#because like. i ALREADY felt guilty about that

[hxrsheykisses]

Hi again Hershey!!! I absolutely LOVED how you wrote my last request abt the hopeless romantic! reader!!! Sorry if this is abrupt, but I wanted to know if you could write about the ETC boys accidentally coming across a love letter addressed to them from the reader?

Like—they would see a letter on the reader’s desk at school, get curious and open it, only to discover that it’s the reader confessing their feelings!!!

It sounded cute in my head ^///^

Anyways!! Take your time writing this and I hope you’re having a good day!!! ^3^

I’m so glad you liked it!! That request was honestly really fun to do and I enjoyed it’ It was honestly so sweet♥️♥️♥️ Rhank you again for requesting!!

It’s been a good couple of weeks after the boys countless attempts at wooing you over and trying to get you to realize what you’re needing is RIGHT here in front of you. But they were losing so much hope because their efforts arent working! It wasn’t you be ungrateful, they know that (hopefully). It’s just that it’s such a shame that you struggle to see it.

One day, at school, the boys always had a routine of walking you to class together. You shared some classes with them and others not so that was the routine. They also waited outside of your class after dismissal.

However, your class was already empty and you weren’t in there—just your stuff at your desk. They were confused as to why you weren’t there anymore since you never leave your class without them. They gave each other some confused looks before making their way to your seat where all of your stuff was laid out. But their eyes caught on a discarded letter and a pencil beside it—which sparked them to be snoopy…

As they took the note from the envelope, they felt their world come to a COMPLETE stop.

BILL’S ROUTE

Bill never felt so high off of cloud 9 before when he snatched the note, reading every word that was neatly written on the piece of paper, his heart skipping with each word.

He would lowkey brag on his friends about it, saying how you are so into him. He claimed proudly that his efforts made through while there’s didn’t. He had finally got you where he wanted you and that’s all that truly matters right now.

He would tease you as well, waving your love letter in the air—saying how he humbly accepts your confession before dragging you away and leaving his friends behind in their sorrows.

JERRY’S ROUTE

Jerry was in utter shock, staring with his jaw dropped as he got finished reading the letter. He ignored his friends groans and complaints as he reread the note over and over and over again. Oh, he just couldn’t believe that you had chosen him.

He would tried to comfort his friends, saying how it wasn’t serious and how it’ll be okay. But they weren’t exactly having it, leaving Jerry feeling a little bit guilty but he still was happy that you had chosen him. Deep down, he believed that his friends wouldn’t treat you like how he would.

Jerry would force his friends to keep the fact that they snooped through your belongings a secret, begging them. He didn’t want you to change your mind about him so he told you the truth on his own terms, he was really anxious about the confession and he apologized. But he’s happy that he won you over!

PETE’s ROUTE

As soon as he saw that the letter was directed towards him, he just went all the way to 100 REAL quick. This boy was literally doing cartwheels around the classroom because he knew that he had won your heart. He is also very braggy to his friends, shoving the middle finger in their face, and other crap. Like he’s so freaking stupid at that moment.

Pete wouldn’t hide the fact that they did in fact were nosy with your items, that wasn’t on his mind when he saw you walking into the classroom. He was just so enthusiastic about being your beloved boyfriend because who wouldn’t? He’ll be a pretty decent boyfriend to you anyway—I mean he proved it to you while he was trying to win you over!

A day never goes by without Pete telling his friends ALLLL about you. He knows that they are pissed and jealous and shit but he doesn’t care. All he knows is that he has fine shyt by his side so nothing else matters💔

JOSH’S ROUTE

Josh shoving EVERYONE out of the way once he saw his name written. He would wave the letter in the air while loudly announcing how his friends are pathetic ass losers who can’t pull any girls and how he basically won the lottery. He’s laughing in their faces while Bill lowkey starts cussing him out (which he pays no mind too)

I swear bro Bill will try to fuck Josh over by loudly shouting at you about how Josh was snooping through your shit to somehow make you reconsider. You don’t. You scolded Josh for a bit, and the others before letting Josh give you a giant bear hug! After, he walked you home—leaving the boys in the dust.

He loves poking a shit ton of fun at Bill because he’s last resort was so desperate that it’s laughable. He made a fool out of himself! This will most likely have Josh kicked out of the club for a day but during that “off” day, he just spent his day with you because who cares about what that dipshit thinks or does?

[cute-firelight]

I liked Caitvi in Season 2.

That said, that doesn’t mean I think their development is perfect.

For me what failed and felt kinda underwhelming was how the reuniting was done. It felt like as nothing had happened and they were like: oh! Well, You are here. And also Cait hiting Vi there again was not ok after what had happened. Like, that reuniting would have worked if the separation between them was less dramatic.

But for me, the rest of the development was handled very well and compensated that (the wording here is critical: FOR ME, if for other people is not enough is fine).

I liked the rawness of the impulsivity of what Caitlyn did, because honestly Cait was sooo bad but in general all their interactions after the bombing were really one sided from Caitlyn’s part, things were wrong since the start. The hit was just the culmination of all of it.

She convinced Vi to join the enforcers even with how hard was for her, then Vi begs her not to change, clinging to how Cait used to be when they met; but she now was in a complete another headspace.

You know, in the past I had a pretty bad moment psychologically, where my personality changed a lot. I felt like a genuine monster, I am not kidding. I never hit anyone but my behaviour still was totally not ok with my bf. I went to therapy, my boyfriend supported me and understood me, for my surprise, and now we have a very healthy relationship where I am a very supportive partner and we are both very happy with each other. It was all originated form insecurities and trauma, and because of that experience I can understand that ironically Cait felt powerless at that moment.

My interpretation of it is: she felt that the suit was big for her, but she had to wear it anyway to solve her mistake. In this mindstate she forces Vi to be an enforcer because she thinks is the same she is doing: wearing a suit she doesn’t want, and even if she doesn’t feel like it, because the situation requires to. Her dad did a hideous job at making her feel more guilty and more obligated to answer to it. Ofc I know you will say: but Vi’s trauma with enforcers is different than Cait’s with her mother and yes that is true. But is part of Cait blindness to the situation because of her mental state.

Then, Vi becomes an enforcer because she feels pressured to (this also probably needed a little bit of more showing and justification but I don’t see it unlikely).

They are hunting people with gas and all what it takes to solve everything is Cait to capture Jynx, this is a lot of pressure, she is dealing with the duel and everything at the same time. That moment of weakness and aggression from Cait was framed in a very specific situation when all the things that were pressuring her collapsed in one instant. Yes, her hitting embodied that privilege, and brutality but wasn’t that what they were already doing? I feel that is kinda the point? Cait there was perpetuating the system in where she was in by trying to hunt Jynx and by making all this gassing and stuff, and she felt forced to do it because of duty and guilt, and also that made her feel powered against her pain. Idk I liked that they dared to be so raw and harsh. (Basically, what I want to say here is that what you said about not being just a normal betrayal but a symbolism of their privilege difference and oppression I think that this was intentionally intended, I don’t understand the American lens comment bc I am not from the US)

What I would change of that scene maybe is the way the hit was done, because honestly the first time I watched I thought that she had broken a rib and let Vi injured. Sooo, maybe, not having Cait hit Vi at all and just to push her away and run. Then Vi would try to run after Cait again and in that moment Cait would threaten to hit Vi with the gun, then Vi would froze because that would remind her of her trauma and Cait would tell her about not wanting to see her again or hate her or something and to take the chance and run away (this scene could work both if the hit happens or not).

I wouldn’t rate her dark ark/redemption as perfect. Those are very very difficult to do but is not the worse I have seen. Again, if for you was enough or not is something more personal in my opinion.

Lastly, the ending of their arc makes a lot of sense. Cait said: fuck it. If she releases Jynx I don’t care, is not only Jynx’s fault but also my fault because I also couldn’t handle the situation between us properly. If there are more consequences I will face them.

Ambessa was a bigger threat than Jynx and I made her grow and she made the conflict worse. So basically: we both are the same. Cait trusted Vi’s judgement, something she didn’t do at the beginning by being super patronizing and saying how wrong she was, what was right to choose for her to do etc.. here she acknowledges Vi’s agency and lets her choose, with that Vi sees that the Caitlyn she fell for was still there. Caitlyn in general was very humbled down by the entire situation and she got to really grasp the power behind her privilege and how she affected things for the worse being even worse than Jynx in terms of consequences.

I want to say here, that I think that a lot of people wouldn’t have forgiven Cait, and that is valid. But Vi’s personality is like that. I think she is a person that is forgiving by nature, and she also has done terribly bad mistakes and this is why she forgives her. I know this would be less polemic if they were equals and that the show’s handling of inequality could have been way better. But I still liked it. I think their relationship will always have this inequality element ingrained with it; but the value of it is that they are able to see who each of them are beyond that. Also, I don’t see their relationship perfect after everything ended. I think that they still are going to need a lot of work to build a relationship.

Is sad that they didn’t let the writers of S1 be here as well, because I think that it would have helped to have more opinions of ways that some of the scenes could have been interpreted and dissected, besides the way they intended and I think that very small modifications to all of it would have improved it a lot. Because honestly the base of all of it is pretty solid and I feel that most people grudges about it are for details that feel too much or are out of place.

I feel that fans that defend Cait’s actions are also not ok, because the point of Cait’s arc is that is a dark arc. Characters that make mistakes are the ones that make a good dramatic story about how everyone’s context determine the way they act and how no matter how they try they can’t undo it. This traces back to Season 1 themes as well and is clear it was intended since the start. The execution and delivery are the reasons why it doesn’t work for everyone in my opinion.

for my own sanity, i try to stay away from caitvi discourse, but it’s truly baffling that some people still actively defend caitlyn hitting vi and are "dumbfounded" that it is enough for people to stop shipping them and voice their discontent about their relationship in s2.

one of the most common and dumb defenses i’ve seen is that caitlyn only hit vi once, as if the frequency of the act changes its nature. even a single instance of violence is still violence. highlighting that it happened only once does not negate its significance. it still happened, and it still matters. really, it's simple ...

but the dumbest attempt to defend this moment is comparing caitvi to other ships in arcane, when no other relationship in the series has a similar dynamic. in other pairings that involve physical conflict, both characters fight back or retaliate in some way, whether it’s jinx and ekko, viktor and jayce, or even vander and silco. but caitlyn hitting vi is entirely one-sided. vi does not hit back, and it is not framed as a fight. this moment is not a confrontation between equals but an instance of caitlyn exerting power over vi, someone who has already been through a lot of trauma (years of imprisonment and being beaten by enforcers), which caitlyn is very aware of.

but that’s if you watch arcane as a whole and not just for the relationship, because caitlyn hitting vi is a moment charged with systemic inequality. caitlyn represents the very institution that destroyed vi’s life. when she strikes her, it's not just an individual betrayal, it echoes the violence of an entire system that has oppressed zaunites for generations. it’s impossible to disregard that the historical and social power imbalance makes the scene feel so disturbing if you actually watch the show with your eyes open.

and it’s a major red flag. for caitlyn to hit vi, knowing what she has been through, is not just an act of violence but one that disregards the weight of vi’s suffering. she fails to see vi fully, not just as somebody willing to help her, a potential partner, or a fighter, but as someone wounded by her past.

also, i take back what i said about the dumbest attempt to defend this scene being comparing caitvi to other ships. the dumbest one is when people minimize caitlyn's action by defending the enforcers in general ... because no, the idea that the backlash against caitlyn hitting vi in arcane is simply a matter of an “american lens” is dumb asf. a lot of what's in the show mirrors the kind of systemic violence seen in many parts of the world, not just in the usa. y'all are not exceptional. class struggles, institutionalized oppression, and the abuse of power by those who hold privilege aren't exclusive to america. please wake up. these are themes that transcend national and cultural boundaries. vi’s trauma from imprisonment is not an american experience alone. the psychological and physical toll of being incarcerated is universal. how dumb do you have to be to actually think otherwise?

anyway, even if i don’t like that arcane didn’t frame caitlyn’s action as a serious issue and that it is treated as just another moment in their relationship, the willingness to ignore or rationalize it says more about the fandom’s biases than the actual content of the show imo ...

[berryeemmy]

hello!! can you make a fic for overwhelmedreader! at a party with Rafe? where she's anxious and Rafe reassures that he'll her home while Kelce and Topper tease him. But he still soothes her and takes her home even though she feels guilty!!

you can do whatever this is just a small idea, thank you❤️❤️ i love your blog!

Oh my goodness yes!! I am so happy your like my first real ask!!! I hope you like it! Thank you so much love💕

The music was too loud, the air was too thick with the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke. Bodies of people you didn’t even know were pushing and shoving you by accident. All the colors from the lights along with the shouting was just too much for you to handle.

The only reason you even came to this stupid party was because Rafe asked you too. No begged you too. Or maybe it was because, for once, you wanted to fit into his world of adventure and wild parties. But now, standing in the corner with your arms wrapped around yourself tightly while Rafe went to go get a drink with Top and Kelce, you felt like you were suffocating.

Rafe and the guys had been walking back to you from getting another beer in the kitchen, when Rafe saw the familiar look on your face. The look you got when you were overwhelmed. Originally he was laughing with Topper about something funny he said, but once he saw that look. It all came to a halt.

“Hey,” Rafe’s voice cut through the noise, distracting you for a moment. He put his hands on your waist, his touch comforting.

“You okay?” He asks so only you could hear.

You shake your head biting down on your lip softly.

“Baby what’s wrong. You gotta tell me what’s wrong.” He says, his voice softer then ever before.

You swallowed hard, “j-just wanna go h-home..” you whisper on the verge of tears.

Rafe’s expression quickly changed to one of worry.

“Hey hey hey, there’s no need to cry baby its okay, i’ll take you home. My girl just feeling overwhelmed yeah?” He says quickly. He didn’t wanna question it. That was for later.

You nod quickly as a tear falls down you cheek, mascara running along with it.

And that’s when Topper and Kelce decided they want to make their appearance known again.

“Dude, you’re leaving already?” Kelce scoffed.

Topper rolled his eyes and slightly nudged Rafe on the shoulder. “Man you’re pussy whipped.”

Rafe scoffed, just like Kelce. “Leave me alone. My girl tells me she wants to go home we’re going home okay?” He says his voice sharp like a knife. And with that, Rafe’s already guiding you out of the house and into the front yard, where he had parked his truck earlier.

As he opened the door for you to get into the passenger seat, a wave of guilt hits you.

Rafe gets into the driver side, when he notices more tears falling down your face.

“Baby why you still crying huh? Its okay, your safe in the car now.” He says while leaning over to cup your cheek softly.

“I feel bad, you were obviously having a good time a-and i just ruined it.” You sniffle.

“Pretty girl, you didn’t ruin anything. I don’t care about Topper and Kelce, or having fun. I care about you. My baby. Not anything else, mkay?” He says firmly but still somehow gentle.

You couldn’t help but feel relief, like a weight had been taken off your shoulders as he said those words. So you nodded “okay..” you whisper. “I love you.”

“I love you too baby, now lets go home.” He muttered giving you a quick kiss.

[fantasybuff3186]

Daddycop thoughts

So I didnt make posts about the s6 episodes and well I didnt intend to because thats not what I do here but Daddycop was such a great episode I had to talk about it because gosh I am in love. So much development for more than one character in one episode and I adore it so lets go, obviously spoilers below.

To start of I love that they addressed Sabrina's sadness over chloe leaving and to see that scene where shes watching the stuff chloe posts. Its nice to see that the sadness she would undoubtedly have felt was addressed. It was also really nice to see the reactions of the rest of the group, they were slow to accept which makes so much sense. I also like that Sabrina took accountability and didnt expect instant forgiveness. Also Girl fought off Lila and like that is so huge!!!!!! I love that so much, she was guilty but she fought it off and I admire that about her so much. Sabrina is now one of my favourite characters along with Zoe and I love the development she got. Sabrina is not just a henchman anymore or related to Chloe and I am loving that so so much.

In general, I love this new direction miraculous is going aka where other characters are focused on, the writers are genuinely improving. This feels like a proper show now, not just Marinette's show and while I adore Marinette and really did not mind the Marinette focus earlier, its nice to see the other characters' develop. I am glad I stuck around. I also love Miss hound's new outfit and it shows her growth. Her new civillian design though well not really a fan but I can love with it I suppose. I still dont like it but I can live with it. Now onto Zoe

Zoe was a character I found sweet and I didn't mind her inclusion and was glad to see that she got the bee miraculous but before this episode, she was well just there. I love that focus on her liking Marinette but she honestly was pretty bland, a nice person but bland without much development. I guess there is that growth of her learning to be herself but it was one episode so not that impactful for me, but today well she's definitely my favourite.

Although in a way I feel like she sort of filled Marinette's role usually because Marinette is the one who usually gies above and beyond so while I do find her attempts to include Sabrina it did feel like Marinette again so that was odd. I still love Zoe and I love the focus she got but it feels a little odd seeing her pay attention and not Marinette, it feels like shes taking Marinette's place for some reason that she is well just a more measured Marinette without well the excitement and relatability of Marinette but the post credits scene, makes me really eager to see what they do. Shes not my top favourite character, but that return of someone from her past well I am invested and I cannot wait to see what happens.

I love Zoe but I'm hoping theres more differences other than Zoe being a calmer Marinette to well in a way make up for well Marinette struggling. Also in regards to Zoe's design I like her hair and the skirt is a great change and I'm really hoping they expand on Sabrina and Zoe's relationship. I want to see development in their relationship and perhaps a ship, though that is very much optional.

At the core though I really want to see more Zoe and Sabrina interactions. It would be nice to see Sabrina bond with the others too but I want Zoe to be the closest friend to Sabrina. Usually its Marinette who is everyone friend so this time I want to see Marinette not be the key player which she already isnt in this episode which I loved. Now onto Marinette, my absolute favourite character. well maybe more like Adrinette because well Marinette wasnt the focus in this episode.

Marinette is still Marinette and I love that so much, she wasnt the focus but seeing the subtle development and her just being Marinette well I love that for her. Honestly I dont have much to say for Marinette this episode except that I felt so bad for Sabrina. The Adrinette though, gosh its adorable and I love that so much they're just the sweetest and get sweeter with every episode. Also Adrien is just such a great boyfriend, like he said no to Marinette and he was so considerate about other people, in a way this just proves how essential Adrien is for Marinette, he grounds her and she needs that because its very obvious how lost in her head she gets and how she needs a reality check sometimes which he gives. Granted she didnt listen because she was too strung up on her plans but I love the attempt and Adrien firmly refusing. I really am growing to appreciate Adrien more.

I waited for them to get together, the Adrinette side and they finally are and I'm not being disappointed at all. Like they are my babies and I adore it. On that note, unpopular opinion but I actually like ladynoir platonically and its so much more of a joy watching them now. Miraculous just turned out the way I desired and I am so happy. I also really like that one of the final scenes was Adrinette and while people hate the changes, I kind of like it. Anyway I'm happy and cant wait for what comes next. Maybe I'll do a thoughts post on Werepapas too later who knows but yeah basically I would rate this episode 10/10.

Thank you for reading if you made it!

[ivyues]

Chasing Yesterday | 4 | - Bang Chan

Bang Chan x lost connection trainee friend

Years after splitting paths, Bang Chan didn't expect a simple text to bring an old friend – and old feelings – back into his life.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Chris showed up at your apartment, hoodie pulled over his messy curls, a laptop bag slung over his shoulder. His smile was a little sheepish, but his eyes – warm and bright despite the late hour – held that familiar glimmer of excitement.

“You really don’t get tired of me, do you?” you teased, stepping aside to let him in.

He smirked, toeing off his sneakers before stepping inside. “I think we’ve established that already. You’re the one who lets me in every time.”

You rolled your eyes, closing the door behind him. “Only because I know you’ll just sit outside like an abandoned puppy and text me until I give in.”

Chris chuckled as he made his way to the couch, dropping his bag onto the coffee table. “Guilty as charged. But, to be fair, this song still needs some magic.”

You crossed your arms, watching as he settled in, his usual studio determination already setting in.

“So, I’m the magic now?”

He glanced up at you, his expression softening just a little. “Yeah,” he said, as if the thought had only just dawned on him. “You kind of are.”

Your breath hitched, caught off guard by the honesty in his voice. He didn’t even seem to realize what he’d just admitted – he was already booting up his laptop, fingers drumming absently on the keyboard. But the words lingered in the space between you, making your heart stumble a little in its rhythm.

Clearing your throat, you walked over and plopped onto the couch beside him, feigning nonchalance as you laid your chin on his shoulder. “Alright, let’s see this masterpiece in progress.”

He pulled up the track, the familiar melody spilling softly through your speakers. It had evolved since the last time you heard it. It felt fuller, richer, but still had space to grow.

Chris glanced at you, watching your expression. “What do you think?”

“It’s getting there.” You closed your eyes, letting yourself sink in. “What made you change the chorus to make it so dramatic?”

He exhaled slowly, tilting his head as he thought. “It’s about... longing. That moment when you realize something's become a part of your life in a way you never expected. And now, you don’t want to imagine it without it.”

Your heart did a ridiculous little flip at his words, especially with the way he looked at you as he said them – like maybe this wasn’t just about the song.

You held his gaze, pulse thrumming in your ears. “Sounds personal.”

Chris gave a small, almost shy chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe.”

You smirked. “What's the lucky muse? Or who?"

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head as he turned towards his laptop, but not before you caught the slight flush creeping up his neck. “You’re impossible.”

“Am I wrong?” you pressed.

He sighed dramatically. “Do you want to work on this song or interrogate me?”

You grinned. “Can’t we do both?”

Chris groaned, throwing his head back against the couch, but he was smiling. “Unbelievable.”

For a moment, you just sat there, the playful tension hanging between you. Then, without really thinking, you reached out, brushing a stray curl from his forehead.

He froze, eyes flickering to yours, his breath catching ever so slightly.

Your fingers lingered just a second longer before you pulled back, suddenly aware of how close you were. His eyes hadn’t left your face, and in the quiet that followed, the atmosphere shifted – something softer, something heavier settling between you.

“You always do that,” he murmured.

You blinked. “Do what?”

“Mess with my head,” he admitted, voice quieter now. “Make me forget what I was doing.”

Your lips parted slightly, your own thoughts scattering at the weight in his gaze. “That’s not my fault,” you murmured. “You’re the one staring at me like that.”

His lips curled into a small, knowing smile. “Like what?”

“Like I’m the song you’ve been trying to finish.”

The air between you crackled, the space between you disappearing as he leaned in slightly. His hand came up, fingers brushing against your cheek.

And then he kissed you.

It wasn’t hesitant this time – not a question, but an answer. His lips met yours with quiet certainty, warm and lingering. You melted into him instantly, your fingers curling into the fabric of his hoodie as you pulled him closer.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, lost in the soft pull of lips and the warmth of his touch.

Eventually, you broke away, breathless but grinning, and pointed to the laptop. “Come on, we should actually work on this song before you distract me again.”

He huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “Pretty sure that’s reversed.”

You rolled your eyes but grabbed the headphones and microphone anyway. “Fine. Then let me do the demo for the lyrics I've written.”

Chris leaned back as you scrolled through the track. The melody played softly, and without thinking too much, you hummed along before softly starting to sing.

As soon as your voice filled the space, Chris went completely still.

You didn’t notice at first – you were too lost in the music, in the way the lyrics felt right now that they were being sung instead of just written. But when you finished, you glanced over at him, only to find him staring at you like you had just rewritten the laws of physics.

“What?” you asked, suddenly self-conscious.

His voice came out almost breathless. “I haven’t heard you sing since we were trainees.”

You blinked. “Oh. Yeah, I guess it’s been a while.”

His gaze softened as he slowly shook his head. “Your voice… it’s changed. It’s so much fuller now. You’ve grown into it.” His words hung in the air for a moment, and there was a quiet awe in his eyes that made your heart skip a beat. "It’s... beautiful."

The weight of his compliment settled in your chest, making you feel lighter, like a piece of yourself you hadn’t realized was missing had just been found. You couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the warmth in his eyes.

He leaned forward, his lips finding yours again, in a slow, tender kiss that felt like a quiet promise. There was no rush, no pushing – it was just him and you. Your breath caught in your throat as his hands found your waist, pulling you closer, and without thinking, you moved to straddle his lap.

His arms instantly wrapped around you, hands resting at the small of your back, holding you securely as the kiss deepened. You couldn’t remember when it happened, but somehow the distance between you had melted away, your bodies pressed together as the warmth of his hands on your skin made everything else fade into the background.

Chris broke the kiss with a soft gasp, his forehead resting against yours, his breath hot against your skin. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, full of raw emotion.

You smiled softly, fingers tracing the outline of his jaw.

He tilted his head, kissing you again, but this time there was something a little more desperate in it, something more urgent. You responded in kind, letting your hands slide to the back of his neck, tugging him closer as his lips moved against yours. You both fit together like this – entwined in a way that felt natural, as if it had been meant to be from the very beginning.

The track continued to softly play in the background, but neither of you paid attention anymore. The only sound was the soft shuffle of your movements as you clung to each other, the heat between you rising with each kiss.

Chris pulled back slightly, eyes dark with longing.

The next kiss was slow, deliberate, his lips moving with careful intention as his hands slid up your back, fingers tracing the line of your spine. You could feel the muscles in his arms tense as he held you, pulling you impossibly closer, until your chest was pressed against his. His heart beat in rhythm with yours, and the proximity felt dizzying.

You leaned back slightly, giving him a mischievous look. “You know, we should probably focus on the song, right?”

But the words came out teasingly, because the way he was looking at you – his eyes half-lidded, his mouth swollen from your kisses – made you not care about anything else.

Chris chuckled softly, his hands roaming to your hips, squeezing gently as he pulled you back in, lips brushing against yours. “The song can wait.”

The night stretched on in a comfortable haze of whispered conversations and lingering kisses, and before you knew it, the hour of the night had turned late. The soft glow of the room felt serene, but Chris let out a slow stretch before glancing at the time on his phone.

"Wow, it's really late," he said, voice low, almost in disbelief.

Eventually, exhaustion settled over both of you, and the pull of sleep became impossible to resist.

“Do you want to just stay over?” you asked hesitantly, glancing at him.

Chris looked at you for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he gave you a soft smile. “I mean I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything—”

You shook your head, a quiet laugh escaping your lips. “Chris, we’ve known each other for like 13 years. Why would I lie about something like that?” 

-----

When morning arrived, it did so gently. The first golden rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains, casting soft patterns across the room. You stirred slightly, the weight of Chan’s arm draped securely over your waist. His breathing was deep and even, his face relaxed in a way you rarely got to see. The sight made your heart ache in the best way.

You shifted slightly, brushing a hand through his curls as he blinked awake. His arms instinctively tightened around you, pulling you even closer. He nuzzled into your hair, pressing a lazy kiss against your temple before murmuring, his voice a few tones deeper than normally, “Morning.”

“Morning,” you replied softly, tracing small patterns on his back with your fingertips. The warmth of his body against yours made you feel safe, like you belonged there.

You stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, exchanging sleepy kisses and enjoying the quiet before the world fully woke up. Chris’ hand found yours, his fingers intertwining with yours as he exhaled a content sigh.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he spoke. “Did you… like me back then? When we were trainees?”

The question made you pause. You felt his gaze on you, waiting, his grip on your hand just a little tighter.

You swallowed, glancing away as you thought about it. “I didn’t,” you admitted softly, watching his expression carefully. “Not like that.”

The silence stretched between you, and when you finally dared to look back at him, his expression had changed. A soft laugh left his lips, almost in disbelief. 

“Wait a minute… you liked me back then?” Your eyes widened slightly. “Wait—” You sat up slightly, propping yourself on your elbow as you stared at him. “You liked me back then?”

Chris ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head with an almost bashful smile. “I thought I was being obvious.”

You let out a breathless laugh, lightly shoving his shoulder. “You were not.”

“I was!” he insisted, laughing as he pulled you back down beside him. “I thought about you all the time. You were my best friend, but it was more than that. I just… didn’t think you felt the same way.”

Your heart clenched at the realization. “I didn’t know…”

Chris’ brows lifted slightly, but there was no hurt in his eyes. If anything, there was a quiet understanding, like he had already figured as much. “Yeah,” he murmured.

You swallowed, suddenly feeling the need to explain. “It wasn’t because of you—I mean, I thought you were amazing. But back then, I wasn’t looking at anyone like that. I was so focused on training, on proving myself… I didn’t even let myself consider it.”

Chris nodded slowly, his fingers absently tracing circles on the back of your hand. "Yeah, I get that. We were all just trying to survive back then. It was… a lot."

You exhaled, relieved that he understood. "It really was." You tilted your head slightly, watching his expression shift between nostalgia and something softer. "But if I had known… I think things might have been different."

He smiled, though it carried a hint of wistfulness. "Maybe. Or maybe we needed to go through all of that first. To grow into the people we are now."

You considered that for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe."

Silence settled between you again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt like the final piece of an old puzzle slipping into place. A long-buried truth finally uncovered, but without regret – just understanding.

Chris suddenly squeezed your hand and grinned. "Still, if I had just confessed back then, maybe we could've had more time together."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Or maybe we would've been an absolute mess."

He gasped dramatically. "Are you saying we would’ve been bad together?"

"I’m saying we might have been too dumb to figure it out properly."

Chris chuckled, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "Fair point. I was definitely a little dumb back then."

You propped yourself up on your elbow again, looking down at him. "You’re still a little dumb."

"Excuse me?" His mouth fell open, pretennding to be offended as you leaned in to silence him with a kiss.

pt.5 | masterlist

[blackcatxmagic]

Upon seeing the way that Dorothy reacted to him telling her about the tarot cards, Copper knew she at least got the impression he was trying to make. A moment later though he felt guilty, so he quickly told Dorothy, “It’s sometimes hard to interpret them though. What seems bad might not be, and a lot about self-readings is colored by inner thoughts. It’s harder to look at the cards objectively.” Still, Copper thought they were pretty clear that things were not great right now. He felt badly though about scaring Dorothy, but Copper reminded himself that she was already scared. He was too. Everything he’d said, she’d already been thinking - well except for the part about his tarot reading. And the longer they talked, the more unsettled the air around them became, and Copper felt his heart beating harder in his chest now. Looking across the table at Dorothy, Copper just grabbed her hand gently, trying to offer her a reassuring smile. But that was hard when he didn’t feel very reassured himself. “I know it’s scary,” Copper told Dorothy. “Trust me, I really know. But we’ll get through it. We’re strong.” And Copper didn’t mean because they were witches. At least in his case, life had made him resilient, and he felt like the same was true of Dorothy. However, Copper didn’t really know what they were going to do. 

After giving Dorothy’s hand another squeeze, Copper just smiled sadly at her. “Here’s the thing, Dorothy,” he started, not sure if this would make things better or worse. “Safety is kind of an illusion. Cardinal Hill is not a safe space. It never has been. Nowhere is. That’s just something we tell ourselves to feel better until something comes along that shatters that illusion. I thought I was safe back in Maine. I thought I was safe in my house…in my bedroom. But I wasn’t. So I guess maybe I’m lucky that I never felt safe here; it’s been less of a shock.” When he was done, Copper looked a Dorothy and couldn’t help but laugh, admitting, “That was about the least comforting thing I could have said, isn’t it?” More seriously, he explained, “I guess what I’m trying to say is we didn’t lose our safety, we just lost the façade of it. The truth is we never really had it to begin with, and we’ve been okay until now. Well…kind of.”  Sighing, he shook his head, saying, “I don’t feel like I’m helping.”

Dorothy wasn't the most well-versed in tarot readings, but she knew enough to know that what Copper had pulled that morning wasn't good. The news sent a chilling shiver down her spine, and her mind, while already racing, began to move even louder and even faster in thought. How was she going to protect all of those who were important to her? If this situation really was as dangerous as her and Copper's conclusions were coming to, then what could she do to stop these forces from bringing further harm to everyone in Cardinal Hill? Fuck, how was she going to protect Elias if he wasn't even aware of witchcraft in the first place? Dorothy swallowed thickly.

"I suppose you're right," fear, at the very least, always had Dorothy thinking about potential escape plans, and she knew that it was so very important to be prepared. The very worst moments in her life had always been when she had been so terribly unprepared. Her stomach dropped at the thought of this dark magic being inflicted upon the non-magical humans, too, or in order words, upon her precious Elias. "I-I don't know..." Elias hadn't spoken of experiencing the same things as her beyond the very obvious bouts of strange weather; unfortunately that wasn't enough to give Dorothy the peace of mind considering she hadn't told him either. She had her reasons, so perhaps Elias did, too, if he was experiencing the very same things.

If someone had been able to find out everyone's secrets, they must have been wickedly powerful, and that thought scared Dorothy more than anything. Dark magic wasn't something that just anyone could do, and it certainly made the witch casting such magic pay the price. If all of that was true, and dark witches were still going through with a town-wide attack... Dorothy didn't think that she stood a chance. "Copper, I'm afraid," was all she could say, eyes once again welling with tears. "Why? How?" She repeated his questions. "Cardinal Hill is meant to be a safe space," but apparently, it wasn't, and Dorothy had led the best of the non-magical humans here, right in the path of danger.

[meowmedusa]

started actually spiraling out today i am. unwell

[batsplat]

do you know why vale seems to have a soft spot for pedrosa?

there's not any single one reason, I don't think, but here's are a few contributing factors that come to mind:

history! in large part because of the honda link, dani's the alien he's known the longest... valentino was the number one honda rider at a time at which dani was honda's rising star. photo on the right is from the 2001 honda celebrations at the last race of the season (when dani was sixteen); from oxley's valentino rossi: all his races: "that night vale celebrated in style at a raucous honda victory party, where he taught honda youngsters daijiro kato and dani pedrosa how to drink". they've known each other forever! valentino was getting teenage dani drunk! quite natural to be fond of someone you've seen grow up like that, even if they are being moulded to be your next big rival

circumstance! the way it basically works with valentino is that if you want to have a feud with him, you generally need to have a title fight with him when you’re already ‘established’ rivals (ignore marc, that’s its own thing, 2015 is a freaky season). biaggi and valentino were enemies headed into 2001 and then were worse enemies, he was cool with sete in year one but not year two, mostly *wiggles hand* the same with casey and jorge… feuds aren't build overnight. valentino and dani weren’t ever really direct title rivals - closest they got was 2006 and 2008, but in both cases valentino probably didn’t see dani as his main problem that year. there wasn't really any competitive necessity for valentino to get nasty... also with one or two notable exceptions, valentino did kinda have dani handled in their actual wheel-to-wheel fights, which let’s face it probably didn’t hurt

yapping! so this is just a theory but it’s one I believe strongly in. you know how valentino loves to talk, right? the thing about pressers and podiums is that you're always going to have a few regular attendees, if you will, corresponding to the front runners in any given year. now, unfortunately for valentino, there were periods of time where almost every other regular attendee was someone he had pretty active beef with. that doesn’t mean he always avoided yapping at them, but relatively speaking you want a guy you can build up some good repartee with to pass the time. dani was his guy… less complicated than casey and jorge, plus dani is polite enough to go along with it and maybe even enjoy chatting to valentino (it’s been known to happen). pressers can be boring and at podiums you're still full of adrenaline, valentino wants to share a joke with someone! my completely unscientific sense is that valentino does this a lot with dani around 2008-ish to 2012, then for two years marc is the number one yap victim, then for a while it’s a bit…? oddly valentino does seem to chat quite a lot with jorge in 2015... he likes to throw in a quirky behavioural pattern sometimes to keep you guessing. anyway then in 2016 he is Actively Ignoring two of these men so vale goes!! hi there dani!! and takes it from there (though the field is more mixed up post-2015 so he becomes more of an opportunistic yapper). in general, valentino will chat to pretty much anyone with A Few Exceptions, but he does usually have a bit of an order of preference

dani’s personality! now, obviously dani is very much capable of feuds, but he’s not that naturally combative a character. valentino generally needs a competitive justification for beef, though some personal animosity can help too… but he never really hated any of that trio of young riders to come through. valentino's known dani forever, he’s been around dani a fair bit because of their respective statuses in the sport, dani isn’t going out of his way to pick fights with valentino, so no reason not to get on! he does clearly quite like chatting to dani and seems pretty fond of him even towards the start of the alien era, at a time in which it was broadly expected that dani not casey would emerge as vale's primary challenger... god knows if the relationship would have soured if dani had assumed that mantle (probably at least a little lol) but failing that, valentino does just seem to quite like him. y’know, sometimes it’s like that

They Have Also Had Their Disagreements, But There Hasn’t Been Much Cause For It To Escalate Further. these disagreements have tended to be over racing standards, where dani is generally in the ‘you people are all insane’ camp and valentino is generally in the ‘ah it’s fine’ camp (though, obviously, there is nuance here… cf vale also criticising sic over the le mans 2011 incident that left dani with the broken collarbone). generally, they don't get into direct conflict over it, more of an underlying difference in positions (hey, aragon 2013 is an example)... but there’s been dani’s suggestion that valentino’s sepang 2015 stance is inconsistent with his generally laissez faire approach, and also some other isolated little scuffles over the years like say 2017 aragon (see below). pretty small scale stuff in the grand scheme of things and if you've been on-track rivals for that long it's kinda inevitable you'll eventually disagree about some stuff, but perhaps worth bringing up

went through all of the alien combos in my head and these two slot in just behind dani/casey as probably the two most consistently beef-free inter-alien relationships? dani/casey gets extra credit for surviving The Teammate Test. but, y'know, the thing about valentino is that he's a sociable, outgoing guy... he likes talking to people... he's actually interested in them... he's a decent conversationalist, easy to get on with, all that stuff. so if you expose valentino to this nice fella who at most was like... perhaps a bit more reserved towards the start of his time in the premier class (partly due to his mentor's approach), but really was generally pretty chill... well, if valentino isn't given any reason to hate dani, then default state is that he won't. good on them etc

[edwinisms]

I know how it sounds at first, but I really gotta feel bad for the boys that sacrificed edwin; I mean even the term “sacrificed edwin” paints them in a more sinister light than they really deserve– considering that wasn’t really, actually their intention.

they were bullies, they were homophobic (and/or were self loathing gay boys themselves taking it out on edwin, or were equally likely peer pressured into acting a certain way), they planned something stupid and mean to do to an innocent, anxious boy with the goal of scaring the shit out of him, all because he was effeminate and an easy target. but they didn’t know or expect any of the ritual stuff to be real. they were all laughing and joking during the ritual because it was just that to them– a joke. a cruel joke, but a joke.

teenagers can be mean and stupid and they usually regret it as adults and grow out of it / grow from it. they were stifled the chance to grow out of it, at least while alive. none of those boys deserved to be instakilled and sent to hell; they’re really not that much less deserving than edwin himself. they were all just kids, after all.

[a-story-teller]

I was in a major car accident yesterday (got t-boned) and was very luckily a) alone in the car, as the passenger side got walloped and b) not injured. However I took care of everything and then went home and proceeded to sleep for 19 out of the following 24 hours.

[asvidema]

ok now i got happiness that is going to last for hours

[forgotn1]

I usually really look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, as it means my family getting together for big holiday meals. But this year feels different. Everyone's got their own families now and aren't getting together like they used to. My mom will likely be with her fiance, my nephew, and their friends. My sister will be with her husband, daughters, and in-laws. I don't feel like I have a place this year.

[eatember]

-

[the-casbah-way]

i suppose i owe it to myself to not die but also to stop talking myself out of things that might make me happier because i would be a much better person for everyone around me if i were able to navigate the world in the way i want to because insecurity and bitterness and constant suicidalness do just make you not as kind sometimes i think. i would like to be confident enough in myself to speak and be seen and therefore be as kind as i feel i am on the inside. i hold back so many things because i am scared of being perceived so maybe if i let myself do the things that will help me be ok with being perceived then i will put more good out into the world. i always get hung up on the fact that i so badly want to be good and kind and i care so so much about other people but as it stands currently most people would not really bother too much if i wasn't here anymore because i'm so cut off from everything emotionally and physically. someone send me c.300 quid so i can pay for therapy and you can stop being subjected to posts such as these, by the way.

[bluejaybytes]

💘🍛 I like both of these. What's most important to your oc (of choice but I'm thinking of Maggie), and what their usual dinner looks like <3

Hiiiiiiiii <3

💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

Maggie has sooo few people she's close with BUT the people she IS close with she is VERY close with, the three main ones would be her brother, Hawke, her Girl Best Friend (come to your own conclusions on this one, they'll never have an actual discussion about it), Jenna, and one of the ghosts that hangs around her, Opal. Hawke she was always fairly close with as a kid, while he never actually believed her when she would talk about the ghosts and their various shenanigans, he was always one of her strongest and most reliable supporters, and would claim to believe her. She knows now that he never actually believed her (She figured that out as a preteen), but she definitely appreciates the fact he was still always there for her and standing up for her when she'd get talked over by others. When she wakes back up after her murder, finding where he lives is one of her first priorities, because she's basically having like a million crises at once and figures he's the person she trusts must to be able to help her.

Paragraph break because I'm going on longer than anticipated WHOOPS. For Jenna, she's close with her for several reasons. The first part is... honestly just a bit of necessity. Maggie's lost and scared and has no idea what's going on, and Jenna's the first person to approach her and is someone willing to try and help her figure out what's going on, during a situation where anyone else would've just forced her to go to a hospital (Which... to be fair Jenna definitely should've suggested they go to some sort of medical help, given that she was passed out in the middle of a field and wakes up talking about being murdered). Outside of necessity, however, she and Jenna just like... basically instantly latch onto each other. They're frankly both a bit obsessive with each other because they both... really don't have anyone else? Once the plot ends and their lives calm down they'll get some other friends and their dynamic will become more sustainable longterm, but in the moment they've only got each other and GODDAMN do they have each other. Jenna's like 90% of the reason Maggie wants to actually take care of herself, because if she's not doing it, Jenna just does it for her, and she doesn't like feeling like a burden, even if Jenna's doing it willingly and without viewing as such. Their bond is so largely based on their willingness to support each other, so. yknow <3

For Opal, she's known Maggie since she was only a few months old! Ghosts took notice of Maggie's ability to see them LONG before Maggie would be learn this was Not normal, AKA, as a several month old baby, she'd track ghosts with her eyes and try and interact with them like any other person, which alerted the ghosts to the fact she could actually see them. This made her essentially a bit of a celebrity/VERY weird and kinda creepy to the ghosts, so word of the Magic Baby Who Can See Dead People spread, and tons of local ghosts would hang around just to see her themselves. Opal ALSO heard of her, and she just generally loves kids, so she went to go see baby Maggie, only to realize that oh man. This is going to be. a tough life for this kid. So she takes it upon herself to watch over her, and chases away other ghosts who bother her so that Maggie doesn't have to spend her entire life being harassed by ghosts. Their dynamic is a bit weird throughout Maggie's life, as Opal tends to be a bit overbearing, and also tends to talk over the living people Maggie's trying to talk/listen to, making it difficult for her to concentrate, but as frustrating as Maggie finds her to be, they still are very close, Opal's someone Maggie can be actually open with, and someone who is always trying to look out for her and protect her any way she can. Their dynamic gets WAY more strained after Maggie's death but this is already a VERY long ramble and that would involve a LOT more so I'll save that for another day

🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner?

Bad it looks bad.

Okay the actual answer is more nuanced <3 Prior to her murder, Maggie was still living at home (She was only 17 and had JUST graduated highschool, graduating a year early), so her typical dinner was just... whatever her mom made! Nothing too fancy, just pretty generic dinner items. Maggie's never really had much of an appetite, but also stayed up extremely late every night, so typically it'd be eating like half the normal portion of whatever dinner was -> stay up until 2am -> Get hungry and finish off the other half of dinner -> stay up until [god knows how late]. Her favorite meal is probably stew, though while she is an extremely picky eater, of the foods she's okay with she doesn't tend to have really any standout favorites.

Once she wakes back up after her murder and has to care for herself, her dinner is... crackers. As mentioned, she's an extremely picky eater, but she also has no skill in cooking and is also just deeply depressed, so she can't really give the effort to care about it enough to want to eat properly, so she just. doesn't! However, once Jenna starts hanging around more, specifically hanging around for long enough stretches of time to see Maggie's abysmal self care and eating habits, THEN Maggie's typical dinner stops being "crackers" and starts being whatever Jenna makes her. This is typically things like easier to prepare meals like mac n cheese, but Jenna always adds things to them that aren't included to make them nicer, so it's always more than just "box of kraft mac n cheese", its got some added vegetables and meat added in there to make it better!

Once Maggie actually starts trying to learn how to cook herself, her typical dinner consists of one single bite of whatever she tried and promptly failed to make, and then a plate of Whatever Jenna Made Instead. She's trying her best but oh boy. its not great.

[theflyingfeeling]

still sick but alive, unfortunately 🤧