#anyways I’m gonna go play dragon age 2

[hawkeshep]

actually Varric is alive and right next to me? no clue wtf you’re all on about

[multifandomfanficss]

Home Is Wherever You Are P4

Adrian Chase/Vigilante x Reader

With a very heavy emphasis on platonic!Christopher Smith/Peacemaker

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Adrian Chase Masterlist

Prompt: It’s your last day alone with Adrian before he starts preschool so you try to make the most of it.

Warnings: mentions of child abuse, panic, meltdown, crying, divorce, mentions of August Smith, cannon typical Peacemaker violence and language, homophobia, internalized homophobia

A/N: Sorry we’re a day late! My schedule was a little busier than usual yesterday. I also posted this on my ao3 adriansglasses. Hope you guys enjoy!

You race towards Adrian in the parking lot of the old video store turned headquarters.

“Where are you going?! Can you please just talk to me for a second?!” You call after him.

“If you’re just gonna call me a stupid, reckless, liability then I don’t wanna hear it.” He says, continuing to walk. He was clearly just spitting out words he’d heard Murn or Harcourt say about him. You grab his hand, halting him from walking any further away from you.

“You could have died!” You tell him.

“So what?! It would have been for the greater good anyway!” He turns to look at you. “Everybody knows I’m the most expendable!” He tells you as if he thinks he’s speaking in cold hard facts.

“No, you’re not! You shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way.” You argue with him.

“You’re more important than me! You can live without me, but I can’t live without you. That’s just a fact, (Y/N). That’s how it is with everyone in my life.”

“You idiot.” You say, as you pull him into your first kiss.

September 12th, 1994

Today was the last weekday you’d be alone with Adrian before he started preschool, so you wanted it to be special. You held his hand as you walked into Henelotter Video to let him pick out a movie or two. All he wanted to do was have a guys’ night with Gut and Chris. He looked up to them so much. The plan was to get pizza and rent a movie or two. Your mission was to pick an age appropriate movie for Adrian that wouldn’t bore Gut and Chris. Luckily that wasn’t a problem when Adrian picked up the original Star Wars. He was going through a huge hyperfixation with Space lately. You smiled.

“I think that’s a great choice, buddy. Have you ever seen it?” You ask smiling.

“No, Dor has a picture on his wall!” Adrian told you. You thought back and remembered he was right. Gut did have a Star Wars poster on his wall. You also knew Chris was fond of the series in his adulthood and would often crack jokes about it, despite saying he’s not a nerd.

“Star Wars it is then.” You smiled.

“Rey, can we play on the games?” Adrian asked, pointing towards two arcade games by the checkout.

“You wanna play on the games?! You wanna on the games?!” You say as you lift him up, shaking him, pretending to drop him and holding him upside down as he giggled. He loved it when you did this. You’d found that out the first night you were here. You start to tickle him before setting him down on the stool in front of the arcade game. You placed a coin in the machine and let him play.

While he played, you wrote as many notes as you could. His future self had to find one of them in their future headquarters. Before you left you stuck them under floorboards, behind toilets, in ceiling beams, next to light fixtures, anything you thought might be permanent and you’d put two on the couple rare pieces of furniture you knew were still in the building, just some shelves and chairs. You wrote not to open them until the date you left your own timeline on the envelope and then you brought younger Adrian home.

On your way home you had an idea to keep him busy for the day, so you stopped at your local comic book store. You walked him all the way to the back where you were happy to see the Dungeons and Dragons section was still where it is in the future. It was smaller, but still there. They even had a children’s beginner’s guide that was simplified for younger players. Everything was perfect. You collected the cheapest option of all the materials you’d need and even had a little of your allowance leftover to let Adrian pick out a miniature. Before you’d left your own timeline, your Adrian had been trying to teach you how to play. Maybe if you taught his younger self how, you’d be better at it when you got back to your Adrian. You looked down and Adrian was missing. You panicked for a second before turning to see Adrian staring at the comic books with his chosen miniature in hand. He looked in awe at the heroes on all the covers.

“They’re really cool, aren’t they?” You smile.

“Yeah.” He whispers in awe, deep in thought.

“Well you are just as smart and just as cool and just as brave and just as strong as them.” You smile, pulling him into your arms and heading to check out. “And you can fly too!” You say as you move his body through the air to checkout. He giggles until you place him on the ground to pay for your stuff. Then you head home for real this time.

You taught Adrian how to play DND long into the afternoon. He seemed to be really interested in it, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. This is Adrian after all. Even after Gut and Chris came home, you kept playing. They were busy in Gut’s room listening to music anyway. You could hear Kiss coming from under the door. You didn’t get up from your game of DND until you heard the doorbell ring. You opened the door to meet the pizza man. You gladly paid him and got your pizza.

“Gut, Chris! Pizza’s here!” You yelled upstairs. “Ready for the movie, kid?” You asked Adrian. He smiled, giving you a nod. “You go grab the VHS tape from my bag and I’ll go get the boys, okay?”

“Okay!” Adrian yelled, running towards the front door where your bag was hanging.

You made your way upstairs to find Gut alone in his room. “Where’s Chris?” You ask.

“He’s in the bathroom.” He barley looks up from his gameboy.

“It’s time for dinner. Can you go help you brother? I’m pretty sure I can hear him digging in the cupboard, trying to reach for the paper plates, but we both know how clumsy he is.” You give him a sympathetic look, silently pleading. He sighed putting down his game of Zelda.

“Fine.” He said getting up and heading downstairs.

“Thank you!” You thank Gut before walking towards the bathroom.

You were just going to knock on the door, but you didn’t realize it was already cracked. When you accidentally pushed it open you came face to face with Chris. He was covered in Diane’s makeup. You both froze.

“This isn’t what it looks like!” Chris started.

“Really? Because it looks to me like you’re wearing eyeliner and you’re about to put on lipstick…” You try to hold back a smile. You knew he talked a big game, but at heart was just a kid.

“I was just trying to make my face look like Kiss! Please don’t tell my dad! He’ll think I’m gay!” He begs, mortified.

“Putting on makeup doesn’t make you gay…and even if you were gay…” You sigh. “The world won’t always be this fucked up. I promise. We’ve made tons of progress…even if it doesn’t feel like it in Evergreen, Washington.”

“I’m not gay!” He stands his ground, still scared.

“I’m not saying you’re gay.” You say calmly, giving him the patients he’s never really been given before.

“I like girls!” He says adamantly.

“I know… I’m just saying… IF you liked girls AND guys…no matter who you like… it’s okay.” You smile at him. Thirteen is a confusing age on its own. When you’re Christopher Smith, only living son of the White Dragon…it’s a lot worse. You watched him avoid your gaze, staring at himself in the mirror. “Dinner’s here. Meet me downstairs soon or else Gut and Adrian will eat it all.” You smile.

“Save me some and I’ll be down in a minute?” He asks, his voice trembling.

“Of course.” You smile, closing the door and heading down the stairs. You pause on the stairs to take a deep breath. You have no idea if what you’re doing is for better or worse anymore. On one hand you could be helping Chris, but on the other you could just be putting him in more danger with his dad. When you get to the bottom of the stairs you sit down, trying to compose yourself. With your eyes closed, you can hear two little feet running towards you.

“Hey, bro!” Adrian yells, crashing into you, climbing you like a tree to get into your lap.

“Hey to you too, bro.” You try to give him a smile.

“Bro, hurry up! I wanna start the movie!” Gut walks over and calls up the stairs. You don’t even have to ask where Adrian learned that.

“Can you help me with pizzuh?” Adrian asks.

“Yes, I can help you with your pizza.” You smile. “Gut, let’s just go eat. Chris is gonna be a minute.”

“He’s taking forever.” Gut whines.

“I know, but just give him a minute. He’s had a long day.”

“He was ranting about his dad again. He’s a fucking dick. Sometimes I wanna kill him.” Gut says quietly.

“Yeah! Kill him!” Adrian repeats in agreement. If only anyone was there to understand how funny a 3 year old Adrian Chase advocating to kill August Smith was. You just laughed. Usually you would tell Gut to not use such harsh language around Adrian, but he had already said fuck so many times. You couldn’t undo what happened before you got there, not that you could change anything anyway, and you couldn’t be mad at Gut for feeling this way either.

“I know you’re upset because Chris is your friend and you care about him, but sometimes you just have to let him deal with things in his own way, so he can grow.”

“We’re more of a family to him than that asshole.” Gut says, dropping a piece of pizza on his plate.

“I know and I promise one day he’ll come to terms with that. Right now he’s just not ready.” You give Gut a sympathetic look. You ached for these boys. Gut and Adrian’s dad left and Chris’… well it was no secret nobody wanted him in the picture.

After dinner you settled in the living room to watch Star Wars. Adrian was very adamant on the seat chart. He pulled you all to the seats he decided he wanted you to sit in. When Gut tried to move he objected.

“No! Rey has to sit between you and Chris!” He objected.

“Where are you gonna sit, Adrian?” You asked.

“Oh your lap!” He said this like it was obvious. This was all just his elaborate plan to be able to sit next to all three of you. Chris hadn’t said much since you caught him. You weren’t sure if he was sad or just embarrassed, but you didn’t press further. Gut was probably too tired to argue with his 3 year old brother, not happy about having to return to school tomorrow, and you just wanted the option that made the most people happy so you settled in, letting Adrian cuddle into your arms. You smiled as the movie started, hugging Adrian closer. You were never a huge Star Wars fan before you dated your boyfriend. You hadn’t even actually seen the first movie. You had never watched it without him. Even now he was still there, even if he wasn’t in the form you wanted him to be. You were a little sad, but you knew you’d see your Adrian again someday.

After the movie you tucked little Adrian into bed. You sat on the bed, missing your Adrian deeply. You played his voicemail. You had borrowed an old Walkman from Diane so you didn’t have to keep asking for Chris’ tape recorder.

“Hey babe, it’s me. I’m just calling because I know you had a bad day today and I was thinking maybe I could bring takeout home from the restaurant and we could just have a movie night? I just wanted to know if you were feeling chicken parm or meatballs or if you wanted to just scratch dinners and have me bring home a pizza. Just call me back when you get this. I’m really proud of you- uh…not that I’m not always proud of you. I’m like totally proud of you all the time and I’m rambling again and this voicemail is about to be like 10 years long, so uh bye I love you.”

“We did have our movie night… just not how either of us expected…” You whisper, as a tear falls.

You restarted the voicemail again.

“Hey babe, it’s me. I’m just calling because I know you had a bad day today and I was thinking maybe I could bring-“ You take off the headphones when you hear a small fist pounding on your door. 3 year old Adrian probably had a nightmare again. You open the door and he rushes into your room.

“Monstor in my cwoset!” He cries.

“There’s no monster in your closet.” You smile, getting at knee level and giving him a hug.

“Monstor!” He insists, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looks really scared. The least you can do is show him nothing’s there and if that doesn’t work, let him sleep in your room. Normally he would sleep with Diane, but she had to go back to the law office after shift at fennel fields to fill out some extra paperwork. It was stupid they were keeping their secretary so late, but she insisted it was a big case.

“Buddy, I promise there’s nothing there, but I’ll go check.” You hold Adrian’s hand, guiding him back to his room. “You sit on the bed and I’ll go check okay?” He let out a whine, sitting on his bed.

“Rey, I’m scawerd.” He cried. He was 3. All 3 year olds are scared of the monster in their closet.

“Adrian, look there’s nothing in-“ You open the closet, stepping backwards letting out a scream. Then Adrian screamed. Then Adrian screamed. You hear footsteps running towards Adrian’s room. You quickly closed the closet door. Adrian was shaking in his bed.

“What the fuck?! Are you okay?!” Gut busted into the room.

“Is somebody in the house?! I’ll fucking kill them!” Judging by what you knew about Chris’ past, he was probably serious. His dad had made him kill for a lot less and the Chase’s felt more like his real family anyway. He’d kill anyone for peace. What about someone trying to hurt his family?

“Everything’s fine!” You assure all three boys.

“Then what are you screaming about?!” Gut asks. You think for a second.

“Uh… I was just really excited! I just remembered the Backstreet Boys are coming out with a new album tomorrow! Can’t wait!” You say the first lie you could think of.

“Who‘s the Backstreet Boys?” Chris and Gut almost ask in unison.

Fuck. That was 96’ not 94’.

“Uh… I can’t believe you don’t know the Backstreet Boys!” Gaslight them. Gaslight the fuck outta these little kids.

“There’s a monstor in my cwoset!” Adrian starts again.

“Sorry. We’re playing a game. Speaking of games you should go finish that video game before your mom gets home and tells you it’s past your bedtime. Remember I’m the cool one, not her.”

“Bro, I can’t believe you still have a bedtime.” Chris laughs as you push the two out of the room. You run back over to the closet.

“You don’t think my mom’s cool?” Adrian asks, his body barley fitting into the closet with his sword on his back. You crush him in a hug and start crying immediately.

“Please tell me this is real. Please tell me this isn’t some fucked up dream.” You cry in his arms.

“It’s not a dream. I’m here. I found you.” He smiles, holding you tightly. You kiss him. His 3 year old self screams.

“Why am I screaming?” Adult Adrian asks.

“I just kissed the monster in the closet.” You laugh.

[simmancy]

🎶✨when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, and publish. then, send this ask/tag 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) ✨🎶

tagged again, this time by @morrigan-sims!! thank you I love talking more about my terrible horrible musical tastes... also kpop

Lucifer by SHINee (HER WHISPER IS THE LUCIFER) - this is my favorite song ever I’m not exaggerating. Don’t listen to whatever Spotify or my last.fm say, because I go back to release day with this bitch. I’ve been in the trenches with Lucifer. Bonus, it was released July 19 2010 so it was happy belated birthday to me that year. Bonus 2, you can also enjoy this together with Ring Ding Dong for Kit’s Ultimate Kpop Joy.

Cyberpunk by Ateez (my favorite thing in the song is Seonghwa tbh) - I’m glad Ateez is keeping alive the time-honored tradition of boys sadly hip thrusting about how terribly sad they are. The world needs more of it. Dance your sad little hearts out gentlemen.

Navillera by WJSN (Pass through the world with my wings, you can call me “oh my Queen”) - I hated this the first time I saw it and then idk I guess the witchy-vampire-wlw vibes won out in the end, anyway stan Cosmic Girls for clear skin. I will not elaborate further.

Daughter of the Sea (Beware, beware the daughter of the sea... Beware, beware of me) - God I hate Blizzard so much, Jaina is so cool. The song is also on my Fathomless warlock’s playlist because of course it is. I don’t even play WoW but I watch every cinematic because if my husband is going to listen to me talk Sims and Animal Crossing and Dragon Age, it’s only fair. The song is a banger, Jaina is super freaking cool and I love her.

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons (so hold my hand, consign me not to darkness) - the first time I heard this song was in someone’s Game of Thrones MV right after the Red Wedding. Beautiful song using biblical references that is instead, in my mind, about either a Grey Warden facing down the Blight (please god ask me about my Tabris I dare you), or a vampire princeling struggling with undeath.... Or Robb Stark.

Bonus Song, because I was thinking about my Dragon Age playlists: Dark Doo Wop by MS MR, the original Handers song imo (though I am more of a Fenhawke girlie and it could really fit with any of them by the end). This world is gonna burn burn burn burn, as long as we’re going down, baby you should stick around!!!!!!

More tags to hand out, feel free to ignore if you: @lazarish @musicalplumbob @rebelangelsims @floresibs @hazely-sims @xiapxls @nizaberry @disasterbri @thatsimslove @gothoffspring .... and bonus tag: anyone who sees this and wants to do it, I tag you.

[raxistaicho]

Are we not Engaged? Part 5

Spoilers under the cut

-Dragon loli Azura is getting attacked by Corrupted.

-She’s looking for her sister. Alear 100%

-What does getting Sommie to max joy do anyways? Oh well, making the littler bugger happy is fun XD

-Alear Yunaka C: I can’t stop hearing Ahri when Yunaka talks lol. “I’ve merc’d a time or two,” okay that was legitimately nice word play. Honestly, I like Yunaka most when she slips into killer mode when she scores crits. I’m probably trying to read too deep into her, but I’m curious where her real self starts and ends.

-Louis Yunaka C: Louis gives her tea. What is it with Firenans and tea. Louis asks Yunaka about her family, Yunaka kinda dodges the question and Louis tactfully withdraws. Not much happens here, but I suspect we’re building to something.

-Citrinne uses big hurty lightning \o/

-Celine Louis C: T E A. Celine likes to smell her tea. Louis knows where special tea is and Celine’s excited.

-Alcryst Citrine C: Citrine’s training, Alcryst praises her for it. She’s upset about not being strong enough for some reason.

-Hmm, seems I can’t actually take master seals into battle, that’s interesting.

-On to Brodia castle and chapter 8.

-Oh wow, Brodia castle looks even harder to take than Firene castle.

-Diamant is coming to greet us, hopefully he doesn’t take a shot at us or try to start an international incident.

-There’s something off-puting about Diamant’s eyes.

-Morion’s voice actor is terrible.

-Diamant apparently argues with Morion not to leave the castle. What, is he not capable of defending himself in this kingdom of might? Also the game actually froze in the middle of Morion’s dialogue for a bit, I never had that happen in Three Houses.

-It happened again lol.

-Morion just tosses Roy’s ring at Diamant, wtf... I know I’m supposed to see him as good-hearted and friendly, but he’s just acting like a another doofus.

-Here’s Roy. Thank god his summoning tune wasn’t a remix of Beyond the Fucking Sky. Or at least not one I recognized.

-Oh hey, here Ivy. “She’s dodging all our wyverns’ attacks.” We’ll see if that translates to gameplay lol.

-Ivy’s gonna take my life and my soul. Oh boy, more edgy cliches. At least she’s not as annoying as Hortensia. Oh she’s actually remorseful.

-Oohhh, the Sage Lord was Leif.

-Oh christ I already don’t like Amber.

-Citrinne got a Constance level! \o/ Oh well, with her meh base speed she might as well quadruple-down on poking. Besides, I have Celine when I need a monster-fast mage (17 speed roflmao)

-Etie’s decision to just really really stupid strong worked out when she dealt Zelkov a crushing 22 damage with a crappy Longbow, lol.

-Zelkov is like he's trying to be Hubert but he doesn't realize part of the charm is Hubert just embraces who he is and also takes it out for a romantic evening. At least he’s not lacking in noticeable character traits like Kagetsu.

-”With this ring, nothing and no-one will take me down.” They all say that. Then I send Celine after them.

-We got Leif \o/

-”Emblem of Genealogy” I really fucking hate how Leif is representing Genealogy Gen 2 rather than Thracia.

-”How could I have failed,” you flew straight into an ambush.

-Wait, did we just let Ivy leave???

-King Hyacinth is trying to challenge Morion into combat.

-Morion is toss around death flags like crazy. No idea why Diamant is so afraid when Brodia has been at war with Elusia for ages.

 -Diamant is boring as shit as a character. Morion’s supposed to be jolly and fun but he’s just an idiot.

-Finally we reference whether or not Alear can turn into a dragon. She absolutely will before the end.

-Oh my god, Catherine’s alive and she got old and came to Brodia!!!

-Celine Alear B: TEA. Seems bandits are attacking tea trade routes. What is it with Firenans and tea. Eve is sending Celine after the bandits because... she knows the most about tea? What? Alear asks what she’ll do, Celine says she’ll “drive them off with pranks”. Celine, you’re like my best soldier, just go kill them all \o/ Celine laments that real life isn’t so fanciful, then she raises things to 11 by saying she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her people. I mean I have her burn my foes to death easily but eh.

-Oh nice this game carries over Echoes’s weapon transformation system. Except unlike Echoes it gives you materials at better than a drip-feet.

-Framme Chloe A: Oh my god, it’s still the same scene. Framme accidentally gave Chloe a sandwich of fried bugs. This is literally just their B support being repeated!

-Celine Etie B: T E A. Turns out Alfred almost died when he was young and Celine had to toughen up because of it. Etie’s hand is still trembling. Oh she’s using her weird weighted teacups again. Celine’s handled cannonballs???

Celine Alcryst C: Celine’s out late because she can’t sleep. She admits to having recurring nightmares due to lingering trauma of when Alfred was sickly, Alcryst says he fears Diamant dying too. This one was legitimately a good support convo, it’s like something from 3H.

-Citrine Clanne C: Citrinne bugs me, she’s trying to be a refined mature lady but she’s got the same babyface as the other girls. Clanne’s trying to help a withered wildfowe, Citrinne is pleased for it. I think this has something to do with her obsession with getting stronger.

-Oohh, gold corrupted. I wanna see what that’s all about.

-Oh no, the fog of war is back.

-Alear Alcryst C: Alear almost gets ambushed... by a wolf. Alcryst asks the wolf to leave Alear alone... and then begs it to leave... This is worse than anything Bernadetta ever did.

-I began a relay just now. Later I shall see what the ignorant masses achieve with my incredible Louis, Celine, and Chloe.

-Celine Alcryst B: Turns out Morion stupidly made Alcryst worry that his father and brother will die. Alcryst goes to check Diamant whenever he’s woken by his nightmares. They pledge to support each other.

-Alcryst Diamant C: They’re sparring. Diamant is mostly trying to help out Alcryst’s mindset, but Alcryst is stubbornly pessimistic. It ends on Alcryst wondering if Diamant has any weaknesses.

-Alcryst Lapis C: Alcryst vows to protect Lapis because he thinks he’s worthless, but it makes Lapis really uncomfortable.

-Vander Amber C: Vander is devoted and stuff, Amber’s stupidly looking for a legendary weapon he thinks might be at the Somniel because he’s Amber and he’s stupid. Vander tells Amber he needs to make a weapon legendary by becoming legendary.

That’s all for now, next will be chapter 9.

[aro-tarot]

Did I stay up too late?

Yes.

But did I finally finish BG3?

Yes, and it was so so good lol

All the endings fit with what I imagined would have happened with Rowan, and also like, literally I’ve thought of what Rowan would want to do afterward, and that was literally one of the options you could tell Astarion is your plans.

I’m actually happy that I put my bard aside and finished the game as my first dark urge character. It just added so much more, and even in the end, the extra line with Astarion after the dark urge questline is over and you choice to do good was so cute. Idk what I was expecting, but his little laugh just had me laughing from how adorable it is.

Though now I guess I’m going to stay up all night? I was gonna go with my nana and brother tomorrow to the, idk what to call it, it’s an orchard but also like a really nice store that sells produce and other things. Known for their donuts.

That’s like less than three hours from now, so I was thinking of maybe playing some more to pass the time. I’m not really tired after all that. I just completely lost track of time since I went from one boss to the next.

I’m just trying to figure out which character to play next. I have my bard in act 3, kind of early on. Really has only done the main part of the serial killer quest and Astarion’s quest. Then a wild magic sorcerer in act 2. Both being Tav.

But also there’s some other characters that I’ve made that I’d like to play as. Probably down to three, all dark urge. None are past getting Withers which I do first.

But anyway, yeah. Literally, BG3 is on top games for me. It’s right up there with the Dragon Age series with me. I’d say that as a whole I connected with the cast of DA more, especially Inquisition since that was my first. Then, like, half of Origins. For BG3, it really depended on who stayed in my party. I couldn’t stand Gale when I played my bard, but he became Rowan’s friend and stayed in the party. Then like Karlach was a favorite with the bard and sorcerer, but she wasn’t in the party much at all since I was playing Pally and wanted someone that wasn’t single target damage for the last spot. Astarion and Shadowheart just always being there. Lol.

But with that, Astarion’s quest brought me to tears, and his romance has been my favorite romance in a game. Even beating Alistair, and that guys an adorable dork. Then Shadowheart’s quest also made me cry a bit. Her quest is also up there for me, beating the ones in DA.

Anyway, the credits have been rolling. I’m gonna try to pick between my druid, storm sorcerer, or wizard for the next playthrough.

[kizzer55555]

(This is me, Scrolling through the reblogs of this post to combine the best parts into one story-ish thing at 2 am).

"Bet you i can fly around the whole world in 20 seconds flat"

"Oh.. ive been impaled"

"Did you know i can just take my head off. Whenever?"

"Dude can a guy just enjoy a milkshake! Just once please!"

"FRUITLOOP!"

"Jazz! The hotdogs are revolting! .. again!"

"I live and die for chaos"

"Boo"

" you really need to get a cat vlad"

" im gonna go watch the meteor shower From space"

“Oh why the fuck is the sky green again”

“If you eyeballs don’t stop popping up in my closet and trying to make me ghost king-”

“Wait, no, DaNI nOt ThE FaCE”

“i swear to aragon’s smelly dragon toenails if someone tries to use the nasty burger sauce as an explosive again i will LOSE IT”

“SORRY JAZZ CAN’T STAGE AN INTERVENTION IF I’M DEAD LMAO”

“i can’t believe hiding things in the walls backfired on me.”

“everybody do the flop-”

“FOR THE LAST TIME SKULKER I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU SKIN ME”

“hey remember when my evil future self tried to kill us all?”

“Oh, buddy, if you’re not scared of me, you should be.”

“oop, ‘scuse me, gotta go eldritch terror for a mo’“

“ah fuck i knew i should have made it more difficult to summon me”

“alright who the fuck is john constantine and why does he owe me his soul like twenty times over?”

“ooh, a gecko- shit, fUCK NOT A GECKO NOT A GECKO”

“i need to start charging for rescuing people from liminal spaces.”

“jesus fuck those are big teeth”

"Oh hey Fruitloop I thought you were-"

"No Cujo I can't play right now"

"Oh look. The vultures are back."

"Shit shit shit I thought I fixed that"

I feel that Tim is crazy enough to purposely stop his heart and have it restarted just to chew out his soul mate for all the shit he put him through.

Danny has had the words "please stop dying" since he was a kid. Before the accident it seemed very concerning. But at one point at his start of his Phantom career, he realizes with his friends that his soulmate's probably seen a bunch of phrases in their wrist by now. That's what pushes him to start using puns. To try to calm his soulmate.

During a live interview, Tim winces, and the interviewer immediately realizes what it means and offers condolences. Tim shakes his head.

"Nah, it's fine. They die all the time."

"...Excuse me?"

"They die. Over and over again. Their record is 6.2 seconds between deaths."

"How?"

"I wish I knew."

"What does it say now?"

Tim shows them. The camera zooms in on Tim's soulmark, which says "Testing testing, 1 2 3."

The interview continues, but then Tim winces again and he checks the soulmark. It changes on camera to "Holy shit, that worked. My soulmate is Tim Drake."

Tim's jaw drops, and he quickly covers it. He refuses to let anyone see it until the interview is over and he can look at it again in private.

At the next Rich Person Event™ Lex tries to question Tim about his soulmark because what does it mean if Lex's soulmark changes too?

Lex had never given much thought to his soul mate. Lionel had drilled into Lex from an early age that soul mates where a weakness men of business should not have, that Lex could not have. It was easy to convince himself that Lionel was right whenever he saw his soul mark “Aaah! Bogus!” Whomever uttered that as their final words was obviously not worth Lex’s time.

Lex felt almost relieved when he felt his soul mark burn, at least now he wouldn’t have the weakness of a soul mate for his competitors to try and use against him. Unfortunately for Lex is appeared his soul mate was resuscitated shortly after and his mark changed. Lex found “I refuse to die in a place like this” much more preferable to his previous mark, though he did find it odd that his mark seemed to slowly fade over time, perhaps his soul mate was dying, how tragic, anyway-

Little over two years elapsed before Lex thought of his soul mate again. Once more his mark burned,once more Lex breathed a sigh of relief and once more the mark changed. “I refuse to be weak” was now engraved on Lex’s skin, now much more vibrant than it had been since it first changed.

Lex thought little of it, people where revived from the dead everyday, perhaps his sickly soulmate died during life saving surgery and was brought back, not that Lex cared about his soulmate. But the mark kept burning, kept changing, the words etched on his skin changed nearly everyday, this was not normal.

Lex did his best to ignore his soul marks peculiarities just as he planned on ignoring its existence when he was a child but he couldn’t help but note some of the phrases that decorated his skin.

“Cheese and Crackers!”

“Oh I think you’ll soon find I get everything I want”

“Do we have a deal”

Lex finally got some answers to what was going on with his soulmate the day his mark changed to “Imagine my surprise when I find you, the second ghost hybrid his foolishness created”

Ghost hybrid? What did that mean? And how exactly did you create one? Lex tried to shake these questions out of his head, soulmates always brought trouble and they could betray you in the end. He knew the second he heard his mothers final words and found them written on his father her killer’s skin.

So Lex did what he did best when it came to his soul mate, he ignored them, he knew it would hurt less to never meet his soulmate than to be inevitably betrayed by them.

Lex through all his attention into strengthening LexCrop and convincing the public that Superman could not be trusted. An alien with no connection to earth should not have that kind of power, perhaps if Superman was a human things would be different but if Lex couldn’t count on the loyalty of a soulmate, he was not going to trust the loyalty of a random alien to a planet not his own.

Lex would have kept on ignoring his soulmate until that blasted Drake had to reveal his own soulmate was dying and reviving regularly, that Drake’s soulmates ability to die on command meant they could communicate with each other, that they could find each other.

Lex blamed Drake because his own soulmate had apparently gotten inspired or at least was annoyed into doing this because when Lex looked at his mark the next morning.

“Fine if it will get you to stop bugging me I’ll do it, Hello my name is Vlad Masters and I am your soulmate, happy now?”

No Lex was definitely not happy now.

Submitted Prompts #123

One of those soulmate aus where you have the last words your soulmate says to you written on you.

Each time Danny goes to his Phantom form, he technically dies.

Someone is very confused about why their soulmate would decide to say "I'm going ghost" on their deathbed.

Danny decides to make his identity reveal more dramatic by using his old catchphrase.

[fenharel-babe]

I BEAT THE ARCHDEMON GUYYYYYSSS!!

YESSSSS!!! AHHHHH!!!

Near the end, everyone died bc all of the allied mages died (bro they only gave us 12????) and I forgot to call for any others, SOOOO I WAS THE LAST ONE EKQNSB. I hurriedly called soldiers from Arl Howe or whoever and then I just used the Balista over and over and killed it😌✌️.

Bro I was so anxious at that moment like I realized everyone died and ONLY Wynne had the revival feature, so I couldn’t revive anyone and I was just relying on those soldiers and this balista. I was literally so close to beating it and I would’ve cried if I died then. Thankfully nothing fell apart and I’m all right. It was ALSO MY FIRST TRY!!! On lvl 18 and that made me feel really great :).

And ALSO??? I chose to stay in court and I can be one of his advisors (literally…so cute…) and I also said that I’d stay in Denerim, and Alistair gives this cute and relieved little look and says, “Well, I wasn’t going to come right out and say it…but I’m glad you’ll be staying around.”

Or something along those lines BUT YEAH IT WAS SO SWEET😭😭.

.

IRVING😭!!! Melody cries at seeing him (or she does in my canon even if the warden here is just so…stoic lol) and her friends andbhnnng.

.

“As for Melody’s companions, they went their separate ways. Alistair remained in Denerim with his love for a time, much to Queen Anora’s discomfort. He was eventually called to the far-off fortress at Weisshaupt, the home of the Grey Wardens, and swore he would return to his love’s side soon.”

YESSS!!! YESSSS BABES!!! The lovely couple get to stay together and gosh the part of him….swearing he’ll be back to her side even if he’s married and she’s just his mistress but HE LOVES HER!!! And he fell in love with her first….gosh I’m so sad and so in love.

“But these are tales yet to be told. This tale ended when Melody sank her blade into the archdemon’s head and destroyed it forever. It was not the last that Ferelden would hear of her, however…”.

AAAAAAHHHH CREDITTTSSSS!!! YESSS!!!

The only my thing that made me sad was that we couldn’t see our Mabari after the battle :(. Like he whined at us when we left and I wish we could’ve at least petted him like😭.

But I’m just…so hyped bc NOW!!! I CAN!!! GET MY SAVE DATA TO THE KEEP!!! And play DA2 with my save data and enjoy all of this. Ik it doesn’t have TOO MUCH of a big impact, but still. I’d love to see it all work together in the end :).

[imidio]

General rambling about Eldarya and questionable direction choices

Oh gods, that’s gonna be long. Actually, I don’t play Eldarya anymore, it just feels like a waste of time right now. But fortunately, a lot of my friends are still brave enough to continue, so I have a lot of insight in what’s actually happening in the game.

I’m writing this mostly because of this post, or rather, the article that was mentioned in it. It is mostly the Eldarya writer’s response to all the criticism from the players and oh boy… Not going into details because some people actually did this, but just quick summary of my personal opinion after reading this (just my thoughts regarding Eldarya, I’m not even going to mention the attitude that shows in the article): I somehow feel like the person writing Eldarya doesn’t like the game as a whole – the genre, target, setting. I heard from people that play MCL Alternate Life that it’s actually pretty good so maybe the fantasy part is the problem? Or it can also be lack of solid preparation to write something like this.

Anyway, as for my thoughts regarding Eldarya.

1. They don’t know its players

Actually, no, more than that. I feel like they don’t have any specific target in mind. Beemov games started when most of us was like 12-14. But the thing is, now we are mostly adults and younger people don’t seem to be so eager to join the fandom (not that the games have anything to offer to younger players, I mean, for example playing Eldarya before unlocking the market is absolutely devastating experience). And right now we have a game that is trying to be everything. For some parts, I feel like this is written for children. But then we go to the more heavy themes that would be either not suitable for their age, or simply boring for them. In the same time, this “heavy stuff” I’m talking about feels so unrealistic and grotesque that despite efforts, you just can’t take it seriously. And with this we go to the second part.

2. Because they don’t know their own players, they don’t know what genre should they even make. And how to approach it.

But, really – if you’d have to tell someone, what Eldarya is – what would you tell them? Their main page is saying “romance and adventure fantasy game”. In the google play, it’s tagged as otome. The writer’s words: fantasy adventure series - what, you could say, also shows that the romance is so low on his priority list that he doesn’t even mention it – could be just understatement but I feel like it’s worthy to point out. So, what we get if we sum this up – three keywords – romance, fantasy, adventure.

As for romance… We all know what it’s like right now. As someone that was aiming for the Lance’s route, all I can do is laugh. To be honest, I’ve never believed this will be good route. I like the trope, but this just couldn’t go well with everything we’ve seen before, especially with only 20 episodes. I’m not sure if it’s worse than what I thought it will be, but definitely is no good. Emotions are non-existent. Everything is just… dry. Narration tells me that characters feel certain way but I just don’t see it, I don’t know why, I don’t feel anything. Those rare romance scenes we get are so out of place that you can think someone in the team was like: “Wait, I forgot there was supposed to be romance in the game! Let’s just throw some random kiss here, yeah, that will be great!”. Absolutely meaningless.

Fantasy? Right… You know, if you read/played/watched a lot of fantasy genre, you know that making it good is not about “oh, let’s put magic and dragons here”. From my experience it can be either the easiest or the hardest genre possible, depending on the writer. You don’t have restrictions. You don’t have to do boring research on “how the law works in this country at the other side of the ocean in terms of what I need here” for this to be coherent. Creative freedom 100%, you can do anything, rules from our world don’t matter and yet, you can use some of them which will make your work easier. You don’t even have to be Tolkien or Sanderson, with their fantasy worlds that have been created from scratch in every little detail for over 10 years. You don’t need explanation for everything, you can make it simple – just make it work and stand by the rules you’ve already made. We have magic in Eldarya, but actually we don’t. How many times did you see characters actually using it? I’m not counting alchemy here, just pure magic. Kero used telekinesis ONCE. In TO tutorial if I remember correctly. Or one of the first episodes. I don’t feel like the magic is integral part of this world so how could it be convincing when they suddenly use some strange spell/ritual/thingy to solve a major problem important for the main plot (let’s not even start this whole discussion on how it’s not really a good idea to use pure magic powers to solve a problem, especially if you didn’t introduce those powers ).

And now, with the most recent episodes – fantasy… yeah. Someone on our discord server said something that sums it up pretty well – Eldarya is right now something like MCL but with explaining us in most stupid ways possible how our own world works.

And adventure… Well, I could make a whole post about “everything wrong with” for just that one part. Let’s start with – why on earth did they choose military conflict as a main plot for this game? Don’t get me wrong, I love fantasy with those type of conflict, I really do. But it’s also very difficult and requires research – and here it is non-existent. Some time ago, with a couple of friends, we’ve been discussing 30 episode of TO, or rather, the battle itself. I’m not going to do this again, it would be way to long. But – if you’ve watched GOT, especially the last season. If you’ve seen Battle of Winterfell. And if you’ve seen some analysis of everything that went wrong with it from the tactical point of view. Yeah, Eldarya repeated every single mistake and added some more. If you’re curious about those things, just go to youtube, a lot of experts explained it very well – I’m sure you’ll see similarities. If you’re not –

Look at the map. HQ is really solid place for defence. We have hill, high walls and the cliff on the other side, so there is only one side for the potential assault. Wall is the perfect place for archers, crossbowmans and mages. While defending the city, you take advantage of it – especially of its walls – to the maximum. What you DON’T do, is going outside of those walls with your forces, to fight a battle on the BEACH. I guess most of us have walked on a sand at least once. Yeah, imagine fighting on that kind of terrain. And Lance’s army? Attacking from the beach side, really? He’s a dragon, they could literally fly with him and chose best place possible, and they chose BEACH? Just imagine them, walking one by one, just like some ducklings, up those very narrow, rock stairs that lead to the HQ. And that’s just the top of the iceberg.

In ANE on the other hand – we have diplomatic mission, for example. Here there is no point of telling what was wrong with it – there wasn’t a single thing that was right. They came to the ruler and king of the country they’d like to cooperate with in a way. What are first things they do? 1. Show of power. 2. Disrespect for the monarch (I don’t care right now what he’s like, he’s still a monarch and a ruler). 3. Going there with the very person he’s in power conflict with, also being his past wife (and probably present wife by law), a refugee that they gave an asylum in the guard. Telling him no, we won’t hand her over to you. Well, if that is not provocation then I don’t know what is.

I’m not telling that they should create great and realistic plot with R. R. Martin’s level of politics and complicated military situation. I mean, I would be delighted, but I’d be in minority, most of players would be bored by it. But! There are already things that are doing really good job (in my opinion) with simplifications! A Ranger’s Apprentice for example, or The Powder Mage Trilogy. Both of them touch the topic, in completely different ways, but both of them work on the simplified concepts of complex conflict (also military conflict). What I think makes them work is the fact that the authors did really good job with their research. In Ranger’s Apprentice you can find a lot of concepts that are brought up in The Art of War by Sun Tzu. They are simple concepts by themselves – but they are real and logical. What Flanagan did was probably taking some of them and making them the main focus for the certain part of the plot. You read about some kind of the tactic characters use – it’s nothing complicated by itself but just feel like it could work – of course it does, because it did through the real history. It’s just simplified, and with the simple narration it makes the books fun even for the younger audience – and not grotesque for older one, as long as you understand and accept existence of those simplifications. This is what Eldarya lacks. It tries to bring up complicated topics in simplified way, but you just cannot do this from nothing. We are not strategists or tacticians – but we can read and take inspiration from other sources. With a little of logical thinking on top of that, it is possible.

They could do all of that. Or they could just stick to the things that worked perfectly fine. I mean the very beginning of the Eldarya: TO. It was simple – we had clear main goal – collecting Crystal shards. We had some problems that we had to overcome – food shortage, human organizations, Ashkore (rest in peace, my favourite character :< ) and the fact that the guard leader was young and inexperienced what made her more likely to make mistakes. We also had enough space for our love interests, enough time to get to know them, get attached to them (as a character, but also as a player), get some quality fluff we deserved. Personally, I think this simple problems would be much more fitting for the game like Eldarya that despite being fantasy and adventure, more than anything should focus on romance. Generally I think Eldarya right now lacks everything that would make the game good – there is no real direction, no real idea, no research, and most importantly, no passion from the creators (or if it’s there, sorry but I don’t feel it). It just feel like a project everyone in the team is tired of creating, would love nothing more than to throw it away and never ever look at it again, but just cannot stop right now because they have to finish is somehow. You know, the kind of feeling you get when you’re at the end of writing your thesis. And it’s sad. Because it had potential – not the kind of potential like masterpieces in the gaming world, but enough potential to become really fun game that you play as a form of relax after a hard day in job/school, also donating it once in a while as a form of appreciation for the creator’s work. I could write even more but it’s already almost 2000 words so I’ll stop here.

Summary: they don’t know what to do but also won’t listen to their own players because of reasons. Result – no one gets what they want. Oh, also, one last but very important thing! I don't like the concept of aengel powers AT ALL. I think Gardienne should be simple human or have powers so limited that they could just support her but not solve the problems for her. Why? Because maybe that way we could see solid character development, MC that relies on abilities that was earned and not handed over to her. Working with her own creativity, problem-solving skills and the knowledge she gained during both her life on Earth and in Eldarya. Right now, everything that defines her and her abilities - are her powers (and what's funny is the fact that writers KNOW this and shamelessly throw this on us whenever possible - you know, all the "now with my powers I'm invincible" rambling). Yep, now I'm done for real. xD

[possumteeths]

Self Promo Fic Game: tagged by @some27-url 😚

Rules: We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is "most popular" and 2 that are "hidden gems”!

Im gonna use all fallout fics because honestly when I think of my favorite things, my brain jumps to fallout lol.

WARNING! These are all rated E, I’m writing filth okay!

Most “Popular”: I guess my nasty vulpes stories lol?

Since he’s such a niche character this series made me a buncha fanfic mutuals and friends haha. I’m glad other bitches wanna see this dude suffer hornilly lol. Im counting this as most popular only amongst the niche fanbase of vulpes girlies who’s favorite thing is torturing him lmfao

Hidden Gem 1: My raider gangbang smutl!!

I’m honestly really surprised how nice people are when commenting on this! Its literally an angry milf getting railed by 15 idiot prettyboy raiders and for an oc/ oc type of story I was pretty prepared for nobody to read this at all? I love this story, its funny and surprisingly cute. I had so much fun designing all these idiot raiders and giving them all their own nasty habits. I got tired of reading stories about like the whole raider sexual coercion type of vibe so I decided to make a story where its a lady coercing raiders to do her bidding and giving them a crumb of pussy in exchange. Shes an icon, I love her!

Hidden Gem 2: Okay hear me out, a plucky wasteland adventurer x a lonely fishman monster who’s got two dicks

This story is SO fun haha and I just wrapped it up. Its like a kitschy porny old pulp fiction novel. Its inspired by that comic you can find in fo4 the “Astoundingly awesome tales! Attack of the fishmen!” The wasteland needs more cryptids like cmon theres radioactive hell monsters everywhere there HAS to be something kinda sexy looking ok. Anyways this was completely self indulgent and once again I was totally surprised that people read this at all? I cant imagine people are searching “Female Sole Survivor x Mirelurk King” so therefore i’m counting this as a hidden gem lmao. If you read this please mind the tags, its got some freaky shit going on! It ends cute though, I refuse to write anything besides happy endings!

tagging friends that I can remember who write fallout: @gaeadene @istalkpeople @ladyflaggermus Anybody else who wants to do this pls play! Mass effect or dragon age peeps are super welcome to participate and tag me so I can see you hyping urself up!!

[swcetnight]

It’s Definitely You || kth (m.) 1

synopsis:

Working as a barista in NYC has its perks, but when your ultimate dream of being on the Broadway stage tends to come crumbling down, the only thing that raises your spirits is the comfort of a complete stranger… who seems to have known you for far longer than you thought.

masterlist here

→ pairing: taehyung x barista!reader (also musical theatre performer cause I had to)

→ genre: fluff, angst, future smut | strangers(ish) to lovers… i won’t give the truth away... gonna have to read and find out for yourself ;))

-> warnings: self doubt, adorable plant names... there's really not many warnings for this chapter!

→ word count: 7,973

authors note:

alrighty everyone... here we go! (i’m so nervous) this is the first chapter of this series (which it took me 50 years to figure out whether I wanted this to be a series or a two shot... lets just say that it's gonna be a long one, so I think that a series is the best way to go)! this story is really near and dear to my heart, so 1. I really hope you enjoy it and 2. I hope all of you know how hard it was to write this into words... my goodness. now, make sure you look for clues throughout this series... there's a secret in here that won't be revealed for a while ;)) but if any of you have ideas, please be sure to send an ask while we wait to find out together! anyways, I hope you enjoy !!

authors thanks:

a HUGE thank you to @hantaev and @monvante for beta-reading and being so so supportive of me and this little (but not so little) story... y'all truly have no idea how helpful you've been and how thankful I am to be friends with both of you! forreal, y'all are the greatest and I'm sending you all my love!!

also, if you are enjoying this story, please don’t hesitate to send me an ask (on or off anon) and let me know your thoughts, feelings, theories, etc!! i would love to hear from all of you 🤍

If time-travel existed, you would be on the first time machine and head back to 2 years ago. A time when you had a free schedule and were able to go out on Friday nights. A time when you felt confident in yourself and were raring to pursue theatre. A time when you didn't have this job (cause apparently, theatre is impossible to get into) that forces you awake at 4 in the morning for the opening shift.

You can't say you don't love your Barista job because you do. Still, when your alarm wakes you from the beautiful dream of performing on the big stage, you have to use everything within yourself to crawl out of your sheet cocoon… and that is unacceptable.

What's even more unacceptable is the fact that your co-worker, Jimin, hasn't arrived at the Academia Cafe yet. You have about 30 minutes to prepare for the morning peak; brew coffees, set up the bakery items, clear the boards "coffee of the day," etc. The problem is, it takes up all of the 30 allotted minutes— and you can't start prepping early because Jimin has the keys to the cafe.

You’ve worked at the Academia Cafe for about a year now, taking a break from your endless theatre audition schedule— since that was getting you absolutely nowhere. No matter how badly you want it, nothing seems to work. No matter how many times you practice, it never seems to be good enough. Let’s just say, you took this job at the cafe because you were over the repetitive let downs.

… But here you are, with a “Jimin being late” let down.

[To: Jimin ☕️] hey, you almost here? times ticking, keys!

You stuff your phone into your winter coat pocket, the brown material catching snowflakes as they fall gently from the cloudy sky. You love this weather; it's always been your favorite. When you were little, you used to pretend to be a dragon; running all over your front yard and releasing heavy breaths that chilled in the air and spread like smoke. You don't enjoy the cold, but the entire feel of winter has you cozying up in a blanket with hot cocoa and a good book… nothing could beat that.

A buzz in your pocket catches your attention.

[From: Jimin ☕️] Hey! Look up.

Your eyes immediately lift to see Jimin smiling a few feet away, shuffling through the snow as he drags the keys out of his pocket. He's sporting a heavy blue coat that reaches down to his knees — making his short stature appear even smaller — topped with a matching blue beanie. Despite his tardiness today, you’ve always been fond of Jimin. He's like a ray of sunshine, beaming through the skyscrapers of the city and making everyone around him happy just by flashing a single smile. Honestly, you wish you could sneak some of that happiness from him and lock it somewhere safe... so you can save it for a time when you need it most.

"Your timing is impeccable." He laughs, gently placing the keys into the front door lock. "You texted me right as I was rounding the corner."

"I'm telling you, Jimin; we're always on the same wavelength."  Smirking, you make your way through the doors of the cafe, greeted by the warmth that surrounds you like your sheet cocoon did this morning, but accompanied by the smell of fresh coffee. "Except for the fact that you, my friend, are late, so now we only have twenty-eight minutes until opening."

Old, rustic book pages litter the cafe's dark walls, executing the dark academia theme flawlessly. You have to give the interior designers a hand, what with the black stools and high dark wood counters etched with different story pages. You wonder if anyone took the time to read the stories that covered the cafe; maybe the stories moved them in a personal way. Maybe there was a reason why they read them, a part of the butterfly effect of their life.

With a quick survey of the main room, you shuffle into the back to put your belongings away. "You would think it would be less busy on the streets because of the snow," Jimin calls, already working on the first batch of light roast coffee. "But unfortunately for me, that was not the case, and I nearly lost my life multiple times on the way here because of how slick it is."

A laugh emits from your lips, echoing in the backroom as you throw your apron over your head.

You begin with date labeling all of the pastry items, placing them accordingly onto the pastry cart; croissants, muffins, scones, etc. Then, you move onto organizing syrups and setting toppings along the bar where drinks are made. Bar is your personal favorite position-- since you're able to make the drinks… Plus, you're so busy that your shift goes by way faster. The sooner you're done, the sooner you get to go home and sleep.

“All set?” Jimin questions when you finish setting the steaming pitchers next to the espresso machine, tossing the rag he used to wipe down tables into the sanitizer bin. You give him a nod, taking a quick once over of the bar. “Alright,” he claps, “let's do this.”

This morning runs like every Friday morning, busy and fast. The sounds of coffee glasses clinking and the calling of customer names at the hand-off station echoes through the air.

Ahhhh, the scenery in coffee shops; the quiet hush over the room as soft jazz plays over the speakers. It’s soothing, all encompassing, and extremely helpful for motivation… You used to go to a local cafe for homework when you were still in school.

You take a breath, relaxing against the back counter as you overhear a conversation a group of regulars are having. It’s the usual small talk: the weather, families, sharing pictures of recent events. Coming up with questions of the day for customers becomes easier after knowing their stories, so you subconsciously listen in often.

Because of this, you almost don't notice the man waiting at the register, wholly delved into the neighboring conversation— only looking over when you hear your name called.

"Y/n?"

You turn your head, catching eyes with the stranger behind the counter who holds his credit card ready. The first thing you notice is that he's young, probably around your age, wearing a brown turtleneck and white slacks. His eyes are dark, standing above his perfectly sculpted nose and lips. His hair is dark as well, forehead drowning within the wavy bangs that fall over his eyebrows as he takes you in. To be completely honest, he's probably the most handsome man you've had the pleasure of seeing… is that weird? You don’t know him… maybe that is weird.

The second thing you notice is that he looks completely anxious, hands grasping the edge of the counter like there's a thousand-foot drop below him. Why is he looking straight at you while doing that? Maybe you should call Jimin to take ove-

“Is it really you?” He questions, taking you aback.

"I-" You clear your throat, walking forward to meet him at the register, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

With an intake of breath, he releases the counter as he studies you. Was he… crying? You swear his eyes were not this bloodshot three seconds ago.

"You-" He pauses, taking another sharp breath and running a hand through his hair. If you thought he couldn't get more attractive, you were wrong. "Do you know me?"

Attractive? Yes. Psycho?...possibly.

You shake your head slightly, “I… I’m sorry. I don't-"

Wait… is he a regular? You swear you haven't seen him come into the cafe before. Shoot.. What if he is? The number one thing your boss has made perfectly clear: remember the regulars, so they come back and feel at home; recognized. Customer connection was the most important thing at the Academia Cafe… He's probably a regular.

“I’m so sorry, there're so many people that come to visit us and sometimes I forget the regulars!” You apologize. “That’s my fault… remind me of your name again?”

He's staring at you. Full-on staring, jaw slacked. Shifting uncomfortably in your keds, you eye beside you to see Jimin working away at a macchiato. You consider changing places, nearly walking over to him before the customer speaks again.

"It's- It's Taehyung."

You force a smile, nodding while he continues to stare at you. He seems a bit more hesitant, his eyes looking in different directions but ultimately falling back onto your own. Even if he tried, he couldn't hide the rosy color that spreads onto his cheeks. What was this guy's problem?

"Taehyung! Awesome, well, what can I get for you today?" You chirp, attempting to brighten up your increasing discomfort. He might have mistook you for someone else, you decide, jumping back into your customer service personality: kind and quick to the point.

Taehyung doesn't move, training his eyes on you. You've never had a man's undivided attention before, since boyfriends were never an option. When you were a teenager, you stayed home most of the time in your hometown, and the boys there were all just in it to take your pants off. You avoided them and never really caught their attention, so you can't help the uncomfortable blush that grows on your cheeks. It’s short lived though, your nerves dissolving as soon as you notice a single tear fall onto the front of his shirt.

Oh. Okay, he’s definitely crying.

"Sir..." You begin, leaning in closer to avoid drawing attention. "Is everything alright?"

"I…" The shake in his voice is evident as he puts his credit card back into his wallet, still refusing to break eye contact. “Excuse me." Without another word, he turns on his heel and rushes towards the exit, clocking a customer in the shoulder in his rush. He apologizes quickly, bowing to them before glancing behind to make eye contact with you once more.

You wish you could read minds, wondering what the hell is going through his brain… but you notice the tiniest gleam of a hopeful smile that hides on his lips.

And then he’s gone.

“I swear it was the strangest thing, Jimin.” You speak nervously, tugging at the strings of your apron and lifting it over your head. It had been busy all day, despite a quick thirty minute break when everyone had left and the cafe was suddenly a deserted island. You appreciated the busyness, it made your shift go by faster. Right now, all you wanted to do was go home, eat a fat bowl of icecream and distract yourself from the events of today with a movie. Thank God your shift was over.

“Maybe he thought you were someone else?” Jimin insists, taking a bite into the extra Blueberry Muffin you’d accidentally heated when you were distracted by the events that occurred earlier.

“Yeah? Well, I must be the spitting image because he was totally freaked out.”

“You never know, y/n. Or, maybe he just used that as an excuse to talk to you.” You could hear the smirk in his voice, throwing your rolled up apron at him harshly before you grab your belongings.

“Ha, ha, you’re hilarious. This guy looked like he had seen his ex… He was crying. I don’t think he was into me.”

“Maybe his eyes were watering from the cold wind?” He offers.

“Enough to cry actual tears?” You scoffed, “C’mon Jimin.”

He shrugs defensively, picking up his things so the two of you can head out a few minutes earlier than usual. Whenever the baristas have a chance to leave early, they take it. “If he comes back, then ask him: hey, dude, what’s your deal?”Jimin works his way through the cafe, throwing an excess chair upside down onto the table with the rest of them.

You hold your hand above your heart, which is still beating at a faster pace due to this discussion. Can hearts even beat this fast? This can’t be healthy… “Oh wow, you have such a way with words. That definitely won’t make him feel uncomfortable!”

Yes. Sarcasm coping mechanism.

“Y/n.” Jimin meets you at the door and puts his hands on your shoulders, making extra sure he has your attention. “Go home. Don’t think too much into it… He was probably high or something and mistook you for his ex that dumped him and now he’s moping through the city and getting into all sorts of trouble and he’ll forget that he even came here tomorrow morning. Okay?”

You nod slowly, exiting the cafe with Jimin on your tail. "Don't worry, y/n." Jimin adds, "He probably won't even come back." He locks the door and gives you one last thumbs up before heading in the opposite direction, calling out at the last second. “See you tomorrow!”

The forced smile on your face appears again (looks like this was a regular occurrence today), waving him goodbye.

Yeah… tomorrow.

Jimin was right. The handsome crying stranger was probably never coming back.

It has been a few weeks since you met him for the first time. Now, it feels like a distant memory. He hadn’t shown up to the cafe the day after the encounter, or the day after that, or the day after that, and eventually you’d come to the conclusion that he was probably never going to show his face again out of pure embarrassment. You can’t say you blame him. You’d be embarrassed too if you stared at and cried over a random stranger.

Still, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment... You'd kind of hoped you could figure out what his problem was, maybe ease his mind a little if you really did look like a past lover. You would make sure he knew that it wasn't you. What if he was avoiding the cafe because he literally thought you were someone else? Great… now you just feel bad.

"Y/n? Are you listening?" Jimin beckons over the phone.

"Huh? What?" You bounce back to reality, the soft comforter of your bed lying beneath you as you stare out the window. Thanks to your wonderful apartment search, you have a beautiful view of the city. Jimin had helped you find a place when you first moved here. The two of you had met when you visited to check out the first apartment options; he even took you out for a drink afterward to celebrate the first days' completion. Jimin had immediately clicked with you, as he does with everyone-- he was the kind of person to make friends insanely quickly. He must've been super popular in high school... unlike you.

"Y/n Y/l/n. I am giving you a chance to meet more people, and you're not even listening to me!" He cries, a light smack coming from the other end (probably from him slamming his hand on the table).

"Okay, okay-- I'm sorry. I'm listening now; what's up?"

With a deep sigh, he speaks again. "Party. My house. Tonight. It's not gonna be wild, don't worry... it's just a get-together with some of my friends, and you can have a few drinks if you would like to."

Gnawing at your bottom lip, you look over towards the clock on your nightstand. 5:00. "I don't know..." You begin, the bed shifting as you raise into a seated position. "I have to work tomorrow morn-"

"Already got your shift covered." He deadpans.

"What??"

"I already got your shift covered, so you have no excuse."

This sly guy.

"Who covered it?" You question, setting the audio to speaker-phone as you rummage through old text messages you haven't gone through (to prep for your "thank you for covering my shift" text message).

“Jin.” Noted.

“So…” Jimin continues, “are you coming?”

You can't even remember the last time you met new people, let alone gone to a party. Parties weren't necessarily your thing, especially with your busy schedule of workdays and auditions-- you just never had the time. You should be excited, right?

Well, you aren't.

"Jimin, I don't know… I'm not really a huge fan of parties." You mumble over the phone, picking at the lone string that popped out of its stitch on your comforter.

"Y/n, it's a small get-together, and it's not gonna be that kind of party. Believe me; it'll be really chill. It's just me, you, a few other coworkers, and some friends from my journalism class."

You chew at your bottom lip, looking over at your closet to see a single green cocktail dress that you hadn't worn in years. The memory of the dress was a good one… you had just finished up curtain call for The Addams Family and wore that dress to the after-party. It's a short sleeve, layered green dress that flows just over your knees, the same color sash tying the waist in a floppy bow. You blush at the memory of winning best dressed.

A pause, “Okay.” You conclude. “I’ll go.”

Jimin was honest about how chill it would be; soft music plays in the background as the group sits around the table playing cards. A basketball game is playing on the TV, desperate for attention as a player scores a 3-pointer, but no one is watching. Shuffling of cards is the only sound heard in the room as the game continues.

The atmosphere is calm… quiet…

“BULLSHIT.”

The immediate crumble of everyone’s mood causes the loud “HELL YEAH” that makes you jump in your seat.

"And that is how it's done, Ladies and Gentlemen." Jungkook (your fellow coworker) claps, his smile brighter than the sunset that seeps through the curtains on the opposite side of the room.

"And that's on cheating!" Jimin picks up the cards in the center of the table, gathering them clumsily back into a pile.

"It's called having skill," Jungkook replies, holding his hands up as he smirks at his opponents.

"No, it's called luck." Yoongi finalizes as he puts his hand of cards down on the table with a roll of his eyes. You haven’t met Yoongi before until tonight. He’s one of Jimin's friends from Journalism Class.

When you arrived, you decided to sit out of this round and learn to play before joining the game-- knowing you; you would've been crushed within the first minutes of playing. Card games weren’t exactly a skill of yours— board games on the other hand were where it’s at! That, and charades. For the sake of the party, a card game didn’t sound too bad this time around— so you poke at Jimin to give you the hand as he serves cards for everyone else.

“Wait, wait, wait—“ Jimin pauses, his hand disappearing beneath the table to grab his phone. “Hello?”

“I’m not Irish, so does luck really count?” Jungkook questions in a hushed whisper, nudging Yoongi in the side.

“Oh hey...yeah... it’s apartment 205.” Jimin continues.

“You’re so funny, Jk. Maybe you’ll actually become successful if you choose stand-up comedy rather than becoming a musician.” Yoongi replies nonchalantly, his cat-like eyes staring at the abandoned pile of cards before he seems to come to the decision to shuffle them himself. He gives you a small smile when you hold your hand out to signal that you’re joining in this round.

“Mhm, you can just walk on in! Doors unlocked… okay.. alright, see ya in a minute.” When Jimin's phone is down, Yoongi passes a hand of cards to him.

“Think you can beat me, Y/n?” Jungkook asks,”Since apparently these four can’t?” He motions to Yoongi and Jimin, glancing at the other two players of the game: Hoseok (Jimins other classmate) and his girlfriend, Faith.

“I think I can.” You say, smirking at the determined expression on Jungkooks face. Even if you weren’t very fond of card games, there was one thing you were even less fond of: losing.

“Mmm, might want to rethink that, but okay.” Jungkook replies. The two of you are death staring when the sound of the front door creaking open catches the attention of everyone else at the table. Jimin shoots out of his chair.

“Taehyung!”

You freeze.

"You-" He pauses, taking another sharp breath and running a hand through his hair. If you thought he couldn't get more attractive, you were wrong. "Do you know me?"

Attractive? Yes. Psycho?... possibly.

“I’m so sorry, there're so many people that come to visit us and sometimes I forget the regulars!” You apologize. “That’s my fault… remind me of your name again?”

"It's- It's-."

“Taehyung, you just missed me creaming everyone in bullshit.” Jungkook boasts. Your eyes are glued to the side of Jungkook's head, not daring to make eye contact with the source of your nerves the past few weeks.

“Oh did I?” The familiar, deep voice utters.

Okay.. you can’t help but look…

Holy—it’s actually him.

Immediate regret sinks into your soul when you see him. God, he’s even handsomer than you remember. A white woolen sweater hangs over a pair of his black pants, matched with white sneakers and accenting the head of dark wavy hair you’d been thinking about since you last saw him.

“Yep!” Jungkook continues. “And now Y/n’s about to get shitfaced too.”

The moment his eyes swiftly glance your way is the moment you crumble and turn your head back to Jungkook. You had hoped to make a sly remark, something along the lines of “in your dreams,” but you’re caught breathless from the tension in the room. The tension only the two of you are aware of. He must be tense too, right?

“I wouldn’t underestimate her.” You hear out of Taehyung's mouth, stealing a look at his face once more. He’s smirking at Jungkook, hanging his coat on the hook beside yours, oblivious of the way you’re basically dissecting his every move.

“Have you met Y/n?” Jimin questions, provoking Taehyung's eyes to fall back onto yours. This time, you don’t look away.

He doesn’t answer right away, making you more nervous than you should be— the silence deafening as you make to explain, “We-“

“No.” He states plainly, cutting you off. An innocent smile plays on his lips as he looks at Jimin and places his messenger bag beside the door.

No? Uhhh, was he not the guy who pretended to know who you were and cried in front of you without even explaining why? Nope, it’s definitely him.

“I’m Taehyung.” He calls in your direction, offering you a boxy smile and a small nod, “Don’t let Jungkook fool you. A girl pinched him when we were in grade school. He barely lasted five seconds before running away screaming.” Taehyung moved to the table, sitting beside the man he just brutally embarrassed.

“That girl was terrifying. She was way taller than all the other sixth graders. It was an unfair situation.” Jungkook protested, sinking in his chair as he shuffled the cards he held in his hand.

You couldn’t help but stare dumbly at Taehyung. Was he embarrassed of his outburst at the cafe that he just hopes you forgot about him? You guess you didn’t exactly meet each other, other than a few words exchanged before he disappeared out the door. He probably doesn’t want his friends to know about what happened. Or did he not recognize you and completely forgot about the whole ordeal?

Okay, it’s fine… totally fine.

“I’ll have to keep that in mind,” you laugh, “no more coming in late, Jk. Or I’ll have to pinch you.”

Jungkook merely rolls his eyes, taking a sip of his beer. You see the crinkle in Taehyung's eyes as he laughs, the boxy smile taking root on his face again… a smile you’ve begun to enjoy the look of.

Hey. Snap out of it. This guy is so confusing. That’s a red card.

You straighten up in your seat, catching Jimin's attention when you move towards the kitchen, motioning with your hand to signal that you’re getting another drink. You have a feeling you’re gonna need some more alcohol to get through the evening.

Jimins place is clean, every knick knack placed neatly where it belongs; accompanied by the smell of potted plants that he keeps by his windows. Little name tags are attached to the plant stems: Flo, Sprout, Bob. He names his plants. Sweet.

He, like you, has a great view of the city too, a mid-size window perched above his breakfast nook where a small potted plant (quotabley named “bean”) grows. The city is bustling below as you reach for a beer, shrugging off the fact that you hate beer, but at least the taste will distract you from Tae-

“Hey.” You hear a soft voice call from the kitchen archway. When you turn you nearly drop the bottle out of your hand. Taehyung gives you a soft smile.

“Hey! Uh.. did you want a beer, or are you a wine guy?” You question, cringing at how much higher your voice sounds at his close proximity.

“I— Sorry, neither.” He starts, shoving his hands into his pockets as he makes his way around the island. “I uh- I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

You nod slightly, “Yeah of course… what’s up?”

“Um,” he’s nervous, you notice. “I just wanted to apologize about the whole thing at the cafe a few weeks ago.. I was— not in the right state of mind.” He meets your eyes hesitantly, “you just look like someone I know from a long time ago and it kind of.. took me by surprise, I guess.”

Jimin was right. You offer him a smile, shaking your head in disbelief, “You know what, I truly thought that was the reason… It’s totally fine. I’m not who you think I am, by the way.”

A flicker of something crosses his features at your comment, something you can’t quite pick up, but he changes it quickly to a smirk. “Obviously.” He laughs, “I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.. I’m not weird, I swear.”

“Mmm, that’s what they all say.” You tease.

He laughs, a soft sound that you want to hear over and over again. “You’ve got me there.” He takes a pause, placing his hands on the island countertop. “Let’s start over? If that’s okay? I didn’t want to mention it when I came in because I wanted us to have a fresh start.”

You push down the questioning thought of who this woman he mistook you for was, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. “That’s totally okay.. clean slate?”

“Clean slate.” He finalizes.

“Straightforward,” You add, “I like it.”

He gives you a warm smile, the same edge in the way he looks at you dances in his eyes before he breaks it off, sliding the bottle of beer out of your own hand. “Actually, I think I will have a beer. You don’t seem like a beer drinker, anyway.” He turns quickly, smirking at you before striding out of the room. “Thanks, Y/n!”

Protestations die on your lips as he disappears from the room, your beer along with him. How rude. You can’t help the smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you turn back to the cupboard, skipping the beer and pouring yourself a second glass of wine. You weren’t a beer drinker, after all.

Although you weren’t one for parties, you couldn’t help but admit the fact that you were having a good time. No, a great time. All of you are seated in Jimins living room; a plate of chips sits on the coffee table, which was the hot spot of the night (considering there’s hardly any remaining). Others in the group still have a glass of alcohol in their hands, the tipsiness evident by the slurring of their words. You had stopped yourself after half of your second glass, playing it safe since you still have to walk home after the party. You weren’t much of a drinker anyway-- your family history being the root of this decision.

It isn’t the games that made the night this enjoyable, or the food, or the movie that is currently playing over Jimin's television (which, by the way, is Moulin Rouge, because half of the room enjoys musicals, and the other half enjoys regular movies. So, you decided to settle on a movie musical). None of that matters, except the fact that you’ve never felt this carefree in a long time.

For one night, you can put aside your cafe job, auditions, and never-ending to-do lists and just have fun. Real fun. Even in the audition rooms, it has never been fun for you. It’s been nerve-wracking to a fault and always ends with a “thank you for taking the time, but we’ve decided not to accept you this time around,” or a callback, which ultimately concludes with the same grueling fate.

But this is different.

This is a group of people who genuinely want to spend time with you and get to know you… with no “not this time’s” or open-ended questions.

Especially with Taehyung. You’re surprised at how quickly the two of you seemed to hit it off, despite the awkward introduction. Now, it feels like he’s known you for years… in the best way. You’re comfortable talking to him, chatting together during the movie about the plot points or songs you find specifically endearing. You had initially planned to sit next to Jimin… but ended up next to Taehyung on the couch.

It just happened.

He enjoys musicals as well, you learn. Maybe not as much as you do, but at least he doesn’t despise them. He’s one of Jimin’s friends from their shared art class. He loves the color brown. His favorite food is watermelon. He does illustrations for Jimins journalism projects (which, in your opinion, are exceptional from the photos he showed you during the movie while the others were engulfed in the film). He wishes to pursue traveling journalism, where he draws what he sees rather than taking pictures. His whole aura is warm… like a heated blanket that envelopes you whole when you feel him shift beside you on the sofa. A small reminder that he’s still there.

Okay, you’re liking his presence way too much.

He finds romance movies corny but a guilty pleasure nonetheless. This, the reason why he agreed to watch Moulin Rouge despite the cheesiness in the beginning. In the end, it was anything but cheesy.

"Well, that was stupid." Jungkook scoffs, slamming the remote onto the neighboring loveseats' armrest. The once loud room filled with music is now quiet from the after-effects of the movie.

“I told you it was sad!” Jimin exclaims. The two of you had seen this movie before in theatres… and this was nothing compared to how the ending hit the first time. “Y/N was nearly choking. She was crying so hard when we saw it.”

An immediate blush rises onto your cheeks as you shake your head in defiance, trying to hide the tears that had been stinging your eyes for the last thirty minutes. “Who wouldn’t cry at that??”

“Taehyung probably didn’t. He never cries.” Hoseok deadpans. Ha. You can’t help but remember the tear that ran down his face in the cafe… He never cries?

With a quick look over your shoulder, you find that Taehyung is no longer seated on the couch. When did he get up? You attempt to shrug off your curiosity, pivoting back towards the chip table where only sad little crumbs remain. You were worrying way too much over a man you quite literally just met tonight… even if it felt like you’ve known him for much longer.

Taehyung eventually reappeared, stating that he had to use the bathroom— you ignored the fact that it took him a solid 30 minutes to get back to the party. It wasn’t your place to ask any questions, especially since he lifted a smile onto his face the second he reentered the room. See, y/n… nothing to worry about.

It wasn’t long before you insisted you head home, knowing that you’d curse yourself in the morning if you stayed out past the sunrise. If you did, you’d sleep through tomorrow, and that would be awful. You’ve done this a few times… and every time, you felt like you had wasted an entire year of your life.

You move to grab your purse and jacket, which are hanging comfortably on the hook beside the front door. With a small smile, you bid everyone goodnight— smiling as they resume a card game around the table at one o’clock in the morning. It’s nice to know that the group of you hit it off… now; you can look forward to plenty of get-togethers in the future.

Your mind is bustling with all kinds of ideas: picnics in central park, late-night broadway shows, hangouts at the caf-

“Y/n!” The soft calling of Taehyung's voice causes you to halt near the exit, turning on your heel to see him jogging towards you. He had haphazardly thrown his jacket over him since it’s still being tugged onto his body as he runs. His hair becomes even more chaotic in his haste… Why do you want to run your hands through it?

“Hey!” You squeak, interrupting your thoughts before they trudged down a guilty road. “What are you doing? Weren’t you going to play another round?”

He gives you a smirk, catching his breath as he holds out your house keys. “You forgot these! You were really moving fast… sick of us already?”

“Wh— oh my god, thank you!” With a quick swipe of your hand, you’re stuffing your keys into your pocket with a grateful smile. “Also, hardly.”

You admire the way his eyes light up at your confession. “Well.. since you don’t want to leave us so quickly.. how about I walk you home?” He seems almost hesitant asking, but you can’t help but applaud him for actually taking the initiative to inquire.

You shake your head, pulling the strap of your purse farther up your shoulder. “You don’t have t-“

“I want to!” He cuts you off quickly, catching you by surprise as he moves past you to open the door. He glances back, taking in your reluctant expression, “It’s not safe this time of night Y/n… You shouldn’t be alone.“

You know he didn't mean anything by that statement… But the idea of someone genuinely caring and not wanting you to be alone makes your heart swell. Jimin cares about your safety of course, but this feels… Different.

This is the reason why you allow him to walk you home.

The snow crunches beneath your feet, like a symphony that beckons you home. You’ve been feeling exhaustion seeping into your bones for the last ten minutes, but Taehyung's occasional brush of his arm as he walks beside you keeps you wide awake. He doesn’t think to apologize for accidentally touching you, but you blame it on the time of night. Delusion.

“How long have you lived in New York?” You question, wrapping your coat tighter around you to kick out the nipping air.

“About a year now,” He responds, shuffling his feet, “though it feels like way longer. You?”

“Three years.”

Taehyung turns his head towards you, eyes wide. “Wow, way to one up me.” With a teasing smile he continues, “You must know this city like the back of your hand.”

The truth is… you don’t. You came here for the sole purpose of making it on Broadway... you never really took the time to focus on anything else. Part of you wishes you had learned more, craved more, wanted more with your life—then you wouldn’t be so miserable when the one thing you do want doesn’t work out. “Yeah… kind of.”

If he hears the somber tone of your voice, he ignores it, turning against the wind as he walks backwards down the sidewalk. “It’s overrated in my opinion.”

You raise your head at this, “Why is that?”

“Everyone here has dreams… and those dreams get crushed more often than not.” He shrugs, “No one cares if you want to succeed, only if you already have.”

You stare at him for a moment, awestruck by the weight of his words. “But,” he adds, turning back towards the wind, “the ones who never give up and continue to chase that dream can become successful. Despite all of the no’s they might face, they always hold on till they hear a yes. That sounds like true success to me.”

Turning your head, you stare at the side of his face— admiring the way his hair tosses back a bit against the harsh winter winds. His words hit you way deeper than he probably realized, sinking into your chest with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. You’ve been contemplating recently on whether or not to give up on your dream… that maybe it just wasn’t going to work out for you. You have been trying for so long, and have repeatedly been let down. There was no way Taehyung could have known, which is why his words hit you as hard as they did. Despite the hardships, you’ve been here for three years and you’ve never given up or stopped trying to chase your dream.

That was an achievement, right?

“To be honest… I've heard a lot of no’s in my three years of being here.” You speak softly, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind your ear. “Sometimes it feels like there will never be a yes… but here I am. At least I'm still working— at a coffee shop, not on the stage.”

“It’s admirable that you keep going.” Taehyung glances at you over his shoulder. “It makes you different from a lot of people who have left the city when they faced failure. It’s something to be proud of. Plus, coffee shop or big stage, you’re in New York City and pursuing your gift. It’s special.”

When your eyes meet, you smile at him, feeling a sense of victory the longer you hold his gaze.

“Don’t give up, Y/n. No matter what.” He speaks genuinely, leaning towards you to nudge you gently on your shoulder. You can’t help but laugh at his playfulness, giving him a nudge in return before your eyes downcast to your winter boots. The snow on the ground is fresh, powdery and sticking to the toes of your shoes. “Plus,” He adds, sucking in the chilly air, “you've got what others don’t have…”

This time when you meet his eye he has a serious expression, making sure he has your full attention as you round the corner towards your apartment building. His gaze is genuine, captivating… and a part of you hopes that the close proximity of your apartment wouldn’t cut this moment short. Finally, he speaks.

“You have passion.”

Taehyung's words weigh on you for the rest of your night. It started off as something simple, looking up audition songs for an upcoming off-broadway show your agent was telling you about. Then, you went to learning it. After that, putting on makeup. And finally, completely forgetting about your sleep schedule and filming an entire audition tape in your room at 2 in the morning (and you were belting… your poor neighbors). It wasn’t until four that you finally turned in for the night, not bothering to take off your makeup or get changed-- simply falling onto your pillow and blacking out the moment you hit it. You were definitely sleeping the next day away… but at that moment, you didn’t mind. Having a day off from your busy schedule wouldn’t be so bad.

“I sent in an audition tape two nights ago.” You speak confidently, wiping down the back counter that’s littered with coffee grounds. They stick to the rag like glue, tiny dots scattered along its white surface. If it weren’t for your apron,

and your expertly rolled up white turtleneck sweater, you would look alot like this rag right now.

“Did you?” Jimin questions from the bar, sleeving the cup before placing it on the handoff counter.

“Christopher! Medium cappuccino!” He calls, multitasking while he cranes his neck to still hear you.

“I did. I feel really good about this one..” You add, meeting him beside the bar as he lifts the pitcher up and down to create the latte-art of a flower in the center of the mug. You have tried sooooo many times to make latte art… and every time it ended up looking like a glob. A big, distorted snowball. Jimin was the master of latte art, always finishing it off beautifully with a whip of his wrist. The foam atop telling a story. “It was so late-- I was totally out of it… and yet I actually enjoyed myself while filming it. I just imagined being there.. In center stage.”

“I’m happy for you, Y/n!” He smiles, turning to place the hot mug next to the cappuccino.

“Caleb! Medium caramel latte!”

He was only half listening to you. The cafe was bustling, so it truly wasn’t Jimin's fault that he was sidetracked— but nothing could hold back the small smile that played at the edge of your lips. You had actually enjoyed singing for the first time in a while.. all because of Taehyung's Academy Award winning pep talk. Who knew that all you needed was for someone to tell you like it is. With a minuscule smile, you turn back towards the counter and lift the latte you’d whipped up this morning to your lips. Your distorted snowball is fully on display at the top.

Despite the busyness, the front register is deserted, giving you time to think for a moment about the pep talk... or rather, the person who gave you it.

“I think Taehyung likes you.” Jimin deadpans.

Uhhh… You nearly spit out your snowball at that— clearing your throat as you set it down slowly onto the wooden countertop. He speaks as if this is a natural conversation starter… it’s not.

“I’m sorry?” You croak.

“Taehyung.” He repeats, turning his head in your direction with a knowing smirk. “I think he likes you.”

You give him a scoff of disbelief, watching as yet another group of regulars enter through the door. “That’s not true, he just doesn’t know me… so he made an effort to talk to me.” If you weren’t studying the group, you would've seen Jimin giving you a scrutinized look.

So, now you have his attention.

“Y/n. It’s so obvious… He spent the entire night talking to you, he left moments after you did to give you your keys and he never came back. If that isn’t someone who’s interested, I don’t know what is.” Jimin is an expert at multitasking, finishing off two drinks at the same time and calling them out.

“Well, Jimin, when people don’t know each other, they get to know each other. It’s this thing called talking and becoming friends.” The sentence hangs in the air as the doorbell chimes, signaling that yet another customer has entered the cafe and into the swarm of regulars, but the two of you disregard the sound and continue on through your bickering.

“I’m just saying, Taehyung doesn’t usually talk to girls.” Jimin adds, wiping his hands off on the white rag seated beneath his espresso machine. “Even if they wanted his attention, he didn’t give it to them. I mean— he’s nice to girls, don’t get me wrong.. but he’s never talked to them like he did with you on game night. I don’t think he’s dated anyone since he got here.”

“He’s career driven.” You say quickly.

If you thought his smirk couldn’t get any wider, you were wrong. “Yeah, girls don’t know that about him— meaning he told you, and not other girls.” Jimin deadpans.

You stare blankly at him. There’s no way. No way that a guy as attractive as Taehyung would even think about looking at you like that. There’s just no way. You’ve never had a boyfriend... or even a guy friend, until Jimin. Eventually, you’d accepted the fact that maybe you just weren’t that interesting. Maybe you weren’t pretty enough. Maybe you couldn’t flirt…. okay, you definitely couldn’t flirt— but that’s besides the point.

“He’s not interested in me.” You conclude.

“He is.” Jimin counters.

“He’s not.”

“He so is.”

“He’s so not.”

“Y/n. I swear to you. He’s interested and you need to shoot your shot.” He whisper-screams, throwing the rag in his hand onto the bar.

“Taehyung is not-“

A clearing of someone’s throat from beyond the register cuts your argument short, nearly making you lose your balance when you see who the source was.

You’re fairly certain you’ve turned pale.

Taehyung stands in front of you, eyeing between the two of you with an awkward expression. God, how long has he been standing there? “I figured I should step in before the two of you start fist fighting.”

“Hey!” The shrill of your voice causes you to wince.

“Hey.” He says with a smile, folding his arms in front of him and raising his eyes to the menu above your head. You can’t help the glare you send towards Jimin, who's notably holding back his laughter as he moves to the blender, the station farthest from the register. Ridiculous.

“What can we get for you?” You ask routinely, trying not to make it obvious that you were just talking about him… and praying that he wasn’t there to hear what the two of you were talking about.

“Hmm…” He looks especially good today, wearing a brown, long coat and a brown plaid scarf around his neck. He wasn’t kidding when he said his favorite color was brown, that’s for sure. It suits him. His hair is wavy, flowing to a point just under his eyebrows with a split off center, giving you the tiniest glimpse of his forehead. “How about an americano with hazelnut, and some cream?”

“We can do that for ya!” You have to force yourself to stop looking at him, pressing the buttons to ring up his order before you forget. You nearly overlook ringing up the hazelnut syrup. Why were you so dazed? He’s already placed his credit card into the chip reader, but your foggy brain asks anyway. “Anything else?”

“Yes, actually.” He speaks as you move towards the bar beside the register. Grabbing an empty pitcher, you pour the milk inside and reach for the steamer. He drops a dollar into the tip jar, not giving you enough time to thank him for the unnecessary effort before he speaks again. “Are you free later?”

NEXT CHAPTER

enjoying this story? please be sure to like and reblog!! It would really help me out, and i would love to hear your thoughts and feelings regarding this work 🥺🤍 thank you for taking the time to read!!

taglist: @monvante @moonchild1 @strawverryxmilktae If you would like to be added to the tag list, please send in an ask!! 🤍

[soldrawss]

Sol i need headcanons for the brothers, please im begging you

BRUH I GOT YOU

I’m currently working on some little fics for them BUT I CAN GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS BECAUSE I’M DYING TO SHARE

(Warning, gets a little dark towards the middle, but overall fine. Sorry for the long read. I went for a DEEP dive on the Age Gap Au)

Ace was put into foster care 4 hours after his birth. His father died before he was born and his mother died during childbirth. Ace had nothing to his name but physical traits of the dead (Like his father's sharp eyes and his mother’s freckles) He grew up with a need to prove himself and to gain something that truly belonged to him all on his own.

Sabo was placed in foster care when he was 5 because of an altercation with his abusive and possesive parents, involving him having broken ribs and running away.

Ace and Sabo met in a halfway home for troubled youths when they were 6. (They both had issues with authority and past placements in foster homes, so they quickly bonded over that, and decided to stick together ever since)

Their bond was so strong that ‘honorary’ brothers didn’t really fit them. They were brothers. And they stuck together and stood up for one another like it was them against the world (which sometimes it was)

They would often run away from the halfway home they were at, trying to earn a living on their own on the streets, and often commit petty thefts in order to survive. 

These little runaway trips wouldn’t last long though, because they were always caught by Officer Garp, a police officer that happened to have a knack for catching little runaways.

However tough Garp acted though, he had an incredibly big soft spot for these two little brats that were only trying to make their lives better. These two kids, barely 8 years old, who had so much hatred for the world because of adults in their lives that failed them. Adults that hurt them, giving them scars and bruises on their hearts just as easily as the scars and bruises on the little frames. 

After a particular runaway incident, Ace breaks down and confesses about all the horrible placements he and Sabo had been in before. How social services always judge Ace’s sharp eyes and label in a problem child, how Sabo’s quick wit always get him in trouble with the adults, how they both have scars and bruises from past foster homes they were placed in, and that's why Ace and Sabo runaway. They’re tired of getting placed in bad homes. They’re tired of having adults try to separate them. Ace is all Sabo has and vice versa because that's the only person in the whole world who they trust to not hurt them. And Garp thinks that’s the last fucking straw.

Garp, much to Ace and Sabo’s but nobody else’s surprise, adopts both the boys, and takes them into his own home. Because dammit, if they’re just gonna runaway, they might as well stay with someone who will at least love them enough to always look for them and bring them back to a good home when they do.

And it’s weird at first, because Garp is the rough and loud and nosey officer that used to grab them by the scruffs of their shirts and drag them back to that awful halfway home kicking and screaming. But then it gets better. Because he still yells at them, but it’s with a tempered and fiercely protective love it when he does. He still grabs them, but it’s just to pull them into a rough bear hug that they fervently pretend they don’t like. And every dinner is spent with tears of laughter in their eyes and cheeks warm with delight at the stories he tells them. (They call him old man with affection and he’s their father figure even though they treat him like their grandpa.)

Sabo joins his school’s baseball team! Which is so freaking cool! He’s a really strong batter, can weild a bat like it’s an extension of his own arm, and Ace and Garp are always the loudest cheers on the bleachers every home run hit Sabo makes.

Garp makes Ace take up boxing, because the kid’s got a lot of pent-up rage and aggression, and he figures it’s a good constructive sort of therapy for the rowdy brat.

The two still get up to mischief every now and again, though. Nothing illegal, but Garp is still having to wrangle up his two little idiots before they do something stupid. (They get into a lot of fights with local gangs because they have smart mouths and are still a little reckless)

Garp has a biological son that Ace and Sabo never met due to Garp’s and Dragon’s strained relationship. Garp had always bad-mouthed him whenever his son was brought up, but it was always with words that had no heat behind them, and Sabo and Ace could tell there was a sadness behind his eyes whenever he looked at the picture of his son in his wallet.

The boys were 10 when they got the news of Dragon’s death a week after it happened. Garp had gotten the phone call when he and the boys were watching some late-night trash tv on the weekend, and he had all but strangled the phone in a grip that turned his knuckles white. He didn’t say what had killed his son, (he never did), but he had told the boys he needed to take care of something, told them to pack up some of their things, dropped them off at his friend Newgate’s house, and got the quickest flight out that night.

He came back 3 days later, and when he did, he had a tiny little baby with him.

Ace and Sabo were no strangers to babies. There was always some snot-nosed kid that would get dropped off at the halfway home (and then adopted that week, because everybody loved babies), and they were pretty sure this baby wasn’t gonna be any different. Because babies were loud and gross and never stopped crying, and Ace and Sabo were prepared for the absolute worse.

But then they stood over the baby’s crib to get a good look at him, and the baby looked back.

And smiled the biggest and happiest smile Ace and Sabo had ever seen.

And Garp had said “His name is Luffy,” and Ace and Sabo had been hooked around his little finger ever since. 

Luffy was barely 6 months old, and was a bundle of chubby cheeks and contagious giggles. With big brown chocolate colored eyes that melted all the sharp corners and edges of Ace’s and Sabo’s hearts.

Because Sabo and Ace were the same age, and neither one of them felt like the older or younger brother. They were equals in every way. But it was different with Luffy. Because Luffy was tiny, and soft and could barely wrap all 5 of his little fingers around one of theirs, and it hit Sabo and Ace like a bullet train because oh.

 Oh this is what it was like to be an older brother. This was what it was like to have a little brother. And Sabo and Ace have always looked out for each other, of course. But Luffy was something they had to protect fully and with their entire being. His smile, his laughter, his heart. All of it. Sabo and Ace knew all the horrible things in the world, knew all the hatred and fear and heartbreak the world could throw at you and it was like a silent promise to each other they never verbalized, that Luffy should and would never have to go through the things they went through. He would never feel unloved. He would never feel unwanted. He would never feel like he had to prove his worth or reason for existing. (He was worth more than any price anyone could give anyway)

Sabo and Ace stopped getting into trouble. They got good grades, excelled in their respective clubs, and didn’t give Garp any reason to chase them down in his old cop car and bring them home. (They were always at home anyway, giving Luffy piggyback rides and teaching him how to ride a bike and do one-handed handstands and cartwheels, and basking in the warmth that was Luffy’s endless love) And they lived in peace like that for 5 years.

Then the fire happened.

Garp was a good police officer and an even better Deputy Chief, and for almost 40 years, he served on the Foosha County Police Department. He had put away a lot of bad guys and saved a lot of people in the process and was an honored and highly respected man. However, this also made him a big target and earned him quite a few enemies. He was 3 weeks away from retirement and spending most of those weeks staying at home, playing with Luffy, and ingnoring the last of his paperwork left on his office desk.

When the fire broke out, Ace and Sabo had just turned the corner from the bus stop on their way home from school. They had seen the smoke, but didn’t know where it was coming from till they saw the towering blaze of fire that used to be their 2 story home and the group of neighbors surrounding the outside. 

They managed to push their way to the front, hands shaking and eyes wide and absolutely breathless, because that was their house! That was their house that was one fire and where was gramps?! Where was Luffy?!

The only thing Ace heard Sabo whisper among the roar of the fire and the loud murmur of people around them was “Do you hear that? That... crying?” Before Sabo surged forward.

Ace didn’t have time to reach out and stop him, and by the time he could, Sabo had already disappeared into the open front door, which was covered in flames. He had screamed out, tried to race in and follow his brother into the flames, but the neighbors around him were quicker than he was and pulled him back. 

Edward Newgate, one of their neighbors and close personal friend of Garp’s was in the crowd, and he was holding Ace to his chest with an arm like an iron bar, as he was on the phone with the local fire department. (Newgate was also the Foosha County fire chief, and was shouting at his lieutenants to “get your asses out here now!’) But Ace didn’t hear a word he was saying. All he could do was struggle to get out of the older man’s grip, reach out for his brother and best friend, and scream his lungs out.

What felt like hours went by, and Ace felt like his heart was shattering into a million piece, the glass shards falling around him, as he sobbed into Newgate's chest, thinking he had lost everything. His home. His family. His only purpose and reason for living.

And then some of the neighbors were shouting again, only this time in surprised alarm and Ace looked up with hazy eyes blurred by tears, to see something was coming out of the front door.

And it could only be Sabo. Ace knew it was him before he could even register it, and bolted out of Newgate's grips that had slacked at the surprise and towards his brother.

Ace met Sabo only a few feet from the door, Sabo collapsing into his arms, and Ace had to pull him the extra few feet away because the flames were still too much to bear even at that distance.

And Sabo’s skin was hot and red and covered in smoke and ash alike. There was a giant welting red burn against the side of Sabo’s face that looked like it would leave a scar forever, but Ace was having a hard time focusing on it because he was too bust focusing on the bundle of blankets that Sabo was desperately trying to push into Ace’s arms.

And Ace was already crying before, but he began crying even harder when he removed the fold of blankets to reveal a muffled Luffy, covered in ash but unharmed, crying his eyes out. 

Sabo had a coughing fit that rocked his whole body, and burns that looked like they'd hurt forever, but he was smiling when Ace broke into a sob, clutching both Sabo and Luffy into his chest.

The firefighters and paramedics came a few minutes later, and they had to physically pull Sabo and Luffy from Ace’s arms to check and treat them. Luffy only ended up with a few mild burns and cuts on his arms and legs and some burning of his throat from inhaling so much smoke, but Sabo had to be taken to the hospital immediately for his burns, especially for the one on his face. Ace pleaded to let them all ride in the same ambulence on the way to the hosipital, and held on to Sabo’s shirt sleeve with a grip that would take the end of the world and then some for him to let go.

Sabo had to get some surgery and treatment to save his left eye, but he was all in all ok, and Ace and Luffy were allowed to visit his hospital room for as long as they needed.

When Ace finally confronted Sabo on why he had ran into the house in the first place, it was on the first night of their hospital stay. Sabo had a giant white gauze wrapping half of his head, and he looked at Ace with tired blue eyes that looked a little fuzy, still a little drugged from all the medication he was on to ease the pain. 

And Ace felt bad about it, he really did, because Sabo didn’t derserve to be grilled on the matter. Not after he had sacrificed himself and saved Luffy. Their little brother. Their little brother who they wouldn’t even have anymore if it weren’t for Sabo. 

But Ace had to know. He was so mad and heartbroken and scared out of his mind when Sabo had rushed in without word or warning. Because they had lost Garp. They had almost lost Luffy. And Ace could have almost lost Sabo too.

But Luffy was tucked underneath Sabo’s arm on the hospital bed, and Sabo just smiled at Ace with a patience that only Ace and Luffy could pull out of him, and patted the other side for Ace to join them. Ace climbed onto the bed beside him, and even with the two 15-year-olds and one little 5 year old, the bed didn’t feel too small at all.

Sabo explained that he could hear crying from the door and he just moved. Knowing it was Luffy before his mind could really think about the implications behind that. He confessed how the flames hurt at first. Hurt so bad, and it was so hot, and everything, from the floor to the ceiling, was on fire and he could barely see anything through the smoke. But he could hear Luffy’s little rough and horse scream, coming from one of the back rooms that used to be Garp's office, and suddenly all Sabo could afford to think about was Luffy’s crying.

Sabo would tell a watered-down version of this story to the cops in the morning, because they were Garp's friend and companions, and they only really needed the broad details for their report anyway. 

He’ll tell a heroic version of this story, lacking any horrific graphics, to an older Luffy whenever the eternally curious kid wonders and asks about it.

But he only ever told the whole story right then on that night, one arm tight around his baby brother in a toothed and protective love, while the other one gripped his best friend's hands with shaking and bandaged fingers hard enough to leave bruising.

Garp was long dead when Sabo found him. The smell of his skin burning off is something that will haunt Sabo for the rest of his life. (Sometimes certain smells will set him off. Uncooked bacon is not allowed in the house anymore after one traumatic morning when Luffy is six. Campfires are viewed and enjoyed from a distance.)

He was lying on his stomach, clutching something to his chest. Sabo knew it was Luffy by the cries, bundled up in a few quilts and one of this office rugs, and Sabo knew he had to get them out of there before the smoke killed them off like it had a personal agenda against them.

The heat was unbearable, Sabo had confessed, but it was nothing compared to having to drag Luffy from underneath Garp’s grip. The old man was built like a brick house, sure, but even in death, his grip on Luffy, protecting Luffy, like he was daring the world to take anything away from him, was steadfast and almost unbbreakable. 

It was the hardest thing Sabo had ever had to make himself do.

He didn’t look at Garp’s face. His body was burned black and bloody and raw, and Sabo couldn’t live with himself if his memory of Garp’s face was replaced by anything other than with the one of his scruffy beard and the shit-eating grin that he always wore.

When he pulled Luffy out, he didn’t look back, and raced out of the house as fast as he could. Something along the way fell and smacked him in the face, knocking him down at one point, but Sabo couldn’t pay it much mind. He got back up, and continued towards the door. He could barely see, barely breathe, with all the smoke and the ash, and the pain from the fire was almost numbing against his skin, but he didn’t stop.

All he could think about was Luffy, still struggling and crying against the blankets wrapped tightly around him. Next thing he knew, he was outside, and looking up at Ace’s snot-covered face.

Ace had never seen Sabo cry for the almost 10 years he knew him. He didn’t cry when he was 7, and the Anderson family had called him a freak and had sent him back after a failed foster home placement. He didn’t cry when he was 9, and broke his arm falling out of the tree in their backyard that Garp had told him not to climb, so of course he had to climb it. And he didn’t even cry earlier that day, at 15, when he was off medication and feeling the full extent of his painful burns.

So when tears started pooling out of Sabo’s pale blue eyes, falling down his cheeks and staining the cotton white blanket he was under as he told his story, Ace pretended not to notice, wrapped an arm around Sabo’s shoulders, and held him like it was the only lifeline in the world. 

Garp’s funeral was held the following week. Closed casket. All the police departments in the county, and even some outside of it, showed up to give him a full send-off. Ace cried for both Sabo and himself. Sabo spoke a few words for the both of them. And Luffy stood between them, holding both their hands. They explained the night before that gramps was gone, but they don’t think the notion of death really got through to Luffy. He was crying, but only because Ace was crying, and when he asked ‘can gramps come out of the box to give me a hug before he goes away?’ everyone has to clench their teeth and hold their breaths to stop their hearts from breaking. Sabo kneeled down to wrap Luffy in a tight hug. Ace covered his face with his arm and cried harder

(They never bother asking Luffy about how the fire started, or what happened that day. Luffy doesn’t remember, and they don’t push it further. The truth isn’t as important as Luffy’s mentality is, but Garp’s old squad promises that they won’t rest until they get to the bottom of it. And as much as Ace and Sabo want justice and revenge, they have Luffy to think about, so they leave it up to the police)

Sabo and Ace are almost 16, and they suddenly have no parental figure, no home, no anything, and suddenly they’re faced with the horrible notion that even more can be taken from them when a blast from their past threatens to take Luffy away from them too.

They’re no stranger to the foster care system, so when social services show up at the motel they were renting with Garp’s savings, they feel their hearts drop to their stomach for fear of the very real possibility that Luffy will be placed in immediate foster care, and possibly, so would they. 

Ace and Sabo jump into action then, because no way, no fucking way, were they gonna lose Luffy. They had lost everything else. They almost did lose Luffy. They weren’t gonna risk that chance again.

Ace was only a few weeks older than Sabo. Sabo hadn’t paused a second to jump into the fire, risking life and limb, to protect what little they had. It was Ace’s turn to be the heroic older brother. And on the day he turned 16, Ace petitioned legal guardianship and parental rights for Sabo and Luffy.

And it was hard, because of course the courts felt sorry for him, the grandson of one of the best police chiefs in the county’s history, begging the courts to let him keep what little family he had left together. The courts wanted to give it to him, wanted to help him. But Luffy was a child. And Ace and Sabo were practically still kids themselves. Asking kids to raise themselves was something no one should ask them to do. 

But Ace and Sabo fought for it. Ace was 16, and Sabo would be 16 soon enough. They could get GED’s, no problem. They’d get jobs, get a little apartment near Luffy’s school, attend any parenting and child service meeting required of them. They’d buy all the necessities over again and they’d love Luffy where no other foster family could even compare. They’d do everything, everything and anything, to keep Luffy. To let them stay together.

With a couple of vouchers from Garp’s old police squad, including one from an overly enthusiastic Edward Newgate and one from the boy’s homeroom teacher, Makino, the courts ruled in Ace’s and Sabo’s favor, and Luffy was officially theirs until they proved that Luffy was better off somewhere else.

Ace and Sabo were never gonna let that happen.

They got a little 2 bedroom apartment a couple blocks from Luffy’s elementary. They quit school, and worked extra hard to earn their GED’s within the following months. (With the help of their old teachers and a few of their overly enthusiastic neighbors)

Ace got a job at the local fire department, as a rookie in training under Newgate.

Sabo got a job at the local news station, writing reports on top of his interning duties. 

Ace eventually got a motorcycle that same year, which scared Sabo half to death and delighted Luffy to no end. It was cheaper than a car, and easier to travel to and from work on, and no matter how hard Sabo tried, he couldn’t come up with a valid reason why Ace shouldn’t use it to their advantage. So Sabo made Ace promise to always wear a helmet when riding it, and that Luffy wasn’t allowed to ride it until he was much older. (Which Luffy pouted about to no end)

And it’s hard at times, both of them working overtime just to make enough to support themselves and keep them afloat, but it’s good, and it’s theirs.

Luffy makes a friend on his first day of first grade named Zoro Roronoa, another kid that lives just across the street from them, and when Ace and Sabo know they’re gonna be late in getting home, Luffy goes over there and hangs out until they can pick him up (Which is totally fine with Zoro’s father Koushirou, a kendo teacher and single father of 6-year-old Zoro and 9-year-old Kuina. Zoro has a bit of a personality problem and often has trouble making friends (because the child doesn’t see a need to) so when little bright-eyed and endlessly joyful Luffy pops into their life, Kushirou jumps at the chance to have him over as much as possible, because the two small children seem to bring out the best in each other, and are best friends attached at the hip) Sabo and Ace are eternally grateful to the kind man)

A few years go by, and Luffy is 8. Ace is still working at the fire station and is now legally allowed to join them on calls and emergencies. (Fire used to make Ace nervous, because he almost lost everything to it. Now he has a personal agenda with it, to make sure it doesn’t take anything from anyone else)

Sabo has moved up the ranks now, and when he turns 18, confronts Ace with a rare job opportunity he was offered.

“It’s a year-long internship for this really cool company that reports and delivers high-class diplomatic information around,” Sabo starts, rubbing the back of his head like he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. “I’d be working as like, a cool undercover spy with diplomatic immunity and a messenger bag. It’s not dangerous at all, and pays almost triple my paycheck now, which would really help us out. But it’s overseas, and I’d be gone for a whole year. You’d be raising Luffy all by yourself, birthdays and holidays and skinned knees, with just the two of you, so say the word, and I’ll totally turn this job down on the spot.”

And it’s scary to Ace. Because he hasn’t been alone since he was 6 years old, and he can’t possibly remember a time when Sabo hadn’t been by his side. His best friend and brother. It was always the two of them. Two little runaways that found a home, lost that home, and then built a new home all on their own despite it all. And neither of them had ever been away from Luffy for longer than a weekend, so Ace was sure it would kill Sabo to be away from them for so long.

But he also knew that Sabo was only playing this off like it wasn’t a big deal, when in fact it was the job opportunity of a lifetime for someone like Sabo, a kid who breathed adventure and freedom with every breath. And that when he talked about it, his eyes sparkled with a joy that Ace would hate himself forever for taking it away. 

Sabo was giving Ace the choice, and Ace knew that Sabo would go along with whatever Ace decided without a second thought or complaint. But Ace knew that Sabo would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't go, so he slugged Sabo in the arm, gave him his best shit-eating, confident grin, (the kind he used to give him right before they were about to steal some food as kids, or about to get into a fight when they were teens) and said, “You let me have a motorcycle. The least I can do is let you go road tripping abroad.”

Because Ace and Luffy would be fine. They’d miss Sabo like crazy, and Ace was pretty sure Sabo was like, 90% of his impulse control, but they’d survive. Sabo had the burn marks to prove how far he was willing to go for their family, and Ace had never thanked him for that. Ace was never gonna live that down, and was going to spend the rest of his life making it up to both Sabo AND Luffy, and prove just how good of an older brother he could be. This was the least he could do for them.

[felassan]

Some DA trivia and dev commentary from Twitter

There’s a lot of different tweets, so I’m just pasting and linking to the source rather than screencapping them all or making several different posts or something. Post under cut for length.

User: Was dragon age 2 your favourite in the franchise?

David Gaider: DA2 was the project where my writing team was firing on all cylinders, and they wrote like the wind- because they had to! Second draft? Pfft. Plot reviews? Pfft. I was so proud of what we all accomplished in such a brief time. I didn't think it was possible. [source] DA2 is, however, also where the goal posts kept moving. Things kept getting cut, even while we worked. I had to write that dialogue where Orsino turned even if you sided with him, because his boss battle had been cut and there was no time to fix the plot. A real WTF moment. >:( [source]

Mike Rousseau: I remember bugging that! And then being told it wasn't a bug, and being so confused. Doing QA for DA2 was an experience. Trial by fire. [source]

DG: So I think it's safe to say DA2 is my favorite entry in the DA franchise and also the sort of thing I never want to live through ever again. Mixed feelings galore. [source]

User: (I personally blame whoever it was for ruining most romance arcs in other games for me; they don't live up to Fenris's romance storyline)

DG: I wrote Fenris, so uh - me, I guess? Or maybe his cinematic designer, who put in the puppy dog eyes. [source]

User: If DA2 had just been an expansion, do you think it would have been better received? There was a lot of great stuff in there, and I think my initial dislike of it was because of the zone reuse. If it hadn't needed to be a full game, would that issue not have arisen?

DG: Hard to say. It was either going to be an over-scoped expansion or an under-scoped sequel. If it had stayed an expansion, it might never have received the resources/push it DID get. [source]

User: I'd love to visit the universe where you had an extra year or so to work on it. You did a very good job as it stands, but it definitely had rough edges. Not just the writing team either. The whole game had hit and miss moments, that just a little more dev time could have fixed.

DG: On one hand, DA2 existed to fill a hole in the release schedule. More time was never in the cards. DA2 was originally planned as an expansion! On the other, if we had more time, would we have started doing that thing where we second guess/iterate ourselves into mediocrity? [shrug emoji] [source] 

Jennifer Hepler: This is what I love about DA2. Personally, I greatly prefer something that's rough and raw and sincere to something that's had all the soul polished out of it. Extra time would have helped for art and levels, but it would have lost something too. [source]

DG: Right? I think we could have used some time for peer reviews (and fewer cuts), but I think the rawness of the writing lent a certain spark that we usually polished out. [source]

JH: Definitely. I think the structure (more character-driven) and the tightness of the timeframe let each individual writer's voice really come through. Polish can be very homogenizing. [source]

DG: I should add I'm not, by any means, against iteration. Some iteration is good and necessary. The problem that BioWare often had is that we never knew when to stop. Like a goldfish, we would fill the space given to us by constantly re-iterating on things that were "good enough". [source]

Patrick Weekes: I appreciate your incredibly diplomatic use of the past tense on "had". :D [source]

User: DA2 was my gateway into the series and I’m so happy it is. I love the game the way that it is. It’s one of my favorites of all time. But I am also aware of everything that was said here. If it were remastered, do you think it would change?

DG: I'd be surprised if it was ever remastered. If it was, do you really think they'd change things? Do remasters do that? No idea. [source]

User: Both sides got undercut as I recall. Didn't that whole sequence also end with the mage leader embracing blood magic? It was very much "a plague on both your houses" moment, at least for me.

DG: Yep. Orsino was supposed to have his own version of Meredith's end battle, which only happened if you sided with the templars. That got cut, but the team still wanted to use the model we'd made for him. So... that happened. [source]

DG: I would personally say that DA2 is a fantastic game hidden under a mountain of compromises, cut corners, and tight deadlines. If you can see past all that, you'll see a fantastic game. I don't doubt, however, that it's very difficult for most to do that. [source]

PW: I love DAI with all my selfish "I worked on this" heart, but DA2's follower arcs and relationships are probably my favorite in the series. [source]

User: As I've expressed many times, I love the game, especially it's writing and characters but, for me, the most impressive aspect of it, in consideration of it's lack of time for drafts and revisions, is the 2nd act with Arishok.  What amazingly complex character and fantastic duel

User: Just played it again and I have to agree. Though he is bound by the harsher tenants of the Qun, he makes valid points about free marcher society. Though it is obvious that he and Hawke will come to blows eventually, the tension builds gradually and understandably

DG: Luke did such a fantastic job with the Arishok I found myself sometimes wishing the Qunari plot had just been THE plot. [source]

User: What do you think would have changed, story wise, if you had more time for DA2?

DG: I would have taken out that thing where Meredith gets the idol. It was forced on me because she needed to be "super-powered" with red lyrium for her final battle. Being "crazy", however, robbed her side of the mage/templar argument of any legitimacy. I hated hated hated that. [source]

User: I deeply lament that there wasn't/couldn't be some sort of DA2 equivalent of Throne of Bhaal's Ascension mod.

DG: I'd have done it, if DA2 had allowed for anything but the most rudimentary of modding. ;) [source]

User: I mean, and I think I understand where you were trying, but how much legitimacy did the Templars and her as top Templar have after they're keeping the mages locked up against their will in the old slave quarters? Feel free to not reply.

DG: I think it's the kind of discussion which requires nuance, and which discussions on the Internet are not prone to. [source]

User: Was a compromise that the quest lines don’t branch? It felt like it was supposed to be that way but then you end up in the same place later regardless of what you pick. Like I hoodwinked the templars so good to help the apostates escape but in Act II they were caught anyway.

DG: I remember us having a lot more branching in the initial planning yes. Most of this got trimmed out in the first or second wave of cuts, in an effort to not cut the plots altogether. [source]

DG: "If you could Zack Snyder DA2, what would you change?" Wow. I'm willing to bet Mark or Mike (or anyone else on the team) would give very different answers than me, but it's enough to give a sober man pause, because that was THE Project of Multiple Regrets. [source] I mean, it's the most hypothetical of hypotheticals. It's never gonna happen. I wouldn't be surprised if EA considered DA2 its embarrassing red-headed stepchild. We'd also need to ignore that in many ways DA2 was as good as it was bad BECAUSE of how it was made. But that aside? [source] First, either restore the progressive changes to Kirkwall we'd planned over the passing of in-game years or reduce the time between acts to months instead of years... which, in hindsight, probably should have been done as soon as the progressive stuff was cut. [source] I'm sure you're like "get rid of repeated levels!" ...but I don't care about that. All I wanted was for Kirkwall to feel like a bigger city. Way more crowded. More alive! Fewer blood mages. [source] I'd want to restore the plot where a mage Hawke came THIS close to becoming an abomination. An entire story spent trapped in one's own head while trapped on the edge of possession. Why? Because Hawke is the only mage who apparently never struggles with this. It was a hard cut. [source]

User: I would LOVE to hear more details about this! I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a short story?

DG: I don't even remember the details of the story, sorry. There was a fight, and you caught the bad guy and then realized none of it was real and woke up idk [source]

DG: I'd want to restore all those alternate lines we cut, meaning people forget they'd met you. Or that they knew you were a mage. Or, oh god, that maybe they'd romanced you in DAO. So much carnage. [source] I'd want to restore the Act 3 plots we cut only because they were worked on too late, but which would have made the buildup to the mage/templar clash less sudden. Though I don't remember what they were, now. Some never got beyond being index cards posted on the wall. [grimace emoji] [source] As I mentioned elsewhere, I'd want to restore Orsino's end battle so he wouldn't need to turn on you even if you sided with him. And I'd want an end fight with the templars that didn't require Meredith to have red lyrium and go full Tetsuo. [source] Heck, maybe an end decision where you sided with neither the mages nor the templars. Because it certainly ended up feeling like you could brand both sides as batshit pretty legitimately, no? That was never planned, tho. No idea how to make that feel like an actual path atm. [source] Maybe an option to go "umm, Anders... what are you DOING?" 👀 [source] And, of course, a Varric romance, because Mary took that "slimy car salesman" character we'd planned and did the impossible with him. I can feel Mary glaring at me for even suggesting this, tho. [source] Lastly, the original expanded opening to the game which allowed you to spend time with Bethany and Carver BEFORE the darkspawn attacked. And, um, that's about it off the top of my head. Zack Snyder, WHAT PANDORA'S BOX HAVE YOU OPENED. [source] Shit, I remembered two more things: 1) Restore the "Varric exaggerates the heck out of the story" at the beginning of every Act, until Cassandra calls him on it. Yes, that was a thing. 2) Make DA: Exodus. Yes, I am still bitter. [source] God damn it, I meant "Make DA: Exalted March". The DA2 expansion, NOT Exodus since that was DA2's original name and makes no sense. Because the expansion ended with Varric dying, and that will always be on my "things left undone" list. [source]

User: Whaaaat?

DG: Well, you know that scene in Wrath of Khan where Spock goes into the dilithium chamber because he's a Vulcan? Well, imagine that but with Varric and red lyrium and because he's a dwarf. ;) [source]

John Epler: I distinctly remember referencing the bit from MGS4 where you crawl through the microwave corridor in the split screen, while cinematic battle rages on the other half. [source]

DG: It would have been glorious, John. Glorious. [source]

JE: I don't think I've ever been so certain what a shot should look like as I did Hawke coming in and finding Varric in the broken throne, just like when he was telling Cassandra his story. [source]

DG: It would have come full circle! Auggghh, it still kills me. [source]

User: Lord, you folks are a little too good at this.

JE: The true secret behind videogame narrative is knowing how to make yourself seem a lot more clever than you actually are. [source] 'Oh, we TOTALLY planned that.' [source]

User: Ok, this thread [the DA2 regrets thread, which is the big chunks above] but Inquisition.

DG: My regrets about Inquisition are, more or less, the normal kind. Nothing so dramatic, I'm afraid. [source]

User: You can keep your Varric romance, I want a Flemeth romance goddamnit!

DG: I would allow for one flirt option, and then a recording of Kate Mulgrew laughing for three minutes straight. [source]

User: I had a hypothesis about the repetitive caves in DA2. They're repetitive because it's Varric telling the story and he didn't consider them important.  They're like sets in a play.  (Okay, I really suspect it was a time/money/resources thing but I like my fake explanation better.)

DG: Hang a lampshade on it, maybe? Cassandra: "But that's the exact cave you were in last time?" Varric: "Whatever. They all look the same, I'm not THAT kind of dwarf. Can we move on?" [source]

User: that makes sense, hypothetically to make Varric romanceable and keep his arc—that had to happen for the main plot—I imagine you would have to make double the content (or more)? which would've been a tall order given the time/budget constraints the game was under

DG: Right. When it comes to "romance arc" vs. "follower story arc", we generally only had time to do one or the other. Never both. Romancing Varric would have meant not getting the story of his that you did. [source]

Mary Kirby: The one exaggeration I really, REALLY wanted, that we never got to do was Varric narrating his own death scene with Hawke weeping over him, then cutting to Cassandra's pissed off glaring at him. [source]

DG: Haha! The one I wanted was Varric's plot where he takes on the baddies single-handedly, sliding across the floor like Jet Lee, action movie-style, until finally Cassandra gets irritated and he has to admit Hawke & the rest of the party showed up to help. [source]

MK: We did that one! (He didn't do any Jet Lee moves, though.) Jepler gave him letterboxing to get The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly showdown vibes while he shot a ton of mooks single-handed. [source]

DG: Wow. Shows how much I remember. [source]

JE: I found it! I remember seeing this sequence as my treat for doing a bunch of much more challenging work. It was fun to see how far I could push our limited library of animations. [link] [source]

DG: Heh awesome. I could have sworn it was cut, honestly. I think I was even in that meeting. [source]

User: no disrespect but that’s surprising and rich of Mary “Hard in Hightown” Kirby to think DA2 shouldn’t have had a Varric romance when she wrote an entire book of Varric’s self-insert character pining over his Hawke insert character… HIH is the reason we had VHawke Summer 2018

DG: I can't *really* speak for Mary, or how she feels about it now compared to back then. I only know how she felt about it back then, and I'm not sure it was as much the concept of the romance but that Varric's entire story would be bent to "romance arc" ...a very different thing. [source]

JH: I remember pushing to have the first DLC start with Hawke having an option to ask Varric, "Did you tell Cassandra about us?" and if you picked it, Varric would answer, "Of course not, baby. I told her you were sleeping with X..." and then proceed as if you had had a full romance. [source]

DG: I still wonder how that would have gone over. x) [source]

JE: Okay, one more DA2 thing. Putting together the cinematics for this scene was a blast. [link] [source]

MK: These lines are my greatest legacy. I want "Make sure the world knows I died... at Chateau Haine!" inscribed on my tombstone. [source]

JE: I was so glad no one said 'no' to the crane shot. [source]

MK: It needs that crane shot. It's the perfect icing on that cake made from solid cheese. [source]

DG: The designers were all "we need more combat" and I think we were all "I think you underestimate just HOW interesting we can make this dinner party". [source]

JE: And finally. I think @SherylChee wrote the one-liner. I think we had a collection of like, 20. [link] [source]

Sheryl Chee: Yeah! Something like that! I remember submitted a whole bunch and Frank said you only needed one. Wish I'd kept the other fifteen. [source]

JE: A random chooser where, each time through the scene, you get a different one-liner. [source]

JE: DA2 is the project I'm the proudest of. I also absolutely get that it didn't land for a lot of people. But I don't think it's inaccurate to say that, in a lot of ways, DA2 defined my career. [source]  Everyone spent a year working at their maximum ability. I was a fresh cinematic designer and was given all of Varric's content, as well as the Act 1 Finale mission. It was a lot for someone who had been doing the Cinematics thing for literally 6 months. [source]  There's some stuff in there I can't look at without wincing. And there's some stuff I'm genuinely proud of. Not to mention, it was my introduction to most of the writing team. Several of whom I'm still working with today! Albeit in a different capacity [source] Also, weirdly, one of my most enduring memories of Dragon Age 2 is how much Bad Company 2 we'd play at lunch. It was a LOT. [source] Every game I've worked on has a game I played attached to it. ME2 is Borderlands. DA2 is Bad Company 2. DAI is DayZ. I, hmm. There's a progression there. I don't know how I feel about it. [source]

User: Is DA4 going to be tarkov then?

JE: I've kind of churned out of Tarkov for now. Probably Hunt Showdown, at least right now. [source]

User: I think people also don't take nuance into consideration -- like I FULLY acknowledge the flaws in my favorite games and will openly criticize them, but that doesn't mean they're not my favorite games anymore??? You can like and thing and still be critical of it.

JE: A lot of my favourite shit is deeply flawed! I acknowledge it and I think it's interesting to dissect the flaws. [source]

User: I still wish Justice was an actual character in DA2 rather than a plot point.

DG: There was a moment during DAI where we *almost* put in you running into Justice with the Grey Wardens, and he's all "Kirkwall? I never went to Kirkwall" [source]

User: Does that imply that Justice was shoehorned in to DA2?

DG: Nah, it was an in-joke where we thought it'd be fun to suggest that "Justice" was simply some demon that tricked Anders in DA2. Wooo those tricky demons! We didn't do it, though. [source]

User: [about templars]  except, I don't think it had very much legitimacy to begin with. keep in mind, we interact with other characters with the same argument. The one that comes to mind is Cullen, a sane templar in power. The templar's side of the argument is inherently flawed.

DG: I don't doubt that many people agree with you, and yet people can and do argue on behalf of the templars as well. My place isn't to pick a side, but to provide evidence that players can interpret for themselves [source]

User: Can you shed some light for us on how DA was able to do multiple same-sex romance options for different genders but the Mass Effect team treated them like the plague? What process existed for your team that just wasn't their for the other tentpole franchise?

DG: Different people making the decisions, almost different cultures. I don't know what it's like now, but for many years the Mass Effect team and the Dragon Age team were almost like two different studios working within the same building. [source]

User: It truly boggles the mind. Kudos for doing demonstrably better on consistent queer representation than the ME teams. Y'all never needed us to make petitions to try to get the studio's attention and ask them to do better by us. That's the fight we're once again embroiled in now.

DG: Honestly, I don't feel like tut-tutting the Mass Effect team. They did their part, and if they were a bit later to the show than the DA team they certainly did more than almost every other game out there -- and willingly. [source]

Updates begin here

User: So what was the reason for naming Dragon age 2 "Dragon age II" and not using a subtitle?

DG: As I recall, that was purely a publisher decision. I think they wanted to avoid the impression it was an expansion. [source]

User: Is there no chance of ever remaking DA2 under better circumstances? -Somehow remove the repetitiveness of gameplay by making changes and updating the tech and adding much more to the storyline. It could almost be a new very exciting game.

DG: I'd say there's zero chance of that. Let's keep our hopes up for the next DA title instead. [source]

User: I am a little confused here, help me out here please! How exactly was the cut boss battle with Orsino supposed to work out? How it would've kept him from turning against the player?

DG: It means that, if you sided with the templars, the entire boss bottle at the end would have been against Orsino and the mages. No fight against Meredith. The end decision would have been more divergent. [source]

User: I do remember that one of the reasons going around for that, was that resources were going to the transition to Frostbite. I'm still not fully sold on that having been a good choice. I felt that more time should have been given for that transition considering it was made for FPSs

DG: We didn't transition to Frostbite until DAI. Given our time frame for DA2, I don't think we *could* have transitioned to a new engine. [source]

User: Since your talking about the what could have been for DA2. Could you say what your script was for Anthem? Cause I remember reading that you wrote the plot on that game.

DG: I created a setting for Anthem and scripted out a plot - but, as I understand it, almost none of that ended up being used. So it's a bit pointless to talk about what I'd planned, as that'd be for some completely different type of game. [source]

User: [in reference to the exchange above where DG said “Being "crazy", however, robbed her side of the mage/templar argument of any legitimacy. I hated hated hated that.” re: Meredith] except, I don't think it had very much legitimacy to begin with. keep in mind, we interact with other characters with the same argument. The one that comes to mind is Cullen, a sane templar in power. The templar's side of the argument is inherently flawed.

DG: I don't doubt that many people agree with you, and yet people can and do argue on behalf of the templars as well. My place isn't to pick a side, but to provide evidence that players can interpret for themselves. [source]

If I missed a tweet, got the wrong source link or included a tweet twice, feel free to let me know and I’ll correct.

Edit / Update: Post update 22nd April

[rowanaelinn]

Fire on Fire - Chapter Three

Chapter two // Chapter four

“My head’s gonna explode,” Elide Lochan sighed before she drank two big gulps of water as if she had been thirsty for days. Aelin knew the feeling. She’d been working for two hours now but it felt like ten. The bar was so hot and the music so loud, she couldn’t wait to go home and come back to the silence of her room.

Today was her first day and of course, it was a Saturday night, the busiest night of the week. The uniform, which was basically only a tight white shirt and a pair of black booty shorts, was one of the other reasons Aelin decided she hated this job but only stayed for the money. Aelin had been lucky today if you can call it that, but unfortunately, that luck didn’t extend to Elide.

Some douche-bags slapped her ass when she served him his drink, and of course, all his friends howled with laughter. As if sexual harassment was some kind of joke. The moment Elide mentioned this incident, Aelin had wanted to slam the guy's head on the table but Elide stopped her. The customer was always right and both Aelin and Elide needed this job too much.

They had decided not to tell their co-worker Manon about that, Aelin and Elide had already worked with her before and Aelin knew where Manon was, violence usually followed. It was something Aelin loved about that woman, and she also found it hot as hell. Okay, maybe she had a bit of a crush on the white-haired woman. But in Aelin’s defense, Elide did have a crush on her too. It was like a general experience.

“Do you think we’ll be fired if we don’t go back?” Aelin put her cold bottle of water against the back of her neck, in an attempt to cool her down.

“Definitely, Rofle is a dick. I mean have you seen this outfit?” The brunette turned on herself and gestured to the more than revealing clothes. Aelin agreed, if her cousin saw her in this outfit he would have a heart attack. She was suddenly glad this bar opened last week, at least Aedion didn’t know this place. Yet.

“Girls,” Nesryn interrupted them. “Break’s over. Go back to work.”

Aelin undid her ponytail, a forbidden hairstyle in this bar apparently, and went back behind the counter. She wore her best fake smile and ignored the lingering looks on her breast or her backside, winked and flirted back when clients thought they had a chance of taking her home with them. Aelin hid her disgust of these men pretty good, she was proud of herself for it.

She would quit if she wasn’t low on money lately. For hell’s sake, Aedion was paying half of her rent. It had been a very long discussion between them, Aelin would rather live on the street than depend on someone. Aelin got convinced when Aedion made it clear if she didn’t accept he would call her parents. So Aelin put her pride aside and accepted, at the only condition Aedion let her pay him back whenever she could. He had argued but accepted. The Ashryver family wasn’t very good at compromise, but at least they tried.

“Aelin, go take the order of table nine,” Manon yelled at her over the background noise. Aelin gave her a thumb up as she kept pouring alcohol in the shaker.

When Aelin was done making this cocktail she wiped her hands and walked toward table nine. She looked down to grab her little booklet and pen she left in one of the pockets of her apron as she said, “Hi, welcome to the sea dragon, what can I-” She stopped as she took in who was sitting in front of her. Lorcan Salvaterre, Fenrys, Connall Moonbeam, and of fucking course, gods-damned Rowan Whitethorn. She took a deep breath and smiled, but she knew her fake smile wasn’t as convincing as it was minutes before.

She focused on Fenrys and Connall, the only ones she could stand at that table. “What can I get you?”

Fenrys had an amused look on his face, accentuated by his smirk full of wickedness. “So this is your new job?” He asked, and if she didn’t know him the look could be considered genuine.

“You knew it, Fen. I told you hours ago.” Rowan’s head whipped to Fenrys, and Aelin’s face suddenly mirrored Fenrys’s. She didn’t know what the blonde had in mind, but if it annoyed Whitethorn, Aelin was on board. Rowan’s head turned back toward her and he narrowed his eyes. “Got something on my face, Whitethorn?” She couldn’t help it, she had to always argue with him.

“Yeah, all that make-up,” his eyes roamed over her body, it took everything in her not to move under the weight of his gaze. “What’s that outfit anyway?” His disdain was quite obvious.

“My uniform, dumbass.” She tightened her grip around her pen and notebook so much that her knuckles turned white. “Be careful, it almost sounds like you care.” It was one of the most sarcastic things she had ever said in her life, the look in his eyes was enough proof.

“Why would I care about you when you’re dressed like a stripper?” He crossed his arms and Aelin had to force herself not to stare at his muscles and at the tattoo on his arms. He was a handsome bastard and it made him quite hard to hate.

“So, no respect for sex workers, Whitethorn? Why am I not surprised?”

“No, actually I respect them a lot. You’re the only person I don’t respect.” It took everything in her not to punch him in the face right now, but that’s what he was waiting for. It was like he loved to see her lose control.

“I’m going to enjoy spitting in your drink.”

“Do that and I’ll have a nice chat with your boss, good luck to find another job, princess.” He was getting angry, Aelin loved that, it meant she was winning their little game.

“Feel free to do it, it just means you’ll have to share that splendid bathroom with me longer.” She winked at him and wiggled her brows. Rowan clenched his jaw, another sign of his anger.

“Can you two stop for a minute? I’m thirsty.” Lorcan Salvaterre interrupted them and Aelin rolled her eyes. She wasn’t exactly on friendly terms with Lorcan either, but instead of always arguing as she did with Rowan, they just ignored each other.

“Who are they?” Elide asked as Aelin prepared her roommates’ order. The four of them wanted a beer, classic.

“Two of them are the bane of my existence and the two others annoying but very pretty.”

“I want him in my bed,” Elide said as she bit her lip. Aelin whipped her head toward the guys, trying to know which one she was talking about.

“I have no idea which one you’re already planning to get naked but one of them is gay and the other three aren’t good options.”

“Great, I don’t want good and I don’t want to be good. And It’s the tall one.” Elide winked and left before Aelin could say anything. Of course, Elide would be attracted to Lorcan. Alein went back to their table, accidentally spilling a little bit of Rowan’s beer on him when she accidentally tripped. He swore at her but she decided to ignore it, instead, she pushed him so she could sit next to him to be right in front of Lorcan.

“You,” She pointed at Lorcan, with her smile full of mischief.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She shook his head and she heard the twins laugh.

“What’s your type of woman?”

“Everything you aren’t.”

“I’m gonna look past that insult because I am an amazing woman,” she was cut off by Rowan’s snort. “You shut up, you’re thirty and still single.” She looked back at Lorcan but heard Rowan correct her on his age. His highness was still twenty-nine for three months. “What about 5”2, brunette, very very scary. She’s also one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen, but unfortunately, she doesn’t have good taste. I’m not her type but you are.” She winked at him. Rowan muttered something that sounded a lot like “We aren’t teenagers anymore” but she ignored him.

Lorcan furrowed his brow, Aelin could see him hesitate. “Where?”

“Want to see her dance?” Aelin didn’t wait for the answer and walked back to the bar.

-

Rowan was mesmerized.

The moment Aelin Ashryver Galathynius started dancing was the moment he lost his mind.

He hated her for it, hated her for being the first thing anyone looked at when they entered a room. Hated her for being the most attractive woman he had seen in a while.

She had been raised to become this. Well, not to become a barmaid in a piss-poor bar in Doranelle. But to become the type of woman everyone looked at, everyone wanted.

With Evalin Ashryver as her mother, how could Aelin become something else? Her mother was an incredible actress, and one of the most famous ones. She was also known for being cunning, ambitious, and beautiful as a sin.

And with Rhoe Galathynius as her father, Aelin knew how to captivate an audience. Rhoe was a legend of football. Whenever he played, all eyes were on him. He was smart and as cunning as his wife, a perfect match if you listened to the papers. That’s probably why he was a coach now, and that’s also why his team almost always won.

So Aelin was born with amazing genes, a talent to bewitch everyone who looked at her, and a bank account bigger than anyone should have. That’s why he didn’t understand why she would be working here and living with five guys instead of just having a big apartment in the richest part of town. But Aedion had told everyone to never mention her parents, so they all listened. Everyone was careful to do just that, maybe because Lysandra had threatened to cut their favorite body part and to make them eat it if they ever mentioned Rhoe’s or Evalin’s name. All that the day they met her when she was one month away from turning eighteen.

Now this she-devil had him under her spell. He couldn’t stop looking at the way her hips moved perfectly on beat with the music, at the way her hands wandered over her stomach, the side of her breast, and then lifted her hair in the air. Or even at how close she was to her friend, the one who is apparently interested in Lorcan. Both of them were giving a show, and when Rowan finally looked away from the blonde it was to find almost every man with their eyes on her. She knew what she was doing, he knew she did. It made him want to yell at her, even at work she couldn’t help but want attention.

Aelin turned her head, and their eyes met. Rowan sat straighter, swallowing. Her sinful mouth turned into a smirk and she accentuated her hips’ movements, aware of Rowan’s eyes on her. It was also something they did, along with arguing. They caught the other checking the other out, but wouldn’t call them on it. They would never bring it up, it was like a secret between them. He shouldn’t find the idea of sharing something with her so exciting.

She never stopped looking at him as she danced, sometimes she would bit her lip, sometimes her hands would wander on her breasts. He had to stop himself from growling as his cock hardened. Aelin was a sin.

Who did she think she was? He hated her, he made that clear. She hated him, and she had also made that clear. Why did she feel the need to tease him? She was trying to mess with him, and it was working.

The bubble broke when one of Aelin’s coworkers interrupted her, telling her and her friend she was dancing with to go back to work. Rowan couldn’t help but stare at her ass as she walked back behind the counter. He would have felt bad for it, wasn’t it for the slight sway of her hips and the look she threw at him when she started serving people again.

“I want her.” Lorcan almost grunted, and against his best wishes and even if they weren’t talking about the same girl, Rowan agreed.

-

Aelin wasn’t tired, no, tired wasn’t a strong enough word to describe what she was feeling. It was almost three in the morning and her shift ended in one hour, thank god she wasn’t supposed to close the bar today.

A customer asked for another sex on the beach, his fourth of the night. Aelin smiled as she prepared it but decided it would be his last of the night. Rofle didn’t want his barmaids to stop clients from drinking because more drinking means more money. But all the money in the world wasn’t worth the customers’ life. She would never forgive herself if someone had a car accident or became an alcoholic because of the drink she served. She gave the drink and took the man’s car keys, saying she would call a cab when he wanted to leave.

Aelin’s phone started ringing and when she saw who was calling her she sighed. If she was tired now it would be worse by the end of the night.

“Hello,” She answered as she got into a cupboard to find some quiet.

“Hi, you’re Aelin Galathynius?” A deep male voice asked. From the tone of his voice, the man must be as exhausted as Aelin was.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Aelin already regretted picking up this gods damned phone.

“I’m sorry to bother you but a guy’s at my bar. He’s tall-”

“Yeah, I know exactly who it is. Let me guess, he is drunk and absolutely refuses to call a taxi because taxis are disgusting. He also told you to call me, didn’t he?”

“You got it all right.”

“Okay.” She sighed. “Where’s your bar?” She nodded when he told her the address and told him she would be here in half an hour.

Aelin went to Elide, apologized, and asked her to cover the rest of her shift. Elide understood, it wasn’t the first time Aelin had to leave for the same reason. Elide was pissed but not because she had more work, but because she didn’t want Aelin to go.

Aelin took her car and drove, maybe a little slower than she should but it was night. Roads were dangerous, especially on a Saturday night. Aelin parked right in front of the sidewalk. She took her phone and wanted to text Aedion to tell him she would be late but her phone was dead. Amazing.

Aelin walked into the bar and realized she didn’t take time to change clothes, she was still in her uniform. She crossed her arms, trying to cover her chest as best as she could. Even if she had liked to have Rowan Whitethorn watching her tonight, she didn’t want anyone else to look at her this way.

It didn’t take long to see who had called Aelin, she walked toward him, the bartender looked relieved someone would come to pick him up. “I’m gonna take that.” She told him, and he gave her the car keys. Aelin turned her head to grey eyes watching her body, of course, he would notice her lack of clothing. “Let’s get you home,” Aelin said, trying her best not to let her anger out, it’s not going to help tonight.

“Hello, darling,” Arobynn purred.

tag list:

@sheharahu // @morganofthewildfire // @thestoriesyoutell // @fromthelibraryofemilyj // @swankii-art-teacher // @itsforeverinnocent-blog // @becarefuloflove // @imnotsogoodatthis // @rowaelinismyotp // @a-court-of-milkandhoney // @feysand-loml // @surielandiareendgame // @live-the-fangirl-life // @story-scribbler // @mx—spelled //

[werewolfdays]

How the hell did I miss the fact that you have an AO3 account???? Care sharing your username or a link? (also yes yes yes tell us more about dem delicious AUs)

Yeah I do have an ao3! I’m not really a fanfic writer tho so there’s only a couple fandom things on there, one of which is the unfinished Dragon Age AU that I wrote in like 2017 and the other is a Cyberpunk 2077 one shot for fem!V and Panam.

If you haven’t seen it, I am actually posting the edited/revised version of Jayde x Nadya’s story on there! First five chapters are up if you wanna read it. I’ll be updating it as regularly as I can!

As for the AUs, I’ll talk a little more about them under the cut!

The only AU I've actually written for is the DA one! Also, it's the first bit of writing I actually did for Jayde x Nadya. I sorta used the fic as a tool to jumpstart my motivation for their canon story and it totally worked. I wouldn't have this blog if it weren't for that fic. But it is objectively bad/cringey cause that's literally the first time I wrote something in years. I still keep it up though cause it's cool to see how much I've improved.

Anyway idk how familiar you are with the games, but Jayde is Hawke from Dragon Age 2 and Nadya is the Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition. I just loved playing them in the games so much and it actually fit them really well. But then I was frustrated that the Inquisitor couldn't romance Hawke when they made an appearance in the game. thus the fic was born.

I was drawn to it cause of the angst potential too. Particularly in the Trespasser DLC cause the Mark on the Inquisitor's hand starts growing and is slowly killing them until they ultimately lose most of their arm. I never got far enough to write that in the au, but the Mark was Jayde's biggest fear for that very reason and she would have done anything to spare Nadya that pain. So she has it out for Solas BIG time lmao. Maybe I'll revisit the au when DA 4 comes out!

My current au obsession is The Quarry! I didn't expect to have so much fun with that game, but I did and SPOILERS since it's werewolves at a foresty summer camp lodge, my brain immediately went to Jayde and Nadya. Nadya canonically was a summer camp counselor too and I really ran with the idea. I haven't written anything yet, but it might be a fun exercise when I need a break from working on the main story.

The thing about the werewolves in The Quarry is that they're really terrifying and dangerous because they have no control of themselves whatsoever. Also they look gnarly af. Jayde is definitely getting bit saving Nadya and I am 100% adding a scene in there where monster Jayde is gonna go in for the kill, but Nadya calls out her name and makes the werewolf hesitate for just a second. Nothing like that happened in the game, but if Josh from Until Dawn can get through to W*ndigo Hannah then I can have this lol

[heniareth]

Hi! OC ask for Astala :)

What was your OC's favorite toy/item as a child?

Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

How does their education and intelligence – or lack thereof - reflect in their speech pattern, vocabulary, and pronunciations?

What demon would your OC be most susceptible to and how would the demon best tempt/manipulate them?

How has your OC changed since you created them?

Hey there!! Thank you the ask (and for giving me many questions to expound upon >:), this is gonna get some interesting answers. Since I have only one Dragon Age oc, it's time to talk about Astala Tabris.

What was your OC's favorite toy/item as a child?

Astala had a stuffed mabari toy by the name of Helm when she was little (the name comes from a weird obsession with the verb to helm. She picked that one up from stories her parents told her, which resulted in a four-year old declaring very earnestly she would "helm" whatever activity the family was about to partake in). Helm would patiently watch her train with her mother, give her some much-needed company while both her parents were at work, and embark on grand quests and adventures alongside the other children in the alienage. When Astala was nine, her mother got taken by humans in company of real mabari - big, snarling, muscly things that reached up to her chest. Astala has been afraid of mabari since that day, even of her old companion Helm. At around that time, her father took in his recently deceased sister's daughter, Shianni. At his suggestion, Astala agreed to give Helm to her cousin to help her adjust to her new life. Shianni has kept Helm up to this day.

Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

She doesn't, or at least not easily. Astala prides herself on being a careful person with a gut instinct that seldomly misleads her. When a course of action does lead to failure, it breaks her image of herself amd her confidence in her ability to keep herself safe. Navigating the human world has imprinted upon her the need to dance the very fine line between self-preservation, standing up for herself and/or for others, and avoiding trouble for the rest of her community. Stumbling in that dance can lead to disastrous consequences, which is exactly what happened after the rescue mission turned slaughter that is her origin story. In retaliation (or so he claims), Rendon Howe purges the alienage. Here's how Astala reacts to that:

"Don't. Don't say you're proud of me." The words had to squeeze through her throat, but she choked them out nonetheless. "Don't you know? The purge you avoided has happened. Because of me."

Adaia Tabris’ face grew hard. “Those men had it coming, Astala. The death of our neighbours lies on the humans, not on you.”

“But they died anyway.” Astala stared at the spirit.

It has happened and nothing can undo it. Astala struggles with that.

How does their education and intelligence - or lack thereof - reflect in their speech pattern, vocabulary and pronounciation?

Astala has had a decent education (math, reading and writing, history and legends, as well as schooling in the Chant of the Light because Maker forbid the elves make up their own version of the chant). As far as intelligence goes, her strongest suit is interpersonal and analytical intelligence. This factors very much into her way of speaking. She has, in broad terms, two registers; one for people she isn't familiar with, doesn't trust, and/or whose opinion she values highly, and the other one for people she is comfortable and familiar with (her cousins, friends, and after she's gotten to know them, the companions). For the first group of people, she tends to use more complex words and "proper" grammar, mirror their manner of speaking and speak from the back of her throat, with a higher pitch. With people she's comfortable with, she'll shorten sentences, contract or omit words, swear and speak in a deeper pitch out of her chest. Here are two examples to contrast both styles:

Style 1:

“I’m sure milord Urien would like to avoid knowledge of his escapades to reach the high ladies of Denerim,” Astala answered. "And there's no need to make a fuss. If you leave and forget this ever happened, we shall return the courtesy."

Style 2:

"Right? It's terrible! I never knew if I should hide or help her," Astala laughed. "Though she wasn't doing it to guilt anyone. It was work, y'know? It put her on edge and then she'd do laundry until she calmed down."

What demon would your OC be most susceptible to and how would the demon best tempt/manipulate them?

Boy oh boy, this is a tough one. I just went and read up on the different types of demons and there are a handful that could fit. Rage would be one, because Astala carries a lot of grief that manifests itself as rage when she lets it out (she's a warrior with the Champion and Berserker specialization). A Rage demon out to posess her would be best served if it catches her in the middle of battle or another moment where she is full of rage and tempt her to forget or ignore the consequences and implications of killing. A demon embodying Vengeance or Bloodlust might do the trick.

Another demon Astala would be susceptible to is a Fear demon. She is terrified of dying, and if she's backed into a corner without a way out, there's a good chance that she'd allow a demon in in order to survive.

How has your OC changed since you created them?

The most obvious thing that's changed about her is her appearance. In my first playthrough, she looked like this and her name was Estela, not Astala:

This was before I knew what either of her parents looked like, so I based the Warden from the first playthrough on a character I'd already made, an elven paladin called Estelleth. Estelleth is veeery happy-go-lucky and an eternal optimist, but Estela the Warden became a very different person the more I played her. And since her personality had changed so much and I wanted there to be a family resemblance between the Warden and her parents, for the second playthrough I created Astala: new name, new looks, new feel. She basically kicked down my door like "Hey, I'm a different character from the eternal sunshine over there." And who am I to deny somebody their personhood and story (the only drawback to that is that I drown in character I do very little with)

---

Aaaaand there we are!! This was lots of fun XD XD XD Thank you for the questions, for letting me ramble about my girl and for prompting me to flesh her out, because I had no idea about the mabari toy before I set to answer this ask. I hope you enjoyed reading this ^^

[that-homoerotic-blouse]

30 Questions Meme

I was tagged by @goodtobealunatic and it made me so happy! It’s been a while since I filled one of these. Thank you!

Rules: Answer these 30 questions then tag 20 people you wanna get to know better.

1. Name/Nickname: Em

2. Gender: Error 404

3. Star Sign: Capricorn/Aquarius (look, I’m tired, I don’t care for horoscopes and all I know is that in some places the 20th is considered a Capricorn and in others it’s considered Aquarius, so to hell with it I’m both)

4. Height: 5’7”

5. Time: 23:25 pm

6. Birthday: 20/01

7. Favorite Band: uhhh gonna say Queen, cause their vibe and the stylistic variety of their music is simply dazzling, but I must confess I’m not one for bands, I usually listen to soundtracks or instrumental music mainly 

8. Favorite Solo Artist: umm David Bowie, I guess? Again, his vibe and his style are majestic and he’s got a lot of songs about space :)

9. Song currently stuck in your head: none and THANK GOD FOR THAT

10. Last movie watched: The Prince of Egypt (1998) because it’s a visual masterpiece and the music makes me cry :’)

11. Last show watched: Doctor Who (I’m halfway through my season 4 rewatch heheh)

12. When I created this blog: May 2014

13. What I post: mostly RTD era Doctor Who stuff (which remains one of my longest hyperfixations to date), things to do with David Tennant, Much Ado, Good Omens, my favorite films and other random stuff, but also activism, intersectional feminism, lgbtq+ and gender related stuff

14. Last thing I googled: Gävle Goat (because my adhd brain suddenly went WAIT IS THIS THE GOAT THAT BURNS EVERY YEAR at 1am)

15. Other blogs of yours: nope! No sideblogs no nothing, this baby here is my personal dumpster, a true clusterfuck of stuff

16. Following: 250

17. Do you get asks?: Sometimes? More like rarely, but I love answering them anyway so please don’t be shy ;)

18. Why you chose your URL: skdjjfhjfvkfndvk to be completely honest I’m not sure, I’ve had the same URL since I first logged onto this site in the ancient year of our Lord 2014 and haven’t changed it (although I’m considering it). I suppose what my baby teen self wanted to convey was that I was an overly dramatic flamboyant little gay, which still stands true as of today ;)

19. Lucky number: none I guess? When I was younger though I used to believe that the number my name occupied on the school class list gave me luck, which was at first 9 and then 12 in high school, but I gave that up a long time ago

20. Followers: 821

21. Average hours of sleep: 7 or 8 almost every night, because I’m basically glued to the sheets if I get any less. However it takes me an awful long time to fall asleep (lmao) so it could be between 6 and 7

22. Play any instruments: oohhhohoh no definitely not, it’s been a long time since I abandoned learning music and decided to simply enjoy it (but I used to play the violin when I was little) 

23. What’re you wearing: grey sweatpants, black V-neck t-shirt and my favorite socks :3

24. Dream job: ideally, something related to acting or in the creative industry

25. Favorite food: POTATOES, POTATOES IN ALL THEIR SHAPES AND FORMS ARE EXQUISITE ... or alternatively, something with cheese and tomato, like pasta or pizza

26. Nationality: European (lol) that’s all you need to know

27. Favorite song: aaaaaa but that’s an impossible question! It’s like counting drops in the ocean! I can tell you one I’ve been listening to recently because of nostalgia though, We go Where No one Goes by Jonsi

28. Last song you listened to: Run Boy Run by Woodkid

29. Last book you read: hmmmm I haven’t read anything properly in ages (*ashamed screech*), but for academic purposes the last one I read was Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell, and I’m also just starting Beautiful Chaos, which is a DoctorDonna novel and it looks great so far :)

30. 3 fictional universes you’d love to live in:  kjdskcdhcbkds this is the question that provides me with all the daydream scenarios. But just three? Okay let’s see: Doctor Who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (YES PLEASE) !!!!!!!!!!!!!, How to Train your Dragon (DRAGONNNSS) and perhaps ATLA because I’ve always wanted to waterbend ^^

I’m tagging: @mayomkun @earthgirl-sunshine @wordsintimeandspace @mothdogs @coolartist1110 @badwolfgirl13 @fritzmetzger @senadimell @onthedriftinthetardis @jasdoctorwhowriter @mylonelyangel7 @loupettes @geekgoddess @tenthdoctorlife @englishbunnyrocks @dumbfilmschoolkid @chemeli @rcse @deardiary17 @libeloco