#and upon me going 'hey could we do without you talking about yours and dad's sex life pleeeease'

[bloodwards]

when your mom walks into the room and just randomly launches into like a 20 minute monologue

[mind-intheclouds342]

A new ladder - Reader x Curly

Previous - Part 4 - Next

"I really hope Lin doesn't come to check on you, she'll kill me."

You said, sighing and gently applying cream to Curly's face, neck, and collarbone, as it was red from sun exposure after you had fallen asleep in the meadow until a light drizzle woke you up to return to the house. 

Curly: "I don't think so... She'll understand."

"Pfft, yeah right, I'm going to be horribly scolded by her if she finds out, she was always strict with me." 

Curly: "It seems like we're not talking about the same person."

"Of course we don't, you talk about the one who was your fiancée, I talk about my older sister."

Those words lingered in his mind, unwilling to understand that the woman he had met could be so different with him than with her own family. 

Curly: "...How have she been?"

"Mm... She has two children, Mike and Agatha, aged 20 and 15, they are good kids, she is married to Jake, he isn't home much because of his job, but he earns well, they all seem to be happy. Mike left home at 15 anyway, but he keep in contact" 

It certainly hit him hard to know the age of the eldest son, thinking there was an extraordinary chance.

Curly: "Let's say... Mike, how does it look?"

It piqued your curiosity when he asked that, until you put the pieces together. 

"Mike isn't yours, don't worry, he's an exact copy of Jake, even with the same allergies. Trust me"

Curly: "Then I should have been in cryostasis a bit longer... Isn't that right?"

"Didn't those capsules only last 20 years? They found you before the energy ran out."

Curly: "Maybe there was a miscalculation-"

"Lin said you had 2 months left in that capsule, if they found you later you would be dead." 

Curly: "Maybe someone-!"

You were startled when he suddenly approached you, you could see the nerves and desperation in his eye, along with his agitated breathing.

Curly: "If the boy is 20... That means she..."

"...I'm very sorry that... The person you thought you knew wasn't really as perfect as you thought..." 

You shrugged, looking at the ground, not knowing how to console him upon learning that his fiancée, while he was doing his delivery job, had been cheating on him with someone else, with whom she later married after he didn't return. 

In that instant, Curly realized something: all the effort, everything he had achieved, the ladder that had cost him so much to climb to the top, simply crumbled in a second.

You heard him start to laugh, or maybe sob, it was a strange mix of sounds he was producing. 

Curly: "I have nothing left... I can start over-"

"Okay, you're scaring me— I don't know if you're happy or sad—" 

Curly: "I don't know either!" he said, letting out a laugh. 

"I'll go get your pills and water." 

You got up from your seat to go get that, but you stopped when you heard someone knock on the door. 

You sighed, running your hand over your face. 

"It's like she have an alarm and it knows when I do something..." 

You knew very well that he was waiting behind the door, so you went to open it trying to put on your best face. 

Mike: "Hey, aunty" 

What a surprise you got when you saw your nephew with his mother; the boy took a step forward to give you a hug, which you reciprocated. 

"What are you doing here?"

Mike: "Mom told me you were back in town, so I came to see you, can I come in?"

Linda: "Come on, remember there's someone else here, I have to talk to (Y/n)"

The boy rolled his eyes without looking at his mother, as if to say "I didn't ask you" while he walked into the house. 

Linda: "I hope you're not doing the same thing Dad used to do and giving him his pills with chocolate."

You crossed your arms, looking at her in silence, you weren't going to admit that you almost did it once, but then you retracted and you gave him all his medications with a glass of water and maybe a candy if it felt too bitter in his mouth. 

Linda: "Of course," she ran her hand over her face, "You love giving people placebos, you always do the same thing."

"Just so you know, that's how your children learned to swallow pills without fear." 

Linda: "Don't you think what you're doing is horrible? The medications are wasted in your hands."

"I'm not stupid! I haven't done that in years! Stop treating me like a child!"

Linda: "Stop acting like one then!" 

She took you by the arm to pull you outside so you could continue arguing, closing the door so nothing could be heard from inside. 

Curly: "...I had never heard her scream..."

He mentioned sitting in the dining room with the boy in front of him. 

Mike: "That's how she is, she has a nice personality with people outside, but when it comes to family, she scolds you a lot." 

They both stared at each other for a moment, until the boy rested his face in his hand, smiling at him.

Mike: "So you are the famous Curly, it's a pleasure to meet you." 

Curly: "You must be Mike"

Mike: "The same, my mom used to tell me about you, saying that I was your son, that was a great story until I started having suspicions, and at 15 I found out I was the biological son of the man she is married to."

Curly: "Why would she lie about something like that?"

Mike: "Why? So they don't think she was slut, that she got married because she got pregnant, she lied to everyone saying it was your baby, and they believed her. When I was born and you didn't come back, then she could do and say whatever she wanted." 

The man fell silent, thinking about what kind of person he was going to marry, and how he couldn't see through her and notice her deceit. 

Curly: "I was... Used to seeing the image in general..." 

Mike: "At least you got saved, and I'm glad my aunt is taking care of you, she's great, right?" 

Curly: "She is... extravagant, to say the least." 

Both were startled when they heard the door slam open.

Linda: "Mike! We should leave now, darling." 

"Get out of here already! Don't even think about coming back!"

The difference in voices was very striking, one so calm and the other so agitated.

The boy said goodbye to Curly by waving his hand side to side and got up to leave with his mother, despite not liking the idea. 

Once again, the door slammed shut, and a muffled scream was heard; you had taken a pillow from the couch to scream into it and not make too much noise. 

Curly sat there, not knowing what to do or say about it, until he heard footsteps approaching the kitchen, leaving a glass of water and the pills for that schedule. 

You were standing next to him, your head turned in another direction, wanting to leave but knowing he couldn't take the pills on his own. 

You sighed, taking a seat and helping him take the pills. Then he could see it, the red mark on your cheek. 

"You just need to continue with some medications for a couple more months and then you won't have to keep taking all these horrible things." 

Curly: "When I am self-sufficient... What will happen?"

"I guess I'll leave," you shrugged. 

Curly; "Oh"

It was the only thing he said, he wanted to say many more things but, he couldn't, so he just decided to accept the solitary fate that sheltered him. 

[songmingisthighs]

Wanbelyn

introduction pt. i | pt. ii | pt. iii

<< previous | m.list | next >>

ch. lvii - basic

neurosurgeon!hongjoong × reader

buy me coffee ?

where love and peace is held, i never expected for this to happen. i planned and i planned, i expected, and i hoped, but it was never you. you held what i wanted hostage to make room for you, the thing that i needed but has no means of acceptance. deny me, live your best life.

"For fuck's sake," Hongjoong grumbled, huffing as he stood from his sitting position on the carpet, leaving Kijoong with his toys and Happy Tree Friends on. Hongjoong doesn't like him watching that but after the little misadventure Kijoong had, he figured he'd relent this once. After all, the disturbing cartoon was nothing compared to the incessant rap of knocks on his front door.

Before Hongjoong could get close, the door swung open and he almost jumped back in shock. It was not (just) because of the abruptness and booming sound, but it was also because he was met with the sight of you rushing in. His brain had barely processed the sight when you took off your shoes and pushed past him, barely sparing him a glance.

"Hey! Excuse me?" Hongjoong called out, his body moving in automation, trying to grab you to talk to you. But as his fingers graze the skin of your arm, you slapped his hand away and pointed a finger to his face (not the finger you preferred but it was fine), "Don't you even fucking start with me, Kim Hongjoong, I'll deal with you later because I have someone more important to tend to," you said, turning back to go to Kijoong. "Oh so NOW you crap on me to my face?" Hongjoong tried talking again but you didn't even bother to look back, "Bite me, asshole," you spat, surprising Hongjoong.

Hearing the commotion, Kijoong snapped his head to the sight and immediately dropped the toys in his hands when he saw you. "(y/n)!" He screeched before his bottom lip quivered and eyes water, his eyebrows furrowed and upon being pulled into your arms, he wailed loudly. It was obvious that Kijoong missed you dearly because he was holding onto your shirt and wrapped hid legs around your waist so tightly.

"Why 'y gone?" He cried out, hiccupping so pathetically that his face turned red.

You were no better.

At the sight of your little boy crying, your eyes watered and you couldn't help but feel your chest clench, in pain seeing him in such a state. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," you pulled him back slightly but only managed to have his face pushed off of you, chuckling tearily as you pushed his hair back, "I'm so sorry for leaving you, buddy, I should have told you I went to see my dad," you apologized profusely but Kijoong kept crying and crying. "I-I-I look, I went and look," he said through sobs but you were able to understand what he was saying. "Yes, I know, I heard you went to look for me and you met my friend, huh?" You tried smiling but still, tears wet your cheeks as the feeling of longing and relief wash over you, "We need to talk about you running away without telling anyone but I am so so so so proud that you were not willing to just go with anyone even though they said that they were my friend," you pecked his forehead and cheeks multiple times which did not calm Kijoong down. You tried putting him back down on the floor but he let out a squeal of disapproval and instead buried his face on your shoulder. You had to calm him down and told him that you were not going to leave him again as you settle to sit on the carpet with the couch supporting your back and a koala strapped to your chest.

Neither you nor Kijoong realized that Hongjoong was watching the two of you closely yet from a distance. His heart hurt seeing his own son missing someone so bad that he just combusted into a teary mess and really, as if he hadn't blamed himself enough.

As much as he wanted to confront you and ask where you were, he knew he was in no position to do that, not when you and Kijoong were basking in each other, letting go of the longing and negative feelings. There was a twinge of jealousy in Hongjoong's chest but he was not about to admit that nor let it show. No matter how much he wanted to approach you and tell you how annoyed he was that you left without saying anything, how you two could've avoided the things that transpired in between so easily, but also how glad he was that you were okay, he simply couldn't let himself be selfish.

With a heavy heart and even heavier steps, Hongjoong quietly retreated to his room, sitting on his bed with his feelings and his heart beating in his palms heavily. He let his bedroom door open to allow the happy voices outside to fill the void of his room. But really, he was allowing himself to feel like he was a part of what was going on outside though he was alone. Due to his own action, yet again.

And it was bitter.

It made him bitter.

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[enemiestolovershoe]

Beneath the Bruises

JJ Maybank x fem!reader

Summary: When a newcomer to the Outer Banks, burdened by a dark secret at home, crosses paths with JJ Maybank at a bonfire, an unexpected connection forms.

Warnings: Angst. Abusive Parents. Reader gets beaten up by her father. Not proofread. Use of y/n. Talk of blood and bruises.

WC: 3011

The Outer Banks had felt like an escape at first, a way to leave behind the life that suffocated you back home. You had imagined warm nights on the beach, making friends, and blending into the carefree island life. But weeks had passed, and you were still as alone as ever. Each day blurred into the next—silent, empty. No one knew you, and no one tried to. That was fine with you. You were used to being invisible, especially around your father.

But tonight, standing on the outskirts of a bonfire you’d stumbled upon, you wished more than anything that you could join in. Laughter and music filled the air as the crowd danced around the fire, carefree and full of life. You lingered near the edge, unsure whether you belonged. You had never been good at fitting in.

As you turned to leave, a voice called out, “Hey! You good?”

You froze, caught off guard. Turning back, you saw a blond guy standing just a few feet away, his blue eyes catching the glow of the fire. His grin was disarming, and he looked at you with genuine curiosity.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you said, though your voice wavered slightly.

He tilted his head, clearly not buying it but not pushing. “I’m JJ. JJ Maybank.” He extended his hand with a lopsided grin.

“Y/N,” you replied, taking his hand. His grip was warm, his smile almost contagious. For a second, you didn’t feel as alone.

“You new around here?” JJ asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, his stance relaxed.

You nodded, glancing down at the sand. “Just moved here a few weeks ago. Don’t really know anyone.”

JJ’s eyes softened. “Well, now you know me. And that means you know a Pogue. We kind of stick together. You should hang with us sometime.”

You gave a small smile, feeling a tiny flicker of hope. “Maybe.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝

From that night, JJ started pulling you into his world. You found yourself spending afternoons with him, riding his dirt bike, hanging out by the marina, or simply sitting by the water, talking about nothing and everything. You felt lighter around him, the weight of your home life less crushing. But what JJ didn’t know was the real darkness you kept hidden—the bruises you covered, the fear that followed you every night when you walked back into that house.

The abuse had been going on for years. Moving to the Outer Banks hadn’t changed a thing. Your father still drank, still lashed out at you when things didn’t go his way. It didn’t matter how hard you tried to avoid him or how quiet you stayed; it always escalated.

That night, you had barely spoken a word to him, hoping to slip by unnoticed. But he had been waiting, drink in hand, eyes already bloodshot. “Where the hell have you been?” he slurred, blocking your way to your room.

“Just out,” you murmured, keeping your gaze down, your heart already racing.

“Out?” he scoffed, stepping closer. “Out where? Whoring around like your mother?”

“No, Dad—” you began, your voice shaking, but his hand flew out before you could finish, striking you across the face with such force that you stumbled backward into the wall.

“You don’t talk back to me!” he roared, his face twisted with rage. He grabbed you by the arm, yanking you toward him. “You think you can just ignore me? You’re nothing without me!”

The blows came fast—his fists slamming into your stomach, your ribs, your face. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t fight back. All you could do was try to shield yourself as his anger poured out, every hit more brutal than the last.

When he finally let go, you collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, your body trembling in pain. He stormed out, muttering curses under his breath, leaving you broken and bleeding on the ground.

For what felt like hours, you lay there, your whole body throbbing with pain. You couldn’t move. But then, your phone buzzed in your pocket. With shaking hands, you pulled it out and, without thinking, dialed JJ’s number.

“Y/N?” His voice was casual at first, but then he heard your broken sob. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t even speak. Your words came out in broken gasps, hysterical and full of pain. “JJ… I— I can’t… He—” You sobbed harder, unable to string a sentence together.

“Where are you?” JJ’s voice shifted, all playfulness gone. “Y/N, where are you?”

“Home,” you managed to choke out, your breath hitching. “I need… I need to get out.”

“Stay there. I’m coming. Don’t move,” he said, his voice urgent. Then the call ended.

It felt like an eternity, but soon enough, you heard the rumble of JJ’s dirt bike outside. The door burst open moments later, and JJ stood there, breathless, his eyes wide with shock as he took in your battered face, your trembling form curled up on the floor.

“Jesus Christ,” he whispered, running to you without hesitation. He knelt down, wrapping his arms around you as you collapsed into him. The second you felt his warmth, the dam broke. You sobbed into his chest, your body shaking uncontrollably as the pain, fear, and humiliation finally poured out.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” JJ whispered, pulling you closer. His hand stroked your hair, his voice soft but steady. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

You didn’t know how long you stayed like that—crying in his arms as he whispered reassurances, his own breath shaky with emotion. Eventually, he gently lifted you to your feet, guiding you outside to his dirt bike.

“We’re going to the Chateau,” he murmured. “You can stay there tonight. You don’t have to go back, okay?”

You nodded weakly, unable to protest. You didn’t have the strength.

The ride was a blur—wind rushing past your face as JJ sped through the streets, his arm firmly around your waist, making sure you wouldn’t fall. The pain in your body throbbed with every bump, but you clung to JJ, desperate for the safety he represented.

When you arrived at the Chateau, JJ parked the bike and helped you off. He didn’t let go of you as you stumbled, his arms steadying you as he led you inside. The Pogues—John B, Sarah, Pope, and Kiara—were hanging out by the fire pit, laughing and talking, but when they saw you, their faces fell, the laughter dying in an instant.

“Holy shit…” John B muttered, his eyes wide as he looked at you.

JJ didn’t stop. He led you past them without a word, taking you into the small bathroom. It was cramped, with just enough room for you to sit on the counter.

JJ gently ran the damp washcloth under the faucet and put some disinfectant on it. He’s glancing at you as you sit on the counter, your legs dangling off the edge, shoulders slumped in exhaustion. His movements were slow, almost too careful as if he was afraid he might hurt you more.

“Alright,” he whispered, his voice barely above a breath. “This is gonna sting a little, okay?”

You nodded, but you didn’t really have the energy to brace yourself. Your face felt swollen, your whole body ached, but the numbness was creeping in. It was the aftermath of every beating—when the shock started to settle, and the pain became background noise.

JJ brought the cloth to your cheek, dabbing gently at the cut just beneath your eye. You winced, the sting sharper than expected. He paused instantly.

“Shh,” JJ soothed, his voice soft but firm. “It’s alright. Just breathe. You’re doing good.” He resumed wiping the blood away, moving slower, more cautious.

You blinked back fresh tears, biting your lip to keep from crying out. “Is it bad?” you whispered, your voice shaky.

JJ’s eyes flicked to yours, his jaw clenched tightly as he worked. “It’s… not great,” he admitted, his throat tight. “But it’s gonna be okay. We’ll fix you up.” His voice wavered slightly, like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was you.

His hand trailed down to your chin, tilting your head so he could see the full extent of the damage. “Is it just your face?” he asked, his voice laced with quiet concern. “Or… is there more?”

You hesitated, your gaze dropping to the floor. “It’s not just my face.” Your voice was barely audible, but JJ heard it. His face darkened, and he closed his eyes for a brief second, steadying himself.

“Where?” he asked, his tone more serious now. He knelt down in front of you, eye level, waiting for you to answer.

“My ribs,” you murmured, blinking back tears. “My stomach.” The words felt heavy, like speaking them aloud made everything more real. You instinctively hugged yourself, your arms wrapped around your torso protectively.

JJ’s expression turned pained, but he didn’t push you to show him. He just nodded, focusing on your face again as he continued cleaning the cut. His hand trembled slightly, his thumb brushing lightly over your skin, wiping away the dirt and blood.

As he worked, you found it hard to breathe. Not just from the pain, but from the overwhelming weight of everything—your father, the abuse, the years of pretending everything was fine. It all came crashing down, and before you knew it, your chest tightened, and your breath hitched.

“Hey, hey,” JJ murmured softly, his hand coming to rest on your knee as he stopped wiping. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you, okay?” His voice was calm, steady, but there was an intensity behind it, a promise you wanted so desperately to believe.

Your lip quivered, and before you could stop yourself, the floodgates opened. “He wasn’t always like this,” you choked out, your voice breaking. “My dad… he used to be good. But then he started drinking. And it just got worse and worse.”

JJ’s hand stilled, his eyes locked on yours, listening intently as you continued, the words tumbling out in a broken mess.

“It started small,” you whispered, shaking your head. “Just yelling. Getting angry over stupid things. Then the drinking got heavier. He’d disappear for days, come back even worse. Then… then he started hitting me. It’s like… he hates me. Like I remind him of everything that went wrong.”

Your breath hitched, and you wiped at your eyes, but it was no use. The tears came anyway. “I don’t know what I did wrong,” you sobbed, your voice raw. “I’ve been trying so hard to keep quiet, to not make him mad. But it’s never enough.”

JJ’s grip tightened on your knee, his jaw clenched so tightly you could see the tension in his face. He wasn’t just sad; he was angry. Furious, even. But not at you. Never at you.

“He hit you tonight because… because you were out with me, didn’t he?” JJ asked, his voice low, barely controlled.

You nodded, feeling the fresh wave of shame wash over you. “He said… he said I was a slut, like my mother. That I was worthless.”

JJ cursed under his breath, his hands trembling as he gently cupped your face, making you look at him. His eyes were blazing with emotion. “You are not worthless. You hear me? You’re not any of those things he says. He’s wrong, Y/N. He’s fucking wrong.”

You broke then, fully. Sobbing harder than you had in years, every painful memory, every insult, every blow came crashing down on you all at once. You collapsed into JJ’s chest, your body shaking with the force of your cries. He held you tightly, his arms wrapping around you like a shield, like he could protect you from everything in the world if he just held on hard enough.

“It’s okay,” JJ whispered into your hair, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve got you. I’m not letting anything happen to you ever again.”

You cried harder, clutching onto his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping you grounded. For the first time in forever, you felt safe, even if just for a moment. JJ’s arms were like an anchor, keeping you from sinking under the weight of it all.

After what felt like an eternity, your sobs quieted into soft hiccups, your body exhausted. JJ still held you, his chin resting gently on the top of your head, his fingers brushing softly through your hair. You stayed there in the silence, the only sound the occasional crackling of the fire outside and the soft hum of the night.

After a long stretch of silence, JJ finally spoke. “I know what you’re going through,” he said quietly, his voice rough. “My dad… he’s the same way.”

You stiffened slightly, lifting your head to look at him. He wasn’t looking at you now. His gaze was distant, staring at the floor as he spoke.

“Drinks too much, hits me when he’s pissed off… which is most of the time,” JJ continued, his voice raw with pain. “It’s why I stay here with John B most of the time. I can’t go home. Haven’t really had a home in a long time.”

The sadness in his voice cut deep. You had never imagined that JJ—the carefree, loud, rebellious JJ—was carrying this kind of pain. But there it was, written all over his face, in the way his shoulders slumped, in the tightness around his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you whispered, your voice small.

JJ’s gaze finally met yours, and he gave you a sad, tired smile. “Same reason you didn’t tell me. Didn’t wanna drag you into it. Didn’t think it mattered.”

“It matters,” you said softly, your voice trembling. “You matter.”

JJ’s eyes softened, and for the first time since you’d met him, you saw vulnerability there. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, as if he couldn’t find the right words.

Instead, he pulled you into another hug, holding you tightly, resting his chin on your head again. Neither of you said anything more, but the weight of the silence was full of understanding. Two people, broken by the ones who were supposed to protect them, finding comfort in each other’s presence.

JJ held you close, his arms tightening around you, as if he could protect you from everything. But as his grip grew stronger, a sharp pain radiated through your bruised torso, and you flinched without meaning to. JJ felt it instantly, his arms loosening as he pulled back, concern flooding his eyes.

“Shit,” he murmured, panic lacing his voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

You shook your head, trying to reassure him through the pain. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t.”

JJ hesitated, biting his lip as his eyes flickered over you, the weight of something unspoken lingering in the air. His fingers twitched at his side like he was fighting an internal battle. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than before. “Can I… Can I see? I just— I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

You felt your breath hitch at the question, your heart racing in your chest. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust him. You did—more than anyone. But letting him see the extent of the damage, the bruises you usually hid so carefully, felt terrifying. Vulnerable.

But JJ had been nothing but kind, patient, gentle with you. You knew he wouldn’t hurt you—not like your father.

You swallowed hard, then gave him a small, shaky nod.

JJ’s gaze softened, but he still hesitated, like he didn’t want to pressure you. You reached for the hem of your shirt, taking a deep breath before slowly lifting it over your head. Even with a sports bra on, the damage was clear. Dark bruises covered your ribs and stomach, blooming in purples, blues, and greens, each one telling a story of a night you wished you could forget.

The sight of your bruised skin hit JJ like a gut punch. His breath caught in his throat, his face crumpling as his eyes welled up with tears. He stared at you, unable to hide the devastation in his expression. His hand reached out, hovering above your side like he wanted to touch you but was too afraid to.

For a few long seconds, you just looked at each other. The air between you was thick with unspoken words, with shared pain. JJ’s blue eyes shimmered, filled with emotions you had never seen from him before—anger, sadness, guilt, and something deeper, something that felt almost protective.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking as a tear slipped down his cheek. “I’m so fucking sorry this happened to you.”

He gently cupped your face, his hands warm and steady against your skin. His thumbs brushed away the tears that had started to fall again. Then, his forehead rested against yours, his breath mingling with yours as you both sat in that moment, the silence thick but full of understanding, full of care.

And then, without a word, JJ leaned in. His lips pressed softly against yours—tentative, gentle, but full of emotion. It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t frantic. It was the kind of kiss that held a promise, the kind that said he’d be there, that he wasn’t going to let you face this alone anymore.

Your hand found its way to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as you kissed him back, the warmth of his body grounding you, pulling you out of the darkness. For the first time in what felt like forever, you didn’t feel broken. You felt safe. You felt… wanted.

When the kiss broke, JJ didn’t pull away. His hands stayed on your face, his forehead still resting on yours. His eyes stayed closed, like he was savoring the moment, as if he needed it as much as you did.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m not letting this happen to you again. Not ever.”

And for the first time in years, you believed it.

[superhaught]

Breaking Down (Chapter 2)

Pairing: Leighton X Tatum

Warnings: eating disorder, description of vomiting, angst, smut (brief/not super explicit)

Word Count: 2000, Part 2/?

Part 1 / Part 3

Leighton's anxiety continues to have aftershocks. She feels insecure about herself and in her relationship with Tatum.

Leighton tossed her heels on the ground and crashed onto the couch in the common area of her suite when she got inside. She groaned and scrolled through her phone for a bit, wanting to decompress before going to bed. 

It didn’t seem like the other girls were home. Leighton felt weirdly lonely and she was still reeling from the earlier panic attack. She considered immediately texting the sweet person that she had just met but thought that would look really desperate so she didn’t. 

She scrolled for a bit longer and then went into her room with the intention of getting ready for bed. She looked at herself in her floor-length mirror and frowned upon seeing how bloated she looked. She turned to look at her side profile and she sucked in her stomach but still just felt disgusting. She thought about everything she ate at dinner with Tatum and their dad and that feeling of anxiety she had been fighting all night came rushing right back. 

Leighton went to the single stall bathroom on their floor and leaned over the toilet as she gagged herself and threw up everything that she ate. 

There came a point where her brain just turned off and she focused on feeling empty. Empty of thought. Empty of feeling. Empty of food. 

A few minutes later, she wiped her face with a paper towel and rinsed her mouth out with tap water and felt good as new. She went back to her room and was surprised to see Tatum standing outside of her suite door, waiting. 

“Tatum?”

The other blonde looked up from her phone and smiled at Leighton, “hey you, I didn’t want to go to bed without saying goodnight, and I didn’t want to leave things the way we did at dinner.”

Leighton nodded and feigned a smile, “come on in, then.”

Leighton and Tatum went into the younger girl’s dorm and sat down on the couch in the common area together. 

“Are you okay? You know, after telling your dad?”

Leighton genuinely thought for a moment about telling Tatum the truth about how she felt about the whole thing, but for some reason, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She wanted Tatum to see her as perfect, She didn’t want Tatum to see the cracks that she kept hidden. 

“I’m really fine, Tatum, and I really don’t want to talk about it anymore. What’s done is done.”

Tatum wasn’t stupid, she could tell that Leighton was being less than forthcoming, but she didn’t really want to push it either, “alright, Leighton. If you say so.”

Leighton felt satisfied, “now, do you think, you could maybe help me with something?”

“What’s that?”

“Can you make it so that I don’t have to think anymore tonight?”

Tatum raised an eyebrow and gave her girlfriend a cheeky grin. 

The girls went into Leighton’s room and Tatum pressed Leighton up against the bedroom door and made out with her adoringly. Leighton blissfully let herself go and let the intimacy with the older blonde numb her mind. She grabbed Tatum’s ass and let her take her to the bed and give her the pleasure she so desperately needed. 

The couple got under the covers together and Tatum slid her hand down Leighton’s body and gave Leighton her fingers until Leighton came undone, no longer tormented by any of her anxieties for a short while. 

After that, Leighton quickly gave in to sleep, the exhaustion from the night forcing her body to quit. Tatum smiled and gave Leighton a soft kiss on the forehead before taking her leave, conveniently timed with Bela coming in for the night. 

Leighton slept in considerably the following morning, feeling completely drained from the panic attack and everything that followed. Her suitemates didn’t want to wake her unnecessarily, so they just let her sleep through the Saturday morning. Kimberly saved her some pancakes and coffee from the dining hall before heading out for her shift at Sips. Bela left for the day to go work on some writing, and Whitney hunkered down in the common area to study. 

At 1 PM, Leighton still hadn’t awoken. Whitney was starting to worry and was about to check in on Leighton when there was a polite knock on the door. She answered and was surprised to see Tatum and Leighton’s father, Henry, standing out in the hall. 

The blonde glanced around then turned to Whitney, “is Leighton alright? She hasn’t answered my texts this morning…”

“She’s still asleep. You’re welcome to go in and check on her, we just didn’t want to bother her. Is everything alright?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Tatum answered. Henry Murray came inside and sat down on the couch while Tatum went over to Leighton’s room, knocking gently before opening the door and quietly going inside. Tatum set her bag down on the floor and crawled into the bed with her sleeping girlfriend, wrapping her arms around Leighton and pressing soft kisses on the side of her neck to wake her. 

Leighton stirred and cracked an eye open. Seeing Tatum, she smiled and closed her eyes again, “mmm hi baby…”

“Hi sleepyhead, it’s pretty late in the day… Are you okay?”

Leighton groaned, “why do you keep asking that?”

“Well, if I’m being honest, you worried me last night. And your dad, too.”

“What? My dad?”

“He’s out in the living room, we’d really like to talk to you if that’s okay.”

Leighton sat up straight, suddenly very alert, “what?” Leighton quickly got out of bed and side-stepped Tatum and went out into the living room. Whitney made eye contact with her roommate and left to give them all privacy to talk. 

“Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were heading back home.”

Henry stood up and faced his daughter, “Hi honey, I just wanted to check in with you one more time before leaving. I ran into Tatum and we both expressed that we were feeling worried about you.”

“I don’t understand… Why are you worried about me? I'm literally fine.”

“Can you please sit down, sweetie?” Henry asked. 

Leighton looked to Tatum who echoed Leighton’s dad, “Please, Leight, we just want to talk.”

Leighton’s eyes filled with panic but she sat down in a chair across from her dad and Tatum sat down, too. 

Henry reached out and took Leighton’s hand in his, “honey, it’s just that, it’s only your second trimester at school and I feel like you’ve already been through so much. Too much for any one person to be able to handle alone.”

“I’m not alone! I have Tatum and my roommates-”

“You’re not confiding in me, and I don’t think you’re letting your roommates in, either.” Tatum says.

“I don’t want to see the same thing that happened with your friends from high school happen again, Leight. If you’re struggling, the people who love you want to help you.”

Leighton couldn’t believe what she was hearing from her dad. She dropped her head into her hands and started to shake. 

Henry continued, “Tatum, do you think you could give us a minute?”

Leighton felt Tatum lightly rub her shoulder and then leave the suite. 

“Leighton, I think I know what’s going on.”

“You have no idea, dad… you don’t…”

“Then tell me.”

Leighton took a deep breath and then finally spilled everything to her dad. She sobbed as she told him about all of her stresses and anxieties. She explained how hard it’s been to make friends outside of her roommates, how heartbroken she was (and is) over Alicia, how navigating being queer on campus has been a nightmare, how doing well in her classes has only intensified her crippling fear of failure, how she doesn’t have Nico’s guidance anymore, how scared she is of disappointing her family, and how desperate she is to look good and be thin.

Henry held her hand and listened to it all as Leighton bared her soul, revealing the panic attacks, the eating disorder, and the relationship drama.

They talked for a while, Leighton eventually ended up joining her father on the couch and curled up beside him like she would have when she was little. He validated her fears and reminded her how important it was that she take care of her health. 

Leighton got a text on her phone so she looked at it for the first time that morning. The most recent text was from Tatum and it read, I had to go but I will check in later, okay? There were a few other texts from Tatum throughout the morning, but there was also a message from Alicia that was sent late the previous night: thinking about you, can we meet up soon? Leighton sighed and set her phone face down. 

“How are things with Tatum? You seem like you really like her.”

“I do really like her. She’s really great, but I don’t know… sometimes I feel like we’re not the right fit for each other. Someone totally random helped me through my panic attack last night… and I felt more safe then to just exist as myself than I do with Tatum or did with Alicia… but I don’t know…”

“If you don’t feel like you can be yourself in a relationship, then that relationship isn’t a safe space for you. But, I can tell that Tatum does care for you. She was very concerned about you and could sense that you were hiding it from her.”

“I’m not trying to hurt her…”

“I know that, honey, and I think she does, too.”

Leighton and her dad sat quietly for a while and then Henry asked, “well, kiddo, what’s our next step? I think it would be best for me to broach the subject with your mother first, but maybe you should facetime your brother soon. And, you and I can talk about setting you up with a therapist to talk about the anxiety and the eating disorder. How does that sound?”

Leighton nodded, “yeah… that sounds good.”

Leighton’s dad gave her a kiss on her head and said, “no more trying to be someone else, just be the incredible woman that you already are.” 

Later that afternoon, Henry left for his flight back to New York and Leighton showered and caught up with Tatum around dinnertime. When Leighton found her in the dining hall, she immediately ran up and wrapped Tatum in a hug. Tatum smiled and rubbed Leighton’s back and then pulled back to give her a kiss. 

“You interventioned me and you didn’t even know the extent of what was going on…”

Tatum winced slightly, “I know, are you mad?”

Leighton shook her head, “No, I’m grateful. I really needed that with my dad, so thank you. And I’m sorry for not letting you in.”

“Look, Leighton, if there are things that you don’t want to share with me, I understand that. I just want to make sure you have someone, okay?”

Leighton nodded slowly, “I’m just worried that I might be a completely different person than the version of me that I’ve curated for you.”

Tatum furrowed her brows, “what do you mean? I think I know who you are pretty well, we’re like, cut from the same cloth.”

“Yeah… I guess.” Leighton considered Tatum’s words and knew that they worried her, but she really did like being with Tatum and she wanted to keep trying to make it work. “The Women’s Center is hosting a fundraising auction in a few days, will you come with me? I think you should meet some of my friends at the Women’s Center and see what it’s like there. It’s also a costume party!”

Tatum hesitated to answer at first but then said, “I will go with you, but you cannot make me wear a costume.”

Leighton grinned, “and you can’t keep me from trying!”

Next Chapter

[anime-related]

AU where L and Light go to To-Oh together before the Death Note is dropped. (Whether Light is Kira is up to you, I think it'd be cool either way)

While L and the cops are investigating Kira, Light and L have began a relationship. Now, Soichiro (lights dad, if your memory is as bad as mine) is working with L, but has also literally seen him in the house.

Sufficed to say, he's shocked when he meets L and it's his son's college friend. Even more so when Light calls L nearing the end of a meeting and hears them talk more than platonically.

Here's some little excerpts my mind made up. I've watched the show only once, so I'm sorry if/that it's ooc

"Hello. I am here to see Light."

"Light! There's a weird guy at the door!" Sayu called. She glanced at him. "No offense."

"None taken," L dismissed.

Light ran down the stairs, smiling at the sight of L in the door.

"Hey! I picked up some cake, and we can go play that game I talked about."

"I figured as much, since that's why I'm here," L said. Light rolled his eyes fondly.

They walked into the kitchen, where his father was getting water.

"Oh, you must be Soichiro Yagami. Police chief, solved over 30 cases."

"Wow, Light. I had no idea you talked about me all that much."

"He doesn't."

Upon setting their sights on L, Soichiro's mind went blank. He would've never guessed. What were the chances. While everyone else was making their judgments on L and his appearance, Soichiro was trying to combine Ryuzaki with L in his mind.

He ignored it. It'd be safer for both of them if they didn't bring their personal lives into this. He took out his ID and introduced himself as if it were the first time.

"If I were Kira you would be dead Soichiro Yagami."

Combining these two people wouldn't be so difficult. He knew Ryuzaki reminded him of someone.

As they went on, he remembered small details. Light running downstairs because he and Ryuzaki had left their phones there. Ryuzaki also had an infatuation for sugar, and even when his wife made pretty universally loved tea, he'd still add stacks of sugar cubes.

Then there was...

"And from now on, I'll have to ask that you stop calling me 'L.' It's..." L glanced at Soichiro. "Ryuzaki now. Just to be safe."

How cautious was L to give a fake name to L before Kira was even a factor? And if Soichiro didn't know him, would he have used a different alias?

"Excuse me," L said, pulling his phone oddly from his pocket. "Your timing is perfect, I'm nearly done with my meeting. I'll be over shortly."

"I assume you have more puzzles to test me with?"

"Of course I do." Whoever was on the other side laughed softly. A small smile cracked L's face.

"I look forward to it, Ryu."

"So do I."

"See you soon."

L hesitated, but hung up without saying much more like usual.

"My apologies, I try not to keep him waiting."

"Was that Watari?" Matsuda asked.

"No, my boyfriend." He said it so casually, though it shocked everyone.

"You... what?" Aizawa asked.

"He's the only person I've ever met on my level. If it didn't put him in significant danger, I would've brought him in to help." He pushed his lip with his thumb. "Though that's not the only reason," he added in a mumble. He looked as ashamed as L could look.

"How long have you, uh..." Poor Matsuda was thrown extremely off guard.

"I've been queer my whole life if that's what you're asking. Though, I'm sure you're not. I've known him for a few months. He's very attractive." He pulled his hand away from his smile. "I'd tell you his name, but I don't feel comfortable doing so."

Soichiro feared he already knew who it was. Light didn't need to be put in more danger than he already was being his son. He didn't know how to feel about this.

"You'd place surveillance camera's on your own boyfriend?" Soichiro asked. He wouldn't mind placing them on Light, but L always had a certain level of respect for him.

"Of course. I've suspected he was L since before we started a romantic relationship."

This was a shock to everyone. Not only L dating Light, but L potentially dating Kira and knowing it.

"Why?"

"Light is my intellectual equal. Unfortunately that makes it more likely that he's Kira. And the fact that he made the first move only increases that likelihood, though he doesn't know I'm L. If he did, I'd be more sure."

"How sure are you?"

"About 5%. If he knew I was L before he kissed me, it'd be 7 or 8%. Getting close with the enemy is a good way of staying in their good graces and not getting caught, but I'm not going to excuse Light as a suspect just because he makes me happy. That would be ridiculous. And being his boyfriend makes it so I can monitor him outside the house without raising suspicion."

"I might be out of line, but that sounds messed up. Spying on your boyfriend?"

"Well, I don't have to. I can monitor elsewhere while they're at home. I will still be attending my outings with Light and I can't help but monitor him in those moments, though I can assure you we're usually focused on each other; I'm not sure he'd have a moment to kill with me there."

"And Light doesn't know you're L?" Aizawa asked. "Couldn't it be helpful for him to be brought on the case? He's helped on cases before."

"If Light isn't Kira, I don't want him in any danger. I'm sure Soichiro understands my dilemma." His voice was tense as were his hands.

"I do," Soichiro admitted. "I'm find putting cameras around the house. If there's any chance, we may as well check."

"Exactly."

[anuncalledbridge]

Leap of faith

Summary: you didn't expect you'd be pulled into a verse where there is no Avenger, no Peter, and no Ned.

Pairing: Miles Morales x (half filo) Stark!reader

Warning: knife, cursing, cursing in tagalog, violence, mention of death.

Previous part

It has been two days since you've been pulled by that strange portal. By some mysterious matter, Gwen and you somehow got into visions academy, an academy which you heard are only for the rich and intelligent kids. Vision Academy wasn't hard and it wasn't easy either but you could manage same goes for Gwen, she was rather exceptional herself.

When night falls you always find yourself feeling alone, sure Gwen was there but she is either sleeping or completely ignoring you. You miss home, you missed your dad, that's the only thing you and Gwen had in common, missing home.

You grabbed your suit deciding to sneak out, you looked at Gwen "wanna go for a swing?" You asked, she was burying her nose in a book "No, I feel tired" she lazily replied.

"Suit yourself, pinkie" You jump from your two-story building and shot a web on a building. You were too deep in your thoughts as you swing. Yesterday you went to visit Manhattan and found absolutely nothing. Manhattan looked so empty without the avenger tower.

There was a spider person like you in this verse but to your surprise, it was a guy, there was no explanation as to how any of this happened but since you got here you made it upon yourself to make some sort of device to get yourself home but it was quite complicated than you thought. The multiverse was somehow in shambles, you hoped that Dr. Strange finds a way to fix this while you were trying to go home.

You sat on a tower watching the city lights; you sat there for a while, thinking of something, anything other than this madness.

You got bored eventually and just decided to look around, your line of sight traveled to each civilian until it landed on a lady being mugged by someone.

"Okay! Need to get these pent-up feelings out!" You stretched your limp arms then you started to shoot your web to the next building.

"Woo! " You shouted, dodging a huge truck as you made your way to the crime "Help-- help me please!" The lady sounded so defeated her broken sobs were heard a mile away making you pick up your pace.

"Ain't it a bit rude, interrupting her well-deserved walk?" You spoke out of nowhere, making the culprit look up from his current position "Who are you!?" He shouted, quite terrified seeing a new sight other than their local hero.

"That's what they always say" You jump from a small building then you started to walk over to him "Never, 'oh! How are you amazing spider-woman?' you know what I mean? No?" You taunted.

"Stay where you are! Or else this bitch dies" he gruffly grabbed the woman's arm as he pointed the knife at her neck.

You gasp "Calling a woman 'bitch'? How would your mother feel if he saw you right now? Pushing you out of her vajayjay must've been a huge disappointment" You clicked your tongue in feigned disappointment.

"Oh well! There's nothing we could do about that" You shrugged. You swiftly shoot your web at the girl, successfully pulling her to you as she yelps at the process.

The culprit backed away dropping his knife and sprinting for his dear like "Hey! Where are your manners!" You shouted.

You were about to go after him but then a silhouette suddenly appeared in front of him catching him off guard, before he knew it he was already stuck on a wall, webs all over his body.

You saw Spiderman right there in front of you, he was talking to the culprit about something then his sight averted to you.

"Saw your little stunt, who are you?" He asked as he inch his way towards you "Ha? no no English." You tried to salvage this situation with your god-awful accent only to receive a laugh "No need to hide, heard you talking about pushing someone out of there-- you know how it goes" he winced.

The lady from earlier had already left after thanking you, so it was just the both of you plus the culprit who was on the wall "Who are you?" He asked again "tangina, papatayin ako ni Gwen nito" (fuck, Gwen is gonna kill me) you muttered. It didn't bother you much but Gwen, Oh dear.

Peter didn't understand a thing you just said, the only thing he caught was the name 'Gwen' "Whose Gwen?" He asked

"No one! It's nice doing business with you Mr. Daddy long legs!" Before you got time to swing your ass to Gwen he said something and you froze.

"I'm Peter, Peter Parker." The deafening silence made Peter uncomfortable a bit. In your verse Peter wasn't the Spiderman, instead, he had lived a pretty normal nerdy life and was your best friend who was obsessed with the star wars lore and Legos.

This Peter was much older than you, you can tell. Peter took off his mask and it completely left your mouth hanging open. Instead of luscious dark brown curly hair, he was blonde, and as you guess he was much much older than you.

"Is this what old age does to you!? Turn you blonde?!" You gestured your hands around him in exaggeration "Time has not been good to you, babes" Peter was offended for all he knows, he was perfect.

"She can talk.." he muttered. "No this isn't fair" he shook his head with a furrowed brow. "I don't know your name and your Identity" he sighs, looking at you expectedly "Oh! Right. Wait a minute, barbie"

"I'm pretty gorgeous so be warned" It feels like you were revealing yourself in a Roblox group chat with a bunch of kids that you and your Peter tried to prank. you pushed the nanotechnology spider logo on your suit and there reveals your face.

"Im--"

"Y/n!"

You didn't expect this...Peter, not your Peter, engulfed you in a tight hug, making you stumble back "O-okay.." you awkwardly said not knowing where to put your hands.

For what felt like minutes he started to sob "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" his breath was ragged if mistaken he'd have a panic attack "Dude, hey...what happened?" You finally asked.

Peter pulled away from you, as he wiped off his tears "I thought you...d-died" he had a hard time looking at you, guilt pooled in his eyes "whaaatt?" You dragged your word, still not processing his statement.

He chuckled softly but the pain is evidently still there "You're mistaken, Peter. I'm not from here, I just happen to stumble here"

"What?" He asked finally discarding his previous feeling "I was pulled by something close to a black hole, which terrified the hell out of me by the way" Peter paced around, still not meeting your gaze, afraid that if he did, he might cry again.

"Kingpin.." he muttered, he was thinking for a while then he finally looked up at you "Wait, how come you're here early? He didn't activate the machine yet" his voice was painted with confusion and a tinge bit of solemnity.

"Beats me, but that is a horrible name" You made a face of disgust while Peter smiled fondly, seemingly remembering something that includes you "You're still the same y/n, well except for the part where you spoke in a different language" that made you smile, although you have no idea what you're getting yourself into or who this exact copy of you is.

"Wanna grab a coffee or something?" You asked, as you ready yourself to swing "at this hour? Sure, why not" he put on his mask and with a last nod he took off swinging, you following behind him.

----

"You married Mj?!" You gaped at him, shaking his head as he took a bite of his burger "Yeah I did, she helped me a lot since... you know" he looked down at the city, he was trying to say something but he was having a hard getting it out; finally he let out a long sigh then he looked at you. "Y-you were too young when you died, Y/n. I couldn't forgive myself"

"Hey, it's not your fault. Even if it's not me I know she won't blame you either." You rub comfort on his back, you don't know a single thing about comforting.

Peter's usual demeanor came back after a few words of horrible comforting and encouragement, and you think he finally has the closure he deserves.

You told him everything about the verse you live in, from the Avengers to your Peter and your father.

"Wait, so this Captain America guy, is always on your 'ass' because you're being too unnecessarily loud?" He questioned "Yes! Good thing I can curse in my own language so he's got nothing on my ass... although he found out one day, didn't hear the end of it. My dad was a snitch" you muttered the last part.

Peter laughed "Your suit is awesome by the way," He asked "I made it!" You smugly said. Peter let out a huff in amusement. "You? You made it?" He said as if he didn't believe your statement but he knew full well that you were capable of making something like that.

You scoffed "Of course I did, I mean how couldn't I?" Peter rolled his eyes at you, he then averted his gaze back to the city. Hanging out with Peter made you miss your Peter more; Sure they were different in so many ways but they somehow share the same traits.

"I've got to go Peter" You sat up from your position, as Peter did the same following your action "See you around?" He asked, "Of course!" You outstretched your hand for a fistbump and he gladly reciprocated.

You both went your separate ways, as you continued to swing back to your dorm. The whole way there you were thinking about how you're gonna tell Gwen this but that didn't really register when you arrived back at your dorm.

Will you're not inside your dorm, more like outside banging the hell out of the window "Gwen! Open this window right now!" You shouted but not too loud, careful to not wake up your dorm neighbor "Hoy Gwen! Anak nang- open this right now Gwen!" (Hey Gwen! Son of a-- open this right now Gwen) You groaned.

Gwen wasn't asleep, you can clearly see the light from your shared bedroom. To no avail, you just decided to give up "tangina, mandaan moto Gwen!" (son of a bitch, mark this day Gwen!) You spoke lastly as you tried to find a window that can access the hall, you just hoped the security guard was asleep.

You found one "Take that Gwen!" You muttered. You already took off your mask and covered your suit with a jacket. You gently closed the window as carefully as you could to not cause some attention. You smiled to yourself "'Another night another slay and I served--" and you spoke too soon.

You felt someone crash into you but you didn't fall it just surprised you, but the person who bummed you did. Miles groaned as he tried to focus his vision, he swore a huge guy must've bummed into him but then he looked up.

"Oh"

"Are you okay, wait-- are you sneaking out?" You asked as you help him up "N-no" he stuttered. He regained his balance then he finally got a good look at you.

Your hair was disheveled and you got a bag forming under your eye but you still look good, at least that's what you think about yourself.

You hummed looking at him suspiciously "Right..." He looked anywhere, avoiding your observant eyes "I-- uh, I was trying to--" he rubbed his neck with his dominant hand while his other hand was gesturing around.

You laughed "Dude relax, I'm not gonna snitch on you-- unless you're trying to snitch on me" You feigned seriousness "No! I-I swear I will not!" He replied almost immediately.

"I'm just playing with you, but if you don't want to get caught, don't go this hall if you're trying to sneak out"

"Then why are you here?"

You pursed your lips and clicked your tongue "I- you-" Miles knitted his brow together, awaiting your reply. You let out a sigh.

"you know what? I think I'm gonna snitch on you" You narrowed your eyes at him. Miles laughed, his previous nervous demeanor decapitated and instead, he tried to cover it up with faux confidence.

"you can't do that now, can you? I'm Miles Morales." he smiled. He had that kind smile that can make you melt.

"You're new, right? I-- I'm actually new too" You noticed he was growing nervous. You nodded "I guess...I saw what your dad did earlier" you smirked, as he groaned in embarrassment.

"Please don't make me remember that," he said with an exaggerated sigh. The scene between Miles and his Dad brought a frown across your face, it awfully reminded you of your dad.

"Oh, I doubt that. That's gonna stick with you as long as I'm near" You started to walk as he followed after you.

"I never caught your name--"

"Probably because, I didn't throw it, Morales" you blatantly said. Miles rolled his eyes a growing smile made its way to his lips.

"I didn't mean it like that, and just call me by my first name, it's weird" You chuckled "Sure, Morales" Miles threw his head back laughing.

The pair of you blindly walked through the hall, forgetting about the curfew entirely "Aren't you going to sneak out?" You asked Miles.

Miles chuckled nervously "I was gonna, but I'm just too tired, you know?" Miles wanted to sneak out and talk to his uncle but he didn't want to miss this opportunity into making friends.

"Am I really that good to hang out with for you to miss your daily sneak-out sesh?" You smirked as you leaned in closer to him. Miles was tense he couldn't say a word, your breath was fanning onto him and he can basically smell your perfume.

Suddenly a whistle echoed at the end of the hall making both of you turn your head to the source "Isn't it a bit too early to shag your classmate!" The guard shouted. "you'll both face deep consequences about this!"

"Run." You whispered into his ears, and Miles swore he could feel goosebumps. Before he even got time to process his dilemma, you grabbed his arms without warning, and god you were strong.

"Isn't it a bit too early to listen to the exclusive spider man Christmas song?!" You shouted with a laugh. Miles who heard your statement snorted and let out a bark of laughter.

"I didn't know you had such great taste in music!" Miles counter back and laughed. He peeked from his shoulder to see the guard who was running after the both of you; the way the guard ran made Miles laugh even harder his stomach hurting.

You looked back seeing the same thing and just like Miles it had you crackling. To say the guard wasn't flustered was an understatement, that enough made him determined to catch you both. Both of your laughter was so loud some of the students came out of their dorms and that alone distracted the guard from chasing after the both of you.

It took you a while to find a safe place to finally get peace. Mile was out of breath, he was panting like a dog; with laughter mixed with a full lap run, who wouldn't?

"you look dehydrated," you said out of amusement.

"Really? I didn't think it was that obvious" he remarked between ragged breath.

You sat down, him sitting down next to you, he was still out of breath "Why are you so unaffected-- I mean like, you basically ran through the whole school" You side glance at him "Mama mo blue." (Your mom is blue) that was so out of pocket even for Miles. Honestly, you didn't feel like talking, you loved Mile's company but you were just too tired, everything was just so overwhelming.

"No she's not, bet yours is" That made you chuckle, Miles understanding parts of your Filipino jokes brought you smiling wider.

"My mom is dead." You laughed seeing Mile's color drained from his face "I'm so sorry--" he was genuinely trying to apologize but he burst out laughing making you laugh harder.

"I'm serious though-- I'm sorry" his laughter subsided, replacing it with a sympathetic look "No need, Miles. It was a long time ago" You smiled reassuringly at him.

Miles grinned, looking mischievously at you "What?" You asked "You called me by my first name" he wiggled his brows "Oh fuck off, dude" You punched his shoulder gently but he still made a sound.

You felt your phone buzz, averting your attention to your phone. Miles watched your smile turn into an annoyed frown as you saw the text on your phone.

"where are you?" you mocked in a high-toned voice. Miles let out a huff of amusement watching you "Now she's worried when she was the one who locked me out!" You complained.

"Roommate?" Miles asked feeling quite the same as you. You hummed.

"my roommate is always on his computer 24/7 sometimes I can hardly sleep at all," he said still looking your way. "Will, let's just say my roommate likes to play pranks with me" you muttered.

"Didn't it cross your mind that maybe she does that because...you always start it"

You scoffed "Strong accusation, but fair point-- and I need to go, she's spamming me" You stand up from your position as Miles frowned.

"You still didn't tell me your name," he said while standing up. You narrowed your eyes, surely you won't tell him your name but you thought of a cool nickname to piss Gwen off.

"Gwendolyn Garcia" you held back a laugh, pursing your lips to conceal it. "Will see you around, Gwendolyn" he enthusiastically said.

"Copy that" Hearing that made Miles groaned loudly and you throw your head back laughing. You both went your separate ways with the previous event still in mind. Miles for sure will cherish the night. You in the other hand still can't sleep.

_____

Tag list: @itstooearly-its3am

[autisticlilith]

Something that always struck me about this 'fight' is that it felt really one-sided. Not because the Raven Beast is bigger, but because she's also way more aggressive. We see throughout the show that Eda in her Owl Beast form acts mostly on instinct (and her inner beast, once she starts talking to it, seems to just be hungry or cranky most of the time). We don't get much insight into how Lilith copes with the curse (like none at all after this), so this is going to be a lot of inference.

Off the top, I would like to reiterate that Hayley Wong has repeatedly asked that nobody repost or edit her art without permission. I'm going to be referring to stuff from the boards in this post, so here's the link if you want to look for yourself.

So, in this episode, Eda and Lilith are both angry—specifically at Gwendolyn, and with good reason. They both end up turning into beasts due to a combination of that anger, stress, and the fact their mom thought she was "helping" by taking away their medication.

But here is where they differ. Eda was angry about the current situation: her mom refusing to respect her choices, and causing unnecessary harm to her all day. And Luz even joined in. As Eda says, she has a right to be upset, though I don't think she meant to lose control over the beast.

That's just what happens when she reaches her limit. And she knows her limits, she's been dealing with this curse for 30 years!

Meanwhile, Lilith has been dealing with the curse for... a few weeks, at most? Unless you count dealing with the guilt of cursing Eda as part of that. We see that she's quite unaware of the effects of the curse, as she experienced some symptoms for the first time this very day. She essentially gets told to take an elixir if she starts feeling stressed, and then is left in the house to stew in her guilt and insecurity all day.

Gwen's lukewarm greeting, and the realization that she's paid consistent visits to Eda over the years, is enough to send Lilith into a downward spiral. She starts stress-eating ice cream, and makes cruel comments about King's dad abandoning him (a clear case of projection, and I don't think he really internalizes it after this episode, but seriously that's no way to talk to your 8-year-old nephew), and unfortunately the only voice of reason around is Hooty. Well, he tried.

I want to note here that she doesn't cry. She mopes, she complains, she gets rude and cynical; these are all things we've seen her do before. But she doesn't allow herself to honestly express her feelings, her wants and needs. What's she gonna say? "Hey Mom, can you please pay attention to me?" You can't just ask for things like that. And she's a grown adult, she's more mature than this. She was the head of the Emperor's Coven, for Titan's sake. Didn't she get enough attention there to last a lifetime? And didn't she learn how to repress all her useless emotions and craft a perfect persona to hide behind until she could no longer tell the mask from her face?

She realizes she's indulged her worst thoughts a little too hard when the feathers start popping up, and goes to take an elixir and calm down...

And there are no elixirs.

And she panics. She has no coping strategies for this. She doesn't even know what's going to happen to her, only that it's going to be really, really bad.

It has to be terrifying, and painful... and maybe, just a little bit deserved? This is the fate she forced upon Eda, after all.

We don't see any signs that she damaged the house after she turned, unlike the havoc Eda caused back in The Intruder. King runs to get help, because Eda or Luz would know what to do better than he does, and Raven Beast Lilith seems to pursue him, but she's not after him. She goes after Eda directly. There is no distraction (King also notes that light glyphs had no effect on her), there is no behaviour that can be explained as animal instinct. There is a violent, visceral anger, and instead of addressing its source, she flies out there to take it out on Eda.

This is why I don't buy the interpretation that Gwen started favouring Eda only after the curse. By that point, Lilith was an older teenager almost out of the house, and it's completely reasonable for the parents to be focusing more on the younger kid with a new mysterious illness. I think Eda was always the favourite, or at least got more attention in ways that made Lilith feel overlooked. Part of it was that Eda got in trouble more, whereas Lilith was usually quiet and well-behaved, so everyone just decided that Eda needed more help (which she didn't necessarily want) and Lilith needed none. Lilith got very good at needing nothing. So good that instead of talking to her sister about their impending duel, she decided to curse her in the dead of night instead. And then to keep it a secret until she found a way to undo it, because she never wants to upset anyone or cause a scene. And then to give 30 years of her life to an evil man's crooked system for nothing—less than nothing, she's only going to realize later.

Lilith's breakdown isn't about the fact Gwen is paying attention to Eda again. That's just the trigger for a lifetime of repressed emotions bursting to the surface all at once, and it's been coming for a while.

The Owl Beast seems to be mostly defending herself. At a few points she tries to flee, but the Raven Beast catches her. The Raven Beast is malicious, with exaggerated expressions of rage and what can only be described as cruel glee when she inflicts pain. This seems to come out of nowhere... but only if you haven't been paying attention to Lilith.

We know what Lilith is like at her worst. It wasn't even that long ago she threatened Luz's life in order to capture Eda. All while convinced that she was doing the right thing. She doesn't even have that shield now. She doesn't have much of anything, really, except her sister who refused to leave her out in the cold even after everything she's done. And this is how she repays that trust...?

We also know that Lilith wasn't in control of her actions as the Raven Beast. But that doesn't mean the beast was just doing beast things. I believe it was acting directly on Lilith's intrusive thoughts. Hurting Eda was her greatest shame, and the idea that she could do it again is a constant fear that she has. Unlike Eda, who has long been seen by others as a monster and had to fight her internalized shame about it, Lilith considers herself a monster while everyone around her is unaware of her inner turmoil. She's afraid of herself; she thinks her feelings are ugly and violent and unmanageable. And so that's what they became.

There was a sequence in the storyboards that was cut from the episode, presumably for time, where Gwendolyn tries to use a beastkeeping spell in order to communicate with her beast-daughters. It proves completely ineffective, so she goes to plan B, which is just trying to talk to them like a normal person (also in the boards, Gwen summons firebees to lift roof tiles for her to walk on, which I'm glad got changed to the tiles themselves being flying creatures. it's less distracting). There was something really affecting about watching her try to do things her own way one last time before finally admitting that she's failed the both of them. It painted the picture of this whole family who never talk about anything that's difficult or painful.

Then the scene plays out the way it does: Gwen's words get through to Eda, and allow her to finally face the beast and have an important revelation about herself.

And Lilith? Well, for all the violence she just showed, she breaks down in tears the second she is shown loving care.

When they've changed back, her anger is gone. There is no sign of the monster; there is only a sad, lonely woman who hasn't allowed herself to cry in so long that she almost forgot how. But she's safe now, and she's seen, and she's allowed this healthy expression of emotion. She collapses in the arms of her mother and sister.

After this, Lilith and Gwen had an off-screen conversation, where Lilith admitted she was the one to curse Eda, and decided that she was going to move back home. I could write a whole other post on that first point, but we've reached the end of the episode. I think a major reason why Lilith wanted to stay with mom and dad instead of with Eda is because she's afraid of hurting Eda again. Any time the curse acts up, she becomes a danger to the people around her, but especially to Eda, because of how much of her energy and guilt and shame has been focused around Eda over the years. She needs some time away while she figures out how to deal with the curse, to recover and build up her own identity. And of course, to build the relationship with her parents that she needed as a kid. Better late than never.

[hellspowerthrouple]

Welcome To The Happy Hotel

Charlie had long since memorized every last detail of the chandelier that was currently hanging over her head. From the way the lights flickered off the gold painted silver chains, to the obvious crack that was forming where it was attached to the ceiling. When she'd first come to the hotel, the crack had been about an inch across; now, it was about a foot across... Threatening to drop the chandelier on the people below.

Maybe that wouldn't be so bad right about now...

"Charlie?" Vaggie asked, looking down at her. "Hun, are you okay?"

She forced a large smile onto her face. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be!? The hotel is failing! Angel Dust isn't keeping promises! Everything is a mess! Why would I POSSIBLY be upset!?" The ground began to shake as twisted, antler like horns appeared on the top of her head.

"Alright hun... Alright..." Vaggie knelt down, helping her girlfriend sit up. "I'm sure we'll get more tenants soon. We just... have had a rough start, that's all."

Charlie took a deep breath, smiling a little more genuinely this time as she picked up her cane and hopped to her feet. "You're right Vaggie! We can do this! Infact, I'm going out right now, and I'm not coming back until we have at least one more tenant for the hotel!"

Vaggie sighed, and then smiled softly, kissing her on the cheek. "Alright, I'll go look for more of Angel's stashes. Don't overwork yourself hun."

"You know me!" she replied, making her way towards the stained glass covered door. Then, about halfway there, her hell phone rang from inside her pocket.

Vaggie turned on the stairs. "Who is it?"

Charlie's eyes widened as she looked at who was calling. "Its... Its..."

"Are you alright?"

"Y - Yeah... Its just.... Its..."

"Charlie? Sweetie? What's wrong?"

"It's... my... my dad... It's pa. But I haven't seen him in... Years, at least since they split."

Vaggie's eyes widened as she rushed towards Chrlie. "Wha... But... Didn't you say your pa doesn't own a hell phone?"

Charlie shrugged, staring at the still ringing phone. "I didn't think he did either... Maybe mom or dad got it for him?" she shook her head. "Should I answer it?"

"I guess there's no harm in it.. Hopefully..."

Charlie nodded, answering the phone and putting it to her ear. "P - pa? Is that you?" There was a moment when nothing but static could be heard, then, a voice came through, speaking so loudly that Charlie had to pull the device away from her ear.

"CHARLIE MY DEAR! GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN!"

"Uh... Hey pa. I... Didn't expect to hear from you!"

"AH, WELL, I SAW YOUR FIASCO IN A PICTURE SHOW AND COULDN'T HELP BUT CHECK IN ON YOU! I MUST SAY, I HAVEN'T BEEN THAT ENTERTAINED SINCE THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929!" he chuckled. "SO MANY ORPHANS..."

"Uh... Pa... Could you... lower the volume a bit?"

"Ah yes! Of course my dear! It's just so good to hear from you again and I..."

"Where have you been?"

There was static on the other line, and then; "No where of importance my dear! What matters is that I'm talking to you now, and I've taken it upon myself to help you!" there was a pause, and then he hissed out; "Not like Luci or Lily would do such a thing... But anyways my dear! Look just outside your door, and you'll find two of my associates that have graciously volenteered to help!"

Charlie knew that "volenteered" most likely meant that he had used one of his soul deals to control two sinners to help her... But it was something.

"A - Alright... I guess. Thanks for calling, I didn't even know you had a phone... Since V..."

"Oh I usually don't! But let's just say I'm..." the static came back full force, so that Charlie could barely make out his next words. "Out of his range."

"Okay then..."

"Now now my dear, I don't need to see you to know that tone of voice! Smile! You're never fully dressed without one! And besides, you want to make a good impression, don't you?"

Charlie took a deep breath, and then smiled. "Yes! Of course!"

"Good girl. Now, good luck with your little project, futile as it is... I'm excited to see where it goes..." he was obviously planning to hang up the call.

"WAIT!" Charlie cried, static going through her end this time. "Wait... I... Pa, are you gonna visit?"

"Oh, eventually... I'm a bit... Out of sorts at the moment. But I'd be thrilled to see your little endevour! Goodbye my little Applepie!"

"Bye pa!" Charlie's smile returned full force as she made her way across the room. "I love you!"

The phone beeped, and she returned it to her pocket before turning towards the stained glass before her. Charlie took a deep breath, reaching for the handle...

And opened the door.

[desultory-novice]

I don't know if this is going to be expanded upon in Apologies but... What's Adeleine's relationship like with Characters like Meta Knight Magolor and Taranza? I'm just genuinely curious as we don't see them interact with her like the others! I mean... We did see Taranza clean himself up and prepare to go talk to her, Ribbon, and Susie in Star Allies, but not much else.

(Also I just wanted to say, I love how She and Daroach have a little sister/niece/daughter like relashionship!)

Heck yes, Daroach is absolutely Adeleine's super cool uncle! (To contrast Dedede's goofy dad attempts!) He just seems to naturally knows how to be there when she needs it and give her space to grow when she doesn't while Dedede is still trying to figure out if he's going too far or not going far enough?! (Then again, Dedede's origional encounter with the siblings is what put him in that awkward position to begin with. We'll soon see a little more about how his "relationship" with Noir influences his relationship with Adeleine.)

Taranza, once he heard Adeleine's story, probably considered inviting Adeleine to one of his and Susie's "grief nights" ...and then remembered those sometimes (often) involve alcohol and inappropriate yelling and decided against it XD

He offered her a patch of his sizable flower garden instead, if she wanted to plant some flowers for Noir.

Honestly, he doesn't know how to talk to her as well as Susie does because, unlike the two of them, he didn't lose family. TLDR, he wants to be someone who can help and impress and make things better but is a bit too awkward to try.

He has better success with her older brother in the Alternate Timeline, because they have much morein common...

Speaking of! I have this ask on that subject!

Which was such a good idea, I wrote a little scriptlet for it!

--

:Noir in the gardens outside Castle Dedede, training: :Taranza floats up behind him, cordial: Taranza: "You're quite good with that."

Noir: "...You know your way around swords?"  (I thought you were just another squishy wizard...)

Taranza: "Ahaha... Not me! My queen did though. She was...amazing. Glorious. Beautiful..."

Noir: "Oh, right. I remember you now. You're the guy who merc'd his own...!" 

:Noir claps a hand over his stupid mouth: :Taranza looks away: :Noir, ashamed:

Noir: "...Sorry. At some point, I got stuck in the habit of trying to push everyone away on purpose and now...I don't know how to talk to anyone without shoving my foot in my..."

Taranza: "No, it's fine. In fact... it's true. Truer than how most people would phrase it."

:Folds his hands, reflective:

Taranza: "I can lie to myself that the corruption made her a different person but...I know better than anyone that she was still..."

:Noir interrupts him:

Noir: "...She wasn't any different! I could still see her in there! She was calling to me...! Why couldn't I...?!"

:He stops before he breaks down again: :Taranza smiles faintly, sensing a connection building:

Taranza: "I've heard a little about you too. You and...your sister. Has it been hard to talk to the others about?

:Noir trying to play indifferent but struggling: Noir: "...What's there to say? They've already told me it's not my fault."

Taranza: "Do you believe them?"

Noir: "..........No."

Taranza: "Mmm..." :He turns away from the camera:

Taranza: "'I gave her the gift.' 'I wasn't watching her closely enough.'"

:Noir stares at him in disbelief: :It's like he's speaking Noir's mind aloud:

Taranza: "To the others, it sounds like I'm wallowing in my guilt. But to me... it's not something so emotional as 'guilt.' It's just my reality."

Noir: "..."

:Taranza, smiling:

Taranza: "I didn't meant to interrupt your practice however!"

:He starts to leave before Noir stops him:

Noir: "Hey, uh...! What if... there was someone... I wanted to talk to about this...? Would that be...cool?"

Taranza: "It would be excellent! I'm always open for company on the weekend for tea and knitting!"

:Noir cringes in 'guard down' way he hasn't in a while:

Noir: "Tea and...knitting? Seriously...?"

Taranza: "It keeps your hands occupied!"

:Points at Noir's hands, curled tightly around the Rainbow Blade: :Noir admits defeat, giving the first signs of a potential smile:

---

---

[Back to the Ask]

It's a similar deal with Meta Knight, really. It's not that he doesn't care, it's because he does care that he doesn't have a lot to say to Adeleine. Meta Knight is the "watch silently from a distance" type.

His attention is focused much more on Noir than Noir's remarkably emotionally well-balanced and together little sister.

As for Magolor...

I actually did write (another) scene with Adeleine and Magolor but it started to spin off in a direction I couldn't quite wrangle back into place, and I wasn't wholly satisfied with where it was going or what it was doing for either Adeleine or Magolor's characters so I scrapped it. Since I already dropped another script here, we might as well make this an Apologies AU script party and drop that one here too!!

---

[Old Unfinished Thing]

:Adeleine steps inside the Lor:

Adeleine: "Magolor?"

:He is asleep on the console, murmuring:

Magolor: "...L-let...let me go... ...Help...me... Ki...rby..."

:She shakes him, worried:

Adeleine: "Magolor! Are you okay?!"

Magolor: "AH!?" "What?!" "Oh! Adeleine..."

:He calms down, finally seeing her:

Adeleine: "Sorry to surprise you. You asked to see me?"

:shockingly chipper given a second ago:

Magolor: "Yes, yes! It won't be long! I just need to 'fit' you for something!"

Adeleine: "What is it?"

Magolor: "I'm calling them 'dress-up masks.'

:Magolor points to the Lor's screen, showing the ones he's got already. They start to scroll by, renders of the masks' various 'models' showing up alongside them: :Adeleine, impressed:

Adeleine: "...Wow! You made all of these yourself? They're so cool!"

Magolor: "That's right! And every last one was snapped and modeled by yours truly! With the Lor here, I was able to hop back and forth across timelines like it was nothing!"

:Eyes closed, getting into his boastful story:

Magolor: "Some of these very VERY tricky to get of course! Not everyone wanted to be immortalized in the galaxy's BEST theme park! I got in a couple of fights... Won them all, of course!"

:He trails off when he opens his eyes and realizes Adeleine is staring at the Dark Matter Blade mask and model: :Magolor, pensive:

Magolor: "I heard... from Susie, that is... ...that unusual looking Dark Matter...was your brother?"

:Adeleine nods slowly:

Adeleine: "Noir..." "You...met him? While he was like that?"

:Adeleine, frightened to ask: :Magolor reads this emotion on her:

Magolor: "Yes! He was...strong! Truly a noble warrior! The toughest I ever faced! You ought to know I barely got out of there with my...!"

:Adeleine's expression sinks: :She knows Magolor is making stuff up for her sake:

Magolor: "...Sigh."

:He taps a button: :text appears beside the image: :the label "Dark Matter Clone" now displays beside the mask:

Magolor: "I couldn't do it. It's not him up there. Not your brother. Not...exactly. I snapped a recreation from another timeline. One without emotion. I did try to go back there. Back to the source."

:His expression tighens:

"But what I saw fighting Kirby in those dark skies... frightened me."

:He turns off the mask display:

"...Because I've been there."

Magolor: "I made a decision when I started this project: I wouldn't shy away from anything. Even the bad. I felt that everyone, like me, deserved the chance to own up to their sins and become free."

Magolor: "...But I'm a hypocrite."

:He taps at several more keys in a row: :A model shows up on screen as Magolor turns away from it:

Magolor: "Because there's one mask missing..."

:This model has no accompanying mask: :Magolor Soul's haunted expression stares back at the camera:

Magolor: "...I can't stand to look at it. To remember. I couldn't just neglect your brother but, honestly? I can't stand to see him either."

"Do you think I'm an awful person?"

:Magolor's own face reflects the haunted, mauled smile of his soul:

Adeleine: "...No. An awful person wouldn't have felt bad enough about lying to tell me the truth. ...Even if it's unpleasant."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to hear pleasant stories yet. I only saw him once and I was so scared, I ran away. Maybe...if I hadn't, if I'd tried to reach out to him, he'd still be here in some form...?"

-

(For your sake, Adeleine, I won't repeat the things I saw or heard that night. I'm sorry if that means you'll never know your brother's last moments. But I can't...I'm not ready to face that part of myself yet.)

...

[//ANNND like I said, this is about where I realized that not only had this gone on way too long and I had no ending in mind, these two had gotten massively OOC over the course of it and cut the story here!]

---

---

TLDR, Magolor is usually pretty good with kids and pretty good with "faking it" too but he's also something of what we would call a "bad adult." That said, Magolor's status as a non-paragon means that he can give her a perspective NONE of the good adults WILL give her.

Which is valuable.

(It's just not the one above. Because I don't like that XD )

PS: Since Apologies actually crosses over into Salty French Bread(!!) it ought to be said that unlike her brother, Adeleine thinks Marx is the cutest, funniest little guy and because Adeleine loves him so much, Marx in turn loves playing silly tricks with Adeleine like eating all her crayons and then splitting in two to create a rainbow.

...

...

...

...

...

Oh? What's this?

Are you still here?

I suppose since I'm giving out Apologies script bits in this post there's no harm in delivering a final little tidbit. Like the above, this monologue is also NOT Apologies Canon, but if we have any fans of mindbreak + horror in the audience, you might enjoy this brief (non-canon!) potential exploration into Noir's mind during Arc II...

---

Stop.it.Don't.make.me.remember.who.I.am.because.being.****.is.only.pain.Even.without.this.thing.twisting.inside.me.breathing.through.every.pore.of.my.body.I.can.feel.myself.dying.every.time.it.moves.But.no.matter.how.much.it.hurts.I.never.just.die.I'm.not.brave.I'm.not.unstoppable.I'm.afraid.and.I.want.it.to.stop.Mom.dad.why.did.you.have.to.leave.us.alone.I.didn't.ask.for.any.of.this.********.Where.are.you.right.now.I.can't.hear.anything.I.can't.see.anything.Only.darkness.No.stars.Please.don't.find.me.********.God.you.have.to.stay.away.because.where.I.am.there.is.only.darkness.Only.darkness.********.Only.dark...

********... ****...**...

[strobichie]

rin's childhood crush ෆ

♡⸝⸝ summary: rin itoshi, a young 16 year old blue lock participant and a few others were given some weeks off of blue lock. how will the young itoshi spend his free time? to his surprise, he didn't think he'd stumble upon one of his old favourite games dating back to his childhood.

little note: monika can be a self-insert i guess.

underlashes junior's (rin) perspective:

i failed to be acknowledged by my own brother. i worked so hard, but in the end isagi stole his attention. what was it that i lacked..?

my hands messed with sae's old computer back when we were younger --- mom and dad bought him this computer for school, however he and i always played on it when they weren't looking our way.

i was in deep thought, thinking, what the hell was it that made sae look isagi's way?

sae wasn't gonna be home anytime soon, might as well use this to my advantage. i remember a game.. a horror game.. an old one. i couldn't place a finger on what it was about or why our younger selves even downloaded it in the first place, nonetheless, i find myself desperately searching for it.

after starting windows, i immediately clicked the file explorer icon on the taskbar, and was greeted with many old pictures of us in our childhood days. i wanted to smash somebody's head.

my eyes stared at the downloads, i clicked on it and scrolled a few seconds down. was this...

ddlc-win? what the fuck does ddlc stand for?

i extracted the files and opened the ddlc-win folder ---

ddlc-1.1.1-pc?? i eyed it curiously before finally double clicking and checking the contents of the game ---

i started the game up and was met with a.. girl? she looked.. scared?? terrified?? mortified..?!

she had similar features to sae, auburn hair, and not-so similar eyes. hers were emerald green.

all i knew was she had the character features of someone kind.

"..." she was silent, staring into my soul with her eyes wide. was this the game me and sae used to play? really?

to say the least, she was greatly sad. i clicked the 'talk' side bar besides the chat box below and selected 'hey, monika..' and continued, 'appearance...'

'can you tie your hair into something else?' i clicked the box, and she suddenly.. got happy?

'sure rin, which hair tie would you like me to use?' she laid out a side bar with only two choices. one of her without her infamous white bow and one without.

was this a mod? i don't remember doki doki literature club being only about monika.

although this may seem quite out of character for me, i think she's pretty cute. or that she just reminds me of sae.

i removed her white bow and she looked even more like sae, this was a fucking nightmare.

she crossed her arms firmly, frowning at me. what did i do now..?

i clicked talk > i feel.. > bored and read her dialogues ---

yikes.. uh.. the first option box looks really shiny today.

i could feel the inner child in me getting excited, i felt.. happy? this was weird.

'oh, that's a relief! but, if you're bored, we should go find something to do.' i felt my cheeks burn, the memories came back and i remembered my younger self always gushing over her, fanboying.. and all.

monika.. was my childhood crush?

author's very very VERY important note: well folks i guess i'll leave it at that, might make a part two, might not.

[il3x]

(spoilers for reboot s2, but not the endgame!)

thinking about the reboot cloning plot again and you know I love a clone plot, but the fact that This Specific clone plot is presented as a neutral to positive thing kinda rubs me the wrong way. I think there should be more exploration of how fucked up it was.

Like... Seb decides, without consulting most of his teammates, that the best-slash-only way for Pr0 to escape his pursuers is to die. He does not ask Pr0 about this plan, he does not tell Pr0 about this plan. He just straight up Murders Him. That's already a pretty big violation, and it's done to a character whose arc is about escaping control and abuse.

THEN, when Pr0's cloned, Seb just... decides, again, Without Any Input, that what would be best for Pr0 is to have his memories edited to process/heal his trauma. Better than just deleting it entirely, I guess, but it's kinda iffy that 1. in rebootworld there is apparently A Singular Point Of Healing after which trauma doesn't bother you any more and 2. you can get to that point precisely via invasive surgery/genetic reprogramming adn. 3. this is a kind and good thing to do to (to!!! he's not doing it FOR Pr0! pr0's fucking dead! Seb killed him!!) your friend who Has Been Controlled Posessed And Moulded For Most Of His Life. not to mention that Seb, iirc, specifically words it as like. hey can you make him more useful to us. Kinda fucked up innit

also they straight up inject 4 years of simulated military service into pr0's mind and like That's also kinda fucked up eh. What if that also gives him trauma. What if pr0 was anti-war and would never have wanted those memories and the resulting alterations to his personality. He might've been, man, we don't know. because again Sebastian Killed Him.

anyways pr0 is explicitly a new person (without any of those pesky coping mechanisms that annoyed his teammates, yippee!! /sarcastic) now, and again. like. this Could Have Been Good. if it was treated as "yo that was kinda fucked up". but no. Peter/clone-Pr0 is totally chill with it. Even Xiang, who explicitly believes that peter/clone-pr0 is a separate person and original pr0 is dead, is totally chill with it. She's still dating Seb. Y'know. The guy who murdered your friend/apprentice in front of you.

And for some more fun (worrying) context, Seb is, at this point, Actively Preparing his plan for global eugenics to... forcibly sterilise all mean people, I guess?? I don't actually recall the details. But he is all too happy about making unilateral decisions on who deserves to live.

(His global eugenics plan which he would've gone through with if his gf hadn't talked him out of it, to be clear! His gf Xiang who is disabled and presumably Asian, and therefore probably has a vested interest in Not Doing Eugenics, and this still doesn't impact her opinion of Seb very much. Xiang deserved better, I'm sorry. I love everything about her except her taste in men.)

Oh, and for Further Context, the guy who offers to adjust Pr0's mind and actually makes the adjustments (and takes it upon himself to age Pr0 up four years physically) legally owns Pr0. Just in case you're wondering if it's really that fucked up to make non-consensual mind and body modifications to a human trafficking survivor whose previous non consensual body modifications were explicitly done by his captors as a form of abuse. Y'know.

Oh, fuck, and now I'm realising that said previous modifications (cybernetics, experimental drugs, etc - they're mentioned in ep1) were for the purpose of making him a better weapon. And in-universe, the necessity of giving Jazza's character some more combat levels comes through as Seb going "hey, dad, could you make him a better weapon". clears throat. Fucked Up innit.)

AND the only team member Seb consults about killing and rebooting Pr0 in the first place is Incongruent, iirc, who is also the only other main character with a "replace all humans with a better race [robots]" plan. Also worth noting that when Incongruent, a member of an oppressed class directly reacting to his oppression, wants to replace all humans, it's kinda fucked up and part of the dystopia and the other characters don't like it very much and Incongruent changes his mind of his own accord, but when Seb and his mom, members of the ruling class, want to replace humanity, it's hand-waved as an "oh well" dropped plot thread despite that having Even More potential to be a load-bearing piece of worldbuilding w/r/t "this is a fucked up dystopia".

I do get why this happened on a meta level - Jazza needed to reboot (heh) his character build. And in-universe, it kinda works, it has some fun parts. In isolation I really like how chill Peter is about being a clone. Icon behaviour. I also get that Seb is reacting to his own horrific trauma. But just. Y'know. I didn't like Seb in this arc very much, and I wish the narrative had acknowledged that more.

[crazygemini-world]

Here's a guzma x older male reader

Guzma = in his 20's/reader= 30

So I'm a sucker for appreciation/comfort and sibling figure in anime and for me Guzma would feel like a burden if he'd talk about his worries to the team(he feels like he needs to be strong for them) so what better but a older brother who knows him like the back of his hands ?

Mentions:theres a theory that Guzma was abuse by his father so warning because it will mention it (and no I don't glorify abuse but I think it's a possibility that what happen to him because of the clues in the game)

--------------------------------------------------

Guzma always act as if everythings alright or at least try,there's somedays he'd lock himself away in his room and would not come out for days.But this time was different and Plum's worried cause's it's been five days,Guzma still didn't come out,not even to eat.

Seeing the way things are going she decides to go and look for someone who she knows would be able to understand and talk to Guzma,his brother.She knows very little about him she heard once while going to talk to Guzma that he was living not to far from Po town so Plum started to search and After hours without success she stumble upon a man with a Beautifly and a Ribombee.He was crafting something ? like a scarf with matching colors with the Beautifly.

She then noticed the similarities of features he had in common with Guzma,the eyes the nose,the jaw .It was without any doubt the one she was searching for.Plum slowly came up behind the older man but before being able to speak a Meowth alart him of her presence.

He turn around with surprise, he's three pokemons on the ready to fight.

"I ain't here to fight ya man !I actually need ya help..."

"My help ?Wait,are you Plumeria ?"

"Yeah that's me"

"Excuse me for that *shows pokemons*I've been provocked in a fight by surprise and dis not like it"

"That's alright but ya are Guzma brother's right ?"

"I am,he told you about me ?"

"Na I learnt about while interupting one of your calls"

"Oh alright,so what do you need help for ?"

"Guzma been locked up in his room for days and we can't get him to get out even to eat"

"How long ?"

"five days"

"Lead the way"

Without any information he got up and,followed by his pokemons,followed Plumeria to Po Town. Once arrived he doesn't bother to introduce himself,he just go straight to Guzma room with the indecations Plum told him the way .

Once arrived to his destination he slowly knocks on the door.

"Guzma ?"

He hear a sudden shuffling of fabrics then the door unlock in a seconde .Now in front of him was a tired Guzma looking more like a mess then usual,puffy eyes,in baggy clothes which looks more bigger on him than they should,he overall looked fragile.

"Y/n...?"

"hey...is it alright if...I come in ?"

Guzma nods slightly and stand out the ways to let his brother enter his room.Y/n pokemons stayed guarding the door to prevent any curious to heavedrop on them.

The room was a mess but less than he expected.Guzma didn't bother to try to do the tough guy,he went for a hug and started crying.Y/n knew what it could be related to,but did not know what trigger it.While hugging him back he slowly bring them to the floor.He didn't want Guzma to fall because of his state.

"Now breathe,you're safe,you're with me.Please tell me what happened."

Guzma now calmer stayed silent a little moment then proceed to explain.

"I saw Kukui and he told me that I wasn't going to acheive anything and then he moved his arm and...it...it made me go back and...."

Y/n thighten his hug knowing what he was going to say all too well

"I was so scared,I won't stop getting nightmares and...and...what if he comes back or..."

Not letting him finish,he push him away enough that Guzma look at him in his eyes.

"What happen with dad is over.I handled it.He will NEVER hurt you again and don't forget that you have your friends and me to protect you !"

"...really ?"

"Have I ever lied to you ?"

"If ya did ,I never found out"

While finally smiling the brothers stay a little more alone talking about all and nothing.Y/n even managed to make Guzma laugh.After sometime Guzma changed clothes,took a shower (he needed it) and finally goes out his room tightly holding Y/n hand's.

"Ya got him to finally go out ?"

"Yes,he's alright now"

"I'm right here ya now"

Then all of the grunts started to ask if he was okay,if he needed anything,telling that they're happy to see him.That's when he realise that in a corner his brother was smiling.He smiled back he was happy.

[heystephen]

hey ebd anon! to be honest i knew she was wacky from the first day i met her because she started yelling (at the top of her lungs) in an attempt to win a dumb argument

i was weirded out for a hot minute there until i realized she has narcissistic traits much like my dad does, and she's very similar to my grandma (dad's mom) too.

just as an example, my grandma made me swear i would never share this info with anyone until i die: she sat me down one day and told me my other grandma (mom's mom) is a whore. mind you both of these women were in their 70s at the time. but yeah apparently she was a whore because she started dating for a brief period in her 50s after becoming a widow. my best friend's boyfriend tragically passed away last year, and this woman had the audacity to tell me she wanted to set up my friend with someone not even a month after the funeral because "she's young, she's not gonna be alone forever". this is a woman who went to book a church and priest for me to get married on a date that works for her. then somehow found the phone number and called my mil and told her "the church is handled" so i got a call - while on vacation and not in the process of planning a wedding btw - from my mil who said "handle your grandmother" and hung up on me. i had no idea what had been happening, or even that the two knew each other because the families hadn't met yet. and i was on vacation. out of the country. this woman booked a church with just my name?! like am i marrying myself or something?! nope, she just wanted it to be that date because she heard her other son might be in town that day too.

anyway, given the similar traits she shares with my mil, they have sort of become very close friends since i got married. no one knows what they talk about, but they're on the phone for hours and both lie about who they've been talking with (i've caught them in these lies myself). my mil is very chatty especially after a drink or two (it's an issue) so she spills most things to my sister in law, except anything to do with my grandma. then my sil shares all the gossip with me, which is how i learned the woman thinks im a witch out to get her. i have noticed my mil has picked up some language patterns from my grandma, and some beliefs too, which is how i know they're very close these days. aside from the comments ive heard from my mil about my grandma (moms mom) being a whore (that sounds familiar doesnt it?) and then also my cousin because she dared to wear something tight that looks good on her. yeah.

meanwhile, my "whore" grandma and cousin are women i actually really look up to because they're incredibly strong. hell, my grandma was the first person to teach me about feminism when i was in elementary. she was having coffee while i was visiting her and she told me i should never feel afraid of the partner i choose in life and that we should both be equal in both similarities and in differences. it was her simple way of saying the ideal relationship is when both parties respect each other even in arguments and disagreements. and my cousin left the country at 18, as soon as she could get a passport, so she could make a better life for herself than what she had in her hometown. she found a job, accommodation and lived through god knows what (i know small bits) to make it out of this country.

anyway, my mil is convinced her sister in law is a witch and a whore and she's told me all about her. allegedly, she's seen the witchcraft books this woman owns. my first thought upon hearing that was "how did you ever find them oh innocent soul that can do no wrong without snooping" and then i learned she went snooping. so i know she's gone through my shit in the last few months we've been living together but i got nothing to offer so 🤷🏻‍♀️. oh and the witchcraft books turned out to be some eastern healing books. she told me this herself going off about "this eye" and "special points on the body" and whatever else is in books like that im not too familiar.

sorry for the long ask scout, i tried to summarize as much as possible, and now im sending loving bites to both you and ebd anon <3

.... maybe the bites are witchcraft 😂😂😂

there is So much lore to unpack from all of this i feel like im going to be ruminating on this for days

[nickwilliamb]

THE 'GAY TEST

Enjoy this story:

"Meet Lex, everyone!"

"Hi everyone!" I said."

"You can sit down over there." Miss Hannah said. She was teaching Biology. The moment I sat down my chair I greeted my classmate I sat next to. I'm not gay or anything, but let me just say that this guy was very pretty.

"Hey, uh, how are you?" I said. He smiled "Havent been better, hah, so where are you from?" Looking in his eyes I was almost at a loss for words. "Oh, uh, I'm from Modria, it's a small village near the city Spontron, but after some shit happend... well here we are." "Ah man I've always wanted to live in a small village! So how do you like it here?" He sounded geniunley interested but before I could awnser him Miss Hannah cut us off. "John and Lex, please be quiet and pay attention!" she almost shouted. "Allright we'll talk after class." I whispered.

Ringgggg!!! "Be sure to make your homework for next class guys!!" Miss Hannah said while everyone was packing all their stuff.

'Wanna hang out at my place?' John said while getting ready to leave. "Of course" I said surprised. "Let me text my mom that I'm home later."

We got up and biked to his home. When we got there, he got something to drink and went straight to his room after meeting his mom and exchanging the usual generic words. "Well, this is where the magic happens!" He smiled at me, "I don't know what, but something in this room just felt really cozy to me but I couln't tell what."

"Wow, you even got the new Playstation! I mean, we kinda have to play it now, you know. Do you know how hard these are to get?" "I mean, my dad is also a gamer, and he works at a store where they sold a few. He managed to get one."

A few hours have passed, and our eyes became square until John asked, "Do you want to take a test? I saw this thing on the internet, it's called the gay test, wait, uhm, by the way, you are straight right?"

"Duh" I said without thinking, of course!

"I guessed as much," he said. He wasn't smiling, no, he had a big grin on his face. "Allright, we're going to test and see if you speak the truth. First of all, undress, you can keep your undies on."

I just did what he said. I was kind of curious how in the hell he could test if I'm gay? Wait... No way he was going to do that. He's way too innocent for that".

"Allright, now go lay on my bed." He ordered. "Now I know what makes it so cozy it was the smell, it was his smell. His bed smelled so nice. I've never smelled anything so great before. "Allright, are you ready?!"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead! I said.

"So via this test on the internet, you must withstand 30 seconds of nipple twisting without getting a boner!"

"That's easy," I said, but deep down was very uncertain how it would feel like being touched by a boy, anyone for that sake. "Here come, 3,2,1" he had the same grin on his face.

The second he touched my nipple I knew I'd lost. I didn't have a boner just yet, but his touch, felt so unbelielably good. I'd just stopped trying. As weird as it sounds, but I was acctually enjoying his touch. Before I realized, the blood had pumped into my dick. I don't think I've ever been this hard in my entire life.

"Whoa dude, it hasn't even been 10 seconds yet and your weener is almost coming out of your pants!" he was surprised but something in me told me that he was a super horny. We only knew eachother for a couple of hours but if felt we never not known each other.

"Well, I guess you need to do some sort of punishment, let me think... Oh I know the perfect thing, you have to jerk off right in front of me.

I was very surprised but also very horny. He was sitting at the other side of the bed. I moved towards him and lay my hands upon his shoulders and kissed him. My tongue was melting away in his mouth. I never kissed someone, but it felt so natural, so good, so fucking awesome. I didn't care about being gay and all and knew that he didn't either. Our mouths were so wet, salvia was dripping down his mouth. We stayed kissing like this for what felt hours but what was maybe a few seconds. We stopped for a second and I lay down next to him. We looked and we smiled at each other. Couldn't say what emotion I fell but it was like I was so happy, my tears were almost coming out, and then this nervous feeling almost, but it was overwhelmed by the happiness.

He whispered in my ear, "Wanna lick each other?" We were both blushing. We said nothing and we said a thousand words at the same time. We didn't have to speak. He undressed and layed back down, I took off his undies revealing a big, shiny monster. It smelled kind of nice. Meanwhile he had taken off mine. I grabbed his dick and carefully licked it. It was kind of sweet and salty. I sucked on the tip a little more and a little bit of precum started to leak. It only made me more horny. He also had taken my dick in his mouth. All was in heaven on earth. I took a little more of his in dick my mouth when I felt my own cum shoot but at that same time, I felt his cock twitching in my mouth.

[wordsunbound]

Chasing After You by Bri Warren

Chapter One:

I sat on my bed with my computer in my lap with discord open, revealing my chatroom with my boyfriend, Augustus Parrish. He lived in California while I lived in Missouri, we had been in a long distant relationship for a couple of years now. However, I wanted to end things for the better.

We were one of those annoying on and off again couples despite how much I tried for us not to be. Gus and I were just bad together. We were like an atomic bomb ready to explode at any second and destroy everything in our paths.

At first, the relationship was beautiful, wholesome, and perfect. He was there for me when my mother passed away from a neurological disease, and just recently my dad passed away from a hemorrhage. I'm grateful Gus was there for that but I just don't think I can do this anymore.

I had been wanting out of the relationship for a while but I thought things would get better. That's what the elderly said about relationships. In order to keep things going you have to fix things together, but that was not the case for us. We were always fighting about little things that ended up with him crying or me. We were toxic together.

I looked back at the chat to see what he said:

GustlePup: 9:30am Good morning, baby! GustlePup: 9:31am I love you! You're so beautiful!!!!! GustlePup: 9:47am I can't wait to hear your beautiful voice!

I replied to him:

CherryQueen: 10:00am Good morning CherryQueen: 10:01am I need to call you if you're not busy please

My phone rang and it read on the screen: Gussie ❤️. I picked up on the second ring, "Hey, Gus, I know I just woke up but I really need to tell you something."

I could hear him shuffling on the other end and then he cleared his throat, "Uh, okay. What's up, Chels?"

I grabbed at the brown bear on my bed, thumbing at his right ear. Clearing my own throat I allowed the words to tumble out of my rosy lips, "I think we should break up. I can't keep fighting with you every single day and crying. I just can't anymore, Gus."

My eyes were burning intensely as tears threatened to fall from my hazel-green eyes. I could tell he was hurt because of how his breath hitched upon hearing my words that struck him like an arrow in the chest.

"I knew you would do this! You've been acting weird for weeks and now you break things off! Who is it? Is it Cole? What did I do?" Gus was asking so many questions that I couldn't even comprehend anything else.

I stopped him as tears filled my throat and my eyes, "Gus, I cannot take this anymore. We are both a bad match and the distance isn't helping. This isn't about Cole-"

"Then who is this about?" Gus demanded with irritation clearly in his voice, which quickly changed to a softer tone. "Because I knew you'd leave me. I can't handle life without you, Chelsea.. Please don't leave me. Please."

I took a deep breath and said, "Gus, please I just need to be me. I gotta go, okay? I have to think about some things."

Before he could get another word in, I hung up the phone and placed it on my night stand. Was it cruel to do to him? Maybe, but I really needed to get ready for my day off at home from work.

After a quick shower, I was back on my phone trying to get ahold of my friend Kylee via text. I had already told my sister and my best friend, Cat, about the break up; they were happy for me.

Kylee texted me back finally as I shoved a spoonful of peanut butter in my mouth:

Who's ass am I kicking?

I laughed and quickly texted back:

Mine and Gus's I guess. I broke up with him and now he just can't leave me alone. Oh, btw are you still coming over to talk to Cat?

Kylee and I were friends last year until our ex roommate, Farrah, decided to conspire against all of us in the house. She was able to convince Kylee that Cat was not nice to the cat that Kylee had purchased as a gift for Farrah and Cat. So Kylee and Farrah took the cat when we were not home, and Farrah moved in with Kylee for a short period. Farrah ended up moving back home to her parents house in Tennessee with Cat's cat.

Kylee and I had put together a plan to hopefully rekindle Kylee and Cat's friendship even though it was a crazy idea.

Kylee and I were going to drive to Tennessee to get back Cheeto.

Kylee replied to me:

I'm on my way there now

@theink-stainedfolk