysterical if Arlo's entire family on his dad's side were all giants

speaking of that let me take this time to tell you that Arlo is the youngest in his family aside from his mom and Valerie because i thought it'd be really funny

bc Mammi is in the authorities he often wears a suit and let me tell you this man looks fine as hell

not all men can work a suit but this one can

i still havent drawn any of the siblings except for a bit of the next one so my visuals of them are all p vague and could absolutely change but as of now

Mammi has long straight blond hair that roughly reaches his waist

its usually in a low ponytail

he has gold eyes :)

not sure what i want his ability to be yet (obviously a shield variant but what exactly) or how powerful

now for the lovely sister of the family

so the next one is Luss (pronounced how it's spelled)

shes 24 :)

she/her pronouns trans woman

6'4

lesbian

a model who travels quite a lot

long curly hair and gold eyes

always wearing red lipstick

a bit mischievous

her ability is... well its honestly kind of useless on its own

she can make shields that are full orbs but theyre only about the size of a fist

she did find out that they hurt if u throw them at ppl tho, esp if u put stuff in them

not sure what level yet. maybe a flat 6.0 . or maybe even like a 5.9 if i wanna get angsty and make like her family disappointed in her for not being a god tier or smth

very caring about her family

very forgiving person to a fault

strongly believes in second chances

Luss is the closest to Mammi

but she doesn't really feel like she has anyone close to her

(which ends up being a huge bonding point between her and Arlo)

tries her best to keep their family together but it's pretty futile

tries to be optimistic and cheerful and such but it's all an act

would do anything for her family, especially her siblings

sees herself a lot in Arlo for what little she's seen of him

and then we have the twins

as stated above, theyre twins

the older one is Sade, and Kallo is idk like two mins younger or smth

theyre both 21

Sade uses they/them pronouns and is nonbinary

Kallo uses he/they and like. he knows he's masculine but he isnt like a man or male

hes keeping his gender unlabeled but sometimes says its homeboy bc he thinks its funny

tbh im not sure what assigned gender at birth i want either of them to be so im just not gonna choose 🤷

both are 6'4 1/2 or sth

the twins are very separated from the rest of the family they want nothing to do w them

they both dont like Mammi

and hate Valerie

Sade wants her dead and if Kallo ever saw her again he'd lunge

they tolerate Luss and don't dislike her but it's not their favorite to be around her

they don't have any feelings towards Arlo

Sade is a fashion designer and occasionally works with Luss, occasionally

Kallo is a mechanic

originally i had him as a surfer dude but i decided not to

the twins live a long long way away from Wellston and the rest of the family and have no intention of ever going back

theyre both closest to eachother obviously

they both have a lot of trust issues (all of them do) and only really trust eachother

again not sure about abilities

might want Kallo to have some variation of his mom's rather than their dads tho, or maybe a combo of both

i think ill keep Sade w a shield variant

also dk abt sexuality 🤷

i feel like at least one of them would be aro or ace tho. maybe like one is aro and the other is ace lol

ok so now that im done w the siblings

mr dad man's name is Vickaius. hes Valerie's brother. not sure if i want him to be older or younger.

he has long yellow hair (usually up in a pony tail) and gold eyes

yes im terrible and am making him an attractive dilf you cant stop me i have no self control

if it makes u feel any better i'll probably make the mom a milf too

anyway

i kinda wanna give him a scar or two and/or an eyepatch

def a god tier. some type of shield ability. i think i want him to be like a 7.1

he/him or he/she not sure what i want

tbh probably bisexual but thinks he's straight for whatever reason

6'5-7 or smth

fun fact he's currently in jail :)

the moms name is Ariella and she has curly hair and blue eyes. im not sure if i want her to have blonde or brown hair

i dont have much to say abt her tbh. not bc i dont care abt her but like. in my arlo fam plot while she is relevant and important she isnt like. you dont need to know about her. if that makes sense

i do know that i want her to be exactly a whole foot shorter than Vickaius bc i think its hilarious

context for post: arlo hcs

other related stuff: [REDACTED]

[wambsgender]

I would love to read the Shiv gender mess analysis if you’re still considering dropping it 👀

hi sure! pleeeeaze bear in mind it is not analysis, it's just tinkering with stuff i was thinking about at the time. also in writing it i sort of talked myself out of it, which is why i didnt end up posting it before. i didnt want to risk diminishing the importance of shivs womanhood in her characterisation... it's iffy territory conflating internalised misogyny with gender identity and i really hope that isn't how this comes across. ultimately im fascinated by her fraught relationship with gender and it is probably most powerful narratively as a woman. but as a trans guy i sometimes see little flecks of shiv in myself and i just wanted to play around with that!

when your whole existence and system of worth is built on playing the part of daughter to balance out the family equation and to let the media congratulate your dad on his diversity win of owning a female son who is a girl, instead of leaving you out on the hills like a spartan, like the papers said he would. when you are a girl but you dont understand girls because your mother never was one and you hate boys because they are all just your brothers in different shapes, but also because you are not one, and because they are everything you are not allowed to be. when you are a girl and a housekeeper whose name you can't remember teaches you how to handle your first period because there's nobody else around and it feels like you are being shot out into space and spinning down into the core of the earth all at once. when your brother calls you a girl but sometimes, on occasion, you daydream.

when you are a tomboy and you crop your hair short at 17 and the papers call you awful things but what they imply is even worse and the parts you hate the most are the parts they get right. and your father gives you a look that makes you ill. so you throw up and then throw yourself into girlhood and you learn that some things in life are profoundly off-limits. when you find out you don't mind the dresses or even the body after all, because everyone else likes it, and the makeup is fun and makes you feel good, and you come to enjoy the all the nice bits adjacent to girlhood, like being pretty and being liked by boys (and sometimes by girls) and having fun like girls just wanna. and you find your ways of dealing with the quiet, bone-deep discomfort because that is just what womanhood is and everyone else has learned to deal with it too.

when you are a girlfriend and then suddenly a fiancee and you're not sure how it happened but it is not totally unbearable. in fact you kind of like it and your brothers mock you for it but somehow your weird doting partner makes you feel like you are doing something right. and sure you've got problems but you are open and honest with him and you talk it out and you are loved anyway. and sure sometimes the whole wife prospect makes you feel like driving straight off a bridge but what else could you be? and anyway you're not allowed to drive your own car so you deal with it because you are strong and you are brave and there are papers to sign and politicans to sell. and you think maybe you can just resign to the itch under your skin and suck it up and play the part for life. and you ignore your therapist when she asks what part you think you're playing.

when you're a daughter first and a wife second and maybe somewhere down the list you're allowed to be a person. maybe even something looser than that. but it's so far down the list that you'd never have time to check because there's something dad needs you to do or there's deals you need to negotiate.

when talk of babies makes you nauseous but your husband won't let it go and girls count double now and its only your teats that give you any value. when you can't sleep because it's starting to feel like there is something unspeakably, unplaceably wrong with you because you realize now you don't feel the way you're supposed to feel. when you have tried your whole life to be a girl and then a woman and you have succeeded but it all feels like losing. and you know now that womanhood is not supposed to taste like suffering. so you begin to wonder whether it is not just the awful things you've come to expect from moving through the world as a woman. but something deeper, something much much worse, a narrative you can't bend to your will like you can with your clients, because what if, maybe, you're something you can't be. when you can do it all and you can serve the role and that's all that matters, that's all dad needs from you. you can do girlhood. you can do girlhood in your sleep. but somewhere along the way you stopped being girlhood. and now you don't know if you can ever make it back

[commanderquinn]

Good Space Chapter 3: Hey Gringo

! i dont! keep these posts! updated! like i do! ao3!

that means you're going to find typos and shit (and possibly minor detail changes) that don't match the ao3 version! that's because im not going to bother fixing the tumblr posts until i finish good space as a whole. im only uploading them here as a backup tbh

—

master list / ao3 chapter link

—

warnings: ayyy!! none this time!! unless you wanna count Highly Disrespectful Thoughts ❤️ tho!!! the flashbacks are shuri, heads up for anyone who is a big baby (like me) and still crying over WF. also (shocker) bucko angst/panic attacks

song: it KALEO time!! istg there are golden oldies and hippie classics on this intended playlist, we just havent gotten to them yet. this choice is mega self-indulgent on my end ngl, buuuuut thats the whole fic in general lbr (side note: every time i write Angy Ava, i want you to imagine the vocal intensity of jefferson airplane’s lead singer, grace slick)

the timing of this chapter could NOT have been better with the probably-russian hackers knocking out ao3 that long. i mean it dude, im pretty sure the universe had a good chuckle over this one bc i sure as shit had to sit here and go “youre pullin my leg bud”

also now feels like a good time to mention, for absolutely no reason in particular (definitely not bc of Bucky being a Huge Simp this chapter), that i hc bucky as a dom with service top leanings. i just didnt wanna give the impression that reader is dom for this and accidentally get anyones hopes up with no payoff. i try to avoid that as much as i can bc god knows i drop Big Honkers on y’all every damn chapter, id hate for you to get all the way to the end of this and not get your cookie, y’know? (i am, ofc, down to write mega sub bucky for smut-shot requests)

also remember when i mentioned giving ava a HANDFUL of physical details for writing fuel? 🌝 (ur gonna think im funny rlly soon, dw)

anyways if you dont have adhd, good luck and god speed with the idiots thinkin abt each other in this chapter ❤️ im so sorry in advance 🥺😔

—

Febuary 17th, 2015

"Good morning, Sh—"

"Have you left your worthless husband yet?" Shuri impatiently taps a finger against her elbow, where her arms are crossed over her chest. 

She watches Ava sigh on the other end of the vidcall. The woman looks too tired. She needs rest. Shuri wants to stab Alec all over again. She's going to make a new, self-lacing, possibly electrified dagger just for the occasion. "I know you're just trying to—"

"We can come to get you. I will send T'Challa. You must promise me that you will have him get me something from Washington." Shuri raises a stern finger, pointing it directly at the camera. "Do not let him pick it out himself—"

"Shuri, honey, I love you with all my heart, but please—"

"I want you to pick it. The furniture in your office is ridiculous; I want something like that."

A smile far too small pulls at the corners of Ava's lips. Her smile used to move freely, and it will do so again if Shuri has any say in the matter. Which she does. "Well, thank you, I work very hard to keep it ridiculous. Now—"

"It will make me think of you whenever you are not around to make fun of my brother with me. My mother will get the lawyers you need to start your divorce—"

"I—sweetheart, please, it's been a very long night—"

"It is the afternoon where you are. You have not even had breakfast, have you? Of course not. You are busy doing the work while Alec—"

"Shuri!" Ava puts a hand over her eyes and takes an unsteady breath in. "I'm sorry. This is—it's been a long night. I didn't mean to yell at you—"

"You need to start yelling much more, Ava. Aim it at your worthless husband while you tell him you are leaving," Shuri argues, entirely fed up with how the doctor allows the spineless dickhead to make her miserable. "T'challa will remove him for you while you stay here with us."

Alec—she refuses to call him Ryder; the man does not deserve to have taken the doctor's name—leans into the camera view, his expression bored. Dismissive. Shuri wants to smash his wrinkling, greasy face in with her fist. "While I appreciate the offer, your majesty, my wife and I can handle our private life alone."

Shuri glares back at him, one of her eyebrows hiked as far up as she can comfortably get it. "Do you really think being aware of your presence on this call will deter me from reminding my friend that you are a demon?" She looks pointedly at Ava, who's still covering her eyes. "He is a demon. A pasty, rude demon."

"Alec is going to shut the fuck up now, I promise." The fingers over Ava's eyes pull in until she's pinching the bridge of her nose tightly. She looks as if she's fighting off a migraine. She probably is. And it is Alec's fault. "That way, we can get this over with, and I can finally get some sleep—"

"Which you need and are not getting enough of." The words slip out before Shuri can stop them. 

Ava's shoulders deflate slightly. Her hand drops, and she attempts another smile that doesn't reach her eyes, making Shuri feel a pang of guilt. "No, I'm not. But I will, just as soon as we finish the basic adaptation matrix. I promise."

Ava always encourages her to speak her mind, no matter what. Sometimes it gets her into trouble. She is not looking to berate her favorite Canadian; she loves leaving the vidcomm between their labs on. The open connection is a comforting window into the outside, one that lets Shrui indulge in any question or raving that passes through her mind. 

Alec is a poison in her friend's life, and Shuri will not back down from reminding her of that. But mother and Nakia have sat with her over this, explaining that sometimes, an abused heart will cling to what hurts it. They have to be supportive while Ava works through this. She's getting there. Just not nearly fast enough for Shuri's patience.

Father has been reminding them all that Alec is a risk, given what he knows. Trusting Ava means trusting her for the duration, and they can't go back now. If she says she is handling the issue of separating the man from her work, they have to allow her room to do that. But T'Challa has been ordered to keep close, or at the very least, ready to go.

As much as she despises Alec, Shuri does not wish to see Ava hurt in this. Not any more than necessary. She is also not interested in trying to control her friend the way her mother sometimes tries to control her. It is infuriating. 

So, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she lets some of the fight leave her. For the sake of Ava, not the pasty demon. "I have the latest build ready for transfer." 

"You're sure you've secured the connection on your end?" Alec has the audacity to question, even outside of the frame. "I'm not interested in spending my week chasing traces of this—"

"Do I look as if I will hesitate to strike you, colonizer?!"

—

"I'm just saying, Humpty Dumpty."

"Fuck off," Bucky wheezes at the billionaire, compressing the towel he grabbed from his new medkit against his ribs. Why he expected to make it through his first mission back without having to crack it open, he's not entirely sure now that he's sitting in the hindsight. Getting shot today was, if he's honest with himself, entirely predictable. It's his luck, after all. 

"We let you out of the house again for five minutes, and you've already broken yourself." Tony shakes his head as he tsk's, making Bucky roll his eyes lazily. "What's Ryder going to think? If you keep this up, you'll give the woman a complex about draining your mojo."

"She's going to think I throw myself in front of armor-piercing rounds for idiots that don't notice when they're being shot at." The mention of Ava brings the doctor's smiling face to the forefront of his mind. Bucky leans back against the Quinjet's co-pilot seat, letting his eyes fall closed. 

He could take care of this latest injury himself. That's what he usually does. Thanks to the serum, all he has to do is keep the wound clean for a few hours while his body stitches itself back together. Nothing's broken, and he'd be in much more pain if anything were punctured. Hell, he'd probably be dead already. The fix for this is so easy it'll practically handle itself.

"You always get so cranky after you've played the hero." He hears Tony kick his feet up on the Quinjet's main controls. "Take a breather. Maybe a bow or two. Believe it or not, it's possible to accept a compliment now and then."

"Grandstand more often, got it."

Ava's probably going to hear about today's incident now that Bucky thinks about it. If anything, Steve's going to make sure of it. He doubts she'd guilt him for not being comfortable with an optional trip to medical. They've been having more conversations about boundaries and comfort, and she's been unwaveringly supportive of him moving at his own pace. 

"You don't have to grandstand, you gigantic baby," Natasha chides from between the chairs. Her hand smacks against his shoulder, making Bucky grunt softly. "A whole new world is going to open up for you when you relearn to accept praise."

Tony snorts, long and loud. "Has he reached that stage of modern education yet?"

"I reached that stage of education before you were born, Stark." Bucky's not territorial over his reputation anymore; those days are long since passed. The grand majority of his mojo got left in the 40s. He's just tired of Tony's shit. That's all it is.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Ava might feel bad that he didn't come to her for something like this. He doesn't... want that. He doesn't want her thinking that he doesn't welcome her help or that he doesn't trust it. He... he does. He doesn't just appreciate having the option; he enjoys it. The new routine is a breeze, and his neck feels better than it ever has. At least that he can remember.

"I'm confused," Tony mumbles around a mouthful of snacks. The man never stops eating. "Are we talking about your no-no years, or did you and Rogers hit up underground bars before Germany?"

"I know all his secrets from the vanilla days; they never went to any of the fun ones," Natasha confirms. It's not like Bucky was going to take the verbal bait anyways. Steve still falls for it regularly. 

"I like how you don't deny having the rest of the answer; I feel like it tells me all I can tolerate about the icicles when it comes to this. That's my favorite part about you, Romanoff. You know when I don't need to know, you know?"

His dumbass friends might as well be background noise with Bucky's mind this firmly in the memory of Ava's office. She's been so good to him, especially over this last week while she pushed through all the red tape for him. He'd been expecting it to take an eternity of hounding Steve all by his lonesome, but she got him back in the field in under two weeks. His best friend had actually been kind of pissy about it behind closed doors. For Bucky, it was like getting sprinkles on top of his cake. 

He's been thinking about getting flowers delivered to her lab for the trouble. It feels like too much whenever his thumb hovers over the confirmation button. He's reached the part of staring at the order details four times.

"I'm pretty sure your country doesn't appreciate it as much as you do. They tend to fight cold wars over it."

"Well, yeah, but our country—you see what I did there? That was a pretty funny communism joke. And it works as a reminder for both of us that you're actually an American citizen these days; isn't that wild? Back to the point here, our country fights wars over stuff we do ourselves all the time, so that doesn't feel like a fair reason to dismiss our friendship."

The doctor's forcing him to expand his music library. Her taste there is as scattered as her taste in movies, but she's got some leading themes he's been able to pin down. The 60s and 70s are huge for her, expectedly, and she's got a lot of nostalgia over the 90s. Paige keeps her versed in all things pop, folk, and country, according to her. 

"If I start referring to the US as my country, you people will expect me to do things like register to vote. Or put up wallpaper."

"I don't think anyone's expecting you to be legally allowed to do that. The voting thing, not the wallpaper. In most states. For multiple reasons. Although, the wallpaper might be a good call."

Ava invited him to their absurdly large archive of playlists during his second session. The ones Paige curates are nothing but insanity. Not one of them makes a lick of sense. Bucky decided that he should have expected that, given her Energizer Bunny reputation. Ava's are less scattered; more organized. Soothing for his mind to digest. He's been using them as workout music ever since. And driving music. And general background noise. 

"I don't think I'd know where to start buying wallpaper. Do you even want me putting that shit on your expensive building?"

"Not really, but the idea of walking in on you rolling paste on the living room walls is worth anything it could take to fix them later."

God, she's funny, too. He could listen to the woman's awful, soul-crushing puns and subsequent cackling for hours. He'll never say that to her face, not for as long as he lives, but they've made him feel lighter every morning that he's gone to let her work him over. He's already stolen two of them to torture Sam with. Another thing he's not going to tell her.

"Maybe I should start smaller. Bruce keeps suggesting a car that has legal registration."

"Heeey, that could work. You'll be signing up for mailing lists and bitching about state tax in no time. You know what?" He hears Tony snap his fingers. "We should get you a houseplant. Work you up to having a fish or something."

Alright. Maybe he'll go to Ava. He doesn't want her to think he's trying to blow off her expertise again. Or that he's avoiding her. He's not; he really does like hanging out in her office. Even if it's technically a medical appointment. He's a lot more eager to visit her than his therapists, that's for sure.

"I am not paying taxes," Natasha scoffs. "If you think I'm tying a legal address to my name, you're out of your fucking mind. Moreso than usual."

"You don't think you'd enjoy having a cave to lurk in?"

"What makes you think I don't have one already?"

"I'm talking about a real house, not a safe house."

This injury isn't related to his cybernetics. It's his ribs, well below any of his implants. He's not entirely out of the loop when it comes to what doctors have to do to get their licenses. She no doubt had to pull a lot of hard hours during her residency. Maybe she doesn't want to patch up the tower's notorious grouch every time he takes a hit. But he doubts she'd ever be impolite enough to refuse him walking in.

"I have my space here: bathroom, laundry room, small kitchen. If I haven't bothered decorating that, what makes you think I'll want to do it for an entire house?"

"Aww, come on. Look at Ryder! She's having all kinds of fun making her place as obnoxious as possible. That could be you after a few online shopping sprees."

Bucky's eyes open slowly, his brows drawing in when the second verbal mention of Ava pulls parts of his attention back to the conversation. 

Fuck, not going to medical still leaves the option of her taking offense. Okay. Alright. So, he'll split the difference and go to emergency intake. He's pretty sure she's listed as his surgical contact in the tower now—he can't stomach looking at his own medical file, not even the written records. Any injury this big will get flagged for trauma support, and she'll be notified. Then it's up to her what she wants to do. That feels like a good compromise.

"She's doing that to reclaim it from Alec; that's different. I don't have the same motivation. For me, it's just going to be extra work.

"Who's Alec?" Bucky asks without thinking. If the universe doesn't hate him today, Natasha's just going to assume he's being his usual kind of paranoid.

"She hasn't mentioned him?" Tony sounds surprised. "Alec's her ex-husband."

Ex-husband? She was married? And she's not anymore, meaning she might be—

He shuts down that train of thought immediately. 

Reclaiming the space of her house implies they lived in it long enough to form some heavy memories. She hasn't mentioned having a kid, and she strikes him as the type to bring up something like that pretty fast. So it was just the two of them, most likely.

"People usually don't like talking about the egocentric sack of shit they used to coexist with," Natasha points out. Of course, she already knows about the doctor's history. It's her.

"Bad divorce?" he prods, trying not to sound overly invested in the answer. These assholes will take it as an invitation.

"Oh, the worst," Tony confirms. "Shithead tried fighting her on it tooth and nail. She had to borrow my legal team just to get the guy to fuck off and leave her alone. He even kept her surname after the divorce; can you believe that?"

An uneasy feeling starts to rise in his gut, making Bucky look over at him. Then up at Natasha. "What kind of won't leave her alone are we talking about?"

"Down, fido, my lawyers took care of it. There's no need to start tailing him. Aside from being a self-absorbed asshole that insists they'll," Tony's voice turns scornful as his fingers form air quotes, "work things out with time, he's toothless." 

"She's got concealed carry permits she earned properly if that makes you feel better," Natasha offers up. The thought does help ease the tension building in him. 

He won't read Ava's file, no matter how bad the buzzing gets. But he might check in with JARVIS about her home security. He's noticed her name on the system logs. She, or at least her house, is linked to SHIELD's network despite her general distrust of the organization. He understands the opposing priorities completely.

He caved and read Wyatt's file two nights ago. The buzzing had been building since Ava mentioned him wanting an autograph, and it finally got to be too much. Nothing's lurking there aside from an impressive list of historians from all the fuck over Georgia and Alabama. The kid's got more family than some towns have population. 

Bucky leans forward with a muted groan to change the autopilot's intended LZ of the Avenger's balcony to the entrance hanger for medical. If he's going to grit his teeth through the antiseptic over a couple small holes, he's damn sure not going to haul his ass through half the tower while his ribs leak. His patience has limits, and that's pretty fucking far over the starting line. 

Tony looks over at him with a deep, suspicious frown. Bucky frowns at him right back with the same level of scrutiny. He can feel Natasha staring a hole into the side of his head, even if he can't catch her in his peripherals. He hates both of them with a passion at the moment. He knows what's about to happen—

"Did you just… prioritize your own health," Tony questions like he's baffled by the very idea. His whole upper body turns in the seat as he looks up at Natasha excitedly. "Oh my god. He's doing it. All by himself." He raises a hand to his chest and looks back at Bucky. "They grow up so fast."

It's good that the autopilot is on. If it weren't, Bucky would be tempted to crash them out of spite, mostly because he's sure he'd survive it. "Very funny."

"All it took was a hippie that gives him candy," Natash adds, her voice dripping with smugness. "Who knew."

"Both of you can fuck off." Bucky doesn't like how close she just got to his primary motivation on the first try. Old habits die hard, et cetera. And he hates that he can't tell if she was trying to guess. If he's lucky, which he isn't, she was just making fun of him.

Natasha knows about his visits to the florist's website; he's fucking convinced of it now. He doesn't know how, and he can't outright call her on it. If he does, he could fuck up and make himself right. There is nothing worse than having the Black Widow as metaphorical family. Not even Steve's hovering.

She and Tony harass him for the remainder of the flight. It's not long, mercifully, and he's starting to regret not grabbing something for the doctor. They were in Montreal, of all places, so it would have been fitting. He figures she'll understand once he shows her his side. The train of thought makes him wonder what part of Canada she's originally from. She hasn't brought it up.

His foot is already bouncing by the time he reaches the elevator. He's still got the surgical towel shoved tightly against his ribs. He hopes she gets there fast if she ends up taking the call. The last thing he wants to do right now is sit around in the burn of antiseptic and bleach while he fights off the urge to bolt. 

This is good, Bucky reminds himself as he takes his first few steps into medical. He's sat through plenty of trips to emergency intake. He can handle walking into his first optional one. It's a non-issue. Completely.

When JARVIS informs him that his file and general vital scan have been submitted for intake, the buzzing gets so intense that he almost leaves. The pace of his sergeant walk, as Sam likes to designate it, slows to a crawl. Then he thinks about a doctor with concealed carry permits. One that lets her house be monitored by a government organization she's actively pushing herself to trust. All in an effort to contribute something good to the world. The buzzing eases, and he picks up his pace, headed for the solo observation room JARVIS listed for him.

There's no moment of standing involuntarily from nerves this time. He doesn't have to force himself to sit back down and wait, even though the room smells wrong. His skin is crawling, and he wants nothing more than to put a throwing knife in his hand like a goddamn security blanket. But he doesn't panic. He doesn't try leaving.

Baby steps.

When the door opens, it's devastating. There's no diminutive hippie with UFO-sized glasses smiling at him on the other side of it. It's a guy in a plain white lab coat without artistic stitching, one that Bucky's never met before in his life. He's already squinting down at a tablet, meaning this will be his doctor for the duration.

This was the worst plan he could have possibly conceived. The universe is humbling him for thinking he could get away with something like this without some kind of suffering. He just wanted to make up for being dismissive of her help initially. Now he gets to sit through this. How fucking grand.

"Barnes?" The doctor that's not Bucky's doctor looks up, his heart rate elevating by a few notches. He's putting in a lot of effort to look confident. It's not exactly working. "I'm Dr. Erickson. I'm guessing you're here for the bullet wounds JARVIS detected?"

"Yup." Bucky's not about to volunteer for small talk at the moment. It's a miracle he hasn't jumped off the biobed yet. "Where's Ryder?"

"Your primary is in a staff meeting at the moment." Erickson puts his tablet down on the supply cabinet's main counter. He's already starting to gather what he needs, leaving Bucky to figure out real quick if he's actually willing to do this. "Don't worry; I'll get you sewn up and on your way in no time."

He doesn't want it getting back to Ava that he bailed the moment she couldn't show up. He doesn't want to leave her with the impression that he's only going to take on medical care if it's her; that's not anywhere near fair. The woman is a brain surgeon, not his private physician. He can grow the fuck up and accept help from people that haven't gone through his gauntlet of verification.

"Great," he pushes out, lifting the side of his undershirt to offer an unobstructed view.

It's not great; it's fucking horrendous. The first touch of the new doctor makes the overly physical memory of the buzzing build so high, he can feel it in his teeth. They're not actually rattling in his jaw the way they did back then, he knows that, but it doesn't matter because his body is screaming at him that it's happening.

The first stitch going through his skin makes him want to put his fingers through the doctor's eye sockets. His mind goes over all the ways he can violently put at least ten feet between them without having to get up. Looking back, it's probably good he didn't reach for the throwing knives. He's not unhinged enough to stab someone unprovoked; he's better than that. But they'd have been distracting to his impulse control, that's for sure.

Dr. Handsy is pulling the first suture in tight when the door to the observation room opens again. Bucky doesn't look up, his eyes locked on a random point on the far wall while he focuses on his breathing. He only looks over when a billowing, maroon pant leg enters his peripheral.

Thanks to a bunch of dead Nazi scientists that used to hide out in the mountains of Russia, Bucky Barnes has a trigger in his brain that is entirely out of his control. One that, when activated by his own interest, lets him process his surroundings in a sliver of the time that it should for a human mind. It is exceptionally helpful in the field. 

Watching Ava Ryder walk in, wearing a suede jumpsuit that mercilessly frames her curves, proves to him that having it in the 30s would have gotten him shot by someone's father. Definitely before he left Brooklyn. Or before he got chased out by several fathers banding together with baseball bats. In the time it takes her hand to come off the door handle and make its way to her hip, his mind goes on one hell of a fucking journey.

He already had more than a vague idea of the shape of her before now; he can't help it. Comes with the territory of doing threat assessment for a living. God knows his eyes have slipped down to her chest on a shameful amount of occasions. Her tits are being held up and pushed together fucking beautifully at the moment. Typically, that would hold all of his attention.

But this is the first unobstructed view of her that he's gotten, thanks to the lab coat being nowhere in sight, and good fucking god. Holy fucking shit. Godfuckingdamn.

She's half turned from him at this angle, so he's only getting a side view. That's more than enough to show off an obscenely rounded ass and the cushy thighs it rests on that are going to haunt his fucking dreams. It's bigger than his hands by a margin that's outright glorious. The mental image of his fingers digging into it, of how it would make her skin dip under the pressure, makes his blood race.

He can't spot the outline of any underwear at first. Then her hand makes contact with the jumpsuit, and his eyes pick up on it. Right there, above the top of her finger, pulled up high over her hipbone. There's a thin band leaving an impression in the fabric. An extraordinarily thin band. There is nothing else in sight.

Pulled between Ava's legs, right at this very moment in time, is a strip of fabric that Bucky's tongue would fit against perfectly. Right under that is a taste he's been catching himself wondering about for two weeks now. One good, long drag of his nose. That's all it would take to push in whatever she's picked out for the day and soak it with that taste. He could get it back out from between her lips with his tongue, pull it to the side with his teeth to give himself room to feast—

Bucky tries to shift his weight as nonchalantly as possible while his brain slows back down. The comeback from tactical analysis is always jarring, with this one being especially so. 

He's the worst kind of bastard. An awful, selfish, perverted sonofabitch. There's not shit he can do to change that. How unfortunate.

"David," Ava greets, the name coming out as tense as the closed smile plastered on her face. "You can put that down."

The other doctor doesn't look up from the work his hands are doing. "That you, Ava? I heard you were—"

"Now."

Bucky's back straightens up as David looks at her nervously, taken aback. Bucky doesn't blame him; he didn't know her voice could get that forceful.

David sort of laughs, which feels like the worst possible choice to Bucky. But, hey, not his call. "What, do you want me to just—"

"I want your hands off my patient right now. I'm not asking." She watches with unwavering intensity as the other doctor lets the needle and thread drop from his hands. She visibly bristles at the patronizing expression on David's face, her head tilting aggressively. Bucky kind of wants to watch her hit him. "I'll be back in less than a minute, sergeant. I need a word outside with Dr. Erikson."

"Take your time," Bucky assures, the tension bleeding out of him already. His ribs are leaking, and there's a piece of doctor floss looped through his skin that he's going to have to cut out of himself tomorrow morning. The immoral evaluation of her outfit that his head threw at him is going to eat him alive. Forever. Especially when he's trying to fall asleep for the foreseeable future. 

All things considered, though, he feels fan-fucking-tastic.

David still looks somewhat shell-shocked, and there's real insult starting to creep into his posture, but the guy doesn't argue. He follows Ava back out of the room, not bothering with a goodbye in Bucky's direction. When the door closes behind them, his super hearing picks up on Ava reaming David about prioritizing patients before ego. She goes into detail about the deep shit he'll be in with her if he keeps ignoring her written orders, long before it ever gets him fired. She tacks on why her anger should scare him a hell of a lot more than the idea of that. Then she instructs him to keep his damn hands off her patients and get back to the intake desk. 

The protective streak makes Bucky's chest feel warm, a half-smile pulling at his lips. She's a handful, alright. One he'd give anything to be brave enough to send flowers to.

Ava is calm, cool, and collected when she leans back in through the doorframe, hanging off it with a soft smile. "Hiya, stranger. I hear you picked a fight in my motherland today."

"I hear it has an arms dealer problem. I wanted to see if I could help." He gestures down at the needle swinging from his ribs without looking at it. "Not all Canadians are as welcoming as you, turns out."

"Eh?" she fires back, hamming up the accent. "Wellll, I'm not about to let a few cranky arms dealers tarnish our reputation. What do you say you push that bandage against your new bragging rights, and we head for my office?"

Licking his bottom lip nervously, he tries to give her a confident smile. "You were busy with something."

"Not too busy for my favorite popsicle." One eyebrow raises sternly. "You are not allowed to tell Steve I'm playing favorites." God, she's cute when she tries to deflect. It's never worked. At least not on him.

"That's—" Shit, where to even find the fucking words for her. "You don't have to do this. Go out of your way like this. I don't mind getting patched up by random medics. Comes with the job."

Her smile turns impish. "That's cool and all, but I mind when people ignore basic ethics just to have a story about stitching up an Avenger. If you need to tell yourself I'm using you as fuel for a workplace pissing contest, go for it. Whatever gets you off that biobed." She leans back, leaving the door open wide behind her. "Come on; I can't stand the way they organize these damn shelves. I wouldn't patch you up in here even if you did pay me. Next time, head for my office first."

Bucky does as she ordered, pushing the surgical towel she packed for him against his side, not minding the sting in the least. He swallows down the point that, by every definition there is, he's not an Avenger. "I'll follow you, doc."

—

"Alright," Wyatt plops his hands down on the glass of the holo, his expression determined. His tight curls bounce with the motion, making their resident gumdrop look adorable, even through the discomfort. "Let's get to dissectin' this cacophony. All in one go, preferably, so I don't feel like yackin' up my lunch two days runnin'."

Ava's head tilts sympathetically. "Oh, honey, tell me you didn't—"

His hand comes up, with his index finger pointed to the ceiling. "Nope. But I got close a couple'a times thinkin' about this." He mutters several things under his breath about creepy Nazi bastards while he pulls up the raw data from Bucky's implants. "All the more reason to get it the hell over with."

"A whole day of digging through coded war crimes," Hannah deadpans quietly, raising a steaming mug to her lips. "I'm glad we get the fun assignments."

"You'd ditch us if we didn't," Ava jokes. She scrolls through the sergeant's file absentmindedly on her tablet, reviewing the vitals added just a few hours ago. He actually came to medical. For something as minor as a field injury. Of his own volition.

"Mmm. I don't know. It's pretty fun watching a brain move like Jell-O. You might have been able to convince me to stick around just for that."

SHIELD's primary system makes a blaring noise of disagreement as Wyatt loads the main file structure. He frowns, looking over at Ava with concern. "Its askin' for administrative override."

"Heeey, that's that thing Tony says I'm not supposed to abuse. That's probably not a good sign." Ava pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and leans over to get a look at the error. "JAR, I'd like some reassurance we're not about to trigger an ancient LoJack if you wouldn't mind advising here."

"There are safeguards in place for importing code with an unknown source," JARVIS reports in. The warning on the screen is dismissed, presumably by him, and a new window comes up. A log of the programming in Bucky's cybernetics going through digital quarantine loads rapidly, with line after line being highlighted in red and labeled HYDRA Suspected. "I will process them for you. One moment."

"We have to clean the Nazi code before we can beat it to death," Hannah mumbles against the rim of her mug. "I think I kind of like that."

"Please, Hannie, I'm hangin' on by the skin'a my teeth here." Scrubbing his hands over his face, Wyatt groans exhaustedly. He drags them down slowly, giving Hannah a pleading look over the tops of his fingers. "You know I'm always here for supportin' you—"

"I'm aware." The ex-marine's clipped tone makes Ava snort and look back down at her tablet. They both know stopping him now isn't going to cut off the word vomit.

Wyatt's hands thunk back down onto the glass. "I'm so proud'a ya, y'know that—" And there's the thickening of the accent.

"I know."

Ava's eyes skim over the list of everything detected in Bucky's wound, locking on the word leather in particular. Today was her first look at his work gear—she's got a feeling he doesn't call it a uniform—in person. It was hard to keep professional in front of six and a half feet of Hi, how are ya? wrapped up in that much heavy black. The sounds that his vest made when he dropped it on the coffee table— Jesus. He's got to be packing enough in there to arm a small country. 

"All's I'm sayin' is that if I have to hear about murder right now, I might actually upchu—"

"Please don't."

Ava's too scared to ask what's in the sergeant's pants for a multitude of reasons. Professionalism is lower on the list than it probably should be. It's a shame, too. He's downright hilarious when he lets himself talk. There's not a doubt in her mind that he'd come up with something unbearably good—and unwaveringly dry—in response to the loaded question.

"A'right then. We're in agreement. No bad thoughts today. We go in like—like excavators, right? With our helmets and our 'lil pickaxes, and we get what we need so we can—" The way he cuts himself off makes Ava look back up in concern. She finds the most horrified expression on Wyatt's face. "That—ah shit, that didn't come out all that right. That was mean, wannit? Insensitive. I'm not tryin' to belittle what the sergeant's been through."

"You weren't belittling anything," Ava assures, reaching out to rub his arm. "I think he'd be the first one to race you to a fossil joke about this."

"You'll tell 'im I'm takin' this serious, won't ya—"

A small chuckle escapes before she can stop it. "Wyatt, sweetheart, it's not like he heard you—"

"You take your pills today, Combs?" Hannah's calm question makes the gumdrop freeze in place. She blows on her coffee, taking a small sip. "If you say you don't remember, I'm going to—"

Wyatt snaps his fingers, his expression shifting to relief. "I didn't, and I remember why, too." He rolls his chair back with a sudden push, aiming for his desk. He reaches out before the chair finishes the trip to grab his patch-covered messenger bag. "One'a the cats got int'a my coat closet; dumbass got stuck on a shelf for reasons I'm still not real clear on." He pops open his medication bottle, tossing a pill into his mouth with a level of dexterity that makes her jealous. "The hollerin' was s'damn loud, I thought the landlord was gonna come knockin'."

"Which one was it?" Ava asks. "Not the new kitten?"

"No, no—Juno's been'a dream. It was Galileo again. I love that furry little bastard, but sometimes he can drive me nutty ." He pauses to take a swig from another glossy vacation mug. Today's is advertising a campground Ava's never heard of that's the best in the Rockies, according to the swirling font. "I got new pictures of Juno if you want 'em, though."

"Yes, please," Ava confirms happily. Holding the teacup-sized ball of fur made her whole month when he last brought Juno in. Hannah ended up hogging most of the cuddle time, but the sound of little meows filling the day had been enough to make up for it.

Wyatt pulls his phone from his back pocket and brings it around to hook up to the holo. The system dings with the sound of a successful transfer after a moment. He loads a collection of new photos, zeroing in on one of Juno clawing her way up a window curtain—

The power to the lab shuts off with a loud, electric click. Everything plunges into darkness with the privacy setting on the glass walls keeping the sun out. It comes back on before Ava can react, the building's primary system switching to the emergency power grid. She and Wyatt lock eyes in panic.

"Oooh man, boss, did I just—"

"I'm sure you didn't," Ava comforts, trying to push down her own panic. It helps that she's heard Tony rambling about the work he's put into making this place indestructible. "JAR?" 

There's no response from the AI. She trades another nervous glace with Wyatt.

"I know it was probably the Nazi shit, but I'm hoping it was the cats," Hannah says, sounding sincere. "I feel like that'll make a much better story."

"Oh my god, did I break JAR?" Wyatt looks between them frantically. "How often does he back up his servers? Did I kill'a piece'a JAR?!"

"I have not been murdered," the AI confirms after nearly a minute of being gone. "The safeguards reported a false positive regarding the programming of Sergeant Barnes' cybernetics. It has been handled."

Ava gives the hologram wall of code a warry look. "Handled by you?" There's a suspicion building in her gut around his phrasing, one that she's not planning on letting out of her teeth. 

"Mr. Stark has a protocol in place that cuts off my servers in the event of any irregular activity. Given the nature of the programming's origin, the system is designed to er on the side of caution."

"That's a really fancy way of dancing around the point, JAR." She's trying to stay civil about this. It's not an easy venture, and she's pretty sure it's not translating at all. Even she can hear the frustration in her voice. "How about we cut the shit, and you tell me what the false positive was."

"There are automated routines running for Sergeant Barnes' implants. They are not harmful; I've taken the liberty of checking them personally now that they've been cleared through quarantine. I am creating a stable update to forward to—"

"How long have they not been harmful, JARVIS?"

Hannah sits up from her relaxed position at the avoidance of their favorite nickname for the AI. Wyatt's brows pull in nervously, his eyes never leaving Ava. They both know exactly what she's digging at.

There's a long hesitation from JARVIS. Short by normal social standards but an eternity for a sentience with quantum processors. "There is not currently a risk posed within the Sergeant's—"

Ava's out of her chair and halfway to the door before he even finishes the omission. Fueled by some of the most intense rage she's ever felt in her life, she marches out on swift feet. She's going to kill him. She's going to string him up—maybe hang him off the side of the tower.

America's fucking Sweetheart, her ass. America's Doomed Liar is a lot more like it.

"Where is he," Ava nearly growls, still stalking down the halls, leaving the medical wing in a hurry. "JARVIS, I know you're still listening; you tell me where that puffed-up, hypocritical—oooh , you tell me where Rogers is right the fuck now. And then you tell me where Stark is—"

"Dr. Ryder, I know you're not inclined to believe this at the moment, but I assure you—"

"You're right; I'm not inclined to do that at all." She takes a deep breath as she passes through the front entrance, slowing herself to a stop. With genuine effort, she pushes down her anger. "I don't want to keep yelling at you. I don't like doing it in the first place. If you don't want to tell me where they are, I'll find them myself."

Ava heads for the elevator to do just that. She's not expecting a response as she pounds the side of her fist against the button for the Datacrux's floor. It's likely to be her best bet to find any of them. There's not a chance in hell that she's letting her team dedicate any more time to this until she gets some fucking explanations.

Halfway along the ride up, the light around the button goes dim. A flash of anger rises in her until she sees the one for the executive level illuminate. 

"Mr. Stark is not currently in the tower, but you will find Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes debriefing in the Situation Room," JARVIS informs her over the elevator's intercom, making the SHEILD agents around her pretend not to look over. She's tempted to ask them if it's the outfit.

"Thank you, JAR," she offers as an olive branch. Regardless of what's truly going on here, she doubts the AI is all that comfortable with the subject.

"You're welcome, Ava."

She's only been to this part of the tower once before. Tony dragged her up to the Avenger's balcony for a party after her divorce was first finalized. That's about the extent of her experience with this section. It's not hard to find her way with everything denoted like it is in the rest of the building.

The palm of her hand smacks against the door marked Situation Room, and she shoves it open aggressively. Both super soldiers, the Falcon, Black Widow, and a scattered group of SHIELD agents stare back at her in surprise. It doesn't slow her down any.

Ava points an irate finger at Steve in the uneasy silence of the room. "Unless New York just caught fire, you and I are about to have a very blunt conversation, captain."

"Hiya, doc." Bucky, unsurprisingly, is the only one in the room smiling at her while she glares daggers at Captain America. He's still in his not-uniform. There's still blood on it. The charm he's throwing her way reminds her that they won't want an audience. 

"I'm going to ask the rest of you to leave," she continues, but her eyes stay on the sergeant as her finger lowers. "I don't think you'll want to be here for this, Bucky."

"What makes you think I don't wanna watch you beat up my best friend?" He leans back in his chair, his hands coming up to rest on his stomach as his smile deepens.

"Can I stay?" Sam asks, his voice eager. It's a damn shame this is how she gets to meet him. She doubts the Falcon has any clue about unethical research.

"Come on," Natasha insists with a serene nod in Ava's direction, grabbing Sam's shirt to drag him up from his chair. "You heard her."

"I—hey!" Steve looks so insulted as he watches his friends and various coworkers abandon him with zero hesitation. "You're just gonna—I don't even know what I did!"

"Neither do I, but I am very ready to hear about it," Bucky assures Ava, not an increasingly distressed Steve.

Ava taps her foot impatiently as the room clears out, leaving her alone with the super soldiers. She ignores the nerves radiating off of one of them and focuses on the one that looks delighted. "I'm serious. This is about your case. Specifically, the work HYDRA was trying to finish."

The mirth leaves Bucky almost entirely. His posture doesn't adjust from its reclined position. "Alright. Tell me what's got you livid about it."

"Steve here made me a promise that was broken in my lab a few minutes ago."

Steve's eyebrows pull in with confusion. "Which promise? Wait—a few minutes ago—Is this about that blackout? Ava, catch me up here; what the hell is—"

"You swore to me that the intention of HYDRA—at least where Bucky's case is concerned—was to make an army of super soldiers, nothing more." She's letting him process this one step at a time. It'll make yelling at him for lying a lot easier. That, and she's honestly worried the technophobe doesn't understand the gravity of the situation.

"I—" Steve hesitates, and she watches the switch to tactical assessment come over him. It's startling to see it directed at her from a face that isn't Bucky's. "As far as I know, that was the intention."

"Yeah? You're sure about that? You're sure you're not omitting something pretty fucking important to my job, Steven?"

"JARVIS, what was the blackout?" Bucky questions at half the volume he started at when she first came in.

Ava points at the sergeant insistently. "See? I'm guessing he doesn't even know, but he's sure as hell already on the right track."

"There was an incident regarding the coding found in your implants, Sergeant Barnes. It has been handled. I have prepared an update to their systems whenever you're ready to undergo a transfer."

"As your doctor, I'm ordering it. We can go back to my office after I'm finished ripping your friend a new asshole for lying to my face." Her eyebrows lower at Bucky in indignation. She's doing this for him, but that doesn't mean she's going to let him off the hook if he knew. "We should probably figure out if I need to do the same to you before we get there."

"Hey, hang on now." Steve raises one hand, likely to try to calm her, but changes his mind and puts it back under the table. She's guessing someone's finally clued in the out-of-time man about that practice making women want to throw something. At his head. "We might not always be able to talk about classified information—something you agreed to, I might add—but I've never lied about HYDRA's intent as far as I comprehend it. I've been very careful to hold up that end of our deal."

"Let me tell you how I know, for a fact, that someone involved in this case is doing a piss-poor job of lying to me about it. Since you haven't quite figured out modern tech, I'm going to try to keep it simple." Ava points a far less aggressive, more instructing finger at Bucky's arm. "In order for that hunk of metal to work, it needs to be programmed. The hardware needs software that can tell it how to read brain signals. A few decades ago, some Nazis sat in a room and wrote a bunch of code for that software. That's what was supposed to be in Bucky's implants. That's all that was supposed to be in Bucky's implants."

"Wait—what the hell else is in them?" The flicker of fear that creeps into Bucky's expression breaks her heart. There's not a doubt in her mind that he could sell her on any lie he wants to with his mind set on it. That's the point of infiltrators like him. 

But Ava's willing to bet everything she's got in this world that the fear in him at the moment is genuine. He doesn't know. And it makes her feel awful.

"Given the size of your implants, I'm guessing not much," she tries to reassure. "We can always purge whatever is there later. However, if the code were as simple as 'read this signal, do this thing,' it wouldn't have been flagged as untouchable by Tony's security measures. The ones put in specifically to prevent JARVIS from being corrupted." She crosses her arms over her chest in exasperation, her eyes moving to one of the small security cameras on the ceiling. "Would you like to explain to the captain what kind of code it would take to accomplish that, JARVIS?"

There's another human-length moment of hesitation from the AI in response. "It would take adapting code."

"The part he's holding back—definitely because he's under orders not to break SHIELD protocol—is that something has to be driving the adaptation. There is such a thing as self-adapting code; that would absolutely explain it. If we weren't talking about something made in the 40s when HYDRA needed entire warehouses just to house a few terabytes of data." She glances over at Bucky. "While I'm sure the agents you scare the piss out of would disagree, your head isn't actually big enough to hold that much."

"You flirtin' with me to stop the panic or to apologize for not being Canadian for a minute?"

Ava blinks in surprise, the slightest hint of heat coming up the sides of her neck. That—she hadn't been—well. Steve's head turns to him, his eyebrows raising in mild shock.

Bucky clears his throat, then tries for a quiet chuckle, his eyes floating between her and the table. "Sorry—it's this damn room. Puts me in sergeant mode, makes me—let's get back to yelling at Steve."

"Thanks, asshole, I appreciate—"

"What makes you think I won't yell at you just because I'm Canadian?" Ava counters, finally recovering. "You trying to stereotype me, Barnes?"

The relief that comes off of Bucky is palpable. "I'd go for the hippie thing first if I was trying to do that."

"Didn't you sleep through the McCarthy era?"

"HYDRA gave me the long and short of it between naps."

Her hand flies up to her face to block a loud snort. Damn him, this is serious. But she's not about to begrudge him the gallows humor. She lowers it again while he smirks at her. "Do you mind? I'm trying to make an angry but valid point here."

"About a bunch of code that my head isn't big enough for," he continues for her dryly, one hand coming off his stomach to gesture up at it.

Ava sighs, the amusement from getting sidetracked by the Brooklyn heartstopper fading fast. "Not big enough by the standards of the 40s. By today's standards?" Her head tilts to the side sadly, readying herself to watch that fear in him get more substantial. "You tell me, Buck. Did the Nazis work in the mindset of single projects, or did they work in the mindset of generations that would lead a global empire?"

The words are the last piece to complete the puzzle in Bucky's mind; Ava can see it happen in his eyes. The expression of horror it yanks out of him will haunt her for the rest of her days. "Zola." 

It's said in a whisper, and Ava's not even sure what the word is. 

It takes Steve longer to reach whatever conclusion Buckys come to, and he looks resistant to the idea at first. "No, that's... no—Buck, you've been to what's left. You know what it took—"

"That's the point she's making, stupid. Look at how small everything's gotten." He stops, and Ava doesn't miss the sight of a hard swallow. "It makes sense. Think about it. It makes sense. They took care of the car until they could find an engine that fit. I was the prototype. Or—was going to be, at least."

The comparison—the one he's using on himself—is revolting. Accurate, but astoundingly revolting. She pushes past it, leaning down to tap a condescending nail on the table. "Hi, there. Still here. Still looking for some answers. What the hell is Zola?"

With Steve watching him like a hawk, Bucky breathes a long, tired sigh. "Not what. Who." 

"I can fill her in," Steve offers to him quickly. "You don't have to do this."

"Oh, I'm not doing shit. She's going to do it all." Bucky locks eyes with Ava, his expression passive. Having the Winter Soldier himself that focused in on her makes her breath catch involuntarily. "How's your Russian, doc?"

"I don't speak a word of it. Do I need to for this?"

"No, I'm sure you've got plenty of ways to translate anything you feel like reading. You should look up doveryai, no proveryai while you're at it." He leans forward, resting his arms on the table. His eyes never once move away from hers. "JARVIS, transfer a copy of my archive access to Dr. Ryder. Full permissions. And the next time she asks you a hard question, you don't have to bullshit her. Tell her to call me."

—

April 6th, 2015

"I want you to bring me with you next time."

"No."

"Is that a no because you do not agree or because you are afraid of mother?"

"Both."

Shuri frowns at the security feed, ignoring the quiet laughter she can hear coming from Nakia on the other end. "Coward."

The camera mounted on T'Challa's dashboard shakes as he turns it back to his face, his expression annoyed. "Say that to my—"

"Coward."

T'Challa rolls his eyes and turns the camera back around as Nakia laughs harder. He will be mopey now, for sure. "I am not taking you to stare at a soldier's office with us."

"Why not?"

"To start with, I refuse to be trapped in a car with you for that amount of time."

"You should be so lucky! Now, what is the real reason."

"What part of royal family do you not—"

"You get to go to these things."

"And when you leave your lab long enough to learn to use the spears of your foremothers, that privilege can extend to you."

"Okoye is always ready to teach you, Shuri," Nakia offers up diplomatically. 

"I do not need a spear to sit in a car annoying my brother," Shuri argues. They always do this to her. She is tired of it.

"You do not need to sit in a car annoying your bother at all." The moping has already started. She can hear it in T'Challa's voice.

"Fine. I will go to Ava's house and stay there while—"

"No."

Shuri slams her hands down on her desk, making the various instruments on it rattle precariously. "She is my family, too!"

There's silence on the other end in the wake of her anger. Then the camera turns again, this time by Nakia's hand. She doesn't stop the spin until it's pointed to show her and T'Challa. He does not look as annoyed anymore. He looks guilty.

Nakia gives her a sympathetic smile. "No one is trying to take that from you. We are only trying to keep you safe. We do not know how far Alec is willing to take things."

"And I am not willing to present the man with more temptations of power," T'Challa adds, the guilt on his face shifting to resignation. "It is not simply because I am afraid of our mother. I agree with her. And with our father. Alec Harlow is a man that is losing everything. That is a powerful motivator, Shuri."

"I am not afraid of that spineless demon," Shuri insists angrily. "I could handle him myself, thank you very much."

"Half the school children in Wakanda could," Nakia mocks under her breath.

She gets a stern look from T'Challa before he focuses it on Shuri. "It is not his strength we are concerned with. It is the allies he can call upon at any time. Men with strength and resources that we do not wish to deal with."

Some of the fight leaves her. Not much, but it does ebb. Her brother might be an idiot, but he is right about this. Ava would not be this afraid for no reason. She has been trying to disguise it when Nakia brings her for visits, which is how Shuri knows it is serious.

"I hate that man, brother." The word is far too inadequate. The contempt she holds for the worm who put fear in the heart of her favorite mad scientist feels immeasurable.

"As do I. As do we all." T'Challa smiles at her finally, his face softening. "I promise to bring you to hit him if he is ever arrested. That is when I will deem it safe enough."

"How many times?" she chases after quickly. "Can I bring a weapon?"

"You can bring exactly one weapon. Can you guess what it is?" The smile turns sarcastic as he reaches out and turns the camera back around to face Alec's office window. 

"I do not need a spear to break that man."

"No, you need it so I can stop being lectured by Okoye for enabling your avoidance of tradition."

"That will not help. She wishes for me to sit through her lessons. I would just bring the spear to hit him over the head with."

Nakia laughs, the sound light and soothing. "I am surprised you did not go straight for the idea of skewering him."

Tilting her head down at her desk, Shuri hesitates. She picks up the ridiculous coffee mug Ava got her, spinning it around in her hands with somber movements. 

Ava's last visit had been especially hard to stomach. The woman had looked so... empty as she talked about the start of the divorce. There had been no vengeful joy in her as she told Shuri's father she understood the gravity of the situation. No hard-won victory in her posture. There had only been grief and shame.

Shuri sighs, turning away from the screen to head for her lab's kitchen. She is going to fill the mug with one of the teas that Ava brings her. It will be a nice change from the energy drinks she has been binging. "No. I... I do not wish the man dead. I only wish to see him locked away somewhere he can never smile again."

—author end notes—

there’s one sentence in this chapter that is 14 words long (including contractions) that is the entire foundation of their incoming dom/sub and oh my g o d when i tell you that shit was cathartic to write 😫🤌 some day when this is finished, im gonna write a whole goddamn dissertation on that one sentence and all the narrative shit that tied into it in this fic so help me (YOURE ALLOWED TO GUESS BTW)

anyways, everyone is alive in wakanda bc i said so. and nakia and t’challa are really stupid uber mega important to ava’s backstory

i feel like we’ve all, as a species, Been Through Enough. you can talk my ear off abt anything, but dont talk to me abt the opening of wakanda forever i will Literally Die, i havent cried that hard over the first watch of a movie in so fucking long and i dont think im strong enough for a second. all i ever need for binging is winter soldier and black panther anyhow (FATWS is still growing on me and i only like it so far bc im a sambucky shipper. and a stucky shipper. and a 3 musketeer shipper. and a—i like making buckaroo be in love a lot. lets just. leave it at that). we can stop with the big owies thanks. let me escape to the fictional world where everyone is alive and Nothing Hurts, t h a n k s.

well. okay. some things are gonna hurt in this. probably really super bad too and youre gonna be really really mad at me when it hits. but like. theyre set up for comfort pay off so does it even really count??? i didnt think so, ty for agreeing 😌

ily 💖 tyty for reading 💞 and tyty in advance for yelling at me when i eventually hurt u ❤️🥰 i will understand, its okay, u are entitled to the emotional compensation on that one

[xtinyslip]

bejcwcled​:

“you know all about me?  what are there people out there studying me?  am i some sort of college course?” he asked smirking.  he doubted it was a good thing multiple people knew all about him but making it humorous couldn’t hurt right? this man didn’t seem as dangerous as the other.  but the fact that they both claim to know everything about him, maybe that meant the two of them were allies.  “can’t we just stop at i have a point.  does there have to be a but?” he pouted.  why couldn’t it just be he was right?  especially about this - he liked it here.  even if it was fake did it have to be a bad thing? “what if there isn’t anything to get ahead of? what if you’re wrong?  this place could be a good thing.  have you even given it a chance?”  he crossed his arms.  there better be proof for ruining his good mood and what felt like paradise.  he’d think this was valhalla if it weren’t for the fact he knew thor was still alive.  “i hugged you.  so i must really like you then.  you must be very special.” he still didn’t understand any of this relationship stuff involving that variant.  he was supposed to be in love with that sylvie woman but he was also out here hugging this man?  what was that variant like?  “you said that awfully quickly.  are you trying to lie to the god of lies?” oh this was too good.  this was a gift. now how much should he flirt?  how much would it take to make the man blush and/or squirm?  “what does it look like i’m doing?” he asked walking his fingers up and down the other’s chest.  “what makes you so sure i’m screwing around?  you’re very handsome.  if your loki doesn’t flirt with you he must be blind or have very poor taste.” maybe he was messing with him a little bit.  playing up his attraction but it wasn’t like he didn’t feel any at all.  “i have all the facts i need.  she’s dangerous, she might have caused this.  he’s threatened to wipe me and/or my brother out of time.  there’s nothing else i need to know.  i have to find her and deliver her to him.”

“YEAH IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I DO.” he felt confident in saying that and maybe he didn’t know all of what there was to know. in fact he and his loki had probably barely touched the surface but they’d been trying to get there. well, at least that’s what it had felt like to him and that’s all he really had to go on now. “still going with the self flattery i see? how’s that working out for you?” he smirked, even if it was scratched with sadness, he hoped the other wouldn’t know that. “wish i could stop at you had a point but that wouldn’t be the truth. we’re supposed to be done with the lies loki.” sometimes it was difficult to not talk to him as though he was his loki, his variant. mobius let out a sigh, shaking his head. “sorry, old habits.” meaning how he spoke like that, he wasn’t doing it intentionally — that wouldn’t be fair on either of them. “if im wrong then id put my hands up to it but… im not, really wish i was this time though.” because they deserved a fresh start with all this crap behind them, it didn’t look like they were going to get it. “not sure if specials the right word. think we both just did a pretty good job at wearing each other down in the end.” his loki had been… different. hell, maybe he’d been special but mobius wasn’t keen to admit that and he wasn’t going to plant ideas that he had been special to loki. that wasn’t right, not when he didn’t exactly know for sure. “maybe because we were busy trying to save our necks to ever have a conversation like that? i cared enough about… them to risk it all. what you want to take from that? it’s up to you.” that was the truth and it wasn’t the easiest to admit, explained why he could barely pull his eyes up to meet lokis face now. “loki,” it was a warning but of what he didn’t know exactly. did he want the other to stop? not particularly but only if he meant it and he wasn’t so sure that this loki did. “i think we might be able to agree on that.” the chuckle that he let out was almost nervous sounding. crap, was he blushing? the thought that he could be blushing made him blush more. it also hadn’t gone unnoticed by mobius that he was yet to remove lokis hand. he’d left it there… doing it’s thing. “oh she’s dangerous alright.” nodding his head. “she’s also another person in a long line of people to be screwed over by the guy who wants you to bring her to him. “ all true and the worst part? loki most likely wasn’t going to have a choice in this if he wanted to remain alive. “all this talking has made me need a drink. what do you say? YOU IN?”

[hybeboyenthusisast]

Background Character Vibes: 30. I love you (Written, NSFW)

A Choi Yeonjun x Reader smau

Rating: 18+ for swearing, mentions of alcohol and drugs, and eventual smut

Disclaimer: Ages of real people have been adjusted to suit the story better. MINORS DNI!

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SYNOPSIS: Y/N is always the sidekick and never the hero. It’s always about her friends and their drama, but she doesn’t mind. It’s better to just be quiet and blend in when your brother is THE Jungkook, the most popular singer of last year. With spring semester of her junior year of university approaching, yn is not ready for classes or for her crush Choi Yeonjun to notice her.

Or, Yeonjun finds himself captivated by the quiet psychology student that keeps rejecting Soobin’s request to become a tutor.

WARNINGS: protected sex, slight possessiveness?, jealousy??, dick sucking, pussy eating, dirty talk, praise, degradation in the slightest, really fluffy smut, teasing, probably more that im forgetting

 The evening had been going great until you returned from the bathroom to see the waitress flirting with Yeonjun. She was skinnier than you, had a prettier face, but you didn't feel the least bit self conscious. Not when Yeonjun stood from the table to meet you across the room and bring you into a passionate kiss. There was no room for jealousy over the pretty waitress flirting with a man who was obviously on a date, not when you had that gorgeous man kissing you like it was the last time he ever would.

"You're the only one I want," Yeonjun murmured against your lips, and you knew that he was determined to always make sure you knew that to be true. He pulled away to look into your eyes, "This isn't how I wanted to say it, it was supposed to be more romantic and not because the waitress was flirting with me, but-"

"I love you," you cut him off with a smile, bringing him in for another kiss, not caring who was watching this dramatic and romantic scene unfold in the cheesy diner.

"Hey, that was my line!" Yeonjun teased you as he pulled away from the kiss and lead you back towards your table. "I love you, yn."

The rest of your dinner was full of small giggles over the confessions of love, feeling the relief of having said the words and hearing them said back. You were sure the other diners were getting annoyed, but neither of you really cared. The giggles and utter joy carried you through the rest of the dinner, all to the way back to Yeonjun's apartment. Sweet, giggly kisses began to become more heated and needy, and you found yourself pressed against the wall of his bedroom, legs wrapped around his waist and his arms under your ass to hold you up, as you sloppily kissed in a clash of lips and tongues.

"No interruptions this time," you promised him when he laid you down on his bed, taking his shirt off before helping you with yours. You were so, so beyond ready for this. "I wanna be stuffed with your cock."

"Such a dirty mouth, princess. We can be filthy another day. Today, I want to have sex with the woman I love for the very first time," your heart and your pussy melted at his words. It was almost embarrassing how his sweetness made you far wetter than the rough making out had. Despite his gentle intentions, you rushed to take the rest of his and your clothes off. And when his boxers dropped to the floor, your jaw did a bit as well.

You had imagined what his length would look like, but your imagination was nothing in comparison to the real thing. The perfect combination of length and girth for you, though part of you wondered how on earth that would fit inside of you. The veins on his cock looks so inviting, you just wanted to lick them and tease the hell out of Yeonjun. He was throbbing so hard, desperate to be touched by you. The pink head was swollen, begging to be taken into your mouth. You couldn’t help but drool a little at the sight in front of you, something you hoped Yeonjun wouldn’t notice, but of course, he noticed everything. “Enjoying the view, baby?” He chuckled darkly. Your eyes slid up towards his hips, his chest, his eyes, which were clouded and darkening with his need for you. He looked ready to pounce on you. And you really hoped he would.

“You’re gorgeous, Jjunie,” You replied honestly, blushing as you continued to admire the naked man standing in front of you. The ache between your legs reminded you that you were laying on the bed, naked, in front of him. He was certainly enjoying the view as well, as his eyes raked up and down your body, admiring your each and every curve, scar, and stretch mark. You had always been shy in the past whenever you were intimate with someone, not that it had happened often anyway, but with Yeonjun, you weren't shy at all. You trusted him completely, with your family secret, with your heart, and with your body. You were ready for this next step with the man that you love so very much.

Yeonjun gave you a sweet smile, gazing into your eyes adoringly. "No, sweetheart, you're gorgeous," though his words came out so gentle, his hand under your chin to bring your lips to his was not. He kissed you like he was starved of your touch and needed as much of it as fast as he could. You kissed him back eagerly, although a bit surprised at the sudden change in pace. You weren't complaining, though. The man you love, kissing you so fiercely, needing you so bad? A wet dream come true, literally. Too often had you dreamed about what this would feel like, the extreme heat between the two of you, your lips aching to be on each others, knowing it was leading somewhere uncharted, undiscovered.

“I love you,” you whispered against his lips, as you pulled away ever so slightly, still giddy from the high of your earlier confessions. He smiled against your lips and kissed you once more, slower, deeper. His hands cupped your cheeks softly, yet his thumbs running along your jaw prompted you to open your mouth, his tongue slipping in and massaging your own. He wanted to make you feel as loved as you were, and you wanted to do the same for him. Where you wanted his tender touches, he wanted your eager ones. As your tongues fought for dominance, your hands on his chest as he leaned down on top of you, pressing your back into the bed. 

He pulled away from your heavy kiss, gasping for air, stroking your cheek as he kept one hand on the bed beside your head, keeping him from putting his full weight on you. He wanted you, so bad, he felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t have you cumming on his cock soon. But, he also wanted to take this slow and truly treasure the first time the two of you were this intimate. Clearly, you wanted that as well, as you weren’t begging him to fuck you or eat you out like other girls would have been doing at this point. He leant his face down a bit to nuzzle his nose against yours, whispering to you, “I love you too, angel.”

And when his lips met yours again, you were ready to get the ball rolling, ready for something more. An unexpected burst of confidence took over you, and you lightly pushed Yeonjun off of you so he rolled to the other side of the bed. Of course, you weren’t able to really push him, he was just nice enough to move like you wanted him to. You moved so you were straddling him, your core placed on top of his hard length, and no doubt he could feel how wet you were already. You kissed him once, twice, before moving so you could kiss your way down his chest, to his hips, to his tip. He sat up on the bed, propped up on his elbows so he could watch you settle between his legs that were hanging off the bed. Your tender kisses on his thighs caused him to groan, and you found the noise to be one of the hottest things you had ever heard. 

“You’re such a tease,” he groaned out as you kissed his tip gently, looking up at him through your lashes with your eyes wide and innocent. You smirked at him before licking up a stripe against his cock, happy when more groans left his lips. Enough teasing, you were ready to show him how much you loved him with your mouth. Taking his tip into your mouth, you allowed your saliva to trickle down his cock, so you could pump him while you eased him into your mouth. His hands found purchase in your hair, but he wasn’t pushing you down nor was he thrusting up. He didn’t want to hurt you, and he was loving that you were taking control in that moment. 

Your tongue swirled around him like a lollipop and your mouth was sucking on him just so, so perfectly as you kept taking more and more of him in your mouth. When he reached the back of your throat and you couldn’t take anymore of him, you began bobbing your head up and down around his length, using your hand to pump what couldn’t fit. Your other hand sneaked up and groped at his balls, resulting in a rather loud moan from Yeonjun who whispered words of encouragement. 

His fingers gripped at your hair, and the sting was unexpectedly arousing, and you could feel yourself getter wetter from just sucking him off and him pulling at your hair. You were desperate for some friction, rubbing your thighs together to try to ease the throbbing, the desperation, between your legs. As you played with his balls and sucked him as much as you possibly could, you noticed his thighs tensing on and on, each time tensing for a longer time than the last. His moans and groans were music to your ears, and as you did your best to quicken your pace, wanting to make him cum, he was pulling you off of him far too soon for your liking. 

A string of saliva connected your mouth to his tip as you leaned back on your knees so you could properly look at him. “What’s wrong? Was it not good?” You couldn’t help but be worried, as it sounded like he was enjoying it, only to stop you so suddenly. 

He shook his head, “No, baby, that’s not it. You were doing so, so good for me. I just don’t wanna cum for you, for the first time, anywhere other than inside you. Though, in a condom, of course.” He chuckled as you blushed at his equally sweet and dirty words. “It’s my turn to take care of you, and I’m not stopping until I’ve got you cumming on my tongue.”

And cum on his tongue you did. Not just once, but twice. He knew just how to tease you, to get you right to the edge only to stop and rip your orgasm away. But when he continued sucking on your clit and fucking you with his fingers, the orgasms that you finally had were earth shattering. It all felt like a blur, so euphoric that you only came back to your senses when Yeonjun was slurping up your juices from your cunt. The dirty sounds coming from between your legs, his gorgeous eyes connecting with yours, it was all too much and not enough at the same time.

You pulled Yeonjun up gently so you could kiss him, humming as you tasted yourself on his tongue. You were so in love with him but you also were just so damn horny. And you needed to be fucked already.

"Get the condom," you whispered against his lips as you pulled away ever so slightly. He wasted no time running to his discarded pants on the ground, grabbing and ripping open the foil packet. You couldn't help but drool a little as you watched him roll the condom down his length.

"Do you want me to make love to you and show you how much you mean to me, or do you want me to fuck you until you can't walk?" His lustful gaze met yours, his sexy voice making you rub your thighs against each other, desperate for some friction.

"Who says you can't do both?" And so he did. He fucked you in different positions at different paces, all while telling you the same things. He peppered your face with kisses as he fucked into you slowly and gently in missionary, whispering how much he loved you. He bruised your hips as he pounded into you in doggy, grunting out words of his love. He sucked on your hard perky nipples as you rode him, his hips rutting up to help you while he praised you and told you he loved you.

And when you came for the final time that night, impaled on his cock, his hand around your throat and his lips leaving hickeys on your breasts, he continued to proclaim his love for you.

"I love you so much," his hips were starting to stutter as he was close to his release. "You're mine, princess. My baby girl. My love. Fuck, baby." Your lips silenced his words as you squeezed your pussy around his dick, eager to help him reach his high. This little squeeze from you was exactly what he needed to release and cum. The moans that left his lips as he did so almost made you want to go for round two, but you knew neither of you were going to be able to do that after such a blissful first time together.

The two of you got cleaned up, whispering more "I love you"s to each other and giggling with joy as you repeated the phrase back to one another. Yeonjun knew who you were, and his love for you didn't change or waver when you had revealed Jungkook as your brother during the car ride back to Yeonjun's apartment. He was unconditionally accepting of you and every part of you that you revealed to him.

And as the two of you snuggled in his bed, exhausted from the intensive fucking, you realized that you accepted yourself now too. You were proud to be Zoa's best friend, Yeonjun's girlfriend, and Jungkook's sister. But more importantly, you were proud that all of these different identities made up your whole; yn. Maybe it was time to step out of the shadows and into the sunshine, become the main character in your own life.

Background Character Vibes Taglist (closed): @carateum1 @yunyunatz @staysstrays @ashxxkook @junnmizz @gyufemboy @ioszzn @imcoenffl @130999 @qghosty @hwasatiny @arizejkt19  @yla-aira  @kajysstuff @igotkpoops @knisterlicht​ @nishmrriki

[catintheruemorgue]

annoying things they do

summary: small things these guys do that just grinds your gears a bit.

characters: oda, dazai, kunikida, twain, akutagawa, atsushi, mori, poe, ranpo, fittzgerald, steinbeck, chuuya, yosano, gin, kouyou, higuchi, alcott and lucy

these are all based off things i do or have inconvenienced my life lmfao i’ll probs do a part two with everyone i missed this just got wayyy to long lol next im posting being friends with double black 

Oda:

If you're wearing shorts and have bruises he will poke them when you're resting your legs on him. He’s silent about it too and if you yell at him he pretends to act like he doesn't know what you're talking about.

Will smack your sunburn but this one is actually an accident. He just wanted to pat you on the back because you're amazing.

Will space out when you talk too long, sometimes certain objects are just so… mesmerizing

Dazai:

Loves to jumpscare you the only exception is if it was a trigger. In that case he will just call your name and whip something at you for you to catch at random.

When you're driving he likes to reach over and honk your horn. It's almost caused so many roadside fistfights.

If he sees a dog in public he will bark and growl at it.

Kunikida:

Won’t let you on the bed without socks on. You could be sick as a dog and he’ll still enforce this rule.

Cleaning is hard because he has a hard time throwing things away. You'll spend extra time as he holds two identical pens, trying to decide which one he wants to keep. He’s learned to plan certain days in his schedule for cleaning now.

Won't let you turn up the music in the car and will keep it at a level that's so low it's annoying.

Twain:

Walks around the house shirtless but then complains about how cold it is.

Blasts his music so loud when he wakes up in the morning and it's always early 2000’s hits. It's not rare for you to have Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield stuck in your head by 9 am.

Always has to climb something, this stems from his adventurous side. It's not really that annoying but when you’re in a crowded area and he runs off to go climb the tall statue, screaming at you to take a photo… Yes it is. Especially when children try and follow him and you're stuck receiving glares from the parents.

Akutagawa:

Will not let you throw any food products out. He tells you it's a perfectly good meal (even if it's not) and that he will eat it tomorrow. It’s sad because you know this stems from childhood but it’s still annoying.

Reuses the same gross, musty ziplock baggies. You keep buying new ones but he doesn't get it lol.  

Will tell you if your breath smells, hair is messy, outfit is ugly. He does not see an issue with this and it's nice knowing someone has your back but he doesn't have to be so rude about it..

Atsushi:

If he drinks he's one of those drinkers who will not let you take it from him. Keeps an iron grip on the cup. He finishes it no matter how drunk and always throws up. Thankfully he rarely drinks.

He stops to help everyone, literally even if they just look like they need help. You've been late to so many things.

Will eat anything. Once you made steak and somehow forgot about it. It was hard as a brick yet he still almost broke his teeth eating it. You think you saw some tears as he told you it was delicious.

Mori:

Listens to people's conversations in public and isn't afraid to comment, loudly, about it. You know it's loud because they either stop talking or try and confront you guys.

Comes up to stops fast and brakes so hard you feel like he does it on purpose.

Sometimes if he and Elise get into a “disagreement” he’ll try and rope you in to take his side and you always do, knowing it would probably give him more satisfaction if you chose to side with her.

Poe:

Asks for constructive criticism but will then argue with you about why you're wrong.

Always humming a song he heard Twain singing and then it gets stuck in your head too.

Will deny stupid things like why your favorite mug is in the trash or why he just let out rather loud scream in the bathroom. You know he's lying because he looks away and makes sure his bangs are covering his eyes.

Ranpo:

Will call you out on any lie even if you don't mean to lie you just forgot about some of the details.

Don't take him grocery shopping if you have a set amount you want to spend. He won't even sneak, he will just say he wants something and throw it in the cart.

Such a backseat driver even though he can't drive.

Fitzgerald:

Likes to act like he's still in his twenties and will somehow get the two of you invited to college parties where he will attempt to do a kegger in front of everyone. You end up being the one to hold him up and he always ends with a, “LETS FUCKING GO!”

Likes to ask for the senior discount even though he's not that old, he just likes to hear the women validate that he's not old.

It’s scary how he used to buy without looking and now will scream if the price on a price tag is too high.

Steinbeck:

Always looking at the grass for wheat to chew on. It's so cheesy when you walk into the city and he's got it sticking out of his mouth.

He gets weirdly intimate with nature and you feel like you're third wheeling.

Has the mentality that he has to provide for you because he is the man. He gets so shocked when he finds out you still want to work.

Chuuya:

Has a hard time making decisions you could ask him what he wants for dinner and his mind will just break.

Gets way too pissed at movies and will actually get up and walk away. Once you were kicked out of the theater because he wouldn't stop yelling at the screen. Another time he walked out you waited a whole ten minutes before you realized he wasn't coming back.

Sometimes activates his ability at night and it's so scary waking up to him floating halfway across the room.

WOMAN TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Yosano:

Will glare at you so intensely if you say something she disagrees with.

Always tries to rope you into drinking with her even if you’ve said no the past ten nights.

Will describe wounds or injuries in such detail and just won’t stop, almost like she’s trying to fuck with you, but she’s not.

Gin:

Claims to be nothing like her big brother but then will go on to make the same facial expressions and do some of the same mannerisms as him.

Will spend hours trying things on just to put it all back, leave the store and change her mind when you’re almost home. Then she’ll have you run back with her to buy it all.

Is used to sneaking around so scares you a lot. Also on the topic of being silent sometimes she just won’t respond, thinking you can just read her vibes / mind.

Kouyou:

Will judge what you eat, especially fast food but will try and steal a fry in private when you're not looking.

Will say things like, “Well that's just the way the world works.” If someone tries to share their baggage with her. You understand she’s had a pretty rough life but it's caused you to almost spit out your drink multiple times.

At functions forgets about you for about an hour while she mingles with everyone else, you could tap on her shoulder and she'll dismiss you like you're a subordinate. Until you clear your throat again you'll see the slight blush as she apologizes.

Higuchi:

She has no sense of privacy. If she hears a crash or loud noise she will bust down the door. It’s sweet but not when the noises are usually from you knocking all the shampoo bottles down again.

Horrible road rage actually puts you on edge to be in the car with her. She doesn't even have to be driving.

Likes to act like she's a professional at everything and people usually believe it because of her suit. It's so nerve wracking when she giggles when they walk away with false information.

Alcott:

Will agree to everything you suggest but you can only tell when she doesn’t want to do it when you’re currently doing it.

Yet she’s not afraid to grumble about how annoying it is when someone bumps into you and doesn’t apologize. It’s sweet but you’re left dealing with the situation if the person is aggressive enough to say something.

Always corrects your spelling or if you say something like “I could care less.”

Lucy:

Will fish for compliments in a very obvious way like, “Wow. Wish someone would call me pretty..” and then just stare right at you.

Kicks you so violently in her sleep but won't let go of you so you cant get away.

Constantly stealing from restaurants. You're banned from a couple restaurants because she got caught trying to steal a cup or salt shaker.