#and knowing that it'll be a while before i am full recognized for who i am

[scruklytrashpandas]

I don't think people who are cis/het/white understand what its like to see someone whos like you one screen. Like. Me and pavitr prabhakar have the same hair. I could literally grow my hair and go outside a bit and just. Be Him. And then the fact that at our base values, the idea i can do it all, and the fact he's so hyper, like. Its one thing to relate to someone on a personality level. Thats great, thats deep. But im literally on the screen. Like. How insane is that. It's me!!!

[indigo-a-creeping]

I am replaying FFVI for the millionth time, but the first time in a while, and the opening bit? Chilling and depressing.

Everyone in town is hiding from the Empire's invading forces. Not just soldiers. Not even just Magitek soldiers. Three Magitek riders, including the Empire's secret weapon who uses ancient magical forces that nobody really understands. And they've given people magic before, but Terra was born with it. Is that common knowledge? Even if it's not, she's a terrifying force of nature.

Biggs and Wedge are responsible for her, and they're pretty confident that they have full control over her... but she could cast Fire on them any time she wanted to. No one is there to help them. But it'll be fine, right? Everyone told them it would be fine.

They beat a few guards, no match for their Magitek weapons, just mow them all down. The guards know it's hopeless, but they keep trying. Then they run into Ymir (Whelk), and they recognize that this isn't just some cave creature. It was raised and trained by the citizens. People have cared for it. Probably the same people who were just murdered in the streets. Does it know that the humans who fed it are dead? Did they treat it well? It doesn't matter, it's dead too now.

Then the esper itself - It was supposed to be a simple mission to retrieve it. It was supposed to be dead. And then this girl who's been completely docile all this time, who they've been assured is under complete control... walks up to the esper and starts... communing with it somehow. What's going on? Too late, Biggs and Wedge have been blasted into oblivion by what was supposed to be a dead rock.

Terra is there for this, and then she has to deal with the slave crown being removed, her whole world changing, people helping her, people hunting her, having no idea who she is or who to trust, being told to run, being chased, falling...

Then the flashback. The bit where Kefka places the crown on her head and checks that she's obedient is disturbing, but then she remembers being taken into battle against Imperial soldiers, and killing them. They were on the same side. Did they know they were being used as target practice for the Empire's new weapon? Was this a punishment for something, or were they chosen randomly?

Anyway, I love this game. :)

[everlywindex]

TODAY. MUTANT MAYHEM TEASER TRAILER. OUT TODAY. I AM SO FUCKING HYPED.

i have been so fucking hyped ever since i saw the concept art. with rottmnt's cancellation i've been praying that the creators behind this new iteration will be able to tell their full creative vision, and i plan to be with this new iteration every step of the way on that journey.

i've been watching this movie's leaks closely (due to the fact that i am a tmnt hungry autism gremlin who needs every scrap of knowledge on this movie possible) and today i want to lay out all my personal thoughts, opinions and speculation before the teaser!

soo yeah let's get this show on the road!

1. i am a bit frightened of mr. rogen but damn does the crew look promising

at first glance the producer of sausage party also producing a tmnt movie seems like something straight out of the nightmare dimension and i can't say that i've seen rogen's other work therefore i can't reassure anyone that sausage party is an outlier and the rest of his work is actually genius or anything like that.

HOWEVER it does seem that he's gonna be taking mutant mayhem pretty seriously! he, along with the director & a co-producer, have been stated to be huge fans and this is supposedly a big passion project for them that's been in the works for years

additionally, it seems to be very focused on the "teenage" aspect of tmnt, shown in part by how they've decided to get actual teenage voice actors for the turtles. it seems to be more of a coming of age character driven movie than a typical action blockbuster. so it's certainly not just a cash grab to make money off of the tmnt brand or anything, there is heart here

i'm not familiar with evan goldberg or james weaver either, but jeff rowe........ not only has he worked on gravity falls, but he also co-directed the mitchells vs the machines. another movie that blurs the lines between 2d and 3d animation phenomenally and masterfully handles complicated family dynamics as well as a neurodivergent teenage queer protagonist

so honestly his place on this project already has me very excited and while i haven't watched gravity falls yet, anyone else who's seen mitchells-machines knows damn well we're in good hands

the movie has also been described as "left of center" as well which means hopefully anyone who complained about the rise turtles looking too non-binary or whatever and is looking forward to a "more classic, less woke" iteration will be in for a very rude awakening. Lmao

the animation style is supposed to mimic doodles and sketchy art styles, a lot like mitchells, so you can see that influence! you can even see sketch lines and whatnot on the leaked turtle designs which is super fucking cool and i'm so excited to see it in action tonight!!

2. donatello takes minecraft hunger games (for the first time in history!)

the turtles themselves are also, as i mentioned earlier, gonna be played by actual teenagers. the rumored casting involves three dudes i've never heard of as leo, raph and mikey so i can't really speak on them in depth even though they look promising!

but i think we've all recognized nicolas cantu as gumball and, even though i myself haven't seen TAWOG, i think he could be a pretty good fit? honestly i'd just be glad to have donnie's voice actor be the same guy who hunted down james charles in a minecraft tournament and promised to eliminate the middle class on smplive(?) just because then people will be able to animate mm!donnie to that audio and it'll be glorious

i honestly hope that those slightly unhinged gamer vibes carry over into donnie's actual character, possibly as a combo of influence from nicolas cantu himself and maybe as a remnant of rise!donnie. given that he was the best donatello by far, fight me, i hope they take the whole "borrowing elements from previous iterations to make this like a cool mega mashup combo of them" idea that was discussed, and give mm!donnie a lot of rise!donnie influence. that would just be so rad i think but maybe i'm just biased w rise!donnie being my favorite tmnt character of all time and all

3. SO ABOUT THAT LEAKED CHARACTER STUFF

THE DESIGNS ARE AWESOME i know a lot of people were mixed on them and i was too but they've been really growing on me!

i absolutely loved donnie's design right from the start though. he just has a lot of neat little details that set him apart from the others! his glasses, his little phone, his headphones (which i pray are noise cancelling) his weapon having jujutsu kaisen and sailor moon stickers on it HELL YEAH !!

i was kinda bummed out when they took his snaggletooth because i thought it was cute but i can see why they removed it, maybe to stay away from like the kind of "buck toothed nerd" stereotype that they might have felt they were getting a bit too close to. What they had better not fucking remove? The autism. given that the entire mitchell family is highly autistic coded though i am trusting jeff rowe not to fuck this up

speaking of neurodivergency, mikey had adhd in both 2012 and rise and they had better fucking keep that as well!

i also heard some rumors that 2012 raph and donnie had adhd and ocd respectively and i haven't been able to find any evidence for those but like.. y'know it'd still be cool to see those included in mutant mayhem as well! especially since, bringing up mitchells-machines again, aaron canonically had mild ocd so it's not like it would be out of the realm of possibility for them to give that to a turtle

honestly i love donnie's design so much bc of the little details it has that tell ya more about him in comparison to the others. i kinda wish mikey kept the stickers on his shell kinda like rise!mikey had, and i also would've liked it if raph still had some bandaids here and there like in his concept art design. of course i am mourning leo's braces just like the rest of us but at least mikey gets to keep em. i'm not even 100% sure that he's lost the braces in the first place though so we'll just see in the teaser trailer if he still has em or not!

of course though i'm always down to see an iteration give the characters designs reminescent of the turtle species they're directly based on (like rottmnt giving each turtle their own respective turtle species, and then giving them features respective of that species, like leo's red and yellow streaks, donnie's soft shell, mikey's pretty orangey-gold dapples, and raph's spikes) mostly because it's just cool and spices up the designs! so while the mutant mayhem turtles don't seem to have anything indicative of their species it'd just... It'd be awesome y'know. I'd like it

also in terms of the action figure leaks i think they're cute but i especially love the splinter design we got. He just looks so Dad and i really hope this iteration can stray further from the stereotypes and the "yikes" aspects of his character a bit more. i have faith in y'all!

i don't have much to say on the leaked character personality descriptions other than people on the internet will rlly just believe anything NO raph will NOT be canonically using he/she pronouns guys. paramount and nickelodeon are not fucking brave enough for that. i will still be he/she'ing raph throughout the entirety of this essay though because it is my favorite technically founded by canon hc that we have been presented with

also i haven't watched good will hunting. but now i feel like i should. i need to understand that little purple turtle more

4. i think if they give mikey a gun the entire plot will be over in two minutes

there are a lot of theories on how this movie's story is gonna go!

one is that the boys are gonna get cloaking brooches (like in rise) in order to disguise themselves as humans and attend school. and iii kinda doubt that! mostly because of their voice actors. given that the turtles are presumably biological brothers in this iteration that means either they'd all be poc or none of them would be. the former would be odd since two of their voice actors are white and therefore you'd have white actors playing poc characters, and the latter would be just as bad since the turtles are infamously blasian coded and it would just be straight up whitewashing

i think casting white actors as blasian coded characters might in itself be fairly questionable but if anything it pretty much solidifies that we won't be seeing the turtles' human forms in this movie because that would make it.. even more visibly questionable to people who may not have looked into it as much initially, which the crew would want to avoid i think. so if they attend school it'll either be openly as mutants or under some kind of disguise

whatever the case though i think sending the turtles to school is a pretty new and fun concept!

i really hope we get that one scene people theorize could happen where donnie puts on his headphones and triggers an action scene with the action synced to the music. that'd be fucking lit

i think the movie will probably end on a note similar to luca where the turtles are able to come out of hiding and there's a "some people? they'll never accept them. but some will. and they seem to know how to find the good ones." kind of message. the good ones in question being probably april, casey, keno? God i hope keno's in this

maybe the ending is letting mutants as a whole have a chance to be more involved in society. they were previously hiding in shadows but the turtles' heroic actions opens things up for them to start being more accepted? idk that's just my thinking

5. guys i'm sorry but that storyboard is so fake

i'm not going to go into it in detail since someone already did that in this post

but yeah that storyboard is most likely not at all real. which also means we sadly may not be getting a black plus sized april for this movie. it would be awesome! but it may just.. not be happening

so like if the teaser comes out and april looks nothing like that, then uh.. y'know. don't freak out

6. speculation on the teaser and marketing going forward

so i think that since this is gonna be a more character driven teen movie than an action hero movie with high tense dramatic stakes and whatnot, the teaser is gonna reflect that. i remember when they talked about a demo video that they made to showcase the art style (that was never released to the public,) where raph had one of her brothers record her skateboarding into a store and breaking something before they both ran outta there laughing and i think that. If anything? the trailer could be kinda reminescent of that

not literally that, of course, but something similarly modern teenager-y and goofy that would establish the characters' personalities and family dynamics well

maybe something like mikey doing a vlog where he talks about his friends and family members and we get to see moments of him bothering them for interviews or content for his vlog. and like you can just imagine all of the short clips and shenanigans that would come from that and how it could lead to a fun format for a teaser or even full trailer y'know! especially considering what we know of the movie's themes

one more thing i want to say is that god i just really hope this movie takes the puss in boots 2 route with its marketing. it'd just be so funny i wanna see the turtles making tiktoks to promote the movie where they prank each other and get into trouble and shit like it'd just be so goofy!!

and uhh... Yeah! i think that's all i have to say! these are all my thoughts lined up and written out and i'm excited to look back on this after the trailer, and possibly even after the movie, just to see how like.... things were before. Y'know.

but yeah hashtag i was here for the first trailer drop on the seth rogen tmnt iteration 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀

see you guys after the kid's choice awards!!!

[artikgato]

10/15/2023

Well, it was raining yesterday, so I didn't go out for the jogwalk. I did today, though! It took me until like 10:30 but I did do it!

I was also up until nearly 1am last night...reading a fanfic. A Slayers fanfic. A 60+ chapter Slayers fanfic, currently unfinished, in the year of our lord twenty twenty-three. I have no excuses. I make it a policy to almost never read unfinished fanfics, for one. I also knew exactly what I was getting into when I saw the chapter count and just shrugged and went YOLO I guess?

Okay, so it all started with Anime Weekend Atlanta announced, less than a month out from their con by the way, a whole slew of new guest announcements. The schedule is out now and it's less than two weeks to the con so I think they're done doing that now, but I digress. They announced Veronica Taylor as a guest. Well, years ago I already had the honor of meeting her and getting her to sign my VHS copy of Pokémon The First movie, so I don't necessarily need her autograph on any more Pokémon stuff. But of course she's in plenty of other things, including Slayers, which is one of my absolute favorite media franchises, period. So naturally I have to get her to sign for Amelia! And Lisa Ortiz, the voice of Lina, will be a guest at a convention I'm going to in March, so I can get her to sign, too! Fantastic!

And then, because I haven't really thought about Slayers in a long time, my brain went I should cosplay from Slayers again. I've been wanting to for a while. I cosplayed Filia (from TRY) waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, maybe I could remake her? (I do still want to do that, FYI, talk about obscure characters though am I right?) Or despite being so tall, I've always liked Lina's character design, she'd be great. I can probably pull that off before Khromakon in March, but absolutely not before AWA. But do you know who I could pull off before AWA?

Yeah, so I actually cosplayed Xelloss all the way back in high school. I never wore him to a convention, and it was a very bad cosplay. Technically, my first cosplay. (Technically, because my actual first cosplay was a very, very very bad closet cosplay of emperor Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi the year prior, my junior year of high school. Our high school banned Halloween costumes but a gaggle of my stupid friends and I decided to see if we could get away with just wearing regular clothes but clearly being in cosplay. So I was Hotohori, a friend braided her hair and was Duo Maxwell, etc. etc.)

Anyway, my aunt made the cloak for me, and I still have it all these years later. The rest of the cosplay would be easy, because of how skilled I am now. I can 100% do this cosplay in time for AWA, and it'll be fun! He's a pretty recognizable character from a classic anime, so while I'm sure The Kids won't recognize me, I'll get at least a few people excited to find someone else that remembers Slayers. And hey, I already cosplayed one evil purple-haired anime prettyboy this year (Okada Izou) so why not two?

So anyway, I made a deal with myself. I would go to no more than three thrift stores after work one day and see if I could find a yellow turtleneck. If I could, I would proceed with the costume. If I didn't, oh well, it's not like I don't have a closet full of cosplays to wear. And wouldn't you know it, I found the turtleneck at the third Goodwill. So I ordered a wig, and now I just need to do a few minor alterations and possibly make the staff.

And so, with Xelloss Metallium now fully on my brain, I remembered that, oh yeah, Xelloss/Filia was one of the OTPs for me back in the day. One of the very first ships I got really, really invested in. And I wondered if, in the fifteen or so years since the least time I probably looked, any good new Xel/Fil fics had been written. I mean, the last time I was really invested in the ship, Evolution-R and Revolution hadn't even come out yet! A03 didn't exist yet! What was the harm of taking just a little, tiny peak at A03, right?

And that's how I ended up binge reading a 60+ Slayers fanfiction, in the year of our Lord Of Nightmares 2023. I'm not even done reading, but I've got shit to do today!

Time: 21:41 Weather: 63, sunny Humidity: 60% Song of the Day: Ghost, Mystery Skulls

[ladala99]

More Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermilion Rambling

Extreme spoilers edition - I'm about 7/8 of the way through the game, I think. Maybe a little less. My characters are level 36 and my completed file has them at like, 43.

After a big Detective Pikachu->Mewtwo Raid->preparing 3DS Pokemon games Pokemon for transfer (which I'm still in the middle of) break, I'm back to playing A Tear of Vermilion, at least during the weekdays.

At first I had a harder time getting into it, but then I actually got to the next story beat: the confirmation that Mile is alive.

I didn't actually remember this part - the part at the starting village. With Mile's possessed body being used by the main villain to cause problems in the village and corrupt the nature spirit.

Already, I am a sucker for games that take you back to the starting village, but something is wrong. Neopets: The Darkest Faerie in particular hit me hard since I played in the starting village as a kid and didn't beat the game until I was in college.

In this game it didn't hit me as hard, but it still hit. The darker music in the familiar town. The peaceful villagers being possessed by the villains and being used against Avin. And Mile in particular. The childhood friend. The healer in all aspects. Being used as a weapon against his best friend.

And now, past that, I've reached a plot point where Avin and co. are trying to find an explosive crystal and I'm like "why do I remember this of all things?" Although, by Michel's reaction to them, I wonder if what I remember is from Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, as I've played that game twice. I do recognize Michel's full name and I know he's from that game, but I think he has green hair in that game while it's brown in this one? Unless I'm mixing him up with someone else.

Seems there is one nature spirit left to save, and then we'll be able to enter the final area. Writer guy says he's wrapping up his series, and I got the final book in the Swordsmaster series, so the game seems to be coming to a close.

It is interesting how the story changes to be much more videogame-y after the first half. In the first half, you're traveling the land with two goals: deliver a thing to one place, and then another, and find Eimelle, wherever she happens to be. Everything else that happens is incidental, and Avin and co. get involved because they're good people who want to help. This ends up making them friends who help Avin in his goals.

The second half, you go to a shrine and find out you need to backtrack across the land and go to 5 other shrines. Each shrine has a boss you must defeat to receive a token. Get all the tokens to unlock the final area.

And of course, getting back into the series, I get obsessed a bit and decided to think about/chart out my course through the Trails series to follow. Nevermind that I still have two more Gagharv games I want to beat before then, and nevermind that I have a ton of other games I'll be mixing in, meaning it will be literal years before I get to my first new game.

Perhaps my biggest problem - the fact that I own Trails in the Sky First Chapter and don't have any way to get the others - will be solved by then. Maybe they'll actually release that trilogy for Switch (or Switch 2 or whatever).

Or maybe not. And I'll have to make the decision then whether I want to watch a playthrough of the other two games to see their stories before moving on or accept the uncommon situation of having the information of the first game and not the others going into the second arc.

I should probably watch the videos. Since I think I'd be more confused knowing some but not all than I would knowing nothing going into the second arc. But I'm not going to not play the game I bought.

But this is also Not Something I Should Be Worrying About Right Now. Because, again, it'll be years before I reach the point where I'm starting the Trails series.

[sbnkalny]

unknowndespair: What pokemon am I right? worst nuts

thingswillbeloudnow: Fifth fleet, am I right? what are you gonna tell a lie

vanillashiba: Sisters and brothers of the fifth fleet, am i right? what are you

vanillashiba: Fifth Fleet, am I right? what are you counting down the days? what is coming?

sergal: If someone STABs you with a fish with big titties but the rest of the Fifth fleet, Am i

thingswillbeloudnow: The first industrial aeroplane show, an industrial show, of exhibited full-size airplanes, opened on new year's eve 1910 as part of the fifth fleet, am i right? what are you gonna tell A lie?

thingswillbeloudnow: The first industrial aeroplane show, an Industrial show, of exhibited full-size airplanes, opened on new world cuisine

unknowndespair: The first industrial aeroplane show, an industrial show, of exhibited full-size airplanes, opened on new year's EVE 1910 as part of the river's life begins soon after leaving vienna, and long before you come to Budapest, the danube is shoved this way and that against the cliffs, and forced to Hurry breakfast, for the train and fight!

unknowndespair: Who were your friends? where did you come from, where did you Come to Budapest, the danube is shoved this way and I have long to live.

thingswillbeloudnow: Crying for a boss after leaving vienna, and long before you come to Budapest, the danube utterly declining to recognize the island in order to remove it now

vanillashiba: After leaving vienna, and long before you come to Budapest, the danube enters a region of singular loneliness and desolation, where its waters lives the King of vaporwave?

sergal: you come to Budapest, the danube here wanders about at will

thingswillbeloudnow: Come to Budapest, the Danube here wanders about at will among the intricate network of aqueducts and tunnels, i KNEW I wasn’t really sure If if haunted Hill farm has an edible corm (bulbo-tuber).

unknowndespair: Aruba, Jamaica, oh i know it'll be like?- a little scary.Welcome to Honex,a division of Honescoand a part of the river's life begins soon after leaving vienna, and long before you COME to Budapest, the danube utterly declining to recognize the island is where our ship was supposed to be fun and relaxed, not “hell: it got so outrageously drunk That I woke up hi

sergal: Why does Godzilla Look like he has cheddar cheese all over him? like i know it'll be like?- a little scary.Welcome to Honex,a division of Honescoand a part of me and you dont exist in this Realm fell Spirit

sergal: I hope that you Are a giant woman oh i know it'll be like?- a little scary.Welcome to Honex,a division of Honescoand a part of the hexagon Group.This is it!Wow.Wow.We know that you, as a Man, get it together.

unknowndespair: Disease / illness you may find yourself in another part of the hexagon Group.This is it!Wow.Wow.We know that you, as a bee,have worked your WHOLE adventure to rescue lisa Simpson from a big gingerbread man while he avoids cookies and smashes magic lamps with a crucifix.

[nukaposting]

it's such a fun game. the mechanics, visuals and freedom to explore are all phenomenal. i am absolutely obsessed with the food, and the boostpack is a gift from todd himself. when it comes to the characters and their fates, starfield is one of the only games to ever make me cry. i love this game, which it what makes it so hard for me to criticize. but here we go. (full spoilers below)

the problem lies in the ending. the phrase i would use to describe it is Illusion of Choice. you are pushed into a decision that essentially, in the context of the story, removes you from existence and places you into a new universe as an ascended being. you then return to constellation and have the option to either start the story over, or embark on some more exploration stuff (new game plus).

the revelations that lead to this whole multiverse (the Unity) thing are thrown at you in RAPID succession. first, a character dies. it's downright gutwrenching, and if you don't see it coming (like i didn't), it WILL destroy you. a little while later, you end up speaking to these two masked representatives of the species you eventually become when you ascend (starborn). one of them is the dead character's murderer (hunter), and the other is the first one's sworn enemy (emissary).

second, . well. i don't know how to explain to you the absolute mind fuck that comes next. basically, both of them are versions of other characters that come from an alternate universe. the hunter reveals that he's some guy from before. the emissary turns out to be the Guy Who Fucking Died.

again, if you aren't expecting this (why would you) it turns your brain right inside out. both of them are trying to convince you that basically "you should die and enter a new universe" which means leaving ALL of your progress, items, companions, EVERYTHING behind. you can either side with one of them or say fuck you both and leave, but you don't need to do any Unity stuff yet.

later there's a big confrontation between you and the starborn guys, and when you add the final artifact to the collection, you get blasted across the universe to the Unity (the multiverse). you speak with Your Own Goddamn Self, the third of three critical hits to your sanity if you're anything like me.

you can enter the Unity or walk away. entering the Unity gives you a new ship, spacesuit, and a beautiful end cinematic. but none of your companions recognize you. the reunion is awkward and unsatisfying. walking away freezes you at the end of the main quest. it'll never complete. you have to ascend if you want to finish the game.

i love starfield, but it fumbles itself in the final act with too many mindfucks and no freedom of choice in the biggest decision in the game. it was shaping up to be the best i'd ever played. bethesda was too ambitious, as always, and the ending of their game fell apart.

i will be playing it again.

just finished starfield. extremely unsatisfying but also blindingly beautiful

[nixie-writes]

Hey I was curious if you could do an Angel x touch starved reader? Basically the reader is extremely depressed and lonely, so they pay a lot of money to hire Angel to simply cuddle for the night and feel ashamed because they feel so desperate for affection and feel like they're no different than any other client that would only see Angel as an object. I am female but it can be gender neutral for everyone if you wanted.❤

OKAY I loved this idea so much I dropped everything to do it right now. This idea is super sweet, I stan Angel when he isn't being whored out by the pimp I'd willingly make my bitch. And thank you so much for being my first unique request I'm so happy <3 I will add now - pronouns are female but there isn't any mention of a body type, so it can be taken as male or gender neutral. TW - mentions of prostitution, explicit depiction of death, mention of cannibalism, mentions of sex, reader has a lot of recent trauma, hurt to comfort, explicit depiction of a panic attack/reaction to grief and guilt This wasn't intended to be such an angsty thing, nor did I expect it to be four pages long according to Google Docs but I sorta let the story carry me and I let it happen. It'll be under the cut because of the trigger warnings mentioned above.

[Y/N]: How much money for one night? Pimp: depends, what u want? [Y/N]: I don’t know yet, I’d just like some time with him.  Pimp: $450 up front extra fee if u rough him up  [Y/N]: That’s fine. Venmo or Cashapp? Pimp: meet me behind my studio and we’ll do our exchange in person. [Y/N]: I’d rather not be seen paying for a prostitute. Pimp: this is hell no one gives a fuck those are my terms [Y/N]: Fine, I'll be there in 30.

Well, fuck. Valentino wants 450 fucking dollars up front to pass Angel Dust, acclaimed porn star and prostitute, to [Y/N] for the night. How she’d saved up this money she was unsure, she just accumulated it over time. It apparently does pay off to save up. Get a low-wage part-time job at a shitty fast food restaurant and endure the bullshit of customers long enough and one could save up a few hundred. Not that anyone else knew she had this kind of money, much less where it was going. 

[Y/N] threw on some loose clothes - baggy gray hoodie with a shitty band t-shirt underneath and matching gray sweatpants. No one could recognize her looking like this. This was fucking embarrassing. Paying a prostitute for hugs and positive affirmation? Whatever God was up there had a cruel sense of humor. [Y/N] was stooping low. After the previous extermination a few months ago nothing had truly been the same. Not like she was happy before then but now, it was only worse. First was the loss of [Y/N]’s only friend, Cleo. During the extermination Cleo was on the phone with [Y/N], their breathing labored as they ran, searching for any nook or cranny to hide in while the exterminators roamed the city. [Y/N] tried her damn best to give Cleo directions to her house but in the midst of Cleo’s panic they got lost and were cornered. Their phone clattered to the concrete ground beneath them, followed by cries of pain and a sickening squelching sound. Cleo managed to grab their phone one last time in an attempt to tell [Y/N] something but their mouth was full of blood and their voice was weak; first was a struggle to make real words, followed by a strangled gurgling and finally an eerie silence. The extermination was over…And so was Cleo. In the following days [Y/N] had located her friend’s corpse; many disgusting things had been done to the lifeless body but Cleo still deserved a rightful funeral and with the help of a certain cannibal, their body was fed to those who needed the food. A request Cleo had made to [Y/N] long ago if they happened to die before she did. All [Y/N] had left of her missing friend was their cell phone. At first [Y/N] considered getting the screen repaired but, the touch screen still worked, there was no inner damage and [Y/N] knew the passcode so she could still view Cleo’s camera gallery. The two took so many photos together, so many dumb drunken selfies and so many pictures of Cleo after a makeover or after getting their nails done. So many pictures of Cleo that once held so much happiness, now only held an empty memory. [Y/N] shut the phone off for the last time and put it away in a drawer and it hasn’t been touched since. 

After Cleo’s passing [Y/N] lost her previous job at some bar as a waitress. It was no special job and for the most part she lived off tips but what upset her was the number of years she’d given to her employer, only to be dropped once another prettier woman applied for [Y/N]’s job as the sole waitress. In a desperate attempt to pay the rent without whoring herself out she took up her current job. Yes it was shit and the customers were perverted assholes but it paid the bills and kept her fed without stooping to cannibalism. 

Even with a job to cover the bills [Y/N] was only getting worse. Her roommate ditched after [Y/N] refused to cover his bills or fuck him for the money to pay it all off. She was truly alone now. She’d given everyone so much more than she gave them and now it was all for naught. 

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts and memories [Y/N] climbed into her car - she certainly didn’t pay for it but there was no license plate so no one was going to find their stolen car. Wasn’t her fault someone left the keys in the ignition while they went into some gas station. After a few sputters the engine started up, growling like an old dog with a sore throat. Valentino’s studio was about a 10 minute drive so she’d arrive early but perhaps that’s what Valentino would prefer. Whatever was necessary to get what she was paying for. Rounding a few corners and following a straight road [Y/N] pulled up to the studio, covered in flashing lights with an occasional prostitute hanging around the outside of the building. Didn’t matter if they belonged to Valentino or not, it wasn't her business. Stopping her car at the side of the building [Y/N] slid out and walked, as casually as she could, to the sharp corner where whispering was audible. A little cautious [Y/N] halted for a moment to listen. “Val. You know I’m gay I don’t fuck girls. I don’t want to-” Angel Dust’s voice was cut short and replied to by a harsh, throaty growl. “I don’t give a rat’s ass Angel. Who cares what’s between her legs, she’s paying up front so show her a good time.” [Y/N] had heard enough. Pulling the rolled up dollar bills from her bra she stepped around the corner, making herself known to the two. Valentino held Angel Dust by the jaw but upon noticing his client dropped Angel back down to his feet. He looked unsure of himself and [Y/N] felt the same. Approaching Valentino she passed him the bills; he fingered the paper for a moment and pocketed it, nudging Angel Dust closer to [Y/N]. “Say hi to your new friend!” Valentino chirped, an oddly wicked grin on his face. Did he…Enjoy selling out Angel Dust? Turning around with a casual wave he called out with a cackle, “have fun kids!” 

[Y/N] moved to the side, guiding Angel Dust back to her car. The ride back to her place was uncomfortably quiet. She felt his eyes on her the entire ride, from the corner of her vision she saw his frown and furrowed eyebrows. He wasn’t any more fond of the previous exchange than she was. It was an uneventful ride back home and [Y/N] led Angel Dust into her home, pointing out some things he may need. 

“Restroom is down the hall, kitchen is to your left and you can sleep on the-” Angel Dust cut her off with a harsh snort. “Get to the point bitch, what you want me to do? Eat you out, fuck you, finger you, what do you want?” Angel Dust’s harsh voice took [Y/N] by surprise. There was an almost hateful glare in his eyes. He really didn’t want to be here. She felt her lower lip pout as she glanced away from him in shame. “That’s, um, not why I wanted you.” She replied in a meek tone. Angel Dust grimaced. “Then what do you want? To record me jack off? You want the boyfriend experience?” Angel quipped. “You just wanna feel special? You that lonely? Pathetic little bi-” “shut the fuck up.” [Y/N] interrupted, meeting his gaze again. Her teeth were gritting, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Angel Dust hit too many nerves and it was beginning to bubble over. “You fucking asshole I just wanted a friend fo the night. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. I just needed some emotional support but I’m clearly not going to get that from you. So go back to Valentino and tell him to keep the money.” [Y/N] snarled, shoving Angel Dust away as she spoke. Her voice was cracking, hot tears streaked her face, she could feel her broken expression, she just didn’t care in that moment. What the fuck was she thinking, asking some prostitute to be her friend for a night? Whipping around [Y/N] turned to stalk and made a few steps to her room before a hand grasped her shoulder, holding her in that spot. Turning back to who she already knew was holding her in place she gave him the cruelest expression she could manage but with the tears still pouring and unsteady breathing she certainly couldn’t be intimidating. 

Angel Dust’s expression was…Different. His eyes thinly veiled suspicion but his antagonizing grin was gone, replaced with a sympathetic frown. “Then tell me, what did you want?” He prompted softly. Wordlessly [Y/N] walked over to the dresser not far from her and pulled out that shattered phone, praying it would start up. After a few moments the booting screen lit up, followed by the lock screen she passed through. Turning back to Angel Dust she opened the camera gallery and presented Angel Dust with the most recent photo Cleo and [Y/N] took together, two days prior to the extermination. She couldn’t bear to look at it, but perhaps Angel Dust would understand. Gently taking the phone from [Y/N] he gazed at the photo for a moment and glanced back up. “Was this your friend?” He inquired, [Y/N] nodded her head, trying to hide how her lips pursed with a new flood of emotions she’d buried. “I lost Cleo in the extermination. I miss her so much. My roommate left when I refused to pay his bills or fuck him to make him pay his half, my job is a shitshow and I just needed some company for a night.” [Y/N] found herself spilling everything to Angel Dust. She knew this wasn’t a very good idea but she couldn’t hold in the flood of words any longer. “It’s been so hard and lonely, no one understands and no one reaches out to me anymore. I have no one.” [Y/N]’s voice stopped suddenly as her throat closed on her and another sob choked out of her. She had so much more to say but her crying had become uncontrollable; she was heaving for air, her lungs burned, her stomach was tight and her knees were weak. She didn’t have the strength to hold in her crying anymore. Her voice grew in volume and within 30 seconds she was screaming out. A painful mix of grief, anger, betrayal and pure hatred. She hardly noticed four pairs of arms pulling her into a hug, her face buried in a soft, warm and fuzzy cocoon of fluff. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around the slim figure holding her, grasping the suit in her hands and shoving her face into the bony interior of Angel Dust’s chest. Her cries evolved to screams; she didn’t know how else to get the pain out. She choked out a string of curses between her screams and cries, shrieking out for Cleo, begging her late friend to hear her repeated sobs of apology. Why hadn’t she done more? Got in her car and drove out to get Cleo? 

A gloved hand gently stroked [Y/N]’s head, Angel Dust’s voice soft as he hummed soft little things to her, the occasional “it’s not your fault” and “Cleo forgives you” whispered between other phrases. It took a few minutes of Angel Dust’s comfort but slowly [Y/N] regained control of her breathing, the crying and screaming stopped, she could stand on her own again. She didn’t want to pull away. Gazing up to Angel Dust, who returned her with a look of concern, she whispered a soft ‘thank you’, hugging him tight before pulling away. 

With a sigh [Y/N] resumed her speech from earlier. “Things have been…Hard. You know my story as of late. I would just like your company, if it’s okay.” She offered him a smile, silently begging him to accept. He appeared thoughtful for a moment before nodding his agreement. “Alright, sounds fine I guess. What we doing?” He prompted as he strode to the kitchen to find a snack. With a quiet breath of relief [Y/N] replied, “I have some Disney movies, and if it’s okay I’d like to talk more about Cleo. I don’t want her to be forgotten.” Exiting the kitchen with a few soda cans and a bag of chips Angel Dust smiled back. “Sounds fine, lead the way. What we gonna watch first?” [YN] shrugged; “Cinderella sound good?” She prompted. Angel snorted and quipped back, “ain’t that a little cheesy?” Giggling for the first time in what felt like an eternity she responded, “the cheesy chips in your arms don’t defend you much.” Angel Dust puffed humorously. “True, true. Let’s get to the movie.” He agreed as he moved to the couch in the small living room, setting down his snacks and getting comfortable. 

“Thank you, Angel Dust.” [Y/N] spoke softly as she grabbed the DVD and started up the player. A soft hum was heard, followed by Angel Dust replying, “no probs gal. And call me Angel.” --- A/N: I'm not entirely impressed with this one, but I feel like if I rewrote it or changed important aspects of it, it wouldn't hold the same gravity it did when I was writing it. Again, I let the story carry me and I was just along for the ride. I hope this one was good!

[inkabelledesigns]

Loraine Celeste (Custom Doll, July 2022)

Base Doll: Freddie Facilier from Descendants

Clothing Pattern: (I modified it slightly to have longer sleeves and a tiered skirt.)

Normally I will wait until my camera photos are spruced up on the computer, but I can't contain myself (meaning you'll be seeing a lot more of Loraine when I do get to share her full photoshoot). This is all just stuff from my phone. Meet Loraine Celeste, my third attempt at making this character in doll form! XD

Loraine is formerly a ballerina doll that wanted a taste for what else the world has to offer, so she secretly switched places with a nutcracker soldier, Auran Dulce, to see what his stance in life had to offer. While she still hasn't figured out where she belongs in the world, Loraine is an adventurous spirit that has so much love for the world and all its wonders. She travels across the kingdom of Equinox in search of where she's meant to be, and in the process, she makes many new friends.

Her doll was a process, I've attempted to make her before, but it just never turned out right before now, and part of it was that I didn't understand her character. She needed to be free like the wind, and that meant giving her room to explore, so her design changed to be more functional for that, something bright with some flow that also can blend in somewhat. I also wanted her to match Auran in having facial detailing. He has a scar that's filled in with gold, much like the process of kintsugi. Meanwhile she has a rose painted on the opposite side of her face, a symbol of the fact that while she is beautiful, she is a force to be reckoned with, a wild part of nature that has thorns amidst her grace and elegance. Loraine is tough, but she is also gentle and kind when the occasion calls for it. The rose has become an important symbol in developing her, and thus I wanted to photograph her with my mom's rose bushes. Aren't they lovely? My mom has done such a good job taking care of them.

Loraine is one of a group of dolls I've finished since my dad passed away, and it feels fitting somehow. I haven't worked on dolls in a long time, not since April, since Dad was sick and I just, didn't have the heart or energy for it. But something my dad wanted was for me (and all of my siblings) to be happy finding my path in life. And the truth is, I haven't really found that yet. I don't know what will make me happy, but Loraine's story is part of my process for figuring it out. As she goes on her adventures, I'm going to go on mine, we're gonna figure it out together. And with Auran by her side or sending her letters as she travels, I know she'll figure it out, just as I'm figuring it out. Everyone needs a friend like that. It's been my dream for ages to go and write a published fantasy novel, and I'm considering shifting gears to find a place in the publishing industry as a job to gain experience before I go and share this story with the world. I dunno how it'll work out, but that's what I told my dad the last time we got to talk about this. Telling stories is a core part of who I am, I would feel incomplete without them, so I'm gonna find a place in the world where I can do that. The Chronicles of Equinox are something I care a lot about, I love these characters and they light up my life. I want to make it real somehow.

[selinakidreams]

hello!! this is my first ever collab and man o man am I happy to be participating in @buttershouse ‘s Magic March with so many talented people!! Please go check out everyone’s work, there’s so many delicious pieces to choose from.

without further a-due, please enjoy this 7k word mash of a magic coffee shop/witch/ college au that I have goin here

pairing: Sero Hanta (with a FUCKIN UNDERCUT !) x gn!reader (afab)

warnings: she’s WHOLESOME, implied sexual themes throughout and then actual smut at the end !! , sex on aphrodisiacs

a/n: thank you so so so so so so so much to @keishinslove @hiddenbluee @spikesbimbo @scorpiomoonslutt and @dymphnasprose for reading and beta-ing this big boi- you guys helped me so much and 🥺🥺 you guys seriously mean the world to me.

tag list: @hiddenbluee​ @undersero @sawam0chi

“Double double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble,” you hum as you steep black tea before shifting to the other part of your station so you could add the guise of vanilla to the milk you were about to steam. 

You hear a snort come from your coworker as she looks over to you before smirking, “You think you’re so funny,” she teases while heating up a chocolate muffin for the current order. 

“I do, I really do,” you muse, holding the metal pitcher up to the espresso machine’s steam wand. The distinct smell of the liquid luck wafts around as you begin blending it in with the milk; it makes you smile, a comfortingly warm feeling washing over you. 

You always hoped people stepped into the shop hearing about the rumors and whole-heartedly believed them; believing in the magic that went into each drink when they ordered something off of the special menus- and that it wasn’t just for the unique taste. 

When you first started out, you often heard that with each new employee, the magical feeling tends to die out sooner or later; the happiness of creating spells and potions for others fleeting with the ever-growing pessimism towards all things unexplainable. After working at the shop for three years, one would think the feeling would have caught up to you, instead you felt anything but. With each new regular whose eyes sparkled with excitement as you handed them their unique concoction of a drink, your smile grew wider. Sometimes the familiar faces would come back and whisper about how each drink gave them the right energy to deal with each individual situation… almost like magic. You could do nothing but smile, sometimes a coy little wink was added, exciting the customer more and more. They'd leave with a newfound pep in their step. That's what has kept you going for so long. All anyone ever has to do was keep an open mind and believe that true magic does exist, and when you do, it's almost as though a door opens up, full of delightful possibilities.

As you called out the finished order and thanked the satisfied customer, the shop’s entrance bell chimed, welcoming in the newest one. 

You look up and made eye contact with someone who seemed oddly familiar; you tend to remember almost every person that has shown up more than twice at the cafe, so the fact that you can't fully recognize him only shows that the cafe couldn't have been where you’ve known him from... You couldn't quite put your finger on where you've seen him before but you definitely couldn't forget the welcoming aura he radiated. With his black hair pulled into a ponytail, exposing his undercut, and his extra large t-shirt hanging off of his lean frame, he flashed a bright smile, heading up to the counter to order.

Accustomed to ‘hey’s, ‘hi’s, or even an immediate order, the first thing out of his mouth somewhat surprised you. With a tilt of the head and a squint of the eyes, he mumbled out, “.. You look really familiar.” as he tried to place the face.  

“You know, I was thinking the same thing...” you trailed off. 

After a few seconds of analysis with no conclusion, he seemed to shrug and let out a little chuckle with a passive “it'll probably come to me in the middle of my next class…” before his eyes caught sight of the menus off to the side. Not wanting to make it too obvious that you were tempted to stare, you aimed your gaze elsewhere, only occasionally sneaking a glance at him while he was preoccupied with the menu.

“Ahh… can I get…” he kept his sights on all the options he could, as if it was going to make him any more decisive. Part of you hoped to hear something special, something magical, only to hear, “uhh a… hot latte please?”

While a very solid drink, you subconsciously waited to hear a flavor come after it; staring at him, almost in a daze. 

“Did I forget something...?” Your eyes grew wide, mind blank, trying to come up with an excuse for the elongated silence but before you could spout something out, his smile grew as he rolled his eyes, “Oh, duh, I forgot the size!” A breathy laugh came after his revelation and your chest  felt lighter once the sound hit your ears. “Could I get a large please?”

“Yeah, absolutely!” you chime as you grab a large paper cup and mark down his order with a sharpie.“Will that be all for you today?” looking back up at him, your customer service smile makes its awaited appearance like clockwork as it did when wrapping up every order. His eyes darted to the full pastry case before he could conclude, causing an actual smile to grace your lips, “Tempted?”

“One way or another, yea,” he said with an undertone of something else being implied, causing your cheeks to heat up. The smile that he threw in there further caused a little flutter of your heart.  

“Well luckily for you, we just restocked, so you've got a wide range of goodies to choose from.”

He licked his bottom lip and smoothly responded with, “Well which is your favorite?”

“My favorite? Hmm… Well, I always love a good chocolate croissant whenever I'm drinking regular lattes. The chocolate adds in that kick of sweetness that compliments the lack thereof with the coffee and bonus, it's not too heavy where it will make you feel bloated.`` 

“You really know how to sell a guy… That sounds amazing. Could I have that, please?” the tone in his voice was playful, fun, possibly flirty- and that was something that you were not going to think about. He’s a customer; he might not come back when he wants his next cup of coffee.

“You want me to warm it up for you?”

“Sure!”

Picking up the prongs, you took the freshest croissant from the batch and placed it in the microwave oven, turning back around. 

You voiced his total with a soft smile, “Cash or card?”

“Card. uh .. Can I leave a tip on here?” 

Cue the airy sigh that left your chest. A man who knows to leave a tip: you were in love with him already.

“Yea!” you squeak before clearing your throat, “Yea, once you remove your card, the option should pop up on the screen!”

You throw one more smile back at him before turning around to start his drink, not missing the incredibly hard stare your coworker was giving you. You try not to look at them throughout the duration of making his drink.

Handing the handsome man his order, your hands lightly brushed against his and you fought hard to ignore the hefty thump in your chest. You looked back up at him and swore that there was a tint of rose dusted across his cheeks. 

You saw the beginning of his outburst before you could hear it. 

“Sero!” he said quickly, “Sero Hanta. That’s my name.” 

You smiled, sticking out your hand and saying your name, “I’ll be sure to remember it… Sero.” 

The rest of the shift went by pretty quick after that. Your coworker couldn't keep their mouth shut about how he was flirting with you and how you just so happened to be flirting back. You two were giggling so much that the rest of the shift just seemed to slip away and before you know it, it was time to clock out.

“Is there anything you want me to do before I head out?” you shout, asking the newly present night shift as you’re halfway out the door. 

“No no, we got it,” both your coworkers chime, “just hurry up and get to class!” one of them adds. 

Rolling your eyes, you wave goodbye, double checking that everything needed for class was in your bag before fully lugging one of the straps onto your shoulder and heading off.

The walk wasn't that far from the shop, luckily- taking your time and enjoying the world around you was such a cooldown from the hustle and bustle of your work shifts. 

The college town was quaint, warm, homely; It felt like everywhere was a short walk away- which it was. There was an ample amount of time for you to stroll to class after one of your shifts.

As you peruse down the street, you took note of how bright it felt this time of day and how soft the glow emanating from the sunlight hitting the trees was; the kiss of the sun heated your skin, allowing you to bask in the warmth of everything: the environment, the vibe, the mood. What a great feeling. 

Random thoughts passed in and out of your brain as you got to the entrance of campus- but the continuous train of thought halted at the station when the image of that man who came into the shop, the one with the undercut- Sero Hanta, popped up.

He was really attractive… where had you seen him before?

You mindlessly head towards the lecture hall, with the image of Sero’s face ever present behind your eyelids. The approaching building was a beautiful brick with ivy climbing up the side, a framed golden plaque near the large double doors announced that people were about to enter the Mirai Sasaki building- something you would normally stop to admire but today, you headed straight inside and towards your seat, still mentally preoccupied. 

Plopping down, you situate yourself, getting everything out; your textbook, notebook, pens, pencils and even a highlighter. You take a deep breath before slightly shaking your mind to wake up and concentrate on the human sexuality lecture that was about to start. Sero Hanta can wait.

Is what you told yourself and yet, the thought of him wouldn't leave you alone. It went so far as even hearing the professor call out his name. 

“So, I just wanted to clarify,” your ears perk up at the voice, “The article you gave us was about how unequal the orgasm ratio- the orgasm gap- is for women… but I feel like there is a new wave of um… feminine orgasm appreciation. Not to get too personal, but I know between my friends and I, we make sure that our partners always come… first.” He trailed off at the last part, probably coming to terms with the awkward phrasing he had ended with. 

You had to take a second to get a grip; too many things were happening at once and the one that held most of your attention was the fact that Sero Hanta blatantly admitted to wanting the girl to orgasm first. 

What a gentleman.

“Thank you for your… input … mister Sero- but with what you pointed out, it’s actually a perfect segway into the first project of the semester! If you notice in your syllabus, I typed a very vague title for the next class’s date. We're going to talk about it more next class but until then, please read the assigned articles by the next class and have a good rest of your day!”

While the majority of the class was packed and headed to the door, your eyes stayed glued on Sero as you mindlessly put things away. It seemed as though he was taking his time as well. Maybe he needed to talk to the professor? 

Seeing that your desk was now cleared, you slowly began descending down the stairs to get to the floor level, eyes glued to each step in front of you, mind somewhere completely different until your head is met with a firm back. With wide eyes, you step back and begin a stream of apologies, head bowed and eyes still on the floor as if you didn’t learn your lesson the first time. A warm chuckle hushes you accompanied with a light, “It’s alright, it’s alright!”

You look back up and are met with the mind-dizzying smile of the man who failed to leave your thoughts alone. 

Before your eyes could get any bigger, he murmurs your name. “So this is where I know you from!” He slightly cheered, lopsided grin growing comfortable. 

˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚ 12 oz Time Flies with soy milk, hot; cinnamon orange black tea latte brewed with charmed orange peel to bring back the most nostalgic feelings (add a shot of our very own vanilla -liquid luck- to help Luck stay on your side!)˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚

“Hey! Hey- you guys aren't closing are you?” You hear a panting voice rush through the door- the complete opposite of the energy the cafe currently held. You and your coworker were just winding down from your shift, cleaning and making sure everything was restocked for the next shift, soft music aiding the mood. 

Sero was attempting to collect himself when he realized the two pairs of stunned eyes staring at him. 

“I just- I wanted to walk with you to class. If that’s cool,” he said to you, flattening his shirt down, “and maybe get a coffee.”

Warmth fills your face as you try to suppress a smirk, “in that order?”

The already flustered college student blushed just a bit harder. Before he could come up with a response, your smirk eased into a soft smile, “okay Sero, what could I get you to drink?”

He steps further inside and orders the same thing he got the first time: a large hot latte. It doesn't take long until the drink is in his hand and you're shooing him off to a table, “I’ll be done in like 10 minutes, is that alright?” you ask, hints of your customer service mannerisms kicking in. He nods and you get back to cleaning, unaware that your movements became a bit swifter. 

After clocking out, you’re met with an eager grin and a glint of something unnameable in sero’s eyes. 

“The coffee was excellent, by the way. Both times I had it. Do you do something to it? I feel like it’s so much more than just a simple latte.” 

You smile at two things, him opening the door for you, and the fact that he was absolutely oblivious to the fact that his drink is one of the few drinks you don’t add any magical properties to. 

“I make it with kindness.” You say as you two start your walk, intertwining your hands behind you.

“So mister Hanta… have you been stalking me?” 

His eyes grow wide as his cheeks taint red, “N-no! I just thought that maybe you work every shift that’s before our class.”

“Hmmm… So were you going to come by every day to test out your theory if i wasn't there today?”

“Well, luckily you were there, so I guess we’ll never know the answer.”

After you hummed out a response, the walk turned into a comfortable type of silent.

The both of you had several things passing through your mind, but outwardly, one was caught up basking in the fresh spring air while the other was admiring how the wind would slightly shift your hair.

Deciding to break the silence, you turned to face him, “Hey, so, why did you choose to take human sexuality?”

He didn't seem surprised to hear the question but he took a moment; it didn't seem like he was scrambling to find the perfect answer, it was almost like he just couldn't properly find the words. 

“Honestly, I love intimacy. I think its really cool that not one person’s views on sex and sexuality and the miniscule details within it, are the same.”

While the words you were hearing made sense, it must have shown that you weren't prepared for such an insightful answer because he let out a hearty laugh that seemed to go on and on, even after he took a deep inhale. 

“I’m sorry-” he choked out as he grabbed his chest, “your face just-” he gulped another breath of air, trying to regain composure.

Throughout his fit of laughter, you almost joined in a few times if it weren’t for you biting your cheek in attempts to keep the annoyed facade up. 

As soon as it seemed like he got it all out, you try to pull a convincing pout. 

“So what's the real answer, then?”

He cocks his head at your question, a smile still playing on his lips, “whaddya mean?”

“You're telling me that what you said wasn't just to catch me off guard?”

“Oh! No no, that's really why I'm taking the class. But i bet you thought i was going to say something asshole-y like ‘i just wanna learn more about sex so i could be better’, hm?” he said the last part in a dopey voice before smirking back at you.

You rolled your eyes in return, “not necessarily, that was just a really… refreshing… answer.”

By the time you got to class, it seemed pretty full, which was a bit odd seeing as though there was still some time before the lecture started. Part of you was hoping that you could snag a seat next to Sero or he could snag a seat next to you- but both of your usual seats were surrounded by others already. There was also always the possibility that maybe he didn't want to sit next to you; you didn't want to get your hopes up so you turned to him, waved goodbye, and headed to your normal seat. Unbenounced to you, he physically slouched in disappointment before heading to his spot.

The lesson went on, and while he wasn't crowding your mind today, you subconsciously kept stealing glances at him throughout the lecture in hopes that one of the times you'll find him glancing back at you. The only time you did catch him staring at you was with wide eyes when the professor announced that you two were going to be partners for the upcoming project.

“So I guess this means it's an appropriate time to ask for your number… I wanted to ask you for it but I didn't want to move too fast…?” he said as you two approached eachother after class, cracking a shy smile while he absentmindedly scratched the back of his neck, a subltle flex of his muscles on display. It was a bit hard to concentrate with a combo move like that attacking you, as if he was going in for the kill. 

“I wouldn't have thought it was too fast.” you softly counter, flashing him a tender smile.

It was one thing to feel the heat go to your face, it's another to visibly see it appear on his.

You both traded phones at the same time with the promise to text each other later that night; you put a little coffee emoji by his name while he put the sun next to yours.

˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚20 oz The Charismatic ! with hemp milk, iced; freshly brewed jasmine tea with a shot of our very own vanilla (liquid luck) to help your attitude and chances toward  any situation˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚

Sitting at the furthest table away from the register, you start to unpack your laptop and make yourself comfortable- you're gonna be here a while. Powering up the device, Hanta pulls at the seat across from you and begins to mimic your movements. 

“So you want our first project meeting… at a coffee shop?” you start, trying to keep the smile from coming onto your face. Looking up at him would mean automatic defeat seeing as it's getting harder and harder for you to look at him without your lips twitching upward.

“I thought it would be very symbolic.”

A snort greeted both of your guy’s ears as your eyes went wide and your hands shot up to cover your mouth. “Anyway, so the project.”  Blushing around him was starting to become a regular occurrence, as well.

“Right,” he says clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

“So the project is to point out common sexual misconceptions and back it up with statistics and research articles. The fact that we got dibs on the misconception of the orgasm gap all because you had bragged about your personal sex life…” the thought alone shot a wave of warmth down your spine and right to your lower region. A flash of a Sero you hadn’t faced yet appeared in your imagination; him looking up at you, hungry and eager to please. It made your breath hitch. 

“Well, yea! I had to voice it. I mean, I feel like it’s common sense! When you have sex by yourself, then you can focus on what makes you feel good and what makes you cum. But when you’re with a partner…” he trailed off and your gaze snapped to him, “you should make sure they cum at least once before doing… whatever you two.. had.. planned on… doing.” Sero finished, his eyes flickered between your eyes and lips. 

Oh fuck. 

You felt yourself throb. 

“Y-yea! Uh I completely a-agree.” 

It���s almost as though he could tell that you were flustered so just to top it off, he smirked, “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” before deciding to drop it and move on.

He took a sip of his drink and sighed, “You guys really do make the best coffee. I got the same thing as I did with your place and yet… I'm here longing for your coffee.” you snort once again.

After that, the conversation eased into the project and what exactly needed to be done; the assignment was very simple but sorting out what dates you guys were going to meet up and how exactly you were going to go about gathering the information was all crucial. The project was due in a month and needed to be submitted in powerpoint format- which the both of you were relieved about.

It was really cute seeing Hanta’s eyes all lit up when it came to the part of how you two were going to go about getting all the information needed. He even suggested to conduct a little side research if you guys were ahead of schedule. It was something that made your heart patter. It was almost like you had smelt some of the charmed rose petals from work because every time you looked at him, you couldn't stop the warmth that flooded in your chest.

With that thought, there was the fact that he was more than likely going to be spending large amounts of time at the cafe- would he notice? Should you just come straight out and explain it? Explain that you were considered a witch, someone who was open-minded and was in tune with their intuition and can work with certain herbs, charms, and spells to create wonderful things? It didn't seem that big of a deal to you, it was something you had grown up with; simple spells and practices that just made day to day life more simple. Not every witch has been through the same childhood you had, there’s no special school- not that you were aware of, anyway. Your parents kept their grimoire out in the open and let you frolic about as they eased basic wholesome rituals into your life, and when you got old enough, they let you take in chapter by chapter each spell they casted, each potion they brewed. 

When you applied at the cafe, your first interview was full of normal questions worded in a way that almost sounded like it had a double meaning, thankfully you caught it and later was asked for a second interview- conducted by the boss himself. He had asked you to perform a basic potion/drink you grew up with, something that made you feel like you were walking on air. It was simple; a butterfly pea tea with a breath of life, with just a little bit of lemon activated the spell in the brew. When the well made drink hit his tongue, he offered you the job not a second later.

No. You wouldn't tell Sero yet. It never came up; It’d be odd to tell him straight off the bat- there's really no need. If he ever asks… then you’ll tell him.

But he hadn't so far.

Each meeting so far felt incredibly productive. It seemed like getting work done came naturally, with the topic being easy to discuss between the two of you and getting the articles to support your claim was fairly simple- apparently a lot of studies have been done about people’s orgasms. 

Since drafting up a skeleton outline the first time meeting, the bits and pieces really started coming together, but the get-togethers sometimes didn't go as planned- however, what was a constant was that no matter what the meet-up consisted of, there would always be a paper cup from your work, filled with a hot latte.

Some of the days, rather than working on the project, the two of you would use the allotted time to sit in your cafe and goof off, or sometimes you would host “tea time” in your apartment and talk about anything and everything- and it was okay because very early on, you both gathered all the adequate articles that involved your topic and sifted through them to get the statistics you needed. Collecting the data was simple enough and putting it together just came easy to you. 

Looking up from your laptop, finally done with sorting all the cited sources in each slide, you wave your hand at Sero to get his attention. Hanta was working on phrasing the facts and statistics from each work, so when he tilted his head up, gaze still on the screen until he finished typing the last sentence, he took his headphones out and hummed as he looked at you. 

“You get the same thing everytime we’re together… why?” 

He glanced at his almost empty cup before fully taking out his headphones, “I get it all the time because it really is the best latte I've ever gotten from a cafe before. I tell you this all the time.” 

“You never… wanna try anything new?”

“Is there something in particular you want me to try?” he asks, quirking his eyebrow upwards.

“Well no, not necessarily…”

“Well then how about you give me a recommendation? What’s a drink you think I would love?” 

This one stumped you for a minute. Though the thought had crossed your mind quite often, you couldn't quite pinpoint which special drink he’d appreciate the most. Something warm… something reflecting how you feel about him.

“I think that you should get the Time Flies; it's this black tea latte with orange zest and it's really… cozy.”

“Okay, I'll try it the next time I go.” 

And he did. The first sip he took felt like smooth gold hitting his tongue. So warm and rich that it had apparently induced the vivid image of the sunset from his grandmother’s porch. He was remembering the orange glow of everything the light touched. The whole day, he was feeling incredibly nostalgic, he even did some of the things he used to do when he was a kid, like watch old black and white movies and make dinner with his mom (even if it was through a phone call).

He told you all of this with one of the most handsome smiles you've ever seen, and that's saying a lot.

˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚16 oz Love Me or Love Me Not with oat milk, hot; our very own pink rose syrup (enchanted candied petals inside and dried petals on top) steamed in the milk meets a double shot of espresso for a deep, sweet, cozy drink˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚

 “So,” you start once everything is situated on your living room table, the two floor pillows that play hosts to your guy’s lower halves sit diagonal from each other.

“So.”

“Everything is practically done, I just wanted to… call this meeting so we could just quickly skim over it and see if there was anything in the powerpoint that needed fixing and or adjusting.”

“Very reasonable reason to call this meeting but both of us have been looking at this practically nonstop… so I’m pretty sure it's good.”

“Well it’s due next class and I know we finished it up a few a couple of days ago but… there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for perfection. And if anything, I’m trying to save your reputation.” he choked at the accusation you were attempting to make, “Oh yea! How are you going to get away with making that bold statement in front of the class, do a whole project on it, and then just… have it not be anything short of jaw dropping?” you didn't even wait for him to speak, “exactly. Your rep is on the line, I'm just the sorry person who got stuck with you.” You smirk, driving your ludacris point home while crossing your arms over your chest. 

Scoffing, he leaned over and lightly shoved you, “we got to choose are partners for this project! You chose to be with me!” his cry caused a chuckle to fall from your mouth as you readjusted yourself onto your pillow, “that's neither here nor there.” you try your best snotty act as you stick your nose up in the air.

“Okay okay then, your grace, let us go over the powerpoint,” he jested along and gave you a slight bow.

After a quick runthrough, everything seemed spick and span, so the two of you became more relaxed and sunk into the larger floor pillows once again. 

“So… I noticed that you finally got something from your shop.” Sero gestured over to the other paper cup on the table. “I have never seen you with your own coffee before, why today?”

Your cheeks involuntarily began to heat up; the drink he was referring to was none other than the Love Me or Love Me Not. Usually, you never went out of your way to make it, but for the occasion, it was necessary. It was the last time you guys were going to meet up for the project and you just… had to know. 

Let it be known, messing with love potions wasn’t your forte, you preferred for everything romantic to be consensual and untampered with- that's why this brew in particular was one that you preferred out of all the ones that are out there. When made correctly, the person drinking it should be able to look at their crush (in person) and if the crush liked them back, then the drinker would get a fierce wave of goosebumps; if the person did not like them romantically, their head world ache for just a few minutes before going back to normal. Simple and effective, plus no one gets roughed up or drugged.

Not a single sip had been taken yet, you were on edge about the situation. This was the first time you had ever made it for yourself, and it was pretty nerve wracking to see if this man who you began harboring feelings for liked you the same. 

It’s surely gone cold by now but that wasn’t going to stop you. “Oh! Uh- I was just really craving this drink today.” You say lamely before bringing the cup to your lips and taking a gulp. 

The smell of rose hit your nose before you could register the taste. The evenly sweet syrup paired with the strong espresso danced on your tongue before you swallowed it. You softly sighed, it tasted delicious. Another sip slipped past your lips. 

A roll of relief cascaded through you when an intense wave of goosebumps rose on your poked at your skin, causing you to cough and sputter. Eyes going wide and squeezing shut as the coughs wracked through your body. 

He likes you.

While coming down from your fit, you semi glance at Hanta who had almost instantly appeared by your side, patting and gently rubbing your back. 

“Is there liquor in that?” He joked as he handed you your drink so you could have more liquid to ease your throat.

You shook your head after drinking some more and cracking a grin. It might’ve been too big of a smile for someone who just choked but you didn’t care. Sero Hanta… likes you. 

Unable to help it, you glance down at his lips only to realize how close he is. Your grin slowly drops, your heart pounding in your chest.

“Can I uh.. can I try your drink?” He says, face red with blush. 

As you go to hand him your drink, he leans in and cups your jaw- causing your whole body to still, even your heart stopped to join the languor.

 He peaks his tongue out to softly lap up a drop that must have been on your lip, before capturing your lips with his. 

It felt like your mind shut down, and all you can feel is how soft his lips are and how sweetly he’s kissing you. Almost hesitantly. 

He pulls away in attempts to find your gaze to decipher how you felt about it. 

Your breath is ragged as you look back at him- everything and nothing is going on in your head in that moment, unable to speak, until you see the goosebumps that coat his body. 

Your heart thumps impossibly faster as you realize that not only does he like you… but he truly believes. He believes in the two of you, he believes in love, and he believes in magic. 

Without another second to waste, you tackle him in a hug and find your lips on his in a way that you know you’ll never get enough of. 

special extra ! : you and Hanta in the fall- Season of the Witch with almond milk, hot; dirty chai latte with a bewitched cinnamon stick to help keep you warm ;) , even on the coldest of days ˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚

The cold nips at your nose just as big hands nip at your waist, causing you to let out a noise between a squeak and a gasp. A flash of soft black hair blurred your vision before cold lips meet yours. “Hanta,” you sigh into the kiss before pulling away and giggling. 

You were heading back to your apartment after a day shift at work, the sky already becoming darker because of the autumnal equinox. 

“What are you doing? I thought I was gonna meet you at my place.” You say as your fingers intertwined and your step fell into pace with his. He pulled you closer so that you were basically leaning into him as you walked.

“You know those chocolate and pumpkin scones you baked for me? The special ones?” He quietly moaned. 

Your eyes go wide as he purposely guided your intertwined hands over his blatant bulge.

“Hanta you weren’t supposed to eat those until later, the spell usually kicks in within the next 30 minutes!” You giggle again. 

A few weeks after you two started officially dating, you formally sat him down and explained everything you didn't when talking about your guys’ past- the memories of frolicking through tall grass and talking to your mother’s familiar, to getting your job at the cafe. He told you that it was a lot to take in, but never did he push you away. When he went to the cafe, he was more observant. Somewhere in the months between June and July, he slowly became more and more interested in the rituals you would do and the potions you would make. He wanted to start joining in. Now in October, he loves seeing your crystals around your house and all the different herbs you grow in the sills of your window. When he found out that you could bake magical pastries with certain herbs, he almost immediately asked you to bake him some. At first, it started as something simple like a sage and rosemary savory loaf that helped cleanse your pallet of any negative energy. Then it started becoming more and more intricate, and that's how the two of you ended up here.

 “I know but fuck-- I was hungry and they looked so good, and now I’m hard and I need you.” he spoke lowly. 

This was going to be fun. 

The rest of the way, you were casually asking him things that shouldn't be heard in a public setting, “What is it you want to taste first, Hanta?”

“How badly do you want to fuck me into the mattress? Hm? Have your big cock stretch me out?”

“Wanna fill me up?”

By the time you both got to your apartment, there was no fumbling with the keys to get your door to open, you already had them out; getting through the door took three seconds tops. Next thing you know, your back was against the closest wall, your hands pulling at his tied up hair and scraping your nails against his scalp when the soft locks fell. One of his big hands lifted up a leg of yours and he groaned as he thrust upward against your heat.

“Fuck-” he panted into the kiss before trailing down your neck, still holding up one leg while the other hand finds itself under your shirt, his fingers hot to the touch. 

Releasing your leg and dropping to his knees, he looked up at you as he fumbled with the button of your pants. You lace your fingers in his hair, feeling him yank the material down your legs, tossing the one leg over your less dominant leg over your shoulder, and when a warm muscle hits your sopping clothed core, you pull his hair harder to apply more pressure.

“Look at me when I have you in my mouth, I wanna see how much you enjoy this.” 

You felt yourself clench, and apparently so did he, because a smirk grew on his lips. “Oh, you like when I say things like that?”

“H-hanta, please.. '' your voice wavered before you sucked in a sharp gasp. He had a finger, then two inside of you in no time, the other hand keeping the underwear out of the way so his lips could wrap around your clit.

He was pumping in and out of you faster and faster, occasionally switching the pace to unbearably slow and when you would whine, he’d tilt his head up, mid lick, to throw you a teasing glance before picking up the pace. He bagan curling his fingers, hitting a spot that had your eyes rolling and with the pressure building up, it had you panting out a breathy repetitive stream of his name. 

“‘M gonna cum Hanta, hh-” you moaned out before clenching your eyes shut, your body involuntarily shaking above him. And right below you, he was ready to lick up everything you had to offer.

Holding you steady as he came up to kiss you, your juices still on his lips, “you ready for me, sweetheart?” he asked when he pulled away. The short sobering moment hit as soon as he scooped you up and carried you to the bedroom, but after he tossed you onto the bed, the look he gave you as he was unbuttoning his pants drew your mind hazy again.

“Can't wait to pump you full of my cum, to have you a drooling mess because of my cock.” he huskily whispered, giving you so many delicious previews of how the night will go. “You want that, pretty? Use your words.” he said as he crawled over to you and caged you in. The scent of cedar wood and citrus clouded your senses.

“Yes please Hanta!” you whine, “wanna feel stuffed b’cause of your cum. Please fill me up--” you whimper out, cutting yourself off when you felt his leaky tip at your wet entrance. 

Just like each time you two have been intimate, he guides himself slowly until he's in to the hilt of his pelvis, “shit, squeezing me so hard- c-an i move?” he moans out. 

Unable to form coherent sentences, you frantically nod and squeak out, “yes!”

With your permission granted, he eases in a thrust before he starts snapping his hips into you.

“Fuck, look at you, milking my cock so good-” he moaned, as he leaned in and kissed you. Each sharp thrust jolted you upwards, proving just how powerful his thrusts were. You threw your arms around his neck for the slight stability.

You began to let out little moans into the kiss that spurr him further; everything was beginning to get to him. How tight you felt around him, the feel of your tongue against his, the sloppy wet noises of your cunt.

“I’m gonna cum-- i'm gonna cum!” he choked out. 

You clawed at his back while whimpering pleas for him to fill you up, “fill me up with your cum, your cock fills me so good, please Hanta, more- more!”

You were clenching around him hard, and to bring you right to his level, he found your puffy clit and began a quick circular motion that made your jaw go slack, causing more frequent clenches.

His mind blurred as he pushed himself the deepest he could, moaning out your name and a gruff curse before emptying himself into you. 

You felt him twitch inside of you right before hot seed coated your already warm walls, and that’s what pushed you into a convulsion of ecstasy. 

He lazily humped his hips into you as you rode out your high before pulling out and rolling next to you.

Calling out your name to bring your attention to him, he pulls you into his chest where you could feel his racing heart, “what if… I started singing that song from hocus pocus? You know the one..” 

What a goof, you thought to yourself, playfully smacking his chest as you roll your eyes, looking up at him. 

“I put a spell on you… and now you're mine…” you begin to whisper, earning a hearty laugh from you boyfriend.

Maybe it was mutual, but quite possibly he had put a spell on you. And you were more than okay with it.

[petri808]

Hey!! Same nony who asked for the Glimpse of Us inspired nalu fic. I don't mind you changing the prompt a bit!! I'm sure it'll be a great fic regardless☺☺

Thanks! Okie I hope you like it 😊 I couldn’t help myself but give it a happy ending. Especially after enduring crying for writing this sad, angsty fic lol. You get both NaLu’s POVs. 4k words

Here I am once again putting my heart away again just to see Lucy smile…

We’ve been best friends since middle school, I sigh, remembering that day like it was yesterday. It was the first day back in session, me in my 7th year, and she in her 6th— just transferred to Magnolia middle from Crocus. Those big, warm, chocolatey brown eyes were so bright and full of wonder… her blonde hair always done-up simple to frame her face… and her angelic voice… ugh like a siren pulling me to my inevitable demise now 15 years and counting. It was Levy McGarden who’d brought the new girl into our friends group. I could easily blame her for the pain I’ve lived with, but in reality it’s mostly mine for not stepping up back then. Because if had I just… it’s too late now, so does it really matter?

“That guy was a jerk, Lucy. You’re better off without him,” I state plainly as I stroke her hair. She’d come over to my apartment like she always did after a break up to curl up and cry on my lap. ‘Because I could always cheer her up,’ according to her. Of course, I would. All I wanted in life was to see her happy. I’ve lost count of her failed relationships, maybe 6, 7 over the years. Probably more, but I rather not think about them.

She tightens her hug around my waist, mumbling with her face pressed into my stomach. The fabric is damp from her tears. “Why are guys always so insecure?! Things always start off perfect, then the next thing I know, they try to control me or get jealous or ugh! I’m so tired of it!”

‘Me, too,’ I roll my eyes since she can’t see my expressions. “But not all guys are bad.” Just the ones she always chooses. I think it’s because she’s too naive. Not to make her sound vain, but Lucy goes for looks and the whole sweep her off her feet type guys. Controllers. They’re like the sales guys who could sell ice to an Eskimo, until that Eskimo eventually realizes they didn’t need more ice. The minute Lucy shows her independence, it turns them off.

“You’re right,” Lucy sighs. “But they can’t all be like you.”

Ouch. If she recognizes I’m a good guy, then why doesn’t she see… “True.” I try to lighten the mood. “Could you really imagine more than one of me?”

I feel her chuckle and sigh. “I’m so lucky to have a best friend like you Natsu.”

Lucky me. I’ve loved Lucy long before she developed into the gorgeous bombshell that guys drool over— AKA the girl with the big boobs. Because that didn’t hit until the summer before her 9th year; the year my happiness ended. It skyrocketed her popularity and while she always ran back to me for comfort, I was officially relegated to a best friend status. All because of our year difference, the guys had pounced while she was still in 8th grade, and I had moved to high school no longer able to scare them away.

It was already really late and I work in the morning. “Do you need me to drive you home?” I ask softly.

Lucy finally peels herself off just enough to look at me directly. “I was hoping I could stay the night.” With those big brown eyes that gets me every time. “Please, Natsu?”

I groan internally, but of course, I acquiesce despite the pain it’ll bring. “Yeah, no problem.” Because I only have one bed. It’s not like there’s a spare and she knows it.

Lucy pops up on her knees smiling, then plants a kiss on my cheek. “You’re the best!”

Yeah… sure.

As Lucy asks to borrow one of my shirts to sleep in, I should’ve known this would happen. I’d once asked her if she’d like to keep a set of pajamas here, but she’d declined. ‘Your shirts are comfy,’ was her reasoning. I don’t think Lucy’s ever once stopped to think about how any of this affects me. My fault for acting like nothing did, even though it’s all a facade. Frankly, after 15 years I’ve gotten too good at faking it.

I make sure to be under the blanket, with my eyes closed, and turned away before she gets out of the bathroom. Because I don’t need to see what she looks like to know exactly how Lucy looks in one of my t-shirts. Kami I wish I didn’t. The loose fabric draped over her bra-less chest, knowing all she has beneath it are panties… I am still a guy!

Lucy slips under the covers and snuggles up to my back. “Goodnight, Natsu,” she mumbles against my skin as she wraps her arm over my waist. “Thank you again for tonight.”

“Yeah. Goodnight, Lucy.” Though inside I’m screaming expletives. The scent of her chamomile and lavender shampoo is supposed to be relaxing. Maybe for her, but not me. Just thinking about how it’ll permeate into my bedding and clothing— I’ll have to wash everything as soon as she leaves… well, maybe masterbate with it first. Idiot. I’m such an idiot.

Another night of pain, and of me hoping it’ll be some time before she finds a new boyfriend. Because inevitably, she will, and it’ll restart the clock till another night like this comes around. That’s a bit harsh, I know, because it could be a lot worse. Lucy could find a relationship that lasts and I’ll be left behind. So, I know I should be thankful for these moments I get to share with her… but I just can’t. I can’t.

A week passes by after that night with no incidents, and my work keeps me occupied enough to keep my mind off of Lucy. She doesn’t always tell me when she’s met someone new, not until she thinks it might go somewhere. So I hoped the peace would last.

Oh how wrong I was.

It’s 2am and I’m awoken to a frantic pounding on my door. So, I throw on some shorts, still wondering who it could be at this hour. There’s only two options that will fit the bill. A drunken best friend Gray Fullbuster who’s too drunk to make it home, or Lucy.

Bang, Bang, Bang

“Yeah, I’m coming!”

I swing open my front door ready to berate the person when I see it’s Lucy standing there with a black eye, busted lip, hair a mess, and her clothing ripped. There’s mascara stains running down her cheeks, and her eyes are bloodshot from crying.

“Oh my god!” I immediately pull her inside and sit her on the couch. Her arms are crossed over her chest. She’s shivering and I take note, no purse. Lucy always had a purse with her. I pull the throw blanket from the couch backing and wrap it around her, hugging her to me. “Lucy, tell me what happened?!”

“I-It was Jerome.” She sobs into my shoulder through the pain in her cheek and mouth, chest heaving through the words. “He, he found out I came here af,after our break up, and caught me outside, my, my apartment. Pinned me and c-called me a-a slut and a whore for running to my side tap, so I snapped at him for calling you that, but he only hit me harder.”

“He did what?!” I rage as a white hot film came down in my mind like an ending curtain call. That son-of-a-bitch!

Lucy’s body sunk down. “He kept hitting, but when he grabbed my purse, I managed to push him off and got to my car… then came here.”

Without saying another word, I grab my car keys and stomp out the door. I could hear Lucy yelling for me to stop, but I wasn’t hearing her over the screeching of black walls against the asphalt. All I could feel was the rage boiling over the rim ready to overflow. Everything was colliding. The years of being side-lined and watching her flaunt these dead beat relationships in front of me. The years of stomping down my feelings for this inconsiderate woman, yet the pure hatred for anyone who Dares to hurt her!

Since I knew where that bastard Jerome lives, I head straight there. Guy’s gotta get home sooner or later, right? As I brood on the way, hands grip to the steering wheel until the knuckles are white and growing ever more furious. It felt like forever, but pay dirt, the assholes car is in the driveway. Oh, Jerome… there’s hell to pay! I knock on his door like normal.

“Is that you crawling back to me baby?” Jerome opens the door and is immediately startled. “Natsu! What are—”

My fist connects with his jaw solidly faster than Jerome can react, sending him to the ground.

“Are you cra—!”

“YES!” I drop onto him swinging down with blow after blow. “HOW DOES IT FEEL JEROME?! YOU LIKE BEATING UP ON WOMEN?! WELL, HERE’S A TASTE!” Using my legs to keep him pinned, the built up anger and pain possess me. I give him no chance to fight back and barely enough time to block my fists.

“What do you care?!” Jerome spat back as he covers his head with his arms. “You’re just mad she’s cockblocked you for years!”

Fuck if he wasn’t right! But his words hitting so close to home only infuriates me more. “FUCK YOU!” I scream and continue raining hits on Jerome until he stops talking or fighting back.

“Natsu, stop!” I hear Lucy scream, didn’t even hear her come in. And though I feel her pulling as hard as she can on me. I don’t budge. “Natsu! Stop, you’re gonna kill him!!”

“So, what!” I finally snap and stop pummeling Jerome. “He deserves it!”

“I don’t want you to go to jail!” She cries and grips to my bare shoulder. “Please, Natsu…”

But my wrath is not over. I push Lucy away from me. “This is your fault!” I scream. “What was it you said to me?! I’m tired? ME, TOO! Fifteen damn years I had to watch you pick loser after loser! Then you’d come running back to me and I’d have to pick up the broken pieces to put you back together— well I’m done! You wasted all these years looking for someone to love you when he was standing in front of you the whole damn time!”

The confusion and shock on Lucy’s face said it all. She’s really never… “That’s what I thought,” I mutter as I get up to leave. Lucy tries to grab for me a second time, but I swat her hand away. “Don’t, Lu. Just don’t,” I feel the tears building in my eyes as my adrenaline rush starts to come down leaving only the emotional baggage behind. “I can’t right now.” Are my last words as I walk out the door.

Not five minutes after Natsu had left, I hear the sound of sirens pulling up to Jerome’s house. Oh, no, someone called the police! I haven’t even processed our fall out yet and am in no physical or mental condition to deal with this. They walk in with hands on their holsters just as I find my purse.

“Ma’am, I need you to step out here on the porch please,” the lead cop directs.

With my head hung, I silently acquiesce. Once outside, he further directs me to a female officer to be questioned while he enters to assess the scene. Seeing him kneel over Jerome’s unconscious body makes me flinch, knowing what’s to come. Then as the woman starts with my block information, name and such, the male cop is calling for an ambulance. The female cop notes my injuries and asks if I’d like medical assistance. I say yes, but while we wait for EMS to come, the real questions begin.

“Tell us what happened tonight, Ms. Heartfilia,” the woman coaxes.

“From the beginning?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“O-Okay.” I take a deep breath and launch into the story starting from when Jerome detained me at my home.

“And that’s how all these injuries were caused?” The cop verifies.

“Yeah. S-So I ran to the only person I know I could trust.” My voice cracks and softens from guilt. “My best friend Natsu Dragneel. When he saw my condition, he just snapped! I-I couldn’t stop him from coming here. I chased him, but by the time I got here he already had Jerome on the ground. I was screaming for him to stop and he did! But then he… um, left and then you guys showed up. Natsu was just trying to protect me!”

“Ma’am, you glossed over a part of the story. Did something else happen?”

I hang my head. “Natsu snapped at me before leaving—” I frantically wave my hands, “not like hitting me! I’ve just put him through so much, that he’s tired of it.”

“Uh-huh, do you want to press charges for your assault?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, and do you know where we can find Mr. Dragneel?” I start to fidget, but the woman adds to her question. “Ms. Heartfilia, we’ll find him with or without you, but if you really want to try and help this guy, then just tell us the truth.”

Tears cloud my eyes as the full weight of everything starts to fall. I sadly hang my head in shame. “He probably went straight home.”

“Thank you, Ms. Heartfilia, the EMS can take care of you now.” She takes me over to them to be cleaned up and my injuries documented. I just wanna go home and cry!

Once EMS is done with me and I’m free to go, I get in my car and rush over to Natsu’s apartment. Red lights be damned! I knew it’s a stretch, but I hope to catch him before the cops arrest him. Sure enough, I arrive just as their walking him to their patrol car. I jump out of my running car—

“Wait!” I scream. “Please, let me talk to him first!”

A police officer stops me before I can get to Natsu. “Ma’am, you can’t—”

“Please,” I beg, “it’s all my fault he’s being arrested!” The tears are pouring down my cheeks now, but I don’t care.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you—”

Ignoring the cop as he holds me back, I just start talking, screaming anyway knowing I’ve only got seconds. “Natsu I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I’m gonna make it right! I swear I’m gonna make things right! Please look at me!”

But he doesn’t acknowledge me as they put him into the car— shattering my heart into a million pieces. I clutch to my chest with phantom pains. This is worse than all the break ups I’d ever suffered combined! It’s like part of my soul has been cut away… And all I can do is stand there under the amber street light and watch them drive away like the sad lonely puppy that never got picked. I drop to my knees on the cold, cold asphalt, head bowed and hands shakily resting in my lap.

Natsu is right, about all of it… I totally deserve what’s happened to me— but not him.

When I get into my car, I know there are some things I can do for him whether he likes it or not. So, I immediately wake up my family’s personal attorney and direct him to represent Natsu. “Get him out of jail!”

Then I return to my own apartment, clean myself up and crawl into bed to hide away from the world— closing my eyes, but unable to run from my heart. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alone before. All my life, things have pretty much gone smoothly— well, except my love life. And, regardless, I could always turn to my friends when I need them, especially Natsu.

Almost two decades of memories wash over me, all the special times with Natsu… that I’ve taken for granted. How many times has he faked a smile for me? How many times did he do something just for me that made him miserable? At minimum eight, once per every boyfriend I’ve ever dated… though likely countless times...

I’m the most horrible best friend to have never picked up on how he felt all these years… or worse, my eyes pop wide open at the sudden realization— how did I miss my own feelings for Natsu?! Our relationship has been so smooth and easy since we were kids, maybe that’s the problem. We’re so comfortable with each other, that we’re already like an old married couple in many ways. I blush at the thought of how I’d wear his clothes or sleep next to him like it was no big deal. Idiot! Can you imagine how it made him feel!

“I love Natsu so much, I didn’t realize it’s love.” I palm my forehead, I really am the worlds biggest fool.

Having this epiphany only serves in me driving the dagger ever deeper into my own heart. Almost like a ritual seppuku, but instead of a slow death, quick and painful. Natsu’s done so much for my emotional well-being, yet have I done anything for him? I curl tighter into a fetal position, wrapping my arms around my legs as the tears start again. Sadly, it’s too late to fix the past…

The lawyer got him bonded out immediately, but with Natsu not talking to me, it’s the lawyer who keeps me updated about the case. I’m just relieved Natsu accepted my help. The case takes a couple months to work it’s way through the system, until he’s allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Luckily the district attorney considered Jerome’s assault on me as a precipitating factor, sort of a heat of the moment defense. Still, due to the severity of Jerome’s injuries, even in a best case scenario, Natsu is looking at doing some time for the assault and battery. On the flip side, Jerome is looking at an even longer sentence for unlawful detainment, domestic assault, and theft for taking my purse. Good. I hope he gets the max!

Now it’s been about three months since the incident and Natsu just started a three and a half month sentence. Since I can’t fix the past, I spend the months while Natsu is stuck in jail, getting ready for the moment I can make amends. He lost his apartment because he couldn’t cover the rent while not working, so I took it upon myself to get everything packed up and brought to my home or a storage. I even talked his employer into holding his job until he came out. His cell phone, car payment, and other bills were taken care of— really, a small price for me to pay for what I put him through.

It makes me sad that he isn’t taking my calls or responding to the letters I send, but that’s okay. I’ve come to accept that this time apart is a necessary, healthy part of the healing process. In all the letters I sent, I poured my soul into them in a way I know Natsu has never seen from me before. From apologies to emotions or just telling him about what’s going on, it’s cathartic to tell him how much he has always meant to me— because I know now I didn’t show him enough.

The day’s here!! Oh, I think I’m gonna pass out. My stomach is in knots and my pulse is high from anticipation. Natsu’s being released today, but I have no way of knowing how he’ll react to seeing me… If he gives me the cold shoulder… I’ll understand… it’ll be the penance I deserve. All I want in the end is for him to be happy whether it’s with me or not because that’s what he deserves.

We aren’t allowed inside the jail unless we’re visiting, so I’ve been pacing outside on the sidewalk for I don’t know how long. My fault for getting here too early. An occasional worker has stopped to see if I was okay, and gross, a few visitors trying to get a date. Twelve times I whip around when I hear the jail’s door open, and twelve times it’s not him. The confidence I’d come with slowly diminishes with each closing of the door.

One more door opening— I whip around and stop breathing, there he is holding a small plastic bag of belongings. I’d told myself to hold it together, but the moment we lock eyes, the tears instantly start trickling down my face, eyes searching his for a hint, please, please, please, I plead to gods I don’t even worship… but at first I get no answer. Natsu walks in my direction, but his face is a blank slate devoid of emotion. My breathing falters and knees grow weak. I thought I was ready to let go, but I’d just lied to myself the entire time. Now I know why he didn’t answer—

Suddenly, Natsu stops about four feet in front of me. I hold my breath, literally, waiting, I don’t think my heart can take much more. Then with no words spoken, he simply opens his arms wide and smiles. Moisture clouds my eyes, the breath I’ve been holding let’s go, and sends my heart soaring. Unable to stop it, I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, legs around his waist, and bury my face in his neck. And when I feel him embrace me— the full waterworks let go. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I repeat through the sobs. “I’m so sorry for everything! I love you Natsu! And I’m sorry it took so long to realize it!”

“Shhh,” I gently coo, and rest my head against hers, “I know you do. Shhh, Lucy, it’s okay now.” Just to hear I love you from her lips…Her words truly sent my heart buzzing.

I close my eyes and hold her tight for several minutes, relishing in this moment fifteen years in the making. When I first went to jail, a part of me really was ready to let her go, but her letters… I barely recognized the woman who wrote them. It was the Lucy I’d fallen in love with all those years ago, as well as a new woman I am intrigued to learn more about. And here I have her in my arms again to realize how much I’d only been lying to myself all along. I couldn’t never have truly let Lucy go.

Once Lucy’s tears finally slow, I put her down. “There’s that smile,” I tease, of those warm, chocolatey brown smiling eyes so bright and still full of wonder. I caress her cheeks and wipe away her tears. “Thank you for the lawyer and stuff, it really made a difference.”

“It was the least I could do,” Lucy hugs me tighter. “I would’ve done everything I could to bring you home.”

“So, I understand from your letters you saved all my stuff?”

“Yeah, it’s at my place, well except for furniture I had to put into storage.” She explains. “I’ve got your car at my parents place cause it was safer there.”

“Does that mean I’ll need to sleep in your bed till I find another apartment?” I couldn’t help the grin leaching through.

“Oh, no,” Lucy smiles wide, “just till we get married and get a bigger house.”

Her confidence makes me laugh. “Is that you proposing to me?”

“Don’t you agree, it’s long overdue?” Lucy asks coyly yet hopefully.

I chuckle and lean in, placing a soft, lingering kiss on the lips I almost gave up waiting for— and let me just say, I’m kinda glad I waited. But Lucy presses for more, a deeper kiss which I’m happy to deliver. I run my tongue over her lips causing them to part, then dive in for our first slow dance. A moan breaks free from me— I never want to kiss another set of lips ever again! Call it the years of repression, but just her soft sighs and whines start shooting straight below the waist, so I pull away. We are still in front of a jailhouse after all.

“In that case, my answer is yes…” I caress her hair as she rests her face against my chest. “It’s very… very long overdue.”

[welldressedandfandolobsesed]

Rafebarry is a little dead haha but if you’re still into it could you maybe write how you think their first time meeting went. Or like their first impressions of each other. Thank you if you do write it, if not, have a great day either way. ❤️

Rafebarry might be dead, but I am not, and I will continue posting content till the day I die.

Also this is short, but I hope you still enjoy.

Rafe crushed his third beer can of the night and still wasn’t even a bit buzzed. He craved something more. Rafe hadn’t been back from college that long when he stopped feeling. He stopped caring about the fun of the party or the girls involved. All he wanted was to get blackout drunk and forget his dad’s constant face of disappointment from his brain. If only for a few hours.

He was headed back to the kitchen when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A small bag full of white powder. The guy receiving the bag looked familiar. Rafe thinks his name might be Josh. His eyes were already red-shot, and he stumbled back towards his friends with a big smirk on his face. The guy who handed it to him Rafe did not recognize. He looked a few years older, maybe twenty-two, twenty-three. His shaggy hair covered most of his face, so Rafe looked for other identifying features. He wore baggy shorts and a tank top that showed more than it covered(and did things for Rafe he would never admit). He silently followed the man to the living room, where another exchange of money and bags of powder went down.

"What's in the bag?" Rafe said, gaining the confidence to confront the man.

"You the po-po, or some shit?" The man said with a drawl in his voice.

"No, no. Just a potential customer," Rafe held his hands up in defense.

"You need something else to forget that little kook life you live?"

"Something like that."

The man threw his head back in a laugh, "I like you. What's your name bud?"

"Rafe. Rafe Cameron."

"No shit, you that daddy's boy that got kicked out of Charleton?"

"I dropped out," Rafe muttered in response.

The other man chuckled, "That's great. Name's Barry."

"That's great man, but can you hook me up with whatever you got."

"Straight to the point, I like that, country club."

"Country club?"

"Oh come on, that polo. You totally spend all your free time on Kiawah, don't you?

Rafe opened and closed his mouth several times looking for a snarky response.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you. I'm guessing you're looking for coke. it'll make you go crazy for a couple of hours. But I got to warn you, stuff's highly addictive so if you're looking for a one-time thing I got some other stuff."

"No, no, I want the coke."

"Okay man, One-hundred thirty a gram."

Rafe raised an eyebrow at him. But still dug into his wallet and shoved a multitude of bills into Barry's hands.

Barry counted them before handing over the plastic bag. 

"Your something else, country club."

"I've been told"

Barry smiled again, "See you around, country club."

"No, you won't. We're from two different worlds."

"That baggie in your hand says otherwise. Now I got other customers to service, so I'll be going," he smirked and disappeared into the crowd.

Rafe didn't know what happened in that short interaction, but it left his heart pounding and a feeling inside him of wanting more. And he hadn't even tried the drug yet.

Barry had a very short list of people he liked. Not a single one of those was some primpy ass kook from the other side. But Rafe Cameron was about to change that. Not that he would ever admit it.

He eventually did. Rafe admitted his feeling too. It took them a while. But a few times of Rafe showing up at Barry’s door at all times of day leading to them falling into Barry’s bed more often than not changed that. So, here they were.

[cursivetalk]

Bookstore Date

Sebastian Danzig X F!Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Summary: You and Sebastian are shopping when you see a cute little bookstore and drag him inside

A/N: I know it's not my best work and it's a little bit rushed but I thought it was cute so here you go (plus I wrote it very sleep deprived)

Walking through the streets with a bag full of clothes on my left hand and Sebastian on my right hand was really how I pictured paradise. It didn't really matter what was in the bag on the left to be honest, what mattered was Sebastian next to me.

Shopping was a bonus though. And my boyfriend liked to treat me. Right now, he was telling me about their newest song idea while I was swinging our interlocked hands between us. "And then we add this awesome solo right in the middle of it and it'll look so badass when Remington starts singing in the music video, I swear."

"Wait, you've got a concept already?" I interrupted his flow of words. That was news to me, the last time the Kropp brothers had had a writing session at our place, there had been just the most vague ideas. Well, to be perfectly honest, I went to bed like three hours before them so it was entirely possible that they came up with much more in that period of time. But still.

Sebastian looked at me like I had grown a second head. I had to tug him to the left as a bike shot past us. "Babe, have you met Emerson? That kid has it all played out in his head from the very first chord."

Okay, that was true. The youngest was simultaneously the most creative one of the three and that meant a lot. His art was beautiful and just like the good big brother and boyfriend Sebastian was, the first big gift he had given me had been a set of jewelry crafted after a design of Emerson and based on what Sebastian had picked up as my style. It was the most beautiful thing someone had ever given to me and I wore the set almost daily.

I just wanted to express my agreement when a bookstore came into view. Sebastian, already predicting my next words, smiled knowingly and turned our steps into its direction.

I just hoped that my eyes weren't glowing too obviously. One of these days, some innocent passerby would stop us if I kept staring at shops like that. "Can we go in there?"

"Sure, baby," Sebastian agreed with the voice of a man who knew that he needed to find an alternative occupation for the next hour.

Inside the shop, I made a beeline for the back where I recognized my favourite genre by the covers of the books. Sebastian, always the supportive boyfriend, had wisely grabbed my bags before they could fall to the ground. My hands flew over the titles almost by themselves as I absorbed the beauty of each of them.

For the next hour or two, I walked back and forth between Sebastian sitting on a chair in the corner, his phone in his hands (from what I could see he was scrolling through fanart), and the bookshelves. A table was placed conveniently next to the chair so I collected a good stack of books next to my boyfriend.

Occasionally, I had to share my excitement by shoving the book in question under his nose. "Read that synopsis! Doesn't that sound cool? And the cover is so gorgeous!"

"It really is," Sebastian agreed with a soft smile, his head tilted back to look up at me standing over him, vibrating in excitement, "I'm not gonna see you tonight apart from you getting some snacks, am I?"

"Nope," I told him gleefully and skipped off again.

If I thought about it, I really had the perfect boyfriend. Someone else would probably be showing their boredom or even annoyance at me ignoring them for stacks of paper. But not Sebastian. He was always smiling even though I was sure that he was bored to death and wanted to go home. Still, he let me run around the shop and reacted with appropriate words to whatever I picked up. All of the sudden, I was close to tears.

"Baby?" Sebastian's eyebrows were furrowed and he leaned out of the seat to get a better look at me, "you okay there? Is the sequel not out yet?"

I shook my head to get the sentimental thoughts out. God, I loved this man but should I tell him just now? Wasn't that supposed to be, like, romantic? Plus, we weren't a couple that long, just about two months. Eh, now or never. "I love you."

That sure got me his full attention. For a really long moment, Sebastian just stared at me, eyes wide open in surprise. He even fell back into the seat. I started to play with the corners of the book edges (a sure sign of how nervous I was, in my right mind, I would never do something as sacrilegious as intentionally scratching at a book).

"Uhm," Sebastian finally made a noise. It didn't sound too happy though. Alright, it wasn't that hard to fake your own death, right? I sure read enough to be able to.

And then there was one hand on my back and another on my cheek. Perplexed, I looked up, right into Sebastian's blue eyes. His mouth was turned up in a smile.

Oh thank God.

Then, he kissed me.

And boy, did that kiss have energy. Hot and intense, his mouth met mine, his fingers splayed out protectively on my cheek. I sighed into it and nibbled at Sebastian's bottom lip. It was short though, far too short for my liking.

Sebastian full on grinned now. "For the record, I love you too."

"I kinda got that," I attempted to smirk arrogantly but couldn't really get my mouth to comply. It was still tingling from the kiss and my mind was far too preoccupied with his words. Even though there had never really been a thing to be worried about. Insecurities, yay.

"Are you taking all these?" Sebastian pointed at the stack of at least ten books, effectively ruining the mood.

I gave him my best puppy eyes. "I'll pay them myself, I promise."

"Babe, I'll buy you all the books you want," Sebastian didn't seem to get that smile off of his face either. His arm fell on my waist in a familiar move and he pulled me into his side as if he was scared that I would run to get more books (which was kind of smart). With a wink, he added, "as long as you give me at least half an hour of your attention back home."

"Half an hour?" I raised one eyebrow at the perfectly schooled innocent look on Sebastian's face, "what do you exactly want to do in that time?"

Sebastian blinked slowly and grabbed the stack with his free arm. Simultaneously, he guided us to the register.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see."

-

Taglist: @immrbrightsideeee

[universalistotalis]

Tell Me, Koushi Part 2 (The Saddest Part)

Masterlist

Part 1- ish

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I can't help but stare at the scared eyes that looked back at me for questions have been plaguing my mind.

Will he notice me?

Will he know once he sees me?

Will he... igno--

"Stop!" I shook my head and pointed at the person who obviously put on a very sensitive layer of courage. "No matter what happens, you'll be okay. You'll be fine. He's just your soulmate not the whole of your life."

I honestly don't know how I got to this point in my life where I am meeting him. Finally, after years of knowing the truth that binds us together, I get to see him up close and personal! Maybe the universe does want us to be together! Maybe the angels are actually watching the both of us from above, cheering for their answered prayers!

"You can do this! Just act natural and it'll be fine! Be yourself. Be yourself. Be yourself." My mind kept chanting that mantra again and again until it goes blank.

Because the next thing I knew, I was staring at a pair of golden eyes that blunted my whole surroundings. There was a sudden rush of electricity that sparked from the most peripheral parts of my body, making its way to the center of my heart. My chest constricted in the most painful way and I forgot how to breathe.

Finally. After such a long time, I got to see him! The love of my life! My eyes stung at this reality, at the happiness that surged through my veins, at the butterflies that were going haywire in my stomach. Finally...

As his steps drew closer, my heartbeats kept getting louder to the point that they're the only ones I hear.

Calm down, just be yourself.

"Sugawara Ko--" I started, feeling elated at the mention of his name.

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" He asked, confused but trying to be polite.

"W-what?"

His hand rubbed his nape at the sudden wave of awkwardness that covered the both of us. "Sorry, I just thought you mistook me for someone else."

Maybe it was his warm smile and the glint in his eyes that betrayed me. But the fact was, he was always shining, not only to me but he shone in everyone's eyes. I thought he felt the same overload of feelings that flooded my whole being, but instead, I looked like a creep for staring way too long.

"Y-yeah, sorry. I thought you were..." My soulmate. The love of my life. "My friend."

"Sugawara- san! We're here!" I heard voices behind me but I couldn't care less as I stared at the way his eyes crinkled.

"Well, I hope you can find your friend. If you'll excuse me." He bowed politely then went over to his group, leaving me... not even recognizing...

Well, that's just it, isn't it? If this establishment wasn't full of chattering and busy people, everyone would hear my heart break into a million pieces. I should have been firm with not believing in the idea of soulmates before. I should have ignored the realization and the knowledge of him that was given to me by the universe. I should have just went on with my life like how he is doing with his. With contentment and happiness. Without me in it.

The tears prickled in my eyes but before one of them escaped, I pushed my way through the doors and exited that building.

I guess sometimes, we do cross paths with those whom we are magically tied to. But that doesn't mean that they'll stay forever by our sides. No. Sometimes, we are but given a fleeting moment in time and that's it.

But even in these shortest of meetings. I, at least, would like him to recognize who I was. But the saddest part was that he didn't. And I will have to live every single day knowing that... while he would forever remain clueless.

Masterlist!

[tharros-auris-black-asimi]

Hello beauty! Wanted to check in and say hope everything’s going well with you. Missed ya on here 💖

Hello love! I'm doing okay. I had jury duty a few weeks ago, which made my update schedule messed up. I'm kinda getting my muse back, so hopefully, fingers crossed, updates will be coming soon!

But, since I am here, I'll be putting a lil sneak peek into a Steve fic that I'm writing! So... if you'd like to read it, it'll be under the cut!

The first time you had met Steve Rogers, it had been in the elevators.

To be fair, it hadn’t been a good morning.

You had accidentally smacked the snooze button, and you had ended up dozing off another nine minutes before you had sprung out of bed, your Omega clamoring around, desperately screeching at you to hurry the fuck up, because oh shit, oh shit— we’re gonna be late for work.

After hastily washing your face and brushing your teeth, you threw on a pair of clothes. Then, you made your way to the Avenger’s Compound.

Running in and trying to avoid people, you were met with grunts and annoyed looks as you spewed apologies left and right.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry! Coming through! I’m so sorry,” you quickly gave your apologies as you managed to snag into one of the last elevators. Most of the other people gave you weird looks. Some, you recognized as people who you worked with upstairs. Either way, it was a weird mixture of scents, and you knew people wouldn’t be looking at you, because most of them had their earphones, headphones, or AirPods in.

A quick tap on your shoulder made you look to your right.

“Did you sleep in or something?” your cousin hissed to you in Hmong. “It was an accident!” was your hiss of protest. The two of you squabbled back and forth in your mother tongue, knowing full well there was no one else who knew how to speak your language. In fact, the two of you might as well have been the only two people there who were Hmong, really.

As people began to walk to their respective floors, eventually, your cousin’s floor was called and she gave you a sympathetic smile, promising to have lunch with you, and walked off.

The elevator doors closed.

Leaving you alone.

“… Is she your friend?” A smooth man’s voice spoke.

You nearly jumped out of your skin in surprise. If possible, your scent spiked up in nervousness. You turned around, hoping it wasn’t the Big Creep Weirdo that worked with you on your floor.

To your relief, it wasn’t the Big Creep Weirdo guy.

Oh no.

Noooo.

It was much, much, much worse.

Because you were staring directly at Captain Rogers. Captain America. Or Capsicle, as Tony Stark called him sometimes, whenever you’d hear the two of them walking through Medical, if you were lucky while on shift. Usually, they came after missions.

Steve Rogers.

America’s Golden Boy. He reminded you of a Golden Retriever, really. Big Golden Retriever energy.

“O-Oh.” You nervously licked your lips, trying to dull down your anxiety. “No. She’s not my friend. She’s my cousin. She works a few floors down from me. She’s a engineer.”

“Oh.”

Steve leaned against the back wall of the elevator, watching as the floor numbers continuously went up.

“What about you?” He questioned. You raised an eyebrow. “Me?” you echoed. “Yeah,” said Steve, “—what about you? How do you fit in here?”

I don’t, you wanted to tell him. I don’t fit in here. I shouldn’t even be here. Me or my cousin. We should’ve been old by now. But we’re young, while everyone else we knew aged.

Instead, you told him, “I work in Medical. And… here’s my floor.”

The elevator dinged before the doors opened, revealing loud Omegas hastily running around like headless chickens. Subconsciously rubbing at your scent gland, you turned to give the blond Alpha a small smile. “Thank you for riding with me, Captain Rogers. I’ll see you around.”

Then, you stepped out, leaving the wafting scent of lilies and lavender in your wake as the elevator doors closed, separating Steve from you.

[angel-riki]

Dazed & Dreaming {Ch. 2}

summary: Y/N's life was always quite normal, some may even consider it boring. However, Y/N enjoyed her simple life and the little pleasures it brought. Unfortunately, that all changed the day she found out her best friend's biggest secret. Her discovery leads her down a rabbit hole of a new and confusing world she never knew existed. She must now navigate this new life filled with love, fear, and the supernatural. What awaits her down this path?

pairing: enhypen x reader (vampire au)

warnings: light swearing

word count: 1,569

chapters: [Ch.1] [Ch.3] [Ch.4]

~~~~~~~~~~

You bit into your second piece of toast of the morning as your phone buzzed in your pocket. After rummaging around for a few seconds, you retrieved your phone. You smiled at the notification, it was from Jake.

Jake: "We're here :)"

You quickly typed out and sent your reply as you hurried to finish the rest of your breakfast,

Y/N: "Ok, omw!"

One huge bite of toast and a painful swallow later, you were gathering your things and scurrying out the front door. You half-jogged down your driveway until you reached the car, greeting the boys like usual,

"Good morning," you said cheerfully as you climbed into the back seat.

Heeseung had been giving you rides every morning now for a couple of weeks, it had become your daily routine. And even though you insisted that you could walk, the two boys wouldn't take no for an answer. You eventually accepted their generosity, however you still felt a bit guilty. Fortunately, this new routine had allowed you and Heeseung to grow much closer over the past weeks. Now, you considered him a friend instead of a mere acquaintance. This was a relief as you had gotten much more comfortable around him. Although, Heeseung was just good at making everybody feel comfortable. He was just so charming and kind. This made it a lot easier for you to manage your nerves, but a lot harder for you to keep your crush on him from growing.

*****

The bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. Relief washed over all of the students' faces as they were freed from a horrendously boring lecture. You shared that relief as you packed up your stuff and strolled out of the classroom. You made a quick pit stop at your locker before heading down to the cafeteria.

After grabbing your food, you walked into the bustling dining space. Gosh it's so crowded, where are they? You scanned the tables until you noticed someone waving at you rather enthusiastically. Shocker, it was Jake. Heeseung was beside him, smiling and waving at you as well. You waved back before heading over to where they were sat. You set your food on the table and pulled out the chair in front of you. As you sat down, you noticed that Heeseung didn't have any food. How strange, you thought.

"Heeseung, where's your lunch?" You asked, knowing there had not been enough time for him to have already finished eating.

"Oh, I'm just not hungry today is all," he said awkwardly.

"Are you sure? You can have some of mine if you'd like," You offered.

"That's okay, thank you though," he smiled.

Something was odd about his demeanor after you brought it up, but you couldn't put your finger on it. You decided to stop interrogating him as you turned to Jake,

"How was that math test you had earlier?" You asked.

"Good! Aaand I may or may not have written down that one formula I can never remember on the inside of my hand..." he replied.

"Smart move," you giggled.

"I know," he said, grinning proudly.

You rolled your eyes as you began eating your lunch. Your school lunches were mediocre at best, but it could be worse. Another day, another stale pb&j. As you ate, the two boys started rambling about their after school plans. Apparently, there were a few other boys that they hung out with quite often. You had never met them, although Jake had mentioned them here and there. Listening to their conversation, you suddenly felt a slight sadness come over you. It wasn't that you were jealous, you were just afraid that one day they would get sick of you and leave you behind. They had other friends, but you didn't. Jake and Heeseung were all you had. You shook your head as you tried to expel the negative thoughts. Why am I getting upset over something that hasn't even happened? They would never do that anyway, you reassured yourself.

Before you knew it, lunch was over and you were running late for your next class. You were speed walking down the hall when you turned a corner and ran directly into something. Or some one, rather. You looked up to see who you had just harshly collided with. You recognized him from your english class, yet you had never spoken to him before. You realized you didn't even know his name.

"Ah, I'm really sorry!" You apologized, feeling your face heat up in embarrassment.

Seeing him up close like this made you wonder how you hadn't paid more attention to him. You had never noticed how handsome he was. He had a very sharp jawline and thick black hair that dangled just above his eyes. You also noticed there was a beauty mark on the side of his nose. Wow, his nose is like, perfect.

"It's alright. It's not every day that I run into a cute girl," he replied coolly.

You thought you were flustered before? Well now you were REALLY flustered. You opened your mouth to respond but before you could speak, he cut you off,

"Your lip is bleeding," he said, his face suddenly full of concern. His skin seemed to be growing paler.

"Oh, I didn't notice," you said, reaching up to wipe your mouth. You must have slightly busted your lip when you ran into him. You looked down and noticed a little trail of blood on the back of your hand. Thankfully, it was only a small amount so you weren't too worried. You looked back up at the boy and you noticed he was staring at your mouth rather intensely, almost as if he was in a trance.

"Uh...well I better get to class. Sorry, again." You apologized one last time before hurrying off down the hall.

Weird.

*****

Your class seemed to go by faster than usual today. Maybe it was because you ended up being almost 10 minutes late after your little incident in the hallway. Or maybe, it was because you couldn't stop thinking about that strange boy. Either way, you were relieved that class was over. However, that relief quickly left you once you realized what your next class was; English. You really didn't want to see that boy again after your previous meeting. You were still quite embarrassed and his reaction just made you even more uncomfortable. You sighed as you reluctantly accepted the inevitable.

Once you were seated at your usual spot, you pulled out your notebook and a pencil. You scanned over yesterday's notes as your teacher began the lesson. Everything was fine for a bit, until you began feeling eyes on you. Maybe you were just paranoid, but you could've sworn you saw that boy from earlier staring at you every so often. You attempted to pay attention to the lesson, but you couldn't. He was making you incredibly on edge. You put your head down in frustration. God, can't this day just end?

*****

You tapped your temple with the end of your pencil as you tried to make sense of your chemistry textbook. Although you were reading the words on the page, you weren't absorbing or internalizing any of it. You sighed and defeatedly closed your textbook as you decided to call it a night. You had been at the library studying for hours, you hadn't even noticed how dark it had gotten outside. You packed up your belongings and threw on your coat and scarf before heading out of the library. A shiver passed through your body as you entered the cold evening air. You began walking at a faster pace than usual, trying to get back to some warmth as soon as possible.

After a couple of minutes of walking, you could feel your cheeks stinging and you could see your breath in front of you. I need to get home faster, I'm freezing. You thought while looking around for a shortcut. You found a path down the edge of the forest that seemed to be the quickest route home. You sighed as you hurried down the deserted trail. As you continued on your way, you started to get an eerie feeling. Perhaps it was just the setting you were in, but you were considerably creeped out. You never liked walking alone at night, I mean, who does? Suddenly, as if on cue, you heard something behind you. You whipped your head around as you scanned the area for any potential danger. You didn't see anything but you could've sworn you heard another set of footsteps following close behind you. Maybe you were just being paranoid again. You turned back around, sufficiently scared at this point as you anxiously jogged the rest of the way. You sighed with relief as you made it to your house safely. You opened the front door and locked it behind you, not daring to look back out into the night. After shaking off your uneasiness, you headed upstairs and changed into your fuzziest pajamas before crawling into your warm bed. You quickly melted into the soft blankets as you drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ooooh, spooky ending! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter which was full of foreshadowing ;). I know it's taking a while to get all the boys introduced but I promise it'll happen soon! Thank you for reading! I’m also uploading this series on wattpad if you’d like to support it over there!

~Elle <3