#back on my au that i may never write bullshit

[cressidagrey]

You are the best thing that's ever been mine - Part 7 (The End)

Pairing: Max Verstappen x Ariel Cane (Original Character)

Summary: Sao Paulo 2024. The Dutchman delivered a defining drive…but maybe there is a relationship that could also use some defining. 

Warnings: Jos Verstappen, angst, crying, mention of pregnancy, mention of sex and sexual acts, physical confrontation

Author Notes: Hi, hey, hello! Apparently I write F1 Fanfiction now?! Also this is the first time I am trying a social media au so my Canva Skills were put to the test. (Disclaimer: I kinda put legibility over authencity, so twitter doesn't look like twitter and messages looks like...something) Also huge thanks to @onebigfangirlworld and @leodette for holding my hand with this 😘)

"Did you really throw Lewis of your Christmas Cookie list after Silverstone 2021?!" Max asked Ariel, his eyebrows climbing into his hairline after reading that particular text message.

Ariel didn't even bother looking up from her breakfast, as she was scrolling through her own phone.

"Yep," she said, popping the p. "I crossed him off my Christmas cookie list for two years. No cookies for Lewis."

Max looked at her, his expression a mix of amusement and bewilderment. "Two years?" he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

If she had thrown Lewis of her christmas cookie list for two years, there was no chance that Lando was getting any cookies this year. "That seems a bit harsh, don't you think?" he said carefully, but Ariel just shrugge. 

“I am very aware that your job has its dangers,” Ariel said drily. “This wasn’t about what happened on track. I was making a point.”

Max’s lips curving upwards slightly at her words. "What point were you trying to make, schatje?" he asked, a hint of mirth peeking through his nonchalant tone.

Ariel finally looked up from her phone, bluish-green eyes that never could quite decide which colour they wanted to be, mustering him. Her expression serious. "The point was about respect. You could have died. You battled severe vision problems for the rest of the season. And Mercedes was talking about it like it was a lesson you were finally being taught. Lewis wasn’t the only one on a cookie ban. Everybody at Mercedes was," Ariel said sharply. “Because their behaviour after that crash was completely unacceptable. I decided that a two year ban without my cookies was enough to drive that point home."

Max's amusement turned into a full-fledged smile at her explanation.

"So, Mercedes' team didn't get cookies for two years?" he asked, clearly trying not to laugh. Ariel arched an eyebrow, a defiant look in her eyes.

 "Yes, exactly," Ariel replied. "No one from Mercedes received any Christmas cookies for two years. And let me tell you, Lewis was heartbroken."

Max couldn’t help but laugh then, the sound deep and rich. The image of Lewis' disappointed face, finding out he was on her ban list for two years, must have been a sight to behold.

"I bet he was," he said, his laughter slowly subsiding, even when he couldn’t help but smile at her. 

This was Ariel in a nutshell. She had always, always been unapologetically in his corner. There had never once been a question about her loyalty. She may called him out on his bullshit, but she was just as willing to go to bat for him. 

"You're ruthless when it comes to your cookies, you know that?" he told her with a smile. 

She inclined her head. “I have my principles,” she said simply. "And those principles include doling out cookie-related punishments when necessary."

Max shook his head, completely smitten. 

"Oh, I know very well how protective you are of your principles," he said with a hint of tenderness in his voice. "And I love that about you." Max leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming more serious.

"But I have to say, it's touching that you were so upset by what happened during the race that you decided to ban everyone at Mercedes from your cookie list. But two years is a long time without cookies, schatje."Ariel seemed unrepentant, her defiant side shining through in her expression. “You didn’t need to do that. I am tougher than I look,” he told her with some amusement. 

"They were lucky it was only two years," she snorted, her voice holding a note of irritation. "I was thinking about a lifetime ban."

Max chuckled again, amused by her determination. 

"Lifetime?" he repeated, the word hanging in the air. "You really didn't pull any punches, did you?" She just shrugged, just as her phone vibrated. "Any reason why Victoria is texting me to tell you to call your Mom`?" she asked drily, after a short look at her phone. 

Max rolled his eyes, even as Ariel’s phone pinged again. And again.

"Lewis did apologise about the betting pool by the way," he informed her and Ariel just snorted. 

"He is worried about getting blacklisted again," Ariel told him sagely, and he couldn't help but laugh. 

"I'll get my laptop," Ariel said softly as she stood, leaning down to drop a kiss against his hair and Max couldn't help himself but to pull her into a proper kiss. Max pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapping around her waist with ease.

When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. A smile played across his lips as he spoke.

"You know," he murmured, his voice dropping to a lower, huskier note. "I could get used to having you here. In my lap. Anytime." He didn't want this moment to end. He could feel her breath against his neck, her fingers tracing small circles on his shoulder.

He was about to pull her in for another kiss when her phone pinged again, breaking the blissful bubble of intimacy they had created. "Call you Mom," Ariel told him pointedly as she stood.

Max chuckled, reluctantly letting her go. "Spoilsport," he teased, but his eyes were full of affection.

He reluctantly picked up his own phone and dialled his Mom's number. His mother answered on the second ring. 

"Maxie! You took your time to call," she scolded him immediately. 

He had. Mostly because he had no idea what to say.

What was Max supposed to say?

He had won a race. He had finally figured things out with Ariel...

And he was quite sure that the next time he tried to talk to his father it wouldn't end well at all, because his father had laid his hands on Ariel. And that was simply unacceptable as far as Max was concerned.

He opened his mouth to respond but his mother continued, talking over him in her typical, motherly way. "Are you alright?" she asked abruptly, her voice filled with worry. 

He wasn't about to lie to her. "I...I am getting there," he admitted, his voice rough. "Did you see..." his voice broke before he could bring out the words.

"Yes. I saw," his mother said darkly. "Everybody saw, Max. Sky kept a camera onto the whole...thing. I am so sorry," she apologised to him and he couldn't stand it. First Ariel apologised to him about what his father did, then Victoria and now his mother. 

He couldn't stand it.

Max felt a sudden flare of anger as he thought about the cameras catching the whole scene at the garage, his father's behaviour on full display.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly, his voice betraying his emotions. "You don't need to apologise for him."

His mother was quiet for a moment, her voice softer when she spoke again.

"I know. But you are my son and I..." she trailed off, seemingly lost for words.

Max could sense her struggle, her own emotions warring through the phone."I'll be fine," he reassured her, his own voice quivering slightly. He appreciated her concern, but he didn't want to add to her worry.

He forced a light tone into his voice, trying to sound more like himself. "I'm a big boy,” he assured her. He was quite sure that his mother din’t believe a word he sai. 

"How is Ariel?" She asked him instead.

Max couldn't help the smile that tugged the corners of his lips. The mention of her name lifted some of the weight off his chest.

"She's...she's good," he said honestly. "She's handling everything better than I am, honestly."

He glanced over his shouler, back inside as they had ha breakfast outside on the balcony…and found Ariel with her laptop on her lap sitting on the couch. Her focus was intense, as usual, as she typed away.

"You two are good together," he heard his mother say, her voice gentle.  "I always thought so. At least one good thing came out of this whole mess," she said with a chuckle. “Even when it took you the better part of a decade.

Max's lips lifted in a small smile at her words, his eyes still trained on Ariel, his girlfriend. His girlfriend. 

He couldn’t quite believe it, but he adored every single moment of it. 

An he agreed with his mother. Despite everything, things between him and Ariel had turned out for the better. She was here, in his room, as his girlfriend and he was glad for it.

He couldn’t imagine to going back to being just friends, to not be able to reach out an pull her into a kiss…to not hear every single soft noise that escaped her as he pressed his lips to hers…

"Yeah," Max agreed quietly. "One good thing, indeed.”

"Look after her," his mother said, her tone now taking on a more serious note. "I know you will. But take care of her. And yourself while you're at it."

Max felt a warm rush of gratitude wash over him. His mother's concern never failed to touch him, no matter how old he was.

"I will, Mom," he assured her, his voice softened by affection.

"...What will you do with your father?" she asked him curiously.

Max's smile faded at her question, his thoughts turning dark once again.

He had been avoiding thinking about his father, not wanting to deal with the complicated mix of anger and hurt he felt. But he knew he could not run from it eternally.

He took a deep breath, his voice quiet and rough. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "I can't just...I can’t just let it go, Ma. Not this time. He laid his hands on her," he added, his voice filled with a burning anger that he couldn't suppress. The image of his father's hand connecting with Ariel’s soft face… it was making him utterly furious. 

His fingers clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. "I can't just forgive that."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, a heavy pause that carried the weight of his words.

When his mother spoke again, her voice was gentle, "You don't have to forgive him, Max. No one will force you to."

"Vic can do whatever she wants, obviously," Max continued. "But I am done. I don't want him anywhere near Ariel. I don't want him anywhere near my family."

His mother was silent for a moment again and he knew she was just processing his words.

"You are serious," she said quietly, her voice holding a hint of awe. "You really mean it, don't you?"

"Yes," Max answered firmly, his voice sure and steady. "I've had enough, Ma. This...this was the last straw."

He closed his eyes, his stomach turning at the thought of his father's actions.

"He laid his hands on her. I can't ignore that. I won't."

His mother was quiet for a moment, digesting his words. He could practically feel her surprise. His relationship with his father had never been easy and she knew that from personal experience.

Finally she spoke again, her voice careful but firm. "And what if he doesn't take your decision well?"

Max couldn't help the weary sigh that escaped him. He knew his father well enough to know that this would probably turn into a shitstorm.

"I know he will get angry," he admitted, his voice low but unwavering. "He always does when I don't just do as he says. But...this time I don't care."

“He can talk to my lawyers,” he said drily. Though he probably woul owe them truly ridiculous amounts of money to deal with his father when all was said and done.

His mother chuckled lightly at his words, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I'm sure they will be looking forward to that," she said dryly.

Then she sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of years of dealing with her ex-husband. "He won't go down quietly. You know that, right?"

Max nodded grimly, his free hand clenching into a fist. "I know," he said, his voice heavy with the knowledge of how stubborn his father could be.

He had grown up with his father's temper tantrums and his endless list of demands. He knew all too well that his father would not accept his decision without a fight.

But Max was no longer the little boy who had to comply with his father's orders. He was a man, a fully grown adult, and he was determined to stand his ground, no matter what.

His voice was firm when he spoke again. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I’m done with letting him control my life. I won't back down ."

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Max could almost see his mother nodding, her face a mixture of worry and pride.

"You're stubborn like him," she said suddenly, the amused tone back in her voice.

Max smiled, a brief moment of levity in this dark conversation. 

"You always were a determined little boy," his mother continued said, her voice filled with memories. "Even as a child, you never knew when to quit. I swear you're only getting more stubborn with age."

He couldn’t but chuckle quietly. His mother sighed.

"So you and Ariel," she changed the topic, trailing off leadingly. "Can I finally expect some grandchildren from you, then?"

Max almost barked out a laugh at the question. He was caught off guard by the sudden switch in conversation, but the subject wasn't an unwelcome one.

"Ma," he said, his voice tinged with both humor and incredulity. "One crisis at a time, please."

"It's a valid question," she said in response, her voice filled with feigned defensiveness. "I'm getting old over here."

Max rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his lips. "You're not THAT old," he teased.

His mother huffed at his words, amused but pretending to be offended. "I am old enough to be a grandmother, Max! I want to spoil some grandchildren before I'm too old to enjoy it."

Max chuckled, the lightheartedness of the conversation a welcome break from the heavy topics of their previous discussion.

"I'm not disagreeing with you," he said lightly. "But you're going to have to give me a little time. I just got her, you know."

His mother snorted at his words, her voice filled with a mother's knowing. "Oh, I know you well enough, Max Emilian," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. "Trust me when I say, it won't take long for you to put a ring on her."

Max rolled his eyes again at her words, but he couldn't argue with her logic. "We'll see," he said, his voice trying for a nonchalant tone.

The truth was, his mind had already started wandering down that path of its own accord. But he wasn't going to admit that to his mother just yet.

"You keep telling yourself that, Max," his mother said with a laugh, her tone filled with maternal certainty. "In a few months, I will have another daughter."

Max chuckled at her words, the thought sending a jolt of excitement through his chest. The idea wasn’t as scary as it should have been.

"You are awfully sure of yourself," he teased, his voice tinged with amusement.

"I know my son," his mother said simply, the affection in her voice clear. "And I know how much you love that girl."

Max felt a lump in his throat at her words, the truth of her statement hitting him hard. He loved Ariel with all his heart, more than anything in the world. He couldn't deny that.

"Ma..." he began, his voice growing a little rougher.

"It's alright," she said gently, understanding the emotions behind his words. "You don't have to say anything. Just...take care of each other, yeah?"

Max nodded, his throat too tight to form words. He knew what she meant, the unspoken worry for the road ahead. But he was determined to face it together with Ariel.

"I will," he managed to speak, his voice filled with determination and love for her. "I promise."

"Good, Maxie," his mother said, the nickname making him feel like a child again. But he didn't mind. In his mother's eyes, he would always be her little boy.

She paused for a moment, then added, "I'm so proud of you, Max. You know that, right?"

Max felt a wave of emotion wash over him at her words. To hear his mother say that to him, in this difficult time, meant more to him than he could express.

"Yeah," he said quietly, his voice a mixture of gratitude and love. "Yeah, I know."

He felt a strange sense of peace wash over him. Despite everything that had happened, despite the storm on the horizon, he knew he had his mother's love and support. And he had Ariel. He was not alone. 

His mother's voice was soft when she spoke again. "Go back to your girl now," she said, a hint of humor back in her tone. "She's probably wondering what's taking you so long."

Ariel’s email inbox was an absolute nightmare

She couldn't stand the sight of it anymore.

Between the concerned emails from friends, the offers of support from colleagues, and the endless messages from people she had never even interacted with, her inbox was a swirling mess of sympathy, curiosity, and unsolicited advice.

She hated it.

With a sigh, she shot off a message to her friend Madeleine, making some plans to see each other sometime before Christmas...something which hopefully would involve more than one strawberry daiquiri.

(God, she really could do with one right now.)

She also had no idea what to do with the sprawling apology that she was quite sure Lando had either asked ChatGPT or Oscar to help him write. 

She wasn’t sure which was more likely and less weird. 

(Ariel also wondered if it was only about her christmas cookies…but she was willing to cut some slack…maybe.)

Other than that...it was still a nightmare. Ariel started to copy paste her response to every single media inquiry, which was that she was very much fine and very much not interested in talking to any of the media outlets about what had happened between her and Jos Verstappen and also very much not pregnant.

The mere thought of having to talk to a horde of journalists, all eager for the next juicy story, was horrifying. 

She wasn't one to seek the spotlight, and the fact that she was suddenly thrown into the center of it against her will made her feel both irritated and violated.

Leaning back against the sofa, she took a deep, calming breath.She hadn't even "started" with her phone though. That one was also a nightmare of seemingly every person in her life deciding to blow it up with numerous messages. Some of it was really quite sweet. Some of it definitively wasn't though.

The amount of people reaching out to her felt almost overwhelming. Her phone was inundated with text messages, calls, and voicemails, all filling up her notifications to an almost dizzying degree.

Some messages were nice, filled with warm wishes and support. But there were also those that were much less pleasant, asking questions that were far too intimate. Some even seemed downright judgemental.(...Ariel’s list of people that were going to get cookies this year was definitively dwindling down.)

At this point, it was difficult to tell who was genuinely concerned about her and who was just trying to squeeze some gossip out of her. She found herself growing increasingly frustrated with each new message she read, the constant barrage of questions and inquiries making her head spin.

With a weary sigh, she put her phone down and scrubbed a hand over her face, feeling utterly exhausted both mentally and physically.The whole experience felt oddly voyeuristic, like strangers were peering into the most private corners of her life, trying to satisfy their curiosity without any regard for her feelings.

And she didn’t even dare to look at her instagram…or on tiktok. Or on the website formerly known as twitter. Until she did and then clicked away again immediately. 

Social media was a vast minefield of people throwing out comments that were anything but helpful. From armchair psychologists to self-proclaimed relationship experts, they seemed to know exactly what she should - and shouldn't - do.

"Hey."

She looked up to see Max join her on the couch, sitting next to her. He held out his arm for her and she pushed away her laptop to curl against him. 

The one good thing that was coming out of this drama was their relationship.

"Hey," she greeted him softly. "Good talk with your Mom?" Max nodded, his arm wrapping around her body and pulling her close. The feeling of her body against her was pure comfort. 

Ariel happily leaned against him with a sigh. 

"Yeah, she just wanted to know how we're doing," he said, his expression a mix of weary and affectionate. "She worries. You know how mothers are."

She did. There didn't pass a day where Ariel didn't miss her own mother.

She leaned her head against his chest, taking in the solidity of his presence. His hand began to move in soothing, lazy circles on her back.

"This isn't some sort of fling to me," Max told her suddenly. She was so surprised by his sudden change of topic that she could just stare at him. "I would probably marry you tomorrow, given the opportunity. I wasted 5 years, I am not wasting anymore time."

She could just stare at him, her mouth suddenly dry at this look in his blue eyes. It was…decisive. There was no other word for it. 

Max had mae up his mind. 

An his words made Ariel’s heart flutter in her chest.

"Max..." she began, not certain of what to say. 

Marriage wasn't something she had considered in the midst of all the drama. It had… well. It hadn’t crossed her mind. Not yet. Not while there were a thousand moving pieces all around them. 

“I just want to be with you,” Max told her fiercely. “We don’t have to do anything right now, if you want to take it slow. That’s fine. Anything you want is okay. But I am serious about us.” Max said, emphasising each word slowly and clearly.

He was serious, completely serious. The raw honesty in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"Max," Ariel said his name quietly, her voice thick with emotion. She searched his face, looking for even the slightest hint of doubt or uncertainty. But there was none. He was earnest, sincere, and utterly in love with her.

"I love you too," she whispered. "And I am serious about us too."

Max's eyes brightened at her words, his whole face lighting up with a smile. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer into his embrace.

"You mean that?" he asked, his voice filled with a slight tremor of disbelief and hope. 

"Of course, I mean that," she promised him softly. "I love you. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life doting on our two spoiled cats and stopping them from taking apart your Sim Rig. I can't wait watching you win races and knowing that you come straight home to me. And I can't wait to see what you'll do when you are done with it all and decide that you want to try out something new. I can't wait to grow old with you."

Max was stunned silent by her words, staring at her, swallowing. 

"That's all I ever wanted too. Just you, me, and our little monsters. Nothing more, nothing less,"he said, his voice catching.

"Maybe some kids too. Down the line," she teased him. She wanted that. One day. Max had always been amazing with children.

"You...you would want that?" he asked huskily. "You want children with me?"

Her hands rose to cup his face. "Of course," she said softly. "I want everything with you." 

 With him, the thought of children didn't seem so scary. It felt more like a promise of the future, a future that would be filled with love and laughter.

Max's arms around her grew tighter, desperate almost. He pulled her even closer, burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply.

"I don't deserve you," he mumbled against her skin. "I truly don't."

Ariel gently cradled his head against her, running her fingers through his hair in a soothing motion. "Shush," she whispered. "Of course you do. I love you."

They simply sat there on the couch for a moment, wrapped up in each other. The world outside their little bubble seemed to fade away, and all that mattered were each other.

"I really want to go home," she said softly. "And cuddle Sassy. And Jimmy."

Max chuckled quietly and nodded into the crook of her neck. The thought of going home after the last few days sounded idyllic.

"Yeah," he agreed, his voice muffled. "Let's go home."

(Author's Note: While this finishes off this particular installment, I am SO NOT FINISHED WITH THEIR STORY. It will be a series and I have A LOT of ideas. So I will wildly skip through the timeline 😅😂 (Also if you have ideas/prompts/suggestions, they are always welcome!)

[sh1-n0bu]

This anon know what is good, i guess i never make a ask so i'm doing now. Can u do that concept with any character (and mc of course) , may a hybrid? Idk, sorry if is confuse, a lil nsfw maybe?

-🍑

✿ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 ✿

characters: cat!6reeze x nb!reader

warnings: fluff!!!! fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff! also modern au!

notes: wanted to take a break from writing smut and take inspiration from my own fluffy bby for this one. also @junerixi , simping for only one☝️anemo boy is an illness. i hope you recover soon😚 honkai:star rail ver can be read here!

art by Mechodes on twt

oh gods

a menace

a complete menace i say

you know that thing cats do? when they just keep a direct eye contact with you as their little fluffy paw slowly pushes your potted plant or a cup full of drink to the edge of the table while you watch hopelessly bc your hands are dirty or busy doing smt?

yeah, it’s the 5th time the flower shop owner is seeing you this week and your wallet is crying

it’s almost as if you two were sworn enemies in your past life and scaranya is out for blood

doesn’t have that much of a zoomie episodes but when he does oh boy

you better retreat into a safe place but even then you’re not safe from scaranya’s terrifying zoomie powers

he’s literally running and jumping around everywhere

the table, on top of the fridge, the curtains, on top of the washing machine, your little bookshelf - everywhere

scaranya is such a little shit (affectionately)

his preferred way of waking you up is faking puking noises and when you throw your covers off and literally zoom into the living room, he gives you a look as if saying “finally awake, you silly human slave”

sometimes he even jumps on top of your chest harshly but that’s only used if you’re oversleeping with your alarm clock snoozed for the past 20 minutes and you’re running late to work

despises baths with a burning passion

if you’re taking him anywhere a large body of water is, he’s trashing around, kicking, hissing, biting, scratching - the whole pack

after a successful bathing time, with added new scratch marks on yourself, he would not approach you until you fall asleep

after you have fell asleep, he would quietly approach your sleeping figure and give small, shy licks to the angry red scratches he caused as if apologizing for being so aggressive

hates rainy days too, especially the ones with thunder and lightning

jumps up 5 ft into the air if a thunder strikes and runs into your lap, shaking small body curling into himself with all of his cockiness and pride out the window

scaranya appreciates you greatly but he’s just a bit too bad at communicating and so he shows his affection by lapping up the scratches he gave you

“scaranya, aren’t you gonna go out to the back garden and play with the rest? it’s nice outside today”

hmph! what do you mean by play with the rest of the cats? he’s a royal! he’s superior! scaranya has never heard of such bullshit befor- oh! a bird! must. catch!

scaranya and miao gets into fights sometimes and whenever you separate them, scaranya goes to sulk in the corner of the house silently

until you go over to him with a sigh and pick him up gently, he doesn’t even resist - just choosing to simply curl his tail around your wrist

a solid 9/10 kitty if he would just stop being a tsundere

art by Mechodes on twt

miao acts more like a guard dog than a cat sometimes

the smallest out of all the kitties yet also the strongest one. honestly the sheer amount of times miao has taken down a wild dog 10 times his size just keeps giving you more and more heart attack

doesn’t get zoomies, if anything he stops the other kitties’ zoomies if they go a bit too far - which most of the times escalate into scaranya and miao fighting

cleanse the land house through slaughter bug hunting

a sweet baby

miao’s preferred way of waking you up is to silently sit on your side of the bed and stare until you get that feeling of being watched and wake up to 2 piercing yellow eyes just staring holes into your soul

yes, you have yelled and fell off of your bed many times due to that

you found little miao at a dark alleyway, covered in blood and barely on the brink of death with his tiny paws twitching constantly

grew up malnourished on the streets with his 4 siblings dying out one by one, so due to that miao’s body is very small and he’s extremely territorial with you - his one and only sweet human

always leaves his scent on you by rubbing his head around your ankles

miao is indifferent when it comes to taking a bath, unlike scaranya, and he can be very obedient as well

when rubbing soap into his legs and washing his paws he would stretch out his limbs to make it easier for you to wash him - anything to lessen the load of his favorite human

he also seems to like your co-worker, zhongli a lot

one time you came home with zhongli due to a deadline of a great project coming closer and upon seeing him, miao immediately jumped into his lap, purring lowly, rubbing his head on zhongli’s hand

yes your heart broke at the betrayal and yes miao apologized with a dead rat in his mouth

but if it’s any other guests you’re bringing home, then miao would either get on top of the fridge and simply watch or hiss at the guest

oddly likes being in high places

one time, you made him a small necklace-collar thingy out of a few pearls and he wears that with pride, chest puffed out (a replica of his necklace)

loves sleeping on the lower parts of your bed at night. it’s soft, fluffy and he can keep an eye on you and keep you safe so it’s a win-win in miao’s book

“miao-miao, do you wanna come with me to the back garden to pick up the tomatoes?”

before you can even finish your question he’s already at the back door, staring at you expectantly with his tail thumping slowly against the floorboards

thanks to miao and kazunya your house will never get any bugs, roaches or mouses inside

if feeling incredibly vulnerable and soft, miao paws at your arm to ask for pets bc he just needs the comfort of his favorite human

literally a 9/10 kitty if he would just change his way of waking you up

art by ayon🌿 on twt

heinya is another little shit (affectionately)

he likes to cause trouble and drama here and there

also really enjoys spilling tea to you

it doesn’t matter if you’re waking up and is still groggy or just coming in through the front door, back from work - heinya is spilling all the drama of the shows he watched on the tv while you were away or the different birds he saw through the window - meowing away at you excitedly

another helpful hand

if you’re coming back from grocery shopping then heinya can take some of the smallest and lightest bagged things and dragging them to the kitchen alongside miao, kazunya and nyaether

heinya’s preferred way of waking you up is to make biscuits - you know that cute thing cats do with their paws squishing at their favorite spot over and over - on your stomach or lower back or! he just meows besides your ear over and over until you eventually wake up

the perfect alarm - heinya

he’s such a sweet baby

and heinya really likes watching real life crime documentaries for some reason

at first when you found this out, you couldn’t help but think heinya is going to murder you in your sleep but soon you realized he just loves crime related things

and bc he like crime related things, you bought heinya a cute spy glass shaped squeaky toy

when getting the zoomies, heinya decides to bite and kick at the spy glass shaped squeaky toy - making the toy let out squeaks at every little kick

heinya enjoys spending time outdoors, sniffing at the different scents wafting in the air, tracking down all different sorts of footsteps and paw marks with great interest - you sometimes wonder if heinya was a detective in his past life

loves to bring you all sorts of interesting things he found - an old ripped part of a newspaper article, a weirdly shaped leaf, a flower he has never seen before, a half bitten chicken still warm - wait where’d he get this?

loves to sleep using your hand as a pillow my cat does that to me so rip bc you have been captured by the amazing detective heinya and you won’t be moving for hours on end, let’s hope you had a nice snack and a toilet break beforehand

chose to wear the smooth, black satin you tied around his neck as a collar - either bc he loves to wear soft things or he just loves it bc you gave it to him

heinya is an incredibly affectionate kitty, always meowing for you for pets, cuddles and perhaps his favorite soft wet food? he’s been really good!

doesn’t really mind taking baths as well, if anything he uses this opportunity to shake bubbles everywhere!

for some reason, also loves to groom your hand. maybe it’s just something your kitties all share?

overall another solid 9/10 kitty, if you don’t mind being splashed with water and bubbles while bathing him

art by @bbadtime on tumblr

kazunya, me beloved

literally an angel, how could you ever be mad at him even as he took a whole bite out of your potted plants’ leaf?

another kitty that loves staying in high places like miao and stay outdoors like heinya

joins miao on his duty to cleanse the land house through slaughter bug hunting from time to time

a lazy, sweetheart of a cat that loves to sleep on warm places and the sunlight - you literally had to buy a window sling just for him to nap under the sunlight

another helpful hand!

will drag the lightest and smallest bagged things to the kitchen whenever you come back from grocery shopping - more so if it’s cat food

isn’t a picky eater but sometimes, just sometimes, prefers food with fish in it’s ingredients

kazunya is mostly tasked to wake you up by the other kitties bc he’s the sweetest

wakes you up by purring and snuggling with your face, neck, hands - anything just you in general

soon enough, the small fluff purring and cuddling you wakes you up and as a reward for waking up, kazunya gives you a small kiss - a lick to the tip of your nose - making you laugh

doesn’t meow a lot, only when he has to or if it’s an emergency such as the litter boxes not being cleaned, the food trays being empty etc

always gives you a kazunya kiss as a thank you

a gentle baby, even to the guests

whenever a guest comes over to your house, they always gush about the cute white cat with a small red streak in his fur

kazunya doesn’t get zoomies. even if he does it’s rare like only once a week

always grooms himself to keep himself clean, not to mention his white fur sparkling as well

surprisingly enjoys bath times, would even suggest you to bathe him by tugging on your sleeve then pointing to the bathroom with his fluffy paw!

however there’s just one thing that kazunya does that makes you shiver

it’s that he always, always! brings you dead animals or bugs. birds, rats, mouses, cockroaches, crickets - anything that he managed to hunt - he brings over to you with his tail swishing happily behind him

it’s considered a gift in cat language, you know that! but it’s just a bit dirty especially if he brings over different bugs. the rats, mouses and birds you can handle but the bugs brrr

one time, kazunya proudly brought you a dead wolf spider as you held back a tear and a screech, deciding to take his gift with a forced smile

you never recovered from that

a 10/10 kitty if he would just stop bringing you dead spide - kazunya is that a mf dead tarantula in your mouth?

art by os_Amaniwa on twt

another best kitty!

a sweet kitty that never complains!

helpful, never complains, never picky with his food - a literal angel

however sometimes nyaeather disappears randomly, coming back after a day or so

he always seems to be searching for something - his twin - you soon found out, by registering him and getting his pet password

and so you decided to help him reunite with his twin by putting up posters, articles, news on the internet, tv, radio - anything to make nyaether happy

after a whole half year of dedication and endless search, nyaether’s twin was finally found!

turns out the person who adopted nyaether’s twin was your co-worker, dainsleif, the quiet and mysterious tall man

after talking to him about the situation of the twin kitties, you both have come to an agreement to let the kitties have a play date once a week

when the day of the first play date has arrived an someone knocked on your door, your kitties gave you a confused look

upon taking nyaether in your arms, you walked over to the front door before unlocking it and letting dainsleif inside. as the blond man placed down the catbag and opened it, from inside stepped out a cute, similarly blonde furred kitty with a baby blue colored collar

upon seeing the kitty, nyaether jumped out of your arms and tackled his twin. cuddling her and licking at her face with a teary eyes - you and your co-worker dainsleif couldn’t help but laugh at the adorable situation

since then nyaether had made a silent oath to always be beside you and be your best kitty! you have done a lot for him by helping him reunite with his twin - nyumine - so he would do anything in his power to lessen your load!

nyaether’s preferred way of waking you up is by giving a gentle meow beside your ear and give your cheek three kisses - repeat the process on the other side until you eventually giggle and wake up

another kitty that doesn’t mind taking baths! however he just prefers the water to have a bit of bubbles to soothe his nerves

likes to sleep in your arms since he has separation anxiety like scaranya - due to the incident with his twin

“nyaether, keep the others in check okay? i’m going out on a quick grocery shopping!”

“myaaa!”

such a sweet baby🥹

his meows are higher pitched and not full “meow” like kazunya or miao’s instead it’s a short “myaa!”

a solid 11/10 kitty. highly recommend, get yourself a nyaether today!

art by os_Amaniwa on twt

a little shit AND a menace (affectionately)

very hyper too! sometimes you wonder if nyenti has ADHD but in cat version

it’s like he’s always in his zoomie mode as if to make up for having 2 kitties that barely has zoomies - which are miao and kazunya

his affectionate attitude doesn’t help as well

twirling, rubbing himself on your lap, hand, bageling his way around you - he’s always sticking close to you 24/7

one time as nyenti was rubbing himself on your hand while you were working on your computer for an important document, he tripped and fell on your keyboard - deleting your entire progress of work with a “myeeew!”

yes, you cried that night

unlike heinya, nyenti doesn’t really enjoy being outdoors - he just prefers to stay on your lap, lazily bathing in the sun - as he sometimes meows with heinya about some dramas

another kitty that loves to spill the tea to you

him and heinya meows your ears off with the things they have seen, watched, witnessed and heard - sometimes even adding some dirt on the other kitties such as kazunya eating leaves from your potted plants, scaranya sleeping on your hoodie bc he missed you, miao destroying the pantry during his duty to cleanse the land etc etc etc

nyenti’s preferred way of waking you up is to play with your hair. whether it be grooming at your hair, playing with them, tugging on the ends gently - it doesn’t matter which form - as long as nyenti wakes you up, that’s all

he also doesn’t do much hunting either, preferring to watch from the sidelines as the others chase some bugs and small animals they found

for some odd reason nyenti likes you to put flowers on top of his head or a flower shaped charms as a collar - his most favorite and preferred one being the white lily

cut the flower's bud and place it on top of nyenti upside down like it's a cone hat and nyenti would give you the biggest, affectionate "myew!" while rolling around on the ground, showing you his tummy

a sweet kitty if he would just stop being a little zoomie induced shit

nyenti is another kitty that hates taking baths

doesn't react as aggressive as scaranya but he likes to yell his defiance a lot and i mean a lot

overall, a solid 8.5/10 kitty if he would just stop meowing loudly in your ears everytime you take him for a bathtime, making you more and more deaf

[beels-burger-babe]

Why is it that in all of your obey me fics MC is either dumb and obvious to all the brothers concerns or a weak bitch who’ll lose an arm wrestle match to a 7 year old boy??? Dont get me wrong I like your fics I do and I do appreciate your talent as a writer however you write MC as if they aren’t 1.Master of the 7 sins and 2. Solomon the wise’s apprentice. They know magic yet in all of your fics it seems like they either forget everything they learned or just can’t summon any of the brothers to take care of them, so like what the hell is up with that?

Hello Mx. Anon

I would argue my MCs I present aren't weak or stupid. They are human.

I prefer the MC we have in the early stories of the game over the MC in the later episodes. The MC who is still learning about the Devildom, and magic, and the culture around them. Most of my fics take place during that time when they AREN'T Solomon's apprentice yet and either haven't formed pacts with the brothers yet or respects them enough to see themself as their 'Master' and abuse that title. Because of this, the MC I tend to write often doesn't have magic, and yes I make them the victim in several scenerios of the over 70 fics I have as those tropes are very popular and often times requested.

However.

Just because they may be oblivious to the advances of the characters (which is not true for the majority of my fics where MC is actively in relationships with one or more of them) that does not make them stupid in general.

I believe in the strength of the average. I don't like writing super strong, super powerful MCs because I don't find them relateable. You can have a super badass MC who is trying their best and never so much as casts a spell, and they are still a bad ass. I think MC being mundane in the Devildom is what makes them so unqiue. Their strength doesn't lie in their magic, but in their emotional intelligence, their empathy, and their words.

That said. I have written fics where MC tries to kill their ex. (Changes in Behaviour). I have written an MC who punches Levi across the face and spits blood on Lucifer's shoes, and who refuses to take any bullshit from the brothers. (Sister's Keeper). I have several MCs who does not allow others to cross their boundaries and abuse them (What's in an Apology?, The Pain is Yet to Come) I have a deaf MC who stands up for themself and doesn't allow others to see them as less (Deaf MC AU). I have written a siren MC who attempted to murder the brothers, their captors, in order to escape. (Waves are Calling) I have had MC flirting right back at them with confidence enough to take control. (Class is in Session.) I could go on.

I see your critique. I hear it. I appreciate it, because writing strong, bad ass characters who take no shit and who can and will fight for themselves is important.

I just prefer to show that strength internally over externally. If I do come back to writing here, which I haven't done in over a year, I will remember your words. But that said, my inbox is filled with prompts asking for more MC being saved or in situations where that physical poweress wouldn't necessarily apply.

Thanks. Have a nice day.

[goodolddumbbanana]

TO BE A MIRROR [2]

An Au when Sun is dead (by Nexus), Dark Sun pretends to be Sun while trying to find some way to revive him in secret. Nexus is having a mental breakdown, maybe get some redemption later. Everyone is not having a good time except Sun, that poor boy only when he is dead (temporarily) can get some rest.

It starts with hope and ends up with despair.

Dark Sun would never understand why, out of all variants of Sun. This Sun, or his naive stupidly version of himself, is still trying so hard to save 'Nexus' - the 'brother' who already fell too far of the cliff, the one who claimed he would be different so frequently, and just ends up doing the same process that every Moon does when things don't go as they pleased. Being a piece of shit and ruining everybody's fun.

He doesn't hate Nexus, not that much as he hated the other Moons. He hated all Moon's variants equally, mind you. But, that skeletonish version of his so-called brother recently started getting on his nerves.

He became too reckless for Dark Sun's liking. Putting his family in danger isn't a big deal in Dark Sun's booklist, but what Nexus's tampering pose a greater enemy to approach Dark Sun... And well...It could potentially be a delay for all Dark Sun's plans and a pain in his ass to solve it. Dark Sun wants to stay low, thank you. Not everyone is as dramatic as Moon.

Maybe he had miscalculated. Maybe, recruiting Nexus is a mistake, causing him more trouble than good in the long run.

If this situation continues, Dark Sun will have to deal with Nexus first. Even though it will be a waste of talent, and time and how trouble Sun has been through to get his stupid egoistic ass to come here. But, oh well, you need to do what you need to do… 

And who says Sun isn't the kind of person who would cut down an entire flower garden just because it had a few worms.

Oh, he is getting a side track again. Where was he? Oh right, that Sun, the spineless one, is truly something different. Dark Sun has traveled to a lot of dimensions, it always ends up with Sun kills Moon or the opposite. Or if it is not, Sun would be too scared or stutter to do anything, too stunned by reality. It truly rarely sees a version of himself, after going through so damn craps, still stays the same like this.

It almost puts him in a different perspective, and makes him feel a little bit of pity and...angry for no reason.

-----Some of my rambling words that maybe one day I would try my best to write all of this out.

Anyways, The feeling of emptiness and anger (a little bit flavored of jealousy and bitterness, pity and curiosity) is what makes Dark Sun start to stalk Sun from the beginning. He shows up at Sun's room randomly, he uses Neptor to talk with Sun when nobody is around, and calmly gaslighting him that if Sun talks about these 'Neptor thingy' with anyone, Moon will destroy 'Jack and Dazzle 's new best friends' and it would be all his fault. Also, Dark Sun promised that Sun doesn't have any value in Dark Sun plans so he doesn't need to worry, because if Dark Sun needs anything, he would go to Moon.

So, after a long long ass interaction and episodes, Sun gets used to Dark Sun's bullshit. He talks back, he ignores Dark Sun present, and sometimes, he expresses his thoughts for Dark Sun like he forgets who the person he is talking with.

They both know there have been some changes between them, but both choose to ignore it. They rather believe it is just an illusion than a real friendship.

They’d rather think between them just purely the manipulator and the one who is being manipulated, than both Dark Sun and Sun actually feel comfortable and understand each other.

They are Sun. They are experts at lying and suppressing their own emotions. So, it is no surprise that even with this  information that Dark Sun and Sun actually like to hang out with each other, nothing changes.

Dark Sun still continues his suspicions plans may or may not affect horribly with Sun's life, and Sun still tries to rely on his nonexistent plot amor to find out Dark Sun's secret and how to stop the bigger threats to hurt everyone he loves, and when push comes to shove, he has to realize and accept that he will have to kill Dark Sun just like every of his enemies.

And, it is why the confrontation happens.

Some episodes go by, Sun and Moon figure out there are some sinister reasons behind Nexus going off to madness. Sun wants to try to save Nexus, and Moon just wants to kill Nexus for good..

(MF can't stand the idea of another version of himself just hurting his family and getting free tickets to go back like nothing happened.)

They succeeded in getting into Nexus's lab (it is a trap), but they got separated. (Because it is a trap, Moon, you are dummy)

And because Dark Sun still has some Self destructive tendency he gets from Moon, he decided to be a little silly.

"Dark Sun!!? Why are you here??!"

"Oh don't worry about me. Say, Sun. Consider it my pity. Do you want to know where your New Moon is? "

They have some talk. About some secret unshow things.

And then we see Sun just get out of his trap room, and see Nexus, for the first time since a very long time and boy... It is bad.

Nexus, the one Sun feels responsible for, the one Sun thinks if it is not because of him, Nexus wont turn out that way, is just laughing like a freaking maniac and talking about his evil plan with a bot while dressing in pink.

Nexus despite his downgrade episode, in my AU, Sun is the only person he doesn't want to harm, yet. So when Nexus lost his control, he just hit Sun hard. And Sun dies.

Anyways, while Nexus gets yeet in a different room because he is too unstable (pinkish boy having a mental breakdown about killing the only one who still cares about him) for Dark Sun's liking, Dark Sun walks in front of Sun face.

Sun asks why he is not dead by now, Dark Sun said he has already planted some kind of technology in Sun head that makes Sun stay awake for more minutes than just go poof. Sun is still dead though. It just slows down the process, a very painful process for them to talk, the last talk.

Turns out between Dark Sun and Sun, they had made a deal. If Nexus can't change and kill or hurt Sun, Dark Sun wins. And if Nexus comes back to his senses, Sun will win and Dark Sun has to admit not every Moon is the same.

And when Dark Sun looks at Sun's eyes to see some regrets or hatred for Nexus like some symbol of victory, he is surprised because there is none. Just classic good old Sun - in Sun's eyes, he only sees the feeling of shame and guilt and blames himself for not being better, or trying to talk more to Nexus.

And in this moment, Dark Sun snaps. He yells at Sun's face, begging Sun just to just get angry, to just stand up for himself. Don't defend Moon anymore, he is not worth it, not worth for Sun's truth and love, not like that.

But Sun literally only likes a minute to live, the first and the last time in his life, tell Dark Sun to fuck off, so he can die in peace.

But Dark Sun doesn't do that. He is just sitting next to a half broken body of Sun, saying dying alone is very lonely and it is cruel to let someone like Sun, like them, to suffer this fate in the hand of Moon.

Sun asks if Dark Sun has lied about his plans not involving Sun. Dark Sun doesn't say anything.

Sun asks if it is the end for him, the answer is the same. It makes Sun laugh, it is a ugly laugh, the kind of sounds you only hear from a wounded animal.

Then, Sun uses the last of his breath, asking Dark Sun a favor.

And things go to history. Dark Sun accepts his new identity, and while still being manipulative behind the curtain, he takes Sun to a different room in his pocket and lives his life as 'Sun' like a promise for a friend.

[dulcewrites]

White Christmas

Pairing: Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd x wife!reader (a spy/The Americans au)

Summary: Bob has never been one to reminisce - his job keeps him ever-moving forward. But the holidays calls for reflection. (Wc: 1k +)

Warning: this came out more angsty than I thought :/

A/N: First, just want to say Happy Holidays and or Merry Christmas to those that celebrate. I wanted to get this out a bit earlier but life was life-ing lmao. This is my submission for @lewmagoo’s a lew magoo Christmas. I can’t wait to go back and read/interact everyone’s submissions. This is based off the song by Bing Crosby. This was not the original idea I had; this is much more melancholy but I think it came out well. I could not decide if I wanted to do a fic or moodboard so I kind of put them together. Please like, reblog, and or comment if you read something you enjoy ❤️❄️

Masterlist

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

Bob has been able to mark his life through events. Not exactly just with time or his age. Instead through a series of actions and domino effects that have set his life up to where it is now. He does not remember being 10, he just remembers the little house he was taken from. He doesn’t remember being 16, just the cold, smooth metal of his first revolver. His 26th birthday, with the real day he was born, was uneventful and terribly dull.

… that was until he got the envelope.

A face. A name. A never-ending mission. A wife to be.

27 was marked by a quick wedding. 28 was cemented by a crying baby girl and the sickly-sweet smell of baby wipes he grew to love. By 30, he saw his first gray hair and one little girl turned into two. Now he wonders what he can hang 37 on. He doesn't want it to be the bodies that have been left behind or 'daddy's business trips' as Georgia says.

Bob wants more. For once he wants something different. Something softer.

An idealist with the bloody ledger of a cynic, you call him. It is always with a smile but the biting edge that your voice can have never fully leaves. Bob thinks you resent that about him while likes to believe that it is a good thing - the little tug in the bottom of his stomach that he gets. Bob does his job, and he has done it valiantly for. Some days he may say he even loves what he does. But with his love comes a soft layer of sadness. It comes with wondering if there could be more outside of kills and mission and the bullshit, he would not have chosen for himself as a child. When things were syrupy in the way everything is when you're a kid.

The wistfulness grows stronger as the weather changes, and a dusty of white magic settles over the ground. The first winter snow he can remember in a long time.

The cabin idea comes with apprehension from you. Christmas was a holiday the two of you grinned and bared for the sake of the girls, but Bob found the words slipping out of his mouth. His fingers already inched looking into places - a little blue house in the snow. He knows that face well. Brows drawn tight and mouth pursed in thought.

“Emmie mentioned wanting to go camping.”

It was a bit unfair to mention your youngest daughter, Emerson. The frown lines on your face softened a bit, followed by a resigned sigh. There was little that made you like that - malleable. He knows you would never say it out loud but only the girls could do that.

I’ll have to talk with Maverick about it. He may need us.

Then it was his turn to frown. The growing dissolution bubbled under, and it all started with Pete Mitchell. But how does one turn his back on the only real family he has known. Bob cannot say he knows Regina and Don, - the people he should think to be parents; instead, thinks he was made in Mav’s image. Just like every other agent that has come through Top Gun. Your loyalty to Mav in admirable as it is a thorn in Bob’s side.

He likes to say there is three in your relationship if he could even call it that.

But he takes what he can get from you. A knowing smile when Aria says something completely out of left field. A kiss where you don’t flinch away or tense up.

It all works together in the oxymoron that is his marriage with you. Husband and wife. Partners in crime. He loathes you as much as he couldn’t imagine doing this without you. He endlessly pines for a woman he has two children with.

Nothing has ever been easy for the two of you, and he supposes he would not have it any other way.

———

“I don’t know your real name.”

The general statement made you pause as your looked away from the fireplace in front of you. Bob was sitting on the bed, the green reindeer slippers the girls gave him matched his pullover. While him and girls seem to thrive in the cold, you hated it. You liked the uncomfortableness that came with humidity and heat. You were used to beads of sweat above the brow and clothes sticking to you back. Uneasiness was your default setting.

A snow-covered cabin is beautiful in theory, tortuous in practice.

“What,” you muttered, gaze going back to the fire. The flames danced against the brick surrounding it. The name thing was an issue he pressed. For reasons you still don’t get.

“I don’t know your real name,” he repeats. “And you don’t know mine. You don’t know anything about me before we…”

He trails off contemplatively. You shrug softly. “I think Robert suits you fine. Perfectly, even.”

There was a beat of silence. You wanted to tell him it was better this way. Life has been separated into two different parts: BB and AB. Before Bob and After Bob. It was no use focusing on what happened before then. You hope he drops the conversation, but Bob has never been one to let things go. A dog with a bone.

“Do you know why I suggested coming here?”

“You enjoy watching me freeze,” it was a joke but there is little mirth in the room.

“I grew up in a little blue cabin, sort of like this one -,”

“Bob”

“In a small town in Illinois.”

“Bob,” you hate him for this… or at least you want to hate him for this. Hate him for trying so damn hard.

“Every winter, I remember sheets of snow on ground and - and my ma-,”

“Robert,” your voice echoes a bit off the room. You fully turn to him, wishing to have bit of venom in your voice but it comes out broken. “What do you want from this? From me?”

“Why does it have to be something? Why can’t I just want you, all of you?”

Penny warned you about this. She’s taught you everything you know. And for better or worse, it has led you done a straight and narrow path.

Even in our business, people grow… attached. It will be up to you to either let them in or close it before it gets to be too much.

You wouldn’t call yourself frigid, but you are sure others would. It never bothered you really. Not as you grew older. There was a weakness in others that you simply did not have. The coldness was an easy barrier that deterred most, if not everyone you came across.

“You have me,” your fingernail scrapes across the wool blanket wrapped around you. “I am right here, aren’t I?”

Cobalt eyes mute with sadness.

“That isn’t what I meant.”

You grow more exasperated. “And you think me telling you about my past life will do that?”

“No, but I think you being honest would. Honest about how you feel about me, about the girls, would.”

Does he want you to write on a piece of paper if he loves you and make him check yes or no like you’re in the fifth grade. There was something so innocent about the look he gave you. The stunted nature of how the two of you work around each other may be less of your faults and more of the world that failed the both of you. You look at Bob now and he doesn’t seem like the man you have seen dodging bullets or choking out men twice his size. He seems so utterly human. And despite yourself, all you can think about is how much Maverick would hate it. The spurred want others to think the same.

You do love the girls, frankly more that you would like to admit. Two little knives to which people can twist. And Robert…

People get hurt, killed, when feelings are involved.

let them in or close it.

“I am tired,” you mutter. “I really don’t feel like rehashing the past. Certainly not with you.”

It is the end of the discussion, and you try not to flinch when the door closes behind him. The silence had become a gentle friend of yours. A safe companion to embrace. You wait for him to come back, thinking he must be letting off some steam outside in the cold. But 30 minutes turns into an hour and you start to think he may have crashed in one of the other rooms in the cabin.

After numbingly sitting at the fireplace, the only thing you can think to do is get ready for bed. You crave a bottle of wine but agreed to a painfully dry Christmas.

Your fingers don’t go towards the drawers where you unpacked the plethora of long Johns and sweaters you brought; they go to Bob’s instead. You know he’d probably laugh at you if he could see it, and you’d deserve it. Can’t even admit your feelings but want to sleep in one his shirts. While digging for an old Led Zeppelin shirt. Your digging is thwarted when your hand grazes across a chest inside the drawer. Biting your lip, you look towards the door. Bad things come in threes. He’s already upset you; you’re digging in his stuff… might at well get your third strike.

A familiar sinking feeling muddled in your stomach as you lift the chest to see tinier ring box in it, along with a mini snow globe. You both promised no presents this year for Christmas, but of course he wouldn’t stick to that. Your gaze goes to the simple ring on your left hand. It wasn’t something either of you picked out. It was left in the envelope you received.

“You should be happy you even get one off the bat,” Natasha sighed. “Jake gave me a ring pop as joke before Mav stepped in.”

You don’t have it in you to open the ring box, a bile stuck in your throat. But you do pick up the mini snow globe. It is like nothing you have seen before; it looks homemade. Inside a little blue cabin with sparkles dusted around it. On the bottom, tiny writing painted on. Chicken scratch that could only come from kids.

To the best wife and mommy in the world. May all your Christmases be merry and bright.

You set the snow globe back in the chest hastily, as if you have been burned.

God you’re fucked.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Between the Lines 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, Lee is rude, customer service triggers. and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters:Lee Bodecker

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Another day, another shift. It starts off less than ideal. Traffic is a slog and there’s customers outside waiting for open as you walk up. You have to escape them like a zombie horde to get inside. This time of year, they tend to resemble extras in The Walking Dead.

You put your things in the back and punch in. You help Giselle with the opening list as her lashes droop precariously. She’s never very awake on her morning shifts. As you balance the till, she yawns and checks her phone.

“That old lady is out again. Something about her back,” she pops a piece of gum in her mouth and starts chewing noisily. “Not like she could do much more than wring her hands.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” you login and look across the store. You prefer being on the floor but you won’t get to stretch your legs until after noon.

“Eh, whatever. Not many seasonals this year,” she drones, “good, I don’t have to put up with children.”

You glance at her. She’s not much older than the high school students who come in to work the holiday sales. She’s just into her sophomore year and has the false sense of authority that often replaces the freshman fear.

You won’t mention that you have a masters and you’re still standing in the same place as her. Albeit, you’re full time and a pay grade higher. Still, it’s not that steep a gap between you.

The first customers are let in and swiftly fan out in their missions. A man comes up to ask about Tom Clancy’s novels and you point him in the right direction, telling him that Colton will be there to help out. He thanks you and shuffles away.

The morning drags by as you ring through the early birds. It’s that time of day where everyone is still waking up and seems to have something to complain about. You’ve suggested complementary coffee in hopes that it might quell their gripes.

Around eleven, you lean on the counter, the store effectively empty, and your headset crackles. Your name is called over the line to go to the operations room. You look at Giselle but she’s transfixed on her phone. She doesn’t even hear you say you’ll be right back.

The assistant manager, Colin, greets you in the operations room, one desk empty as he sits in another and wiggles a pen. You hover by the door as he keeps his focus on the monitor. For people who work in a bookstore, they do prefer the digital to the hard copy.

“Alright, let’s not waste time,” he leans back, finally tearing his attention from the computer, “got a complaint about you.”

“What?” You frown.

“Doing customer surveys, the online ones. This one’s particularly glowing,” he squints at the monitor again, “‘extremely dismissive and condescending. Kept trying to walk away’.”

“I never… are you sure it’s me?”

“They got your name. I went over the tape and it tracks. This guy, cop it looks like, you walked away twice. Why?” Colin points the pen at you derisively.

“Um, well, he told me to but changed his mind,” your eyes flutter as your nerves wind up. God, it has to be that jerk officer. “I did help him but he didn’t seem to want it.”

“Not what he says and he is a customer,” Colin sighs, “going to have to write you up, sweetie.”

You blink and hold your eyes shut. This is bullshit. You know better than to voice that thought.

“A write-up?”

“Relax, you got three before we do anything,” he pulls a paper over the desk and turns it towards you, “take the slap on the wrist and get back out there. It’s books. Just… smile a bit more and…” he pauses, his gaze dipping beneath your face, “maybe push your shoulders back. Posture’s important.”

You sniff back your disgust. You know what he means. Shoulders back; chest out. Gross. You cross the room and take the pen, reading over the write-up and the comments copy-pasted from the survey. Wow, what a jackass. You sign. Despite being a corporate peon, Colin’s right. It’s easier to just take the mark on your record.

“Thanks, sweetie,” he slides the paper away, “get back on the till.”

You nod and back out of the office. You shake your head as you stride through the store. This is so stupid and where the hell is Mr. Pine? He would’ve at least heard you out and overridden this nonsense decision. He’s been elusive lately and it shows.

You get back to cash as Giselle pops her gum noisily, “where were you, I gotta pee.”

“Go,” you wave her off as you step up behind the machine, “dead in here anyway.”

🚓

The day ends in the furor of after-work shoppers. You finally get free of the rush and into the lot. The air is crisp and whispers of the coming snows. Not quite cold enough as only a cold mist flecks down and has the tarmac shining black.

You go to your car and fish out your keys. As you do, someone rolls up behind your bumper and stops, exhaust puffing up in a stink. You shove the key in the door and glance over as someone gets out, staring at you over the roof of the cruiser. What the hell?

“Finished for the day?” The officer asks, the very same blight you had the pleasure of meeting the other day.

“Yes, officer.”

“Don’t sound so happy,” he comments, “nasty weather, huh?”

“Mhmm,” you nod and open your door, throwing your bag across to the passenger side.

“You’re being shifty… you nervous around cops?” He challenges as he rounds the hood of his car, nonchalantly idling in the lane.

“No,” you shrug, “I’m just headed home. Worked a long day, sir.”

“Oh yeah? You work so hard, don’t ya?” He scoffs, “smiles all worn out, ain’t it?”

He looms close, putting his hand on the roof of your car as his other comes up to touch your chin. You step back to look at him, crowded against the open door. You gape at him, heart pumping wildly.

“Officer, can I help you with something?”

“Sheriff,” he taps the star emblazoned on his coat, just under the fleecy collar, “I’m not lookin’ for your help, don’t you worry, but you look like you got a load on ya so I’m just doing my duty here and checkin’ in.”

You set your jaw. You’re not working, you have no obligation to pander. You’re parked between the lines, your insurance is up to date, and you’re tired as fuck.

“I’m good, sir. Thanks for asking. I gotta get home.”

He smiles, his hand falling to your scarf. He fixes the fabric as you fidget, resisting the voice that hollers at you to push him away. Assault on an officer is the last thing you need.

“Get home and cozy, huh?” He smirks, his blue eyes sparkling, “got someone special waitin’ on ya?”

“Sir?” You frown.

“Dangerous livin’ alone. I’m just makin’ sure you’re safe.”

You clamp your lips tight. He wrote a whole essay about you’re disservice to him, so why is he bothering you now? This is quite the power trip.

“Fine, sir. My cat will be hungry, so uh…”

“Ah, one of those,” he snorts and pulls away.

“One of…” your voice trails back.

“Don’t need no man,” he tuts, “you got your cat. They all say that before they know what’s what.” He wags his fingers as he backs away, “there’s only so much you can learn from books, you’ll see.”

You stare, frozen in place. Is that a threat? Is this all because you tried to help him? Because you didn’t just take his entitlement and swallow it like cherry pie? As absurd as it seems, it’s still scary as hell.

[larothoughts]

fem!jiggy thoughts (part 1: qinghe nie)

this is part of a larger mdzs au i definitely do NOT have time to write completely. but i've been turning it over in my head for days at this point and it needs to be written down else i forget everything.

basically, how drastically things would have changed with a genderbent meng yao.

(the following timeline is a mix between canons; basically it's the drama timeline without the yin-iron/puppets. but i'm even less familiar with the mdzs timeline as i am with svsss so forgive me for any errors;;;)

the brothel

now i fully believe meng shi, smart as she was and living in a brothel, would've done all she could to hide meng yao's true gender from the madam and her coworkers. this was her son, only meng shi is allowed to bathe him, his father will come back to retrieve him one day. secretly, she still taught meng yao that her father was a great man; that one day she wouldn't need to hide as he will surely take her in.

sisi, the only other person aware of meng yao's true gender, would've seen a young and already-pretty meng yao and been emboldened to pull her aside: 'do not go to lanling jin once your mother dies. not even being his daughter will protect you from jin guangshan.'

because jgs has a reputation amongst brothel workers, the working women of lanling, everyone except for the women he bedded and charmed. if meng yao had been a boy, then maybe sisi would've been assured that the worst jgs could do was throw him down koi tower. but as a girl, when meng yao was as pretty as her mother? no. absolutely not.

so when meng shi dies, sisi sneaks out a still cross-dressing meng yao and urges her to run as far away from the madam's reach as she could. she was still passably androgynous in her youth, but the minute the madam realized she was a girl, she'd force her to take on her mother's debt in her place. so meng yao runs.

qinghe nie

now sisi may have stressed the importance of not going to lanling jin as a no-name girl with a pretty face, but meng yao is tenacious. if she could build a reputation as a cultivator, then surely her father would at least be willing to hear her story out. to acknowledge her as a member of his family. (because meng shi was right too; if meng yao was legitimized as a jin, being a woman would no longer be as dangerous as it was for her now. she would have the power to finally dress and act the way she wants.) the yunmeng jiang sect is a bit too close to home for her comfort, so she goes to the next best sect accepting civilian members: qinghe nie.

one would think NOT being known as a bastard son of a whore would make her experience here much better. it doesn't. sure, the og!qinghe nie bullies liked to use his status to torment meng yao, but in the meritocratic no-bullshit environment chifeng-zun has established, it's strength that ultimately matters. and in both the og universe and in this one, meng yao just isn't as strong as the other recruits. being weak, effeminate and too-differential are all frowned upon traits for a man to be in qinghe nie; but in this au, meng yao would rather be bullied for weakness than be forced to give up cultivating altogether. it's not like female cultivators aren't allowed, just that female cultivators in qinghe nie are held at a higher physical standard. if anyone found out she was actually a girl, they'd take one look at her soft and petite frame and remove her from the ranks entirely. so meng yao grits her teeth and tries to make herself useful no matter how humiliating it is when her fellow disciples treat her more like a servant than a comrade.

then, nie mingjue comes across her half-dressed. she's mortified. the one person who should never know her real gender just walks up behind her, all because the other disciples had set her camp up across the pond as more bullying and she figured she'd use the privacy to her advantage. rather than demand answers or react with violence, however, chifeng-zun just frowns.

"I wasn't aware there were women in this squadron." "There... aren't," Meng Yao answers. She flushes slightly when Nie Mingjue's gaze flickers down to the still-visible swell of her breast, barely hidden beneath the robe she'd yanked over herself in panic. There is an awkward silence, one that fills her with skin-crawling dread. She has half a mind to throw her dignity away entirely and beg for mercy on her knees, but the man surprises her by turning his gaze away from her body out of... out of respect? The idea of a man not ogling her the way all men ogled women is strangely endearing. "Your name?" the sect leader finally says. It briefly crosses her mind to lie. It'll be a difficult but not impossible task to slip away from this squad and pretend to be recruited into another under a different alias. She's an expert disguise-artist when given enough time and determination; her work helping the brothel sisters prepare for the night beforehand was testament to that. Meng Yao wants to lie, because that's always been her first instinct in the face of danger. But from the way everyone spoke about Chifeng-zun, the righteous Nie Mingjue, Meng Yao suspects lying of any kind here may be her actual undoing. "Meng Yao," she answers him, decisive. "My name is Meng Yao."

the inner circle

no one is more shocked than meng yao when, only a few days later, chifeng-zun reassigns her to his personal squadron. he sees her contributions, recognizes her worth, and promotes her into the ranks as an inner disciple. and the cost of this promotion--and therefore unrestricted access to the nie library, where meng yao could finally, finally get her hands on a cultivation manual better suited to her than the dumb one handed out to new recruits--is the added job all members of chifeng-zun's squad must partake in sooner or later: babysitting nie huaisang.

in fact, this is her main job. meng yao is briefly offended that chifeng-zun assumes her gender makes her the perfect babysitter. she's only mollified at the promise of (1) aforementioned access to the nie library as an inner disciple, (2) the sect leader's promise to keep her true gender a secret from everyone but huaisang and (3) her job is less babysitter and more last-line-of-defense, the same as all his other squad members. the difference is, nie huaisang hates having to put up with the usual burly, no-nonsense nie cultivators silently judging his foppish pursuits. they ruin his aesthetic!

meng yao is still annoyed that mingjue assumes her being female means nie huaisang will better allow himself to be guarded (because feminine pursuits means he would prefer a female guard??) but... the man is trying. and having unrestrained access to both the young master and the sect leader is an advantage she'd be insane not to secure. even if her sudden promotion makes her relationship with the lower-ranked nie disciples even worse.

almost perfect

these years are, in hindsight, some of the best of meng yao's life. she dotes on huaisang as if he's her own little brother, finally manages to cultivate her golden core, and finds pride in clearing away qinghe nie's hidden enemies. she has mingjue's admiration and trust, and holds enough sway with the non-disciples to see her plans put into action. things are almost perfect, but for a few things: the lower-ranked disciples still view meng yao as a snake that slept 'his' way to the top of the hierarchy; and nie mingjue refuses to take her as his wife.

well, refuse is a strong word. more like 'will not offer,' a predicament huaisang laments alongside meng yao because just look at her! she'd be a perfect nie-furen! also i know you're sleeping together da-ge, yao-jie is discreet but you certainly aren't! no one even entertains the idea of meng yao being taken in as a concubine; the moment one of the mostly powerless nie elders tries to bring it up (a civilian, mingjue? a man??) the nie brothers shut it down.

the lack of proposal is not out of disrespect. it's because nie mingjue knows he's going to die young. marrying meng yao would require her to reveal her true gender to calm down the nie elders, and once known that information can't be taken back. leaving behind a widow and a non-combatant brother is a far more dangerous situation than leaving behind a non-combatant brother and his trusted attendant. leaving behind a widow related to jin guangshan is even worse. that power-hungry bastard would use any opportunity to gain ground, and his grieving daughter in qinghe nie would put the entire sect in jeopardy.

(mingjue would like to think meng yao would have more loyalty to qinghe than that, but even through rose-tinted glasses he knows meng yao is a practical woman. if it ensured her own safety and possibly huaisang's, she'd open the gates of qinghe nie herself. that was the entire point of meng yao telling him her background, a warning disguised as her detailing how useful she could be. it makes mingjue uneasy, the idea of what meng yao would do if backed into a corner. so he spends as much energy as possible to keep that from happening.)

the fall

meng yao takes nie huaisang to the gusu lan lectures again and again. tensions with the wen sect keep rising. xue yang is captured and taken into the qinghe nie dungeons, only to be broken out by wen cultivators less than a day later. in the ensuing battle, mingjue catches meng yao murdering the same former squad mate that used to steal credit for her victories. he sees her smile, her purposeful use of a wen-style attack, and how easy it is for her to switch from confident to 'terrified' once she realizes he sees her. the shift shakes something fundamental in him, the realization that this woman he loves is so capable of putting on a mask. that she put a mask on in front of him, when she'd once vowed never to do so unless it was for the good of the sect.

murdering the captain of her former squadron was not for the good of the sect.

before he can confront her, xue yang cuts his way through the last of the nie defenses and leaves one last parting gift via declaration: that wen rouhan was quite interested in the beautiful woman who'd stolen nie minjue's heart. that she could do so much better in nightless city, if she ever found herself wanting.

the aftermath of the escape is devastating. meng yao eschews dignity and does what she thought of doing the first time her gender was revealed: she gets down on her knees and begs for mingjue to let her stay as a nie disciple. already word has spread throughout qinghe nie and the wider gentry that meng yao is not just a woman, but a devious and power-grabbing one. that she hid her gender to get close to the sect leader, then engineered a perfect reveal to catch his attention. that she could have easily seized control of the entire sect before anyone had any idea of the threat she was.

mingjue, meanwhile, doesn't know what is and isn't true. he's questioning everything about meng yao, even their first meeting as insinuated by the rumors. it hurts him deeply that he can no longer trust her word; and it hurts her to lose his regard so absolutely.

in a world that favors men, mingjue wouldn't hesitate to kick male!meng yao out within the day. in this one, fem!meng yao is instead locked in her rooms until mingjue can come up with a solution that won't end in her certain death. because despite huaisang's begging, he is firm in the fact that meng yao cannot stay. not even taking into account mingjue and huaisang's feelings, the outrage amongst the nie disciples is enough they'd likely rebel if she remained. mingjue does not want to see meng yao slain by a disciple of his own sect. he doesn't, against his better judgment, want to see meng yao slain at all.

lanling jin

in a great twist of fate, huaisang points out the best solution is the plan meng yao gave up on so many years ago. for better or for worse, meng yao's name is now known across the gentry. she'd been a high-ranking member of qinghe nie for many years, is valued by both brothers and is still respected for her intelligence. mingjue keeps silent on the matter of their broken trust, their long-lasting affair, and any rumors other than the fact that meng yao is a woman. instead, he sends meng yao to lanling jin with a retinue of disciples from his personal squadron, as well as an apology gift for besmirching the honor of jin guangshan's daughter.

he sends her to koi tower with a glowing letter of recommendation and an earnest request for jin guangshan to take care of someone both nie brothers care about greatly. jin guangshan reads the two letters through gritted teeth, sat in front of the stoic nie retainers bracketing meng yao on either side. with meng yao's name and accomplishments on everyone's minds, with the thinly-veiled threat of nie retribution in those damn letters-- jin guangshan cannot hide her away as he would his other bastards.

he has no choice but to accept meng yao into lanling jin as his daughter, even with his wife glaring daggers at him all the while.

it is the last gift mingjue is willing to give meng yao. if not his hand, fulfilling her dream is the next best thing he can offer. unfortunately, as with most things in meng yao's life, it is simply not enough.

a few weeks later, the cloud recesses burn.

part 2: the war part 3: gusu lan

[subway-boss-jericho]

(threataning with art anon) yes! Rambles! Also you are so incredibly real for imagining all that stuff in different mediums (I have had similar experience) wish I could make a full animated film. That would be So Cool.

And! At one time or another I think I’ve read through the majority of the aus, but you are so right I freaking. Love the Mech AU. And coupled (uncoupled) looks like it would a verrry interesting character study (in like a “I wouldn’t do this but ingo would. Huh” kinda way)

help I’m reading them all again

also! I am here to encourage prattling I love prattling (it gives me more ideas for drawing-)

Hiii hii welcome back thank you for continuing to enable me :D

:D Yayy I'm so thrilled you like them. I never know if people actually think my wild bullshit is interesting or they just follow me for one thing (wheeze) ((Which, to be clear, is still totally fair and valid. No shame)) Of the AUs I've uploaded, I think the one that has gotten disproportionately ignored the worst is Coupled (Uncoupled). I am fucking obsessed with the coupled twins, and you're exactly right on the money there because holy Shit it's Such a character-study-rich situation to put them in. They were my in my top 3 indisputably Favorite AUs for a very long time (along with Steady Tracks and Spirit Keeper as the other two) and while I feel like I'm not super vocal about them they're still extremely high on that metaphorical list.

Realistically I could never actually list my Favorites, for the same reason why I can't really pick favorite pokemon. I like all my AUs for different reasons, so I may like one aspect of a given AU more than a different aspect of a different AU, but actually Ranking them As Favorites would be virtually impossible. Just know that I'm horribly fucking ill about coupled uncoupled more than most of the other smaller ones. Some day I'll vibe check you all so fucking hard with art or animation or writing out of left field that is about them, and then none of yall fucks will ever be normal again /lh /j

Actually. I've been struggling to write a caption for this thing so I can post it for months. Check this out:

I'M SO NORMAL ABOUT THEM.

Slaps top of this guy. He can fit two people's worth of the worst existential socio-emotional crises in him. I love gel pens.

I've decided to keep rambling about whatever the fuck on this topic, but I'm putting a cut here for my sanity:

Anyway! I really did make this AU entirely because I saw a fandom trend and went Whoa! Did we consider The Implications! And then didn't wait for an answer. Considering the implications is actually the Thing I Do the Most as I am writing in general, as any friend of mine can easily confirm. It's how a decent number of my AUs happened. I also have a trend towards either 1. trying to make an AU that doesn't touch on anything I've seen other people doing or 2. is explicitly inspired by what I perceive as trends in the fandom. Coupled Uncoupled is one of the latter, being directly inspired by Diamond Crossing. God I was not normal about diamond crossing. I'm Still Not Normal about diamond crossing.

I'm a HUGE fan of fusion in media, just in general. I don't actually know a whole lot of examples off the top of my head other than steven universe, but fusion as a concept drives me totally crazy. What if you and your friend/best friend/closest ally/rival/enemy/lover/a stranger etc could be the same person through a process so crazy intimate and vulnerable that it forces you to expose your deepest weaknesses, insecurities, emotions and motivations fully and without restraint. Sure I can be normal about that 👍

But yeah coupled uncoupled isn't like, me looking at Diamond Crossing or any other fic for that matter and going "I could do it better/I don't like insert plot point A," it was actually me looking at diamond crossing and going holy FUCK this is the COOLEST SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN. I need to participate in this or I am going to die. Then I came up with a million different ideas of fusion stories I thought would be interesting to tell, identified aforementioned trope of using the b2/w2 DNA splicers as a plot device, and went. ohohohohohohhoohohohoo i could do something silly and fucked up me thinks.

What if fusion was great and cool and awesome and a coping mechanism for a trauma/grief and also not what you thought and also more than you bargained for and also didn't give you the closure you were expecting and ALSO you didn't know how to make it stop.

Fusion as a mistake. Fusion as a regret. Fusion as a character flaw. Fusion as a major conflict (that isn't inherently connoted about?? forms of abuse and toxic relationships?? can we use fusion as a metaphor for other nuanced things too?? pls let me have this /lh)

Anyway their story is extremely complex and just by listing off ^ that I am extremely underselling the level of interwoven conflict and complicated emotional states of all parties involved so please do not misunderstand and think that one of the twins is fucked up and evil. I swear i didn't mischaracterize them that badly 🤣 The main point of the story, just off the top of my head, is actually focused around the theme of vulnerability, conflict resolution, and the strength of relationships founded on communication.

Trying to avoid spoiling The Entire Plot because I really think Coupled (Uncoupled) is going to be my next major fic project but in essence it does get better and this new tool available to them only opens the door for them to be closer than ever before and express care and compassion in new ways unique to them. i might make myself cry if I keep yammering. i care them

God I totally just used your ask as an excuse to go off. I've been doing that every time you send an ask, actually. This is why I love asks. Tysm <3 And I hope you enjoyed reading or if you didn't and TL;DR then basically god i'm so ill about them.

Every day I think about how a friend of mine made an entire animatic for this AU and yet we can't put it anywhere because we both want to remake it digitally. thats going to be one hell of a day when that bombshell drops

Thank you for the ask, and as always thank you for listening!

Coupled (Uncoupled) Masterpost

[alchemistc]

i wanna start out by saying ive been patiently waiting for a hockey AU on the bucktommy fandom and your Goon fic is everything i have ever wanted, im honestly obsessed with your characterization of tommy

i have never been that big on rpf in the hockey fandom, but i always love reading people write crosby in their hockey aus, also love how you include Hockey Lore TM in the story

so, i wanted your take on the insane 'tradition' (not really tradition, more of a common occurrence) of players playing through injuries specially in the playoffs (I remember that in the 2016 or 2017 cup run, there was more players currently injured on the penguins than not, pretty sure Letang or Daley had like, broken fingers for most of the last round) and how many times Buck had to run away from Hen so he could play, because if anyone is more likely to play through injuries, i'd say is Evan "i-had-another-surgery-instead-of-waiting-for-my-leg-crush-injury-to-heal-naturally" Buckley, or Evan "I-sued-my-job-because-they-wouldnt-let-me-do-said-job-after-said-leg-crush-injury-and-vomitting-blood" Buckley

Thank you thank you! Goon has been so much fun to craft, and I'm loving seeing the hockey fans and the 'what's a chiclet' 9-1-1 fans alike enjoy it!

Personally? I hate it. I think the whole idea of it is fucking insane and detrimental to not only their physical health but their mental health as well. (From the Avs fan perspective, regardless of what we actually know about the Nichushkin situation, the man broke his foot and played through it, likely got addicted to a painkiller in the recovery process, missed a playoff series because of [redacted], had a career fucking year and then sent himself to the Players Assistance Program, came back, had MORE career highlights, and then...failed a drug test in the run up to the playoffs and got himself suspended.

(Another reason players just play through injury and mental health crisis is the Players Assistance Program, which IS ANOTHER MAJOR FAILING OF HOCKEY CULTURE IN GENERAL)

Hell, Landy played through a not-healed-injury after he took Cale's skate to his knee and now he's had two surgeries and may never make another appearance in a game because of it.

(I can't think of the player at the moment, but I remember a cup run where a player was playing with fractured ribs and it was later revealed that if he'd taken a puck or a nasty hit or gone into the boards wrong there was a chance he'd have had a vital organ punctured and likely wouldn't have known the extent of the damage until he'd collapsed from internal bleeding. It didn't happen, but WHAT THE FUCK)

And fans have a tendency to glorify them as gods for 'fighting through the pain' in their quest for the Cup.

As far as Goon goes:

They're all gonna be playing through injury. SInce this is from Tommy's perspective, he's coming at it from two angles - he's the guy who's played through injury his whole career just to keep a spot in the lineup, he's toughed it out and dealt with the numbing agents and the wraps and the twinge that doesn't go away for weeks at a time (and the aforementioned pain killers that eventually prompted him to go to fucking therapy in the first place). He is also the guy who has spent four years unpacking why exactly he did that - how much of it is the culture, how much of it is his own shit and his dad telling him to rub some dirt in it and stop being a pussy, how much of it has just been to prove himself capable of being one of the guys in the room.

There's also Hen, who pushes harder than the other trainers, and calls out the bullshit when she sees it, so yeah, this team probably has a slightly better track record of keeping the guy out with upper body injury out of the lineup for longer than any other team would, but - Buck's not the only one who's learned how to lie about exactly how much pain he's in and how well his recovery is going. He'll strain shit and refuse to admit it, he'll push through on a 'minor' injury unless he thinks playing on it would threaten his career. (He absolutely has NO real concept of how bad an injury actually is, tbh, because like everyone else he's been lying about it for so long he doesn't have an accurate pain scale.)

The tldr of this is that I don't condone it, but the reality is it's so ingrained in kids coming up that it's a reality of the culture and I'm not necessarily gonna shy away from that. It's not a huge focus of the story, but there will be hints here and there.

[phdmama]

For the trope mash-up post, may I request Fake Dating and Soulmate AU for Drarry please, if it sparks any fun inspiration?

(P.S. you're wonderful and I will love literally anything you come up with, even if it's not for these prompts, I just got super excited when you posted this 💜)

No, YOU'RE wonderful!!

So this is what came to me - and I can actually see the rest of the story but I have to go adult for a bit, but I am going to come back later and write some more of this! (As per usual, this is pretty much SOOC and unbeta'd, etc etc.)

Draco’s known since the Final Battle. 

He’s pretty sure Potter has no idea, whether it’s that no one’s remembered to tell him about soulmates, or that his mark hasn’t activated yet, but he treats Draco exactly the way he’s treated him since they'd all arrived at University. He’s unfailingly polite, cool and distanced, and deeply disinterested in one Draco Malfoy.

Which isn’t, you know, how you’re supposed to treat your soulmate.

The thumbprint on Draco’s wrist had flared to life when Potter had grabbed his arm to haul him onto the back of the battered broom that carried them both out of the fire. He’d almost fallen off at the way Potter’s magic had rushed over him, through him. Draco had always heard the stories that connecting with your soulmate could be disorienting, but since it happened to him in the midst of mortal terror, Draco’s not sure his experience was typical.

It’s also very rare that one person connects and the other doesn’t, although it does happen. It takes time for the bond to solidify, to grow into a true soulmate connection, and obviously, that’s not happened here. Basically, Potter is a faint echo in Draco’s mind, enough to distract and ache a little, nothing more than that.

All this to say, it’s weird when Potter comes dashing into their suite common room one Saturday afternoon, looking wild-eyed and somewhat disheveled. It’s a rainy day, raw and windy, the kind of day where Draco does not plan to leave the building if he can help it. Potter is damp and windblown, so he clearly had other ideas. Fucking weirdo.

Potter looks around wildly, and lights up when he spots Draco curled up on the couch under his favorite striped blanket.

“Malfoy,” he says eagerly, and Draco blinks up at him in surprise.

Potter’s never sounded happy to see Draco before.

“Yes?” Draco says cautiously. “Can I help you?”

Potter nods vigorously. “You can, yes, absolutely. I need you to pretend to be my soulmate and go to the gala with me tonight.”

“I beg your pardon?” Draco asks, trying to make sense of the words he’s just heard. “You need me to what?”

Potter hangs his coat on the rack by the door, kicks off his grubby trainers and makes his way around the couch to plop down next to Draco.

“I need you to pretend to be my soulmate and go to the gala with me tonight.”

“That’s what I thought you said,” Draco says. “But also, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Potter sighs, lets his head rest on the back of the couch and runs a hand through his unruly hair.

“You know how the press…” his voice trails off and he flushes.

“Follows you around incessantly and makes your life a living hell?” Draco says dryly. “Yes, Potter, I’m aware.”

“Well, someone thought it was a good idea to advertise that I haven’t found my soulmate, and to suggest that anyone who’s unbonded should come to the gala tonight and you know. Shoot their shot or whatever.”

Draco sits bolt upright, outraged. “What the hell? That’s bullshit. That’s not even how it works!”

Potter just sighs again and slumps down even further, eyes closed. “Yeah, I know that, but it’s turned into this whole thing, and every girl in the greater Oxford area, apparently, is now coming to the gala.”

“Can’t you just… not go?” 

Potter shakes his head, looking miserable. “No. The Fund is really important to me. I promised to speak.”

“So your solution is to fake a soulmate bond with a man?” Draco asks and Potter snorts.

“Okay, well, when you put it like that, it does sound stupid. I just thought if I could get them all off my back for a bit… No, you’re right. I’ll just have to get a bodyguard again, I guess.”  

He sounds so utterly miserable that Draco can’t help but feel sorry for him, which is why he finds himself saying, “Yeah, I’ll do it.”

Potter opens his eyes to stare at Draco. “What?”

Draco shrugs. “I’m not doing anything tonight, there’ll be wine at the gala, yeah?”

Potter looks excited but then his face falls. “But what about your soulmate? What if they’re out there looking for you?”

Draco looks away and swallows. “That won’t be a problem.”

Potter’s eyes narrow. “Why not?” He sucks in a breath and whispers, “Malfoy, do you know who your soulmate is?”

Draco just nods and there’s a long silence while Potter clearly puts some picture together in his head. He’s never been stupid, Draco concedes. Since for all intents and purposes, Draco is unbonded, Potter must know there’s something wrong with all of it.

Finally Potter says, “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Draco says and finally turns to look at Potter. “It’ll be fun,” he says carelessly. “What should I wear?”

[g-on-ef]

Story ideas I wanna write that may upload on my Kofi or not post and just wanna share with you guys

Maya Sokolov- Goddess of Loneliness Summary: Maya Sokolov the sister everyone either hated or tolerated the sister that betrayed her own.

It's been 2 months since the truth was discovered and nothing has been the same.

Mia hates her, Killian is always looking for an opportunity to remind her that she's a good for nothing back stabbing bitch, Niko is avoiding her like the plague, her parents have cut her off and Illya...her only saving grace broke up with her in the worst possible ways.

No one wants to hear her side of the story or more precisely no one cared to hear it feeling more alone than ever Maya decides she has over stayed her welcome in her family's lives and decides to escape somewhere where no one knows her, her story, and more importantly her family.

As she takes this journey of self discovery and healing she'll see that family doesn't always end in blood and that there is such as thing as a second and greater love

Eli/Gareth- Gods of War and Destruction

Eli bumps into Gareth and instantly feels something for the quiet member of the Heathens, something about him makes Eli want to get to know him to posses him make him his

Killian who loves Eli like a brother isn't sure how he feels about the mysterious member of the King Family going after his brother especially since Killian is trying to keep his brother safe from a stalker Gareth maybe older but Kill will be damn if anyone hurts him

Eli also wants to protect the fixer of the Heathens and he'll be damn if some professor steals him from him

Nikobran- break up/make up listen I want an angst story one that's heart broken and has Niko and Bran moving on but Niko refusing to let Bran go

Eli/Jeremy/Landon- Eli/Jeremy/Landon love triangle where Eli and Landon both are fighting for Jeremy and my poor baby is confused as to why two King men keep bothering him and Niko with Killian are laughing and enjoying this !!!

Gareth/Vaughn- Vaughn has always been attracted to Gareth his own prince Charming and he is definitely showing Gareth why he's the best choice

Nikobran- AU idea where Niko and Bran are childhood friends {age swap Niko is 23 Bran is 19} and Bran has always had a crush on him but Bran has always been Elis little cousin and Lans sweet innocent little brother so what happens when Bran decides to move on what will Niko think about this?

Nikobran- Love Wins All

Niko was dared by Killian to sleep with Landon King's younger brother

Niko agreeing because he was sick of Landon's bullshit not to mention how the fucker stole his baby sister what great way to get back at him than sleeping with brother.

However he never counted on catching feelings or having a beautiful little girl with the asshole who no longer wants anything to do with him

Niko will do anything to get Bran back but is it to late? Or will love win and get their happily ever after ???

And that's all again I may or may not write these idk yet

[kings-highway]

Captain Squad Petition: idk if you’re a Digimon fan but I am, and I’ve thought abt Haikyuu characters as digidestined for ages now. Anyway, Captain Squad goes on a wilderness trip and gets zapped into the digital world, hijinks and angst ensue.

I feel like Daichi would partner with Terriermon, Daichi’s no nonsense attitude clashing with Terriermon’s easygoing nature. Also regarding if or if not Crests are getting involved in this, Daichi as the Crest of RELIABILITY?! Chefs kiss, that fits him to an italicized T.

Dracmon was MADE for Kuroo they vibe very well. Oikawa I see with a plant based mon like Palmon (Crest of Knowledge go brrrr). If Kita’s involved, I can see Tentomon or Gomamon. The former more than the latter cause Tentomon literally has a Kansai accent in the sub. I have a few ideas for what Bokuto or Ushijima would have, probably your more contemporary creatures like Agumon, Patamon, Gabumon. I could also see an Agumon look alike like Dorumon.

Haven’t thought of much in terms of plot, could follow any of the anime or game plots, could be its own plot. I just love imagining the captains having to deal with superpowered creatures (that may give them superpowers, depending on the continuity) and having said creatures change as symbolism for their characters and how they may develop. Digimon’s cool like that, the Digimon change as a physical representation of the characters growing and developing (honestly that’s one of my favorite parts about that franchise)

i need you to know that this almost had be hyperventilating from excitement. Why? Why you ask? because I was like OBSESSED with Terriermon during my entire digimon hyperfixation a considerable amount of years back (am still actively on the watch for an accurate size plush of him that isnt $2749473829.00) and to see you here, my friend, my love, having bestowed him upon Daichi made me gleeful in a way I cannot comprehend. True delight.

Now i dont have an encyclopedic knowledge of digimon so if I were to write this it would absolutely have to follow the OG anime plot line (transported into a fucked up digital world) rather than the seasons that came later, where terriermon was birthed, where theres a shit ton of government experimentation and weird bullshit going on. OH MY GOD THIS MEANS DAICHI HAS THE GUN RABBIT. I FUCKING LOVE THAT TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVES INTO INCREASINGLY MILITARIZED RABBITS JDKSNFOSKAKEOO

Now I want to write this just so that Daichi and Terriermon can be together I need it.

God I would need to rewatch those entire first seasons to do it properly. Escape from fucked up digiHell. I was OBSESSED with Matt and TK's brother dynamic to an unhealthy degree. Honestly to-date some of my favourite siblings in anime. When they get separate and Matt has a breakdown of his cool guy persona? chefs kiss.

Digimon is vastly underrated, even by me TBH, but I remember YEARS ago I had a digimon fucking boardgame. It was like... my favourite boardgame but i could never convince my family to play it with me because it was complicated as fuck. With all the evil gears and all that.

God and unlike the pokemon au ive been playing with, there's no need to do any complicated worldbuilding bc as per the first seasons of the anime I can just snap them out if canon volleyball land and introduce all the fucked up monsters on the fly. Dont have to rewrite their whole histories.

You have inflicted this upon me like a curse. Thank you.

[thetragicallynerdy]

10, 20, 21, 23, 30, 39!

Hello buddy!! I'm so sorry it's taken me literally a month to get to these, but here we go!!

10) Top three favourite fic tropes.

Oooooh GREAT question. Hmmm they're all like whumpy XD

When someone shows up at someone else's door bloodied or sick and then passes out when they answer it

love confessions when they think the other person is dying

any enemies to lovers (bonus if it's enemies to fuck buddies but still enemies to lovers)

extras: hiding an injury/illness, and taking a wound for someone else :3

20) Do you work on a single project or many at the same time? How does that work for you?

I work on so many 🫠 (melting face emoji)

But honestly, a combo of both! I always have a massive list of WIPs (think: upwards of 30 at a time), because I start projects and then have difficulty finishing them. I typically have around 5 fics on rotation that I am actively working on at a time.

However, I do finish things best when I buckle down and like, dedicate a week or two or whatever to finishing a single thing. So typically when something is getting towards being done, that's what'll happen, and then I'll go back to slowly picking away at many things.

21) Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what's your secret?

Answered here! Short answer though: LMAO NOPE

23) Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

I love writing dialogue SO much more hahaha! Honestly part of description for me is that it takes a lot more cognitive work - especially if it's setting/space and place type stuff. I can picture and think about how bodies move in my head pretty easily, but I find it really hard to do with places!!!

Dialogue, on the other hand, just comes naturally (most of the time). I think I could 1000% write a fic that was entirely dialogue, I just won't because it's not what I find fun to read.

30) Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't.

God. I mean I have many, many abandoned or half-abandoned fics - more for UnDeadwood than OFMD, but definitely in both. (Ranging from anywhere from a couple thousand words to one that is 90K and long abandoned [someday I'll give in and just publish shit as is])

A big one though was an UnDeadwood Watership Down AU - in which everyone (main 5 cast members, at least) were shifters, and Clayton's shifted form was a rabbit. It was Clayton POV, and laced with all sorts of the Watership Down rabbit religion etc. I think I had like 3-4K written for it.

Oh my god I also had a Ladyhawke AU??? For UnDeadwood?? That was devastating and very fun to write and never got finished - it also had somewhere around 5K written for it.

And that's not even considering the number of "hey omg this would be so fun" ideas - I love thinking about new fun wild AU's, and am very grateful for friends who listen and "yes and" me!!

39) Wildest AU scenario you have written?

Oh god that's a fun question.

UnDeadwood - I think it's a toss up between the jaws that bite, the claws that catch (snake creature Matthew, smutty Matty/Clayton(/Aly) in which Matthew has two dicks. That's it that's the fic. It is unfinished.)

The other UDW option is i found love where it wasn't supposed to be, written with @lovewithagirl, which features a whole lot of ghost sex (as in, sex between an alive person and a ghost)

I have a lot of different AU's for OFMD, but I think they feel a little more "normal" in comparison - they're more stuff like the Remington Steele AU or the Die Hard fic. The wildest is probably Ask Me Anything, written with @yerbamansa, which is a TealOranges Tumblr SMAU in which there is timey-wimey bullshit. Or maybe the Plumbing the Depths series, which is the Jim/Olu/literal kraken! Ed series, mainly for the rarepair.

Thanks so much for the ask, friend!! This was fun, and a nice lil distraction. And thanks for the patience as it took me so long to answer!!!

Writer Ask Game is here, for the curious - if you ask tho, be aware it may take me a while to get to it, life is making inbox answering more difficult these days <3

[carmenlire]

Semantic Error Omegaverse AU

Been back on my Semantic Error bullshit the past week and I can NOT stop thinking about how perfectly these two would fit an omegaverse au like i'm obsessed!! Jaeyoung is obviously an alpha, however, a lot of people assume that Sangwoo is a beta but he is, in fact, an omega! So enjoy 4.5k words of me describing in excruciating detail what I would write if I wrote this fic <3

I can't decide between making this a world where everyone wears scent blockers/is on suppressants or letting Jaeyoung know immediately that Sangwoo's an omega (because betas don't have to wear scent blockers so wearing them would be a dead giveaway but I could make the sleight of hand work with suppressants HOWEVER I think a core part of this au would be that people who look at Sangwoo see a cold, driven man and just assume he's a beta).

Obviously, I would make this au deliciously tropey and fit in ALL of That Good Shit but I am very taken with the idea/exploration that Sangwoo actually enjoys being an omega. I think masking his subgender would be useful to him but when it's just him or his friends/family, he is very comfortable with who he is-- he obviously does not believe in any of the stereotypes/misconceptions that paint omegas as inferior or needing protecting or only good for one thing or whatever cliche you wanna throw in there.

Alright, we'll say unmated people are expected to be on suppressants so that solves that issue-- this comes with the caveat that omegas/alphas still have two cycles a year in order to keep everything properly maintained (compared to idk the regular 4 cycles a year). I'll hc that it's like a daily pill and it wears off toward the end of the day and that's when individuals may choose scent blockers if they're going to be out longer but obviously in this au, like going to a club with a scent on display would be like The Whole Point in trying to attract someone so i'll digress.

ANYWAY like I said, Sangwoo is very driven and still comes off as very cold so most people assume he's a beta. That suits Sangwoo just fine. He's in no mood for romance and finds alphas fucking insufferable-- always posturing, acting like they're god's gift to the world (to omegas specifically) and he doesn't have time for distractions. however, and I personally think this is important to tie his personality into this AU– he actively enjoys being an omega. 

His parents knew before he presented that he’d be an omega– he enjoyed nesting with his father and if he cares about someone, has a habit of doting on them. Sangwoo knows and values the importance of biology right so it fits that when he does have free time, then he indulges shamelessly in his nature. So, for this AU, I love to think that his bed is a very warm and inviting nest, that he enjoys baking (like I’ve written in previous fics, it fits his analytical mind AND he was a sweet tooth and for this, it’s a way he cares for people). 

And while he’s never had a partner for his heats, Sangwoo does enjoy them. With an acknowledgement that this could get a little messy re: subgenders/biology, this is first and foremost a pure fluff fic and so–

I think heats, particularly for this verse, can be both sexual (need to procreate) and simply biological (need to bond with mate). Again in keeping with the show, Sangwoo puts an abundance of meaning on biology. So while he doesn’t have a mate to bond or produce offspring with during his heats as an unmated omega, there’s still something about them that is deeply meaningful to him.

I hc that they’re less sexual for him (until Jaeyoung lol) and serves as more of an opportunity to connect with his own inner omega. He spends a few days every six months resting in his nest– or broadly, his apartment, where he allows himself to not think about homework or anything. It’s just him being. He bakes, sleeps, watches tv, reads… it makes him feel incredibly centered. And yes, he does own a knotting toy and it is ONLY during his heats that he begrudgingly admits that maybe alphas do have a use after all lmao.

To bring Jaeyoung into it and get this AU started properly, Jaeyoung figures Sangwoo’s a beta– though, the instant before Sangwoo opens his mouth and flays him alive, Jaeyoung does have the thought that Sangwoo has to be an omega– small (much smaller than Jaeyoung at least even if he’s a tall omega), beautiful, and there’s just something about him that compels Jaeyoung.

Of course, after that first conversation, Jaeyoung is compelled by Sangwoo, alright– to be an absolute menace and get his revenge. Lol.

The two get closer, following canon, and Jaeyoung doesn’t realize that Sangwoo is actually an omega until after he saves him from the Quickst asshole. In this AU, Sangwoo wanted to leave because the guy was being a dick, yes, but also because he was well aware that it was getting late and his suppressants were about to wear off– hence, his scent would start to escape.

He refuses to admit that Jaeyoung stepping in kinda make his omega preen– they’re in tune but Sangwoo still thinks that his omega can be a bit baffling (though, he’s only started to really think so since Jaeyoung stepped into the picture).

That’s also mostly the reason Sangwoo doesn’t want to let Jaeyoung into his apartment. He doesn’t let people into his apartment because he’s private yes but also because he knows his scent is undeniable. Still, he’s not an asshole (and, both he and his omega trust Jaeyoung for…. Some reason) so he does end up letting him in.

Jaeyoung is immediately overwhelmed as soon as he steps inside Sangwoo’s apartment. He’d thought, for a minute when he grabbed Sangwoo’s hand and dragged him out of the bar, that he’d caught the faintest edge of a mouthwatering scent but he’d been preoccupied. It becomes glaringly obvious now, though, that it was Sangwoo. That vague scent from the bar is nothing compared the rich, overwhelming scent he’s confronted with now.

If I lean into the trope, I guess I’d make it something that could be sharp– citrus, maybe, that can be sour and sharp but turns sweet and soft when Sangwoo is comfortable. I think that would fit his personality. For Jaeyoung, definitely something earthy, complimentary to citrus– though I’m not sure what that would necessarily be lmao.

Anyway, Jaeyoung is reeling but Sangwoo is business as usual though Jaeyoung swears he sees the shell of his ear turning red. Jaeyoung is a gentleman, though, despite how he’s acted with Sangwoo and he doesn’t comment on the scent (it would be declasse and Sangwoo is actually helping him, he’s let Jaeyoung in and– especially now that he knows he’s an omega– it’s an incredibly meaningful gesture that Jaeyoung and his alpha appreciate).

He doesn’t bring it up until Sangwoo is tending to the cut on his arm and this is the conversation that turns the tide. Jaeyoung is tentative but undeniably curious, asking Sangwoo why he hides his subgender, letting everyone assume he’s a beta. Jaeyoung is surprised, yet again, when Sangwoo matter-of-factly tells him that he doesn’t hate his subgender, actually enjoys it. It isn’t an inconvenience or whatever. It’s something Sangwoo likes about himself.

They’re both stripped down in the quiet of Sangwoo’s living room and come closer to reaching that middle ground. Through it all, Jaeyoung can’t stop thinking about how delicious Sangwoo’s scent is and how he was right to make that long ago guess. It’s so obvious, especially now that Sangwoo isn’t wearing a hat– his lush mouth, delicate features, making it so clear.

Jaeyoung had a red hoodie and leaves it at Sangwoo’s that night. He might not realize it at the time but it’s, obviously, his alpha’s way of staking a claim on Sangwoo, placing his scent in the omega’s space.

Jaeyoung figures Sangwoo will return it to him the next day and forgets about it when he doesn’t.

Sangwoo for his part, closes the door behind Jaeyoung when Yuna calls and slumps against it. It was so late and Jaeyoung’s own suppressants had started wearing off. Sangwoo had never cared for alpha scents, despite supposed biological compatibility– they were too aggressive, altogether unpleasant and stinging in his nose. 

Jaeyoung’s, however, was different. It wasn’t dark or musky but something lush, deep with just a hint of sweetness that made Sangwoo inexplicably want to bury his nose in Jaeyoung’s neck to tease it out further, until it was all he could smell, surrounding him.

He’d expected Jaeyoung to be an ass about finding out he was an omega. While Sangwoo didn’t hide it, he let people make their assumptions. Jaeyoung had surprised him, though.

When Sangwoo finally straightens, his eyes immediately lock on the red hoodie laying over the arm of his couch. He frowns deeply, glaring at it. He should return it to Jaeyoung tomorrow. 

He doesn’t.

And a few weeks later, when Sangwoo’s preheat starts, he’s heading out the door when his gaze snags on the hoodie, still in the exact same spot. It’s Thursday and he’s glad that his heat won’t disrupt his classes this time around. Thanking the fact that he always has a buffer in his schedule, Sangwoo reaches out for the hoodie and raises it to his nose. Jaeyoung’s scent isn’t nearly as present as it was that night but it’s still detectable when he buries his face in it. Something in him calms, preens a little at the scent of an alpha who Sangwoo can admit he… doesn’t quite despise.

It is fall, the morning chilly, Sangwoo rationalizes as he takes his backpack off to put the hoodie on. Plus, Jaeyoung had told him just yesterday that, unfortunately, he had a meeting with an advisor and wouldn’t be able to annoy him today, so there’s no chance that Jaeyoung will find out that Sangwoo is wearing this monstrosity of a hoodie.

As soon as he slips it on, Sangwoo finds himself letting out the quietest purr. It’s oversized, hanging down to mid-thigh, and feels like it’s wrapping him in pure warmth. Lifting the hood to cover his hair, Sangwoo feels content, like going to class during preheat won’t be so miserable after all (for all he enjoys being an omega, it is sometimes inconvenient– like when he’s just in preheat, hoodie able to hide the scent blockers, and has to go to class because there’s a quiz).

It’s just his luck that he leaves class, hoodie still over his head, to run into a wall– that turns out to be Jang Jaeyoung. Startled, Sangwoo’s head whips up and he immediately stills at the look in Jaeyoung’s eyes.

Jaeyoung, for his part, wrapped his meeting up earlier than expected and found himself on the way to meet Sangwoo almost subconsciously. If he thought his need to bother Sangwoo was bad before he found out he was an omega, it’s been downright awful now that he knows. Jaeyoung finds himself seeking Sangwoo out even more often, anytime he has a free moment and knows where Sangwoo is. Yuna calls him a whipped alpha and Jaeyoung can’t even defend himself. Now, seeing Sangwoo in his glaringly red hoodie– seeing an omega he can’t stop thinking about in his hoodie– Jaeyoung’s alpha wants nothing more than to press Sangwoo against the wall and scent him, cover him completely so that no one can see how cute Sangwoo looks while at the same time wanting to preen that Sangwoo deigned to wear something of his in public, at all really.

Sangwoo stiffly replies that he wore it because it was cold this morning and it was sitting right there on the couch. Jaeyoung has his Sangwoo Smile on his face, the one that’s so wide it has to hurt, eyes crinkled in pure delight. They’ve grown closer the past few weeks, guards/defenses inching down, and so Jaeyoung warns Sangwoo, “I’m going to touch you now,” and lays a surprisingly gentle arm over Sangwoo’s shoulders.

To his surprise, Sangwoo doesn’t shake him off. Instead, he leans into Jaeyoung’s warmth– just a little but Jaeyoung, of course, notices. Something in him growls, protectively, happily, at the action.

Sangwoo doesn’t notice the stares as he and Jaeyoung make their way across campus. He knows he aced his quiz but a headache is building behind his eyes, a dull ache starting up in his middle. Typical preheat symptoms but still annoying. It’s cloudy, wind chilly, and he shivers deeper into Jaeyoung’s side, sleeves covering his hands and arms wrapped around his middle.

Jaeyoung looks down, frowning. Sangwoo looks even smaller like this and it’s adorable but unlike him. Looking closer, he sees a flush on Sangwoo’s cheeks.

“Sangwoo,” he asks, “Are you feeling okay?”

Sangwoo shrugs and explains matter-of-factly that his preheat has started.

Jaeyoung’s eyes widen though Sangwoo doesn’t see his reaction.

Jaeyoung isn’t sure what he’s feeling– there’s surprise, that Sangwoo just admitted his heat was right around the corner. He doesn’t know why, but Jaeyoung thought he’d be shy about it. There’s his baser reaction which he isn’t necessarily proud of but can admit, at least to himself– he has the immediate desire to be Sangwoo’s heat partner. Jaeyoung has a need to see what Sangwoo is like during his heat– is he as demanding as he is regularly or does it turn into neediness, edges softened?

Jaeyoung would like whatever way Sangwoo acts during his heat, he knows, but his curiosity is suddenly ignited like a wildfire. And yes, there’s the sudden visions of Sangwoo under him, eyes blurred with want.

But Jaeyoung’s also driven with a need to protect, to care for– and it’s this that he acts on. He steers Sangwoo off campus after asking when his heat will hit in earnest and Sangwoo replying the morning. It’s lunchtime now and Jaeyoung takes Sangwoo to a nearby restaurant.

Sangwoo doesn’t display his usual stubbornness, prickly exterior melting into something more agreeable as he seems willing enough to let Jaeyoung lead the way. It’s a nice change of pace, Jaeyoung can admit, but he knows he’d miss Sangwoo’s mulishness if this was how it always was lol.

They sit at a small table in the corner and Jaeyoung knows the ahjumma who runs the place. She coos over Sangwoo and Jaeyoung’s surprised, again, when Sangwoo lets her.

She returns with hearty portions and teases them both– something about Jaeyoung finding the cutest omega in Seoul or telling Sangwoo that if Jaeyoung proves to be a useless alpha to let her know and she’ll straighten him up.

The food is hot and smells delicious and Jaeyoung doesn’t even think before he reaches for the first mandu and lifts it up to Sangwoo’s mouth. Sangwoo, for his part, does spare a moment to think about shoving Jaeyoung away. 

He rolls his eyes internally, thinks of Jaeyoung as an overzealous alpha– just because he knows he’s in preheat doesn’t mean he has to feed him what is this, the joseon era– but Sangwoo’s omega is closer to the surface than usual and all he really feels after a pinprick of annoyance is warmth. He feels a little miserable and he trusts this alpha– like him too, he can admit to himself if not aloud yet– and he accepts the bite of food from Jaeyoung’s chopsticks.

Jaeyoung’s lips part in surprise at Sangwoo’s easy acquiescence. His alpha and him watch Sangwoo chew carefully, pride and satisfaction in his eyes. The meal continues like that– Jaeyoung feeding Sangwoo the best pieces of chicken, the crispest bites of vegetables– until Sangwoo finally waves him away, full.

Jaeyoung swiftly finishes the meal off and it’s only when the check comes that a hint of Sangwoo’s usual snappishness reappears. He insists on paying, then at least paying half, but Jaeyoung doesn’t have any of it.

Sangwoo rolls his eyes at Jaeyoung being an annoying alpha but Jaeyoung doesn’t pay it any attention, just returning his arm to where it was resting over Sangwoo’s shoulders as he guides them out of the restaurant with a cheery wave to the ahjumma.

They makes small talk on the way back to their apartment building about a new movie or the upcoming deadline for Veggie Venturer. Sangwoo doesn’t even notice until they’re at his door that Jaeyoung had carried his backpack from the restaurant.

At Sangwoo’s door, Jaeyoung finds it even more difficult than usual to turn to his own door and leave Sangwoo. Sangwoo’s leaning against his door and Jaeyoung stands just in front of him.

They watch each other for a moment and Sangwoo has an urge to ask Jaeyoung something but it’s foolish, too much he knows. But still he wants it and so does his omega. His usual defenses are softened by preheat and by Jang Jaeyoung. He’s already learned that’s a devastating combination.

“Hyung,” he asks voice quiet and unsure.

Jaeyoung hums, eyes flitting from the fullness of Jaeyoung’s cheeks, to the way his hoodie sleeves completely cover Sangwoo’s hands. It’s too soon, Jaeyoung thinks, to look at Sangwoo and see him as mine.

“Will you scent me?”

That was not what Jaeyoung was expecting and his gaze snaps up to meet Sangwoo’s even as his alpha preens.

It’s not even a question and Jaeyoung hates the way Sangwoo’s gaze is shadowed with uncertainty, a hint of insecurity. It’s the first time he’s ever seen that look on Sangwoo and he never wants to see it again– displeased that it’s this question that would bring it out, like Jaeyoung wouldn’t love to, like he isn’t fighting the urge to immediately bury his face in Sangwoo’s neck.

He leans down and watches enraptured as the flush on Sangwoo’s cheek grows deeper. “Are you sure, Sangwoo? If this is the preheat talking, if you wouldn’t ask otherwise–”

“I’m sure,” comes Sangwoo’s voice, quiet but sure. He bites his lip, looking away. “I don’t know what it’s like for other omegas but I don’t– I’m still in possession of all my faculties. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want it.”

Jaeyoung is still for a moment before exhaling. He smiles, something softer than his usual smirking grin. “Then I’d love to, Sangwoo-ah.”

He goes to lean down just to be stopped by Sangwoo’s hand on his chest. Confused, Sangwoo just shakes his head and gestures to his door. “Not out here, hyung. It isn’t decent.”

Jaeyoung’s nodding along distractedly before the words catch up and he steels himself.

Because seeing a Sangwoo in preheat is a lot. Being asked to scent Sangwoo makes his head spin. But getting to scent Sangwoo in Sangwoo’s apartment– did he mention he’s in preheat? Omegas are notoriously protective of their spaces when they’re in heat and Jaeyoung knows the simple fact of Sangwoo asking him to scent him should have been clue enough but Sangwoo inviting him in, sends his heart skyrocketing.

As soon as the door opens, Jaeyoung inhales sharply. It isn’t overwhelming but it’s present– Sangwoo’s scent is deeper. Nothing like it will be during actual heat but the hint is there, something headier in the usual mouthwatering scent that Jaeyoung has only caught once.

Sangwoo closes the door, leaning against it again, this time inside the apartment. He peels the scent blocker off with little fuss, stuffing it in his pocket. He then reaches out, wraps careful fingers in the soft material of Jaeyoung’s sweater and pulls him closer, gently, like he’s afraid Jaeyoung doesn’t really want to come.

How preposterous, Jaeyoung thinks.

Before he can even open his mouth, Sangwoo is offering, “You can touch me, hyung,” and Jaeyoung spares a moment to wonder how he’s going to survive this.

Slowly, Jaeyoung wraps an arm low around Sangwoo’s back, stepping closer. He leans down and Sangwoo’s scent makes him dizzy already. It’s sweet, calm, and Jaeyoung has the overwhelming need to let it soak into him, wants to cover it with his own scent and see how they mingle. It’s made all the better by the fact that Sangwoo clearly wants this, too, that he asked Jaeyoung for his scent– that he wants Jaeyoung’s scent on him, at all but during his heat.

He can’t help the quiet grumble as his nose makes contact with Sangwoo’s neck. He takes his time, carefully presses against Sangwoo’s scent gland, and thanks to how close they are, Jaeyoung can feel Sangwoo melt into him.

Sangwoo tilts his neck to give him easier access and Jaeyoung lets loose a little more, touch firming up, incessant. He can smell the way his own scent intertwines with Sangwoo’s– something fresh and bright.

It takes him a moment to clue in but Sangwoo’s started purring, a hand lifted into Jaeyoung hair to keep him in place like Jaeyoung would want to be anywhere except right here, mind clouding over with Sangwoo’s scent.

They lose track of time but eventually Jaeyoung pulls back, dazed, just to see Sangwoo looking like he’s about to melt into the floor, pliant and soft.

“Thank you, hyung.”

Jaeyoung’s voice is low, hoarse. “Anytime, Sangwoo.”

Jaeyoung leaves just a few minutes later, taken aback but not at all unhappy when Sangwoo suddenly calls out and darts up to kiss his cheek before slamming the door in his face.

The weekend is torturous knowing Sangwoo’s in heat on the other side of the wall they share. He leaves food for him outside and tries to focus on a project he’s working on with Yuna.

It’s early the next week before he sees Sangwoo, who comes bearing a tray of brownies he made to thank Jaeyoung. And Jaeyoung doesn’t know it yet but Sangwoo baked them at the tail-end of his heat, still clearheaded but mind a little gooey at the edges. His focus at the time– the entire duration of his heat, really– had been Jaeyoung. He’d wanted to give Jaeyoung something, made with his own hands. He watches, more anxious than he lets on, as Jaeyoung’s obviously delighted by the unexpected treat. He immediately tries one and moans at how good it is, his usual goofball self. Sangwoo scoffs at his dramatic reaction but inside, his omega is deeply satisfied.

Jaeyoung starts courting Sangwoo a bit more overtly– really, he’d been doing it since the beginning, though he hadn’t realized. Again, this is pure fluff so a lot of his “revenge” was him backwards courting Sangwoo lmao.

Moving on, the first time Sangwoo lets Jaeyoung into his nest has got to be A Moment. Maybe it’s late at night and they just finished working on Veggie Venturer. They’re a couple in all but name only– Sangwoo has accepted all of Jaeyoung’s courting, though he might not necessarily realize it!! He wears Jaeyoung’s clothes, accepts his gifts, enjoys their time together in the same bone-deep way Jaeyoung does. Jaeyoung, for his part, is just content to take it at Sangwoo’s pace and take what he’s given. He knows the path they’re on and he’s in no particular rush as long as they heading the right way.

So it’s late at night and Sangwoo is tired and leaning against Jaeyoung from where they’re sitting on his couch. He says it’s time to rest and Jaeyoung rouses himself to head home but Sangwoo stops him, asks if he wants to spend the night.

Exhausted, Jaeyoung says sure, assuming he’ll be on the couch but then Sangwoo takes his hand and starts leading him into his bedroom and Jaeyoung can’t believe it. Suddenly wide awake, Sangwoo turns him toward the bathroom to get ready and he does in a daze. When he comes out, Sangwoo’s in bed– no, in his nest, and Jaeyoung’s heart simultaneously turns over and goes into overdrive.

The nest is surprisingly full, though maybe Jaeyoung should finally stop being so surprised at evidence that Sangwoo indulges happily in his omega nature.

Just in a tshirt and boxers, Jaeyoung stands next to the bed, unsure. It’s wellknown that absolutely no one is to enter an omega’s nest without their permission and sure, Sangwoo said he could sleep in his bed but what if he’s changed his mind–

His thoughts splinter when Sangwoo looks over his shoulder. “What are you waiting for, hyung?”

And, well, okay.

Gently, Jaeyoung climbs into Sangwoo’s nest. And fuck, if he thought Sangwoo’s scent was overwhelming before, it’s nothing to this. Sangwoo’s scent is concentrated deep into the blankets, surrounding them, and Jaeyoung feels lightheaded.

He lays down, breath shuddering as Sangwoo wiggles back into him, as he takes Jaeyoung’s arm and lays it over his waist.

Jaeyoung’s overwhelmed but still so exhausted and he falls asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Sangwoo wakes up with his head on Jaeyoung’s chest and, still mostly asleep, finds himself searching for Jaeyoung’s scent gland. Jaeyoung’s scent mingled with his, in his nest, makes Sangwoo purr with satisfaction.

He never really understood when omegas talked about how satisfying it was to find a partner and figured it was just biological compatibility. Sangwoo feels that it’s more than that, though, that he does get it now. It makes his omega feel safe and warm. It makes Sangwoo happy. And it’s illogical and too fast but Sangwoo knows that his omega and him are starting to consider Jaeyoung his mate. Not now, but eventually.

Still half asleep, Sangwoo shifts until he can bury his nose in Jaeyoung’s scent and Jaeyoung wakes up to his omega, his Sangwoo, scenting him. He’s happy, giddy with the thought that Sangwoo is staking a claim on him, finally. That might not be his goal or even on his radar but it is undeniably a fact.

I might imagine that this is their first kiss– or first time depending on how the relationship has progressed to this point.

Then we get into Sangwoo’s heat (so this fic takes place over maybe 8 months?) and I’ll HC that this time around, Sangwoo asks Jaeyoung to be his partner and Jaeyoung absolutely melts. It turns out that Sangwoo is very soft and needy– not demanding at all, just very pliant. It’s also, like I said in the beginning, not just sexual. The sex they do have is very slow and gentle and overwhelming but they spend just as much time just being together– they cook dinner together, watch a movie with Jaeyoung’s head resting on Sangwoo’s stomach, making out with Sangwoo in Jaeyoung’s lap. Jaeyoung has a thing for marking Sangwoo and when they’re knotted together, they’re both so happy and giggling as they talk, Sangwoo surprisingly rambling about some silly topic and Jaeyoung so, so found as he listens.

And then, of course, there’s an epilogue with them mating and Sangwoo pregnant and them having kids <3 literally just all the fun fluff parts of an omegaverse AU I literally think it would fit them so, so well!!!!

[bunnylovesani]

I know you said that you want to move on from this, but I have to tell you my thoughts because I can’t stop thinking about all of this.

I am a content creator as well, and I write for Anakin. I have been writing for various characters from various shows for years on here, and nothing - nothing - is more toxic than this fandom right now.

From everything I’ve witnessed, I can only attribute it to one person. Indy.

Unfortunately he cannot be helped because of how vain he is, which aren’t even my words. They are his. And it would be fine, if he just left other people alone.

But indy is a bully. A big bully. He polices this whole fandom like he’s got nothing better to do at all. And I’m so sick of it. It makes me and other creators feel like we have to walk on eggshells when we post on here (thus why I am anon. Because god forbid indy sees this, and his little squad of bitter rejects try to ‘cancel’ me too - which, don’t even get me started on cancel culture).

Indy has been called out for creating things before that other people don’t like. His advice? “Just block, don’t read, keep scrolling.” How fucking hard is it to practice what you preach, rather than dragging a new person through the mud each week?

Not to mention, that shit indy was spewing a few weeks back about “not liking how other creators are writing about Anakin because it’s not correct” ? “Be careful with my toy?” “I’m taking him back until you can learn how to handle him correctly?” What kind of entitlement let’s him believe Anakin is HIS to write for only. Anakin is not his idea. He is not his toy. He is George Lucas’s idea that EVERYONE can enjoy, and play with.

And his opinion is not the only correct one out there. I don’t care how much “character studying” he’s done, he can be wrong. Other people can “character study” and come up with completely different conclusions about Anakin. And he can also just let people write what they want to write. Don’t like it? Block, don’t read, keep scrolling. Stop fucking posting about it and laying claim to something that was never his to begin with.

I tried to support indy, because again, he is a phenomenal writer. but he’s way too problematic. It makes me sick seeing his name pop up on my feed, cause that blog literally emits toxic energy.

I am sorry he sunk his claws into you.

Anyways, this isn’t about indy. He was told it was a private matter so he had no reason to butt his big head in anyway. This is about you and Ava.

While Ava may have written an Anakin stalker au, she DOES NOT own it. Nobody own that. Cause nobody owns the ideas of stalkers, and nobody owns the idea of Anakin except GL and Disney. Your work does not resemble hers even slightly. And whose to say someone else hasn’t already written that au in the past? Maybe it’s buried somewhere in tumblr’s vaults. Do they own that idea? Should you dig through years of posts and credit them somehow?

The whole idea is ridiculous. You credit people for their original ideas if you are inspired by them and have permission to use it. You do not need to ask permission or credit something that belongs to everyone.

I could start writing about, I don’t know, firefighter!anakin right now - do I then OWN that au?

Fuck no!

We are all here for the same reason. To write fake scenarios about fake people. Of course, don’t blatantly steal peoples words and ORIGINAL ideas, but the fact that people are spouting all this bullshit about OWNING these common au-ideas now is crazy. Unless you’ve done some kind of world-building or OC-creating, that shit is not original. It’s been done before and it will be done again. Cry about it.

Now let’s bring the linecook Anakin au into consideration. How is it fair that Tilly can write about it, not credit anyone, and get away scotch free? Why didn’t she get called out like you did?

Granted she took it down, but I still think it’s horseshit. Nobody owns that idea. I’ve seen it used for so many different characters on various platforms. She did not have to take it down for some bullshit law indy place on this fandom.

I really am saddened that so many people got dragged into this. Ava left; an amazing content creator. Tilly deleted her work; also an amazing creator. And indy continues to show his true colors; an entitled asshole who can’t let anyone breathe on here.

I want to go back to when this shit was enjoyable. Now all I see on my feed is people throwing each other around because no one can play nice anymore.

Don’t steal peoples ideas. But don’t claim ideas as your own if they are NOT original.

I am on your side bunny. I think you’ve made some very good points, and I commend you for keeping your work up and for standing up for yourself.

At the end of the day, you are a victim of circumstance. I truly just think people need to stop dick riding indy. And I know if he ever sees this, he’ll try to make some witty comeback that only halfway makes sense. he always sounds so defensive when he tries too hard to make it seem like he doesn’t care. He probably cries himself to sleep over these things. I think he needs that.

DAMN ANON. Wish I knew who you were so I could kiss you.

I second everything you’ve said. Blocking me without giving me the chance to respond or explain to a public post made about me was very high and mighty as well as cowardly of him.

I don’t have much more to add since I said I was done talking but I’m gonna post this masterpiece so others can read it.

Seriously thank you for taking the time to write this out and share your valuable thoughts, much love ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

[sweetshelluvaau]

wait when was fizz ooc /gen

like tbf we didnt know a lot about him off-stage before oops so even tho he wasnt what he expected i wouldnt necessarily say it was ooc

same for ozzie

Maybe ooc isn't exactly the right term (at least in Oops case, the Mammon episode, oh he was completely ooc imho. I explained my thoughts about this here) more than how the narrative has everyone in the show be like 'isn't Stolas great?' and just defending him like Fizz you barely even know the guy! That or the writers fear that they can't write an abuse victim which happens to also be a horrible person. They have to be the 'prefect victim'. They took Fizz's bite away in the Mammon episode where he couldn't stand up for himself let alone have these insecurities he didn't have before out of no where?

Fizz not being able to protect himself physically? Okay I can buy that he's not a fighter. Fizz walking on eggshells around Mammon? Completely understandable being he's both his idol and his boss. But I'm sorry he wouldn't have sit there and take Glitz and Glam insults without snapping back? He'd also chew out that obsessed fan as well (which would also show how he grew from a timid teenager to a Snarky Shit). Yeah he may get a word from Mr. Christmas Tree after for the fan thing, but with G&G? C'mon, a little drama is great entertainment Mammon would eat that shit up if it means more view and money.

However with the case of Oz: He was written as if he was a complete idiot just to make Stolas look better in Oops. Yeah thankfully he didn't kiss Stolas' ass and seems to not like the guy (and I know Viv is gonna recon that in the future because god forbid we have a character that isn't a villain not like Stolas) but the whole thing with the lawyer and and Ozzie making really rash decisions (I mean yes he's hot headed but he's not stupid) and really Stolas NOT needing to be there.

Also saw someone in the critical tag mention this today: I'm sorry, Ozzie would sense something is up with Stolas and his 'feelings' for Blitzo. We had this ham fisted consent speech that went over owl boys head and you're telling me a man who's lived for thousands of years and has most likely dealt with some of the worst of humanity and demons Earth and Hell have to offer isn't gonna sense any red flags? And considering how much he hates people like Mammon, I'm sure plenty of the Ars Goetia aren't any better.

In other words Ozzie could smell bullshit from a mile away.

Also I'm ranting about this again for the hundredth time but Ozzie wouldn't sit around listening to some lawyer, he'd go to rescue Fizz himself. The guy can teleport anyways so I'm sure he can easily sneak into Crimson's compound and lay down the smack down like it's no one business because he's a SIn for crying out loud! And maybe after seeing Blitzo keeping Fizz safe and having that conversation with Stolas, Oz would likely just give Blitzo the crystal as a thank you suppose to giving to Stolas to give it Blitzo being again, he's picking up bad vibes.

That or have Fizz deliver it at a later date. After all, it was Fizz who said he 'earned it' and who's word do you think Ozzie is going to take to heart? It sure ain't Hooters.

That being said I'd also blame the fact that the same character can act one way in another episode and then have a completely different personality in the next if it means fitting the narrative. No one character is consistent and can change if it means making a character look better or again, fits the narrative of that said episode. What did they have some character development the last few episodes ago? Never mind that we're back to their old self or better yet, they have a completely new personality all together the fuck?

Honestly, I'm kinda drained from making the same agreements all time. All I wanted was a silly demon show about some silly demon assassins, not whatever the fuck we got now. At this point I just want to focus mostly my AU and other projects.