#but idk im changing it last minute

[sil-te-plait-tue-moi]

When the pawn hits the conflicts, he thinks like a king.

Quick summary: Rust catches you trying to work him.

Word count: 754 words

Warnings: N/A

A/N: Another attempt at trying to get past the astronomical writer's block I experienced after writing The Idler Wheel. This was one of my first tries at a second chapter (in like February T_T), like a little scene, but I didn't like th way it panned out: it felt like they were fighting and I didn't necessarily want them to fight explicitly with each other in the final story. If this feels unfinished, it's because I abandoned it after ten minutes. ENjoy!!!!@

***

“Are you lonely again?” he asks quietly.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he couldn’t be paying attention to me: eyes fixed on the moon, which is full like a plate, so distant, as if he’s imagining a different life up there; even his body is tilted away from me, like, really, I could burn him. But I do know him. I can’t get it out of my head: I can’t stop interpreting every little thing he does. It started as a pass-time, an excuse to steal glances at the handsome, quiet guy at work. Now, it’s obsessive. No-one knows him, watches him, like I do. No-one else has been with him like I have. There’s a calmness to this fact: in that way, he’s mine. That’s the only way.

Rust angles his head towards me, but he doesn’t look. Maybe I should be glad for it. “You were lonely in the summer, weren’t you? That’s why you wanted me then. Somethin’ to make you feel real.”

Every fibre of mine twitches to disagree with him, to defend myself, my actions—but there’s no way I could do anything without condemning myself. If attachment is a burden to Rust, then how disgusted will it make him when he uncovers just how much I really think about him?

“I don’t appreciate bein’ treated like this sheep you can herd into a pen.”

“I’m not tryin’—”

“Does the intention really matter if the action’s already taken effect?” he cuts off calmly, finally, with an accusing dart of his eyes to shut me up for good measure. When I grow silent again, he continues: “Quittin’ cigarettes doesn’t make a person into what you are right now. You value how people perceive you — that’s how you measure your worth, right? That’s not uncommon. But the way you act out—?” he clicks his tongue, “—well, I didn’t figure that out till later. The way you’re genuine only when you think it doesn’t matter. Makin’ small talk and smilin’ like you do. You’re a well-liked person, know that?” He pauses to take a lazy drag of his cigarette. “But then, when you think the stakes are high, you’re somethin’ different. Some changeling, vyin’ to get what you want, so cunning. Other people don’t see it, but I do. When your niceties stop bein’ second nature; when you have to think about it, plan, strategise. Like you’re almost a person but not quite anymore. Why is that?”

I blink at my shoes, brimming with confusion. For every word that leaves him, I try to scrub it clean to find any inclination of what he’s feeling, only to come away confused.

“I couldn’t blame you when you were drunk,” he confesses. “But I’m glad for this talk — true colours ‘n’ shit.”

What the fuck? My face sours into a dangerous scowl as my hard stare snaps up to bore into the side of his self-satisfied face. “You’re lookin’ to blame me?”

Rust stares off into the dark, shaking his head. “No. But I want to. I tell myself that the only reason you showed up at my door was ‘cause you were drunk and you were lonely. That you missed Brooklyn, or you missed your family. I was the next best thing to offer you comfort: this idea you had of me in your head. You thought, maybe, I’d want to take care of you. And to convince me to do that, you just had to take that first step o’ sleepin’ with me.” He exhales slowly, eyes fluttered shut, and his lithe fingers tremble around his cigarette. “That’s what you’re doin’ now, ain’t it? You’re tryin’ to get me because you’re lonely again, for whatever reason.”

Holy shit, he is one conceited bastard. “Have you ever considered I might just like you?” I hiss incredulously, eye twitching.

Rust tenses.

A dog barks alone in the neighbourhood over.

“Some things aren’t complicated at all,” I mumble, leaning back against the damp brick with a quivering sigh. “You wanna know what it was? I thought you were attractive and would never want to talk to me, so I didn’t. But I liked the way you talked behind my back — Johansson liked you for that, too. And I liked the way you tip at bars. And then, suddenly, people weren’t people. They were all shades of you. A guy smoked like you. And the precinct isn’t where I work; it’s where you work. It’s where I get to see you.”

[hueseok]

might drop this fic next week! i’m like 75% done which is surprising for me who hasn’t been writing new fics for bts in a long time 😫 I AM PUMPED AND SCARED BUT YEAH THIS IS A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK I GUESS????

[snekdood]

"if we make america worse and more of a dictatorship that will be even harder to unravel and make it the way we want the country to be, maybe then everyone will join our Glorious Revolution!" bb girl you cant even be in the same room with someone who thinks you should vote, how in tf do you think you're gonna unite people to fight in The Revolution with you? it's gonna be you and your 5 friends, i hate to break it to you.

[swagstar]

dispencer talk

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Let her grieve

[deathsmallcaps]

I swear. I comprehend I’m not the best teaching intern in the world. I also was not the best camp counselor, cashier, and so on. But if my observer gives me so much criticism that I cry again I’m going to be so motherfucking pissed.

Especially since she’s asking me to stay late just to review me. While I have family visiting. And I’m gone for most of the day. And my commute is over half an hour. Which isn’t bad around here but still.

[variskonna]

Here's another Winx oc. I created her when I decided to redesign Lumi and wanted to give her roommates. Anyways this is Tori she's a fairy of fashion (wich is a part of her character that I don't think I got across in her design that much tbh) I haven't really decided what planet she's from Because unlike the other four I don't want her to be from a place mentioned in the show (Avdotia is from Popularis, Valerie is from Romulea, Lumi's from Domino and Alecia is from earth) maybe I'll make her planet be inspried by south east asian culture im not really sure wich one tho but I'm thinking of making her vietnamese inspired. anyways She really like's ribbons and gemstones and other than fashion and making clothes her hobbies are reading and tennis. she's a rather annoying as a roommate her side of the room is always messy and has unfinished project laying around luckly for her the person she's rooming with has a similar habit that being Valerie who as a tech fairy does pretty much the same thing. But that's all for now lol

[aroacettorney]

when will aup sidestories return from war and stop leaving me bitter about how the main story ended

[jimmyandthegiraffes]

[venomgender]

its expected fkr the anime to change some stuff but why the hell is jinwoo. not the one taking lead and stuff in the double dungeon... like. the entire point of him being fhe only one to figure it out all ny himself is to show that despite him being the Weakest Hunter hes survived this long because of how smart he is...

[the-yearning-astronaut]

How do you go about picking a new name for yourself? I've never really felt one way or another about my given name.... I just don't feel connected to it much is all. I don't hate it though, either. Like the rest of me it's just kinda There.

I'm thinking short, still. And definitely more gender neutral? Just don't know what.

I don't plan on changing my name -- not officially. I'm just getting ready to apply for graduate school in Sept and was contemplating adding a 'preferred' name to my applications. All the schools are out of state so I'd be getting a completely fresh start. What better way to test out a new name?

[mekatrio]

WAIT i just realized the mario movie had a production period of 5 years. ok i have a prediction then, i think the loz movie will be about the new future game and the new game and movie will be marketed together, and that way fans cant complain about SHIT bc it would something entirely new so they wouldnt be able to nitpick discrepancies or whatever

[kuiinncedes]

:’)

[fdrsamericanflagduckfloaty]

Ça va, mon ami?

... Oui?

[pepper-rex]

about to do the worst presentation of my life wish me luck

[britneyshakespeare]

funny thing happened when i was subbing fourth grade technology today. a boy raised his hand when i introduced myself as miss (last name) and said "there used to be someone who looked JUST like you who worked at after care a few years ago."

"that was me >:)"

and he was like... honestly *____*-facing