#but i love holding conversations i just need someone to make clear theyre Down to Chat before id initiate

[butchshevik]

I'm vowing to go out at least once every weekend until my move to make a solid last ditch attempt to be Happy here and also to stop my social sensibilities from atrophying completely but also like. jesus everyone in the pnw is so goddamn neurotic about talking to people they don't Already Know

[pupkashi]

kakashi is a little stupid when it comes to love

a/n: after much too long here is your request @vagabond-umlaut ! I’m so sorry it took so long </3 plz find it in your heart to forgive me ilysm ,, i hope u enjoy :3

wordcount: 1,557

masterlist

kakashi always told himself he wouldn’t get attached to others, not after all those he’s ever loved had met terrible fates. he always thought maybe he wasn’t fit for love, it wasn’t in the stars for him to fall in love and meet the one.

he’d accepted it, he’d moved on and decided he didn’t need love, he didn’t need anyone. he would be fine on his own.

as cliche as it was, all his resolve crumbled when he first saw you. walking down the streets of konoha, a small smile on your face as Kurenai talked your ear off.

“kakashi! meet y/n, theyre new here” she’s enthusiastic as she introduces you, kakashi can’t help but stare a bit, taking in your every feature.

“hi it’s nice to meet you” you say, a small smile on your face, you’re hoping he can’t hear your heart beating through your chest because oh my god he’s so tall and attractive, are all konoha men this gorgeous?

“nice to meet you too, I’m kakashi” he finds himself with sweaty palms, flashing you a shy smile, which you can only tell he does by the crinkle of his visible eye.

“I’m gonna keep showing them around, see you later!” Kurenai smiles, already grabbing your wrist and pulling you behind her.

kakashi was sure he’d forget about you by the next day, maybe he wouldn’t even see you around town.

he’s walking up the steps to his apartment when he sees boxes outside the apartment next to his, he’s staring for a bit, fiddling with his keys in hands when he sees you walking out of the apartment and picking a box up.

“kakashi! hi!” you’re smiling brightly at the jonin, he’s taken back at how friendly you were to him, he’s only waving back as you approach him. “guess we’re neighbors huh?” you’re grinning up at him as he clears his throat.

“uh- yeah guess we are” he can hear his heartbeat in his now reddened ears, and he can’t stop himself from the words that tumble out his mouth next, “would you wanna eat dinner? tonight? together?” he’s fumbling over his words and he can’t help but wince at the execution of his question.

you don’t seem to mind though, biting back the giggle in your throat and nodding, “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

he lets out a small breath before smiling and chuckling, “I can give you a hand with the boxes if you want,” looking over at the four big boxes you had yet to bring in.

“if it’s not a bother, just- never mind” you laugh, kakashi stares at you, humming for you to continue. “i was gonna say careful because they’re heavy but” you gesture towards him and he understands after a couple seconds, laughing softly.

“thank you for being considerate at least” he replies and you can’t help but blush as he lifts the boxes with ease.

dinner comes and goes quickly, the two of you making easy conversation. kakashi doesn’t remember the last time he felt so giddy talking to someone. he can’t recall the last time something felt so easy, so right to him.

and it’s almost 24 hours after dinner that he hears a soft knock on his door. his brows are furrowed, confused as to who was knocking on his door. his frown is quick to turn into a welcoming smile when he finds you outside with a fresh loaf of banana bread.

“hi! hope I’m not bothering” you chuckle and kakashi shakes his head, “‘course not” he steps aside and invites you in.

“i wanted to thank you for dinner,” you reply, holding out the loaf of bread for him. “I hope you like chocolate chips” you say nervously, kakashi smiles, nodding his head.

“it smells great, thank you, really” his hearts fluttering at your gesture. why are his palms so sweaty? is he getting sick?

it didn’t take long for kakashi to extend an invitation for you to stay for dinner, grateful for the mask hiding his all too embarrassing blush when you accepted.

it didn’t take long for it to become routine for the two of you to have dinner together, alternating who cooked, the two of you often baking together afterwards.

then kakashi had to go out on a mission, he wasn’t sure when he’d be back. he’d never felt dread leaving for missions, or been afraid of not making it back, he’d never wished he could stay home.

now he did.

now he was saying goodbye to you at the konoha gates, his heart clenching as you tell him to stay safe, that when he returned you’d cook dinner for the two of you and make him cookies he’d grown to love.

it was only two days into the mission and he couldn’t stop thinking of you. how had your day gone? how was work? did you eat? did you miss him as much as he did you?

why did he care so much?

his mind ran wild, he hadn’t realized how attached he had gotten, how quickly his feelings had grown, how fast he was falling for you.

when he returned a week later, you were there, a bright smile on your face as you greeted him at the gates. he wanted to deny the joy he felt, he wanted to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat as you smiled at him.

he can’t fall in love, he can’t be with you. it wasn’t meant for him.

he brushed past you, trying to ignore how hurt you looked, your bright smile falling from your face as your eyes followed his stoic expression.

you tried your best to not look hurt, clearing your throat and walking behind him at a distance. after a couple minutes your bottom lipped wobbled, but you kept your composure, turning left instead of right and heading into town.

kakashi immediately stopped in his track when he no longer felt your presence. turning in his heel and panic filling his body as he realized how dark it was. it didn’t take him long to find you on a park swing, staring the stars.

“you shouldn’t be out here alone” he spoke up, your head turning to face him. you only scoffed, already getting up and walking the opposite direction of him. “where are you going?” he asks, walking a bit quicker to be next to you.

“why do you care?” you ask, your voice is cold as you turn to face him, “you completely ignored me, i looked so stupid standing there just for you to ignore me!” you pushed him, catching him off guard as he stumbled backwards.

“y/n-” he mumbles, guilt eating at him for how stupid he acted.

“no” you shake your head, “don’t fucking talk to me” you’re walking away from him and the only thing he can think to do is grab your wrist, and pull you towards him.

“please i just-” despite a majority of his face being covered you can still tell he has a pleading look on his face. you don’t care to listen to him, flailing in his arms and punching his chest helplessly.

“i don’t wanna hear your bullshit excuses hatake” your voice is venomous, his grip loosening. he’d never seen you so upset, so angry, you had always been so sweet and warm.

“I’m sorry okay!” his voice is louder than he intends it, he regrets it the moment he sees you flinch a bit, “I’m sorry for being an asshole and I’m sorry for ignoring you” he’s running his hands through his hair and he’s embarrassed at how close he is to crying.

“i have never needed anything as much as i need you and i hate you for it” his voice is still firm, still a little louder than usual and his hands are shaking from the emotions flowing through him.

you’re quiet as the words seep into your brain, all the anger and frustration you had sizzling away as you process what he said.

“this past month, every dinner we have all the time we’re together it’s just so easy, i don’t think I’ve ever felt that way and it’s fucking terrifying” he’s looking at you now, hoping you’ll stop him before he says the wrong thing, but you’re silent.

“i missed you” he whispers, you’re biting your bottom lip, “please just say something” his voice is pleading as he looks at you.

the only thing you can think of is wrapping your arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as you could, relieved when you felt his arms snake around you waist, pulling you closer to him.

you stayed like that for a while, not saying anything until you both pulled away.

“dinner on me then?” you ask and he smiles sniffling a bit, before nodding.

the two of you walk back in a comfortable silence, your pinkies intertwining before finally mustering up the courage to hold your hand. both of you looked away, smiling like idiots but trying to hide it from the other.

kakashi is convinced that maybe it was in the stars for him to find the one, maybe he just wasn’t looking hard enough. maybe the one for him just happened to make amazing banana bread and cookies.

[baroquebucky]

comfort

bucky always found comfort in steve, but he’s gone now. who will he turn to for comfort now?

word count: 3.1k

masterlist

a/n: hi bffs !! thank you anon for requesting this <3 just angst and fluff (and endgame steve >:[) !! let me know what you guys think :] (srry for any typos)

“this is bucky!” steve smiled at you happily, you were Steve’s neighbor, always lending him a helping hand when he needed it and giving him emotional support and encouragement that would last him a life time.

“nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard lots ‘bout you” you smiled, sticking your hand out and bucky reluctantly shook it. “why don’t you guys come in for a bit? I’m making some pasta and i put way too much” you grinned, watching as bucky and steve looked at each other, having a whole conversation silently before Steve spoke up again.

“we’d love to” he grinned, pulling bucky inside your apartment with him before you closed the door. Bucky took in your apartment, it was somewhat messy, but it a nice way, a live in sort of way. You had plants all along your windowsill and a basket full on blankets near your couch, books along the shelf with a couple other things and pictures all over the place.

“hope you guys like chicken Alfredo” you smiled, checking the pasta before deciding it was good enough and scooping some out onto three plates

“bucky i have a serious question for you” you spoke as you set the three plates down on the dinner table, smiling at steve as he thanked you.

“oh, okay” bucky mumbled, shifting in his seat and heart racing. You were gonna ask him about his time as the winter soldier weren’t you? You were going to judge him for everything he’d done.

“what animal do you think you can take in a fight?” You spoke seriously, looking at him as you set his plate down.

That’s it? What animal he could fight?

“what?” He asked, confused as to why you were asking him this. Surely this was some test? Maybe it was code for something, if he answered a specific animal then it proved he was a good person.

Steve groaned as you asked the question and you scowled at him, hitting him softly as you passed by him and to the kitchen to get some water for the three on you.

“what animal do you think you could beat if it was just hand to hand combat?” You looked at him, studying his features and quickly taking in the fact that he was in fact the most breathtaking man on earth.

Bucky looked at steve who let out a sigh.

“you should answer now, she asked me that a couple days ago and we talked about it for almost an hour” steve smiled, reminiscing on the way you even made him coffee so he could stay until the end of your discussion.

“uh, i mean, well i guess I’m a super soldier so- i don’t know i don’t wanna fight any of them” he spoke warily, looking at you nervously and watching the way you narrowed your eyes at him before your face softened, breaking into a wide smile and nodding your head proudly.

“James barnes i think you and i are going to get along just fine” you smiled, taking in the way his eyes lit up just a tad at your words.

Steve smiled at the way bucky sat a little straighter, loosening up a bit and warming up to you little by little. He wanted him to have someone to turn to, he wanted him to have you like steve did, someone he knew he could always rely on.

After the whole Blip went down and everything was back to normal bucky found himself lost at times, wandering the streets in seek of comfort. He was left alone in the world with nothing left from his old life.

Steve had only been gone for a couple of days and he already felt horrible. He had no one to turn to, no one to lean on. He was alone.

He tried finding solace in sleep, wishing that his mind would whisk him away to be happy in his dreams. His attempts were fruitless, all he managed to do was toss and turn, his mind racing and never relaxing enough to fully sleep.

The small moments he did manage to sleep he awake in a cold sweat, nightmares plaguing his mind, his memories rushing to him alongside the pain and thoughts that has recently set in after steve left.

Bucky sat on couch of his apartment, it was silent as the sounds of the city were muffled through the walls, rain gently hitting his windows. He so badly wanted to just break down and cry, to have someone tell him everything would be okay, to comfort him and remind him that he wasn’t alone even with steve gone.

Bucky scrolled through his contacts, vision blurred with tears as he searched helplessly for someone he could go to. As he scrolled through his contacts he found you, when had he put it there?

He clicked on your name and sure enough, there was a picture of you smiling brightly with steve, a note written under your contact information.

buck, y/n helped me get through everything, theyre sweet and caring and kind, please talk to them if you ever need anyone i promise you they can help - steve

Bucky let out a shaky breath as he read the note steve had left. When did he even get ahold of his phone? Buckys mind was racing, he wiped his tears and locked his phone. He would be fine, he didn’t need anyone to help him.

As the day progressed bucky felt the pain in his chest growing with each breath, tears threatening to spill out any moment. He was frustrated that the feelings wouldn’t just go away, it was persistent and nagging at him every minute of the day as he tried to push it away.

Maybe if i take a walk it’ll clear my mind, bucky reasoned, throwing on a jacket and heading out, there was only a very light drizzle as he walked aimlessly, trying everything to get his mind off the emptiness he felt in his heart.

Was he not good enough for him to stay? Was everything bucky had done, too much for steve? Why would he leave him so abruptly? After everything he just left him with no hesitation.

Bucky tried to shake away the thoughts but they grew louder and louder, tears stinging at his eyes and he decided he’d had enough.

Bucky stopped in his tracks, taking note of where he was and recalling the path he and steve had taken the first time they visited you, he let his mind wander, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it.

By the time he reached your apartment he wanted to turn around and leave. Did you even live here still? We’re you even home? It wasn’t a good idea, he should deal with it by himself.

Bucky was about to turn to leave when you opened the door, dressed up with bright red lipstick on. Oh wow you were stunning, bucky thought as he turned around to face you.

“bucky?” You asked, looking at the man before smiling widely, “bucky! oh wow hi!” You grinned, not hesitating to pull him in for a hug and squeezing him tightly. As you pulled away you noticed his red eyes and the frown on his face. Your smile quickly disappeared when you saw the way he tried to hide the tear stains, looking down at his shoes.

“oh james what’s wrong?” You spoke softly, grabbing his wrist gently and pulling him into your apartment, he looked up quickly. It was still the same, it was just as homey as he remembered it.

You led him to the couch, quickly bringing over the basket of blankets and letting him choose whichever one he wanted, smiling as he picked the fuzziest of them all.

“good choice” you softly spoke, grabbing a blanket for yourself and setting it on the couch next to him.

“do you want anything to drink, i have coffee, hot chocolate, water and maybe some apple juice” you smile fondly at the man on your couch and he thought for a second before replying.

“can- do you think i can have a hot chocolate” he spoke softly, “please” the tone of his voice made your heart clench and you wanted to just hold him, but you knew he didn’t need that just yet, so you just nodded and made his hot chocolate as fast as you could, adding whipped cream and marshmallows and placing it on the table in front of him.

“added extra whipped cream for you” you smiled, slipping your heels off and grabbing your phone, “I’m gonna get changed and I’ll be back out in a second, make yourself at home buck” your smile was warm and sincere and he already found the emptiness fading.

“i have to cancel today I’m really sorry” bucky heard, his super hearing picking up on the conversation you were having. “something came up” your voice was calm. “no i cant just ignore it” your tone shifted, leaning towards annoyance as you continued.

“excuse me for caring about someone other than myself!” You spoke dryly, changing out of your dress and into some sweats and an oversized t shirt. “you know what i think, i think it would be better if you deleted my number and forgot about me actually! i think that’d be great” your voice was cold as you hung up, letting out a sigh before smiling slightly, thank god you didn’t have go through with that date.

As you walked out you noticed bucky getting up, heading towards the door.

“leaving so soon? you barely touched your hot chocolate” you frowned, your voice making bucky turn to look at you, his words died on his tongue when he noticed you were changed.

“you have a date” was all he said and you smiled, shaking your head and pulling him back to the couch with you.

“had” you corrected him, “cancelled on ‘em, didn’t really wanna go” you scrunched your face up as you spoke, sipping some of your hot chocolate before looking at bucky softly.

“got better things to do” you stated, watching the way he slowly warmed up to you, moving his body to face you.

“like what?” He whispered, looking down at the blanket in his lap as he let it lightly.

“like make my bestest friend in the whole world feel better” you answered, not missing a beat as you spoke, looking at him.

Bucky swore his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Never in a million years did he think someone he met a total of three times not so long ago could bring him so much warmth, so much comfort. He didn’t bother hiding the blush on his face, he knew you wouldn’t tease him about it, you were more focused on making him feel better.

“what’s eating at you buck?” You prodded him gently, watching his body language closely for any signs of discomfort. He looked at you before focusing on his hot chocolate, picking it up and taking a small sip.

“good hot chocolate” he mumbled, taking another sip and you smiled, nodding your head silently. Bucky set the mug down again, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “it’s just-” he began, cutting himself off before he could continue.

“he didn’t say goodbye to you, did he?” His eyes were whirlpools of emotions. You gave him a sad smile, shaking your head.

“no, not really” you spoke, “he kind of hinted at what he was gonna do y’know? didn’t wanna say it out loud so we kind of, i guess just didn’t wanna say it” you mumbled, “made it too real” you smiled at him again, not wanting to make his mood any worse.

“don’t you- how are you so okay with it? I mean it’s just- don’t you feel like if you did more he wouldn’t have left?” Bucky asked, desperation in his eyes.

Everything clicked in your mind instantly. Your stomach fell and your heart broke in your chest, Bucky’s sad eyes and slumped shoulders told you everything you had to know. The way he couldn’t even keep eye contact with you for longer than three seconds, how he fumbled with something when he spoke. You wiped the frown of your face before giving him a reassuring smile, scooting closer to him.

“sometimes i do” you nodded, picking at some fuzz on your blanket, “i do find myself wondering if i had given him different advice throughout the time i knew him if he would’ve made a different choice” you spoke softly, bucky looked at you, watching the way your lips poured slightly.

“I’ll think ‘maybe if i had asked him to stay for dinner one more time’ or if i made him more hot chocolate” you chuckled softly, bucky smiled at your words, sadness filling his chest as he realized how hurt you must be.

“you shouldn’t blame yourself y/n, you did your best” he whispered, clearing his throat before continuing, “i mean you brought him so much comfort and helped him through so much, in the end it was his choice and that’s not on you” he finished, hands shaking slightly. Bucky was silent as you nodded.

“listen to yourself buck” you smiled, placing a hand on his, “it’s not your fault, you did your best, you meant so much to him and you always will” you assured him, squeezing his hand in yours. Bucky was quiet as you gave him soft smiles.

“I didn’t mean me-” he began but you shook your head.

“you were his best friend for his whole life, he talked about you all the time, spent years looking for you to get you back” bucky let out a shaky breath. “You were good enough, you are good enough james.”

The firmness in your voice made bucky look up, your eyes were set and serious. Bucky tried to find any trace of lies, but your words were sincere and settled in his bones like a warm fireplace.

“it’s just- i wish-” his voice cracked and his bottom lip quivered, tears stinging his eyes. He was embarrassed, moving to wipe his tear quickly.

You beat him to it, your hand caressing his cheek and softly wiping away at the tears. You moved you hand to the back of his neck and softly pulled him into you, shaking your arms around him as best you could.

Bucky cried into your shoulder, mumbling incoherent sentences as sobs racked his body. You help him tightly, rubbing his back soothingly and whispering to him it would be okay.

“you’re okay, i got you” you whispered, “I’m here let it out sweets, it’s okay.”

Bucky knew he should feel embarrassed for crying like this, in front of you, someone he barely knew. Your words were too comforting to let him and your presence far too warm to even let him consider leaving you at this moment in time.

You didn’t mind one bit that bucky was crying into your favorite t shirt, you held him tighter, giving him all the time he needed to calm down.

By the time Bucky’s cries had softened to soft hiccups he pulled away from you, eyes red and cheeks tear stained. His nose was pink and he sniffled softly, using the back of his hands to run his eyes.

You silently handed him some tissues, softly letting him know where the bathroom is. He smiled at you softly, getting up from the couch and heading to your restroom. You sat in silence as you waited for bucky to come back, sighing softly to yourself. You closed your eyes for a second, blinking away a couple tears and getting snacks from your pantry, putting on your comfort show and switching to the pilot episode.

Bucky washed his face with cold water, smiling at the fact that your bathroom smelled like eucalyptus. His dried his face and washed his hands, letting out a shaky sigh before looking at himself in the mirror, frowning at how broken he looked. He tore his gaze away and turned off the lights, walking out and seeing you sitting on the couch cross legged.

You smiled up at bucky, patting the seat next to you and moving so he could sit. The couch dipped a little as he sat down, grabbing the blanket and bundling it in his lap.

“when I’m upset i watch this show, it always cheers me up” you spoke to him gently, “that is if you aren’t leaving, i don’t wanna hold you hostage or anything” you chuckled and bucky smiled at you, laughing softly.

“no i- do you think i can stay a bit longer?” He asked and you nodded, linking your arms together and pulling each other closer.

“you can stay for however long you want” bucky felt his heart grow in his chest, how could you be so warm and welcoming to him? He didn’t question it for long though, your dazzling smile and sparkling eyes cleared his mind.

“ready?” You smiled and he nodded, watching as you hurried to press play, adjusting the volume and grinning as the show began.

Bucky couldn’t help but steal glances at you, smiling at how you mouthed the lines, offering him snacks if he hadn’t touched them in a while, constantly making sure he was okay.

Relaxation. He finally felt relaxed, his jaw was unclenched and his brows were furrowed, he had a small smile on his face. His muscles were relaxed as the showed played on your tv, your body heat radiating onto Buckys side.

You looked up to comment on something in the show but quickly stopped when you realized bucky had fallen asleep. His eyes were closed and he just looked so soft.

You smiled as you looked at him, moving some pillows quietly so you wouldn’t wake him. You helped him lay down and set the blanket on top of him, telling him to go back to sleep when he stirred slightly. For the first time since steve had left Buckys slept peacefully. He found comfort and assurance with you.

Steve was always looking out for bucky, always saying that he had to pay him back for all those fights bucky saved him from in the 40’s. Steve helped him get out of hydra, helped him get his mind back.

Bucky smiled at you as you pet alpine in your lap, dozing off as you struggled to stay awake before finally giving into sleep. He picked you up swiftly, tucking you into bed like you had done with him nearly a year ago. He kissed your forehead gently before sliding into bed next to you, falling asleep quickly with you by his side.

Now even after he was gone, he was helping him heal. And for that, he was forever grateful.

[seonghwanotes]

calm after the storm | jeong yunho

pairing: yunho x reader

genre: angst, fluff

word count: 1.7k

a/n: i will slaughter any sasaengs, please fuck off thank u theyre my source of happiness, im wishing u hell and beyond if u even think of fucking their lives up

Half past twelve. The clock was ticking every single second as you waited for your lover to return but he didn't reach home yet. Usually you wouldn't mind but after receiving a call from Mingi, whom you rarely spoke to, you were about to leave to pick him up.

"Y/N, no! Don't go to him… he told us to not tell you but I had to because I know he didn't make this decision with a straight mind. Just wait for him to come home and talk to him."

Knowing that it wasn't Yunho to behave this way, you waited for him to come home even though you were worried and scared that he would not return anytime sooner. But when you heard the sound of your door's keypad beeping, your heart was at ease to see him home safe and sound.

Yet, you couldn't help but ask him, “It’s midnight, where the hell were you?”

Yunho took off his shoes and walked inside your home, ignoring your question before he went upstairs, heading to your room. His silence made your blood boil but you didn’t stop there as you walked to your shared room, looking at him.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” You asked in a calmer tone, hoping he would answer.

He sighed and did not answer you. He dropped his head and remained silent. It was obvious that he was drunk and usually, you would have let it slide and tucked him into bed but after hearing what Hongjoong had told you, you knew you had to do something about it before he regretted anything the next morning.

"Yunho, I'm talking to you."

“I had my phone on silent.” He mumbled, his hand moved to his head and he massaged his temples. Your heart dropped to see him this weak and fragile, you wished that you could have helped him out before if you knew what was going on but it was too late for that.

“Stop keeping your phone in silent, you got me worried!” Your voice cracked, tears started to well up into your eyes. He looked up where his eyes shot daggers at you, “It’s my phone, I think I can do whatever I want with it. Can we just not talk about this now?”

Before you could utter another word, Yunho got up and walked past you as he headed towards the bathroom. You turned around and grabbed a hold of his wrist in a soft manner making him stop and look at you, “Did you tell Hongjoong you're going to leave the group?”

The look of fury left his face the moment the words left your mouth. He froze in his spot and you looked at him, hoping for an answer in return. "I… who told you that?"

"Yunho, is it true?" You asked, looking at the taller boy. His tired eyes gave away the truth as he couldn't give an answer and pushed your hand away.

His face was pale, the eyebags underneath his eyes were evident, his lips were dry and chapped, while he reeked of alcohol. It hurt you to see him this way, which made a tear roll down your cheek.

Yunho was never a heavy drinker but these past few weeks, he had been drinking a lot and he was drifting away from you and he never spoke to you unless you initiated the conversation first. You always thought he was stressed due to work so you wouldn't ask him a lot of questions but maybe that was the first mistake you made in your relationship, causing him to decline in this manner.

"Did you think about it?" You asked, not breaking eye contact with him, hoping he would talk to about it. He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, "Yes, I don't want to do this anymore."

"But why? You're only proving them right by letting the hate get to you. You're only letting the girl enjoy what she wants by leaving the group." You told him.

"Can you please go away?" His words slapped you across the face, making you flinch at his high tone. There wouldn't be any good outcome if you insisted on fixing things so you left him alone in your room and went to your living room.

•••

You ended up falling asleep on the couch for a few hours before you woke up and saw yourself covered with a blanket and your head was supported with a throw pillow. You searched around for your phone until you realised your hand was being held by someone.

Panicking, you got up abruptly and tried to pull your hand away but a sleepy Yunho got up and didn't let go of your hand.

"No… Stay with me Y/N… Don't leave me too…" He mumbled, head dropping on the couch before he dozed off again.

Your heart ached at the sight of Yunho being like this, not capable of helping himself when he always gave a helping hand to others. You looked at his tired form and you started weeping, the earlier events coming to your memory.

"The hate got out of hand and the management said they would handle it but Yunho didn't want to cause them anymore trouble."

"Did the management sue them for defamation?" You asked, still in disbelief that an anti would go this far to ruin one's life.

You've seen this happen to other idols and hate was definitely a common thing artists face when they're in the entertainment industry, but the boys always handled it well and never gave it a second glance. Everyone has their breaking point but the boys were extremely patient with all the bullshit thrown at them.

"We were going to… then Yunho said he wants to leave the group. Then he just left the building and drove off. I'm sorry to call you this late, Y/N. I don't think he would tell you what happened." Yeosang added, after Mingi spoke.

Yunho must have heard you crying cause he got up and rubbed his eyes, looking at you in confusion. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” You sniffled, wiping your tears away as you looked at him in the dark. His eyes were puffy and swollen, making you cry more. His large hand moved to your face and wiped the tears away, before he sat beside you and pulled you into a hug which you didn’t hesitate hugging him back.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” He asked in a small voice, making you look at him.

“What? Why would I leave you?”

“Because I left everything and everyone I love, you’re the only one I have left.” He croaked out, innocence coating his words. You shook your head and hugged him once again, rubbing his back with your petite hands.

“You still have time. You don’t have to let go of everything and everyone you love because of someone’s jealousy towards your happiness in life.” You told him, earning a sigh from him. “This isn’t just your career, Yunho, it’s your passion and your dream that you’ve worked for. Don’t let it go because of one’s negative vibes.”

“Do you think they’ll still accept me if I went back?” He asked, resting his face in the crook of your neck. You hummed in agreement, “KQ can’t let go of their lucky guy, you know.”

Hearing Yunho’s giggle made you feel a tad bit better. You held him for a few minutes, embracing the silent shared between you two before he spoke up. “I’m so, so sorry Y/N. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“Just… talk to me if something is wrong, okay? I’m always here for you and we can talk it out and figure something out,” You breathed, resting your chin on his broad shoulder.

“Okay.” Yunho said, pulling away from the hug. He took your hands into his and held it, giving out warmth to your body as you shuddered from the cold temperature in the living room. “I think I’m going to take a break before I continue on with the group activities, I’m going to need time.”

You nodded, happy that he was willing to take time off instead of leaving the group full time. “Okay, we can let your manager know tomorrow. Should we head to bed now? It’s so chilly here.”

He chuckled, giving you a soft smile before he took you by surprise when he closed the gap between the two of you with a quick, chaste kiss. When he pulled away, you looked at him with a clear question mark plastered on your face.

“What? I missed doing that to you.”

“Doing what?” Your voice came out smaller than you expected it to.

“This.” He said, before leaning in again for a full kiss, sweeping you off into dreamland with the taste of his bittersweet lips. You kissed him back, hoping to be in the moment for a little bit longer but Yunho pulled away. You tutted at his action whereas he smiled back at you.

“Maybe this break will do me more than just good. It feels great to be like this.” He muttered, making you wonder.

“Be like this?”

Although there was almost no light visible in the living room, you could have sworn that you saw his eyes twinkle as he looked at you and answered, “Just you and me; that’s all I want.”

[tggbb-hershey]

happy birthday taz

heres a cute lil compilation of decomi sneaking around, hiding their relationship from bennet and jordan (uncapitalised on purpose bc i dont feel like it)

first of all okay so imagine they kiss and declan drops her off at her place

the entire drive they’ve been making conversation but still having a little tension and stuff

but then the car stops and naomi has to get out 

and she doesnt want to go just yet

naomis pov: 

when the car came to a halt, naomi glanced over at declan. His arm lingered on the steering wheel but his eyes were trained on his lap. 

“thank you for dropping me off,” naomi said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

declan jolted “huh? oh, yeah no problem. uh...” he trailed off, as if he had more to say. “ill see you at school tomorrow.” he said with a final nod, looking away.

naomi smiled. she leaned over, hearing his breath catch, and pressed a quick kiss on  his cheek. she pulled away, starting to say goodbye, when declan pulled her back into him by the arm. his lips landed on hers, his hands going up her arms until they cupped her jaw. naomis hands wrapped around his neck, hugging him to her. 

sooner than she wanted to, naomi broke the kiss off. her arms lingered around his neck and his on her face, as they stared at each other, flushed.

after a second, delcan cleared his throat. “i would love to stay like this for the rest of the day, but your parents might be waiting for you inside.”

KAY NEXT i imagine that in school declan and naomi CANNOT keep their hands off eachother like he just needs to be in contact w her at all times

so when bennetts picking them up declan makes sure to let jordan sit in the front so naomi can sit next to him in the back

and they place a bag on the seat between them

but they hold hands behind the bag so no one sees

and one day jordan looks back and jokingly says “oh haha it looks like u guys are holding hands back there 

and declan and naomi are like omg haha jordan ur hilarious but NEITHER OF THEM MOVE THEIR HANDS AWAY FROM THE BAG

and jordans like “..you’re not holding hands right?” 

and theyre like what nooo

so hes like fine lemme see and he reaches over and to pull the bag down

and naomi and declan panic and let go, switching to a different hand position before they get caught

so when jordan takes the bag out all he sees is THE THEIR HANDS LAYING ON THE SEAT FLIPPING HIM OFF

Taz im not sure if i described this well enough for you to understand how funny it is in my head but if its unclear i unironically will act it out for you i just need you to see this scene

Ok next so basically Declan’s a sneaky little mfer

He makes any and every excuse to be next naomi somehow and he WILL find a way to sneak in some physical contact

Back hugs!!!!

Jordan and Bennett waved them goodbye, leaving naomi at her locker and Declan behind her. As soon as they turned turned around, naomi felt a strong pair of arms creep around her shoulders, pulling her back into a chest.

“Declan! What if they looked back? Or what if someone else sees?” Naomi asked in shock, watching the two walk away.

“Then I guess this is how they find out,” Declan said simply, slouching over her and resting his chin on her head.

Naomi rolled her eyes. “For someone so scared of gettin exposed, you don’t seem the slightest bit worried about actually hiding it.”

And ykw. Naomi likes to act all mature and smart about keeping it a secret but SHE ENABLES IT

In fact she’s the one that started it. The first day after the kiss they were SCARED and completely avoided eachother

 until the 4 of them sat together at lunch

 and Naomi sat next to him 

so she could hold his hand under the table

And then Bennett asked Declan why he looked so red

And then Declan panicked and said he really had to pee

[iwaisa]

request. trynna think of a request for u rn 🧏‍♀️ how ab tsukki w a best friend who’s so grade conscious bc ppl have high expectations of them n one day she breaks down bc she b afraid of failure n he’s like .......ok ill comfort them bc theyre my best friend but im also secretly in love w them trope😝 definitrly not because this reminds me of a certain someone who is not myself and i definitrly dont need to hear this😭 - @tsukisemi​

a/n. sue you are a GENIUS I LOVE YOU AND YOUR BIG BRAIN. i absolutely adore best friends to lovers/childhood friends to lovers tropes they make me so happy ugh once again THANK YOU

► now playing...

- pairing. tsukishima x female reader (pronouns not specifically stated, but there is ma’am lol)

- warnings. make out session! lol oops. suggestive content

- word count. 1.8k+

it was a friday evening, and you found yourself studying at kei tsukishima’s house. again. no matter how many times you tried to convince him to do other things while hanging out in the warmth of his bedroom, he always insisted that academics came before baking and movies.

the two of you have been friends since your last year of junior high, after yamaguchi was too busy looking up at his tall companion to realize another figure was about to collide with him. the two of you made contact with the ground, before jumping up to apologize quickly.

tsukishima found himself instantly infatuated with you - you were gorgeous. your breathtaking eyes, the way your school uniform seemed to fit just perfectly, the way he imagined your smaller hands and fingers slotting in between his - he was absolutely intrigued. yamaguchi would say love at first sight, the taller male would call him ridiculous.

the three of you instantly clicked, with you and yamaguchi being the more talkative ones of the trio. tsukishima acted as a parental figure, scolding you two constantly for doing things you weren’t supposed to.

upon overhearing a conversation with sensei that you would be heading to karasuno for high school - the same place tsukishima and yamaguchi were planning on going - he let out a breath he never knew he was holding in. he continued listening to sensei urging you to plan on going somewhere more academic based - like shiratorizwa or fukurōdani. you put it simply that you would rather go somewhere more balanced. sensei was hesitant before he approved of your plans.

you had always been good at doing homework and classwork, but you weren’t so good at taking tests. they intimidated you, making you worry that you would end up receiving something lower than a B+. tsukishima and yamaguchi knew of course, since the two of you held frequent study sessions at each others’ houses. this tradition carried on even when the three of you made it into karasuno, just not as frequently due to the boys’ volleyball practices.

today, however, yamaguchi was helping yachi teach kageyama and hinata english since tsukishima blatantly refused. the two of you headed back to his house, and instantly began flipping through your textbooks. he was quietly scribbling words and numbers on his papers, seemingly flying through assignments. you were sat on his bed, stuck on one section in particular.

“why the hell is ap chemistry so hard?” you sighed, scratching your scalp. tsukishima turned his head to see you rubbing your eyes, which adorned deep blue bags underneath. he sighed, putting his pencil down as he walked to sit on the edge of the bed alongside you. he looked over your shoulder, reading the complex chemical equations. “you know this one, l/n. you got it.” 

you shook your head quickly, “no, i don’t tsukki. i have no idea what i’m doing and sensei literally didn’t even teach us this. see, this is why i’m glad i didn’t end up going to an academy because this would be ten times harder. i hate that people are always assuming i can handle this with ease. i can’t.” you finished, blinking back tears.

tsukishima sighed, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses before readjusting them to focus on the question. he began rubbing his finger over the numbers, slowly explaining each process. you were surprised he was being kind, but you didn’t want to take this soft moment for granted. you simply nodded your head, hurriedly scribbling down what he was saying in your notebook.

“tell you what,” he turned, looking into your eyes. “if you can do these next four questions by yourself, i’ll give you something i’ve been meaning to for a while.” you tilted your head, “tsukki, my birthday was months ago.” he chuckled, getting up to sit in his chair, which was now facing you. “i’m aware.” the two of you stared at each other for a while, before you turned your attention back to your textbook.

using tsukishima’s explanations and whatever strategies you learned from sensei, you flew through two of the questions with ease, getting stuck on the third one. tsukishima explained once more, telling you to use a different equation for the next two. you nodded, finally understanding.

the next two questions were hard to figure out, but you finally got through them. you placed your pencil in between the crease of the pages, looking up to tsukisima expectedly. when he didn’t move, you were confused. did he just trick you into doing homework?

tsukishima gulped, attempting to calm his erratic heart and shaky legs. was he ready for this? no, he wasn’t. but even as yamaguchi said; he’s been putting this off for long enough. he knew he liked you, but had no idea just what to do about it. he knew he would be jeopardizing your friendship in some way, but tsukishima couldn’t deny that he wanted some sort of affectionate skinship to happen between the two of you.

he released his lower lip from his teeth before shaking his head. he stood up, walking towards you with slight hesitation. he plopped himself next to you, your shoulders brushing against each other. tsukishima lifted his glasses off his nose before leaning forward, pressing a quick peck to your lips.

your mouth fell open, and your eyes widened more than you believed they ever could. your face exploded with heat, and you began spewing out incoherent words. he stood up, returning to his seat. “tsukki?” you asked in disbelief. “yes?” he responded, seemingly unphased. “w-what was that?” he watched you run your middle and forefinger over your lips, “my gift.” your jaw dropped open once more, earning a rare chuckle from your blond friend. or maybe, not a friend anymore.

“if you finish the next four questions, i’ll give you another one. if you want,” his last words were muffled by the back of his hand. you smiled at the sight; tsukishima, the most stoic boy you’ve ever met, was embarrassed. nonetheless, you were going to earn another kiss from your friend, not to mention the boy you’ve been in love with for the past two years.

you were quick to pick up your pencil, reading the questions as quickly as possible. “and don’t rush either, idiot,” tsukishima jested. you stuck your tongue out at him, feeling your heart flutter as he let out a soft chuckle.

you made sure to complete each question thoroughly, wondering if you would get extra points for doing more work. tsukishima stood over your figure, eyes scanning over each question. he pointed at one, “the equation was right, but check your calculations again.” you sighed, turning back to the book. 

tsukishima bent over, pressing a light kiss atop your head, making you jolt in surprise. he staggered back holding his chin, and you stood up waving your hands frantically. he held his hand up to stop your word-vomit, letting a light chuckle escape his lips.

you pressed your lips in a line, sitting back down. you began calculating the equation once more, finally coming up with the right answer. “there you go. see? you only have four questions left now.” you lifted your chin expectedly, watching him squat in front of you. you pursed your lips as he began to lean in, pressing teasing kisses to both of your cheeks. you groaned in annoyance, before sandwiching his face in between your palms. “stop teasing,” you muttered sternly. “yes ma’am,” he joked, finally closing the distance between you two.

this kiss was a tad bit more passionate, the two of you moving your lips together excitedly. it would’ve been a make out session, if tsukishima had not pulled away with a grin. “last four questions.” he smirked at you before standing up, returning to his chair once more.

these questions were possibly the worst. there were multiple equations in each separate question, and it left you wondering why someone would ever want to major in chemistry. tsukishima watched your face contort into borderline anger, your lower lip between your teeth. he swiftly stood up, placing himself next to you on the bed. he reached his arm around you, rubbing circles into your lower back as you continued writing the wrong equations.

“here,” he spoke up finally, removing the pencil from your grasp. he began writing in a clear fashion which numbers were to be plugged in where, and it finally clicked for you. he glanced at your profile, watching your mouth fall open. he smiled to himself as he watched you solve the equations with ease, his hand never leaving your back.

you finally finished, looking up at the blond with long-awaited anticipation. “you’re eager,” he whispered, his eyes becoming soft. his gaze flickered between yours and your plush lips - the one’s he’s been waiting to feel on his for so long. and the feeling wasn’t disappointing. they felt amazing, and he was on cloud nine. a little voice that sounded like yamaguchi resonated in tsukishima’s head saying, “finally.”

the two of you began moving forward at a slow pace, until you gripped onto his shirt pulling him into you to finally close the gap. this kiss was definitely not like the last ones. this one was ferocious; two pining friends finally earning exactly what they’ve been patiently waiting for. 

tsukishima’s right hand made its way to your hip, prompting you to lay down. he hovered over you, not once pulling away. your tongue brushed against the seam of his lips, and he eagerly allowed your tongue to meet his. your hands began roaming, feeling tsukishima’s pecs. they slowly moved down to his abs, which were rock-solid, much to your surprise.

you gasped as he pulled away to press open-mouthed kisses on your jawline, moving down to your neck. your hands gripped his hair as he sucked on a particular spot that elicited a whine from your throat.

he pulled away, looking down at you with golden irises filled with lust. his gaze fell on the newly formed red spot on your neck, and he sat up pushing his glasses back to rest on the bridge of his nose. “sorry about that,” he whispered, his voice filled with nerves. “don’t be. i liked it,” you smiled, watching his gaze soften for the umpteenth time that day.

“do you like me?” he asked hesitantly. you paused, your eyebrows furrowing in mock confusion. “you know, for one of the smartest in the class, you’re pretty dumb.” he opened his mouth to protest, before you sat up to give him a quick kiss. “yes, i like you.”

his arms wrapped around your waist, pushing you back down onto his bed. “can we cuddle,” he said it as more of a statement than a question. you chuckled, wrapping your arms around his back. “can you be my boyfriend,” you pretend to mock, causing his head to snap up. he nodded hastily before burrowing his face into your chest once more. 

“i love you,” he said, his words muffled by your shirt. “i love you too, kei.” you smiled as you ran your hands through his golden locks, hearing a content sigh escape his lips.

[the-artist-rae]

Trolls 4 au idea

Edit: i just realised theres already a thistle (who apparently s real name is Dennis??) so i gotta rename my character 😭

So basically im writing a mock script for a trolls 4. I want to write one for trolls 3 but .... I WANT BROBBY CHILDREN, so here we are. Basically in my au, poppy and branch have a set of twins. A girl named Aster who is bright blue with pinkish purple undertones and a boy named Thistle. But, theyre shocked and suprized to find out thistle comes out of his bright purple egg, grey!

A time skip happens and a argument between him and his father causes branch to loose some of his colors.

The argument is set up like:

Branch finds his son in his pod sitting in darkness.

Branch- so ya like it dark, huh?

Thistle- yeah, so what of it.

Branch-Nothing i just was wondering if u wanted to-

Thistle- I dont.

Branch- look i just want you to be happy and find your true colors...

Thistle- sounds like you just want me to be like Aster!

Branch- Now hey now, i didnt say that! Ive been in your place before and i know how you feel, and i dont want someone i care and love to feel that way!

Thistle- You dont know what i feel! All you want me to be is the same happy annoying and insane troll... Just like everyone else!

Branch- Hey, No-

Thistle- I HATE YOU!

Thistle stops for a moment and looks at his father to see his skin darken, widening his eyes. He gets angry at himself and runs away.

Thistle runs to his friend Fern in hope of him knowing a way to get his true colors in hope itll reverse the color loss on branch. Fern tells thistle of a guardian troll of purity who live in a mountain who can give him his colors. Thistle tells his parents that hes going to travel and see aunt Barb, and they go on their adventure!

On the first day they run into a rock/classical troll who lives in the Forrest by herself because her parents are deceased and she had no idea there was other people (basically a tarzan situation but she knows how to talk and has basic understanding of most things) ... The situation is, Thistle and Fern stop to make camp, roasting marshmallows. And out of nowhere a arrow zings right in front of Thistle's face! Him and Fern crowd together to see a dark figure come out of a bush and she says "Who are you?" In a somewhat demanding tone. And they shiver in fear " We're just travelers!! Please dont hurt us!!". She sighs and and chuckles," Oh, i thought you were here to hurt ME!".... This all comes to a conversation that Fern leads and that she'll join them cuz she knows her way around the Forrest.

In the background through out the story, villain trolls are introduced into the story who gave Fern the map and everything about the purity troll who can grant only one trolls wish. And throughout the movie they follow the gang and get caught into their hijinks.

Having Button (the female troll) in the mix has gotten Thistle to come out of his shell and he slowly starts getting happier and sings throughout the movie.

When they finally reach the mountain they come to a cave with paintings and rural architecture. At the end of the cave is a clearing with a waterfall. The waterfall spreads to find a troll pure of white and glowing in a deep sleep in a coven.

The villain characters seep out of the darkness with evil laughter. " Nice job Fern you got us where we need to"

The rest of the gang gasps and gets tied up.

"Well take it from here". Turns out, the purity trolls was sleeping on a gem. And the gem was the wish granting miracle not the troll. They grab the gem and head to troll village where they plan using the gem to destroy it.

Thistle and button get into an argument over whether they should try to save the village. He believes its too late to save anyone. Button unties herself with and arrow tip that was seeping out of her back pack. And says," Well , i do!". She unties Thistle and makes her way out of the cave.

Thistle sits there and sings a song thinking about his family and Button which gives him the courage to start running also.

He makes it to the village before the fern and his crew. And runs straight to his mom and warns her of whats happening. Before he can explain she starts off saying how he looks so different and brighter and why hes back early. After he explains, she tells branch of whats happening and puts everyone in the bunker. The villains make it to the village and one says, " well isnt this a nice beaut, its about to get a whole lot MESSIER!".

Fern is shocked to hear their plans of wrecking the village, he just wanted to be the new ruler in a world where trolls respected him. They tie him up. And the villain crowd together to think of the exact words on how to word out the wish. The leader gets up and points the gem outward "alright get ready for my wish to destroy the village" and at this second and arrow hits the gem and falls down the hill they were standing on and lands into the village. She and the villains start running to gem. Alas, branch grabs it. Poppy stands beside him. "Not today!". The villains look at him and scoff. "You think we were the only ones?". They gasp and turn around to find villainous trolls surrounding them. They fidget before the leader says " dont even think about saying no" and two trolls come out holding button. Thistle, who had been sitting on the side lines murmurs to himself," no this cant happen! No, no,no..!!" And starts running and startles the villains grabbing the gem. Suprizing everyone. Branch says," Son.... Dont..!".

Thistle looks at him with scrunched eyebrows,"i have to." The leader says with a slight panicked voice,"i wouldnt do that boy...!"

Thistle whispers to the gem ," i wish for this gem to be destroyed" . the gem floats into the air, shining brighter than anything they've ever seen and deteriorates into glitter falling to the ground. The light from the gem had flushed through the crowd causing them to have a slight amnesia and questioning "hey,why are we here?".

The trolls in the bunker come out celebrating. Buttons runs to Thistle and hugs him and he hugs back. Poppy and branch run to him. Saying things things like ,"what were u thinking you couldve got hurt?!". Thistle looks into his fathers eyes and replies," Because, i love you.". His parents both look back at him shocked. And slowly but surely from top to bottom his true colors fill in. A bright purple pink. His parents exclaim in happiness and branchs colors get brighter as well. They get excited,hugging and laughing and crying. Thistle points out Button who had wondered a little father to give him space with his parents and brings her into the hug. In which poppy winces," ughhh whats that smell???" And button moves to the side chuckling nervously. "Uhhh... Shes been homeless for awhile give her a break." And chuckles.

The purity troll comes out flowing from the sky to everyone saying how she thanks Thistle for awakening her from her slumber by destroying the gem and continues ,"Ive been asleep for sometime, now lets paRTY!!".

Then theirs the end song where everyone sings. The purity comes up to Thistle and aster and gives them crowns of flowers and robes. Everyone cheers. And we fade to black with a circle transition popping up of fern tide up, " Uhhh hey guys anyone here??? Can someone please tell me whats going on??!!!" And the screen goes black showing the rest of the credits.

These are just the main points. Of course Aster is more involved in the story. I just didnt wanna type all that down cuz i have a big phone and small hands haha.

But as for my trolls 3 au ... Its basically the generic set up of branch trying to propose to poppy throughout the film...and id like to add a backstory of his parents and them not actually being dead and survived escaping the bergins.

But anyways here are some of my character designs!!

Soundtrack ideas-

Aster design i havent yet finalised so yeahhhh but i plan on her having two ponytails!

[bookofmirth]

everyones entitled to their opinion but the amount of people who have been saying how “confusing” az’s chapter is and how sjm’s a bad writer for writing it that way honestly annoys me? you said you felt vindication when you read it and tbh, same, it confirmed everything i thought since acowar and made perfect sense with what we know of az as a character - that he’s deeply traumatized and incapable of creating and maintaining healthy relationships (as of rn). but beyond that, i dont see how it was unclear in the terms of which ships will be endgame?? before that chapter i was still uncertain and thought it could go either way (tho i was leaning to elucien bc of the already existing bond), and now im pretty certain its not gonna be elr*el in the long term. idk, i just feel like a part of fandom has built their own vision of the characters and future events that isn’t supported by text and now that theyre disappointed it isnt canon, they blame sjm for it? i really dont think it was a confusing chapter at all, i thought her intentions were perfectly clear with the types of tropes she used, i dont think its fair to say it was badly written just bc it didnt support their fanon ideas that was built more on headcanons than actual textual evidence... idk if i sound mean lol but just my 2 cents, obviously it doesnt go for everyone i feel like a certain part of fandom has a certain version of characters in their heads that they consider as canon bc they want to see them that way, but they aren’t really the same as the actual characters we’re presented in their story

Anon, I am going CRAZY over here.

I’ve been trying to figure out why I take on some arguments and others I don’t, and it basically comes down to 1) what is supported in the text, 2) people’s very wild interpretations of the text, and 3) people confusing their interpretation, fanon, what have you, with canon. 

I actually make my students read this article before they respond to a text because it’s super important to understand what, exactly, they (and we) are responding to. It’s nothing to do with literary criticism, but it still has bearings here because people are taking lines of text and imposing these wildly different meanings that have zero support. Like I mentioned in this post, we cannot say why Elain’s face gets tight or she shrinks from Lucien. There is literally no evidence one way or another, so I could that she like....... has a bad problem with farting when he’s around and is embarrassed. And who’s to stop me????

And you’re right, the problem here is that they think they are responding to canon, when actually it’s this wild interpretation of canon that began before acowar even came out, for the sole purpose of furthering hate on Mor. It had nothing to do with actually, genuinely liking it. But it’s grown into this monstrosity we see today and yeah... people are literally making posts where their “evidence” is two people being a room together and noticing that fact = endgame super romantic ship.

And that’s totally different from actually acknowledging the bare minimum of evidence, and saying “fingers crossed I hope it happens because I love it!!” That would be fine. I literally do not care if people do that. I do care when they willfully misinterpret what’s on the page and try to act like 1) they have found facts, and 2) they pretend like that “fact” should have any bearing on what other people ship. 

So, re: Az. 

I literally made this argument four years ago lol and if you read it real quick you can see that that ship came about (in January 2017) not because of all this “evidence” people found in acowar, which didn’t exist yet for us, but before that for other fandom, fanon reasons. 

And since acowar came out, I’ve pretty much avoided talking about Az because I know that somehow, the fact that he’s dark and twisty is.... controversial??? Yeah, I compared him to Tamlin and I still hold to that (I saw a vagueblog about my idea and I still think that comparison is accurate, but anyway). But people just? Don’t want to hear anything like that about Az. Even though that’s literally what we are given.

There is nothing wrong with saying that he’s dark af. In fact, all of the evidence we have from the book is that he is not only dark, but that he is increasingly  losing control. There was the blowup in acowar, and the increased disrespect of Rhys (and Feyre) in acosf, refusal to take orders from someone he is supposedly so loyal to. Even back in acomaf there were multiple signs that Mor was concerned about bruising his ego (literally the first thing that Mor says about Az is that he would want to know something, I’m not going to look it up but the implication was that he would be upset if he didn’t know).

From acosf:

Az had a vicious competitive streak. It wasn’t boastful and arrogant, the way Cassian himself knew he himself was prone to be, or possessive and terrifying like Amren’s. No, it was quiet and cruel and utterly lethal. (pg. 254)

“He’d tortured it out of someone. Of many people.” (pg. 224)

“Some silent conversation passed between him and his mate, and Cassian knew Rhys was asking about the torture - apologizing for making Feyre witness even the ten minutes Azriel had worked. (pg. i lost my place idk)

“Opening movements in a symphony of pain that Azriel could conduct with brutal efficiency. (pg. 375)

So asdkhasldkjasda if only we could STOP saying that Az is actually a dark soft boi and just acknowledge that he’s fucked up and that him being with ANYONE at this point would potentially be harmful to that person, be it Elain or Gwyn or whoever? That chapter did NOTHING but continue a line of character development that had already been in place, and I get the need to romanticize dark boys, but idk, don’t pretend he’s something he’s not.

[cicinicole-14]

Hi for the ship thing and headcanons, please do jolex 🥰

Who is a night owl:

dont get me wrong, they both most definitely will stay up late together or both pass out before 9pm on a Friday night, but some days when the depression hits, its jsut different and Jo is definitely more of the night owl. Alex is more of a morning person and Jo would rather sleep like the dead. 

Who is a morning person:

as we’ve discovered, more so Alex esp when they have kiddos. Alex is the one to get up with them early and let Jo sleep, he makes breakfast with the kids’ help and keeps their room quiet for jo to get some extra sleep but will unleash their evil spawns when he deems she’s slept in long enough. 

Are they cuddlers:

some days, yes, mostly. jo definitely loves the affection from someone who genuinely loves and wants her back. but there are days where she literally is like “do not come near me with your (temperature) hot body Alexander Michael Karev, you are a heater and I am already too warm” 

Who is the big spoon and who is the little spoon:

Alex is def the big spoon. Jo likes cuddling into him because sh feels safe, he feels like home. but she def has big spooned him too it’s a 50/50 relationship we have equal roles people

What is their favourite sleeping position:

no lie, both spread out like starfish in their bed. 

Who steals all the blankets: 

Jo. Alex is a space heater and doesnt need blankets she freezes and likes being snuggled up and warm

What they wear to bed:

I mean some nights, nothing, but like jo def loves Alex’s old Iowa state shirts or his wrestling shirts from HS that smell like him. an old worn in t-shirt, anything with a pair of booty shorts or his boxers even. and Alex will just wear a t-shirt and boxers or flannels in the winter. 

Who likes seeing the other wearing their t-shirt:

Alex wholeheartedly loves when jo wears his shirts unless its his favorite flannel and she steals it “come on, jo. you know that’s my favorite one. I wear it all the time.” its exactly why she takes it. 

Who falls asleep mid-conversation:

jo, unintentionally. sometimes the insomnia hits and she won’t have slept for a couple days so when life catches back up to her she will fall asleep randomly. even more so while pregnant and right after their daughter is born. she just “night night Josephine” 

Who wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares:

they both have their fair share of horrid nightmares. Alex’s deal a lot with his trauma of growing up. his mom pulling various knives on his siblings and dad attacking them. even nightmares of jo leaving him like Izzie did and he wakes up without her. 

jo’s are terrifying as well. she dreams that Paul’s death was just an illusion and that hes still out there and he’ll still come and get her. she wakes up drenched in a cold sweat and Alex holds her and they pull up his death certificate on the gsm database to prove it. she also has nightmares about being abandoned again. dreams of herself as a baby, dreams of her mother leaving her at that firestation. horrid nightmares. and Alex just holds her. she also has many nightmares about Alex abandoning her too just like her mother abandoned her but he’s never done that he’s always there when she wakes up and everything is okay again

Who accidentally punched the other in their sleep:

jo is an absolute horrible bed partner. she does NOT sleep still. she will move around so much during sleep its dangerous. yes, Alex did wake up with a bruise across his cheek one night from an elbow to the face...

Who can’t keep their hands to themself:

both of them. theyre notorious horndogs no autocorrect they are not corndogs please stop correcting me when you’re wrong 

and just because, im throwing in the parenting meme one too bc my heart melts

packs the lunches

Alex. he gets up with the kids in the mornings and also we do not trust jo to make their children food. she’d feed them boxed Mac n cheese and take out the entirety of their lives. and while they love that and Alex wouldn’t care if it was jsut them, their kids need real food. he packs them lunchables and uncrustables but at least its a little more of a variety. 

blows raspberries while cuddling

jo, more so. they both do, but jo LOVES a good chunky baby belly she can blow raspberries onto. and yes she leaves maroon lipstick marks on chubby cheeks and bellies. 

is the tickle monster

Alex. and she runs to mommy to save her from daddy! “oh, now you want mommy, huh? as soon as daddy is the tickle monster all you want is mommy? not when I wanted cuddles, or we picked you up from daycare or I dont know, I gave birth to you and wanted snuggles you cry and want daddy but now hes the tickle monster you want me?” and jo scoops her up and tries saving her but ultimately they lose and get attacked in their very large bed by the tickle monster. 

gives life lesson speeches

they both do just depending on the situations. 

when the girls start dating, jo sits them all down separately, and explains to them a bit of her past. letting them know that no man should ever lay hands on them. she teaches them how to defend themselves and Alex ofc shows them in example how women should be treated. Alex makes it clear that if a guy or girl ever should treat his daughters or his son in any other way than he treats jo, that he needs to know and gOD forbiD one of them lay a finger on one of his children there WILL be hell to pay. jo obviously consoles him in front of her children but tells him “u already have a record. if anyone lays hands on our children I will be putting them in the ground not you”

kisses the boo-boos

Alex he is a pushover and 100% makes sure all boo-boos are kissed and even when the kids are way too old for having their boo-boos kissed, he makes sure the bandaids that are no longer avengers or dinosaur or unicorn or princess themed, have been properly kissed. even through protests of “dad, im not five anymore I dont need my bandaids kissed” “how do you expect them to heal, then, CJ? you’re my most clumsy kid, and I have had to kiss all your boo-boos and never once have I not. thats why you’re still in once piece” 

breaks the bad news

jo makes Alex do it most times. she claims she’s the fun parent and tries to stay the fun parent by making Alex break bad news like “we cannot get another dog” she blames it on Alex but then brings home a puppy the following week. 

joins the PTA

listen. LISTEN. when Greyson started big kid school, in kindergarten, they placed her in private school to give her everything they didnt have growing up. jo was determined to make sure she gave her daughter everything made sure she felt loved and was spoiled it was terrible. so jo, of course, sent her to Seattle Elementary academy and was not paying attention when she signed some forms signing up to be in the PTA. she loathed it so much and “Alex im sorry I cant do this. I know we wanted to give Gracie everything we didnt have growing up but I cant take it I cant take the private school. the volunteer hours the strict dress code violations? she is FIVE. I also have to volunteer FORTY HOURS this year alone. no! I am a surgeon, a mother of two and im pregnant! I do not have time for this! all these PTA moms are stay at home moms who have nothing better to do than gossip about their neighbors and drink wine. and I swear to god if I have to hear about Jessica’s fucking essential oils pyramid scheme one more time I will shove those oils so far up her a––” “Jo! Look, Ali, mommy’s here!” Alex interrupts her just in time. he doesnt blame her. those private school moms are quiet the handful. every time, one of them has the nerve to hit on him. “and I swear, if one more of those moms hits on you in front of me, im going to backhand her with my engagement ring on. no hate to most of them, but theyre too much” they end up ending Gracie, and Ali and the rest of the kids to public school just like they had grown up in and did just fine. 

crashes sleepovers with embarrassing stories

oh one hundred and ten percent Alexander Michael Karev. he will find any moment to break out embarrassing stories and photos. hell, even when Zola, Bailey, ellis, Sofia, Harriet, scout, any of the bunch come over he’ll embarrass them too!  

gives the crazy nicknames

not really either of them (that ive figured out in the moment) (the kkc kids do not have crazy nicknames yet) (we jsut have Gracie for Greyson, Ali for Alice, and CJ for Cristina Jo. Alexis goes by Sissy because of Alexis and Alexa and Eli usually goes by bubba seeing as how that’s what the twins have called each other growing up with Izzie and that stuck) 

thank you so much for these! I loved loved loved doing them! even threw in some KKC universe things so if yall have questions about that feel free to ask I will share! tho there is yet to have a fic out about them yet… its been a bit difficult with writers block /: 

[yandere-daydreams]

I feel like if anyone had Thoughts about this it’d be you but : zodiac signs as yandere ?

I have so many thoughts on this!!! I’m assuming anon wants to know about sun signs only, so that’s what I did! Keep in mind that literally every single one of these will be biased towards how I view the signs, so if you disgree then.... sorry!! (This post also might be a little long because there are. Twelve signs.)

-

Aries - Okokokok...... I would like to think..... an Aries would be a possessive, but in a very aggressive way?? Like if they’re jealous of one of your friends they will not hold back. If you wont get rid of them in your life, they’ll do it for you with little hesitation. I feel theyd be romantic and flirty, and refusing their advances just is Not an option. They’ll often lose their temper if you misbehave too much, and it wont take much to get them to that point. They’re very loud and headstrong, and will absolutely manipulate you into doing whatever they want. They aren’t very affectionate, but if you ask nicely enough they’ll begrudgingly cuddle with you (and secretly enjoy it but shhh) Their punishments: severe. Their amount of remorse: zero.

Taurus - Definitely a more submissive yandere!! Probably a delusional and when you disagree with them or tell them theyre wrong, that you don’t love them, they will probably cry so much and not speak to you for days at a time as opposed to physically punishing you. Will not get angry easily and will repress any anger they feel until one day they snap and go Crazy and break your legs or something. They will not take kindly to your nasty remarks or constant attempts to free yourself from their captivity, but they will generally react very passively because they love you and would never want to hurt you (unless they really had to, of course)!! 10/10 will make you nap with them. Constantly.

Gemini - They’re probably a little delusional, but also really obsessive and clingy!! They will force you to cuddle with them for HOURS AND HOURS and just... play with your hair... and babble about their day and the weather and whatever to keep you in their arms. It’s honestly pretty nice and relaxing, and perfect if you’re okay with lounging around all day. They’ll probably really half-ass everything too. Like yeah you’ll be in handcuffs, but if you really tried you’d probably be able to slip out of them because they didn’t bother getting ones that actually fit. Also, everytime you lash out at them they will completely brush it off and deflect everything. They will just pull you into their lap and coddle you until you’ve calmed down and stopped saying such ridiculous things to them. Will also make really dumb jokes in conversations they have with you, and you will have to laugh no matter how awful they are. I mean, unless you want to be punished (read: cuddled) more.

Cancer - A soft yandere, baby!! They will pamper the HELL out of you. They will deck your room out with the nicest furniture, get you the /softest/ handcuffs on the market, bake you your favorite desserts, the whole nine yards!! They will comfort you when you cry about your situation, but will refuse to acknowledge that they are the reason your crying. Very delusional and very manipulative, will guilt trip you into being nice to them. Very powerful puppy dog eyes. 10/10 will kiss you on the forehead and apologize for every bad thing they’ve ever had to do to you.

Leo - They were probably the popular kid in school and you probably had a massive crush on them. When u finally managed to get their attention they never stopped paying attention to you. The next thing you knew, you were locked in their attic. They are very ambitious, and once they had their eyes set on you, no one was going to get in their way. Very possessive, will cut off all of your friends for you and be very jealous!! When the roles are reversed, though, and you get jealous of their friends, it’s fine baby!! There’s nothing to be jealous of!! ^3^ Will probably spoil you a little bit, but only if you havent pissed them off recently. If you’re mean to them they will take it so personally and be so dramatic about it!!

“Can you say something to me it’s been three days.”

“I thought my voice was annoying you >:T”

“Oh my god-“

Virgo - Protective protective protective!! Will lock you in a room with absolutely no furniture with sharp corners or anything you could hurt yourself on. An actual perfectionist, will put makeup on you, do your hair so there isn’t a single strand out of place, and dress you in color coordinated outfits ONLY. Will literally take the best care of you, but it’s overbearing how much they worry about your safety all. The. Time. You will more than likely never leave the house without them, and never without at least SPF 50 sunscreen on. Will attempt to be your personal therapist, but has never properly processed and emotion before, so... they aren’t very effective. If you attempt to escape, they will punish you severely.

“Ayo I sure wish I wasn’t HERE right now ahaha sure wish I was HOME and not with YOU.”

“Oh? Ahahaha okay!” *literally breaks your fucking toes* “See! You have to stay with me!! You could get hurt much worse than this in the outside world, you have to be more careful!! :)”

Libra - Probably protective and obsessive to a certain extent. Will probably be really sympathetic?? But like in a “I cant let you go I’m sorry the world is bad and scary and I don’t want you getting hurt.” kinda way. They would want to give you a little bit of freedom, though, so they’ll let you go out with your friends occasionally, but they’ll be VERY cautious and, well, protective of you. They are very understanding and give you lenient punishments when you push them over the edge and theyre ‘forced’ to punish you, but will not comfort you afterwards to compensate for the lack of severity of their punishments. Balance, baby!

Scorpio - An obsessive for sure. Literally IN LOVE WITH YOU. Will instagram stalk you, your family, your friends, your neighbor’s dogs, ANYONE that has ever been in contact with you. They already know everything about you when they finally execute their plan to kidnap you. They’re very attractive and strong willed and will put you in your place with no hesitation, but afterwards will attempt to kiss it better because they feel sorta bad. They just want you to love them!! They crave so much attention constantly, and will want to cuddle with you and be close to you at all times. You will have to be an excellent liar, because they will be able to call you on your bullshit so easily!! They will absolutely not tolerate any lying, so it’s better to justbe honest with them, even if you think it will make them mad. 10/10 will probably stare at you for hours on end without saying a single word and then watch you sleep. All lovingly, of course.

Sagittarius - P o s s e s s i v e. Can and will beat the shit out of anyone that touches you and will beat the shit out of you if you mention someone other than them to teach you a lesson. They have very bad commitment issues because they’re afraid of the people they love leaving them, and they overcompensate for it a lot. Probably actually a little bit out of their mind beyond the whole “I have my love interest locked in my basement” thing. Will give you the bare minimum amount of the things you need to survive and will deprive you of food and water for days at a time if you say something a little too nasty to them. Is really good at saying the right things to talk you down when you’re upset after a punishment or something. Very good at making you laugh as much as you hate to admit it!! 10/10 will probably turn to sensory deprivation if all else fails just because they’re sadistic like that.

Capricorn - Very responsible, planned a lot for your arrival. Very smart, rational, and protective, they have a plan for literally any situation thrown their way. They’re very fragile but they project it all onto you, and as a result they take very good care of you. They’re kinda intimidating but actually very sweet, and they love you more than they love themself. Probably rich because they’re really good at saving money, and they’ll spoil you with every cent they have. Bossy, and if you choose to ignore what they tell you to do they will make your life miserable for the next few days. Again, they’re very serious looking and intimidating, but they have a playful and carefree side that only really comes out around you!! They love you a whole lot, and make that very clear through the gifts they give you constantly.

Aquarius - Hear me out. Remember that tsundere yandere post Daydreams made? That’s Aquarius. They are very mean and nasty!!! A true goblin, honestly. They’re totally head over heels in love with you, but they’ll make you work to earn that love, even though you didn’t ask for it. You want attention?

“Haha nerd, why would I come cuddle you?? That’s like... weird... You’re gross!!”

Do they hate you, or do they want to marry you and ride off into the sunset with you? You’ll never know, because they wont ever let you get close enough to them to figure out what goes on inside that crazy head of theirs. Overall will probably treat you well, if you’re okay with the constant bullying and berating that you’ll get from them daily, that is.

Pisces - Soft like Cancer, but obsessive like Scorpio!! Has very strong feelings for you, but doesn’t know how to manage them in a healthy way. They want you all to themself, and the only way they know how to keep you in their life is by taking you. Very manipulative and delusional.

“Haha fancy seeing you here babe!”

“I am locked in your basement and I have been for the past seven months-“

“Crazy how we just keep running into eachother! Are you, like, obsessed with me or something?”

Like Virgo, they’ll try to be your personal therapist, but Pisces is actually good at it. You can never hide how you’re feeling from them, because if they pick up even the slightest difference in your tone of voice they will dig through their brain for any possible event that could have taken place to make your mood shift even the slightest bit. Crazy, but in a very loving and wholesome way. 10/10 would take a bullet for you!!

[theyellmanfan]

Can I submit a prompt? Mic hitting on/complimenting Eraser when ever he can and Eraser just NOT getting it, but definitely pinning for his friend. Until someone points it out to him and its a "WAIT- FUCK GOTTA GO TELL A BEAUTIFUL MAN I LOVE HIM" and zooming out. Bonus if it happens wayy later in life and all the teachers assume theyre dating until someone asks after an anniversary or something.

“Yooooo Aizawa! Have you done something different with your hair, it looks nice!” Present Mic called from the doorway. 

“Hello Mic,” Aizawa said. “What do you want?”

“Just passing on some papers from the staff room,” Mic grinned. “Seriously though you’re hair looks great today. New shampoo?” 

“Thank you for the papers,” Aizawa replied firmly. He was not about to answer than in front of his class. But yes he did have a new shampoo. It was the same one Mic used, not that he’d admit that either. He’d seen it in the bathroom last time he visited and decided to give it a try. Apparently it worked well.

“No problem silky Shou!” Mic teased with a light grin as he turned and left the room.

Apparently it worked a little too well, he thought as he unconsciously dragged his fingers through his hair.

“Oh my god,” Mina gasped. “You’re in love with Present Mic!” 

Aizawa, caught off guard by this revelation, flushed as he tried to glare at his student. “Excuse me?” he demanded.

“AHA! CUTE!” Mina gushed. “He obviously loves you too - he was hitting on you a lot! OH! Are you two dating?!” The class broke out into a raucous at this revelation.

“Is who dating?” came a new voice. The class turned to see Midnight standing in the doorway holding up some more paperwork for Aizawa to see. 

“No, don’t be ridiculous,” Aizawa said firmly trying to squash this train wreck before it could get started.

“Mr. Aizawa and Present Mic!” Ochako said. 

“Oh you two are married right?” Midnight said, gaining more shouts from the class in startlement. “When’s the anniversary by the way? I want to get you two something this year.”

“We’re not dating and we’re not married!” Aizawa sputtered. His face could not go any more red.

There was a silence as Midnight stared at him for a long time, then seemed to decide he was telling the truth. “You mean to tell me as much as Hizashi flirts with you it’s all been for naught?!”

“He doesn’t flirt with me,” Aizawa began but the class and Midnight all said, “YES HE DOES” cutting him off and shutting him up quite effectively. In fact, he couldn’t form words for several seconds and by then the class was asking a million questions and Midnight had to calm them down.

“He likes Present Mic back!” Mina said to Midnight helpfully once the room had calmed a bit.

“Good because you need to go tell that man you like him back or I won’t hear the end of it when Tensei finds out he was right in our betting pool of how long it would take for it to come out that you were seeing each other,” Midnight said.

“Wait,” Aizawa said stunned. “You’re serious in that he likes me?”

“YES!” the class replied in unison with Midnight, who then added, “Damn you’re thick!”

Aizawa’s face could indeed get redder.

“Sit. Stay. Do your work sheet,” Aizawa instructed his class as he dragged Midnight out the door. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he demanded. 

“We thought it was obvious!” Midnight replied. “Most of us in the teachers lounge think you’re dating or married and were just waiting for you to slip up and tell us which.”

“How long?” Aizawa asked. “How long has Mic liked me?”

“Probably since you were kids, to be honest,” Midnight replied. “I know I’ve watched him pine after you for a long time.”

“....What should I do?” Aizawa asked. Midnight opened her mouth to reply when the door slid open and Mina’s head popped through along with several other students.

“I have an idea!” 

*~*~*

As Aizawa made his way down the hall, he fidgeted with the speaker in his ear. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. And he had no idea how he was going to pull it off as the kids gave him instructions in his ear on how to approach him and what to say. When he saw Mic walking his way in the empty hallway, he cleared his throat, signaling his students that he saw the target.

“Yoooo Shouta~” called Mic. “The teachers bet me I wouldn’t be able to start a conversation with the most beautiful teacher in Yuuei. What should we do with their money?” he grinned. 

In his ear piece, Aizawa heard the students whispering amongst themselves before they finally spoke into the microphone for him to hear clearly. “Ask him, ‘Are you a piece of art? Because I want to nail you to the wall’.” That was Kirishima.

“If you were a picture I’d nail you to the wall,” Aizawa said flatly.

Mic stopped in his tracks, smile faltering. “I-Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise,” Aizawa replied without thinking. He could hear the collective smacks of each of his students facepalming and realized he may have said something wrong, and tried again. “I mean...”

“Tell him, ‘If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?’” Ochako said.

“Nothing lasts forever,” Aizawa said. “You’re nothing.”

“D-Did I piss you off?” Mic asked slowly. “If I did, talk to me about it...”

“No damn it,”  he said, taking the earpiece out and giving it a dirty look before throwing it over his shoulder. “What I’m trying to say is...” His face turned red again as he tried to make the words come out. “Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?”

“Oh like an after work thing? Sure! We can invite the other teachers and-” Mic began.

“No not like an after work thing,” Aizawa interrupted. “Like a me and you thing.”

“Oh,” Mic said, looking surprised. “You mean like a friend thing where you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“No,” Aizawa sighed. “Like a... you know... a...dried fruit,” he ended in a mumble.

Mic blinked for a few seconds before it seemed to dawn on him. “Oh... OH!”

“If you don’t want to that’s fine,” Aizawa said hurriedly.

“No no I’ve been trying to ask you on a date for years,” Mic breathed. “Of course I want to!”

“Really?” Aizawa squinted. “Why didn’t you just come out and ask me?”

“I did. You thought I meant something else each time,” Mic laughed. 

“Oh,” said Aizawa. Perhaps he had been a little thick.

[if-the-crown-fits-translate-it]

Duchy Conversation 11

[The following transcript details the conversation is between one of the Crown ARG Discord members and Duke on Twitter]

Donti: “Hello! I'm back again, hehe”

Duke: “Hello there Donti, how have you been little lamb?”

Donti: “Hi Duke :D I’ve been doing great! My friend gave me a wonderful gift yesterday!

How have you been?”

Duke: “Oh? That is splendid to hear! What gift did you receive? I myself have been doing well, thank you for asking. Things have been.. Quieter recently”

Donti: “She gave me a little compass that always points to her quarters to keep me from getting lost. ^^ It was becoming a problem, you see.

..Oh,,, is it because you and Duchess have been spending less time with each other?”

Duke: “That is truly heartwarming to hear such a thoughtful gift was given to one so deserving like yourself. I hope you cherish it, those gifts will never fade from memory.

I would not say my sister and I are necessarily spreading apart but.. The moment she stops this silly plan of hers we will both be off for the better.”

Donti: “I heard she had some projects, and I have a few guesses to what they are... But she never told me what they were ^^'

Is it really as bad as you make it out to be?”

Duke: “She wants to get in contact with our "hosts", a word that I find revolting. My sister stumbled upon these missing person posters of the people we used to be and once an idea is inside her head it is nigh impossible to get it out. I do not understand why she needs to do this, why she is so intent on causing problems for us both. I adore her, but she is being foolish.”

Donti: “Is it for simple curiosities sake? Or does she want to.. Cohabit the body like some of the others do?”

Duke: “No matter what curiosity killed the cat. We are who we are now, let sleeping lions rest. Her plan is idiotic no matter what the outcome she hopes to achieve.”

Donti: “That makes sense.. You said you've tried to convince her otherwise?”

Duke: “Indeed. My efforts so far have been.. Lackluster. I do not suppose you would mind dissuading her the next time you two speak?”

Donti: “I will try! But I doubt I will be successful.. You said she is very headstrong, and if she won't listen to you, she probably won't listen to me either..”

Duke: “You underestimate yourself. You are something she has an interest in, your word holds weight with her whereas others do not. You dissuading her could be the last step in ending this.”

Donti: “If you say so, I will do as you ask ^^ We are friends, after all.

Onto a different note... Have you met the new... Person? Their name is Chorus, if I remember correctly”

Duke: “Indeed we are! Tell me, besides the gift what else has been going on in your life, little lamb?

Chorus.... Hm. It sounds.. Familiar”

Donti: “Yes, that’s another thing that’s happened. Jay was one of the ah, non-Dreamons staying over. 14 foot tall, he’s quite hard to miss. He was coronated recently, and the Dreamon named themself Chorus”

Duke: “Oh! Oh what a simpleton I am! I have indeed met Chorus, although... Ah, I won't divulge in case they do not wish for it to be known. They are a fascinating person.

Oh good, you are aware Jay is Chorus. I was worried I was going to have to keep secrets!

May I let you in on one anyway?”

Donti: “Of course.”

Duke: “I prefer Jay.”

Donti: “Ah, I think people in the Mineshaft feel the same..”

Duke: “I haven't even met Chorus yet, in true honesty. Not face to face at least. Their existence feels like a mockery but I must nod my head at them nonetheless. The strong live while the weak die, tis life.”

Donti: “When we met them, they were quite blunt... But they said they would let Jay out eventually, and I guess we felt better about that..

How have you been, spending your time, with Duchess so involved with her project?”

Duke: “Will they truly? Or was that just a lie to settle the masses? After all, it is not hard to fool those stuck with love in their hearts.”

Donti: “They said they would eventually... Words must mean something...

Right?”

Duke: “I have been doing well, thank you. I have been introduced to a new game called ah, Grand Theft Auto? It is rather confusing but I do enjoy the pretty lights at night.”

Duke: “Words mean nothing, my dear. They are worth less than air.”

Donti: “... I see,,,”

Duke: “Words only hold meaning to the foolish or the dumb, little lamb. It is best you learn that.”

Donti: “And what about promises?”

Duke: “Ah, promises. What a tricky thing. Tell me, do you think an eel would break a promise? a platypus as well?”

Donti: “... I guess they would, if it would serve their purposes... But they are just simple animals who don't know the weight behind them...

Surely thinking beings would put some weight behind them?”

Duke: “Neither the platypus nor the eel would keep a promise. They are indeed just simple animals as you put it, they do not understand the full extent.

Tell me, Donti, what is humanity? Where did we originate from?”

Donti: “Ah... I guess most of us originate from a single cell. A dot of consciousness

The ability of 'humanity' is because of a large brain, and an ability of higher thought,,,” 

Duke: “And these exact same animals originate from this very same dot.

Promises are worth nothing to the platypus and the eel, why would it matter to a human? What makes humanity so high and mighty for such a worthless thing to matter?

Promises may be exchanged between loved ones, that I do understand. It is an oath taken between two people, it is meant to be solemn. I promised my sister I would do anything to protect her and I will stand by that to my dying days. Between friends and strangers however?

Between friends and strangers, little lamb, do not be afraid to crush fools who make a promise to you.

Whales have large brains, are we less than a whale?”

Donti: “But is it so foolish, my friend, to trust? For I to trust you? We are not family, we are not each other's loved ones. Is it truly strong to disregard words and promises, when they bring you joy and companionship?”

Duke: “It is not foolish to trust me, I am your friend. I care about your wellbeing. It is foolish to trust other people though - they are not like you and I, they are uncivilized and cruel.

It would be a wonderful world to walk around with your heart on your sleeve and trust in the air, but that is not this world. That is not the animal world.

Do not fret though! You have my sister and I, little lamb, and that is all you need. No one else has your best interest at heart like us, for why would I take time telling you these things otherwise? I do not wish to see you get hurt.”

Donti: “Of course, where would I be without you two? You two are some of my closest friends. I shudder at a life where we had never met.

Life would be so dull”

Duke: “Indeed. I am pleased you have my sister and I to depend upon, as we depend upon you. You are so kind and so trusting, so friendly without a thought... I can only think in horror what may have happened if we had not stumbled upon  you. The world is cruel, little lamb, and the fact you've only barely come out unscathed is nothing short than a miracle.

Without us.... Who knows what could occur? I am happy as always to speak with you Donti, do know this. My ears are always open if you need someone to talk to.”

Donti: “The world is definitely cruel, but unscathed isn't the correct word, unfortunately. Life comes with ups and downs, and I have had my share of both ^^”

Duke: “I am terribly sorry to hear that.”

Donti: “Of course, it all got better, didn't it? You're here :D”

Duke: “No more, I say. Life will be cruel to you no more, not while I'm around.

Exactly, little lamb. I am here and you are here, isn't that wonderful? Living despite all the odds. The strong truly do rule over the weak.”

Donti: “I guess you do rule over the weak, ha! I was wondering.. What makes one weak?”

Duke: “Still so naive! You are endlessly endearing, little lamb. You will see with your own eyes what makes someone weak with time.”

Donti: “So cryptic, Duke hehe

Oh Duke! Have you heard about King? I heard they went missing...”

Duke: “If you fear you are weak then do not. You are young, Donti. A sapling still waiting to grow. My sister and I will protect you until you can do so yourself.

You will learn to be strong, little one, with time. Just do as we say until then, the thought of you getting hurt makes me positively miserable.

Indeed I have. How surprising the most volatile out of all of us goes missing. How strange indeed.”

Donti: “Oh, of course! I take all of your advice to heart!”

Duke: “Honestly.. This is a big fuss about nothing. Why do we simply not look under the couch cushions? I'm sure King is there, acting like an untrained dog wishing for attention.”

Donti: “Oh dear... I think the rest of the Court have been worried enough to do that..

I hope they come back eventually though, theyre worrying a friend of a friend ^^'”

Duke: “King is fine, Donti. I assure you. The Court is simply made up of worriers projecting their anxiety onto you and the rest of the members.

I am not terribly upset at their disappearance but if it is causing you grievance I will attempt to locate them.”

Donti: “Oh, of course! that makes perfect sense ^^ I'll tell the others not to worry

And that would ease my mind, thank you Duke!”

Duke: “I will look then, little lamb, just for you. It will hopefully not take too much time out of my day.”

Donti: “If you were just to keep an eye out? I know you don't like them very much, and you have your own things to do!”

Duke: “It is alright, for you I will search. It is no great loss of my time if it means I may ease yours.”

Donti: “Well.. Duke, do you have any places you frequent? My friend showed me a lovely clearing the other day!”

Duke: “Nature truly is wonderful, isn't it. I enjoy going for walks in the woods, hearing the birds trill and flutter about just out of view is calming. I do also enjoy going to this one shop, Starbucks I believe it is called? They have wonderous teas that are cold, although I find the cup they deliver in perplexing.”

Donti: “Oh? How so?”

Duke: “It goes beyond common sense. The cup is not made of glass, nor wood, nor clay. It is made of this very... Unique material. Then there is the paint on it that isn't paint... How does it stay on the glass then? It does not chip but could that be due to a wonderous sealant? And why do they give these cups out so freely?”

Donti: “Oh! Plastic! Starbucks has them printed. It's a very economically useful modern material, but personally I cannot stand it. They're cheap for Starbucks to make, but they're disposable and do terrible things to the environment, as they don't decompose for several hundred years... Animals who eat them get sick, and often die..”

Duke: “That is disturbing. Why not simply use glass like reasonable people do?”

Donti: “Plastic is simply cheaper to use.”

Duke: “It is just a cup. How much could it cost, eight dollars?”

Donti: “Pennies. :(

They're really really cheap.”

Duke: “Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.”

Donti: “Yea... I think Starbucks lets you use reusable cups, which limits waste ^^”

Duke: “Fascinating. I will keep that in mind for tomorrow.”

Donti: “Do you enjoy going to other places? Or perhaps a favorite animal?”

Duke: “Oh, the animals I favour above all is the Korat and Chinese Li Hua cats. They are truly specimens of perfection, and admittedly quite wonderful to look at as well.”

Donti: “So you like cats! Those two breeds are lovely!”

Duke: “Cats are my sisters and I favourite animal, yes. Those two breeds are indeed lovely which is why I think them best of all.”

Donti: “Hehe, two of my friends look like cats, I think your sister met one of them! The one who gave me the compass? She looks like a cat with lovely little glow marks! And wings!”

Duke: “That sounds fascinating! Is she able to fly?”

Donti: “I believe so, although I've only ever seen her use them to propell herself forwards ^^' The tunnels aren't exactly suitable conditions for flight”

Duke: “I see.. That is interesting. You have quite a colourful array of friends.”

Donti: “I dont think anyone down here is fully human, ha!

I assume you are, your pictures do seem to suggest that!”

Duke: “Indeed I am. Fully human with only ten fingers and toes and all that. Not terribly interesting but something I wear with pride nonetheless.”

Donti: “Ha, and you’re fantastic the way you are!

Unfortunately, I'm afraid I must sign off for the night, sweet dreams, Duke!”

Duke: “I wish you a wonderous rest and a quiet slumber. Sweet dreams, little lamb.”

[shhh-no-ones-home]

for the road (1/2) steve clark x reader

b +++++++++

part 1 part 2

hey all! sorry ive been absent for a bit. school has been crazy with finals coming up but im hoping to get back in the swing of things soon. i start a new class term next week and my homework should be slower for a bit so ill actually have time to write and edit again. yay! anyways i hope you all like this two part-er for our fave “wing commander steve ‘steamin, dreamy, snikker, mayhem, p.t.w.’ clark”

(part two will be coming in a day or two)

Song: buzz by halestorm

tag list: @cynic-spirit @lifeisabitchandsoareyou

+++++++++

I looked up from the binder in front of me as the bell on the door rang through the shop. A group of five guys walked in, the lot of them taking the place in. I smiled as one of them looked to me.

"Welcome to the Juke Box, can I help you guys find anything?"

I asked. They all looked around at each other for a second.

"We're just kind of looking, thanks though."

The tallest one said with a nod. I nodded back.

"Alright, well if you need anything I'm y/n, don't hesitate to ask."

I watched as they all dispersed into the store before looking back down at the inventory list in front of me. I was halfway down the page when I heard one of the men clear their throats. I looked up to see the cute blonde one staring at me from across the counter with a smile on his face.

"Uh, hi, I was wondering if maybe you had a new record in."

He said and I raised a brow.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

He let out a nervous Laugh.

"The new def Leppard album?"

He asked, hope lacing his voice. I smiled at him, I had just stocked them earlier.

"Yeah, I think so. They'll be on the far wall, I can show you."

I said, lifting the hinged counter in front of me, stepping under it and out next to him.

"Right this way."

I said, escorting him to the far side of the store.

"So, you into the band?"

I asked, trying to make light conversation. He nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that. Are you?"

He asked and I sent him a knowing look.

"Not enough to be a big fan but one of my friends is absolutely in love with their music so we listen to it together."

i mentioned.

"That's sweet, sharing music is important."

He noted as we turned the corner around one of cassette stands.

"Have you gotten a chance to listen to the new record yet?"

I asked, stopping in front of the 'D' rack and skimming over it.

"Yeah, yeah I have."

He said with a mischievous grin. I sent him a look before picking it up and handing it to him.

"You must be one of the lucky ones then, cause we just got it in yesterday."

I said, looking over at him as he stared down at it with a proud smile. He looked back up at me.

"Well I don't know about lucky."

I laughed a little bit, picking up another record off the shelf.

"Ya know, I've been looking for an excuse to get into new music. Do you think it's a good album?"

I asked as we turned to walk back to the counter.

"Definitely, but I may be a little biased."

I drew my brows as I stepped back under the counter top, clicking it into place behind me.

"Why's that?"

I asked, scanning his records bar code. He let out a nervous Laugh.

"I helped make it."

He said slyly and I sent him a look.

"Sure you did."

I said skeptically as he handed me a twenty dollar bill for the record.

"No really, I know you said you weren't a fan but I'm Steve clark and that's the rest of the band."

He pointed to the other guys as they browsed the music stands. I handed him his change and leaned into the counter. I raised a brow.

"How do I know your not just trying to impress me? I couldn't tell you the amount of Angus Young's and Joe Perry's I get in here on a given day."

He laughed and shook his head, pulling the plastic off the record.

"Look, it's me."

He pointed out, holding the sleeve up next to his face. I laughed a little bit as he smiled at me.

"Okay, okay, I believe you."

He laughed a little too, shaking his head.

"Forgive me for not freaking out."

I joked.

"No, no, I'm glad you aren't. It's a nice change of pace."

"Steve, you ready?"

One of them asked, drawing both of our attention.

"Yeah just give me a second."

He looked back to me.

"Hey I know we just met and you only listen to our band with your friend but how would you feel about comming to the show?"

My eyes went wide.

"Like your show? when?"

I asked.

"Tonight."

He said flatly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Uh, i dont really know what to say."

He smiled widely at me before digging into his pocket.

"When do you get off work?"

He asked.

"I close up at 6."

He nodded once before handing me a plastic coated card.

"here, I'll have someone come get you, just show them this when you get to the venue."

He said. I looked down at it a little starstruck.

"Wait, this says crew."

He laughed.

"Well yeah, how else are you supposed to get back stage?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times.

"I didn't know I was."

I said a little bewildered.

"Think o it as a date."

He winked at me and I could feel the heat rising to my face.

"Alright."

I said a little breathless.

"Oh and before we go, I could sign one of those. only If you want of course, maybe for your friend?"

I stared at him for a second before realizing what he was saying.

"Right, yeah. Sure if you wouldn't mind."

I said sliding the plastic off the other album that I had brought up, sliding it across the counter. He snatched the sharpie out of the cup next to the register and signed the back cover.

"Hey guys, come sign this."

He called to the rest of the band, gaining their attention.

"You a fan?"

The tall one asked with a smirk as be took the pen from steve.

"Actually theyre a friend and we have a date tonight."

He said matter-of-factly. We both looked at him before looking back at each other. He nodded.

"I'm Joe by the way. But also how are you gonna have a date if we have a show tonight?"

He asked, turning back to Steve.

"Their coming, as my guest."

He said as Joe passed the pen to one of the others.

"Well then, I guess we'll see you tonight, friend not fan."

He said with a laugh, earning a smile from me.

"Cant wait to see you guys play."

[plainvanillapotato]

the 100 diaries S2 E12

quarantine: may 31 2020

season 2 episode 12: “Rubicon”

the guy is running. watch he just die and no one gets clarkes message. i would love it if clarkes plane just backfired but of course they save him. 

ok but wait why was cage just random carrying a oxygen tank when he himself doesnt even need one.

tsing out here with her own personal army. then just plucking these kids one by one. damn 

these grounders really be listening to clarke just because lexa said so?? damn these grounders be loyal minus gustus and that one guy that tried to kill clarke but then got eaten by king kong

is raven really the only person out here doing all this crap?? like does clarke not realize how big of an ask shes asking of raven? raven is magic and shit but she has some limitations just to be somewhat realistic. just chill the fuck out clarke raven is doing the best out here arguably more than clarke.

i love how bellamy is still wearing that hat still looking like sean malto. but also how has someone not noticed him? but i guess bellamy like joe from you as in if he wears a hat he magically blends in.

“...all of this is for nothing” way to put pressure on prettyboy bellamy like he didnt already know that. chill clarke everyone is trying their best out here. ngl i would hate to have clarke as a manager cuz i think she would micromanage the shit out of people. 

remember in the last episode when clarke asked what her job was well i think that i figured it out:

i also wanna mention that finn literally died idk less than a week ago but clarkes in charge being out and about commanding people years her senior. i get that we had that whole episode dedicated to how finns death affects clarke but still she got over that pretty quick. a little too quick. but i guess that if youre a sky person your emotional metabolism is just through the fucking roof...

ooo clarke still be salty toward her mom. but yeah kane is kinda an enabler

but why do these people have clear paper. the art department is feeling themselves on that one. like is it because they wanted to be edgy and futuristic or is it from an actual realistic viewpoint that the space people dont have trees to create paper................does this also mean that the space people didnt have toilet paper???????? but also back to the paper thing did these kids never learn how to write in cursive??? since i would imagine actual writing utensils are limited so idk if they waste it on teaching kids cursive. actually tho does anyone have an answer to these questions??? 

where did jaha get that antler stick. i kinda want one. i like to imagine that he just saw it lying somewhere on their way to the desert and said to himself i would look epic holding that stick and then went to pick up and started using it even tho he doesnt actually need a walking stick....any hunter x hunter fans?

jaha’s mask at 8:29 is an example of what not to wear during corona season

“thanks for the water?”...while looking down a bit flustered ”its, uh..it was no problem” emori and murphy? ship?

bellamy crawling through air vents to save the day...magenta from sky high who??

also bellamy’s ear piece is giving me everything. *i know that the following meme is just a tiny phone but i just really like it so idgaf

again with the inaccuracy of bone marrow extraction.

but what really gets me is clarke recognizing what procedure is going o just by the sound of a drill. ok who is she? she be like the boy that can identify a vacuum just by the sound. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about:

https://youtu.be/Ar5nLNku0CM

A missile?? where did these people get a missile

But also imagine if clarke was like actually i didn’t catch any of that conversation and bellamy just had to recap it like Luis in ant-man. I would die

thats a lot to ask of raven clarke. Like i could never get that shit done no matter how long you gave me. Yeah ppl be screwed if i was part of the 100

That hug btw Clarke and raven...ship? Jk i know it was just a friendship hug but yah can never know with these writers. Like i honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the writers said enemies (being part of that love triangle with finn) to friends to lovers

murphy and emori are definitly a ship. walking together behind with everyone else. Murphy said “i killed two people. I had my reasons but nobody cared.” Fuck you murphy you killed them cuz you a salty bitch. I also hate how he says this so blasé. Like dude want?? Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Murphy also said im the bad guy. Murphy is a billie elish fan?? Duh.

woah when that girl pulled out her claw????? I fell out of my seat. its actually huge. she could grab a whole basket all. They did a great job concealing/ not drawing attention to her hand before like i was so fucking surprised.

“Its pretty badass” and murphy looking at that claw tho...murphy is into kinky shit. But also that look he gave her while she walked away that was the most genuine look I’ve ever seen out of murphy.

Bellamy shoving jasper into a wall and whispering...bellamy and jasper? ship?

this secret talk between bellamy and Dante....bellamy and president Dante? ship?

But i also like to imagine that during this meeting that bellamy has the song dont be suspious. Dont be suspious playing in his head

woah. Mountain man said inconito mode activated. Reminds me of one of those green soldiers in toy story especially during the opening scene of i think the first movie

This character development in clarke is something else like remember when she talked about the grounders wanting finn out in the open and not in private causing a huge public uproar. Look at her now talking in private with Lexa about the missile. Phenomenal character growth if you ask me.

they really put all their eggs in one basket with bellamy. But bellamy be a really good basket tho. Trust Lexa trust.

where tf did this guy get an RPG??

Woah Emori be the real bad guy. But honestly she could slit Murphy’s throat and he would still live because cockroaches can still live without their head.

raven you should have just shut up. You really dropped the ball there.

lincoln???? What are the chances??? Isn’t he still a druggie?? Honestly octavias little speech would not motivate me at all. If anything it would make me want to take more drugs. At this point i would just say to Lincoln “dont fight it”

i like how they took everything but they let jaha keep his stick.

caspian is reall dressed like a hipster that sells artisanal kombucha

Jaha really has some faith in murphy...jaha and murphy? ship?

Also that was a really good shot of them murphy, jaha, and their crew climbing up the hill with a giant moon in the background

Lexa is giving me padme vibez wearing that head scarf like that

they were going to let kane and indra die

yeah sorry to break it to you abby but your child is a killer but then again so are you sooo..you really cant be out here to judge your kid like that. Like mother like daughter. But you really cant lecture clarke on this. you literally gave your husband up and you let your daughter blame her best friend for it. And on top of this you were part of the council that sent 100 kid down to earth without even knowing if earth was survivable. ma’m get the fuck outta here.

but all those lives for bellamy. i think its worth it. Because bellamy is worth everything.

theyre linking arms they got monty no!! absolutely not. they took jasper but i gotta say better he than monty bc Monty is king. Yeah jasper really fumbled with that gun. Really not smart. jasper should have just shot tsing instead

Oof a containment breach. wow what an epic door stop. Sooo loong tsing. That was such a cruel death tho but yeah she kinda deserved it.

Does Dante play the cello?? A real renaissance man isn’t he?

wow this makes octaiva and lincoln like an epic couple that conquered the world. power couple. Goals *gag* but ok does that mean that Lincoln just stopped cold turkey just like that?? Hes just automatically better? No this is not how drug addiction works. But ok sure Jan.

[evakuality]

Could you witte a davenzi fic where theyre a bit older and David moves into Matteos appartement building and they lowkey fall in love? or something like that?

So apparently, this decided to be something relatively big.  It’s also literally all entirely fluffy and light, in case you (like me) needed a bit of a break from any angst floating around.  So here, have part one of apartment shenanigans:

Matteo

Matteo is exhausted, feet dragging as he climbs the stairs to his apartment, and his breath coming in short, sharp gasps.  He’s maybe not as fit as he potentially should be and he’s starting to wish he’d done more exercise over the last few years.  Not for the first time he regrets the impulse that led him to moving into an apartment on the very highest floor of the building.  Sure, the view from his tiny balcony can be stunning when the weather is nice, but he’s not entirely sure it’s worth the long plod up the seemingly endless staircases.

His head is pounding from the amount of thinking he’s had to do today, and even the knowledge that he’s almost home isn’t enough to dispel the irritation he’s feeling at this neverending trek. He’s thinking wistfully of pain meds as he turns the corner on the second to last set of stairs and groans.

There’s some sort of blockage on the landing of the floor below his own.  There are a bunch of people Matteo doesn’t know milling in the small, cramped space, most of them holding boxes.  They’re loud, and there’s some sort of argument flowing between them.  It seems mostly good natured, but it’s enough to make Matteo’s head pound worse than it already was.  He can’t get past them, and his energy levels are so low that the idea of squeezing through them makes him shudder.

He stops, just behind a girl with long dark hair pinned back into a messy bun.  She’s one of the louder of the participants and Matteo winces as her voice sends a stab of pain right through his head.

“David,” she’s saying with a booming laugh that reverberates through Matteo, “are you sure you don’t just want to stay with me a bit longer?  This doesn’t seem to be working.”

Someone up ahead, who Matteo can’t quite see apart from a burst of tight curls on the top of his head, groans.  He says something too low to carry to Matteo, but it makes the dark haired woman’s laughter peal out again.  Matteo scowls.  He doesn’t have time for this.  Or he doesn’t want to have time for this, not even if the guy’s voice was musical and deep enough to send entirely inappropriate shivers right through Matteo.

Thankfully, it only seems to take a few moments before whatever has held the group up has been moved and the whole bunch of them start flooding into a door to the left of the landing.  With another sigh, Matteo manages to weave his way around the last of the people and turns to go up to his own floor.

As he starts upwards, he glances down to find the curly-haired guy (David, maybe?) looking his way.  The guy gives a small, apologetic smile as he shuts the door behind the last of the people with boxes.

One thing Matteo notices immediately is that he’s incredibly attractive, with dark eyes, an unfairly well-defined jawline, skin that glows in the soft light from the bulb just outside his door, and hair that’s been styled into a pile of curls that looks artful and which hasn’t seemed to have come loose during the move.  It’s fairly devastating for someone who hasn’t had time for a relationship in the last several months, and Matteo knows that’s all this must be: residual longing for someone to be with and latching onto the nearest attractive man who happens to stumble into his path.  

Still. Just admiring someone isn’t a crime, and if this guy is moving in here, well … as he keeps plodding upwards, Matteo’s realises not unhappy that this guy might be his new neighbour of sorts.  

Despite the attractiveness of the new guy, Matteo doesn’t really give him much more thought for the next few days.  It’s a busy time at work and so he’s out of his apartment at an unreasonably early hour and never gets home until so late that he can’t even think of cooking.

He’s struggling up the stairs, fumbling for his keys with a bag of takeout food clenched between his teeth when Matteo next runs into the guy.  Literally.

“Fuck,” he hears as his head falls back with a sickening thud, and pain lances through his head.  Matteo looks up in a panic.  The guy is on that same second to last landing, holding his hand to his forehead and still looking ridiculously attractive in the dim light.  His eyes gleam, and his lips are pursed in a way that makes Matteo’s stomach flip.  Or maybe that’s the sickness from the crack to his head; he’s certainly not feeling entirely at his best.

Matteo stops riffling through his backpack, and grabs the food bag out of his mouth.  “Shit, I’m sorry.  I wasn’t looking.”

“I can tell,” the guy says, but his eyes are twinkling as he takes in Matteo’s appearance.  His eyes flicker up and down Matteo’s body in a way that makes him feel exposed and vulnerable.  Or sized up, maybe.  It sends a wave of heat through him and he has to shake himself to regain his composure.

“Sorry, long week,” he says, pushing the backpack back up onto his shoulder to try to get the guy’s intense focus off of himself.  “Thank fuck that’s over.”

The guy holds his hand out.  “I’m David,” he says.  “Just moved in.”

“Yeah I know,” Matteo says, then immediately blushes because that suggests he’s been paying attention and he hasn’t.  Not really.  David’s just the most interesting thing that’s happened in the building all week (and maybe he’s a little attractive too, but that was never the point, not entirely).  “I mean,” he says, trying to cover up the faux pas, “I saw your friends in the corridor when you were moving.  It made an impression.”

“They tend to do that,” David says with another laugh.  “Laura is the worst.”

Oh.  That must be the girl who was teasing him that day.  The one who made it clear that he’d been staying with her before moving in here.  Matteo swallows, thinking maybe he’d been misreading the signs.  He needs to get out of here before he makes an even bigger fool of himself.  So he turns to David and plasters a smile onto his face.  He’s pretty sure it’s unconvincing, but maybe it’ll work since this guy doesn’t really know him very well.

David

“Anyway, welcome to the building,” the blond guy says with a wide smile that looks a little strained.  David wonders what’s happened to change the feeling from something a little flirty to this tension.  The guy looks down at the food in his hand and grimaces ostentatiously, possibly because it’s getting cold.  He holds it up and wriggles it in a way that suggests that, in any case.  “I’d better … uh, better go.”

“Yeah, okay,” David says, feeling disappointed.  Having finally managed to run into The Guy from the day he moved in again, he’d really wanted to keep the conversation going, make some sort of connection.  He can tell that he must be showing that disappointment all over his face, and the other guy’s demeanour changes as he looks at him.  A tiny smile flickers over those lips and he ducks his head.

As if he is suddenly reluctant to move away too, the guy says “I’m sorry about crashing into you,” as he moves towards the stairs leading to the next floor.  “I should make it up to you sometime.”

The idea sparks something warm inside David.  His head is throbbing, but he’s not all that concerned.  Just the opportunity to talk to this guy made the pain worthwhile.  Still, he can sense an opening when he sees one and if this guy wants to make up something to him he’s not going to say no.

“Make it up how?”

The guy grins and raises his brows, nodding towards David’s door which is slightly ajar and through which piles of boxes can still be seen haphazardly plonked wherever his friends decided to leave them.

“I’ll cook,” the guy says.  It must be hard in a new place to do anything much.”

David laughs, thinking of the new cookware Laura had smuggled into his home but which is still sitting in boxes under the kitchen sink.  “I can’t cook anyway,” he admits, “but yeah trying to navigate the unpacked boxes isn’t all that great.”

He gives a pointed look at the takeout the guy is holding, trying to suggest that he’s not much better if that’s what he’s been eating, and is completely charmed when he rolls his eyes.

“It’s been a long week!” he protests with a wry smile.  “I usually cook; I’m pretty good actually.  I’ll make you my famous pasta, and you’ll be blown away.”

David laughs and agrees.  He’s tempted to tease some more just to see more of that charming protesting, but the guy turns and starts up the stairs, indicating he’s done with the conversation.

As he watches the guy moving away, David realises he didn’t get his name in return and there’s no way he’s going to let that slide, not when he has this really attractive guy offering to cook for him.  So he raises his voice a little and calls out, “hey!”

The guy turns back towards him with a quizzical look on his face.  His hair is flopping down into his eyes and David’s heart flips a beat in his chest.  He’d noticed the guy right away the day he moved here and he’d been thinking about that hair and the way it flopped ever since.

“I didn’t get your name,” he says, shaking himself enough that he’s able to focus.

“Matteo,” the guy says, running his free hand through that hair and making it stick up wildy.  “You want to come for dinner tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” David says.  He watches as Matteo smiles again and starts climbing the stairs up to his own apartment.  “Wait.  Matteo!” he calls again.  “You didn’t tell me which place is yours.”

“Oh.”  It may be David’s imagination but Matteo looks embarrassed if the red flush that stains his cheeks is anything to go by.  “It’s just at the top of the stairs there.”  He points at a door that’s just visible when David ducks his head out to look upwards.  “I’ll see you there about six?”

With an affirmation, David pulls back to go inside his own apartment.  His head is still pounding from where Matteo had crashed into him, but he’s not too worried about that.  

He’s been trying to catch another glimpse of the guy since the day he moved here, but until now he’d had no such luck.  It seems like Matteo works some very unfortunate hours, and it was just good luck that they happened to pass in the corridor.  

David’s been a little lonely since moving in, if he’s going to be honest with himself.  He wants to make some new friends, since most of his own now live so far away from him that seeing them is proving more difficult than he’d imagined when he’d blithely suggested moving out of Laura’s apartment and into his own.  His original plan had involved a lot of hanging around just outside his own apartment in hopes of running into someone interesting.  Into Matteo.  But that’s not going to work if Matteo consistently works these ridiculous hours.  Running into him tonight had been pure luck.

Wanting to meet people in his new building is the only reason he’s been so focused on Matteo, David insists to himself as he closes his own door behind him.  He wants a friend, and if that friends happens to be attractive, well that’s just an added bonus.  So.  If he’s going to manage to get to know this guy, David’s going to have to find a way to connect better than randomly seeing each other around, obviously.  

And that means that dinner tomorrow seems like just the opportunity he needs.

[thequantumqueer]

so I'm not gonna go the "sympathizer sympathizer" route, because that's dumb, but "conservatives would become leftists if they weren't being manipulated and maybe if we just educate them hard enough they'll come around" is a thing I've seen people express pretty frequently on the left and also maybe why the right thinks we're all so condescending

oh yeah no thats not what im going for at all. “maybe if we educate them hard enough” is also a big problem. conservatives arent like, too stupid to realize whats going on, or whatever. mostly theyre just as scared as everyone else, and all theyre trying to do is make sure everyone they care about survives and doesnt end up on the street.

they know community support is the only way to make it through, and so when things get rough they reach out to the groups they’re already part of: their church or their PTA or their booster club or whatever they happen to be a part of. and, i want to be absolutely clear on this: that’s exactly what they should be doing. when the left talks about organizing your community, we should be pointing at shit like that as a shining example of the things we mean.

the problem is that those communities are full of people who, just like them, are afraid of what it might mean if things are bad and getting worse; if they can’t trust the government they’ve helped give so much power to; if the wackadoos on the left who keep shouting about the end of the human race aren’t actually wackadoos. they, and everyone who supports them, are accutely aware that if they’re wrong then not only do they have several thousand times more to be afraid of, but they have to deal with guilt on top of that

and so they (subconsciously) look at themselves and evaluate how they, as a person, would deal with being on the wrong side of one of their “if it’s not true, then nothing matters, but if it is true, then nothing else matters” arguments and conclude, much as just about anyone else would, that they would deal with it real fuckin badly. and then they look around at the people who are depending on them to keep it together, and they decide, much as anyone else would, that anything that puts them in danger is unacceptable, which means they can’t fall apart like that, which means they can’t accept the possibility that theyre wrong

this isnt some theoretical profile of someone i think is probably fairly average. this is a description of my mom, who’s convinced she’s a super weird person because she *checks notes* farts, likes snakes, owns a motorcycle, kept the cornish game hen my sibling mummified for a school project, knows how to build a fire, and has adhd and anxiety

over and over again, for almost a decade now, she has responded to everything from subminimum wages in sheltered workshops to the fact that people in charlottesville were holding swastika flags and chanting “jews will not replace us” the entire concept of conversion therapy to with the words “that’s ridiculous; i can’t believe that.” every example i point to is met with “there’s always going to be whackjobs” because that’s what she needs to believe

i saw something a few years ago that said the only strategy the left needs is to ask people what they need and then give them that without questioning them or arguing, and that’s what it’s going to take to bring most conservatives around; whether they’re consciously aware of it or not, they are not in a situation where it is safe for them to think critically about things, and in many cases haven’t been for so long that those skills have started to atrophy, but theyre competent adults, and they know when theyre being talked down to. all they need is the security to know that if and when they have a nervous breakdown, the people they love are going to be fine until they’re back on their feet.

im just appalled at how often people on the left seem to completely forget that their opponents are real, complete people with their own thoughts and needs and motivations, and not just sort of this weird faceless conglomerate of “either theyre a nazi or theyre a nazi thrall, and either way fuck ‘em”

i choose compassion, and i ask anyone who doesn’t why not