#and it was nice to feel like our bond was even stronger after we had that talk

[thepoisonroom]

btw if someone you love wants to talk about how they're interested in any type of transition it's actually very cool and swagful to ask them what parts they're interested in and excited for so they can share the joy of it with you

[readychilledwine]

Small World Pt 2

Summary - After discovering you and Azriel share much more than a mating bond, your relationship grows stronger as tensions between you and your aunt seem to grow higher.

Warnings - implied emotional and mental abuse, second child syndrome in a not good way, we find out Nyx is an asshole, unrequited love, slight smut, use of daddy

A/n - a potentially cliff hanger ending because I haven't decided 100% how this ends

Peep Part 1 Here 💙

Azriel stared at the dress box sitting on Rhysand's desk and nicely folded Illyrian leathers. He couldn't remember the last time he had worn them. The last time he had used a siphon. The leathers were fitted for 7, something Azriel immediately knew would no longer work.

His powers after removing the precious stones had gone wild. His shadows were different now. They were more aware, able to span wider distances, and able to recruit more shadows into his network to join them.

He had spent 5 years alone meditating and learning even more control over them, over what they could do, over how deadly they actually could be.

7 siphons would not be enough.

And he didn't understand how Rhysand did not see that.

He finally spoke, gesturing to the box. "What is this?"

Rhys was settled in his chair, trying to maintain his composure as Cassian stood near the bookshelf to mediate if needed. "We're going to the Court of Nightmares. My daughter's engagement has spread like wildfire, and dear Keir wants to host a party in her honor."

A breathy chuckle left Azriel's lips before he could stop it. "So my fiancée will be dressed like a goddess while I am in leathers at a party to mock us?"

Cassian shifted slightly. "We've always worn leathers to Hewn City, Az. It's to honor our heritage." Rhys just inclined his head to Cassian and nodded. "Y/n wears leathers."

"She has never worn a single set in the 2 years we've been together. There isn't even a set in her closet."

"There's several sets in her closet here," Rhys said quietly. "All set up for pink siphons. 14 of them." Cassian and Azriel couldn't help their chuckles. "Imagine a blonde Illyrian with pink siphons, Azriel, its quite the sight." Rhys smiled fondly, eyes glimmering with pride despite everything. "She's-" he looked up, searching for the perfect word for his daughter. "She's my everything. And I've done a horrible job showing her that."

Azriel sucked in a deep breath. "I won't mediate this, Rhys. This is a you two thing. Not an us three thing."

Azriel knew now why you were estranged from your family. Nyx was their golden child. Constantly praised, admired, in the spotlight. He was, and still is, their reminder of how they had almost died to pass along their love. He could do no wrong, never be wrong, and was treated as such.

You, on the other hand, were the second child. The significantly younger one Nyx learned to plant blame on and watch as you were scolded and seen as "the problem" as you had told him you were now addressed as in Hewn City and Illyria. You had been raised by Ness more than Feyre and Rhys, passed off to them until your powers bloomed at 16, and suddenly your father found you interesting again. With a lack of a spymaster, he exploited you, forcing you to touch people and feel their emotions, when they lied, their stories. Forcing you to live trauma over and over of females clipped in the mountains, of tortured traitors in dungeons, of Nesta's dark phase.

You locked your powers so far away one day, so deep inside you that even you hardly could access them unless you actually wanted to. It had been just before your 18th birthday that happened. And then the fight that sealed the casket happened. Rhys had verbally lashed you. Attacked you for refusing to let him use your "one worth" to keeping his family and court safe.

Your father had said he saw you as useless, and everyone else just stood by watching.

Like they had with Nesta.

Only you were just a child. Not a head strong warrior, a goddess in fae form.

You packed the basics and spent the night on the streets in a dark alley.

Even if you and Rhys magically fixed things, even if you forgave but not forgot, Azriel would never. How you were raised, how you've been treated, it forever will taint his vision of Rhys, Feyre, and Nyx. The abuse they unleashed on you, they'd never make up for.

Rhys nodded, eyes glancing to the doorway as footsteps approached. "I would never ask you to fix my relationship with her when I need to fix my relationship with you as well. I just need you to know I love her. That she will always be my girl."

"You have an odd way of showing her your lo-"

The door opened, and you stepped in, immediately going to Azriel's side and eyeing the box. "Dad. Cassian." You opened the lid and nodded. "Well. At least it's sparkly."

Rhys cocked his head. "You don't like it?"

Azriel watched as you paused. The bond flared with conflicting emotions. Anger, hurt, longing. How long had it been since Rhys held you? Since he told you he loved you without you having to earn it. "No, I like it. I just know what this means. You never give me nice things unless Hewn City is involved." The last sentence trailed off quietly, and pain flooded the bond.

Rhys looked down, nodding as he scratched the stubble growing on his face. "I am sorry. I just-"

"Please don't. You never mean it." You grabbed the box. "I will wear it and find jewelry." You turned to Azriel. "Elain would like to speak with you. She said something about a garden you two planned together and how I'll never understand the love you two share. How it breaks bonds and shakes worlds."

The relationship between you and Azriel had been messy since dinner two weeks ago. You two had your first fight over, of course, Elain and her rekindled love, lust, whichever felt appropriate at the moment for Azriel. He ignored the constant letters, the random headache powders, the message coded flowers.

He had reached out to Lucien, asking the male what had happened. According to the new Lord of Day, Elain and he had tried for 5 years, but the damage had been done. Lucien didn't trust Elain, Elain spent most of their time comparing the two of them, and nothing Lucien gave her was enough. He had been the one to reject the bond, and after 7 years, he had found himself heavily involved in a relationship with a now fully fae Vassa and Jurian.

Rhys and Cassian both gave him gentle looks of concern as he held your hand, preventing you from walking away. He stared Rhys in the eyes, doing something he felt Rhysand had never done to prove a point. "I'd rather go home with you, so if you were planning on winnowing, we might as well go together." He picked you.

They watched as all tension left your body, as security eased into your face. "Then let's go home." Azriel grabbed the leathers, nodding to Rhys and Cassian before following you.

Azriel's elbow locked around your neck, hand squeezing your hip as he pinned you below him and continued taking you from behind. You both had no interest in heading to Hewn City, so you had distracted him, walking into your shared bedroom in just a pretty blue silk night gown offering to give your body to him for what he had done, the message he had sent.

You were supposed to be getting ready, but instead, Azriel was growling above you, pumping into you carelessly. Your toes curled at how deep he was hitting, at how good he felt, how good he felt every time. "So close," you whispered. "So fucking close-" You were moaning his name when the knock on the door came.

A shadow rushed to him, curling his ear as he paused. "It's Elain," he muttered. "She's relentless." You whined below him, hips wiggling to get friction back. "Baby,"

"Please," you begged. "It's been weeks, I've been so good, please, daddy."

Azriel felt his cock twitch at the use of the name. He'd longed for a moment to erase the memory of what happened, and you had just given it to him. He felt you moving your hips, doing the best you could while pinned to the mattress to fuck yourself on his cock.

You were his focus, the rest of the world melting away as he heard your moans turning into screams of his name. You sounded so pretty coming for him, crying for him, begging for more for less for everything as oversensitivity took over. You especially looked pretty dripping his seed when he pulled out of you. Once again, he had chosen you.

You two laid there, holding each other until claws came for both of you. Scratching angerly as your mental shields and causing you to bury your head into Azriel's chest. "We need to get ready unless you want him showing up here next," Azriel played with your hair, scratching your scalp lightly. "Let's see how many siphons I blow through."

After 2 sets of siphons being destroyed, you were currently dragging Azriel down the streets of Velaris and to your brother and father's tailor. You knew she'd be able to fit and dress him in seconds and that he'd look every bit handsome as he deserved. You were pissed when you saw he had been gifted Illyrian leathers and not a suit. Your father was out of touch with Azriel. With you.

"Helena," you smiled at the older female. "We need help."

Azriel felt stiff. Staring at the doors of Heen City as a shocked page boy ran to inform Rhys and Feyre of the late arrival. You two were about to upstage them in their own court. The guests of honor arriving late and being introduced after the Lord and his Lady.

You would have upstaged them by yourself anyway, though. Azriel admired you one more time. Rhys had picked well, though you both would never admit it. The dress had a see-through bodice of black lace and floral applicates with thin straps. It led to a satin skirt that was tight and then flared out to your hips. The left leg had a high slit, showing the toned beautiful skin Azriel was begging to cover in his kisses. You had picked a simple necklace, a single tear drop shaped sapphire with matching earring and a matching bracelet. Your ring sat on manicured nails painted a soft shade of pink to white coffin head tips. Heels graced your feet, the red underside flashing when you walked. "Gods, you are stunning," he finally whispered out in a hoarse voice.

"And all yours," you looked at him, adjusting the lapel of his jacket. "Forever." Your mask slipped on as the doors opened, a collective gasp ringing through the room over who was on your arm followed by whispers.

Azriel knew this song and dance, walking you into one thousand eyes staring and gawking. He hated seeing you like this as you were ushered to the dance floor. The first dance of the night had been delayed, and the fae were restless.

Once you were centered on the floor, you turned facing him, eyes cold and distant as you disassociated from this place. He placed a hand on your hip, leaving his other to his side where both of your sat.

It was unfair of Feyre and Rhysand to expect you to do this traditional waltz, but you followed Azriel's steps as the music began, that first note echoing in your bones and soul. Your parents had claimed your first dance with your mate. The first true dance you two would ever share, and it had to be done in front of hundreds of fae who spat your direction when the Lord and Lady were busy.

Azriel had decided he hated this side of you. He was studying you like a project. You were a different female down here. Cold, uncaring, forced into this role of the High Lord's daughter.

Did these fae know you took far too much creamer in your coffee?

That you were afraid of storms?

That you only ate fruit pastries because you found chocolate too bitter?

You were Rhysand through and through with that mask on. But inside, inside Azriel knew you carried the very light of what your grandfather built. You were a true dreamer, and you could rattle the very stars themselves if your father would just give you the chance.

If Rhysand would just believe in you.

Azriel decided in that moment what the answer to your happiness was. He'd take you tonight and you two would leave.

Fuck expectations.

Fuck the rules.

Fuck your family.

Azriel would pick you for the third time today, and you two would leave.

He just had to get you through this visit at Hewn City first, and as he watched Elain shatter a champagne flute in her hands, he knew that was going to be a mission all on its own.

General Taglist:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanager @bloodicka @starsinyourseyes @the-sweet-psycho @mariahoedt @rinalouu @sarawritestories @starryhiraeth @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @loneliestluvr @eternallyelvish

Azriel-

@elle4404

Small World Taglist-

@amara-moonlight @iimichie @acourtofbatboydreams @justasillylittlegoofyguy @janesalvarerelochanarcheron @hungryforbatboys @sidthedollface2 @hunt1bryce

[thunder-wolf64]

What's Sizzle's sibling's name? And are they alive?

"My sister... If there's one thing I'll always remember, it's that day."

"Her name is a difficult thing to explain. Slugcat nomenclature is sadly foreign to me. Pups don't get names, not real ones anyways, until they've earned them. It's a part of figuring out who you are... I think you can name yourself or others can name you- but in the end it is your choice."

"If it wasn't obvious already my name follows scavenger nomenclature, I've already talked about that though."

"..."

"My sister died forever ago."

(READ UNDER THE CUT FOR DELICIOUS LORE!)

"The scavengers told me so. But they also told me about the cycle."

"I hold onto hope that she woke up again. Whether it was right back up in our home or a whole 'nother body; I can't be sure."

"... It's awful but it's something I could be happy about. Maybe I lost her, but someone else might have her in their life now."

"She was a good older sibling. For all the troubles she caused, I still remember her fondly."

"Even if -this- is my life now, she never could have known it would end up here. She really liked that pearl."

"We both knew not to steal from the scavengers. But she thought that one pearl wouldn't hurt- they had so many after all! She hoped the scavengers would understand her reasoning. They seemed nice enough even with the precautions we had to take."

" 'It looks like Mom's eyes, she is going to love it!' " " 'You should get her a gift too, the scavengers aren't even here!' "

"I grabbed a spear while she climbed up to the pearls. Mom was busy checking for vultures. She didn't realize we weren't close by. We thought we got away with it..."

"..."

"it's ironic, y'know?"

"The same thing that saved me,"

"killed my sister."

"Maybe if I had been better at wielding spears, I could have helped her in some way."

"She was always stronger than me. Mom said I shouldn't let her push me around, but it was always just sibling bonding. I never thought it would get us hurt."

"Maybe if I hadn't been such a pushover and tried harder to keep her from grabbing that pearl-"

"-Sorry, I'm ranting again. I think I should stop talking now."

---

HOW WE FEELING GANG?!?!!

DOES YOUR HEART HURT YET?!?!

BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE FROM HERE!!!

[shitsndgiggs]

can you make one where Arda güler x Andreas Christensen´s sister meet and fall in love, but because Andreas plays for Barcelona, ​​they choose to keep it private until Andreas finds out

RIVALRY AND ROMANCE - ARDA GÜLER

In which the rivalry between your brother’s and Arda’s clubs fails to get in the way of your and Arda’s newfound connection

Arda Güler x andreas christensen’s sister! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The crowd roared in excitement as the final whistle blew, signaling the end of a thrilling El Clásico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

I watched from the stands, my heart swelling with pride as my brother, Andreas Christensen, and his Barcelona teammates celebrated their hard-fought victory on the pitch.

As the fans began to file out of the stadium, I made my way down to the field, eager to congratulate Andreas in person.

The energy on the pitch was electric, with players from both teams mingling and exchanging words of respect despite the fierce rivalry.

I spotted Andreas near the center of the field, talking animatedly with a few of his teammates. As I approached, he saw me and broke into a wide grin.

"Y/N!" he called out, waving me over. "Come here!"

I jogged the last few steps, throwing my arms around him in a tight hug. "Congratulations, Andy! You were amazing out there."

"Thanks, sis," he replied, ruffling my hair affectionately. "I'm glad you could make it."

Just then, another figure approached us — Arda Güler, the young star from Real Madrid. He had a look of determination on his face as he extended a hand to Andreas.

"Congratulations, Christensen," Arda said, his tone respectful despite the disappointment of his team's loss.

"Thanks, Arda," Andreas replied, shaking his hand firmly. "You played a great game."

Arda nodded, then turned his gaze to me, his eyes lighting up with curiosity. "And who might this be?"

"This is my sister, Y/N," Andreas said, his protective tone kicking in. "Y/N, this is Arda Güler."

I extended my hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Arda."

"The pleasure is mine," Arda replied, shaking my hand. His touch was warm and his smile genuine, making my heart flutter unexpectedly.

A few days later, as I was going about my usual routine, my phone buzzed with a new message. I glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number, curiosity piquing my interest.

"Hi Y/N, it's Arda. I hope you don't mind that I got your number from Andreas. Just wanted to say hi and see how you're doing."

I smiled, a warm feeling spreading through me. Quickly, I typed a reply.

"Hi Arda! I don't mind at all. I'm doing well, thanks. How about you?"

His response came almost immediately. "I'm good, thanks. Just finished training. Got any plans for the weekend?"

And just like that, a casual text conversation began to flow between us. Over the next few days, we exchanged messages regularly, getting to know each other better.

It felt easy and natural, and I found myself looking forward to his texts.

One evening, Arda suggested meeting up for coffee. I agreed, and we decided on a quiet café in the city. As I walked in, I spotted him at a corner table, his face lighting up when he saw me.

"Y/N, it's great to see you," he said, standing up to greet me.

"You too, Arda," I replied, taking a seat. "Thanks for inviting me."

We ordered our drinks and settled into an easy conversation. It was clear that we both enjoyed each other's company, and the more we talked, the more we discovered shared interests and values.

"You know," Arda said after a while, "I was really nervous about texting you. I wasn't sure if it was too forward."

I laughed softly. "I'm glad you did. I've really enjoyed getting to know you."

His eyes softened, and he reached across the table to take my hand. "Me too, Y/N. Me too."

As the weeks passed, Arda and I continued to see each other, our bond growing stronger with each meeting.

We spent hours talking about everything under the sun, from our favorite movies to our childhood memories. One evening, as we strolled through Retiro Park, Arda turned to me with a thoughtful expression.

"Y/N, I know this might sound strange, but I feel like I've known you for much longer than I actually have."

I smiled, squeezing his hand. "I feel the same way. It's like we just... click."

He nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Exactly. And I really want to make this work, despite everything."

"Despite everything?" I echoed, a playful glint in my eye. "Are you worried about Andreas?"

Arda chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "A little, yeah. But I think he's starting to come around."

Months passed, and our connection grew stronger. We managed to keep our budding relationship under wraps, careful not to let the rivalry between my brother’s and Arda’s clubs complicate things.

We met whenever we could, always cautious but deeply enjoying each other's company.

One evening, after another intense match between our teams, I was in the stands, cheering for Andreas and the Barcelona squad.

The match ended in a draw, and as the players left the field, I noticed Arda looking up towards me, a soft smile playing on his lips.

After the match, as I waited for Andreas near the team buses, I saw him walking towards me with a serious expression. Arda was trailing behind him, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Hey, Y/N,” Andreas began, his voice steady but firm. "We need to talk."

My heart skipped a beat. "Sure, what's up?"

Andreas glanced at Arda before continuing. "I know about you and Arda. And before you say anything, I'm not mad. I just need to make sure he understands something."

I felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. "Okay..."

Andreas turned to Arda, his tone shifting to that of a protective older brother. "Arda, I like you, and I think you're a great guy. But this is my sister we're talking about. If you ever hurt her, you'll have me to deal with. Understand?"

Arda nodded earnestly. "I understand, Andreas. I promise, I care about her a lot. I would never do anything to hurt her."

Andreas studied him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Then you have my blessing. Just... be careful, both of you. The rivalry between our clubs is intense, and not everyone will be happy.”

As Andreas walked away, I turned to Arda, my heart swelling with affection and gratitude. "Thank you for talking to him," I said softly.

Arda took my hand, his eyes reflecting the same emotions I felt. "I'm just glad he's okay with it. Now we don't have to hide anymore."

We stood there for a moment, the noise of the stadium fading into the background as we focused on each other.

Suddenly everything just felt right.

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

The Stranger | Spencer Reid

Add yourself to my taglist! | Here’s my masterlist!

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Your usual CriMi stuff. Guns. Someone's being shot.

Author's note: Was on my nth rewatch when I thought about this. It's basically season 6 episode 21 - The Stranger. This isn't any good, but I needed to let the idea out and figured I could share it with you.

Words: 4.939

“It’s so unnecessary. There’s too much blood and gore and… bleh…” 

When Spencer invited me to the horror movie festival at the cinema complex in town, I didn’t expect it to be a group activity. For a stupid, naive moment, I thought the resident genius had actually asked me out on a date but when Penelope and Derek rocked up, I realized it wasn’t a date. 

I had been working at the BAU for about four years. When I first started working there, it was very hard for me to merge with the already super tight group. I didn’t want to impose, so I merely stayed in the background and only did what was asked of me. Until there was one time where I didn’t agree with our boss, Aaron Hotchner, and told that right to his face. 

Ever since, the team held me in high esteem, even Aaron. 

It also brought me and Spencer closer together. Our bond had grown stronger on the field, and subsequently also off the field. I can’t remember at what point we started hanging out after work, too, but it was long before I actually started to develop feelings for my coworker. 

So, when he asked me out to the movies, my heart leapt with joy. 

I had donned a cute outfit, did my hair and makeup all prettily, despite having just come off a twelve-hour workday. 

And then Penelope and Derek joined and I realized Spencer had not only asked me, but our coworkers, as well. It stung, at first, but in the end, I had such a nice time that I didn’t care for it as much anymore. 

“Garcia, it’s a slasher film,” Spencer retorted to our blonde coworker. “How do you do a slasher film without violence?”

“You imply it,” Penelope said, almost angrily. 

“Baby, the movie is called Slice 6. What were you expecting?” Derek questioned, grinning. 

Penelope’s eyes widened, an answer at the ready. “Uh, a refreshing beverage with a twist of comedy.” Spencer and I chuckled at the same time, and our eyes met for a second. “I’m gonna have nightmares for a week.” 

I tilted my head slightly so I could look past Spencer at Penelope. “With everything that we do and see on a daily basis, that got to you?” I asked her. 

“Listen, Blaze, you may be all Sigourney Weaver ass-kicking tough, which is awesome–” I giggled at the nickname Penelope had baptized me with on that day I stood up against Hotch. “But the mystical mavens of innocence like myself jump at things that go bump in the night.” 

Penelope was so intense and dramatic most times, it was my favorite thing about her. 

“Why are you worried? I’m sure that Morgan will protect you,” Spencer added, then looked up at me to share in the upcoming joke. “As long as he’s not jumping out of his chair like a prepubescent schoolgirl.” 

The three of us laughed at Derek’s expense before he started to defend himself. “The only reason I jumped is ‘cause you guys woke me up.” 

“How could you sleep during that?” Penelope asked, grabbing onto Derek’s bicep. It gave me the urge to do the same with Spencer, but I withheld myself from doing so. Instead, I looked up at him and studied his features for a second. 

His side profile really was remarkable. With his sharp jawline and his button nose. I liked his hair short, in comparison to how long it was just a year prior. I liked the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled and I liked how his tie was perpetually crooked. I knew I shouldn’t fall for my coworker, but with Spencer, you couldn’t help but fall for him. 

“Villain,” Spencer’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. 

“What?” Derek asked, which reassured me he wasn’t talking to me. 

“In movies, UnSubs are called “villains”.” 

Derek chuckled. “My bad.” 

As the four of us continued our walk towards the car, I couldn’t help my mind to wander. While I was disappointed it wasn’t an actual date, I actually really enjoyed it. Mostly because I had Spencer whispering facts into my ear about the movie or things that didn’t make a lot of sense scientifically, calming the fear that had built up inside of me due to the suspense. 

“Do you wanna know why horror movies are so successful?” Spencer then asked us. 

I couldn’t help but smile while Derek asked, “Why’s that, Genius?” 

“They prey on our instinctual need to survive,” he started. “In tribal days, a woman’s scream would signal danger and the men would return from hunting to protect their pack. That’s why it’s always the women and not the men who fall victim to the bogeyman.”

I smiled and finally stopped fighting my instincts to grab his arm. “Count on you, Reid, to break a movie down to science,” I said, softly squeezing the fabric of his coat. Almost like a secret code to tell him that I loved it when he whispered facts to me during the movie. “My favorite thing about horror movies is the suspense factor,” I then continued. 

“Oh, the ticking clock,” Spencer added, eyes widened slightly for dramatic effect. 

I wiggled my eyebrows, a grin tugging at my lips as I lowered my voice to a suspenseful hush. “The helpless victim walks through the dark… Shadows reaching out to get her.”

Then, Spencer went on, his voice lowering an octave to add a bit of spookiness to his own words. “A sudden noise draws her attention. Is someone there–” He leaned down to say in my ear, “or is it just in her head?” 

“It’s totally unrealistic,” Penelope cut through our scary-movie-rundown. “No one should be walking through a dark alley by themselves at night.”

Derek cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself. “Hello?” 

“Ah, no one should be walking through a dark alley without a Derek Morgan by their side,” Penelope corrected herself, grinning up at the man beside her. 

“But the best part of a horror movie,” Spencer went on. “You never know when the end is gonna come.” 

In my mind, I thought, I don’t think I wanna know when the end is gonna come, though I was only thinking of the end of our night. 

“Well, I think the end of this lovely night has come,” Derek said when we had reached the cars and Pen was stifling a yawn. “Another day at work tomorrow,” he reminded us as though we needed it. 

Spencer had carpooled with Penelope and Derek. They had just returned from work while I had to go home first to feed my cat. But instead of joining them by Derek’s car, he remained by my side, even though I had let go of his arm to do so. Seemingly having noticed this, Derek looked at his coworker. 

“You coming with us, Reid?” he asked. 

Glancing over at me, he shook his head. “I think we’ve learned from this movie that we should never leave a woman alone during the night. I’ll see to it that Blaze gets home safe.” 

A flutter erupted in my stomach whilst heat crept up to my cheeks. I was lucky that it was so dark, so no one would be able to notice. “Oh, that’s fine, Spence. I’m sure I won’t be murdered on the way home.” 

“No, I insist,” he said and stepped forward towards my car. 

Penelope grinned and winked at me before saying, “Well, Blaze, seems you’ve got your very own knight in shining armor.” 

Completely ignoring the effect this insinuation had on my body, I chuckled. “More like brains in shining armor, you mean.” 

Only momentarily, and only to give me a hug, Penelope let go of Derek’s arm. “Tell him how you feel tonight,” she whispered into my ear. 

Penelope Garcia was the sole confidante privy to my secret crush on Spencer. Surrounded by a team of keen profilers, one might assume others would catch on, yet fortunately, my feelings remained unnoticed by all except Penelope. It was she who skillfully coaxed the admission from me. Since then, our weekly girls' nights became a sanctuary, overflowing with ice cream and dissecting Spencer Reid's flirtations of the week. Penelope's enthusiasm often led me to believe Spencer reciprocated, only for reality to swiftly dispel such notions upon our next encounter.

“You know I won’t,” I whispered back, only to earn a glare from the blonde. 

“Bye, my loves!” Penelope waved as she made a beeline towards Derek’s car. 

Once Spencer and I had returned the goodbyes to our coworkers, we got into my car. Silence engulfed us, only broken by the soft hum of the engine and soon thereafter, the music playing from the radio. I felt a tingle on the back of my neck, suddenly completely aware that I was all alone with my best friend. 

“Did you enjoy the movie?” He then asked when we drove off. 

I hummed. “Mm-mmm, yeah. My favorite moment was when the slicer’s brother was in the closet. I did not see that coming.” From the corner of my eye, I caught Spencer’s wide smile and the nod of his head. 

“Yeah, I noticed that. I believe you nearly broke my hand from how hard you were squeezing it.” 

My cheeks flushed again at the memory of us holding hands during the movie, just because I was scared. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, chuckling. 

“No, don’t be,” he said. “I didn’t mind it.” 

When I looked over at him for a split second, he was already looking at me, giving me a warm smile. Spencer had the most beautiful smile, one that reached his eyes with a twinkle. Not falling in love with this man was impossible. 

During the car ride, the two of us rehashed our favorite parts of the movie before we lapsed into conversation about work. It was inevitable not to talk about the most recent case we had as it was still so fresh in our minds. 

“Why don’t you come up for a moment?” Spencer asked when we had arrived at his place. “I can tell you’re still a bit shaken up from the case and the movie hasn’t done much good to help that feeling.” 

I hesitated. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been to his apartment before, we’d spent many a day together after hours, just hanging out. But the idea that this evening was a date still haunted the back of my mind. Then again, the idea of being home alone with the anxiety still sitting on my chest didn’t entice me either. 

“Uhm, sure,” I heard myself say before unbuckling and putting the car in park. 

His apartment was cold when we walked in. We had been on the case for a couple of days, so Spencer had turned down the heating, of course. Whilst he took care of turning it back on, I kicked off my shoes and went to find a blanket to wrap around me in hopes it would warm me up a bit. 

As I waited for Spencer to return, I replied to a couple of messages from my mother, my sister and Penelope that I had missed during the movie or, in the last case, during the drive home. 

Tell him!!! 

Penelope’s message read, but it was quickly forgotten when Spencer returned with cups of tea, handing one over to me before sitting down next to me. The steam of the hot beverage wafted in my face and the aroma of it alone told me it was chamomile tea, my favorite. 

As Spencer and I settled onto the cozy couch, steaming cups of tea in hand, the ambiance of the dimly lit room enveloped us in a sense of tranquility. Conversation flowed effortlessly between us, seamlessly transitioning from discussions about our latest case to lighter, more random topics. Spencer's animated gestures and thoughtful insights never failed to captivate me, his intellect a constant source of admiration.

Lost in our exchange, time seemed to slip away unnoticed, until the credits of the movie we had intended to watch began to roll. With a shared chuckle, we realized we had become so engrossed in conversation that we hadn't even started the film. Determined not to let the evening go to waste, we decided to press play anyway.

However, the warmth of the room combined with the soothing rhythm of the movie soon lulled us into a state of relaxation. Before we knew it, our eyes grew heavy, and the soft cushions of the couch beckoned us into a peaceful slumber. Side by side, cups of tea empty on the coffee table, we drifted off into a contented sleep, the gentle glow of the screen casting a serene aura over the room. 

I was startled awake the next morning by the sound of my phone ringing and buzzing on the coffee table. Slowly but surely, my brain started to wake too, which was the moment it dawned on me where I was and what was happening. 

Spencer and I had fallen asleep on the couch, my head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around me. The idea of it alone sent shivers down my spine. Though I couldn’t revel in the feeling for too long when my mind snapped back to the ringing on the coffee table. 

Garcia was calling me. 

“Hello?” I greeted, unsure about what she was calling me about. 

“Sorry to be calling so early, my sweetling, but duty’s calling,” she informed me. “So, get Reid up and get your sweet asses to the BAU.” At the mention of his name, my eyes flicked towards Spencer next to me. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, making him look like an adorable toddler. 

The words finally registered in my brain, causing me to furrow my brows in confusion. “Wait– How do you–” 

“I came to pick you up at your place, but when you weren’t here, I figured you’d have stayed at Spencer’s considering the movie we watched last night,” she explained with that cheeky tone in her voice that told me she was smirking all the way through. 

I cleared my throat as I removed the blanket from my body. “Right – We’ll be right there.” 

“Drive careful, my love. Toodaloo.” 

Once Penelope had hung up, I nudged Spencer along. The two of us got ready in silence before heading out the door and getting into my car. We only stopped at the coffee shop at the corner of the street where Spencer got us both coffees. 

Entering the BAU, the two of us were quickly joined by some of the team, though only Penelope shot me a knowing look at the outfit I was wearing; yesterday’s clothes. Rossi, however, was only interested in hearing about the movie we watched, which Spencer was all too happy to divulge into. 

“What we didn’t see coming was that the slicer’s brother was in the closet,” he mentioned, which made me smile. It was the exact moment we had talked about the night before. 

“Frightening,” Rossi commented as the four of us moved through the hallways. 

“Did you tell him?” Penelope asked in a whisper, hooking her arm with mine. 

I shook my head. “I chickened out,” I said, earning a stern glare from the blonde. “I just– I don’t want anything to change between us, Pen. We’re in a really good place right now a-and I don’t wanna blow that.” 

“Speaking of horror,” Rossi’s comment had us all stopping in our tracks when we noticed Strauss talking to Hotch in his office. 

The four of us looked at the scene in front of us as Spencer asked, “What’s Strauss doing here?”

“Whatever it is, I cast my vote on “not good”,” Penelope replied. 

The four of us piled into the briefing room where Derek already was, ready to be presented with the case. It took a few moments before Hotch joined us, undoubtedly getting a stern talking to from Strauss. “Let’s get started,” he muttered once he walked through the door. 

Penelope briefed us about the case and we were soon on the jet to San Diego, bouncing theories off one another with the first impressions we had about the case. As we started building the profile, the UnSub attacked again, leaving us with four victims before we were able to give a profile. 

While Morgan, Rossi and Hotch delivered the profile to the rest of the police department, Spencer and I were tasked to inform the officers on-campus. The entire time we were there, Spencer allowed me to do most of the talking, only chiming in when he felt necessary. It was the perfect dynamic of going back-and-forth. 

Spencer and I turned away from the girls we had been talking to and convened together a little further away, bouncing theories off each other. I was in the middle of a sentence when Spencer reached out and wiped my cheek with his thumb.

"Eyelash," he said, showing me the single lash he had caught on his thumb. The tantilizing electricity zapped between us, sending shivers down my spine.

Before I could say anything else, we were whisked away on the next part of our case. There was never a moment to breathe. 

There were two more victims after that, two in one go before we found who the UnSub could be. As we all geared up to get Greg Phinney, Spencer turned towards me with a worried look on his face. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Will you be careful?” his question was intertwined with mine, making it almost impossible to hear it. 

I wasn’t sure where this sudden worry had come from. We’d been doing fine for over four years. He had never worried about me until now. “Of course. Always.” 

With a quick nod, Spencer turned on his heel to join Derek while I tagged along with Hotch and Rossi. Soon enough, we were informed that Greg Phinney wasn’t at his own apartment and that we’d better floor it towards Kate’s. It was a whirlwind of phone calls and theories and words until Hotch snapped me out of it. 

“y/l/n, I want you to come in with me. Leave your firearm here.” There was no time to object, so I handed my gun over to the officer next to me before falling into step with my boss. “Be compassionate and sympathetic to him. Let him tell you how Kate betrayed him and how much you understand his devastation,” he informed me. 

I simply nodded my head and with feigned confidence, I knocked on the mahogany door. As the door softly creaked open, a chill swept through me, raising the fine hairs on the back of my neck. 

Greg's appearance was ordinary yet unsettling, his features shrouded in an eerie stillness. His eyes, a piercing blue, bore into mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. They seemed to hold secrets untold, each glance a silent invitation into the depths of his darkness.

His jawline was sharp, set in a firm line that betrayed no emotion. A hint of fear pooled in his eyes, sending a ripple of unease coursing through me. It was as if he knew something I didn't, as if he held the upper hand in a game whose rules remained a mystery.

In that moment, as our eyes locked in a silent standoff, I couldn't shake the feeling that Greg Phinney was more than just a suspect—he was a predator, waiting patiently in the shadows for his next opportunity to strike.

“I never said you could bring in anyone else,” he said to Hotch, but keeping his eyes on mine. 

“I know, but I thought if we talked inside we could work this out ourselves,” I retorted, surprising myself with the amount of strength that was audible in my voice. 

Greg blinked. “Are you some kind of a negotiator?” 

I didn’t respond, but waited for Greg to make the first move. He looked out towards the police cars standing behind me, officers ready to go in when necessary. 

“No guns,” he finally said. 

“No guns,” I agreed. 

Greg opened the door further, revealing that he had Kate in a chokehold with one arm and a knife against her throat, a gun in his other hand. “Okay,” he whispered and cocked his head to the side, urging us to come in. He moved towards the living room with Kate as Hotch and I followed behind. 

“Close the door,” he ordered to Hotch, who obeyed politely. “All right. Stand over there.” 

Hotch moved over towards the spot Greg was pointing at. “You need to put the gun down,” he said. 

“We need to get out of here. Is that gonna happen?” Greg asked instead. 

“As long as you’ve got a gun, if one of the agents outside has a clear shot, he’ll take it.” 

Inhaling deeply, regaining my determination, I took a tentative step forward. “Tell me what you want, Greg.”

“You know, I don’t want to get locked up again,” said Greg, still holding on very tightly to Kate with a knife against her throat and a gun waving around. 

A thousand ideas were whirling inside my head until I landed on one. “Don’t you really want Kate to apologize for making your dad forget your mom?” I asked, cautiously and very slowly approaching Greg. 

“No, I didn’t do that though,” Kate chimed in. 

My eyes flicked towards Kate, my jaw clenched and my eyebrows furrowed in feigned anger. “Unless the next words out of your mouth are “I’m sorry”, I don’t wanna hear anything else from you.” When I looked back at Greg, I made sure to soften my features. “I understand, Greg. I do. She took care of you. You trusted her. And then she betrayed you as soon as your mother was gone. It must have crushed you when Kate married your dad. How did it make you feel, Greg?” 

Greg didn’t know what was happening. I could see the gears behind his eyes whirling whilst he became more and more agitated. 

“I’m sorry,” Kate whimpered. 

“You felt betrayed, didn’t you, Greg?” I continued, certain of my tactics and it seemed Hotch was on the same page I was. 

“Ask her the question, Greg,” he said. Greg looked at my boss in surprise. “Go ahead.” The young man opened his mouth to ask the question he wanted to ask, but hesitated. “Ask her,” Hotch ordered again. 

Then, the question Hotch and I had both anticipated rolled off Greg’s lips. “Why not me?” A single tear slipped down Kate’s cheek. “Why not me?!” he asked louder. 

“Answer him, Kate,” Hotch ordered. 

Kate whimpered and gasped for air before her answer came out in a whisper. “Because you were just a … boy.” 

Glancing from Kate towards us and back, Greg said, “But I loved you,” and he almost sounded incredulous as if he couldn’t believe she would never reciprocate his feelings. He tightened the knife against Kate’s throat and I knew something needed to happen. “I loved you.”

Hushed apologies rushed from Kate’s lips as Greg continued to declare his love for the old babysitter. 

Behind them, I noticed Rossi sneaking up, gun aimed. Hotch was quick to dive away and as Greg turned, wanting to fire back, I took the opportunity to grab Kate and bring her to safety in a small hallway to our right. Two gunshots went off. 

Greg fell to the floor against the sofa. Through the whirlwind happening in my mind, I heard Hotch call for backup as he himself approached the unconscious young man, discarting him of his firearm before checking his pulse. 

Once the scene was deemed safe, I guided the distraught Kate outside where I brought her to the EMT’s to get checked up. I made sure she was all right before turning to rejoin my coworkers on the scene when another EMT stopped me. 

“Agent y/l/n, is that your blood?” she asked, pointing at my left arm. 

When I looked down, the sleeve of my burgundy long sleeve shirt had turned even darker and was slightly ripped. Only then did I realize that the second gunshot wasn’t Rossi firing twice. It had been Greg, wanting to shoot at Rossi but instead nicking my arm. 

“Huh,” I said before everything went completely dark. 

“You fainted at the sight of blood?” Morgan’s voice chimed through the hospital foyer when he came to pick me up afterwards. I was cleared to go after being treated for the gunshot wound that had grazed my skin. Though I didn’t think it was so bad, I still had to wear a sling for a couple of days. 

I shrugged as the two of us fell into step to walk out to the car. “You know, I think it was the adrenaline of it all more than the blood itself,” I retorted with a giggle and hopped into the passenger’s seat while he took the driver’s. 

“There’s someone who isn’t all too happy with your actions,” he commented. 

I furrowed my brows. “Who?” I asked, certain it wasn’t our boss since it was all his idea. 

“Reid, of course,” he replied as though I should’ve known the answer. For a fleeting moment, our eyes met before Morgan focused back on the road. “I think it’s time you and Reid had a good conversation because this is ludicrous.” 

Before I could even ask him about any of it, we had arrived at the airport where everyone was waiting for us on the jet. Determined to ask Spencer about what was wrong, I approached him but as soon as he saw me, he put on his headphones. Okay, that’s clear, I thought and instead sat down on the other side of the jet. 

“Hey,” Rossi captured my attention. “Good job today, kid.” 

I mustered up the best smile I could give. “Thanks, Dave.” 

All the way back to Quantico, I pondered about what might be happening inside that genius’ brain. Why could he be upset about me doing my job? He had gotten into danger more often than I had, much to my dismay. Those had been the most harrowing cases; where I’d almost lost him or any of our other team members. 

I tried to talk to him when we got back to the BAU, but he simply walked past me and ignored me completely. Though he was going to change his course in a couple of days, I didn’t have much patience for that. So, after a frustrating shower and a change of clothes, I rocked up to his apartment in a fury. 

“What the hell did I do wrong that you don’t want to talk to me?!” I asked as soon as he opened his door, pushing past him and dropping my back on the sofa. 

“Are you kidding?” he asked, then scoffed. “You put yourself in danger and I’m not allowed to be angry?!” His voice matched mine, the anger dripping from his words. 

I shook my head. “No! You put yourself in danger more often than I have and I have never been allowed to be angry at you! I was doing my job, Spence! A dumb bullet just grazed my skin. It’s not like I was inside a building that exploded or got shot in the fucking knee! I’m fine!” 

Spencer’s face faltered. His eyes fell to the floor as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “I was… I was scared to lose you, y/n. I heard you were shot and you were in the hospital and I just… I couldn’t believe Hotch would ever put your life in danger like that. I just– I can’t stand to lose you.”

Suddenly everything clicked in my mind. Every subtle touch, every glance sent my way, all the coffees he’d bought me or when he ordered my favorite food on cases, … All along, Spencer Reid might have felt the same way for me as I did for him. 

As he kept on babbling about how he was so scared to lose me and what the statistics are of people in our field dying during cases, I took a few tentative steps towards him until I was mere inches before him. For a heartbeat, I hesitated, but then a surge of confidence boosted me. I lifted his chin between my index finger and thumb, forcing him to meet my eyes before I softly kissed his lips. 

For a second, I thought I’d made the wrong move until he kissed me back. His lips moved with passion and fervor, his hands covering the sides of my face while my hands moved to his waist, fingers gripping at his shirt. 

In the midst of our passionate embrace, the weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, mingling with the heat of our entwined bodies. With each tender caress and fervent kiss, it was as if a lifetime of longing was finally being released, flooding our senses with an overwhelming rush of emotion. In that moment, there was no room for doubt or hesitation, only the undeniable truth of our connection, burning brighter than any statistic or fear. As we lost ourselves in the sweet surrender of our love, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would face them together, bound by a love that was as unstoppable as it was undeniable. And as the world faded into the background, all that mattered was the beating of our hearts, entwined in a timeless rhythm of love and devotion.

Everything taglist: @calamitykaty @n0wornever @wanniiieeee @unnowhatthisistbh

Criminal Minds Taglist: 

@kenseverything @samsbirks @tinaasthings @dysphoricsanity @love4lando @elenamoncada-ibarra @r-3dlips @magstheslayer @astess @sylvcaplath @tillypettitt @mordechaisworld @ssameadows @spikedhe4rt @spencers-bookworm @littlemissaddict @kirbybean

[completeoveranalysis]

[1]

Chapitre 209 - The Demon King and The Puppet

Get in losers we’re going to Outo!

We’re back in the sequence of revisiting family bonding moments in the previous arcs, and to my surprise and great delight this one isn’t a Syaoran and Sakura one but Syaoran and Kurogane! I thought these were a recap montage of the Syaoran/Sakura relationship over the journey, but maybe it’s a recap of Syaoran himself? Our son the clone Syaoran and all the nice moments he’s had on over the arcs we spent together? 

And why would they do that unless they wanted us to hurt us very badly with it? 

They’re either being very sentimental or someone might die, so time to turn up the Suspicion dial for the survivability of all our characters!

Either way, the splash text reads: In order to avoid losing everything, I wanted to become strong, like that person…

IN WHICH WE HAVE A CLEAR THROUGH-LINE BETWEEN KUROGANE AND SYAORAN? BOTH GAINING STRENGTH FOR THE SAME REASON? AND IT GOING OUT OF CONTROL FOR BOTH OF THEM?

For Kurogane his trauma led him down a path of increasing violence where he didn’t value life as much and just wanted to kill people to get stronger. For Syaoran his soul broke so he was forced to follow his clone programming and killed presumably WAY MORE people than even Kurogane could ever have dreamed of, leaving countless worlds devastated in the name of “protecting Sakura” and retrieving the feathers. 

Dark parallels dark parallels!

But eventual misuse of power besides, the splash text sounds like it’s from Syaoran’s POV as he remembers admiring Kurogane’s strength and how he wanted to protect people like Kurogane does. And it’s the past tense that makes it so interesting - as if his soul is awake after all, and he’s thinking back on his memories with the Tsubasa family through this final confrontation. 

Which is only fanning my hopes that he’s planning a ruse and whispered to Lava Lamp to play along. And even more tragic that to sell the ruse he had to MASSIVELY STAB Lava Lamp, absolutely wreck Fai and Kurogane until they were too injured to stand, and kill countless clones. 

So, like. A convincing ruse to say the least!

And we haven’t even talked about the image! Kurogane and Syaoran back to back in Outo! Kurogane holding his sword and Syaoran mirroring his pose but holding wet clothing instead! The matching white top and black pants of their different outfits! Kurogane smiling as he explains and Syaoran listening attentively!

While they stand under a Sakura tree. 

Which (like in the Hanshin cover) is an accurate detail to the setting they were in! The park this training took place in had a Sakura tree in it, but here a branch of the tree is visibly cutting them off from each other. Which makes me want to scream in how appropriate that is - because even here, in Syaoran’s memory, the presence of ‘Sakura’ (and the clone programming that makes him focus on the feathers) is cutting him off from the connection he remembers forming. Despite their bond the Sakura tree is in his way from actually reaching Kurogane - just like his missing soul would have wrenched any feelings for his family away from him, and here in the final battle his need to follow Evil Wolverine’s orders keeps him from even speaking to his family, even if he DOES remember their bond. 

WHICH IT SEEMS LIKE HE MIGHT. 

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #12

Stanky Danky

Me: Huh, Mark's extended family must have stopped dropping by to eat the pollution. Mr. Guzman: There's even trash in space! Me: oh no

I like how Hazel consistently wears her hair covering at night. The first time I heard this show would have a black girl for a protagonist (like a year+ ago), I was really nervous about whether it would be handled well- I'd braced myself for "trying too hard to score diversity points."

I have to say, I've liked the hair style variety within her own family, and I feel like there have been more black background characters than I remember from the OG show (though I didn't go practically frame by frame in the OG like I'm doing for this liveblog).

I didn't say it in "Trial or Hair-or," but I enjoyed how Hazel formed a stronger bond with and love for her hair, as I feel like that would be important to her personal identity. I like how she always wears this hair covering to bed. Little details like that make me feel so much more at ease about something I was really nervous about for what feels like 15 months.

SLKDJFSLDKJF Cosmo and Wanda are still sleeping in separate beds. I mean, that's standard Fairy culture in my 'fics, so it works for me.

Trash monster is nice! Didn't see that coming.

Hazel: I wish he could speak at least a few words? /wish granted and he can speak only a few words

I knew it, Kennueth IS on a cliff in that poster. I'm surprised Hazel had to wish for him to breathe air last episode.

Uh-oh, it's Dimmadome time- WHAT DO YOU MEAN "one-time use helicopter??" Sir, you can't bring that to an event about polluting less and saving the earth! ... Is Dale in there? I have to assume so. I've been missing him.

Me: Aww, Dale looks just like his old self! Awesome, and easier to recognize when he's not panning across the- OH MY GOSH!!! Dale: When I was your age, I spent my Saturdays working in a factory underneath a lemonade stand >:/ (Pulls out photo of him from "Nectar of the Odds"

Sir. SIR!! Do not repeat the abuse cycle with your son!

-> I hate that he just carries this around. Dale, you need to let it go. And maybe sue Vicky, idk.

I'm CRYING, I love how they gave him false teeth. That's hilarious.

The boots... That's a Dimmadome, all right.

Like, on some level I'm glad Doug spoiled him after he was rescued from Vicky's lemonade horror show, but I'm gettin' a bad feeling...

I can only assume this family tells horror stories about Vicky. This is the funniest anti-hero backstory ever. I was also going to treat Dale's torment 100% seriously in 'fic, but this is way more fun.

They are not cutting any corners. They didn't even change his backstory; he literally got tormented underneath a lemonade stand for 7 years. That's the one piece of canon he was given in the OG show and by golly, are they sticking to it.

Did Vicky take over the lemon torture pit from someone else?? Did she start this gig when she was 9? Is she gettin' retconned? Hm.

They definitely do not drink lemonade in the Dimmadome house. Please let me see Hazel offering Dev his first taste. If we don't get that as an episode someday, I'm writing a 'fic.

Dev trying to get out of pollution clean-up day: But... is our company even earth-conscious?

Too funny.

Okay, I've been thinking about it ever since Episode 1, but why didn't Dale get a fairy? I was waving it off under the assumption he'd only been underground for a couple days max, but... with 7 years, now I have questions.

-> Did Vicky move her lemonade kids around? The stand wasn't always on Timmy's front lawn, but... Surely Cosmo or Wanda would've detected him if he WAS under Timmy's lawn for 7 years.

WELP, trash monster's upset there's not gonna be more trash to eat if they clean it all up. I can see the problem. Uh-oh...

Why do I get the feeling that Dale has said "Come to Daddy," to the trash monster more than he's said it to his own son?

Hazel's parents didn't come to the trash clean-up?

sldkfjsdklfj he's still got the boots... I hate him /affectionate.

There is something severely funny to me about how they've made it clear they took inspiration from Dale's canon design, but his adult design lost his fluff and cowlick and has sleeker, professional hair. Something about this feels very correct for this art style because I feel like a lot of the adults have shiny hair without little tufts and decorations. I might redo my adult designs.

Oh, Hazel doesn't even know that's Dev's dad because she didn't see his mental pictures in Episode 1. This keeps getting better. I love how she also said "That guy with the ridiculous boots" after I pointed out the boots. Yes, Hazel, we've been over this... He's a Dimmadome.

Cosmo and Wanda in their apartment again! Just chillin'.

I don't know why I didn't expect Dev's drones to be called Dimmadrones.

Dale to the trash monster: You're like a son to me! Dev in the background:

The moon is still a waxing crescent when you're in space? ... I mean, I guess.

Peace of Pizza

Ya know, I'm surprised we haven't seen the Ya Boix drinks come up more than the fact that Kev sponsors them (mentioned in 2 episodes). I guess it's nice that they were depth for a side character, but that surprises me since they're the first thing you see in the theme song.

Ooh, Dev's in the title card! Where's this going?

I like how Hazel was using Cosmo pencil to stab Wanda eraser. She may have fairies, but she's still a bored schoolkid.

I... I was going to cheer that we had a list of names for classmates, but uh...

The Kindness Chart isn't in alphabetical order. I feel like putting Dev at the bottom was a targeted move.

Or it's reverse alphabetical since she's Hazel Wells and he's Dev Dimmadome.

It's still a waning crescent?

Maybe I'm old-school, but "pea pod aliens" is setting off all my alarm bells.

... Aliens are insisting everyone loves pizza, but what if someone's lactose intolerant?

Okay, since we're just coming off the episode where Dale reminded Dev he was locked underground making lemonade for 7 years, I feel like I don't blame Dev for not trusting anyone?

Like, I get the feeling his dad is emotionally absent, but this might not entirely be his dad's doing. I'm not sure I'd trust people either if my dad got yoinked for 7 years when he was my age.

Especially since Vicky's whole thing is that she's nice until she starts bullying. Yeah... don't trust.

sdfklj, Dev slam-dunking his stuff in the trash can and backflipping away. That's so unnecessarily extra.

Does the news never have anything important to report? ... I'm glad Winn brought up the thought of getting their own pizza, since I was wondering about that myself.

SLKDFJSDF...

Hazel: Dev, I have someone here who wants to talk to you! Dev: What's she doing? The Closer: She's trying to use someone close to you to appeal to your emotions. Dev: ... ?? No one's close to me. wtf. /scene change where Cosmo is dressed as Dev's dad.

Oh, this is gonna go great.

Dev, instantly switching gears after hearing "his father"'s voice through the door: ... Dad? You took off work for this?

Ruh-roh.

-> Wanda can read him like a dog-eared book.

So... She- she's gonna report this to Jorgen, right? I feel like she's supposed to do that. She's gonna tell him this kid is ticking multiple misery boxes, right? She's not just gonna ignore this... Wanda, please.

Not sure how I feel about the running gag that so many adults look like Timmy's adult self from "The Big Problem." Throws me off every time and I wasn't a fan of that design anyway, so it feels weird.

HE'S LACTOSE INTOLERANT, I KNEW IT! ... Well, not really him specifically, but I was on the right track.

Oh, this is terrible. Am I mistaken, or aren't lactose intolerant pills like, $10? Does he know? Does he know.

Dev: I thought lactose-free pizza was just a myth?

Dale, you're a terrible father.

Also, I like how a lot of effort was put into converting their designs to 2D, right down to Dev's yellow zipper stripe:

Okay, that's enough for this post... On to "A New Dev-elopment"!

[revserrayyu]

2.4 Xianzhou continuance thoughts [part 3]

**SPOILERS** for the end of this patch’s mission, covering all the drama happening down in the Shackling Prison, so advert thine eyes if thou have not finished the story as of yet.

Once we found out we were actually able to visit the Shackling Prison during this update, I was eagerly waiting to see how Dan Heng would handle returning to this place. It certainly makes him uneasy, even before entering this cold place, and Nicholas does such a great job conveying all those anxieties into every one of Dan Heng’s lines whenever his past is brought up while here. The level of concern we hear from the Trailblazer is sweet too, like I audibly “aww’d” at this brief exchange.

I admire your confidence, Moze, but please don’t do anything reckless! But hearing how he’s a jail-breaker doesn’t really surprise me. There’s a bunch of shadowy figures of him bound by chains in his splash art and recent leaks showing off his skills can back up how he’s so swift in his escapes. He managed to avoid capture towards the end of this quest too.

Huzzah, another Jingliu mention that only surprises me because I haven’t bothered to read any of the relic’s descriptions of the Prisoner of Deep Confinement set. And how does one possibly manage to avoid eating for several centuries?

Not only did this beast apparently not starve, but he also endured unrelenting pain every day? Frightening. Hoolay is really out here surviving purely on hatred and a need for revenge.

Once glance at these notes and I just knew someone was gonna yap about Jingliu in front of him. Definitely wasn’t disappointed when it happened either.

Hey Moze’s defiance is valid! Never take random medicine from people! But in this case, yeah, it’s for your safety sir, “just swallow it already.”

Okay so there was like one or two instances before this where Jiaoqiu also noticed shape-shifted Borisin by their scent and makes me wonder how he could tell the difference. I assume Foxians have stronger noses than we do so perhaps it’s easier for someone like him to notice, or perhaps it’s a similar feeling to him being around Feixiao so often since she also suffers from Moon Rage? He did refer to it as familiar later on. Either way, he really should’ve spoken up about his suspicions earlier.

Y’all..these two are absolutely delivering each line perfectly and the emotion is squeezing my heart so tightly. I love the bond the Express crew has with each other so darn much! The hand pat is cute but let me hug this man please! He needs several!

The feels keep on coming as I was kicking my feet and squealing all giddy when Dan Heng jumped in to save us from being crushed. I know he’s literally doing his job as the guard of the Express but.. aww. I’d probably have a better screenshot if I wasn’t too stunned by what I was seeing with my own eyes, but alas. I fangirled too hard to care.

We always resort back to our trusty baseball bat, huh? I get how pulling out the Watchmaker’s hat probably wouldn’t be as epic or helpful, but I’d like to see us wield the flaming lance a bit more during cutscenes like this. Having us use it during the cutscenes with boss battle Aventurine were nice. Makes me wonder if Dan Heng will call upon his Imbibitor Lunae form if the situation ever gets too dire.

Ohh, and with all that chatter about poison to March and the kids before, I believe he’d be successful in creating such a medicine too.

His dedication to cure Feixiao’s condition is extraordinary and I’m wishing so hard for him to achieve it somehow.

On a side note, I am glad this whole mission continued with that split character perspectives feature that Penacony had so we could try out Jiaoqiu in battle a few times. I’m still quite fond of him, but after mixing him in with my team, I couldn’t really find a decent place for him. I may wait for his rerun before I pull but we’ll see if my mind gets swayed before his banner starts.

Getting a little sneak peak at what Moze can do was cool but sadly didn’t last long enough. Still hard to believe this man is a four-star but at least he’ll be easier to level up.

It’s funny to me seeing Moze go nuts with his abilities and sharp weapons, then you got Jiaoqiu fighting with a fan. And spices. And cooking enemies in a giant hot pot. The strange fighting methods fit right into Star Rail and that’s one of the many things I love about this game; how literally anything can end up as a weapon.

But yeah, as expected, Hoolay managed to escape with the helped of the many Borisin who transformed themselves to look like the prison guards.

Xueyi gets absolutely wrecked after a failed attempt to stop Hoolay and I probably would’ve been more shocked if they hadn’t shown her lifeless on the ground in the 2.4 trailer.

Yeah, thank Aeons she’s a puppet or else this really would’ve been her end.. and with how casually Hanya mentions such damage has become somewhat of a reoccurring thing, I guess we’re all worried for nothing. Even less so as Xueyi later pilots a conveniently placed cycrane up and out of the prison to inform Jing Yuan of the disaster that happened.

Dan Heng literally saying that he rather die than having anything bad happen to us.. aahh. He’s such a good boy. I feel bad for never using this regular form of his, until I remember Imbibitor Lunae is most likely my strongest unit, so all is well. But how about neither one of us dies, okay? That’s more ideal.

Jiaoqiu thinking about Feixiao first before the entire wellness of their home.. god, he’s so committed to that promise of his. Love that for him.

Hearing him quite literally triggering Hoolay was to be expected, but also sly of him to conveniently leave out that our former sword champion is no longer on the Luofu. I think one of the nearby Borisin noticed and corrected this information to Hoolay anyways, but whatever. It manages to keep our medic alive as a hostage.

After seeing Dan Heng throw Cloud Piercer in an attempt to stop the prison’s doors from closing, I wanna assume we managed to escape, but it’s still kinda vague. I’d hope we did because I certainly don’t want our faithful Express partner to trapped in this nightmarish place any longer than he already has! He deserves to be free from his past!

Heeyyy there, queen. Missed you but definitely can’t end this rambling without you. My expectations after this first part have been raised significantly so if anything, I better see her go all out and fight like crazy in 2.5.

Tell me how exactly. How does one manage to lose sight of a huge, menacing Borisin like Hoolay? Unless he’s also capable of shape-shifting, which would make perfect sense if he can and used that little party trick to escape, but damn.

And with that, I’m finished. Until the next update, of course.

[driftward]

Title: FFXIV Write 2024 - 24. Bar (Another Take) Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Aymeric de Borel Rating: Teen Summary: Zoissette catches Aymeric up on everything he's missed, including telling him about her new relationship. Notes: WoL|Sette timeline. I realised I never established the earring in her WoL timeline and well

Aymeric was one of the first people Zoissette went to visit after she returned from the First. He had been a stalwart ally of the Scions. They needed to talk about the developing situation in Garlemald, probably, since that would definitely affect Ishgard. He was a dear friend of hers. Their courtship may have fallen apart, but it had made for a stronger bond between the two, not a lesser one.

And also she simply had to tell him the news.

She showed off her new earring to her, two black carnations, with two little pearls dangling from them on silvery chains. It was beautiful, and was now her most precious possession.

"A symbol," she said. "Of Y'shtola and I dedicating ourselves to be bonded."

"Congratulations," he said warmly. "You two deserve each other, and deserve the world. I couldn't be happier for you."

"It is definitely the best relationship I have ever had," said Zoissette, looking down and fiddling her fingers together. "She has been with me for so many years, and I admire so much about her... and she feels much the same of me. I hope you do not find it offensive for me to say so."

"While you do indeed have my heartfelt congratulations and I offer you my assurance that I share your outlook, that your relationship with that woman is the best thing that I think has ever happened to you, I do want to say... best relationship? That is a terribly low bar to clear given your history, Sette. And I shall not take offense if you will return the favor."

"I feel like I should take some offense on your behalf! We were good together. Not great, but... it was nice, for a time."

"Ah yes," he said, dryly. "The very image of two upright Ishgardian citizens, courting as the Holy See claimed Halone intended. Keeping each other carefully at arms length, coquettishly fluttering our eyelashes across the table at one another. Never revealing our true feelings, playing our proper roles, showing up to balls and dancing terribly."

"Sharing lovely meals, talking about our respective interests-"

"While not being truly interested in said interests I am sorry Lady Vauban but I could not keep up with half your discussions on mathematics or aetherology."

"-nor I on the particulars of terrible High House rivalries and petty politics but we did not dance that terribly."

"Sette I did not know how to tell you this at the time, but all of the dances you knew were horrifically out of date."

"Oh."

"Coerthan, I believe? From perhaps a few dozen years ago?"

"... Riversmeet was not exactly avant-garde."

"Rearguard even perhaps."

"You certainly had no complaints about my rear. Or my oral technique."

"If there is one regret I have about the ending of our courtship, it is the loss of that talented tongue. I can only hope that I learned something from the experience that I may pass on to my next partner."

Zoissette smiled smugly at him.

"I do not miss how you get when you are insufferably correct on a matter, though."

"Of course not, since it never happens that I am wrong."

"Telling lies in Halon's city? I cannot believe you."

Zoissette just hummed smugly at him, and after a moment, they both broke into laughter.

"Seriously though. Back to the matter at hand, which is this... congratulations. I can think of no union that could be any more blessed in the eyes of the Fury, and I hope I can look forward to an invitation to the bonding ceremony, whatsoever form it takes, and wherever it shall occur."

Zoissette sighed. "Of course, though I do not know yet. Something which I need to talk to her about. We have very different backgrounds, I am certain we will have very different ideas on what is right and proper. I am sure she knows enough about how we do things in Ishgard, but I have precious little idea about the traditions and culture of the Jaguar tribe. Or she may even want to follow the rites of the Night's Blessed. Or perhaps something else altogether. I just do not know."

"Night's Blessed?"

"A community that took her in on the First."

"Ah. I see." Aymeric hummed thoughtfully. "Well, this actually does explain much about a missive that preceded you by mere bells."

"Oh?"

"Well, I was not going to mention it. Discretion being the better part and all that, you know. But I think you two should, in fact, have that conversation. Rather sooner than later. And perhaps with each other instead of through me."

"...Aymeric?"

"You see, I have in my possession a latter from one Lady Y'shtola Rhul, asking me for advice."

"What sort of advice?"

Aymeric smiled at Zoissette, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Advice on the proper way to go about courting one Ser Zoissette Vauban, in accordance with the traditions and manner of a proper Ishgardian noble who wishes to make a good impression, both upon the lady and her family. Along with any, shall we say, hints I might be able to provide on said noblewoman's preferences in the same."

Zoissette blinked at him, several times, and her mouth hung slightly open, and Aymeric laughed.

"Ah, now that is a rare sight, and one which I rather enjoy more," said Aymeric. "Zoissette Vauban, flummoxed."

She snapped her jaw shut, frowned, and crossed her arms at him, sticking her nose in the air, but that only caused him to laugh more. And then laugh even more when he noticed the twitch of the side of her mouth as she valiantly resisted joining in.

Zoissette sniffed in mock disdain, but then dropped the act. "She really asked for that?"

"Indeed," said Aymeric. "I believe she not only takes this most seriously, but if I had to guess - and to be clear, I am guessing - I think she is doing this for your benefit, Sette."

He reached over, and took one of her hands, clasping it in his, and he smiled warmly at her. "And if I had any doubts that she deserved you, I think such a gesture would dash them to nothingness. I do not know her as well as you, of course, but we did interact much, from the Shiva matter all the way up to the Alexander incident. She never minced her words, or made any pretense at her lack of tolerance for those parts of Ishgard she disdained. I still recall her choice words over finding out about the Witchdrop, and her sharp opinions on the old system of trial by combat.

"And yet, she is willing to take up at least some of our traditions. For you."

Zoissette felt her eyes water, and not knowing what to say, said nothing, just wiped her face with the back of her free hand. Aymeric pulled her in to a tight hug, and she returned the gesture.

"You are well loved, Zoissette," he said. "And thank you for sharing that with me."

"How could I not?" she sniffled into his shoulder. "You are one of my dearest friends. Thank you, Aymeric."

"Now," he said, breaking the hug, and patting her on the shoulder. "Tell me all about your adventures on the First. I am eager to hear of what our Warrior of Light has been up to."

Smiling, Zoissette walked along with him, and began to tell him the tale of all that had passed, sparing no embellishment as to the Scions' accomplishments, and making sure to fill him in especially on how she had come to appreciate and learn again the depths of one Master Matoya.

[dreamseersystem]

Was inspired to write this after seeing some art on twitter.

TW: Incest, Manipulative Behavior, potential Stockholm Syndrome

Pairing: Dreammare

Dream didn't think it would end like this. He was always told he was the hero, the one supposed to win this long drawn out battle, the protector of the Multiverse... But now... He was at Nightmare's mercy. Tentacles wrapped tightly around him as they pumped him full of negativity so he couldn't fight back. He didn't know where Blue and Ink were. Everything happened too fast as the trap Nightmare planned separated them. He didn't even recognize the place they were. It seems to be a bedroom that was decorated in purple and black. But, he shouldn't really be focusing on the room. What was going to happen to him now? Was this the end?

"Your panic is feeding me more and more as we sit here," Nightmare said as he stared at his brother for the longest time. A tentacle lifted Dream's chin so he was forced to look at his brother. There was an intense gaze in the eyelight that was staring at him. Something he couldn't read. He could barely read emotions as it was in his weakened state.

"Just do whatever you plan to do brother," Dream said.

"And what do you think I plan to do? We haven't been this close since we were kids dear brother," Nightmare said. Dream was scared and what he thought was tears dripped from his eyes. It felt like sludge on his face. He felt like he was suffocating.

"Where is all that positivity now? I thought you would be happy to be close to me again. After all the begging over the years to talk things out and stop fighting. To find... Oh right... A 'cure' for me," the other said as the tentacle wiped at the tears. "Interesting. Your body is trying to reject the negativity by crying. It is quite a sight."

"Just kill me Nightmare," Dream growled. The tentacles around him tighten a bit.

"My my, so eager to die," Nightmare teased. "I could you know. Just take your SOUL out and end this farce." The tentacle moved from his face and he felt a pull on his chest as it forced out his golden SOUL.

Dream stared at the SOUL between them and struggled to break free. But Nightmare had a good grip around him. The tentacle that pulled the SOUL out seemed to wrap around his SOUL without directly touching it. Like it was taunting him at this point. Nightmare kept his eye on his reaction and face.

"You know. I did some study on the SOUL. Especially the concept of SOULbonds. Did you know there are many types of it? The most common is between lovers so they can share their feelings. But I found a more fitting type I think we both can benefit from brother," Nightmare said. Dream stared at him. He didn't know where his brother was going with this, but either way it didn't sound good.

"What are you...?"

"It's called a Destiny Bond. Using the right kind of magic while SOULbonding, you create a stronger one than just normal feeling the others feelings. You also can feel their pain. And if one dies, the other does as well," he said with a crazed smile. "Doesn't that sound nice brother? We can share everything, even our deaths if it occurs. We were born together, so we can die together."

"You're... I don't... This is madness... Let me go or kill me Nightmare!" Dream yelled. The tentacle around his SOUL squeezed it and he screamed at the pain that came from it. Once it was released, he was panting.

"Feel that? I can tell you don't want to die brother. And I don't want to die either. But that's what everyone desires. What you aimed to do..."

"That isn't true! I never... I don't want to kill you Nightmare!" The black tears fell from his face more. "I just want... You back..." A hand wiped away the tears this time as Nightmare caressed his face.

"The child I was died the day the villagers killed him Dream. He can't come back. I am who I am now, but you cannot seem to understand that. But I never stopped loving you brother. In fact, it has grown, and that is why we need to do this," Nightmare said. He pulled out his own apple SOUL.

Dream watched the two SOULs gloat next to each other. Each seems to pulse in sync as cyan and gold light surround them. He watched Nightmare take out a book as he looked over it after he pulled out a pair of glasses to put on his face. He never knew his brother needed glasses, and it distracted him from what the other was doing. Just how much did he miss from being separate from his brother? They only saw each other when they were fighting. He felt the guilt at that, his SOUL radiated the emotion as he kept watching.

Nightmare soon looked at the SOULs and held his hands over them as he said some words in a language he couldn't quite understand. Symbols appeared and wrapped around the SOULs, it felt like it was squeezing them. It pulled them close together, but they stopped once they hit each other. It made Dream flinch. Nightmare made a tsking noise.

"It seems we cannot bond in the conventional way. But lucky enough I had planned for it just in case. Pur SOULs are more solid than normal magical SOULs, I guess due to what they formed from," Nightmare muttered. He easily grabbed Dream's SOUL that had him gasping and he watched as Nightmare brought it to his mouth and then bit into it. Dream was sure wherever they were, the whole place could hear his scream of pain. He was panting heavy as his sight went blurry, but somehow he could see a small golden patch appear in Nightmare's own SOUL.

"Sorry about that, but it was needed. And you will need to do the next part," Nightmare said as he brought his own SOUL to Dream's mouth. He fought to try and not bite it. Maybe he can stop this by refusing, but a tentacle forced his mouth open and the solid SOUL was shoved inside and he was forced to bite down, taking a bite of his brother's SOUL.

Pain was the first thing felt, but it wasn't his own. He could tell that much. Negative emotions rushed over him and filled him till he felt like he was choking again, but it went away as quickly as it came.

Dream didn't notice he wasn't being held by the tentacles anymore and was curled up on the bed as he tried to sort through everything he was feeling. He didn't notice when arms wrapped around him and held him close. Just the warmth he felt and he sought it out and buried himself in that feeling. His SOUL pulse as he felt closer to something familiar. He felt a kiss on his head and it surprised him. He finally was able to register more and his eyes focused and saw Nightmare holding him close, wrapping all his limbs around him. It reminded him of when they were kids, but this felt more for some reason.

"Welcome back. You've been out for a few hours now," Nightmare said. "I guess the final bond was a bit much on you being as weak as you were, but you are stable now."

"What? I still don't have any positivity," Dream said confused.

"True, but you are taking my magic well while yours is low. The bond lets us share magic too. So we both can survive off of either type of emotion now. What better way to keep the balance when you can feel both sides?" Nightmare asked. "The new look you have is quite cute as well."

"New look?" Dream questioned. He tried to get up and his brother didn't stop him. There was a full length mirror next to the bed and Dream saw his face. The black tears were wiped away, but there were tendril-like purple markings that were under his eye sockets. Reminding him almost of Error's tear markings, but his were just lines when these seem to be wrapping around his face.

"A side effect of the bond and magic mixing. The magic is older than us even, so it was tough with going to figure out what would happen," Nightmare said calmly. A tentacle caressed the markings and it felt warm to him now instead of the coldness before. It made Dream lean into it without realizing what he was doing. He was craving Nightmare's attention, and it seems to be the same for his brother as well.

"There we go. Just relax. I cannot hurt you without hurting myself and vice versa. A promise we can stop this senseless fighting now," Nightmare said.

"Why?"

"Oh brother. You were tired of the fighting just as much as I was. And you feel so exhausted still for how those that call you a hero treat you. You still have that same mindset that you had with the villagers. That you are personally responsible for everyone's happiness," Nightmare said. "You think I wouldn't find out? You have a little traitor on your side. Killer and Blue have quite the relationship. Of course, they don't know I know." He chuckled at that.

"Blue and Killer?" Dream questioned. He would have never suspected. Honestly, he thought Ink would get with Error first before anyone else had a datemate.

"Yes, I was quite surprised myself, but I see no need to break them up when I always planned to end the fighting," Nightmare said. He brought Dream close again. "I always loved you brother. I hate being apart for so long." He kissed him on the mouth.

Dream didn't know how to react. A part of him said this was wrong. Brothers weren't supposed to be like this. But another part just said this felt so right. He leaned into the kiss, wanting to feel more of it as he kissed back. He could feel the love from his brother from the bond. It was... A new experience. Feeling all of Nightmare's hidden emotions he showed no other. Both were exposed with their darkness emotions and desires.

"I love you too," Dream finally admitted as the kiss broke apart. "Why not just tell me?"

"Would have anyone let you see me if I just told you? Maybe your little Star Sans group, but the council or the rest of the Multiverse? They would have stopped you. And now they can't. Our bond gives us both protection. If they hurt you, I can get to wherever you are and save you," Nightmare said.

"Why do you think I need saving?" Dream asked. Nightmare chuckled a bit.

"Despite you insisting you are strong and all. You were always a damsel," Nightmare said. "Blue or Ink always had to save you when people would ask you to do all their chores and even their jobs. Well, that is going to stop. The people are not getting a slave anymore. They can fend for themselves."

"But..." A tentacle covered his mouth with just its tip.

"Dream. You were the one that always needed the help. Not me. I am okay with who I am. You were always the one trying to be something that you were never supposed to be. I can help you with that my love," Nightmare said as he kissed him again. "Just trust me. My feelings are sincere as you can feel."

Dream melted into the kiss and Nightmare. His eyes looking at the mirror again at the markings, roaming up to his eyelights. They had pupils now. A dot of purple within his gold. He looked at Nightmare and saw the gold within his cyan one. He sensed his magic in his brother, even if it was weak. The love radiated some positivity for him. He closed his eyes.

"What do I even tell them?" Dream asked.

"I can help you. Rest and recover for now and once you are rested you can leave. Free to return here anytime you want," Nightmare said. Dream only nodded, still not able to comprehend how they got from being a prisoner to now. But he could accept it. He was with his brother again. He felt safe. He leaned into his brother for more of that warmth and heard a chuckle. Soon the darkness of sleep overtook him, and he slept the best sleep he had in a long time.

[agathaandbrienneslesbian]

Heart of Gold - Part 1

Miranda Hilmarson x Mounted!Police!Fem!Reader

As promised, here is part 1 of my Miranda Hilmarson x Reader Fic. I hope you guys like it <3

My requests are open as well so feel free to leave some prompts or ideas in my inbox.

Again, big tanks to my freinds for proofreading my stories <3

Disclaimer: English is not my first language!

Warnings: Talk of bullying, bullying, a little bit of angst, stupid men

Authors note: Because Miranda deserves to be protected and treated like the sweetheart she is. <3

Words: 3'000+

Ao3 Link

-------

“- and to create a stronger bond between all of our sections here at the Sydney Police Department, we’ve decided to add stables and renew our office space situation. From today on, we will have the mounted police at our station as well. Be nice to each other and make sure our colleagues feel welcome in their new work environment!” Adrian finished his speech and stepped off the podium.

You stood amongst your fellow colleagues and glanced around the newly built stable. It was gorgeous; Truly nothing you’ve ever seen before. The horses had enough space in their boxes; the ceiling was high and had windows for natural light. There was a huge pen outside where the horses could run around and play with each other on their day off. Every officer got new equipment for themselves and their animals, and the pellets were of highest quality. 

As you watch the event unfold, your eyes land on a tall, blonde officer who stood alone, off to the side, next to your horse (a quarter horse with a beautiful blue roan coat and the temper of an angel… if she wanted to, that is), petting her soft nose and cooing sweet praises at your mare. With a chuckle, you walked up to them, reaching into your coat pocket and taking out some treats. Smiling, you held your hand out to the blonde officer, offering a treat to give to your mare. 

The second she sensed you next to her, she turned around, and you felt like cupid shot an arrow through your heart. The officer was gorgeous. Icy blue eyes looking down at you with a slight curious sparkle, a shy smile on her very soft and plush-looking lips, a gentle rosy blush spread over her freckled cheeks, and her short blonde hair framed her face perfectly. She looked at you with a slight frown, moving to tuck her hair behind one of her ears nervously. This motion pulled you out of your thoughts, and you shot her a bright smile. 

“You can give her a treat!” You said after a moment of admiring the very fit constable in front of you. She looked down at your hand, and her eyes started sparkling with joy. Reaching out to grab a treat, her soft fingers brushed the palm of your hand.

“Oh- thank you,” She replied quietly with a relaxed smile. She held her hand out with the treat, and your horse was more than happy to accept the treat from the beautiful stranger. She even went as far as to lick the officer's hand clean (she couldn’t be missing any crumbs, of course). The tall blonde laughed quietly at the ticklish sensation, moving her hand to pet your horse again, and you felt like you’d died, gone to heaven, and returned again. Her voice was like honey to your ears. With blinking eyes, you tried to remove the thoughts that started littering your mind about this beautiful woman in front of you and instead focus on your mare. “What's her name?” The blonde's voice was full of curiosity and joy. Such a wonderful sound, truly. You could get drunk from just hearing her talk.

“Her name’s Artemis. And she’s the sweetest mare you’ll ever encounter.” You answered with a wink and a scratch behind your horse’s ear. Artemis emitted a pleased grunt and, as if she understood, nodded her head up and down. You giggle at the antics of the dark mare and turn to face the taller woman. Extending your hand, you beam up at her. “My name’s y/n y/l/n, by the way.” 

“Miranda Hilmarson.” The constable answered, shaking your hand with an equally bright smile.

“Beautiful name. It’s a pleasure to meet you” You replied, testing the waters and noting down a small victory for yourself as you saw Miranda blush. Artemis seemed to feel left out of the whole situation, so she rubbed her face against Miranda, which caused the taller woman to almost lose her balance. You couldn't help but to giggle at your horse's antics, reaching out to hold Miranda’s arms and making sure she regained her footing again. “You okay? Seems like Artemis likes you.” The constable looked down at you with a pink-flushed face and a nervous giggle. You let go of her, took a step back, and playfully squished your horse's nose.

“You think she likes me?” Miranda asked quietly and moved closer again, rubbing Artemis’ forehead as the mare nuzzled back into the blonde constable.

“I am pretty sure she does! She cares much for treats but never cuddles strangers like that. You seem to have a soft spot for animals.” The look Miranda gave you could melt the coldest hearts. The most heartfelt smile spread on her lips, her eyes glistening softly… It almost seemed like… tears? You frowned worriedly and felt around in your pockets for a pack of tissues, handing her one once you found them. She sniffled gently and wiped her eyes so her colleagues wouldn’t see. You truly wondered if the others disliked her, the way she turned away from them. Reassuringly, you placed a hand on her back and smiled warmly at her. “You can always come by and cuddle with her after work if you want. She loves apples! Just in case you want to give her a little treat.” You spoke softly, and smiled up at her. 

“Thank you!” Miranda sniffled. “I’m sorry… I don’t know-”

“It’s okay! You don’t have to say anything.” You interrupted quickly, the blonde giving you a thankful smile. She straightened her back again and took a deep breath. You sensed her discomfort around her colleagues, and before she could say anything, you spoke up.

“Would you like to go have a drink somewhere? I don’t really feel like mingling with the rest of the group. I actually quite enjoy talking to you.”

The constable looked dazzled at you, and you feared you might have read her wrong. Yet you waited. Nervousness took over, and you started fiddling with the zipper on your coat. Miranda seemed to consider you for a moment. Hints of caution, question, and wonder flashed over her features, barely noticeable, then she nodded softly, giving you a careful smile.

“That would be nice, actually! I know a place a bit further down… It’s usually not busy, and I've yet to see one of my.. Well, our.. colleagues there,” She offers, and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. For a second you feared, you might have gone too far.

With a smug smile, you stepped aside, allowing Miranda to take the lead, and the both of you snuck out of the venue, into the cool autumn night.

—

At the bar, Miranda started to ease up, after realising you weren’t planning on taunting or bullying her, and started talking about her hobbies and herself in such a lively and animated manner that had you completely captivated. You could listen to her for hours, and so could Miranda. She was deeply invested in everything you told her, and she could have sworn that your laugh was the most wonderful thing on this planet. 

After what felt like hours, you and Miranda decided to call it a night. No matter how refreshing and pleasant the evening was, the both of you had to work in the morning. You paid for the drinks, and before Miranda could protest, you simply smirked and said, “Next time you get to pay. Promise!” A blush crept over the constable’s face.

“Fine… At least let me drive you home? It’s too late to be walking anyway.” She smugly replied, and you accepted the offer gratefully. Once in the car, you gave Miranda your address, and she started driving towards the direction of your home. The drive was quiet. Not uncomfortable, but quiet. Neither of you knew what to say, so you both just opted for silence, basking in each other's existence. You looked over at her, your thoughts filling with scenarios that had you clenching your thighs slightly. This was so wrong… You shouldn’t be thinking these things about your new colleague… Not after just having met her… And besides, you didn’t know if she felt the same way, and what if- 

“We’re here.” Miranda answered quietly and put the car into park gear. She turned her face to look at you and smiled gently. “I had a great time tonight. Thank you!” She smiled at you sheepishly, and you had to bite your lip; otherwise, you might have just leaned in and kissed her senselessly. Instead, you unbuckled your belt and opened the car door. Getting ready to leave, you turn to look at her.

“I really enjoyed tonight as well! I’m looking forward to next time.” You winked at her and leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek that made Miranda's face heat up instantly. You giggled at her flushed face and wide eyes and got out of the car. “Good night, constable Hilmarson.” 

“G-Good night, y/n”

—

The following two and a half months consisted of you going to work, doing your shift, picking Miranda up from her office, and going to the little Pub she had shown you the very first night the two of you met. The first few free weekends, you were unsure of asking her to hang out; you didn't want to push yourself onto her, but when she reached out first, your heart jumped with joy. You spent afternoons together, talking, playing games, and watching movies,  quickly becoming close friends. You felt bad for wanting more, but you couldn’t help yourself. Miranda had a heart of gold and you fell for it, hard.

The more time you spend with her, the more you fall for the wonderful woman in front of you. The more you got to know her, the more she opened up and talked about herself. Sadly, you also experienced firsthand what Miranda had to deal with at her workplace. The nagging and the bullying. It made you sick to see how she just took all of that in and then, more than she’d like to admit, broke down once she was alone. It became a daily occurrence for you to walk into the bathroom and find Miranda washing her face after a sobbing session.

Today was especially stressful for the two of you at work, and you drank more than usual. A bit tipsy, you started complimenting her and practically fed off the way she squirmed under the attention she was getting. 

“You’re beautiful… Do you know that Mir?” You giggle and watch her blush furiously.

“I-I’m really not…” She said, and you gasped in fake hurt. She looked up at you with a frown.

“How could you say that? You’re literally a goddess!” Miranda was about to protest again, but you stopped her. “ You're so tall and strong, you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. Your face is a work of art, and your voice is like a melody written by the gods… Your skin is so soft and pale, and your freckles are like, soooo adorable… Not to mention that you are literally built like an Amazonian warrior queen, and THAT is to die for…” You babble and watch her with a loving smile and a sigh. “You’re so wonderful, and it pains me to see that you don’t think that's the case. What can I do to make you believe me?” You reach out and hold her hand gently, rubbing your thumb over the back of her hand. Miranda just looked at you, her face unreadable but clearly vulnerable.

“I- I don’t know, I just… I guess being told how unpleasant and non-feminine I am.. Having to hear how I'm undesirable every single day… I just… I guess I’ve just forgotten how to be kind to myself.” She admits quietly, looking down into her glass and whirling the liquid around, creating a little tornado-like swirl. You reach out, cupping her cheek, and make her look up at you, a soft but sad smile grazing your lips.

“For every bad word that is said to you, I will bombard you with three positive ones. You don’t deserve that treatment. You’re a wonderful and strong woman, and they ought to respect you.” In a swift motion, you press a quick kiss to her cheek and smile, holding up the pinky of your hand. “I promise” 

—

The next day at work was anything but easy for you. You patrolled the beach and nearby restaurants and shops with your partner, and you couldn’t stop thinking about Miranda. Unsure of what happened after leaving the bar, you could only hope that you didn’t embarrass yourself with how openly you admired her. You haven’t seen her yet today, and you were dying to be close to her again.

Your mind was clouded by images of Miranda holding you close, your lips pressed to hers in a heated kiss. Hands roaming over each other's bodies with a fiery intensity, the need to be close and the need to pull back for air, fighting each other until one of them succeeds. Her hand, warm on your cheek, moving down to your shoulder, waist, hips, ass and thighs. Your hands making quick work of unbuttoning her shirt, revealing her pale and freckled skin for you to worship under your fingertips, your lips, your tongue-

“Are you even listening?” 

You whip your head around to see your partner looking at you. Your face flushed, and you cleared your throat. “No-, sorry, I didn't hear.. Could you repeat that?” You ask, smiling at your partner apologetically, and he sighs.

“Geez y/n.. Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that head of yours… But fine… I was just asking where you went last night. I know those events are not your thing but I feel like you could really like our new colleagues.” 

Oh… and how you liked your new colleague…

“Really? Nah… I didn’t feel like mingling with the crowd, so I just stepped out..” You reply, hoping he wouldn’t catch on your flushed face.

“With constable Hilmarson.” Your partner added, and you shot him a look.

“I heard she’s kind of an oddball… doesn’t really fit into the group and is often alone.” He starts laughing. “The others said the only reason she’s still working there is because she shagged the boss, and now he-”

“Shut up!” You hissed at him, and he looked at you, taken aback by your harshness, but you didn’t care. You were furious. Miranda has told you how the others tend to “nag” her (her words, but you knew immediately that she was being bullied) about her appearance, her height, the fact that she isn’t in a relationship and did, indeed, sleep with her boss for a while, though he has used her for his own pleasure, and you were not about to let ANYONE badmouth her. ESPECIALLY your assigned partner.

“You do NOT get to say those things about her… and neither do the others. Am I being clear?”

“Yes… Jesus. I wasn’t trying to be mean; I just wanted to tell you what I’ve heard…”

“You mean gossip and lies?” You bark at him. He just looked at you, defeated, and decided to just stay quiet for the rest of the patrol. You wouldn’t let anyone hurt Miranda ever again. This bullying was going to stop, and you were going to make sure of that. You had no intention of apologising to your partner for lashing out at him, and even after he apologised several times, you stood your ground. 

As soon as you got back to the stables, you unsaddled Artemis, brushed her down, and gave her dinner and some fresh water. Once you put everything away, you dashed out of the stables, walking to the main building with fast steps and entering the office. As you entered, you heard laughter coming from the break room. Glancing inside, you saw Miranda sitting in a chair, laughing uncomfortably, whilst her male coworkers made nasty comments and jokes about her. Anger took over, and before you could stop yourself, you barged into the room.

“Cut it out for fuck’s sake. What are you? Little boys?” You hiss at them, walking directly to Miranda, who immediately stood up the second she saw you. She looked at you with wide eyes and an agape mouth. The men just looked at you with a smug smile.

“OOOOOH Miranda… who’s that? Someone special? Why are you angry, Horsegirl? We’re just joking.” They laugh and nudge each other in the sides.

“Oh boo-hoo. Horsegirl? Can’t think of a better insult? You’re just a pathetic excuse for men.” You growl, reaching for Miranda's hand and holding it tightly, looking up at her and squeezing her hand reassuringly. “You don’t have to endure this treatment. Let’s go!” Your voice was soft when speaking to Miranda, giving her a sweet and reassuring smile that seemed to calm her nerves, making her smile back at you. The boys whistled as the two of you were making your way out of the break room.

“Yo Hilmarson, have you got yourself an overprotective girlfriend?” One of the guys said, and the others laughed. Miranda immediately let go of your hand in embarrassment, and you’ve had enough. You turned around, marched up to the guy who let the comment slip, and gripped his hair, pulling him down to your height as he hissed and groaned in pain.

“So what if? Huh? None of you would know what to do with a goddess if she stood in front of you, clearly. Now let me tell you one little thing.” You tightened your grip, causing the manchild to drop to his knees in pain as the others watched, both confused and amused.

“You might feel like I'm all bark and no bite, but once I’ve tasted blood, I won't let go. So you’d do better to stay in your lane, or you’ll regret it.” Letting go of his hair, you let him drop down and straighten your back, shooting a poisonous glare at everyone before turning back and gripping Miranda's hand again, pulling her out and towards the stables.

Once in, the blonde pulls her hand away, making you stop in your tracks and turn to look at her with worry.

“Why… why did you just do that?” She asked, her voice trembling slightly, looking at you with caution in her stare. You look at her, your heart breaking at the image before you.

“I- I can’t stand seeing them treat you like this… you- you deserve so much better. You deserve respect. No one works as hard as you do, and they all know.. Yet they still decide to treat you in such an inhumane way… why are you letting them do this to you? Why don’t you fight back?” You moved to her, taking her hands in yours and holding them tightly. 

“Why do you care? Why do you care so much?” This question completely took you aback… Had you reacted too much? Did you overstep a line? You were so blinded by anger and… and… “Please…” Miranda begged, “Why do you care so much about me?”

———

Tags: @winterfireblond

[allmoshnobrain]

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 22 of ? | masterpost

word count: 3319 | ao3 link | fic's playlist

All the hugs, the laughter, the comfort, the advice. The way his blue eyes were always locked onto mine. Maybe I should've caught on sooner. It's not like it was some big secret, especially since Dave got the boot from the band. But somehow, I clung to the hope that I was wrong. That the bond between us was stronger than any attraction he might have. That he wouldn't risk doing something that could change it forever. Something irreversible.  Something like a kiss.

✦ summary: An unexpected action by James confuses Nore's feelings and changes their friendship beyond repair.

✦ on this chapter: dave mustaine x female!oc, james hetfield x female! oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, love triangle, drinking, smoking, recreational drug use, kissing

✦ a/n: I'm back earlier this time! This part was a lot easier to write because I confess it has been living rent free in my head for a while lol Hope you guys like it, feedbacks are welcome and motivate me a lot!

✧ Don't wanna touch you, but you're under my skin / I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison ✧

The trip back to Los Angeles was pretty quiet as I got lost in my own thoughts. Still trying to wrap my head around my mom's offer and all the baggage it brought, my mind was racing, keeping pace with the dark night scenery outside the window.

"You're awfully quiet," Dave remarked, jolting me back to reality. I glanced at him; he was focused on the road, but looked a bit bothered by my silence.

"My bad," I murmured. "It's just... a lot to take in at once."

"No need to apologize," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. He casually took one hand off the wheel, placing it on my thigh, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my skin. I rested my hand on his, leaning back into the seat. He furrowed his brow, the usual sign of concentration, and his hand left mine to shift gears; I smiled faintly, appreciating how good he looked when he was focused. "How are you doing?"

"Me?" I questioned, and he nodded with a grunt. I sighed. "I guess I'm okay. My family is complicated, but it's nothing I'm not used to."

"Your dad seemed nice," he smiled, stealing a quick glance at me. I chuckled softly.

"Yeah, he's... easier to deal with. Now, my mom..."

"She's... interesting," he commented, and I laughed softly, catching on that he was being polite. We were almost home now; Dave stopped the car at a red light and turned to face me, gazing into my eyes.

"She's a pain in the ass, that's what she is," I said, and he burst into laughter. "Always acting like she's better than everyone. She always... always makes me feel like I'm hard to love," I concluded with a sigh.

"Hey," he lifted my chin with his fingers, making me meet his serious and focused gaze. I felt my face warm as he leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on my lips before pulling away. He whispered into my ear, "That's not true... It's very easy to love you."

The rest of September passed by like a hurricane. A few days after visiting my parents, we threw a small birthday party for Dave with our closest LA friends. To spice things up, there was a mini jam session where Dave, David, and a couple of other friends belted out some fresh tunes they'd cooked up. They had no vocalist yet, but I was blown away by the raw power and intensity of Dave's new compositions anyway. When he strummed those chords, it felt like a surge of electricity took over the whole place. Everything about him cranked up a notch; it was downright impossible to peel my eyes away, even for a second.

October rolled in, and with the streets all decked out for Halloween, I received an invite that temporarily shoved aside my worries about my mom's deal. Leanne's birthday was just around the corner, and she was throwing a bash for the upcoming weekend at Joe's place. Word was it would be a wild one. I hit up San Francisco on Saturday morning, thinking I was kinda early, but his place was already buzzing with people, tunes, and drinks.

"Nore! You made it!" Leanne beamed when she spotted me.

"Hey, Lea. Happy birthday." I grinned, handing over the gift I brought—some records from bands I knew she liked.

"Oh, you brought me a present, thank you!" she squealed, hugging me. I chuckled, giving her a squeeze back. She pulled away with a grin. "Hey, Cliff and the others are by the pool. I'm heading there soon, but if you wanna roll in before..."

"Oh, I'll track 'em down. Got a spot to stash this?" I pointed to the backpack on my back and the helmet from my bike.

I cruised to the backyard after Lea helped me stash my gear in Joe's room. Didn't have to play detective to find my friends; Cliff, Lars, James, and Kirk were deep in conversation by the pool, dead set on pouring vodka from a bottle into little plastic shot cups.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Lars yelped as I strolled up. "James, you snagged way more than the rest of us."

"Why don’t you pour it yourself, then?" James shot him a look, lifting an eyebrow. I grinned.

"Can't believe you dudes didn't save a drop for me," I teased, making them all look up at once.

"Nore!" Lars shouted, all pumped. I threw out a quick hi to the guys before zeroing in on Cliff.

"So, did Dave give you the green light to be here?" he quipped with a smirk. I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"He doesn't need to give me the green light for anything, Cliff," I muttered, and he chuckled before yanking me into a hug.

"Good to see you, Nore. Hey, what's that there?" Cliff pointed to the bag hanging from my arm.

"Oh, about that... Can I chat with you for a sec?" I asked in a hushed tone. Cliff raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued, but gave a nod. We strolled away, finding a quieter spot in the backyard. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, expertly fishing out a joint and lighting it, shielding the flame from the gentle morning breeze with his hands.

"So, spill. What's the scoop?" he asked, and I sighed before handing him the bag. He opened it, furrowing his brow at the sight of the Metallica record. "Wow. Is the album this bad?"

"It’s awesome ," I said, then sighed. "But... Cliff, Dave got really bent out of shape when he saw this. I just figured... maybe you could hold onto the record for me for a bit. I don't want him getting worked up about it..."

"Nore. This isn't right," Cliff stated, his voice firm. I lifted my eyes, locking onto his gaze, and could tell he wasn't very happy with what I'd just said. "You can't do this. You're giving up on living because of him. First, you move to be with him, and we hardly see each other anymore. Now this?"

"You don't get it, Cliff. Please," I pleaded. "I don't want to fight. Not with you guys, not with him."

"Is he giving you grief because of us?" Cliff raised an eyebrow. I sighed, dropping my gaze, but didn't say anything. "Nore." Cliff held my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "I can hang onto this for you if you really want. But you gotta tell me you know he's not your responsibility."

"Cliff..."

"Remember what I said when you two started dating?" he cut me off. "If he messes with you, I got your back. Cool?"

"Okay," I murmured, giving a small smile. "Thanks."

"Anything for my fave cousin," he grinned, and I chuckled softly. "Come on, let's get back to the shindig."

Back in the mix with Kirk, Lars, and James, we found the vodka bottle now half-gone, abandoned at James' feet while they all helped themselves to some beers.

"I'm gonna stash this and track down Lea. Back in a sec," Cliff announced, waving the bag with my record. I gave a nod, turning my focus back to the guys.

"Hey, Nore!" James hollered, a grin spreading across his face the moment he spotted me. "There's no way you're sober. You used to be a champ at this drinking thing."

"James, it's ten in the morning," I laughed, and he scoffed, passing the beer he had to Lars and grabbing the vodka bottle from the ground. He popped it open, strolling over and throwing a hand on my shoulder with a grin.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of laying off the booze."

"Of course not," I shot back, raising an eyebrow challengingly. He, along with Lars and Kirk, burst into laughter.

"You gotta taste this vodka. Lars swiped it straight from his old man's stash," Kirk chimed in.

"Yeah, it's awful," Lars laughed, then hiccupped. I rolled my eyes with a smile. I knew my friends turned into total goofballs when they hit the bottle, but watching it unfold while I was stone-cold sober was a whole different trip.

"Come on, open up," James slurred, his words dragging, gripping my chin in his hand.

"James!" I exclaimed, caught off guard, releasing a nervous laugh as I tried to back away. James grumbled, his hand sliding from my chin to rest at the base of my neck, the rough palm pressing against my collarbone. I could feel my skin heating up, my face suddenly flushing. "What happened to the shot glasses?"

"We polished off the drinks and chucked 'em. Come on, you want this or not? Open up."

I scoffed but played along, letting him pour a bit of vodka straight into my mouth. James grinned, his gaze fixed on my lips as I swallowed. He swiped away a droplet that had slid down to my chin with his finger.

"Good girl," he teased, a mischievous smile on his lips as he locked eyes with me. "See? Wasn't that hard."

"Shut up, Hetfield," I shot back, giving him a playful shove, my face heating up even more. He huffed, made a face at me, then strolled off toward the drink coolers without a backward glance.

"Hey! That's my vodka!" Lars protested angrily, before trailing after James. "Get back here, damn it, I haven't finished drinking!"

I watched them go, an uneasy feeling creeping into the depths of my chest. Why did it suddenly feel like maybe I shouldn't have shown up? These were my friends, right? So why did everything seem more complicated than it should be?

"They get really happy when you’re here," Kirk observed. I blinked, surprised by his words. He shot me a smile, but his eyes seemed intrigued.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Just that you can tell they really like you."

I ended up talking to Kirk for a few minutes, both of us getting a good laugh watching Lars and James from a distance. Lars was on a mission to reclaim his vodka bottle, while James danced around him with ease. Kirk turned out to be a really cool guy; laid-back and easy to chat with. Eventually, Cliff and Leanne joined us, hauling in a crate of beers that we gladly shared among the four of us.

When the beer stash ran dry, I volunteered to restock. I cruised to the kitchen, where I found James slouched at the table, his head buried in his arms, the vodka bottle now empty and cast aside at his feet.

"Ah, there you are," he mumbled, his voice slurred, and his eyes a bit blurry as he caught sight of me.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, a tad concerned by his condition. He shrugged. "Do you want some water?"

He grumbled, and I interpreted it as a "yes." Scouting around the cabinets, I found a glass and filled it with water. James promptly downed it, grimacing, his eyes blinking and honing in on my face.

"And you? Don't you need a bit of water too?"

"I'm fine," I furrowed my brow, even though I felt a bit lightheaded from the amount of beer I'd drank. "I just came to snag more beer for us. You should join. By the way, where's Lars?"

"In the bathroom," James grumbled, then he hoisted himself up, clutching the back of the chair for balance. I placed a hand on his back, trying to assist. He scowled. "You said you came to get more beer?"

"Yeah, any idea where it is?"

He pointed to the corner of the kitchen, where some cases of beer were stacked near the stove. I grabbed one of the packs, tossing it onto the table. James nabbed one of the beers, popping it open.

"James, maybe you should take a breather," I suggested, and he snorted.

"Why?" he asked, staring at me with a furrowed brow, his blue eyes defiant. "I've been waiting for weeks to see you, and now that you're here, you don't even want to be near me. At least drinking makes it a little more fun for me."

I blinked, my mouth opening in surprise as I tried to process what James had just said. It's not like I was angry, annoyed or avoiding James at all, but the worry about Dave and my parents reappearing in my life made it a bit harder to enjoy myself this time. However, for James to think that had anything to do with him? That wasn't right.

"This has nothing to do with you," I uttered in a low voice. He approached, his brow furrowed, placing the open beer on the table. "I don't want you to think..."

"Think what? That you're done being my friend?" he took another step closer, and I backed up, hitting the cold wall. He rested one hand on the wall, leaning down so his face was at the same level as mine. My heart squeezed seeing the anguish in his eyes. "Since you moved to Los Angeles, we hardly see each other anymore. You not into me anymore?"

"Don't say that," I whispered, my voice trembling, my eyes filling with tears hearing the bitterness in his voice. As complicated as things were, the last thing I wanted was for my friends to think I didn't want to be with them. "James, this isn't fair..."

And then he kissed me. 

Maybe I should have seen it coming. Perhaps I should've picked up on the closeness and tension that had been steadily building between us since the day he first laid eyes on me. All the hugs, the laughter, the comfort, the advice. The way his blue eyes were always locked onto mine. Maybe I should've caught on sooner. It's not like it was some big secret, especially since Dave got the boot from the band. But somehow, I clung to the hope that I was wrong. That the bond between us was stronger than any attraction he might have. That he wouldn't risk doing something that could change it forever. Something irreversible. 

Something like a kiss.

Instead, there he was, his body pinning mine against the wall, his hands cradling my face, his lips moving against mine with a desperate hunger I never thought I'd find in his arms. For a moment, all I could feel was him —his scent, his body, his kiss. But my blissful confusion lasted no more than a few seconds before it was replaced by panic: this wasn't right. This shouldn't be happening. We were friends. I had a boyfriend.

I shoved my hands against his chest, giving him a solid push. He pulled back abruptly, his blue eyes showing a hint of sobriety as he took in my state—my face all red, breath coming quick as my heart raced, and my stomach filled with a million butterflies. For a beat, it was just us, his eyes glued to mine in a mix of confusion and ecstasy, before anger started bubbling up in my chest, ready to explode. I shook my head, in disbelief, and stormed out of the kitchen in a burst of rage that seemed to leave him bewildered.

I sprinted past Cliff, Leanne, and Kirk, barely registering the surprised looks they shot my way as I bolted to the front of the house. I plopped down on the curb, my breath coming quick, almost in a state of panic as I desperately searched my pockets for my pack of cigarettes and lighter. When I finally found them, it was useless; my hands were shaking so much, my breath all over the place as I tried to hold back tears, that I just couldn't light my cigarette.

"Nore? Shit, what happened?" I heard Cliff ask. I looked up to see that he had followed me and was standing beside me, staring at me with a confused expression on his face.

"Cliff..." I began, my voice shaking. He settled beside me, taking my hand in his, gripping it firmly while his eyes scanned my face, genuine concern etched on his features. "Cliff, James..."

"Did you guys have a fight?" he asked, furrowing his brow. I sniffled, shaking my head.

"Cliff, he kissed me," I murmured, suddenly feeling like I was 15 again, talking to Cliff on the phone about some boy from school who had broken my heart. His eyes widened at my words, his incredulous expression slowly being replaced by one of anger.

"And why are you crying like this? Did he force you? I'll beat the crap out of him..." he growled, letting go of my hand and starting to stand up.

"Cliff, no!" I exclaimed, tugging him by the hand. He looked at me, confused. "He didn't force me. It just happened out of nowhere. I just... Cliff, I have Dave. I never thought James..."

"You didn't know he liked you? Nore, that was kind of obvious," he interrupted, and I groaned in frustration.

"It's not that! Cliff, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want him to think... I just wanted to be friends with him. Why do things have to be so complicated?" I asked, my eyes filling with tears again. Cliff stared at me for a moment before sitting back down beside me with a sigh. He pulled me close into a hug, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"First, let's go back to the party, and I'll get you some water, okay? We can talk to James later if we need to. But knowing him... If you left like that, I doubt he'll want to talk about it."

Cliff was more right than I thought; when we got back to the party, James was nowhere to be found. I tried to cheer up, especially for Leanne and Cliff, but it was useless. I spent the rest of the day worried about James, wondering where he might be, and if I had hurt him beyond repair.

When the party wrapped up, Cliff, Leanne, and I hopped into a taxi to Leanne's house. I had left my motorcycle in Joe's garage and planned to swing by the next day to grab it before heading back to Los Angeles. I tried to perk up as Leanne and Cliff enthusiastically decided what to order for dinner, but not even a hot shower was enough to lift my spirits; I was more intoxicated than I wanted, concerned about my friend, and trying to ignore how the feeling of his lips on mine kept replaying in my head every five minutes, which basically made me want to die.

"You don't need to worry about him. He'll show up," Cliff assured me later, after we had finished off the pizza Lea had ordered for dinner. The news was playing on the TV, and I could hear the water running in the bathroom as Lea took a shower, but I wasn't really paying attention to any of those things. "I mean, he could already be home... I tried calling, but I think Lars and Kirk must have passed out as soon as they got there."

"What am I gonna do, Cliff?" I asked, softly. I was totally lost. Now that all the lines in my friendship with James had blown up in my face, I didn't know what to do — and I didn’t want to deal with any of it. There was already too much on my mind. But I couldn't just pretend it didn't happen, either.

Cliff didn't say anything; in fact, I don't think he knew what to say. Instead, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a tight hug. I sighed, shutting my eyes, trying to soak up that brief moment of calm. Wishing it could magically wipe away the ache in my heart — even though I knew it couldn't.

[overalls4all]

Cameron and Alex are on day 5 of a two week masculinity retreat. The retreat was sponsored by their boss, who made every man in the office attend. Cameron and Alex were expecting typical corporate crap, but they couldn't be further from the truth. Rather than some boring conference hall, the retreat was held in a huge lakeside cabin in the mountains. The two office mates entered the house where they were greeted by a man in overalls.

"Howdy men!" the man wore duck brown overalls over a blue flannel shirt. He was in his early forties and had a rugged stubble and buzzcut hair. "Name's Cal. I run the retreat here. Your boss said to expect some nice young men like yourselves.

"Uh, thanks Cal," said Cameron. "Is our boss here already?"

"Yes he is. He's out back helping set up. You boys will go and join him after you get properly dressed," replied Cal with a warm smile.

"Oh we didn't know there was a dress code," Alex answered. "We just bought some hoodies and jeans."

"Don't you worry, boys. I have the right clothes for you in here," Cal lead the two coworkers into a side room full of rows and rows of overalls.

"I ask that all men who come to this retreat wear overalls every day. I find having a sort of uniform helps us bond together as men," Cal pulled on his overalls straps with pride as he handed the boys a pair of duck brown bibs.

Cameron and Alex exchanged confused glances. This was not what they had in mind for this retreat. They figured it would be a few boring seminars followed by a catered lunch or something. In spite of this, the two guys took off their jeans and started putting on their overalls. They both stepped into the legs, feeling the coarse material run up their sides. They felt goosbumps as they reached over their shoulder to grab their straps. Finally they could feel their own hearts beating as they held the bib to their chest and fastened the buckles.

"Now you too look like proper men!" Cal was clearly proud to see the two young men in their new overalls.

Cameron looked down at his overall and then over at Alex. Cameron never noticed before how handsome Alex was. He appeared so manly and rugged in his overalls. Little did he know, but Alex was thinking the same thing about Cameron. The two coworkers couldn't help stare at each other in their matching overalls.

Cal smiled, "I can tell there is a strong bond between you too. That's something we'll explore during our retreat. Men nowadays are missing that kinship that existed in our father's and grandfather's days. I want men to share their masculine energy again. That's why your boss brought all his male employees here. A stronger bond will produce better work. And after all, men were born to work."

Alex and Cameron took in every last of Cal's words, even as they were staring each other in overalls. Both really wanted to bond with the other, and work as a great way to bond.

"Yes, work is a great way to bond with other men," said Cameron, almost without thinking.

"I want to work more with Cameron. I want to work in overalls," added Alex.

"Then you are in the right place. Come, men," Cal lead the two overalls-clad workers out to the backyard overlooking the lake.

Outside were their boss and several other coworkers who had already arrived. Each one wore matching duck brown overalls, just like Alex and Cameron, and just like Cal. Already they were acting closer than mere coworkers, many standing with their hands around each other's shoulders or hips. Others stood tall with their hands on their overalls straps.

As Alex and Cameron approached, each man greeted them with a firm handshake and compliment on their overalls. The two newcomers responded in kind, happy to share their regards for their new favorite outfit.

The coming two weeks would be transformative. Cal led the group of employees, each dressed in matching overalls, in masculine activities, like wood-chopping, working on cars, lifting weights, and carpentry. After each day of hard masculine labor, the men would gather around in their overalls, crack open a beer, and listen as Cal gave a sermon on the importance of masculinity in today's modern world. Each day, the men would would feel prouder and prouder to be a man and to embrace overalls as the uniform for any real, proper man.

As the night came to an end, the men would pair off and return to their bunks. Alex and Cameron were bunkmates of course. They would crawl into bed together, their muscles sore from the day's laboring and their bodies still covered in their overalls. There they would continue their intimate masculine bonding as they expressed their newfound fraternal love for each other.

Now, not even a week into the retreat, Cameron and Alex have already pledged to wear only overalls once they return home. In fact, all of the workers have made the same pledge. Their boss is requiring them to wear overalls at the office too, and any new employee or intern will be required to attend Cal's retreat to be properly educated on how to be a man.

Cameron and Alex have never been happier, as they have since moved into together. Two men sharing a life full of masculine energy, united in their overalls. They have never felt such purpose and meaning. They were men in overalls, and proud of it.

[waterfire1848]

Sokkla Zombie Apocalypse AU please!

Hello, anon!!!

1. Sokka and Azula meet when Sokka goes into an abandoned warehouse looking for supplies and Azula attacks him, claiming everything in there is hers. Sokka tries to attack her but Azula moves around him and pins him down (Azula: At least now I have a sacrifice for the zombies. Sokka: Please, I need the medical supplies. That’s all! Just give me that and I’ll be out of your hair. Azula: And then you’ll need my weapons, food, clean water, I’m not an idiot.). Needless to say, she gives Sokka nothing which isn’t good before she’s the only one for miles with a good supply. Sokka is kicked out but stays, waiting for her to leave so he can get back in and get what he needs. He tries to break in again but she traps him, leaving him hanging up in a net. (Azula: What do you want? You seriously can’t be this stupid to actually try and steal from me. Sokka: I wouldn’t call it stupidity, more like…hopefulness that you’re a heavy sleeper. Azula: Stupidity.) Once again, she lets him go and tells him to leave.

2. Sokka, of course, sticks around but the next day he notices that the warehouse is getting attacked by zombies and Azula is struggling to hold them all off on her own. (A lot of weapons is great but you know what’s better? Having people to fire them). Acting on instinct, Sokka jumps down and helps Azula kill them all and secure the warehouse to make it more zombie proof. (Azula: Why did you save me? Sokka:…. Azula: You’re not taking my stuff. Sokka: Then let me help you and earn some stuff. I can help get food, help with the zombies, get more stuff from the city…I can help you. Azula: Fine). Azula agrees to let him stay and contribute and the two become pretty close friends. They bond over shared stories, make jokes together, help heal one another, and Azula even shares that she’s the last of her family (everyone else became a zombie) which is why she’s all alone. That’s the night that they kiss for the first time. For the next two weeks, everything is pretty perfect until Sokka tells Azula that he has to leave for a while. (Azula: What? For a meeting at the office? Sokka: I love that you think I’d have an office job. No, I just have to get something. Azula: Hurry back and take one or two of the weapons. Sokka: And the food? Azula: I think I’ll handle how much food you should take. Without being held back, you’d take all our food. Sokka: You know me so well *Kisses her* Azula: Sokka…stay safe. Sokka: I will. I promise.)

3. Sokka disappears for the next week after that, making Azula fear that something has happened. As the start of the second week rolls around, Azula goes to bed in terror that he’s gone and never coming back. Then, sometime that night, Sokka returns with a badly sick woman and one other person, someone who looks to be a couple years younger than Sokka and the woman. (Azula: What is going on? Sokka: This is who I needed the medical supplies for: my sister, Katara. I got a letter a couple days ago from Aang, that’s him, that she was getting worse and….and we lost a few of our people). Katara is provided with what medicine Azula has and starts to slowly recover. With three bodies in the warehouse now, it’s really started to take more shape and more supplies has been added. (Sokka: Hey. I’m sorry for bringing even more people here. I know you had a cozy little pad here and now Aang is here and Katara is here. It’s a lot. Azula: No comment on you being here? Sokka: I figured I would get special privileges as the boyfriend and all. Azula: What makes you think that? Sokka: ☹️. Azula: I’m kidding. I actually really like that you guys are here. I…It feels nice to not be the only person here anymore.)

4. Time passes. Katara grows stronger and stronger and helps secure the warehouse, Aang is incredibly fast and able to get resources from the city (he also knows how to farm and tries his hand at that), Sokka goes with Aang to get stuff or he’s in the warehouse helping set up surveillance, and Azula is helping Katara get better and setting up longer range weapons. Sokka and Azula’s relationship grows stronger and stronger with everyday. They train together, eat together, sleep together and, basically, spend as much time together as they can. (Sokka: Sick of me yet. Azula: No. Lucky for you, you’re very cute.) They got a pretty good little home and have stay relatively safe (of course there’s always a few attacks but for the most part they’ve been able to keep the warehouse and everyone safe). A year passes with the group living together happily until they’re asleep one night, Sokka is woken up from a lovely rest when Azula almost steps on him getting to the window (Sokka: Done cuddling for the night? Azula: Someone’s here. Sokka: How do you have heading that good? Azula: Live on your own for 10 years, you get some good hearing. Zombies are coming. Wake up Katara and Aang!) It’s not zombies. It’s Ty Lee and Mai.

5. Azula is beyond happy to see her childhood friends are alive, but that happiness kind of disappears when she hears them say that there is a civilization of people and that they can go with them. Azula doesn’t want to leave their warehouse. She claims it’s too dangerous for them to go and that they would risk being out in the open. Mai and Ty Lee try to argue that it’s better over there and safer, but still Azula refuses. Sokka is on the fence because, on the one hand, he doesn’t want to leave Azula, but on the other hand he wants to make sure his sister and Aang are safe. (Azula: I’m not leaving. I’ve put years of my life into this place. Sokka: You will die if you stay here! Azula: Then I’ll die! I just know that this place is safe! We’re happy, safe-there’s food! Water! Everything we need is here! Sokka: That’s all at the other camp too and there we won’t have to do so much on our own. You said you were lonely but if we go to this new place there will be so many more people and- Azula: It’s too dangerous. We have to stay. Sokka: We have to leave! Yes, it’s dangerous but once we get there we’ll be safe. Azula…. Sokka: I-Please come with us, Azula. Please. Azula: This is my home. It’s kept me safe for so long. I just…Sokka: I know. It was hard for Katara and me to leave when our family died but we had each other. You’ll have Katara, Aang, Mai, Ty Lee and me. Azula:…You’re sure we should leave? Sokka: I really think it’s safer for us to go. Azula: Okay. I’ll go, but I’ll be uncomfortable the entire time. Sokka: And that’s why I’ll be right there with you). They leave next week and head to the bigger settlement. Sokka stays with Azula so she can be sure the place is locked and protected in case they need to return. From there, he takes her hand and they walk away.

[kitkatopinions]

Pyrrha, for the rewrite challenge

Alrighty, this one will be fun! Here's the thing about Pyrrha, I love her, but I don't know if I would write her to survive the fall of Beacon in a re-write. I go back and forth on it. So I'll write up to the fall of beacon, and then I'll write an 'if Pyrrha lived' thing too, because I just can't choose. XD

So, backstory for our girl. For a long time now, I've headcanoned that Pyrrha's parents were kind of like the Hunter version of pageant parents. I'd have it so Pyrrha's semblance was discovered when she was a toddler, and her parents started to make her do daily exercising, take daily fighting lessons, watch old Vytal tournaments, and started trying to build her up a brand to make her into 'the world's best huntress' as early as possible. (Also she'd be doing 'semblance training,' because in my rewrite, I would make semblances something that takes effort and training to use effectively.) I'd make it so that Pyrrha had a slow building resentment to her parents and the future they envisioned for her, but they put a lot of pressure on her to continue, insisting that she loves combat and has a duty to help people. So, Pyrrha would spend the first fifteen years of her life kind of just doing what her parents want, erring on the side of rich and feeling like she can't complain because of all the nice things she has, but also not happy. And she wouldn't have any friends, always too busy with training and brand deals and stuff to make or keep them (though I'd make it so that she and Neptune know each other from the combat school in Mistral. XD) Pyrrha's first big choice that's outside of what her parents want would be attending Beacon instead of Haven.

As for her time at Beacon, I would first introduce Pyrrha not right after Jaune comments about wanting to find a cute quirky girl, but as someone who seems eager to learn and inspired by Oz and Glynda at when they address the students. I would still make her partners with Jaune in their first challenge, but I wouldn't have Pyrrha teach Jaune how to fight alone. I'd make it so that Team JNPR and RWBY figure out pretty easily that Jaune (although less clueless than he is in canon) can't fight very well, and Jaune, Ren, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Yang keep covering for him and insist on helping him learn, and Weiss and Blake reluctantly get pulled into it. So it's actually a group thing that helps establish a bond between Team RWBY and Team JNPR, rather than like... A ship thing. I would also make taking Cardin down a peg into more of a victory for Pyrrha thing rather than making it all about Jaune while she secretly helps from the sidelines. I would have it so that even though Cardin still bullies Jaune, he also picks on and disrespects the other mains, and Pyrrha frequently rises to the challenge and 'embarrasses' him, and Cardin's misogynist vibes from canon turn into blatant misogyny, lol, and Pyrrha figures out a way to get him suspended or maybe even expelled eventually. I would also start setting up her and Weiss as having crushes on each other around the dance arc, having Pyrrha's crush on Jaune still present but not reciprocated, and having Pyrrha wind up with a romantic moment with Weiss rather than pairing Weiss off with Neptune for that. I'd make it so that Pyrrha's family also is trying to get her to do all this stuff she doesn't want to do, and she confides in Weiss about it and that kind of makes Weiss think a bit about her own family and what she wants.

Then we get to season three territory, and I would use the whole Maiden thing ("Guardian" in my rewrite) to give Pyrrha a stronger connection to Oz and Glynda specifically, and make Oz really contrast her parents by assuring Pyrrha that going through with being a Guardian is her choice and her choice alone, that she doesn't have to do it, and really is just guilt trip free. I'd have Pyrrha keep it from her team, and instead confine in Weiss what's going on without specifics (to get Team RWBY more involved in inner circle stuff earlier.) Then maybe Weiss would be the one who goes with Pyrrha when she goes to become a Guardian during the fall. If I had her die, those are the only changes I'd make, and I'd have her death impact a lot of people outside of Jaune, specifically Weiss. I'd also have a funeral for her that Ruby and JNR would attend at the end of V3 before they set off on their mission but Weiss, Yang, and Blake have to miss due to their respective issues, which is a wild missed opportunity in canon.

But if I did have Pyrrha live, I still wouldn't have her be involved in the main story for a while. I would have her lose to Cinder and nearly die (which is what Ruby sees and triggers her silver eyes still,) but be taken to Atlas by Ironwood to receive critical care. Ruby would tell people what she saw, leaving most people certain that she's dead and Jaune one of the only people who insists she might still be alive (I do like Jaune as a concept, I'm not gonna give him nothing. XD) Pyrrha would take a while to recover, but then start working to help Ironwood in Atlas, not attending school there and instead tutoring directly under Winter and the Ace Ops. She'd be more serious and subdued after her near death experience, and not very sure of herself, leading her to not take the offer of becoming the next Winter Guardian and instead having Penny slotted for that role. And Team RWBY and co would be shocked to meet her again when they were brought in on Ironwood's plans. Then I'd have her kind of act as a bit of a bridge between Team RWBY and Ironwood and the Ace Ops along with Penny. And I might have her be on Team RWBY's side while Penny is on Ironwood's side when they have their split (though of course I'd give that heavy editing and not make Ironwood a villain.) But also as for Pyrrha and Weiss... I'd have Weiss have moved on and now have stronger feelings for Yang, and Pyrrha would have to deal with and accept that. I might find someone else to put Pyrrha with eventually... But yeah, her and Weiss wouldn't end up together.

That's my plan, anyway.

[itzymidzy]

GRAMMY

In the concept trailer, each member embodies a distinct character in a unique setting, but the final message, "Our World Is Still Different," unites them all. Why did you feel highlighting the concept of being unapologetic yourself was important?

Yuna: It's been a while since we all came back as five, and we really want to show the audience that our friendship is always unique and fun. I think the key elements [for our group] are respect and consideration, and these acts have built trust — creating a stronger and deeper bond.

Lia: The message from our debut hasn't changed. It has always been the same, but with [diverse] themes and perspectives on every comeback. We just thought it was nice timing together as five to remember that message [of being different]. We still feel the same way as we were five, or six years ago, and we will continue to spread it.

Which song from your new album do you believe best reflects this core belief, and in what ways does it connect with your individuality?

Yeji: I believe the title track "GOLD" best represents our individuality, especially because it conveys the message of how we shine most when we are all together and how our world changes after "meeting you." We wanted to portray this feeling to [our fans], MIDZY, and also how we just shine by comparing it to gold.

Chaeryeong: We really want to show very different sides of ourselves. I want to show that ITZY is a team that can pull off and express all kinds of feelings.

In the past, I used to approach things with the mindset of "Let's do well with what we've prepared," but now, depending on the stage, I do what I've prepared, while also expressing what I feel at the moment. Personally, I feel more connected to "Imaginary Friend."

The contrast between "GOLD" and "Imaginary Friend" is striking. What song proved to be the most difficult to record yet left you feeling the proudest? And what aspects of the experience made it so demanding?

Yeji: I'd say it was "Imaginary Friend," and I was a bit worried [initially]. We've never sung a song that feels this dreamy and fantastical before, so the vibe of the track itself felt like a challenge for us. But as we went through it, I realized it wasn't that we couldn't do it — it was just that we hadn't tried it yet. It became a recording session where I rediscovered the members' voices and talents.

Ryujin: I think "GOLD" was a little bit more difficult because we had to show that [atmosphere] that we hear from the original [demo]. I felt that the song was wild yet youthful, lively but still weighty, so I prepared for recording by analyzing even more the pronunciation, trying to figure out which parts gave me that feeling.

With a song called "Bad Girls R Us" listeners might expect a heavy-hitting instrumental, but instead, we encounter an elegant, dynamic composition. What were your initial impressions of this composition, and how is ITZY redefining or expanding the concept of a "Bad Girl" by blending this tempered sound with a bold title?

Lia: It’s one of the tracks that I listen to the most from this album even before its release. Once you put on your speakers or your earphones and listen to it, you feel very bad but powerful. [Laughs]. Listeners can also get into that character, and I also thought it'd be a fun song to perform in a concert maybe in the future.

Ryujin: I love a song with minimal sounds, and "Bad Girls R Us," is a good example, so it's my favorite song [from this album]. I put a lot of effort into making this song more charming, and I love the results. The "bad girl" in this song is more about a cool vibe.

"Supernatural" is made of beautiful and ethereal melodies, and it feels like a journey through the sky. What emotions surfaced for you inside the studio? Or what personal experiences inspired your creative expression in this song?

Chaeryeong: I wanted to portray that I’m an angel. [Laughs]. I thought it would sound even more beautiful if we blended in more breath, giving it a mystical and nostalgic vibe. It was fascinating to receive such an ethereal and emotional song, and I loved it as soon as I heard it!

In "FIVE," how does the song's message resonate with where you are now as a group? Is there a particular lyric that holds special meaning for you and that you'd like listeners to pay close attention to?

Yeji: I feel like this song captures the fact that ITZY shines the brightest when there are five of us. We weren’t perfect from the beginning, but as time passed, we laughed, cried, and grew together, making the number five even more meaningful.

Ryujin: Since the lyrics carry the meaning that the five of us are the most perfect together, I think MIDZY, who’s been waiting for our full group comeback, will relate to it the most. The line "But nothing is better than five" seems to best capture the message of the song.

"VAY" stands out for its collaboration with Changbin from Stray Kids, who's known for his intense rapping style. How would you describe your dynamic with him during the recording process?

Lia: It was a very comfortable and nice experience. [Changbin] knows our voice and singing, so it was more convenient for him to direct us throughout the session, for example, when dividing parts or whatever expressions we had to use — it was much easier working with someone who understands us.

I remember him telling me to have more confidence because, at the start, I was worried if I could express the right emotions. He was very nice in complimenting us; he told us, "You guys are already good at it."

Lia, from all the songs the group re-recorded from Born To Be, which one were you the most excited to work on and why?

Lia: It's hard to pick one, because the previous album also had different sides of songs, and they were all very nice. One of my favorite songs was "Escalator" because when I was at the concert, I thought it was really cool and amazing. It’s just a sophisticated song in a style that I like.

Finally, could you delve into one personal objective you hope to accomplish during this era?

Yuna: The choreography of "GOLD" is very powerful, so while having our performances, I want us to do it very safely and well. I plan to consistently stretch and get treatments with my physician.

Yeji: Adding to Yuna's answer, I want to show ITZY, more clearly as a team, to a much larger audience. And to MIDZY, I want to say thank you so much for waiting for us. We will have a great time during this [promotional cycle].