#being informally around for this as ppl in the replies are like ''well all i have is the vaguest speculation''

[halfbaked00q]

# undercover 00Q D/s

they have to go undercover for sth related to either finance or hacking ring idk. or actually, just a specific mark who is hard to track down except for in a specific type of club catering to a specific type of clientele

hrm maybe even better- they need to go undercover and assume that the type is what you'd normally expect, but actually as they approach & see it on the ground they see it's the other way around.

Bond notices this as they go on site- flags it up, they have to pivot their plans

so obv Q goes in as the main undercover lead and Bond as the sub

I think in this scenario Q is true vers, though loves indulging in being the dom, Bond knows how to mimic dom behavior for these kinds of deals but never actually engaged in kink so is relatively unversed (lol) here- he just read the subtleties of the dynamics and made a comment about it to Q, who started scrutinizing it closer and clocked it

The good thing is Q had brought some nice suits- they're going to have to improvise for Bond but they can figure something out

They go in, Q has that French persona which is popular in fanon, Bond in collar & cuffs. Q gives Bond some pointers on form, Bond does his raises-eyebrows jabby-comments banter bit, Q replies dryly but informatively, there's some internal narration by Bond about how this is unconventional but in the end it's just a mission all the same and so he does the wibbly sense of self/identity thing and sinks into his role (at this pt it's still surface level/just for show- he's putting on the role)

he's doing well until they get to where the meeting is to take place, and they insist that the sub be earplugged (blindfolded? maybe not that, might be a bit redundant since they shouldn't be making eye contact in this kind of setting…?) - but something like that to minimize side ppl hearing during business talks- even if it's “just” the subs

the choice is that or drugged

so they go with earplugs since at least this way Bond has his wits about him

they go in, Bond kneels by Q's seat- he knows he can't keep up with the conversation since he can't look up at them to lipread, so he just resigns himself to being a prop and physical backup, vs intel backup as well (and also rip cuz this means he can't help subtly back Q up if he needs the help either)

He kneels upright at first but then Q puts his hand on his head, and then subtly guides his head against his leg and starts petting him

At first Bond is just sort of taking it in, playing his part but kind of deconstructing it and mulling it over. but actually, he finds it quite nice and sort of meditative, ends up falling into it because there's not much else he can do in the moment

at some point Q's hand pauses and he cracks an eye open rather like a big cat, which actually unintentionally works well in Q's favor for whatever it is that's happening in the moment

the mark buys it, they conclude their negotiations and Q secures an invitation to whatever the next thing is (the actual inner circle? the guy's house? a private party?) and they shake hands to leave

(Q has gotten up at this point so Bond is kneeling upright again, watching them from under his eyelashes)

Q reaches down and strokes Bond's face then plucks the earplugs out

Bond blinks at the momentary influx of stimulus from the sounds returning, then rolls himself up smoothly to standing to follow Q back out to the main room

[abbyshands]

Hi kit, do you know how to tell if a person sending asks saying they need donations for their family in gaza, is fake?

Cuz someone sent me an ask and I’ve reblogged it but I was going through the comments and there a several blocked and one of them says that the op is scamming people.

I know there are ppl like this that are that horrible, but I wonder if you know how tell them apart ? Or if anyone knows for that matter. Cuz I don’t want to mislead people and give them the wrong information or anything.

hi, honey! this is gonna be all over the place but. i've had this very thing happen to me before as well, maybe three or so asks just like the one you received. i did fall for the first one, but once you see them over and over again, i think it can get easier to tell when it's a scam. one thing to note is when the actual account began to post. i notice a lot of these accounts began to post in recent days or weeks. at the time that i donated to the first person who sent me an ask like this, it was february, and they began to post around mid january. the next tell is one i see a lot, where they'll reblog a bunch of things about palestine, but they will all be in a matter of hours, days, etc. usually never weeks (and also, you'll see that they randomly begin to reblog in very recent days. ex. all their reblogs are from three days ago and onward). one more thing: look at their posts (not their reblogs. their actual posts), and check if it says "some replies may have been blocked, deleted, removed, etc). absolutely, 100% not a good sign. chances are, replies are being removed by the op because they're getting called out for scamming.

the structure of the actual ask is also a dead giveaway. if it ends in "my goal is x amount of money," usually somewhere in the hundreds or thousands, not a good sign. if they are asking you to respond to their ask PRIVATELY, not a good sign. if you copy part of their ask and paste it into tumblr or do an internet search, and you see it elsewhere, not a good sign! these blogs will go around copying the same message into people's inboxes. chances are, someone else on tumblr has posted about the very person who sent you the ask, OR, you will find it somewhere else on the internet, etc a gofundme (which, by the way, is where most of these scammers obtain their story or pictures. they'll find it in gofundmes as i said, articles, etc). before you engage, copy the username of the person who sent you the ask, and paste it into the tumblr search bar. this is how i found out that the first person who sent an ask like this to me was a scammer.

this post here (which i absolutely implore you to read, as it captures what i want to say here much better than i'm doing so right now) explains why there is an abundance of people on tumblr sending asks like this in people's inboxes. for one thing, they target popular tags (ex. literally, the "palestine" or "gaza" tags, or any tag that may be trending at the time), or, they go for blogs who are consistently reblogging and/or uploading content related to the genocide. why? because they're taking advantage of the fact that you want to make a change in regards to what's going on. and if that's the case, what would stop you from donating to someone "in need," right?

if you want my honest opinion, if someone is sending you an ask about this on tumblr at all, it's likely not real. to put it into perspective: people who are really in gaza and want to escape, raise money, etc, will go to big network places such as gofundme, because there are better chances of them raising actual money in general, but in a short period of time. as opposed to asking people individually, their cause will be more widespread, and more people will see it. not only that: places like gofundme are pros at figuring out what's a scam and what's not. op in the above post noted this, and how places like gofundme will remove causes that are clearly scams. that's why scammers avoid places like this at all, and go to places like tumblr, where it isn't so easy for the actual site to remove their post. it's only when people on the app pick up on it, that scammers' facades fall. does that make sense?

i feel like this sort of jumped around, but i hope i was able to clarify what you were asking anyway. if someone feels the need to add onto this, please do, and if i need to clarify any point i made, etc, please let me know! ♡

[kai-anderson-whore]

Hi I got a Colin Zabel X Reader request. Also assume they are already in a relationship cuz if I can’t have him in the real world, I am not waiting in my alternate reality. Just a heads up that’s for all my requests. It’s literally the only reason I don’t read “friends/enemies to lovers” or “angsts” cuz I need them NOW 😭😭. Okay back to the actual request. Reader visits Colin just outside the crime scene to check up on him and maybe help him with like potential scenarios, people who might’ve known the victim, etc. Then reader went to talk to Mare while Colin was doing something maybe on a phone call and Colin noticed a police officer had joined in on the women’s conversation. The officer is being a bit flirty with the reader and Colin gets possessive and rushes into the group. Colin clearly speaking about his plans with the reader after his shift a bit too loud and giving obvious affection to her. Like grabbing at her waist, thighs, shoulders, arms, maybe a bit of her butt 😏, quick kisses, moving her hair out of her face. All the while Colin is glancing at the man with a death glare and the reader didn’t even notice a problem in the first place but starts to blush at his affection and gets closer and closer to Colin to hide her face. Signaling him “let’s go home and watch tv while cuddling cuz she’s getting a bit sheepish with all these ppl around” (Colin knows exactly what she wants when shes hiding her face without her even saying a word). And that’s all! Sorry for the rambling in the beginning.

Okay I kinda struggled with this one but I hope you like it 💕

Jealous of the officer (colin zable x reader)

Warnings: mentions of a crime scene, mentions of murder, Colin being jealous and a bit possessive.

Taglist: @spill-the-t @iluwmycats @lili-tate @evanpeterswifeyy868 @jademunson @evanpetersfansblog @howtobesasha @lustforeverrrr @fand0mh03

•¤❅¤•.•°˚˚°•..•°˚˚°•.•¤❅¤•.•¤❅¤•.•°˚˚°•. .•°˚˚°

You drove down the road the radio playing the latest song that's number 1 you hummed along tapping your finger on the steering wheel as you drove to a crime scene to meet Colin, you pulled up turning off your engine pulling out your keys before exiting the car.

You spotted Colin right away talking with some other officers about the case. You caught his attention right away he let out a smile and waved you over with a small smile you walked over to your partner, "what happened?" You asked your arms folded trying to keep yourself warm, "woman been murdered in her own home" Colin said handing you his cup of coffee to keep you warm.

"Any suspects you can think of already?" You then asked you weren't really a detective but you always helped Colin on his cases with potential thing that could have happened, potential suspects etc. "We know she was married could have been the husband" Colin sighed rubbing his temples. "What about evidence already?" You went on to ask taking another sip of the coffee before giving it back to your boyfriend.

"We have her laptop and phone the husband is already in for questioning we'll go over her devices and look for clues what we know so for it was a crime of passion" Colin went on to inform you had a long thought about the case before coming up with a suggestion, "maybe she was having an affair the husband caught wind of it and went off on one" you suggested not wanting to completely jump on the band wagon about it.

"Potentially could be what happened guess we got to find out" Colin replied before his cellphone rang he excuses himself you took the time to talk with mare about the case, "Alright mini detective what's your suspicion?" Mare asked when she saw you coming over to her. "Well a crime of passion that's what I've been told, maybe a affair of some sort I don't know" you shrugged Mare nodded gazing around the scene till she saw another officer coming towards you both.

"Evening ladies" the officer smiled at you both but mostly you, you didn't notice it at first, he sent you winks as he spoke, "What's a girl like you doing at a crime scene?" They asked you shrugged before replying, "here to see the detectives".

"Well maybe we could grab dinner or something if you arent busy tonight" He offered then you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist with the scent of the cologne you immediately knew it was Colin, "actually she is she's coming home with me" colin said a little too possessivly not that you mind. placing a kiss on your cheek you didn't see the death stare Colin gave the officer but they looked taken aback.

"You okay babe?" He then asked you.

"Yeah just chatting to Mare and this officer" you replied realising you hadn't catch their name, "I just got a call from the chief we're keeping the husband in till he calms down then we'll question him" Colin told Mare who nodded noticing his jealousy towards the officer and you. He knew you didn't do anything wrong but he couldn't help but feel jealous.

Colins hands held your biceps giving them a little squeeze, you couldn't help but feel that little bit of electricity when Colin touched you even innocently, it would send you in a frenzy. "Detective zable we found this in the victims dresser" another officer called out holding a piece of paper, "mare would you mind" Colin asked his hands now dangerously close to your bum making you blush like crazy and hiding your face in colins chest luckily no one saw.

"Sure" mare said heading in to the house to look at the piece of evidence. Colin's gave your butt a little squeeze you couldn't help but blush even more and hide yourself futher into his chest.

Colin knew what that could mean when you blush and hide your face in his chest in public. That you wanted him and he didn't half want you either to teach you a lesson and to show the other officer your HIS and his only.

"Excuse me I'm going to take y/n home she's a bit sheepish with all these people around" Colin informed pushing a strand of your hair away whilst giving the officer a smug look. Taking your hand and guiding you to your car since he took a ride with mare today.

"That's a pretty colour on your cheeks" he teased pulling your car door open helping you inside, "Colin shush your the one who made me blush like a schoolgirl and now your teasing me" you whined putting your seat belt on.

"Well love I had to let that officer know that your mine" Colin shrugged before closing the car door and entering the driver side. That's when it finally hit you.

"You were jealous" you gasped.

"He was Flirting with you clearly and I had to let him know that your mine and I'm yours, anyway let's go home" he smirked starting the engine to go home for you both to have the time of your life.

[inchidentally]

tricky asks time! yeeeesh some of these are... yea I did my best and had to censor stuff. (part 1/2)

there's a reason I bundle these together under a cut so please skip if discourse etc is not your thing <3

oh lordddd. so I think (hopefully) this conspiracy theory either died or ppl just decided to live in denial I really do not care either way. I can't comprehend being so far off base with Carlos and Lando's friendship as to think that Lando replying to his teammate with that clip is somehow heinous or askgfasgfsal "unlike him" it's so on brand for him.

Carlos moving to Monaco is pretty overdue tbh and yea, literally a chunk of the grid already live there. I'm sure he'll eventually hang out w Lando but why wouldn't he also hang out w all the other drivers lol. and if he - god I cannot believe ppl think this - is moving "for Lando" then why wait so long? but then you have to start asking why did he go to Ferrari and well. there's no reasoning w that shit.

side note that's very cute that Lando and Max live close together - rly supports the ask I got about how Max is the driver that Lando actually spends the most downtime with even during the offseason.

and yea, Rebecca has been with him when she's not been on modeling gigs and they both posted parallel stories from the Dolomites today. so if ppl are worried about Carlos not having support then his literal gf is there with him so he very much does. the idea that two hot people found each other on dating apps is I guess too simple!! but if they also believe that Ferrari hate Carlos then why divert resources from their already exhausted PR dept (this is Ferrari we're talking about lol) to the point of hiring, paying and arranging an entire relationship for him?? like you've got to fucking laugh this 1D 2012 stan shit off.

agflasgj wow that was a pretty quick flip from thinking Lando's sm is run by PR to now he personally runs his karting IG!

sorry but I haven't stopped laughing since anons informing me how Charles has had a karting brand for years and this is apparently pretty common for drivers to do. everyone kept acting like it was a carlando moment so I just went with it but apparently - shocker! - Carlos made a business decision not based on Lando.

I mean, I don't ?? Carlos has had the exact same dynamic with each of his teammates but what makes the relationship with Lando special is that they're big brother/little brother. Lando latches onto Carlos as a security blanket and Carlos likes having him around and actually is able to shut down his red mist anger in the car when it comes to Lando. apart from that they're mostly relying on the bromance format of friendship that you can see in most of the grid.

so while if Lando and Oscar had chosen to do the bromance/playing gay thing then sure I'd find it cute and ship it but like. the fact that Oscar is carrying around this sweet years-long sort of crush/fanboy thing about Lando and Lando has openly said that Oscar helps him be reminded to just be himself and be calm... like that is so sweet?? they're both so bashful about physically touching but they have this bond of being basically the same age and both being introverts.

sorry but I wouldn't replace that with a facsimile of someone else's friendship personally!

I do not. get it ! this absolute fantasy that Lando and Carlos would've survived let alone thrived being actual direct competition on the same team has got to be someone who doesn't look at anything F1 related ever outside ships. bc I'm literally a fake and even I know that there's no such thing as teammates competing for race wins and championships with zero friction. and like between Carlos and his family airing all that kind of thing on social media and news outlets and the fact that Lando cannot hide anything on his face, moments like this one would've been happening every other weekend. it's precisely because they weren't on the same team that they could get over that as fast as they did !! even ignoring that Carlos Sr has never once hinted at a return to McLaren, Carlos would never want to risk seeming like he's begging for his old spot back AND no way in fuck would Lando accept being the no 2 driver again.

we get plenty of carlando content still and Lando has said over and fucking over how he's been pushed by Oscar to perform at a level he's never seen in himself before. how are ppl mad about that just bc they don't get a few stupid carlando challenges every couple of weeks?

babe, Lando did have a gf and it didn't dampen carlando truthing at all. it just resulted in a breakup and Lando posting that Luisinha had gotten harassment and death threats. Rebecca is literally dating Carlos and there's a full blown conspiracy theory that she's been "bought and is paid for" by Ferrari to beard for Carlos. do not expect girlfriends to ever change that behavior and don't wish it on any woman.

I just. I'm sorry but how many years have to go by where Lando has a more intimate relationship with countless men and women than he's ever had with Carlos before they just accept that Carlos is one of Lando's F1 buddies but he's not one of his closest friends outside of it (Lando's words!!!) like just enjoy carlando for what it is and stop getting into hysterics bc they're still not fucking or dating or married aslfgjslagflsgalfg

for my own sanity I'm going to pray that twitter acc is joking bc the larry/kpop/yaoi/heteronormative fetishizing of homosexuality/the "girl one" must be hairless and look like a teenager and only bottom as if he were a cisgirl has SURELY been left in 2012. it has to be satire?? it's still extremely cringe satire but like. that cannot be real. either way, block and cleanse that tl anon. I'm not going to spend any more time on that in case they're serious bc that would be tragic.

and I've got to say one thing: I'm sure you didn't mean any harm by it but even suggesting that someone being called or assumed gay is an insult or overstepping is not it, babe. we're not here to coddle cishet ppls anxieties and prejudices or pretend that outrage about it is anything but homophobia. but I fully agree that no one should be talking about a celebrities' sexuality or sex life on highly public platforms esp platforms that the celebrity uses - and esp when it isn't censored and could show in their tags.

at least to anyone under 40 tumblr at least is a known no-go area and fandom-only. it's also extremely difficult for google to trawl (I've googled specifically for a post many times and couldn't find them) and you aren't allowed to scroll past a certain point (even on public accs) without being logged in. so there's no risk of 'stumbling' onto anything here even if it gets directly sent to them. unless the person is older in which case they prob have someone else fielding their sm. this is literally THE place to come and be stupid and silly about fandom.

I mean I do have to agree that there's always an element of 'for the image' when it comes to the Sainz family but honestly Lando is so disarmingly sweet and genuine - and they got to know him as a such a baby - that I have to think at least most of their affection for him is real! now if they knew the carlando content they like on instagram and twitter was intended by a lot of fans as gay then bye bye carlando lol. I'm not gonna wade any deeper into that but yea. we should be grateful they don't understand that aspect of the bromance thing.

but as for the DTS thing I have to think that anyone who sees a bromance being danced around so loudly and publicly and thinks that it's actually a secret gay ship complete with paid beards is twelve years old. it makes me too sad and scared to realize these are tax paying grown women driving these narratives alfhlsahff

IKR?? Oscar is out here with an actual form of real life fanboy crush on Lando but he's incredibly happy and content with Lily and doesn't even push himself into Lando's hobbies or life outside of F1 at all!

whereas Carlos says things like "it's weird that you all want me to kiss Lando" and literally cuffs and scolds Lando like a big brother but supposedly that's being "threatened" by a bashful quiet boy who is happily in a LTR and content to just stare at Lando from afar and be his teammate ????

meanwhile Lando is living his best life being petted and bedded and adored by a queue of lovers that stretches the entire globe and Carlos is continuing his years long habit of serially dating beautiful women and spending most of his time outside F1 training with his buddies. everyone's happy folks, let's just accept that!

honestly anon there's a heavy sprinkling of this that I disagree with and I think I've covered why with the other asks. and I do not engage in war of the rpfs bc none of these ships are "real". and as someone who ships carlando I do have to say that there's at least some decent amount of us who don't do the larrying shit. and that Netflix/DTS have as much a role to play in false narratives as "fangirls". they could easily decide to focus more realistically on the sport but they're choosing to appeal to fans with extreme biases.

but the part about the whole yaoi/heteronormative self-insert quality of how certain people ship carlando is pretty damn accurate. I immediately skip a fic if it's clear that Lando's just going to be this empty character reacting to Carlos the whole time. it's the same thing w people who want Lando to have stayed an insecure teenager w social anxiety who leaned on Carlos' personality and experience. that era was cute but Lando grew up and his career and his life are all his own making. he doesn't revolve shit around Carlos or any other person.

like it's fine if that's how ppl choose to ship something in fandom spaces where everyone else can just block it. but it absolutely should NOT carry over publicly and I should not be seeing as much of Lando's content on various accs and platforms flooded w irrelevant comments and gifs about Carlos as I do.

in a weird creepy way, a lot of Lando pages and fan accs have sort of turned him into how they view girlfriends ?? as if Lando can't be allowed to exist without it always being brought back to Carlos and carlando - and sometimes they'll randomly make an entire edit or carousel about carlando for literally no reason ??

ig that's why they get so angry when Lando blatantly has real life intimate friendships and relationships. hence the Martin hatred mentioned above.

anon you've got it in one. even down to how they've both dealt with the latest drama. they did that drive into Maranello together when we now know they were fully aware of what was coming. and then the BTS of their photoshoot for the 2024 race suits. and then Charles stating at the event the other day how he and Carlos have a special relationship and are friends outside racing as well.

it's got to be awkward as fuuuuuck but they're both choosing as always to put it aside and not let the relationship fall apart or into the distant coldness of Ocon and Gasly. they've been through periods similar to this before and always came back to that place of leaving all that drama at the door.

which is so funny bc if it was all just PR, then Carlos and Charles wouldn't bother! teams have never needed their partnerships to be friendly. they just need each driver to go out and get points. so for them to remain friends despite their families and fanbases being constantly at war, they absolutely are choosing to be!

wellll, I have to disagree bc Carlos being called Ferrari's best strategist by fans means that he clearly is able to ignore team orders and is allowed to not be "perfect". honestly I think Carlos' ballsiness and inability to play second to anyone has clearly never served him poorly w Ferrari ?? this is a team very immersed in traditional patriarchal culture and for all that they are the il Predestinato brand in this era, Sainz Sr said this last season that the car had Carlos' input and customization. so idk I feel like Carlos using aggression and decision would if anything be appreciated by Ferrari. (but I do think the hardballing by his dad with the Audi interest was a step too far for them - even though it sounds more and more like the decision to not renew Carlos was already on the table long before that)

whereas I think that very culture is why Charles is both subjected to and "upheld" by it. there's a difference between a brand like Ferrari deciding to hang your banners over the parapets and them actually having your best interests as a driver at heart. I can't find it now but there was a great post about Charles' frenetic and often erratic driving style getting in the way of his obvious skill and talent. idk I feel like if I was smarter I could draw up a commentary on Charles seeing his name and his face and his successes being spread across everything Ferrari and an almost impotence from fans assigning him such unrealistic idolatry and power - while also assuming an untouchable quality that ends up making him appear weak and in need of constant defending, even from his teammates and Ferrari itself.

it's fucked up, anon, we can agree on that. Seb and Carlos suffering the blunt end of Ferrari's cudgel doesn't necessarily mean that Charles is enjoying much if any power in being protected by it. I wish I could express that better salfsgjlaf

obv again I am a fake so I may be WAY off w all of that so that's why I'm burying this at the bottom - pls ignore it if I'm being dumb <3

[ivycopper]

Here's something I've written in reply to a discussion recently that ties into this whole class thing - feels apt to post it here.

(What I really wanted to say was Snape was working class, Dumbledore was upper middle class/posh; I was replying to someone from the US though, so I tried to not codify it too much with these labels that might not tell you much if you're not familiar with British culture. It's hard to explain how this ties into class - but it absolutely does. Ppl forget that in classist societies, your class background never goes away, and that it will forever inform the way you perceive the world around you, bc they perceive you a certain way. And you can't afford to not have your guard up.)

Sooooo... I've never understood why we hate Snape but give Dumbledore a pass. Don't get me wrong, I like Dumbledore. And I feel pretty conflicted abt Snape, ngl. Snape seems to have been in pretty deep with the Death Eaters, after all. But! Let's not forget that Dumbledore was very much aligned with fascism as well with Grindelwald.

The way I see it, both of them were fascist due to their own trauma. Dumbledore bc of what happened to Ariana, and bc he finally felt loved. Snape bc of his abusive father, and bc he finally felt like he was worth something. And both of them paid bitterly, and both of them lost the love of their lives.

Except Dumbledore then publicly redeemed himself by going after Grindelwald, while Snape returned to being invisible. And this is where privilege comes into play: Dumbledore had a privileged upbringing, came from a pureblood family, and was a Gryffindor. Ppl saw him as intrinsically worthy, courageous, and likeable. Snape came from a poor family, was a half-blood, and a Slytherin. Except for Lily, ppl expected him to be thankful for being allowed to breathe the same air as them, and he was completely justified in his pride when he refused to go along with that.

I think this might be the real reason behind his hatred for Harry - it's not that he actually thinks of Harry as incredibly privileged. How could he? He knows Petunia, he can see that Harry is underdeveloped bc he was starved. As an Order member, he is well aware of the Dursleys' attitude. At the same time, he does see how ppl bend over backwards to accommodate this boy once he arrives in the magical world. I think he sees a lot of himself in Harry, and he hates Harry both for still being afforded respect although he's not all that different from young Snape as well as for displaying thankfulness and playing everybody's pet instead of standing up for himself. He wants Harry to recognise his privilege and he wants him to unapologetically take up space. Basically, Harry can't win.

I feel like Snape antagonises Harry to enable him to fight back. He can't be kind to him bc Harry represents the kind of privilege he never had, and he hates him for that. But he also can't leave him hanging bc he sees this child's pain, and it's so familiar to him. So he does get protective, and it's not just abt Lily, it is abt Harry. And riling Harry up, honing his anger, is all he knows how to support him.

[Keep in mind: His father never showed him love, Snape wasn't hugged, or coddled, or held. He wouldn't know how to be gentle - and maybe that, too, makes him angry at Harry: He's constantly reminded of his own inability to express affection, understanding, love. Just like he was unable to express these things to Lily, who would have looked at him with those same green eyes.

And it probably adds to his negative feelings towards Dumbledore: Expressing affection comes so easily to Dumbledore, he's so warm and gentle, and it doesn't even necessarily reflect his feelings. Dumbledore can appear kind while being cruel. Snape can't seem to express any kindness, he was failed as a child and never learnt how to, and it makes him lash out even more. Not an excuse, though, bc boy, you shouldn't make your trauma other (underage and vulnerable!) ppl's problem.]

Also. There's this argument that while Dumbledore was acting for the greater good, Snape was acting for selfish reasons, and that this is what ultimately makes Dumbledore redeemable but not Snape. I disagree. Yes, Dumbledore goes on abt the Greater Good (tm), but that literally was he and Grindelwald's catchphrase back in his fascist days as well. It's not part of his redemption, and it's never stopped him from his darker tendencies. What we don't like abt Dumbledore are all things that very much stem from this detached saviour complex - he can be cold, manipulative, opaque; he often adopts the role of a puppeteer bc he doesn't trust others to do the right thing. That's why when he tells Snape that Harry must die, it's Snape who's horrified. Precisely bc Snape is a selfish Slytherin, he recognises that Harry should have a choice. That he should have had time to decide instead of being guilt tripped into martyrdom. His selfishness, and his ability to afford other ppl their selfishness, is what - in that moment - makes him more humane than dear old Dumbledore with his very Gryffindor-y god complex.

Let's also remember that Snape became a teacher at 21 (I think). He was the youngest teacher in Hogwarts history, and probably shouldn't have been responsible for children at that point in his life. He was in his late 30s when he died. Dumbledore had much more time to reflect on his views.

Two up, two down

We talk about Potter as a timeless series, as quills and parchment will never date, but there are a few key elements which are of their time, and I sometimes suspect that eventually, their original meaning may be lost.

Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is one of these.  If you visit Surrey, a house akin to Number 4 on Privet Drive can be found on hundreds of identical estates.  Indeed, the three-bedroom house with a garage, and both front and back gardens, situated on a private housing estate in leafy surburbia is one that most British people will have strolled through at some point.

But Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is the opposite of the Dursleys’ aspirational abode, and is somewhere that few modern readers will have seen in its original form with their own eyes.  Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is a traditional two up, two down through terraced house, mired deep in a maze of identical cobbled streets, overlooked by a looming mill chimney, and seemingly – by the 90s – entirely abandoned.

The difficulty that some may have in accurately picturing this scene is because these houses, in this state, no longer exist.  A large percentage of two up, two down terraces were demolished as part of slum clearance, which should tell you all that you need to know about the state of the houses.  

Those which remained have been extensively modified – usually knocking down the privy (outside toilet), and then building a two storey extension across the bulk of the yard to create a third room downstairs, and a bathroom upstairs.  Some houses only have a single extension; it is rather common in some areas of the Midlands to have a bathroom that leads off the kitchen downstairs – because the bathroom was the missing room, and it was cheaper to build one storey than two.

Pottermore had an article earlier in the year which explained how the filmmakers originally wanted to film on location, but could not, because the houses simply did not exist in their traditional state.

The houses were typically constructed with two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs with a tiny backyard entry leading to the outhouse. Craig actually considered shooting on location, but even though the buildings were intact, they had been brought into the modern era, with up-to-date kitchens and plastic extensions, so the set was built at the studio.

Throughout the 20th century, cobbled streets were routinely replaced by various other road surfaces, namely tarmac and asphalt – and, of course, the scarcity of cobblestones now means that such streets are aesthetically desirable.  However, the cobblestones in Spinner’s End are not an indication of affluence, but an indication of an area left behind. This is further illustrated by the rusted railings, the broken streetlights, and the boarded up windows.

These were workers houses, often funded by the owners of the mill, and therefore tied – meaning that rent was deducted from your wage before you received it.  There were benefits to being in tied accommodation, including being close to work and having a guaranteed landlord – but that was as much benefit to the mill owner as the worker.  Seeing great competition, some mill owners invested in their properties to entice workers – but Spinner’s End is not an example of this; Spinner’s End would’ve been regarded as little better than a slum even when fully occupied.

The narrow streets are indicative of when these houses were built, presumably in the late 1800s – cars were not a concern, and the attitude was to build as many houses on as small a piece of land as possible.

By the time the 90s roll around, and we see Narcissa and Bellatrix descend upon the street, Spinner’s End appears to be mostly deserted.  With the closure of traditional manual industries, families would be keen to relocate to where work could be found.  Estates which hadn’t already been cleared by the 60s would find themselves left to rack and ruin, their former occupants long gone – whether seeking a new life elsewhere, or having died.

For once, Bellatrix is not being anti-Muggle when she sneers at the Muggle dunghill; she is unnervingly accurate. It is a slum by her standards, but most importantly, it was a slum by everyone else’s standards as well.  By the time Severus was born, work should’ve been well under way to clear the area, or to renovate it.  This evidently did not occur – which itself explains how undesirable the area is; nobody wanted to spruce it up - they wanted to leave.  There were no jobs, no amenities, no services – and eventually, no people.

We often ponder why Snape remains at Spinner’s End, but perhaps there lies the answer; he wasn’t just hiding from the magical world, but he was also hiding from the Muggle world as well…

[azz4me]

time to write a proper response woosh

"uncooked bread...craving burned toast"

Excuse me who you calling uncooked- also wait is that a threat O.o

yeah. Life fucking sucks. Especially for me on that day ugh. When my days go increasingly bad I do somethings that I look forward to, to make me happy but then that thing also tipped me off and I reached my breaking point.

eh

Queen I don't think it's really healthy to sleep that much- dummy take care of your health!!

but I get that, being drained by ppl and all, hhhh..

Like I said that fic kinda thing is a trilogy so there's a third part to it too but now I don't feel very good, don't wanna write

Ee... your reactions

Like I had sent had I? Well reaffirming, Older then 15 but ok, I don't write smut mostly anyways let alone ever send anyone..

Have a nice day<3

~🍞

I like uncooked bread and no it's not a threat. Not reAlly..

Actually my day has been going good. Too good to true. when I returned home from school turn out a shopkeeper gave me extra money accidentally 😛. It was just 20 so I didn't return back ;P

Dw toast your day will start to get better too. Eat a toast everyday to keep bad things away 👍

eh?

I feel good to sleep. 13 hrs of sleep a day is a must. I recommend. and short naps on the class as well or my brain lags.

more likely i drain other people but it works the other way around too

I understand you. The sudden loss of motivation. The biggest urge hits me during chemistry class mostly because i don't listen shit, it comes like a roundhouse kick on the gut. The girl sitting next to me thinks i am having anxiety but no, I just want to talk about how good of an eye candy Goo is and my thirst for him to the point where I can't sit still but I can't talk abt him here because phones are NOT fucking allowed in the school. And then I reach home, everything is annoying and I just want to sleep.

Yes, I did get your message but to explain it in short this is what happened inside my brain

"Oh they are older than 15, I am on the line of red zone ig? should I reply? But that's their age, what if they don't want people to know? But it's sent anonymously so ig there won't be a problem? AND? it's still their personal information? BUT STILL what if they don't want people to know??? BUT-"

I thought like this for an hour before I came up with the best possible solution. ToJustNotThinkAboutItAtAll. Just with that I slept again. Sorry if you though I was rude for not replying to you. I won't guarantee that it won't happen again :D

Ik I overreacted. I did use to write smuts when I was 12 but now I see my little cousin who is 13 watching doraemon and spongebob... wildfire spread on my mind yk thinkling abt "What if they are kids and I am asking them smut? HUH?" nearly lost my shit a little

Have a nice day too toast <3

[unproduciblesmackdown]

when i make the gtmpota whodunit? video.....then

[aplatonic-stuff]

Hi. Okay. So. I feel kind of weird asking this. Probably is a stupid question and you don't have to answer it if you don't feel comfortable or if it's disrespectful somehow (and if that's the case, i'm so sorry, I didn't want to insult)

I'm questioning that I might be demiplatonic, but I don't know the difference between been demiplatonic and an introvert, and i haven't found any relevant information about it.

Ty for your time and I apologize if it's insulting in any way

sorry for the late reply, and dont worry, this isnt a stupid or insensitive question! you are simply trying to understand yourself

unfortunately, im not demiplatonic so im not sure how well i can answer this, but the way i understand it is demiplatonic: needing a pre existing bond before being able to form platonic bonds/needing to know someone for awhile before being able to feel platonic attraction to them introvert: social interactions draining energy and alone time recharging energy

i think i can understand where the confusion comes from, as im aplatonic and for me that can mean platonic interactions can be exhausting, similar to how introversion can feel, but as im not demiplatonic i cant say much more than that on the overlap

i think introversion tends to affect all social interactions mostly the same, its easier being around ppl you know and trust, but social interaction still drains the energy just the same. while demiplatonic i imagine that it would feel different between strangers and friends

im really lost on how to answer this as theres not much resources on demiplatonic experiences for me to really figure this out, but honestly i would just suggest identifying as demiplatonic anyway and seeing how it fits, youre allowed to identify how you like even if youre not entirely sure, even if it turns out down the line that you arent demiplatonic (anymore or ever), theres nothing wrong with just changing the labels then. youre always welcome in apl spaces as long as you want to be, and sometimes community can be the best way to figure yourself out

if anyone has anything to add or correct please do, and i wish you luck on figuring yourself out

[femenaces]

I’ve said this to several people in private in the last couple days but I think it warrants a post— if you know of racists in or around radblr, make a post about it (with proof) yourself instead of messaging another user with something like “hey I know this person is racist, but you didn’t hear it from me”

Why is this not a good way to go about things?

Presumably if you’re messaging me about this, you already know more about what’s going on than me & are the one who’s already looked into the user and has the proof. A post you make will inevitably be better than one I can make based off of information that is new to me and received second-hand.

Funneling all reports of racism through only a small number of users only makes it easier for the racists to gang up on and attempt to discredit the few individuals who call them out. I know @menalez for example has gone through a lot of these smear attempts for being one of the few people bringing to light the racists in and orbiting radblr. Not only is this an unfair burden to bear (especially for woc who are the subjects of the racist abuse already) but like I said earlier, it means that the racists only have to focus on defaming one person in order to make it appear as if the accusations against them are fake. If lots of individuals are calling out racists, this strategy is not as feasible for them.

Anyway, when making posts calling out racists/anti-semites (which I hope you will do if you know of or discover any) it’s necessary to provide proof. This can be things like screenshots and/or links of them liking racist posts, having a lot of alt-right or /pol/sphere blogs in the likes on their personal posts, hateful DMs, replies, or asks they’ve sent, etc, and of course blatant racist posts they’ve made. When possible, provide both a screenshot and a link, and to be very thorough it’s a good idea to archive the link somewhere like on the Wayback machine, and then link the archived version too just in case they try to do damage control later by deleting things. The more concrete proof you have the better and less vulnerable your case is to the personal attacks these guys like to try to launch on you. With an archived link of what they’ve done, they can’t talk their way out of it no matter what they accuse you of, because then the proof is not just reliant on people’s opinion of you as a person (which I think most of us radfems have learned is always going to be subject to defamation from ppl who hate us)— it’s concrete and exists on its own for anyone to check.

I understand that one of the reasons people like to message blogs more popular than them with information is that they know the user they’re messaging will have a wider reach. The easy fix to this problem is to just make the post yourself, and THEN message a user you know has an audience to boost your post. If you’ve made a solid post and the person you message gives a shit, then it’s very likely they’ll help you get the word out. If you create a post with proof, I will personally CREATE A MASTERPOST of well constructed callouts and add your post to the list. Just message me with a link.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Looking for a Place to Happen 2

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), age gap, general stupidity, some violence and threats

This is dark!biker!Sam Wilson x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s lots happening in Birch and you find it all too amusing.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, Little Bones, and Fully Completely

Note: Here’s chapter two. Think I’ll probably slow down writing. Appreciate y’all.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 2: I follow every little whiff

💀💀💀

You gave yourself a day off that week. Rather, the desolation of Birch allowed you an excuse to get away from your desk. An internet outage across the town had you up and wandering the main road just after noon. Your grandmother refused to join you so she was left to her true crime novel and the weekday droning of talk show hosts.

After a peek in the book shop where you picked out some used thrillers for your nan and a guilty splurge on one of Babs' pies to add to the surprise, you stopped by the diner and had some soup to warm up from the unrelenting cold. You played around on your phone as you blindly slurped from your spoon. With no available connection, you swapped candies to achieve a score high enough to get to the next round.

After another loss, you put your screen down and added some pepper to the tomato soup. You leaned your chin in your hand and peered across the road. The Asp was just diagonal from The Chipped Saucer and from your seat by the window you could see the comings and goings of the dingy bar.

You chuckled to yourself as you remembered the hundreds of comments on your video. You weren't entirely surprised that the internet cheered at the sight of a woman beating up a man in broad daylight, you'd seen much worse on the web. But many were curious and asked about how it started and about the small town alluded to in the caption.

You picked up your phone and flipped open the camera. You pointed it through the glass as one of the many bikers strutted out of the bar and down the street. You knew him, like most in town, he was the leader's right hand man. Steve Rogers. He had an odd gait, rigid with long strides, and you remember Kelly used to make fun of him when you walked home from school. That felt like forever ago.

You ended the video and dropped your phone again. You'd send it to Kelly when the outage was over. It would be a good laugh. Plus, you hadn't heard from her much since she moved to the city.

You finished your soup and paid. You went out into the street and cut around to the backstreets. You made your way back to your nans and found Pippin scratching at the front door. You stopped and scooped him up before you let yourself in.

"Don't like the snow, do ya?" You set him down and he whipped his tail before skittering off, "hey nan, I got you some stuff."

"You spend too much," she grumbled as you hung your coat and grabbed her treats.

"Only on you," you sang as you entered the front room, "sugarless blueberry pie, your fave, and some books about murder and all that freaky stuff you love."

"Hmm," she watched you put the pie and books down on the coffee table, "suppose the pie will go good with tea."

"Ah, and I suppose I'll be making that tea?" You returned.

"My arthritis…" she pouted but her grin came through.

"Yeah, yeah," you snickered as you went to the kitchen to put on the kettle, "we going black today or something lighter?"

"Put on some of the pekoe," she called back, "make a whole pot."

"Will do, ma'am," you trilled and basked in her annoyed mutter.

💀

When the internet came back, you sent of an email to inform the agency of the interruption and promised to meet your deadlines. Then you puttered around and added a caption to the video before you sent it off to Kelly; 'why he walk like that tho'. She sent a series of crying emojis back and told you to post it.

'Nah, it's a dumb joke.' You typed back.

'Saw ur last vid, ppl will eat it up,' she insisted.

'Well, got nothing else to put up. The account’s dying since no one cares about my writing.'

'DO IT.' Her words sealed your resolve and you uploaded the video with some dramatic music in the background.

The response was almost instantaneous. Several comments saying they were happy to see more and others being for another video. 'We all wanna see inside this fucked up town' one added and several latched on. Ignoring the questions of where this was, you gave a thin promise of future small town thug content. 

You turned back to your work email and opened up your draft for your next gig. You couldn't help but smile as you went over your work. You might have just found your niche.

💀

You knew your nan would lose it if she knew you were snooping around the club, so you didn’t tell her. You went down, made her breakfast, went back upstairs to do your work, then tiptoed out in the late afternoon to poke around town for something to upload. Birch was so dull when you lived there but to those outside, it was a novelty you were all too eager to provide.

You got more videos of the bikers; some revving their bikes, others arguing, but there was nothing overly usable. You were getting bored of it until the man himself walked out of the bar. You record the man’s glower expression as he marched down the sidewalk and turned off just down the way.

‘His name is Bucket… wtf?!’ you keyed in and snorted as you waited for it to load to your account.

Still, there was nothing special going on, like always in Birch, and your grandmother was bound to get suspicious if you kept sneaking around. You went back and hid your phone before she could bitch about it. You cooked her dinner and sat with her as your thoughts swung between work and your TikTok.

You went to bed but couldn’t sleep. You ended up watching YouTube on your phone as the windows shook with the night winds. It wasn’t until the darkness began to glow that you were roused from the cocoon of your comforter. You looked out and saw smoke coming from the main road.

You didn’t think before you pulled on your jeans and shoved your feet into your slipper, unconcerned about them soaking through as you barreled down the stairs, the sleeves of your hoodie only half on. The back door bounced behind you and you crunched down into the snow and clamored past the row of lifeless houses. 

You were out of breath as you got to the end of the path and rounded the diner to gape over at the burning garage. You got closer as the line of bikers stood in their leather with breath puffing before them in the frigid night. You stepped back into the shadow of the brick façade of the realty office and swiped your camera open.

Your hands shook and you struggled to steady the image on the screen as the mechanic woman raged in only her tee shirt. You didn’t quite understand what was going on; only that her garage was up in smoke and then men were doing nothing to smother it. She swung at the dark haired man and spat at several others; “cowards”... “fuck all of you!”

You gulped and held your breath as she was dragged away by the large redheaded henchman of the slender outsider. She fought for a moment before she was flung over his shoulder and the biker followed their leader back to The Asp. You sidled in between the building and hid until the voices faded into the wind.

Well, that would be a hell of a video. It might even go viral.

💀

Your phone did not stop. You almost felt bad as you saw the screen limn the edges of your cell as you left it face down on the little table beside the couch. Your nan sat in her rocking chair talking away on her corded phone to Linette from down the road. You suspected that every other person in town was gossiping about the same thing; the fire.

You finished your coffee and rubbed your eyes as you checked the time and ignored the pulsing notifications. It was too much to keep up with.

Your grandmother hung up and sighed, “can’t believe it. You hear?”

“Hear what?” you pretended ignorance.

“That old garage burned down. The one with the lady,” she said, “pity. When I was a girl, that place was a salon. Ma used to take us there to get our hair cut. The barber would give us wrapped candies and pretend to cut himself with his scissors.”

“Oh? It burned down?” you weren’t sure you were very convincing but you also could just say you saw it happen.

“Yep, no one really can say. You know, maybe she was welding or some rag caught, but I bet my money on those bikers,” she sneered.

“Good thing you’re poor,” you kidded, “and why the bikers?”

“Oh, well, you know Kimmy, Linette’s girl, works down at the diner and she saw that mechanic arguing with one of those strangers, the ones dealing with the club men. Well, it’s no coincidence that trouble follows those leather jackets around,” she rocked as she nodded knowingly, “oh, one of the boys I knew back in the day, he was found burnt up with his bike. They said the tank blew… well, I saw it and that tank was pristine.”

“Nan,” you gasped, “you… Jesus.”

“Well, things don’t change in Birch, we just get older,” she continued, “when you’re young, everything seems new but then you age and it’s all just the same.”

“Wow, how… inspiring,” you said dryly.

“Girlie, you gotta be careful,” she intoned, “that fire, that’s a lesson to all the women in this town. To everyone. You don’t cross the Commandos.”

“I don’t think anyone--”

“That’s another thing, there has never been a shortage of stupid people, not now not then,” she girded, “those women who get tied up in that club, their lives are already done.”

You frowned and hid your phone in your pocket as you stood. You rubbed your neck and picked up your empty mug, “I should get started.”

“Mmm,” she said as she dialed the phone again, “I wonder if Fran knows yet.” 

💀

You were being really fucking stupid but peer pressure was not a logical thing. Even through a screen, you found it hard to resist the goads. So there you were, your phone in your hand as you live-streamed your walk down to The Asp. The data costs alone would make you regret it but you were caught up in the hype of you fifteen second of internet fame.

“Alright,” you stopped across the street and gave a view of the moniker with Cleopatra sultrily looking down at you, “this is it… I just gotta play it cool…” you turned the lens towards you and smiled nervously, “hopefully that dude at the front doesn’t stop me.”

Comments flicked up the bottom of the screen so fast and smilies and hearts floated up the side around your face. You crossed the screen as you turned your phone against your coat and approached the bar door. The large biker butted out his smoke and you bared your teeth nervously. He didn’t stop you as he rolled his shoulders and coughed.

You entered to the noise of classic rock and low voices, the clink of glasses and tap of chalk on marble. You glanced around and quickly swept your phone around to give a view of the patrons. You hurried over to the bar and climbed up on a stool.

“You need a drink?” the woman behind the bar scowled. She looked worn out even with her lips painted bright pink and her eyes clouded with blue shadow.

“Uh, sure, can I… can I get one pint of everything you have on tap?” you asked as you set your phone down and shrugged out of your coat. You draped it over the next stool and reposition your phone as you flipped the cam and used the built in stand on the case to angle yourself onto the screen.

“Sure,” she narrowed her eyes and glanced past you.

You swung your feet as you waited for her to pour the five pints; some with too much foam and the others with no head at all. You took the first and held it up for the camera.

“A classic, BudLight,” you held it up to the light, “no head and…” you sipped, “flat.” You plunked it down and coughed as you grabbed the next, “this is a raddler?” you looked at the tap for confirmation, “grapefruit… smells like piss…” you had a sip, “tastes like it too.”

You chuckled to yourself and asked for a water. You made a show of swishing it around in your mouth before you moved onto the third beer.

“Had to cleanse the palate,” you joked, “now… lots of foam on this one, dark. You know, I’m pretty surprised they have Guinness here but let’s see…” you tasted it and crinkled your nose, “that’s it. Exactly like toilet water!”

You read some of the comments telling you to check the bottles for bugs and laughed. Suddenly you were yanked off the stool by the back of your shirt and your phone was swiped up by another man as the first restrained you. You struggled against his thick arm as it hooked around your neck and the leader of their crew stared at the screen of your cell.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he snarled as he hit the screen with his thumb but the stream kept going. He dropped the phone to the floor and stomped it instead.

“This is the bitch posting about us online,” the man at your back growled. It was Steve, the one with the weird walk.

“I doubt either of you know how to use a computer,” you scoffed, “hey, let me go.”

“And why would we do that when you’re snitching to the whole world, sweetheart?” Bucky kicked your phone away as he crossed his arms.

“Actually, I’m--” you grasped Steve’s arm as it threatened to get tighter, “--promoting your trash business. I was just having a tasting, if you had just asked--”

“Shut up!” Bucky stepped closer and brought your legs up and stopped him as you planted your feet against his stomach.

“Hey,” a woman’s voice came from behind the bar as the waitress shoved aside her empty tray, “hey, she’s just a kid.”

“Bullshit,” Bucky huffed, “she looks full-grown to me.”

“So what are you gonna do?” she said, “she’s young. You can’t--”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do,” he snapped.

“She’s right,” another voice intoned and that man, Sam, came up beside them with a pool cue in hand, “she’s just goofing around.”

“She’s a rat,” Steve insisted.

“You’re being dramatic. It’s called a meme and you do walk a little strange,” he chuckled, “no one’s gonna follow her breadcrumbs back to this shithole anyway.”

Bucky considered Sam and then looked at Steve. He poked his cheek with his tongue and sucked his teeth.

“So… you vouching for her?” Bucky asked.

“She won’t cause any more trouble, promise,” Sam said, “I’ll make sure of it.”

“You better,” Bucky snapped his fingers and you were released, “get her out of here.” 

[kjnwoos]

hi hello! my name is daisy (she/her, 21+, cst) and i’m so excited to be here!! let me introduce you to my boy kwon jinwoo, a 23 year old chef from seoul running away from a career-ending family scandal. under the cut is (probably too much) info on my guy along with some possible connection ideas. give this post a ❤️  if you’d like to plot or feel free to msg me here or on discord @ daisydaisy#5293 . just as a general heads up, i sometimes forget when i need to respond to ppl so please never worry about double messaging/giving our messages a bump if i haven’t replied. i can’t wait to write with you all! 🤠

before we dive into all of that, i do want to say that jinwoo’s backstory/information has a lot to do with chef stuff and also shady business stuff. aka things i do not know a whole lot about. so if any of my information/terms are wrong, sorry in advance! 

GENERAL:

birthday:  july 17, 1998

cancer sun, taurus moon, capricorn rising

born in seoul, sk

family: kwon wooseok (dad), shin minhee (mom), kwon jinyoung (younger brother, age 14)

traits: (pos) thoughtful, courteous, nurturing, open-minded, passionate, (neutral) emotional, reserved, introspective, observant, (neg) standoff-ish, reclusive, insecure, temperamental, judgmental, lavish

career: former executive chef at “simmer”, an upscale modern fusion restaurant in seoul

ABOUT:

traveled a lot as a kid because his parents own “intaste”, a french style gourmet restaurant that started with one location in seoul but now has hundreds across the globe

mom, minhee, was the creative brains behind it all and was the og chef de cuisine at intaste. she then turned it into a business that raked in the money and allowed jinwoo to grow up without wanting a single thing

dad, wooseok, joined intaste as patissier and eventually became cfo of the corporation. he was the money brains behind it all

jinwoo grew up in kitchens and loved every second of it

his family all got along well together, his parents were strict but nothing out of the ordinary. his only wish was to be able to see his parents more often instead of growing up with a nanny

went to the best schools, got decent enough grades, didn’t care much about grades tho as he knew he wanted to be a chef

his little brother jinyoung came around when he was 9 and he couldn’t have loved it anymore

jinwoo is, in general, a pretty loyal dude for everyone but do NOT mess with jinyoung. that is one line he will not allow anyone to cross

after graduating high school, jinwoo went straight on to being a sous chef at the intaste in seoul, not bothering with culinary school or university

worked his way up to chef de cuisine after 4 years, then (much to his parents disapproval) decided to leave and start something new

jinwoo started at simmer, a new modern fusion restaurant that an old buddy from intaste had opened 

in general, the public thought jinwoo was a good chef (he had appeared on some talk shows to promote things and had been in the tabloids since he was young due to the high profile clientele his parents rubbed elbows with)

in general, the food world thought he was over-rated and a nepotism baby

a few months after simmer opened, news broke that jinwoo’s dad had been making really shady deals with politicians and had a bunch of off-shore bank accounts with embezzled funds

jinwoo’s mom called him and told him to take out as much cash as he could and hide it away because he may lose all of his inheritance if he didnt (idk if this could actually happen in real life so uhhh) and to go to a place out of the way to let it all die down

and that’s how he ended up with a moving truck at maehwa, a frown on his face, and a trunk under lock and key stored in the back of his closet

FUN STUFF:

guy is a chain smoker, tbh. likes to open the window in his room, look out at the property and lose track of time by smoking

you can always find him in the kitchen late at night because the man does not know how to go to bed 

(headcanon that jinwoo gets stressed so he cooks and leaves trays of food in the fridge and plates of sweets on the counter that magically pop up in the middle of the night for everyone to enjoy. he gets flustered if someone tries to thank him for them)

his brother encouraged him to journal so he has a bunch of well loved, falling apart journals to write in when he gets frustrated

he likes to stay on his own and doesn’t really open up/talk to people so he has an image of being cold but really, he’s just shy 

super emotional guy who will have emotional outbursts and esp gets loud when he’s cooking and something goes wrong 

pansexual but doesn’t really date or have partners. he doesn’t allow himself to make the time to be romantically involved with anyone (that obvi can and will change when he meets the right people)

doesn’t really wear leisure wear, he normally is in at the least a sweatshirt with jeans

CONNECTIONS:

someone in the house who he can be his one (1) close friend

someone in the house who can not stand him

someone who knew him outside the house (maybe they ran in the same circles in seoul)

someone who found the trunk in his closet and won’t leave him alone until they find out whats inside

someone who knows all about the embezzlement/possibly was affected by it personally

a cooking buddy / someone to stand in the kitchen and cut carrots and peel potatoes with jinwoo, both in silence

someone who wants to learn how to cook

any and all romantic tropes can be applied here, i am up for almost anything 

someone who really tries to get jinwoo out of his comfort zone and fails constantly, but not without annoying jinwoo to high heaven first

a chill buddy, someone to sit outside and drink a beer with late at night

[adragonsfriend]

A Partial Fix-it AU based on Thought 2

Picture this. It starts as your regular crack filled social media AU, clones and jedi posting things, laughing, whatever. They’re doing it because the propaganda people thought it would be a good idea, but they are generally having fun with it, maybe there are some plans to use the exposure for good things like accountability and public sympathy etc. Maybe incorporate some actual scenes so that’s available as an option for later in the plot, or maybe it’s all done as documentation/social media format.

Anakin’s public account is popular for him being hot and ‘cause of existing “Hero with no Fear” propaganda. He mostly posts action shots taken by r2 or the 501st or activities with Ahsoka, nothing particularly deep, just fulfilling the assignment. Most of the jedi do a bit more activist photography, highlighting damage and deaths, or places in need of aid, but Anakin’s account isn’t far out of the norm, except in how much attention it gets.

You get a solid chapter or two of this pretty fluffy stuff, maybe with a memo or two about suggestions for jedi and clones responsibly using social media, maybe someone getting in minor trouble at some point, but overall these instances are played as serious needed to make the comedy shine all the brighter.

Then, all of a sudden, Anakin’s public account posts something in reply to some humans-first/other would be terrorist group’s post along the lines of “yeah we should do that like how I killed the animals who murdered my mom”.

He deletes it pretty quickly, but it’s already been screenshotted and passed around. There’s a period of,,, wait did General Skywalker’s account get hacked? Before the public really gets into investigating this. Some people slice into a semi-private chat from this extremist group and post screenshots and essays that identify Anakin’s alt account by some secret military information it gives away, as well as comparing phrasing to his public posts. Someone makes a connection to some attack that happened on republic space either by the extremist group or by Separatists connected to them. There are compilations of the alt accounts posts screenshotted before the whole account is deleted. The internet is kinda split once more of the story gets out, with some ratio of people saying revenge is cool and Tuskens aren’t people anyway, some people being like Anakin deserves to be killed alongside his own family in return, and some people managing a very sane, there was harm done on both sides but Anakin’s vengeance was wildly disproportionate, and his casual confession is incredibly disturbing to hear. Lotta people feeling betrayed by their idol, etc.

Republic intelligence attempts to censor the whole issue for “national security” (in fact they were actually the ones to delete the alt account) as Palpatine himself doesn’t really want Anakin’s secret exposed, but it’s not very effective against the viral nature of the issue.

Anakin is freaking out by this point, full on panic attack in a supply closet, ignoring messages from everyone. Ahsoka is really deeply confused/horrified trying to figure out if any of this is true while not being physically able to find Anakin. Some 501st clones are muttering but really not sure if they’re supposed to do anything.

It takes another minute for ppl on the Jedi council to find out about this whole thing, because (1) they are, as a rule, busy, and do not have time for doom scrolling and (2) republic intelligence does not inform them of jack shit. But before Anakin’s can get out of his panic long enough to make a plan to disappear and/or do something wildly stupid like go on the social media again, Obi-Wan appears on the Resolute. He’s greeted by Rex and Ahsoka, who still haven’t found where anakin is hiding. Obi-Wan is outwardly composed, but clearly several shades too pale, and determined, or possibly angry looking. He finds Anakin pretty damn quickly, and they’re locked away for a while, having some conversation where Anakin ranges wildly from yelling to sobbing to admitting he knew killing the tuskens was wrong to denying everything or saying they deserved it. Obi-Wan basically strategically (he’s really damn careful not to let it become a duel) provokes him until there are no more confessions or strong emotions left, at which point he gets Anakin to give up his saber, he has permission to leave the 212th to escort Anakin to Coruscant. One of the 501st troopers ends up posting a video of them leaving, Anakin looking like shit and Obi-Wan obviously carrying both of their lightsabers.

There’s like, a formal confession or something, and for a while it looks like there’s going to be a military trial, but eventually people realise it was a crime committed before the beginning of the war, outside of Republic space (this is partly a result of Palpatine interfering to stop Anakin potentially being executed by a military court—though I think he’d actually be chill with Anakin getting imprisoned for a year or two, so he could then “rescue” him from prison after forming the empire—and also attempting to minimise the possibility of Anakin exposing the fact that he told Palpatine about the massacre. Or maybe Palpatine cuts his losses and attempts to have Anakin killed at this point lol). Anyway the crime of Anakin’s that can be charged is giving away classified military information through carelessness, at the very least. He ceases to be a general pretty quickly and gets remanded to Jedi custody, and there’s a public outcry at the apparent lack of a punishment.

This leads to another PR thing, where the Jedi get to show their style of justice: very much about accounts and rehabilitation, to actual journalists. Something something Anakin’s movements are restricted, he can’t carry a weapon, made to rethink his actions until he can face them properly, plans for the future to see if there’s a reasonable authority among the Tuskens he will someday face, etc. A’sharad hett (no I don’t know how to spell his name) gets a platform to talk about the complexities of the Sand People-Settler -Hutt relationship on Tatooine. In the end it probably all gets twisted into more of the public distrusting the Jedi (this happens at exactly the moment Palpatine cuts his losses with having anakin as his apprentice btw)

Part of me wants to turn this into a full fix-if fic, but honestly it feels contrived because none of what gets dredged up leads back to Palpatine or the clone’s chips in any way.

It’s far more appropriate to me to have Palpatine be forced to cut his losses (due to Anakin being restricted to the temple and shoved face first into counciling/his redemption arc) and eventually executing order 66 while Anakin is still confined to the Temple (At this point the social media/documentation style pretty much collapses because all the characters exist in secret avoiding the new government, so maybe it’s the sequel lol). From there it can go two ways:

Anakin is out of practice even wielding a weapon, but he picks up a lightsaber off of a fallen Crèchemaster and goes on to die defending the younglings he killed in canon. Obi-Wan and Yoda find his body along with the rest, scorched by blaster burns. None of the Jedi in the Temple were killed by a lightsaber that day. Padmé was already pregnant by the time Anakin was exposed, so Obi-Wan goes to rescue her from getting kidnapped while Yoda goes to face Sidious. They’re all forced to hide and retreat like in canon, but Padmé lives to be involved in the Rebellion. Obi-Wan saw Anakin die as a Jedi, so he’s grieving but not despairing the same way as canon. He and Padmé work out some situation for raising & training the kids. The kids spend a significant chunck of time on Dagobah when Padmé and Obi-Wan are both busy. They love their swamp-master even though he acts grumpy sometimes (“the point, what is, of a secret swamp planet, if visitors, I always have hmm?”). Maybe Anakin ends up a force ghost via qui-gon jinn (who was secretly visiting him while he was restricted to the Temple or something lol), and can show up to give his kids cryptic advice when they get to the OT era (no he’s not allowed to just hang out and be a ghost-dad, that’s not how force ghosts do business. Also the kids wouldn’t be fully trained at that point, so they wouldn’t be able to see him anyway).

Second option is that Anakin pulls some bullshit (maybe he collapses the Temple in a productive way or smth) and escapes the Temple with a youngling or two. On the run he has a whole arc about finding out Palpatine is evil via the news and having to process that alone while being the adult to these younglings. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Padme are doing basically the same thing as in option 1, except they don’t know where the hell Anakin is, and they’re worried Sidious has him, either as an inquisitor or a prisoner. A reunion happens, somehow, eventually. Luke and Leia work through having a dad, Anakin works through Padme and the kids being alive. There’s something where he and Obi-Wan have to have a conversation about how Obi-Wan does in fact trust him again, seeing what he’s done since order 66 (given Obi-Wan’s importance to the war they didn’t actually get to see each other much after Anakin’s initial confession). Anyway then they la de da their way into the OT era and stuff happens where Palpatine dies idk

I like both options a lot tbh, though the first one feels more thematically important re: Anakin dying for kids is a classic. I feel like I could fit in a Mace Windu lived thing in the second one tho, via him getting lightninged out the window while having two hands, or just changing that circumstance entirely. Oh also Ahsoka is somewhere. Maybe she ended up knighted and in charge of the 501st, since with Palpatine giving up on Anakin there’s really no reason for her to get targeted in any way (even if the Wrong Jedi arc still happens there’s less pressure by the Senate to kick her out of the Order, so a better investigation. Also whoever her new master is could have tempered some of the recklessness that got her in trouble there)…in which case I guess she and Rex can basically do their regular end of Clone Wars thing, and reunite with the others later as well.

This got a lot deeper than I expected it to almost two hours ago when I started writing. it’s great lol

if Star Wars had the internet Anakin would fall down an alt right pipeline so fast it’s not even funny. thought 1 is this doesn’t change the plot at all cuz he already said shit like that. thought 2 is him accidentally confessing to mass murder by posting to the wrong account

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hello dear Slug, biggest of thanks to you for summarizing the manga! It's so great that you help the fandom to keep being alive alongside the other translators💙 I wanted to ask for something, is it ok to not to use humor in serious scenes? I mean they are so great when things are kind of funny or random but I don't think the "taking in a broken-hearted man..." was an good Idea(it actually killed the mood a little), I can mute ppl in replies when they try too hard to be funny(not you!), obviously because the raw emotional scenes for mtc are "awkward" to deal with and they need to leave an comment anyway but well I think I can't do that here😅 ppl already clown my faves too much, while I don't talk about it and everyone should be free and enjoy their time in fandom I thought maybe it is a little fair to try and ask this in this case💙 I hope I'm not being rude or oversensitive...if you think I'm being sensitive or it's tiring to think about the jokes and if any scene is serious or not do ingnore me I really don't want to upset anyone who likes humor in serious scenes including you if you do(please again note that I'm not saying "you" are trying too hard to be funny, I swear you are a fun guy and your humor is good actually and I was kind of afraid to send this ask and it makes you to stop the jokes completely or go "wth?")

Hey, thanks for reaching out to me about this! I greatly appreciate it.

I think quite a bit about tone when writing summaries, because one of the manga's two major storytelling elements (the illustrations) has to be condensed down into only words. I draw attention to specific visual elements or paneling choices occasionally, but it can be disruptive to the flow of the narrative, so I try to use tone as much as possible to convey the information available in the characters' facial expressions, body language, and paneling. When the characters or narrative joke around, I try to use funny language or add side comments. When scenes become more serious, I keep those comments to myself (with the exception of scenes where I know there's no way in hell it'll be read seriously despite my best efforts - I'm thinking of the super dramatic "Who hurt you?" "... The Swaggers" bit from DoD) and try to match the level of dramatic tension whenever possible.

In the scene you mentioned, I wasn't trying to be funny at all. I described Samatoki as "broken-hearted" to try to indicate the extent of devastation he felt as evidenced by the body language on the page, since most readers wouldn't have that image in front of them. After I talked with other people to try to understand your concern more, I realized that the phrasing of Juuto's line - which I chose mainly for spacing reasons - sounded more flippant than I intended.

In the end, though, it doesn't matter at all what my intentions were, because if readers are taking away a very different impression than what I meant, I have failed as a writer to convey information. I apologize very much for upsetting you, and I will keep thinking about this as I move forward. Thanks again for telling me!

[peanutpinet]

Nine Percent Mafia Scenarios

Cai Xukun

Cai Xukun, a name that is well-known whether you go to the same school with him or not. He was notorious for not only being the heartrob of the school, the best basketball player the school had ever had, a hard-working student and a caring person.

Even so, there was a rumour going around that he was part of a gang. Now, this wasn't your typical school gang or a motorcycle gang but more so a mafia group. Not only that, the rumours has it that he is even a leader of one of the mafia's group.

But despite his reputation, Kun was never one to play with people's feelings. So he would always decline people's confessions as nicely as he could. Truth be told that it was mainly because there was already someone that caught his attention since the first day he came to the school (*cough*you*cough*).

Of course, because of his reputations and all, he didn't really want to make his crush that obvious, especially when he was in a mafia group. Though, his group were more so dealing with the actual scums rather than causing trouble for the authority (which is why the authority would let his group go).

But that would soon change during one of his important matches. Not only was he against his school's biggest rival but also his mafia's rival. If he won the game, it'd be killing two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, when the match was going fairly well for Kun's side, his rival's side had their own set of tricks. Apparently, some of his rival's group were scattered around the school, finding one specific person, you.

While you did try to put up a fight and all, you were outnumbered and the opposing rival managed to get ahold of you. Once the game was over and Kun's team had won, they had to shake hands with the opposing team which of course, Kun did as well. However, when he got to his mafia's rival, he received a disturbing information.

"It was a good game but looks like you guys could still use some practice" Kun snickered, shaking hands with his rival

"I wouldn't be too cocky if I were you, August" his rival challenged, making Kun tensed up upon hearing his work name

"Don't test me, especially in school. I suggest you leave quietly unless you're starting to pick a fight" Kun barked

"Heh, well, let's see how tough you can get when you're with (y/n)" his rival mentioned, makin Kun gripped on his rival's hand even more

"What do you know about (y/n)?!" Kun growled

"Why don't you come by dinner tonight? I'll send you the location" his rival smirked, taking his hand back and leaving the school along with his team

Kun instantly contacted his own members, asking them to track your phone since he tried calling and texting you but you didn't reply him at all (which is actually very rare unless you told him you had something to do).

At the same time Kun received an unknown message, his members found your phone's location which was completely different to the location in the message.

Kun then split his group to two, with him going to the location he got from the message whilst the others go to the location where they tracked the phone down.

It wasn't that much of a surprised that you weren't at the location Kun went. But that didn't stop Kun from going brutal with the rival gang. After he was done there, he went over to where you actually were on his motorcycle.

Arriving at the scene, Kun wasted no time and just knocked the rival gang even when he was still on his motorcycle. When Kun did get down from his motorcycle, he kept going until he finally reached you and pulled you into a hug.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Kun asked, concern can be heard from his cracked yet soft voice

"I, I'm alright, Kun. I just got a slight bruise but nothing too serious" you admitted, holding onto Kun's hands that were almost 2x your hand size

"If you ever come near her ever again, I'll show no mercy next time. Now scram" Kun hissed, making the boys run away from the scene

"I'm fine, Kun. Don't scare them like that" you stuttered

"Let's go, let's put some ice pack onto that bruise, hmm? Then we can continue watching that drama you were watching. Let's go boys" Kun mentioned, pulling you to his motorcycle

Chen Linong

Honestly, Nongnong is just too soft to be part of the mafia. Which is also why he is perfect to be the spy in the mafia XD alright, onto the scenario

So, I imagine that you were one of the bad girls in school. Not bad as in you caused trouble but more so you look like a baddie when you're actually nice to the ppl close to you. One of which was Nongnong.

When Nongnong first came to the school, he looked so cute and soft that you swore that you wouldn't let anybody bully him nor hurt him at all. You even helped him get used to the school.

Time passed by and you and Nongnong were quite close with each other that even went on a few study dates here and there; which Nongnong of course would take you home like the gentlemen he was.

But one study date made you change your mind how you saw Nongnong. All this time you would always feel the need to be the one to protecc precious Nongnong, but this time, it was the other way around.

The both of you stayed a bit longer than expected at the study cafe you guys always come for when you were doing school stuff. But of course both of you have told your parents and Nongnong even told your parents he'll still bring you home safely.

As the cafe was closing, you and Nongnong finally head back home when suddenly a gang of motorcycles came by and stopped right in front of you. Nongnong tried his best to tell them off but for no apparent reason they just burst up and went to charge towards you and Nongnong.

You've experienced fighting before which is why you were still standing, unfeared of what this gang could do. But as you were about to fight back, Nongnong quickly stood in front of you and beat all the people in the gang; scaring them off and even threatening them that if he ever sees them again or even hears about them when he's around, he won't go easy.

"Are you ok (Y/N)? Are you hurt anywhere?" Nongnong asked, his voice turning into his normal soft voice

"I, you, what? Who are you and what have you done to my sunshine soft precious Nong?!" you exclaimed, pointing at Nongnong and at the slight mess he made

"Ahaha, I'm also super Nongnong!! Remember? But for reals (y/n), are you alright?" Nongnong asked in concern, holding your hands in his

"I'm fine. You didn't have to protect me though. You know I can fight" you mumbled

"I know. But you shouldn't have to fight when I'm around. I'll take care of you even when I'm sick. As long as you're fine then I'll be fine. Come, let's go home" Nongnong softly whispered, pulling his signature smile as he pulled you away from the scene and head back home

Fan Chengcheng

Kay, first of, boy looks like he ready to throw a fit or something XD also, crazy to believe that he was just 18 here. Kay" scenario

For this I imagine that Chengcheng had to attend a wedding of a family member (let's say it's his cousin) and his parents expect him to bring someone or they'll make him mingle around with the people at the wedding.

Because he much prefer to bring someone he knew, he immediately called you to come join him; telling you that he'll find hair, makeup and stylist for you so all you had to do was just join him. Though you're not much of a social person, Chengcheng got you by telling you that there'll be your favourite foods.

Time skip to the day of the wedding

You arrived at the Fan's house and was greeted by Chengcheng's sister, Fan Bingbing. Because you've been to his house several of times, truth is, his parents and Bingbing were thrilled to hear that Chengcheng invited you to join.

Bingbing then directed you to one of the rooms that was filled with different clothes and she even helped you picked out an outfit then brought you to another room where there were people ready to do your hair and makeup.

After nearly 2 hours of getting ready, you were finally done and Bingbing was helping you zip your dress when Chengcheng came in already in his dashing suit. Bingbing then gave a smirk, leaving you with Cheng.

"Wow, you look amazing? You're probably gonna outshine the bride. Here, lemme help" Chengcheng exclaimed, helping zip your dress up then looking at you in the mirror

"Speak for yourself. That glasses really suits your look. Not to mention the slick back hair with a slight green/blue tone?! Damn, Cheng" you replied as the both of you looked in the mirror

"C'mon, I want one mirror selfie then we can go to the actual event" Chengcheng requested as he took his phone out and taking a mirror selfie with you

After several more pictures, Chengcheng's parents finally called you both and the both of you went downstairs; where Chengcheng's parents and sister were waiting.

After around 30-40 minutes of being on the road, you all arrived at the venue, took some pictures and were redirected to where you would be seated.

"I have to go for a bit. My parents made me go see my cousin then his bride. You just stay here, alright? I'll have someone send some appetisers or any snacks" Chengcheng whispered to you

"Sure thing. Go go, then we can play whilst we wait. Justin is waiting for me right now" you mentioned

"Better be just one game. I'll be back. Don't start the next game without me, tell Justin that I'll take his food next practice if he leaves me out" Chengcheng pointed out, walking away

"Oi!! Watch your step!!" you scolded then went back to playing

Chengcheng's POV

"Why do I have to meet her?" I complained

"Because it's to welcome her into the family" my parents replied

"Ah yes, welcome someone we almost never met into the family" I cursed

"Fan Chengcheng, behave. I heard she's quite lovely" my mom scolded

"Fine. But it better not be long" I scoffed as the security opened the door and I went into my cousin's bride room

"Fan Chengcheng!! I'm so happy you could come to my wedding!!" my cousin's bride exclaimed

"Yea yea. Hold it. You....Jia Xiaoli (random name). You're my cousin's bride?! What trick you got now?!" I threatened standing right in front of her

"No tricks, Cheng. I promise!!" Xiaoli smiled

"Cut the act Xiaoli, you bribed me into dating you and if it wasn't for (y/n), my family would be in jeprodize" I barked at her

"Ahhh right, (y/n). I haven't seen her in a while. How is she?" Xiaoli asked

"She's not your concern. Stay out of my sight and (y/n)'s. And if you ever hurt my family, I'll show you no mercy" I scoffed, banging on the door and returning to where I left (y/n)

Unfortunately, when I arrived back, (y/n) was no where to be seen. I scowered the whole venue yet she wasn't there. I then rushed out to the bathroom, hoping that maybe she was there. I even tried texting her but after 30 minutes and no answer from her at all, I got anxious; like something is wrong here.

I then went out of the venue and contacted Justin if he was talking with (y/n) since they were playing games together. Thankfully, I got somewhat of a lead. Justin mentioned that he's actually on a "call" with (y/n) but he muted his microphone because he heard some other people was on the other line with her. Justin also mentioned that he's trying to track down (y/n) and after a few minutes, Justin sent me her location.

Not caring that the event was starting, I rushed to find (y/n) which turns out, her phone was at one of the hotel rooms of the venue. I then listened to the room first and when I heard (y/n)'s voice, I wasted no time and barged in, dodging all the attacks of the men within the room, knocking them all out one by one and took my jacket off, wrapping it around (y/n).

"Are you ok? Did they hurt you? What did they do?" I asked, pulling (y/n) into a hug

"Nothing, thankfully. They made me go with them and when I felt something was off, I called Justin but put the volume at the lowest, hoping he'll know my situation" (y/n) explained

"It's alright, I'm here. I've also asked Justin to come. C'mon let's get outta here" I mentioned, holding (y/n)'s hand

"Justin? Is he invited? What are you gonna do?" (Y/n) asked

"He'll be invited soon. We got a wedding to crash" I snickered, taking (y/n) away from the scene

Justin Huang

Tbh, I don't think this pose will really fit into the scenario but I will try. Okie, onto the scenario for Justin!!

For Justin, I imagine that you guys were living together along with Chengcheng, Yanjun and Kun for a film shoot and one night, you and Justin were heading out to buy dinner since the geges were basically passed out.

As the both of you were on your way, Justin noticed some sketchy people stalking the both of you. Justin made sure to keep an eye of them but didn't realise that there were a whole lot more of them that blocked your path and while you did put up quite a fight, you were eventually taken and was out of Justin's sight.

When Justin realised you were gone, he didn't waste any time in calling his geges and immediately went to find where they took you. Justin was definitely certain that they were part of the opposing gang that's always trying to get on ninepercent's nerve.

After a bit of running and even getting his geges help, Justin finally found the hideout and instantly barged in. However, the condition he found you in was not a pretty sight.

⚠️ Trigger Warning!! ⚠️

Not only were you bounded to a chair but it seemed that you were being beaten up, there were visible new purpleish bruises on your legs and cheek, not to mention some part of your clothes were ripped, your hair was messed up and even blood was dripping from your mouth, hands and thighs.

At that moment, something in Justin just flipped. As if he turned off his humanity switch (except for you). No-one was going to block his way to you. If they did, he wouldn't care whether they're a guy or girl, he'll put them down.

One after the other, Justin would break their arms/legs, the sound of their suffering even urged Justin to go even further; to the point where Justin didn't care whether he broke their bones, pulled their muscles or so on.

Once all of them were down on the ground, Justin finally managed to get to you. He crouched down to your height and wrapped his jacket over your shivering body and asked if it was alright to carry you which u only gave him a slight nod; and at the same time his geges arrived at the scene.

"It's alright (y/n). I got you, we're gonna go home now, kay?" Justin cooed you as he carried you in his arms

"Justin?! (Y/N)?! Are you guys alright?!" Kun asked as Yanjun and Chengcheng were prepared to shoot anyone

"Sorry to ask this but please take care of them. Oh and make sure they're still alive. I have unfinished business with them. I'm taking (y/n) back first" Justin requested, walking out of the scene

Lin Yanjun

Tbh, I'm not a fan of this jacket on Jun XD but his gaze bruh, his gaze!!! 🔥🔥 okie, scenario!!

For this scenario, I imagine that you were in Yanjun's hometown in Taiwan and apparently Yanjun's 10th year high school reunion was coming up and decided to bring you along since he only planned on staying for a bit then take you out elsewhere (also to keep all those girls in line before they lashed out on him)

After getting ready and all, you and Yanjun excused yourselves from Yanjun's parents and went out to the bar where the reunion was held. Ofc, when Yanjun entered, so many of his ex girl classmates were thrilled, until he showed up with you, hand in hand.

Yanjun just nodded and waved at his ex classmates before introducing you then he pulled you to the near corner of the table since he knew that you were somewhat socially awkward.

After having a little drink and snacks, it was now almost 9pm and Yanjun wanted to treat you out to the night market before going home. He asked if you wanted to go now which you gave him a slight nod. He told you that he'll go to the restroom for a bit before you leave.

After his restroom business, one of his ex classmates (a girl) went up to him and talked for a bit. At first it seemed like a simple catch up until she started to clustered the space and asked some personal questions about you. Yanjun was quick to know the situation he was in and immediately took control and straight up turned his ex classmate down, making his way to where he left you.

However, he noticed that some of the guys were trying to flirt with you and it seemed that they were getting a bit touchy that you seemed to be quite uncomfortable. Yanjun knew that coming to the reunion was a bad idea. Not only the majority that came were the school bullies but they were also part of a gang which 9% has been paying a close attention to.

Even so, Yanjun know that you could handle yourself and when your gaze met with Yanjun's, you immediately tried to excuse yourself but then one of the guys gripped your wrist which in return you slapped their hand away and even shoved them back down. Just when you managed to get free of these crazy people, another guy managed to grabbed you and pulled you down but at the same time, a dart flew and hit the the person's hand. Everyone then looked to see Yanjun's killer looks.

As everyone was distracted, you pulled yourself up at the same time Yanjun came and stood in front of you, holding your hand softly. Stroking your knuckles, he asked if they did anything else which you shook your head and told him that they just tried to flirt whilst the girls were already somewhat drunk. Yanjun gave you a slight apologetic smile before going back to his cold gaze towards his ex-classmates.

"Can't you tell when a woman is clearly not interested and taken? The next time you do that to my woman or any sort of girls, it won't be a dart flying and the target surely won't be your hand" Yanjun warned, rubbing your knuckles softly before starting to leave

"You think you're all that huh Yanjun?! Just because you made a name for yourself now, you can do as you please, huh?!" one of the guys challenged

"Heh, I'd watch my mouth if I were you. Wouldn't want people to know about your 'illegal business' or the fact that you've been out with 10 different women this past week, now would you?" Yanjun challenged back, slightly smirking as the guy's face suddenly turned pale

"Thought so. C'mon (y/n), let's get outta here. The night market doesn't close until 11pm" Yanjun whispered, giving you a genuine smile as you went out together hand in hand like how you came in together

Zhu Zhengting

Mama Ting!! That gaze!! I surrender!! I won't play games till late at night!!! Kay", scenario time!!

Ok, for mama Ting, I feel that he's dating with a normal office worker (aka you), you guys met through mutual friends and for some reason, Zhengting feels at ease whenever he's with you (like, not awkward at all, unlike with most girls).

Zhengting was just waiting at your apartment and cooking up some dinner for the both of you since you told him that you might be coming back late due to an important meeting with your boss.

Once he heard the door unlocked, Zhengting welcomed you with his soft smile and sparkling eyes that was full of love (also open arms) which you gave him a tired smile but immediately hugged him when you've put your things down.

"How was work? What meeting was it? Oh, tell me over dinner. I made your favourites!!" Zhengting mentioned, guiding you to the dining area where he has prepared dinner

"Thank you, Ting. It was a confusing meeting honestly. Like, my boss suddenly asked about my relationship with you" you explained as you started to eat the dinner

"Really? Does your boss know me? Like know know or was he just trying to hit on you?!" Zhengting questioned, his tone getting serious

"Not sure. He was trying to offer me another job which paid quite a lot but it has something to do with my relationship. Like, when I told him that I was in a relationship, he gave this weird look like he wasn't satisfied and just dismissed me. Saying that he'll think about it" you elaborated

"Hmmm. Whatever you do, don't take the job unless he gives you the full details, alright? And if you're worried about money because your current job isn't paying you well, don't fret, I'm here!!" Zhengting exclaimed

"I don't want to leach off of you Ting but yea, I'm not gonna take that job. I'm planning to find a job elsewhere and resign once I reached my one year mark" you explained

"Good!! Now finish up then shower so we can go watch some dramas" Zhengting cheered

It's been roughly a week or so since you told Zhengting about the offer and Zhengting was currently at the bar along with Kun because they had to spy on some men coming to the bar; something about opening a brothel or an illegal business of some sort.

When the people were already there, both Zhengting and Kun split up to get some information out of the men. Nothing in particular really caught the two's attention up until one of the men brought up a file containing your information.

"I'm telling you, she's the best looking one in my company. Not to mention, whenever she wears skinny jeans, it just fits her body so well. Anyone would die to take her and our business will blow up" one of the men mentioned, pointing at a picture of your face

"But you mentioned that she's taken. Are you sure you can get her to join?" the other men asked

"She needs the money. Plus, I can always cut her pay and tell her that this job suits her better" the men mentioned, laughing

But oh boi, they picked on the wrong girl. Because the minute Zhengting heard the conversation and was sure that it was your picture that they used, he immediately gave the guy a good punch in the face, knocking him down and holding a gun up right at his temple.

"I take it you like using helpless woman for your illegal money? Not only that, using them then abusing them before you discard them. How annoying. I'll give you a few minutes to confess everything before I blow up your brainless head" Zhengting barked, his gun was right by the man's temple

"So you're her so-called boyfriend, huh? I'll just kill you here and..." the man scoffed but his scoffed turned into a scream as Zhengting shot the man's leg

"I was wondering who was my girlfriend's boss as he was so daring to ask about her relationship but was unsatisfied when he realised she was taken. Well, this is still consider verbal harrasement, right Kun?" Zhengting snickered

"Sure thing. Since we got some evidence here, pretty sure he'll get fired the second we inform this to the authority. Also, he'll probably lose all his wealth" Kun replied

"Wa-wait a minute?! Kun?! As in the Cai Xukun?! Leader of 9%?! Does that mean...you...you're..." the man stuttered

"Zhengting. Zhu. Zheng. Ting. The so-called boyfriend of the woman you're trying to hire into an illegal business. Oh well, save your breath for the court" Zhengting replied, a smirk plastering his face as the man's face turned very pale

Wang Ziyi

For this specific picture of Ziyi, I imagine it being a bit similar to mama Ting's one. Where you were just a normal worker, not an idol/actress/artist or even a daughter of a famous company owner. You were just you; which, to Ziyi, you were everything.

Now, unlike the in mama Ting's one, you weren't offered a new job at a new location that was completely different to the one you were currently in. However, the boss of your company did pay a close attention to you. He would often try to flirt with you, send you flowers or even directly asked you out; which of course you declined them all.

This happened even before you met Ziyi. But unfortunately, it still happened even after you've been dating Ziyi. However, it wasn't as bad as when you weren't dating Ziyi. You dunno whether its because he finally started giving up or because he knew you were dating someone since you never really told him you were actually dating someone.

But while your boss may not know that you were dating someone, you did tell Ziyi about how your boss has been flirting with you and all. But we all know how patient Ziyi is. Not only was he patient in hearing your complaints and all but he was also patient with your so-called "boss". Well, that is until he ran into your "boss" at the gym.

You and Ziyi have been going to the gym quite regularly (let's all pretend it aint covid) and normally Ziyi would treat you lunch (which is how he got you to go to the gym with him). So, Ziyi would normally go and do some weight training whilst you just went to do some cardio (like on the treadmill or bicycle).

It was going like normal until you were about to do a bit of weights yourself (like that pull-up weight thing) and as you were going to do your thing, your boss suddenly came up to you and you guessed it, tried to flirt with you.

You tried to tell him off nicely but the same time scanned the room to find Ziyi who was apparently at the boxing area. It took a good 5 minutes or so but Ziyi finally saw you and understood your situation.

He was about to tell the guy off nicely until he saw the guy closing in the space between the both of you near a wall. And lets just say, Ziyi was finally at the peak of his patience and just snapped at the dude.

He pulled the dude back and twisted his arm till you can hear a crack. Ziyi then told your "boss" off and even threatened him because apparently throughout this whole time, Ziyi was doing a lil "background check" on your so-called "boss".

"It's not nice to pick on a lady who's clearly taken. Especially when you, yourself is also taken" Ziyi scoffed, pushing the guy further back

"Aghhh, l-let go off, m-me. This isn't even a fair fight" the guy stuttered as Ziyi pushed the guy who eventually fell downwards

"I suggest you leave and not hit on anyone. Unless, of course, you'd like me to tell your wife about it" Ziyi threatened, taking his phone out and showing the guy some pics of his affair

"I, I'll get lost. Just don't show this to my wife or anyone" the guy babbled, rushing to leave the scene

"C'mon (y/n), let's go get lunch at your favourite" Ziyi mentioned, grabbing your hand and giving you his signature (yet sweet) smile Xiaogui

For Xiaogui, I imagine that he was the owner of a well renowned bar in Shanghai. It's been a tough week for you and when you told Xiaogui all about it, he felt sorry that he flew all the way to where you work, telling you that he'll stay over the weekend so the two of you can have a chill weekend together.

But, on the way back to your place, Xiaogui got a call from the bar about someone looking for him. He asked you for permission which you know that it was his bar and so you told him that it's alright. He gave your hand a light squeeze before speeding up to the bar.

Upon reaching the bar, he directed you to a secret door which led to his private office. He told you to just stay there whilst he takes care of the things at the bar.

However, not long after Xiaogui left, you suddenly had a bad feeling, as if you were being watched or something. You weren't dumb and you knew that Xiaogui hid his gun in his office (I mean, the dude taught you how to do self-defense and how to use a gun). You went over his desk trying to find the gun but the secone you held it, you felt a gun being pointed at the back of your head.

"You know, what ghost around, comes around" a deep voice mentioned, the gun being pressed by your head

"Now be a good girl and put the gun down" the man stated as you slowly put the gun down but only to make him lower his guard so you quickly upperhand him by taking his gun

As you manage to upperhand the attacker, he started to attack you which was not good. Sure, Xiaogui taught you a thing or two but when you're faced with it in real-life, that's a different story. You tried to keep your composure and threw his gun far away so it'll just be a hand to hand combat but you were still at a disadvantage.

You were already being cornered and as you took the nearest object as a weapon/shield, the attacker told you that you were no match for him. But as he was just a hand reach away, the door slammed opened and a bullet was shot right at the attacker's chest, close to his heart. You divert your gaze only to meet with Xiaogui's gaze.

"Touch her one more time and I'll make sure you live a living hell before I actually send you to hell, myself" Xiaogui stated, a signature grin was plastered on his face when he saw the attacker fell on the floor You Zhangjing

If Imma be honest, this was another hard scenario but here goes nothing.

So, for Zhangjing's scenario, I imagined that you, Zhangjing, Yanjun and Nongnong had to attend this special dinner that the opposite gang was going since they had some deals to handle.

You knew that it was quite a risk by going but they needed someone to come with them so it wouldn't seem too obvious that they were planning on handling the opposite gang. Plus, you get free food so that was a major plus.

Which is how you ended up in a little black dress with your arms linked with Zhangjing and Nongnong as Yanjun was in front of you, all four of you making your way to the ballroom hall of the hotel the dinner was being held.

Yanjun, being Yanjun and the third person in charge in 9% reminded everyone of their jobs. Also reminded you to stay near by them and let any one of them know when you wanted to go somewhere like the bathroom or some sort.

After rediscussing the plan, Yanjun was the first to excuse himself because he was the hitman of the group. Nongnong also left to mingle around and get some information. Which meant, it was you and Zhangjing.

Of course, it was no surprised that the two of you immediately headed to where the food is. The both of you were enjoying the food and occasionally talk with the other guests at the dinner until Yanjun called Zhangjing to request some hacking which Zhangjing proceed in doing.

But in the midst of hacking, you had the urge to go to the bathroom and told Zhangjing that I was gonna go which he told me to quickly go and come right back to his side which you agreed.

After finishing with your bathroom business, you went out to try and find where Zhangjing was but got a bit lost and this dude was trying to get on my nerve even after you declined him so many times. I mean, one Yanjun is more than enough.

But when this guy was persistent, you decided to fight back which he clearly didn't like at all. You knew lots of fighting skills and self-defence stuff by being with 9% for a long time. Heck, you were their most trusted person other than each other.

As you were about to end this little disturbance, the guy was knocked out cold and you saw You Zhangjing out of the 3 men you came with. His gaze could rival Yanjun (emphasis on could XD)

"Can't we just have one night of dinner in peace? Haish. C'mon (y/n), let's go back and enjoy our dinner" Zhangjing stated, extending his hand out as you went to grab it

"You know I had it under control" you stated, pouting

"I know. But I wanted it over with, plus the deal is done and we can go order in with everyone" Zhangjing exclaimed as the both of you skidded through the hall

[golbrocklovely]

cake tasting // colby brock

A/N: so this isn't a request, but i saw this tweet that talked about two ppl who were friends going into a bakery and trying wedding cake, and i just knew i had to write something based off of it. i could only imagine how cute it would be to go and do this with colby, omg. anyway sorry i haven't update anything else yet. i haven't been extremely motivated, but i'm gonna try to write thru out the week and hopefully get something else out to yall soon :) lmk what you think of this. hope you enjoy !!

prompt: you and colby go to a bakery and pretend to be engaged to try wedding cakes. you have a crush on him, but he doesn’t have one on you. or does he…? cuteness ensues.

trigger warning: PURE FLUFF BB, sickeningly sweet

word count: 1535

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure we should do this?" Colby asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

I rolled my eyes at his nervousness. "Of course! I've done this before."

"How often do you do this?" He snorted, turning to look at me for a moment.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Occasionally. Mostly when I'm really in the mood for cake but don't know which type I want."

"I just feel bad about it. I feel like I'm stealing." Colby bit his lip uncomfortably.

"Well, I usually end up leaving a nice tip and buying some cupcakes, so it at least seems like I was interested." I replied.

"Wait, how are we gonna pass as a couple?" Colby doubted.

"Did you think I came unprepared?" I lifted my hand to show a big 'engagement' ring.

Colby gasped dramatically. "Jesus, you're gonna make them think I'm made of money with that."

I laughed. "Lucky for you it's fake, much like our impending marriage."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Brock." He snickered.

We pulled into the parking lot next to our destination, Casey's Bakery. I slid out of my seat and followed Colby. When we got to the front door, Colby opened it for me. With a light bell ring, the immediate smell of baked goods hit me as I stepped inside. I crossed my arm through Colby's, walking up to the counter. A white haired, older woman stood behind the counter, her back to us. She spun around, a sweet smile coming to her face.

“Hello! I'm Casey, welcome to my bakery. What can I do for you two today?” She greeted.

I grinned back happily. “Hi! We were wondering if maybe we could try some samples of your cakes? My fiancé and I are planning our wedding, and we thought we might as well try some cake while we're out.”

“Oh! Is this the fiancé?” Casey guessed.

I nodded lightly. “Yes.”

“That's wonderful, congratulations!” She beamed. “What are your names?”

“I'm Colby, and this is Y/N.” Colby chimed in.

“You two look so young. How old are you?” Casey questioned.

“We're both 23.” I admitted.

“Oh, you're babies! Okay, is there any type of cake you're thinking about for the wedding?” She inquired.

I pursed my lips. “Um... no, not really. The wedding is still a long ways away.”

“When is it?” She asked.

“Ahh, next year... sometime in September. No final date just yet.” I stuttered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Colby nod.

“Oooh, a fall wedding. Might I suggest trying the carrot cake first then? That's usually our most popular for fall weddings.” Casey informed.

“That sounds great. We'll try that first.” I agreed.

“Goodie. You guys can go take a seat, and I'll be right out with your cake.” She mentioned, smiling.

I returned the smile. “Thank you so much.”

As Casey rushed off to the back, I sat down at the closest table. I finally realized, looking around, that no one else was in the bakery but us.

“How did you come up with that?” Colby queried, surprised.

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The date of our 'wedding'?” He responded.

“I'm good on my feet, what can I say?” I explained smugly.

He shook his head, and then glanced around. “I feel bad. There's no one here.”

“Don't worry. I plan on buying those over there.” I pointed at the cupcakes in the display.

“They do look really good.” He noted.

“And it smells like heaven in here.” I borderline moaned.

Colby cleared his throat, moving in closer to the table. “So... where would you want to get to married, if you could choose?”

“I don't know. Probably on the beach,” I answered. “I've always dreamed of getting married on the beach.”

“That sounds nice. Have you thought about your wedding, like all the little details and whatnot?” Colby gushed brightly.

I cocked my head to the side, almost laughing at him.

“What? Isn't that something most girls do?” He argued jokingly.

“First off, not every girl dreams about their wedding.” I scoffed. “But secondly, yes I have.”

“Who'd you get married to?” He questioned abruptly.

I choked. “Um-”

Casey busted in, cutting me off. “Okay! Sorry about that. I figured I might as well bring out some other samples besides the carrot cake.”

She placed four plates down in front of us. Each had two little sections of cake on it. There was carrot, vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet. I could feel my mouth water as she placed two forks down.

“So, for any cakes that we do make, we can obviously do any form of icing. But traditionally, red velvet and carrot always have cream cheese icing. I do my own little spin on both, of course.” She babbled, giggling. “And then for the vanilla, I did vanilla icing. And the chocolate has chocolate icing as well. Go ahead and dig in.”

I grabbed a fork and sliced a piece of the carrot cake. I took my bite slowly, enjoying the sweetness of the icing, with a hint of cinnamon. I glanced up at Colby as he did the same, his eyes landing on me with a hidden smile.

“This is really good. And I don't usually like carrot cake. But this... so good.” Colby spoke, covering his mouth.

“That's great to hear. And what about you, Y/N?” Casey turned to me.

I praised. “Delicious. I love carrot cake, so this hits the spot.”

“I'm happy you enjoy it. I love a good carrot cake myself,” She confessed. “So, where are you guys planning to get married?”

“In Santa Monica. On the beach.” Colby stated.

My eyes widened, staring at Colby quickly. He gazed over at me, a smirk on his lips.

“A fall wedding on the beach?” Casey puzzled.

“Yeah. It's never really fall here anyway.” Colby commented.

“That is very true,” Casey chuckled. “A beach wedding, huh? That's so fun. What colors?”

“Red and white. And with some black thrown in. For him.” I teased.

“Aww, thanks babe.” Colby winked.

I felt my heart skip a beat for a second. I tried to brush off the butterflies in my stomach as hunger pains.

Casey sang. “You two are adorable! Now, try the vanilla cake. It's our top seller.”

After trying the rest of the cakes, Colby excused himself to go to the restroom. Casey sat down in Colby's seat, scooching in.

“Now I have to ask, how long have you two been together?” She inquired.

“Four years,” I lied. “Basically as long as I've known him.”

“You two already act like an old married couple. I can see how much he cares about you.” She disclosed.

I squeaked. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. It's so noticeable,” She swatted her hand lightly. “He's smitten, and I can see why. You are so sweet to him, and he just can't get enough. It's all in his eyes.”

Casey stood up and slowly cleaned up the plates, as I sat there in silence.

Was Colby really that into me?

Maybe she was lying. But something about her words stuck with me.

I’ve always had a small crush on Colby, ever since I met him. And everyone in our friend group knew about it. I always chalked up my feelings to me just being lonely and him always being there for me. But maybe there was something more in how I felt for him. The idea of marrying Colby didn’t seem bad at all. If anything, it was something I could see maybe happening. I mean, we were really close. And our friends always joked about us being a couple. Maybe they weren't jokes after all.

But does he even like me like that?

“Did you order the cupcakes, Y/N?” Colby’s voice broke my thoughts.

I stared up at him, stumbling. “Hmm? What? I-uh, no. I didn't.”

Colby’s dimples appeared as he chuckled at the fumbling of my words. “Okay. I'm gonna go order them then.”

I nodded, slowly standing up and grabbing my purse. I walked over to him, watching him pay for the cupcakes.

“Well, when you're ready to place an order for your cake, you let me know.” Casey addressed, handing Colby a business card and the cupcakes.

Colby assured. “Of course, Casey. Thank you so much for the samples.”

“And thank you for being such a fine gentleman. You take good care of Y/N, you hear?” She patted the counter near me.

He laughed softly, the both of us beginning to leave. “Absolutely. Have a nice day.”

“Same to you. Goodbye, my little love birds!” Casey waved.

We walked out of the bakery and back onto the busy street. Everything felt strange around me, like I just woke up from a dream.

Back to reality, I guess.

“She was... fun.” I remarked happily.

“Yeah, definitely.” He smiled, getting into his car. “I know what bakery I'm coming to if I do get married.”

I sat down, putting the cupcakes on the floor next to my feet. “We'll have to do this again sometime.”

Colby turned to me, his eyes snaking up my body and finally stopping on my face with a click of his tongue.

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Brock.”

[thewayshedreamed]

Under the Weather

Nessian AU

I really liked this prompt, so thank you to whomever submitted it! Hope y’all enjoy a little soft Nessian this afternoon 💕

Nessian prompt: Nesta is sick and Cassian takes care of her and then Nesta is surprised and Cassian realizes that Nesta hasn’t had ppl take care of her since her mom died ♥️♥️♥️

acotar masterlist

——————————————————————————

Nesta was so sick and tired of being sick and tired. She had made it through the acceptance phase, which was impressive considering it was often the hardest for her. Today made day three, and she was officially in the resentment phase of her illness. She was taking a mental inventory of all the others who had attended the small gathering of friends from her senior thesis class, noting how most of them remained well despite their less than stellar hand hygiene that night. She, on the other hand, was a meticulous hand washer. By her very nature, she wasn’t the type to remain in super close proximity with others’ needlessly, either. How she was the one who fell sick (thanks to Claire) was beyond her. 

So, here she was, a senior at Prythian University and mere months from graduation, sick as a dog and banned from the research lab until she went 48 hours without fever. She tried not to think about that fact too often as to spare herself the mild panic it occasioned. She repeated her current mantra for the umpteenth time that day.

You have plenty of time. You have plenty of time. You have plenty of time. 

The only way she found comfort from the chills and fever-induced cold was on the couch, surrounded by cushions, and wrapped as tightly as possible in her mother’s quilt. At this point she thought herself to be a glorified burrito, but unfortunately, she was far more infectious.

She was finally starting to doze as she heard a polite, yet firm, rapping on her apartment door. Her eyes flew open as she scanned her brain frantically for several things: the day of the week, the time of day, and who, based on that information, could possibly be here to disrupt her rest.

Just before she decided to close her eyes again and ignore them, she heard a deep, friendly voice through the door. They weren’t speaking to her directly, but the voice was no less familiar.

“Hey, man. Yeah, doing good. You too!”

Even though she didn’t hear the other party’s end of the conversation, she knew Cassian was engaging in pleasant small talk with one of her neighbors. It could have been any one of them; he seemed to have more rapport with most of them than she managed after years of renting her place. He ran into any one of them at random on Wednesday afternoons when he met Nesta to work on their thesis together.

She launched herself from the couch, wincing at the aches that wracked through her body in the process. Dehydration had her vision blurring; dark spots working their way into her visual field. She steadied herself on the arm of the couch, cursing herself for forgetting to cancel this week’s thesis session with him.

He knocked again, this time a little louder. She glared at the door as if he could see her, hobbling toward him with her arms wrapped tightly around her body as she moved. She cracked the door open enough to peak out at him, and she felt a sudden rush of guilt at wasting his time. He was standing there with a small smile on his face, thumbs hooked through the bottom of his backpack straps.

“Hi,” she croaked.

His smile faltered immediately, his face morphing into an expression of genuine concern.

“Nesta? Are you okay?” He pressed gently on the door to get a better look at her, but he made no attempt to cross the threshold without her invitation.

“So sick. Got it from Claire. I forgot to tell you.” Her voice was raspy from disuse, and she only had the energy for short statements or sentence fragments.

He didn’t look the least bIt offended at her forgetfulness as he scanned her for signs of the severity of her symptoms.

“Don’t mention it. I’m fine. Who’s here looking after you? Ask them if they need me to run and pick up anything.”

The widespread aching applied to her facial features as well, as proven by the sensations she felt as her face slid into a look of confusion.

“It’s just me, Cassian. You know I live alone.”

He scratched the back of his neck, showing his discomfort.

“Yeah, I know. I just figured...” he trailed off, a new thought flashing across his handsome face. “Can I come in? I’ll get you settled before I head home. It’s the least I could do since I’m already here.”

Nesta didn’t have it in her to respond vocally. She simply walked away, door ajar, and made her way back to her couch. Had she been feeling even a fraction better, she may have refused him, but she knew Cassian well enough to know his stubbornness rivaled her own.

She flopped down into the cushions, pulling her pillow close to her chest. She reached blindly down her body in search of her quilt as shivers ran through her, letting out a small whimper when she couldn’t reach them. She grimaced at such an outward expression of vulnerability in front of another person.

A quiet chuckle sounded from above her as she felt her quilt being pulled over her legs and body.

“Oh, she’s pitiful, I see.” Mirth danced through each and every word.

She opened one eye, glaring at him through the side of it. He laughed openly at that as he lifted her feet to tuck the quilt beneath him. Only her mother had ever done that for her before today. She felt a pang of longing rush through her chest, but she took a deep breath and pushed it away.

“I’m going to do a quick inventory of supplies. Where’s your medicine cabinet?”

Her eyes were already squeezed shut again, sleep sinking its claws into her consciousness.

“Bathroom,” she muttered into her pillow, before sleep took her once more.

——————————————————————————

She awoke to the jingling of keys in her lock, followed by heavy footsteps and the unmistakable crinkling of plastic bags. Her body tensed, forgetting for a few seconds who was entering her apartment. A deep voice was muttering under its breath, cursing the loudness of the bags as he deposited things on the coffee table.

Lifting her head from her pillow, she glanced over to see Cassian’s massive form hunched over the coffee table as he attempted to quietly unload his haul. He noticed her attention within seconds and greeted her with a broad, friendly smile. Somehow, Nesta didn’t think it was the fever warming her cheeks this time.

“Hey sweetheart,” he whispered, totally unaffected by the glare she shot at him for the nickname. He raised his voice slightly, comparable to a murmur, and she felt herself flush all over again as he kneeled next to her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took your house key off the hook when I went out. I didn’t want to leave it unlocked while I was at the pharmacy, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

She nodded, letting him know she couldn’t give a shit less in her current state. He continued.

“You had some ibuprofen in your cabinet, but that’s about it. I got you some cold & flu meds to help with your other symptoms. It’s acetaminophen-based, so the pharmacist said you can alternate ibuprofen with it to help out with the aches and stuff if you need to.” His eyes scanned her face, making sure he had her attention. She witnessed a faint blush across his tan cheeks, her heart warming at the care he’d taken in selecting medicine for her.

“I also picked up some tissues and cough drops. Oh, and some menthol rub in case you get congested while you sleep. Have you been drinking much water?”

It took her several seconds to realize he was asking a question and that her participation was necessary. All she could offer him was a pathetic shake of her head.

“I figured as much. I got some of this hydration drink to help you rehydrate. I know it’s technically for kids, but I made do with the options I had,” he explained.

“Cassian. You didn’t have to do that,” she started. She watched as something similar to hurt flashed across his features, and she realized her tone hadn’t expressed a shred of gratitude to her lab partner. He was going far beyond the call of duty as her thesis co-investigator, and she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t appreciative.

“That came out wrong. Sorry, I’m all fuzzy. Thank you. You’re a lifesaver,” she supplied.

A small smile graced his face again. “It’s not a problem, Nes. Really,” he replied, as he rested his large hand on her upper arm. His eyes widened suddenly, locking onto her own in alarm.

“You’re burning up,” he stated as he pulled the blanket away from her.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, feeling assaulted by the chill that gripped her.

“Your fever feels higher than I thought.” He rested the back of his hand on her forehead. Unsatisfied, he brushed the baby hair away from her face, leaned forward, and pressed his plush lips to the spot his hand had just vacated.

She flinched, not out of offense, but because it was something her mother used to do anytime her, Elain, or Feyre was sick. She claimed it was easiest to tell if the girls were running a fever that way, the lips being far more sensitive than her hands. Nesta wasn’t aware that others grew up doing the same.

Realizing what he’d done and the flinch that immediately followed, Cassian bolted upright with a guilty expression.

“I’m sorry,” he lamented, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s just my mom... she used to check my fever like that when I was little. I wasn’t thinking.” He started to move away from her, but her small hand gripped his forearm. His hazel eyes locked on hers, and she watched as he noticed the tears streaming down her face.

“Nes,” he whispered, his brows pulled together in worry.

“No. It’s okay,” she assured him. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. It’s just that no one’s done that since... since my mom passed away. Any of this, really.” She gestured to the medicines and other items on her table. “I usually just fend for myself. I think I got a little overwhelmed is all. It’s actually really, really nice to be cared for. Thank you.”

She originally thought her small whimper was as much vulnerability as she was willing to show today. She’d been very wrong, apparently. She blamed it on her fever.

The tension in his shoulders practically melted away from him, his face relaxing back into the friend she knew. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, as he stood to go find her thermometer. He returned with it in hand, looking at her with raised brows as if to say “open.”

She obliged, her eyes crossing as she attempted to read the digital number on the tiny screen. He huffed a laugh at her expense, but he was interrupted by the loud beeping of the thermometer.

“102 degrees. Sorry, Nes, but the blanket has to come off for a little bit. You’re basically cooking in there.”

He pushed a glass of bland electrolytes into her hand, urging her to drink. She took a few small sips and set it softly on the coffee table. She flopped back onto her pillow, pulling her arms tightly around the quilt and hoping to absorb any remaining warmth from it that she could.

Cassian pulled the blanket away from her body but chose wisely not to fight her grip from around it.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he began, as he eased himself to a sitting position on the carpet. “You get some more rest while those meds kick in, and we’ll reassess the fever when you wake up. If it breaks, I’ll give all quilt privileges back.”

He leaned back on the couch cushion near her body, his shoulder blades almost grazing her own as she snuggled into her pillow. She was facing away from him and toward the back of the couch to shield her face from any and all light.

“How am I supposed to get rest when I’m freezing?” she whined pitifully. She couldn’t bring herself to care that she sounded much like a petulant toddler.

At her words, he leaned farther back into the cushion so that their shoulder blades were flush. She felt his laugh rumble through him as a result of their proximity, but more importantly, she felt his body heat seeping into her.

“Does this help at all?” he asked.

“Mhm,” she mumbled, “but you can’t just sit there forever.”

“I can do what I want, Archeron,” he teased. “Plus, I’m here to work on thesis. I’ve been working on a formula that will populate all of our data entry into their respective graphs without us having to do it manually. I was going to blow your mind with it today, but I’ll settle for fine tuning until you’re coherent next week.” She could hear the smile in his voice and imagined his laptop perched on his long, jean-clad legs as he worked.

Contentment settled through her bones, and she slipped into oblivion once again.

——————————————————————————

Nesta rejoined the land of the living several hours later, she assumed, feeling almost entirely human again. She was still clutching the blanket, thanking her lucky stars for the deep breaths she was able to take in the absence of congestion. Even more noteworthy was the refreshing scent that surrounded her— something like smoky sandalwood and fresh air.

She eased her eyes open, feeling completely mortified at the shift in her position. At some point during her nap, she had rolled toward Cassian and was now wrapped around his shoulders. Her knees were tucked close to his right arm, her torso against his broad back, and most embarrassingly, her face was tucked tightly into the side of his left arm.

She didn’t dare move, hoping she could pretend to be asleep long enough to shift away from him. Delayed by her foggy state, she became aware of a comforting weight resting against her waist. Her eyes moved over his shoulder, glancing down her body. They fell on Cassian’s dozing face, head rested back and angled toward her, as if he’d fallen asleep while checking on her.

Nesta was incredibly aware of their closeness, especially upon realizing his face was less than a foot away from her own. She studied his face, softened by sleep, and let a small grin spread across her face. Cassian had cared for her all afternoon, working on their joint project, and deserved every ounce of sleep he was capturing at the moment. At least, that’s how she justified staying tucked close, afraid to disturb him.

To her horror, his eyes fluttered open, catching her in the act of admiration. Rather than looking off-put or creeped out, he offered her a small smile in return and angled his head even more toward her.

“Feel better?” he asked, his voice rough from sleep.

“Like a new person, actually.”

He learned forward, repeating his action from earlier in the afternoon. Warmth coursed through her at the feeling of his lips against her temple, noting that they lingered just a bit longer than necessary before he lifted his head.

“I think your fever broke, Nes,” he supplied, twisting his body to rest his arm across her waist as he spoke.

“Good news all around, I guess,” she murmured, her smile still in its rightful place.

He cleared his throat, looking almost sheepish now. It was the most adorable thing Nesta had ever seen.

“I got you some soup earlier. I could heat that up if you want—“ He made to stand as he spoke, but she interrupted by grabbing his forearm.

“Wait. Stay?” She was just as surprised as he was when the words left her. “I don’t think I’m hungry yet.”

His face softened, eyes scanning her for any apprehension at all. Finding none, he smiled down at her in response.

“Of course.”

Before he could settle back onto the carpet fully, she tugged his forearm in a silent request to join her on the couch. He eased behind her, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist to tug her closer to his body. She relaxed back into him as he nuzzled his nose into her messy braid, just behind her ear.

She couldn’t remember a time where she’d been so comfortable, and she felt another rush of gratitude at being cared for in a way she hadn’t been since her mother died. The feeling wasn’t something she could properly articulate, but it meant the world to her. It almost felt like... love.

Cassian huffed a laugh into her hair, mirth returning to his tone. “I was wondering if I’d get a turn to be big spoon,” he teased. She should have known he wasn’t going to let her pretend she hadn’t wrapped herself around him only a handful of minutes ago.

She chuckled in return, finding that she wasn’t embarrassed by his teasing as she’d originally thought possible.

“I guess it’s only fair,” she joked, as she settled into him just a little more.

He gripped her a fraction tighter, his nose brushing against the sensitive skin behind her ear. She groaned as his arm left her waist, but she stopped it quickly when she realized what he was doing. He was covering her up again, true to his word, and tucking her in tightly. His arm assumed its original position, and a contented sigh left her of its own accord.

“Thank you, again, Cassian. For everything,” she whispered.

His only response was a tight squeeze around her middle before they both eased back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

——————————————————————————

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