#and the thing is that I do like Nia as a character

[yourqueenb]

I do not think it’s a good idea to keep Nia’s situation from the rest of the group. But the bitchy side of me is glad she doesn’t wanna tell anyone because I know the moment we do, it’ll become all about her again and MC’s issues will get pushed even further into the background 😑🤷🏽‍♀️

[lepeltge]

Hopefully this uploads with good quality bc this was a BEHEMOTH of a piece (mainly bc I made my file size too big lol). Anyways, here’s my rendition of @nnnnnnnothingtoseehere ‘s pirate/mer ateez au!!! I REALLY enjoyed their fic and highly suggest it!!

Admittedly, I got a bit carried away with this and have wayyyy too many pirate pictures saved to Pinterest and my phone, but alas! I will never escape my love for historical clothing (with some anachronisms for aesthetics of course).

I thought way too long about colors and outfits, but it just goes to show you how in depth N’s writing is (thanks for the extra answered questions)! I kept on finding myself having so much fun thinking about the why behind the outfits lol.

Lastly, this is my first fanart in a while, and moreso, my first fanart of Ateez ever!!! I tried to do them justice but if you can’t tell who’s who, well… my bad 😅 Hope y’all enjoy bc I know I sure did!!

[waytooinvested]

Small Problem... Chapter 3

You can find the full story on AO3

..................................................

Lena woke abruptly from an unintended doze to find her cheek stuck to the pages of her grimoire (damn it, she REALLY had to start treating this book with more reverence), Kara standing on her out-flung wrist, and the rest of her friends gathered around her work bench in a loose semi circle.

She sat up slowly, careful not to move her Kara-arm too much to avoid knocking her over, but unwilling to remain in such a vulnerable position with everyone staring at her.

‘What is it, did something happen? Does the world need saving?’

‘No Lena, the world doesn’t need saving, but we’re worried that maybe you do’ Alex replied.

‘Lena, we’re all here because we love you, and we want to help you. It’s been five days now, and you’ve barely left this room. You’re hardly eating, you are apparently only sleeping when you crash out at your desk, and you aren’t talking to any of us. We all know how much you want to help Kara, but you need to let the rest of us help you.’

Lena blinked back at Kelly, trying to collect herself from the haze of sleep and her sudden awakening.

‘Why does it sound like you’re holding an intervention for me?’

‘Because we’re holding an intervention for you. Sorry Lena, but Alex and Kelly are right. You barely even laughed at the photos we took of Alex’s face when she realised she’d spent the last ten minutes talking to a doll. And it was a REALLY funny face. You need help.’

Alex tutted. ‘Alright, thank you Nia, lets not get off topic.’

‘Well it was’ Nia muttered back at Alex before putting her Serious Face back on and turning her full attention to Lena.

Lena looked around the semi circle at each of them, hoping to find someone on her side, but they all looked back with the same expression of sympathetic resolve, and she knew it was hopeless. She dropped her gaze to her best friend instead, still standing on her wrist in Supergirl stance.

‘Kara, surely you’re not part of this? You know why I have to keep working. I’m doing it for you.’

‘I know, but...’

Kara dropped the hands on hips pose and shuffled her feet awkwardly (which tickled, but she was getting used to it).

‘I’m sorry Lena. This is so difficult, but you’ve been here for me ever since this happened, and I need to be here for you now. You’re my best friend, and I love you, and you need me to tell you this: you need a shower.’

‘...oh.’

Thinking back, Lena actually wasn’t sure when she had last made it home to shower. Yesterday? The day before? Longer? The fact that she had to think about it probably meant Kara had a point, but a full intervention about it seemed excessive.

‘Okay… I will go and take a shower. Thank you all for telling me, I guess. I’ll be back in an hour or so.’

‘NO you won’t.’ Alex protested. ‘This is not about the shower, it’s everything. You need to sleep, and eat, and take a break, and then you need to join the rest of us so we can work on this together. We miss you.’

They all nodded and added their own words of encouragement, and it was too much for Lena. Did they think she wanted this? She was doing it for them. She made to fold her arms defensively across her chest, but couldn’t help feeling like the gesture lost some of its power when she could only do it with one arm lest she topple Kara. She compensated with a glower.

‘You must see that I can’t do that. I still don’t know what I did to shrink Kara. What if it happens to someone else? You need to keep away from me until I figure out how to control it!’

There was silence in the room as everyone stared at her, jaws hanging slack. Apparently they didn’t see. Had none of the rest of them put two and two together about what must have happened? Alex took a step towards her, reaching out a hand as if to lay it comfortingly on her arm until Lena shook her head adamantly. Touching might be dangerous.

‘Is that really what you’ve been thinking all this time? Lena, this wasn’t your fault, you didn’t cause this!’

‘Alex is right Lena. My calculations suggest a 96% certainty that the miniaturisation was caused at least in part by an external force. It may have interacted with your magic in some way, but there is a 78.3% probability that it was entirely unrelated to you. In any case, the likelihood of a causal relationship between you returning to physical proximity with the rest of the group and a similar incident occurring is barely 0.004%.’

‘You’re wrong.’

‘That is statistically extremely implausible.’

‘I’m with Brainy. I know a thing or two about magic Lena, and what you’re saying doesn’t follow the pattern of yours. You’ve had your powers under pretty tight control for months now, and even when you were just starting out nothing like this ever happened, so why would it come up all of a sudden with no provocation? It’s not even like you were in a really intense emotional state or anything.’

‘But I was. And I was touching Kara just when it happened, so-’

Shit, she hadn’t meant to say that, but Nia had pushed, and it just slipped out.

Nia gave her a quizzical look, and although she didn’t turn to look Lena could feel everyone else doing the same, the heat of so many gazes making her cheeks burn.

Don’t ask, please just let it drop and don’t ask…

‘How come? Were you and Kara having a very quiet fight?’

Trust Alex.

‘No, we-’

They had been standing hip to hip, leaning over the book and idly discussing what spell Lena might practise next. They reached a page about a draught that would give you courage to confess true feelings to the one you loved, and Lena had felt a spike of adrenaline just at the sight of it. She had reached too quickly to turn the page just as Kara had done the same thing, and their hands collided. Their eyes had met. The butterflies had surged. Kara had shrunk. Here they were.

‘We weren’t fighting.’

‘So what were you- oh.’

Kelly was looking at her with an expression that betrayed far too much understanding, and a moment later Alex looked from her wife to Lena and her eyes widened too.

‘Oh.’

Lena’s heart was pounding now and she wanted to bury her burning face in her hands, but her wrist was still pinned by Kara and her friends were between her and the door so she couldn’t just storm out of there without first awkwardly edging past everyone. She shook her head in frantic denial. It wasn’t meant to happen this way.

‘It wasn’t. You don’t- you’re just-’

‘Lena? What was the intense emotional state you felt while we were looking at your book?’

Kara spoke as softly as she could given the level of projection required to make herself heard at this distance, and Lena reluctantly dropped her eyes to meet her friend’s. She was pretty sure her cheeks were hot enough to boil a kettle by this point, and there was no way it didn’t show. Somehow the intensity of Kara’s expression was undiminished by her tiny size, and the butterflies – god, the traitorous, ill-timed butterflies – started dancing again.

She opened her mouth to reply, and found she couldn’t make a sound. Not like this. Not in front of everyone. She just couldn’t.

‘Okay, everyone out except Lena and Kara. They clearly need some time to talk.’

Kelly started herding the others to the door, and Lena was so grateful she could have kissed her, if she wasn’t too caught up with the thought of kissing Kara to have eyes for anyone else (and also Alex would probably have murdered her if she did, but that seemed like a lesser concern right now given that Lena was kind of hoping that someone would, just so that she wouldn’t have to deal with talking about her feelings). The door was halfway shut behind the last of them and Lena was steeling herself to look back down at Kara, when Nia suddenly popped her head back into the room.

‘For the record Lena: 1. I knew it and I am super happy for you, and 2. I still think you’re wrong about what happened because if that sort of strong feeling was going to cause accidental magic, I don’t think it would be to shrink Kara. It would have done something way horni-’

‘NIA! Leave them be!’

Nia rolled her eyes, but her head retreated back into the corridor and they heard the sound of her whisper-arguing with someone, then a door banged and Lena and Kara were properly alone.

‘That girl is becoming a menace. I remember when she was so sweet and shy…’

She was trying for levity to diffuse the moment, but Kara refused to be distracted, her eyes never leaving Lena’s face.

‘But was she right? Do you… have feelings for me?’

‘Kara, I’m not sure this is the right time to have this conversa-’

‘I’m in love with you Lena.’

‘What?’ Her voice was a cracked whisper, barely there past the lump in her throat, because she had to have misheard. This had to be a dream… didn’t it?

‘I’m in love with you. I didn’t really realise until I thought I’d lost you for good, and then when I finally got you back I couldn’t bear to risk what we had by pushing for more, so I never told you. But now here you are devoting everything to helping me like you always do, and you just had to go through that in front of everyone and it was kind of my fault for being part of the whole intervention thing instead of just talking to you privately, so it’s only fair that I’m the one who says it. I am in love with you. Completely, desperately in love with you. And I want to know if you love me too.’

Lena closed her eyes, and a tear spilled down her cheek. She wanted to pull Kara into a hug. She wanted to kiss her until she forgot the feel of anything except Kara’s lips and her body pressed against hers, until she forgot her own name. But she couldn’t do that now, so instead she whispered ‘yes.’

‘Yes, I love you. I’ve been in love with you for years.’

The slight weight on Lena’s wrist disappeared as Kara lifted into the air, then there was the soft brush of fabric against her face, and Kara was wiping away tears with her cape. She came closer still, wrapping her tiny arms as far as they could go around Lena’s cheek in the closest thing she could manage to a hug. Lena laughed shakily, bringing her own hand up to cover Kara very gently. It wasn’t what she had imagined. But it was more than she had dared to hope for.

When Lena went home for the much needed shower, meal and sleep, Kara came too. She didn’t actually come into the shower (that was very much a full-size-only activity, though one she hoped to experience in the not too distant future), but she was hovering outside the bathroom door when Lena emerged and immediately settled back onto her shoulder the moment the door opened, despite her still-wet hair (as it turned out Kara was better than a blow drier, and used a moderated burst of heat vision to dry it in seconds).

They ate together, talking of small things as if everything was still as it had been between them, then Lena gave in to her exhaustion and went to bed. She did her best to make a comfortable bed on the night stand for her tiny friend (girlfriend?), carefully arranging a small cushion as a mattress and the softest sweater she could find to form a makeshift blanket, but when she woke in the night it was to find that Kara had abandoned it and was instead burrowed against her neck, cocooned in her hair like she had made herself a nest. It would be a pain to brush out in the morning, but Lena didn’t care. She raised one hand to cup around Kara’s curled form, and drifted back off to sleep.

From then on, Kara rarely left Lena’s side.

They still worked on spell options, but Lena no longer locked herself away to do it. She discussed the possibility of building some sort of de-shrink-ray with Brainy. Talked about the nature of magic with Nia. Alien powers with J’onn and Alex and what species might have traits that could be helpful. And she talked about everything with Kara.

They still didn’t have an answer to what was causing Kara’s tiny size, but they had found another answer to a question neither of them had dared ask each other for years. And now they had, Lena knew that whatever had caused this didn’t stand a chance against her. Because there was no way in the universe she was going to let some random mystery malchance magic keep her from getting to kiss Kara Danvers full on the mouth.

[cuteniaarts]

The weight of the world is a heavy burden

Especially for a child

(Or, in slightly less dramatic terms – I imagine that the first of her past lives that Avatar Suiren [who is the Avatar after Aang instead of Korra in my AU, and also Ghazan and Ming-Hua’s daughter] gets to talk to is Yangchen, because she is too plagued by memories not her own [including Jetsun’s death, fun fact]. And Yangchen wouldn’t want another child to go through what she did on their own)

(Or maybe someone just needed an excuse to draw @katkastrofa’s latest obsession in a context that interests them as well, just in time to maybe cheer her up a little? You can’t prove anything)

[cuteniarose]

what if vaatu got midori instead??

Well.. "got" is kinda the wrong word here because honestly, I don't see Vaatu willingly fusing with a human in most circumstances, the exceptions being Adumbration by @katkastrofa – which barely counts since it was less fusing and more him being inside her already by virtue of growing inside Raava – and my Avatar Suiren AU, in which it's done on Vaatu's terms and Suiren doesn't remain fused to him a second longer than she has to, as much as she loves her little emo kite (may or may not be falling under the influence of both Kat and @shadelorde by implying that whatever the fuck Unalaq was doing with Vaatu was coerced and barely consensual since Unalaq was the one who had the most power in that sitiation. Do with that information what you will). And if he were to, I doubt Midori would be his first choice, nor would Midori herself wish to be the Avatar, Dark or otherwise

BUT if we operate under the assumption that it does somehow happen, Vaatu would have access to all of Midori's inner workings and I'm afraid that listening to her anxiety-ridden internal monologue of "I will forever be inferior to my gorgeous, powerful and capable sister. She will always be better than me, more beloved by everyone whose opinion matters, unaware of the inescapable shadow she casts. I'm doomed to remain the pathetic, useless little sister who can't even stand up for herself" will hit way, way too close to home and he'd yeet himself out of her within five minutes

[allseeingdirt]

everytime i think about kath for too long especially when considering the wider picture im like. ngeremes plastik

[specialagentartemis]

godddddd i have disliked becky chambers' work since long way to a small angry planet and I agree that that fish scene is SO much of what is wrong with contemporary SFF especially queer SFF. refreshing take, great review, thank you. would love to hear what authors or works you think of as the antidote to that sensibility.

The thing is, I enjoyed The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet when I first read it - it was a fun, light adventure, clearly a debut novel but I was excited to see where Chambers would go from there. And I actually really do think the sequel, A Closed and Common Orbit, was good! It did interesting things with AI personhood and identity.

... and then Chambers just kinda. Did not get better. She settled into a groove and has a set number of ideas that I feel like she hasn't broken out of, creatively. And they I M O kind of rest on an assumption that "human nature" = "how people act in suburban California."

As an antidote to that sensibility, I'd say... books where people have a real interrelationship with the land they inhabit, a sense of being present, and reciprocal obligations to that land; books that recognize that some things can never be taken back once done; books with well-drawn characters, where people have strong opinions deeply informed by their circumstances, that can't always be easily reconciled with others, and won't be brushed aside; books where these character choices matter, they impact each other, they cannot be easily gotten over, because people have obligations to each other and not-acting is a choice too.

And it's only fair that after all day of being a Hater I should rec some books I really did like.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - A man lives alone in an infinite House, over an equally infinite ocean. Captures the feeling that I think Monk & Robot was aiming for. Breathtaking beauty, wonder at the world, philosophy of truth, all that good stuff, and actually sticks the landing. The main character's love, attention, and care to his fantasy environment shows through in every page. (Fantasy, short novel)

Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie - An AI, the one fragment remaining of a destroyed imperial spaceship, is on a quest for revenge. Leckie gets cultural differences and multiculturalism, and conversely, what the imposition of a homogeneous culture in the name of unity means. (Space sci-fi, novel trilogy)

Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee - An army captain's insubordination is punished by giving her a near-impossible mission: to take down a rebelling, heretical sect holing up in a space fortress and defying imperial power. She gets a long dead brain-ghost of a notorious criminal downloaded into her head to help. Very, very good at making you feel like every doomed soldier was a person with a past, with a family, with feelings, with hopes and dreams and frustrations and favorites and preferences and reasons to live, right before they brutally die in a space war. Also very much about the imposition of homogeneity of culture as a force of imperialism. (Space sci-fi, novel trilogy)

The Fortunate Fall by Cameron Reed - Maya Andreyevna is a VR journalist in high-tech dystopian future Russia, and she decides to investigate the truth that the government doesn't want her to. She might die trying. It's fine. Also has digital brain-sharing, this time in a gay way. It's bleak. It's sad. It feels real. Not making a choice is a choice. Backing out is a choice. And choices have consequences. Choices reverberate through history. About responsibility. (Cyberpunk, novel)

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez - Nia Imani is a spaceship captain, a woman out of time, a woman running from her past, and accidentally adopts a boy who has a strange power that could change the galaxy. Spaceship crew-as-found-family in the most heartbreaking of ways. Also about choices, how the choices you make and refuse to make shape you and shape the world around you. How the world is always changing around you, how the world does not stay still when you're gone, and when you come back you're the same but the world has moved on around you. About how relationships aren't always forever, and that doesn't mean they weren't important. About responsibility to others. It's a slow, sad book and does not let anyone rest on their laurels, ever. There is no end of history here. Everything is always changing, on large scales and small, and leaving you behind. (Space sci-fi, novel)

Dungeon Meshi / Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui - A D&D style fantasy dungeon crawl that stops to think deeply about why there are so many dungeons full of monsters and treasure just hanging around. Here because it's an example of an author thinking through her worldbuilding a lot, and it mattering. Also because of the characters' respect for the animals they are are killing and eating, their lives and their place in the ecosystem, and the ways that humans both fuck up ecosystems with extraction and tourism, but also the ways that you can have reciprocal relationships of responsibility and care with the ecosystem you live in, even if it's considered a dangerous one. (Fantasy, manga series)

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang and How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N. K. Jemisin and Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel by Julian K. Jarboe - Short story anthologies that were SO good and SO weird and rewired the way I think. If you want the kind of stuff that is like, the opposite of easy-to-digest feel-good pap, these short stories will get into your brain and make you consider stuff and look at the world from new angles. Most of them aren't particularly upbeat, but there's a lot of variety in the moods.

"Homecoming is Just Another Word for the Sublimation of the Self," "Calf Cleaving in the Benthic Black," and "Termination Stories for the Cyberpunk Dystopia Protagonist" by Isabel J. Kim - Short stories, sci-fi mostly, that twist around in my head and make me think. Kim is very good at that. Also about choices and not-making-choices, about going and staying, about taking the easy route or the hard one, about controlling the narrative.

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells - Security robot with guns in its arms hacks itself free from its oppressive company, mostly wants to half-ass its job but gets sucked into drama, intrigue, and caring against its better judgement. This is on here because 1) I love it 2) I feel like it does for me what cozy sff so frequently fails to do - it makes me feel seen and comforted. It's hopeful and compassionate and about personal growth and finding community and finding one's place in the world, without brushing aside all problems or acting like "everybody effortlessly just gets along" is a meaningful proposal. also 3) because it is one of the few times I have yet seen characters from a hippie, pacifistic, eco-friendly, welcoming, utopian society actually act like people. The humans from Preservation are friendly, helpful, and motivated by truth and justice and compassion, because they come from a friendly, just, compassionate society, and they still actually act like real human beings with different personalities and conflicting opinions and poor reactions to stress and anger and frustration and fear and the whole range of human emotions rather than bland niceness. Also 4) I love it (space sci-fi, novella series mostly)

[notapradagurl7]

In The Backseat.

Black Fem!Actress! Reader x Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Summary: You were featured in a pioneering black romance movie alongside Aaron and Kelvin, completed the promotional course and interviews, but felt exhausted, all while dating Kelvin. You both finally reached the limo and chose to ease the pressure on him once it halted and arrived at your house.

WC: 4146k.

A/N: Here is a better khjr. fic for ya’ll hope you enjoy my loves, ☺️ don't forget to leave comments, likes and reblogs are welcome to support, drop a request if you like, they're always open!🫡 let me know if you want a part 2!

Warnings: praise, car sex, fingers in mouth, exhibitionist kink, fingering(fem receiving), oral(m), dirty talk, slight voyeurism, consensual for both parties, kissing, unprotected sex, drunk sex, cussing, let me know if I missed any.

Taglist: @megamindsecretlair @satoruya @planetblaque

@playgurlxoxo @babybratzworld

@becauseimswagman1

@superheroprincess22 @pocketsizedpanther @beenathembo @brattyfics

@hxneyclouds @kaylalb @yassbishimvintage

@nahimjustfeelingit-writes @nayaesworld @ovohanna24

@novahreign @writingsbytee @avoidthings @kimuzostar @slippinninque @keyera-jackson @theblacklewinsky

@euphorichappiness10 @life-in-the-slut-house @miguelspvssy @liatreads @kaylaahisthebestest- @tforpresz

@uniqueoutlierblog

@dxddykenn @dpennedit

@secretlifeoofmarpessa

@westside-rot @mymindisneverhere

@mind-somewhere-else

@kindofaintrovert

@irlvampfairy

@browngirldominion @madamedantes

@chaoticcoffeequeen

@valarghoulis @jazziejax

@saturnville

@enchantedillumination

@mogul93

@uzumaki-rebellion @lady-olive-oil @23jammy

@zillasvilla

—————

Sitting between Aaron and Kelvin in the seats, in front of the camera and your brown eyes locked on the interviewer and asked you, and your castmates Aaron and Kelvin about the movie, you fake smiled and nodded. It’s been hours and hours, of interviews, talk shows, photoshoots, talking with your manager Leona and bodyguard Felix to make sure you're good.

But this was exhausting mentally and physically, you knew that this part came with the entertainment industry but the fame part was difficult, deranged and delusional, stalker fans, toxic gossip blogs ready to get something on you. The worst part was no privacy when it came to certain things.

“Y/N, how does it feel to be in an award-nominated and award-winning film with Kelvin, and Aaron?” The interviewer asked, using a bright tone.

“It feels great to be in this film beside these two, showing the right ways to tackle certain topics that are spoken about enough, you feel that my character Nia is conflicted and chooses the one who’s been yearning for her all along, it’s reminded us that she’s human,” You spoke with confidence, smiling again. Your cheeks ached in pain.

You’ve been acting for seven years, your film credits have expanded significantly, and you’ve won Emmys and an Oscar by the age of 31. Hobnobbing with your favorite stars like Angela Bassett, who inspired your dream.

You were picky when it came to roles in Hollywood, the reboots, remakes, sequels and constant shady, predatory directors, asshole producers, and stuck and entitled managers.

But you finally your manager Leona, who was the best in the business. You preferred working with a black women, you felt safe, seen, and protected properly by her. You had to do so much on your own but it took a toll on you.

You've made it, you were proud of yourself. You had a black-owned production, management team.

You starred in a black romance movie titled More To Love, which revolves around two close friends employed at a black-owned law firm. In the story, they handle legal cases, and things take a turn when your ex, portrayed by Aaron, arrives to propose. Your character named Nia never forgot how much her ex hurt you from heartbreak and betrayal, so your character pretend to be with your colleague Kelvin.

It was very similar to your story when you began dating in high school, Aaron played the role so well and it made you not speak to him, you explained to him that the story was personal to you. Aaron understood completely, shared the same story as you and he apologized.

As the interviewer continued to throw questions your way and Kelvin’s, you could feel the weight of the promotional duties pressing down on you. Your cheeks ached from the forced smiles, and you stole a glance at Kelvin, who flashed you a reassuring grin. It was a momentary distraction from the barrage of queries.

You wore a black knee-length dress that exposed your back paired with black heels, French tip nails with gold rings, and your natural curls pulled up in a cute bun. Your plump lips are adorned with lip gloss, and Your dark brown skin beautifully shines.

Kelvin and Aaron were matching with you, wearing the classic black suits, with white tee shirts, and black pants without ties, thin gold chains draped around their necks while diamond stud earrings hung in their ears.

They were so handsome, and the size difference was cute, Aaron was much taller in person though. Was Aaron a Greek god in another life? You wouldn't be surprised.

“Y/N, do you think the film accurately portrays modern black relationships?” the interviewer chimed in, his voice smooth and inviting.

“Absolutely, the film highlights the complexities and intricacies that many couples face today. Not just about love, but heartbreak and understanding,” you replied, your voice steady and calm.

As the interview wrapped up, you felt a rush of relief. You stepped out of the studio and outside to the lane that led to the red carpet, the rush of the day almost dissipating.

“Great work, we’re getting to the finish line,” Aaron spoke up, nodding.

“Yeah, we did,” You sighed until the both of them noticed that you looked exhausted. Burn out approaching.

“You okay baby?” Kelvin asked concerned, his brows raising.

You shake your head, “No, sweetie. I’m tired as hell,”

Kelvin rubbed your back in the soothing circle, the feel of his hand and the cold chill from the gold metal of his ring sent a shiver down your spine.

“It’s going to be alright, once we’re done with this red carpet, we’ll be heading home after that okay?” Kelvin reassured you softly, kissing your cheek.

You nodded, biting down on your lip as you gazed upon the man, he smelled good with the scent of cinnamon and citrus. Your hand rested on the back of his neck, your thumb swiped over. He groaned lowly.

Regrettably, the gossip and dating scene have been lacking recently; you vowed to avoid dating celebrities because of all the negative press surrounding them, as they tend to be deceitful and dishonest.

Until your best friend, Nia introduced you to Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre, others would assume that you were dating Aaron but you explained repeatedly that you were just friends, nothing more.

Kelvin had his eyes on the moment he met you, and he wasn't like the rest, he was funny, kind, patient and charismatic.

The better you got to know him, the closer you became, transforming the typical friends-to-lovers storyline from the film you acted in into something genuine in real life—who would have thought?

The three of you stepped toward the red carpet laid out for you, a fence in front of you to block paparazzi from stepping too close, Kelvin and Aaron stayed between you, he held your hand.

Your anxiety fell silent amidst of the overlapping chatter of the paparazzi, bright flickering lights from every corner and Kelvin’s thumb swiped over your palm. Exhaling through your fake smile, almost there to the finish line like Aaron.

Relax, you said in the depths of your mind. It almost suffocating from amount of things happening all at once. Your cheeks on your face ached again, your mom did tell you that if you kept that face, it would freeze up like that.

Was she just messing with you? Yeah, she definitely was. You resumed walking close with Kelvin along the velvet red carpet as you peeped at the waiting limo at the end of the carpet rope. So close.

Until you were stopped by someone in the paparazzi, fuck, you were so close. They annoyed the hell of you A LOT. The fact they get paid a huge amount of money for this should be a crime.

“Show us some love!” a photographer shouted out with enthusiasm.

Next thing you know, Aaron strode past the two of you before winking at you while Kelvin’s hand snaked from your back to around your waist, wrapped around you like a warm blanket on a snow day.

“I’ve got you, don't worry,” Kelvin said in a reassuring tone, smiling at you as you mirrored the warm action.

The warmth of Kelvin’s body against yours caused your heart to flutter, his touch made you feel safe, protected from everything and everyone out there, especially in Hollywood, another destructive, soul-sucking world that you heard of, seen in documentaries, scary Lifetime movies, tv shows, the news.

A series of crazy shit flying around and you refused to catch it, you couldn't. You've worked too diligently and consistently to get where you are today.

That is definitely what everyone feels, you couldn't be like them.

Kelvin’s head turned towards you, leaning in close before you did, his plump lips brushed against yours, pressing his onto yours gently. You kissed him back passionately after pulling away from each other.

“We’ve got a new star couple!” someone shouted in glee, you couldn't help but mentally roll your eyes. Here we go.

That was the big announcement from the two of you and to the world.

You were dating Kelvin secretly until the two of you had the conversation of not wanting to be a secret anymore, people had a lot to say, and celebrity relationships won’t last long, in and out like a drive-thru. Cheating, sex scandals, some weird cult shit, or some connection to Illuminati.

Aaron, your manager Leona, and your bodyguard Felix were the only people who knew.

But you didn't let what other people say or think, or do kill your joy, Kelvin and you were happy with each other, that is what mattered most.

“I'll see you lovebirds later,” Aaron spoke up, waving goodbye to you.

You waved back in response, smiling at Aaron with a head tilt. He was so sweet, you focused on the cameras flashing before winking at the camera.

At this point, when is it going to be over? It had to be.

You walked through the strobing lights of the cameras, moving from side to side in those same painful heels. With a forced smile for the photographers and your boyfriend by your side, you were nearing the limousine.

“Time to leave, beautiful,” he whispered in your ear, gently guiding you toward the sleek, black limo.

“Thank God,” you whispered back, turning to face him, walking toward the door as Kelvin opened the door.

You ducked your head and settled into the plush suede backseat of the limo with its tinted deep windows, which was spacious and the color of ink black for the seats and the car floor below your heels were soft as a cloud, the color of macaroon cream.

Kelvin ducked his head and settled onto the suede backseat beside you, grinning at you like he was ready to eat you out in the backseat as he shut the door behind himself. “Glad that’s over and done with, now I can focus on you,” he said, his tone low and seductive.

You chuckled lightly, biting down your lips, clenching your legs before opening the door to the refrigerator and grabbing a champmage botte, “I need a drink first before I deal with your nasty ass,” you shot back using a sinful smirk.

The limo had buttons atop your heads, for the white florescent lights including a small refrigerator for drinks, water bottles, champagne, and wine.

He grabbed the glasses and passed one to you, before kissing your lips again, the taste of strawberry lips gloss adorned his lips, your thumb carefully rubbed it off. He groaned at your touch, damn he was in love with you.

You were 100% sure that Kelvin was so smitten with you, he indeed was.

“My nasty ass?” Kelvin asked in a tone as if he was shocked, his hand resting on the armrest.

“Yeah, you heard me right, Mr. Harrison. All those kisses on the red carpet, I can't help but feel like you're trying to stake your claim,” You laughed, pouring the champagne into the glasses.

Kelvin raised an eyebrow, leaning closer, his voice dropping an octave. “And what if I am? You’re mine, Y/N. And I'm yours, You know that, right?”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks as you took a sip of the bubbly drink. “I do know that, but let’s not forget that the limo driver is watching us, he’s probably a pervert,” you whispered back.

Until you suddenly realize that the limo driver was a woman, her brown skin and brown eyes go with her makeup, her lush lips in red lipstick, giving you a reassuring smile through the rearview mirrors. The limo peeled away from the event, gliding smoothly onto the road where your destination was.

“Oh, you didn't? I'm so glad that she’s a woman but you never know these days,” You mentioned with a shrug.

“Agreed, I'm not sure about how long this drive so how about we make the most of it? Hm?” Kelvin asked with a soft hum, shrugging.

The two of you finished your drinks, feeling the buzz of the drink flow through you, “Yeah, how about we try an exhibitionist kink that I want to do?” You suggested to him.

The sleek limo began to take a gentle turn to the right, going through the bright towering lights and passing through other cars, paying them no mind, as if you two were the only ones in the world.

Kelvin nodded, it was something that he never thought he’d do but with you, he wanted to try it. Just thought of it turned him on. An idea popped up in his head.

“Just imagine…there’s the driver named uh…Kendra watching us and the cameras few inches away from us, and here we are,” Kelvin replied in a seductive time.

You grinned at the man before kissing down his neck, “You’re bad, huh?” you said to him.

“Only for you, baby, but what do you want to do first?” Kelvin asked with that sinful grin, kissing your lips again.

His fingers trailing over your arm and shivered from his touch, with your hand snaked below his pants before stopping, “Can I suck your dick while the driver watches? Just a taste Kel?” you whispered softly in his ear.

His breath hitched from your voice, and he nodded at you. “Y/N..yes you can, don't make me beg,” he sighed blissfully with a smirk. He was in for a treat from you, he didn't even know it yet.

And with his consent, you unzipped his zipped and gently slid down his boxers and pants a little bit, kissing his tip before wrapping your mouth around his thick, long brown dick, his arms rested on the armrest of the limo.

His tongue gliding over his lips, he groaned loudly once you bopped your head onto his dick, your tongue tracing shapes on the veins, he knew you looked so gorgeous doing this, “Fuck…so beautiful, suck it harder..” Kelvin panted heavily, his head fell back onto the soft cushion.

“Mmm..so good,” you mumbled lowly, your hand stroking him with your fingers rolling between his balls, he grunted once he locked eyes with the female limo driver. The soft slurping and squelching sounds filled the car, the warmth of your mouth spurred him one.

“That mouth of yours..is perfect, I couldn't resist you, seeing you walk down that carpet…fuck!” Kelvin shouted out, pushing his hip upwards.

Your palm stroked Kelvin's dick with your cheeks hollowing around him as spit dripped from the corner of her lips, spit stuck to your hand and tricked down to his balls, "Fuck..Y/N.." he groaned deeply, his hands gripping the armrest tightly, You moaned around him, sending vibrations through his body.

“It’s turning me on when you suck this dick, the driver is watching us…that feels so fucking good,” Kel moaned again, hearing your muffled moans in response, filling that exhibitionist side of you once the driver’s eyes flickered back to Kelvin.

You bopped your head faster and your cheeks hollowed harder, wetting his dick and seats up, covered with drops of precum and spit. Staining his pants, your dress. Good thing both of you wore black, “Just like that! Shit!”

His balls tightened in response around your fingers, Kelvin’s mouth parted as you twisted your hand around his dick, squeezing it lightly. “Shit!….Shit!…Y/N, please!” he begged for you, he gasped as if he lost oxygen in his lungs.

Finally, he reached it, Kelvin's hot cum spilling into your mouth, you quickly swallowed every drop while you lifted you head,

“It was good wasn't it?” You bragged with confidence, Smiling and using a warm towel from the edge to clean your mouth, you tossed it into the trash. You put his dick back into his boxers, he zipped them up, and pulled up his pants.

Before you could reply, his hand settled on the back of your neck, drawing you in. He kissed you passionately and intensely, and as you returned the kiss, you let out a moan. When you finally pulled away, a strand of saliva connected your lips and his.

“That was amazing, baby, my turn,” Kelvin sang playfully, giving you an tender kiss as you moaned, your pussy from his touch.

More friction, desperately.

You leaned in, “Touch me, please,” you whimpered softly, giving him consent to touch you.

His fingers grazed the edge of your dress as Kelvin planted kisses on your collarbone, marking your deep brown skin with hickeys. “K-Kelvin…” you moaned again, His fingers slipped beneath your panties, sensing your wetness through the fabric, humming softly in response against your shoulder.

“I couldn't leave my girl like this, so wet just from sucking my shit off?” Kelvin asked in a deep tone, his voice deepening. His finger rubbing your clit. “Y-yeah, I-it was big, couldn't fit it all..” you groaned before moving your hips. No teasing was a rule of yours, but Kelvin’s hand slid through your panties, pinching your clit.

He pushed your panties to the side, and rolled them down and off your ankles. You parted your legs wide for him, while gazing into his eyes, “You’re so fucking nasty, girl,” he groaned softly, his legs parted a bit.

His fingers parted your folds and slipped inside with ease, making you moan wildly, causing Kendra to look back at him but she paid attention to the road still. “Shhh, I got you, my girl’s been stressed out?” he said, his lips nibbling on your bottom lip, the taste of wine and lip gloss.

“Kel..fuck!” you cried out, rolling your hips to that torturous pace, your arms wrapped around his shoulders tight, he must've told the driver to take the long way, your essence poured onto the seats, as he gently pulled the strings of your dress, your breasts poked out. He licked his lips.

“Beautiful titties,” he mumbled, his hands cupping your breasts softly, pinching your nipples roughly before sucking the right softly. “Mhhm..” you hummed but moaned, you’d almost forgotten that you were still in the limo, you definitely needed this. Your hand rested on the back of his nape, feeling that comforting warmth.

In need of his touch as if it was religious, you hoped to your ancestors and God above that Kendra kept driving, eventually you would get home later, you need more.

His fingers thrust in and out of you, he watched your face scrunch up in pleasure, he pressed your back to his clothed chest. “I love it when you make a fucking mess on my fingers, I can't wait to feel it on my dick,” He teased, curling up his fingers. He was so nasty, so passionate. His dick hardens in his pants.

“I..i..I love this shit with you, so much, get deeper for me papa,” You babbled softly, panting while moving your hips a bit. Your hands gripped the armrest, Kelvin was still behind you, keeping you close so you wouldn't hurt yourself.

“Oh shit! Shit! Kelvin!” you moaned suddenly once his fingers slid in deeper, your wet walls clenched tightly around his digits. Your wetness covered him completely and stained his pants but didn’t care.

The limo resumed driving straight again, while the little bumps on the roads made every sensation. Your pussy sucked his fingers right back in and clenched tight, “That’s right, you feel it? That pussy sucked me back in..fuck,” Kelvin groaned raspily, biting down his lip, You gasped, feeling the rhythm of his fingers and the warmth of his body pressed against yours.

The thrill of being in a moving vehicle, with the driver just a few feet away, was pulling you close to the edge. You were so close, but you weren't ready to go home; he pressed his bulge against you and moved his hips, “Don't see what you do to me?” Kelvin groaned as he felt your ass against him, giving your backside a playful smack that made you moan, clearly turned on by you.

His thumb flattened on your clit and circled, your mind blurred from pleasure and saw thousands of stars behind your closed eyelids, you were moaning loudly as his fingers went faster. “That pussy knows me so well,” Kelvin teased with a grin.

“You’re so good to me, just a little more baby,” You begged, your voice softened a bit, his fingers hit that sweet spot. Moving in a ‘come here’ motion over and over. “I got you,”

You nodded, feeling the tension build within you, the pressure mounting as he resumed to thrust his fingers, in and out, curling them just right to hit that sweet spot. “You drive me crazy, I'm gone fuck you so good when we get in that house,”

After his fingers turned sporadic and curled again, you felt yourself clench around his fingers. Waves crashing over you as you cried out his name, “Kelvin!”

He slowed his movements, letting you ride out the waves of your orgasm, feeling you pulse around him. The rush of it left you breathless, and you leaned back against his chest, panting as the aftershocks coursed through you.

“Damn, you’re beautiful when you cum,” he murmured, planting soft kisses along your shoulder and lips, sending little sparks of electricity through your body.

You turned to face him, still catching your breath. “You’re not too bad yourself,” you teased, a playful smile creeping onto your lips.

Kelvin chuckled, the sound low and rich, filling the quiet space of the limo. “I love you,” he said, he pulled out his fingers, watching you tie up the strings in the back of your dress.

“I love you too,” you agreed, stealing a quick kiss from him, feeling the warmth radiating between you.

As the car slowed down, you could see the lights of your house glowing in the distance. “Looks like we're almost home,” you said, a hint of reluctance in your voice.

“That was fun, I liked that,” Kelvin replied, grinning like it was his birthday and he enjoyed his present. His eyes are still on you.

You nodded, feeling the heat rise in your cheeks, “Yeah, I liked it too,” you said, that shy side coming out.

The limo finally came to a stop, and the driver turned to look at you both. “We’ve arrived,” she announced with a knowing smile, as if she understood the connection that had just blossomed between you two.

“Thanks, Kendra,” you said, feeling a bit shy as you realized the driver had witnessed more than just a simple kiss.

Kelvin opened the door, helping you out as you stepped onto the pavement. The cool night air hit your skin, and you shivered slightly, but Kelvin wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close again. He closed the door and let Kendra that he pay her immediately, apologizing for the mess on the seats.

“Let’s get inside,” he said, his tone both playful and protective.

Once inside, you closed the door behind yourself. Kelvin brought you into the bedroom, removing his suit as you peeled off your dress. He quickly kissed you, your lips meeting. Your legs spread, he buried his dick inside you. His hands on your hips.

“My beautiful girl,” he groaned softly.

And with that, he made love to you all night long, distrubing your neighbors who obviously sent a nose complaint but you knew Kelvin would talk care of it. Your moans echoed through the walls, he kissed your shoulder and said, “Fuck ‘em, you can scream as loud as you want to,”

————

[iinryer]

so. i have been saying since the top of the season that this feels like a reset, and a reintroduction to the characters (which makes sense for a new network!)—i know others have talked about to being a transitional and setup season as well, which i agree with.

ive been thinking about parallels and mirrors and what it might mean to overlay season seven over season four, the things that could possibly imply…

[ID under the cut for easier legibility than alt]

(self indulgent honorable mention parallel: eddie’s blood in buck’s mouth, tommy’s soot on buck’s lips)

season four is the only other non-pilot season to have less than the full 18 episodes. season four is also the only season that ends on a life-altering arc-beginning injury for a member of the 118 (which also makes sense for a shorter than usual season, big hook to make up for the fewer episodes).

at the end of season four, eddie and bobby both end up dramatically injured (sniper). the end of season four also has the first mention of the will. now, i cannot say for sure that either of these are going to be mirrored, BUT. looking at the roadmap they’ve already given us… i have some feelings and predictions :)

and i’m not even going to begin digging into the vertigo references, others have more eloquent things to say, but i wanted to at least mention it because i DO think it’s going to come into play…

(if you can think of any other 4/7 parallels i would LOVE to hear them)

EDIT: 5/8 parallels spreadsheet now exists as well

———

IMAGE ID: a three column spreadsheet with the categories “PLOT POINT” , “SEASON 4”, and “SEASON 7”. the text reads:

Buck learns something life-altering that makes things about the rest of his life make sense in hindsight

- S4: Daniel reveal

- S7: Bisexuality discovery

Eddie meets a woman and ends episode 7 of the season on a date with her

- S4: Ana

- S7: Kim

Maddie and Chimney have a major milestone in their relationship

- S4: Jee is born

- S7: They’re getting married

Something horrible happens right before they do

- S4: Albert’s accident

- S7: Chimney gets sick and goes missing

Buck makes a fool of himself on a first date

- S4: Veronica, and the “double date”

- S7: Tommy

Hen and Karen have struggles with the foster system and how to best protect and provide for their foster kids

- S4: Nia

- S7: Mara

Athena and Bobby have trouble communicating, putting their relationship in a rocky spot

- S4: Bobby sponsoring the woman from the pileup and hiding it, Athena telling Bobby that she had considered retirement but never talked to him

- S7: The cruise ship and Athena being unable to tell Bobbby why she's so uncomfortable with the prospect of down time together

Someone talks to Eddie about following his own desires in a relationship, not what's expected

- S4: Bobby about Ana, Carla about Ana

- S7: Bobby about Marisol

Buck has a heart to heart with Christopher about the anxiety he has towards the fragility of relationships with the people in his life

- S4: Shannon and people leaving him, feeling isolated during the pandemic

- S7: Shannon and the girls he's leading on

Hen and Karen meet another parent related to their foster children

- S4: Meeting Nia's mom in the park and having lunch with her and Nia

- S7: Finding Tyson and reconnecting him with Mara

Someone with the initials TK that Buck met in relation to a helicopter, kisses Buck in his kitchen after Eddie gets hurt and then has to leave

- S4: Taylor

- S7: Tommy

[creatur3featur3]

ੈ✩Street Rat p3✩ੈ

word count: 5.4k

A/N: OKAY HEADS UP- THIS PART FOCUSES PURELY ON STREET RAT, THERE IS ONLY MENTION OF SEVIKA AT THE END MY APOLOGIES!! ANYWAYS- This series is actually becoming one of my biggest pieces of work, I never expected the amount of love this series had started to accumulate, with that being said- I am so grateful for all of the support and encouragement I have been receiving to continue writing and working on this series. thank you everyone for continuing to support me and my writing, I plan to continue to work on this series for as long as the creative juices keep flowing!

warnings: character death, mentions of alcoholism, child abuse, implications of PTSD

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

The scent of fresh bread and the faint hum of laughter filled the small but cozy home in Piltover. Your mother was at the kitchen table, rolling out dough with practiced hands while your two sisters—Nia, the youngest, and Sera, the middle child—sat nearby, squabbling over some silly game they’d made up. You sat at the edge of the table, carving tiny figures out of leftover wood scraps, the little knife in your hand wobbling slightly as you focused.

"Careful with that, sweetheart," your mother warned, her voice soft but firm. She glanced up from her dough, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Last thing we need is you losing a finger before supper.”

You rolled your eyes, though a small smile tugged at your lips. “I’ve got it, Mama. Besides, look!” You held up the crudely shaped figurine of a bird, the wings lopsided but unmistakable.

Sera gasped, her eyes lighting up as she leaned over the table. “It’s a crow! Can I have it?”

“No way,” Nia cut in with a smirk, grabbing it first. “She made it for me. Didn’t you?”

“I didn’t make it for either of you!” you huffed, trying to snatch it back, but Nia was quicker.

“Girls,” your mother said, her voice calm but with a warning note that made all of you freeze. She shook her head with a small laugh, brushing flour from her hands. “Honestly, it’s like having three tornadoes in the house.”

You settled back into your chair, muttering something under your breath about Nia being a thief. She shot you a wink, and Sera stuck her tongue out at both of you, her childish laughter filling the room.

For a moment, everything felt perfect.

But perfection never lasted long.

The door creaked open, and the warm, lively air in the room seemed to cool instantly. Your father's heavy boots echoed against the floorboards, a sharp contrast to the light laughter that had just filled the space. His face was flushed, the smell of liquor faint but unmistakable as he stood in the doorway. His eyes, clouded by whatever weighed on him, flicked to each of you before landing on your mother.

She stiffened, the rolling pin in her hands faltering for just a moment before she straightened her posture and forced a smile. “You’re home early,” she said, her voice even but lacking its usual warmth.

Your father grunted, stepping further into the room. “Work ended early,” he said curtly, though his tone carried no satisfaction. His gaze landed on the table, and his brow furrowed at the scattered wood shavings and half-carved scraps. “What’s this mess?”

You flinched slightly but didn’t reply. Nia, ever the bold one, sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “She’s making things, that’s all. It’s not hurting anyone.”

His eyes snapped to her, sharp as a blade. “Did I ask you to speak, Nia?” The tension in the room thickened, and even Sera, usually oblivious to such moods, shrank back in her seat.

“Leave her alone,” your mother interjected softly, stepping between him and the table. Her hands rested on her hips, flour smudged across her apron. “The girls aren’t doing anything wrong.”

Your father’s jaw clenched, his hand twitching at his side as though grappling with some invisible force. He looked at you then, his expression unreadable. “And you,” he muttered, “sitting there wasting time on nonsense. You think those little carvings are going to put food on this table?”

You opened your mouth to reply, but no words came out. Your throat felt tight, your hands gripping the small knife and wooden bird as though they were your only anchor.

“Mama likes them,” Sera’s small voice piped up, breaking the silence. She sounded hesitant but defiant, her wide eyes darting between the two of you.

“Enough!” he barked, and she flinched, her little hands clutching the edge of the table. 

Your mother stepped closer to him, her voice lowering but steady. “That’s enough, Richard. You don’t talk to them like that.”

For a moment, the two of them locked eyes, a silent battle playing out in the space between them. Then, with a growl of frustration, he turned away, stomping toward the small sitting room without another word.

The silence he left behind was deafening. 

Your mother let out a slow breath, smoothing her apron as she turned back to the table. “Girls,” she said softly, her voice strained but kind. “Why don’t you take your things and go play in the other room?”

Sera slid out of her chair immediately, clutching her little game pieces. Nia hesitated, her defiant gaze lingering on the doorway where your father had disappeared. Then she grabbed your arm, pulling you up. “Come on,” she whispered, her voice a mix of annoyance and protectiveness.

You followed, clutching the bird tightly in your hand. As the three of you retreated to the small bedroom you shared, the faint sound of your mother’s voice could be heard again, calm and soothing as though trying to mend what had just unraveled.

Nia shut the door behind you, leaning against it with a scowl. “He’s such a—” She cut herself off, glancing at Sera, who was quietly settling on her cot. “...a grump,” she finished lamely.

You sat on your own cot, turning the wooden bird over in your hands. Its lopsided wings suddenly seemed so silly, so pointless. But then Sera crawled up beside you, her big eyes hopeful.

“Can I have it now?” she whispered. 

You hesitated, glancing at Nia, who shrugged with a small smile. “Go on,” she said. “Let her have it.”

With a sigh, you handed the bird to Sera. Her face lit up, and for a moment, the weight in your chest lifted. 

Outside, the muffled sound of raised voices carried through the thin walls, but here, in this tiny shared space, the three of you held onto each other and the fragile threads of something better.

“Why doesn't Mama do anything about Dad?” Nia asks, your stomach churning at the thought.

“Because dad is a big pile a shi-”

“Sera!-” you hiss softly, Sera throwing her hands up in defiance, “What?! it's true!”

She- wasn't wrong…

suddenly a loud crash out what sounded like a glass bottle being broken, and your father’s unmistakable booming slurred voice…

The sound of shattering glass tore through the thin walls like a gunshot, making all three of you jump. Sera scrambled closer to you, clutching the wooden bird like it was a talisman. Nia's face darkened, her jaw clenching as she moved instinctively toward the door, though you reached out to grab her arm.

"Don't," you whispered, your voice shaking. "Just stay here."

But it was too late. Your father's voice followed the crash, loud and venomous, each word landing like a blow.

"This house is a goddamn disaster!" he roared. "I work all day—all day—and this is what I come home to? Mess everywhere, screaming kids—" His words slurred slightly, the alcohol in his system making him stagger as he continued his tirade.

"Richard, lower your voice," your mother said sharply, her calm tone replaced by steel. It wasn’t a request; it was a warning.

"Oh, don’t start with me, Marie," he snapped back. "Don’t you dare. I told you, I never wanted this! Never wanted—" His words faltered as his frustration boiled over into a bitter laugh. "Three kids crawling underfoot, a house that looks like a pigsty, and you just standing there!"

There was a pause, and then your mother’s voice, quieter now but firm. "I’m doing the best I can, Richard. We all are."

"The best you can?" he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The best you can is a filthy house and three brats who don’t know how to stay out of the way?"

Nia moved to the door again, her fists balled at her sides. "I’m not just gonna sit here and—"

You pulled her back, your stomach twisting painfully. "Please, Nia," you begged. "He’s drunk. You can’t reason with him when he’s like this."

Nia’s lip curled, but she stayed put, though you could feel the tension radiating off her.

"Why didn’t I listen to my gut?" your father continued, his voice rising. "I told you I wasn’t cut out for this. But no, you just had to have a family, didn’t you? And now look where we are. I’m breaking my back out there, and for what? To come home to this circus?"

You heard your mother take a step forward, her voice unwavering even as the air seemed to crackle with tension. "You don’t get to speak to me like that. Or them."

"Oh, don’t play the saint, Marie," he sneered. "You wanted this life. You wanted these kids. Don’t act surprised when I remind you that I didn’t."

Your stomach turned violently, his words cutting deeper than they should have. You weren’t even in the same room, but it felt like a punch to the chest. You glanced at Sera, who was curled into a ball on your cot, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.

Nia looked like she was ready to explode. "He’s such a coward," she hissed under her breath. "Blaming everyone else for his own damn choices."

The argument outside raged on, your mother standing firm against his drunken anger. But you couldn’t hear the words anymore. It was all just noise, a storm you’d heard too many times before.

You swallowed hard and turned to your sisters, your voice shaky but as steady as you could manage. "We just…we wait it out. Mama’s got this. She always does."

Though, even the hope that your thoughts were true always seemed to be smushed out by the your father as another glass bottle shattered downstairs followed by incoherent yelling.

You couldn't take it anymore, “Sera, Nia, I swear to the gods, stay here…” you commanded before slipping out of the room. What could a 7 year old do? Kick at your father's legs until he finally stopped?

As you carefully made your way down the stairs there you saw it- your mother's nose bleeding, fear , unmistakable in her eyes. Your father, his movements sluggish and messy as he leaned down close to her face, whispering something into her ear that you worried about as your mother's eyes widened.

“Dad, stop it!” You finally squeak out, stepping out near him as your body shakes slightly from the anxiety facing him caused.

Your father's head snapped toward you, his bloodshot eyes narrowing in disbelief at your audacity. His towering frame cast an imposing shadow across the dimly lit room as he stumbled toward you, the jagged neck of a broken bottle clutched in his hand.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing, huh?" he slurred, his voice booming as he waved the bottle in your direction. His steps were unsteady, but his anger burned clear as day. "Think you can just come down here and tell me what to do, little girl?"

You flinched as the sharp edges of the bottle caught the light, but you held your ground, even as your knees trembled and your breath came in shallow gasps. “Leave her alone!” you cried, your voice cracking but defiant. “Y-you’re scaring her! You’re scaring all of us!”

Your words seemed to strike a nerve. He sneered, his lips curling into something cruel and mocking. “Oh, so now I’m the bad guy, huh? That’s rich. Big man comes home to this wreck of a house, and I’m the one who’s scaring people?” He stepped closer, pointing the jagged bottle at you with every word, his anger unfocused but dangerous.

You instinctively backed up, your heart pounding so hard it drowned out the sound of your mother’s shallow breathing behind him. But you forced yourself to keep his attention on you. "It’s not her fault!" you blurted out, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes. “She’s doing everything, and you’re— you’re just making it worse!”

His expression darkened, and for a terrifying moment, you thought he might strike you. His grip on the bottle tightened, his knuckles white, and his face contorted into something almost inhuman.

"Don’t you dare talk to me like that," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous now. "You don’t know a damn thing about what I do for this family. You think it’s easy, huh? Keeping a roof over your ungrateful little heads? You don’t get to judge me, you—"

He took a wild step toward you, and you stumbled back, your hands outstretched as if that alone could keep him at bay. “I’m not judging you!” you yelled, your voice breaking. “I just— I just want you to stop! Please, Dad, just stop!”

For a split second, his expression faltered, a crack in the armor of his rage. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that all-consuming fury. He raised the bottle slightly, and your breath caught in your throat.

“Richard!” your mother’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding despite the tremble in her tone. She had risen to her knees, blood still dripping from her nose, her eyes blazing with defiance. “If you take one more step toward her, so help me, I’ll—”

Her threat was cut out by the sound of your cry- your father hitting your face with the already broken glass, ripping open your lip…

Your breath was shallow, hands dabbing at your lip, feeling if the blood was real- it was, warm, fresh blood…

The room seemed to hold its breath, and then, with a guttural growl, he turned and hurled the broken bottle against the far wall. The shattering sound was deafening, and you flinched again, your hands flying up to shield your already bleeding face.

“Worthless,” he spat, stumbling toward the door. “All of you. Worthless.”

And then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him. The silence he left in his wake was suffocating.

Your mother was on her feet in an instant, rushing to your side and pulling you into a trembling embrace. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” she whispered, her hands frantically checking you for injuries.

You shook your head covering your lip with your hand, shielding what he did to you from your poor mother, though your tears betrayed you. “Mama, your nose…”

She wiped at the blood with the back of her hand, shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Her voice wavered, but her arms around you tightened, as though she could shield you from the world with her embrace alone.

Nia appeared at the top of the stairs, her face pale and full of worry, with Sera peeking out from behind her. None of you said a word, but the unspoken understanding between you all was clear: this wasn’t the last storm you’d weather, but at least, for tonight, you had survived.

–

Your father had never come back after that, good riddance you had told yourself time after time you and your family were better off with him gone forever, but- it always made a strange sting shoot up your chest anytime you thought of your father.

You hated it.

Today was like any other day, Nia and Sera sleeping in per usual, they had always poked fun at you for waking up so early even on weekends but you enjoyed the quietness of Piltover when most of the city was still asleep, dreaming of great inventions, it was a sweet thought.

“Mouse, darling,” your mother called from the kitchen, making you perk up from your post on the couch, where you had been tinkering with a broken watch your father had. He never wore it, a present from you when you still saw him as a good man, when he was sane.

“Yes, Mama?” you called back, setting down the watch and walking into the kitchen where she was making breakfast for you and your sisters, “Could you run to Mrs.Namitte’s shop and grab me a fresh cut of sweetbread? You know how much your sisters love it.”

You nodded softly, grabbing her pouch of money and running out the house and down the street.

 The air of early morning in Piltover was crisp and cool, carrying the faint metallic tang that always seemed to linger in the city. The streets were still quiet, most of the noise coming from the distant hum of steam-powered machinery and the occasional clatter of hooves against cobblestone as a carriage rolled by. The sky above was a pale gray, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting soft golden light across the sprawling cityscape.

Your neighborhood was tucked in one of Piltover’s less glamorous corners, a place where the buildings leaned together like old friends whispering secrets. The houses were a mix of brick and wood, patched up with whatever materials people could find, giving them a mismatched charm. Laundry lines crisscrossed above the narrow streets, sagging slightly under the weight of damp clothes left to dry.

Despite the modest surroundings, there was a warmth to the area. You passed the Grelle family’s house, their windowsills overflowing with flowerpots that brought splashes of color to the otherwise muted street. Mrs. Grelle herself waved at you from her stoop, her ever-present knitting needles clicking away even this early in the day.

“Morning, Mouse!” she called, using the nickname everyone seemed to have adopted from your mother.

“Morning, Mrs. Grelle!” you replied, offering a quick wave as you hurried past.

As you moved closer to the heart of the district, the streets widened slightly, the humble homes giving way to small shops and stands. This part of Piltover always smelled like fresh bread and coal smoke, the two scents mingling oddly but not unpleasantly. The cobblestones here were worn smooth by countless footsteps, their surfaces gleaming faintly with morning dew.

You passed a blacksmith’s forge where the faint glow of embers illuminated a young apprentice already hard at work, his hammer ringing against hot metal. Across from him, a tinker’s shop displayed delicate clockwork creations in the window, the tiny gears inside the contraptions turning with almost hypnotic precision.

It wasn’t long before you reached Mrs. Namitte’s shop, a cozy bakery nestled between a fabric store and an apothecary. The front of the bakery was adorned with peeling paint and a crooked sign that read Namitte’s Sweetbreads and Pastries, but the smell wafting from the open door was enough to make anyone’s mouth water. The aroma of sugar and warm bread enveloped you as you stepped inside.

Mrs. Namitte herself was bustling around behind the counter, her gray hair tied back in a neat bun. Her round face lit up when she saw you. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite early bird!” she greeted, her voice warm and cheerful. “What can I get for you this morning, Mouse?”

You couldn’t help but smile as you handed her the pouch of coins. “Mama sent me for some sweetbread. She said to get it fresh.”

Mrs. Namitte laughed, wiping her flour-dusted hands on her apron. “Fresh is all we’ve got here, darling. One loaf coming right up.”

While she wrapped up the loaf in parchment, you glanced around the shop. The shelves were lined with all kinds of baked goods—flaky pastries, golden-brown loaves, and rows of sweet buns dusted with powdered sugar. There was something comforting about the place, from the warmth of the ovens to the faint crackle of the firewood.

“Here you go,” Mrs. Namitte said, handing you the loaf with a wink. “Tell your mother I said hello.”

“Thank you!” you said, clutching the warm package to your chest as you stepped back out onto the street.

The city was beginning to wake now, the quiet hum growing louder as more people emerged from their homes. Shopkeepers were setting up their stands, calling out to passersby to come see their wares. Somewhere in the distance, the sharp whistle of a steam engine pierced the air, a reminder of the bustling innovation that Piltover was known for.

You hurried back toward home, weaving through the growing crowd, the warmth of the bread against your hands and the thought of your family waiting for breakfast spurring your steps. Despite everything, mornings like this made Piltover feel a little less overwhelming, a little more like home.

Though on your way home, something felt- off. The air wasn't as clear as you remembered, the smell of- sulfur filling the air.

Your pace quickened naturally, worry bubbling in your stomach as you broke into a sprint when you saw smoke rolling into the air- from your neighborhood.

The smell of sulfur grew thicker with every breath you took, the weight of it pressing down on your chest. Your feet pounded against the cobblestone streets, urgency pulsing through your veins. Something was wrong—deeply wrong. The usual hum of the city was overshadowed by something darker, the sounds of distant shouting blending into the eerie quiet of the morning.

As you turned the corner and saw the familiar stretch of houses, your heart dropped into your stomach. Smoke billowed into the sky, dark and choking, swirling in a heavy cloud that turned the morning light to an unnatural, sickly shade. The distant crackle of fire mixed with the angry yells, the harsh metallic clinking of enforcer armor, and the shouts of voices you couldn’t quite make out.

The panic in your chest rose with every step, the pressure of something terrible bearing down on you. Your eyes darted from side to side as you searched for any sign of your family, of your mother and sisters.

"Mom!" you screamed, voice hoarse as you ran faster, your heart thrumming painfully against your ribcage.

You reached the end of the street, but the sight before you made your blood run cold. Flames had already devoured much of the neighborhood, crackling hungrily, the heat enough to make the air shimmer. Buildings you’d passed countless times were now nothing more than burning husks. The fire had spread so quickly—too quickly.

And then, you saw them.

Your mother, her figure smaller than you remembered, clutching Sera to her chest, while Nia was pulling at your sister’s hand, urging her to run. They were running, your family running toward you—but the fire… the fire was so close. The flames were creeping toward them, licking at the edges of the houses, curling up the sides of the wooden beams like snakes eager to strike.

"Run!" you screamed again, desperation clawing at your throat. Your voice was barely audible over the roaring fire and chaos, but they heard you. They saw you.

Your mother’s eyes locked with yours. Her face was streaked with ash and dirt, her lips parted as though she were about to call your name, but no sound came out. It was as if time itself had slowed, the world around you muffled, like you were watching from underwater. She stumbled, clutching Sera tighter, her face stricken with fear, and then—then, the ground shook beneath you.

The house—your home—collapsed in a deafening crash. The roof caved in first, the thick beams splintering like matchsticks. The explosion of debris sent dust and ash into the air, blurring your vision. The shriek of wood splintering was followed by an unbearable silence that stretched on for what felt like hours.

For a moment, you thought you might’ve imagined it. Maybe you were still dreaming, or maybe, somehow, you could still reach them. But when the dust settled, there was nothing but the rising smoke, the blackened silhouette of the house that had been your home.

Your body went numb, your feet frozen to the ground as you stared at the place where your family had stood moments ago. Your breath caught in your throat, your heart pounding so loud it was a drumbeat in your ears. You wanted to scream, to run to them, but you couldn’t. Your legs wouldn’t move, and the world seemed to stop spinning around you.

"Nia... Mama..." The words slipped out of your mouth, barely a whisper. You felt the sting of tears at the corner of your eyes, but they refused to fall.

The crackle of fire was the only sound now, louder and more ominous than ever. The flames had consumed everything in their path.

And then, the faintest flicker of movement caught your eye—an enforcer, their armor gleaming like a dark shadow, standing at the edge of the destruction. They had their back turned, focused on the chaos unfolding around them, the violence, the fire. They hadn’t seen the wreckage they’d left behind. They didn’t even notice you standing there.

But you saw them.

The anger and helplessness surged inside you, cold as ice. The world had taken everything from you—the life you knew, the people you loved. And in that moment, as the tears you had been holding back finally streamed down your face, the burning rage started to take root deep within you.

You woke with a sharp inhale, eyes wide and fearful, looking around your makeshift home as you panted, chest heaving, anxiety rising in your chest as you tried to calm down.

Just a dream, just a dream

It had felt more real than last time, the nightmares getting stronger each time. You groaned softly as you sat up in your cocoon of blankets and rugs, rubbing your temples as you tried to ease your mind.

You grab your bag, throwing it over your shoulder haphazardly as you make your way down the fire escape and down onto the dirty streets you had come to know. 

The streets of the Undercity had a familiar hum to them, the constant murmur of distant voices, clanging metal, and the occasional shout or crash. The air was thick with the smell of burning coal, stale sweat, and something far less pleasant that you couldn’t quite name. It felt like the UnderCity’s grime had seeped into your skin and never really left. Even now, as you walked among the wreckage of your life, it was all too familiar.

You rubbed at your eyes, trying to shake the vivid nightmare from your mind, but it clung to you like the oppressive fog that hung over the slums. The tightness in your chest wouldn’t loosen, no matter how many times you breathed in deeply. They weren’t real. Your family wasn’t gone. The fire hadn’t happened. It was just a haunting memory, a shadow of something that almost was.

But it felt real. And that was the worst part of it. It had always been the worst part of the nightmares—how everything felt so tangible, so vivid. You could hear Nia’s laugh. You could smell your mother’s perfume. The way your father’s hands had felt around your throat when he was angry. The weight of the grief that pressed into your chest when you realized they were all gone. All gone—and I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

It was enough to make you want to curl up in a corner and block it all out. But you couldn’t. Not today. You didn’t have the luxury of slowing down and feeling sorry for yourself.

The undercity didn’t wait for anyone.

You adjusted your bag, the weight of the various trinkets and scraps that filled it dragging at your shoulders as you walked. Your hands fidgeted, feeling the bruises that had yet to fade, the remnants of a life spent scraping by, of fights you’d won and lost. At least I’m still here. That was the only consolation you had left. Even if everything else felt wrong. Even if you felt broken inside, even if you were more scared than you let anyone see, you were still breathing.

You wandered through the streets, passing by familiar faces, the other street rats that wandered the same alleys you did. Some ignored you. Others gave you a glance that was too sharp to be friendly. Keep your head down. Don’t make waves. Stay small.

You didn’t really know where you were going; your feet carried you through the maze of metal and trash, through forgotten corners of the UnderCity that no one cared about. Places like these held their own kind of loneliness—like a pocket of emptiness that even the brightest fire couldn’t warm.

Your stomach growled—loudly, obnoxiously. That was the problem with skipping meals, trying to scrape by on what you could find, or what you could steal. Your pride didn’t let you ask for help. 

You groaned under your breath, reaching for your pouch to see how much you had left. A couple of cogs, a piece of broken glass you’d picked up somewhere, and some scraps of fabric that you had meant to sell, but hadn’t found a buyer for yet. Not exactly what you would call a hearty meal.

And that’s when you saw him.

A figure, hunched over in the alley ahead, fiddling with something. At first, you didn’t think much of it—another one of the city’s forgotten wandering souls. But something about the way he was moving caught your eye. It was the faint glint of metal against his hands, the way he seemed to be... repairing something?

You slowed, instinctively drawn to him, curiosity beating out caution for once. Your gaze locked onto the object in his hands, a small but delicate mechanical piece, a gear. You had seen something like it before—a few times, in fact. Was this... another tinker?

You took another step closer, and that’s when he noticed you. The stranger’s eyes flashed up, meeting yours for the briefest of moments before he quickly looked back at the gears in his hands.

Something about his demeanor made you pause, an unease settling in your gut. He's watching me too closely. But you couldn't place why, or even if you should care.

The silence between you two lingered for a beat, before he spoke in a voice rough with disuse. "You need something, kid?"

You hesitated for a moment, still unsure of what to make of him, before you nodded slowly. “I could use a meal.”

The man scoffed, flicking the gear in his hands one last time before tossing it to the ground, where it clattered against the pavement. He dusted off his hands before standing up fully, revealing his thin frame beneath a worn-out coat. His hair was messy, unkempt, his face haggard with the years of life lived under these same grimy skies. "Ain't no charity here, kid. You gotta earn your keep."

You winced at his words, but something in his tone stirred a defensive response in you, but- you bit your tongue.

Keep your head down, stay out of trouble

Those were the rules.

You fucking hated those rules.

You just turn away and walk off, you don't need to get into another fight, didn't need Sevika telling you off for not being careful enough.

Speaking off Sevika, you hadn't seen her in awhile, a week or two now. Where was she?

You found yourself searching for her, not really sure why you were, why bubbles of worry formed in your stomach. You checked her usual spots, the alleys where she played cards, the food booths where you two got food from time to time, you asked a few regulars if they had seen her, to no avail.

You shouldn't care, she was only a asset to you, a small help when you were at your lowest and yet-

You felt like you had found something.

Something that felt real, or at least as real as it gets in the Undercity.

You needed to find Sevika.

[blazethecheeto]

Things Supergirl Characters Absolutely Have Said Pt.3

Alex: We’re playing Scrabble. It’s a nightmare.

Kara: Scrabble? Scrabble’s great.

Alex: Not when you’re playing with Brainy, it’s not. He put words like “ephemeral” and I put “dog.”

-

J'onn: What’s your greatest weakness?

Brainy: Interpreting the semantics of a question, but ignoring the pragmatics.

J'onn: Could you give an example?

Brainy: Yes, I could.

- Kara: Look, I know you think my judgement's a bit clouded because I like Lena a little bit.

Alex, holding Kara's notepad: You doodled your wedding invitation.

Kara: No, that's our joint tombstone.

Alex: My mistake.

-

Lena: This bloodline ends with me.

Alex: That's the fanciest way I've ever heard someone say 'I'm gay.'

-

Kara: Do you mind if I slyly mention that you're single?

Nia: Do not do that.

Kara: You won't even notice!

Brainy, entering: You wanted to see me?

Kara: Nia's single

Nia:

-

Kara: I'm sorry. Please talk to me.

Lena:

Kara: Hello? World's most amazing person?? Sweet pea? Precious cinnamon roll that's too good for this world, too pure?

Lena: 'Sorry' doesn't bring back my fucking M&Ms.

-

[bookuce]

Change My Mind (Jey Uso)

SUMMARY: Josh and Alina are great friends most days. Other days they want to tear each other apart. Some days, they’re in love with each other, but neither of them will admit it.

*DISCLAIMER: This is a multi-part series. I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OC. The book also uses the real names of the wrestlers. Josh is Jey Uso, Jon is Jimmy Uso, Trinity is Naomi, Alina is just Alina. The book is not realistic and does not take place during real events, but some actual events could pop up in the story eventually*

PAIRING: Jey Uso x Black OC

TROPE: Friends to Lovers

WARNINGS: Language

WORD COUNT: 1,445

PART ONE

The sound of Alina’s heels clicking against the concrete floor beneath her echoed throughout the semi-empty hall. She was following chatter with a mic in hand. She was due to do an interview with Trinity about her upcoming championship match. She’d turn the corner, spotting the blue interview set down the hall. “Hey, Alina.” Greets one of the crew members as she arrives on set. She would flash them a quick smile, wiggling the top of her fingers at them.

Over in the corner, adorned in glowing green lights and neon hair, stood Trinity. She was deep in a hushed conversation with her husband Jon. “Alright, Alina is here, everyone! Places!” Exclaimed one of the producers. Alina would move to stand on a blue X tapped to the floor. Trin gives Jon a quick kiss before rushing over to her.

“Hey, Alina!” Jon sings. “How you doing?” He waves, flashing a goofy smile at her. Trinity looks over at him before looking back at Alina.

“Ignore him, please.” Trinity begs.

“It’s what I do best.” Alina sings.

Trinity glances down at the floor, making sure she’s standing on her designated X before looking back at the tall interviewer next to her. “Speaking of ignoring—.”

“Starting in five, four, three, two!” Count down the producer.

“I’m standing by with Naomi ahead of her match with Bayley tonight for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Naomi, you’ve been on a roll the last few weeks, getting a huge win over Nia Jax last Friday that got you this opportunity tonight. What’s the strategy for tonight?” Alina asks, moving the mic towards her friend.

“The strategy is to go in focused, and be aware of my surroundings. The only reason Bayley even has that title is because of Damage Control. And that’s okay because they, just like Bayley will, can feel the glow.” Trin would skip off camera, leaving Alina to end their interview.

“Thank you, Naomi. You heard it here first, Naomi is focused and ready for her championship match with Bayley later tonight.” There was a five second pause before the producer called for the scene to end. Trinity comes back over to me, linking her arm with the interviewer’s.

“So, have you talked to Josh?” She asks, pulling them over to Jon.

“Don’t plan on it.” Alina says quickly. She’s been avoiding him since last week. He called on the hour, every hour for the first few days, but now he’s dialed it back to text messages. Her inbox says one hundred and twenty unread messages now—eighty-five of those belong to him.

“Ay, You gotta quit stressing my brother out, Uce.” Jon says, earning a gasp from Alina.

“Oh, I’m stressing him out?” She shouts. “He’s the one that chased my date off with that weak ass intimidation tactic he uses. I was fine!”

“That man was not finna last, Lina. Hell, the last one didn’t.” He says. “If anything he did you a favor.”

“Jon.” Trinity pushes his shoulder.

“Don’t Jon me. I’m right!” He points his hand out at Alina. “What was his name again? Bill?”

“William.” She says, folding her arms.

“Square ass name. See, that was destined to fail.” Alina scoffs gently, shaking her head at him. The date with William went great or so she thought. Things started to change when they came home to Josh on her doorstep. Josh and William didn’t see eye to eye immediately. “He just wants the best for you, Uce. It’s all love.” He explains. “Ain’t that right, lil bro?”

Alina’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She turns away from her friends, only to catch Josh approaching them. His eyes were fixated on her. She slips her arm out of Trinity’s. “I gotta go.” She said, turning to walk the opposite direction as Jey. He would stop, watching as she tried to put distance between them again. Something about that pissed him off.

“Girl, if you don’t bring your ass back here.” He said, storming off after her. “Alina, you hear me talking to you!” She doesn’t respond to him, her eyes flitting around the hall. Suddenly arms snatch her up, lifting her into the air. “I’m not chasing you, damnit. We finna talk this out.” Josh would glance around him before moving into a random dark room on his left. He places her back on the floor and turns on the lights.

“I ain’t got nothing to say to you, Jey.”

“That’s not my name.” He scolds her.

“Jey!” She presses on. He sucks his teeth at her, closing the door behind him.

“Man, you something else with yourself.” He says. “What I do, hm? Since I’m always pissing you off.” Josh knew why she was upset, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth instead of everyone else's.

“Boy, I do not have time for this.” She says, moving to walk around him. He steps in her path, blocking her from going any further. “Jey, if you don’t get out my way.”

“Or what?” She steps to the right of him and he follows. “Nah, We finna have this conversation like two grown ass adults, Lina. That’s what we are right?” She gives him a stern look. “Mad at me over some boy that wasn’t gonna make the cut anyway.” She takes a step back.

“He was a great guy!”

“Shit, couldn’t be if you mad at me.” He says. “He looked like a fucking square anyway. What was his name? Bill?”

“William!” I exclaim.

“Man, same thing.”

Alina crosses her arms over her chest, moving to sit down on the couch. When Jey saw she was calming down, he moved to sit down on the coffee table in front of her. They sat there in silence for a moment. Josh watched her while she watched a wall. He knew what she wanted; an apology, but like always, she was gonna make him work for her forgiveness. “So what was his excuse?” He asks, finally breaking the silence.

She would remain silent for a few more moments before finally speaking. “He assumed you were my man and didn’t want to be in the middle of it.” Hazel eyes would glance over at the Samoan sitting in front of her. This was the third—no, fourth time a man dipped on her because of him. It was starting to get out of hand. Josh looked down at the floor at the answer. He would sniffle, the right corner of his mouth twitching as he did so. He wasn’t her man but he did wish he was. This has been a feeling of his for a few months now.

“He wasn’t the one then.” He said this to her often. She was probably tired of hearing that come from him, but it was true. None of those dudes were the one. Him on the other hand…

“I give up then.” She sighs. Josh looks up at her at the statement. “The love I require is unrealistic and I know that now so I'll stay to myself.”

“Nah, we don’t give up around here. You gonna find someone…just be patient.” He pleads quietly. He presses his fists to her bare knees. If she was to guess he was speaking for himself, she would be true. He, just like her, didn’t want to fuck up the dynamic of their friendship. If things didn’t work out, it would trickle down into their friend group and they didn’t want to make things weird for anyone; not even for themselves. “Are we good?” He asks finally. “I don’t like when you’re mad at me.”

She stares at him, pretending to be deep in thought. “I didn’t hear any apology.” She says.

“I’m sorry, Alina.” He says quickly.

“I don’t like the way—.”

“Alina.” He snaps, causing her to laugh out loud at his irritation. “You’re lucky I love you.” He says, standing to his feet. Alina would stand shortly after him, their fronts now touching. Eyes watch eyes for a moment before awkwardly venturing off in opposite directions. The interviewer would shimmy to the right, freeing herself of his suffocating energy.

“I should get going.” She says.

“Yeah, me too.”

Alina walks over to the door, her hand outstretched for the knob. She pulls the it open, catching Trinity and Jon standing near it. The couple steps back from the door, trying to make it seem like they weren’t prying.

“We were wondering where y’all went!” Trin says.

“Y’all together yet?” Jon asks, getting straight to it. That was Alina’s cue to leave the scene. She squeezes by Trin and Jon, making her way down the hall.

________________________________________________

A/N: Hi! this is my first time writing fanfic in FOREVER. Let me know what you think or if I should write more! I have a lot of cute little drafts with Roman and Jey! If you want to be added to the tag-list just let me know! ☺️

NEXT PART

[sakuraszn]

ⵌ ECHOES OF WHAT COULD BE !

ft. Izuku midoriya x fem. reader

synopsis. Izuku quietly harbors feelings for someone he knows he can never have. He watches from the sidelines, silently suffering as his heart breaks piece by piece, helplessly observing his friend fall for someone else.

cw. sfw content upcoming!! ┊angst ┊unrequited love┊unspoken feelings┊this takes place during highschool.

nia’s notes. I haven’t wrote in forever..I highkey missed it soo I’m back n ready to come out with a bunch of content for u guys! I got inspiration from a song called: girl by the internet. 0.9k words.

Izuku Midoriya had always been the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. He was gentle, his spirit was kind, and his dreams vast. But, despite those wonderful qualities that he has there was one thing he couldn’t bring himself to do: confess his love to the person he loved the most.

when it came to his feelings for you, he kept them locked away, buried deep within the confines of his heart. The dreams of becoming a great hero and harvesting the power of one for all were already a monumental task, and adding the complexities of love to his already chaotic life seemed like an insuperable challenge. So, he chose to keep his feelings at bay when the time was right.

you must be wondering how his feelings started for you, yeah? well, it all started during the second year at UA high school.

By then, you and Izuku had become among the closest of friends, like two sides of a coin, always together. Anywhere he went, you were right by his side, and vice versa.

Izuku has always admired your inspiration to help others even when it’s not needed.

Your presence had a way of lighting up a room, and your devoted attitude knew no bounds. All those things about you just had him in a chokehold and lured him to you like a cartoon character flying in the air for pie. He often grappled with the question: why couldn’t he muster the courage to confess his true feelings for you? It was a struggle he faced daily, a quiet battle that kept him awake at night. Each time he thought about disclosing his heart, fear crept in, wrapping around him like an unshakeable cloud.

Instead, he chose to remain in the background, silently observing as you drew closer to Shoto Todoroki, the charming boy who seemed to effortlessly grab the attention of everyone in the class.

Izuku couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy stirred within him lately every time he saw you and shoto together. You two were always laughing, sharing inside jokes, and supporting each other in ways that made Izuku's heartache. he could see the way your beautiful eyes sparkled when you looked at shoto, the way you would easily get flushed whenever he was near. It was clear to everyone, including Izuku, that you, y/n, had fallen for shoto.

Weeks dragged on, and the interactions between Izuku and you widened painfully. He still crossed your path often, still fought beside you in battles that demanded trust and unity, but the ease of your conversations had vanished. Laughter that once echoed between you now felt forced, awkward—a fragile reminder of what used to be.

One evening, the sky bled crimson as the sun dipped below the horizon. You stumbled upon him outside the dormitories, alone and consumed by his relentless training. His kicks sliced through the air with a desperation that mirrored the turmoil in your heart. It was as if the rhythmic motions were a futile attempt to keep the ghosts of your shared moments at bay. You stood in the shadows, unsure whether to approach or linger in the silence that had grown so thick between you.

“Deku,” you said softly. “Can we talk?”

He glanced up, jolted by your sudden approach, the gravity in your voice catching him off guard.

“Of course.”

You stood there hesitantly with your hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of your skirt. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something. It’s about Todoroki.”

Izuku’s heart sank quickly. He nodded, bracing himself for the knowing words that were about to come out of your mouth.

“I… I think I like him,” she admitted, your cheeks tinged with warmness. “I’m not sure how he feels, but I wanted to tell you because… well, you’re my closest friend, and I value your opinion.” The words hung heavy in the air, and Izuku felt like someone plunged him with a knife and twist it in his stomach.

Izuku forced a smile, but inside, a storm raged. “That’s great, y/n. Todoroki’s a great guy.” Each word felt like a dagger, carving into his chest as he fought to maintain his composure.

“You think so?” she asked, her eyes searching his face for the reassurance she desperately wanted, unaware of the uneasiness brewing beneath his calm surface.

“Yeah.” The word slipped out, almost a whisper, his voice trembling just enough to betray the shambles within. “I think you’d make a great couple.”

The weight of her smile hit him like a shipment train, a bittersweet wave of comfort washing over her while he stood there, drowning in his own heartache. “Thanks, Deku. That means a lot.” Her gratitude pierced through him, leaving an aching void where hope once flickered, a crushing reminder of what could never be.

As you walked away, exchanging bittersweet goodbyes, Izuku let out a shaky breath, his hand pressing against his chest, overwhelmed by an aching nothingness. The words he desperately wanted to say felt heavy and trapped in his throat, swallowed by a paralyzing fear that gnawed at his heart. A deep sense of regret washed over him as he watched her figure recede into the distance, every step pulling her further away from him. He couldn't shake the painful thought that if he had only conjured the courage to confess his feelings sooner, maybe, just maybe, things could have been different.

He also understood that some things were better left unsaid. As he gazed up at the now dark sky, the weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, a bittersweet reminder of the moments lost to silence.

©sakuraszn! xoxo

[cuteniaarts]

Greyscale Midori sketch because I’m low-key artblocked

[cuteniarose]

My and @katkastrofa’s shared OCs as random funny things I have saved in my gallery (specifying funny because I have a lot of angsty quotes saved to be repurposed as art captions and I don’t want this post to be one huge gutpunch)

Suiren:

Midori:

Zhi:

Aiza/Emran

Abyan @ Liba

Alasie:

Ikiaq:

Himman:

Mekhali:

And finally, while not technically an OC because she’s a non sentient animal, Lottie:

[writers-potion]

Do you have any nicknames? Not stereotypical ones like “honey, sweetie”, but ones that maybe a character won’t like at first but grows to love??

Character Nickname Ideas

Hmmm this is actually a tricky one to answer.

Each character will have their own set of cultural backgrounds, quirks, strengths, weaknesses and relationship dynamics, which can all contribute to a nickname.

Here are some common things writers do for nicknames:

Shorten their given name. Mireya becomes Rey. Christopher becomes Chris.

Alter their given name. If you add a “y” sound, it implies the person using the nickname thinks of the character as young or childlike. So Alexa becomes Lexie. William becomes Billy.

Base their nickname on a physical trait. This can be straightforward or ironic. The large man is Tiny. The pretty girl named Honor is Bell/Beauty.

Pick a personality trait. School kids might call your main character Sassy Cassy. The con man might be called Prince Charming because of his smooth-talking skills.

Base their nickname on their profession or an accomplishment. So many characters are called Doc, Prof, or Chairman.

Base it on Monsters: ie. Balrog, Loch, Golen, Orthros, Baal, etc.

Base it on Mythology. Lots of authors have used names from Greek/Roman mythology, and readers have loved it!

Here are two personal examples:

Use initials. My name is Junhui Lee, and those who aren't familar with Asian names struggle to pronoun it correctly. So I just go by "JH"

In Korean culture, (1) people's names are usually three chracters: ie. Jun+hui+Lee and (2) We put surnames in front, not at the back of our names: ie. Lee Junhui, not Junhui Lee. Close friends would address each other as "surname + first character of the given name". So my friends would call me Lee Jun.

A character not liking their nickname

Doesn't necessary mean it has to be a funny nickname. They can dislike it because they somehow feel like only their parents/siblings call them that, or they feel childish, or the tone in which the other person says it is too teasing.

Depends on the origin and meaning behind the nickname. Was it made up by bullies in primary school and its just happened to stick? Was it given to them by their late grandparents? The anme

That said, here are some examples!

Vivienne: Vivvy, Vienne, Viv, Vee

Niamh: Nia, Neeve, Iya

Athena: Ath, Thea

Hazel: Haze, Zelly, Elle

Bloom: Bee, Bloomy, Blommer, Bloo

Coral: Cora, Coralie, Cori, Coral-B

Alaric: Larry, Lars

Ulysses: Ollie, Ulie

Adin: Ade, Ad, Bin, Dinny

Nicolas: Nick, Nico, Nicky

Daniel: Dan, Danny, Dannyboy, Niel

Adreil: Ad, Adri, Riel, El

Louisa: Lulu

+ this list because I've been trying to come up with nicknames for my bloothirsty character...

Steelshot

Crank

Rigs

Skinner

Skull Crusher

Wardon

Zero

Ironclad

Iron Heart

Billy the Butcher

Mr. Blonde

K-6

Hell-Raiser

Harbinger

Finisher

I hope this helps :)