#and the side effect of that is she can kind of interact w the boys and spirits alike since she hangs inbetween as a ghost

[floorpancakes]

no context catverse content but in case anyone was wondering i have like. several xxxholic ocs and i love them dearly

[ceasarslegion]

What is the gift card story?

Oh boy.

So when this happened, I worked at a Kiehl's. To those who don't know, it's a luxury skincare company that charges 80 bucks for a tub of moisturizer. Not even the specialty kind, either. It's honestly stupid overpriced for what it is except for a very small list of products and discount sets and I do not recommend it now that I'm no longer working there and can give my honest opinion of it.

The company also tries to feel special to embarrassing extents. They made us do this service where we'd basically sit you down and stick this machine to your cheek that was basically a flaw finder and we'd spend half an hour telling you everything wrong with you in an attempt to get you to drop 300 dollars on a 6 step routine. In all honesty, just wash your face, moisturize, and use sunscreen if youre going out in the sun. You don't need a 145 dollar anti aging serum, you cant permanently reverse aging, that's not how the science works, and aging isn't a curse or a sign of lesser worth anyway. It's a blessing not afforded to most. The stuff they claim they're "reversing" are usually just skin dehydration side effects. You get the same results from a run of the mill moisturizer. If your acne's persistent and uncomfortable then retinol serums do actually work for that, but don't fuck your self esteem by convincing yourself you need retinol to keep wrinkles from forming. It's not worth it, you'll end up with an empty wallet and depression and none of the lasting results you were promised the second you stop using it.

Anyway, we got quite an entitled customer base because of the combination of unaffordable price gouging and these frilly free services that made them feel special for 30 minutes of their disconnected bourgeois lives. The kind of people who think that theyre better than the employees because they got lucky enough to have a rich husband or nepotism'ed their way into high paying positions and convinced themselves that they're self-made. A lot of them im convinced only spent that much money because they could.

So one day this lady comes in and buys a hand cream. Shes a little rude and off-putting but whatever, she's not yelling at me over prices i cant control so pick your battles, right? I ring it through, ask how's she's paying, she says visa. I hand her the machine. She goes through the whole thing. It gets approved, I give her her reciept and say "have a nice day~!" to which she growls "why didn't you take my gift card?!"

This caught me off-guard, and I kinda blinked vacantly at her and went "I... w-what?"

She takes out a gift card from her wallet, which at no point she showed me or made me aware she had, and said "why didn't you take my gift card?!"

With all the self-control I can muster, I say "I... was not made aware that you had one, ma'am."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. She started staring at me like she wanted me dead. Started going off about how the customer is always right and demanding a full refund while still keeping the hand cream. I told her that this is very much not a scenario where that would be appropriate.

Adult temper tantrum ensues. She calls me stupid and says that I clearly don't know anything. My eye is starting to twitch, and my manager on duty catches this interaction and gracefully saves me from cussing out a bitch by taking over and running a return, followed by a second transaction with the gift card as payment.

You wanna know how much was on it?

Two dollars.

Two fucking dollars. She pulled that shit and called me stupid and started throwing a temper tantrum over TWO. DOLLARS. In a store that charges FORTY for that bottle of hand cream. If you're dropping forty fucking dollars on hand cream in the middle of an inflation crisis worse than that America is going through, you can afford to swallow a toonie. If you're shopping there in 2023, you're not struggling enough that two dollars is a legitimate concern, you know very well what you're doing here, and I'm not gonna fucking have that as someone who was struggling to get by on 16 an hour.

So I got her banned from the store. Fuck off and die, toonie gift card lady.

[chenqingssuibian]

yknow, one of the things that interest me is that the show is quick to establish that Dean is Good With Kids and cares about them. Lucas in Dead in the Water (season 1, ep 3), Lilly in Bloody Mary (season 1, ep 5) - he is quick to comfort both. he tries to connect with Lucas on the level he's able to communicate-drawing, specifically-and when Lilly says it wad her fault her father died, he points out that it can't have been because the legend of Bloody Mary doesn't work that way - he recognizes her concern, which no one else does, and shows her a clear, logical fact that demonstrates that she is not guilty of causing her father's death with a silly little dare, and he does it in a roughly one minute interaction.

in Lucas's case, you could dismiss it at first as Dean trying to get in the kid's mom's good graces - and that might've been what they had been trying to portray, but the interaction with Lilly-a teenage girl with no hot mom to flirt with in sight-makes it clear, to me at least, that Dean is someone with a nurturing, comforting instinct. and that fits with the characterization of him in the other first few episodes; Sam, understandably, is much more dead-set on finding their dad and tracking down Jessica's killer, and particularly in the second episode (called Wendigo, because this is 2005, which. hmm. it-not calling it a w*ndigo, because that's Not What Those Are-was very much Until Dawn, in case anyone's curious) repeatedly insists that since John isn't there at Black Water Ridge, they should leave, even though there is a monster that they both know has been killing people every 23 years.

and sure, Dean had some sexual tension with Hailey, the sister of a victim of the monster who they followed into the woods, when she went to find her brother. you could dismiss his desire to stay and protect her and her remaining brother, Ben, as they searched for their other sibling, as being part of his attraction to her. Sam certainly does, as he does in the next episode with Lucas's mom - he asks Dean, point-blank, if Dean is looking for a hookup, and doesn't believe him when Dean says he isn't. and yknow, if the goal is to characterize him as a womanizer or skirt chaser, having him actually sleep with either of these women at some point in either episode would've made Sam's derision and annoyance much more understandable, but the most Dean gets is a kiss from Lucas's mother at the end of episode 3, after he's saved the life of her son. he doesn't sleep with either of them.

so. Dean is a flirt, but he is not a womanizer, and he genuinely cares about children - and, honestly, people in general. Dean makes snide comments about wanting to hit people often, but it's Sam who has more of a temper. that's clearly part of his trauma surrounding Jessica's death-he has had a nightmare in every episode following the pilot, so far-but it also just seems to be part of who he is? even before Jessica's death, Sam is quick to get angry, saying some... true, but not particularly nice things about their parents. Dean loses his temper, after Sam says something about their mother-I'd have to go back to check, but effectively, he said that he doesn't mourn their mother the way Dean does, and that he doesn't remember anything about her-and pushes him up against the side of the bridge, but he quickly reigns in his temper. all he says is "Don't talk about her like that." that's it. no cursing, no yelling - he seemed more hurt than angry, really.

a lot of my perception of the early seasons, as someone who knows vaguely the plot of supernatural from years of being on Tumblr and having watched the first two seasons in a single weekend when I was ten, had Dean painted as the "bad boy" of the brother's. heavy-drinking, rock-and-roll, womanizer Dean Winchester - and to some extent, he is that, but he is also an extremely sensitive and seemingly innately kind man, and he's much more those two things that he is the stereotype he plays into.

i just think that's interesting. especially because, from what I can tell, that depth to him doesn't seem to be on purpose (yet. though, I may not be giving the writers and showrunners enough credit. mostly, it seems like it's coming from Jensen Ackles - anyone else playing Dean, especially in 2005, probably would have gone hard on the bad boy, but Jensen gives Dean a sort of softness. but maybe that's just me?)

idk. let me know what y'all think.

[sweetestpopcorn]

I love to read your analysis of the characters. What do you think about relations between Visenya and Rhaenys? Were they ever close? Or were they maybe like Sansa and Arya?

Hi there 🤗

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so glad you like my takes 😁

Answering your question, no I don’t think Rhaenys and Visenya were like Sansa and Arya, neither in personality nor in their relationship with each other.

For starters, the three Targaryen siblings seemed close, the sisters included. From the few interactions I recall between Rhaenys and Visenya there’s never a tense moment. There doesn’t seem to be any jealously between Visenya and Rhaenys, nor one of them blaming the other for anything or resenting them, nor one wanting things the other one had and vice-virsa. Much less one trying to throw the other under the bus on account of pleasing some boy.

I think while the two had different personalities and approaches to life, Visenya and Rhaenys did share quite a few interests. Both were dragonriders. Both had an interest in ruling, and spend quite a lot of time doing it. Both were a part of a nearly extint race of people - Valyrians - which does bring people together. 

If there aren’t many like you in the world, you will want to be close to those that are like you, and the Targaryens did grow up with a very “us” and “them” approach to life. #haterscry

Visenya was one tough cookie and didn’t like anything perceived as weakness, yet I think she did realize that while her sister Rhaenys wasn’t like her, that she was by no means weak, and that her methods could also be effective. Of course I still believe that Visenya thought her way was the best way, but she didn’t take merit  away from Rhaenys’s achievements.

I believe she also had a kind of loyalty to Rhaenys that was like this is my sister, she’s a Targaryen, so I have to stand by her, which, again in my opinion, had much to do with how they were brought up by their parents. It’s us and them, and no one will understand you as you will, because you are Targaryens, and they are not like us. #haterscry #youwishyourhousewasTHEhouse

I like to imagine, as I have said before, Rhaenys being the one who brings some humour and lightness to Visenya, who though tries to come off as serious, does like this aspect of her sister. I can also see the two sisters bonding over flying. Rhaenys who commanded the larger dragon out of the two, and who spent more time flying than Visenya and Aegon put together, being the best out of the two and playfully goofing around with Visenya about it like:

“Haha :D I won another race!”

And Visenya just giving her the side eye 😒 sulking and walking away while Rhaenys dances around her.

At the same time I imagine Rhaenys having a great admiration for her sister, not in a “I wish I was her” but in a very “Man this chick rules I am so proud of her!” kind of way. And I do think they were always like this.

I also imagine Visenya being closer to her father - in my personal headcanon she was the favourite - and Rhaenys being closer to her mother as she was the one left behind whenever Lord Aerion took Aegon and Visenya with him. I even imagine Lady Valaena teaching her younger daughter how to sing and play - hey Rhaegar’s talent had to come from someone XD.

And regarding Aegon I think Visenya didn’t mind when he said he was also marrying Rhaenys. I can see Visenya raising her eyebrows like “Well, better you than one of those other fools fawning over her like idiots!”.

Maybe all of this is just wishful thinking on my part because I am just so tired of women either being pinned against each other and hating each other or if they were close in any way they had to be banging (!) because god forbids there’s an in between! No hate to anyone who does, please, everyone is free to think what they like, but I just need some friendship and closeness between two women/sisters 😅 and since nothing in canon says otherwise, I will stand by it 🤗

Thank you for your ask and your kind words ❤ All the best to you! 

[crescentchat]

on Sandwiches and Shells (Lunar Chronicles Fanfiction)

Jacin was everything to Winter. The blue in her veins, the space between her hollow bones, the warm color in both her irises.

But Jacin was also a dork.

Winter and Thorne both agreed on this. ----

An exploration of Winter & Thorne friendship, and Jacin & Cress. Also a deep dive into the fate of the shells after the revolution! 

Finished:07-28-2021 

Words:1861

Jacin was everything to Winter. The blue in her veins, the space between her hollow bones, the warm color in both her irises.

But Jacin was also a dork.

Winter and Thorne both agreed on this.

And with two sandwiches and a bench in a glass hallway near the ship docks, they discussed it at length.

“Then he threatened to duel me! Dueling- ” Thorne had said, bug-eyed, one cheek filled with bread. “Do Lunars duel? Is that a custom?”

The princess giggled. “Public lashings were common”

He was silent for a moment as he swallowed the rest of his lunch. “Those still aren’t legal, right?”

“No, I don’t think Cinder would let it be. She might make an exception for you maybe.”

The brunet threw his head back and laughed. “Now you’re sassy? I can’t escape it since Cinder and Scarlet started rubbing off on Cress!”

“Perhaps I learned it from Jacin,” Winter added, taking a small bite from her zesty sandwich. “He had been sentenced to public lashing one time.”

Winter smiled at the memory, not because of the gore of seeing the love of her life tied and beaten, but the things he had said to her that night. The side of him that no one else was allowed to see (but everyone knew was there because he was not good at hiding it), a man that would do anything, anything for her.

“Huh. Wish I was there.” Thorne added.

In the comfortable silence, her eyes went to a grand, marble door nearby. If Jacin were here right now, he would be standing statuesque next to it. And since Thorne was here with her, he would probably be standing even closer. Winter would offer him food, and he would decline, Thorne would have something witty to say about it, and Jacin would make a threat of violence with a deadpan face.

“Where’s your loverboy, anyways?”

“He accompanied your Cress to a shell rehabilitation meeting. Do you want to eat the rest of this?”

“Pickles? No way. And what do you mean shell rehabilitation meeting ? She’s already in therapy,” Thorne added skeptically, brushing the crumbs off his lap and standing up.

“No, no. It’s for the friends that were rescued from the labs.”

Thorne nodded and made an ‘O’ shape with his lips. “To reintroduce them into normal society? Well, as normal as moon people can be, ” he added, muttering the last part.

Shells had very limited education (being a thaumaturge telling them an intimidating version of what reproduction was like, effectively scaring them away from it), but they had made their own versions of interaction before they were put in cryo-sleep.

The shells that couldn’t find their previous families, or families that wouldn’t take them back, were offered jobs in the Artemisian palace. Winter was very fond of all of them. They would say very strange things to the aristocrats, ask the most awkward questions at the most horrible times, but they were Winter’s people .

Despite effectively being a war hero, many still thought Winter was crazy, including her close friends. But apart from Jacin, the shells were the only ones in the palace who were too different for others to swallow, swimming in their heads too often. Like she was. They understood.

Many had dreams of moving the Earth, and maybe being normal on Earth meant losing your peculiarity.

But this couldn’t be true. Cress was raised in a drastically different way than the other shells, but she was still just as weird and wistful as them.

“The friends, they really admire her,” Winter said after a moment. “They told me that Sybil Mira had taken her away one day. They were very envious because they thought she was going to the palace to be freed, but Sybil told them that she was killed instead.”

Thorne nodded. “Yeah, I remember that at the banquet. Like, all of them were sobbing. Kind of touchy, too.”

“They don’t know much better, though,” Winter said, dusting her dress off and standing as well once her sandwich was finished.

“Hence the rehabilitation!” He said proudly, already at the door holding it open. “Let’s go supervise.”

__________________________________

Jacin had made a promise to Cress, a very long time ago. That promise was that her safety would come only second to Winter’s.

But sometimes he wondered, What was he willing to put up with for her?

He already dealt with shells and their lack of personal space and emotional boundaries at the palace, but here, there were about a hund of them all in this one conference room in South Artemisia.

Despite Jacin placing himself far away from the others and staying silent, that didn’t stop people from coming up to him and asking, asking, asking, asking-  

“Why are your arms so big?” A pale, redheaded teenager asked.

“I exercise.”

“What pertains to exercise?”

“Pushups.”

“What’s a pushup?”

Jacin rolled his eyes to the sky. “Look it up. You have a portscreen, don’t you?”

The boy, Wane, scoffed. “Portscreens are so blue . I see enough blue on the faces of others.”

He fought another eye-roll, but only because the statement reminded him of something whimsical Winter might say. “I’m sure someone else can show you.”

Wane nodded nonchalantly, thanked him, and ambled away.

This queued Jacin to turn his attention to Cress, who was swiping through her portscreen, and being swarmed by a group of shell women. She looked a little flustered, but not overwhelmed by the attention.

He discreetly made his way over to the crowd and cut through so he was right behind Cress.

Ah.

He should have guessed by the squeals and giggles from the shell girls that Cress was showing them pictures of the Captain. One picture was him carrying an antidote crate, concentration etched in his eyes. Cress swiped through her photo gallery again, showing a picture of him fascinatingly watching a romantic net drama (one he claimed to hate, by the way).

“Ahem,” Jacin coughed.

The blonde turned around swiftly, as did the shells.

The shell girls hugged him immediately, all greeting him. He just about pushed them off in shock until Cress shot him a knowing yet weary smile reminding him that they don’t know much about personal space.

Wasn’t she supposed to be mentoring them on that instead of showing them pictures of her boyfriend? Jacin coughed again. “Hello, everyone. I need a word with the shortcake.”

“Hey!” A brunette yelped. “That’s mean. Crescent is short and lovely and not a cake! ”

“Ah, Callista. He’s not being mean. It’s lighthearted, a nickname.” Cress said, gently pulling her away from Jacin. By now the rest of the shells had gone somewhere else, off to another counselor to ask a thousand questions.

“No, Cress is a nickname because it is short for Crescent Moon. But shortcake has nothing to do with Crescent Moon.”

Cress sighed, “Okay, so-”

Jacin tuned it out, waiting for her to be done. Why did they ask her to explain these things when she could barely explain it herself?

It brought him to another time when a shell woman came up to Cress and kissed her on the mouth like they had been casually dating for years.

Thorne had jumped out of his chair, and when Cress was done being shocked, she stuttered, “Why did you do that?”

“Because I love you!” She exclaimed happily.

“You do not love her, you’ve known her for two days!” Thorne had interjected.

“Of course I love her. She is a hero to all our shell friends and saved us all!”

“I am a friend, then, but you don’t-  you can’t kiss people! On the face like that!” Cress swallowed.

She had placed her fingers on her chin like she  was deeply considering this. “Yes, yes. Interesting. Thank you for letting me know.”

Cress’ mildly sarcastic cough brought him back to the present. “What did you need?”

“I think it’s about time we go back to the palace.”

“Aww, why? I was having so much fun,” She whined.

“Having fun showing off Thorne?”

There was a comedic silence, before she said, “Yeah.”

Jacin rolled his eyes for maybe the hundredth time, but this time only in jest.

Cress feigned an offended gasp, and swatted at him lightly, standing up from her chair. “You would show off Winter too if put in the position!”

“She would show herself off.” He said, stopping by a door while Cress waved goodbye to the shells.

“Thorne probably would too,” She said, finally closing the door and cracking her fingers. “But I’m just getting the word out he’s mine.”

Jacin almost snorted at the sudden and unexpected possessiveness of her statement. “Sometimes I wonder if he forgets he’s yours.”

She thoughtfully shook her head. “No, it’s a lot like Winter. Kind of.”

Jacin raised his eyebrow.

“Well, like, Winter attracts people by existing, you know? She can’t help it.”

That was very true. She could swish her hair once, and twirl in her dress twice maybe, and get just about anything she wanted. But still, “Thorne can definitely help it though.”

Their footsteps echoed off the grand hallway, chatter from the shell meeting all but gone. “Maybe. I don’t know.” There was a hint of doubt in her voice.

Jacin, out of fear he offended her, added, “Not that I think he’s unfaithful. He’s obsessed with you, really.”

“In a romantic way?”

Jacin nodded.

The flush that was on her face earlier came back. “W-well, Winter’s obsessed with you!”

He decided they were far away enough for anyone to hear, so he indulged himself in a laugh. “I know, I know.”

__________________________________

“Hello, Squire Clay!” Thorne bellowed as he strutted through the ship docks, Winter trailing behind, sandwich in hand.

Cress could hear Jacin’s eye roll (he was doing a lot of those today).

“Hey you,” Thorne greeted her, voice softer and looping an arm around her waist.

“Apologies I told him about your squireship status,” Winter hooked an arm around his neck and pecked his cheek.

“Does this mean you’re a knight now or something? What’s the surname for knights-” the Captain snapped his fingers, trying to call up the knowledge. “Your Holiness?”

“I think it’s just sire,” Cress said.

Thorne purred, “Medieval knowledge. Nice. How’d it go, sire?”

Jacin held up a hand. “Don’t do that,” he grumbled as Winter snorted. “It went fine. We left early because you two have somewhere to be.” He pointed to the other couple.

Captain looked down at her with wide eyes, looking for an answer. “Ah, the outbreak in the United Kingdom. Almost forgot about that.” She said.

“Of course! In the Canadian province. How could I forget?” Thorne chirped as if he knew the whole time.

“Well, I didn’t forget. The vaccines have already been loaded into the Rampion.” The platinum blonde said, signaling to the crates in the cargo bay.

Thorne hummed. “Guess it’s time to go, then.”

“Thank you, Jacin,” Cress smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“Have fun with your Trouble, Jacin!” He yelled from the Rampion, as the ramp closed.

He scoffed, for again, probably the hundredth time that day.

__________________________________

__________________________________

Finally finished! I promised this you be finished a week ago, but I lied hehe. Thank you for @gingerale2017 for cheerleading me on! I’m really proud of this. please support on AO3! 

[queenofimagines]

Chocolates

Request: “can i get something for jj where he's just SUCH a softie & always wants to be held by his girl, been friends since they were lil?? & maybe he finds out that she ran into his dad in public & he recognized her & said some shit abt how she could do better than jj / deserves better & she stood up for him w/out a single hesitation. & when jj finds out he just wants to hold/be held by her & then she calls him "baby boy" or "bubba" & he just breaks & needs needs NEEDS bc he feels so vulnerable & loved”

Warnings: None

JJ didn’t have many things in his life that he cared to hold onto. His lighter? Nothing special. His hats? He could always steal more. His sunglasses? Well, he didn’t really wear them anyway. But you? Now you were something completely different. You had been there for JJ his whole life, having met at a young age in some obscure playground that he was sure was torn down years ago to accommodate the expansion that Figure 8 had undergone. He didn’t care that it was gone, not when he still had you in his life, not when he could still make memories with you at The Wreck or on the HMS Pogue. All that mattered to JJ was you, and as long as he had you, he had the world.

JJ was at the market with Kiara, picking up some supplies for a day out on the marsh. Kiara needed to run to the store for snacks and drinks while JJ had wanted to tag along to make sure that he got the exact chips he wanted. He also tagged along in order to get you those chocolates you loved so much. They were rather hard to come by in The Cut and while he definitely would have asked Pope’s dad since you didn’t want to (something about not wanting to make his job harder and not having enough money, although JJ knew Pope’s dad would have never charged you, you were his favorite Pogue after his son) Pope’s dad didn’t particularly like him very much. Pope’s dad probably would have helped JJ since it was for you but he still would have rather avoided the whole conversation, especially after the day he’d had. First, the stupid Kook family who hired him to mow their lawn had shorted him on his pay, claiming he had knocked over one of their garden gnomes, effectively scratching it and thus ruining it, apparently. He couldn’t see a scratch anywhere and he was sure that they just wanted to short him just because, maybe to flex their power or whatever. Then, his dad had tore into him just before heading to the same grocery store hours earlier. He promised his dad that he’d bring home the same amount that the Kook family had promised him, and bringing home less than what was promised definitely didn’t go over well. Shaking the memory from his head, JJ decided to focus on the task at hand.

“Kie, please! I don’t know what they’re called but they’re small and come in a bag that’s usually resealable and-”

“JJ! I don’t know what kind of chocolates you’re talking about!” Kiara sighed, “JJ I have literally never seen you work this hard for anything, not even for yourself, why would you work this hard for chocolate?”

“They’re for Y/N, she never gets to eat them because they’re so hard to find.” Kiara smiled at that. She knew how in love JJ was with you, he had been for as long as she could remember. Kie liked how you seemed to balance JJ out without restraining his wild personality and how your family had accepted him as if he was their own. She also loved that she wasn’t the only girl in the group anymore, having gained an instant best friend when you arrived.

“Just ask someone JJ, I’m sure the guy at the counter probably knows.” Nodding, JJ headed towards the front of the store while Kiara turned back towards the vegetable section, picking out some baby carrots and trying to find some ranch or hummus near by. JJ rolled his eyes, knowing that the only person who would eat them would be Kiara.

“Excuse me? Do you guys have these little chocolates that look kind of like-”

“JJ, my man! I didn’t think you’d be in today. Are you getting stuff for your dad? He came in earlier looking for some cigarettes and beer, but he didn’t end up buying anything. Instead he just caused a big ruckus that scared off my customers and left! Jerk.”

“Wait, he fought with someone?” JJ asked. JJ knew his dad had a temper but people weren’t always good at seperating JJ from his dad. He’d need more fingers if he were to count the many time he’d been attacked for his dad’s actions and he certainly didn’t need to add anymore to the list.

“Yeah, he fought with Y/N. You didn’t know? Isn’t she your girlfriend?” JJ shook his head.

“What was the fight about?” JJ asked, become agitated at the thought of you having any contact with his dad, let alone actually fighting with him. The clerk behind the counter rubbed his neck nervously, knowing JJ wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Well... Y/N was already here when your dad came in. I guess she found whatever she was looking for because she was making her way towards the counter when she bumped into your dad. Like head on, she even dropped the stuff she was holding. Your dad recognized her I guess cause he started saying something to her, I couldn’t hear what he said but whatever it was obviously didn’t sit well with her cause she looked like she was getting irritated. She said something to him about you, at least I heard her say your name a few times. Then she left, your dad leaving just a little after her.” By now JJ was on edge, knowing that whatever went down between you two couldn’t have been good. All he could think about was making sure you were okay. He quickly left the store, telling Kiara as he passed her that he needed to talk to you.

From the store to your house wasn’t very far, but at the pace JJ kept, the distance seemed even shorter. He quickly knocked on your front door, hoping you’d answer before he vibrated out of his skin. The door swung open, except it wasn’t your face he was looking at, but your father’s.

“Hey JJ, what’re you doing here? I thought you guys weren’t hanging out until later.”

“Hi, Mr. Y/L/N, you’re right but I just need to talk to Y/N really quick, can I come in?” By now JJ was practically bouncing on his toes. He loved your dad, he truly did, but right now he just needed to talk to you.

“Yeah come on in! She’s in her room but she’s taking a nap and, well, you know what she’s like when she wakes up don’t you?” Your dad laughed. JJ muttered a quick thanks before running to your room, gently closing the door when he spotted you sprawled out on top of your blankets fast asleep. He walked to the side of your bed and sat down, softly shaking your shoulder to wake you up.

“JJ?” You asked groggily, stretching before your eyes went wide as you abruptly sat up. “Oh my god did I sleep in? I was so sure I set an alarm.”

“You’re not late sweetheart, I just came early. I just needed to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“The guy at the store told me you ran into my dad today.”

“Oh.”

“What happened?”

“Well, I went to the store to pick up some snacks and when I was ready to pay I ran into your dad.” You didn’t really want to keep going, you knew he’d be upset by what his dad said and he really didn’t need his confidence to be any lower than it already was.

“And? I know there’s more to it Y/N.”

“Um... H-he said that I was a quite a catch, pretty and smart, and that I could have done better than... than you. He told me I should breakup with you.” JJ looked down, gripping you blanket so tight that his knuckles turned white.

“But I told him that wasn’t happening!” You quickly addd, beginning to get angry again as you thought about the whole interaction. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, there’s no way I’m just letting you go.”

JJ gently took ahold of your hand. He knew that you cared for him, but he never thought you’d be the type to stand up to his dad of all people, and he definitely didn’t think that you felt the same about him as he did you. His heart swelled at the thought that you had defended him, but he also felt guilty at the thought of you having to do so.

Seeing JJ look so defeated hurt your heart, more so at the thought that you might have caused it. 

“I’m sorry, Bubba. Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad, sweetheart, just surprised is all.” He quickly pulled you to him, kissing your forehead before laying down next to you and wrapping his arms around you. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For defending me. You didn’t have to.” You moved so that you were looking at him, eyes wide.

“Of course I did! No one talks shit about my boyfriend, especially not his own dad.” You said, laying your head on his chest after having made your point. Just then your alarm went off, signaling that you both would have to leave soon if you were going to be on time to meet up with the Pogues. You tried to get up but JJ held onto you tightly, not allowing you to move much as you tried to wriggle out of his grip.

“JJ we need to go if we don’t want to be late.” You laughed. JJ shoved his head into the crook of your neck, pulling you even closer to him.

“No, forget the Pogues, let’s just stay here and cuddle.” You wanted to protest, really you did but the way JJ was holding you, as if his life depended on it, let you know that he needed you right now to just be there, so without saying a word, you turned over and held him to you, running your hand through his hair until he fell asleep, soon drifting off with him.

[poptod]

Congrats for finishing ur exams! Hope u have time for relaxing in summer :) if u take ficreqs & this is topic ur comfortable writing for I'll have an ask: Kenny having/going thru some body image issues (it came to my mind when in season 2 he was going out w/Dylan he was fussing w/his shirt & being like is it too tight etc.)

Notes: thank u!! honestly its kinda nice to b able to project my own eating disorders on a fictional character lmao. thats twisted as fuck of me. warnings: eating disorders, homophobia, the whole rundown lmao. the reader in this is kind of dumb as fuck but well-informed so do with that what you will WC: 1.4k

+

It happened over the summer.

No one else noticed, but you did. He stopped wearing his big shirts, and the smaller ones now hung over his frame in wrinkles too big for his body. His jaw strengthened, his eyes steely, and his words remained sweet, if not awkward, as ever.

You've talked to him a couple times, but never for long, and his interactions with teenagers as popular as you are are limited and uncomfortable. On his part, he doesn't really know you personally––only as a sort of monarch to a high school. This image of you leaves him stuttering as you trap him against the lockers, surrounded by the silence of a vacant school.

"Wh - what are you –"

"Quiet," you say, glancing up to meet his frantic gaze.

The heat of his stomach moving with rough breaths warms your hands, sliding up his shirt to pull away the fabric and reveal the bare skin. His ribs are showing. From experience you know they didn't use to, but you can't deny the excitement that rushes through you at the sight of his thin waist unobstructed by clothing.

"How'd you lose weight?" You ask, withdrawing your hands from his midsection while keeping him stuck between lockers and you. You had never claimed to be anything but straightforward, almost violently so.

He shifts his weight on his feet, shoulders tensing till they reach his ears.

"Why do you care? You don't even know me," he says with a glare focused on the floor beside you.

"Your name is Khaleel but everyone calls you Kenny because people are dickbags, and you're always hanging out with that Larry kid. And I know for a fact you weren't this skinny," you say, tugging the belt of his loose pants to peer down.

"Don't," he grits out, and he writhes in your grasp, attempting to escape.

Seeing his discomfort, you withdraw your hand once more, and look him in the eye.

"I've seen things like this before," you say, boring into the soul behind his own eyes. "I've been this thing before. Tell me how you did it."

"I..." he pauses, searching your expression for any give in your request, before he gives up with a sigh. "I stopped eating meals for a week."

"Why?" You ask in a much softer tone than your previous, your fingers brushing over his unsteady hands.

"I hate how I look," he admits in a broken voice, eyes tinted red as tears form on the edges. "I'm sick of being unattractive and unwanted. I just wanted to be appealing to someone, for once."

"You're wanted," you say, beginning with a much-needed assurance. "High school is absolute ass and everything that happens in it has nearly no affect on your life. You're going to grow up, and you're going to find cities full of people who want to kiss you. The effects of purposeful starvation on your body and mind are not worth this temporary conformity to the American beauty standard."

Now he just looks confused. You sigh, exasperated by kids who don't seem to get your line of thinking pertaining to society and its expectations of adults and teenagers.

"This is such a small part of your life that can be so deeply enjoyed if you do it right. Don't ruin it with this," you say, and your own voice cracks, strained by the tension stuck in your throat. "You're never going to be skinny enough for this disease. Not even if you're ten pounds."

These words––they're all birthed by what you wish someone had told you. What would've stopped you from doing this to yourself.

The tears long building round his eyes fall at last, creating streams down his cheeks that he covers up by hiding his face in his hands. He falls into you, leaning his weight on your body, and hiding his face (which is still hidden in his hands) in the crook of your neck. Knuckles of his fingers dig into the sensitive skin there, but it is no hard task to ignore it.

You wrap your arms around the boy, holding him tight to you and running your fingers through his hair. Chest to chest, hips to hips, legs nearly stepping over one another. Muffled sobs wrack his weakened shoulders.

"I know," you whisper. It's all the sound you can manage. "It's alright. I know."

"I just wanna be wanted," he chokes out, shifting to hide himself deeper in your touch.

"You already are," you say in a hum, turning to kiss his temple.

"No," he says, shaking his head. "No, no, my parents don't even want me. No one does."

"What do you mean your parents don't want you?" You ask as a deep concern settles itself within you.

He won't pull away, and as much as you want to see his expressions, you know he needs your touch more than anything in this moment.

"I haven't seen them in weeks, they won't let me back into the house. I don't know what I did wrong. I don't..." he trails off as a new burst of tears shivers throughout his body, weakening his already frail limbs.

"They kicked you out?" You ask.

"... yeah," he says, sniffing.

His hands finally leave his tear-covered face, and he wraps them around you as tight and close as he can, shifting his head to the side to truly lie on your shoulder, with his nose nudging your neck. His hands cling to the back of your shirt, nails almost digging into your back as his tears soak your shoulder.

"Adults aren't infallible," you say, your own words now muffled as your chin rests on the crest of his head. "One day they'll realize their mistake, and they'll want you more than anything."

He goes quiet for a while, still sniffling, before he says in a trembling voice, "but I want to be desired now. I don't understand why no one wants me."

"I actually know for a fact that someone in the school very much wants you," you say without hesitation. You can't be the only one who sees how sweet this guy is.

"Really?" He sniffs and pulls away, but his hands linger on your waist. "Who?"

Your mind pulls a blank before it hits you like a trainwreck––it's you. You're the one that wants him. Maybe you are the only one to see him at all, and that realization leaves you stumped. Could you so plainly tell him? Would that be taking advantage of him in his state?

Whatever, you think, still staring blankly ahead as Kenny awaits your answer. This guy needs a pick-me-up.

"It's... me," you say in your most awkward voice since middle school. You cringe inwardly. It's like you're giving him bad news.

His mouth falls open, and he stares at you like you're the only thing to look at in the whole world.

"With..." he jabs himself in the chest with his own finger as he points to himself, ".. me?"

"That is what I just said, yes," you say, nodding.

He tries to stutter out a sentence, something along the lines of why, and you hardly want to hear what he has to say. None of it is going to be true. It's all muck about him not being worth it, and as he grows more frantic, you know you have to calm him down yourself.

Your eyes shut and you lean in blindly, having memorized his face from lunches spent staring at him from a table across the room. Lips mould to his and the words fizzle out, devolving into soft whines as the tail end of his sobbing dies out, suffocated by his first kiss.

He leans into you once more, resting his unsure hands gingerly upon your shoulders. You take his wrists, never parting from his lips as you pull him nearer, till his elbows rest on your shoulders and he holds you closer than before. When his hands tangle into your hair unprompted, you hum, fall, and pin him back against the lockers.

"Hey!"

Someone is shouting at you from down the hallway. You sigh and part from him, turning with a blasé look to meet one of the teachers.

"No making out in the hallway," she scolds but says nothing more, continuing to walk into the next room.

You turn back to Kenny and he's bright red, looking horrified with himself.

"Oh my God," he whispers out as his hands shake ever so slightly.

"It's alright," you murmur, too close to him to stand anything else. You kiss his forehead before you continue, "it's not a big deal. It's alright."

You pull away, looking him in the eye as you say, "come to my house?"

He hesitates.

"I'll make you something to eat. You don't have to eat a lot," you offer.

"... yeah," he says, and nods, looking up to meet your eye. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

[nighttimepixels]

TALK TO US ABOUT MASS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN AN INSANE MASS EFFECT/SHAKARIAN TRASH PERSON SINCE 20-FUCKING-11 AND LEMME TELL YOU THOSE FEELINGS HAVENOT TARNISHED A SINGLE FRACTION IN THOSE TEN YEARS OH MY GOOOOOOODDDSSSS!!!!!!!

I DEMAND A PLAY-BY-PLAY UP TO THE MINUTE OF YOUR REACTIONS TO EVERYTHING!!!!

you are so valid and I totally see why everyone I've ever mentioned it to loves the hell out of it

aksdjlsdfj I meannnn if you want to hear my rambling about it then hell yeah

Okay, gonna put this below the cut to save everyone else XD also- since I'm not leaving this Mass Effect obsession anytime soon, if you're not interested in seeing occasional posts about it, please feel free to block the tag "night plays ME"~

(mild spoilers ahead??)

((also for real I mean it when I say this is rambling as hell lol, apologies and no stress if absolute no one reads all this))

OKAY SO Mass Effect 1-

Stars help me, I was honestly hooked right from the start?? Like even in Legendary Edition (the combined trilogy just re-released in one "can play it on one system + minor improvements", for anyone who doesn't know) where it's smoothed out, of course it's obvious that ME1 is a decade old... but the foundation for these relationships are all there and gods I love them already.

Like - Kaiden right off the top is a delightful good fightin lad, what the hell. I've heard that he's viewed as 'bland' by a good portion of the fan community but I dunno, he's a delight and even more complex by the time 2 rolls around and you encounter him on Horizon, it was honestly Ashley I was way more meh about - mostly because before you can learn about her family history/etc, she comes off as hella xenophobic and I was immediately offended for my growing space family that she didn't like/trust all the aliens around, pfff.

(she gets redeemed a bit through further actions/evolving thoughts, but I thought in retrospect it was a bummer that they didn't flip the order there, give her a chance to be liked before the complicating factor of being so rude about aliens >:c that then she could grow from... ah well. Apparently she has a good arc but uh, let's just say I chose Kaiden at the "key junction" in the latter part of the game so I won't be seeing anymore of Ashley uh... anytime soon, haha.)

Garrus??? Is??????? The ABSOLUTE best???????????

I liked him from the start, I'm always a bit of a sucker for a rogue-detective "the system won't bring this bastard to justice, so I've got to" type and all their moral shadiness XD But he just gets better, honestly, and where I'm at in ME2 (right before the Reaper IFF mission, as of typing this, with everyone's loyalty!) I am only digging myself deeper into this hole-

-*wheezing* okay anyways -

Wrex is AMAZING I love fightin' middle-aged krogan bastard, gods. Liara is great too, I'm a sucker for a wlw relationship (playing fem!Shepard, so) - buuuut I'll admit she's a bit more one-note in ME1. Last week while I was still on ME1 I remember hearing (while trying to dodge spoilers) that her arc is really good, though. I think they leaned a little hard on the 'innocent but sexy' sterteotype on her (so despite the yikes aspect of a few of the things I've learned in ME2, lol, I actually really like the complexity that's been added to her character.)

Saved Liara first, so by the time I got to Noveria and had the standoff with Benezia there was the chance to have emotions over Liara having to face her TwT and of course, I made the questionable but quality decision to free Queen Rachni heheh. no ragrets

More than a blow-by-blow of my choices though I totally wanna take the chance to say that even in the mild jankiness of ME1 (goddammit, the Mako.... please..... please just go up this impossible cliff I just want to resource hunt-) the way that the lore, both obvious/key to main plot and the lesser/filler/background/world-building kinds... I just love it. It incorporates it well, you can go ham in the codex learning more, or just dive into the basics - it's clearly a complex galaxy (and they do an even better job in 2 of fleshing it out further), and it never really felt overwhelming. It was pretty natural figuring it all out-!

Plus the interesting implications of resource hunting amongst the sapient races, and the little side missions you better bet I did every one of- there's so much rich depth in the story if you do 'em!! (And that lead with that Keeper side mission...? Looking back, damn, clever foreshadowing-!!!)

And oh my gods, Ilios??? hell yeah. I loved that mission so much, especially having Garrus & Kaiden with me when talking to the hologram/computer, and more than anything, that last sprint in the Mako trying to get to the jump before it closed-???

yeet the boi-

Also mannn I love a good setpiece, and having to go up the side of the elevator, space-side?? such a cool setup!!

Plus it felt good having been Paragon enough (as simple as the good v bad vibe system is, I don't hate it, lol) to avoid one of the Saren fights, ngl. And the er, "second fight" with Sovereign-Saren.... hell yeah

... I'll admit I had to double check my choice re whether to save the Council. I did in the end, but I swear, sometimes the way they phrase things I'm like ".... okay but Garrus is right, defeating Sovereign is more important than these few leaders??????" woops. Listen, priorities, is all I'm saying..... (￣ヮ￣|||)ゞ

'Course later they emphasize (in ME2) that there were 10,000 people on that same ship and I was like well I wouldn't have second guessed if I'd known that, I mean c'mon-

Also I did indeed romance Liara in this one, so I got that scene ;Dc But,,,, I also knew by the end that I was totally gonna romance Garrus in 2 since he's an option then finally,,,,, lemme tell you the guilt as I waffled over whether to romance Liara bc of it. hahaha.

Aaaaand Mass Effect 2-

So I'm only up to right before the Reaper IFF Mission, so I don't know the ending, etc etc lol. That said, I've just finished every side mission I've found with the exception of the Shadowbroker Quest and the Arrival Quest (I've heard the latter basically leads into ME3, and the former is best either right before the Omega 4 jump or in postgame).

So from the start - fuck yeah fuck yeah what a high adrenaline start Shepard noooooo but also yes save Joker aH-

The motion comic too hot damn nice job

I loved this setup, seriously - especially forcing Shep into this situation, having to work with/for Cerberus, and the compelling reasoning given behind "why" they do what they do (I especially found it a good point that the Salarians have the Task Force, the Asaris the Commandos, the Turians the- etc... like, true, when you put it like that, having a similar group advancing human interests/solving human interstellar problems is pretty reasonable...). That said, I love too that it really isn't shied away from how Cerberus is nonetheless fucked up - or its at least done fucked up stuff.

Listen, I still think some messed up stuff is gonna be revealed in 2's endgame......... after that Horizon mission and the Collector's ship???? TIM I SEE YOU YOU SHADY MF-

aaanyways lol...

I'm so so glad on a gameplay level they nixed the Mako style exploration. A few Hammerhead missions are fine and a lot more focused than the slippery ass navigation in that glorified ATV, pfff. The probes are a neat way of getting after similar resources - and more importantly, having good levels and some good hubs (the Zakera Wards, Omega, Ilium, etc) is way way more fun than having a more 'sprawling' space that is.... a lot of empty nonsense, lol.

Then there's the fact that we get Joker right off the bat and you can interact with him so much - and him and EDI??? Get out gods I love them. Kasumi is so right when she says they sound like a bickering old married couple lol. I have a terrible feeling that some shit is gonna happen with EDI..... but I don't think she's evil as-is, at least.

Side-eying the hell out of those "access forbidden" parts of her that she doesn't even know.... and the fact that her AI core has a locked door access................... something's gonna happen gdi LEAVE OUR ADOPTED AI ALONE.

(Also Joker pls stop fracturing your thumb on the mute button)

Also please save me there are so many hot aliens in this game,,,,, the xeno/monsterfuckers really comin' through strong in the sequels............... doin' the lord's work........................................

In general, I love how many levels ME stepped up in two with complexity and interwoven narratives!! Like, to the point it'd be almost a drag to replay ME1, even though it was fun going through it (if occasionally a bit tedious with the cookie cutter rando planet science/mine facilities, lol). Like, just from how fun and interesting ME2 is, mostly! more of all the pre-introduced races, plus new ones, plus more filling in of intragalactic politics, and more interesting implications of all these space-faring races mixing....

Also gods WREX and his planet holy shit,,,,, fuckin' hell yeah my man get their shit together and also adopt Grunt yes good-

And Mordin??? My singing semi-evil scientist best friend forced to confront his choices more than he thought he ever would have???? With some of the best ongoing general report chatter of all the companions??

(when I tell you I choked on my coffee when I talked to him after confirming romance choice w/ Garrus and that 'pamphlet' and 'anaphalactic shot if ingesting-' kajsldkfjsldfjk)

Like, fuck, the fact that they actually dive into the mixed morality and horrors of the genophage, and you can confront Mordin on it, for good reason, yet he still stands his ground, until finally some bits of his loyalty mission seem to... affect him, and I'm guessing might set up things for 3 with him? Unsure, but either way, damn, the fact that they start to dig into it...

And Taliiiii my beloved forbidden alien wife TwT her loyalty mission was SO GOOD. I love how varied they all are?? Getting to defend her and discover what she'd unwittingly been a part of-!!

Zaeed is a bastard but tbh I love that he is and that he's unapologetic in him - and Kasumi omg, best thief. A heist?? Gods, yes- I love our couch lounge chats XD

Samara is..... illegally.......... she's an illegally powerful and beautiful and eloquent MILF...........................

(.... listen I'm sapphic as hell and I'm kicking my own ass for picking her up last aksjdlfksjdfl - but her loyalty mission, damn. And seeing how there's this interesting cultural subset, and the struggle with the Asari in that they unquestioningly accept/respect justicars, but also know that the impact outside their culture is a diplomacy nightmare waiting to happen-)

,.,,,,,T,,, Thane,,,,,

I am weak for morally implicated murder dads okay?? And that voice??? His mannerisms?????? How you first see him, and that prayer after assassinating her...???????? And his history/his people's history with the hanar, gods I love how messy it is, it feels so much more real!

Also Jack is a mess and I love her (and want to get her some therapy, omg), and her and Miranda nearly duking it out after you've done both their loyalty missions??? so good and makes a lot of sense-! Honestly I would love more interactions between teammates on the ship, but there's already so much the devs had to balance I can't blame 'em for minimizing, heh. But suffice to say I also love Miranda and Jacob, even if I'm softest for my alien crew XD Hell yeah Jacob, we'll get loud and spill drinks on the citadel indeed TwT

.... I could write a whole essay on how much I love Garrus oTL Perhaps because he and Tali are the throughlines from 1 on your 2 crew, I have some of the strongest feelings about them... but genuinely, he was one of my favorite companions in the first game, and how you find him as Archangel in two? Getting to help him fight his way out after he's gone nearly 48 hours straight fighting off three gangs alone, jfc. His vengeance quest and what can happen there.... That line? fuck me, that line -

It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Grey? I don't know what to do with gray...

How DARE you come for my heart like this, devs holy shit

(also, some other choice faves so far from the series from him include We can disobey suicidal orders?? and This wasn't in my training manual... [in 1, if you have him with you @ th Thorian fight] and his whole.... pop the heat sink - in his romance ;Dc)

asdasdfksadjfkl like I said I can write an essay on him PFFF suffice to say I'm very looking forward to his romance scene and where things go in 3

But yeah gods I'm just gonna keep rambling if I'm not careful lol. Gods I don't even know what to talk about it's all so good and while I can understand people roasting the obviousness of Paragon V Renegade (v neutral) choices/alignments, I think they do a pretty damn good job in 2 of pushing it further - to the point that there were some times that I accidentally got renegade points and I wasn't that mad, haha. There's so much fun in the interactions that I just have a good time anyways~

I have so many thoughts about TIM (The Illusive Man) and Cerberus.... theories evolving galore............... and like, what the hell!! Omega 4 going to the center of the galaxy is such a cool twist, goddamn - though my heart still breaks at losing Kaiden (his line if you haven't romanced him?? about feeling like he lost a limb when he lost you??? holy shit.... but I also can't blame him for not trusting Cerberus to the point of it affecting his ability to trust Shepard... like fuck Shep go after himmmm) I'm really excited to see where that goes since he comes back in 3, and what the fuck happens with Cerberus bc while I love the fact that obviously there are a lot of people in it for the right reasons, doing good work, there are those that are doing the opposite, and I have a very bad feeling about where TIM will end up landing....

All that said though I need to do the Reaper IFF mission (where I'm lightly spoiled as to getting That Boy, but not how/what happens to make it so - just that it's apparently wise to have all your side missions done before getting him...) and the actual Omega 4 jump. So we'll see what happens and what I think about it from there heheh!

.... major kudos and genuine props if you made it here to the end, I am so sorry for not editing on condensing all this, and appreciate you so much ;w;

[hufflepuffhollander]

fire and gasoline (mob!tom series) ch. 1: new vendetta

a/n | wooo buckle in this is a wild ride 😼 and pls share w the world! i’m proud of this one!

synopsis | Your family runs a sect of the british mafia. Tom Holland is the son of the mob leader in your rival gang. You’ve been groomed to be at each other’s throats for as long as you can remember, and a chance run-in after over a decade of feuding and secrecy has you questioning everything you thought you knew.

cw | mob!tom au. enemies to lovers. language, angst, death threats, objectification, sexual tension, and lots of spit. 3.1k words.

read the prologue, join the taglist :)

Roxy’s was your spot- it always had been. The dark alleyway entrance, the smoky air inside that concealed who you truly were, the faceless regulars that just knew to leave you be- it was everything you could want in a local bar. So, instead of somewhere a little cheerier, you chose here; instead of a glimmering club with strobe effects to blind you and music loud enough to burst your eardrums, you decided to spend your birthday where you knew you could melt into the blackness of the night and live mess-free, even if it was just for a few hours.

You had just gotten your second round of drinks with a few friends, your heels clicking from across the room as you wandered over to your table with freshly topped off shot glasses. A brand new, skin-tight black dress paired with electric blue heels adorned you, and the birthday glow radiating across your skin had you looking and feeling like absolutely nothing could bring you down. You were celebrating, you had just landed a major deal with a supplier to your casino; and better yet, you hadn’t heard from the Hollands in weeks. Since their failed attempt at taking out your father during a high-profile event, they had been lying low, full of shame. A recent victory for your family in the never-ending turf war with the Hollands? Not a single mention of Dom or Nikki thwarting your plans in days? Well, that was the best birthday present a girl could ask for. 

You barely had time to feel the gin roll down your throat before the bar door was shoved open, bells tied in a knot overhead chiming ominously as it felt like a tornado had blown in. The room fell quiet, the punkish music on repeat seeming to mute itself. Even the smoke moving through the air was put on pause. Everyone was eyeballing the doorway, where two heavily armed young men stood rigidly; right behind them, a pale, muscular boy with the scent of his own ego radiating off him, a slick smile painted across his face. Every part of your body suddenly felt ice cold.

The boy took off his glasses, the sheer notion that he was wearing wayfarers at night making you groan, and coated the room with his gaze until it landed—and stayed—on you. You tried to avert your attention but couldn’t, as a wave of realization fell over you when he made eye contact. You knew this fuckwad. It was Tom Holland- the son of your rival mob, the boy your father always told you to imagine a target was when learning to sharpshoot...the one who had orchestrated the failed assassination of your dad. Your belly filled with a white-hot fire at the audacity he had to show his face here. Who did he think he was? What the hell was he doing on the East side? And did he know he had just walked into his own execution?

You would’ve seen it through, too, had he not been about to strike you square in the face with a curveball.

“We’re closed.” you heard Roxy spit out, not even bothering to look at the boys as she dried a glass.

“Doesn’t seem like it, babe,” Tom sneered, flashing her an insincere smile and focusing his attention back on you. “And anyway, we aren’t staying; I just came here with a message for the birthday girl.”

You fantasized about a knife appearing on the table in front of you so you could slice the little bitch to shreds for even daring to acknowledge you. But no such luck.

Tom whisked past the bar front, taking his time to saunter over towards your booth. You had bribed your security guard to let you take the night off- he was only there because of your dad’s doing, so he could breathe easier when you were out of his sight. But you hated feeling like a little kid needing to be babysat, especially tonight, when you were turning a year older, and paid him off to get doped up with a friend instead of coming with you. You were kicking yourself for that decision now, watching Tom come up to you without a hint of fear in his dark, shimmering eyes. 

You hadn’t seen him since you were kids, when you had told everyone you were getting married to the cute boy you played with and exchanged candy rings with him in your backyard.

“My my, what an impressive array of barbies,” Tom laughed as he stopped in front of your table, swiping his tongue across his teeth. “any of you pretty things looking to blow this joint?” 

Your few friends looked simultaneously revolted and terrified, and you knew they lived their lives too sugarcoated to witness the interaction you were about to have. 

“Girls, you should leave,” you said, giving them a concerned stare, and it took them less than a second to get up and bolt. Some real friends you had.

You tried to remain composed as you turned your attention to Tom, syllables seething through your gritted teeth. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” 

“Aww, baby, that’s no way to greet an old friend, is it? ‘Coulda least let me wish you a happy birthday,” he sat down on the bench across from you, making you recoil into your seat. “I even have a candle you can blow, if you like.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, asshole.”

“Well someone just isn’t feeling very sentimental, hmm? You remember all those years ago, playing hide and go seek in your mansion, holding hands under the dinner table...I think I remember you having it pretty bad for me back then-”

“You must have a death wish, huh?” you cut him off, standing up and advancing towards him, but taking a step back as he stood up to meet you and towered over you menacingly. He smelled like cigar smoke and cherry aftershave and it clouded your thoughts. You’d always said you’d kill him if he ever got this close to you. Why were you faltering now when it mattered most? Your heart couldn’t keep up with your head.

“No, doll. Not tonight, and definitely not in a place like this. But I gotta admit, I was not expecting you to look so fucking good after all these years. Pop had me believing you were some kind of ugly recluse. Makes it extra difficult for me to tell you to give daddy a call before your birthday is over,” his eyes hungrily flicked over you in your dress, making your blood boil. “y’know, tell him you love him.”

“The hell are you talking about?” you reached for your purse where your pistol was lodged, but felt a cold piece of metal touch the back of your head, halting your movements.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” said minion #1, standing behind you with the barrel of his gun nestled into your curled hair. You swallowed nervously and felt your heart rate skyrocket. The bar seemed to have emptied out; it was just you, Tom, and the promise of death caressing your scalp, and you had nowhere to go.

“Hey, now, Harrison, there’s no need for that! y/n and I go way back,” Tom said, motioning for his friend to lower the weapon. Deeply buried flashbacks of child you linked arm in arm with child Tom flicked through your mind, memories you had suppressed long ago.

“Love,” Tom started, advancing towards you again, leaving you nowhere to go if you didn’t want gun grease staining your head. “I’m simply hinting that you may want to get out any last sentiments before we bleed him out on his crisp white sheets tonight.”

Your eyes widened in panic, and your words came out stuttered. “Y-you’re bluffing-”

“You so sure of that, baby?” He clicked his tongue against his teeth, leaning his head in so his face was only inches from yours. “You tellin’ me you know he’s safe and sound right now? Or does an itty, bitty part of you think that maybe, when his baby girl and best insurance policy went out for drinks, it left his ass dangling out in the open, just begging to get capped?”

Your nostrils flared and your teeth were clenched so hard together that you were sure they’d break, but you couldn’t move, couldn’t fight. You were stuck in the space of Tom as his cool breath violated your cheeks, suddenly picturing violent images of your family in a pool of blood.

Your eyebrows raised with each syllable you spoke, trying your best to conceal the incredible stress eating at you from the inside. “Get...the fuck...out of my face.”

Tom did something that almost made you combust then, swiping his thumb across the bottom of your chin, grinning, and blowing a smooch at you before finally drawing back. The sound of his lips smacking together lingered in your ears, like he not only had total control of you, but of all the soundwaves in the air.

“Look, I thought I was doing you a favor, giving you the heads up and all...I definitely didn’t have to. So if you wanna be an ungrateful little bitch about it, fine,” he stepped back, sitting down in the booth again and casually propping his feet up on the seat opposite. “don’t call him. I don’t fucking care.”

With a path to the door finally freed, you began to calculate your next move in your head, but Tom seemed to have violated your thoughts, too.

“Nuh-uh,” he tsked, looking off to the door and giving a nod as minion #2 locked it into place and stood with his arms crossed in front of it like the world’s least intimidating bouncer. “You really think we’d come all this way to tell you we’re about to kill daddy and then just let you, what, leave? Run home to his rescue?” he scoffed at the mere thought, and his worker bees in black laughed along with him. Tom gave you an infinitely objectifying once-over. “Like you’d make it that far in those heels.”

“I’d like to see them off,” one of his men said, prompting Tom to violently curse at him.

“Don’t you fucking dare talk about her like that, Harry. She’s not yours.” He was acting like some protective owner of you, which only made you angrier as you felt a dull electricity appear in your stomach.

The alcohol already in your system mixed with the adrenaline coursing through your veins made you feel fiery, out of control, erratic. You weren’t sure if you wanted to lunge at him or cry, the sting of worry pinpricking your eyelids as Tom’s smirk stayed put.

“What do you want?” you resigned, looking down and away from him, leaning against the wall behind you for support. You didn’t want to cave, but you couldn’t help it- you were paralyzed, fight or flight response warring with itself.

Tom shrugged, remaining nonchalant. “Just bragging rights, really,” he picked up an arm and ran his fingers through his tousled hair, his oversized platinum watch catching the light as he did it.

You were able to regain some composure as you responded, remembering who you were, knowing that your family could hold its own. You took a few paces forward in an attempt reclaim your pride. “Slim chance. You’d never be able kill him anyway, you pathetic excuse of a television criminal,” you spat out, seeing Tom’s expression falter just enough to spur you on. “You’re not the only one who knows things, y’know, I’ve learned all about you, too. All bark and no bite. A puppy who acts tough until he gets a paper cut and cowers under the bed.” you could feel your confidence refueling your words, and narrowed your eyes. “Maybe you were intimidating as a kid, but you don’t fucking scare me now, Holland.”

Upon the callout, Tom bolted up from his seat, swiftly pulling a handheld gun out of his belt and backing you up against the wall, barrel aimed at the perfect angle to blaze a clean hole through your head. “You little-”

Thankfully, you had friends on this side of town, and Roxy always had your back.

She tore out of the back with an assault rifle twice the size of her, firing a round of warning shots into the rickety ceiling. It shook Tom’s focus enough for you to make a break for it, running and ducking behind the safety of the bar.

“You better get to leaving before I have to mop you greasy motherfuckers off my floor,” Roxy said in her thick cockney accent, looking as intimidating as you’d ever seen her. Tom sniggered and stayed put.

“You think I’m joking?” she said, aiming at the wooden boards and landing a shot barely an inch from one of his friends’ feet. 

“Jesus-!” they yelped, forcing you to stifle a laugh as you watched the scene unfold.

Three very oversized men walked out from the back of the room with their own weapons of choice to back Roxy up. Seeing they’d been outnumbered, Tom retracted his gun and looked warily at his friends, grouping up to leave the bar. He saw you backed in the corner and took an extra moment to let that cocky sneer find its way back to his face, making sure to remind you why you ran in the first place.

The group walked out unscathed, leaving behind a deafening silence until Roxy looked back at you and shook you from your trance.

“Go home, babes, and make sure your family is okay.”

As you ran outside against your better judgement, eyes locked on your car parked in the alley, an abraisive pair of hands grabbed you from behind and pushed you up against the side of the building. You recognized the sickly sweet smell of cherries and knew Tom wasn’t finished with you.

He had his arm up over your head and the other on your shoulder, evidently taking in all of your features for the first time in years.

“Time did you well, didn’t it? My god, can’t believe my little kid wife grew up to be so pretty,” his eyes sparkled with a twisted, deep desire. “We’d look good together in different circumstances, hm?” His words prompted you to spit in his face.

“In your fucking dreams.”

“Ooh, a feisty little thing. I’d watch that temper of yours, y/n, you’ll make a lot of enemies talking like that,” he said in a low voice, collecting your spit from his cheek and sucking it off of his finger.

“We’re friends forever, darling. I’ll find my way back to you.” he winked at you and sauntered away into the dark. “Say hi to daddy for me.”

Your foot on the gas pedal made an indentation on the floor of the car as you sped home, tears almost blinding you from the road, making every streetlight overhead look like an abstract explosion of color. You left the ignition on as you careened into the gated entrance of your house, kicking your blue heels into the grass and sprinting inside, yelling. “Dad? Mum? Hello???”

You almost ran head first into your parents as they rushed out of the den after hearing your exasperated calls.

“y/n? What the bloody hell is going on?” your mother saw you standing shell-shocked, taking in the fact that they weren’t chopped into pieces, and pulled you into a hug as you broke out into uncontrollable sobs.

“T-they locked me in and told me they were- that you’d be dead when I got home-” you choked out in between tears, unable to calm your breathing. 

Your dad gripped his tumbler of scotch with so much sudden anger that it shattered into his hand. You could see fire in his eyes. “Who? Who told you that?”

You looked up at him and said exactly what he was expecting. “The Hollands. Tom. He- he came into Roxy’s.”

“I’m going to hang that chav from his wimpy little fucking-”

“Hon, please.” your mom said sternly while motioning to you in your sorry state, making your dad’s face a little less violently red. He took a deep, ragged breath.

“Hey, sweet pea, look,” he said, tucking away a strand of hair that had fallen in your face and was clinging to your tear-streaked cheeks. “We’re okay, alright? Tonight is an ordinary night, and our security detail is the best in the city. You stop worrying and go get yourself cleaned up, mum and I have something special we want to give you.” He smiled only to steam off and slam the door to his office, most likely to make a call to get someone, anyone, that may have had a hand in tonight’s events drawn and quartered by dawn.

You came downstairs after a long, boiling hot shower that only made you seethe more at the fact that Tom had been bluffing the whole time. It had clearly just been a fear tactic, probably done for no other reason than to fuck with you on your birthday and ruin your night. He loved crafting little games like that, this being the first time he’d come to play in person—and what made you angriest is that it had worked.

“Honey, we have a gift for you,” your mom said, handing you a silver box that was much heavier than it looked. She and your dad sat on the big sofa in the den, looking at you expectantly.

“Well, open it!” she smiled.

You undid the box, hands still shaking from earlier, and found a shiny, pitch black glock with a silver inscription in its body reading “sweet pea”, the nickname your dad had given you forever ago.

“Uh, wow, I don't know what to say...” you trailed off, picking it up and turning it over in your hand. It became surprisingly weightless, feeling like it was made to fit in your palm.

“It was mine, back in the day,” your dad spoke, seeming wistful. “Had it rebuilt and shined up for my baby girl.”

“Thank you, daddy, I love it,” you said, leaning over to hug your parents. You smiled blankly as they talked to you about the gift and how special it was, nodding at their comments...but you weren’t really listening.

All you could think about was a pair of flushed lips inches from your own, an intoxicating smell lingering in your brain; and just how amazing this gun would feel in your hand right after it had burned a bullet-sized cavity into Tom Holland’s chest.

[kurosarium]

genuine

request: Can you write about a second year girl (or gender neutral person) waiting by Aoba Josai's gym for Oikawa, and the team thinks it's another confession, but when Oikawa walks over to them she asks him advice on how to get loyal/good friends? Like she has a friend group, but they're toxic towards her and she feels alone? (I'm going through something like this rn and this would really help 😅) It can be slightly romantic or strictly platonic, whichever is easier for you! I love your writing!! 💕💕

character: oikawa x reader

words: ~ 1.7k

a/n: Here you go, I’m sorry you had to wait. I made it platonic, becausemy goal was to create a comforting feeling, and romance didn’t suit what I had in mind, does that make sense? 😳 Still, I Hope you can enjoy it! And I wish you all the best, hopefully you’ll be feeling better soon! Sending you all the good vibes, and feel hugged! 💕

You could already hear the faint cheering and swooning from a distance, and as your feet carried you closer to the boy’s gym you could finally see them, as well. Around the entrance of the gym was a small crowd, consisting of about two dozen of girls, some you knew by name, and others you hadn’t seen on campus before. With a sigh you decide against joining the chattering flock of obsessed girls and instead opt to place yourself several feet away from them, putting enough distance between you and their ecstatic chatter, but not too far away to lose the gym’s doors out of sight.

The increased squealing and the high pitched out cries indicated that the boys’ volleyball team’s practice must have come to an end, and so you slowly turn yourself towards the small crowd, not moving any closer to the source of excitement, though.

It doesn’t take you long to get a glimpse of the brunette setter, who didn’t only stand out because he, as most of his team mates, were noticeably taller than the girls that were surrounding them, but also because of his undeniably rapturing aura.

Several minutes go by with you just standing awkwardly at the edge of the building, watching him interact with his fans, handling their loud and incoherent squeals, their awkward confessions and slightly obsessive attitude as if it was nothing. A few more minutes go by, and slowly but surely your patience begins to fade, with crossed arms you start debating with yourself, if it would be better to approach him another time, maybe somewhere else, too.

You get pulled out of your train of thought when Oikawa’s voice was increasing in volume, bidding and bowing goodbye to the flock of fans surrounding him, who, in turn, groaned woefully, but made way for their idol to pass through anyways.

Passing through the crowd Oikawa joins his friends, and team mates, who were waiting for him a bit farther away, and you can already hear them teasing and clowning him from a distance.

Taking a deep breath, you decide that the timing was right, quickly collecting yourself you turn yourself towards the group of friends, ready to approach, but you stop in your tracks when you see them coming to a halt a few feet away from you, their gazes curious, yet intense. At a loss for words, you just stand there, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, with wide eyes, warm cheeks, and stiff body posture.

Luckily Hanamaki takes the initiative and nudges the brunette’s side, gesturing into your direction with his head, adding a few words you couldn’t make out from your position. Oikawa quickly glances into your direction, then back to his friends, and excuses himself, before he starts walking towards you, a kind smile sitting on his lips while he gleefully waves at you, his previous encounter with a flock of excited and unruly fans seemingly not having any effect on his mood.

Meanwhile the rest of his team mates make their way up the stairs to the club rooms, disappearing out of view.

The closer he comes the clearer becomes your view of his face, his smile looks forced and his body language screamed exhaustion.

“Hey there, you couldn’t possibly be waiting for me, could you?”

His voice is dripping with kindness and playfulness as he asks you that question while pointing to himself with his index finger.

His aura makes you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, his gaze intense and definitely not helping your racing heart. You lower your head, trying to escape his piercing eyes, and nod you head.

“Yes, I would like to talk to you about something.”

“Oh, and what would that be?”

Most people, especially those who were head over heels into him, would have believed the exaggerated curiosity in his voice, but you knew, you could feel,  that he was clearly expecting you to confess your feelings to him, wanting to get over with it as soon as possible. He believed he knew your intentions, and for that reason he was talking to you like he talked to his fans, high-pitched, coy, and just too nice for your liking.

“I wanted to ask you for advice, actually. Advice on friendships.”

He goes silent for a moment, and his forced smile is replaced by confusion that visibly spreads over his facial features. When no answer follows, you lift your head to peek up at him curiously, watching him as he puts one hand on his hip, and places the other below his chin, seemingly thinking about what you just said.

“Hm. I’m flattered, but why would you come to me for that?” All at once his façade was gone, and he was looking at you with genuine curiosity and interest.

“Well, you seem to be getting along with just about anyone, and you’re pretty close with the other third years on your team too, aren’t you? I thought you would maybe know what to do in my situation.” Your voice is barely above a whisper, but Oikawa hears you and nods thoughtfully.

“Then, what exactly is your situation…”

You notice his hesitation, but keep your head low, giving him your name.

“Right, then, what exactly is your situation?”

His eyes don’t leave you as he awaits your response, instead he even leans forward a bit, unintentionally intensifying your nervousness.

“Well, I- I don’t know. Just, how do you get good friends? How do you create friendships that last? And how do you know your friends are really your friends?”

At this point the frustration that had build up inside of you over the last couple of months came crushing down on you, hard, and you could feel your eyes tearing up just a little bit.

“It’s just… There are people I call my friends, but they exclude me a lot, and it feels like they’re constantly looking down on me. It doesn’t feel like I’m their friend, at all. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I- I just don’t want to feel like this anymore. Alone and sad, and like I’m undeserving of kindness and love.” With every word your voice grows shakier, and more desperate. It ultimately cracks at the end of your short speech, only realizing afterwards that your emotional outbreak might come across as inappropriate or childish. Your hands shoot up to your mouth immediately as you try to keep in your sobs, and they soon move to cover most of your face, trying to hide yourself in embarrassment.

Completely lost in your thoughts you fail to comprehend Oikawa’s words as he responds to you, you’re only brought back to earth when you suddenly feel a warm hand gently touching your shoulder.

“Hey, it’s alright. I’m a hundred percent sure there’s nothing wrong with you. Your friends sound horrible, though. You should get new ones.”

His attempt to lighten the mood fails miserably, and you lift your head only to glare up at him, huffing at him in an irritated tone.

“You make it sound easy. Not everyone attracts people like flies, like you.“

Oikawa looks a little surprised at your bold answer, though, his surprise quickly turns into contentment, the playful smile returning to his face.

“Let’s sit down somewhere before we continue.”

He squeezes your shoulder affectionately, and lightly nudges you into the direction of the nearest building, where he swiftly sits down on the lower part of a staircase and pats the space next to him, motioning for you to join him.

„So, how do you want me to help you? I mean, what could I possibly do for you?”

The intensity of his gaze remains, but so does the genuine smile that sits on his lips, a smile that is laced with understanding, a smile not many get to see, you imagine. You feel the tension slowly leave your body, and you sit back, leaning on your elbows with you head in your neck, watching the clouds above as a hopeful smile makes its way to your lips.

“I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t really think this through, but I thought you would know how to be a good friend. Does that make sense?”

He looks at you in confusion when he spots the slightest hint of a smile on your face.

„Well, the way I see it, your friends are really shitty, you should totally dump them.” The way he says it sounds matter-of-fact, and out of the corner of your eyes you can see him nodding to himself, like a proud child would.

„I don’t want to be all alone, though. I know they’re not good for me, I know they’re toxic, but I’m afraid I might feel even worse, if I’d be all by myself, you know?” A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you change your position, leaning forwards with your elbows on your knees and your face in your hands, your gaze wandering off into the distance again.

You were ready to strengthen your point of view, already drawing a breath, but before you could say a word Oikawa abruptly stands up, rising to his full height with his hands on his hips, smiling brightly at you as if the two of weren’t just talking about something severely depressing.

„You can spend time with us, then! Me, Iwa-chan, Mattsun, Makki, and the others. You seem like a sweet girl, I’m sure they would be delighted to meet you. “

„Huh?!“

Staring at him with wide eyes and open mouth you try to comprehend what he just said, not sure if you imagined it. You get your answer when he reaches for your hands and pulls you up, beaming with joy.

„You heard me. Dump your friends and spend time with us instead. We’re nice, we don’t bite. I promise.”

„Alright. “You agree, maybe too fast.

„Great. Let’s exchange numbers so we can keep in contact. “He suggests, his hand already reaching for his pocket, only to realize that he was still wearing his gym clothes. He stifles a laugh and turns to you with an apologetic grin.

„I’m sorry. It’s in my bag upstairs, let me get it real quick. You wait here, okay? “He exclaims while pointing to the clubroom building behind the two of you. He’s already halfway up the stairs before you can answer him, so you just nod, not realizing he wouldn’t be able to see it.

You would wait there, anyways. You would wait for Oikawa to return to seal the deal on your new friendship, and you would do it with a smile on your face.

[too-much-sunshine]

Fangs for the Hospitality

Chapter 6

Summary: After Roman leaves his family reunion mad at Remus, his car breaks down. The huge snow storm forces him into the forest hes always been told to stay away from. Who will he meet? And why are they being so nice? Most importantly, why are his teeth so sharp?

A/N: I’m so very sorry this chapter took so long to come out...and its so short. Uni has picked up and I’m so very far behind. I’ll try and get better at updates and making them longer lol. Anyway enjoy!

Relationship: Familial DAM, Eventual Roceit, Eventual Intrulogical

Warnings (per chapter): Roman has social anxiety, he is awkward, food and eating, vague talk of Romans family, let me know if anything else!

Catch up!:  Master list, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Word Count: 1822

Read on AO3!

Roman stumbled after the man who walked down the halfway. For someone who was quite short, he had quick strides. Roman caught up to him and thought about how to do this like a normal person. He didn't think it would be appropriate to walk next to Janus, since it was his house. And he certainly couldn't walk in front of him, he doesn't know where to go. And he also thought that would be dumb. So Roman just walked a few feet behind him, trying to keep in step with him so he wouldn't accidentally kick his heel.

Roman wondered if he should be making conversation. Like, should he compliment the house? It really did look nice now that Roman thought about it. Looking around the halls everything felt old, yet well taken care of. There were old pictures on the wall of children and Janus and people he had never seen. There were some accent tables with yellow, non-wilted flowers. Everything felt nice and clean.

The walls were made of dark wood slats. The dark color would make the place feel small if not for the yellow accents and white flowers with green vines painted on certain slats. Stunned, Roman tried to get a better look at painted flowers. They looked old and hand painted. The lights on the ceiling hung down a bit were a dim yellow which matched the age of the house. It was probably the original electrical of the house Roman thought.

Roman was so lost in thought about how beautifully comfy the house seemed, that he didn't realize they had made it to the kitchen until he ran face first into Janus’ back. He stumbled back and almost fell flat on his ass. Be looked up to Janus and raised his hands in a placating gesture. 

“Oh my gods I’m so sorry! I was just looking around and was lost in thought! I’m so sorry your house is so pretty I just...I mean...I-” Roman was starting to get tongue-tied. His breathing was starting to pick up too, face reddening.

“Honey it's okay take a breath. I’m not mad. Thank you for the compliment! I’ve had this house for quite a long time and I try hard to keep it clean. Thorough that can be hard with these two running around.” Janus said relatively nonchalantly. He was pointing to the two little boys in the corner of the kitchen together, both watching intently as Patton tried very carefully to pour juice into a plastic cup for Virgil.

Both adults took to watching the children. Janus, to make sure he didn't actually spill it, and Roman because the quiet concentration of the two boys was a good time to take a few calming deep breaths. He should really try and get those reactions under control. He understood it was probably weird and he should be able to control his reactions to things.

Finally after the boys had poured a successful cup of juice, Janus walked over to them quietly praising Patton. Roman continued to think less than helpful thoughts as he looked round the kitchen and dining room. It matched the rest of the house as well, if not more updated. There was a fridge, dishwasher and microwave as well. Each was a dark color matching the color of the cabinets and tiled wall.

The dining room was attached to the kitchen making the space quite long. In the center, next to a large window, was the circular table. It had four chairs around it with a circular doily in the center. Over the dark wood table there was a small gilded chandelier.

“Take a seat Roman. Same with you boys. Breakfast will just be a moment. Do you have any allergies Roman?” Janus said, taking a pan out of a bottom cabinet.

“No. Nothing to worry about! Anything is great by me!” Roman said nervously, taking the seat in front of the window. 

Patton took the seat closest to Roman, then Virgil next to him. Roman folded his hands into his lap and looked down at the table. Maybe if he memorized the grooves in the table, he would be able to make it through the next few interactions with people. Yes, there's only one adult and two children who he could take to but those are still people and those are hard to talk too.

Roman was specifically worried about this whole situation. He didn't much want to go home, cause then he would have to deal with his brother. That was a conversion he wasn't really willing to have at the moment. He felt like he still needed time to really princess his whole feelings on that.

But on the other hand, it wasn't like he could just...Impose on this stranger. He already greeted him with this stranger's kind hospitality, he couldn't nor should, ask for anything more. But...maybe this Janus would like a friend? No no no that probably wouldn't work out. They didn't know each other and it would be weird if Roman stayed. Mayb-

“You are very quiet for a prince..” A voice from his left startled him. “In every book I've read the prince likes to tell stories and talk a lot. You're different huh?” 

Roman came back into reality because of the voice. Time must have passed because the air smelled fantastic. Roman was silent as he processed the question. Patton placed his elbows on the table and laid his head on his hand. He looked at Roman waiting for a response.

“Well of course I’m a different kind of prince.” Roman agreed, side eyeing Janus as the stove. “I forgot to tell you about how my magic was taken away for a while! It makes me sad sometimes and so I always think about how to get it back!” Roman solemnly smiled at Patton. A small shift next to Patton caught his eye. 

Roman looked over and saw little Virgil look up from his booster chair to Roman. He had big eyes while looking at Roman, but he didn't speak. But Patton didn't leave the room in silence for too long.

“That's so sad!! That's why you didn't show me any of your magic in the room right? Cause you don't have it! I didn't know someone could take away magic. Did you know that dad?” Patton turned around in his chair to watch his dad while he finished up cooking.

“Of course I knew that sweetheart. But its very looked down upon in the magic community. You should never take somebody's magic away unless they are a very, very dangerous person.” Janus turned, first looking pointedly at Roman, then looking at Patton.

Patton looked back to Roman with round, sad eyes.

“Were you very, very bad?” He asked.

“No! But remember the evil women that tried to take my princeship away? Well she did give me the choice of what I would be able to keep. My princehood or my magic. And while I loved my magic, I loved my people more! I chose for him to take my magic away as long as my people were sad and I could continue to rule and help them. So she took my magic.” Roman pause for dramatic effect, letting out a long sigh. “She lied to me though. While my kingdom is still out there, she teleported me here. I don't where they are, or where I am for that fact. With the last of my magic I remember casting a protection spell on my people. I’m not sure if it worked though. All I know now is that she's the new ruler of my kingdom.” He finished.

Janus placed a plate of food in front of each of their seats, but nobody was really paying much attention. Patton looked up to Roman looking like he was about to cry. Even Virgil seemed to not like the finishing of the tale. Thinking quickly Roman added to his story.

“I know for a fact though not all hope is lost! I had a friend in the castle. She was my best friend and familiar. She is so kind and powerful too!  Her name is..” Roman tried to think quick of names he knew. Without much of a second thought he blurted, “Glinda! She's an amazing...owl! And I know that she will find me and we will fight for my kingdom back! And we will win!!!” Roman said, shining brightly. This ending seemed to please the children a lot more. Janus seemed to be trying to hold in his laughter.

“Her name is Glinda? Like the Good Witch?” Janus smirked.

Romans whole face started turning bright red. He stuttered a bit of false starts before finally speaking up. 

“Yep! That's the name she told me when we first met when I was young.” He said, nervously looking between the kids and Janus. Luckily Patton didn't seem to catch Roman embarrassment and Janus’ smug look.

“I didn't know someone could cast spells like that dad! And I didn't know about familiars either! Why don't I have a familiar? Do vampires have familiars too?” Patton asked excitedly, finally picking up the fork in front of him to eat while listening. Janus, who happened to be sipping from a glass, choked slightly. 

“W-well honey usually witches don't meet their familiars until they are around 10. And you being 8 would be too early. Maybe one of these days we can go on a walk through the woods and see if anything hangs around you.” Smiling nervously he placed his glass on the table.

Roman thought it was weird to see Janus actually stumble on his words. So far this man was so put together that Roman was sure that he picked his words very carefully each time he spoke. ‘How odd…’ Roman thought, looking away from him.

Looking down, Roman finally noticed that he too should be eating what was placed in front of him. He picked up his fork as Patton was still excitedly babbling while eating. Something about being excited about getting a pet, as Janus was explaining that a familiar wasn't technically a pet.

Roman took a nervous breath as he scooped up some of the, what looked to be, eggs off his plate. He wasn't typically a fan of eating around people. It was just another opportunity to be criticized, but he only just realized how hungry he actually was. He released the fork to his mouth and took a bite.

Immediately Roman looked around the table to see if anyone was looking at him. The food was delicious, but he wasn't really surprised anymore. Of course this man was basically perfect. He got his whole life together here and Roman has basically nothing. 

Nobody was actively looking at Roman so he continued on with his meal not chiming in unless directly talked too.

Next Chapter!

Taglist:

@primaveradoodles @bluerosesbleedred

[forme-withme]

ive seen a few others post their thoughts on the black so i figured I’d do the same! serious spoilers under the read more!

I’ll start with the designs:

I’ll admit the transition to cgi was something that I was really dreading while watching the trailers, but once I got into the show it really faded into the background on the humans and looked really cool with the kaiju. 

As for the designs themselves, the people were largely Basic Anime Protagonists and there’s not much to talk about there, but the kaiju! oh, the kaiju. Copperhead’s colors and the detailing with black made it really stand out. And then there’s the dogs! puppies! super super fun n funky and felt very much an organic transition from the giant kaiju and seems to be a subtle nod to the ideas posed at the end (which i will get into later) and then that leaves Apex and Boy’s designs! Apex is a pretty straight forward Jaeger design that has only slightly been Kaijufied but I think the front acting as literal eyes was cool as well as the way they animated the attempted driftings. Boy was really interesting because they were so sure to make him Different and his color schemes as well as the size-difference was a really interesting way to do that. Having the literal dark vs light fight at the end was fun and appropriately on the nose for a pacific rim spinoff. 

And now for the plot and characters:

The plot, while fun and with no huge errors or egregious mishandlings of the franchise, was mostly predictable and typical of anything in this vein. There were genuinely quite a few scenes that had me either feeling for the characters or genuinely shocked (joel :( u deserved better. also that was cheap shock-value but at least it made sense within the story and what shane is capable of) 

My first real issue (besides the main conceit of abandoning australia and why the kaiju don’t go towards  comes almost immediately with the pacing. Why would we care about all of these people in this encampment when we have spent all of 5 minutes with them. Their voice actors aren’t even in the credits because they have so few lines. We are told they were friends but never really shown it. After they leave, the pacing gets truly terrible. The boy is introduced and clearly breaks out on his own, which no one notices. For some reason. And eats a butterfly which good for him but I’m not really sure why they did that if they wanted any kind of reveal that he was part Kaiju. Then they’re taken to the camp and the show spend just as long on a deal for some eggs as they did in that first place (not to mention hayley immediately accidentally causes more deaths which is. an interesting thing to keep up) and we stay at this camp for entirely too long,(seriously? 3 out of 7 episodes?) considering shane and mei’s interactions show clearly there is something More and something Wrong between them. It was extremely easy to note for note see what would happen in the fight after they leave: ooh shocker the boy is fine. i did think it was a good enough way to portray that to the characters, though, since they had their back turned every time he ate something a human shouldn’t or slapped it out of his hand or fully refused to interpret the things he was staring wistfully at even though they found him in a literal tube of the stuff we see them preserving kaiju parts (including Alice) in the movies. After leaving the camp, because they spent so long there they have to race to the finish line. They establish ghost drift side effects (which. was ghost drifting a canon word before this or did they take the word we used to explain side effects and use it for literal ghosts. also what year is this set it please i dont understand-) and also bring in Loa malfunctioning (not review but. im thinking shes a little more advanced than she’s supposed to be when taking into account her snide remarks and “unintentional sarcasm” as joel puts it. like once agian: would be highly predictable given everything but shes simply the funniest one around) and then after this they meet back up w mei and she has one of the better cut scenes with her in the restaurant remembering trauma cut with the dance scene which while out of place was v cute and honestly yeah. sometimes you remember a trauma and go ok tabling that. and then get up and dance w ur friends and then the Reveals happen (which. why would they know for sure that it’s the precursors and not the ppdc’s work still? Taylor seemed pretty confident that it wasn’t their military even though it was in their labs and the whole initial idea behind the jaegers was to ‘make monsters of our own’) and the fight happens and then it’s over! And also the sisters that are mentioned Once are there talking abt the Kaiju Messiah which while an interesting tie in to the kaiju cult from the movies was. a rlly weird and laughable line to end the season on. 

i just realized I was very negative there but overall I thought it was a fun show despite the pacing issues. I think the things they chose to revamp or callback to were interesting and good choices and it’s clear that we’re going to be getting a lot of the answers to questions in the next season (besides probably why they left australia in the first place but I digress) I thought the acting was well done and the character relationships were fairly strong for what is a 7 episode show: the siblings clearly cared about each other, didn’t do anything outrageously out of character to further the plot, mei (and joel while he was there) felt an organic addition to the group, and the villain felt like enough of a threat to keep things moving even when kaiju weren’t around. 

Ultimately I think I feel about the show the same way I do about uprising: It’s fun. There’s a lot you have to ignore to see it that way, but it brings up some interesting ideas and has a lot to offer if you can get past the issues.

[thatssokatsuki]

Boys Will Be Bugs || Katsuki Bakugo x Reader

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugo Song: Cavetown - Boys Will Be Bugs Summary: You have a crush on a particularly ...fiery... ash blonde boy, and little do you know that under all that agression lies a big softie,  Warnings: Fluff, cliffhanger (because i can) Word Count: 3,009 A/N: If you’re on mobile, I’m so so so sorry, not all of the formatting is crossing over ㅠㅠ

I'm a dumb teen boy I eat sticks and rocks and mud I don't care about the government And I really need a hug

Its your first day at UA and you can’t believe that you’ve actually made it! Its what you’ve always wanted to be part of the hero course ever since you were little, so it meant so much that you’re actually here. You were even more surprised to find that you were put into class 1-A, and be a student under Eraser Head. Little did everyone know, he was actually you’re favorite Pro-Hero. You had always thought his quirk was the coolest and that he didn’t need to be in the limelight, and rather that he just wanted to help people. He was what most would call a true hero, rather than one that just went into the business for the publicity or the money. He was never the #1 hero in terms of the public eye, but he was the #1 hero to you, which is why you were so excited for your first day! What you didn’t expect however, was how strict of a teacher he would be, nor that you’re class would have a very... headstrong student amongst them, and you were only really using that term to be nice. If you were to describe him honestly, you thought he was a major asshole. You’ve come to find during the first assessment test, that happened on the first day no less, that his name was Katsuki Bakugo, and it seemed like he had an ego sky high and a hatred for almost everyone. He hadn’t even properly met everyone in the class and he was already talking down to them and calling them extras. You were, however, immediately drawn to Midoriya and Ururaka. They were both more your speed, being more on the quiet and friendly side. Later on in the day you became friend with a slightly older boy named Iida, who you found interesting because of how much of a stickler he was, but you also admired his tenacity and intelligence and found him to overall be a really nice guy. In fact everyone in the class was nice! The ones called Kirishima and Kaminari were a bit on the dense side, but they were really funny and seemed like they wanted to befriend everyone. Mina and Hagakure were a bit to hyper for you, but they seemed like major fun, and everyone else just seemed super sweet, even if the Todoroki boy seemed a bit on the colder side and Mineta being an obvious pervert. All this being said, Bakugo (or bakubastard as you would come to call him in the presence of only yourself and your thoughts) stuck out like a sore thumb. He had quite the temper and the quirk to match, and you couldn’t wrap your head around how someone could both have such an inflated ego and be such a dick. Needless to say, you didn’t like him one bit, and couldn’t understand quite why a certain handful would try so hard to befriend him when he wouldn’t even bat an eye at anything other than his own training. 

I feel stupid, Ugly Pretend it doesn't bother me I'm not very strong but I'll fuck you up if you're mean to bugs

Eventually, as time went on, you began to understand. You saw the fire in his eyes and his drive to be his best, even if he wasn’t the best at social interactions. In a way, you began to admire him, albeit from a far,, and you’ve come to realize that there may be more there than you had originally assumed, and you kind of beat yourself up over not realizing that hes more complex than just anger personified. You know you shouldn’t have, but you began to speculate why he was the way he was. Did he have a traumatic backstory? Did he start of being bullied? Was it social standards turning him into such a.. well, to put it plainly, a dick. You also began to wonder what was up between him and Midoriya. He got it the hardest from Bakugo, and it would seem that he doesn’t quite know why either. You never thought you would say this, but you actually want to get closer to the fiery boy.

It's getting cold down here underneath the weather I skipped class to sit with you I really like your spotty sweater,

 Principle Nezu has finally implemented dorms, and you’re both really nervous and really excited! On the bright side, you get to see your friends everyday, but it would also lead to you realizing your crush on Bakugo, which was honestly the last thing you expected. The way you even found out how much you were actually starting to like him, was through a study session that Kirishima invited you to. You were pretty sure Bakugo knew you were coming, but the look of shock on his face said otherwise. “Whats this extra doing here, Shitty Hair?” He asked Kirishima, and if you didn’t know either of them you would swear Bakugo hated him. Kiri responded with a simple shrug and an “I invited them, thought you wouldn’t mind”, which earned a mischievous glance and smirk from Mina that only Kiri seemed to notice. Bakugo huffed and rolled his eyes so hard you thought they would roll right out of his head. “Okay, asshat, what do you need help with?” He asked, almost glaring at you which earned him a look of confusion from you. You simply stated that you didn’t really need help, and that you didn’t know this was gonna be more of a tutoring session. Another eye roll from bakugo lead to a few hours of silence outside of when either he or you answered questions the others had. Everyone ‘went’ back to their dorms, leaving you and Bakugo on the opposite couches in the common area. About half an hour into more silence and small glances you would take at eachother without the other notice finally had Bakugo speaking up almost without thinking. “Hey, asshat, that sweater doesn’t look as shitty as the other one you wear.” You continue staring at your book, eyes wide and hoping that the position you’re in would hide the blush creeping up onto your face and managed to squeak out a “thanks, its new”

if ladybugs are girls How do you make kids together? What's it like in a female world I bet it's just so much better

Mina happened to catch what happened and immediately ran to her room after hearing you close your books and say that it was time for you to get some sleep. Once she reached her room she giggled to herself thinking that her little plan was working. She could tell early on that there was something between you both, and figured that neither of you had caught on to your own feelings. She managed to wrap Kirishima into her plan as well, and considered tonight a step in the right direction. The next day she caught up to you and invited you to a girls night later that evening, hatching phase to of her plan which would be to at least get you to admit your crush on Bakugo even if it wasn’t to him. The hours pass and the girls night is finally here, and thus the boys are left to either go to their rooms or go somewhere else because the common area belonged to the girls for that night, and once it was cleared of boys, the talking began. First it was small pro-hero gossip, talking about studies, just trying to ease into a game of truth or dare. You all went round robin until it was Mina’s turn to ask you the fated question, truth? or dare? You wanting to seem brave answered dare, and were immediately met with a “I dare you... to confess to your crush!” You immediately get flustered and counter her with a retraction of dare and an answer of truth, but you should’ve expected her response to ask you who in which you liked. The girls’ ears all perked up as they looked at you expectantly. You begin to try and explain that you don’t like anyone, but your blush and the way you talk with your hands told them otherwise. You were met with various versions of “C’mon! You can trust us!” So you took a look around to make sure none of the boys could hear, leaned in, took a deep breath and closed your eyes tight. “...Bakugo” you had barely whispered, only loud enough for the girls to hear, and open one eye to see some had gasped and others had their jaws dropped. Mina had giggled to herself, proud that she got you to at least acknowledge that you liked him.

I just turned fourteen And I think this year I'm gonna be mean Don't mess with me, I'm a big boy now and I'm very scary I punch my walls, stay out at night, and I do karate

The days after went on as normal, you sneaking glances at bakugo, and him unknowingly doing the same to you, everyone but the girls and Kirishima being oblivious to at least half of the situation. Mina and Kirishima were still trying to set up phase three, but with everything happening they hardly had time, as the days went by fast with hardcore training, and the risks of another villain attack on the school, and with the upcoming provisional hero license test, all of 1-A was so hyperfocused on making sure they can pass. Bakugo was still an ass as per usual, but that was normal, he just seemed a bit more.. different with you. Yes there were more huffs and annoyed side glances, but he was just subtlely more chill with you regarding his words, although the only ones that would notice that are his close friends. 

Don't message me 'cause I won't reply, I wanna make you cry Ain't that how its s'posed to be? Though it isn't me Boys will be bugs right?

Another side effect of how hard everyone was training, was that Bakugo was training so hard, even in his room, that he usually left everyone that texted him on read, but you were none-the-wiser as to why. You were honestly scared that he had found out about your crush and started avoiding you, not knowing that he was doing that to pretty much everyone. At this point, its important to mention that you were considered part of the Bakusquad which is why you even had his number in the first place. With that being said, Bakugo didn’t even notice most of his texts, or that they were even from you. He had so much going on that all he wanted was to just get stronger and pass the upcoming exams, and he had a lot on his mind with his recent abduction by the League of Villains. He wasn’t considering joining them or anything, but rather he blamed himself for that happening, thinking he wasn’t strong enough. So all his time went into training and only training,, justifying his recent lack of communication with his friends and you to “I’m going to be #1 so I don’t need anyone else.” “I don’t have friends.” “All that matters is my training.” etc. thinking no one would really care about his absence as long as he was in class.

I'm a dumb teen boy All I wanna do is quit My mum told me that she's worried And I couldn't give a shit I have friends who understand me Their names are spider, beetle, bee They don't say much but They have always listened to me

With time, Kirishima, Mina, and Kaminari managed to work their ways back into Bakugos life, Kirishima being the one he allowed the closest. He didn’t talk about his feelings at all, but they managed to get a better read on him and understand him more, if that was even possible with how little he let them know about his personal life. All they would know are little bits and pieces like “my mom and I argued over the phone today.” “The league is getting more popular and I need to beat them” “Those damn assholes trying to make everyone hate heroes.” They can see hes getting tired though, because of how hard hes been pushing himself. Mina and Kirishima specifically want to tell him to get over his ego and start spending more time with you, but they know its not the time yet, but they hope that this doesn’t last. 

The other boys at school Think it's cool to hate your parents But they're lying all the time The bugs advised that I should let 'em And if you wanna cry Make sure that they never see it Or even better yet Block it out and never feel it

On your side, although Mina and the girls promised he doesn’t know, you’re still scared and started trying less and less to even start a conversation, and it was apparent to Mina and Kiri that both you and Bakugo were suffering for it. You weren’t as cheery and he was a lot more... grumpy than usual, almost sad. The quiet between you both becoming more and more apparent as each day passed, both of you blaming yourself, thinking you had screwed up somehow. You thought your crush was too obvious, and he thought that he may have been to harsh on you. So he tried pushing forward on his own path even more, just as you did. 

I just turned fourteen And I think I know everything Don't mess with me, I'm a big boy now and I'm very scary I punch my walls, stay out at night, and I do karate Don't message me 'cause I won't reply, I wanna make you cry Ain't that how it's s'posed to be? Though it isn't me 

At this point, it would take a miracle for that rift to repair itself. Luckily that miracle had a name. Two in fact, but if anyone was paying attention, they would know what those two names are. Mina and Kirishima finally managed to put together phase three, although its.. going to be a lot of work. First they have to get you both to believe that you still had a chance, and then get you guys in the same room and to actually talk to eachother for more than five seconds at a time which will be.. much harder than it sounds. Mina took the task of talking to you and Kirishima talkling to Bakugo. Both of your reactions practically mimicked eachothers except Bakugo insisted there would be no way you wanted to talk to him because of how harsh he is, and you insisted because of how awkward you considered yourself. They both ended up saying that it doesn’t matter and to just have you guys meet them in the common area later that night, not knowing the other would be there. Mina asked you to the kitchen because thats where all the food was, and Kirishima invited Bakugo to the couches for another study session. Once you both were down there, neither could leave because that would go to show that you didn’t want to be even in eyesight of eachother which was the last thing either of you wanted the other to think. Eventually with enough quiet pushing from the other parties, you both decided to walk up to eachother and talk, but he got up before you finally agreed to go talk to him, and when you turned he was a lot closer than you expected (thinking he was still on the other side of the room) causing you to bump into him. 

Boys will be bugs...right?

“Hey..” you both said, after he had helped steady you, and you put a small amount of distance between eachother. “look, I’m sorry.. I thought-” you both stated at the same time yet again. “No you-”, awkward chuckling commences before a brief pause. Mina takes this moment to leave without you noticing and joins Kirishima on the side lines, wanting to see what happens next. You squeezed your eyes shut, a habit you had whenever you had to be bold, and spoke up first. “I’m so sorry, I thought you caught word that I liked you and just didn’t wanna be around me anymore..” His eyes went wide, as did yours. Did he hear you correctly? Did you actually just say that? Suprise, it would seem, jumped you both with the words you had just said. You take another deep breath, gently bouncing your wrist off of the counter a few times before stating that you should probably go, and apologized for making him uncomfortable. As you go to pass him all you hear is one word. “Dont.” He stated, not looking away from where you were. You paused for a second, waiting to hear what he had to say next. “Dont..go. Please?” You looked up at him, and walked back to where you were, looking up at him unsure of what was happening. “I--...” He grimaced a bit, leaving a huff, but you could tell it wasn’t aimed at you, but rather at himself. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” He said, this time looking at you, causing you to furrow your eyebrows, looking confused. He looked back to the side and said three simple words that would change your life exponentially, although you admittedly didn’t catch it the first time. “ilikeyoutoodumbass” He mumbled, a little to quickly if youre honest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that..?” “What are you, deaf? I said I like you too” this time, a bit louder and quite a bit more aggressively. “So.. will you be my girlfriend?” He asked, a lot softer than the previous statement, hesitantly looking into your eyes.

[kimnjss]

omg not me missing three updates 😰 lemme try n put all my thoughts into one ask.. might be a long one 🥴

but not namjoon losing his cool immediately entering the party and his eyes looking for her LMAOOO no wonder why his friends come for his throat 😭 he just makes it too damn obvious 💀

i could be reaching but could yoongi be someone that yn could confine in comfortably without bias?? idk just based on the small interaction we saw between the two of them at the bar.. cause since he’s not a part of her inner circle but they seem comfortable enough with each other to talk about some things?? but then namjoon talks to yoongi a lot so maybe im making nothing into something for no reason..

but her dad.. he sucks ass like damn he really made sure she’s never gonna leave the music industry when she wants no part in it. i can see why yn is “self-sabotaging” her position but not the part where it comes at the expense of other peoples livlihood.. also hoseok lives and breathes music, he loves what he does and is capable of running things himself.. so why does he need both his kids?? what gives bruh..

omg NOT JOON JUST GOING FOR THE KISS OMFGSNSNDJSNWJ WHAT the no warnings was a lie.. rude 🤧 BUT YIKES AFTER THAT 😳 so much is happening rn my minds going ↘️↗️⬆️🔄↪️⬇️

namjoon what happened to not giving a shit about her bruv.. at least youre not lying to yourself not liking her but you do be still lying to yourself sometimes.. but!! i do understand way he reacted the way he did afterwards.. like kissing someone who’s in a “relationship” and that same person being his boss, career on the line if things got out of hand bc he just got signed and hadnt debuted under the new company yet..

although it was kinda like cold water was thrown at yn tho bc 😬 is this the first time that an encounter like this didnt lead to something more for her?? like someone didnt take the risk with her?? or is she seeing this as a flat out rejection?? bc namjoon finally showed some sort of interest and when he caved, he immediately backed out..

wait is she back to her normal self after the lunch with namjoon?? ong this is what i get for catching up and absorbing too much information at once 😩 -🤼‍♀️

ahhh!! hi ., we’ve got a lot to get through lmao . 

namjoon is so absolutely full of shit lmao ., the first thing he did was look for her nd then he continued to do that for the entire night . nd literally all it took was her taking a little bit of her attention off of him (she had started being more professional a bit before the party) ., now the boy has no idea what to do w himself . 

// yn would definitely be able to take more freely around yoongi ., buut it’s not so much because of the fact that he’s not in her friend group - it’s more so that yoongi really doesn’t care abt things that don’t directly involve him ., so instead of trying to tell her how to do things nd kind of taking control of the situation ., he’d be more inclined to listen to her nd give her light suggestions that he thinks is in her best interest - without being pushy . (jin nd jungkook just let her do whatever assuming she’ll figure it out ., while hobi is more often than not giving orders) . //

at this point ., yn cares so little for the job nd is willing to do anything to keep from having to stay there that she’s not even thinking abt the other people that are effected by her behavior . at least not in the moment ., there’s a lot of times where she goes back nd realizes that she’s wrong (the thing w hyungwon in the studio being one example) . but most of the time it’s like collateral damage bc she’s so unhappy ., she can’t really look past that . 

// it’s safe to say that joon was always somewhat curious abt her ., but didn’t really let himself get close . but then after she was getting in trouble because of him nd then working a bit harder he started to see her differently . nd then on top of that she was opening up to him at the party so he’s seeing more sides of her that sort of eliminates what he first thought of her . he’s starting to understand her a bit more nd slowly (very slowly) accepting that he might be a little bit interested . which was amplified w alcohol of course ., so that’s where the sudden kiss is coming from . 

- as soon as they’re being interrupted ., he has enough time to overthink so he’s quickly reverting back to how he was before . 

+ yn is very much stuck on being wanted ., the little story abt how she knows hr dad never wanted a girl - in turn never wanted her ., has a lot to do w it . so the sad way she asks joon if he didn’t want to kiss her is like a peak into that ., she likes to feel wanted (the multiple boyfriends thing could kinda fall into that too) ., so she was more put off by the thought that joon doesn’t want her when she wants him (nd she’s slowly realizing it’s more than the greedy want she has w her boyfriends) . 

since the thing w hyungwon ., she has done nothing but work nd concentrate on getting her work done - so the little trip out w namjoon might’ve helped her loosen up ., but she’s still got a lot going on . she’s not going to be one hundred percent until she’s able to deal w her dad nd break away from that job . 

[edendaphne]

“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 7

I told you I wouldn’t leave you guys hanging on that cliffhanger for long!  ;)

> Read it here on Ao3 <

> Read it here on Wattpad <

CHAPTER 7: SYNCOPATION

(Mood Music: I Hate Everything About You - Three Days Grace)

Ignoring Ladybug’s and his friends’ frantic shouting, Adrien sprinted towards the villain with only a vague and most likely very, very stupid plan.

Whether or not it was the intrinsic bond between the cat and ladybug miraculouses that compelled him to do so, he couldn’t say, and at this point, he didn’t care. All Adrien knew was that he couldn’t let anything else harm Ladybug. At this moment, absolutely nothing was more important than keeping his other half, his partner, his Lady, safe.

Nothing else mattered; not even himself.

Upon reaching the monster he stood in front of it and yelled, “Hey, did you know that Chloe actually has a boyfriend?”

That certainly got Reaver’s attention. He stopped in his tracks and bellowed, “She WHAT?!”

“I bet he thinks you’re jealous of him!” Adrien continued his ruse. “Did he whisk her away from you right under your nose, big guy? Boy, that’s gotta suck!” He could have sworn he saw Reaver’s eye twitch, and he had to suppress a chortle. “He probably thinks you’ll never find out who he is, or that he lives in an apartment by the Seine because you’re dumb as rocks!”

Reaver sputtered, enraged, “Why, that son of a— I’ll rip him apart!! I’ll show him! He shouldn’t have messed with me!!” In a huff he spun around and ran towards the Seine river with a new (yet vague and questionable) goal in mind.

Adrien quirked a triumphant grin, turning his head to give a quick wink at Ladybug (who was staring at him slack-jawed like he’d grown a second head, along with Nino and Alya), then followed behind Reaver. He could hear Ladybug clamoring and demanding that the couple allow her to stand up and run after him, but thankfully to no avail.

Once he was far away enough from his friends that they couldn’t see him anymore, he sneaked into an empty building, its inhabitants having already evacuated to one of the nearby akuma shelters.

He transformed into Chat Noir and quickly dialed Hawkmoth’s number on his staff’s communicator. He struggled to keep his anger in check while it rang, trying to figure out what he would say.

Hawkmoth’s face finally appeared on the screen.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Chat yelled urgently, manners and decorum tossed out the window instantly.

“What I’m supposed to be doing. Unlike yourself,” Hawkmoth snorted loftily. “You had so many opportunities to take Ladybug’s miraculous just now and yet you didn’t. What’s the matter with you, Adrien?”

“W-what’s the matter with me?!” Chat stammered. “Your akuma is out of control! He’s more violent than any others we’ve ever had! You can’t do this, you have to call him off!”

Hawkmoth scoffed in annoyance, clearly already fed up with this conversation. “I’m only doing what I must to achieve our goals. Goals which you clearly seem to have forgotten. You shouldn’t have any sympathy for that two-faced sham pretending to be a hero. All of this wouldn’t have to happen if she’d just give us the damn earrings.”

Chat recalled the conversation he and Ladybug had had a few weeks prior, while they were dancing at the akuma’s ball.

“I’m not just holding on to my miraculous to spite you and Hawkmoth, or because I’d rather keep my superpowers instead of helping you guys. I’m protecting it. Using a miraculous for personal gain always ends in tragedy. Always. I know you have no reason to trust me or believe me, but what would I gain by lying to you?”

Chat bit his lip, bracing himself for his following question. “But Father, what if there’s a good reason she can’t give them to us? What if we really aren’t meant to use both the cat and ladybug miraculous together?”

Hawkmoth pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing exasperatedly. “I see she’s attempted to deceive you and play you for a fool. Don’t fall for that delilah’s sugar-coated words and pretty face, Adrien. Even if whatever lies she told you were true, it still doesn’t amount to the destruction she’s inflicted on Paris throughout all these years due to her infuriating stubbornness. This fight could have been over long ago, and yet she continues to allow all of Paris to suffer for her pride and arrogance.”

Shelving aside the accusation of Ladybug being the source of Paris’ misery for a later discussion, Chat insisted, “But this time you’ve gone too far. You’re going to kill her!!”

“Good. You might actually manage to collect her earrings if she’s a motionless corpse!” Hawkmoth spat, disgusted.

Chat’s eyes grew wide and he gasped sharply, blood running cold. This couldn’t really be his father talking, could it? Had he any love or compassion left in his soul? Was this another effect of his miraculous; was misusing the power of empathy rendering him unable to actually feel it anymore? What could this mean for Hawkmoth and his powers? Was he losing his control over his abilities and that’s why the akuma had become so ferocious recently, almost feral? Countless questions swirled around in his head, heart racing at the implications.

“I… You…” Chat stuttered incredulously, clenching his fists, claws painfully digging into his palms.

Fighting a sudden bout of nausea, Chat struggled to formulate any kind of coherent sentence. But how could he, when his mind was reeling at his sudden realization? That this was not the man he’d grown up with and loved.

While Gabriel hadn’t ever really been an outwardly doting or affectionate parent, Adrien had good memories of a caring father who loved him; one who had read to him as a child, played the piano with him, and had laughed with while playing trivia games. And while during the last few years he’d become more cold, unrepentant, and spiteful year after year, Adrien would never have suspected that he’d spiraled so out of control and deteriorated into such a ruthless and uncaring person.

Dismayed, he asked almost in a whisper, “Father… What’s happened to you?”

Hawkmoth snarled with a glower, “If this is how it’s going to be, then I have nothing more to say to you. Just stay out of my way.” He huffed, then added, “You always were a disappointment.” He then hung up without another word.

Chat couldn’t help but sit in silence, trying to blink back tears and calm his heart, which felt like it had just been rent into a thousand pieces. He didn’t know what to think or how to feel. This wasn’t how families were supposed to treat each other. Especially when there were only two of them left. Or three, if you included his mother.

His stomach dropped. Oh, God... What would Mom think? She’d be coming back to an insecure and troubled son and a husband who had become a cold-blooded husk of the man he used to be. Would she even want to be brought back to life if it was only to suffer?

His thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a bus being thrown against a building, followed by the akuma’s enraged roars.

Chat cursed under his breath and stood. He’d allow himself to mourn later. Right now he had an urgent task: to stop his father from destroying Paris.

“If you were actually a nice guy, you wouldn’t be hounding Chloe and trying to pressure her into a relationship just because you think you deserve it,” Chat barked irritably at the akuma, who was stuck in the middle of the Seine hanging with one arm from Chat’s staff, which extended from one end of the edge to the other. “Leave Miss Bourgeois alone and stop being such a persistent douchebag,” Chat scolded, rubbing his sore muscles as he walked towards the discarded rugby ball off to the side.

The akuma grumbled and grunted as he floundered around in the water, holding onto the thin staff with great difficulty.

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon and you can go home. Or better yet, go apologize,” Chat said, turning around to head back to where he’d left Ladybug and the others.

“Hey, you can’t just leave me here!” Reaver howled.

Chat looked back at him, giving him a cheeky smirk. “Watch me,” he quipped, then dashed away to a string of curses and incoherent shouting.

Shortly after, Chat arrived back at the street where his friends were located. He took a deep calming breath and, scooping up the stray Lucky Charm on the way, carefully approached the group, who was still huddled around Ladybug. She looked exhausted, breaths ragged, beads of sweat trickling down her face, as if she’d been trying to get up the whole time he’d been gone only to be held back by his friends. The idea caused a shiver creep up his spine, and the dusty air became harder to breathe.

Nino caught sight of him first. A strangled whine escaped his throat, and he frantically attempted to squeak out, “It’s C-Cha-...!” Having failed at formulating basic speech, he poked Alya’s shoulder to get her attention instead.

The latter’s eyes widened in terror, but she quickly composed herself and darted in front of Ladybug getting into a protective stance, courage largely fueled by adrenaline. Nino followed suit, crouching by the superheroine’s legs, halfway blocking her with his body.

“Don’t you dare come any closer!” Alya snarled, voice dripping with venom. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble?!”

Despite the numerous powers and abilities the cat miraculous bestowed upon him, the sight of a fierce and tenacious Alya terrified him. His countenance fell, hands nervously fidgeting with the rugby ball. He tried to think of a way to appease her and assure them he meant no harm, but was coming up short.

Before he could open his mouth, however, they were both shocked to hear Ladybug speak. “Alya, it’s okay.”

Alya’s jaw dropped in astonishment, having never seen them have any interaction that wasn’t hostile. But after a few seconds she hesitantly stepped aside, allowing Chat to walk past her.

Chat slowly knelt down by Ladybug’s side, offering her a tiny, penitent smile. “Hey.”

Ladybug smiled brightly in return. “Hi,” she said, chuckling lightly. “You came,” she breathed.

Chat felt his chest flutter at the thought of her being happy to see him. Still a bundle of nerves, he sputtered, “H-how are y- uhh… Are you oka- um...”

“I’m alright, Chat,” she answered him reassuringly, touching his forearm. Her brows became knitted and she asked quietly, “B-but did you happen to see a young man, the supermodel Adrien Agreste? He’s my- I mean, he’s their friend,” she corrected hastily. “He ran after the akuma. And I’m worri- uh, we’re - worried about him.”

“I did,” he replied, touched by her concern even now, and still protecting the nature of their relationship from anyone else who might overhear. “He’s fine.”

Ladybug’s shoulders relaxed a bit and a small breath escaped her, a relieved smile replacing tightly pursed lips.

Chat fiddled anxiously with the hem of his cowl. “I, um…” he stammered, then reached into his pocket. “I have something of yours,” he said finally as he brought out her yo-yo and offered it to her. “Also this,” he nodded towards the polka-dotted bottle of oil, holding it up with his tail.

“Thank you,” she replied, voice full of warmth. With a hint of shyness she asked, “Um… I might need a little help, if you don’t mind.” She extended her hand towards him tentatively.

“Oh! O-of course,” he said. He took hold of the rugby ball and ripped it open, freeing the blackened butterfly within. Then he draped Ladybug’s arm around his shoulders, supporting her waist with his other arm, and helped her to stand up. She hissed in discomfort, Chat’s own pained expression mirroring hers. Handing her the Lucky Charm, she took it and laboriously threw it up in the air.

“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” she croaked rather than shouted.

Ladybug had never been as happy to see the swarms of tiny magical ladybugs as she was now. They sparkled and swirled around them, removing injuries and setting everything back as it should be. Ladybug’s strength and energy returned and Nino could now stand without aid.

Next Ladybug purified the corrupted akuma, giving it a small wave as it flew off.

Everything was back to normal... and yet everything had completely changed.

Still in a half embrace, Chat and Ladybug turned their heads to look back at each other, faces almost touching, and if Chat didn’t know better, he’d say she was looking at him with a fondness he’d never felt from her before. Eyelashes fluttering slowly, her eyes seemed bluer and more vibrant than even the brightest of skies; a hint of red dusted her freckled cheeks and her rosy pink lips looked tantalizingly soft, almost inviting.

“Um…” they heard Nino say hesitantly.

In a flash the pair pulled apart, chuckling awkwardly and wearing matching blushes, nonchalantly dusting off and smoothing out their suits despite no more dirt being present.

Nino continued, “What do you guys think happened to Adrien?”

“He’s probably on his way back,” Alya said, shrugging.

A loud yet familiar beeping suddenly rang through the air. Ladybug habitually raised her hand to touch her earring, knowing her time was up.

Apprehensively walking up to Alya and Nino, she nervously twirled the ends of her hair and said, “When Adrien comes back, will you– um… Will you please tell him that I really appreciate what he did? The way that he– I mean, he was amazi- uhh! That is, he was very…” She took a deep breath to try to get her stuttering under control and tried again, “I-it was very brave of him,” she finished lamely, her face almost as red as her suit.

Alya nodded with a smile. “Sure thing, LB.”

Thanking her and giving them one last goodbye, Ladybug turned around and was surprised to see that Chat was just as flushed as she was for some reason. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, averting his eyes to look anywhere else but at her.

Gathering up her nerve, she approached him and cleared her throat slightly. “Shall we?” she asked amiably, slipping her hand into his. Chat’s eyes widened, flicking up to meet hers. His face turned an even deeper shade of crimson, but managed to nod in reply. They headed off together, and Ladybug could have sworn she heard an awed Nino quietly mutter, “Dude...” as they leaped onto the rooftops.

(Mood Music: Paper Boats - Transistor OST, Ashley Barrett)

They stopped once they had traveled few streets down to a quieter neighborhood. Chat began to pace back and forth, arms tightly crossed and tail whipping back and forth agitatedly, still avoiding her gaze.

Is he angry? Ladybug fretted. Despite being short on time, she decided to give him a few moments to work out whatever was going on inside his head.

The telltale beeps rang again, more urgently this time. Only 2 dots left.

The earrings had first begun to beep as she lay helpless next to Alya and Nino. She’d practically resigned herself to the fact that they’d be forced to find out who she was, putting them both in extreme danger. To say that she’d been terrified would be a massive understatement.

And then Chat Noir showed up against all odds. Even though she’d had no reason to believe he would help her, inexplicably, deep down, part of her had faith that he would. She wasn’t sure about his reasons or if anything had happened between him and his father, but she was grateful that luck had been on her side during this battle, despite having gotten closer to death than she ever had before.

She chewed on her lip as she recalled the amount of pain her body felt, how close she’d been to despairing and yet somehow managing to keep it together for Alya and Nino’s sake. She would surely have some nightmares about it for a while. But if this experience helped her and Chat begin to solidify a friendship and started her on the path to rescue him from Hawkmoth, then it would have all been worth it. He was worth it. She wasn’t going to give up on him, not ever. He needed her just as much as she needed him.

Finally Chat spun around and approached her but stopped short just beyond arm’s length, almost as if he was afraid of her. He opened his mouth to speak yet couldn’t force anything out, and despite him trying to hold himself together she noticed his fists shaking at his sides. She could sense the significant inner turmoil he was experiencing, tormented by too many conflicting thoughts. He was so hesitant and anxious, Ladybug wondered if he thought she was upset at him for not turning up to the akuma attack earlier than he had.

Wanting to help or offer whatever comfort she could, she stepped closer, looking up at him to see if he approved of her proximity. Not sensing any resistance, she gently took one of his hands, slowly stroking the back with her thumb. Finally he looked at her, eyes shining, struggling to keep his composure.

Unable to hold back any longer, he surged forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body flush against his into a bone-crushing hug.

“Ladybug,” he uttered, his voice almost a whisper. She could feel his arms trembling. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Chat…” she returned his embrace, stunned by his apology.

“You almost– I thought you were…” he trailed off, unable to say the word.

She squeezed him back firmly and reassured him, “But I’m fine now, it’s okay. I’m okay.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Chat, you saved me.”

Hearing this only made him choke back a sob, a shudder racking his entire body. After a few ragged breaths, he murmured, “I should have been there. I always should have been. All these years you’ve needed me and I was never there for you. I fought against you, made your life a living hell along with Hawkmoth, and yet somehow you don’t absolutely loathe me? Why?!”

She pulled away to hold his face in her hands, lightly sliding her fingers across it to wipe his tear-streaked cheeks.

Looking him in the eyes, she stated definitively, “Kitty, I could never hate you. I care about you. You’ve been in a bad situation all these years with no one to help you either. But we’re in this together now. And I’d like us to finally be friends, if you’ll allow it.”

Chats mouth quirked into a tiny smile and hummed out a small chuckle. “Does this mean that you really forgive me?” he asked hopefully, knitting his eyebrows, eyes glimmering with hope.

Ladybug tilted her head in endearment and smiled back brightly. “Of course,” she replied, struggling to resist a strong urge to snuggle up to him and cuddle all his doubts away.

Covering her smaller hands with his, Chat breathed out something between a relieved sigh and a laugh, squeezing his eyes shut to try to prevent even more tears from falling. Hands still trembling, he whispered absently, “How are you real…? Why are you so good to me?”

Taken aback at him being overcome by the concept of being actually forgiven for his shortcomings, she felt a hard lump rise to the back of her throat. She wondered more than ever when was the last time anyone had shown him any affection or understanding at home, or was sympathetic to him when he made any mistakes. Although come to think of it, she also wasn’t sure if she truly wanted to know the answer, lest her heart break for him even further.

But how could she answer him? There was so much she wanted to say, a million words at the tip of her tongue and yet it was impossible to sum it all up into a single sentence.

Because I want to help.

Because you’re deserving of love and kindness, not abuse and exploitation.

Because I want you to know what it’s like to be cherished.

Because we were destined to be partners, kindred spirits.

Because we finally found each other.

Because somehow, inexplicably, I love you as I love myself.

Before she could say anything, however, he declared softly, “From now on, I’ll always protect you. I swear it. I won’t let anything like this happen to you again, not ever. I’ll fix everything. I’ll make it right.”

“We’ll do it together,” she replied. “And I’ll protect you, too. You’re not alone anymore, Chat.”

Chat’s breath hitched and his eyes fluttered open, boring into hers, the significance of her comforting words sinking in like a warm breeze, and he gazed at her as if she’d just given him the most important gift in the world unconditionally.

But there was something else there too; something she couldn’t put her finger on. Something that had always been there but had grown from a small flame into a roaring fire. Whatever it was, it was overwhelming and intimate.

Throat suddenly dry, she could feel her face redden and was almost certain that Chat would be able to hear her heart pounding. She’d scarcely noticed how close their bodies had become, faces almost touching, breaths mingling together. Chat’s gaze flitted towards her mouth and he absentmindedly bit his lip.

Moments passed in silence; tension slowly ebbed away from Chat’s shoulders and his posture relaxed. His throat bobbed as he swallowed audibly before opening his mouth to speak.

“Ladybug, I–”

The abrupt trill of Ladybug’s earrings startled them apart, urgently reminding them that they were out of time. Ladybug held back a frown, annoyed at the near heart attack those blasted earrings gave her. Stupid time limit.

“Uh… I guess that’s my cue to skedaddle,” she chuckled awkwardly, tucking some loose hair behind her ear.

Chat let out a shaky laugh and cleared his throat. “R-right…” he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I-I’ll see you around? Well, I mean, of course we’ll be seeing each other- I mean, duh. B-but uhh– Not that kind of seeing! I meant to ‘see’ see! That is– AUGH!” she stammered, unsure of the reasons behind her underwhelming eloquence, and she facepalmed, groaning in embarrassment.

Smiling, Chat walked up to her while she was busy covering her face in mortification. He took her hands and pulled them away gently. Ladybug hadn’t heard him approach and gasped lightly, butterflies swirling all over her insides; her whole body felt like it was made of gelatin.

“See you around… My Lady,” he said, placing a featherlight kiss upon the knuckles of one hand... and then on the other. Ladybug’s chest burned in a way that had nothing to do with the current summer weather, surprised she hadn’t melted onto the roof.

Not trusting herself to speak any more, she grinned and stepped back towards the edge of the building (and almost tripping on absolutely nothing at all) giving Chat a small parting wave before swinging away.

Minutes later, Marinette finally found Nino and Alya, who were still a bit disoriented but no worse for wear. Despite having to endure Alya’s stern lecture about safety and enforcing the buddy system (during which she came dangerously close to eye-rolling wearily), seeing them again after being so close to losing everything just a short while prior brought her untold relief.

“Girl, you are never gonna believe what happened during the akuma attack,” Alya continued indistinct, talking a million miles a minute, recapping everything in extreme detail. Nino nodded along and would chime in now and then, still in high alert after what had transpired.

While Nino and Alya rambled on (with Nino being particularly bemused by the idea of Adrien literally stupefying the akuma with the power of shouting, “Just like in Skyrim!”) Marinette felt a tingle run down her spine and became filled with the telltale distinct feeling that they were being watched.

Hair standing on end, her gaze darted around discreetly, mentally preparing for another potential danger. Finally she spotted a pair of familiar emerald green eyes lurking in the shadows a few meters away, faintly glowing from within a small darkened alcove behind Nino and Alya. Her eyes widened in surprise, which made Chat realize that she’d noticed him, and he froze in alarm.

To Marinette it felt like time had stopped during this impromptu stare-down. Chat looked like a deer in headlights that was about to flee because he’d been caught spying (although knowing what she did about him and his character, Marinette suspected that he just wanted to make sure Alya and Nino were safely reunited with her and Adrien)

Tensed like a guitar string, Chat seemed almost resigned and expectant that she would scream and give him away, as any Parisian did whenever they caught sight of him. He wasn’t prepared for what actually happened.

Marinette smiled at him.

Chat’s furrowed his brows with a baffled expression. After a moment he relaxed and even smiled back slightly, looking relieved and even grateful, even if he didn’t understand why he’d been gifted a smile instead of a scowl. Maybe he would assume that she’d seen him help Ladybug during the akuma attack and had garnered the tiniest bit of sympathy. That was just as well. She was sure he would appreciate having two people in Paris that didn’t despise him: Ladybug and Marinette. He would need supporters if was to prove to the world that he was no longer their enemy.

But that was a worry for a later time. At the moment she was just thankful to be alive and surrounded by her loved ones.

And now, fortuitously, Chat Noir had finally become one of those loved ones.

[kingdomofkitten]

Ikariverse: Ikari’s Day Out (SPECIAL SURPRISE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WRITER STORY!)

Sooooo, um...you guys remember that ask I got, about a story told from the perspective of Ikari? Well, a couple of days ago, a near and dear friend of mine, @tonythegrey (who you should totally follow, he does great art) asked me if I was actually working on writing that. I told him no, as I have a few projects I’m trying to work on. A few days later, he sends me a document with this. I asked if he was planning on posting it, but he’d rather I do it, so that, and I quote, “your hungry fans will have something to read.” Is it canon with the Ikariverse? ......I honestly don’t know, but I thought it was pretty cute, and funny, so....that probably doesn’t mean anything, but still. Here’s Tony’s story, Ikari’s Day Out!

*It is early in the morning and we see little Ikari playing on his Mr. Spell while his two parents are frantically getting ready for work. What exactly is he typing into the keyboard toy, though?*

Ikari: *typing into his toy* Ikari’s Log; Stardate, August 10th. Mama made me a plate of toaster waffles. Quite odd, considering how I am only two years old, and my teeth haven’t fully developed yet. She and Dada are zooming across the house. I believe the reasoning behind my rushed breakfast was a result of poor timing as they are talking about being late for work. I assume that they are late. Perhaps listening in on their conversation will confirm my suspicions. *he perks his ears up to listen on them*

Retsuko: *patting herself* Do I have everything I need?! *patting Haida all over* Do you have everything?!

Haida: Gah! I’m ready! We just need a babysitter for Ikari!

Retsuko: Who are we gonna hire at such a short notice?! We need to get their now! 

Haida: Ah, you know I don’t like bringing him to our job! I feel like it has weird side effects on him!

Ikari: …*starts typing again* I really wish I could understand adult language better. As of right now, it all sounds like a blur with only a handful of words that I comprehend. Such is the curse of being so young. How I urge to have actual conversations with my beloved Mama and Dada. 

Retsuko: *coming up to him* Uh, Ikari, dear? We’re gonna have to take you to our work again! You know the rules, right?

Ikari: Babababah! :D 

*Later that same day, Retsuko and Haida are in the elevator to their work area*

Ikari: *typing* These slow elevator rides to Mama and Dada’s work tend to always be the most anxious part when I come along with them. Just a long melancholy journey to whatever chaos could be awaiting my parents and I. Will today be just a boring day like many others have been, or will something new and exciting occur? If the latter, will it be something good for my Mama and Dada? They appear to not like it here much, yet they arrive everyday. It’s typically where they interact most with Aunt Fenneko. Why do they put themselves through such torment? Do they take secret enjoyment from this ordeal? Is it all for my benefit? Or theirs? Is this the essence of existence itself? Am I too destined to be unhappy and spend most of my time in an area of which I do not enjoy being around? Is this all of our destinies? Are we here just to suffer? Are w- *suddenly the elevator stops, and the three are immediately greeted by Kabae!*

Kabae: HEY RETSUKO AND HAIDA! Aww! You brought little Ikari with you! *pinches his cheeks* Aw, he’s so cute that I could just eat him up!

Ikari: Hahahahahaha! :D 

Retsuko: Kabae. Don’t touch my baby’s cheeks. 

Kabae: Oop! Sorry! 

*sometime later*

Ikari: *typing* As I suspected, it appears to be a normal day of work for my beloved Mama and Dada. They spend most of their time apart from each other, as they do not work at neighboring desks. For two individuals who love each other to no end like they do, it must be heartbreaking to be so far apart. Even worse, it seems as if my Mama still acts as something of a servant to the Big Fat Meanie who swings that metal stick around all day. I do not like that Big Fat Meanie. He always bosses around my Mama, and brings her so much pain and suffering. Why does she put up with him? Why doesn’t she stand up for herself? She stood up for me when the daycare teacher gave me a timeout for throwing a ball at the door. Why is this any different… Ah well. At least my Mama has Aunt Fenneko to keep her company. 

Fenneko: *looking at Ikari who’s just kinda slapping his hand on the Mr. Spell* ...Your son is awfully attached to that calculator. 

Retsuko: It’s not a calculator! It’s supposed to help him spell and read words and stuff.

Fenneko: *he’s still slapping away* ...The sad thing? He’s probably a better speller than most people on social media these days. 

Ikari: Hahahaha! *typing* My Aunt Fenneko is very funny.

Tsunoda: *she drops by* Hey, giiiiiiiiiiirls~! *fondling Fenneko’s cheek* How’s my favorite booty-call doin’~? ;) 

Fenneko: Patiently waiting to leave this joint and utterly destroy your pus-

Retsuko: *AHEM!* *gestures towards Ikari*

Fenneko: ...Oh. Right. 

Tsunoda: *comes up to Ikari* Aww, you brought little Ikari with you again, Retsy?

Retsuko: We couldn’t find a babysitter. And you two need to watch what you say around him!

Tsunoda: Aw, what’s the matter? It’s not like he’s comprehending anything that I’m saying right now, right?

Ikari: *typing* She’s got you there, Mama.

Retsuko: *scoffs* I still don’t want hearing that kinda thing!

Fenneko: And he won’t! You have my word, Retsy.

Retsuko: Thank you!

Tsunoda: …*ahem* *looks Ikari right in his eyes* Sex! Vaginas! Anal! Fucking! Cunninglingus! 

Retsuko: *GAAAAAAASP!* *she immediately covers his ears*

Ikari: Agoo?

Tsunoda: *completely inaudible from his point of view. She and Retsuko appear to be arguing*

Ikari: …*starts typing again* I do not understand the relationship my parents have with Aunt Tsunoda. She and Fenneko get along with each other very much, yet Mama and Dada seem very uneasy with her. Almost as if they don’t like having her around. I’m not sure why, however. Aunt Tsunoda is very funny, and playful with me. She’s also very pretty……… Do I like girls?

Tsunoda: I’m just saying, Retsy! Gotta teach ‘em while they’re young!

Retsuko: NOT THAT YOUNG! 

Fenneko: Geez, Tsunoda. Even I’M not that cruel. 

*suddenly, a powerful presence can be felt right behind all four of them*

Ton: HEY! PIPE IT DOWN, WILL YA?!

Retsuko, Fenneko, and Tsunoda: *GASP!*

Ton: …*patting Ikari on the back* You’re setting a bad example for the child. 

Retsuko: ...Y-y-y-yes sir! It won’t happen again!

Tsunoda: Yeah! Scout’s honor!

Fenneko: Roger roger.

Ton: Hmph. *goes back to his golf swings*

Ikari: … *typing* Hmm. Perhaps I have misjudged The Big Fat Meanie’s character… Nah, he’s still a Big Fat Meanie.

*Later, at a karaoke bar, Retsuko is recapping what happened at work to Haida, Washimi, and Gori. Fenneko went home to lay pipe.*

Ikari: *typing* My Mama seems to really like coming to this place after working. It appears to be something of a sanctuary for her to be at peace with herself, and not have to worry about what other people think. Ironic how her source of relaxation comes from such a loud and aggressive musical genre. Dada also seems to really like it here. This particular place seems to mean a lot to both of them. Was this perhaps where they initially met? Or where I was conceived? Perhaps I may never know fully. At least not yet. 

Gori: Whaaaaaaa?! You mean Tsunoda just up and said all that nasty stuff right to your kid?!

Washimi: Why?

Retsuko: I don’t know! Just to spite me, I guess?! 

Haida: Maybe she just needs a new arch enemy, seeing how she and Fenneko are all lovey-dovey now. 

Gori: Aw, but why at the cost of such a lovely boy’s innocence?

Washimi: Truly. If I were you, Retsuko, I’d protect my child from any and all things that would harm his view of the world. Who knows what kind of damage that would do to his psyche when going forward.

Ikari: *typing* The bird lady and her gorilla friend always appear to be wise and smart. I see why my Mama goes to them for guidance.

*Later that night, after a long session of karaoke singing, the two parents make it home with Ikari*

Haida: *phew* Well, I guess we learned something today!

Retsuko: Yeah! Keep Tsunoda away from our baby.

Haida: Er… yeah. Something like that. 

Ikari: *typing* And so, my day comes to a close once again. It would appear that I have come back unharmed, my belly is filled with delicious food, and I heard my Mama’s singing again with Dada providing Bass. T’was a good day. *yaaaaaawwwns* But I am quite sleepy after all is said and done. And I am afraid of getting a nightmare tonight. So… M-mama! Dada!

Retsuko: Oh! You wanna come to bed with us, Ikari?

Ikari: Mm-hmm. *nods his head*

Haida: Well, alright! Just try not to take up too much space in bed!

Ikari: Hmhm!

*And so, Ikari puts down his Mr. Spell, and heads off to bed with his parents*

*Meanwhile*

Tsunoda: Aw, Fenny-poooooooooo~!

Fenneko: Nope. You’re not getting any tonight. You said nasty things to my friend’s baby.

Tsunoda: D’ooohh! It won’t happen again! I promise! 

Fenneko: You sure?

Tsunoda: Positive! I won’t do it again to Retsuko’s kid, and certainly not when we have our own kids.

Fenneko: …”W-when”?

Tsunoda: ...OH! Right! I forgot to tell you! I’ve been doing some thinking, and… I think I’m ready to adopt!

Fenneko: …

Tsunoda: ...Fenny-Poo?

Fenneko: Okay, we can fuck now.

So, yeah! That was Ikari’s Day Out, hopefully you guys enjoyed it, and like I said, go give Tony a follow, if you can.