#and im too awkward to write on the post itself and go hi can you not pls

[xxplastic-cubexx]

what is your favorite thing about charles and your favorite thing about erik? separately, as in what you like most about their characters :]

a devious question this one is, my friend!!! it's hard enough for me to explain my thoughts cohesively, but having to pick ONE thing i particularly love is difficult. with characters like charles and erik, theres been so much done with their characters over the decades and so they have so many components to them that make them so interesting and fun to observe. BUT I TRY FOR YOU TODAY. under the cut i kinda ramble and the size of this text box makin me anxious

i think if i were to be simple and broad, what i enjoy most about charles is his determination to help others, even if he isn't really thanked and/or if people don't even like him. ofc, this isn't to say he hasn't done wrong- to be honest, the fact he does wrong/questionable things at times is another aspect of him i really enjoy, maybe because- broadly speaking- he's meant to be altruistic (intent vs outcome and all that). i don't know if that's super exciting to most people, but it is for me

as for erik, my reason for liking him is easier to explain tbh. To Be Simple And Broad, his progression from villain to antihero over the decades has been fun to observe (as much as i have so far anyhow) and analyze. i think to be a bit more specific, him using his rage and pain as justifications for his villainous actions is definitely what compels me the most: hurt people hurt and the sort, an idea i've always found interesting (something something vicious cycles and the like). yet now, he recognizes this wasn't really. A Just Thing To Do and is beginning to change that, which i enjoy

[nerves-nebula]

betcha thought u saw the last of me huh

been in a major writing slump for the past year, and now and conquering my writing slumo to hopefully get over all of my other ones so here u go this is inspired by a post a long time ago that i can’t find ab everyone falling back into old habits at the farm house and i can’t remember if it was april or casey who set them into shape but i needed an excuse to make it faggy

the farmhouse itself was nothing like the sewers. warm wooden walls, sunlit windows, and soft carpet were a very dramatic change from the damp, cold walls of the sewer, made colder by the presences within them.

 

it was a change, for sure, but raph couldn’t help but think it was a welcome one.

 

everyone could tell something had changed between them, between everyone. eggshells littered the floorboards during short, awkward conversations, before the occupants retreated back to their designated spaces.

 

some things lingered, though. what is it that people say—it takes twenty one days to form a habit? well, raph has been doing this for nineteen years, so beat that. he’s spent almost two decades walking on autopilot, not thinking twice about anything until it became a threat, picking up after everyone, cooking, cleaning. the list carried on.

 

and for the better part of two decades, his siblings had accepted that. some smart people online can say whatever they want, but a few weeks in the farmhouse can’t undo years of habit. but it was fine. it was fine if he spent a good few hours of his day cleaning up mikey’s paint. it was fine if donnie’s gadgets were scattered across the table. it was fine if leo left dishes in the sink from a meal he couldn’t be bothered to share.

 

it was fine.

 

raph was fine.

 

his brain woke him up early. it always did. he had to make breakfast and clean up the mess everyone probably made after he turned in for the night, and donnie probably hasn’t showered in awhile, so he needs to get on that and-

 

“you’re thinking too loud.” a voice grumbled from below him. that was odd. casey was never up this early. that was new. “quit it.”

 

“…sorry.” raph muttered, lifting his head from casey’s chest. that was relatively new too. he saw the way mikey looked at them, like he knew something they didn’t. he and casey were old friends, even if the bed thing was new. “i didn’t know you were up.”

 

“oh, im up alright. i’m up to make sure that you aren’t.”

 

…

 

“huh?” he asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he glanced up at casey’s face. his hair was tousled with sleep, leaving his eyes actually visible in the soft light of dawn. the warm sun hit the brown irises perfectly, casting them in honey.

 

“you heard me.” casey yawned, tossing a tan arm over his eyes. the long, thick strands of his uncut hair splayed across the pillow in tendrils. slithering out across the cotton to root their host into the mattress. “you’re sleeping in.”

 

…

 

that’s new too.

 

his mind screamed in protest. he didn’t do well with change; he never had. that was his routine—his new one. he woke up early, made breakfast, ate as much as his body would allow him, and then some, and then cleaned. leo would wake up next, take his fill, not clean his plate, and fuck off to god knows where. then mikey would emerge, and then donnie. april came down a few hours later, and then finally casey would wake up. it was never like this; he was never last.

 

some part of him, deep inside his psyche, begged for a break. sleeping in would be nice. he couldn’t think of a place he’d rather be than right here—casey’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, holding his head against the soft flesh of his stomach while absolutely shrouded in blankets. he hadn’t been this comfortable in years.

 

he was wasting time. dad never liked waiting for breakfast.

 

dad wasn’t here, and frankly, he could go fuck himself.

 

it took twenty-one days to form a habit. how long does it take to break one?

 

without a word, raph settled back into casey’s body and closed his eyes.

 

—:—

 

the next time he woke up, casey was still under him. the sun was higher in the sky, now painting the walls in golden rays as opposed to the vibrant pinks and blues of dawn. his friend's hand ran across the ridges of his shell, rendering him practically immobile. his limbs were loose with contentment, and his vision was hazy as he flicked his eyes around the room.

 

“mornin’. again.” casey grinned down at him, that gap-toothed smile wide, and pleased with his own poor joke. his fingers never stopped their soothing motions on his carapace, though, so raph decided to let it go.

 

his eyelids felt heavy as he forced them to stay open, blinking sleep away while flexing his body. every finger, every toe, arms, legs, and then finally his neck as he lifted his head from casey’s warmth.

 

“what time is it?” he asked, pushing his body up into a sitting position, much to his mind's dismay. everything in him was screaming to lay down again, to soak up casey’s warmth like the man was a rock in the sun. he may as well be with his body temperature.

 

casey helped him up, his big hands steady against his biceps as he manoeuvred raph into a sitting position in front of him. the sheets pooled around their waists as raph leaned his head against casey’s shoulder. the room was so cold now.

 

“c’mon.” raphs shoulder was prodded gently, and he raised his head to gaze into where casey’s eyes hid behind his hair. his voice was soft and low, like a vibration in the air.

 

maybe that could explain the tingling in his spine.

 

bare, tan feet hit the floor first, before his hand gently tugged the turtle off the mattress. still dazed with sleep, he stumbled, leaning into casey’s side to take the weight off of his unsteady legs. the stairs were the hardest to conquer, with all three of raphs fingers grasping casey’s wrist while they manoeuvred down the steps.

 

a muffled scolding sounded from the next room, and raph felt something inside of him freeze. it wasn’t dad splinter. splinter usually yelled, or even just spoke, but he never tried to make himself quieter. maybe the humiliation of everyone else knowing you were in trouble was part of the punishment.

 

“i swear to fucking god.” the voice spoke, tone controlled yet flaming. “i’m done watching him pick up after you guys. i love you, you’re my friends, but you need to get your shit together.”

 

his brain didn’t quite comprehend who was speaking until he heard the next voice.

 

“it’s not that big of a deal.” leo’s familiar tone punctured the air. raph refused to allow the sound to stab him like the knife it always was. “he’s done it forever! i’m sure he’s used to it by now!”

 

“that doesn’t mean it’s fine, leo!”

 

“april, w-we’re all getting better…aren’t we? i mean, we clean up after ourselves decently...”

 

“no, the house is clean because raph is still cleaning up after you guys like he’s your mom!”

 

casey’s hand tightened a fraction on his shoulder, and he looked back down at him with a grin. “how about we go outside, yeah? it’s s’posed to be real nice out.”

 

before raph could complain or comply, he was already being led in the other direction, hearing the voices fade back out. he opened his mouth, and casey cut him off. “i know you’re hungry. i’ll getcha something. wait outside for me? ‘kay?”

 

and like that, he was gone. the door closed behind him as raph turned his eyes to the tree line, plush with vibrant leaves and dark soil. remnants of dew still clung to the blades of grass, shining brightly in the light of the sun.

 

the wood of the patio was warm against his feet, and he leaned his elbows to the railing, licking his eyes into the woods. his eyes were still heavy, and the place around his neck where casey’s arm previously lay left a pleasant scorch sinking into his skin. still, the voices from inside bounced in his skull. at least the yelling was familiar.

 

somethings never change.

thaNKK YOUUU !!! this was SO CUTE UGH. you get the first neglected art i've been able to make in a while

[actualbird]

do you have any advice for overcoming awkwardness when writing smut? I don’t get awkward *reading* smut and thinking of writing smut fics, but when I actually sit down and write smut fics I get so awkward and feel embarrassed!! There’s no shame in writing it of course, but I specifically feel shame and im often like “agh it’s so awkward writing this level of intimacy!!”

hi anon!!! and ohhh......im not sure if my answer is gonna be helpful, because it's more of a mindset thing than it is a concrete/tangible writing tip but like

just treat smut like how you would treat any other type of story

because it is! smut is just another kind of story. some people like it, some people dont. same goes for sex. some people like it, some people dont, and while sex is an intimate act, it doesnt always have to be as well. theres friends with benefits, theres sexually active aromantic people, theres people who have sex for the fun of it. essentially, sex is like......every other act. meaning can be attached to it or not, the same way you'd attach meaning or not to the mundane act of like, eating a cake.

i think im getting off topic here kBLKSJFD but like. at least for me, what helped was stopping myself from putting smut on some kind of Special Pedestal with Different Rules. at the end of the day, it's...just another story. so i treat it like how i treat writing any other story.

mindset things aside, here are some other tips off the top of my head that might help

if the problem is intimacy, try writing other scenes that have deep physically intimate connotations. like a bubble bath together, or sharing a first kiss, or giving each other a massage. this can help in getting comfortable with writing intimacy in general, so when you take the intimacy up a notch for smut, it isn't as jarring or like you're jumping into the deep end immediately. ease your way in

if the problem is explicit-ness, i'd suggest not writing E rated fic right away and maybe starting with what would be rated M instead (going by ao3 ratings). if ever you arent familiar with the difference, this post is my FAVORITE post on differentiating M and E smut, please read it, ive screencapped it below for ease of reference.

essentially the difference is in the amount of detail and scene expansion, and with this in mind, M rated situations can be a nice training ground for working up to writing E rated situations. same rationale as my previous tip: if diving in head first is hard, then ease your way into it

another tip i have thats more collaborative is: if by any chance uve got a friend/s who you discuss fanfic ideas with.....talk about your smut ideas with them too. bounce the idea around with another person, i feel this helps make any fic idea (not just smut) much less intimidating while also having the extra bonus of fleshing out the idea even more

last tip: practice!!! you can write snippets or short scenes of smut little by little and, as the saying goes, everything gets easier with practice. not just the act itself, but also the attitude of going into it. with enough practice you'll just end up so used to writing smut that eventually you'll forget to be awkward or embarrassed about it

i realize that i just said a bunch kLJBSJD so i'll end this ask here. i hope some part of it is helpful to you!! and i wish you the best on your smut writing journey :D

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

Im not that same anon, but i will say the way you jokingly talk like a taekooker can sometimes be triggering and hurtful to people like me who really love jimin and thought they curated their spaces to jimin focused accounts. Ive even seen taekookers use your blog posts in their arguments bullying jimin.

I’ve followed you long enough to know you’re being sarcastic but i do get sometimes triggered by how you try to prove Taekook in the exact way Taekookers do, a joke or not. but that’s our problem and you’re allowed to say whatever you want, and we can obviously unfollow you. Just adding my perspective.

- Allow me to give a honest opinion. I won't say you're a tkkr or anything because i know you're a ex jkkr and you don't ship jm with anyone. But from the way you write it definitely seems like you have alot of pent up anger towards jk and tae individually as well as together and that definitely reflects more into your writing when it involves those two. I think it's because you're an ex jkkr so it might be because feels betrayed by both of them on jm's behalf, like their behaviour towards him etc. Yes i myself recent the two guys the most and don't think they're worthy of jm's friendship too. Idk how long you have been on this blog but since the time i have followed you if i didn't know better i would think you're a jkkrs' hater more than of Tkkrs. It's one thing to to recent shippers it's another thing to turn it more towards just one group of shippers that is jkkrs. I remember you saying something like you felt betrayed or something about ITS tk talk cause even tho they said they're awkward it didn't show in their actions or something along that so i think you hate them both alot.

personally idc who you're calling husband or what cause all pjms call them husbands but they also think both of them are straight, would have unfollowed you long ago. I only replied cause i saw anons calling you tkkr. Anyways tk husbands married in Vegas currently with 3 kids and 3rd or 5th anniversary according to tkkrs. If you don't know they also has a shared apartment in japan jk brought for taehyung and he was staying there while jm was in hotel. Such a bad friend jk didn't even invite jm to come to their tk house 😔

---

Well, that I understand because taekook as a ship used to bother me just as much. It was annoying and sometimes it still is, tho it's become more of a dislike towards them as people rather than the ship itself.

In late 2019, there was some random poll in some irrelevant online magazine (like soompi and stuff) about "which member is the closest to Jungkook?". Jin won. Army voted for Jin and not Jimin, who was without a doubt the closest to Jungkook that year. At that time, things like that also bothered me and made me sad. Now, I guess it's been so long since I got over it and it's a joke. Besides, I understood that most of the information army picked up on was coming from the members themselves, and I couldn't spend a lifetime getting angry about things Taehyung, Jungkook and even Jimin himself weren't going to change.

That vminkook live in November 2021? Watching some parts of it felt terrible. I got over it quick, but at the time I didn't like it. A lot of taekook stuff bothered me, but what is anyone going to do about it lol. And I learned that, and I accepted it. Jimin literally posted taekook with their faces smashed together on his Instagram some weeks ago and pjms were laughing and rejoicing about him giving something to taekookers.

"Ive even seen taekookers use your blog posts in their arguments bullying jimin." Sorry but I don't believe you, like you just made that up.

Yeah but the thing is, I'm not trying to prove taekook lmao. I'm just making fun of the way shippers in general talk. Like, it would've meant the world to jikookers if it was Jimin with bam, right? They actually spent a lot of time trying to prove that Jimin is with bam often, but because it's Taehyung that has actual proof of spending time with Bam at Jungkook's house, they get annoyed at it and talk about conspiracy theories. Or ignore it. Now, Bam it's irrelevant. But if it had been Jimin, they would've also said the same thing I said about Taehyung spending time at Jungkook's.

And that's the whole point... call it satire if you will.

Before this discussion started, I was going through my blog, right. I reblogged some old posts. Remember when Jimin went to NYC and he wore shorts and jikookers were making viral sex jokes about how he'd shaved for Jungkook (Jimin is clean shaven in every BTS content btw, and so are the other members). Well, while going through my posts I saw this one where I said Jimin shaved and moistuzed his legs for Eunwoo like...

That stuff sounds out of pocket to me, and I will make fun of it. if people are missing the joke it's really not me. Or maybe they haven't been in shipper spaces as much as I have been. I'm sorry if I come across as too convincing??

Mind you, there were people who got angry because I talked about minimoni, or even about Saeon and Eunwoo. Someone literally came up once and told me that liking minimoni was weird because Namjoon talked about Jimin in a creepy and predatory way. Some people are just deranged, and I know that.

I honestly have no respect left for jikookers after face, or rather after this year, the way I have no respect for taekookers. They've become an easy punching bag with how delusional they were since 2021, and most of my jokes are me just saying the same things they say about jikook, but using it for different ships because it's all so ridiculous. And the most delusional ones are always Jungkook biased jikookers who thought Jimin was undeserving of support and talk about the two of them like Jimin is the lesser one in talents, ambition, or achievements.

[schrijverr]

Heyy.. 'situation' anon here, I'll never pass up an opportunity to send an ao3 author i like asks on their authority so here i am again

🫖,🎵,🕸,📚 - sorry if thats too many lol, i was indecisive

also... while I'm here... ill publicly humiliate myself a little under the cover of anon and ask for your opinion of bobney/chobby/chimbobby ?

hello, situation anon! What a delight that you're back, thank you so much for the ask <333 And that's totally not too many, I love being enabled to talk, ask my partner, I will not stop xp

🫖: If you had a tea party with your blorbos you write the most, how would it go?

The writer in me, wants to go; god how would they react to suddenly appearing somewhere with a random stranger and tea? lmao. Rn im writing a lot of 9-1-1 and I feel like if the situation was plausible, they'd be chill, but I would 100% be too awkward about it omg. But I'd love to pick their brains about the work they do and I think they'd be okay answering questions. However, I don't think I'd want it to happen, bc the most plausible situation is me having an emergency haha

🎵: Do you create playlists for your fics?

I'm probably about to admit to being a total weirdo, bc I like my silence. Yup, I'm not a huge music person and I usually work and write in silence, no background noise, no music. So, usually no. I don't make playlists for my fic. I have for one, but that's an unposted Leverage fic (it's my lesbian nb, bisexual Eliot fic that goes from childhood love with Aimee through Damien Moreau to falling in love with Parker and Hardison, which I posted an abandoned first draft off) But overall, no, no playlists

🕸: Do you outline? How detailed?

My outlining usually consists of me jotting down future vague outline ideas and little snippets I might want to incorporate as I go along, just chilling at the bottom of my docx, along with things to remember like timelines or details I wanna come back to. I'm more a freestyler when it comes to writing. Nine times out of ten, I'll come up with a fun scene I wanna write and then go: 'huh, now how will i get there?' and kind of go from there.

Like, the I do verse that I'm posting right now, exist, because I wanted to write one scene in what is now chapter 30, then came up with a how would I get there and then that got out of hand, lmao. I followed the show, which gave me some hand holds, but I mostly let the characters take the wheel xp

📚: What are some of the favorite things you've learned while doing research?

Oef, I researched a bunch of weird things throughout the years (and subsequently forgot about most of them lmao). Idk if it counts, but I have this pocket of poetry I bought, bc I gave it to one of my characters as a gift and then I got curious, ended up using one of the poems in the fic itself too, so that was a lot of fun. I also felt like a huge nerd while doing so. But not as badly as that time I gave a fic a bibliography of historical accuracy and what I made up.

Honestly, most of the time I end up in niche things and with wikis open for fics I have never posted. I researched boxing techniques for a leverage fic I never wrote, as well as dentures for another unwritten leverage fic. But nothing concrete springs to mind right now

Your opinion of bobney/chobby/chimbobby ?

Oeh, that is a fun one, I never considered the ship before now. Admittedly, I had something against Bobby when I first started watching, but he's grown on me. However, him and Chim aren't my go to's for this fandom. And I love the canon ships they're a part of, so I wouldn't say I ship them myself. But they have an interesting dynamic, so I can see it. Like when Chim admits that he remembers his accident in season 1? That scene got to me.

Like, I can imagine that Chimney is the primary person that pulled Bobby into the fold when he first started there. He makes himself the comic relief and he would totally embrace the upgrade from Gerrard. And Bobby wouldn't want to let himself get pulled in, but he has this soft spot for Chim anyway, he can't help it. And then the accident with the rebar happens and it's the first time since Bobby transferred after the fire that he is confronted with loosing someone close to him again. And he's sitting there, by Chimney's bedside, praying, emotions overwhelming him, regretting that he never let himself be closer etc. Then Chim wakes up again and allows himself to get closer to him, to not make that same mistake twice. Then Chimney breaks down and Bobby lets him. That can be fun.

[desire-mona]

RUNDOWN FOR THOSE WHO MISSED IT:

so. the film is, of course, titled We Can Never Go Back. its co written by Aminah Hughes and Dylan Kussman, starring Dylan Kussman as "Zig" and Allelon Ruggiero as "Dean". other key creatives are cinematographer Rachael Kilman and Ash Gibson Greig with screen composition.

its a 12 minute proof of concept for a feature length film, inspo taken from a ton of directors (including peter weir!) its set in the not so distant future in a desert environment, sorta post apocalyptic/ currently apocalyptic type beat? no zombies tho, just illness, covid inspired surely, overhanging threat nonetheless.

zig (dylan's char) is a nostalgic, sentimental, family oriented guy, sorta stuck in place as he's living in this cabin waiting on a call/ msg from his wife + daughter who were sick with [illness] last time he saw them.

dean (al's char) is a soft spoken/ humorous guy who was hardened from his experience of this sorta hellscape state of the world. he's been travelling on foot for quite a while but is still hopeful for the future after hearing of a safe haven of sorts.

dean arrives at zig's cabin and after proving that he isn't sick, they stay together for a bit. conflict of interest arrives with dean wanting to travel to this safe place while zig wants to stay behind and wait for a msg from his family, but there's only one car to travel with between them. dean's convinced zig's family is a lost cause and tries + fails to get zig come to that conclusion too. dean eventually tries to steal the keys to the car and travel on his own, but zig grabs an axe and is like RAHHH U CANT GO!!!! but then eventually dean is finally able to convince zig that there's no hope with his family and they leave together in said car. but! end shot of zig's phone he left behind getting a call from none other than his wife.

thats the plot of the short film itself but that's just the beginning part of the feature film itself. we've gotten SOME info on the rest of the film so ill share what i was able to get down.

- safe haven is a women's only (i think) matriarchal society which is p awkward for two dudes in their 50s

- film focuses on some issues with patriarchal society, i asked aminah if her experience as a woman in film influenced the writing - yes.

- def touches on some toxic masculinity stuff, definitely a lot less violent than a lot of masculine centered films.

- overarching themes of friendship, healing from traumas, and hope despite said traumas.

if this sounds like something you're at all interested, you can visit this page to find out a bit more + donate to the project if youd like. the first $5k in donations will be matched by an anonymous donor! DONATIONS GIVEN WILL BE TAX DEDUCTIBLE - YOU CAN WRITE THEM OFF!!

feel free to share this anywhere you like! im super excited about this film and will likely rave about it when it comes out. filming starts in june whether they hit the dono goal of $20k or not!! get hyped!! MEEKS AND CAM TOGETHER ON SCREEN AGAIN!!!

will reblog with a shortened recording of the zoom meet when i receive it in my email if any of yall r interested :3

hey btw dps ppl. dylan kussman and allelon ruggerio (cameron and meeks) r gonna be in a short film thing together soonish!!!!! theyre doing a fundraising/ informational zoom literally tonight (5 pm pst, 8 pm est)

its called "we can never go back" and its directed by aminah hughes

heres the rsvp link https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrfuivpj8jH9HLnvNXBXnWG6mWPMrke9_y?fbclid=PAAaaSz3FFAGIcOt0dW_PKIhEwAC9dlBvcfNGYbV--sM7muxudVAu-g5CzDqc_aem_AZvfKPskmA2wkvgSQwlvpiu1kS8zsy29PraEWtf5Es-oHaqwSnMoqkr1otz6vmtkCpg#/registration

[jaaryl]

.

[winterskywrites]

so i saw this post asexualbert. tumblr. com/post/678896279350280192/a-yes-agreed-b-im-officially-choosing-to-only and i was wondering if you could write part b of the reblog? maybe dick spinning the story to the other robins while bruce is just facepalming in the background? idk, the post made me laugh and i was hoping to see it fleshed out

A link to the post in question, by @asexualbert and @penny-anna

"I'm just saying," Jason said as he and the others made their way upstairs, "I think I got some of the worst training, because B had Golden Boy as his baseline for what a kid can do, and that provided a seriously messed up baseline."

"I was trained by the League of Assassins, Todd," Damian said flatly.

"So was I, you're not special," Jason replied. "Also, we're just talking about Bruce's training, so you definitely didn't have the worst. You'd already been trained by the League and by Dick, so B couldn't have had to train you that much."

"You definitely didn't have the worst training, Jason," Tim argued. "It was only after you died that Bruce got super overprotective and neurotic about making sure we were so over-prepared that we could each stop a full-on apocalypse on our own."

"At least you made it through training," Steph countered. "I just got fired."

"Uh, guys, is this supposed to be encouraging?" Duke asked warily. "I thought you guys were going to be giving me tips on getting through Batman's training."

"Not so bad," Cass said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Easy for you to say!" Steph cried. "You were already a perfect fighting machine by the time you joined Bruceman. Did he even have anything to train you on?"

Cass shrugged. "Speaking. Barbara helped."

"What are you guys talking about?" Dick asked as he and Bruce joined them at the top of the stairs.

"Who had the worst training from Bruce," Steph said. "So we can give Duke tips."

Duke looked at Bruce with wide eyes, but he just sighed. "And I suppose you're all competing for the first place spot?"

"Well, Cass isn't," Tim said, which was a confirmation in and of itself.

"You guys can compete all you want, but you won't win," Dick declared. "I definitely had the worst training."

"Oh, as if," Jason argued immediately. "There's no way you had the worst training."

"I was the first kid, and B had absolutely no idea what to do with me," Dick said. "He was a disaster. I swear, I probably would have died if Alfred weren't there."

"Yeah, but the same goes for all of us," Tim replied.

Cass nodded sagely. "No food."

"You want to talk about no food?" Dick asked. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Bruce made me sleep in the Cave and eat rats."

Duke's eyes went wide. Bruce groaned. Damian tutted, and the others tried their best not to laugh.

"Will you ever let that go?" Bruce asked.

Dick grinned. "Never."

"Wait," Duke cut in, "he didn't actually- I mean, he wouldn't-"

"I never made Dick sleep in the Cave and eat rats," Bruce said, sounding like he was very tired of clarifying that. "Dick would tell people that when he was mad at me. It led to some very awkward conversations with Commissioner Gordon and the Justice League."

"You should have let me go to Batburger after patrol," Dick said, utterly unrepentant. "And you definitely shouldn't have tried to sideline me when the League was having a meeting in the Cave. You knew how much I wanted to meet everyone. You've only got yourself to blame for that one."

"My children are menaces, every one," Bruce told Duke. "Don't believe anything they tell you."

"Okay, don't believe Dick's whole rat story, but you should definitely believe the rest of us," Jason countered. "B's training is hell."

"It's rigorous, but it's not too bad," Tim said, taking pity on Duke. "He's just trying to make sure you're prepared for anything. And the rest of us can help when he's being really impossible."

"I'm right here, Tim."

"Father's training is nothing compared to the League's," Damian dismissed. "You should be able to bear it, Thomas."

Dick slung an arm around Duke's shoulders. "Fifteen year old jokes aside, B is a pretty good teacher, and the rest of us are here to help. You'll be okay, Duke. I know you can do it, and we won't even make you eat rats to prove it."

Duke blinked. "Uh, thanks?"

Dick grinned widely. "Of course, you won't be a true member of the family until Bruce makes you sleep in the Cave with no blankets-"

"For the last time, I have never made any of you sleep in the Cave!"

[lazaruspiss]

!!! ok first of all thank u for the food, nom nom eating this post up rn

Second of all i hope u dont me adding a handful of notes as i reread this a few times bc it is Gold

BiB. my absolute beloved.

Jason: Wow! My bestest big brother killed someone who deserved it, so now I (the person he's rejecting only because I kill people who deserved it) have a real chance at being his family again!! :D Hooray! :) Dickie-Bird why don't you look happy to see me? :) Dickie-Bird I went out of my way to get us matching outfits and stalked your work and killed people in your name so it's nice and easy to make room for me in your life! :) :) :)

HEY. HEY REMEMBER WHEN I WENT "oh shit im starting to think jason might remind dick of blockbuster" bc AUGH. JASON. 'i'm killing people in your name! why arent you happy!' JASON. head in hands. BiB was so soon after but just long enough that the dust has technically settled enough that dick isn't as vulnerable as he could've been after all that. (every time i read a nightwing story i have to sit back and wonder how dick hasn't completely lost the will to live yet. and then i remember he already has but just feels too guilty to leave. maybe i should add a depression scale to my nightwing notes.)

i've read all of jason's appearances in B&R (2009) bc i wanted to check on some things about his and dick's dynamic and i absolutely loved it, i even have a little mini theory about the pill helmet look (which was cute as hell, haters can bite me): it's much closer to joker's red hood costume than any of jason's typical costumes! it feels purposeful, that alongside dick becoming batman comes jason (trying) to be his joker, not bc he's trying to actually emulate joker in any real way but bc he's trying to put himself in the "loving arch enemy" position with dickbats. or maybe i just have some brainrot about them, lol.

i do give B&R dami a pass to be a mildly bigoted shit bc ive babysat plenty of kids and esp at his age a lot of them just Say Shit, when it was from him i found it funny and endearing bc his age just kind of lends itself to dami saying shit like that w/o any real awareness of it. the actual writing and depiction of fat people/mental illness/queerness is pretty frustrating though. if it was just a weird 10 y/o being mean then it would make total sense to me, but the story itself perpetuates some pretty nasty shit. that said i still havent read it all the way through bc pyg makes me um. Feel Things. in my- ok yeah, TMI. B&R isnt good, but it is right up my fucked up little alley.

The romantic side plot with Artemis is... odd. Either the author, Scott Lobdell, intended to write Jason as a desperate loser trying to date his uninterested lesbian friend who he co-parents with, or he accidentally wrote a romance so awkward and comp-het that I cannot wrap my head around reading it as reciprocated. This works for me because I have a lot of fun reading Jason as a desperate loser who's not even actually in love with her, he just is desperate to cling to the closest thing he's ever gotten to a nuclear family and in denial about being either aro/ace or gay.

haha. me too jason. <-(aro queer who tried so hard to date. embarrassing.)

and i'm actually pretty interested to see how they handle bizarro, even more so as someone who has needed accommodations myself for mental functionality reasons. (the plus side of knight terrors: nightwing #2 being as bad as it was is that now if i run into ableism in comics i can go "at least its not that" lol. However they handle biz is bound to be better, that issue lowered the bar farther than i thought was possible for me.)

My Jason Todd Rec List and Character Manifesto!

This is a fuckin mess my ghouls, but I got categories and I got opinions and who can stop me from typing em out? Certainly not @lazaruspiss who is the reason this thing got made!

The format is gonna be

title and page numbers (No #s if I'm recommending the whole title) picture Summary and general notes My estimate of how unhinged he is in this portrayal What his morals are like; note this isn't about whether he's a protagonist or antagonist

Since cream rises to the top, let us start with:

The Creme de la Creme

The best of the best. The most fun, the most compelling, the most interesting looks into his character.

Green Arrow (2001) #69 - #72

This one really does have it all. Jason runs rings around both Batman and Green Arrow at the same time, all the while going after a goal neither of them ever truly figures out in large part because this story wasn't afraid to let Bruce be either wrong or lying about Jason's motives. It also wonderfully leverages the ways in which the Bats and the Arrows are really good foils for each other. I think I'm going to be turning over the ways these interactions went down for a long ass time. I've been really wanting to go page by page for a comparison between the way Jason treats Mia in this and the way Jason treats Tim in the Titans Tower showdown. Bottom line for this one: It's just so good!

Jason's sanity level: Six out of Ten hinges affixed. He's got a solid grip on things, is reasonably level headed, only problem is he might have completely forgotten how to interact with other human beings outside of combat. Love him for that.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Sympathetic Villain. Decidedly willing to mow down some "brain donors", and his goals are pretty morally grey, but he clearly still has a strong code of ethics.

Joker: the Man Who Stopped Laughing

With Jason's return to being an antagonist after a long stint in the Hero bin comes his return to being really fucking dangerous and whip smart! My boy quotes serious philosophy that gives him a real point to make against non lethal vigilantes and cops! I also think the part where he lets himself be arrested just... it says so much and all of it is wonderfully interesting and feels fitting for his character. He's kept deeply human, and just all of this portrayal gels together really well.

At the time of writing, this comic hasn't even been properly published yet, so I'm going off of like 9 issues in which he appears less than the Joker, but what is there is phenomenal.

Also I like that he's friends with my favorite, Stephanie Brown :3

Jason's sanity level: Nine out of Ten hinges affixed. Level headed, calm, careful, really the only reason this isn't a 10/10 is cause he's obsessively focused, which like, honestly is pretty reasonable I think.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Clearly Justified Antihero. I almost put down Hero on this one, but ultimately he is just far enough over the line with how he treats the less threatening of the rogues like Killer Moth.

Batman (1940) #408 - #411 Jason's debut featuring Ma Gunn's School and his first ever outing as Robin fighting Two-Face

Just LOOK at this PRECIOUS BOY! I wanna pinch him on his cheeks and give him a handful of these bad boys

Jason has a ton of personality to him right out the gate. The first story has Ma Gunn as the villain and she's a lot of fun. The second story in here with Two-Face is also enlightening with regards to Jason's early personality, even if it's not quite as fun.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Hero.

Under the Red Hood would be next if it wasn't already filed under ->

Foundational Texts

This is the shit that defines Jason as a character. Much is mutable in any given comic, but somehow, someway, all depictions of Jason are impacted and informed by these three stories. Enough has been said about all of them that I'm gonna keep it brief.

Red Hood: The Lost Days

Jason's sanity level: Eight out of Ten hinges affixed.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Antihero. He kills some incredibly nasty people, while also doing some genuinely heroic shit. The only places where his morals deteriorate are in the presence of Batman and the Joker.

Under the Red Hood

Jason's sanity level: Four out of Ten hinges affixed. Remember how his morals deteriorated in the face of Batman and the Joker? Yeah, that's mostly because he's way, way too personally invested to think straight about them. He's strategic as fuck, but this is not a stable man's strategy for dealing with his issues.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Sympathetic Villain. He is a revenant, a vengeful juggernaut, and breaks an awful lot of eggs making this brilliant disaster of an omelette.

Batman (1940) #426 - #429 A Death in the Family

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Hero.

Joker becoming an ambassador to Iran plotlines count: One too many.

Solid Storylines

These ain't the vaulted heights, but not everything has to be the Sistine Chapel. They're solid, and if you're wanting more Jason I do certainly recommend them.

Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer and Countdown to Infinite Crisis

Jason is in what I like to call his Purposeless Depression Era during this. It's after his plans in Under the Red Hood fail and he's really just got no place to go, no place to be, and in fact is keenly aware that on a cosmic level, he truly does not belong in this world anymore. He's supposed to be dead. There's something I find quite neat about this team up, with Donna Troy and Kyle Raynor and Bob, it's out of the ordinary for Jason, it's not bat related, and the ways he fits and doesn't fit with the other characters are just neat.

I especially recommend Gotham by Gaslight. The plot will be a lil hard to follow if you haven't read the others, but Jason by the end hopes to return to Victorian Era Steampunk Gotham and the moments of him hoping to literally leave his universe behind are both sweet and sorrowful.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed. He's just sad and lonely.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Hero. Even if only Donna is willing to tentatively try to see him that way.

Robin (1993) #177 and one page of #182 and the front half of #183

Despite how much Jason is known for it, I think this is the only time we see him trying to run organized crime outside of Under the Red Hood (and uh debatably Battle for the Cowl). Short lil string of appearances, but critical for understanding how he's seen by Tim during this era if you care about that, and it really cemented my understanding of Jason being strangely honest and forthright.

I think the major way other Bats fail to comprehend him is that they expect him to manipulate through lying, which just isn't his style. He doesn't lie about his motives; he doesn't obfuscate his tactics; he doesn't hide how he's feeling. Hell, he doesn't even try to lie his way out of prison! I could not tell you why this series of interactions gave me this impression but it is why I have such faith that when Jason says something, he probably just means it, even when characters like Dick or Tim assume otherwise.

Pity this was the lead up to Battle for the Cowl.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed. He's even attempting to pick himself up out of his Purposeless Depression Era slump at the start.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Antihero.

Nightwing (1996) #118 - #122 aka Brothers in Blood aka the One Where Jason Gets Tentacles

COWARDS and KNAVES will tell you "the tentacles are so icky and everyone is so OOC" or whatever but again they are KNAVES and COWARDS because bitch this shit is GREAT

Jason: Wow! My bestest big brother killed someone who deserved it, so now I (the person he's rejecting only because I kill people who deserved it) have a real chance at being his family again!! :D Hooray! :) Dickie-Bird why don't you look happy to see me? :) Dickie-Bird I went out of my way to get us matching outfits and stalked your work and killed people in your name so it's nice and easy to make room for me in your life! :) :) :)

Dick:

Jason's sanity level: Two out of Ten hinges affixed. My mans is off his rocker and I adore him like this. Frankly, the entire storyline is unhinged, and it only feels appropriate that Jason is similarly bonkers in yonkers.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Villain. You can sympathize with him, and he is still trying to carry out justice, but I have to call it for straight villain when he's threatening to bomb a building full of innocent people.

Batman and Robin (2009) #23 - #25

I don't have much to say about this one. It's good. The above page is pretty much the highlight.

Wait actually I do have something to say and it is that I would like to lick Jason's abs, pls & thx, because the other highlight is that Winick clearly believes in redeeming Jason's value as a villain through sex appeal and it is working lmao

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed. Certifiably sane, he's passed all his psych exams!

Jason's moral compass bearing: Villain. He threatens to bomb a train station full of innocent people. While he does do that in service of freeing himself and Scarlet, thus making it not completely self centered, I still gotta put him firmly in Villain.

Nightwing (2016) 2021 Annual

In high contrast to the previous two in which Jason acts as a villain to Dick, this one has them working together and the tentative peace and cautious trust they've got going is interesting to me. This Team Z era Jason is interesting to me in general, though I don't know much about him.

Jason's sanity level: Nine out of Ten hinges affixed. He's quite chill, but there's just this little edge to him that says his relationship to violence is a little too casual a little too deep to really be fully hinged.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Edgy Hero.

Your Mileage May Vary

These stories I can't recommend without major caveats or warnings, but I still think are worth mentioning.

Batman: Three Jokers <- I read it while typing this up, so I got a lotta thoughts

Guh, this one is just fucking sad

So, I don't mind a story being blunt with its message as long as the message actually holds up. Unfortunately, this three parter's attempt at the cycle of violence lesson is... bad. Real bad.

Jason in it is neat! This is a good Jason portrayal somehow despite literally everything about the way this comic frames him! The narrative expects us to believe he is a danger to society on the cusp of becoming another Joker, because he *checks notes* shot the Joker dead, shot at a Joker loyal guy, and roughly interrogated an injured child abuser. At no point does he show signs of wanting to hurt innocent people. At no point does he show signs of doing any hurting without premeditation or a need to defend himself. I'm baffled by this.

My kingdom for a fucking CRUMB of nuance, I swear, smh...

I hear a lot of people hate his one sided romance towards Barbara. This is understandable as it squanders the opportunity to have a female character not be stuck as the narrative sponge for man emotions. I like it from the perspective of a Jason fan, and give condolences for the Barbara fans. It's not healthy, and good fucking job on the janitor sweeping away his letter to her so poor Babs doesn't have to deal with that shit, but I do like Jason's desperation to be loved by someone, anyone, who might show him compassion.

Jason's sanity level: Six out of Ten hinges affixed. He's sad, he's lonely, he needs some PTSD specific therapy, he's a bit creepy about his crush on Barbara, but quite frankly he has it together a lot more than the narrative would like us to believe. The way the other characters treat him like he's some kind of monster just waiting to snap and start maiming people indiscriminately makes me really uncomfortable.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Antihero. Quite frankly I'm tempted to say Hero out of spite.

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #1 - #43

There are three transcendental character moments in this run that I think make it worth reading even if not all of it's your cup of tea. On the other hand though there are some big issues that could very easily be deal breakers. Oh and anything after #43 is a wasteland and #43 is included purely for the implication that being transgender made a woman immortal.

The narrative structure is really heavily dependent on rule of emotional impact/cool/allegorical usefulness. Many events will not make any fucking sense based on petty things like basic logic or the laws of physics, but they do work just fine in the area of what makes the story more fun or the emotional beats hit harder. Stronger than average suspension of disbelief is necessary for the reward of getting a lot of stuff that's, like, just really fuckin cool.

The romantic side plot with Artemis is... odd. Either the author, Scott Lobdell, intended to write Jason as a desperate loser trying to date his uninterested lesbian friend who he co-parents with, or he accidentally wrote a romance so awkward and comp-het that I cannot wrap my head around reading it as reciprocated. This works for me because I have a lot of fun reading Jason as a desperate loser who's not even actually in love with her, he just is desperate to cling to the closest thing he's ever gotten to a nuclear family and in denial about being either aro/ace or gay.

Now, lets explore a lil bit of the whole Jason is a loser angle, cause it's not the whole story, there are many points in which Jason gets to be a badass motherfucker, but he is much, much less of the hypercompetant, highly determined, murderous threat he used to be. Almost none of the newer renditions of Jason are. This Jason in particular though is very soft and cuddly, and fits the archetype of man trying to be the edgy bad boy but who secretly just wants a hug and a warm glass of milk.

If I were to describe my personal Jason in a few sentences I would say that he is someone who loves himself viciously. He feels he has been wronged and is willing to burn down the world to rectify that. He will hold your ass at gunpoint and demand the hugs and warm glasses of milk that he fucking well deserves!

This Jason is about as far away from that as you can possibly get. I still like him though, and I do not count him as being a different character, because when you start with emotional logic that goes like this:

It wasn't my fault + I deserve better = I get to burn the world down in order to get better

It becomes extremely difficult to ever stop burning the world without also deciding "It was my fault" or "I don't deserve better". Jason is meant to have changed a lot, and this is a plausible evolution of the Jason I prefer.

Finally, the handling of Bizarro, a mentally disabled character, is a sensitive enough topic that your mileage will vary, even if I can't think of a bad thing to say about it. Jason and Artemis are really pretty good about treating him with respect, giving him help where he needs it and autonomy where he's capable of taking it. They raise him, but don't control him, and he is literally three days old when they find him so this isn't infantilization. It takes the framing of Lenny from of Mice and Men and Flowers for Algernon and rejects them in a way that I am satisfied with. You'll just have to read it for yourself to see if you're satisfied as well.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed. I kinda wish he was more unhinged.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Hero. He even saves a puppy and gives them pats.

Knight Terrors: Robin

Have you ever been in the mood for a syrupy sweet hurt/comfort fanfiction in which Jason and Tim were magically forced to talk about how much they like each other in order to overcome their own insecurities? Do you wish that existed as a lavishly illustrated two issue comic?

If you answered yes to those two questions then congratulations! It does exist, this is it, go have fun!

If you think that sounds like ham fisted garbage turning what should be several long arcs of serious reconciliation and deeply meaningful character moments into two issue fan service schlock then condolences! I wish you all the best in denial, as all comic fans sail that river sooner or later and I shall join you upon it someday.

What category do I fall into? Well I think this is definitely ham fisted, but I won't kick a boar out of bed as long as they ain't a bore, and this little ditty is certainly entertaining.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed.

Jason't moral compass bearing: Hero.

Batman and Robin Eternal

This is a decent portrayal of Jason in his modern, much friendlier, and much more bat family integrated rendition. He has some fun moments in it, and I like his staby bracers.

I don't like this comic. It commits the most dire of writing sins: Being boring. I think about Jason every second of every minute of every day; if your comic that majory features a good portrayal of him cannot hold my attention, then something has gone very wrong. Hopefully one of you will like it more than I do.

Jason's sanity level: Ten out of Ten hinges affixed.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Hero.

A Hot Take

I bet you thought the tentacles were the hot take! HAH! MuahahaahhHAHAHAH - Prepare now, puny mortals, to witness me defend Pill Helmet Jason AND his fashion choices!

No, I am not talking about Winick's redo late in the game, we've already been over that one. I mean I will defend Grant Morrison's flop era, three foot head gear wearin, goofy ass, unwashed ass, "how to build ur brand" reading maniac

It's time to talk about Batman and Robin (2009) #1 - #6

The interpretation of one scene makes or breaks this Jason:

If you believe he is being insincere and manipulating her into putting all her emotional eggs in the basket of his crusade, ignoring her wellbeing in favor of his 'brand', then this is probably the worst mischaracterization of Jason ever written.

If you believe he is being sincere, genuinely comforting her in the only way that he's got to deal with his own trauma, giving her real affection and not pushing her to take either option with the mask because he trusts her to make that decision for herself, then this gets Jason very right.

No matter what Morrison might have intended, I choose to believe it's the latter. This is terrible advice to give a trauma victim, but it makes perfect sense for Jason to believe that about his own trauma, and thus to pass that maladaptive view along. He doesn't try to assure her that the mask can come off safely or that he'll get her a doctor because he really can't promise her either of those things. It would be cruel to her to pretend that he's got a solution. Jason can't undo the damage that was done to her any more than he can force a dead Bruce to kill the Joker.

Instead he offers her purpose, and reassurance that she's gonna look badass if she never does take it off, and protects her when she's in trouble.

You can claim this is just him acting out his chosen Hero role, but like, WHY would he have chosen to method act that role 24/7 if he wasn't trying to BE a Hero who protects people like Scarlet? There's nothing in it for Jason to fake this.

I also think if he was being written out of character as a manipulator we would have seen him use a romantic or sexual angle which he absolutely doesn't do.

Dickie, you are such a funny Batman, they never shoulda brought Bruce back tbh.

Instead, he seems to be taking a more parental role, in a near perfect reflection of how Bruce took him in when he was a kid. Just he's doing it his way, meaning that whenever Scarlet goes further with the violence than Jason seems to want to, he backs her up instead of chastising her.

Speaking of violence and morals, Let the Punishment Fit the Crime is a coherent moral position to take, even if you (understandably) disagree with it, or disagree with what punishments fit which crimes. It's basically the same moral position as every other version of Jason there's ever been! Like, is he even killing more people than he used to in stories like Under the Red Hood? No, I don't think he is.

The branding thing is weird, lil annoying too after a while, but ultimately it still makes sense. And brings me around to my promised defense of his fashion choices.

First of all the symbolic importance of the fact that he wears white cannot be overstated in my mind. Will I elaborate? No, this post is way too long already lmao! Second off, it's supposed to be silly. I believe the silliness was a conscious, calculated choice, and the right one to make.

Jason doesn't believe that fear works, he's not trying for pure intimidation, and he knows that he's going to have to appeal to people in his bid to be seen as a Hero. Making himself seem big but non-threatening, a bright patch in the night, makes real sense.

Take a look at this view of Jason from Scarlet's POV when he comes to rescue her from the cops after she kills her dad:

He's got a smoking gun in his hand and he just shot two people dead, yet we're hard fuckin pressed to find him intimidating aren't we?? Cornball dialogue, and the silliest fuckin hat in the universe, because he's not meant to be from this era, he's emulating the Golden and Silver age comics and all their goofiness. He's trying to be the older, happier, sillier batman that used to exist (at least in his head), while doing what he believes is right and necessary.

The costume makes sense dammit!

Also it just doesn't look bad, I can't provide an argument for this, it's just true!!

Also also every one of these fuckers should be wearing a helmet too, this is basic brain safety, if you're gonna go around antagonizing fuckers with guns you need to make your head at least nominally bulletproof, it's that simple!!!

Now... do I recommend you read this? Well, Jason shares panel space with such characters as:

The living embodiment of the F-slur

A sneer directed at fat and genderqueer people

And our main villain: Schizophrenia is Evil + Transes are Scary

I do have the sneaking suspicion that Jason isn't interested in Scarlet in part to imply that he's gay, and I think that mostly because of how consistently every other villain is made queer.

I cannot in good conscience recommend something this openly bigoted to the vast majority of people. It's also besides that just... not terribly good. The writing is B tier at best. Pyg is probably the most likable element other than Dick tbh. Scarlet is also pretty neat, I like her. Damian is... okay. Uhhhhh Jason is not likable. I will defend this as a valid rendition of his character, but he's not likable pretty much at all in this.

However.

There are some people I know who I would recommend this to. They're all other queer people who enjoy grotesque, violent, provocative presentations of queerness as much as I do.

Reading it did not ruin my day, and it does not stoop to the ultimate low of being boring. If I had to reread this or Batman and Robin Eternal, I would reread this in a heartbeat, no competition. If you can find enjoyment in stuff like the Silence of the Lambs' sequel and prequel movies, you can find enjoyment in this.

Jason's sanity level: One out of Ten hinges affixed. Obsessive, not taking care of himself, possessed of some really maladaptive trauma coping frameworks, completely unhinged. My condolences to his mental health, but I do love to see it.

Jason's moral compass bearing: Antihero. It's weird because this is undeniably a much darker comic, and Jason certainly feels darker, but in terms of what he actually does, and what the other characters do, his violence is honestly very tame.

So, cards on the table, here is the core of who Jason is to me:

He's got clear moral motives and a drive to help as well as harm.

When confronted he does not back down; he does not let himself be overshadowed or silenced. He is confident in his decisions and every bit of push back is already accounted for in his head.

Everything he does is premeditated. He is not impulsive whatsoever.

He is painfully sincere, the way fire is painfully hot.

He desperately desires love and connection, but it will take many years of constant rejection and fighting before he is willing to accept any kind of compromise to his ethics for the sake of civility.

Under all the hurt and combativeness, he's a pretty goofy guy! He's got a sense of fun and likes to be flamboyant and silly when he can!

He's a villain, a hero, a protagonist, an antagonist, and everything between the extremes. He exists as a powerful counter-thesis to Batman, and as such DC can't ever fully answer the question of what to do with him. He exists in this waffling limbo state as his morals are debated, stretched, refuted, turned on their head. I think that makes him a wonderfully fascinating character to love.

I hope you enjoyed this and, like, go have fun reading comics!

[sukunasun]

sorry but nanami in ur ivy league bf geto …. please..i want him so bad. im going to think about this until i die

please...save yourself...those little nanami crumbs have all of you in a chokehold...ever since i posted ivy league geto all everyone wants Dr. Kento, N. Ph.D. i didn't think he'd get this much attention it was only a few paragraphs too omg...

and you know what, i bet he'd be so smug about it too...he's sitting comfy somewhere in a leather chair sipping tea knowing he's hot shit. "just call me nanami," he'll say despite having multiple doctorates—even with that too, he'd think it wasn't a big deal, "it's not necessary to have so many qualifications, i just happen to be a man dedicated to research and knowledge...as hesiod said, moderation is best in all things.." humble bragger that he is. wouldn't walk around with a high nose, he doesn't try to win every argument like geto nor does he rub it in people's faces the way gojo does, but he'd definitely correct someone when given the chance. and they can't bring this guy anywhere, gojo takes him out to a club and nanami has brought a book to read. geto can't stop laughing because the stripper asks if she could take a peek at it, batting her eyelashes, pushing her tits up just a little and he's like "sorry, but you're not permitted to, this is for staff only." with the most monotone voice.

he isn't invited to dinner parties either because he ruins trivia night by correcting the game itself. "the great wall of china isn't actually visible from space," he says, and he's always winning these things by 100 points more than anyone else.

and let me just say that he isn't going to be your perfect professor who's so charming and attractive and smart and dreamy, that's what everyone thinks until they actually meet him and learn that nothing gets pass this man, he's so straight-laced he's borderline repressed, "oh can i do anything for extra credit?" they say, trying to be seductive, trying to be sexy and it doesn't phase him. he just thinks they're willing to do more work so he sends them off to do more things, write more essays, take more tests, do more research, do a side project, and they have to say bye to whatever little bit of social life they had left. (but kudos to him because he hates group projects as much as his students, and he won't care about ratemyprofessor reviews because all of them, all of them, are either horny, hateful, or asking for a fight, yuuji leaves the sweetest words of pure joy and gratefulness—'one time he let us play kahoot for a whole hour because he had a hangover and he let me move his slides for him during a talk. i love you nanami sensei! <3' and nanami doesn't even know about it)

yuuji likes him so much and this kid is able to see the good in everyone, which is also why nanami is able to really help him out when he needs to, "you're getting distracted during your explanations, elaborate but don't overdo it, you're meant to bring focus back to your proposed statement." when was the last time someone actually found his critiques and feedback worth something.

and he's awkward okay? he's spent years studying and he always just had a little bit of trouble making friends, like geto and gojo were there because the three of them share the burden of being the smartest, being gifted, gojo's a prodigy and geto's family have a history of being philanthropists, they have been in and out of college before turning twenty and nanami never had the time for a romantic relationship, his only wingmen are the Worst at picking up women, how is he meant to flirt with anyone, and you think he doesn't care? man cares too much! he listens to meet me at our spot on repeat after bad dates because he thinks he's going to be alone forever, spins around his office in the dark as he finishes all that expensive whiskey, and everyone knows that he's been dumped because he stuffs his face full of bread and carbs everytime it happens.

ugh he wants a family so bad, he's so sick of the same old routine and he just wants a break from all of it. can't stand going home to the same old empty apartment, empty bed, empty fridge. he wants a hot meal and a cheery voice greeting him the moment he steps past the threshold, a gorgeous woman who would massage his aching shoulders, let him pick at her insightful brain, and sleep in with him on the weekends. "i became a husband," he replies when asked what he's most proud of and it makes your heart swell, he surprises you like this all the time, he blows your mind because you don't expect it, you wouldn't think he'd adore you the way he does, something so...selfish? just wants you to himself, won't have you visiting his office because he will eat you right up on his desk. it's always the introverted ones, the quiet ones, but nanami is a whole other type of his own. the kind that whispers the dirtiest, filthy things in your ear before he eats you out like he's been craving for it his entire life, hungry and sloppy, his tongue inches deeper and deeper. "i won't fuck you until you've cum three times", he doesn't know when to stop because all he feels is that he should keep going, do a good job, prove to you that he's so capable, that he's more than just his academic accomplishments, he wants to be seen as a man, as a partner.

[ranhaitanisgf]

Can I please have Angry with “girl/boy next door” and “watching the sunset together”. So they live in apartments right next to each other. And they stand on the balcony to watch the sunset and see the other person on the other balcony nearby. Then they talk to each other and make it a habit to watch the sunset together. I hope this isn’t too confusing. Thanks 🙏.

— souya (angry) kawata // girl/boy next door // watching the sunset together

[𖤐] hello myls! i was able to type this up between study sessions, so i wanted to post it as an apology for not having any time to write :,) we're actually almost at 3k, but there will be no event since i am still writing things from my 2k event ! (help me :,) ) i hope you all enjoy this in the interim <;3

masterlist || 2k masterlist

it was relaxing, at most times.

watching a myriad of colors paint itself across the sky, burning hot, yet somehow also cool enough to douse the fire of thoughts running around in your head.

the colors would then dim down into the night, always leaving you feeling better and more clearheaded than you had started.

yet, even as the chill of the fall wind ate away at your body, your mind was still unable to douse its thoughts, leaving you feeling a bit troubled.

it was hard to place a finger on what you were troubled about; it was only some vague idea that you still had yet to put into words. maybe you were still trying to figure it out when he has called out to you that day.

“are…are you alright?”

“huh?”

turning your head to the side, you saw a boy standing on the balcony next to you, looking at you with a rather…angry look on his face, (how was his facial expression so diffferent from the concern that had been laced in his voice before?).

taking a bit of a closer look though, despite the expression on his face, you could now tell that there was a bit of concern in his face, although maybe not evident at first glance.

“um…” realizing you had been staring, you looked over to the side, a bit embarrassed that you had been staring at him so openly.

“sorry. but um, yes, im alright,”

“it…seemed like there was something on your mind. you can tell me if you want to.”

it was from then on that you started to become friends with the boy who lived next door to you. everyday, without fail, the two of you would watch the sunset from your balconies and talk, (although it was mostly you, since he didn’t seem to be much of a talker).

in the days after your first meeting with him, you learned that his name is souya kawata, and that his nickname was angry because of the expression that seemed to naturally make its way into his face.

you also learned that he had a twin brother, nahoya, who was nicknamed smiley, and that together they were a part of the tokyo manji gang. it had definitely come as a surprise that somebody who was as nice and quiet as he was was a part of a gang, but hey, who were you to judge?

and so, your friendship with souya continued to blossom beautifully.

he really was a great listener, always nodding and listening carefully to you rant on about whatever it was that was plaguing your mind. even when you didn’t feel like talking, the two of you would just standing on your balconies and not say a word. it was never awkward for some reason; it was always natural.

however, it was hard to ignore your growing feelings. you knew perfectly well what it was; the way your heart would skip a beat every time you looked at him, the way you would always sneak glances at him when he wasn’t looking, the way he made you feel.

nothing you could do about it though, so better to just let it go.

“hey, you mind if i join you over there instead?” you grinned at him when he hesitantly shook his head no, probably expecting for you to go around through the door.

when you started to climb over the railing of your balcony, he immediately called your name, rushing over to try to stop you.

“oh chill out, i’ve done this a million-!”

even thinking back on it, you’re not really sure how you slipped.

it wasn’t a lie that you had done it a million times; your best friend lived in the apartment on the opposite side, and you would do it all the time to freak them out.

so, why did you slip?

maybe it was because in that very moment, you saw the look of sheer fear in his eyes, and it shocked you.

“(y-y/n)!” with his hand firmly locked around your wrist that you lost grip, he hurriedly pulled you over with a surprising amount of strength, pulling you so hard that you both fell over onto the ground.

“ugh…”

“(y/n)! are you alright?!” hearing his voice from beneath you, you mumbled that you were alright, still a bit confused on what had just happened.

a few moments later, you were finally able to sit up, trying to get your bearings.

“um…(y-y/n), you’re-“

“woah, looks like i interrupted something, you sneaky little bastards!”

“huh…” looking around, you realized that you were…sitting on top of souya, who was looking to the side with flushed cheeks. nahoya was looking at the two of you from the screen door, cheeky smile on his face, (or maybe disgusted, you couldn’t really tell).

quickly getting off of him, you could feel your heart thumping, embarrassment flooding through you.

“ah, sorry! i didn’t realize…”

“well, i’ll leave you two alone, but no getting frisky on the balcony, okay~?” shutting the screen door, you were left with your embarrassment and souya, who was still recovering from having you on top of him, looking anywhere but your direction.

“you should be more careful…” even though he wasn’t looking at you, you could hear the worry in his voice, making you feel a little bad for worrying him.

“ah, right, yes. sorry.” tears of shame started to well up in your eyes, and you cursed yourself for it, trying to swipe them away before he could notice.

“maybe we should check if you got hurt- (y/n)?! what’s wrong?”

suddenly looking at you with those blue eyes, they glanced at your arms and legs, trying to see if there was some sort of injury he hadn’t noticed.

“s-sorry, i don’t know, i just…” you could tell that souya was starting to panic a little bit because he had no idea what to do, which just made you even more embarrassed.

just as you were about to flee to your own apartment, a warm hand gently held yours, touching you as gently as one would touch a fragile flower.

“sorry, it was my fault. do you still want to stay here?” he didn’t wait for your response, immediately pulling you up to your feet and facing you towards the view of the sky.

“um…it’s beautiful, right?” souya quietly said, his eyes looking to you instead of at the sky.

“yeah…it is.”

[wonlouvre]

hello! i see your requests are open again 😌 can i request jeonghan x reader, enemies to lovers kinda thing maybe where they have the same friends but jeonghan & reader always clash etc etc fluff at the end idk

i know you’ll come up with something amazing as always, do what you want with it 😘🥰💗

balance | y. jh. 

pairing: jeonghan x reader genre: enemies to lovers (kind of), fluff warnings: heights, ski mountain mechanical malfunctions (you know, dangling in the air kind of thing)  word count: 1.5k (i got carried away, im sorry)

💌: thank you so much for requesting!!! this was honestly fun to write although there was little to none banter, i’m so sorry :’( thank you for trusting me! i hope you like it <3 i will try to post at least two drabbles/requests per week :)

To you, Yoon Jeonghan was the type of person that looked like he would trample all over your principles in life. It’s a little dramatic of you but he can’t blame you for thinking so. He’s cocky, annoying and full of shit. The two of you stepped off on the wrong foot when he thought it was funny to pour sparkling water on your instant noodles as a prank during one of the traditional ski trips your group of friends always hold.

Soonyoung introduced him on what was supposed to be the best trip of your life only to get ruined when he made fun of you. Although technically speaking, your cup wasn’t the only victim of his shenanigan because the rest of your friends complained and threw it at the perpetrator before they could even finish eating. But you were hungry and stubborn, so you didn’t let it go. 

Ever since then, despite not confronting him, Jeonghan’s energy and wholebeing never clicked with yours. You barely speak a word to him and you rarely hang out with him, unlike with every single one of your friends. He hasn’t noticed and even if he did, you’re sure he could care less. Which is fine by you. The instant noodle prank is history and now that this year’s ski trip will be your third with him, you have just gotten used to ignoring his existence. 

“Jeonghan’s staring at you,” Seungcheol says, startling you. 

Your eyes throw daggers at him, not because he startled you, but because of what he said. 

The tall man nudges your shoulder with his. “I’m not lying. Give him a glance and then you’ll see.”

To set the record straight, you don’t have a grudge on Jeonghan for who he is. It’s more of what he does that gives a bad impression on you. Aside from the noodle incident, you noticed how much he takes pride in teasing and playing with the gullible younger ones and you hate him for that. It’s a good laugh every once in a while but it can hurt feelings at times and you don’t want that. He also likes to disagree and debate with everyone (you’re just glad you haven’t been a victim yet). When everyone else says yes, he’ll boldly say no. That’s how moronic he is to be friends with. 

Of course you acknowledge his good deeds. Whether you like to admit it or not, Jeonghan is a great friend. He is a beacon of strength among you knowing that he’s one of the oldest in the group. He knows where and when to have fun. He knows when to be there for anyone who needs him. He’s supportive. He’s loving. He’s more than okay. 

You’re just turning a blind eye because you’re still petty. 

It has come to your attention that apparently, Jeonghan has been harboring a crush on you. It’s a stupid rumor and you choose to ignore it because why. Why would he have a crush on you? You try confirming if it’s true by looking at him and observing his actions whenever he’s not paying attention. But to no avail, nothing special stood out.

In fact, it seems like all the staring and observation made you develop a crush on him. Now that’s even more annoying. 

You roll your eyes at Seungcheol’s nonsense and walk away from him to go to Jeongyeon who’s currently checking in everyone to the hotel. You might as well help her register everyone to all the activities you will be participating in. 

“Collect their IDs,” she orders without looking up from the form she’s writing on. “And tell them to fall in line so they can sign the consent form.”

“Told you we should have filled out the online form before getting here,” your complaint doesn’t go unheard by your friend who only glares at you, scaring you to immediately obey her instructions.

“IDs please,” you ask with your hand out and your friends happily complied as they chatted through the waiting time. You walk around to make sure you have everyone’s and as you double check, one last ID was missing. 

“You didn’t forget about me, did you?”

The devil himself, Yoon Jeonghan.

You take a deep deep breath before turning around and face the handsome face you’ve been sick of. Wait, did you just call him handsome?! 

Jeonghan flashes his signature smirk while pulling his wallet out from his pocket, picking one of the many cards inside it to hand to you. His gloveless fingers grazes yours and it concerns you why it made your heart skip a beat. You avoid his gaze and everything else about him and run back to Jeongyeon who’s the one asking for these in the first place. 

You heard his low chuckle and you wish you could wipe off his annoying grin with your fist. 

Moving on from what happened in the early afternoon, the rest of the day was pleasant enough for you and your friends to continue. Everyone had lunch at the local restaurant first before doing the group activities. It’s a good thing none of you are afraid of heights (except for Dokyeom, but he manages). Soonyoung leading everyone to hike the safe side of the snow covered mountain wasn’t a problem for him. 

After the quick mountain hike, you all scattered to have fun and decided to meet up for dinner in the evening. You, Jeongyeon, Dokyeom and much to your dismay, Jeonghan all went up to snowboard. 

The lift was supposed to carry the four of you up to the starting point before your adrenaline descend, but Dokyeom suddenly felt a wave of fear of heights and needed to calm down for a few minutes. He tells you to go on ahead and you did. You just didn’t expect Jeonghan to be accompanying you instead of Jeongyeon. 

You hide your disappointment and bewilderment as you make yourself comfortable. It’s awkward but it doesn’t matter. You’re just going to keep quiet and avoid looking Jeonghan’s way. This ride will probably not be a good ten minutes, right?

Jeonghan holds onto his snowboard while you place yours on the floor. A barrier of some sort to distance yourself from him. Your eyes are glued to your feet, watching them move from side to side. You also distract yourself from admiring the view outside the window, but it’s hard when you can feel his eyes burning holes on the back of your head. 

“Y/N.”

You hate it. You hate it. You hate it. 

Why does your name sound so melodic coming from his mouth?

You turn your head and raise your eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. 

But the lift doesn’t let him because it suddenly stops mid-air, echoes of metals clanking and brakes screeching following suit. The abrupt stop causes the lift to shake a little, making you hold onto the metal bars out of fear. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a mechanical malfunction of the lifts and our engineers are repairing it now at this moment. We apologize for the inconvenience and fear that this has caused. We request everyone to remain calm and seated…”

The announcement falls deaf to your ears because all you hear is ringing. You’re not afraid of heights at all. But you have never experienced an incident like this before. You’ve heard and read about it and not all of them ended well. 

“Hey,” Jeonghan’s voice snaps you out of your dilemma. 

You blink away your tears and clutch your chest to calm your heart that’s beating faster and faster. 

“Y/N?” Jeonghan calls for you again, but this time he’s reaching his hand out. “You’ll be fine. Here, take my hand.”

Jeonghan probably noticed the panic in your eyes. So, after throwing away your doubts outside the window, you carefully move a little closer to him but not beside him as you don’t want to ruin the balance of the lift. You unclench your fist and finally take hold of his waiting hand. 

Jeonghan’s warm palm and genuine smile calms you down. Your heartbeat slows down and your breathing goes back to normal. Your eyebrows furrow in both fear and embarrassment. You question the universe how and why did this have to happen. 

“Hey, don’t cry.”

“I’m not!” 

Jeonghan giggles at your outburst and you don’t know if that’s music to your ears or if it just makes you want to punch his handsome face more. 

“I like you Y/N,” he suddenly confesses and you grimace. 

“I like you too,” you confess back, tightly gripping his hand. “But now is not the time, Yoon Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan bites back a smile that says he’s in love and just gently caresses your hand. It’s unbelievable how the opportunity arose itself right at this moment, but it was now or never for him. He’d explain how much he likes you in detail later. For now, he’s okay with this. 

“But, later though?”

“Yes, now shut up before I throw you out first.”

[juyeoniemyhoney]

warm

Now, if Taehyung were any other person in the world, if he just so happened to not be Taehyung, you would have refused in a millisecond. No one is important enough for you to wake up and head to school an hour before it actually begins. Except for Taehyung. 

-pairing: Kim Taehyung x reader 

-genre: high schooler! taehyung and oc, it’s all fluff, taehyung is shy but also not shy

-warnings: im pretty sure there’s none, THIS IS SO BAD I’M SO SORRY 

-word count: 1975 words

-A/N: hey guys! i’ve been holding onto this fic for a long time because i honestly think this is really badly written. but i’ve been writing a lot for other groups and i feel bad for not posting for bangtan so i finally decided that this is not bad enough to be scrapped so here it is! though i think it’s bad, i hope you enjoy this fic! 

--------

When you think about waking up early in the morning, it is usually accompanied with a guttural groan, followed by useless whining and relenting. Just the thought of waking up earlier than noon has you cringing and protesting. But today, you wake up thirty minutes to six with a goofy grin and your heart beating erratically. 

In order to find out why, we have to rewind to the day before, where Taehyung had approached you during lunch, barely able to make eye contact with you. He had asked you to meet him at six-thirty in the morning, at the rooftop hockey pitch located in your school. Now, if this were any other person, if Taehyung just so happened to not be Taehyung, you would have refused in a millisecond. No one is important enough for you to wake up and head to school an hour before it actually begins. Except for Taehyung. 

Taehyung is a boy from your class, whom you have strangely taken a liking to. He is unbelievably shy and quiet around most people, especially girls, but rowdy and loud around his group of friends. Before your joint science project, Taehyung had never crossed your mind. If you’re being completely honest, sometimes, you don’t even really realise he’s present when he is. But after the two of you were paired up for your biology project, the tall, awkward, gangly boy had managed to worm his way into your heart, bringing a shocking motherly side out of you that made you want to protect him at all costs. Indeed, it is safe to say that you would go to hell and back for him, which is exactly what you think you are doing when you arrive at the hockey pitch before the sun can be courteous enough to show itself.

Taehyung is already waiting for you on the bleachers, looking like warm blankets and cuddles in his winter wear by the time you manage to drag yourself up the nine flights of stairs that absolutely knock the wind out of you. He is holding what looks like a picnic blanket, and you approach him with a curious frown. He doesn’t notice that you are approaching him, far too lost in his sea of thoughts to hear your footsteps so, you call out his name.

At the sound of his name, Taehyung’s gaze shoots up from the floor. When he notices you standing at the bottom of the bleachers, he grins and stands up, making his way down the steps to meet you at the bottom. Once you two are in closer proximity, his grin widens and he hits you with the softest, most endearing, “Hi, Y/N.”. 

You swear to the Lord Jesus Christ, your name has never sounded like music but when Taehyung says it, you feel like you’re floating. 

After greeting you, Taehyung makes his way past you, and to the entrance of the pitch, holding open the curtain for you to duck under and enter with ease. Your mind is still mostly preoccupied with the way Taehyung said your name, but the sane, conscious part of you is wondering what Taehyung’s intentions are. Nevertheless, you trust him and allow him to lead you to the centre of the pitch, where he stops and starts to lay out the picnic blanket. At the middle of the pitch, light is scarce and the only thing really allow the both of you sight is the dim glow of the slowly descending moon, and so you hold up your torchlight for Taehyung and attempt to help him with the blanket but he frowns disapprovingly and forces you to sit down on the part that has already been laid out properly. 

He continues to adjust the blanket until he deems it perfect, and settles down beside you, sitting with his knees up to his chest and so close that you can feels your lungs burn as you hold your breath. 

For a while, the two of you sit in silence, the howling of the wind the only sound that can be heard. You take occasional glances at Taehyung and notice that under the moonlight, he looks radiant, like the universe and the cosmos had moved just to make him, a shy boy made of stars and jewels alike. Something sweet fizzes in your stomach when he excitedly clasps his large hand around your wrist to get your attention. With his other hand, he points to the sky, directing your bashful gaze from his blue-veined wrist clasped around your thinner wrist, to the blood-orange sky. 

The sight, to put it simply, astounds you. The orange hues bleed into the brightening blue sky, a mixture of colours that leave you awestruck, amazed, entranced, by its beauty. The buildings are painted in the pretty colours, and as the gradually growing hues encroach, you realise that you don’t ever want to watch the sunrise with anyone ever again. 

Your initial lethargy washes off you, refreshing and electrifying, like cold water to your face in the morning. Instead, you feel content, happy that Taehyung is right next to you, his hand still gently enclosed around your wrist. A sudden thought then occurs to you as the two of you quietly admire the sunrise: Taehyung brought you here just to watch the sunrise with you. 

You feel a wave of affection overwhelm you and you turn to ask Taehyung what his true intentions are but you find yourself inhaling so hard that it forces your diaphragm into a spasm. Because Taehyung is already looking right back at you, eyes glazed over, gazing at you like you are a celestial being hailed from the sky and then some. 

As the sun rises over the building, it shines down on the two of you, bright and blinding, lighting Taehyung’s usually dark brown irises into a shining gold that shimmers and glitters like obsidian and fine jewels. You immediately feel like you’re in a bubble, the air sucked out of it because you can feel your chest rise and fall harshly, like no air is going in or coming out. And Christ, do your lungs forget how to transport oxygen while you’re lost in his eyes. 

“Um, Taehyung?” you say, finally finding your voice. He seems to snap out of his trance, eyes refocusing onto you, making eye contact that makes your pulse trip and stutter. Taehyung does not feel like Taehyung at all. He feels like someone else. I mean, Taehyung is shy! And he doesn’t usually make eye contact with you, or anyone for that matter. And you sure as hell have never seen him look at you like that before, like he has many intentions and motives. But it’s not like you don’t like this side of Taehyung. It’s just that, you’re confused and shy and Taehyung looks very pretty right now. 

“Yeah?” he asks softly, just barely above a whisper. Your faces are so near that his breath caresses your face and you can feel the warmth of it tickle your eyelashes. Your heart betrays you for the nth time since you’ve arrived when it starts to pick up speed, beat irregular and painful as it thuds in the under of your jaw and in your ribcage. And for the first time in the six months since you and Taehyung began talking, for the first time in the four months since you first felt this heart-racing, nervous feeling in your stomach around Taehyung, you finally come to terms with your massive, gargantuan crush on him. 

“Why did you really want to meet me?” you ask, shifting your gaze to the sun and away from his earnest, imploring eyes. The sun has settled nicely amongst the now light blue sky and you can feel Taehyung tense up beside you as he hastily turns his eyes to the (now visible) navy blue picnic blanket that protects your skin from the prickly and uncomfortable pitch turf. In your peripheral, you can see the way Taehyung hides his face in his knees. His ears, however, are still visible to you and your heart skips a beat when you notice just how red they are. Your hope soars and you pray, you pray, you pray that Taehyung will ask you to be his girlfriend. 

“Well, I actually wanted to ask you a question,” he starts, turning his bashful gaze back to you. This time, he turns his whole body so that he is facing you properly and your expectation doubles, triples, quadruples together with the pace of your heartbeat. 

“Go ahead,” you reply in a nonchalant tone, hoping that your expectation does not bleed into your words. Taehyung takes a second to compose himself, to collect his thoughts and feelings, as he carefully reaches for your hands. You allow him to hold your hands in his and the first thing your brain thinks is that his hands are so soft and large and attractive, and you never want him to let go. 

“Okay, so,” he starts again, pausing to gulp down his saliva. You give him a reassuring smile, urging him to continues. And he does, saying, “Y/N, I like kind of like you.”

You guess that you can no longer contain the excitement you feel when you hear those few words you have been unknowingly desperate to hear him say, the excitement bursting from you as you lunge forward into his arms, burrowing into his chest so violently and suddenly that Taehyung cannot react fast enough to keep his balance, falling back ono his back with you on his chest, with your arms around his neck, with your face tucked into the nook between his neck and his collarbone, warm breath fanning the sensitive skin there. 

At first, Taehyung has no idea what to do with his hands. But soon enough, he decides that your waist is most ideal, hands, unsure at first, coming up to wrap around your waist. And the feeling of his warm fingertips through your school blouse has your heart beating in your stomach and you biting back a big, goofy grin. 

“Geez, that scared me,” he voices out his thoughts, voice flustered, his ears and cheeks redder than you’ve ever seen. Gosh, this boy is going to be the end of you. And thought it may sound creepy to say, Taehyung smells heavenly. The scent being one of sweet spring flowers and sandalwood, and you want to stay like this forever. It seems as if Taehyung feels the same way as he relaxes and begins to gently rub your back, a sigh of content leaving his lips in the form of visible water vapour, a telltale sign of how cold it truly is. 

“I like you too, Tae. If it isn’t obvious already,” you finally reply. You can feel Taehyung swallow harshly at the nickname as he turns his head to place a small peck on your ear. You smile against Taehyung’s neck as a comfortable silence envelops the two of you and you stay like this for a while as you bask in each other’s presence and enjoy the stillness of this moment, where you both think about nothing, say nothing and do nothing, where everything is calm and no chaos from the world can reach you. Eventually, when it is time for you and Taehyung to head to class, you pull away from his chest and rearrange yourself before getting up. 

“Come on, school awaits,” you say to Taehyung with your hand stretched out to him. He pouts but relents anyway, placing his hand in yours as you help him get up and onto his feet. And after you fold up the picnic blanket and when you both start to make your way to class, Taehyung gently slips his hand into yours and interlaces your fingers, saying, “By the way, thanks for liking me back, Y/N.”. 

[bl597]

Could you write a Fred Weasley imagine where he likes the reader but she’s Ron’ best friend along with Harry’s and Hermione. And he doesn’t want that because if there were to break up, he would have to pick a side. And he doesn’t want to pick between his brother and best friend.

hello, dear! 💞💞 of course i can!! hope you enjoy it and please forgive me for taking so long to post it!!

warnings: hell yes I finally finished it!! it's agnsty but a little fluffy I guess, fem!reader but nothing that could change the story (you can replace it with male/gender neutral pronouns), reader's the same age as the golden trio, not revised bc im lazy, english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes!! requests are closed for a while!

my masterlist ♡

Ron had noticed it all before even you knew it; the way you and Fred looked at each other longer than friends should look at each other. Or how a blush painted both your faces whenever you were in the same room. Or how you always flirted. Or how you wouldn't shut up about each other for one bloody second. Or just how in love you seemed to be.

He hated it, honestly. You were his best friend and Fred was his brother, it was weird to even think about it. Besides, he didn't want it all to begin because if there is a break up, he would be forced to pick a side, and that was definitely not something he wanted to do.

The Yule Ball was a few months away and Fred had already tried to talk to Ron about asking you to go with him, and Ron always tried to find an excuse to avoid his brother. How was he supposed to say he wouldn't help him without looking like an idiot?

“You should tell him” he heard Hermione's voice as she entered the common room with you, both of you giggling.

“I think I'll just wait a little” you quietly said, sitting down in front of Harry and Ron. “Hi, boys”

“Hello” said Harry looking up from his Charms homework and smiling at you and Mione, who smiled back at the boy.

“Hi” Ron pushed the parchment and books aside with a loud groan, cursing Snape and Potions with all his heart and then turned to you two with furrowed brows. “What are you two talking about?”

Hermione giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at you with a small smirk while placing a book on top of the table and opening it. “(Y/n) is waiting for Freddie to ask her to the Yule Ball” she replied in a playful tone, which made you slap her armp lightly.

“What?!” Ron exclaimed, ears as red as his hair.

Everyone looked at him with a censorship look and his face became even redder as he apologized to the other people on the common room. He then looked at you again, eyes wide in surprise.

Okay, he did know you and Fred had feelings for each other, but he didn't think any of you would actually act on it. Hadn't Fred give up after all those miserable attempts to ask for Ron's opinion on how he should ask you out? Of course not, Fred doesn't give up so easily, Ron thought, mentally facepalming himself with a silent groan.

“Why Fred? There are a lot of other cool boys in the castle” he said in an almost accusing tone, which mad you frown. “I bet a lot of boys had asked you out already, you should go with one of them”

“I mean,” you shyly started, an almost invisible blush painting your cheeks “Finch-Fletchley had asked me to go to the Ball with him, but I said I needed to think about it and then I'd tell him.”

“Bullshit” Hermione added chuckling “You only said that because you were waiting for a certain redheaded Gryffindor to ask you out.”

You blushed a deep shade of red at her commentary, playfully rolling your eyes and she smirked. “Oh, hush, Granger”

~

“What are we doing?” Harry confusedly asked, almost running so he could catch Ron, who was going somewhere with heavy footsteps, ears red like their robes.

“Trying to find Fred” he replied and Harry almost didn't hear him, the noise in the corridors making it almost impossible to hear him.

Harry didn't ask anything else, deciding it would be better to just silently follow his best friend and see what he was up to. They didn't stop walking until they reached the Great Hall, where the twins and Lee Jordan were excitedly talking about a new prank.

“Fred Weasley!” he shouted, getting the attention of some other students that were calmly eating, now looking at him with furrowed brows. Harry quietly apologized to them before following Ron to were his brothers and Lee were.

“Hello, brother dearest. What do I own the honour of your visit?” Fred asked with a cheeky smile, drinking his pumpkin juice while looking at Ron, waiting for him to speak.

“You come with me. Now.” he said rather coldly, which made Fred get confused. They quietly left the Great Hall, leaving Harry, George and Lee curiously following them with their eyes as they disappeared from the Hall.

The two redheads kept walking around the castle's corridors, trying to find a place that wasn't occupied by the students. Ron stopped walking when he saw an empty corridor, and he quickly dragged Fred inside it with him, turning around to the older boy with arched brows and a I-know-all-your-sins look.

“I know what you're planning, and that won't happen” Ron finally said, crossing his arms over his chest “You won't ask (Y/n) to go to the Ball with you, okay?”

Then it all clicked on Fred's mind, a smirk immediately forming itself on his lips. “Awn, is Ickle Ronniekins jealous?” he mocked his younger brother, even though there was a hint of jealousy on his own voice.

“What? No!” Ron exclaimed, a blush painting his face and neck, the tip of his ears feeling and looking like it was on fire. “She's my best friend. And that's the problem”

“So, you want to ask her out?” Fred asked quietly whilst crossing his arms over his chest, proping up on the wall next to him. “You know I fancy her for a while, mate”

“Bloody hell! I do not want to ask her out!” Ron groaned, looking at Fred like it was the most obvious thing in the world “I just don't want you to do it, because then you two would start dating and I don't want that because if you two break up, I have to pick up a side, and I don't want to lose my brother or my best friend!”

Ron finally exploded, saying what was bothering him for the past months, and it felt like all the weight on his shoulders magically disappeared. He never felt so light like right now, it was a fantastic feeling. Fred was looking at him in shock, eyes wide open at his brother's words.

“Oh” was all Fred could say, his shoes suddenly being the most interesting thing he could lay his eyes on at the moment.

“Yeah” Ron replied quietly, an awkward silence between the two Weasleys, none of them knowing what to do or say right now. Ron then cleared his throat, getting Fred's attention. “I should go back now, Harry has lots of practice to do for the next task. Hm, see you around”

~

“You did what?!” Hermione incredulously asked, homework soon forgotten. You shushed her, trying to make her remember you were in the library. “Sorry, sorry. But why did you do that?” she finished her question, talking quieter than before.

“I said I'll go to the Ball with Justin” you shrugged as if it was nothing, turning your attention back to the piece of parchment in front of you, dipping the quill on the ink and continuing your essay about the Bezoar and its properties.

“But why? Weren't you planning on asking Fred?”

“Yeah, but the Ball is in two weeks and he already has a partner. Besides, Justin is cute, I should give him a chance, maybe” you simply replied, still focused on your essay.

She looked at you with furrowed brows, but decided not to say anything else and do her homework instead.

~

The night was fantastic, the Great Hall was decorated with beautiful winter ornaments, and a baby blue was painting the walls and tables. The students were gracefully dancing with their partners and even the teachers were dancing too. It all looked magical and like it just came straight from a fairytale.

“May I have this dance, Miss (Y/l/n)?” asked Justin playfully, extending his hand for you to take it and you gladly did with a smile.

“Yes, you may, Mr Finch-Fletchley” you replied, letting him lead you to the dance floor.

This song was slower than the last one, which meant you'd have to be closer to each other. He shyly placed his hand on your hip after asking if you were comfortable with that, taking your right hand in his as you placed your left one on his shoulder. You then started slow dancing to the song on the background, the other couples doing the same on the Hall.

It was nice to spend time with him, you two surprisingly had a lot of things in common and the silence between you two wasn't awkward or weird, it was actually nice and comfortable, but something was missing.

He didn't make fun remarks about professor Snape's I-was-forced-to-be-here face, or jokes about Ron awkwardly dancing with Padma Patil, or about anything else. He was amazing, but he wasn't Fred.

You felt bad for accepting going out with Justin as a 'second option', but it was not like you were using him.. right? Fred was going with someone else, so you found other person to go with. It's fair, right? Besides, it could happen anyways; not everything in life happens the way we all want to, or else it would be really boring. Shrugging those thoughts out of your head, you focused on your partner again, moving your body with his as you two danced the night away.

It was around midnight when the students started leaving the Great Hall, and you were one of those students. You were planning on going to your dorm and sleep like a baby until tomorrow, but decided against it and went to the courtyard, where a very few people were.

The night breeze was cold and the snow was adorning the ground and shrubs around the courtyard. The sky was dark and the stars were brightly shining on it, the moonlight illuminating all the place. It was a very lovely night.

You then caught sight of a small bench away from the kissing teenagers and headed to it, brushing the snow out of it before sitting down. You were just enjoying the fresh air after being at the Ball for the last hours. It's not like you didn't like it, it was the total opposite of it, you loved the night and the Ball was perfect, you just needed some time away from the crowd.

“Shouldn't you be at your dorm?” you heard a very familiar voice from behind you, which made you jump a little, quickly looking at the voice's owner with a smile.

It was Fred. He was still wearing the clothes he wore earlier, his hair was covering half of his face, but it was still clear he was with a silly smile on his lips. That made you smile too.

“Shoudn't you be at your dorm?” you replied with his own question, raising a brow at his with a small smirk.

“Now you got me” he joked, sitting down next to you on the bench. “Didn't feel like sleeping yet. You?”

“Same” you quietly said, looking at the night sky. “So, where's Angelina?”

“At the Gryffindor common room, I guess” he replied after a little while, turning to look at you. “And where's Finch-Fletchley?” his voice carried a bit of annoyance at the mention of the Hufflepuff boy's name.

“Dancing with a Beauxbatons girl” you giggled as you remembered Justin clumsily dancing with a girl who was taller than him “He really has lots of energy and I was tired of dancing, so he kind of found another partner”

He nodded quietly, still focused on you. You flushed red when you noticed he had been watching you for a few minutes, suddenly feeling your cheeks burning under his deep stare.

“You know, we learnt how to read the stars in Astronomy” Fred spoke with a serious expression, and you turned all your attention to him, eager to hear the rest. It was no surprise you always loved Astronomy and were more than excited to learn more and more about it. “And these starts are telling me something, something really important”

You gasped, eyes widened as you attentively listened to every word that left his mouth. “What is it, Freddie?”

He inched closer to you, to the point where your noses were almost touching and your breath hitched, anxiously awaiting for his answer while trying your hardest not to blush even more because of how close his lips were to yours.

“They say you should kiss me.” he said with a cheeky smile, watching in amusement as your face became redder than his hair. “The stars never lie”

With a confident smirk, you closed the gap between you two, softly placing your lips on his in a short peck that soon became an actual kiss, your mouths moving in sync with each other, tongues gracefully dancing together inside your mouths as your hands flew to his face, cupping his cheeks in order to deepen the kiss.

You pulled apart minutes later, gasping for air. Both your faces were a shade of dark pink, both from the kiss and from the freezing breeze assaulting your bodies. You could still feel the ghost of Fred's soft lips hovering over yours, and it was a deliciously confusing feeling. The kiss made you feel warm inside and it lit things up on you that made you feel happy and light.

But at the same time, it just felt so wrong to do it. It was like a guilty pleasure, even though you didn't exactly know why you felt guilty. Maybe it was because you two already had partners and it would be a little unfair of your parts to do it? Or maybe was it because deep down you knew it just felt wrong because kissed your best friend's brother? You couldn't really point out what was it, but it left a weird feeling inside your chest.

“I'm sorry” you said in a weak voice, barely over a whisper. What exactly you were apologizing for you didn't know, but it felt like the right thing to do at the moment.

“I wanted to ask you to go to the Ball with me” he quietly admitted and you frowned at him.

“Why didn't you do it then?”

“I promised Ron I wouldn't” you opened your mouth to ask why, but he continued speaking “He said that if we start dating and then break up, he would have to choose between you and me, and he doesn't want that. I felt like it would be a little selfish of me if I asked you out after he told me that, so I came with Angelina.”

Oh. So that was why Ron was acting weird when Hermione mentioned you going out with Fred. You couldn't blame him for it, I mean, you would feel the same if one of your best friends started dating your brother or sister. It was weird to feel like this.

But, wasn't it a little bit selfish of Ron? Like, okay, he doesn't want to pick a side, but doesn't he want you to be happy? What if the relationship lasts for a long time? What if you don't break up and actually be happy with each other? You wouldn't know, because Ron was afraid of the 'what if they break up' part. It actually angered you a little bit.

“What if it goes fine, Fred?” your question finally broke the silence, voice soft and weak as it left your mouth. His eyes turned to you, his warm brown eyes examining every detail of your face. “We wouldn't know because we didn't even try.”

“We could try” he said, a genuine small smile on his lips as he took your hands in his, squeezing them softly in a reassuring way.

“Let's talk about this tomorrow, okay? It's already late” you replied quietly, giving his cheek a kiss before getting up. “Good night, Freddie.”

And then you headed to inside the castle to go to your common room, leaving Fred sitting there alone. You felt bad for leaving right now, but you just needed to think about it and sleep. You could talk about it in the morning.

~

taglist ♡

@bwitchd @fific7 @iamak20 @msmimimerton @grierpilots @idontknowwhatthisisfam @imseeinggred @kashishwrites @tsuukichan @mischiefsemimanaged @just-a-dreamer23

[itsclydebitches]

Hi Clyde 👋🏻 So Ive been watching as your response posts come thru about RWBY and you obviously know alot about it. As someone who knows nothing at all about it, I was wondering if you could explain it to me. Supernatural I get. Jupiter Ascending I get. Even that Jar Jar Binks post floating around Tumblr (if you havent seen it yet, it’s probably a good thing) I get, but RWBY im still sort of having trouble getting up the interest to watch. Is it worth it?

Hello! I'm definitely answering asks in a timely fashion. Watch me go! 😅

Ah, is RWBY worth it. That there is the million dollar question. Not to give a copout answer, but I really think it depends on what you're looking to get out of the show. Our beloved JA and SPN are great comparisons because they're both extremes too. They're doing something really interesting that succeeds in captivating its audience... and then, arguably, faceplant when it comes to a lot of basic writing expectations. SPN far more-so than JA imo, just due to being a 15 season show vs. a 2 hour movie. Though not quite of the same caliber, RWBY has a lot of the same whimsy and creativity. A sort of, "Go with the flow not because it necessarily makes sense, but because it's fun." Or, as the RWBY fandom puts it, everything follows the "Rule of Cool." If you like JA's awkwardly delivered "I love dogs" you may also like the awkwardness of Ruby eating cookies by having them disappear when they approach her face. The self-awareness that RWBY had in the beginning — we're a low budget webseries created for the fun of it with lots of ridiculous gags and flashy action — feels, to me, similar to the self-awareness of JA: "We're a film that's going to take a 13yo girl's fantasies very seriously, right up through getting an angel-wolf-alien as a boyfriend." There's even a lot to be said for RWBY's similar motivations: a girl power story, a focus on the action (with Monty's fantastic choreography), meant to be progressive in particular ways, etc.

Personally, I really love the first three Volumes of RWBY. They're ridiculous, badly animated at times, and mishandle a racism allegory like whoa... but they've got a lot of heart. They're fun. They're enjoyable in that "Turn your brain off" manner. The basic premise is that a girl with silver eyes gets into a Huntsmen Academy two years early — a school that trains young adults to battle the monsters that populate their world. She's set up as the pure hearted hero with the mysterious power via her eye color. She gains a team of three other girls who must learn to work together as they navigate school and a coming war. Everyone has crazy outfits, crazier weapons, and at one point there's an epic food fight battle that I've watched on Youtube too many times. It's playful and has just enough worldbuilding to spark the imagination; just enough solid characterization to get you to fall in love with the cast. If it were the summer of 2016 I'd recommend RWBY wholeheartedly as the webseries equivalent of a beach read.

The problem is that things #happened at the end of Volume 3. No spoilers, but suffice to say things got intense during that finale, thrusting the show into a very different era. Suddenly, the show wanted to take itself seriously in a way it never had before... so many in the fandom, such as myself, started taking it more seriously too. We had higher expectations for the show since the show itself was egging those expectations on, tackling sensitive material and talking up the impact of their work. Yet, sadly, these expectations weren't met, with the problems becoming more pronounced with each new Volume. The retconning added up. Certain characters were done dirty. The allegories got really offensive. RWBY's idea of feminism became warped. We've got a ship that many consider queerbaiting at this point. Morals are all over the place and there's no longer a consistent message to the show... it's a lot. The sort of "It's a lot" that we might say about SPN too. Fans are right to point out the laundry list of bad writing choices and offensive content strewn across SPN's 15 seasons. Fans are also right to point out the many aspects that kept its audience hooked despite all that. Same with RWBY. Me? I think RWBY is a very badly written show now... but I enjoyed it enough, for long enough, that I'm still invested enough to see it through. Meanwhile, others don't see anything wrong with the writing at all. They've hailed the last two Volumes as the best to date, with even better work to come. There's a pretty intense split between those who critique the show and those who insist on its near perfection.

So I suppose I'd recommend it, just because I'm not confident in giving a definitive "Lol yeah this is trash" condemnation. Not just because there were things I did (and at times still do) love about RWBY, but because my interpretation, quite obviously, is subjective. I can't ignore that those of us who critique the show are the minority. So statistically, if RWBY ends up being your thing, you're probably more likely to enjoy all that the show has produced thus far — within reason — than you are to have a falling out with it. I think overall there's enough good in RWBY to give it a shot, especially when, depending on how you approach your shows, that good might still be there for you 8 Volumes later. Just go in knowing that, if you enjoy the first 3 Volumes, you might be severely disappointed down the line.

The other upside though? The initial episodes are very short! So you can try a couple out without giving RWBY too much of a time investment.

(Also, side note, but WHAT Jar Jar Binks post?? Oh god I'm scared lol)

[aomineavenue]

Homesick (Miya Atsumu x f!Reader) | 006. dinner disaster

Summary: Six years ago, L/N Y/N wouldn’t exactly say that she loves her life. It had always been problematic but her best friend, Miya Atsumu, since she was eight when she moved to Hyōgo, has always been there for her, and she wouldn’t change it for the world. However, things would always fall apart for her ever since, so she should have expected of such. Running away from her problems seemed like the easiest route to take at the time, so what happens when the past comes barging back into her life demanding answers? Will she be able to confront her demons?

Pairings: Miya Atsumu x f!Reader

Updates: irregular.

Genre: Angst, ANGST I LOVE ANGST, a lil bit of fluff here and there.

Warnings: Language, etc. (Will be mentioned once posted because I don’t want spoilers huehue)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except for the reader and my ideas. I do not claim any images used for content in this fic, everything goes out to their respective creators unless it is mentioned that it is mine.

Status: ongoing. | series masterlist

↩ confessions | dinner disaster | realizations  ↪

mia’s note(s): 

can you find the easter eggs in here? 

i am sorry, i am not very fond of this chapter lmao i told you guys im bad at writing that isn’t angst man 

i hope you guys enjoy anyway, lemme know what you guys think!! and tell me if you find the easter eggs mwa mwa

You nod eagerly as you shut the menu in your grip, completely ignoring Reiji’s protests from beside you as the rest of the individuals seated around the table either watch in amusement or curiosity. “I believe there is always a three special course meal that changes every day according to the chef, we’d absolutely love that.”

At the sight of Reiji’s features scrunched up in horror, you inwardly squealed in victory. 

Years have flown by, you’re both practically strangers at this point. Yes, strangers. Just two strangers who know every shameful secret, every hidden freckle, and even every fatal flaw in each other. Who were you kidding anyway? Six years have gone by just like that, but you knew it yourself, deep down that you still strongly cared for the man that now stood before you, his eyes the only thing you could focus on, not even the soft chatter of the other guests or the soft instrumental melody produced by the restaurant’s speakers could capture your attention and disrupt your thoughts. Mesmerized, that is what you are. What even. 

It has been six years and to this day, he still completely steals your breath away. 

Not that it should surprise you or anything. Despite everything, how he had hurt you back when you were both 17 and in your second year in senior high school back in 2013, or the hurtful words that spilled from his mouth from the running emotions that day back at the sports complex when the truth revealed itself, you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him or even be angry. You’ve thought of this a billion times since you left Hyōgo. You have imagined a billion scenarios, trying your best to prepare yourself because you knew. You knew that it was inevitable to stay hidden, to keep your secret hidden. A part of you always knew you were going to meet him again. Not that your reunion was delightful or anything. It was nowhere near such. No matter how many scenarios you created in your head, it had not been enough for you to prepare for any form of response. 

You hadn’t realized it at first when you had met him on that day because of the emotions running high through your veins, but now, standing in front of him, your eyes drank him up completely. Of course, you notice the differences from six years ago. It wasn’t as if he was going to stay how he had been back then, nor was it difficult to notice the changes from the boy you used to adore. Looking at him now, it was clear as day that he had grown up from the charming boy next door to a breathtaking man that you can’t seem to tear your gaze away. 

As your name rolls off of his tongue, you snap out of your trance, blinking a couple of times. Thankfully, you suppressed your emotions quick enough from allowing the warmth that wanted to creep across your cheeks. God, how embarrassing. Did he notice you were practically devouring him with your eyes? Hopefully not. 

However, despite his handsome features, you are suddenly reminded of the last conversation that the two of you shared and it was enough for you to push your mushy thoughts to the very back of your head. Ah, right. You remembered now, before being distracted by Atsumu’s ridiculously handsome face, you were going to give Asuma and Reiji a good smack. If only you had known of this setup, you would have never agreed. Jumping back to reality, you were about to take a step back, wanting to leave the premises, only to be held back by Reiji, gripping onto your arm to stop you. 

You were cut off from your protests, Reiji moving closer to whisper in your ear with the all too familiar tone he uses on you during arguments. Before he could even finish his sentence, you already knew that the excuses you have in mind were no use. There was no room for negotiations. “Stop being stubborn and sit down. Do this for your kids. It’s not like it’s a date or anything.” 

Grumbling underneath your breath at how much of an ass he was, he only replies with a chuckle as he releases his grip on your arm, neither of you realizing the green-eyed monster’s gaze that followed the whole interaction. The two of your friends took their seats, greeting the rest of the party, while you’re left standing there before Atsumu. As you stood there face to face, you didn’t realize the two occupants around the table sharing hushed whispers amongst each other, berating each other for bringing other people along. Meeting his gaze once more, you give him a small nod, “Atsumu. Shall we then?” 

He nods, his voice cracking slightly because of his nerves, “Yeah.” 

However, as you turn to greet the rest of the party, you feel your shoulders grow tense at the realization of what your two friends did once again. They had occupied seats around the table, leaving the only available seats next to each other for you and Atsumu. If it’s one thing you hated, it was when your friends become the meddling monkeys that they are. 

Not wanting to cause a scene, you inwardly groan and occupy the seat next to Reiji, leaving the seat next to you for Atsumu. In spite of your irritation, you find yourself flashing a half-hearted smile at the three across from you. 

“Hi!” the one in the middle greets you happily with an enormous smile plastered across his face, “I’m Hinata, it’s nice to meet you.” He extends his arm across the table, holding out his hand for you to shake, which you gladly take. 

“Nice to meet you too,” you respond with a nod of your head as you release your grip from his hand, just in time to retrieve the menu that the waiter had passed throughout the group. Flipping it open, you avoid the glances from Bokuto and Osamu, who looked as if they were itching an interaction from you, but because of your irritation, you definitely didn’t want to talk to them just yet, they probably had helped your friends in setting this up. “So Hinata-san, I’m assuming you're Bokuto’s teammate?” you ask before tearing your gaze away from his to examine the menu in your hands. You don’t notice the frown that briefly appeared on Atsumu’s lips. 

“Oh, Hinata’s just fine!” he waves his hand with a laugh, “Yes, I’m Bokuto and Atsumu’s teammate. We actually wanted to bring our friend Sakusa here too, but he said he has an emergency at some hospital.” 

"Hmm…" you hum, letting your eyes scan the menu, thinking you might as well enjoy the food, "Oh, I hope everything is okay with your friend Sakusa and it’s nothing too serious, but now that we're here, might as well enjoy and run Rei's wallet dry. Right, Rei?"

You tilt your head a bit, glancing over at Reiji from the corner of your eye with a sly smirk forming on your lips. Ah, the man could only let out a nervous chuckle, knowing full well what you were planning as he recalls a similar scenario a few months back in the very same restaurant that put a dent to his savings because of the ridiculous price of the meals you had ordered that night. Not tearing your gaze away from your best friend, you call for the waiter's attention, who quickly responds by walking over and pulling out his tiny notepad to jot down your table's order. 

"Hello, I'm Daiki and I'll be your waiter for the night." He greets with a friendly smile, not realizing the awkward atmosphere among the group, "What will we be having?" 

Clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth, you give Reiji an innocent grin before turning your gaze over to the waiter to return his smile with your own, "Hello, Daiki. You see, my friends here aren't really sure what to order, but I told them not to worry since I've been here so many times, so I'll be ordering for everyone!" 

"Excellent, ma'am!" He nods his head, matching your enthusiasm.

You nod eagerly as you shut the menu in your grip, completely ignoring Reiji’s protests from beside you as the rest of the individuals seated around the table either watch in amusement or curiosity. “I believe there is always a three special course meal that changes every day according to the chef, we’d absolutely love that.” 

At the sight of Reiji’s features scrunched up in horror, you inwardly squealed in victory. 

It was going to be a long night.

Mayuzumi Asuma and Suwa Reiji were now considered dead.

To you, at least. And somehow, you knew that, despite them avoiding meeting your gaze alongside with the other three across from you who freely interacted with each other, they themselves knew what they were getting themselves into. They were digging their graves for this stunt they have pulled. 

You’d got to give Reiji credit, though. Despite pushing his buttons by ordering everyone the high priced three course meal, he wasn’t his usually squirmy and irritating self. You had at least expected sharing a heated argument with him after such a display, but instead of giving in, he continued to pursue his plan with the others. 

Oh, they think they were so slick, as if you hadn’t caught on with their little plan. Not a date, they say. It might as well be one, since they’re bluntly ignoring your attempts to converse with them. All was missing was some privacy. At first you hadn’t thought about it when you had tried to share a conversation with Hinata, it was only right for you to get to know someone; you were just being nice. However, before Hinata could respond to your question, Bokuto had dragged him into a conversation about volleyball. You brushed it aside, not thinking anything rude of it, as you knew Bokuto would often speak with anyone out of the blue. It was just how he is. 

You hadn’t even thought about it the second time around when this time; you tried conversing with Osamu, wanting to know about how his business is going so far. Except, the conversation between you and Osamu never happened due to the fact that Asuma had cut you off mid-sentence, engaging the man in a ridiculous conversation about healthy diets. Like, what the heck was that all about? Asuma and healthy diets just don’t sit well with you. Nevertheless, you brushed it aside, shifting your attention to the first course meal of the night that had been placed before you. 

They think they were so smart, trying to pull it off. Ah, but no. You had caught on with their little plan the third time around when you tried to join in Bokuto and Hinata’s conversation. You were instantly shot down by Reiji, shifting the conversation to another topic that only they could understand. 

They were dead men. All of them. 

Placing your chopsticks down, you turn your head towards Reiji’s direction with a false innocent smile curling upon your lips. “Reiji, dear.” 

Ah there it was, catching the nervous bob of his Adam’s apple in this throat with your gaze. "Yeah?"

"I hope you know—” 

Hinata cuts you off by standing up abruptly from his seat, waving frantically towards someone’s direction, “Ushijima-san!” 

You blink before turning your head to look at whoever Hinata was waving to, catching a glimpse of a tall, muscular man nodding towards Hinata’s direction in greeting, a woman trailing close behind him. Not wanting to be rude, you return to your previous position to face Hinata that was seated across from you, “Was that the Ushijima Wakatoshi?” 

Hinata nods as he sits back down, a huge smile on his face. “Yeah, I’m sure you know about him.” 

“I suppose,” you lift your shoulders up in a shrug as you pick up your chopsticks once more, completely forgetting to reprimand Reiji’s actions much to his relief, “I was volleyball manager back then in high school, so I would know a few things, including some players.” 

“Where did you go to school?” Hinata asks, tilting his head a bit as he looks at you curiously. You wonder, briefly, had Atsumu not mentioned you at all since the incident at the sports complex? Weird. 

As you were about to reply, the man seated on your left answers for you. “She went to the same school as me, Shouyou-kun. She was our manager.” 

Hinata stares at you for a second, blinking a couple of times before realization hits him, his eyes widening, “I remember you now! You were that pretty manager!” 

The men around the table chokes and sputters their food, causing you to scrunch up your nose in disgust. Atsumu is first to respond after clearing his throat, “What? I mean, yeah. She was our pretty manager.”  

“I remember her because it was the first time I saw Tsukishima look stupid over a girl,” Hinata chuckles, shaking his head. “But, how come I only saw you once? Were you a third year at the time?” 

Suddenly, the tension was back in the air. You catch from the corner of your eye, Atsumu growing tense from Hinata’s question, and you had to fight the urge to show your own emotions. Everyone else was silent, probably waiting for you or Atsumu to answer. “Ah, I left high school towards the end of our second year, and moved to Kanagawa. I had my hands full at the time, so I didn’t return to high school.” 

“But wh—” Hinata gets cut off by his own yelp, making you raise a brow in confusion. He turns his head towards Osamu’s direction, wincing slightly, “Osamu-san!” 

Osamu lets out a laugh, not looking anywhere near apologetic. “Ah, sorry buddy. I was reaching over Bokuto but you were in the way.” 

An awkward atmosphere engulfs around the table once more. This dinner was certainly not going according to Osamu and Reiji’s plan. Opting to avoid the awkward glances from the other individuals, you turn your attention over to focus on your food while Osamu and Reiji were sending glares towards each other once they realized your attention elsewhere. The two had talked with Atsumu earlier, devising a plan for the two of you to talk things through. Originally, Osamu suggested that the dinner should be just you and Atsumu, but Reiji declined such an idea because of two reasons. First, you would completely decline yourself to go to a dinner and leave Atsuhiro in the hospital despite your mother being present, Reiji knew you too well that the idea of dinner at a fancy restaurant without your sons was a big no. That is, unless a friend of yours were to force you by dragging you to the restaurant. And second, if you were to be left with Atsumu alone, Reiji fears that you would leave almost immediately. 

And he was right for both. If he hadn’t dragged you here himself, you wouldn’t have bothered to go. And if he hadn’t stopped you earlier, you would have ran out the moment you saw Atsumu. However, they hadn’t expected this. Reiji hadn’t expected Osamu to bring two other people, while Osamu hadn’t expected that Reiji was going to bring someone else along. Yes, it was a disaster. 

Reiji had opted to bring Asuma along, because he knew you were going to be suspicious if it were just the two of you going for dinner. You would have accused him of coddling you like a child, it was something he would do now and then when he wanted you to release all the emotions you had kept bottled up. It’s not that you didn’t appreciate him for it, he just knows that if he did such a thing during such an emotional time, you would push him away when Reiji wanted to speed things along. As much as Reiji disliked the father of his favorite twins, he wasn’t going to deprive the little boys any longer of the chance of finally getting to know their father. If he was going to force everything on you, he would do it. He, too, has grown tired of your decisions of run away. 

Osamu on the other hand, only decided to accompany his brother himself but as he and his brother were leaving the apartment, the other two barged out of Bokuto’s room claiming to be starving from the lack of food the past couple of hours because of some intense gaming session on the PlayStation 4 that Bokuto brought along with. Not being quick on their feet, the twins had blurted out they were going out to eat. They unfortunately could not decline the two balls of sunshine. 

Clearing his throat, hoping to shift the tension in the air. “Anyway,” Osamu starts before tearing his glaring gaze away from Reiji over to where Ushijima was seated across the room, “Who is that girl Ushijima is with?” 

“She kinda looks familiar,” Bokuto hums, placing his chopsticks down after finishing his first course meal, shifting his gaze over to Ushijima’s table. 

“That’s the heiress of the Akita Empire,” Asuma answers, “Pretty woman, she is. I didn’t know she was dating anyone.” 

Hinata lets out a gasp of excitement, his eyes going wide. “I wonder if Ushijima-san is really dating her!” 

“Maybe you can ask him at the party…” Bokuto suggests while the rest of his words are drowned out by you, growing bored with the night as you wonder when you can possibly leave. 

Despite drowning out the conversation around the table and focusing on the food, Atsumu pulls you in with his voice from the side, “Hey, I’m sorry about this. I told Osamu and Reiji it was a bad idea from the start.” 

Ah, so it was those two who had planned the whole thing out. You let out a sigh, turning your head to face him to answer, your voice low to keep the others out of the conversation, “There’s nothing that we can do now.” 

“Would you have preferred that it was just the two of us?” he asks, hope laced in his voice. 

Lightly nibbling on your bottom lip, you tear your gaze away from him. Did you? You actually wanted to talk to Atsumu after having the talk with your sons. You were going to express your disappointment towards Reiji and his plan full of flaws. Had they planned this for the two of you to talk? If so, this was stupid to begin with. Something so serious between the two of you and Atsumu should be discussed within private walls, and this was nowhere near private. So maybe, yes. Perhaps, if the two were you alone, then it would have been better. “I guess,” you finally admit, “Maybe the two of us can talk things through properly when this is over. I think it’s time. For now, I hope you can accept my apologies.” 

“And I hope you accept m—” 

Hinata’s loud voice booms excitedly, “Oh remember that party!” 

The two of you snap your attention over to Hinata, the disappointment clear in your features for the disruption. What were they talking about? However, curiosity gets the best of you and you entertain him anyway. “What party?” 

“The Christmas party last year!” Hinata announces with a chuckle, “At first, I was thinking why Reiji-san and Asuma-san here look so familiar then I remember I attended the party with Bo-kun and the others!” As if on cue, the moment those words left Hinata’s mouth, Atsumu and Bokuto visually stiffened, causing you to grow more curious. 

“Ah, that party.” you let out a laugh, nudging Reiji with your elbow, “He’s talking about your all-time favorite party.” 

A scowl makes its way to Reiji’s features, “Please, do not remind me of that horrendous party. I had to move rooms just because of that, and I replaced the mattress too.” 

“You’re so dramatic,” you drawled, laughing along with Asuma as you remember Reiji going crazy the next day after the party. “Just because your guests did the dirty on your bed—” Reiji cuts you off by pinching your side, which causes you to let out a yelp in both pain and surprise.

Osamu interjects with a grin, “Actually, I have a feeling that Sakusa would have died hearing such information. But I would be pissed off too, Reiji. That’s nasty. I would have moved out the whole place entirely.” 

“Right?” Reiji exclaims by throwing his hands in the air, “I couldn’t step inside the room without wanting to poke my eyes out.” 

“That’s why we no longer let Atsumu drink too much because he’ll probably do that again,” Hinata adds, laughing along. 

Once again, silence. 

“Wait, what?” Reiji asks, the first to break the silence. “That was you?” 

Bokuto smacks Hinata’s head before looking away awkwardly. Hinata, on the other hand, takes a minute to realize his mistake before flickering his gaze back and forth from Atsumu over to you, waiting for his mistake to backfire in his face. The rest of the individuals around the table turn their attention over to Atsumu, waiting for his response. 

You were the first to defend him, letting out a laugh. “Okay, enough of this. Let’s leave the past in the past. Let’s not make things awkward, it’s not like Atsumu and I are dating or anything,” 

“Tsumtsum!” a squeal echoes throughout the restaurant and all you could think now was “What now?”