#but also bc they are so big there are just 2 big empty spaces on my jacket

[safety-pin-punk]

Random question for those of you that have sewn patches over jacket pockets, HOW DO WITHOUT MAKING POCKET UNUSABLE??????????

Please help

[thateclecticbitch]

Request to move into basement failed. Sad.

[cheolhub]

THE MORNING — KIM MINGYU ࿐

summary. mingyu knows you have a lot to do the day before the wedding, but he won’t let you leave without giving him his favorite meal for breakfast

wc. 2.2k

warnings. marriage kink (ik…), oral (f. receiving), gyu is a needy baby, a bit of teasing, praise — MINORS DNI 18+

note. ok hello, i know i said i was on hiatus, but i’ve decided im not anymore bc i need to be able escape from reality so enjoy ANOTHER fic w my newfound marriage kink. will likely write a pt. 2 (post-wedding) if u guys like this :D

p.s. reblogs and feedback are extremely appreciated— i also love to hear ur thoughts <3

mingyu hates waking up alone. he has since he met you all those years ago, so today, when he wakes up cold just to see your spot empty, he’s grumpy to say the least. 

he leaves the bed to look for you, eyes tired as he’s muttering to himself about how you do this even though you know he hates it. when he finds your sleepy figure in the kitchen buttering a slice of toast in nothing but his oversized shirt and your socks, he immediately pouts.

“g’morning baby,” you smile at his eyes that are barely open and his disheveled head of hair, setting down the butter knife. “why’re you pouting?” 

he huffs, arms crossing at his chest, mumbling out, “you know why. i hate waking up cold.” 

you coo at how cute he was being. “‘m sorry, gyu— but we’re getting married tomorrow, i had to get up early to meet with the caterers and i’m gonna be late if i don’t start getting ready soon.” 

he sighs, moving to wrap his arms around your waist from the back. his face digs into the crook of your neck, pressing soft kisses to the skin. “make it up to me.”

you hum, relaxing into his touch. “baby, don’t start… i’m gonna be late— you were the one who wanted a perfect wedding.”

“don’t care about the wedding…” he says in between kisses— ones that were starting to escalate as his teeth scraped against your sensitive spot. “just want you.”

you smile at his words because you know they’re not true. mingyu has been gushing about giving you the most extravagant wedding since you said yes to his even more extravagant proposal. 

“‘n you’ll have me tomorrow night. forever.” you emphasize and he groans, pushing his growing bulge into you. “but right now, i need to start getting ready, i have to meet them in 45 minutes.”

he whines, needily rutting into you, sucking at your skin harsher with every passing second. “baby, you can’t just say shit like that and then leave.”

you tease with a giggle, “what? saying things like i’ll be yours forever?” 

“yes! don’t say things like that if you don’t want me to bend you over and fuck you while you choke on toast!” he whines out and you can’t help but laugh loudly, turning in his grip to face him. 

he’s giving you the biggest doe eyes and, usually, they’d work on you because there is something so irresistible about your soon-to-be husband, but right now, you’re adamant on making sure tomorrow's wedding runs smoothly. so he’s just going to have to wait. 

“okay, baby,” you start, a cheeky smile on your lips “i’m sorry. i won’t say anything like that ever again.”

“noooo!” he cries, shaking your body with his big hands. “i like when you say stuff like that, just don’t say stuff like that right now. you’re practically edging me.”

your fiance is so easy.

you coo, pecking his pouty lips, “okay, i’ll keep that in mind.” you say. “‘m gonna go get ready, you can have a slice of toast if you want.” you offer, wiggling out of his tight grip.

he scoffs at the proposal, deterring you from leaving and lifting you by the waist, sitting you on the empty space on the kitchen island. your surprised gasp makes him groan and he’s praying you’ll let him hear your other pretty noises before you leave him for the day. 

his lips ghost over yours, “would rather have something else for breakfast.” he mumbles against them before getting on his knees in front of you. “pretty baby, at least lemme taste you, please?”

he’s so pretty with his shaggy hair and his tired eyes and you never realized how much he resembles an actual puppy dog before now. you can’t help but admire the beauty that is your forever lover. 

you bite your lip at his plea, the offer being almost too good to deny. you weigh your decisions, eyes shooting to the clock across the kitchen. 8:17 a.m. if you wanted to be out and on time, you’d need to leave within the next 30 minutes– that isn’t nearly enough time, but the way he’s peering up at you and looking so fucking fine while he’s on his knees all for you… it’s too tempting. 

“gyu…” you trail off as his arms take a hold of your legs and his face nuzzles into the insides of your plush thighs. he presses soft, gentle kisses to the skin. 

“mmm, baby, please,” he mumbles, moaning as his face is almost directly in front of your clothed cunt. “i’ll be so quick, gonna make you cum ‘n you can go. you’ll let me, won’t you?” his breath fans against your core where arousal is now gathering and soaking through the cotton fabric. 

temptation is a bitch, you rule.

he’s rendered you breathless and he’s barely touched you. you’re experiencing another moment that proves no matter how much of a bitch mingyu is for you, you’re just as desperate for him. two people that are a mess at the hands of one another– a match made in heaven. 

“fuck, gyu,” you pant, eyes shooting up at the clock. 8:18 a.m. your eyes fall back to him and you decide, fuck it. “5 minutes or else i’ll finish myself off in the shower.” you offer the empty threat as if he couldn’t make you cum in a mere 30 seconds if he really wanted to.

he smiles, “whatever my pretty wife wants…” he whispers, noticing the way you twitch at the words. a soft chuckle slips past his lips and he looks up to you again. “oh, so you like when i say that just as much as i do, don’t you?”

of course you do. who wouldn’t get turned on by the idea of being kim mingyu’s pretty wife? 

you roll your eyes in an attempt to hide the fact that his words don’t have a great affect you, gruffly saying, “not your wife yet and you’ve got 4 minutes and 30 seconds, baby.” you lace your fingers through his long, raven hair and push him into your heat. “get to work.”

he moans, taking in your scent, nose pressing into your covered clit as his tongue darts out to taste you, further soaking the cotton fabric with his saliva. you’re almost certain he’s going to eat you out through your panties, but he proves you wrong by taking them off in the blink of an eye.

he untangles his arms from your legs before rolling them down your legs and leaving them bunched up on the ground next to him. before you know it, he’s diving back in like a starved man, arms coming back to their original position and pulling you even closer to his mouth. 

he starts by letting his tongue lap you up from your drooling hole to your hardened clit and he whines. you look down, breathless with your teeth digging into your bottom lip, and you completely take him in– how his tongue eagerly laps at your pussy with the most pleasured look on his face. 

no matter how many times he eats you out, it proves to never be enough. every time he gets a taste, it’s like the first time and he falls in love with you all over again. truth be told, mingyu is addicted to you and would happily die with his head in between your thighs. 

your eyes flicker up to the clock while mingyu opens his eyes to look at you. 8:20 a.m. 

he grunts unhappily, “look at me.” he mumbles into you, sending shivers up your spine. when your eyes meet his, he wraps his mouth around your clit, sucking and flicking his tongue at the bud. he relishes in the way you moan out his name, arching your back and gripping the end of the kitchen counter. 

“you’re so good, baby– fuck, you always eat me out so fucking well,” you moan the praise breathily, eyes fluttering closed. your head falls back in pleasure and mingyu’s ego inflates, cock twitching at the praise. 

he alternates between digging his tongue in your pussy, sucking up your honeyed arousal while his nose toys with your clit and having his mouth and tongue play with your clit. he’s moaning and whining, mumbling about how good you taste and how much he loves your pussy all the while devouring you whole. 

you’re a mess, not even bothered to check the clock anymore as you feel all the vibrations and action provided by his tongue nearly hurtle you over the edge. tears gather up at your lashline as you whine and whine, his name and his tongue being the only things you can think about right now. 

you’re almost embarrassed to be this close this quick, but then you remember it’s mingyu. mingyu who could make you cum by playing with your tits for too long. mingyu who could get you soaking his thigh in a matter of minutes. mingyu who knows just how to please you in any way possible.

“gyu! baby, oh, my god.” you sob, one of your hands moving back to tug at his silky hair. “‘m so fucking close.”

he lets out a guttural moan as he feels his own body heat up with pure desire. he wishes you had nowhere to go after this so he could sink you onto his cock and fuck you all day– make you cry for him, cum for him, beg for more of him till you’re both a mess and at a loss for words. he plans on doing so as soon as the wedding is over, though. he’s not going to let you do anything other than take his dick like a good wife as soon as you say ‘i do.’ 

he’s lost in your cunt, moaning with his eyes closed and brows furrowed as if he’s eating the best meal of his life. your joint moans and whines are bouncing off the walls of the kitchen, surely filling your entire home with lewd sounds. 

“cum all over me, baby, fuckin’ cum for me. you can do it.” he coaxes through moans, though it comes muffled with his tongue shoved in your pussy. he sounds like a broken record, begging you to let go over and over. “my pretty fuckin’ wife, do it for me, baby.”

the title and vibration of his words send you right over the edge. the rubber band in the fiery pit of your stomach finally snapping as you cry out his name prettily, body shaking uncontrollably. your hand tug on his locks, holding him in place while you grind against his face to ride out your orgasm. 

he’s a mess at the sight unfolding in front of him. you look so fucking desprate and it’s getting him close to cumming untouched, but he holds it in hopes you’ll change your mind– be an inconvenience so he can fill you up, fuck you full, and do it all again. he so badly wants you to call the caterers and push back the time so he can have you all to himself. 

you finally come down from your high, eyes glazed over, pussy still aching with need. said eyes find the clock and read the time. 8:24 a.m.

he parts from you after licking you clean, standing up to his full height and towers over you. his eyes are full of lust. hunger and desire. there’s a thin layer of sheen covering his mouth and chin left over from the arousal that still seems to be seeping from your hole.

“six minutes.” you pant cheekily, looking up at him with a playful glint in your eyes. “you promised five.” 

he smirks and, god damn, does he look fucking sexy with his disheveled hair and swollen pink lips. “i didn’t promise anything, baby.” he murmurs, hands finding your hips and standing in between your legs. “i can promise to fuck you so so good if you push back your appointment… just by an hour.”

you huff, pussy clenching around nothing because you know his words are very much true. “gyu… need i remind you, we get married tomorrow.”

“i know, and everything is gonna be perfect, baby. stop worrying so much.” he tells you softly. “as long as you’re there… as long as you say ‘i do’ before the end of the night… i don’t give a damn. don’t even need to wear a dress. just you… i could marry you like this.”

this fucking sweet talker. 

you blush, hiding your smile by chewing on the bottom of your lip, but you fail in doing so as your cheekbones shoot high up and your eyes crinkle. “you’re just saying that so you can fuck me.” 

“yeah, but it’s true.” he leans in, lips ghosting over yours again. 

“you’re gonna wanna fuck me in that dress tomorrow,” you tell him breathily, heart melting at the man he is. 

“i didn’t doubt that, pretty girl.” he whispers. “so, do you wanna fuck now?”

you smile, “i do.”

© cheolhub — all rights reserved, please refrain from copying, reposting, modifying or translating my work on any platform.

[puranami]

✿ It's The Little Things - 3 ✿

A/N: @leafyturtle come get y'all Franky and Robin fluff! I'm excited for this one, lotsa faves in here >:3c

Summary: Little relationship things with (currently) anime/manga exclusives ✿

Characters: Franky, Robin, Law, Kid, Killer

Content: SFW, G/N reader, language in Kid's (bc it's Kid lol) bottomless fluff ✿

(Part 1 - Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji) (Part 2 - Buggy, Shanks, Mihawk) (Part 4 - Crocodile, Rosinante, Doflamingo)

Franky

✿ Multiply his self-aggrandizing by 100, and that's how he sees you; he is your personal hype man! Every single insecurity, no matter how big or small, will be kissed away, because you are perfect, and you should definitely tell people as such. Wait, you're too shy and don't want to? No worries, Franky's got you, and he'll tell everyone himself. Loudly. No, he won't stop or tone it down; "The world needs to know how super you are!" He loves when you hype him up in turn, and uses it to show you how great self confidence is; and it will rub off on you. He's so proud when you declare how amazing you are, even if it's just to him! "AOW! That's right, babe, you are amazing!" He'll pick you up in those huge, strong arms of his, practically crushing you in a bear hug.

✿ Franky loves to make you any and all gadgets he thinks you'd like, or need. Just as he is constantly upgrading his body, he develops and re-develops things that make your life easier, or that bit cooler! While he likes to surprise you with them, seeing how your eyes light up in wonder as he shows you how it works, he loves it even more when you're involved in the building process; brainstorming ideas, designing, picking out the colour palette, he'll even let you use a blowtorch, just, please be careful, wait what was that twinkle of mischief in your eyes? Okay, no more blowtorch - leave it to the pro! It would kill him if you got hurt on his watch, he's meant to protect you!

✿ He's made up a comfy little alcove in his workshop so you can keep him company while he's working. Soft cushions, blankets, lights so can work on your own hobbies, it's perfect! Even when you were just friends, you were always welcome there, and it's become your little safe space. It's comfy enough to fall asleep there when Franky works late, and he even modified it so that there is room for him to sleep there too. While hanging out, you'll talk about everything, and nothing, what you're both working on, or you'll simply listen to music and enjoy each others presence, and that often leads to loud singing, especially on Franky's part. He'll share his cola with you too, you just bring the snacks - can't work on an empty stomach after all!

Robin

✿ Robin is very calm and reserved, especially compared to the rest of the crew, so her way of showing affection follows the same pattern. She'll put a gentle hand on your arm, and touch your foreheads together, but her favourite thing to do is to grow an arm out of your own, reaching down to hold your hand, all while on the other side of the room, smiling to herself. If your eyes are sharp, you'll catch the delicate blush on her cheeks when you bring your arm up to kiss her hand, or gently hold it to your cheek. She'll also make a pair of arms to wrap around your waist, or shoulders if you're sat down. She'll hold you personally too, but that is saved for your private quarters or the library.

✿ Part of her flirting is making dark comments and jokes; "I know the best way to your heart, dear." - "Through my stomach?" - "Oh no, that's not very efficient! It's anywhere between the 2nd and 4th ribs." She'll say it with such a loving gaze and gentle smile, and if you didn't know Robin better, you'd be worried she was plotting your murder, but that's just how she is, and you love her for it. She will also tell you all the gruesome details she finds in her books and research. Part of you suspects that she's purposefully trying to spook you so she can comfort you, but really she just finds these thing fascinating. Robin will be ecstatic if you can match her gallows humour, or if you have morbid facts of your own you can share with her.

✿ She takes great comfort in the fact that you love her unconditionally, and that you have always accepted her as she is, morbid interests, and former associations included, and she makes sure that you know she loves you all the same, no matter your quirks, flaws, and mistakes, for that is the beauty of love! You are each others port in the unrelenting storm of life.

Law

✿ Law is so used to losing the people he loves most, so for him to open up, it will take a lot of time, patience, and understanding. You can't push him on things, and will have to wait for him to come to you - he needs to feel like he has some control over the situation so he can make better judgement calls, and do something if it all goes wrong. It's nothing personal, he just doesn't want to helplessly watch his world fall apart again; he's older, smarter, and much stronger now, he will keep those he cares about safe. Once he's at that point where he feels like he's ready to be open and honest, he is completely dedicated and doggedly loyal, though he isn't very expressive with it.

✿ He shows his love through acts of service; making sure you are eating and sleeping well, tending any injuries you get in day to day life, moving you if you've fallen asleep in a weird place or position so you don't get any aches and pains, or catch a cold. Law hopes that you can feel the love he has for you in each action. He just wants to know you are healthy and well so he doesn't need to worry about you. Well, he says that, but he still worries, he can't help it. You'll need to use his own tactics against him to make sure he actually sleeps and eats instead of just working. It won't always work, sometimes he's working on things that are far too important, but he will relent otherwise.

✿ PDA is not a thing for him. At all. It's almost like he doesn't want to jinx things with the world seeing he has entrusted his heart with another again. On the Polar Tang, when it's just you and the crew, he'll be a little more open, placing a hand on your head or shoulder, matching your pace as he walks beside you, slightly gentler eyes, and the hint of a smile; so subtle, yet the crew sees right through him, and they like to tease you both. Nothing serious, but it still gets them the worst chores in response. In private, when you are alone is the only time will he allow himself to be vulnerable.

Kid

✿ Given how intense and aggressive he is, you have the patience of a goddamn saint, and guts to back you up. He refuses to lessen himself for anyone; he is who he is, and you can either accept it and embrace him fully, or you can, in his words, "Fuck right off!" It will take a lot to break through the immense barriers he has - he will shout, argue, insult, and to get through, you have to be able to withstand that without crumbling. Shout back! Show him you're not gonna let anyone walk all over you, not even him, earn his respect, then you can build up from there. Once you've wormed your way into that exclusive club of 'We aren't Killer, but Kid still cares about us," he will be ride or die with you, and when he realises he genuinely likes you, or hell, even loves you, he would burn down the world for you if you asked him to.

✿ Out in public, you get no special treatment. It's just safer that way. He can't afford to be looking over his shoulder every other minute to make sure no one is trying to get to him through you. He'll still keep an eye on you of course, but it's indistinguishable from him watching over the rest of the crew. On the Victoria Punk he will be possessive, but not affectionate. Kid will keep you by his side, or drag you onto his lap, just generally manhandling you really, there will be no mistaking who you belong to. Once you're alone he will actually soften up; he knows he's a lot, and he cares deep down, but he's still in charge, he is your captain after all. You should take advantage of this time to get all the affection out of him that you can!

✿ You're one of the few that are actually allowed to hang in his workshop, as long as you don't bother him. He'll entertain some conversation if he's just setting up, or having a break, but once he's in the zone, zip it. He's fine with you watching him work - he's good at what he does and he knows it, but seeing the admiration in your eyes is a nice ego boost. He'll make you things if the mood hits him, particularly bits of jewellery, as it makes it easier to manhandle you from the other side of the room. He's a busy man, he doesn't want to wait for you to look his way and walk over, he wants your attention now!

Killer

✿ Like Kid, Killer has a tendency to manhandle, but it's not nearly as aggressive; he's a big guy with big, strong muscles, and he just enjoys hauling you around like a sack of potatoes. It gives him the opportunity to hold you close, 'accidentally' touch your butt, and your laughter through it all is just so sweet. He greatly enjoys your presence when he's going about his day, and deeply appreciates any assistance you can offer, such as in the kitchen, and certainly when trying to manage his idiot best friend and crew, as he's essentially the de facto caretaker on board. Often you'll end up sat on his shoulders, acting as an extra pair of eyes and hands - no shenanigans go unnoticed!

✿ You have become an expert at reading Killer's moods and expressions through his mask, every slight shift of his body, and the angle of his head has a very specific meaning. It doesn't help that he's a quiet man in general; balancing Kid's incessant ranting and raving with his well thought out, straight to the point statements. He much prefers to listen to you talk, only talking when he has something to add to the mostly one-sided conversation. He loves having these 'chats' with you sat in his lap, head resting against his broad chest. Sometimes his goatee will tickle the top of your head, and he lives for those giggles.

✿ It will take a long time for him to feel comfortable enough to remove his mask, and you can bet he refuses to laugh around you for the longest time. Just be patient with him, and let him do things when he's ready, and don't make a big deal out of it if something slips; he'll be pretty mortified, so just giving him a loving smile and a gentle touch will reassure him that maybe the things he's insecure about, or straight up hates, aren't as big an issue as he believes them to be. Telling him he is perfect is appreciated, but not effective in building him up, since nothing is perfect really, but seeing you love him unconditionally certainly will give him a boost.

[jinxs-gf]

Dating Kaldur Headcanons

Kaldur’ahm x Reader

no warnings!

word count: 700+

a.n. I wasn’t sure what to do here so I just went for a general dating thing!

there’s a glaringly obvious thing we need to address first.

Kaldur is THE most loyal person you’ll ever meet. romantic and non-romantic wise

you don’t gotta worry about anything with him 🙏🏽🙏🏽😭 what about him screams ‘you have to worry about me getting too cozy with someone else…’

NOTHING!!!! he’s loyal and devoted to you and makes it obvious

so obvious it hurts. so obvious the team makes fun of him for it

he’s a serious/blunt man because he cares. it’s his way of making sure his loved ones are safe (and others: take for example, the people he saves??? the whole reason he’s a hero is bc he’s trying to protect people). he orders the team around and tells them when they’re wrong because he wants what’s best for them

now you’re a person he doesn’t just care about, he loves you. you’re his dear, his light in very dark times (this man has been through it). so when it comes to you, there’s two sides to this:

1. he bosses you around if you don’t take care of yourself.

he uses his stern voice on you (very hot btw) if you haven’t eaten when you should’ve.

“Did you eat?” He sits next to you on the couch, presenting the dinner he’s cooked.

You stay quiet. And he knows what that means.

“You barely had breakfast this morning.” Your silence continues.

Gently, he pinches your chin between his fingers, “you can’t keep doing this to yourself, love.”

“I don’t do it on purpose! The day goes by too fast and I forget.”

“So you don’t feel the empty space in your stomach? You can’t hear it when it’s asking to you for food?”

You shrug.

He squeezes your chin softly, an action of affection and worry. He brings up a forkful of food, “eat.”

In his mind it’s:

“I don’t mind taking care of you, I love it in fact. But you need to know how to care for yourself when needed. I can’t have something happen to you. I won’t let it happen.”

2. he’s very very soft with you. he’s stuck in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, it’ll never end for him

he doesn’t usually show much affection with a lot of people around. he’s not too big on PDA

which isn’t to say he won’t be affectionate outside of your private time, he WILL be. it’s just small touches:

forehead/hand kisses (oh how he’s a huge fan of hand kisses, just like the proper gentleman), and of course standard lip kisses. they’re sweet, typically short, but sososo good. the two of you make the most out of those tiny kisses

you’ll also have the hand on your back at all times. that man will not let go. trust me.

if you’re not by his side or close enough that allows him to do this, he’ll seek you out. you tease him for it but he’ll simply tell you it’s to make sure you don’t do something stupid (he’s teasing, he just wants to be with you 24/7)

they’re small but meaningful touches

(which make you go crazy)

you’ll usually lean into him, hand on his chest (he sweats a little every time)

so you’re not “theme park line couple” you’re just…‘keeps it private’ couple!

the team doesn’t see him behind closed doors, which is where his lovey-dovey/certified teddy bear comes out

but when they DO see it? they can’t take him seriously as the team leader anymore :( (jk it makes them respect him more, they just like to tease)

Kaldur’s all neck kisses, cuddles (he’s always in protector mode so he likes being the big spoon for your benefit, but he admits later that he loves being the little spoon…), arms wrapped around each other’s waists, setting your legs over his thighs while y’all are sitting on the couch…slow dancing!

they find a way for you to be able to breathe/see underwater, which means so much to him because that’s where his home is!

he loves spending quality time with you in Atlantis.

swimming around, teaching you tips and tricks, having races (he lets you win every time)

kisses kisses kisses.

and a few make outs here and there…

he also loves getting massages. he never outright asks for them because he doesn’t want to “bother” you but he can admit that he needs them.

he genuinely feels like he’s in heaven when you give him a nice, thorough neck/shoulder massage. he’ll kiss you all over the face afterwards, praising you for being so good to him.

that’s all I got for now!

if y’all request something expect it to be short formed content like this HC. as well as blurbs, random thoughts on (character) x reader, etc.

[sungbeam]

𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬

nonidol!lee hyunjae x f!reader

6.7k words (my hand slipped, sorry), fluff, angst, low-key e2l, ex friends 2 implied lovers?, low-key rich kid au, swearing, drinking and drunk talks/crying, a shitty situation, a bitchy ex gf, uhh very low-key hurt/comfort?, lots of mentions of pizza and soft drinks, THE PLOT IS SO RUSHED IM SORRY I CRAMMED.

a/n: requests now closed! whew,,, what a doozy 😭 im sorry if it feels rushed bc it low-key really was such a rushed and ambitious plot on my part. to the anon who requested it, ik it's not exactly what u asked for and im sorry ><

The pizzeria was like your second home. Maybe it was your home, but you weren't sure if calling a pizza place your home was the best word. It acted as your bubble away from academic responsibilities, family obligations, and anything else you wanted to forget. For the past three years of your college career, you made this place your comfort spot, while also picking up some spare change.

Your friend and co-worker Dae bumped her hip with yours as she passed by you with her hands full of empty plastic cups to refill. "Your group of banshees just walked in," she mused, slipping past you to the fountain drink machine on the bar counter.

Your head perked up and watched the front door on the other side of the room open to let a wave of your friends in. Dae liked to joke that your friend group consisted of a bunch of "banshees" from how loud they could be. You couldn't blame her at all; it was hilariously accurate. On a bad night, the group's volume could reach levels of a nightmare baby being birthed from the Devil's anus.

"Yn-ie!" Chanhee and Jacob waved to you as the group of five made their way through the tight spaces between tables.

"Hey, guys," you greeted them. "You're so lucky a group just left." You nodded toward the circular table in the back corner where your friends often made their home. It was big enough to seat seven—ten, if you squished—but it was almost always for you and your friends.

The pizzeria's owner and your boss, Mr. Moretti, usually didn't mind your friends occupying the space. You were pretty sure he was glad your friends were hiding themselves away in the back. (Not because of the merriment, just because of the noise. Some customers just wanted pizza and a quiet night, and you could respect that.)

"Waitress! Waitress!" Changmin screeched, waving one of his hands around like a lunatic.

You came up to the table with an unimpressed look on your face, and Kevin wrestled his neighbor back into this seat. "Okay, so Changmin doesn't get to eat tonight," you drawled and braced your hands on the backs of Sunwoo and Chanhee's chairs.

"I was just wondering how long it takes for someone to get service around here," Changmin jested. He feigned one of those pompous brushes of his hair, mocking one of the rich pricks who had come in here last month thinking that the RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE sign didn't apply to him. Changmin broke into a lopsided grin at your arched brows. "What? I think I'm funny."

Your eyes widened in a silent 'Can you believe this guy?'

"He's sugar high because someone let him get to the cupcakes," Kevin directed his flat gaze to his counterpart, Jacob.

Jacob's hands lifted in innocence. "What? No one was eating them, and he said he was hungry."

"Okay, drinks, folks!" You clapped to regain their attention. You did, after all, have other customers. "What're we feeling tonight?"

A chorus of drink orders flew up into the air—coke, iced water, Sprite, lemonade—and you nodded, stepping away to grab them those very beverages. Your friends had all been here enough times to know exactly what was on the menu, so while you stepped away briefly for their drinks, they could deliberate and get back to you as soon as you returned.

Like a well oiled machine, you delivered them their drinks, and Kevin doled out the lineup for tonight.

"You know, I was thinking of painting my nails black," Kevin said as he finished off the order. He held his hand out in front of him, inspecting the state of his bare nails.

Sunwoo straightened in his seat. "We should do it together, hyung!—I mean… you could probably paint my nails. I dunno if you should trust me with one of those thin ass brushes."

"You're right," Chanhee chimed in, "we shouldn't."

You snickered to yourself as you left your friends to their own devices and pinned their order sheet to one of the clips hanging in the kitchen window. There was a set of plates set out on the window sill, the bill reading for table three, and you picked it up to take over to them. Dae appeared next to you, tightening her ponytail, and grabbed the dishes for table four right beside it.

With both your hands full, you departed to deliver your respective orders.

As you set the dishes off food down onto table three, you heard the telltale swish of the door opening, and night air flooded into the room. On instinct, you straightened with a smile to greet them. "Hi! Welcome—" your voice died on your throat, and when his eyes locked with yours, you stuttered, "—in. For how many?"

Lee Hyunjae brushed a hand through his blond hair, his other arm wrapped around the shoulders of a girl who was unfortunately familiar to you. A couple of the guys with him, you recognized, too, but he was the one who had made you trip over your words.

One of them with jet black hair and kind, feline-like eyes, lifted four of his fingers in a wordless signal.

You nodded, lips set in a firm line, and gestured to the open four-seater at table eight.

You tucked your empty tray beneath your arm, mentally thanking anyone who was listening that his party was seated in Dae's section and not yours. Thank god for odd numbers.

Dae was swift to chirp out her usual cheeriness to the newcomers, and you scurried back over to the register to cash a table's check. As you did so, your eyes flitted up toward Hyunjae's table. He glanced over at you periodically, looking away whenever you were already looking at him.

What the hell was he doing here? You wanted to yell, scream. Out of all the places, out of all the nights, out of all the times… how long had it been since you last saw him, you wondered to yourself as you let the bitterness seep into your bones and meld with the marrow. It was a feeling you knew all too well.

You strode over to table seven to set their check down on the edge of the table. Everything in the pizzeria was so close together; it was near impossible not to catch the words being exchanged at table eight.

"—don't understand why you chose this dump, Hyunjae." That was the girl, the one who's face made you want to throw something at it. Her name was Kyla, and the last time you saw her in person, she had just become Hyunjae's girlfriend.

Sometimes you questioned how they even managed to stay together so long, but then again, people like them deserved each other.

"Eric just wanted pizza, babe," drawled the blond, his arm casually draped over the back of her chair.

The two others seated at the table consisted of the man with jet black hair, and another with a medium-toned brown hair peeking out of a gray hoodie. The latter said, "You guys'll love this place! Their breadsticks are literally the fluffiest things in the world."

A smile curled onto your face at that comment. Now that you thought about it, you'd seen him around before.

You slid over to table one and began stacking the dirty dishes left behind by customers who had gone. Table eight's conversation continued.

"Is it normal to be able to see grease in the air?" Kyla gagged, her nose wrinkling in disgust. She soaked in the close quarters of the restaurant with little appreciation.

The other third wheel at table eight, the one with black hair, lifted his eyebrows. "It's cozy in here, Kyla."

"Yeah, just give it a chance," Hyunjae chimed in.

You brushed past their table to grab table seven's check and hustle it back over to the register. You met Dae at the counter, her hands once again full with cups that needed filling.

A grunt left her lips. "Table eight," she began.

"Yeah," you agreed. "Sheesh."

Her head turned to you over her shoulder. "You know 'em?"

"Unfortunately." You pursed your lips. "It's been awhile," you amended. "I only know the couple at the table—enough to say, good luck, girl."

Dae made a face, but she pulled her shoulders back to solidify her posture. You always admired her work ethic and her customer service skills. As fellow waitresses during many a dinner rush hour, you both had to deal with your own handfuls of difficult people. At this point, it wasn't difficult to sniff them out from a mile away. There were some days you just wanted them to yell at you and get it over with.

Just as Dae left to go drop off drinks, your friends' order hit the window sill. You tucked the finished bill for table seven into your apron pocket and grabbed the trays to set on the table for your friends.

"You look like you're about to gnaw my fingers off, Jacob," you teased with a twinge of nervousness.

The man grinned at you, with teeth. "I'm hungry."

"Valid." You backed away from the table, and the carnage began.

You laughed, ducking your head, as you left your friends to their feast. You arrived at table seven and wished them a good night—

"Do you not have cherry coke? Isn't that, like, a universal fountain drink?"

You glanced over to see Dae's mouth twitch just slightly, but gave nothing else away. "No, we only have regular Coke and Diet Coke; I said that earlier, miss."

Kyla stared at her as if she'd just gotten her puppy revoked. "But they both taste like ass."

"You can have a fruit punch instead," Dae offered.

"But I don't want fruit punch."

You saw that the other two boys at the table fidgeted nervously. They were making eyes at Hyunjae, urging him to do something.

He seemed to lift his gaze to yours at that exact moment and you wondered what he saw in them. Something shifted in him, a silent acceptance of surrender.

The next thing you knew, he was leaning into the conversation. "Ky, you can just get a water or something and then we'll go get a drink after this. How does that sound?"

She threw a look over at him. "I really just want a cherry coke, Hyunjae. If I have to be forced to eat at this place, then the least you could do is get me a cherry coke."

Okay, that was enough.

"Is there a problem here?" You asked, sidling up beside Dae. You saw her loosen up out of the corner of your eye.

Kyla opened her mouth to retort something, but she halted abruptly. Her head cocked to the side, eyes narrowing, like she was trying to figure something out. You knew the moment she recognized you. A slow smile curled onto her mouth. "Oh my god… Yn Ln. Mommy and daddy kick you out or something? Why are you working at this dump?"

You were certain your eye started twitching.

Hyunjae grappled her shoulder. "Kyla."

"This is gold," she chirped. "Wow, I didn't think anything good could come of this dinner, but—" she sneered, "wow. You look awful."

"Takes one to know one," you said with venom dripping from your words. "We have a right to refuse service, ma'am, so if you don't quit badgering my friend and me, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

She didn't seem to catch your drift. "No. Get me. A cherry coke."

You suppressed every urge to fuck this girl up. To Dae, you murmured, "Can you cover my tables?"

"For sure, girl," she said, giving you a reassuring clasp on the shoulder. "Should I call Moretti?"

"No, I think we should be fine—"

"Wait until I tell everyone I know about how absolute ass this place is," Kyla ripped you back out into reality. She had her phone out now, and Eric, the guy in the hoodie, was reaching across the table to stop her.

You weren't allowed to touch her, you reminded yourself. You could do this with just words. No matter how much it killed you to not sucker punch her stupid, pearly whites in. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave," you told her through gritted teeth. "Either you buckle down with your regular Coca-Cola, or you get out."

"How about—no."

All breath dissipated from your lungs when you felt the carbonated liquid dumped in your face, the blocks of ice just missing your eyes. The entire establishment seemed to freeze with you.

You scoffed, slowly wiping the soda from your eyes and shaking out your arms. You couldn't seem to form coherent speech.

"What the fuck is going on here?" You recognized Kevin's hardened voice behind you, his hand squeezing your shoulder to tell you he was here.

As Kyla and Kevin dueled it out, you found Hyunjae's eyes again. To his credit, he seemed horrified and apologetic, his mouth parted in shock. But then again, he didn't have much credit anymore in your book.

Your hands fisted. You wanted to yell at him to get out. It had been a decent evening, a good evening, before he and his like came in and threw a drink in your face.

You didn't want to address the burning bitterness that coursed beneath all the annoyance and anger—out of everything, why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he try harder to help you? Why was he with her when he could be with y—nevermind. That didn't matter.

Even now, your back still ached from when he'd last left it stabbed.

"Are you okay, Yn-ie?"

You realized that Hyunjae and his party had gone now, and the shop patrons were slowly going back to whatever they had been doing before. Chanhee appeared before you with a couple napkins from the dispenser on the table, and Dae rushed over with a massive roll of paper towels. Your other friends had flocked over, too, to help clean up and also attend to customers while you pulled your shit together.

You gave a nod, finding your voice to tell them so. Your gaze casted briefly toward the front door where you knew he wouldn't ever be stepping back into.

You told yourself that was a good thing.

It was late when you finally pushed out of the back doors of the pizzeria building. Your car was parked out back with many of the other employee cars; it was just a lot more convenient and a lot less traffic. It had been a couple days since the fiasco with Kyla and Hyunjae, and you hadn't heard or seen him once since then.

That was a good thing. It was supposed to be a good thing. After all, why would he suddenly reappear in your life now? What purpose or what significance did that have?

You were going to try and forget about him again. Your life was plenty good without him, and yet…

"Yn."

Speak of the Devil. You swore under your breath as you nearly tripped over the curb. His voice was haunting, as was his presence, his whole silhouette. You'd once found a home with all those things—with him.

You and he stopped beside your car. "What are you doing here?" You asked him.

Hyunjae had his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. "I, uhm," he began, "I wanted to say sorry."

"Sorry?" You parroted. The word was sticky in your mouth and it clung to all the wrong crevices.

"Yeah, for the other night." He clasped the back of his neck. "I… I broke up with her, by the way."

Your eyes widened at his words. He broke up with Kyla? A part of you wanted to pump the sky and jump up and down—finally. Fucking finally! But there was another part of you, the rational one, who yanked you back to Earth and smacked you in the head to think about it. Three years of dating that girl, and just now he decided to break up with her? What was the tipping point? There was no way he didn't know she acted like a spoiled brat all the time.

What was so good about her anyway? You thought you had understood at the time—she had more money, more connections. Her parents were old money rich, not entrepreneurs like yours. It was stupid to think that was the reason, and you couldn't afford to go down that rabbit hole of methodology again.

"So?"

Your singular word seemed to slap him in the face. "So? I—" Frustration flickered across his face for a split second. Now he knew how you felt.

You couldn't wait for him to say anything; you had so much to say to him. "Listen Jaehyun," you said plainly. "I don't know what you want from me. You broke up with your girlfriend? Good for you. You're sorry for the other night? Okay. I don't know if you expect me to grovel and praise you for owning up for once—"

"Okay, what?" He cut in. "First of all, I don't expect you to grovel or praise me or whatever. Second, what do you mean 'owning up for once?'"

"I mean it exactly like I said it." You clenched the strap of your bag in your hand. Crazy how your car was literally right next to you, but you couldn't get into it. Your feet were glued to the street, and a part of you wanted to know how this ended. "The last time I saw you, Kyla laughed in my face, and you encouraged her. You dropped me like our years of friendship meant jack shit to you. I don't know what you're trying to pull, Jaehyun, and I don't wanna know."

Hyunjae leaned his head back, eyes closed for a second. "Yn, it's so much more complicated than that."

You stuck your tongue in your cheek. "That's such bullshit, and you know it. You don't get to come back and tell me this." There was a shakiness in your voice now, and you knew you had to get going or risk yelling. "That's just not fair."

"I know it's not fair."

"Good."

"Fine," he bit out. "I don't even know why I'm here."

Your hand found purchase on the driver's side door. Say something. Give me a reason to stay. "Maybe your sense of guilt has finally returned and your brain wanted to make amends."

He rolled his eyes, and it felt like a stab in your chest. "I'm going to leave now."

"Thank god." The words tasted sour in your mouth and you realized that he hadn't given you a reason to stay; in fact, it had been the exact opposite.

You both went your separate ways again. When you clambered into your car and watched him walk away through your rear view, it dawned on you that the entire conversation had been one massive circle. You wanted to hear him out—of course, you did.

You used to know him, after all. You used to know him so well. And perhaps that was why you hadn't just now.

"We need to talk."

A pair of hands slammed down on your desk and you nearly fell out of your chair. You tugged your earbuds out of your ear to give whoever this was a piece of your—

You frowned. "Oh. It's you."

Hyunjae frowned back at you. He was wearing a jean jacket today, hair styled presentably. He didn't have to look so good in this lighting, but you supposed even the sun liked to favor him. "Yes, it's me. Can you get up so we can—" He nodded out toward the library window beside you, "—talk?"

"So you want us to jump out the window?"

"You are so annoying."

Your smile was saccharine. "Not as annoying as you."

It had currently been around fifteen hours since he showed up at the back alley to confront you with that sorry apology. You'd woken up this morning less mad and more sad… smad. Sure, you were smad. It seemed that a night of sleep hadn't deterred your ex-best friend from talking to you, and you couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

"You don't even go to this school," you told him in a pathetic attempt to wave him away without actually waving him away.

"This is a public campus, Yn." He pulled out the seat across from you before you could protest. "I don't have to go to this school."

You scowled. The organ in your chest was beating awfully fast—you really hoped you weren't about to get in a screaming match with him here of all places. "What do you want, Hyunjae? You can't just show up everywhere I go unannounced."

"I don't do that."

"I'm starting to think you're obsessed with me, actually."

"Will you just—"

"Heya, Yn." Relief flooded through you at the sight of Changmin and Sunwoo walking up to your table. The former narrowed his eyes behind his dark-framed glasses. "Everything okay?"

You flipped your notebook closed and swiftly packed all of your items up. "Yeah, perfectly," you said. Hyunjae didn't follow as you stood up. "Bye, Hyunjae."

As you walked toward the library exit, Changmin and Sunwoo converged on either side of you. "What was that all about?" Sunwoo asked, his head peering behind you at the boy who was no doubt still sitting at the table. "Why is he here?"

You shook your head and pushed out onto the university grounds, propping the door open for your friends trailing behind. "Dude, I have no idea. He dropped by on my way out of work last night—"

"He what?"

"It wasn't even a productive conversation," you told them. You didn't know where you were going, but you turned around to face them as you walked backward along the path. Maybe you shouldn't have just left him there. "I don't even know how he knew I was at the library."

Changmin's mouth quirked downward. "Isn't this like… kind of creepy? What's with him anyway?"

"Yeah, Yn, how do you know him?" Sunwoo chimed in.

You sighed, face scrunching up as you thought about where to begin. Swiveling back to front, your friends clung onto you—both physically and to your words. "Our parents loathe each other, because they're business rivals, but Hyunjae and I went to the same schools when we were kids and we became friends."

It had been the two of you against the world—best petty friends. That first time his parents had driven him over to your house for a play date, the looks on both yours and his parents had been priceless. It'd been a wonder that they'd let you continue with the play date. From that point on, however, you both became friends for life, all despite the odds.

At least, that was how it had been.

Three years ago, just before both of you were going to begin your college careers, he had pretended that everything between the two of you was nothing more than dumpster fire. He ended up with Kyla, he became a jerk, and you'd spiraled. Had it been something you'd done? Had it been you? Did his parents open his eyes to your families' petty rivalry and get him to turn on you? That was what it had seemed like.

You'd survived, somehow. You had friends now—good friends, nice friends, un-petty friends. (But Hyunjae had been that person for you, too, once upon a time.)

You found yourself in your apartment at six in the evening the next day, staring at a half-drunk glass of wine and a crossword on your coffee table. You'd snatched up one of the newspapers in the lobby to busy yourself with in an attempt to take your mind off thrown cups of coke, bitchy ex girlfriends, and bitter ex friends.

It hadn't worked yet.

A knock on your front door drew your focus away, and you dragged yourself up from the couch to see who it was. Something panged in your chest at the face on the other side of the peephole.

You ripped the door open. "Do you want a restraining order?"

Hyunjae stood on the other side looking a little less put together than yesterday, but still more put together than you. "Yn, can we please just talk?"

"How do you even know where I live?" You asked him, not moving from the threshold, and thus, leaving him no room to come in.

"I literally helped you move in three years ago," he said, blinking. Oh. "Now, can I please come in?"

At least he was saying please, you reasoned with yourself. Begrudgingly, you let him in.

His shoulders seemed to deflate as he slipped inside, and he left his shoes on the show rack by the front door. Once you'd replaced all the locks, you swept past him to your kitchen area. "Want a drink?"

"Uhm, sure. Yeah, thanks."

You came back to the couch with another glass and poured him some of the red.

The two of you sat on the couch beside each other with a comfortable amount of space in the middle. He picked up his glass and chugged the entire thing, while you finished off your own glass and reached for the bottle. It felt so strange to be in his space again—or at least, for him to be in your space again. You didn't know if the jittery kick in your heart was from nervousness, excitement, or both.

What more did he have to say to you?

When you topped your glass off again, Hyunjae refilled his own.

"What do you want from me, Hyunjae?" You asked him for what felt like the hundredth time within the past week. You didn't have the heart to look at him now, the alcohol making your brain buzz and your chest heavy.

He nursed his glass, elbows braced on his knees. "I'm sorry," he said, clearing his throat when his voice came out rough. He fidgeted with the collar of his shirt. "You're probably so fucking tired of me, but I just… I knew I had to make things right."

You tugged your legs onto the couch and tucked them under you. "Why? Because you broke up with your girlfriend for throwing soda in my face?" For a moment, the thought amused you. Out of all the things to break up with Kyla for—out of all the things—it'd been over Coca-Cola.

Hyunjae swallowed down his wine. "No, that's not—that's not why I wanted to break up with her. I mean, part of it, of course. She'd disrespected you and your friend and the workplace."

His words and their sincerity drew your eyes to him on your left. His head hung, but you could see the glazed look in his eyes, dulling out those pretty, mahogany irises of his. He looked like your Hyunjae for once, not the one who had appeared in the doorway of the pizzeria with his arm around a girl who didn't appreciate him or anyone.

"And I'm sorry for that," he continued. "I'm sorry I didn't do more to prevent that from happening."

You stared down into the dark stillness of your wine glass. "Well, it wasn't exactly your fault," you said quietly.

You heard him huff, "Yeah, sure." He lifted the glass up to his lips again, and you did the same.

"The little altercation was recorded and posted online," Hyunjae suddenly said. "And when my parents saw, they pretty much backed out of the partnership between our company and Kyla's parents'. They didn't let me break up with her before because of the contract or whatever, but after that PR nightmare, they pretty much cut ties for me."

He took another swig, and you found yourself really looking at him this time.

"I was and have been an asshole to you, Yn," he said. "And it's no excuse, but it was… I was just trying to make it easier for both of us."

The wine was penetrating your defenses. Or maybe that was his story. But either way, the stinging in the corners of your eyes led to a watering of your vision, and everything was getting blurry. The lights, him, your whole view of the situation. His parents hadn't turned him, but shackled him instead.

"I thought," you began, lifting a hand up to wipe your eyes dry, "you hated me."

Hyunjae raised his head, shaking it, then hanging it again. He drank. "I couldn't hate you. I tried—I tried to make it easier to see you differently, but… Yn, you were my best friend." His voice broke at the end and he swallowed. "I thought about you so much these past few years, and it was so hard to get through it without you."

Your heart was sinking fast into your stomach and you could feel it hammer against your bones. You'd thought about him too much, as much as you loathed to admit. The man who you felt had simply thrown you away… how pathetic was it that you couldn't stop caring? But now, the lens was widening. Maybe your feelings weren't so unique.

Both you and Hyunjae moved at the same time, arms raising to drain your glasses of the last bits of wine.

You told yourself it was the wine that was making you want to cry, but when you and Hyunjae looked at each other, his eyes were lined with silver. He sniffled, setting his glass on the coffee table. "I'm sorry," he whispered, biting his lip when emotion made him screw his face up and turn away from you.

You put your glass next to his and clambered over the sofa to wrap your arms around him. He turned his face into your chest and sobbed, the sound coaxing a crest of emotion out of you, too, and you held him and rocked him through the oncoming waves.

It was the wine, you thought. God it was the wine. It had to be the wine.

But your best friend was here in your arms, where he belonged, you liked to think. He was home.

You curled your hand over the back of his head, your cheeks damp. "'m sorry they forced you into that relationship," you rasped. The bitterness was sweeping back in a different color. "I wish I knew."

He sniffled. "They threatened to do something to your parents' company. I couldn't—I couldn't let you and them get involved."

The confession stabbed through you. You had no idea what his parents had told him, and made him do, for the sake of business. You had no idea how unhappy he was, and god—you wished you'd known. Maybe things wouldn't have come to such hurt.

Hyunjae pulled himself away from you and wiped his eyes. "I think after all that shit, I'm a little fucked up."

The both of you shared a watery laugh, the space that had originally been left between you, nonexistent.

You cupped the sides of his face. "You made it though, and you've been so strong, Jae."

His bottom lip trembled. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Yeah," you nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you." How could you not? And it was the wine—you swore it was the wine—that had you leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his hairline. His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into you, his hand reaching up to cover your hand with his own.

"I like you a whole lot better than her," he murmured.

"I'd hope so," you mused, patting his cheek. "You deserve to have someone so much better than her."

He gulped, eyes searching your face. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Your heartbeat stuttered when he leaned forward slightly. You could smell the wine on his breath as it fanned over your skin. It felt as if the world slowed in that moment—the lights were dimmer, his eyelids low, lips shiny and plush.

And then he blinked, energy and alarm and… something else in his expression. He pulled out of your hold and his ears turned bright red. "I should go."

Your lips parted. "Wait—"

He practically leapt off the couch and banged his knee against the wall as he hobbled into his shoes. "Damn—I—" he opened the front door, pausing over the threshold. You didn't know why he was leaving; you wanted him to stay. Why, why, why was he leaving? "I, uhm, I've overstayed my welcome."

The door rattled as he closed it behind him, as if to tell you to not follow him out. You were left on the couch alone again, two empty glasses of wine, feeling stripped.

What the hell was that?

"And he just… left?"

You nodded, sweeping the apron around your waist over the hook in the back room of the pizzeria. It was late when yours and Dae's shift ended, as per usual. The shop was pretty much closed, leaving the two of you and two of the cooks who usually closed up the establishment when you both left.

For the entirety of your shift, you had been turning over yesterday's events over and over again. "I don't know what I did wrong, y'know? Maybe I crossed a boundary or something? I dunno."

Worry gnawed at your stomach as you recalled what happened to Dae. You both stepped out of the back of the building to head to your respective cars. It was dark out, as it usually was, with a few street lights along the road that you and Dae stuck to while walking.

As you approached your car, you noticed Hyunjae standing beside it with his hands tucked in his pockets and his head turned toward you. Rather than the sourness you'd felt for him at the beginning of the week, the feeling twisting in your chest was sweeter, but bitter still.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Dae said to you softly with a gentle nudge of your arm. She walked ahead of you and passed by your car to get to hers, leaving you to confront the man plaguing your every thought for the past week.

You swallowed as you made your way over to the driver's side door where he was standing. "Hey."

Hyunjae gave a slight bob of his head. "Hey."

"Did I do something wrong yesterday?" You asked him, earnestly, searching his face for any hint as to why he had left so abruptly.

"No, it wasn't your fault—it definitely wasn't your fault," he told you. He sucked in a breath, carding a hand through his hair. "I had an epiphany of sorts."

"An epiphany?" You furrowed your brows.

His cheeks had flushed slightly, and he couldn't exactly meet your eyes. "I thought it was just the alcohol clouding my judgment, and in combination with all the emotions, and I just—" he shook his head. "It's probably not important, but…"

You bumped your elbow with his. "Jae, you're here. It probably is important."

A small smile curled up onto his face. "Y'know," he began, finally lifting his head to look you in the eyes, "she would have agreed with me and brushed me off."

You knew who the "she" he was talking about was. You frowned. "She was never good enough for you, Hyunjae."

"I know." He sighed. "I just wanna be enough for you though now."

Surprise lit across your face, and you could feel the butterflies in your stomach start to take flight. You couldn't think coherently with his words, and you were probably reading into it too much. The two of you had been away so long that you probably forgot how to read him; there was no doubt that something changed over the past three years, right?

When you failed to find a reply, he shifted slightly, his body facing straight toward you. "I've had a lot of time to think, and the whole time I was with her, I just kept comparing her to you." He stepped closer to you and his hand reached out to tentatively take your fingers with his. "She never measured up; maybe that made me even more bitter for ruining our friendship."

You met his eyes. There was that glimmer of the rich brown like what you'd seen last night. (Your Hyunjae was present and accounted for.) "What… what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I," he said, fully taking your hands with his, "would like to start over on a slightly different note. But if you don't feel the same, we can start wherever you're comfortable with."

It would be different, you realized. But it would be a good different, right?

You found your voice, curled your fingers around his in the space between you. "Okay."

His smile slowly widened, his eyes squinting into upturned crescent moons. "Okay?"

You nodded, returning the expression. "Let's start over on that different note."

The pizzeria was as alive as usual. It was warm, smelled like tomatoes and cheese and bread, and it was still your home away from home. You had just finished your break and were tying your apron back on when Dae bumped her hip against yours as she passed by with a tray of dirty dishes.

"Your banshees just got in," she said, before disappearing through the kitchen doors.

Your gaze went to the door where you found your five friends, and the additional three, who were filing in altogether. You made eye contact with one person in particular, his smile softening into something fond at the corners of his mouth. He lifted a hand in greeting, grabbing everyone else's attention as they said their hellos to you.

The eight of them made their way over to the round table in the back corner, piling into the chairs around it.

"Waitress! Waitress!" The hyena-like sound set off an alarm in your head and you came over to the table to give Changmin a stink eye. He grinned innocently. "Oh yay, it worked."

You gave him an unimpressed look. "You sound like a chihuahua."

"Joke's on you, I think chihuahuas are cute," he huffed, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

You braced your hand on the back of Hyunjae's chair, the other one gently patting the top of his head. He acknowledged your greeting, his hand reaching up to cover yours on the chair back. "What's to drink, y'all?"

A chorus of beverages rang out, and you mentally counted the few repeats and the singles. You promised to be right back, and left to go grab them. As you went, you could hear your boys start up a lively debate about the multipurpose properties of the lemon. You wondered if that was what they had been bickering about on the car ride over here, and you heard Eric say something about lemons for cleaning; Juyeon just said lemonade; and Changmin said for inflicting "more pain." (No, you didn't want to know.)

When you returned to their table to pass out your drinks, you went around, leaving Hyunjae for last. You set his cup of coke in front of him and he passed you a smile.

"You're not gonna dump that on me, are you?" You asked, eyes narrowing playfully.

He grinned. "As long as you don't dump me, we're good."

Sunwoo made a face from across the table. "Yuck, get a room!"

Chanhee smacked him upside the head. "At least they have someone to be yucky with."

"This feels familiar somehow," Kevin pondered aloud. "Like déjà vu."

Jacob shrugged. "Maybe in another universe. I dunno, it seems like something we would have said to Sunwoo at some point."

"Hey!—"

You were halfway through a laugh when Hyunjae caught your attention, twisted around in his chair to smile up at you. "What's up?" You asked him.

His eyes, you could never get sick of his eyes. They glistened in the lighting here. "Nothing," he said swiftly, "I'm just… happy to be here." With you.

You understood, and you caught his hand on the back of the chair and gave him a little squeeze. "I'm happy you're here, too." It seemed that some things were just meant to come full circle.

tbz m.list

permanent taglist: @flwoie @vatterie @seomisaho @hqrana @ja4hyvn @tinkerbell460 @kaaimins @hyunjaespresent-deobi @otterly-fey @zzoguri @floatingpluto @winterchimez @ethereal-engene @gyulfriend @polarisjisung @jaehunnyy @shakalakaboomboo @loveliestfelix @bless-311 @zhaixiaowen @leaz-kpop-life @amourdsr @pxppxrminty @kqyutie @sseastar-main @kxthleen14 @fluorescentloves @mosviqu @justalildumpling @jaerisdiction @super-btstrash-posts @jundundun @http-gyu @mvvnsseul @outrologist @vernonburger @maessseongs @kflixnet @ericlvr

[6okuto]

hai everypony. used some of u and ur ocs as my muses for a little (big) (rough) spread :3 So u know u r perceived and enjoyed.

if ur surprised because we don't talk um. i recognize ur user and or did some tag lurking so. hey... um. Hey...... tags and notes under the cut!

@khalixvitae - KHALIX ! do not know this guy At All but i decided to mix things up and use him!! if u have any thoughts to share abt vil i'm all ears! >__<

@sweet-milky-tea705 - JAYCE! yasenia. smoking duck gif. is anything else needed 2 say... i didn't forget her ears i just. upside down. hair. and. giuspelazpe

@koyukiki - Leon Kennedy. LMAO he's literally the most random guy on here. "why hoseok da bus driver" vibe LIKEHEEBFHSB but u know. hiii koyuki!!

@shobvrry - wehehehe... hiii friend,, little shoto for u!! :3 do u like the placement of frozen joke bear. get it. bc. because. he. and. get it

@dira333 - kENMA!! this is evidently Not the thing i wanted to give u but. this has taken a while and i actually want 2 redo the other thing so. haii dira!! \o/

@satorisoup - tHe Only self ship other than me on here. based it on ur existing self ship comms and picrews.. R ur eyes green. like. ..IMCRYING . ROCK ON LENE!

@last0bread - !! azalea has SUCH a cool + unique design!! she's also quite satisfying to draw?? LOL. i also like doodling flowers so thanks for letting me do that :3 🩷 /silly

@mustddart - oh my god i didn't know u changed users and just got so scared. I rock w these guys. i don't know their dynamic i based it solely on this post (& it being percy) but I ROCK W THEM!!! U r one of the people i recognize by user btw. Hiiii stay awesome!!!! 🩷🩷

@luv-indigo - SOOO lovely!! loved reading about nadine and seeing her in each step ^__^ !! i recognize u by user too. Haiii all ur art and ocs r super nice and cool!!! 🙆🏻‍♀️🩷

@vaultureculture - bro i am rocking w this design so hard. elvia is stunning like okkk???!! leander i see u. i get u 🙂‍↕️🔥 phlomis is also Awesome i love the dynamics and story going on IM ROCKING SO HEAVY!!

@kandy-katz - omg. i did the chibi first and by the time i got to the last empty space i realized sol was the only one who was a sole (haha) chibi and !! 😭 i felt so bad bc his full design is SO SO cool so he's here twice. HE'S AWESOME!! 🩷🙆🏻‍♀️

@dreamtydraw - smoking duck gif. apple bag trio.. lOVE THEM!! 🩷💌 wasn't originally gonna do all 3 but i saw this pose and thought it was silly and fun.. yeagh. all ur ocs are always so lovely and unique!!! everypony reading this go check dreamty on itch.io and play all 5 games NOW!!!

@evanox - SARA RAAAHHHH!!!! saraahhhhh!!.???? haha get it. ...just looks like i spelt ur name wrong. Let's carry on. MAEHWA!!! 😭🩷🩷 worked off jayce's art I hope she looks ok. sage is drunk and saying something stupid /affectionate Idk what.. hehe she's lovely!!

@anonymous-eggy - Big Fan of masks and i love this one. HIS DESIGN IS SO FUN!! i finished drawing them the fastest fr fr i want that shirt so bAD and their hair is so nice yeahh i rock w az HEAVY!! 🩷🩷

@someiicecube - cannot overstate how heavy i rock w esther. u hooked me at an awesome stunning design and reeled me in w reading too many romance books and wishing it was him. so me. SO COOL!!! 🩷🩷

da process........

yeahgh. 👍 i wud like to draw some for real in the future but actually if i draw anything in the next few days my brain will explodeo.

[luckybunny555]

Secret admirer

You receive a strange gift and find out the identity of your secret admirer.

Amber Freeman x GN!/Fem!Reader(no pronouns but for sapphics)

Warnings: creepy behavior, stalking, cursing, usual Ghostface behavior, a little bit of trust issues, being "attacked" but not harmed, mentions of murder and violence(no big description tho), a little suggestive in the end(as a treat ;) )

a/n: Part 2. No bad ending, again. I mentioned a song at some point and if you don't listen to it while reading ur not getting the whole experience, disappointing. also, this one's a bit scarier than part one(at least in my opinion). I'm sorry if ur not actually a scared little bitch like I am, but I made the readed very scared because yes. I didn't proof-read the end bc I used every single brain cell I have to finish this today. I might read it later but no promises.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Because you were texting Amber, you didn't worry about walking home alone. The sun was setting, but you were reaching the front door already.

Amber

I can't believe you fell for that

You

Wha-

Mindy had a straight face when

she said that

I thought she just remembered

the movie better than me

Amber

I literally made you watch it a

hundread times

how could you not remember

also, lmk when you get home

You

what did u expect

I also closed my eyes a hundread

times bc I got scared

I'm already unlocking the door

Amber

ok good

told u you'd be safe with me

;)

You felt a warm feeling in your chest, stupidly staring at her message. The smile on your face was an evident sign of how whipped you were for her. Stepping into your home, you lock the door again, not taking your eyes off your phone.

Amber

I'm throwing a party saturday

My parents will be out, they

got a wedding or smth

ur coming, right?

Your smile grew. "Mom?" you shouted, your voice echoing through the empty house. You finally looked away from your phone, scanning the space around you. The house seemed empty, which was unusual. By that time, your mom should be home. All you could hear was faint music, which your mom probably forgot to turn off before she left the house. You walked towards the kitchen, answering Amber's text.

You

ofc, I never miss ur parties

Amber

Liar

You've missed 3 of my parties

You

ok true, but it wasn't on purpose

I don't have plans this saturday

You find a note on the fridge, "Meeting w/ client @ 5pm". Right. That's where your mom was. You place your phone on the counter, opening the fridge and looking for something to eat. Your phone vibrates again, another notification from Amber

Amber

brb, I'm gonna shower

You read the text from afar, still standing in front of the refrigerator. Grabbing a few ingredients, you place them on the counter, turning off your phone screen. More attuned to your surroundings, you recognize the song playing in the background. "We Belong Together" by Ritchie Valens. You didn't remember where you heard it, though. It was just familiar. And nice to listen to while you cook.

Focused on preparing your food, you're startled by the doorbell. You look at the door with your heart already racing. It was a mundane situation, but does anything feel normal when there's a masked killer around?

Slowly, you approach the door. But instead of opening, you look through the window beside it. No one was there. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest, but you try to brush it off. "These fucking kids," you mutter to yourself, walking back to the kitchen.

You

I'm so stupid lol

Some dumb kid just ding-dong

ditched me and I got so scared

Not so long after, you hear the doorbell ring again. You try to convince yourself it's just a stupid prank. A terrible one to play when Ghostface is a threat, but kids are like that, right? This time, you quickly approach the door, determined to catch the person, opening it even though your hands are shaking.

Still, no one is there. But you find something. There's a box on the floor, with a pink bow on top and a note. "Sorry for scaring you :(". You hesitate, but take the box and lock the door again. You put it on the counter, unsure whether or not you should open it. Could it be from that admirer? Or was it from someone else? Before opening it, you decide to get a second opinion.

You

they left a box at my door

there's a note, "sorry for scaring

you"

should I open it?

I think it's from that stalker, but

idk

You wait a few seconds, but she doesn't read your texts. Maybe you should wait longer, but you're curious. It could be great, it could be horrible. Either way, you wanted to know. Maybe your mind was just being dramatic and this was actually a genuine apology gift. You shake the box, trying to make out what it could be, but it doesn't make a lot of noise. Must be something soft and light.

With your hands slightly trembling, you open it. It takes you a split second to understand it, but once you recognize it, you bring your hand to cover your mouth, your breath catching in your throat. Your favorite stuffed animal, one from your collection, with its head cut off. Beside it, another note. "Why didn't you write me back? >:("

Your head was filled with questions, "did they break into my house?", "how did they get it?", "are they still around?". Your phone rings, snapping you out of your momentary trance. It's Amber's number. She probably read your texts and her protective instinct kicked in. Your right hand was still covering your mouth as you reached for your phone. "Amber?"

"Hello, [name]," you don't recognize the voice. It wasn't Amber's, it was a male voice. And then it hits you: Amber's phone was cloned. By Ghostface. At that realization, you gasp, feeling your heart pounding as if it's trying to escape your chest. "Did you like my gift? And my sweet letters?"

You're too shocked to answer. Frozen in place, your only movements are involuntary. The trembling of your hands, the rise and fall of your chest, the accelerated breathing and heartbeats. An uncontrollable fear takes over you. Your eyes are glued to the torn out toy in front of you.

"Will you forgive me for loving you so much that I'm willing to protect you from everything… and everyone?" They speak again, and you slowly remove your hand from your face, supporting your weight against the counter, feeling weak in the knees.

An ounce of rationality is still left in you, despite the terrifying situation you find yourself in. "Where are you?" You ask with your voice shaking, a satisfying sound for Ghostface.

"Don't worry, I'm not inside... yet," the implied threat makes you shut your eyes instinctively, wishing that everything would disappear. But it isn't the brightest idea, so you open them again and look around, trying to stay alert. "Let's play a game, I'll give you three chances to guess who I am. You have to play by the rules. No calling for help, and don't close your curtains. I need to see if you're playing fair."

The last sentence sends a shiver down your spine. They could see you. Your gaze shifts to the window, terrified to see what you'd find. But hopefully, or not, you only saw the sky turning dark. "No..." Your voice shakes again, and you try to hold back your tears of desperation, "I know better than to play games with you."

"Oh, you don't want to play?" They sound displeased, which fills you with dread. "Let's skip forward then, I'll show you who I am," they say impatiently, "Open the front door."

By that time, the tears were falling to your cheeks. Your pants and gasps were audible through the phone, and it felt like your heartbeats were too. You couldn't move, and you obviously didn't want to let them in, but maybe the choice was merely an illusion. Your cries become more evident through the phone.

"Open the damn door, [name], or I'll get in myself and I won't be as nice as I would be," the caller threatened, and you are completely taken over by fear, filling every fiber of your body.

"Please, don't hurt me," you sob, begging for mercy as you turn around, facing the door a few steps ahead of you. You slowly walk towards it, continuing to plead.

"That's not my plan, sweetheart," Ghostface replies on the phone, "as long as you do what I say."

Your hands never trembled as much as they did once they touched the doorhandle. With a deep, shaky exhale, you open the door, facing the terrifying tall frame, covered in black and hidden behind the Ghostface mask. You let out a whimper as more tears fell to your cheeks. You gasp once your eyes meet the shiny blade in their hand.

In a startling, quick move, you were trapped against the wall, with the knife pressed to your neck, and you drop your phone on the floor. Instinctively, you scream, but the gloved hand covers your mouth before you can make a sound loud enough to be heard. They close the door with their feet, the loud noise making you jump in place. You shut your eyes, not wanting to face them.

The two of you were silent for a moment, the faint music filling the eerie atmosphere along with your sobs and loud breaths, followed by Ghostface's amused chuckle. They slowly removed the hand from your mouth, allowing you to breathe more easily, and you open your eyes, scanning the view in front of you. You didn't make a sound, and you tried your best to steady your breaths as much as you could before you had a heart attack.

"I told you I wouldn't hurt you if you behaved," they break the silence, and amidst the turmoil in your mind, you question their intentions and reasons. What made you different to them? Why hadn't they attacked you immediately, like they did with Tara and Vince?

Well, for one, all their love letters and gifts. Somehow, you had Ghostface in love with you, and you just realized that. Two people in one. And now, you could figure out who they actually were.

"Curious?" They ask, noticing the expression on your face, how you bit your lip, making it seem like the wheels in your mind were turning. "Go on, turn it off," the command, tapping on the voice modifier from the mask with their free hand. Your sobs had momentarily ceased, but your hands were still shaking when you hesitantly reached to press the button. You hear a low chuckle behind the mask, "recognize me now?"

It took you a moment to believe it. To make sense of it. Your eyes widened, and the look on your face was clearly of shock. Subconsciously, your lips part slightly in disbelief. How could it be her? "Amber?" you whisper, your voice faltering with hesitancy. You earn a mischevous giggle from the girl in front of you.

Her free hand reaches up, taking off her mask and throwing it on the floor, once again making you jump at the noise. There's a wicked smile imprinted on her face, staining her image in your mind. Noticing your furrowed brows, her expression changes slightly to one of pity, or remorse.

She pouts, her gaze meeting yours with a sympathetic look, "Aw, baby, I'm sorry I had to scare you," her tone changes to a sickingly sweet, an implied mocking of your position and reaction. "I just find it so cute, y'know?"

You weren't expecting that to be her motive. Deep down, it was starting to make you angry at her. But this feeling was buried by the sensation of the cold blade against your neck. And she still had a lot of explaining to do.

"Remember the first time I made you watch Stab?" She asks you, her voice laced with amusement, and a smile growing on her face. "I mean, it' wasn't even such a scary movie, but you were so terrified," she laughs, and even in that terrible moment, you love the sound.

Imperceptibly, she placed a hand on your hip, keeping you in place and maintaining her control. She looks at you with a sweet, satisfied expression. "It was so adorable. I loved how scared you got," she confessed with such a natural, charismatic demeanor, as if she hadn't planned a whole terrifying scene, just for you.

“You were clinging to me and you wanted me to protect you so bad. And I realized, I wanted that too.” With a wide smile, she chuckles mischievously. Her eyes observe you attentively, taking in every detail, every subtle movement. She loved to see your tear-stained cheeks and glossy eyes. It was terrible, and she knew that, but didn't you look impossibly beautiful in that moment? "That night," she continues, her face getting closer to yours as her eyes find your parted lips, "you begged me to let you stay over and to sleep with me. It was fucking cute, seriously," her eyes meet yours again as she lets out a low chuckle. Even though you hated that moment, how scared you were, you still found the genuity in everything she was saying.

"I could barely sleep, because it felt so good to hold you close, and I really felt like I was protecting you, y’know?" Her tone escalates with passion, emphasizing the sincerity in her words. "From what? Nothing. But it was nice.”

It was infuriating to hear everything. To go through all that terror, just because... she liked it? Why would she go so far to scare you?

“But with time you got over it and you didn’t need me anymore. And I still wanted that. I wanted you to need me to protect you," she continues her monologue, a classic after villain reveals. It was really starting to feel like you were in a stupid slasher movie that she likes so much. "I needed some threat, something dangerous to scare you."

You finally find the courage to cut her off, "That's why you did all of this?" Your tone gave away how irritated you were, although still fearful, "Because you wanted me to feel like... I was in a fucking horror movie?" Your voice becomes slightly bolder, in spite of the risk. You couldn't believe her.

She feigns being offended, then exhales with a quiet chuckle. "Sweetheart, the threats were already there," she responds, her grip tightening in response to her growing intensity. "Like that Vince guy. Gosh, he was a weird fucking creep. And you were scared of him, I know that, but he could actually hurt you. And I would never let that happen," she continues to explain her twisted motives. "It couldn’t be anyone else, because I never wanted you to get hurt. I wouldn’t trust anyone else."

At that mention, you recall his murder. You were with your friends at that bar the night he was killed. You were worried about your safety. He was into Liv, and you could very well be his next target. Amber had noticed the way you held her hand in that moment, tightly with worry, but the threat was real, and she wanted to protect you. Which is exactly what she did. What better way to keep you safe than to eliminate the threat? That's how her mind worked.

The slightest hint of understanding was appearing in your expression. A hint that Amber didn't miss, ever so attentive. "Do you get it now?" she asks genuinely, as if everything she did was right. "It had to be me. Because I would never hurt you. Because other people would," her tone is so sweet and caring, you forget she is the one holding the knife to your neck.

Actually, it doesn't matter. She might be holding it, but it means nothing. The girl in front you could've killed you long ago, yet she was confessing everything she did for you, without drawing a single drop of your blood. She might as well be holding the blade against her heart, because the girl is crazy for you, quite literally. If you got hurt, by any means, it would break her. From the moment she fell for you, protecting you was a necessary act to protect herself.

With that understanding, the clarity of your realization, your anger gradually faded. Her elaborate, sick and twisted web had the purpose of protecting you. She was poisoned with love. Could you blame her for her whole performance? (You totally could)

But you didn't. For the same reason you answered your stalker's letters, and opened the gift box. For the same reason you let Amber convince you to watch Stab a thousand times, despite hating horror movies. Yes, you have terrible taste for lovers. But you love the thrill. With her, you'd have security, protection, a little bit of action and lots of excitement. It was a twisted game, but you knew in the end it was safe to play. Because she was completely, head over heels in love with you.

[...]

[psitaniumpsichosis]

[Psychonauts 2 Spoilers! You have been warned!]

Comic and written form below the cut - The Gzesarevich's Son

(I forgot to look at refs of the room... Oops) (Also small tw for drinking and arguing)

Written version bc I'm feeling fruity

~~~

The arguing seemed endless. As the baby's wails filled the empty space between his parents' bickering, Gristol could only endure with an exhausted, flustered silence of his own-- tucked into the corner of the couch, glaring at the empty wall as the baby wailed on the table in front of him.

"Well," his father indignantly sniffed from his placement on the bed, "we can't keep it."

"So, what do you propose we do with it?" His mother retorted, tone just as bitter as her husband's as she glared into the glass she'd refilled for the umpteenth time that night.

"Get rid of it." "Get rid of it? It's a baby, not a bug!" "Well what ELSE CAN I SAY!?"

Gristol groaned, as a shouting match erupted between his parents. He had no escape, the TV too quiet to block them out-- not to mention the baby wailing and screaming only two feet in front of him.

In a moment of utter clarity, Gristol shot up to his feet-- simultaneously scooping the infant up into his arms and swiftly approaching the bathroom. He slid open the door, and his parents' voices only muffled once he shut and locked the door.

"Ugh, finally." He groaned, sliding down to the floor with his back against the sink-- the only spot shielded from the open world with the massive window behind them. The baby sniffled and babbled, clinging to Gristol as the young man awkwardly but gently cradled him in his tattered flannel blanket.

"Much better, huh kid?" "Aaababa..." "Same here."

Gristol adjusted himself as he responded to the baby's babbling. He glanced down at the thin, wispy red hair of the tiny boy in his arms. He hummed thoughtfully, taking note of the hospital band still around the infant's wrist.

With a delicate hand, he took hold of the boy's arm-- while the surname was missing, the first name certainly wasn't.

"Razputin?" He read in a hushed tone. The baby, Razputin, only whined in reply. Gristol sighed, tucking the small thing to his chest again and pushing himself up.

"Well, Razputin. Let's clean you up." He said, now holding the baby up in front of him to inspect the dirt and grime all over the poor thing. The boy hadn't opened his eyes, little fists balled up to his face as he kicked and wriggled with complaint.

"At least one of us can smell nice." He mused with a smile. Holding Razputin against his chest again, he turned the sink on to clean the tiny little thing off.

It only took five minutes, Razputin cleaned off. Gristol now sat on the edge of the sink, humming a tune as he carefully dried Razputin off, the baby much calmer and not fussing anymore.

Then Gristol paused. Razputin's eyes were open as he clutched Gristol's wrist with a small smile, tongue poking out as he cooed and babbled. His eyes were so big, a gorgeous green that held so much... Affection.

Gristol stared in silence, tearing up as this tiny helpless little boy gazed up at him with so much love. Gristol inhaled, then hugged Razputin up close to him-- face resting against his damp red hair as he murmured a weak- "Oh my God."

His mind was made up.

The arguing continued on in the suite, Rokel and Theodore still shouting at each other with disdain and indecision. Until--

"Shut UP! He's STAYING!" Gristol yelled, as loudly as his lungs would allow as he waltzed out of the bathroom -- Razputin held to him as the baby babbled and cooed.

"Staying?!" Theodore exclaimed as Rokel reeled from dropping her glass, Gristol passing the two with a content smile. "Have you lost your--"

"Yep!" Gristol interrupted, stopping in his tracks to hold Razputin up in front of him again, the freckle-doused baby so eager to have the attention.

"As far as I care, he's Razputin Malik." Gristol announced to the dismay of his parents.

"My future Gzesarevich!"

[harrystylescherry]

tis the damn season vol. 2 SNIPPET

A/N: yes, you did in fact read that correctly. there will be a vol. 2 of tis the damn season...NOT part 2, but VOLUME 2. Meaning, this is not a continuation, or a kind of epilogue, but a whole other scenario. with a different character, in a different universe, but connected by the premise of miss swift's song...bc it is my favorite holiday tune. this will probably be posted around new years, so see you then!

read tis the damn season!

It was the Wednesday before Christmas, and the pub was empty—just how Harry liked it. This year, the holiday was on a weekend, which meant the crowd of school-days-past wouldn’t be arriving until tomorrow at the earliest, semi-finishing out their work weeks.

Harry had been in Chesire for a week already, lazy-ing around his mum’s house and patiently waiting for his sister to come from London (she’d be part of the hoard arriving tomorrow). His mum was out for the night, at a holiday party she had with her friends every year. She had invited him along, but that week, he had already crashed a lunch and a festive dinner. The idea of round three felt pathetic.

His cousins were Christmas shopping for their baby—and it’s not that Harry didn’t want to join them, he just knew that it wasn’t the kind of shopping he was into. It was mission-based. Harry preferred the kind of shopping day that took hours and ended with a nice meal—whether or not he completed his list didn’t matter. It was the spirit of it.

So, he was alone. In a pub he frequented every time he came back. They had decorated for the holiday, with the top shelf of the bar lined with stockings that had the staff’s names written on—there were a few he didn’t recognize from the year before. It sat uncomfortably on his chest. He should make more time to visit home—because that’s what it still was to him. It didn’t matter where his house was, that he had spent more months in LA and New York alone (mostly) than he did his mum’s house. They weren’t the same, devoid of that special warmth and love that hit him each time he opened the heavy, oak door.

Garland hung around the perimeter of the room, from the ceiling, and also draped beneath the bar. Poinsettias (which he hated) filled vases on shelves that usually housed more appealing faux bouquets. He did like, however, the Christmas lights strung along the ceiling and wrapped around the posts throughout the space. It made it all quite cozy.

“Thanks, Gerry,” Harry said as he took his pint from across the bar.

The pub door opened, and with it came a gust of cold hair.

“Aye, it’s the new girl,” Gerry called across the bar to the other tender, his younger brother Tommy.

Harry turned just in time to see the smirk on the face of the supposed newcomer. He wasn’t sure if the chill that moved through him was from the burst of cold or the energy that radiated from her. She was completely bundled up, from her big boots to her bright red beanie.

She plucked it off by its pom-pom and dropped it onto the bar top, only five seats down from Harry. “Not new, temporary,” she said.

“Only ‘cause we haven’t won you over yet. Just wait, you won’t dream of leavin’ by time we’re done with you.”

She rolled her eyes playfully and unwound the pink and red striped scarf from her neck. She draped it over the seat next to her, then peeled off her coat, revealing long, dark hair that had been tucked down her back.

She was pretty. Harry could tell just from her profile. From her voice. Her nose was suited for a fairy and her cheeks were round—stained pink from the wind.

“The usual?” Tommy asked.

“Please,” she said as she pulled the sleeves of her cream sweater over her hands and fought off a shiver.

“Hi.”

Harry jolted out of his trance and flushed with embarrassment at being caught staring.

“I’m Rosie.” She smiled.

“Harry.”

“I know.” The smirk was back, and he thought, seeing her face so clearly now, it made her look even more beautiful. If that was even possible.

“Right.” He looked down and spun his glass on its coaster,

He heard her thank Tommy for whatever her usual was and listened as they fell into easy, friendly conversation.

“Care to join us?”

He looked up and was met with her smile, and expectant looks from the boys who stood on the other side of the bar, their own drinks in their hands.

“Uh, yeah, why not?”

Harry moved down until they were only a seat apart.

“Rosie’s from London,” Tommy supplied. “Like you.”

“No, technically, Harry’s from here,” Gerry corrected.

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Are you visiting family?” Harry cut him off. “For Christmas?”

“Uh, no,” she said with a scrunch of her nose. Harry left her room to elaborate, but she didn’t.

“Rosie’s a writer,” Gerry offered, before taking a sip of his beer. She blushed behind the curtain of her hair.

This was how his small village operated. A new person meant new information, new stories to pass around and gossip about. It didn’t matter if that person was sitting right in front of them. It was charming, but also terrifying. Especially if the stories making the rounds about you weren’t exactly tame, or inconsequential, or PG-13.

“Is she?” He asked, his eyes looking over her.

“I write novels for young adults. Well, I wrote one novel. I’m working on the second. Supposed to be, anyway.”

“S’why she’s here.” Tommy supplied before downing the rest of his glass, just as the pub door opened again.

“Is it?” He was aware that his attempts to flirt right now were abysmal, but he didn’t know what else to say. He wanted to talk to her, not Tommy. He wanted to pry and tease and slide into the seat next to her, but he couldn’t do that with them watching so closely. The things the town would say about that...so these redundant questions were all he had.

“Sort of.” That was all she offered before taking a sip from the glass of white wine in front of her.

[hellobitchlet]

Honestly, I feel like Fontaine has been really bad. Even by Genshin's nonexistent standards.

Outside of Furina's backstory, the writing is a step down from Sumeru instead of a step up, with 90% of the first 4 acts being filler and the handling of the terrible government being even worse than previous nations (bc the horrifying justice system would look bad on Furina, Focalors, Neuvillette, Clorinde, Chevreuse, Sigewinne, and Wriothesly if we admitted that it was bad). It's so bad that it falls apart if you know anything about human rights, slavery in prisons, capitalism, police corruption, or even the basic rules of detective fiction, when it comes to the first 2 acts.

And on top of that, everything about the oceanids were completely retconned and ignored...even though some of that retconned lore was given to us an update before Fontaine was released. Instead, oceanid lore was completely changed, used to make Neuvillette look cool, and then forgotten about after the main act except for like...1 world questline. That has nothing to do with playable characters. Even though it's super important to the story. Aka the npc problem also continues.

The underwater areas are cool, but the whole nation is about as empty and boring as the desert. There are a few highlights, but that's it. And not only is it significantly smaller than Sumeru for no reason, but it was shafted just to make ANOTHER addition to Liyue's map, which is bigger than Dragonspine, Chasm's Maw, and Stormterrors Lair combined. And it also doesn't utilize most of the giant space it has. We got our first separate, underground map since Inazuma, but it's even smaller than Enkanomiya, there's nothing interesting that I've found so far, and the map is hard to look at because of the way they make maps now.

Speaking of, they seriously thought that adding mini underground maps to the normal map was enough compensation for them making hard to navigate caves to let them get away with continuing to do that?? Why not just stop making them?? Is this not one of the reasons why your normal map looks so boring??

While Cyno suddenly got a 2nd story quest (which should've been his only one with how useless the 1st one was, but whatever), for the first time since the beta(?), the archon character didn't get 2 story quests. They could've chosen to give neither Furina or Neuvi a 2nd quest, give one of then a 2nd quest, or give both of them a 2nd quest. They went with the laziest option.

Instead, our 2nd weekly boss was Arlecchino in her own quest. This was honestly the first time I felt disappointed with a weekly boss. It had nothing that special about it gameplay-wise, and Arlecchino's boss form looks weird. It's just the barebones first part and the cool boss form last part. No big, unique mechanics that change how you fight it, no in between stage, no switching back and forth between the stages. Nothing.

Just like Inazuma, Fontaine wasn't allowed it's own Traveler quest. Instead, Bedtime Story was a continuation of Caribert that could've been released during Sumeru, as well as a lore dump and empty reassurance that the next Traveler quest will finally, actually start an actual Abyss Order + Dain plot. Not right now though. And the ending is literally a MLB identity reveal fakeout episode.

To make the obvious laziness even worse, this is the first time since interludes were introduced that we haven't gotten a yearly Interlude. That's ONE single act quest! There's no reason why you couldn't have made one! Fontaine has NO other storylines for the playable characters besides the main quest, despite all the npc storylines!

Additionally, while this is the first time we've gotten 5 skins per year instead of 4, it's also the first time we've been given a skin without it being used in an event. Which is...weird. And that's without mentioning how bad Ganyu, Shenhe, and Nilou's skins are imo.

I swear, the only good thing that has happened is that Mondstadt has been further solidified as The Witch Nation. And again, the underwater stuff is cool.

[ikoarts]

November 2022 Art

huh. a lot of silly doodles this month, some random stuff from my phone too, was on some silly energy i think x

vvv dates + info under the cut vvv

1 - 08/11/2022 : horse Ru but like, an actual horse. shes real. get horsed idiot. shes a bay tobiano marwari (also one i did on my phone)

2, 3 - 09/11/2022 : much silliness. was thinking of koopas again, theres barley, who is weird, and also lemmy, giving good advice x

4 - 10/11/2022 : horsie! again! thats about it

5, 6 - 12/11/2022 : more koopaz, they smoke veed together i guess, i liked drawing these i was on sily energy

7 - 13/11/2022 : jammy lammy. drawn on my phone x ,, i think i doodled this then i started on my full digital piece of her?

8, 9, 10 - 14/11/2022 : roosh in the rush shirt, ive been asked if she likes rush bc shes rush-ada which i find funny (no sadly i wish i was that funny), she never dresses like this but i like to draw her in things she'd probably Want to wear but wouldn't bc shes a self conscious old lady..... ANYWAY omg first drawing where i drew Ru with her iconic half moon eyes instead of having the empty space, now her eyes are a full shape,, its been this way ever since and it feels so much better, maximum droopiness, shes pathetic really but i love her, toni might invoke this rage on me if she catches me saying that tho

also penguin dance. watch that autistic girl groove

11 - 15/11/2022 : moar drawing Ru in outfits she would want to wear but wouldn't normally, like this is how i dress so this is projection probably.. i was on my peak boingo fix at this point (has not stopped) so Toni is having a sing x (has been misinterpreted as her ripping a bong at least three times) and a little Luisa hehe

12, 13 - 16/11/2022 : Toni would have a YT channel in canon, like thats how she breaks into the music scene, but i like thinking of her doing cliche youtuber things.. also the first (not first but the First first is like an incomplete concept doodle) drawing of Trixie! i knew i wanted a new robo oc, and she had to be a gnasty diesel powered idiot, she hasn't changed too much

14 - 18/11/2022 : silly time again, ru n toni on their catgirl and horsegirl business, i am 5 and poop is funny

15-18 - 25/11/2022 : holy ponies batman! horseshada (yes thats what i call her) as a G3 styled MLP, both in her natural colours, and unnatural colours (her pony name is Blue Moon), also TONI PONY! (her pony name is Heart-To-Heart). gay ass little ponies

19-23 - 28/11/2022 : so like. at this point i was in the middle of watching waterloo road (classic series the new one sucks big balls), and this is like the only thing i could conjure up...... also another mettatetta, was still unsure about his design, but its comin!! later!! have patience!! the rest are some various Rushadas, in an outfit from animal crossing pocket camp since i was playing that again at this point, i should draw her in it again bc she SERVES.. also her in her jammies, i wanted a go at drawing plaits, pretty proud of that one, her hair is so thick and lovely <3

24 - 29/11/2022 : so like i really dont have enough aus i guess, catgirl toni n horsegirl rushada, but like, they're more anthro this time, that was basically the concept, and to recap, ive got like centaur au, like full animal au, and one where its just them but they have the ears and tails, its complicated!

[gerardpilled]

any advice on getting good spots in the pit when going to a big show? like is it at all possible to be close to the stage without arriving 10 hours before the show stars and standing in line outside the venue

I think it highly depends on who you are going to see and what you consider to be a “good” spot. The longest I waited in a queue was 10ish hours for mcr and it was awful I don’t think I would ever do that again 😭 (I ultimately got barricade which is what I wanted but it’s out of my system im good now, besides the point). At most other shows, I usually get there at doors or slightly after/before doors and I’m content with getting a drink and chilling 2-4 rows of people away from the stage. Usually either stage right or left, not the center. I find this is good for my preferences bc it allows you to decide how involved you want to be in any sort of moshing, and I really don’t care about getting barricade. I much more enjoy relaxing and having space to move around rather than being cramped closer to the stage. I also usually try to small talk with random people around me and that makes it easy if you want to slide in and out to go to get merch or a drink or whatever. Again usually people at shows with an older and less online audience do not care if you slip in and out, though it depends on how densely packed it is. If it’s tight, odds are you shouldn’t lose your spot.

I will also say most hardcore shows I’ve been do not have the same “crowd etiquette” that has been normalized on social media. As in the barricade (if there is one) will be empty 20 minutes after doors open bc no one really cares. Also there’s so much moving around that no “spot” is consistent. Plus there’s usually so many bands on the lineup that people will just leave and come back for acts they’re interested in

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

lucky again - a close reading

this one digs deep my friends!!! join in for some good old heartache of which you can’t tell if it feels good or not ! sponsored by: home - one direction

faith in the future, track 4

LYRIC ANALYSIS

You give and give until it’s gone away Just tell yourself you’ve got another day

// "when you give so much and it's not enough", don't let it break your heart // "there are problems in this empty bottle but we drained all that", angels fly

WE HAVE TIME - recurring in this song, but also. alotofotherplaces // "time takes time to heal it," dlibyh // "time for us is never over", the greatest // "so one more night i'm gonna choose", face the music // "let's buy some time", face the music // "just have patience, it's not how you spend the time it's if you waste it", all this time // "the love it takes is worth it all this time", all this time // "maybe if you'd taken more time", headline // "sit down in the space and time", she is beauty // "i'm on my way with some time to borrow", angels fly // "and time can always heal ya, If you let it make its way into your bones", holding on to heartache

You’ve lived that life you just don’t see it yet I see how hard you’ve worked to be yourself

imposter syndrome - result of all of those voices constantly trying to mess with your brain and your idea of you - theme of being hard on yourself // hs1, walls

you have to work hard just to be yourself in a world that limits people like them

"you've lived that life" then in the context of the next line: you are living an authentic life, true to who you are. you don't need to prove it to anyone and you don't need to be out to have lived that life

If you believe that guy is superman There selling tickets at the cinema Whatever gets you through the darkest night Just find the light out In the madness Hold tight

general interpretation: "if you think that dude there is superman, if you look up to him, see him as an example, that's fine, really, bc it helps you get through hard times. i won't judge your way to cope."

and then we dig into the layers: (good post by @bluewinnerangel as well with more diggings)

just some guy. he's playing the role of superman, trying to sell tickets to his movie so he earns money with the job he's done

he's def not superman bc his main objective is to get rich doing those superhero movies

cinema as the grand symbol of playing pretend: that guy pretends he's all that but he's really just a regular ol dude. commonpeoplejustactlikeyoureoneofus

cinema/playing pretend seen as the best way to get through the madness/darkness of life

then a lil deeperdeeper into the larryverse layers: "that guy" is making you believe he's this amazing dude, helping you, he's selling tickets at the cinema, he's getting you out there and getting you on the big screen. but yeah idk i buy his sales pitch

DARK <> LIGHT: recurring images - dark as a symbol for depression, pain, tough times in life. losing your way, being lost to yourself -> metaphor of being lost in the dark "through the darkest night" // through the dark // "i was stumbling looking in the dark with an empty heart" "when you're lost, i'll find a way, i'll be your light", home (this is just. louis in short. louis in summary. yeah. this whole album and shit and. underlying message is. this. home. ye !) // all the lights couldn't put out the dark running through my heart", lights up // "you showed me a power that is strong enough to bring sun to the darkest days", matilda // "back dancing in the dark", the greatest // "because we faded into darkness" "that keeps me drifting back to darkness", holding on to heartache

"the light out" in this verse meaning hope - in whatever way possible, hold on (don’t think about frozen 2′s ‘the next right thing’ don’t do it)

"hold tight" // just hold on

Cos i’m a hard  Man to lose But I figured it out  Then made my way back  To a life I would choose We were lucky once I could be lucky again

i'm a hard man hehe

i figured out how to lose myself, but i found my way back - the advice i'm giving you now is what i've had to follow myself in my life // "i've woken up from my sleep", bigger than me

"i'm a hard man to lose" - listener expects this is directed to "you", that it's hard for "you" to lose him. but the expectation is subverted by "i figured it out" -> double (possible) meaning of i figured out how to make you lose me. i figured out how to push myself away so far you had to let go // too young, walls, habit

LIFE central theme on fitf - what is a full life? seems to be a lot on louis's mind "back to a life i would choose" - i lost my way but found my way back, because this life isn't one i stumbled in my chance, it's one i actively want and choose // walls (album) -> connects to "you've lived that life" as something he's had to tell himself too in connection to his career: this is the career i choose, not just keep doing because i don't have a choice/alternative. i know who i am and i know what i want to do in life, i'm not just living blindly stumbling through the dark

-> career angle adds up to the "we" vs "i" pronouns there: "we were lucky once", as in together with one direction we got really lucky with our careers -> i could be lucky again

// "i roll and I roll 'til i change my luck", fireproof

Before the world it got so serious Before the time it got away from us I’d meet you at the favourite subway stop We’d grab some food and meet the lads for one

serious world, serious life, responsibilities getting in the way of himself/themselves, their relationship - lost sight of the simple things in life -> bringing that back into focus is a big thing on fitf as well as harry's house

+ focus on friendship making a life flourish, feel real

If you believe that guy is superman...

Cos i’m a hard  Man to lose But I figured it out  Then made my way back  To a life I would choose We were lucky once could be lucky again

we -> i: underlines again his focus on himself, on how he found his way back to his core, his desires and dreams -> adds to career angle: group -> solo

possible interpretation of 2nd chorus can also be: we were lucky once, we could be lucky again - no strict exclusion of "we" - aren't we all always part of larger entities anyway? + stricter about 1d: the band could be great again someday

I’m a hard man to find But you figured it out  And I love you for that Look back  On a time I was lucky once,  I could be lucky again

more directed to “you” than to himself, although that meaning still adds up imo

he was lost in the dark and “you” found him / they were both lost in the dark and “you” found him -> he was the light in the darkness

“that guy” playing superman is long forgotten - “you” also found their way to what’s really important in life, and knows that the best way to get through the dark is together, following love

SYNTHESIS

In a first layer of this song, it’s about Louis and his relationship with his career. Especially thanks to the ‘superman’ line, a dude just making money, finding ways to success through fame and money. He’s talking to “you”, but he might as well be talking in the mirror. On Faith in the Future it is a common theme that the advice Louis is giving is as much to someone else as to himself. He’s gone through a lot of ups and downs in terms of his career, obviously closely related to his personal life and identity, so it’s all intertwined, and this song reflects that. He’s lost his way, then found it again. He’s been at the bottom, felt like he gave it his all with nothing to show for it. Most of all: he’s kept trying, trying, trying. Giving it another day. He finds his current reality complicated and hard, and sometimes he looks back to earlier, simpler times with a bit of nostalgia, or even melancholy. But he figured out where his priorities lay, where his heart is, and knows a little better how to listen to it now. Fame and money are not the main objectives, and achieving those alone doesn’t mean success (anymore). He doesn’t look up to that guy/superman. And a good work-life balance, as literal that sounds, is translated into Louis’s work. All of these emotions, that he’s been applying to his own life, is something he then directs to “you” in this song, which I think is equally valid. His “you” has the same struggles, the same identity <> career hurdles they have to get through. So, Louis is holding out the palm of his hand.

The twist in the song, in the last chorus, is what really makes this song special and what makes that deep, personal connection between who he is and what he does even clearer. Who he loves and what he does individually are so deeply related that he can’t see success in one area without the other. Being lost to himself is just as lost as being lost to his “you”. He found his way back to himself - and this is where I fucking love this song - when “you” also found him. It’s not even clear anymore who got lost first, who lost who, when he lost himself or the other, or “you” lost him, because it doesn’t even matter. Who’s counting, when in the end you’re both found?

So, the luck involved here, that could reflect on his career going well, is supported by the chosen path to love and self, his heart where “you” and he are nestled in the core. The foundations are stable, so now we can grow again.

bc their art is at its best when they’re together bc together they’re the greatest and when they’re true to themselves they’re true to love and then the art just fucking follows

listening to: too young, dlibyh, satellite, keep driving, through the dark, fireproof, home

[angeart]

You know that post about when characters die or whatever and they just come back… they come back Wrong.

yeah…. THAT

mumbo and scar are always together, clinging together like how Grian used to them, because now that he’s gone, they feel cold and alone. So they keep each other company. literally All the time

After Grian comes back I see 2 possible possibilities. 1: he manages to escape himself, through whatever way. but he’s just… not the same. Something is wrong. He looks.. duller. He seems empty and hollow. he is Not The Same.

2: if he was taken by the watchers or whatever, he could come back, but.. under the watchers control. something like that. he could still escape the watchers, but maybe just in this trance, kinda.

Mumbo and Scar. again. 100% sooo clingy. like they’re absolutely stuck together methinks. Absolutely stuck. and they go to each other to cry to each other abt guilt btw too btw. scar crying because he coulnt save Grian, Mumbo crying because he could’ve.. he should’ve been there. He should’ve had Grian with him instead

I think, for more angst purposes, it’s be a little like.. in the time Grian was gone, mumbo and scar became so much closer. And “grew apart” from Grian while he was missing, paired with him being so Weird when he returns.. I hope u get what I mean bc I can’t put it into words

ohhhhh yeah! i see what you mean!

also i totally understand what you're trying to say, with them growing closer together in grian's absence, and then that (coupled with grian's changed behaviour - and the half-processed grief) puts distance between them even though grian is back. in a way.

i'm thinking. something about grian, when he comes back, is sharper. not in a dagger kind of way. but in a jutting edges of a shattered porcelain kind of way. also, he keeps spacing off. forgetting things. sometimes he seems to turn as if he heard something when there's nothing but silence. sometimes he stares off where nobody is. (why not make it a bit spooky.) maybe he says weird things sometimes.

(he also absolutely definitely has nightmares.)

they try to ignore it, because they're just happy he's back.

but he's not back right and they can't ask him what happened to him. they can't breach that barrier. they're scared of what asking the question out loud will do. what the answer might hold.

sometimes, he looks like the old grian. just sadder, more vulnerable, more fragile. that's the hard part about it. sometimes he'd laugh with them and it'd feel almost normal. it'd feel so much like grian that it actually makes their heart ache.

then he'd grow quiet and upset and they'd comfort him. sometimes he looks scared. he keeps coming to them then, and they keep pulling him closer. they keep trying.

but then other times he doesn't quite feel like grian at all.

and they're trying to understand.

they're trying to love him the same way they used to, but they're not sure where his place between them is anymore. the spot has been bandaged, stitched, built over. and half the time, he feels like a stranger. they don't know what to do with it, and it makes them feel hopeless and guilty. and maybe it adds to their distance.

maybe scar feels like this is worse. (and he hates himself for thinking that.) when he thought grian died, it was one big failure. but it was a failure that was finite and it ended, its consequences very clearly defined. this? this feels like his failure lives on, a leeching parasite clinging to him. like it continues, in an unpredictable way. a bullet ricochetting off walls and he doesn't know where it'll land. what else he'll lose to it.

it feels like this failure, because it lasts, should be fixable.

and yet he stands there on the rocky floating bridge between grian's and mumbo's bases and

he

doesn't know

what to do

[littlekittenfairychubbybunny]

Princess of Hawkins, ST x gyaru!Reader

honestly idek what im doing, its unfinsihed but i spent too much time on it to toss it away, give me compliments or something so i can continue. this is just one FAT big insert like literally this girl is revolving sround me, she’ll go by y/n and will be written with no specific skin color, but she will have blonde hair and will be really short (im sorry my precious tall girls, ilysm but i cant) as well as there will be usage of tagalog (filipino language) but oh well, theres going to be translations at the bottom, im not gonna make this character a mary sue but i will make her a lover girl and most characters if not all will love her platonic and or romantic so it wont be just billy that wants her. some ideas are just random bc i wanna write her to be just like me, i age regress, and stuff so that will be incorporated or wtv

It was 2 am when we got to the new house. My dad unlocked it and me, my step mom and step sister head inside. We looked around a bit and it wasn't the best, but it wasn’t the worst. Although the neighborhood doesn’t seem as homely as my old one, I’ll get used to it at some point. Not like I have a choice anyways. My dad walks into the house and sets down most of our carry-on bags and suitcases. He sighs contently and looks at our house proudly,

“Looks nice! Right Nak?” He says with a proud smile 

I grab my backpack that I brought in, looking for my slippers, I find them and take off my shoes to put on my inside slippers. I get back up and smile. I look around the empty voids of rooms and space “Yeah, It is. So much space too! Definitely an upgrade from our apartment!” I say with a smile, running around what will be our living room. I look around some more, looking at the kitchen and the bathroom. My dad leaves to bring in more of our belongings as I grab my things and head upstairs. Unsure of what room will be mine, I set my things down in the hallway and look around. There were 3 rooms. A master, a normal and, what the previous owner had said, an office. I go back out to the hallway and grab my things, putting them down in the room that was adjacent to the bathroom. I look around the room once more, envisioning where my bed and other furnishings will go. 

I squeal excitedly as I look out the window to the uhaul truck pulling into my street. I hurriedly went downstairs almost tripping and falling but catching myself at the last moment. I kick off my inside slippers and slip back on my outside shoes, bouncing excitedly anticipating the truck, I run around my dad in circles. He tells me to calm down as the truck pulls up and the guy hops out. He waves to me and my dad, as another man comes out, who also waves. My dad greets them and they start talking while they open the truck. I look at the truck with stars in my eyes and squeal as it fully opens. I see the boxes that were labeled with my name and shake my dad to get them for me. He pushes me off and tells me to wait with an eye roll. I pout and wait IMpatiently if I do say so myself, as they bring out boxes one by one or two by two I see that mine are now being brought out. I jump up and grab one that was light enough for me to carry, I bring it upstairs to my now claimed room and set it down in the corner where all my boxes will go for now. 

I go back down to grab the rest but leave the heavier ones for the workers and dad. I wait for them to bring the boxes inside and as they do they start asking where each of them go. My dad tells them where and while this continues I wait upstairs in my room. I lay down on the floor and whip out my phone, opening instagram and posting my new room on my story. 

(the room size is a bit bigger and the wallpaper is different, floral type) I smile and sigh contently as I hear my dad yell out my name. (ik instagram doesn’t have the black bar thingy for stories but shh I wish it did) 

“Y/N come down and take a picture!” I huff and sit up, feeling a little dizzy afterwards, I get up, now feeling even more dizzy, I stumble out of my room and down the stairs. I see my step mom and step sister huddling in the living room arranging the boxes. My dad calls me over and tells me to take a picture of him and them. I agree and take his camera, they pose and I give him back his camera. After a quick look he puts his camera down and says “I’ll get the guys to bring your furniture up okay?” I nod and go up, I hear my dad and them talk as they start going up the stairs. My dad yells out my name asking me where I was.

“I’m in here!” I yell out. The moving guys come in and bring my bed and I tell them where to set it down, adjacent to the window, so if I wanna get up and look out the window I can. I clap happily and it hits 7 am as dad tells me to get out the house and take my sister over to Hawkins high and middle school. I sigh and agree as I head downstairs to retrieve her, I grab my keys, our documents, my bag and head out. I pull out the map dad handed me and look for Hawkins High and Middle School to find directions and start heading our way there. 

this is what ur wearing btw bc i said so with a backpack that matches the fit

After 20 long minutes me and my sister finally got to the parking lot and we headed inside of the school. I look around the school confused and we start aimlessly walking around. It hits 8 when the students start coming in one by one, and that’s when I panic. First of all I’m not dressed crazy, but I’m dressed not typically normal, but whatevs! In my pink princess dress and crown I rule. I see this guy with the beautiful hair I’ve seen on a man, it was swooped in all the right angles and it was angelic. I wanna walk up to him, maybe talk him up a bit, but looking at the people around him doing that would make me a joke. 

So I keep my distance and as they pass by me they give me a nasty side look, I stare back with a glare and until they pass, I keep staring. I sighed until some other girl walked in. She had brown curly hair and doe eyes that I could get lost in. She looked sweet, like a chocolate milkshake. She stops at her locker and, pushing away my social anxiety, I walk up to her. 

“Excuse me?” I say wearily, tapping on her shoulder, she turns to look at me with a kind smile

“Hi!” She says with a smile, I smile back and reply 

“Hi, sorry, I’m new here and I’m looking to get enrolled. I have no idea where to go.” I say sheepishly

“No worries! I’ll show you to the office!” She says, closes her locker and takes me to the office. I call out to my sister and she trails behind us. We get to the office and I start talking to them, getting enrolled blah blah blah. She leaves because class is starting and as I’m left alone there with my sister I feel a bit awkward. I start pestering her to ease the tension in the office and as she is swatting me away the lady at the desk calls me over. 

“Alright Y/N and Candace, here are your schedules and the middle school is over that way” She says pointing to the right. I nod and thank her, dragging my sister along with me to leave the high school to get to the middle school. I put our documents in my bag, making sure they are safely tucked away in order to not get ruined. Once we get outside I start heading to the middle school and as we reach the front, she stops me. 

“Do NOT go in with me Ate!” She says angrily, I roll my eyes with her and ask her why. She huffs and says that “I’ll embarrass her” So I sigh and pass her her schedule. She takes it and leaves but not without giving me a hug and an

“I love you” I smile and pat her head, I hug her back and say

“I love you too smelly, at the end of the day I’ll wait for you so we can walk back okay?” I look down at her and she nods, she runs inside and waves at me while I wave back. I wonder how she’s gonna fend for herself in there. Just a couple of months ago we were in the same school and I was showing her where to go. I feel bad ripping her from her friend group just because I graduated, but I have a feeling she’ll like it here. 

I make my way back to the high school as I look at my schedule and psigh. I don’t know how I’m gonna survive since my old school was all I knew, but oh well. New beginnings I guess. I head inside and look for first period, math, the subject I was best in. Took me 10 minutes to look for the room and as I walked in, the lesson had already begun. I stood there, sweat dripping down my face as the teacher snapped his neck to look at me. 

“So, you must be the new student, everyone greet Y/N!” He says with a smile, I look to the class and suddenly I regret wearing this outfit. I see some people giggling, whispering to each other, as if I wasn’t there. He tells me to sit in the middle, right next to some guy who I saw that had the perfect hair. I sit down and he eyes me. The lesson resumes and as I’m spacing out, I feel something hit me and I look and see him. His eyes point down and I see a tiny paper ball, I grab it and open it to read. 

“Welcome to Hawkins sweetheart” it read, I looked at him putting on my doe eyes, the name sweetheart makes me swoon, but I know I shouldn’t be so open. I write back “Hi :3” and pass it back to him. The teacher looks at us so we stop passing notes. Class ends and as I get up and grab my things he grabs my arm. I look up at him with a pouty look and he lets go. 

“Sorry Y/N, I just wanted to say that you looked cute” he says with a light blush, I thank him and smile 

“Obviously you know my name, so what’s yours?” I ask

“Steve, Steve Harrington” He says smiling, I look at the clock on the wall and notice that second period is starting