#and then i try to defend myself and after that i feel awful

[sxnctxxry]

.

[fromgoy2joy]

I have been… biting my tongue from saying things. 

Partially because I’m not “really Jewish” (on the way to it via conversion), and because I didn’t want this blog to be political. 

But I realize I want this page to be a safe space. If anyone takes issue with what I’m about to say, I don’t want them on this page. 

I joined the college jewish community very shortly after 10/7 and was immediately welcomed in. There was no separation between me and the girl who had gone to orthodox shul all her life and was the head of the state youth group. I was told explicitly  “you are one of us. And together, we are mourning. We have lost our people and so have you.” 

Still I felt no authority to speak on things as insidious as antisemitism until recently. But how many times do you have to experience an antisemitic incident until you get to stand up? 

Six. The answer is six. 

Since explicitly aligning myself with Jewishness, I have lost friends who told me I have “dual loyalties” in so many words. I’ve been ostracized in events because we were singled out . I’ve been followed back to my dorm room from events by people hurling genocide accusations at me- white girls wearing keffiyahs who don't know anything about the Nakba when I try to connect with them about how awful it was.

My face was used in a local “fight jew hate” campaign” where I’m in a group of people with clearly middle eastern descent. But what circulated around my campus was my blonde hair and blue eyes, with people using laughing emojis.

“This is who we’re supposed to be defending!? Bitch please! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” 

(Which is perfectly ironic because they singled out the person who wasn't ethnically Jewish and focused on her. )

Campus security and the disciplinary office knows me quite well from all the reports I've filed whether for me or other people.

I leave campus for breaks. Even though I’m returning to my highly Catholic conservative family, I breathe a sigh of relief. I don't have to look over my shoulder constantly or check myself in the surroundings I'm in. I already feel the dread about returning in January.

What hurts is the blindness- the lack of nuance- that is being given. Every single Jewish person at my school is not a self described zionist, other than that they acknowledge Jewish indignity to the land, and that there was a reason for the creation of Israel- not even justification in the current state or the matter it came about.

But they- and we- shouldn't have to prove ourselves. We shouldn't be debating if we should fundraise for Gazans (we are) in case someone accuses us of "lying about our intentions" or if we'd be pointed out as "the good jews!" They shouldn't have to have a tab open on their computer for Israeli passports, even though they desperately don't want to leave the United States. I shouldn't have to wonder whenever I'm at a synagogue "If I get killed here in a terrorist attack before being immersed in the mikvah, will I get a Catholic or Jewish funeral?"

But that never mattered. Our voices never did. Unless the antisemitism came from a high school dropout neo-nazi with a shaved head and swastika jacket, it's never going to matter.

I will never forget- even as I advocate for Palestinians, call for a ceasefire, and donate. Or any other cause where I'll be marching besides these activists I can never call well meaning.

I could go on and on about it. But I won't be able to write it out in this post.

All I know is when the counsel of rabbis ask me if I'm ready to be apart of an unpopular group, I'm going to have to fight myself from laughing at the question

[artists-ally]

I think Harvey would be thw type of person who makes love specially when he’s feeling sad. Like he needs comfort and to be as close to his s/o as possible, fingers intertwined and all that nice shit. How do you think reader would comfort him after he had a discussion with someone of his family?

{Oh, My Human Heart} Reader x Harvey Specter

So my mind went to [SEASON 8 EPISODE 5 SPOILER WARNING] where Harvey went up to Boston to defend his brother against his wife's divorce. That shit crushed my soul man, so this is based on that! Enjoy!! Title is a lyric from this song.

Word Count: 3,191

Warnings: fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, smut, Season 8 Episode 5 Spoilers

Summary: When Harvey returned home from visiting his brother unexpectedly, there is an obvious weight to his shoulders as he slumps inside. And it’s your mission to find out what it is and wipe it from his memory.

Tagging: @kjbg-fantasymoon (your request is next babes <3)

~~~~~~~

The door slammed. Hard. Concerningly hard. 

“Harvey?” You shouted out into the kitchen, taking off the towel from your shoulder and set it on the counter. No one responded. Worry coursed through you, and you grabbed the knife from the cutting board. Just in case. 

Your husband rounded the corner and you jumped, but let the fear drain from your held breath and set the knife down. “Jesus Harvy, you could’ve… hey, what are you doing back here?”

Harvey looked indecipherably pissed. He had hard creases in his face and his lips pressed in that flat line that meant someone was about to see that side of him that meant he was gonna raise hell. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and he let his hands fall to his sides. 

“Okay, okay come sit, love,” You reached for him and guided him to the island. “Do you want to talk about it? A distraction? To be left the hell alone?”

That communication strategy had worked wonders when Harvey came home from a lethal case. All the details you knew about this one involved his brother and a divorce from his wife. It had already shattered Harvey’s heart to hear they were splitting up, but this was… this was rage. Raw fury. 

“I am going to open my mouth and let the floodgates go with it, and I just need you to try and make sense of it. Because for reasons only known by Jesus-fucking-Christ himself can this be possible.”

You just nodded, letting Harvey take some deep breaths. You noticed his hands were shaking. He was shaking. What the fuck happened in Boston?

“Marcus called me up there to represent him for his divorce,” Harvey started, thumbs in his eyes. “He told me that it was because she had an affair. I was ready to go kick down her door and take their kids away myself. Turns out, he lied to me. She was divorcing him because he started gambling again and he told Haley not to tell Katie.”

Your blood ran cold, all remorse leaving your body for Marcus. How could he fucking do that? 

“So, tell me this Yn. Why would my own god damn brother, who I spent my money on to build him a dream restaurant, lie to my fucking face? Not once. Not twice. Four times. Four opportunities he had to tell me and he waited till the last fucking second. I-I can’t even begin to describe how sick it makes me feel to have Haley be put in that position.”

“It is wildly unfair for her, and for their son,” you felt awful for them. They were the sweetest kids and didn’t deserve to have that weight on their shoulders. 

“I mean, was he not apart of the fucking family when mom did that to me? Did he suddenly just show up on our doorstep one night looking for a place to sleep like a stray cat? No, he didn’t. He’s my fucking brother. He was there when mom did it to me. And he saw what it did to our family. What it did to me. He was the one trying to fix our fucking fucked up family. To piece it together after the fall out and he expects me to do the same when he did the one thing worse than practically fucking cheating on her.”

“Harvey I think that's a little-”

“Now he’s destroying his own life. No, not even destroying, destroyed. He has ruined all chances of working things out between him and Katie and honestly, I can’t be fucking bothered to watch it crumble to the ground. And the worst part of it is he had the audacity to ask me to win this case. He doesn’t deserve to win let alone ask me. What a selfish, lying son of a bitch-”

“Harvey,” you placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him from walking away. He had been moving around animatedly, now up out of his seat and waving around. “Take a deep breath. Please.”

He did.

“Good,” You smiled softly. 

He took another. And another. “Sorry… just- sorry.”

“It’s okay,” You came and stood in front of him, hands flat on his chest. “Let’s go and get you changed and we can keep talking through it. If you’d like.”

Though Harvey’s eyes were harsh, that anger wasn’t directed at you. You’ve dealt with him like this on more than one occasion, and you’ve learned to recognize the difference. He didn’t dare look at you the way he is now.

After taking his hand and leading him up stairs, you took your time undressing him so he could be more comfortable. Once upon a time he had told you that the feeling of your hands on him could make him forget anything and everything. It was only in your best interest to do that for him now. To calm him so he could see the full picture.

Starting with his tie, you walked to the closet and hung it up in the empty space from where you picked it out this morning. Much the same with the jacket, tossing his still crisp white-shirt in the laundry. He handed you his belt and shoes, and while you put them away, he took off his dress pants and put on sweats by the time you came back. 

“Better?” You asked, placing his hands across your middle. 

He smiled, “Better.” 

Harvey was still sitting, but he rested his forehead against your stomach, just breathing. With calm hands you massaged his scalp and neck, his shoulders and arms. It was important to give Harvey his space at times like this, letting him speak when he wanted. Otherwise he’d just get defensive and shut down. That was not beneficial to either of you.

“I’m so fucking mad at Marcus, Yn.”

“I know, my love. I know,” You spoke softly, kissing the top of his head. “So am I.”

“I just don’t understand how he could do that after what mom did to me. I thought- I thought we were brothers again.” 

His voice cracked, and you could feel the first tear drops soak through your shirt and cool your skin. Your stomach clenched and dropped. You know Harvey and Marcus have been rocky for decades, but since he forgave his mom and started rebuilding their relationship, things naturally got better with Marcus. 

So much for all that hard work. And you had been so proud of him for taking those steps. And you knew the toll it took on him. Now it was all back at square one. 

“I am so sorry, Harvey.”

“What the fuck do I do?”

You paused for a long while. “I don’t know.”

When he looked up at you, eyes all red and bleary, you wanted to fly to Boston and smack Marcus yourself for putting Harvey right back where he was when he was sixteen. He may not have been the one asked to keep a secret this time, but he knows what it’s like to be in that situation. To feel so pinned and powerless. The looming decision of whether he should betray his mom or dad, a constant threat, and either outcome will ruin the family. 

“Are you up for listening to my ideas or do you still need to get things off your chest?” All you got was a shrug and a few spilled tears. “Okay, there’s no rush.”

“I just don’t know what to do, Yn. I have no fucking clue what I’m supposed to do. I want to beat him into the dirt the most. I want to hold Haley and tell her that none of this was ever her fault and she is not the one to blame. Goddamn do I want to hug Haley right now…”

You had to close your eyes. You didn’t want to see Harvey in this position, especially because you knew what this did to him. It stirred up all those memories and emotions from decades ago. Now they were all at the surface, controlling every one of his thoughts. And there isn’t a whole lot that you can do to get them to stop.

“I think you’re angry.”

“You’re goddamn right I’m angry,” Harvey huffed, making you let out a weak chuckle. 

“And I also think that I know you when you’re angry. And that you don’t think clearly when you are. So, how about we distract you for a while and then we get some sleep. Then, maybe in the morning, we lay it all out again and go over what we know. Look at all the facts and whatnot. Because, despite your very much warranted anger towards Marcus, he is still your brother. And family means more than anything to you, Harvey. I can’t let you spend the next thirty years in regret for not trying. You owe that to yourself. Not anyone else.”

“I don’t even know where to start with all this bullshit.”

“That’s where I come in,” You smiled, sitting in his lap with one leg on each side of his. “Look Harvey, you have every single right to be upset. I am pissed at Marcus for doing that to Haley. But I will not let this drive another cavern between you and him. The two of you have been through enough. He fucked up, and he knows it because you’re Harvey goddamn Specter and you told him he did. But you forgave him once. And you forgave your mom. It is worth a shot to hear him out, and I’m not saying it has to be right away either. Just eventually.”

Harvey’s brown eyes darted around your face, that tight line still on his lips. When you tilted your head and batted your lashes, he sighed out, nodding. “Okay, okay fine you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” your smile made him finally unclench the space between his brows. “It’s because I’m really good at knowing who you are, and knowing how to approach a situation. You’re good at being a kick-ass lawyer and I’m good at taming that kick-ass lawyer.” “You love it when I let that animal out of the cage,” he smirked, hands stroking down your thighs. 

“If you refer to yourself as an animal in a cage again I will walk out that door and spend the night at Donna’s.”

“Okay okay,” he grinned ear to ear, pressing kisses on your cheek, then down your neck. “I’m sorry for being so… hostile. Thank you, Yn. For calming me down.”

“You’re welcome, my love.”

“I don’t know what it is that you do, but you make it all disappear.”

“It’s my secret,” you whispered, kissing his lips. “And I won’t ever tell.”

“I bet I could make you tell me,” Harvey winked and grabbed around your waist, taking you with him when he leaned back. 

“Oh, is that a fact?” “No, but it is a challenge.” 

He tangled his hand in your hair, bringing your mouth to his. He tasted like whatever cheap whiskey he had on the plane and mint. You let your body form to his and didn’t mind the way his tongue found yours. Harvey’s hands were gentle as they peeled away the cardigan on your shoulders, tossing it away to be picked up later. 

He took his time, slowly stripping you and easing you on your back. You wrapped your legs around his waist and needed to have his mouth on yours again. He was such a good kisser. So thorough and precise with what he wanted to do to you. 

And he was always very thorough. 

Harvey placed kisses down your chest, down your stomach and to each hip.

“Babe-”

“Shh,” he hushed. “Just let me do what I want. You just lay back and look pretty. Fuck do you look pretty, my love.”

Your heart melted. Normally he had a wicked, dirty tongue but tonight was obviously different. He wanted something to focus on, and if that was going to be you, then so be it. You surely weren’t going to stop him from spreading your knees and tucking his head to your core. 

If Harvey could do one thing for the rest of his life, he’d sure have a hard time picking between you and the law. While he loved his work, your mind and body were two things even the high of winning couldn’t compare to. Harvey loved you. Ferociously. With every part of his body he loved you. 

His tongue circled your clit, and your hand went in his hair to keep him there. The laugh that tumbled from him was nothing short of star-seeing. One thing about Harvey is if you weren’t satisfied and thensome, neither was he. He loved making you cum on his tongue, loved how you tasted. 

It wasn’t long before you warned him you were close, and he just hummed into you, vibrations making you arch up off the bed, tugging equally as hard on his hair as you did the sheets beside you. 

“I will never get sick of making you feel good, Yn. I love that I am the one who gets to spend these moments with you.”

“Harvey,” you swooned, cupping his face to bring him back up so you could kiss him. Your scent was strong on his lips and made you only need him that much more. All it took was a few impatient grabs at his shirt to make him take it off so you could finally get your hands on that body of his. 

All that time in the boxing gym surely paid off. 

Harvey brough your knee up and pushed it flat on the bed, pulling the other one around his hip. He pushed in, chest to chest with you as he sat still for a few moments. 

“I love you so much, Yn,” Harvey whispered, thumb training down your cheek, your neck. He slid it all the way down your arm and laced your fingers together, kissing them as he pulled back. He wouldn’t leave your lips alone, not that you wanted that in the slightest. He was all soft words and pleas of desperation. Telling you how good you felt.

It was like your wedding night all over again. When the two of you met, it had been in a fury of hands and tongues. All fast because there wasn’t a second to waste when it finally happened. But on your big day, he laid you down, just like this, and worshiped you all night long. 

Every word from his mouth was just him telling you how much you meant to him, his body seconding that omission. He was so dedicated to you, to making you feel good. It was all long, smooth strokes of his body inside yours, the warmth of your combined breaths. Swallowing each other's noises of pleasure.

“I am so in love with you,” Harvey smiled. “I am so fucking in love with you.”

You couldn’t hide your smile if you tried. It wasn’t rare that Harvey was affectionate– per say– but this was an illusive moment. He wine and dined you whenever you asked, you were always his plus one anywhere in the world. But it was these small, yet enormous moments of intimacy that you cherished the most. This was a side of Harvey that took a very long time to bring to the surface. And he too realized the weight of just taking his time and being soft with you. 

“I love you too, Harvey,” you whispered against his face, his mouth now busy with the side of your neck. Harvey couldn’t keep his hips slow for long, and they snapped to yours. Air pushed out of your mouth and right into his ear, right where it drove him crazy to hear what he did to you. 

“Fuck, my love, if you keep making those sounds this isn’t exactly going to be how I-”

“Now it’s my turn to take care of you,” you responded, locking your ankles together behind his back.

A shiver ran through his shoulders and he dropped to his elbows, hips driving into you faster and faster. Harder. It didn’t take him long to reach his high, fucking you through it. His heart pounded underneath his skin so hard you could feel it. A slight sweat at the back of his head where hair met skin. 

When he lifted his head, his eyes looked less… weighted. He looked much more himself. Muc more like Harvey and a little less like Mr. Specter. 

You mentally patted yourself on the back. 

There wasn’t anything you could do to convince him to not drag you into the shower down the hall. The warmth of the water, the heaviness in your body only made his fingers on your scalp that much better. He kissed all over, giving your ass a loving smack when getting out before wrapping a big towel around the both of you. 

“Promise in the morning that we can do this all again and then I can make you a big breakfast?”

“Only if you promise that there will be sausage and bacon,” your eyes were droopy, but the smile reached them anyway. 

“Good thing Postmates will go to the grocery store nowadays,” Harvey slipped one of his shirts over your head, straightening it out over your body. “You look so adorable in my clothes.”

“I know, why do you think I wear them when you’re gone?” “You wear my clothes when I’m gone?” You pff’ed out some air, “Don’t act like you don’t notice the suspiciously large pile of your laundry in the hamper when you come back.”

“I don’t think you know how happy that makes me, Yn,” Harvey’s smile was nothing short of pure adoration. He was never short on pure adoration when it came to you. 

“Yes I do,” You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Why do you think I do it?”

“Because you know me. Really really well.”

“That I do.”

Harvey breathed out, shaking his head. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for something anyone would do for their husband.”

“Well, in my experience, most wives aren’t nearly as observant or as dedicated as you are, Yn. And I want you to know how much I appreciate you and everything you help me through when I don’t know how to help myself.”

Your eyes melted, much like your heart when he hugged you. Nice and tight and just how you liked them. You always felt impossibly safe with him, and his hugs were impossibly your favorite thing in the world. 

Harvey would listen better in the morning. Especially after a good night's sleep. You just hope that all your efforts will lead him in the right direction. And that direction isn’t the clearest right now, and that’s okay. Both of you know it’s okay to not make a decision as big as something like this.

But you know Harvey will try. And that is all you can ask of him.

[calp0sa]

what do you like and dislike about airy?

CRAZY MESSY INFODUMP INCOMING OH LORD

well there’s nothing i truly dislike about airy, because everything about him just makes him who he is. i just wish we got more insight to him as an Actual person rather than his host facade, even though that was sort of the point of one 17-18, i feel like the fact that he’s pretty much a regular ass dude went over most people’s heads (Not mine though because im really smart and could beat albert einstein in a rap battle) i know the mystique is the most prominently interesting aspect of the whole show… but yknowwww it’d be nice to know a little more about him personally considering how we now know he’s far from a one-dimensional character and shouldn’t be taken at face value (i am side eyeing a huge chunk of the one fandom as i say this) now okay if i were to talk about everything i like about airy we’d be here til the next solar eclipse but i’ll try to jot down everything i can. airy, to me, is the most fascinating object show character there is. i swear every time i observe something about him it’s like i’m opening a matryoshka doll as i dissect his character further and further… every rewatch of one i notice something, whether it be minuscule or glaring, there’s always something for me to brutally analyze. see, and here’s where i contradict myself, because while it’s frustrating not having much official trivia on him, i actually quite love how mysterious he is. i love how he seems like he knows a lot more than he lets on. i love how his caginess only sparks more questions. and i love how FESTERED he is. how you can tell there was so much that led up to him being so numb and stagnant… it does nothing but pique my interest. and i love how this festered-ness parallels with the contestants. i can’t help but feel as if the true extent of airy’s suffering was reflected through those on the plane, how the contestants went through so many fluctuant stages of sadness, denial, hopelessness, anger… all in the midst of isolation akin to airy’s forest. it makes me wonder if ONE served as catharsis to airy. not just a purpose or a distraction, but something to spark resonance within a desolate soul. speaking of distraction, it’s really interesting to me how reliant airy is on escapism, and this is most evident in how he literally takes on such a gilded and contrived host persona to the point where it’s difficult for the viewer to discern who he is OUTSIDE of “airy”. big fan of how the show basically tricks us into thinking he’s this ruthless malevolent all powerful entity until it takes us by surprise and reveals that he’s Just Some Guy, and it could’ve been anyone in his place. but this isn’t to defend him… no… airy was definitely a selfish and inconsiderate asshole (sorry yall) he just isn’t as awful as everyone makes him out to be. airy is not evil, nor is he good, he just kind of sucks LOL. and i love him for that honestly! the thing about this is he should’ve stopped and asked himself “what am i going to gain from this” yet he was so absorbed in trying to hoist himself out of that inevitable pit of dread that he did not care if he destroyed everything else in the process (Might i add that this is a huge parallel to liam’s impulsive vengefulness… i swear i could go on and on about how those two are brothers from another mother) another interesting thing about the hosting stage of airy is the chance that he probably did feel some sort of regret. especially after the shock of breaking his face, being confronted by harsh genuine emotions after such a long time… an iota of the pain and fear he assumed was long gone… as well as the crushing reminder that he basically threw himself and all his senses away just for a stupid game. What a loser amirite. even if he had some semblance of a wish to end ONE, he knew he couldn’t. i’d imagine he told himself mockingly “yeaaaa you basically dug yourself into this, you’re not backing out any time soon” (even though he could’ve easily backed out he was just a loser ass COWARD!)

i didn’t know the paragraphs had character limits! interesting. anyway i can’t help but wonder if airy made that effort to take care of liam in an attempt to break the cycle, the cycle of destroying everything else, including your very self, for the purpose of One thing. maybe airy thinks violence and spite is just a huge waste of time yes of course, but i think he understood liam to some extent (remember what i said about resonance 😁😁😁) i just love how everything about airy is so subtle, yet so major, so jarring and confusing yet when you piece it all together it makes such a scary amount of sense. i love making sense of how nonsensical he is. (of course i do. i am possibly the biggest fan of nonsense there is) now i will add a funny little thing i like about him. i like how he’s all impatient and snarky. and i know you’re probably thinking “franklin how in the abraham lincoln’s bootycheek do you think he’s snarky” Listen, it’s really funny once you actually notice it. there were so many instances where he sounded exasperated with the contestants. my personal favorite being

“yes, as long as you are here, you can’t die”

>��WE CANT DIE?”

“Yes… that’s… what i just said 😐”

he has this barely noticeable “oh my god can you let me do what i need to do” attitude and it’s SO funny. i like to imagine he rolled his eyes a lot while he was hosting. its really funny to imagine. and its also funny to imagine him smiling like an idiot like he did hosting in one 17. that scene was really cute it makes me want to run into ongoing traffic and get continuously ran over by 12 different semi-trucks. if you ignore how miserable the contestants were (sorry contestants) it’s actually really endearing how excited and eager airy was when he got ideas for challenges. i bet he felt so proud of himself it’s honestly kind of sad. he’s sad. what the hell. he really thought he was the SHIT when he said “riches… immortality… whatever your heart desires 😌” Oh my god he’s so pathetic don’t even get me started MY ONLINE CLASSES ARE STARTING I GOTS TO GO BUT ANYWAY FEEL FREE TO ASK FOR AN ANALYSIS ABOUT LITERALLY ANYTHING AIRY RELATED I HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED BIBLES’ WORTH OF SHIT TO SAY ABOUT HIM BYEBYE THANK YOU FOR ASKING THIS

[rosakuma]

Possible Parallels to Ace/Nico and Arei/Eden? Spoilers for Ch. 2

Okay so with the next episode approaching us fast, I wanted to get out this post that is something that could connect to the case via the similarities between Arei and Eden with Ace and Nico. This is a mixture of character analysis and theory through the eyes of Culptrit Eden view.

Note: Just because there similarities doesn’t fully cement that Eden is the culprit + I’ll be giving an interpretation on some parts that could be a possible connection. So take this subjectively 😋

Let’s get to our big meanies! To start out, let’s compare two of the biggest jerks of DRDT’s cast, Ace and Arei.

When it comes to their role as a bully to their respective target, both are different while being similar to their approach. Ace and Arei verbally bullyies Nico and Eden with insults or assumptions on them.

When it comes to Ace, his insults and assumptions are based off his own insecurities and paranoia on how others see him. While we still don't know what causes him to feel this way, we can see how this affects others like Nico and also bites him in the back with everyone hating him because of this.

Nico being the victim of these outbursts affects them hard to take things too far due to Ace’s behavior to them reminding them of unsavory memories in their past. Nico seems to had moments similar to what Ace would do of yelling at them for saying something wrong bluntly(though to them, they don't mean it in a bad way) or getting at them for either “Wanting Pity” or “Can’t defend themselves “. Knowing how Nico’s identity of being nonbinary has cause bullies to come after them with throwing rocks/mud at them or being accused of trying to get attention in a derogatory way, this is why Ace’s accusations towards them trying to get pity got to them hard. Enough to commit murder as while I don't think Nico before the killing game tried to kill their dad or any of their peers/teachers, I do think this reflects that Nico wishes they had power over them or maybe thoughts of harming them just to get back at them. Being able to have that temporarily over Ace, it was probably the first time they were able to take action back to others who treated them awful just for who they are as a person.

Getting back to Ace. Ace is aware of this behavior being too much when it comes to his anger, but still goes ahead with it regardless. Even though deep down, he wishes he both was and wasn't the things he claims Nico is. That someone would save him from this situation of the killing game/his self sabotage behavior and care about him. But he also doesn't want to let his guard down with being in this scary situation and refuses to let anyone talk shit to him to his face. That's why it hurt so much when his projection of this person being Levi was shattered the moment Levi reveals he does not care about anyone, including Ace who could live or die for all he cares. This is just speculation, but with this chapter showcasing everyone’s flaws or hints that there’s more to them. I believe Ace in a way like Arei, probably went through something to cause his paranoia on everyone thinking that he’s hot headed idiot and the need to “fight back” to show he’s not weak either. That no one really cares about him except for one person(Taylor) who’s presumably dead now. If I had to guess, it could relate to his talent of being a jockey in perhaps the competition would get to his head and knowing he can’t fail(maybe perhaps thanks to his family whether to disappoint them or fail to support them). Resulting in the Ace we know today as the hot headed all bark, but no bite jockey who doesn't care that his body is failing him as who’s going to care? He only got himself and he can’t go out until he dies on his own terms. He truly lives up to his secret quote of “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore” as he cannot figure out if he wants to just isolate and hurt himself in the process or to let others in to help him out and change this harmful behavior of his.

Going onto Arei, her way of bullying Eden is more out of a mixture envy and concern for her. Before we knew Arei was her manipulative self who would fake being nice and cry during ch.1 before revealing herself and started insulting others. After Min’s death in ch.2 we see how her feelings about what happened cause to her act out in this chapter.

When Eden was searching for her to have her join her clock activitity with her and Teruko, Arei burst out in disgust about this invitation. Eden confused as Arei wanted to join last activity, gets hit with Arei blaming her for Min’s death. For pretending to be all sad about Min dying, before returning to her usually happy self. Telling her that acting this way and trying to do these “friendship” bonding activities is just going to cause more people to die. And it’ll will be all your fault.

This pushes Eden to tears and she runs away. To where we get in the conversation with Arei, David, and Teruko that she reveals her world view. That thanks to her sisters, her life been hell. That she used to be a nice person who tried being kind to others, but that kindness was only met by hate and manipulative jerks who take their sick kicks out on her because they had more power over her. Arei had no one who cared about her or show her kindness, only those who taught her its a dog eat dog world and you better get with it if you want to survive.

In a way, her bullying towards Eden unlike Ace’s towards Nico is because in her own way, she’s trying to help Eden. Eden probably reminds Arei of her old self that she had to disregard to survive during her childhood to adulthood. She doesn't wish any actually harm on Eden, she just wants Eden to not end up hurting like she did. But at the same time while not enjoying making Eden cry over this, she does feel something towards her. Envy

Arei feels envious towards how someone like Eden can exist. That she can be kind in this cruel world and no one takes advantage of her for it. That she can be this way and not experience any hell that Arei did despite not wanting to always be this way.

This makes me feel the connection between Ace and Arei. Both are envious towards their victims with what they have that they never gotten. Both Nico and Eden have people who cared about them and doesn't think of them being less than who they are. They can be themselves in this killing game with no one taking advantage of them(well until I guess the David reveal but nevermind that). While these two are trying to survive in a terrible situation with their own survival instincts they develop to survive in the world before this game. Although Arei before her death was trying to break out from this, to where she was given a hand from both Eden and David. Arei wanted to change even if she thought she was far too gone too. To be a good person like Eden and David. Even when getting her view of them shattered with David being a crappy person, she was glad as she’s not alone. Arei is thankful that there is no bad or good person, that she can change to be less shitty as there’s no impossible standards to live up to achieve it. Though Ace never got to get this as he had no David or Eden to reach out for him, to realize that he may be a shitty person like everyone else, but he could change his ways.

Now you’re probably wondering “Where does Eden come into all of this?” “How does this possibly connects to her being the culprit?” The thing is since both our bullies here have connections in similarities of how they treat their targets and how both murders are similar in how they’re done. What about the targets?

As we established with Nico earlier, Nico was driven to murder Ace because Ace reminded them of their past trauma right? What if Eden did the same to Arei because she reminded her of her past? Full speculation on possible Eden lore based off the little tidbits we know.

Now I don't think how Arei bullied Eden was the reason why Eden would plan to kill Arei her especially since they made up. Rather I think the reason why Eden killed her is because of when they made up. Remember, this is just speculation, so take this with a grain of salt.

I think with Eden’s secret being “Ever since you kissed her, you were afraid your sexuality would ruin your friendships” is connected to Arei’s friendship towards Eden. Whether this girl in the past was actually Arei maybe during their time at Hope’s Peak or someone else, I think when Arei promised to be Eden’s friend brought back memories to her. To someone who promised to be her friend, to protect her, to do stuff with her like baking dumb cakes, and to be someone she could rely on. We can tell with how that secret sounds, it might’ve ended badly for Eden’s crush on this girl who she felt like she ruined their friendship with.

When Arei promised to be this type of friend to Eden for now on, it caused Eden to think back to her and that Eden didn't want to be attached to someone like that again. It was already painful enough to lose that person because of who she was, she doesn't want to relive what happened to her. So she rather cut off what could’ve been a beautiful friendship that has the potential of becoming more just to prevent the hurt of losing someone like that again. With being inspired by Nico’s murder attempt, Eden was able to have the idea to have her plan in action.

Along with this, I think this could explain Eden’s behavior throughout this chapter with how strange she’s been acting about Arei’s death during the investigation to trial. She does clearly care about Arei and wanted to be her friend, but she doesn't want to be too attached to feel regret. Maybe if Arei’s words about Eden being sad about Min and then returning to her cheery self means anything, Eden is trying to do that with Arei of showing grief for a split second before trying to focus on “solving” the case to avoid feeling responsible to her death. Eden does regret doing the murder if she is the culprit as shown how she is so hurt about how she could’ve been friends with Arei, how Arei wanted to change to be a better person, and that she doesn’t want anyone to think any less of Arei that she willingly killed herself. But unlike Nico, who was able to finally speak up for themselves and admit their wrongdoings of almost committing murder, to acknowledge that they are not the victim in this situation. Eden is instead hiding and doing what she always done, rely on others to help her because she is too weak to do so. Her fatal flaw that prevents her from acknowledging that she did wrong and isn’t the ideal good person that Arei looked up to. Unbeknownst to her that Arei already knew Eden wasn’t perfect as she seemed to be.

Also it would make Charles’ conversation with Teruko in thinking that the secret he got(Eden’s) is actually important to the case as tragic but also kinda funny foreshadowing.

Essentially to boil down the connections between both parties in a nutshell:

The bullies are individuals who went through a tough life that formed their way of survival and takes it out on those who they perceived weaker than them.

The targets have to rely on others to protect them or fight their battles(Nico doesn’t do this on purpose as Hu defends them whether they want her or not, but still it happens).

The murders done to the bullies were because the targets were reminded of their past, which pushed them to commit murder.

The murder method are the same with the pulley method and making it seem like a suicide.

The target’s secrets are related to their identity(Eden being a lesbian and Nico being nonbinary) With all of this being said, I think this is the best way I can come up with how Culprit Eden could work motive wise as one of the many reasons why people believe that she couldn’t be the murder is because of no motive we can think that makes sense for her to kill her new friend. Because to be honest I do believe that Eden is the culprit based off the evidence against her with most of the things(the tape, learning the method, the note, the clothes) connecting more to her than Ace. But only reason why I’m still not 100% sure in her being the culprit is the motive. But now if this is true, then this can cement that Eden Tobisa, the ulitmate clockmaker, is the murder of Arei Nageishi!

Anyways, this case can go either way and I just know we’re all going to be destroyed this Friday when the episode airs. One of our gays is going to be buried and there’s nothing we can do about it 🥲

[selfcontrolskey]

“You’re an asshole”

❗️A little bit was my idea but the rest isn’t my idea❗️

nicholas leister x reader

Sorry for the povs switching so much and for how long this is 😅

( can we please get more fics about this man )

You're fighting your enemy in the training room. Nicolas, apparently the best underground fighter ever according to lion.

As I step forward to hit him he quickly steps back. He's fast, l'II give him that.

I hit him again this time not giving him time to step back. He softly chuckles and touches his jaw where I hit him.

"Not bad"

I quickly regain my position in order to strike again. But this time he’s the faster one. He blocks my hit and knees me in the stomach.

I slightly stumble backwards.

That son of a bitch he knew it was bruised from my previous fight. He strikes again this time aiming for my face.

I duck just in time. “Is that all you’ve got?” I ask teasingly. I strike forward but he blocks my hit and turns me around so my back is against his chest.

“Is that all you’ve got?” He says in a mocking tone.

I chuckle. “oh no, I still have something just for you.” I lift my leg and hit him right in his area before he could react.

He lets go of me and stumbles backwards.

“Got you again.” I smile proudly.

Nick’s pov:

“Is that all you got?” I ask using the same words she did. A little laugh escapes from her mouth. her head touching my chin in the meanwhile.

“Oh no. I still have something special just for you.” Before I can figure out what that means I feel a stinging pain near my dick.

I let her go and stumble backwards.

After a few seconds I stand straight ignoring the throbbing pain.

“Aw I’m sorry did that hurt?” A little smirk appears on her face.

I’m gonna kill her.

Her smirk disappears into something more serious. I regain my position and get ready to defend myself.

She quickly moves and slides her legs under mine. I step back just in time.

This time I step forward and kick her in the leg making her loss balance. With that she falls to the ground, right on her back.

I can hear her trying to catch her breath. “I’m sorry did that hurt?” She slowly moves her head and I can see she’s getting angrier by the second. I like it when she’s angry.

She slowly stands up and gets ready for another round. She’s a tough one. I’ll give her that.

I shake my head and chuckle.

“What? Afraid to lose?” She says.

“Like hell I am.” I say getting my hands ready to fight.

“Good” She responds getting ready as well.

Suddenly she looks to the left catching my attention. What the hell is she looking at? As I turn my head I’m welcomed with a fist to my face.

I stumble backwards but mange to remain my balance.

“Oh. So that’s how we’re playing now huh?”

I slowly wipe away the blood from my lips and look straight at her. She’s enjoying this.

"What, didn't expect that from a girl?" She says wiping the blood from her knuckles.

I give her a small smile and attack. My left fist first which she blocks. Then my right one, hitting her jaw. She quickly recovers and tries to knee me in the stomach. I grab her knee right before it reaches me.

"Not this time" Panick flashes her eyes so quickly I might think I imagined it. I push her back and slide my foot under her standing leg.

She falls but takes me down with her. Now I'm on top of her pinning her wrists down. Heavy breathing coming from both of us.

"Ready to give up?"

your pov:

Now he's on top of me and pinning my wrists. Heavy breathing coming from both of us.

"Ready to give up yet?” He asks with that stupid smirk of his. I slowly move my head forwards. I can feel his his breath on my lips.

"You know what. I actually like this position" I say seductively.

"Oh come on, you should know you can't play the same game two times"

"What if l'm not playing?" I breath out.

His eyes piercing through mine. "Forgive me for not really trusting your word" He whispers in my ears.

I quietly chuckle. “Good decision" I quickly move and pin him to the ground. Sitting on his lap, this time me pinning him down. I slightly move forward making him groan.

"What? Cat got your tongue?” He quickly glances at me and I can see desire and anger build behind his eyes. "You know what, l'll give you one more chance."

"One last round" I pat his chest and get ready to get up. Two hands suddenly pull me back down. His hands on my waist preventing me from getting up again. "Don't"

Confusion and realisation hit me at the same time. "Aw you don't have a crush on me do you?" I say leaning forward.

His hands tighten around my waist. "Don't move.”

nick’s pov:

She quickly moves and get's on top of me.

Oh fuck.

I slightly groan causing her to look at me. She slowly leans forward and an intense feeling goes right trough my body.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

No, you just made me hard..

I close my eyes trying to focus on anything else but her sitting on my fucking lap.

"You know what?" She responds "I'll give you one more chance" I quickly open my eyes and see that she's sincere.

"One. Last. Round" She says holding up a finger. She patts my chest and get's ready to stand up. No fucking way she is getting up now.

I grab her by the waist and pull her back down. Another sensation strikes right trough my body. fuck, I'm hard. She softly yelp’s and looks confusing at me.

But not for long, her brain quickly catches up and knows what is happening. Her eyes suddenly fill with pleasure. "You don't have a crush on me do you?"

She leans forward and I cant help but tighten my hands around her small waist. "Don't move” I breath out.

Fuck, this feels good.

"Think of my mom" she says out of the blue. Did she just say what I think she did?

"What the hell."

"What? You want me to turn you on?"

“Not fucking help.”

your pov:

"Think of my mom" I suddenly blurt out.

He quickly glances at me with a "wtf" look. "What the hell.” He says.

“What?” I ask offended. “You want me to turn you on?"

“Not fucking helping.” he says closing his eyes again.

"Okay, just give me a second to think"

He slightly groans.

“Yeah, sure. Please take your time.” I ignore his comment and think.

Okay, this might work.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

He suddenly opens his eyes and looks at me. “Why, you interested?"

At that I laugh. "Oh please"

His eyes slightly darken and something moves in my stomach.

“Just answer it"

"You think you'd be straddling my lap if I had one?”

"I'm not straddling your lap, I am simply just sitting on it" I say with confidence.

"It's your fault I have to sit on it anyway, so hurry and make it disappear."

"It's not a toy you know, you can't just fucking control it.”

"Fine, just hurry"

He sotfly laughs and shakes his head. A few moments pass and he looks more relaxed.

"You ready?" I ask so we can finally fight again.

"No, just give me a few more seconds."

I see a small smirk form on his stupid face.

oh this bitch.

“You’re nasty.” I say hitting his chest. I quickly get up and hear him laughing still on the floor.

"You can forget that last round" I say walking out of the training area.

"Why? Because you can't beat me?" As I turn around I can see he's standing again.

"Cmon just say it." He says walking closer to me.

“Say what? That you're an asshole? Gladly." He takes one step forward making him even closer to me. I slowly lift my eyes to meet his.

“Say it.”

“Say what?”

"That I'm better than you" I softly snort at that. He has some serious ego issues.

"Fine, just come a bit closer."

He slowly grins and steps closer.

I put my hands on his chest and stand on my tippy toes to whisper in his ear.

"You're."

I wait a second before continuing.

"an asshole."

I put my leg behind his and push him backwards.

He lands with a loud thud.

“Oops.”

"Did you want me to say something else?"

He looks at me and anger fills his eyes.

"I'm gonna kill you"

"Good luck trying"

I give him a wink and leave the training facility.

Nick’s pov:

Before I can realise what she is doing I land with a loud thud on the floor.

"Oops" she says looking extra innocently. "Did you want me to say something else?"

I glance up at her, pure anger filling me once again. This woman is gonna fucking mess me up.

"I'm gonna kill you" I say with gritted teeth.

She softly grins and gives me a wink. "Good luck trying.” Then she turns around and leaves me, her ass swaying slightly with every step.

Fuck.

SORRY ABOUT THE POV CHANGING SO MUCH 😭

and yes I used the ‘cat got your tongue’ thing again. Bite me. But I hope you enjoyed !

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Thoughts on AI

I know I’m not alone here, but I’m feeling a bit discouraged about AI.

A friend recently sent me a message where she had given a prompt to an AI and gotten a story from it. The prompt was silly and so was the story she got, but after the initial chuckle, I sat down and it REALLY hit me.

I feel like my stories are being replaced.

The stories that I write from my heart. That I spend hours on, often sacrificing sleep because it’s hard to find free time. The stories I put out there, worry about, celebrate when others read them.

Generated in a single second with the click of a button.

I know it’s not exactly the same. But as this continues, how close will it get?

I heard about people feeding unfinished fics and stories into AI to generate the ending, and it creates an almost feral protective instinct in me, a desire to delete everything I’ve ever written and try to hoard the words. Sitting on a pile of stories, as they spoil in the vacuum, rotting away to meaninglessness. I can’t imagine not sharing my work, but the thought of some program building on my characters, my worlds, destroys me.

I saw the threads on my feed about tumblr selling info to AI. I clicked the don’t sell my info option. But I feel fairly hopeless about it. Even if clicking that option magically protects it, my work is on the internet. The chances of it getting used in the future for AI learning material, the chance it’s already been used, is high.

I won’t change what I’m doing. I love writing. I love sharing my stories with people. I won’t hurt myself just to shield my work from a threat that I realistically can’t truly defend against anyways.

But it still sucks. Can we just say that? This REALLY sucks, that this is even a thing. I’m sure there are awesome applications to AI, and ways the world will be better, but the intrusion of it on creative spaces seems so awful.

Anyways, that’s my rant. Had an idea for a short that if I get time I’ll write soon. Have a good day, everyone.

[darksvster]

Hi, I usually only send asks to people on anon, but I really wanted to say that I am so sorry this fandom has been so awful to you and made what should have been a fun and cool thing such a negative experience. I will be sad not to see the rest of the scripts, but I hope stopping the posts gives you some peace 💙

thanks for the kind words, honestly i need them right now. after some consideration, i've come to make a decision on how i want to operate moving forward.

as of now i've permanently deleted my scheduled posts on twitter, i won't be posting anything there anymore.

for tumblr, i removed everything from my queue and they're sitting in my drafts, but i may just post the excerpts i like this weekend.

on the whole, i'm taking a big step back from this fandom. i've met a lot of nice people here and made friends, but the loud voices of some of the worst people here just make this an overall unenjoyable experience. for my own mental health, i think it's important to simply cut off the opportunity for people to engage with me directly.

to give some clarity, this is not just about people doubting my posts. i find those to be funny since i have never made it a secret where i get my scripts from, people just seem to be unwilling to read or do research. i actually do have one single image of a script on my phone that the librarian okayed me to photograph. but i forgot about it while making edits and now i simply don't want to post it. (i thought i didn't copy down daemon asking for rhaenyra's hand in episode 4, apparently, i was wrong and just forgot about the picture.)

this is about people calling me awful names, accusing me of pedophilia, because that's everyone's favorite word to use in this fandom, and insulting my friends when i won't respond to them.

it's about people who seem to think i deserve harassment because i put myself out there. it's about people who think i'm just too engaged and need to be more "zen" about fandom and the insults being hurled my way. it's about people who feel entitled to my posts and regularly demand greedily that i post about their favorite character already.

it's also about people cozying up to me one minute and then calling me names the next. it makes it really hard to trust anyone in this fandom, much less want to befriend them. i shouldn't have to get used to people suddenly popping up in my dms trying to befriend me after finding out that i could be a "source" for them, but i did and that's on me.

i said before that if i stopped this project i would expose everyone who was an asshole to me. the hilarious fact is that it would literally be too many screenshots of people acting like the worst type of people. all the things i listed above are from multiple people across multiple platforms. it's not just twitter, or tumblr, or discord, or reddit. it's the fact that these people exist literally in every corner of this fandom that makes me want to pull back completely.

i'll keep contributing in the areas where i enjoy contributing, but i'm done engaging with people who seem to view me as entertainment or a punching bag.

to people who have defended me without knowing me, or have simply just been polite, thanks so much. it really does help even if i don't reply to every kind word.

[captainsophiestark]

For The Team

Ithan Holstrom x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Fandom: Crescent City

Summary: Ithan's new girlfriend is about to experience her first sunball game since she started dating one of the players, but they might have to establish some new traditions first

Word Count: 1,533

Category: Fluff, Humor

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I scanned the crowd anxiously, looking for any sign of my boyfriend. I was hoping to catch him before he went into the locker room, but there were so many people here for the first sunball game of the season that it was impossible to pick him out in the crowd, despite his height.

Something needed to be done about that.

I hopped up on the first rock I found, going onto my tiptoes for the best possible view. I could see better, but there were still so many people I couldn't pick out my boyfriend. I huffed, then decided to change tactics.

I weaved through the crowd of people until I got to the slightly less crowded tunnel to the locker room. Technically, nobody but players were allowed to come down this way, but right now I didn't care.

"Hey!"

I turned, a little worried I'd have to defend my presence to somebody, only to find my beaming boyfriend Ithan Holstrom heading my way.

"You're not allowed to be back here," he teased. I beamed back at him, rushing to close the short distance between us. Ithan wrapped his arms around my waist as soon as I was close enough, pulling me to him and kissing me deeply. I ran my hands through his hair as he moved me back until I gently hit the wall. I could've stayed like that forever, but after a few long moments, he pulled back.

"Sorry. I hate to cut this short, but I kinda need to go get ready for my game."

"I get it," I said, leaning up to kiss him again all the same. I pulled away more quickly than the first time, giving him a bright smile as I did. "For luck."

Ithan laughed, leaning in to rest his forehead against mine. He had an absolutely beaming smile on his face, which made my heart race.

"Are you excited?" I asked. "First game of the season and all?"

"Of course. I always am. But I'm even more excited that you're at this one."

I smiled. Ithan and I had just started dating a few months ago, and we'd met not long before that. This would be my first sunball game as his girlfriend, and I couldn't wait to cheer him on louder than anyone else in the crowd.

"Me too. You're gonna crush the other team."

"Thanks."

We shared a smile, and I let my hand come up to cup his jaw, lightly stroking my thumb across his cheek. He leaned into the touch, but after a few moments, he sighed.

"I need to go." I frowned, and he gave me a forehead kiss before taking a step away. "I do have a little surprise for you though. Stay here, I'll be right back."

I leaned against the wall as he turned and ducked into the locker room, biting my lip and trying not to give in to how giddy Ithan made me feel. As promised, he was back a second later with a bundle of red fabric in one hand. He grinned my favorite million-watt smile as he held it out to me.

"What's this?" I asked, laughing a little as I took it from him. I held it out in front of me and found myself holding Ithan's jersey, the color he wouldn't be wearing today.

"I thought you could wear it," he explained, rubbing at the back of his neck. "For luck."

"Of course I'll wear it! I love it." I beamed at him, then glanced quickly up and down the hallway. We were alone, at least for now, so I wasted no time whipping off my shirt and putting the jersey on in its place. When I looked at my boyfriend again, I saw him staring at me in awe, his mouth hanging slightly open. "You might wanna close your mouth, babe."

Ithan huffed a laugh, meeting my eyes with clear, shining love in his.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I absolutely love you?"

"Actually, yes," I laughed. "But I can always stand to hear it again."

"Well, I absolutely love you. And I'm so sorry, but I really do have to go now. My teammates are already giving me shit for being late when I left the first time."

"I know." I leaned in to give him one last kiss, my chest practically exploding with love for the male in front of me. I pulled back, beaming at him as I started backing down the hallway, towards the stands where our friends would be saving a seat for me. "I'll meet you on the field after your win!"

Ithan huffed a laugh. "I can't wait!"

I winked and blew him a kiss, then turned to finally head off to my seat. I was practically floating on cloud nine as I made my way through my fellow students to a spot in the front row.

"Finally!" My friends laughed as I squeezed in next to them. "What took you so long?"

"I know what took her so long. She was wishing Ithan good luck!"

Heat rose to my face and I looked down, fighting a smile, which was more than enough to confirm my friends' suspicions. They started laughing, teasing me good-naturedly, but thankfully the players took the field before they could really dig in.

The first sunball game of the season had officially begun.

I was fairly new to sunball in general, but that didn't stop me from screaming and cheering like a maniac for every second of the game. Ithan had given me a crash course on the rules when we watched a pro game a few weeks ago, and I picked up more and more as the game went on. I screamed every time we scored, every time we needed to disrupt the focus of the other team, and every time the refs made a bad call (or at least, one we didn't like). By the end of the game, my voice was almost gone, but it had been worth it.

We'd won.

As the last seconds ticked off the clock, I screamed with everything I had left, my voice breaking as I roared with the rest of the crowd. I wasted no time running down out of the bleachers with the rest of my friends in celebration, a whirlwind of people and emotions crashing like a wave onto the grass. The other team sulked off, giving us space to spread out and lose our minds.

I immediately started scanning for Ithan, trying to find him like I had before the game began amidst a now even rowdier crowd. And like last time, he found me, wrapping his arms around me tightly from behind and burying his face in my neck.

I laughed, not needing to turn around to know it was him. He kissed my cheek, then gave me enough space to face him, both of us beaming like fools.

"You won!" I cried, deliriously happy with him. His answering smile was as bright as the sun as he leaned in and kissed me for all he was worth.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling them in his hair and deepening the kiss like we'd done outside the locker room. I heard some wolf whistles and shouts from our friends, but Ithan and I ignored them both. When we finally pulled apart, our eyes never left each other's, bright smiles still on both our faces.

"You're my good luck charm," Ithan declared. I laughed again and shook my head a little.

"What are you talking about?"

"All our scouting reports said we had no shot at winning this game. They destroyed us last season. The only difference today was I had you in the stands."

Warmth bloomed in my chest as I beamed up at my boyfriend.

"Well, I'm happy I could help." I paused, thinking for a minute, then fixed Ithan with a wicked grin. "...Does that mean we have to keep our pre-game ritual the same every time now?"

He matched my grin with one of his own. "Actually yeah, I'm pretty sure it does. It'd be bad luck to change things now, and I don't want to sacrifice the team's season."

"Oh, of course not. I need to make out with you in the locker room tunnel before every game from now on. For the sake of the team."

"For the sake of the team."

Ithan and I shared a smirk before his teammates and the rest of our friends got sick of letting us have our moment, instead pounding Ithan on the back in congratulations and shouting with the rest of us. My boyfriend just wrapped an arm around my waist and held me close as we let ourselves get swept up in the excitement of the rest of the crowd.

As we finally headed off the field together almost half an hour later, most of us headed for an immediate celebration party, Ithan leaned in and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, and no one else.

"So what's the final verdict on your first real sunball game?"

"I loved it. I'm now fully obsessed." I paused, turning to meet his eyes and give him a mischievous grin. "And I can't wait for the next game."

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989

[joedirtymadre]

Cocky - Part 1

SABO X READY! FLUFF! (PLEASE SEND REQUESTS!)

You were practicing Fish-man Karate with Hack. You were lucky enough to learn, as Hack wasn’t too sure if you would get the hang of it. “I don’t know why you didn’t choose to learn the Dragon Claw Fist,” Sabo sighed as he watched you two.

“It looks interesting, plus your fighting style doesn’t really suit me,” you explained. “Ah…” Sabo sulked. “Oh come on, we all know you just want some alone time with (Y/N)~” Koala cooed. “H-Huh!?” Sabo asked. “Why else would you beg her to learn the Dragon Claw Fist,” she laughed. “Cause it’s a good technique!” He defended. “Sure~ Sure~” Koala shrugged, as she walked away.

“Well that’s enough for today,” Hack said. “Alright, thank you again for teaching me Hack,” you smiled. “If I were you I’d go pay some attention to your pal over there,” Hack said softly as he patted my shoulder. “Huh?” You questioned and looked over to a bummed Sabo. You rolled your eyes and walked over.

You took a seat next to him, “Hi Sabo,” you smiled. “Hi (Y/N)…” he said softly. “So what’s that one move you do? Where your hand looks like a scary dragon’s claw,” you asked as you shaped your hand like a claw. “You really wanna know?” He asked, with sparkling eyes. “Yeah,” you laughed. “Well it’s like this,” he said as he carefully grabbed your hand and fixed the form.

You looked up and realized how close he was… “So then you keep your hand like this. Hey, are you listenin-“ Sabo cut himself off as he looked up and realized how close he was. He immediately backed away, his face turning into a tomato. “S-Sorry! Didn’t realize how close I got…” he stumbled. “It’s f-fine…” you said as you felt your cheeks heat up.

It’s not like you’ve never thought Sabo was handsome, but you never really considered any relationships once you’ve joined the revolutionary army. But now… you’re feeling your heart race a little. “Hey (Y/N)? (Y/N)!” He said as he waved a hand in front of your face. You were snapped out of your thoughts, “O-Oh, sorry about that. I was just thinking of something,” you explained.

“Were you thinking about how handsome I am?” Sabo said, cockily. “In your dreams,” you rolled your eyes and stood up. “Hey! Where are you going?” He asked as he followed you. “To grab something to eat, wanna join me?” You asked as you turned around. “Ooh! Asking me on a date now, are we?” Sabo asked, raising one of his brows. “Nevermind…” you sighed. “No! No, I’ll come,” he said as he ran after you.

You smiled as he reached you. You looked over secretly and watched how cool he was trying to look. He had his hands in his pockets and his head held high. “See something you like?” He asked, as he looked over to you. “Just noticed how you're about to trip over a rock,” you pointed out. “A ro-!” He cut himself off as he did trip over a medium sized rock. You walked over and knelt down beside him. “I told you, should’ve listened to me,” you giggled as you noticed his face turn red from embarrassment.

“Awe, are you blushing? Must be because I’m here,” you said, deciding to join in on the jokes. “You’re right,” he said smoothly, making you disheveled. “H-Huh?” You stuttered, as you felt your cheeks heat up again. He slowly sat up and faced you, “You’re right, I can’t keep my cool around you,” he frowned. “Haha, nice jok-“ he interrupted you. “I’m not kidding, whenever you’re around I don’t act like myself…” he said slowly.

“Y-You’re just messing with me…” you blushed. “I’m not,” Sabo said as he carefully, but quickly grabbed my hand. You felt your face explode, “Look who’s blushing now, probably cause I’m here, right?” he smirked. “So you are messing with me!” You huffed as you used your free hand to smack his head. “Ow!” He said. You quickly stood up and marched off to the cafeteria. “Wait! (Y/N)!” You heard Sabo call out, but you were too steamed up and a little embarrassed. So you continued your stomping to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. “Stupid Sabo, and his stupid cute face,” you muttered.

Sabo’s POV

“(Y/NNN)…” I whined as I watched her stomp away. “You messed up, huh?” Koala asked, popping out of nowhere. “Yeah…” I said, tearfully. “Idiot,” Koala sighed. “Yeah, I know…” I pouted. “But I’ll get her one day, she’ll eventually fall for me,” I said, quickly regaining composure. “That cocky attitude is what made you mess up in the first place,” Koala pointed out. “What can I say, it’s part of my charm,” I smirked and headed off to find (Y/N).

[ordinaryschmuck]

Full Family AU Part 36

"...Excuse me?" Camila's annoyance was quick to return after such an insane request.

"I mean, your couch looks comfy," Eda said. "A bit lumpy, but preferable to that shack in the woods."

"Are you...homeless?" Manny asked next.

"Oh, heck no! I've got a home, just not in, er, your neighborhood. Where me and King came from is under a lot of stress at the moment so we're laying low, hiding out in your realm for the time being."

"Why would you need to lay low?"

"Well..." Eda then dug into her hair and pulled out a wanted poster of herself with her hand aflame. "I'm sort of...wanted. From the law."

"...Oh. Okay." Camila pointed to the door. "Get out."

"Here me out--"

"I am not letting some...some witch criminal live under my roof!"

"I didn't break any major laws!" Eda defended, putting the wanted poster back in her hair. "Just the dumb ones. I didn't join a coven when I graduated magic school, I own a stand without a permit, I have a hocus without a pocus--"

"I don't care how illegal your activities are!" Camila exclaimed. "They're still illegal and I don't want that anywhere near my kids!"

"Speaking of kids, hot dang those daughter of yours are heavy sleepers," Eda noted, looking at the miraculously sleeping Luz and Vee. Even King was surprisingly still asleep. "You've been raising your voice this whole time and they haven't so much as peeped an eye open."

"I know, right--Don't change the subject!" Camila snapped. "You're a criminal!"

"I prefer outlaw."

"That's not better!"

"It at least sounds cooler."

"YOU--!"

"Camila." Manny puts his hands on Camila's shoulders, trying to relax her with a little massage. "Can I speak with you for a second."

Camila growled at Eda once more before relenting to Manny, letting him walk her a few steps away from the wild witch. "You better not try and talk me into hearing her out," Camila whispered.

"I know it might be insane," Manny whispered back, "but it's at least worth considering."

"No, it isn't."

"As far as we know, she comes from the same world Vee does. She might have answers to so many questions that Vee's unable to give. It wouldn't hurt to make nice with someone like that."

"She's a criminal."

"Because she broke laws that don't seem too bad."

"Still a criminal."

"At least she's not dangerous."

"Dangerous or not, she's still a criminal."

"Excuse me," Eda said, interrupting Camila and Manny's little conversation. "Couldn't help but overhear, mainly because you're both some pretty loud whisperers, but is it at least worth considering that I came clean about being wanted? Because the way I see it, I had two options: I could either lie about who I am and cause ya to overreact when the truth somehow came out--'Cause it always does--or I could just put all the cards out on the table and explain myself."

"Well, you're not doing a good job at explaining yourself," Camila said with a scowl.

"Actually, I'd say I'm doing a perfect job. I already told you that the laws I broke weren't anything major. They were just little things that never actually hurt anybody. Well, aside from the coven guards, but trust me when I say that those chumps had it coming."

"So you assaulted your world's version of the authorities."

"Authorities that will either put you in a box that you don't want to be in or petrify you for refusing even that."

"Petrify?" Manny curiously asked.

"Turn you to stone," Eda briefly explained. "It's permanent and ain't exactly pretty."

"That's...awful," Manny voiced sympathetically, to which Eda shrugged.

"It's nothing that'll happen to me, I'll tell you that much. Not as long as I can avoid being caught. Hence me staying in the human realm for a bit and me asking if it's cool if I crash on the couch." Eda focussed on Camila again, who seemed to lessen her frustration a bit, but not enough to relent completely. "What say you, Tiny?"

"Call me that again, and you'll lose more than your head," Camila sternly replied.

"Got it. Sorry."

"And...I'd feel bad under any other circumstance, but something about having a known criminal, even if the laws she broke aren't too awful, is just...too much. For me."

"Oh, for--It's not forever," Eda said, her annoyance showing. "Just for the night. Maybe two. Honestly, I'm only here because my current security system for my house is out sick and needs to 'recooperate.' Don't bother asking me what that means, because I do not want to know. I've learned not to ask him things."

Camila and Manny shared a curious look with each other, not even sure how to tackle that.

"Okay, how about just for tonight, then?" Eda suggested. "Me and my boy just need one break from sleeping in that shack. Can you at least give us that? We'll be out of your hair by morning and you'll never have to see us again. I mean, would you really let that precious little guy out in the cold for that much longer...?"

Eda gestured over to King, still sleeping soundly. Camila narrowed her eyes at him, finally noticing something she was amazed not to have noticed earlier.

"Wait...That's the dog you brought in," she stated.

"Ah, right, you still want payment." Eda started digging in her hair again. "Hang on, let me just--"

"No--I mean, yes. I do want my money. But I want to know is how did you make him look...not like that in the vet?"

"Oh, that?" Eda then blew a raspberry as she waved her hand. "That's nothing more than a simple illusion spell. Any witch with a starter's knowledge of illusion magic could do the same thing."

"You can make fake things seem super real?"

"Up to a point. Can't really make anything tangible. Only real enough where you think you can touch it."

Camila then glanced over to Vee, snoring softly without a worry in the world. Camila looked back at Eda, an idea forming as her worries appeared to have an exit.

"...Do you think you know how to make something like that...permanent?"

[spreadingawarenessandlove]

FUCK ALL THE PEOPLE BASICALLY DEFENDING WILLIAM GOLD (WILBUR SOOT) BY SAYING HE'S AUTISTIC.

(starting notes: this is most likely going to be very much rambling and jumping from one thing to another. I am just very upset about the situation and what some people are saying about it and needed to clear my head.)

I, myself am autistic and ADHD and regardless of whether you realize it or not, you are stereotyping autistic people by basically saying that they don't know when to stop when asked and can't understand boundaries. Well!! spoiler alert!!! WE DO UNDERSTAND BOUNDARIES. AND IF SOMEONE ASKS US TO STOP IF WE'RE HURTING THEM/MAKING THEM UNCOMFORTABLE? WE WILL!!! WHY??? BECAUSE IT'S BASIC HUMAN DECANCY.

Autistic people are people too. With feelings, emotions, opinions, and boundaries. Just like every other human being on this planet. We are human, just with a more different mindset than most. And most Autistic people try their best to respect people's boundaries and to listen to people when they say no or to stop. If William Gold really is autistic and has a known habit of biting, he could have easily gone on Amazon and gotten a chewing necklace to help with the habit. They're like $5-11 and they almost always come in packs of 3-5 or more. I've had several throughout my life, and they really do help with said habit. So he has NO reason and NO excuse to be biting someone else instead. ESPECIALLY TO THE POINT THE PERSON IS SCREAMING AT THEM AND USING A SAFE WORD TO STOP.

And you people have to keep in mind that the biting isn't the only awful thing he's done to Shelby. He has physically abused her. He had pinned her down and had told her to try her hardest to get him off with full knowledge that she has been $e×ually assaulted before and then said something along the lines of that, he was so much stronger than her and that "she wouldn't be able to fight back". Had likely loved bombed her at the beginning of the relationship to make her stay(which, if you didn't know is a big red flag). Threw away almost all of her things after they broke up without even telling her. Manipulated her and gaslighted her (saying he wanted kids/marriage and then further into the relationship telling her he never wanted that & never said that) plus A LOT more.

Long story short:

-The autistic excuse is a load of fucking bullshit.

-PLEASE do some research about Neurodivergent people before you say anything relating to them online.

-While you're at it, research different kinds of abuse and manipulative behavior because you obviously don't understand that THIS? BITING someone to the point it HURTS AND THEY ARE SCREAMING? IS VERY CLEARLY ABUSE.

-Stop defending someone who already owned up to it (in the most shittiest and self-centered way possible, making it all about himself and also not even mentioning her NAME ONCE).

-Get off whatever social media platform you're on and either go play a game, go outside, read a book, or go to sleep if its late.

-And Always Support The Victim. NEVER The Fucking Abuser.

___________________________________________

(Final notes: I seriously recommend that you watch Shelby's VOD of you haven't and read these websites start to finish. You'll find a lot that relates back to William's behavior. Both inside and outside this relationship.

Shelby Shubble VOD

After reading them, I still recommend that you do more research about the topics I brought up. It could save your life one day.)

[crabcollectorskykid]

May i request some neteyam x male reader fluff? Maybe just both of them floating around on an ilu watching sunset? I'm honestly so thankful because all i've seen avatar x readers are usually fems, so thank you for that! ^^

-🐟

Neteyam x M!reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: none, except for an oblivious neteyam

Pronouns: he/him

Summary: (___) and neteyam watched the sunset together when (___) decided to confess his feelings

A/n: heyy, sorry it took a while. There might be some grammar mistakes, sorry for that

Neteyam tries to peek through his blindfold but was met with a slap on his wrist "Ow!" He exclaimed, rubbing his wrist.

"No peeking." (___) said, neteyam groaned and held (___)'s waist tighter "fine but are we atleast there yet?" Neteyam asked, (___) hummed "mhm, be patient" he said and giggled a bit. Soon after they stopped moving.

"Alright, you can take off your blindfold now." He said, after he said that neteyam took off his blindfold and was met with a beautiful view of the sunset "wow.." (___) chuckled at the sight of neteyam in awe. (___) can't help but stare at neteyam, he tooled notice of this a raised his none existent eyebrow "what? Is there something on my face?" He questioned, (___) shooked his head and said "the sunset matches the color of your eyes and you look really cute." unexpectedly making neteyam's face turn purple and giggled "jeez, you always have a way to suprise me do you" he said trying to hide his face using his hands. Both of them continued to watch the sun set when neteyam decided to ask something "why did you take me here?"

"This is the spot I always go to see the sunset and the sunrise, I wanted to share this moment with you...and I want to ask you something" (___) hesitated to say it but neteyam encourages him to continue "what's the question?" He asked.

(___) sighed and gained confidence, "Neteyam, for the past few months I've had this weird feeling in my stomach whenever you're near me or when you try to talk to me. You always fluster me with little to no effort without you noticing, and it's honestly cute" he said, neteyam turns purple because of the blood going up to his face because of how flustered he is but he is still confused on what (___) wanted to tell him, (___) took noticed of this and pinched the bridge of his nose because of neteyam's obliviousness.

"Seriously you don't know what I'm trying to say-Neteyam I'm inlove with you." (___) spilled the beans and neteyam was shocked from the confession, he didn't even noticed that he was staring (___) too long without answering "helloooo? Yam-yam, don't leave me hanging without an answer you're making me worried" Neteyam finally snapped out of his trance and blushed from the nickname (___) gave him "I like you too! But I was too scared to tell you because I thought you only saw me as a friend" Neteyam said, "Yam-yam, I literally gave you multiple hints that I like you. I gave you a kiss on the cheek before." (___) said with disbelief from neteyam's obliviousness.

"I-I thought that was a friendly kiss on the cheek!" Neteyam defended "Neteyam, who would kiss their friends and then consider it only as a friendly kiss." (___) and neteyam was playfully arguing about his obliviousness not noticing their group of friends spying on them.

"About damn time he confessed, I was about to spill the beans myself" lo'ak said, Tsiyera & kiri giggling at the statement. "...Lo'ak if your brother ever breaks my brother's heart I will rip you guys into pieces" Aonung threatened even though he didn't like the idea of the sully kids dating his brother, he accepted it since it made his brother happy. "The same goes for yours" Lo'ak replied.

[jewish-vents]

i have a “friend” in my school who is very pro-hamas, and the things they have said after october have made me feel awful for existing as a jew, even more so as one who is tentatively identifying as a zionist.

i get so scared to mention basically anything relating to jewish people in front of them, even if it has nothing to do with israel, the war, or zionism. i said something once about learning hebrew once and they ranted about how hebrew “stole” its words and letters from arab people? and i didn’t know what to say, or how to refute that, and i honestly just didn’t want to start a big fight and get people mad at me for being a “evil zionist” so i shut up and agreed. i feel so stupid and like i can’t even stick up for myself at all.

i guess i feel like i don’t know enough to properly argue back and defend myself. which is kinda silly because this friend can spew garbage for hours about israelis and jews and the war without actually knowing much about it.

i know that if i do call them out on it it will ruin whatever friendship we do have. which maybe i shouldn’t care, but i do. and they are just going to take it as more people trying to silence them for saying “the truth” despite not a single person actually having silenced them. i’m also worried about them telling people in the school and misrepresenting my words, and being shunned as a racist zionist.

i’m so tired.

.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for how i broke up with my boyfriend?

(hopefully this all fits in one ask…)

so i was dating this person, we'll call him Z, and while i had strong feelings for him in the beginning of the relationship, they faded kind of fast (i'm on the aromantic spectrum (and he knows this so this kind of thing happens a lot when i'm in a relationship). i felt kind of bad about being in a relationship where i didn't really have feelings for the other person anymore but i didn't know what to do, and i've broken up with almost all of my partners because of this issue so i felt like i was a failure for having to break up with another one.

instead of breaking up with him, i sort of tried to respond a little less, be a little less affectionate, not to an extreme amount and i was still responding to him often but i was hoping the dip in sweet responses would get him to break up with me. he didn't.

a month or two went by and i decided i needed to just bite the bullet and break up with him - i thought he would just accept it and saw me as a bad partner but apparently he didn't, and he kept trying to say we shouldn't break up. i told him i thought i was a bad partner and i knew i couldn't give him the love that he deserved (which was true, i couldn't, because i didn't love him like that) and that he deserved better (he did). i didn't want to admit that i had lost feelings and wasn't in love with him anymore, because i thought that would upset him further (i’ve seen many breakups where people admit they don’t love the other person and it always seems to make things worse). it took a while of back and forthing before he finally accepted the break up. we agreed to still be friends, but since the breakup we haven't really spoken, though we still follow each other - or at least we did for a while (you'll see why i say that)

pretty much immediately after i broke up with him, one of his best friends, we'll call them T, texted me, super pissed off that i broke up with him. i didn't really talk to T much because (while i understand why Z wanted to vent to a friend about it) it wasn't really their business why i did what i did and i wasn't concerned about defending myself to somebody i didn't even really know. however, right after yelling at me for breaking up with Z, T told me they hope i die, which while i don't really see as that dramatic or serious of a threat (and they admitted they just said it to get their anger at me out), it still hurt me a lot, since even though the break up didn't go smoothly, i can't control my feelings for Z, as again i am aromantic (spec), and it made me feel like a horrible person for something i didn't choose. (and they were specifically mad at me for breaking up with them in the first place, not for how the break up was handled). i feel like maybe if i had explained that id lost feelings they would have responded differently, but again i thought this would hurt Z worse, so i don't know if that's my fault or not.

however, we still followed each other, even after the interaction with T, and this is not the only time they lashed out at me. months after the breakup, i made a silly post like "who wants to date for fun" or something, which i didn't really think anything of, until Z vagueposted about it, seemingly getting really upset, and T sent me an anonymous message telling me to kill myself. i know for certain it was T and that the vaguepost was about me.

not only that, but even more months later, i had a really awful day because somebody stole $500 from my sister, who needed it for rent. i didn't post about the situation, but i vented about "having the worst day ever", and Z immediately posted about me, saying that he was laughing at my vent post. i was so beyond upset that i immediately unfollowed him (however, he still followed me at the time - i didnt block him just because i dont care enough tbh, i just never wanted to see him vaguepost me negatively again.)

Z and T were almost always completely kind to me (from what i can remember) before the breakup, so i'm wondering if it's all my fault or if their reaction was out of proportion. i know the way i went about the relationship sucked, so i'm honestly expecting at least a YTA if not ESH but i thought i'd send anyway just to see other peoples unbiased thoughts, since all i have is my friends opinions, who obviously only tell me that i was in the right (i dont know if i believe them).

What are these acronyms?

[your-averagewriter]

"I would treat you better than him."

Summary: Aonung doesn't treat (y/n) well and Neteyam won't stand for it any longer. (Neteyam x reader with slight Aonung x reader).

Word count: 1.6K

Warnings: bullying, shouting, manipulation, fighting, kissing, making out?

-

"I'm sorry, Aonung." I try, timidly. 

"Sorry isn't good enough (y/n)!" He shouts at me and I look around checking if there are people nearby. If people see him shouting at me then he'll get even angrier with me but I don't see anyone as we're tucked away in a secluded part of the beach, concealed by rocks.

"I'm sorry." I say again, tears brimming my eyes. "I won't do it again." I say pulling my arms close to my chest in case I have to defend myself. I've never had to before but he's unpredictable in this state.

He takes a couple of breaths with his hand on his forehead. 

"Just go," He says, relenting. "I'll see you later." He says as a question but I know it's not really voluntary so I just nod hoping to get it over with.

I scurry away and get ready to meet up with the Sully's, we're going to the Tree of Souls. One of the most beautiful places on Pandora, and even to this day I live in awe of it. Everyone's coming except for Kiri who said this morning that she was feeling a bit ill and was going to stay back today. That includes Aonung and his friend or maybe multiple, I don't remember.

Once I'm done and mentally ready after the jarring event earlier I head out to meet with Lo'ak and Neteyam.

I walk up to them, greeting them with a smile and a wave.

"Hey, guys." I say as they saddle up their ilus.

"Hey, (y/n)." Lo'ak replies.

"Hey." Neteyam says and he sounds a bit off but I decide not to question it, especially in front of a group of people.

Joining them, I saddle up my ilu and we await the others to turn up. They do quite quickly and as soon as Aonung turns up he wraps his arm around me and places a kiss on my head.

There seem to be two sides to Aonung, the nice side and then the not-so-nice side. 

When Aonung places a kiss on my head I don't miss how Neteyam's jaw clenches and his eyes seem to turn cold but it's too late to question it.

We start swimming and I can't help but smile seeing all of the beautiful creatures and nature surrounding us. 

Soon we get near the Tree of Souls. The entrance is surrounded by bizarrely shaped rocks forming arcs which can only be explained as awe-inspiring.

We bring the ilu above water and slowly drift towards it making sure that the newcomers get the full first-time experience. 

I smile, watching their faces gazing at the beautiful scenery, it is truly incredible.

Eventually, once we're close enough, Tsireya says for everyone to dismount so that the Sully's can connect to the Tree of Souls for the first time.

We slide off of the ilus and dive into the water, swimming towards the Tree of Souls. Aonung keeps me by him, swimming next to me but I can't help but feel Neteyam's eyes on me. I glance over at him and kind of catch him looking at me but he doesn't look away, he's seemingly glaring at Aonung?

They connect their queues to the trees and the experience seems to be overwhelmingly positive and wholesome which is good, there are occasionally some negative responses from those who have lost loved ones and such.

I swim over to the Neteyam and Lo'ak wanting to see how it went. Aonung tried to swim after me but I calmly place a hand on his chest and a kiss on his cheek, signaling for him to stay with a soft smile before I swim over.

I tap Neteyam on the shoulder as I reach the surface. Both the boys turn around.

"How was it?" I ask them with a smile.

"So cool!" Lo'ak says still excited only making me smile more.

"Neteyam?" I ask and he looks like I've just pulled him from a day dream or something.

"What?" He asks a little shaken.

"I asked how it was? The Tree of Souls?"

"Oh, yeah it was cool." He says with a forced smile and I decide to move on.

After a little while we all head back, not wanting to be back later than told. Once we get back we all split up again and head to our respective pods.

Bouncing along the Marui I make my way towards my pod. My pod is one of the furthest from the centre, however it is closest to the sea which is a positive.

"(y/n)." I hear a quiet voice say my name from around the corner. I turn to look and walk around to be met with two glowing yellow eyes in the dark. I squint and see that's it's Neteyam. Walking towards him, I feel confusion overwhelm me, why is he here? Did he need something? Did I forget something?

"Neteyam?" I ask the figure mostly covered by shadow. "What are you doing?" I ask, curiously.

"I need to talk to you." He says, moving to stand in the light. I stay quiet urging him to continue. "Can we go somewhere quieter?" He says looking around at the families eating their meals. I nod and follow him to the beach, a quiet part, though not the same as where Aonung takes me.

"So?" I ask, trying to not sound impatient but I properly come off like that. "Sorry." I say quietly and he looks confused. "I didn't mean to sound impatient," I say quietly even though no one could hear us even if we were shouting. I know he's not like Aonung, he won't shout at me but I still have that little voice in the back of my mind telling me he will.

"(y/n)," He says and my ears perk up.

"Yeah?" I reply.

"I'm not going to shout at you…" He says, the corners of his lips downturned.

"I know." I say and try a smile.

"He's not good for you." He says after a pause, out of the blue.

"Who?" I ask, genuinely confused.

"Aonung, he's not good for you." He repeats. "I've seen him shouting at you. He's not a good person and he doesn't treat you well." He says and I can sense him becoming angry.

"You just don't know him." I dismiss.

"I don't need to know him to know that he doesn't treat you right."

"He treats me how I deserve, sometimes I just- I do things that annoy him or things I shouldn't. It's my fault when he shouts at me."

"Did he tell you that?" He asks, mixture of surprise, sadness and anger in his voice.

"It doesn't matter whether he told me that-" 

"Of course it does! He's manipulated you into thinking that it's your fault." He shouts and it's the first time I've ever heard him shout. He takes a deep breath and places both his hands on my shoulders. "(y/n), he doesn't treat you well." He says slowly and again I feel myself tearing up.

"Well what am I meant to do?" I ask getting tearful. "Break up with him?" I ask.

"Yes!" He says like it's obvious.

"No one else would want me! No one else would have me!" I say, now in tears.

"Did he tell you that?" He asks, ears pricking up in anger.

"Yes, he made it very clear," I say in a spiteful tone. "No one would treat me any better!" I shout and it goes silent. After a few seconds, Neteyam speaks again.

"I would." He says and stares right into my eyes sending a shock down my spine.

"W-what?" I stutter out.

"I would treat you better than him." He repeats.

"Why?" I ask, my tears not stopping but slowing.

"Because you're beautiful, intelligent and you can do no wrong." He says with his full chest. "He shouldn't treat you like that and I refuse to watch him do so any longer. Now, you don't have to go with me, you don't even have to entertain the idea, but I refuse to watch him treat you like shit any longer."

I stand frozen for a moment, replaying the conversation in my head again and again.

"I care about you, Neteyam," I say quietly and I watch as his ears and tail droop, anticipating a letdown. "That's why I'm about to do this," I say taking a quick breath before placing a soft kiss against his lips. I pull back before he reciprocates. "I think you're beautiful as well," I say quietly, impressed with my sudden burst of confidence.

His yellow eyes stare into my blue ones and soon his lips are back on mine. His hands slowly make their way to my face, he cradles it like I'm a delicate flower which is a refreshing feeling.

His lips work slowly against mine as my hands move to his nape, I run them through his braided hair relishing the feeling of our bodies close to each other. The waves lap against the beach in the background as Neteyam's freckles glow, piercing through the darkness.

I pull back away from him and he looks into my eyes slightly confused. I slowly pull his hands down from my face and place them around my neck as I lean in towards his face. I kiss each of his freckles, softly and I try to get them all as he starts chuckling.

"What are you doing?" He asks. "Are you trying to kiss all of my face?" He asks chuckling, the kisses tickling.

"I'm kissing your freckles. They're pretty." I say with a smile which stops him from chuckling. He just looks into my eyes.

"How did Aonung get someone as sweet as you?" He questions to no one in particular, pressing a kiss to one of my wrists as I hold his face in place.

-

AN: I'm sorry that Aonung isn't that accurate to his character, I just needed someone relevant to the plot to play the bad boyfriend character.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

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