#and the drawn out initials on the belts is like beyond cutee

[5t4r5and5uch01]

BRO! These designs are so good!! Why did they change it 😭

Gatito de helado??

[daryldaddydixon]

Second Father

Hi guys 😄 I’m back again with another 3am crack fic!

Summary: Daryl and the reader begin to develop a father/daughter relationship and after giving Daryl a scare she surprises him even more.

Warnings: Daryl x Daughter/Teen!reader, gunshot wound, twd type violence, cuteness and fluff

*not my gif*

You were only thirteen when the apocalypse began. You and your parents had been lucky enough to stumble upon a camp of survivors in an abandoned quarry after escaping the city. At first, the group of survivors that had taken you in were wary of your family and you all understood why, but they soon warmed up to you. One member of the group was especially fond of you. Daryl Dixon. Initially, he wanted nothing to do with you, thinking you were just some helpless, scared kid. You finally started to grow on the hot-head after asking him to teach you how to hunt. You saw how he provided for the camp and you wanted to learn so you could help provide for the camp too. He rudely declined your first few requests but you hit him back with your own sarcasm and didn’t let his rudeness get to you. You persisted in asking him to teach you until he finally caved. With the consent of your parents, he promised you one hour, no more and you happily accepted.

Within that one hour you shocked him with how easily you picked up tracking skills. You even helped him track a deer and then caught your own squirrel with Daryl’s crossbow. Of course he helped you hold it up to aim since it was heavy but you still took all the credit and he gladly let you. After that day you became Daryl’s protégée and he started taking you out on lessons regularly. Your parents were very fond of the archer and grew to trust him with their only daughter’s life. At first Merle thought Daryl was stupid for getting attached to some random kid but eventually you even grew on the older Dixon. Eventually you had earned the nickname Mini Dixon, having managed to gain the affection of both brothers. Though you mainly stuck by Daryl’s side as Merle was still a bigger ass than Daryl ever was. Between your parents and the Daryl you managed to find happiness even in the middle of the end of the world.

When the new guy, Rick, arrived and you found out Merle was left behind in the city you were sad. Despite you always being closer to Daryl and Merle being an ass you knew that Merle had cared for you to some capacity and you didn’t wish for him to die. You went to find Daryl to see if he was okay but when you found him he had yelled at you for the first time since before he took you on your first hunting lesson. Being the little fire cracker you were, you yelled back before walking off so you could both cool down. Daryl had felt terrible about yelling at you and went to apologize before going back to Atlanta to look for Merle. You wanted to go with him and the other guys but he quickly shut that idea down and instead made you promise to keep your parents and the camp safe. You pinky promised him. And when the walkers invaded the camp you fought with everything you had to keep that promise but you couldn’t. You couldn’t protect your parents, let alone the rest of camp.

Once Daryl and rest of the group returned from Atlanta he immediately ran to find you, fighting his way through walkers. When he finally found you his heart broke for you. He had found you crying over the corpses that were your parents. The archer couldn’t find any words so he just knelt down and hugged you while you cried. Ever since that night Daryl had unofficially taken over the role of your guardian.

Without Merle, you were the one person Daryl cared about more than anything. He’d never admit it but over time he started to view you as his own daughter.

Daryl was beyond relieved when they group found the prison. He was glad that you would have a safe place to live and grow up in. During your time at the prison you and Daryl grew closer than ever. He showed you new tracking and hunting techniques and even managed to find you your own crossbow while he was out on a run. Now that you were slightly older and bigger you were able to hold it up on your own. He even taught you how to make you own arrows like he did.

Since you had your own crossbow and were older you finally convinced Daryl to take you on a run.

That’s where you were now, rummaging through an abandoned drug store. After deeming the store clear you, Daryl and Glenn agreed to split up to cover more ground.

“Be careful, kid. Weapon up, got it?” Daryl warned.

“Got it,” you said and Daryl smiled at you before going down his aisle.

Unfortunately, the store wasn’t completely cleared. When you crossed over into your next aisle you came face to face with a burly man who had his gun drawn. Before you could act he pulled the trigger.

Daryl heard the gunshot from a few aisles down and sprinted towards the source of the shot.

“Y/N!” He called out.

When he found your body unconscious on the ground the man who shot you didn’t have to time to finish reloading his gun before Daryl tackled him.

“What did you do!” He screamed, punching the man before grabbing his knife and the stabbing it through the shooter’s face.

“No, no, no, no,” he mumbled crawling over to your body, “Glenn!” He screamed.

“Daryl? Y/N,” Glenn called, rounding the corner to find Daryl frantically tying his belt around your torso to stop the bleeding.

“Get the car! Now!” Daryl said. He didn’t bother looking up as Glenn made a run for the car. He focused on tying his belt around you as tight as he could before lifting you up and running to the car.

“Drive! Now!” Daryl called from the backseat. “You’re gonna be okay. Ya hear kid? You’re gonna be just fine. You’re gonna be okay,” he kept repeating this until you reached the gates of the prison where you were taken by Hershel and Maggie. Daryl wanted to follow you and sit while they worked on you in your cell but Rick held him back. “Give them room to help her,” Rick had said. Now Daryl was just pacing back and forth in the hall right out side your cell. Rick and Carol both tried to get the archer to sit down and rest or eat but he refused.

Daryl couldn’t focus on anything but his thoughts. You had to be okay. You had to, Daryl couldn’t bear to loose you. Over the past year you had become the daughter Daryl never got to have and you couldn’t leave him now. Not like this. You couldn’t die like this you were only a kid.

It was nearly sunset by the time Hershel pulled back the curtain and walked out of your cell.

“Is she okay?” Daryl asked immediately, his voice slightly cracking.

“She’ll be okay,” Hershel nodded, “the bullet went clean through, it’ll be some time but eventually the Mini Dixon will be good as new,” Hershel smiled, “she’s still sleeping but you can see her now. She won’t be awake for a while.”

“Thank you,” Daryl gasped out as his system flooded with relief. Hershel nodded in response.

Daryl took a deep breath before entering your cell. Even though he had just heard that you would be okay the sight of you pale and unconscious broke his heart. He pulled a chair up next to your bed and took one of your hands in his.

“Hey, kid,” he whispered, “gave me a scare back there. It’s okay though, Hershel says ya gonna be fine. So I just need ya to rest up and then open up them pretty eyes. Okay, kid?” Daryl swallowed his tears as he watched you lay there, helpless.

Hours passed and different people came in to check on you but Daryl couldn’t keep track of who. He was too focused on you. After a while, your eyelids fluttered open and you woke up feeling severely disoriented.

“Y/N,” you heard someone call your name. The voice was echoey but familiar though you couldn’t quite place a face to the voice. That’s when you felt the weight in your hand and looked over the side of your bed though your vision was clouded with black blots. Bits and pieces of what happened slowly started to com back to you. The drug store, the man, the feeling of hitting the tiled floor when he pulled the trigger.

“Hey, kid. There’s them pretty eyes. You’re okay, ya need rest. Sleep, kid.” You heard the voice say. It sounded like a man.

“M’kay dad,” you slurred, “love you,” and you passed out again.

Daryl stared at you in shock as you fell back into a deep sleep. Sure, he had always thought of you as his daughter but hearing you call him “dad” made it so real. Letting a tear slip, he squeezed your hand and placed a kiss on your forehead.

You didn’t wake up again for a few hours and this time you remembered everything. Even calling Daryl “dad”. You mentally smacked yourself. Sure, you had thought of Daryl as a second father since your biological dad died but you knew he wasn’t one for emotions so you kept that to yourself.

Finally coming out of your thoughts you noticed the cell was empty and a sob escaped your mouth followed by a wince as you remembered your wound. Daryl was gone. Did you scare him away by calling him dad? What if he thought you were crazy?

In reality Daryl just had to use the bathroom and he was on his way back to your cell when he heard your sob. He ripped the curtain open and saw you awake and crying.

“Y/N,” he knelt down next to your bed, “what’s wrong, kid?” He gave you a moment to catch your breath before responding. “I thought you left me,” you said tearfully, breaking Daryl’s heart for the hundredth time in twenty four hours.

“Why would ya think that, kid?” Daryl was confused, he’d never abandon you and he thought you knew that. You hesitated before responding.

“Last night, I, uh, I called you dad. Thought I freaked you out and that you decided to leave me.” You admitted. Daryl was silent for a moment.

“I didn’t mind it,” he confessed. And it was true, he always saw you as his daughter and hearing you call him dad just felt right even if I was shocking.

“Really?” You questioned with wide eyes. He nodded at you. “So,” you hesitated, “would it be okay if I, uh, called you that from now on? I kinda of, um, seen you as a father since, uh ya know,” you trailed off. Daryl knew what you were referring to, the night your parents died.

“If you want ta,” he said, “I, um, I don’t mind it, kid.” You smiled at him.

“So then that makes you my Dad,” you smirked up at the man as he smiled down at you.

“Sure do, kid. Sure do. Now get some rest and heal up,” he patted your head and kissed your temple.

Looking at you smile at him before closing your eyes to sleep, Daryl silently promised to be the best father possible. He vowed to be nothing like his own father. You were his daughter, biological or not, and Daryl would protect you with everything he had.

[alyssnighthawk]

‘Fictober Day 2

Prompt: “Just follow me, I know the area.”

Fandom: Star Wars: The Old Republic

Rating / Warnings: General / mention of character death

-

15 ATC

Ja’lane lounged against a mossy root in the Gnarls, watching as Nadia flowed through several different forms with her lightsaber, alternating between defensive and offensive positions as quickly as the wind.

A thought came to her. 

“You grew up on Alderaan, didn’t you?”

Nadia paused mid-strike, turning to Ja’lane with a grin.

“Until I came to Tython, yes!” She thumbed the ignition switch, hanging her lightsaber on her belt as she walked towards Ja’lane, “But I miss it, even if the nerfs smell awful.”

Ja’lane snorted, scooting over as Nadia plopped down next to her, graciously accepting the water thermos Ja’lane handed her. Ja’lane waited until she’d taken several deep gulps before asking,

“Would you like to travel with me to the planet? I’ve been called by Lord Teral to attend a banquet for the fifth anniversary of the peace summit, and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to attend alone.”

Nadia’s brows furrowed, and a haunted shadow flickered across her face as she frowned. She contemplated the thermos for several moments, saying nothing. Ja’lane froze, watching her friend with no small amount of concern. Had she said something wrong? Nadia always mentioned being happy on Alderaan, or so she thought.

“Has it been five years already?” Nadia’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“So much has happened since, hm?” She placed a hand on Nadia’s shoulder, frowning. “Are you feeling ok?”

Nadia jumped, shaking her head as if she were an akk dog shaking off water. Just like that, the shadows lifted from her face, and she attempted a smile.

“Oh! Of course. I would love to attend the banquet with you.” Nadia handed the thermos back with a thankful nod before standing up, offering a hand to Ja’lane. “When do we leave?”

Ja’lane took her hand, pausing before answering. Should she push the subject or leave it alone? Five years ago.. Alderaan. A memory tugged at the edge of her consciousness, refusing to come forward no matter how long Ja’lane concentrated on it. Only time would tell, she decided. If Nadia wanted to say something, she would trust her friend to tell her when the time was right.

“As soon as I can get Master Satele to stop pestering me about not attending meetings,” she finally said, looking pointedly at the rounded dome of the Temple, just visible above the treeline.

“Such as the one you’re missing right now?” Nadia smirked, “So much for the ‘perfect Jedi’ image I had of you.”

“If you don’t mention this, I won’t mention the fact you agreed to go despite the fact you agreed to help Master Liam teach lightsaber basics to the new group of initiates.” Ja’lane laughed as Naida groaned, dragging her hand across her face. Evidentially, she wasn’t the only one who forgot about their duties. “I’ll meet you in the hanger in an hour, deal?”

Nadia raised an eyebrow.

“I won’t wait around for you all day, you know.”

-

The noble families had gone above and beyond on the feast. Courses upon courses filled the tables in the Organa dining hall. Nadia had the grace to look flushed as noble after noble flirted with her, and she ended up spending as much time on the dance floor as she did eating. Everyone wanted to dance with the Hero of Tython, it seemed.

Ja’lane for her part spent as much time as she could talking with the dignitaries, greeting old friends as well as meeting several new faces, such as Pashon Cortess’ fiancee and the young heiress of House Doarn, Lady Kavilna. Ja’lane held in her suspicions about Kavilna’s family as she talked with the heiress, but she would only be half-surprised if she saw the twin Wraths walk through the door; she couldn’t deny the uncanny resemblance between the twins and the heiress.

Finally, as the sun kissed the top of Juran Mountains in an early morning dawn, Ja’lane managed to pull Nadia away from another prying noble, earning her a relieved grin from her friend as they stopped before Lord Teral.

“It was a great pleasure hosting you at this banquet, Barsen’thor.” He bowed before Ja’lane before turning to Nadia with an appraising look, “And an immense honor meeting you, Master Vhea. You most certainly live up to your reputation. I hope you both will visit House Teral in the near future.”

Nadia gave a small bow of her own.

“The honor was all mine, Lord Teral. You have a wonderful estate, and I was privileged to have celebrated this monumental anniversary in the company of those as esteemed as yourself.”

Lord Teral all but beamed.

“You flatter me, Master Jedi! Best wishes and safe travels, Master Vhea. Barsen’thor.”

Ja’lane composed herself until they were out of the courtyard before she broke down, her laughs barely concealed by her hand. Nadia looked at her with amusement as Ja’lane attempted to compose herself enough to explain. 

“‘Privileged to have celebrated this monumental anniversary in the company of those as esteemed as yourself.’” Ja’lane’s voice shook as she attempted an impression of Nadia. “Are you sure you didn’t eat anything funny tonight?”

Nadia sighed, shaking her head ruefully.

“You must be rubbing off on me.” She gave Ja’lane a playful nudge. “Be careful I don’t try and steal your position as “the negotiator” of the Council.”

“As if,” Ja’lane huffed, turning towards Nadia with false severity. “All of your negotiations would end in your lightsaber being drawn.”

“You can’t tell me you’ve never drawn your lightsaber while negotiating before.” Nadia crossed her arms, stopping as she turned to Ja’lane with a disbelieving look.

Oh, there were plenty of times. But Nadia didn’t need to know that.

“That’s the difference!” Ja’lane exclaimed, “At least I attempt to talk first. You would go in lightsaber blazing every time.”

Nadia patted her lightsaber, shooting a wide grin at Ja’lane as the continued their way through the marketplace.

“It would be effective!”

-

After Ja’lane wrapped up one last errand she’d been putting off (she really didn’t need another pair of boots, but Holiday kept insisting hers were getting too worn, and she had to admit there was a really cute pair at one of the nearby shops), Nadia practically carried her to one of the local cafes, where Ja’lane enjoyed what had to be the best dish of fried fish and fries she’d ever tasted. 

As they walked in the direction of the spaceport, Nadia hesitated, stopping in the middle of the street. 

“Would you.. would you mind staying an extra day?” Ja’lane frowned as she turned around, noting Nadia’s pained expression, “I know where we can stay if you don’t want to go back to House Organa, but there’s something I need to do before we leave.”

Ja’lane posture softened and she nodded with as much sympathy she could.  

“Of course. Is everything ok?”

Nadia shook her head, casting her gaze anywhere but Ja’lane’s eyes. 

“Just follow me. It’d be easier to show you.”

“Do you need me to ask for a guide?” The words slipped out before Ja’lane could stop them, and she wanted to find the nearest wall to bang her head against as Nadia paused, mouth hanging open for several seconds before she finally laughed.

“I know the area well enough, don’t you think?”

Force save me, Ja’lane thought as she was dragged down street after street, enduring Nadia’s constant teases and jabs (“Oh dear, we may be lost. Should we find a map?”). She could have sword they passed the same yellow flowerpot three times and became convinced Nadia was pulling her leg as she saw a sign advertising free fried gizka samples five times. 

Finally, Nadia led her down a new street, stopping in front of a windowed shop. Glancing through the windows before they walked in, Ja’lane saw several bouquets of flowers lined up, every color she could think of present in the abundance of lilies, tulips, and roses. As they walked in, a bell chimed, and an elderly woman jumped to her feet at the sight of them, a broad smile painted on her face.

“Miss Cynthia!” Nadia called, waving at who Ja’lane presumed was the owner.

Cynthia’s mouth dropped as she saw Nadia, and she paused for several seconds before hobbling over faster than Ja’lane thought was possible and wrapping Nadia up in a giant hug. Ja’lane hung back, amused as Nadia awkwardly patted Cynthia on the back. But Nadia’s own smile was genuine as Cynthia pulled back.

“Stars above, is that you Nadia? It’s been so long! You’ve grown up so much darling.” Cynthia gave Nadia several pats, as if checking to see if she was real. “Lyssandra would be so proud of you, dear. Oh.. oh my. Is it really--”

Cynthia broke off with a horrified expression at the same time Nadia stiffened. The smile dropped from Nadia’s face, and for several seconds, both women didn’t say a word. Ja’lane stepped forward, ready to drag Nadia away if something went wrong before Nadia’s posture relaxed. 

“Yes ma’am.” The smile was back, though Ja’lane knew her friend well enough to know it was forced. “I was hoping you had any of the flame lilies?”

“Of course, dear,” Cynthia gave a sad shake of her head, “I’ll be right back.”

Nadia didn’t look at Ja’lane as she came to stand next to her friend, watching as Cynthia bustled around, gathering several different stems from a variety of displays into a colorful bundle. As she returned to the pair, Ja’lane attempted to dig out a credit chip to pay, but Cynthia pushed away her hand with a small smile.

“No need to pay, dear. Lyssandra was a close friend of mine when Nadia was younger. If you ever come back, remind me to tell you about the time Nadia--”

Nadia blushed, taking the bundled lilies as she cut off the storekeeper. 

“Thank you, Miss Cynthia.” Nadia gave her a brief hug.  “I promise I’ll be back when I can.”

“Take care, loves!” Cynthia called out as they left the store. 

Ja’lane stayed silent as Nadia led them down more side streets, marveling at how sure Nadia’s feet were. How did she remember where everything was, especially after five years? Nadia offered no explanation as the buildings got smaller and smaller, the spacing growing further and further apart until they reached the outskirts of the village.

In front of them, Ja’lane finally noticed the metal fence, and the small, beaten down gate. At once, Ja’lane felt like an awful friend. How could she not have remembered? Five years ago, the Death Mark laser, Nadia’s mother and old master. Ja’lane was stupid; she never should have invited Nadia to Alderaan, especially this time of the year. 

Ja’lane stayed back several paces, giving Nadia room as her friend stepped through the trodden paths between the gravestones. Nadia stopped near the back of the graveyard, kneeling down and placing the lilies in the middle of two headstones. 

A weathered lightsaber hilt stood in front of one gravestones, and glancing between it and Nadia’s own, she realized just how much of an influence her old master must have had on the younger Jedi.

“Master Orgus is buried on Rishi,” Ja’lane hurried closer to Nadia as she spoke, not turning around. “I.. should probably visit his grave soon. But Master Omar and my mother are buried here. Of course, there were no bodies, but—“

Nadia broke off with a choked sob, and Ja’lane quickly crossed the remaining distance, wrapping Nadia in a hug as her friend’s shoulder silently shook, not carinv as tears dampened her tunic. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You did this to her. You caused the wound to reopen. 

After several minutes, Nadia calmed down, resting her head on Ja’lane’s shoulder and taking deep breaths, dashing stray tears away angrily as if they weren’t supposed to be there. 

“Would you like to talk about them?” Ja’lane softly asked, slowly reached for Nadia’s hand and giving it a small squeeze as Nadia stayed silent.

When Nadia spoke, her voice had grown quiet. 

“I was eight when the Sith Empire and Jedi Order attempted to negotiate on Alderaan…” 

[notsoguiltykpop]

Disposable part 6

Being friends with benefits with Min Yoongi can be complicated (at best) by itself. But when you accidentally tell your family (and his boss) that the two of you are dating, things get messy.

Angst, fluff, slight smut at times.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Yoongi had been a royal pain in your ass the entire flight, you could only imagine what the next two weeks were going to be like. You exited the plain hand-in-hand; Namjoon and Jungkook were picking you up from the airport, and you wanted to look as couple-like as possible.

You saw the sign before you saw your brothers, it was big and bright, with your name and Yoongi’s drawn in bubbly print. Random stickers were all over it as well, and you were pretty sure you even saw a postage stamp. Namjoon was waving the monstrosity excitedly as Jungkook pretended not to know him.

“Can you believe he’s turning thirty five?” You laughed. You were still a good ways away from them, and well out of earshot.

“I work with the guy, remember?” Yoongi said, turning to you. He leaned in and kissed you lightly on the cheek. “Sometimes I can’t believe he’s so young, sometimes I can’t believe he’s so old. Namjoon’s an anomaly.”

You knew the kiss was just in case Namjoon and Jungkook had spotted you, but it still made your heart flutter. Yoongi turned away abruptly, tugging you along with him as he approached the sign with your names on it.

As you got closer, you realized that the stickers were in a line through half of it. “Nice sign.” You said, and Namjoon grinned as he pulled you into a hug.

“It was nice before Namjoon broke it.” Jungkook complained. Looking closer you realized that the stickers were acting as tape, holding the two pieces of the sign together.

“Lucky for us, Taehyung is very resourceful.” Namjoon shrugged before hugging Yoongi tightly. Yoongi looked positively stricken, giving you a look that said “For the love of everything, fucking help me.” You ignored him, instead hugging Jugnkook. Once Namjoon released Yoongi, he staggered over to you.

“We should probably go get our bags.” He said, taking your hand once again.

“I’ll go with you, Yoongi.” Jungkook said suddenly. You noticed the strange look that Jugnkook was giving Yoongi, and knew it probably wasn’t the best idea.

“I don’t mind—“ You started, but Yoongi shook his head.

“Jungkook and I can get it.” He said, giving you a reassuring smile.

“We’ll go find Hoseok and the car.” Namjoon said. “And we’ll pick you up outside.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jungkook said, before nodding for Yoongi to follow him.

Of all the problems Yoongi had pictured there being on this trip, Jungkook hadn’t been one of them. He and Jungkook may not always act like they got along, but they had an understanding. Jungkook was only a year younger than Yoongi, and the two were friends of sorts. They went out for drinks, they occasionally went to clubs together, they had even gotten lunch together a few times.

But whatever friendship they had seemed to have dissolved. Jungkook stood with his arms crossed as he glared at the luggage going by on the conveyer belt.

“…Is something wrong?” Yoongi asked. He had thought Namjoon would be the one to have an issue with him, so he was a little surprised at the younger’s behavior.

“I don’t know how I feel about you dating my sister.” He said thinly.

“Sorry about that.” Yoongi sighed, unsure of what else he could say.

“It’s strange, don’t you think? All the time we’ve spent together and you never once mentioned having a girlfriend.”

“It never came up, I guess.” Yoongi said, feeling oddly nervous. Jungkook had always seemed so care-free, it was strange to see him so serious.

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.” Jungkook turned away from the luggage to aim his stare to Yoongi. “Namjoon wants to think that you’re genuine, but I know you, Yoongi.”

“What are you getting at?” Yoongi asked.

Jungkook raised his eyebrows at Yoongi. “That if you were the kind of person I wanted my sister to date, I would have introduced the two of you myself.”

Yoongi was beyond relieved to see you once he and Jungkook found the rental car. The second you were within eyesight, Jungkook had a big smile on his face and stopped trying to glare holes into Yoongi’s head.

“You’re in the back with us.” Hoseok said to Yoongi as he tossed the keys to Namjoon and Jungkook got into the front passenger seat. Yoongi never thought he would be so happy to sit next to you. Once the car had started down the road, he pulled out his phone carefully.

“We have a bit of a problem.” He texted you, and a second later your phone pinged.

“What did u do.” Was your response, glancing at him briefly.

“Nothing??”

“Are you two really texting each other instead of talking?” Hoseok asked with a snort.

“What are you talking about? I want to be included.” Namjoon pouted, glancing at the two of you in the rearview mirror.

“We were just—“ Yoongi started.

“It’s private stuff. You really don’t want to know, Namjoon.” You interrupted.

“What? Ew!” Namjoons mind seemed to have gone in a strange direction. “Don’t do that stuff in my car!”

“It’s young love, Namjoon.” Hoseok said, kicking the back of Namjoons seat. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have anyone to sext.”

Namjoon shivered. “This conversation needs to end now.”

Yoongi could feel his face burning, this was humiliating. You, on the other hand, looked quite pleased. It was probably because getting caught sexting would further the whole charade, but Yoongi didn’t feel like it was worth it. It didn’t help that Jungkook’s facial expression had changed drastically, giving Yoongi the impression that this wasn’t helping his reputation with the younger.

“So how did the two of you love birds meet?” Hoseok asked pleasantly. It was such a simple, predictable, cliché question that you really should have been more prepared.

“A company dinner.” You smiled, at the same time Yoongi said “At an art show.”

“It was both.” You covered quickly. “It was a really artsy company dinner.”

“I was writing a report on the museum.” Yoongi added helpfully.

“Funny, I don’t remember an article about it…” Namjoon frowned.

“That’s because it wasn’t for the paper.” You said quickly. “It was… For his blog.”

“Right. My… Blog.” Yoongi continued, giving you a sideways glance.

“You hate company dinners.” Jungkook pointed out, and Yoongi wasn’t sure if he was talking to you or him, but he nodded anyway.

“Exactly. We were both trying to slip out unnoticed when we ran into each other.” You said. “We bonded over our mutual dislike of uppity social events and went to a little café. We just kind of clicked, and the rest is history.”

It was cute, classy, the kind of story everyone wants to tell at their wedding—and it was so far from the truth Yoongi wanted to laugh. The two of you had actually met in an old, noisy, dirty club that smelled funny. Both of you were desperate and needy, and when Yoongi tried to approach you he had spilled his untouched drink onto your blouse. Somehow that led to making out in a corner and exchanging phone numbers—as well as a hicky on his neck that was particularly hard to hide the next day.

“How romantic.” Hoseok sighed. “Whenever I try to sneak away from fancy dinners I just get yelled at.” He gave the back of Namjoon’s head a pointed look.

“That’s because you’re my assistant and you’re supposed to help me remember people’s names.” Namjoon said in defense, and Yoongi was relieved the attention was no longer on him.

The lake house was just as you remembered it. It was surrounded by a well-manicured lawn, the lake to one side and trees in the back. The house itself was large, with wrap-around porches on both levels. You got out of the car and stretched, glancing at Yoongi who looked awestruck.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” You asked.

“You come here every year?” Yoongi asked, looking around as he handed you your luggage to he could get to his.

“Ever since I was six.” You nodded, taking his hand in your free one and pulling him up the stairs of the front porch. You found Taehyung and Jimin playing cards in the sun room, and introduced Yoongi to them.

“I know who he is.” Taehyung said. “He’s the ‘cutest boyfriend ever!’” Taehyung laughed as he mocked you, and you stuck your lounge out at him.

“Good luck with her, Yoongi.” Jimin said, picking up and scanning Taehyungs cards while he wasn’t looking. “I grew up with her. If you make her mad, she’ll put mud in your food.”

“I was seven!” You protested, and Jimin shrugged.

“So? I nearly ate dirt because of you, it’s going to take a lot more than time for me to let that go.”

Seokjin walked in then, assessing the room. He looked his usual self, but with a bit of flour on his nose.

“I thought I heard you come in! You must be Yoongi.” He said with a smile, taking Yoongi’s hand and shaking it. “I’m Seokjin, your lovely girlfriend’s childhood idol.”

“Do you have to bring that up every time I see you?” You asked, feeling your cheeks heating up.

“Yes. I was your first crush, and it was adorable.”

“I can vouch for that.” Namjoon said, strolling in. “But in your defense, you were only nine.”

“You were a weird kid.” Yoongi leaned over and muttered in your ear. You resisted the urge to elbow him in the side.

“So Yoongi, you two will be staying in a room together—“ Seokjin said, waving toward you. “And if you need anything just let me know.”

Once the initial introductions were over (thank goodness, you were sure the whole time that you would slip up and the whole thing would be ruined) you showed Yoongi to your room. It was the same room that you had stayed in as a child, all of the same furniture and photos on the walls.

“There aren’t two beds.” Yoongi said flatly once you shut the door behind the two of you.

“Yeah? Did you think there would be?” You gave him a strange look.

“I’m not sleeping next to you.” Was Yoongi’s cold response. “I’ll sleep in the chair.”

You tried not to be hurt by his words. You knew Yoongi wasn’t happy about the situation as it was, and he had never been one for cuddles, but this was ridiculous. “Come on, Yoongi. Don’t be like that, the bed’s huge! There’s plenty of room…” But Yoongi was already looking in the closet for extra blankets.

It had been a long day, and the last thing Yoongi needed was to think about waking up next to you--especially because he didn’t mind the thought. Some part of him had known that this would likely happen, but he had been in denial. He figured there was no way out of this, so he might as well not think about it.

“I’ll sleep in the chair.” You said, so quietly that he almost didn’t hear it.

“Forget it.” He said, not looking at you. He had found some blankets and even a spare pillow.

“No, I’m serious.” You said, walking over and taking the pillow from him. “I’m the one who dragged you along. If you don’t want to sleep next to me, I’ll sleep in the chair.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. He wished you’d just forget it and sleep in the bed. “It’s not a big deal.” He said, snatching the pillow back.

“I really don’t mind—“ You grabbed the pillow, but this time Yoongi wasn’t letting go.

“Well I do, so let go of my fucking pillow.” He didn’t see why it was such a big deal to you, he was the one who didn’t want to sleep next to you. It made sense to him to take the chair, he wasn’t a complete asshole.

“No, it doesn’t make sense for you to sleep in that lumpy old chair!” You tugged harder, and Yoongi thought he heard a slight tearing sound.

“And it makes sense for you to instead?” With one final pull, the pillow left your hands. But unfortunately, it left Yoongi’s as well. It was amazing how much damage could be caused by such a fluffy, seemingly harmless bag of feathers. It hit the side table, and knocked both the lamp and a glass bowl off.

The two of you stared at it for a moment before you laughed nervously.

“Ha… Ha…Oops.”

“How about we just share the bed.” Yoongi suggested, and you nodded. Neither of you was willing to let the other sleep in the chair, and it seemed the only solution.

“That might be the safest thing.” You agreed sheepishly.

A/N Haha, Jungkook is very suspicious! Thank you for reading, and (as always) let me know what you think! I feel like this gets a little more ridiculous with each chapter, but I have a plan for it believe it or not, haha. <3 

[artiegayberg]

monsieur/chevalier for the otp thing also feel better lad

Cheers lad

1. Who rocks the Ferris wheel and who begs them to stop? Philippe rocks the Ferris wheel, because he is terrible and naughty. Even if Chevy didn’t freak out at that he’d definitely get motion sick within 0.3 seconds and force Philippe to stop for the sake of their clothes.2. Who is always horny? Both they’re both awful, maybe Philippe more so (and especially as they grew older Chevy provided lots of younger men for him because he couldn’t keep up himself) but still.3. Who is more into baths/showers together and who makes it sexual? Philippe is always the one to either invite Chevy or invite himself (by which I mean appearing unexpectedly and causing a lot of startled, indignant splashing). Chevy makes it sexual.

4. Who walks around naked and who tells the other to put clothes on? Philippe - Chevy enjoys his own fashion sense too much to go anywhere beyond the bedroom without it. Let’s be honest though the only time he asks/tells Philippe to get dressed is when he wants to dress him.5. Who sleeps on the couch after a fight? Chevy slinks off back to his own rooms but they’re both too proud(/vain) to sleep on any couch.6. Who takes photos of the other sleeping? Both - what better way to scandalise the nobles than with pictures of your fucked-out naked lover?? Kind of fits the modern equivalent of them telling the court about their kinky sex life.7. Who said “I love you” first and who ends fights with “because I love you”? Chevy was first to say it, Philippe was first to say it and mean it. For both of them I think their argument style is more very personal nasty comments and threats, so neither really? There was that one time Chevy begged the king to let him leave court because he loved Philippe too much to watch while he lost him or whatever but I think that was more manipulative than genuine and it wasn’t direct so does it really count??8. Who likes to wear the other’s sweatshirts? They both shamelessly borrow the other’s clothes like if a certain waistcoat would match their outfit they’ll just take it but it doesn’t happen all that often - they’re both very fashion-conscious bellmen with huge wardrobes of their own. Chevy is very slightly more careful about it than Philippe.9. Who wakes up the other in the middle of the night over a cool dream? Who has the most nightmares, and who sings them back to sleep after? Chevy is such a deep sleeper it’s ridiculous and neither of them appreciate being woken at ungodly hours so the first doesn’t really happen at all. Philippe definitely has the most nightmares but I don’t think either of them would seek comfort like that? They’re both highkey into cuddling though like one of those mythical couples who stay cuddling really close all night and that’s just the right amount of comfort for them both without feeling crowded (Philippe) or embarrassed (Chevy).10. Who is more likely to cheat? Is it cheating if you share a group of mignons and occasionally both wander into other beds(/behind bushes/empty corridors/etc)? They both sleep around in ways that upsets the other and it’s by no means healthy but they don’t keep it secret from each other and their relationship was pretty open to start with so?? Where should the lines be drawn??? 11. Who makes fun of the other for having a crush on them, and who reminds them that they’re in a relationship? Neither - Philippe values that affection too highly and it’s just not Chevy’s style.12. Who starts a food fight? They team up together against some poor unsuspecting noble. Probably bishop Bossuet. 13. Who initiates duets? Who is the better singer? Philippe is probably the better singer but neither of them are really interested in singing.14. Who starts the hand-holding? Usually Philippe Who grabs the butt? BOTH Who slides their arm around the other’s waist? Again both they’re so tactile it’s ridiculous Who puts their fingers in the belt loops? And again both whoops look at all these things they have in common15. Who writes the other’s name on their wrist? Why settle for that when you can make out in the gardens/cuddle and feed each other at expensive dinners16. Who is more seductive when they’re drunk? Who is loudest in bed? Honestly does Chevy even have a non-seductive setting I’m sure he’s only worse-behaved drunk. Also Chevy is very shamelessly the loudest.17. Who is more protective? Chevy is kind of possessive, Philippe is more than kind of charmed by it.18. Who talks to the other while they are sleeping? Neither on purpose, unless maybe they’re really really drunk.19. Who drives and who has the window seat? They take it in turns, but both prefer sitting in the passenger seat and being the most annoying backseat drivers.20. Who falls asleep in the other’s lap and who carries them to bed? They both fall asleep draped across each other on a regular basis. Philippe will (usually) carry Chevy to bed, depending on how far the walk is and how much he wants the sleepy cuddles, but Chevy can’t run down a corridor without wheezing so there is no chance he’s fit enough to carry Philippe any distance without dropping him, which is less than romantic. 21. Who cuts the other’s hair? No????? Have you seen that hair it is a scissors-free zone22. Who is super bad at sexting? Who sends encouraging messages? Well Philippe’s idea of dirty talk is speechifying about how war turns his dick into a baby’s fist so what more evidence do you need. Chevy sends inappropriate messages at inappropriate times but they’re at least kind of encouraging?? 23. Who thinks they aren’t good enough for the other’s love? Neither tbh, though they’re both incredibly reliant on it.Who’s more afraid of losing the other? I think it’s pretty equal but for different reasons? Chevy is one of few people Philippe genuinely loves, and even fewer that he doesn’t see as fake or constantly betraying him. Chevy is mostly unpopular at court - without Philippe he would have no power, no good reputation and very little chance of finding anyone to love him so well. Who thinks they keep messing up and the other tells them not to worry? Again neither, I mean Chevy tried to brush off the whole treason thing in the show.24. Who starts random slow-dancing in the kitchen? Who holds the other just above the ground to kiss them? Chevy though it usually ends up more sexual than romantic because they’re both Terrible. Idk I mean there was that one time Chevy picked Philippe up and threw him on the bed?? But is he strong enough to manage it for much longer than a few seconds? nO25. Who says shitty puns and sex jokes to see the other giggle and blush? BOTH but Chevy is much better at it. Yes this is purely based on the fact that he’s never referred to his dick as a baby’s clenched fist sorry Philippe xoxo26. Who kissed first? Chevy - if you’re going to seduce the heir of the throne you gotta see it all the way through 27. Who orders takeout at 2am? Who wakes the other up at 3am to get them a glass of water because it’s Too Dark downstairs? Both tbh 2am sex is very hungry business. Probably neither but more likely Chevy than Philippe - the Duke of Orleans is a big brave war hero and even if he wasn’t, waking Chevy up at 3am is probably not worth the effort28. Who writes poems/stories and love songs about the other? Do they sing the songs they write for them? My name is Philippe, I am a poet, I wrote this poem just to show it, and I, have a huge war kink and an entire infant in my trousers byE29. Who does some crazy stunt to impress the other and who drives them to the emergency room when it backfires? I mean Philippe is far braver but all I can think of is that one time Chevy went to war and was hit by a grenade and Philippe gave up his carriage for him they’re both so extra 30. Who is embarrassed when they have to wear their glasses and who thinks they look super cute? PHILIPPE I mean Alex has reading glasses so it’s almost canon. Chevy thinks they’re adorable. Also wouldn’t work the other way because you wouldn’t catch Chevy dead in glasses.

[casualarsonist]

No Man’s Sky in 2017 - A First Impressions Review

I think I’ve made mention before of how I often find myself drawn to or intrigued by certain games that, despite critical histrionics, manage to garner themselves a cult following; games like Homefront: The Revolution, and Watch Dogs. Perhaps this is because I like the idea that some products don’t necessarily wear their value on their skin, that it is within some kind of niche that a game offers the best of its experience. And so it was that one of my favourite Youtubers - hbomberguy - with this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DhaUe6y-Co - convinced me to look into buying No Man’s Sky. Because here’s the thing: I didn’t care about the game before release. I didn’t listen to the hype, I didn’t read up on it, I wasn’t interested. It’s only after things blew up that I even really began to register what No Man’s Sky was supposed to be, and it’s only after watching that video that I wanted to experience it for myself.

In trying to do consumer research for a game so contentious, it’s borderline impossible to find a review that is current, in-depth, *and* untouched by emotion; it was extremely hard to find an appraisal of whether the game was a better buy on PS or PS4 that took into account all the updates and performance tweaks made since its release, as well as to find a qualitative evaluation of the game that didn’t mention whether Hello Games had or had not ‘redeemed’ themselves. In the end, I took into account that PC players seemed to have often have problems with frame-rates, as well as the overwhelmingly more-positive Metacritic rating of the PS4 version (and the fact that it’s £6 cheaper in the PSN sale than the PC version) to buy this version, and as such, this article pertains to that version only. Also, as this is a huge game and the consumer experience no-doubt changes as your experience with the game’s mechanics increases, it’s important to note that I’ve played about 20-25 hours so far, and only ventured two star systems from the beginning, so I’m still going to refer to this as ‘first impressions.’

***

No Man’s Sky is an independent first-person space exploration and survival game developed by the UK’s Hello Games. Upon release, it received arguably the largest consumer backlash in the history of video games after their vague, hype-led promotional campaign revealed itself to be anywhere from wafflingly distracting to outright deceptive, and the level of fan expectation pre-release had, at least somewhat independently, mutated into something absurd and unhealthy. In any case, Hello stirred up expectation by promising not just the world, but the universe - literally quintillions of stars, each with their own unique planetary system, and each planet with its own unique landscape and blend of flora and fauna, and to be honest, for the most part, it delivers on that part of the promise, at least to a certain degree. There is some credence to the remaining complaints about the game, but honestly, I think that even if these issues were resolved, some people simply won’t like it for what it is, so my intention here is to give you a feeling of what it was like for me, playing the game with near-enough of a blank slate.

I woke up on a freezing snow planet. My ship was wrecked and surrounded by some boxes with a small amount of basic resources. Activating a nearby terminal, I was given a mission to repair my equipment and the rest was up to me. Venturing out on foot, I found the planet to be pleasantly populated, with a fairly regular smattering of non-hostile creatures, a dozen or so different types of plant-life, and relatively abundant resources. The world looked gorgeous – icy plains and some light hills, dotted with trees and bushes and mineral outcrops, all delivered in a beautifully simple, but not plain, graphical style. Nearby planets dominated the skyline, beckoning me temptingly from across the expanse. I noticed little pop in, and most of the ‘fading in’ was tasteful and non-invasive (although after a number of hours of playtime or on particularly densely detailed planets the fading in became more laboured).

Scanning the area I noticed that there was a point of interest within a minute’s walk that turned out to be small abandoned outpost with a number of supplies. From there, another point lay about 2 mins away again, and from there another, until I’d reached about six different places. Along the way I found holes in the ground that led me through intricate cave systems that, while pretty and adorned with all kinds of stone and plant formations, largely held nothing of practical value for me. After getting my ship up and running I explored the planet through the air, finding more ancient alien monuments and occasionally populated bases, as well as completing the initial missions that seemed to be aimed towards getting me aloft into the stars. I was constantly aware of small robots - Sentinals - that buzzed about the areas of interest, as well as the near-constant presence of noisy spaceships flying overhead. I met a species of alien – the Gek – and spoke and traded with them, learning a small amount of their incomprehensible language, as well as encountering outposts that contained systems holding cryptic messages or puzzles that I had to solve in order to unlock the rewards within. 

I spent about four hours on this planet (maybe more) before venturing to the next, drawn by a waypoint that led to an ancient ritual site. Travel from one planet to the other was seamless – taking off from the ice planet (which I have forever designated the name ‘Smegmanius’), I was out of its atmosphere in seconds, and blasting towards the soon-to-be-titled planet ‘McBulgin’. The detail on the planet surface faded rather smoothly in before me as I approached, and as I landed near the site I hopped out of my ship onto an arid, barren surface dominated by areas of toxic haze and harsh outcrops of dry rock and minerals. The difference in climate was palpable as heat audibly simmered the grey rock (although the overall effect on my environmental protection was roughly the same as the previous planet, just hot instead of cold); this place felt truly alien. This feeling was only enhanced by the fact that it was entirely devoid of sentient life, and the points of interest were stationed much further away from one another compared to those on Smegmanius, so exploring the planet was a much more lonely experience, but, interestingly, made me far less nervous and jumpy. In any case, the tangible loneliness aroused by this hostile planet simply through replacing snow with rock, introducing jagged geological geometry, and removing fauna from the equation, had me enraptured.

In exploring the rest of the system and beyond I’ve found planets with vast lakes and squidgy terrain, ‘paradise planets’ with green skies and green rivers that run through deep canyons, desolate moon-like planets with tall mountains, mushroom planets with toxic atmospheres, and barren planets with little to see or do besides mine the abundant outcrops of valuable minerals. I’ve seen creatures enormous, tiny, cute, and horrifying. I’ve seen haunting monuments to civilizations long-dead half-buried in the middle of nowhere, and bizarre arcing bands of shining minerals streaking out of the ground. I’ve seen soaring peaks and deep ravines and scorched, featureless plains, and strange floating islands peppering twisted purple landscapes. I’ve been hunted through snowy forests by predators that make my skin crawl, and fought off pirates in asteroid belts above the looming spectres of ocean planets. I’m a couple of dozen hours in and while there is a certain definite degree of repetition in aspects of the worlds I’ve been to (because this is an indie game made by a small team of human devs and not the Holy Grail made by Jesus Christ himself), I’ve not lost the sense of wonder when first setting foot on a new planet. I have no doubt that there will be a point where I feel as if I’m just going through the motions, but I haven’t hit that point yet, and for £10 I certainly feel like I’ve got value for my money. I’m also certain that I’ll pick the game up again after I’m done with it for the first time, as there is simply so much to see, not to mention the fact that Hello Games keep adding content for free and thereby increasing the amount available for people to do.

It’s just my opinion, but concerning an independent game in which 100% of the players will likely explore less than 0.001% of the available worlds, there is no place for the expectation that everything one experiences will be different every time. Part of the reality of creating something both near-infinite *and* user friendly is that there needs to be a balance allowing the systems to be creative without letting them break the game for the player, or risk leaving them with nothing to see and do – landing on literal bald rock, or a gas giant that kills you just for venturing into it, or an ocean planet with no life (because let’s not forget that, thus far, most of the real observable universe is devoid of life) would lack emotional impact and certainly be disappointing if they were anywhere near as prevalent in the game as they are in reality. And a consequence of this balancing within the procedural generation system is a subsequent degree of homogenisation amongst the experiences. In saying that, I think that they’ve got that balance pretty close to being just right – every planet is its own experience in one way or another; some fill you with feelings of wonder, others with a hyper-awareness of your existence as a lone speck on an otherwise forsaken landscape; some can intrigue you for hours, others for mere minutes. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t welcome additional content in terms of plants and animals and terrain variations (I’d even go so far as to say I’d pay for them), but honestly, while better-regarded games like Elite: Dangerous and its ilk give you the cool feeling of being a space pilot, No Man’s Sky gives you the cool feeling of being a space explorer.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there have been significant additions to the game since launch, such as more biomes, vehicles, and narrative additions, and it’s not entirely fair of me to criticise the opinions and reactions of those that pre-ordered the game for full price and played it when it was an inferior state. But the continued vitriol of the most vocally negative commentators doesn’t seem proportionate to the game as it exists in its current state. No Man’s Sky is the one of the few games I’ve played that has actively engaged my girlfriend to the point that she wants to join in with me. We spent 8 hours together the other day exploring the solar systems and passing the controller back and forth amidst mutual expressions of fascination. The controls on-foot and in-flight are simple enough for everyone, and at the time of writing she hasn’t texted me back for 3 hours, so I can be pretty certain that she’s enveloped in the new game that we started up for her this morning, and when we both get home from work today she’ll have stories to tell me of things that I have never experienced, and will likely never get to witness myself. The feeling that you can be playing the same game as someone and know that the things they’re seeing will likely never be looked upon by another’s eyes is truly breathtaking.

However, the truth remains that the game will not be for everyone. Some will object to the gameplay itself and the fact that the core actions of the player are far less expansive than the in-game universe. Many won’t have the patience for the experience and may perhaps wish that NMS was more Mass Effect than Minecraft. And there are still bugs to be found, and items that seem to have an unfinished purpose, although personally I’ve found these to be a rarity. But if those who haven’t yet played can rid themselves of expectations, or (if you’re lucky) not have any expectations to begin with, what you may find is a space exploration and survival game unlike any other. For decades developers have released games that focus on the feeling of piloting a ship throughout space itself and of engaging in various forms of space combat, leaving the planets themselves standing starkly out of reach, but for the first time that I know of, Hello Games have created a product that aims to bridge the gap between the land and the sky and place the player both in the cockpit and the walking boots of a galactic traveller. Much is streamlined about the game, and it is certainly about far as one can get from a space simulation, but No Man’s Sky, for all the faults of its launch and whatever of those still remain, offers a sensation of wonder in exploration that I’ve never experienced before - a feeling that is exciting to share and paradoxically exquisite in how unlikely it is that you will share the experience with someone outside of a person sitting next to you.