#but instead I now get over a week of it nonstop (unless for a few hours every time I take more ibu)

[loumauve]

clawing at the walls. shredding the sheets. would bite the wooden doorframes if I could.

[imaginesandbandfiction]

Live While We're Young — JJ Maybank

An Outer Banks Imagine

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Summary: No phones, your sneaky link, and a party.

Warnings: Underage drinking

A/N: This is inspired by the One Direction song because duh. Just a lil bit of fluff to get you through the next few days before Season 4 is out!!!

Masterlist

It’s Saturday night and your phone has been eerily silent. You thought that JJ would be bugging you nonstop about the party, but he hasn’t sent any messages today. For once, it seems like he’s actually respecting your boundaries (though a part of you secretly loves that he barged his way into your life and continues to shake things up on a daily basis). You check it again (still nothing) and turn back to your chemistry textbook with a sigh. 

It’s 9:04 when a knocking sound coming from your window breaks you out of your concentration. Adrenaline spikes your heart rate, and you grab your Hydroflask from your bedside table before going to check it out. It’s mostly full, so it should be enough to knock out a kidnapper or a burglar should the need arise. 

But when you pull up the shades, it’s just a blond chaos demon wearing a mischievous smirk that makes your knees buckle. As you unlock the window and push it up, you flash him an eye roll, which only makes his smirk grow. You step back to give him room to clamber in, and he slides through with a practiced ease. 

“Hey, princess, sorry I’m late. I parked at the country club and walked over so no one would see,” he says, leaning back against the window. His eyes flicker down your body, taking in your PJ shorts and oversized Kildare Marina t-shirt. “Why aren’t you dressed?”

“I told you, I’m not going,” you answer, crossing your arms across your chest. 

“And I told you that you are.” He takes a big step forward, closing the distance between you. He grabs your wrists and pulls your arms down, swinging them. “C’mon, it’ll be fu-un.” There’s a playful glint in his eyes as he sings the last word, dragging out the ‘u.’

“I’m not stupid, JJ, I know that this party is a glorified orgy. And Rafe Cameron has been bragging about all the drugs he’s bringing for weeks now.”

“Well it just so happens that the party's at John B’s, where I conveniently have my own room. No orgy participation necessary. Unless, of course, you decide you want to join in after all.” You huff out a sigh, rolling your eyes again.

“You wish, Maybank.”

“If you’re really that afraid, I won’t force you to come. I just thought we could have this one night to be normal. Get drunk, pretend we’re in love, ignore that this has been doomed from the start.” His shoulders lift in a slight shrug as if he doesn’t care, but he looks down at you through his eyelashes and you see a hint of wistfulness underneath his carefree expression. You bite down on your lower lip as you make a quick mental pros and cons list. JJ can see the gears turning in your brain and pulls you into his chest, dropping your hands to wrap his arms around your waist instead. 

“Don’t overthink it, just let go for one night. I promise you won’t regret it.” He punctuates his sentence with a kiss, letting his tongue sweep across your bottom lip for just a moment before pulling back. The past month flashes through your mind; a highlight reel of stealing kisses behind the boat house when he’s supposed to be mowing the lawn, sneaking out to meet him at the bluffs in the middle of the night, and hooking up in the back of the Twinkie. 

It’s hard to see a future with this boy from the wrong side of the island, but there’s a part of you that longs for it. To be sucked fully into his wild vortex of a life. You let out a defeated sigh. If you don’t seize this moment, you may never get the chance to see if JJ can be more than just a summer fling. 

“Fine, just give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you at the club,” you say. His face breaks into a grin and he leans in to press a quick peck to your cheek and then he’s gone in a flash. 

“I’m gonna go before you change your mind. See you in ten minutes!” He calls over his shoulder as he climbs back out into the flat part of the roof over the garage. 

You shake your head and chuckle to yourself as you throw some clothes into your backpack. On your way out of your room, you grab your laptop and a textbook to strengthen your alibi. 

“I’m going to sleep over at Sarah’s, we’ve got a big chem test next week that we need to study for,” you tell your parents as you pass the living room. You don’t stick around to hear their response and let yourself out the front door. 

The country club is a short walk away, and the Twinkie is the only car in the lot. JJ is leaning against it, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone while he waits. As you get closer, your footsteps get louder, and he looks up at you with a smile. 

“Hang on, I just gotta change quick,” you say as you keep walking, past him and around the car until you’re mostly hidden from his view. “Don’t look.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” he snorts. 

“We’re pretending to be in love tonight, right? That means you’re a respectful boyfriend.” You slip off your comfy clothes and into your party attire as fast as you can, wanting to get out of Figure 8 as soon as possible. 

“I never said anything about being respectful.”

Even though he can’t see your face, you roll your eyes as you get into the car. 

“A girl can dream,” you let out a fake-dramatic sigh and cross your arms as he slides in next to you. 

“Look at us, fighting like a couple already.” 

“If we were a real couple, how would you make up with me?” You ask, looking over at him with a sly smirk. 

“I’d say, c’mon, babe, don’t be like that,” he raises his voice an octave, making it sound whiny. Hearing him call you ‘babe,’ even jokingly, sends blood rushing to your core. “Then, I’d grab your hand like this,” he pulls on your left hand, carefully releasing it from where it is still crossed in front of your chest, then laces his fingers with yours. His thumb rubs slow circles against the sensitive skin on the back of your hand and your breath hitches in your throat. 

“Wow, Maybank, I’m impressed,” you say, forcing through your breathlessness to continue with the joke. “Maybe there’s secretly a rom-com heartthrob hiding beneath that whole fuckboy thing you’ve got going on.” You use your joined hands to gesture vaguely over at him, and he chuckles. 

“Nah, I’ve just seen enough movies to be able to fake it.” Your laugh is loud and wild, and with your head thrown back you don’t notice the way JJ’s eyes sparkle as he looks over at you. 

JJ pulls up in front of John B’s house, where the yard is already packed with people. Kiara and Pope are sitting in lawn chairs on the driveway next to a giant storage bin. When you reach over to open the passenger door, JJ grabs your arm and mutters “Wait.” You let your hand drop into your lap and watch as he jogs around the front of the car. In the distance behind him, his two friends share a confused look. He opens your door and holds a hand out to you, dropping his head in a mock-bow that probably looks real to everyone else who can’t see the goofy grin on his face. With another eye roll, you take his hand and let him help you out of the car. While you walk across the driveway, he keeps a firm hold on your hand and gently swings your arm with his own, which makes you laugh again. 

When you stop in front of Kie and Pope, their eyebrows furrow in tandem.

“Y/N?” Kie asks, shaking her head slightly as she looks back and forth between you and JJ. The two of you had been friends as kids, before she started pulling away from everything and everyone on Figure 8. 

“Dude, when you said you were bringing the girl you were hooking up with we thought she’d be a touron,” Pope says, looking over at you with an amused smile. 

A few heads turn at the sight of you and JJ holding hands as you battle your way through the crowd to the keg, but no one says anything. They’d be hypocrites if they did, since most of them are dancing with people they’d never be caught dead with on a normal day. 

John B’s up by the keg with your best friend Sarah, which is really the only normal thing about this party. She flashes you a knowing smile as John B claps a hand on JJ’s shoulder, whispering something that makes JJ smirk, before handing you each a plastic solo cup. You hold it up for JJ to ‘cheers’ before you take your first sip. The cheap beer leaves a bitter taste in the back of your throat which makes you wrinkle your nose. He takes a long swig from his own cup and then leans in so his mouth is next to your ear. 

“If we were really dating, I’d tell you that we have other drinks inside,” he yells over the loud music. 

“If we were really dating, I’d make you get me a vodka lemonade,” you shout back, batting your eyelashes at him as 

He leads you into the house, which he has to unlock and then relock behind you so no one sneaks in to use the beds (or the couch, or the floor…) for their fatherless behavior. 

While he digs around under the sink for the bottle, you hoist yourself up onto the counter next to him, letting your legs swing as you wait. When he’s finished making your drink, he steps up to the counter, nudging your legs to the side so he can wedge his hips between them. You reach for the glass but he pulls it out of your reach. 

“If you were really my girlfriend, I’d make you trade me a kiss for your drink,” he teases, raising his eyebrows as if to challenge you. 

“If you were really my boyfriend, I’d kiss you like this,” you whisper as you grab a fistful of his t-shirt and pull him in. You slide your lips against his in slow, languid strokes, letting your tongue flick against his bottom lip every few seconds but pulling it back before he can suck it fully into his mouth like you know he wants to. 

“If you were really my girlfriend, I’d take you back to my room and fuck you so hard that everyone at the party would know about us,” he mutters against your lips. As much as you like that idea, you actually do want to dance.

“Well, if you were really my boyfriend, I’d make you go back outside and dance with me first.” With both hands, you push against his chest to get him to take a step back and slide off the counter into the now-open space. After giving him a quick peck, you pluck the glass from his hand and strut back outside. You don’t need to turn around to know that he’s following, eager to have his hands all over you again. 

By the time you shove your way to the middle of the makeshift dance floor, your drink is half-empty and you feel the alcohol going straight to your head, blurring the edges of your thoughts and making your brain feel lighter. Finally, you turn around to face JJ and flash him a cheeky, vodka-soaked smile as you start to sway your hips to the beat of the music. He’s still for a moment, watching you through eyes heavy with lust, and then he’s there, right in front of you with his free hand gripping your hip. 

Bravery surges through your veins, aided by the alcohol and the relative safety of a phoneless party, and you slip one of your legs between JJ’s. You can feel him hardening against your thigh and lean into it, pressing your hips forward until they’re flush with his. He leans in to press hot, open-mouthed kisses against your neck, eliciting a soft moan from your lips. 

Despite your closeness, the two of you are surprisingly PG compared to the crowd around you. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Topper Thornton with one hand on Shelby Moore’s tits while the other is lost underneath her dress, two guys taking turns making out with the same girl, and at least three topless girls. So you don’t feel bad about tangling your hands in his blond hair, pulling his head up until it’s level with yours, and crashing your lips against his. 

As the alcohol continues to flow, your game of make-believe descends into madness. When the party starts looking more like an orgy, the two of you decide to take a walk along the beach to try and sober up a little bit. The cool, salt-infused air is a refreshing change from the sweaty mess of bodies you had spent most of the night in, and you close your eyes and take a deep breath, letting it cleanse your sins. 

“If I was your boyfriend I’d tackle you into the water right now,” JJ says from just behind you. He’s got one arm around your waist and his chin is resting on your shoulder. You open one eye and turn your head to the side to frown at him. 

“If I was your girlfriend, I’d kick you in the balls,” you shoot back. 

“Well then I’d kick you in the… boobs.” It takes him a second to figure out where to kick you for the same effect, and you burst out laughing when he finally finishes his sentence. “Hey! It’s not funny. Girls don’t really have anything equivalent to balls.” 

“Equivalent? That’s a big word. JJ Maybank, have you been studying?” 

“Fuck off,” he mumbles, burying his face in your neck. It feels hot against your skin and you twist in his arms so you’re facing him. 

“Oh my God, you have been! It’s a Christmas miracle!” You exclaim, amusement lifting your voice up an octave. 

“It’s not a big deal, Pope’s just been helping me with some stuff.” 

“Not for most people, but for the guy who said he’d rather die than open a textbook, it seems like a pretty big deal.”

“Well, I’d rather not spend the rest of my life in high school, so I thought I should at least try to get my shit together.” He shrugs, trying to look nonchalant, but you know he’s still a little embarrassed because he won’t make eye contact with you. 

You reach up to brush his hair off his forehead, locking your gaze with his. 

“If I was your girlfriend, I’d be proud of you,” you whisper. The words hang suspended in the space between you and suddenly it doesn’t feel like a game anymore. JJ’s eyes flicker down to your lips and back up to your eyes. They’re filled with a softness you’ve never seen before and when he leans in to kiss you, it’s slow and sweet. 

It’s not much, just a soft brushing of lips, but it feels like a possibility. You lean into it, into him, taking a leap of faith. After all, you gotta live while you’re young, right?

[moodymisty]

Wow! Congrats on 1k followers!! Your writing is always a delight. 🥰

For your event, may I request Tech x F!reader with the prompt "You really want me?"

Thank you! I hope you have a great day. ❤️

❀ Milestone prompts list ❀

Author's Note: Awww thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my writing! and techtechtechtechtechtech

Relationships: Tech/Gn!Reader

Warnings: None, just fluff and confessions of love

"So, I have to ask..."

Echo's voice perks up your ears, as sits beside you. His glass is in his hands but he hasn't taken a sip yet, at least that you've noticed.

79's is relatively barren tonight, at least by the normal standards; Though it's still quite loud and packed with enough clones that traversal through the bar is for sure going to end up with you bumping into a few shoulders.

"Did you show Tech some new book or something?" He's not here tonight, having neglected coming out for drinks because of some important worked he wanted to finish, and had insisted you all go on without him. it's not incredibly unusual; This sort of scene isn't his type.

You think on Echo's question for a moment, pursing your lips as you look off in no particular direction trying to recall. Once you do, it's such a brief moment that you don't really think that it would be anything of note.

"Um, I mean I mentioned something not too long ago?" Echo leans back against the seat, an arm over the back behind your head.

"Ok, because he's not shut up about whatever it was for at least a week now. He's been researching it nonstop." That sentence makes you surprised, but also it's impossible to contain a smile at the thought of him doing something like that when you aren't around. It's, endearing. Not too often do you find someone who enjoys you enough that they try to enjoy the things you do. You love watching Tech tinker, to sometimes catch his tongue just barely poking out between his lips, but it makes your heart flutter a bit to know this new tidbit of info.

"Really? I didn't know he cared that much." Crosshair makes an amused noise.

"Cares? He's obsessed." He gets an odd look from you back, and Hunter seeks to clarify what Crosshair won't.

"The two of you really get along well," He says, and you raise your eyebrows. He can't exactly find the best way to put this so for the sake of his brother and for your own sanity, he'll be blunt.

"Look, we don't wanna shove into your business or anything," Hunter rubs the back of his neck. "But Tech really likes you." It's feels more than a little bit intense being underneath the stare of four eyes, especially considering who they are.

"But he's not gonna say it unless you do first."

Were you really so obvious in your attraction that they were all able to notice? You had hoped you were being at least somewhat subtle.

No point in denying it, you guess. They already have it all figured out.

"So, you want me to just go for it then?" You smile and laugh, expecting it to be taken as a joke. But instead, Hunter nods and agrees with you.

"Go sweep him off his feet."

You're not drunk in the slightest; seeing the outline of the Marauder ahead of you as you walk forward towards it with purpose. It's just that your conversation with the rest of the 99's has pushed you over the edge.

You ended up leaving not long after you'd finished talking, deciding to take the opportunity of Tech being alone. It's not too often you have the chance to do so.

You'll just say how you feel, and damn the consequences. You can't stay in the limbo anymore.

But Tech is just, so hard to read.

You've gotten better at it over time, but sometimes you find yourself wondering. His brothers know him best, and hopefully their encouragement doesn't end with you making an ass of yourself.

You have the codes to unlock the Marauder, bringing down the gangplank so you can head inside. Once you do, it's only takes a quick look to the right to locate Tech, who's situated in the cockpit using Gonky as an extension to his current work table; Which is the control panel. He heard your entrance and looks over, perking up in casual surprise.

"Oh, I thought you all would be out for most of the evening." He says it with curiosity, not disappointment. You notice he's reading one of the books you'd mentioned awhile ago when you step closer, datapad sat aside whatever he's been tinkering with. He must be using it as background noise.

"Yeah, it got a little too rowdy for my liking." He's soldering two wires together, humming and adjusting his goggles with a wiggle of his nose. When he speaks he's still working, not looking as you watch over him from his side.

"I apologize for my brothers if they said or did anything particularly uncouth; Them and large amounts of alcohol are not often the best combination." Speaking from experience? You joke to only yourself. Smiling, you wave off his concerns.

"Nah, they were fine," Your sentence hangs for a bit, leaning to one side as your eyes flick over his hands and arms. "I, wanted to talk to you, actually." That admission gets Tech's interest, naturally.

Gonky takes up a good portion of the free space between the seats, so he ushers the droid away and gives you the room to sit down.

"To me?" He seems both surprised and curious, already trying to figure out what you'd possibly need to talk to him about. It could be any number of things, it's not as if the two of you have ever run out of things to talk about.

"Yeah, I," You lick your lips, finding the words and the confidence to just say them.

Gods he looks so cute right now... You think while seeing his dark brown eyes watch you from behind his goggles.

"Do you want to go out sometime? Just you and me?" He quickly counts his tools as he puts them away back in his storage box, glancing up at you.

"Do you need help with something? I see no need why to specify just you and me if you would just like to go and-"

You get out of your seat and kneel on the edge of Tech's, leaning inward and stealing a kiss from him. He certainly looks surprised the moment you pull away, but it seems to get the point across well enough.

"Oh," He says, adjusting his goggles from where you'd bumped them out of alignment. "You meant in that way." His eyes are wide, flicking around focus on a different part of your face as he thinks.

"I, failed to think this was a possible scenario." In any other situation you might've considered making a joke, but the tone would be ruined if you did so.

"Being a clone isn't a desirable trait apart from a few select scenarios, my brothers are quite overbearing, and the state of the war I-" He cuts himself off, brain thinking a mile a minute. "You really want me?"

You smile and nod, lips just barely dusting over his. You can still feel his breath on your face, before he decides to kiss you this time. His feels more assertive, as if he's quickly gaining the confidence in what he's figured out so far. His body rises from his aggressive slouch and his hands move up your thighs, from where they had laid politely on your knees.

"Do you want me to say?" You say, feeling his hands on your hips.

His brothers won't be back for most of the night anyways. He has plenty of time to figure things out and get all the answers he needs.

"Yes."

[crewelpuppy]

puppy love ♥︎

part 2~

a/n:: i promised the crewels instead i know i’m sorry but i was already working on this so this is what you get, also if it’s bad know that i spent two hours nonstop writing and my brain is mush proofreading so

cw’s:: none i think unless luci being flustered is annoying

word count:: 2k

this routine continued for a few more weeks, as divus admired luciel from a distance and only continued to fall more hopelessly as the time continued. finally, the two bumped into each other yet again. luciel was carrying yet another bouquet out to his car, the gifts now having grown so large he could hardly see over them to walk, while divus had been on his way to lunch with a fellow teacher before he noticed the familiar sight, immediately abandoning his plans to rush over. he couldn’t pass up the opportunity again.. “you’re going to hurt yourself, dear.” he teased softly as he lifted up the bouquet, evoking the same surprised reaction that it always did from luciel. “i-ill be alright!” divus couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head, taking the bouquet into his arms anyways. “i can’t let you be getting hurt on my watch, so let me help.” he glanced over the flowers for a moment, admiring them before turning his gaze back to admire luciel instead. “so, is this mystery suitor of yours ever going to reveal themself? you must have enough roses to fill the whole library by now..” he teased, feeling that same pull in his chest as always. “oh i sure wish they would.. i’ve even had to start giving some to students i’ve had so many!” “is that so~? well, i’m sure the students greatly appreciate that.” divus chuckled as the two walked out to luciel’s car, but he couldn’t help but bite his cheek slightly at the thought of the students receiving roses from luciel instead of him..

finally he cleared his throat and said, “now that we’ve had another chance meeting, would you mind if i joined you for a quick chat? i still have some time left in my lunch break if you’re free..” “are you sure you want to spend it with me?” “of corusei am. why wouldn’t i want to spend time with a delightful being such as you~?” luciel’s face flushed slightly at his words, watching as he laid the bouquet in the backseat gently, ensuring that not a single petal was out of place before shutting the door. “it’s quite chilly out, we could just sit in the car if you’d like..?” luciel suggested softly, to which divus simply nodded and began to settle into the passenger seat with a soft breath at the nice feeling of the warm air being emitted from the vents. as luciel climbed into the driver’s seat, he quickly held his hands in front of the vents to warm them up a bit with a slight shiver, making divus chuckle softly as he took a moment to admire his soft and sweet features. his head tilted slightly as he asked, using every ounce of restraint in his body to not reach forward and take hold of his hands, “cold, pup?” “oh, just a little but i’ll be alright..” luciel’s dismissal of such a thing made him frown a little, especially since it was quite obvious that the poor thing was indeed cold, as shown by his little shivers and rosy face. “are you sure? i think otherwise, dear. here.” without another word, he gently took one of luciel’s hands into his own and began to rub it softly between the soft leather of his gloves, effectively warming it up much quicker than the heater (and warming up both of their faces as well). the gentle contact made luciel’s tail begin to swish again, softly tapping against the seat as the two of them just looked at each other, their shared affection clear as day.

“pup, your hands are absolutely frozen, how long have you been standing outside?” divus teased, though his he quickly raised his brow at the unexpected answer that luci had to give him. “well, maybe i accidentally got locked out of the library for a bit..” he mumbled with a soft, embarrassed chuckle, glancing down until he heard divus’ soft chuckle as he thought about the adorable sight. “how would you get locked out of your own library, little pup~? it’s not like the key has a mind of its own~” he teased yet again as he gave luciel’s hand a soft, affectionate squeeze, picking up the other hand to warm it up as well. “well, i tend to get a bit scatterbrained sometimes, and my keys were inside but my assistant was on break so he had to get back to let me in..” “oh, you’re a very silly thing, aren’t you?”

a soft smirk painted divus’ face at their soft banter, their hands still latched together as they enjoyed the warmth of the current scene. “perhaps next time you get locked out, you should find a nice place to sit and wait, like the teacher’s lounge.” “maybe you’re right..” luciel chuckled. “i’m always right, little pup.” divus’ confidence seemed radiant as he beamed down at his adorable little object of affection, squeezing his hands yet again. “and i can assure you that my office always has a nice, cozy fireplace going. you’re always welcome to come in and warm your hands when you need it.” he had been wanting an excuse to invite him to his office for so long, he was thanking his lucky stars at the excuse he was finally given, even if the sudden invitation seemed a bit brash. “oh, that does sound lovely.. maybe i should ask headmaster to get the library fireplace back running again..” luciel seemed to get lost in thought again, his little ears raising as he stared down contemplatingly. “that is a good matter to bring to him.” to divus, that brought the thought of how adorable luci would look cuddled up in front of a fireplace, in a cozy armchair with a book nestled into his lap. and from his perspective, looking at his pretty wool coat and the way his face bundled into his scarf and the way his legs crossed as he gazed from over the steaming rim of a teacup, and he couldn’t help his face flushing just a bit more. “i personally believe a crackling fireplace would be just the thing to get more students to use the library, don’t you?” he asked as he brought himself back from his thoughts, regaining his smirk as luciel seemed to do the same. “it sure would..” they both smiled at the thought of their students having somewhere nice and warm to go during such a chilly winter, though those thoughts quickly turned into the thoughts of the two of them sitting by the fireplace instead, luciel curled up on divus’ lap with a blanket over them as the two read a book together, which made them both clear their throat softly before looking out the window. what a beautiful scene, and how much they would love for it to be real..

after a moment, luci’s sweet voice rang through the quiet car again. “you know something i don’t understand?” ”and what would that be, little pup?” “how on earth does this mystery person keep getting perfectly in-bloom roses even during winter?” divus tilted his head slightly as he gave him a little smirk. “that, my dear, is a great question. i really have no idea where someone would find red roses at this time of year, unless perhaps, they’re grown in a greenhouse.” “oh,, you’re right.. pardon my silly question..” luciel felt a slight sense of embarrassment creep over him for not thinking about that possibility before asking the question. “oh come now, it was a perfectly sensible question. it’s not at all silly.” divus remarked as he gently tapped luciel’s chin, a soft smile on his face as he couldn’t help but admire the adorable look on his face. “i’ll admit, whoever is sending you these roses must be quite knowledgeable and skilled if they’re able to grow them out of season like that.” luciel just nodded, still not seeming to have caught onto him one bit. “now, that brings us to the next question: why would someone go through so much effort just to send you roses?” “i can’t understand either.. i’m not worth all that effort or money, i just don’t get why someone would do such a thing for me..” the boy’s words made divus’ heart ache, his heart breaking to think that he didn’t understand his own worth. he couldn’t help but to reach out and gently cradle luci’s cheek into his hand, giving his cheek a light brush with his thumb before murmuring, “oh, dear, you’re worth so much more than simple red roses..”

his words made luciel’s heart skip a beat, his cheeks flushing more and his ears lowering slightly. “you’re a gem, so precious.. i would do so much more than just giving you roses if i could..” the urge to pull luciel closer was strong, very strong, but divus kept his hand on his cheek despite the intense pull in his chest. as luciel looked at him and processed his words, he seemed to be slowly putting the pieces together. “have you figured it out yet, little pup..~?” luciel’s eyes widened in disbelief as he covered his mouth with a soft, surprised gasp. “no.. oh, why would you do such a thing??” he wasn’t actually upset, he just couldn’t grasp why anyone would go to such efforts just for him. “why, because i adore you. plain and simple.” divus couldn’t help but laugh softly, this boy was too adorable for his own good. “you can deny it all you want, but you’re absolutely lovely in my eyes.” luciel’s tail began to tap a bit louder at his words, making divus laugh as he reached over to give it a gentle pat. “oh how cute~ everything about you is just absolutely lovely~” he gently brought their hand that was still joined up to his lips to press a gentle kiss to luci’s knuckles, nuzzling his nose against it softly as he didn’t want to pull away. all of that time thinking about him and the restless night spent dreaming about this moment had finally come to fruition, and he had never felt happier. “th-thank you sir..” “you’re very welcome, pretty pup.”

luciel spoke up once again after a moment, with a question burning at him, though he seemed to bite his tongue as if there was a certain looming thought of rejection holding him back, “p-professor crewel, i-“ “what’s on your mind, dear?” “c-could— could we maybe see each other some time..? i mean, a-away from here, uhm, i—“ divus’ heart fluttered at the precious question, his lips turning into a smile in record time. “of course we can. in fact, i would be more than happy to see you sometime.” his pleasure at the question was crystal clear, already grinning just at the thought. “when would you like to see each other, little pup?” “why, i-i don’t know..” “how about this saturday? i’ll come pick up, dinner is on me.” he was already mentally making a list of all the nicest restaurants around, he had to make sure that this date was perfect to a t. “i’ll pick you up at 7:30 that night, make sure to wear something nice dear~” he pressed a few more kisses to luciel’s hand, unable to holdback his excitement and affections for too much longer.” “i will..~” luciel giggled softly at the sudden sensation, smiling down at him. “that’s my darling.”

divus squeezed his hand softly before finally sitting back up, already dreading the long time between today and saturday night. they spent a little bit more time chatting before returning to campus, leaning against each other as they walked to the steps of the library an arm around each other’s waists to take advantage of divus’ coat in the snow-covered outdoors. sadly, they reached the doors to the library soon, having to let go to part for the next bit, though of course divus only let him go after a few prolonged pecks on the cheek, not caring who was watching..

[breakerwhiskey]

122 - ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey.

Transcript under the cut. For more episodes, click here.

[click, static]

Alright, I’ve had some time to calm down. Get my head on straight. And maybe I should stop broadcasting entirely, but now that I’m on the other side of the country, who knows, maybe there will be some people here. Maybe this will finally reach sympathetic ears.

Also, I’ve gotten pretty used to talking out loud into this thing. It helps me think. So.

Here’s where I’m at—I spent the weekend looking through all my notes of everything that Birdie has said and every weird thing that’s happened and I’m going to lay it all out—everything I know—and try to figure out how the fuck it connects, if it does at all.

[click, static]

So. Messages that Birdie has sent me that make me fucking angry:

Telling me to stay out of Denver because it’s a “collision point” and then refusing to explain what that means.

Telling me I was wrong about my actions not having consequences and then refusing to explain what that means.

Saying that their job was important, that they betrayed it, and that it hurt people and then, you know, not explaining it.

And here are the things I know about Birdie—or I think I know:

They’ve been in the same spot this whole time. They’ve never encountered anyone else. They’re pretty good with a radio, having gotten it to broadcast this far, they don’t have physical speaking capabilities, and they’re trained in Morse code. Though to be fair, I’m technically trained in Morse code by now, so I’m not sure how revealing that is as a biographical fact.

And here are the things that Birdie has definitely lied about: That they don’t know what happened.

[click, static]

I don’t know if you found out what happened between you first contacting me and us talking in real-time. But one of your first messages to me was that you didn’t know what happened. And then when we spoke, you said you did, but that it was too complicated to explain in Morse code. So which is it?

[click, static]

Of course there’s a chance that you’ve been working much harder than me at actually trying to figure out what happened and you did it, you figured it out, but…well, Occam’s Razor right? I’ve spent nearly half a year driving around the country, looking for people, looking for answers and, sure, I haven’t been scientific about it, but I must have had a better chance of stumbling across something than you, a person who seems to have been sitting by their radio nonstop for 6 years.

Then again, there were those weeks-long stretches where you didn’t contact me at all, so maybe…

[click, static]

No, the simplest explanation is that you lied. If I’m being generous, maybe you lied because you didn’t know if you could trust me and then, over the course of a few months, you decided you could. You decided you trusted me enough to talk to me and tell me the truth. But to what end? Why tell me you know what happened, if you couldn’t explain what happened? What would that accomplish?

And that’s such a huge thing to lie about—I mean, I’ve lied in these transmissions, I’ve lied to you, but nothing big. Nothing…consequential. I choose to just not say anything at all instead of telling a big lie. But that’s a big lie, Birdie. That’s an intentional lie—whether the lie was that early message you sent me or when we talked, whichever one it is, it’s a big lie. And it has me thinking…

You don’t make that kind of big lie unless you’re confident in your ability to deceive. That’s the kind of falsehood that’s spoken by an experienced liar, not an amateur. So it wouldn’t have been the only lie you told me.

But experienced liars don’t fuck up unless they start to lose track of what lies they’ve told. So if you fucked up when you talked to me and told me the truth—that you do know what happened—then, well Birdie, that tells me you’re losing track of the lies. Which means that everything you’ve told me—everything—isn’t to be believed.

Which puts me…well, if my intent here is to lay out everything I know that I’m pretty sure I’ve already failed. I know fucking nothing.

[click, static]

[lemongingerart]

Okay so, story time.

My daughter just turned 9, and I kindaaaaa pushed her into the ATLA fandom, because I thought it was something really fitting for her. (Also, I'm a zutara shipper, one of the few non-canon ships I really connected to when I watched it). She also watched Korra and enjoyed both series very much. She's now doing a full rewatch right after finishing it

And then... she started giggling and talking nonstop about Zuko and I had this little moment of weird pride that took over??? At the same time, my husband was rolling his eyes and mumbling "what is it with all these bad guys with a dark past and their struggles?" to me and aaah... now he has two fangirls under the same roof and I am enjoying this way too much 😂😂😂 we've reached the point that she has convinced her friends to watch it and play ATLA every break at school. She's obsessed and every normal parent would probably minimize this but I am doing the opposite. I'm trying to give her some sense of fiction vs. reality, but without pressuring her not to use her imagination. I want to guide it in the right direction, you know?

Anyway.

The next week, she comes up to me: "Mommy, I know what I want to do! I want to write stories about ATLA! Because there aren't any translated from English to Dutch and it's so unfair! We should be able to enjoy some stories as well!"

And I'm like... 👀okay, good plan👀

Of course, I encourage her. She always struggles with handwriting and she has to exercise more on her typing skills, and I'm glad she finally found something she really wants to do. It's been a while since she had this focus on something, youbknow? Apart from the fun, this is going to help her.

So I give her some headstart and ask about the plot, and we have this geek to geek conversation.

One day later, she wants to know what fanfiction is and how to write it and if she can find some to read herself. I'm like... 'eh?' 😳 Seems like daddy told her I write some too 🥲 I am sooo grateful she didn't ask further. She know it's about Star Wars and that's it. She hasn't seen the movies yet. So I'm still safe for now. (We wait a bit longer because my son and her are so easily scared 😅 we don't want it to be a bad experience, you know...)

And now I feel like I want to give her some fanfic to read, but since she's only 9, she doesn't understand English and throwing something in a translate tool is always weird. There might be some Dutch ones, but the chances of it being fit forbm her age and good quality are nonexistent (unless by any chance someone knows!!! Please share!!!). I really want to give her the best experience, you know...

As an extra, I really really don't have time now to screen some fics myself. So I hate the feeling I'm probably going to lose this momentum and maybe disappoint her.

Anyway. I am morally obliged to draw her fictional boyfriend villain. It's a challenge, since it's been so long since I could draw. But, maybe I just need this challenge to start over again. Starting after a hiatus is always tough on me. The 'mothers aren't allowed free time' syndroma always gets me. I just need to break through the barriers and maybe doing something for her instead of me will lessen the feeling of misplaced guilt.

[bcdwhcre]

Hi!! Can I make a request for Levi giving reader back massages from having back pain frequently from training? I love your writing so much 😭😭♥️♥️

“Aftercare,” Levi x Reader

Summary: Levi being the soft boyfriend he is and giving you back massages after a long week of training nonstop🥺

Warnings: nonee

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.

.

It had been a draining week, the nonstop getting up before dawn and training all the way till sunset had you beat and even a full nights sleep didn’t help with the aching pain you felt running through your body with each step you took.

You had barged open the door, almost startling Levi who laid in bed with a book in his hands before his eyes moved up to look at you. The painful groan slipped past your parted lip as you kicked the door shut behind you, not even looking his way.

He had furrowed his eyebrows, watching the dramatic state you were in as you stomped your feet where the bed was, huffing and puffing while slipping your shoes and parts of your clothing off.

“Should I even ask what’s wrong?” His eyes had been focused on you since you walked in, he was sure he couldn’t focus on his book now while you stomped around and flop down on the bed.

“My body is in pain and not the good kind.” You mumbled, your half naked body crawling up to his and laying your head down on his shoulder, closing your eyes from how beaten up you were.

The sleep had made your eyes heavy, trying to prevent yourself from falling asleep right then and there as Levi shut his book, setting it aside. He noticed how tired you have been to the point where you can’t even finish ranting about your day to him without instantly being asleep once your face hit the pillow.

He felt guilty with the amount of work you have been doing the last week, he secretly wished he could take your place and deal with all the stress instead so you can rest and sleep as much as you would like.

“Alright, sit up.” He gently patted your cheek, making you sit up on the bed and your hooded eyes met with his.

He had gotten up from the bed you two shared, leaning down to lift you up in his arms and carry you inside the bathroom. He rarely did this, only on special occasions or when you really needed it. He sat you down on the bathroom counter, placing a gentle kiss on your soft lip then turned away to fill up the bath.

Your head leaned back against the mirror, watching him but also feeling how weak you truly felt. You could barely move your arms, everything inside of you was tensed up and in pain. The constant going out there training everyday was painful enough but it was more painful being away from Levi and not being able to spend even ten minutes with him.

Levi was a very observant person, he noticed everything whether it was small or big, he was sure to catch on and keep note of it in his head. So, it wasn’t hard to notice the weight of everything weigh down on heavily on your shoulders.

He sighed, stopping the water once it made it up high enough and he took off the remaining clothes that you had on. He made you stand up straight, helping you inside the bath tub and didn’t take long to get in after you, sitting behind you and pulling your back against his chest.

You couldn’t help the small hum slipping out of your mouth, the hot water easing the pain in your muscles and you sunk against his chest more, your eyes closed.

He made sure to watch over you, making sure you weren’t falling asleep in the tub while his hands traced along your body, pressing his fingers down into your shoulders to take off more of the built up tension in your body.

He stayed quiet, he wanted you to relax as much as possible and he didn’t want to bother you in any way, even though it was be nearly impossible for your boyfriend to annoy you unless he did it on purpose but even then you enjoyed every small moment you two shared.

The way his lips would place quick kisses along your skin, from your cheek down to your shoulder, it made you forget about everything you went through this past week. Every training exercise, every painful workout you did, it all slipped from your mind and out the window.

Levi had sat in the tub with you for nearly half an hour before he had washed you up himself, making sure to scrub your scalp and rinsing the soap off your head and body then finishing off with lifting you up and wrapping a towel around you.

“Thank you, Lev.” You mumbled while he carried you back to bed with both of you just in a towel, his lips had curved into a smile after you kissed his cheek.

“You know you don’t have to thank me every time I do something I should be doing.” He laid you down on the mattress, only slipping a pair of underwear up your legs and throwing his t-shirt on your body.

“Lay on your stomach.” He ordered you while he slid on a pair of sweatpants and crawled up on the bed, watching you do so.

“Is this some freaky position you want to try?” You said into the mattress and that made him laugh, rolling his eyes.

“Jesus- no, I mean,” He started off before shaking his head, his laugh rang through your ears like music and you couldn’t help but sit there and listen at his cute laugh.

“I just wanted to make you feel better before you go to sleep, I know how much pain your muscles are in right now.” He had playfully patted your butt, moving in a position to where he was almost sitting on your back legs and slipped his hands underneath the shirt you were wearing.

“Whatever you say, Captain.” You teased him, feeling his fingertips trace along your back and it had actually made you shiver slightly before he had chosen a spot to give you a deep massage, feeling the knots in your back muscles as he tried to smooth them out.

A few sounds of pleasure had left your lips and muffled into the bed, the way his fingers danced on your skin and eased the pain away made your heart flutter and made you fall even harder for this man if that was even possible. It had made you feel more important the way he listened to your wants and needs and gave you everything you needed to make you feel better.

The way he would cuddle you, kiss you and did everything in his power to make you laugh, to make you feel comfortable and happy made your heart feel like it was going to explode.

As his fingers continued to dip down, smoothing out on your bare back, you couldn’t fight the sleep that washed over you. Levi knew after a while that you had fallen asleep, the soft quiet breaths leaving your mouth made it obvious and his smile had appeared on his face again.

He had stopped after he was sure you were in a deep sleep, not wanting to wake you so he carefully moved you and dropped the blankets on top of your body after he slipped in beside you. His arm instantly wrapping around your small body, planting one last kiss to your head before he slept.

.

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This was such a cute idea, I’m in love with Levi🤧

• Main Masterlist •

• AOT Masterlist •

[celepeace]

A monster-taming game recommendation list for fans of Pokemon

Whether you're a pokemon fanatic obsessed with all things pokemon past and present, or a veteran fan disillusioned with GameFreak's recent adoption of monetary philosophies and strategies reminiscent of other major game publishers, or looking for a monster-taming fix as you await new Pokemon content...

I'm compiling here a post of little-known games in the genre that Pokemon fans are likely to enjoy!

Under readmore cause long, but some of these games really don’t get the attention they deserve, so if you have the time, please read!

(I am also likely to keep updating and editing this post)

First up is Temtem!

Temtem is a game made by and for Pokemon fans, from the spanish indie developer Crema. Temtem is currently in early access on Steam and PS5, and is likely to remain in early access until sometime late next year. Full launch will include a Nintendo Switch release, too. Despite this, it has plenty of content to explore before full release. The developers are active, release new content on a semi-regular basis, and are responsive to the community as a whole and individuals if you happen to come across a bug you want to report.

Temtem boasts a wide variety of monsters to collect and train. It takes place in the Airborne Archipelago, a system of floating islands that orbit their star, the Pansun. The monsters inhabiting the archipelago are called Temtem, or tem(s), for short.

As far as game mechanics go, it has many similarities to Pokemon, but also many important distinctions. The biggest one, in my opinion, is that the element of chance has been removed from battle entirely. Moves cannot miss, have the same power constantly, and status afflictions have an obviously displayed countdown to when they will wear off (for instance, sleep lasts as long as it says it will last. Not 2-4 turns). PP does not exist, either. Your tems can battle for as long as their HP holds out. In place of PP, a new system called Stamina exists. Stamina is an individual stat, like HP and Attack. Each move costs a certain amount of stamina. If you go over the amount of stamina your tem has, the deficit is detracted from your health instead, and that tem cannot move next turn. Stamina passively regenerates a certain amount each turn, and items and moves exist that can heal stamina. All battles are also double-battles, you and your opponent will typically have two tems on the field at a time. This is just a few of the differences Temtem has from Pokemon, but they're some of the biggest ones.

Temtem is also a massively multiplayer game. You complete the storyline independently (or with a friend through co-op!), but in the overworld you can see other, real players moving around and interacting with the world. There is also public and area-specific chat you can talk to other players through. Despite this, all multiplayer functions are (currently) completely optional. You do not need to interact with others to complete the game.

Overall, Temtem is suitable for the Pokemon fan who is looking for a more challenging experience. Temtem is not a walk in the park you can blaze through with a single super-strong monster. For one, individual tem strength is more well-balanced than it is in Pokemon. There are very few (if any!) completely useless tems. Even some unevolved tems have their niche in the competitive scene! Aside from that, enemy tamers are scaled quite high, and you typically cannot beat them just from the exp you get from other enemy tamers. You have to do some wild-encounter grinding if you want to progress.

Temtem is a very fun game and I've already gotten over 100 hours out of it, despite only 3/5-ish of the planned content being released!

However, I do feel obligated to warn any prospective players of one thing: the current endgame is quite inaccessible. After you complete what is currently implemented of the main storyline, there is still quite a lot left to explore and do, but much of it is locked behind putting a lot of hours into the game. You kind of have to get perfect temtem to do the current PVE (and this is also somewhat true for the PVP too). By perfect I mean you have to breed a good tem and then train it to get the preferable EVs (called TVs in temtem). This takes... well, for a whole team... tens of hours. Of boring grinding. Some people enjoy it! But I don't. Regardless, the game was still worth buying because the non-endgame content is expansive and fun.

So overall, pros & cons:

Pros

Battle system is more friendly towards a competitive scene

Cute monsters

Lots of gay characters, also you can choose pronouns (including they/them) independently from body type and voice

Less difference between the objectively bad tems and good tems than there is in Pokemon

Lots of stuff to do even in early access

Most conversations with dialog choices have the option to be a complete ass for no reason other than it’s fun

Having less type variety in your team is less punishing than in Pokemon due to the synergy system and types overall having less weaknesses and resistances

At least one major character is nonbinary

Cons

Falls prey to the issue of MMOs having in-game economies that are only accessible to diehard no-life players

Related to the above point, cosmetics are prohibitively expensive

Endgame CURRENTLY is inaccessible to most players unless you buy good monsters from other players or spend tens of hours making your own. However I must add that the grind is great if you like that kind of thing and is quite easy and painless to do while watching a show or something.

Here is their Steam page and here is their official website.

Next is Monster Hunter: Stories!

This is a spinoff game of the Monster Hunter franchise released for the 3DS in 2018. If you're anything like me, and you've played the core Monster Hunter games, you've often thought "Man, I wish I could befriend and ride these cool dragon creatures instead of killing or maiming them!"

Well now you can! In Stories, as I will be calling it, you play as a rider rather than a hunter. Riders steal monster eggs from wild nests to raise them among humans as companions and guardians. And yes, egg stealing is a whole mechanic in of itself in this game.

This game works pretty differently from most monster-collecting games. You do battle (usually) against one or two wild monsters using your own, except you fight alongside your monsters too. With swords and stuff. There's armor and weapons you can smelt to make yourself stronger. Type match-ups also kind of don't exist in this game? Except they do? But not in a way you'd expect?

The vast majority of attacking moves you and your monster use fall into categories reminiscent of rock-paper-scissors. Moves can be categorized as power, speed, or technical. Speed beats power, technical beats speed, and power beats technical. The matchup of your move vs your opponent's determines how a turn will go down. If one move beats the other in matchup, then the winner's move will get to go and the loser doesn't get to do anything. If you tie, you both get hit, but for reduced damage. There's also abilities and basic attacks, with abilities basically being the same as pokemon moves, and basic attacks just being "I hit you for normal damage within this category". Also, you don't control what your monster does all the time in battle. You can tell it to use abilities, but what kind basic attacks it carries out is determined by its species' preference. Velicidrome, for instance, prefers speed attacks, but Yian Garuga prefers technical. Stamina also exists in this game in a very similar manner to Temtem.

Overall this game carries over a lot of mechanics Monster Hunter fans will find familiar (how items and statuses work for instance). You don't have to have played a core Monster Hunter game to enjoy Stories though! It's fine and is easy to understand as a stand-alone.

The story has some likable characters and is rather long (it was actually adapted into an anime!), for those of you who enjoy a good story.

I'd really recommend this one especially. If it sounds fun to you and you can drop $30, just do it. I bought it on a whim and I got a few weeks' worth of playing almost nonstop out of it, and I didn't even get to do everything! (I got distracted by Hades, oops)

Stories is also getting a sequel later next year on the nintendo switch! How exciting!

And yes, you do ride the monsters.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Large variety of cool monsters to befriend and raise

Pretty lengthy story

Every tamable monster is also rideable

Deceptively simple combat mechanics, easy to be okay at, hard to master

Incorporates some mechanics from early turn-based party rpgs like Final Fantasy for a nice twist on the monster collecting genre

Cons

Many monsters are objectively outclassed by other ones, making what can be in an actually good team more limited than you’d expect

3DS graphics inherently means the game looks like it was made 7 years before its time

Here is the Monster Hunter Stories official 3DS product page.

And here is Monster Sanctuary!

Monster sanctuary is a game that just had its 1.0 launch- meaning it was in early access and no longer is! Although the devs say they still plan to implement a few more things into the game in future updates. It is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.

Monster sanctuary is a metroidvania twist on the typical monster collecting game, meaning it is also a sidescrolling platformer in which you use abilities you gain throughout the game to explore the world around you. The abilities in this case are the monsters you get! Every monster has an ability that helps you traverse the sanctuary.

Speaking of the sanctuary, the game is set in one. The monster sanctuary is a magically shielded area, cut off from the rest of the world, created by an order of monster keepers, people who befriend and protect the mystical monsters inhabiting the world. Humankind encroached too far on the natural habitat of monsters and were hostile to the native wildlife, so the keepers created an area of varied environments to safely protect and preserve the remaining monsters of the world.

Unlike many other monster collecting games, this game only has 5 types: fire, water, earth, air, and neutral. However, the types themselves do not possess resistances and weaknesses. Instead, each monster has its own assigned weaknesses and resistances. And yes, this can include things like debuffs, physical vs special attacks, and the typical elemental types.

All battles are also 3 vs 3! And unlike in pokemon, where you can only hit the enemies nearest, all monsters have the ability to hit any opponent they want. Turns also work a little differently in that speed doesn't exist, you just use 1 move per monster in your turn and then it goes to your opponent's turn. Your monsters hit in whatever order you want them to.

There is also a quite important combo system in this game, where every hit builds a damage multiplier for the next. Moves often hit multiple times per turn. Healing and buffing actions also build this combo counter. So what monsters you have move in what order really counts!

But the main mechanical difference between this and other games in the genre is how it handles levels and skills. Instead of learning a set move at a certain level, this game incorporates a skill tree, and you get to allocate points into different skills as you grow stronger. And jeez, these skill trees are really extensive. Monster sanctuary is a theorycrafter's dream. Each monster has a unique, specially tailored skill tree, making every monster truly able to have its own niche. You can make use of whatever monster you want if you just put thought into it!

And like Temtem, this game is not made to be beatable by children. I'm sure a child could beat it, but it's not made to be inherently child-friendly like pokemon. It's honestly quite difficult.

On top of that, you are actively encouraged to not just be scraping by each battle. Your performance in battle is rated by an automated system that scores your usage of various mechanics like buffs and debuffs applied, type matchups, and effective usage of combos. The rating system directly influences the rewards you get from each battle, including your likelihood of obtaining an egg from one of the wild monsters you battled (no, you don't catch wild monsters in this game, you get eggs and hatch them). If you're not paying attention to how the game works and making good, effective use of your monsters, you'll have a hard time expanding your team!

The music is also really good, it's made by nature to be able to play over and over and not get old as you explore each area, and the composer(s) really did a good job with this. Some area songs, namely the beach one, I especially enjoy, so much so I've actually played it in the background while I do work.

This is a game I would really recommend. If I made it sound intimidating, it is by no means unbeatable, you're just gonna have to put some thought into how you play. At no point did I actually feel frustrated or like something was impossible. When I hit a wall, I was able to recognize what I did wrong and how I could improve, or I could at least realize something wasn't working and experiment until I found a solution. It's challenging in a genuinely fun, rewarding way.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Extremely in-depth combat system

I genuinely don’t know if there’s an objectively bad monster in this game

Evolution exists but is completely optional, as even un-evolved monsters can be great

Entire soundtrack is full of bangers

Large and diverse variety of monsters to tame

Cons

Story is a little lackluster, but passable

That’s the only con I can think of

Here’s a link to their Steam page and the game’s website.

A kind of unorthodox recommendation is the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series!

Likelihood is that everyone reading this has heard of this series already, but just in case anyone hasn't, I thought I'd include it! I would categorize this as a hybrid between the mystery dungeon genre and the monster collecting genre, because you recruit pokemon as you play and can use those pokemon on your team!

If you're unaware, the mystery dungeon genre is a small subset of dungeon crawler games where you progress through randomly generated levels called mystery dungeons. Throughout the dungeons, there will be enemies to fight and items to collect. The challenge of these games is mostly due to the stamina aspect of them, in that you have to manage your resources as you progress through the level. If you go all out in each fight, you will inevitably lose quite quickly. You have to learn to win against enemies while balancing your use of items and PP, so you have enough for the next fight, and the fight after that.

Pokemon mystery dungeon in particular is famous for its stories, the likes of which isn't seen often in Pokemon games. They are hugely story-driven games and are notable for the emotional depth they possess. It's pretty normal for the average player to cry at least once in the span of the game. There's lots of memes about that specifically.

This entry in my list is also unique for being a series. So, which one should you play first? It actually doesn't matter! Each storyline is entirely self-contained and requires no knowledge of prior entries. The quality of each entry varies and is a point of contention among fans. I say you should play all of them, because they all have their merits (though some more than others.... coughgatestoinfinitycough). They're mostly distinct for the generation of Pokemon they take place in. Rescue team is gen 3, Explorers is gen 4, Gates to Infinity is gen 5, Super Mystery Dungeon is gen 6, and Rescue Team DX is a remake of a gen 3 game but has the mechanics and moves of a gen 8 game.

My only real caution is that you play Explorers of Sky, not Darkness or Time. Sky is basically a combination of the two games with added items and content. It's an objective upgrade over its predecessors, and I honestly wouldn't waste money on the other two. 

I’m not going to include a pros and cons list for the PMD series because I’m incredibly biased and it wouldn’t be an honest review.

Next is Monster Crown!

Monster Crown is a monster collecting game that seems to take heavy inspiration from early-gen Pokemon games in particular. It is currently in early access on Steam and is not expensive. I learned about it through the developers of Monster Sanctuary, when they recommended it on their official Discord.

The game has lots of charm and interesting creature designs, and an entirely new take on monster typings as well. Instead of monster types being based off of natural elements like fire, water, electricity, etc. Monster Crown uses typings that seem to be influenced by the personalities of the monsters. For instance, Brutal, Relentless, and Will are all monster types!

It also captures a lot of the charm many of us look fondly upon in early GameBoy-era games. The music is mostly chiptune, with some more modern backing instruments at times, and the visuals are very reminiscent of games like Pokemon Crystal in particular. Monster Crown is definitely the monster collecting game for fans of the 8-bit era!

The thing that stands out the most to me about this game is the breeding system. Instead of one parent monster passing down its species to its offspring, you can create true hybrids in this game.

However, it is very early access. I would consider the current build as an alpha, not even a beta yet! So temper your expectations here. I have not encountered any major bugs, but visual glitches here and there are quite common. The game also could definitely use some polish and streamlining, and is quite limited in content currently. But the dev(s) seem quite active, so I fully expect these kinks to be worked out in time!

The reviews are rather positive, especially for being in early access. I'm all for expanding the monster collecting genre, so if you're looking to expand your horizons in that sense, I would recommend you at least give this one a look! I personally had quite a bit of fun playing Monster Crown and am going to keep an eye out for updates.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Charming artstyle, appealing monster designs

Faithful callback to a bygone era of gaming

Controls are fairly simple and easy to get the hang of (and are completely customizable!)

Cool breeding and hybridization mechanics

There's a starter for each monster type!

You can choose your pronouns, including they/them!

Cons

Inherent nature of being very early access means can be clunky and unpolished at times

Also not much content as of right now, see above

User interface could use some redesign in places

Here’s their Steam page and the official website!

Here’s an oldie but a goodie, Azure Dreams!

This is one I actually haven’t played, mostly because it’s really old and therefore only practically accessible if you play it on an emulator, unless you're one of those old game collectors. Azure Dreams was developed by Konami and released for the PS1 in 1997. My impression of it was that it either didn’t sell well or only took off in Japan, because it’s actually really hard to find any comprehensive information about it on the internet.

Azure Dreams is a monster collecting - dating sim hybrid. You can build relationships with various characters and can pursue some of them romantically, although that isn’t the main draw of the game. There is also a stripped-down version that exists for the GameBoy Color, which forgoes the dating portion of the game entirely.

Azure Dreams is kind of like a mystery dungeon game in that you progress through a randomly generated, ever-changing tower using the help of the familiars you have accrued throughout your adventure. Similarly to Monster Hunter: Stories, you yourself also take part in the fighting alongside your monsters. Each time you enter the tower, your character’s level is lowered to 1, but your familiars keep their experience. Thus, progression is made through strengthening your monsters. To obtain monsters, you collect their eggs, just like in Monster Sanctuary (which, turns out, was at least partially inspired by this game!)

Due to this game being very old and on the PS1, the visuals leave a lot to be desired... but if you can get past that, Azure Dreams has lots of replayability and customization to how you play the game. To this day, it appears it has a somewhat active speedrunning community!

If you don’t mind the effort of using an emulator, and like old games, Azure Dreams just might be that timesink you were looking for in quarantine.

Honorable mentions:

Pokemon Insurgence (or any Pokemon fangame/ROMhack, really!) is a Pokemon fangame that introduces Delta Pokemon, which are really cool type-swapped versions of existing Pokemon. It’s sufficiently challenging and has a lot of variety in what you can catch in the wild, so you can pretty much add whatever you want to your team! The story is quite good, and the main campaign is multiple times longer than a typical Pokemon game’s campaign. Download it here!

ARK: Survival Evolved is NOT a monster collecting game BUT you do get to tame and fight alongside a lot of really cool extinct species, including but not limited to the dinosaurs we all know and love. This game is genuinely fun as hell, especially with friends, but I must warn you: never play on official servers. I highly recommend singleplayer, playing on a casual private server, or making your own server. Here’s the Steam page.

[watchyourbluesturngolden]

let me in

this is very different from what I’ve been writing lately. this is just something I have struggled with, and I know there are others out there who also struggle with this. 

please do not self harm. there are so many other ways to deal with problems, self harming will not help. please talk to someone you trust if you are struggling with this. I love you very much and i want you to stay safe and healthy :)

this includes graphic descriptions of self harm, so please do not read if this will be triggering for you!

warnings: self harm, graphic descriptions of self harm, blood, anxiety, angst

word count: 3.5k

You had been getting better. The thin scars on your legs had nearly faded away; they weren’t even noticeable unless you knew where to look. You hadn’t had the urge to harm yourself in what felt like ages. You weren’t even upset when you noticed the faded lines anymore. You knew they were part of your past, not something you needed to keep reliving.

Harry didn’t know. You had stopped soon before you started dating him, and it wasn’t something you really wanted him to know about. Logically, you knew he would never make you feel bad about it. Of course, he would want to make sure you were ok, and you just didn’t want to have that conversation. You were fine. You didn’t want to go through the whole “why would you do this to yourself” because honestly, you didn’t know.

There was also a part of you, albeit a small one, that was scared to see how he would react. What if you were wrong? What if, once you told him, he saw you as a crazy girl who slit her own skin because she was sad? What if he decided you weren’t worth the trouble? What if he didn’t want someone who was broken?

You felt bad keeping this from him, but you told yourself it was for a good reason. The last person you had let see your scars was your ex. He had always been good to you, up until you trusted him enough to show him the ruined skin. He had pulled away, looking mildly disgusted. He had made you feel like an idiot, asking over and over again why you would do something like that to yourself. He even implied you had done it for attention.  

So, you just didn’t tell Harry. It’s not like he would ever need to find out. The scars were faint and high up on your thighs, and there was only one that could really be seen. It’s not hard to explain away one small scar.

Lately, though, something was different. You didn’t know why, you just felt off. Nothing had changed; there was no big stressful life event happening. You weren’t approaching any milestones or anniversaries, those were always hard. You and Harry weren’t having any problems; you were just as in love as ever. You weren’t even stressed at work; in fact, you had been doing very well there for a few weeks now.

Maybe it was just that everything felt too perfect. You weren’t used to having such a stress free time. Ironically, it was making you anxious. It felt like the calm before the storm. The only problem? you had no idea what this storm was, or when it would strike.

You were just constantly on edge. You would flinch when Harry came up behind you, tensing in his arms before you relaxed against him. You were short tempered with your coworkers when all they were trying to do was make polite conversation. You felt like you were constantly on the verge of tears, and the smallest inconvenience made you cry.

Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by Harry. He could tell something was wrong, he just didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if asking you about it would upset you more, so he just made sure to let you know he was there for you if you needed anything.

He didn’t know it, but this just made you feel worse. You felt like you were being a terrible girlfriend, being snippy and closed off when he hadn’t done anything wrong. You didn’t have the energy to go into everything right now. You were just tired, mentally and physically. You barely had the energy to get up in the morning, instead snoozing your alarm and rolling over until Harry reminded you that you’d be late for work. Not that you really cared about that anymore.

It was getting harder to care about anything anymore. You were just too exhausted to care about your job or your skincare routine or your favorite tv show. You were still taking care of yourself, but you were pretty much just doing the bare minimum at this point. You knew you weren’t eating enough, and most days you drank much less water than you should. Eventually, Harry got too worried to stay quiet anymore.

“Love, we need to talk,” he said, settling into the couch next to you. “What’s been going on with you? I can tell something is wrong, did I do something?”

“No, of course not,” you said, immediately feeling guilty. “I’ve just been- I don’t know.”

“Been what?”

“Nothing, just- work has been stressful,” you lied. You didn’t really know what else to say. You really had no idea why you felt so miserable and anxious all the time.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you were mad at me,” he said, looking relieved as he pulled you against him.

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry I worried you,” you said, staring blankly ahead over his shoulder.

“Promise you’ll talk to me when you feel this way, yeah? I don’t want you to be sad all alone. I want to help you feel better, and if I can’t, then I want to be sad with you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“I love you,” you whispered, clutching his shoulder.

-----

Even though you had Harry’s continued support, you could feel yourself getting worse again. You were more anxious than ever, and you were getting less and less sleep. You knew the two were related, but you couldn’t help it. You laid awake most nights, listening to Harry’s even breathing next to you as you stared at the dark fabric of his sleep shirt. At this point you were getting less than five hours each night.

All the energy you did have was devoted to pretending everything was fine. You forced yourself to smile and be polite to your friends and coworkers. Your family was convinced that you were doing well. Harry was harder to lie to.

You didn’t know it, but he didn’t fall asleep very easily. The even breathing you heard at night wasn’t really a sign of his sleep, but rather him trying to soothe you. He stayed up with you until you fell asleep, only letting himself drift off once you were down. He knew how little sleep you were getting, he just didn’t know why. He didn’t want to press for answers, especially after you had insisted you were ok.  But he couldn’t let this go on. He saw that you were eating less and laying around more. He saw how your fingers constantly fidgeted, pulling at your clothes or picking on your cuticles. He saw that your smile never quite reached your eyes like it used to.

Harry didn’t want to leave you alone. He was worried that something would happen; that the dam holding your feelings back would suddenly break and you would be wrecked. He barely left the house, working from home as much as he possibly could.

Some days, though, he had to go in.

“I’m going to the studio today,” he said, kissing your forehead. “I shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”

“Ok,” you said with a small smile.

He held back a sigh, noticing once again how fake the expression looked.

“I’ll text you when we’re finishing up. I can bring something home for dinner, what do you want?”

“Whatever you want’s fine,” you replied, looking down at your nails. They really were in bad shape. You had been pulling at them constantly, not even noticing it most of the time. You just couldn’t keep still, needing a way to release the nervous energy built up inside you.

“Sounds good,” he smiled, picking his keys up from the bowl by the door. “Love you.”

“You too,” you answered, only glancing up at him for a second before you went back to picking at your skin.

He stepped out the door, leaving you alone with your racing thoughts. Almost immediately, your mind drifted to the kitchen.

You weren’t sure when the desire had come back. It had been so long since you had felt the urge to harm yourself. You really thought you would never do it again. Now, every time you were alone, you couldn’t drag your thoughts away from the knives in the kitchen.

You felt your eyes drifting toward the drawer where you kept all the utensils, your mind telling you to go get one. Your heart started to speed up, which was never a good sign. You felt the beginnings of panic as it became harder to take a deep breath. You looked at your hands, clenching them into fists to stop the shaking.

You stood up, taking an uncertain step toward the kitchen.

You took a steadying breath, forcing your lungs to move. The closer you got to the kitchen, the worse you felt. Your hands were shaking nonstop and you felt nauseous, your heart still pounding out of your chest. You knew this was just the anxiety. You weren’t really dying, even though your brain was trying to convince you otherwise. Even though you knew you were physically in a safe place, you didn’t feel like it.

You made your way to the drawer where you knew the knives were, sucking in a deep breath when you pulled it open.

Am I really about to do this?

You picked up the closest one, slamming the drawer shut and sinking down to the floor. You leaned your back against the cabinet, holding the knife in a death grip as you breathed shakily. You slid up the thin fabric of your pajama shorts, inspecting the skin.

Your breath hitched when you saw the single scar, remembering the night you had put it there. You remembered the countless other cuts you had made, all too small to leave noticeable marks.

With those terrible thoughts in your head, you pressed the tip of the knife into your skin, dragging it parallel to the existing scar with enough pressure to leave a small trail of blood.

You exhaled as the pain exploded along the injury. You had forgotten how much this hurt. As much as the cut stung, though, it was better than the horrible restlessness and anxiety. It was grounding.

You dropped the knife to the floor beside you, sliding it away so it was out of your reach. You put your hands over your face, tipping your head back to rest against the wood.

After a few minutes, the open cut was still really hurting. You looked down to see a thin trickle of blood running down your leg. You sighed, standing up and making your way to the bathroom.

You gritted your teeth when you ran a wet cloth over the cut, wiping away the blood. You placed a band-aid over the area, pulling the edges of the injury together in hopes that it would heal faster.

Finally, you changed out of your shorts and into a pair of sweatpants. You didn’t want to take any chances and let Harry see what you had done.

Once everything was cleaned up, you went back to the kitchen to pick up the knife. You rinsed it quickly in the sink before putting it in the dishwasher so you wouldn’t have to see it anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.

-----

Harry came in the house to see nothing had changed. You were still sitting on the couch in the same position with the same expression on your face. The only difference was that you were wearing pants instead of shorts. When he asked, you easily explained it was because you were cold. He didn’t totally believe you, but he didn’t know what to say, so he let it go.

He had decided to bring home McDonalds, knowing how much you loved chicken nuggets. He got concerned, though, when you picked at it and ate less than half of the meal.

“Y/N, really, is something wrong?”

“Hm?” You hummed, looking up.

“Is everything alright? You’re not acting like yourself. You’re not even eating your chicken nuggets.”

“Oh- I just ate a lot today.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said gently. “You haven’t been eating much at all lately.”

“I’m- I’m just not hungry, I don’t know,” you said, avoiding his eyes. “I’m really tired, I think I’m just going to go to bed. Thank you for bringing this,” you stood up from the table, bringing your leftovers to the fridge so you could eat them later. You pressed a kiss to his cheek before padding up the stairs.

You looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror, sighing at the dark circles under your eyes. They had been getting more prominent lately with how little sleep you were getting.

You brushed your teeth, ignoring the exhaustion that was clawing at you. All you wanted was to collapse into bed, but there was one other thing you had to do first. You set the toothbrush back in the stand, taking a deep breath. You pulled the sweatpants down, glancing at the cut from earlier. Your stomach turned when you saw how red the area was.

You quickly pulled them back up, flicking off the light switch and making your way back to your room. You were a little surprised to see Harry laying in the bed.

“Are you going to sleep? It’s still pretty early,” you said, glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

“I had a long day,” he smiled, stretching his arms out. “Also, how could I resist cuddling you?”

You smiled, the first genuine one in weeks. Harry’s heart swelled. It felt like forever since he’d seen you happy.

“Come on then!” He said, wiggling his fingers at you.

Once you settled in, you very quickly realized you might have a problem. You were used to sleeping in, as Harry called it, “the most uncomfortable position known to man”. You were mostly on your stomach, but your upper body was slightly twisted so both of your arms were in front of you, wrapped around the edge of the blankets. Harry would throw his arm over your back and one of his legs over yours. This was normally fine, but it also meant the front of your legs were pressed against the mattress.

The sweatpants you wore were smooth, but they felt like sandpaper on the wounded skin of your thigh. You were constantly adjusting, trying to find a position that would allow you to relax. You thought you were being subtle, but apparently not so much.

“Why’re you moving so much?” Harry murmured, not opening his eyes.

“Sorry,” you said quietly. “Can’t get comfy.”

“Maybe that’s because you’re flopping around like a fish out of water,” he said, a small smile appearing on his lips.

“Am not.”

“You are,” he insisted, grinning wider. “Just go to sleep.”

“Oh, wow, thanks, that’s so helpful,” you said sarcastically. “You’re a miracle worker, really.”

“I know I am,” he smiled, pressing his face against your shoulder.

Despite the stinging pain in your leg, you finally managed to drift off. It was probably the lack of sleep finally catching up to you, combined with the emotional stress of the day.

You snapped awake, feeling a stabbing pain. You sat up, gasping faintly when you saw the thin line of blood staining the white sheets. You quickly made your way to the bathroom, squinting in the sudden light as you pulled your sweatpants down. You must have torn the cut open when you were asleep. Luckily, your pants were black so they wouldn’t show a stain, and the one on the sheets was small enough that Harry probably wouldn’t see it before you could clean it up. You reached for the Kleenex box, pressing a tissue against the cut to stop the bleeding.

Harry mumbled when you got up, his half asleep brain not fully registering your movements. He woke up more when he heard the bathroom door shutting, sitting up against the headboard. He knew it was no use trying to sleep, he wouldn’t be able to relax until you were in his arms again.

After a few minutes, he started to get worried. He stood up, glancing at your side of the bed. He stopped when he saw a small red stain on the sheets. He furrowed his eyebrows, his sleepy mind trying to work something out.

He knocked on the bathroom door.

“Y/N? I saw the sheets. Didn’t you already have your period, last week? What happened?” He started getting concerned, knocking again when he didn’t hear an answer. “Can you hear me? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” You said, your voice wavering.

“You don’t sound fine,” he said, placing a hand on the doorknob. “Can I come in?”

“No- just go back to bed, Harry, I’ll be there in a minute,” you answered quickly, wiping  the tears from your eyes. You were getting really worried; the blood wasn’t stopping and you didn’t know what to do.

“Y/N, what happened?” He asked again. You heard his hand ratting the doorknob, breathing a silent sigh of relief when you remembered you had locked it. “Why is the door locked? You’re worrying me, please let me in?”

“It’s nothing, Harry,” you insisted, sniffling.

“It’s not nothing if it’s making you cry, baby, I can hear you crying,” he said, rattling the doorknob again. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m- you can’t come in,” you said, beginning to feel frantic. You were going to have to find a way to explain this to him, even if the bleeding stopped soon. What were you supposed to say at this point? You were locked in the bathroom, crying on the floor. That was bad enough without the self inflicted cut on your leg.

“Ok,” he relented. “But I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to sit here on the floor until you come out, or let me in.”

You sighed, eyes darting around the room. There was nothing in here to help you; all you could do was press the tissue against the cut and pray it stopped soon.

After a few minutes, you lifted the Kleenex again, wincing when a fresh trickle of blood pooled around your skin.

At this point, you were getting really scared. It had been almost 10 minutes and the bleeding wasn’t getting any lighter. This had never happened before and you didn’t know what to do.

“Harry?” You asked quietly.

“What is it, love?” You heard his voice from the other side of the door.

“I need help,” you sniffled.

“What happened?” He asked, his voice immediately sounding worried.

“It’s- it’s not stopping.”

“What’s not stopping?” You heard the doorknob rattling again. “Y/N, please unlock the door,” he begged.

You obliged this time, shuffling to the door and turning the lock. You sat back, not looking at Harry when he entered.

He immediately kneeled down next to you, inhaling sharply when he saw the blood-soaked tissue in your hand.

“Baby, what happened?” He asked, his eyes going wide.

You didn’t answer, blinking back tears. He gently lifted the tissue away from your leg, gasping again when the blood bubbled up around the edges of the cut.

“How did this happen?” He asked again, grabbing several new Kleenex from the box and pressing them to the area.

You still didn’t say anything, finally meeting his eyes. It only took one look at your sad expression for him to put the pieces together.

“Did you do this?” He asked quietly, not looking away from you.

You only hesitated for a second before nodding, dropping your head in shame as a new wave of tears came to your eyes. There was no point in lying now.

He didn’t say anything, just shifted on the floor. You panicked for a minute, thinking he was going to leave, but you quickly calmed down when he put his arm around you.

“I’m sorry,” he said, resting his head on top of yours. “I’m sorry you’re going through something and I’m sorry I didn’t notice how upset you are.”

“Don’t be,” you sniffled, leaning against him. “It’s not your fault I pushed you away, and it’s not your fault I’m stupid enough to cut open my own skin because I’m sad.”

“Hey,” he said firmly, lifting his head to look at you again. “Don’t talk like that. You are not stupid. I don’t ever want to hear you talking bad about yourself. I love you way too much to allow that.”

“I’m sorry,” you leaned your head against him again, too tired to keep eye contact.

“Remember what I said?” He asked, wiping a tear off your face. “You talk to me when you’re sad. If I can’t help you feel better, I’ll sit with you and we’ll be sad together. But whatever you do, you don’t get to shut me out.”

“I know,” you sniffled again. “I just didn’t want to burden you.”

“Y/N, you could never be a burden. You are the love of my life. I will gladly sit with you and be sad every single day if that’s what you need. You just have to let me in. Promise you’ll let me in?”

“I promise.”

[zoebeeeeeeeee]

The Radio Plays Local Bands After Midnight

What if i came back to tumblr after a...5 (??) year hiatus? and also actively admit that i left tumblr to follow where the porn went. What if i came back with a new hyperfixation that hit me out of left field a week ago? Shit dude that would suck.

Anyway, here’s wonderwall.

The Radio Plays Local Bands After Midnight

Normally, Geralt was happy driving in silence. He felt he was better able to focus on the road and other drivers along with being able to clear his mind. But a few months after the mountain Geralt found he needed something to distract him from the silence and made use of his radio. He had stations he liked and one in particular played local bands from time to time. What happens when a particularly heart crushing and mildly passive aggressive song comes on?

Modern AU taking Place hours after Geralt rescued Jaskier from Nilfgaard and is driving the two of them back to camp. Here’s the song if you would like a listen, they’re on spotify too

Previously, on their drives, Jaskier would be nonstop. Talking about nothing, singing to every song whether or not he knew the words, trying to show Geralt things on his phone while he was driving. He wouldn't nap, even when was actively fighting off sleep. He thought it was rude to leave Geralt alone in the truck, and would only sleep after midnight if at all. It was irritating if not endearing and Geralt had grown fond of these moments over the years.

But now it was just past eleven and Jaskier had fallen asleep an hour ago. He was curled up close to himself on the seat, dirty boot resting flat on the dashboard, head resting in the only spot that didn’t make his head shake. Jaskier only had his boot on the dash to piss off Geralt, it worked, he was pissed but he felt he couldn’t be. Shouldn’t be, maybe. He didn’t have the right to be angry at a boot print and some dirt in his truck after what Jaskier had been through. Leaving him on the side of the road, the tourture and interrogation-he didn’t want to think about it.   

Geralt focused on the road and radio instead. He liked this station, 90’s alternative and grunge, and after midnight they played an hour of local bands.    

“And here tonight we got a new one for ya from an old favorite,” The host said, his voice was soft, like he wasn’t trying to wake up whoever was listening, or he himself was about to nod off. “It’s Dande-Lion featuring our very own Manticore.” What the fuck, no, no. They are miles away from Oxenfurt, no one played Jaskire’s music outside of the city unless it was him playing it himself! “Now, I looked into this Dandy-Lion guy for ya, thank me later, and he checks out. He’s a solo act from Oxenfurt and I heard he came to our beloved Manticore because he had a song, he had a song and he needed to get piiiiiised.” Shit. “No better people to go to for that than Manticore if you ask me. So here we are, Dandy-Lion, featuring Manticore, it's Buurrn Butcher Buuuuurrnnnn.”   

The song started and Geralt should have turned the station off then, he should have turned the station off at the mention of Jaskier, but here he was, listening. The song was metal, not Jaskier’s genre but that’s probably why he teamed up with another band. Hearing Jaskier sing at the start of the song startled Geralt, his voice was harsh, already yelling, a voice he had heard in bar fights or yelling out the truck window but never in song. He growled some of the lines had surprising chills ran down Geralt’s back, a completely different issue that he could deal with later. He rested his head in his hand and tried to focus on the empty road but Jaskier’s voice kept distracting him. Belting is what Jaskier had called it, Geralt called it screaming, but now, as the chorus came in, it was likely Jaskier would have called it screaming too.    

Jaskier was really letting out all his frustrations, everything he couldn’t say to Geralt he was screaming into the mic. It was a private “Fuck you” said in public. By the time the song was over Geralt felt a thought there was a chunk of lead in his heart, he turned the radio off and drove in silence, his head spinning thinking of the song and wondering if he should bring it up when Jaskier woke up. Maybe when they first stopped in the morning. Or the second stop. Or just-just later.    

There was hurt behind his voice. If Geralt listened hard enough, listened past the drums, guitars, and the man who came in to take over the guttural metal screams, Geralt could hear cracks of pain in Jaskier’s voice. The lyrics stabbed at Geralt’s chest, each insult passively thrown at this “Butcher” pressed the knife in a little further. And every time Jaskier screamed for him to burn a little more of that pain could be heard. 

   “After everything we did-we saw. You turned your back on me.” The knife was plunged to the hilt into Geralt. He turned and looked at Jaskier, still curled up and sleeping, not looking at all like the kind of man who could have possibly made this song. But, many things have changed as it were.    

“I don’t know, I at least thought it was good for a first time trying metal.” Jaskier’s voice was dry, he startled Geralt and wondered how long he had been awake. 

[prime-pulse]

A mini-fic of Mystaké just watching the train wreck that is the FSM household?

Oh my god absolutely. I’ve had no reason to expand on my FSM characterization until now. Thank you for giving me a reason my dearest anon

"Garmadon! Stop! That’s mine, it’s mine!" "I didn’t see your name on it! In fact, it has MY name on it, see?!" "Did you carve YOUR name into MY toy?! I’m going to tell father!" "Oh yeah?! Not if I can tell him about how you stole my sword first!" "I did not!" "Did TOO!"

///

Mystaké sat with an eyebrow raised, sipping at the tea she had brought with her, now understanding why her friend desired her strongest headache-treating tea. The two young boys ran in circles around the courtyard, hitting at each other with sticks and hissing like young Oni pups would during a disagreement. It reminded her, scarcely, of a more simple time— before the man sitting across from her was even born— when it was just Oni and Dragon, and she would occasionally watch her clans' pups play in the sands.

"You have your hands quite full," She remarked with a hum, "But nothing a god can’t handle."

"Please, don’t call me that." The man across from her sighed as he massaged his temples, shaking his head, "I am more preoccupied on keeping my two sons from killing one another than I am perfecting this realm. They have been non-stop fighting ever since their mother went to visit her family."

"Can my dear 'Spinjitzu' Master not manage to keep his own blood in check?" Mystaké said with no hint of amusement in her voice, "You are letting them fight until they tire out, it’s no wonder you wrote to me complaining about nonstop headaches— You are not stopping nonstop fighting!"

"It's not as easy as you make it sound." He shook his head, glancing out the window to see the boys now wrestling on the ground, hitting and clawing at one another, "Unlike you, I grew up amongst the Dragons— during my early childhood, anyway. They did not fight like this. It was usually two words, then it was over. These two..."

Him and Mystaké both winced as Wu created a stick out of thin air just to hit Garmadon in the face; who in response destroyed the stick as quickly as it came into existence, then tackled the other to the ground.

"One feeds on the other, I fear." He continued, itching at his head, "Any time Wu makes something, his brother destroys it. Anytime he destroys something, Wu makes something new. I've tried separating them, but they just tear their way through the walls."

"You should let me deal with it, then." Mystaké said matter-of-factly as she poured the man another cup, "I always manage to get them to calm down."

"Through tears." The man sighed, but chuckled nonetheless, "Be my guest, see what you can do. Their mother can get them to behave like best friends, but I..."

"Say no more," Mystaké grinned mischievously as her human disguise fell.

//

"Owowow— WU! You're hurting me!" Garmadon snarled as he threw his brother off, then rubbing at his shoulder where he had been clawed at. Wu hit the ground a few feet away from him before beginning to wail, much to his brothers panic. "What— No, no, come on now! I didn’t even throw you that hard! You bit me! I should be crying!" Garmadon stood and quickly ran over to try and get Wu to stand, who only went limp as to stay on the ground.

"Alright, that’s enough!" A voice roared from the head of the monastery, making Garmadon jump and Wu pause in his sobs. Mystaké walked down the steps, slowly approaching the two boys with a frown on her face. Garmadon immediately let go of his brother and backed up, rubbing at his shoulder and looking toward the ground.

"What in the First Realm are you two bickering over?! It has been non-stop since I got here an hour ago!" She huffed, bending down to pick Wu up by the scruff of his shirt, making the boy curl in on himself and stare at her with wide eyes.

"He— Garmadon— He took my horse— my friend in the village carved it for me..." Wu stammered out, pointing a finger accusingly toward Garmadon.

"Well, he took my sword last week, and refuses to give it back! Mother gave me that sword! So I took his little wood horse." Garmadon said accusingly, huffing as he finished his sentence. Mystaké looked at him with a brow raised, her frown stagnant.

"And you two could not come to a compromise on your own in that time? What is your father teaching you, rainbows and butterflies instead of diplomacy?" Mystaké said after a moment, shaking her head and moving over to Garmadon. She picked the boy up by the back of his shirt with her free hand, lifting them both up to be eye-level with her.

"Wu, you will not take what is not your own unless you expect the same to happen to you. You will return your brother's sword," Mystaké stated, Garmadon grinning before she looked to him, "And you, Garmadon, will give back your brother's... Horse. No but's or if's. You will. Both of you." She said with a low growl, the brothers looking between each other for a moment.

Garmadon slowly handed the horse back to Wu, who smiled brightly in return.

//

"So, boys, is our ongoing conflict resolved?" He spoke, stirring a pot that was currently boiling over a fire. Garmadon and Wu sat at the dinner table, next to one another, which they had not done in days.

"Aunt Mystaké helped." Wu spoke while playing with his wooden horse, Garmadon leaning on the table with a shrug.

"I was gonna give it back eventually." He muttered, itching at the side of his face.

"Last time you gave something back it took you six months. Even when I asked." He spoke, turning to fill the boys' bowls with soup. Garmadon just smiled and shrugged.

"That's eventually." He hummed, beginning to dive into his bowl.

He only sighed, "I suppose it is."

[shoichee]

omg cngrts on 100!!!! <3 u deserve it!!!! hii how are you??? ahaha hows genshin going for you?? also for ur milstone event, can i request kise ryota with prompt 19 or 20, i cant decide between the two, so ill leaave it to you!! <3 i hope youre doing well 💖💖💖💖

dhfiuseyghieaugh tysm ily reeeeee <33 been playing genshin nonstop to keep my sanity from my uni papers SEND HELP

Kise x Reader

19. “I think I’m in love with you, and that scares the crap out of me”

Word Count: 2851

prompt list here

Note: we need more manga Kise, i repeat, we need more asshole Kise

»»—————　☼　—————««

How could this happen? How could he, the veteran of receiving female attention, be so careless?

He only saw you as an intrigue. A challenge. Perhaps a friend at the very most.

How did this happen?

Kise slightly grits his teeth before he quickly exhales, bringing his hand to rub out the tension in his neck. His mood had not gone unnoticed by his fans around him.

Ah, shit.

“Ryōta!” one called out, her tone dripped in saccharine. “What’s wrong?”

“Have you been pushing yourself lately?” another one chimes in.

“I can come with you to the infirmary… surely you’d have trouble!—”

“Move—I asked first!”

“H-hey! Quit being so snappy—!”

“Stop.”

He instinctively sends a glare at the mob out of irritation but then stops himself to quickly etch a sweet smile of his own for them. No matter how much he hears these words of concern, he hears nothing but empty wind. Hanging around girls was supposed to be a fun pastime. A challenge. Nowadays, his mind doesn’t bother to register any of their names, their faces. All their voices that come out of their mouth have become constantly replayed recaps; their chatters have become equivalent to those of flocking pigeons. “Don’t worry, everyone! Basketball practice has just been tough, is all. You’re all so kind to worry for my health, though! Thank you!”

Squeals rang throughout the courtyard as they hung onto his every word. Predictable.

As he firmly separates himself away from the group and leaves off with a cheerful facade, he quickly turns around to make a break with a brisk walk. Where to, exactly? He doesn’t know, but anywhere that didn’t have people around would be godsend.

His mind always returns back to you. You, who he thought would be the cure to his social life, just as Aomine and Kuroko were to his life of sports. You, who respected his personal space. You, whom he had meaningful conversations with during breaks sometimes. You, who he felt like he can drop his facades around recently and just entirely be himself.

As cruel as it was, he once challenged himself to make you fall for him. A sick, twisted game that would cure his boredom and give him something to look forward to other than practice. Something to keep him on his toes throughout the beginning of high school. You, who wasn’t honestly that special, other than the fact you treated him differently, unlike other people. Hell, even the adults are wrapped around his finger. What’s not making you fall head over heels for him? His curiosity continues to grow exponentially the more he spends time with you; never once did it get satiated.

Was it his ego that you bruised up? Was it his competitiveness kicking in at the thought of experiencing a type of “defeat?” Was it the unsaid uncertainty in his heart that is currently panicking of the thought of entering a whole new territory with new emotions and thoughts?

There is nothing special about you. You were only a challenge. There is nothing special about you. Once he figures you out, your game, you would just be like everyone els—

“Ow!”

“Ah, sorry! My bad, my bad! Are you alright? I’ve been a tad dizzy lately, here let me help you, oh…” As he rambles in a slight fluster, he immediately jumps back into his chivalrous side, immediately clasping a hand to help them up. Expecting to see another faceless individual, his eyes widened when his mind registered a pair of eyes staring inquisitively at him. Your eyes.

“Are you the same Ryōta I know?” you stifle a laugh. “Since when were you so quick to ever help me out without complaining my ear off?” When they say his first name, it has always sounded off, sickening even. He still could not comprehend why he, despite hating the sound of his first name rolling off of people’s tongues, insisted on you using his first name. Strangely, whenever you call him out so sincerely, he couldn’t help but always jerk back in genuine surprise at how… nice it felt.

He only let you use his first name to force a sense of closeness. This was only to accelerate the forming of a bond between the two of you. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing more than a challenge. Nothing more than an asset to accomplish it.

But every time he has had these thoughts lately, his heart spiked with painful palpitations.

How did this happen?

His swirling thoughts halt when he feels your hand against his forehead. “You said you were dizzy earlier, right?” you said worriedly. “You don’t seem sick… have you been eating properly?”

You were tippy-toeing to try to reach his height, one hand grasping his shoulder for support while the other was feeling his temperature. And oh, you were so close.

This was a game you were playing, too, right? You must’ve known this entanglement was all just a challenge and you wanted to play along for the fun of it, right? But these thoughts quickly cease as you separate yourself from him to give him the usual physical distance.

What sort of game were you playing? Tug-of-war? Cat-and-mouse chase? Two can play at that game.

“Hey…” he looms over your figure, leaning closer to your face. “Maybe you’re the one making me dizzy, after all?” His sharp eyes search for any subtle signs you give off: your facial expressions, body language, your reactions.

“What?” Your eyes widen at his abrupt advance, worried eyes quickly turning into one of confusion as you scan Kise’s face for any other subtle signs of his own.

There was no way you could have good intentions. There was no way you could have genuine concern for him. There was no way you would be hanging around with him, unless you had some ulterior motives of your own.

After all, he chose to get to know you for the most selfish reason. How could he ever bring himself to tell you that this precarious friendship you two shared was built on the premise of deceit on his end?

“Sorry,” he chuckles. “Just wanted to see your reaction.” And with that, he ruffles your hair playfully before he continues to walk to his intended destination of the school infirmary.

“You’re definitely sick!” you call out, rushing to catch up to him. “You’re acting really strange!...” Your voice—he wishes he could tune it out just as easily as the rest, but you were right… he was acting strange. He couldn’t believe he can distinguish your features from amidst a sea of people. Your voice amidst a clutter of noises. Your warmth amidst all the sunlight, clothing, and body heat he’s ever felt. The same warmth encapsulating his own hand.

What sort of game were you playing?

“Here! Follow me,” you said, tugging his hand forward as you take the initiative to lead him. “If you’re sick, you shouldn’t be walking around alone. What if you collapse?”

What sort of game were you playing?... Was having the most scrunched-up brows and worried eyes part of the rules? He tightens his lips into a thin line at the sensation of his heartbeats again.

As you tug along his hand and lead him down the hallway, his mind drifts to the moments you two have shared for the past few weeks. When you bumped into him and succinctly apologized before excusing yourself… when he approached you constantly every chance he got during breaks to figure you out… when he saw you efficiently defending yourself against his dedicated fans… when you first approached him after he exited the lockers to congratulate him on a home game win before you turned to Kasamatsu to talk of club affairs with the council… when he first heard you actively cheering his name on the stands… when you inopportunely saw him weeping about Kaijo’s loss at the Winter Cup and successfully comforted him…

With each progression in his thoughts, his hand suddenly feels warmer against yours, his heart rate thumping faster, his eyes growing more out of focus as he gazes at your back, and then your intertwined hands. Maybe he really is sick.

“Are you alright?” you asked, turning to face him as you both keep walking. “We’re just about here.”

He says nothing as he keeps his face straight ahead. He doesn't trust himself to keep it together after that slipup with his fans; messing up in front of you would be certainly disastrous.

“Is there anyone here?” you softly called out, tentatively sliding the doors open. There was no one, but they were probably on a lunch break before coming back soon. He hears you sigh before you tug him in completely into the room. “Sit here, and I’ll look for some ice packs, at least… I don’t know if that would work, though…”

As you let go of his hand to try to rummage through the drawers, his hand instinctively holds you tighter.

Shit.

“Ryōta?...” you said. “Do you wanna lay down instead, I’ll look for something for you to—”

“... (y/n)-cchi, stay here.”

Shit. Kasamatsu was right: he needs to learn how to shut his godamn mouth.

“Ryōta,” you shyly mumble. “That was the first time you addressed me with -cchi at the end. Don’t you only use it with your old teammates?”

Shit… shit, shit, shit.

He can’t slip up, and he’s fucking up three times in a row? He’s losing his edge. There’s no way he’ll lose now… not when he’s come so far.

“... Do you know what you’re doing?” he exhales, dropping your hand to run his hands through his locks. “You’re driving me insane…”

“Me?”

“What games are you playing here, I swear to god—there’s no reason for you to care this much for me like this—”

“I do have a reason,” you replied, averting your eyes to feign looking for those ice packs. There you go again, acting coy… that’s what he chants to himself anyways.

“Wha?~ You’re keeping secrets from your friend, already?” he coos, trying to gain back the momentum. Yes, that’s right…you are only considered a friend. “It’s kind of cruel to bring it up but then decide to not divulge them, y’know?”

“It doesn’t take much human decency to worry and care for another,” you smile. “Even more so for a friend.”

You finally turn away to continue hunting for anything useful in the cabinets, while Kise silently watches you from his chair. Silence settles between the two of you.

“Y’know… I’ve been thinking,” you start, handing him a glass of water, a wet towel, and ice packs. “I don’t want for us… to be friends anymore.”

It took his entire self control to not jump from his chair to grab you and interrogate you into oblivion. But why? Did you realize his true intentions? Did you hate his guts after all? Did you accomplish your own objectives and deem this friendship no longer useful?

Why does he even care about any of this?

“You’re… joking, right?”

He really expected for you to burst into laughter and call it a prank or tease him about his unfiltered reaction at your words, but your eyes have now become determined and very serious.

You weren’t joking.

“Ryōta, I’ll just get this out of the way first things first, but I know that you only see me as some type of trophy to go after… for a while now.”

How did this happen?

“It’s just the way you look at me sometimes seems off,” you said. “It’s not obvious to others, but we’ve spent almost every day with each other for a while, so I’ve kinda noticed… Honestly, that only solidified my initial impressions of you being a complete asshole.”

Why does his heart feel like it’s going to shatter?

“But…” you continued. “Recently, you were just… different. You were still stupid, sure. But you’ve laughed so much more and supported me when I needed it most. I’ve never laughed this hard until I met you—you make me wheeze out the ugliest laughs, as I’m ashamed to admit. But I want to be able to support you too… like, it feels that this whole thing you’re trying to put up when you meet with other people… it must be exhausting, right? I know you first acted that way with me. I can understand and kind of relate to that, so you can always talk to me alone if you need an ear.”

“Why are you telling me that you don’t want to be friends anymore?” Kise flatly asks. “You’re clearly correct about everything about me. You could’ve just left a long while ago. Did you have to pretend to care, too? Go ahead, aren’t you going to gossip about this to everyone?”

“What? No! I’m not done talking yet, idiot! I wasn’t pretending anything! Can you just stop projecting yourself onto me and listen up? Even though you’re such an asshole sometimes, er—all the time, the time we spent together has grown to be genuine, and I know you felt it too!... so well, I know you’ve heard these words so many times from other people, but…

I like you. That’s why I don’t want to be just your friend anymore. But I know you don’t reciprocate these back, so I just wanna tell you to get it off my chest… that’s all.”

He is absolutely stunned.

You’ve confessed to him, didn’t you? He got what he wanted. He won his little challenge. But why doesn’t he feel the adrenaline, the excitement, of it all like he normally would? His heart beated painfully erratically like how his team suffered a bittersweet loss at the games. Especially when you turned away to leave after you gauged his silence as rejection.

“(y/n)-cchi! W-wait!” He fumbles to grab for the warmth of your hand again. “You just confessed, right? Don’t you have to hear what I say?”

You simply shrug in response, but nonetheless, you turned back around to face him and await his response.

What you didn’t expect though was for him to pull you into a tight embrace and put his head on your shoulder. He pours his innermost thoughts and his emotions out, your shoulder slightly muffling his words, but you still understand everything he had spilled. He finally apologizes for everything he’s done, reassuring you that you don’t have to forgive him, though you kept telling him that it wasn’t that big of a deal. He finally breaks away from you and hangs his head low and exhales. He finally lifts his head to make eye contact with you. His eyes burn with intensity and the usual confidence he bears, although you note the tinge of nervousness behind his pupils.

How did this happen? How did he ever grow so attached to you? And since when did he grow mature enough to concede his defeat?

“I think I’m in love with you…” His words trail off, and his confidence disintegrates away when he realizes that he is no longer the receiving end of a confession.

… and that scares… the crap out of me.”

“You think you’re in love with me?” You stare at him incredulously. Kise squirms uncomfortably under your scrutiny. He’ll admit it, it was the lamest reply anyone could’ve given. You honestly deserved better.

His thoughts were interrupted when you suddenly guffawed and slapped your hands to your mouth to try to stifle your hysteria.

“Hey! I spilled my entire heart to you, don’t just laugh… damnit, hey! It’s not that funny!...” he protests, but after unsuccessfully trying to get you to stop snickering, he sulks back into his chair and huffs with the reddest face.

“Ah… A+ for honesty, at least,” you breathed out. “I thought you were gonna be eloquent about this, since you’re used to this sorta stuff and all…”

“Shut it.”

Kise buries his head into his hands, but you gently pry them off in an attempt to see his embarrassed state.

“Were you really actually sick, though?~”

“Shut uuuup, alreadyyy.”

“I inherited this personality from you, y’know.”

Huh, it seems that you really do know how to be coy, after all.

“Can you two please see yourselves out? The infirmary is not a place to hold your secret rendezvous, especially with this inappropriate behavior.”

“(y/n)-cchi, run!”

“I’m trying, I’m trying!”

In a hurry, Kise grabs hold of your hand and makes a break out the door, dragging you behind with the school nurse trailing far behind. Even if he suffered a loss once again, he still won the complete monopoly of you and your genuine care and warmth for him.

Was it really a loss, though? He doesn’t think much of it now that his head feels clear when he shares these moments with you.

He supposes he misjudged you when you were truly special after all. Déjà vu just hits him like a truck when he fondly thinks about his ex-mentor Kuroko, and how similar you are to him.

[seacottons]

uni!au with ateez — [ part one ]

—[ san - performing arts ]

ironically, you met when you helped him after a taller male shoved him down whilst in a heated argument.

he burst out laughing when you asked if he was okay.

“don’t worry, we’re just practicing our lines!”

you quickly glanced up at the building and grimaced once taking sight of the gleaming silver ‘performing arts building’ plaque.

of course.

to say you were embarrassed was only scratching the surface.

you had no regrets, because the incident was the catalyst that formed your friendship and eventual relationship.

will never let you live that moment down.

“remember when you tried to save me from mingi?”

“i thought we promised not to bring that up again-”

“why can’t i? i was saved by an angel that day?”

san invites you to both his dance and theatre shows.

will appear to be very professional on stage, but you catch his eyes frantically darting to the crowd to try and spot you.

and once he does, he will repeatedly smile and wink in your direction.

you’re always early, so you manage to snag a seat in either front two rows.

likes when you bring him bouquets as a congratulation gift after his performances.

gets very loud backstage just to let everyone know you bought him a gift.

a huge show-off.

is very good at facial expressions.

you fall for every time he pretends he’s crying or hurt when you don’t give him attention.

he will imitate different characters and repeat after actors while you two watch movies together.

“it sounded sexier when i said it, right (y/n)?”

is a very clingy cuddle bug.

and a leech.

will always have his arms around you while walking at campus.

loves to give you back hugs.

is the type to wait outside for you until you finish class.

and takes you to the cafeteria afterwards for lunch.

embarrasses you in said cafeteria by spinning the lunch tray while waiting in line.

also likes to spin your phone just to freak you out.

also the type to excitedly text you about the donuts and coffee they’re giving away at the library’s breezeway.

likes to refer to you as ‘angel’.

will beg you join the different clubs he’s in.

and then brag about you to the others once you do.

will hype your choice of attire even if he’s already seen you earlier that day.

the type to also sneak you a latte in the middle of your class.

also the type to sneak in with you during your auditorium classes.

you regret it sometimes because he leaves no room for you to pay attention to your professor.

often times, so much so that you have to lightly pinch his side in protest.

“do you want me to fail this class?”

he likes to participate in the many events held at campus.

everyone knows him.

challenges you to dance offs in the middle of campus.

you refuse and push forward a startled mingi instead.

“mingi wants to have a turn this time!”

also likes to lay in your arms whilst you play with his hair.

“were you a cat in your previous life?”

he will then proceed to meow in your ear.

“i’ll take that as a yes.”

—[ hongjoong - fashion design ]

dating him would consist of always admiring his new projects.

supplying him with unhealthy amounts of coffee.

trying out new pieces he made.

offering to carry his overly large portfolio binder sometimes.

sitting down and listening to him rant about how his roomates fail to wash clothes properly.

he has a guide taped to the washing machine with the different symbols of clothing labels.

“no, san, you can’t use shampoo as detergent.”

“but seonghwa finished all the detergent!”

using seonghwa’s lint rollers to remove all the fabric fibers stuck on hongjoong’s clothes.

you scold him while cleaning the bleeding scratches on his fingers from his sewing needles and pins.

“don’t worry, it’s nothing i can’t handle.”

“but i don’t like seeing you get hurt, you bum.”

you bought him strawberry bandaids because he thought they were cute.

sometimes, when he has time, he’ll custom make clothes just for you.

he insists on having multiple matching outfits.

will ask you to model his work for his social media page.

thinks you look best in skirts.

you’ll be the source of comfort during presentation week.

he’ll be a wreck whilst making a new collection.

but you’re always there to pick him back up.

most of the time, you’re the source of his inspiration as well.

you insist he shouldn’t sit for hours writing essays or sketching numerous ideas for future work.

but he’s stubborn as a mule.

nights with him include binge watching fashion shows or cute cartoons.

or painting your nails.

you both enjoy coffee dates when you have time.

he tells you he wants to open a fashion line one day.

you’re trying to stand still as he plucks numerous pins into the dress you’re trying on.

“what do you think i should call it?”

“hj couture? does that sound too basic?”

he pauses momentarily before spooling the leftover red thread.

“(y/n). i’ll call the line (y/n).”

—[ wooyoung - culinary arts ]

invites you to his dorm and cooks for you.

his apartment always smells of warm spices and comforting meals.

pretends his roommates’ teasing doesn’t affect him, but the tips of ears always glow red.

will always bring over leftovers he made in class.

“i just thought you wanted to try this mille feuille.”

“which one is better? the salted rosemary loaf or the oregano and olive oil one?”

loves to bake and cook with you.

will make your birthday cake from scratch and will go all out decorating it.

has an annoying habit of taking pictures of you mid-bite.

“delete that right now.”

“but babe, you look so cute.”

“jung wooyoung!”

will wrestle with you as you attempt to take his phone away.

“okay, look! i swear i’ll delete it!”

he saves it in a hidden folder.

calls you his ‘cupcake’ or ‘sugarplum’.

teases you nonstop when you fail at something in the kitchen.

“babe! no! gentle folds! you pulverized those poor blueberries!”

“but the instructions say to mix!”

“the dough isn’t supposed to be blue!”

he’ll whine nonstop about how much he hates baking bread in class.

“do you know how abnoxiously long the fermentation process is!? i’m losing my mind.”

will wave and yell your name to catch your attention if he spots you nearby at campus.

you hear him every time.

he’s just that loud.

drags you to new restaurants just so you can rate them with him.

also drags you to go cutlery shopping.

accidentally dropped a plate in the store.

and when the employee came sauntering in the aisle suspiciously-

“(y/n) did it.”

once gave you food poisoning by accident.

you never wanted to eat scallops again.

you don’t mind his hands smelling like garlic or ginger most of the time.

or stained with spices.

“turmeric is a bitch.”

“woo, who wears white while cooking with turmeric anyway?”

will show off and brag about his knife skills.

demands to race with you to see who can chop the vegetables the quickest.

“you’re going down, (y/n).”

“uh- i don’t think i ever stood a chance to begin with.”

he lets you win sometimes though.

will beg you to visit him at his part time job at the cute cafe not too far by.

you always try to when you have the time.

and when he finds out you went to the rival cafe across the street one day..

“on a scale of 10 to 10, how bad is kang yeosang’s cooking?”

“what?”

“answer the question, (y/n).”

“woo, it’s 3 a.m.”

the next day, you explained that you were merely invited by your classmates to that particular cafe because one of them was a former employee there.

he childishly ignored you with crossed arms and a subtle pout.

“your jajangmyeon is much better. they didn’t even like the food there!”

he finally perks up with a large smile.

“wait, really?”

you think he looks endearing with his apron and chef’s hat.

will post cheesy captioned pictures of you after serving you delicately decorated plates of food.

‘two delicious meals for tonight, hehe.’

“gross. did you really have to say that?”

—[ jongho - kinesiology ]

you met him at the university gym and instantly clicked.

found yourself months later agreeing to go out with him.

a giant goofball.

sometimes makes faces at you while you exercise across the gym.

makes sure you watch him when he deadlifts.

loves when you hype him up.

opens all the jars for you.

and cuts all the fruit for you.

“why use a knife when you have my hands, love?”

you nearly choked on your saliva when he punched open the watermelon.

“can we ever just have a perfectly sliced watermelon!?”

“no- unless i break my arm one day.”

insists you jog with him around campus early in the morning.

likes to practice wrapping elastic tape on you.

you own half of his hoodies.

takes you to watch basketball matches.

then challenges you to a match when you go on dates to the park.

will persistently tease you about your poor aim.

and will absolutely not let you have the ball for more than a few seconds.

“stop cheating!”

“i’m not cheating! you just suck!”

joined you in some of your elective classes.

will also wear sleeveless shirts because he knows how flustered you get while his sculpted muscles are on display.

“what did professor kim just say?”

“what?” you tore your gaze from his biceps to glance at his face.

“are you staring at my arms again?” he snickers.

“no,” you say too quickly, face heating quite considerably.

despite his teasing, he’ll always baby you and take care of your needs.

has the cutest gummy smile.

you like to call him your gummy bear.

he hated the name at first, but grew to accept it over time.

likes to randomly pick you up.

sometimes will throw you over his shoulder.

has a habit of patting your thighs.

sometimes asks you to sit on his back while he does push-ups.

your eye bulged at the sight of a mop of ruby hair.

“don’t say anything.”

“you like apples so much you dyed your hair red?”

“i lost a bet.”

“you look cute though.”

you tugged at his tresses, smiling as you admired the shade against his tanned skin.

“baby?” you brushed his bangs away to display his forehead.

“hm?”

“you’re the apple of my eye.”

“i’m-,” he sucked on his teeth and pursed his lips, face scrunching in a mock grimace, “i’m going to throw up.”

[geekgirles]

Orange and Peppermint

After breaking up with Adrien for his lies, Kagami is in need of someone she can trust to confide her feelings in. She needs a friend who understands what she's going through; she needs Marinette.

As the café’s doorbell rang above her head when she opened the door, Marinette had a million thoughts running frantically through her mind. Why did Kagami call her to meet up? And why did she sound so dejected? And why talking to her instead of Adrien? Did something happen?

Marinette scoffed at herself. Of course something happened. Just the other day she got akumatised into Lies! It was obvious that something bad must have happened for her to become an akuma’s target. But the true question was, why talking to her about it?

Sure, they were friends. Once she got to know the fencer, Marinette realised how nice and kind Kagami truly was. They hung out and had fun, but still, she was no Adrien! Kagami herself said that, while she valued their friendship, Adrien came first.

Well, she didn’t exactly say that... And Marinette couldn’t really blame her... But it still didn’t make sense that she would want to confide in her instead of the person she was closest to. There was something really strange about all this.

Strange or not, Kagami needed her help, and she was going to be there for her. She still couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been. The moment Longg found out his former wielder needed help, he took charge of the situation and got every kwami to behave just so she could go and talk to Kagami. If only she’d been as lucky while she was still dating Luka...

Feeling her eyes watering, Marinette shook her head determinedly. As much as it pained her not being able to have a normal relationship with a guy as great as Luka, it would have all been very stressful and unfair to him unless Shadow Moth backed down. And he would never back down until he was defeated.

Sighing loudly, Marinette looked around the establishment. It was the same café where she and Kagami had celebrated the former’s birthday. An elegant but very affordable café near the school. In fact, Kagami managed to go instead of being sent directly back home thanks to it being close to it, and therefore, her fencing classes. Adrien couldn’t make it since he had a photoshoot, but the girls had a great time nonetheless.

Squinting her eyes looking for her friend, Marinette made out Kagami waving her hand in the air to help her locate her. She was seated near the wall, on the other end of the room and nursing some orange juice. Waving her hand in return and smiling softly, Marinette made her way to where Kagami was.

“Hey, Kagami.” She greeted as she moved away the chair before sitting on it and getting closer to the table. “How you’ve been? Did anything interesting happen in fencing class?” Marinette knew she was making small talk, but she didn’t know how to approach the subject. For all she knew, maybe Kagami just wanted to spend some time with a friend.

The fencer smiled at her, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hello, Marinette. You could say it did...”

That took Marinette slightly by surprise. Straightening up a little, she was about to ask what she meant when the waiter came, asking for her order. “Oh! Uh...um...I’ll have what she’s having.” The waiter wrote it down and with that he went back the way he came from. With him gone, the pigtailed girl tried again. “So, fencing class. What happened? Did Monsieur D’Argencour make a mistake and give the point of the match to someone else?”

Kagami chuckled slightly at that. “No, for once he was being accurate when announcing the results of the matches.” She averted her gaze to the floor. “He actually also stopped a fight. Or rather, he stopped a match from turning into a nasty fight.”

Marinette could only look at her with bulging eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I almost attacked Adrien during the match out of anger.” She confessed. Seeing her friend’s horrified expression, she hurried to assure her. “Don’t worry, Marinette. As I said, Monsieur D’Argencour managed to stop me before I could do something I’d regret.”

Marinette was ever so thankful her juice hadn’t arrived yet, otherwise she would have either choked on it or spilt it all over the place. This didn’t make any sense, though. She knew Kagami had a strong temper, but she would never try to hurt Adrien! Except for when she was akumatised into Riposte... But other than that, never! Then why would she take her anger out on him like that? For all the questions running through her mind, Marinette could only settle for one. “Why would you do that?”

Placing her hands on her lap, her head low in embarrassment, the Japanese girl could only grit her teeth and be honest. After all, weren’t lies the true responsible behind all her hurt? “I was mad at him for lying to me.”

Taking a gulp from her glass of orange juice that had just been served, Marinette gulped loudly. That was not the answer she expected to hear at all. “Adrien? Lying to you? Are you sure?” She didn’t want to doubt her friend, but the reason she loved Adrien so much was precisely his honesty, so hearing he had lied to Kagami was completely surreal to her.

“Positive.” Kagami nodded. “These past few weeks he’s been lying to me nonstop. Every time we had a date, he would disappear not long after arriving. He always gave me some poor excuse, like his father needing him or something like that. In the end, we barely spent any time together.”

“But why would he lie about his father needing him? I mean, Gabriel Agreste is a very busy man and he’s constantly monitoring Adrien’s already packed schedule.”

“Because if his father truly needed him that urgently, he wouldn’t allow Adrien to go see me in the first place.”

Marinette couldn’t argue against that logic.

Rubbing her face with her hands, Kagami sighed loudly. “But the last straw was the other day, when we were supposed to attend Prince Ali’s birthday party. After we left the Couffaine’s boat the lucky charm you made for him fell out of his pocket.

“I picked it up. As soon as we arrived at the city hall, Adrien left, seeing he’d lost something. I held onto the lucky charm and waited for him. And hour or so later he came back, saying he’d finally found what he’d lost. When I asked him what it was he said it was your lucky charm, and it was then he realised he didn’t have it with him. So I revealed to him I had it all along, and that I knew he was lying to me.”

Marinette could feel her insides churn. She couldn’t believe her little lucky charm could bring so much trouble. It was more of an unlucky charm! “What did you do next?”

“I told him the truth.” Kagami said. “I told him I had lied too, many times. But unlike him, I always lied to spend more time together. All he ever did was lie to get away from me.” Her voice had taken on a shaky note as she spoke. “But he still refused to tell me the truth. After that I entered the city hall, alone, and I...I got akumatised.”

Marinette’s eyes were as wide as saucers. So that was why Lies’ akumatised object was her lucky charm. But this whole thing was very weird. Why would Adrien ever need to lie to Kagami? Or about having lost her lucky charm and going to find it? What was it that he couldn’t tell Kagami? But most importantly, “Why are you telling me this?”

“So you’re careful if you two ever end up together.” She told her with steely eyes.

“W-what!? M-me and A-Adrien?” Trying to act nonchalant, she scoffed at the idea while waving it off with a movement of her hand. “D-don’t be silly! Why...why would I want to date Adrien?” She finished her little rant with an awkward, unconvincing laugh.

“Because you’ve been in love with him for longer.” The Japanese girl answered, her expression unchanged.

Marinette yelped at her bluntness. She was never going to get used to it, it seemed. “Look, Marinette. Right now I’m too hurt to even see Adrien, but I know you care about him. So I’m telling you this so you don’t go through the same pain as I am going through. Whatever it is, Adrien has a secret he will lie to everyone about in order to keep it hidden.”

The pigtailed girl frowned in empathy for Kagami’s sadness. “But why are you saying that? I mean, he is your boyfriend...” She said as she took a gulp from her orange juice, Kagami’s laying forgotten by her side.

“I broke up with him after fencing class.”

And, she spilt her juice all over the place. She totally didn’t see that one coming. “What?!” Marinette screeched in disbelief. Noticing heads turning in their direction, she blushed and coughed slightly before asking in a more subdued voice. “Did you seriously break up with him?”

“Yes.” The fencer replied. “I already told you, he kept lying to me. I can’t be with a person who won’t be honest with me, especially not if he lies to get away from me when all I want is to be closer to him. His hesitation has always hurt me, but this is a new level of pain.” She looked Marinette in the eye, her gaze intense and full of emotion. “I need somebody I can trust; that’s what my mother has always taught me, and if Adrien can’t be that person...” She huffed in annoyance. “Then it is best I let him go.”

“And you’re telling me all this because you trust me?” She...didn’t know what to say to that.

Kagami nodded solemnly. “Indeed. Not only are you my friend, Marinette, you are the only person who understands how difficult it can be to love Adrien.”

Her eyes widening at her friend’s words, Marinette could only cast her eyes down and slump against her chair at the truth in that statement. As much as she loved Adrien, nobody knew how emotionally exhausting it could be. She loved the girls and was thankful for them trying to help her get closer to him, but they had no idea how painful it was when it all failed. They didn’t know what it was like to be living in a completely different world from him. How frustrating it was to see literal pests getting closer to him while she was stuck being his friend. They had no idea what it was to have the universe plotting against her to ruin her chances at confessing to him.

They didn’t know the first thing of how tiring it really was.

But, apparently, Kagami did.

“Out of all the girls that are interested in Adrien, I was actually jealous of you the most.” Marinette confessed with a shy smile.

Kagami gasped at her words. “You...you were jealous of me?”

“Oh, yes.” The pigtailed girl let out a small laugh. “I mean, Chloé and Lila are too much of a pain for Adrien to show any interest in them, that I know. But you? You are pretty, and an awesome fencer, and so similar to him, and he’s always been very comfortable around you. Compared to you, what chances do I have?”

Her head shot up when she felt a warm presence over her hand. Looking at it, she realised it was Kagami. She’d put her own hand on top of hers and was looking at her with a mixture of mirth and sadness in her eyes. “More than you think.”

“I’ve often found myself jealous of you as well, Marinette. Despite everything you said, Adrien always seemed to harbour a special fondness for you. And you’ve known him for longer, so it was a bit of a painful reminder of the life he has outside of me.” The fencer confessed.

Now the blue-eyed girl was just incredulous. “A special fondness, for me? I find that hard to believe. I mean, sure, we’re friends, but that’s all there is‒.”

���I’ve always felt there was much more than just that, mind you.” Kagami cut her off. “After Ladybug and Chat Noir saved me when I was turned into Riposte I got to clear things up with Adrien. He had nothing but praise and kind words for you, he always speaks of you fondly.” Resting her head against her fist, she appraised her companion with an amused smirk on her face. “And do I have to remind you he ditched me twice on our “first date” to check up on you?”

Marinette gasped at that, appalled. “Oh my Gosh, I am so sorry for that, Kagami! I never meant to!”

“Relax, Marinette. I know that. I’m just saying Adrien feels something very powerful for you, even if he refuses to see it.” She rolled her eyes at that.

Marinette couldn’t help but feel her cheeks heating up a little. Could it be? Did Adrien really feel something for her?

A comfortable silence settled between them. Even if the atmosphere wasn’t awkward, Marinette wanted to say something to keep the conversation going, but she didn’t know what. Looking over at Kagami, she was staring at her glass of orange juice as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, a sad smile on her lips.

When the fencer spoke up, Marinette jumped in surprise. “You know? After André said Adrien and I were like an orange and peppermint ice cream when he sneaked out of the Bourgeois’ anniversary party, I started adding a little bit of peppermint to everything I had that had oranges in it.”

“How did it taste?”

“Terrible!” Kagami chuckled heartedly before sighing wistfully. “Maybe it was a sign that we were never really meant to be after all...”

Seeing Kagami so dejected didn’t sit well with Marinette. She’d grown used to the strong, confident fencer who never took any crap from anyone, so seeing her so sad now... Determination running through her veins, Marinette took the menu with the most enthusiasm anyone had ever taken a menu with. “Do you want to try their chocolate croissants? It won’t be the end of the world if I eat food that isn’t from my parents’ bakery just once.”

Taken aback by the abrupt change of topic, Kagami soon figured out what the blue-eyed girl was trying to do. She could only smile warmly at her friend in return.

.........

The rest of the afternoon went by smoothly. Once Kagami had opened up about her break up with Adrien they spent the remaining time talking about everything and nothing over some tasty treats. Tasty, but not mouth-watering. That was an adjective she reserved only for her parents’ bakery.

Waving Kagami goodbye as she got into her car, Marinette was left alone with her thoughts. So she wasn’t the only one who felt threatened over the presence of another girl in Adrien’s life. Moreover, Adrien actually seemed to have a soft spot for her. Any other day she would’ve leapt with joy, but now she had more pressing matters to tend to.

In a way, Kagami was right. Nobody other than them understood how painful caring for Adrien could be. Though she never even fathomed the idea of stop caring for Adrien, she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t wished he could just be another good friend to her, and not the boy she had been pining for ever since that fateful storm. Loving Adrien required a strong heart and lots of patience; his life was so hectic and busy that only someone who didn’t take things personally or wasn’t disappointed easily would be able to keep up with it.

Loving Adrien was extremely demanding, and it wasn’t even his fault! If she already had a hard time before, how would she manage now that she was the Guardian?

She knew the answer to that. She wouldn’t manage. Her duties had already cost her a relationship with someone as sweet, talented, and incredible as Luka, they would surely cost her Adrien, too. It was best to let him go.

But after talking to Kagami about their own relationship, there was still something she would like to know: what could Adrien possibly be hiding?

[bound-writings]

Hcs of hanako comforting his s/o when they are sad plis? i'm rlly feeling down these days..

im so sorry to hear that dear 🥺🥺 if u ever want to chat or talk my dms and ask box is always open !! (also your f/o edits are super cute!!! i love them!!)

Hanako Comforting S/O HCS

Hanako was probably quite surprised when he first saw you so down. Upon seeing you he hastily floated towards you, excitedly calling out your name, as his Hakujoudai swirled around you, He hadn’t seen you all day (which was quite unusual, you’d usually try to meet him before class and during lunch) and even though he wouldn’t admit it, he longed for your presence. And instead of receiving the “Hanako-kun!” he so desperately desired, all he heard was a meek, “Hey.” He could literally feel the gloominess radiating off your body, see the storm cloud trailing after you. Instead of giving him a hug, where he would normally sweep you off your feet and swing you around, you just slumped on the floor and brought your knees up, curled into a fetal position. Hanako frowned as he nervously floated over to you, his eyes brimming with concern.

“Ne ne… (Nickname)-chan…” he began, his feet touching the floor as he shuffled over to you, a faltering smile on his charming features.

No response.

Hanako sighed as he sat down next to you and tried to get a look at your face, but to no avail. Your gorgeous face was buried between your thighs with your arms wrapped around them. Gently, he took hold of one of your arms and tried to move it downwards, intertwining his hand with yours. He could now see half of your face, no, half of your tear-streaked face. Hanako’s heart skipped a beat at your crestfallen face as he quickly tried to collect his words and tried to stop gawking.

“(N-name!)” he began, immediately scooching as close as possible to you, leaving practically no breathing room between you two.

You only whimpered in response, trying to break free of his grasp and bring your hand back up to cover your face. But Hanako had a firm hold on it. You quickly glanced at him and then averted your eyes, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. You didn’t want him to laugh at you for your dumb reason for crying. Your day, no, your whole week, quite frankly, had been pretty shitty. Sucking in your breath, you were about to make up a stupid excuse and beeline out of the bathroom when suddenly you felt an object fall on top of your head, covering your line of sight.

You were embraced by a pair of two familiar arms, the same arms that always picked you up in the air and spun you around just to hear your scream. The same arms that always hugged you from behind and squished his cheek against yours. The same hands that always traced the lines on your palms.

Trying to get a good look at Hanako, you tried to twist your body in his direction however his grasp on you was tight but loving. He squeezed your hand as he snaked his arms around your waist tighter. Hanako placed his head on top of yours, uttering a few words.

“I’ll stay here until you stop crying, (Name.)”

LOTS of kisses I tell you. As soon as his you let him touch you again he’ll straight pepper your face with nonstop kisses. He likes to think that his kisses are very good and loving, so what other way to make you feel better than kisses? (God his kisses are so cute and fluffy-) Hanako is a naturally affectionate guy, so whenever your sad, his affection skyrockets. He practically won’t let you go unless Kou drags him off of you. His affection is almost smothering (but who would say no to Hanako loving you?? Certainly not me,,,) He definitely puts his hat on you, especially if you don’t want him to see you crying. Hanako will hug you until you literally cannot breathe anymore or until you fall asleep in his arms.

You have to go home at some point, so Hanako makes sure that tomorrow will be a much better day. Overnight he probably tries to sneak into the home economics room and try to make your favorite snack but nearly sets the room on fire, so that’s a no go. During classes, he’ll be around you constantly, his arm wrapped around yours as his face buries into the crook of your neck. You can feel his soft, choppy hair brush against and damn it feels nice. You automatically melt into him again, but try not to show it because I tell you Hanako is a HUGE tease and will never let you live this kind of stuff down.

He’s the kind of person to never force you to tell him why you’re sad, he knows how it feels because of his past and he understands why you would not want to explain. However, if it’s a constant sadness, you bet he’s gonna put his detective hat on and try to find out the source of your sadness. And if it’s someone whose causing it, oh no he already has his knife out-

He can’t do as much as he’d like to, like walk you home and such (he is deeply saddened by this) so he has to make do with the little things. Imagine Hanako hiring the Mokke to arrange themselves into the words “I LOVE YOU.” Yes, he would definitely do that. Just imagine walking and suddenly seeing a blur of pink, which you realize to be hundreds of Mokke, spelling out “I LOVE YOU.” Hanako best boyfriend,,,

Hanako will always be there for you, whether you just want a shoulder to lean on or you want to rant about your problems. Hanako won’t say anything but he will do everything in his ghostly powers to make your life the slightest bit easier (behind the scenes.) He loves you!!!

[raysofcrosby]

CHANCES – M. TKACHUK

requested: yes | no

warning(s): none that i can think of.

word count: 5,066

listened to: chances by the backstreet boys

inspiration: mixed luggage au [ i can’t find the og au-prompt masterlist, but if this is your au idea, lemme know and i’ll link you for credit (: ]

authors note: listen– i don’t know what it is, but i’ve literally been on a tkachuk thing lately. like, i used to despise this little curly-headed gremlin, but now??? it’s all hearteyes motherfucker. this is purely a writing to help me get back into the writing groove again after these last six months of nothing– so i might be a lil rusty. anyway, i hope you enjoy <3333

part two | google doc w/ all parts | my masterlist | stuff i have planned | who i’ll write for | requests

I’m sorry Y/N, but if you’re not here in the next 5 minutes I need to keep going.

That text haunted you– it was all you could think about the moment you got off of your flight. The uber your sister had ordered for you was close to canceling– all because there were too many planes taxiing on the airstrip and your stupid flight ended up circling in the air for thirty minutes. If this were any other airport, no doubt you’d be screwed. Luckily though, you knew good ole St. Louis Lambert International like the back of your hand. So getting from point A to point luggage claim would be no problem at all. The only delay would be the luggage getting put out onto the carousel.

Which of course, did prove to be the problem at hand.

You were the first one from your flight at the carousel and hoped to be gone before any disgruntled passengers you managed to bump into, could show up. Unfortunately for you, just as the bags were being loaded onto the carousel, your fellow passengers were arriving too– more than a few giving you a look that would normally result in you rolling your eyes in response. Yet, your focus wasn’t on them, it was glued to the small carousel door, keeping an eye out for your suitcase.

Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey handle. Teal bag with a grey hand–

“Ah-ha!” You smiled, catching eye of your suitcase and rushing to meet it instead of letting it eventually make its way to you. You grabbed the suitcase and extended the handle to drag it away, already walking towards the exit.

One minute.

You had one minute to catch your uber before they left you and you hoped and prayed that luck was on your side and the black Toyota Corolla just happened to be parked near the door you chose to exit from. The warm summer air of the Missouri summer weather practically smacked you in the face and it fit wasn’t for the awning covering the pick-up zone, you would have no doubt been blinded by the sun too.

“Oh, thank God,” you sighed, catching sight of a black Toyota Corolla that your sister said to find, parked just six cars down to your left. You sped walked to the uber, coming to a stop at the window and waving at the driver, catching her attention. “I’m so, so sorry I’m late.”

The woman, probably in her early 60’s gave you a friendly smile instead of the scowl you were expecting. “Are you Y/N?”

“Yes ma’am,” you replied, nodding.

“Go ahead and put your suitcase in the trunk, it’s opened for you.”

You walked to the trunk and lifted it open, placing your suitcase inside before closing it and walking to the back passenger door, getting into the backseat. “Again, I’m so sorry for making you wait. We had to circle in the air for 30 minutes because of the traffic on the airstrip and,” you exhaled, relaxing back into your seat. “I’m so sorry.”

She laughed, pulling away from the airport. “It’s no problem sweetheart. I saw your reply. I was going to give you a little extra time. I know how hectic airports could be. Especially this time of the year. Everyone’s traveling for vacation.”

“Yeah, I think I might have accidentally elbowed one too many people trying to get to luggage claim.”

“Are you visiting or coming home?”

“Coming home…kind of,” you laughed, staring out the window at your hometown. “I actually just graduated from college a few weeks ago, so my roommates and I rented a house on the Jersey Shore to celebrate. But, my sister is getting married tomorrow, so that’s why I’m back.” You looked back towards her, laughing softly to yourself. “But then come September, I’ll actually be moving to Calgary for a new job and to get my Masters.”

“So a lot of traveling, I see.”

You took a deep breath and sighed, nodding. “Yeah, but I’m glad to be able to spend all of this time with my friends and family before I start working. Especially since I’ll be moving so far away.”

“It sounds like a great time,” she smiled, looking at me through the rearview mirror. “I’m a sucker for weddings, why don’t you tell me about it?”

Normally, you weren’t one to talk a lot whenever you and your friends would take Ubers downtown on the weekends– but this driver was sweet and you found yourself talking nonstop as she drove you towards your final destination. After all, she didn’t abandon you at the airport like you thought she would.

~

The car ride to your parents' place went by a lot faster than you thought it would and it was all thanks to Mrs. Sheila, your lovely uber driver. Whom, you learned, started driving after she lost her husband late last year. Her kids lived out of state and once they went back home after those first few weeks, she wanted to find something to do to keep herself busy and get herself out of the house– so, she became an uber driver.

Walking into your parents' house, you were greeted with empty echos of your footsteps. Your parents were still at work and wouldn’t be home until just a little before the rehearsal dinner tonight. Your brother, well, as far as you knew, he had absolutely nothing going on, so you didn’t know why he wasn’t around. If anyone was guaranteed to be home, it was your sister. She was the one who ordered your uber and had them take you here, so she was more than well aware of what time you’d be arriving home.

“Hello?” You called out, leaving your suitcase by the door and making your way to the living room. “Char, are you here?”

“Is that my favorite sister?” You heard her voice call out from upstairs. Looking up, you could see her rounding the hallway corner, carrying a closed laundry basket full of, no doubt, stuff for tonight’s bridal party sleepover.

“I’m your only sister,” you laughed as she made her way down the staircase.

“Unless you count all of the times we got bored and turned Nick into Nikki,” she giggled, reaching the end of the staircase and putting the basket down before stepping forward and hugging you. “How was the flight?”

“It was great up until our 30 minutes of circling in the air,” you laughed, pulling away from the hug. “Where’s my dear brother?”

“Working out with some friends. We probably won’t see him until tonight.”

“Nothing says welcome home like being greeted to an empty house.”

“Excuse you, I was here to greet you.” She laughed, picking the basket back up. “But if you really want to be upset, you should see all of the packed boxes in your room.”

“I leave in three months! Why are they packing me up now?” You gasped, acting dramatically.

“Nick and dad are planning on transforming it into some kind of training room or something.”

“But they–“

“Already took over the garage? Yeah, I know and mom is pissed.”

You rolled your eyes, grabbing the handle of your suitcase again. “He literally told the Blues that he was going back to Michigan in the fall to try and win a championship. Why the hell are they even treating him like he’s already a hall of famer?”

“Perks of being the youngest, not to mention dad’s only son,” she laughed, looking at the door. “Ready to head to the Airbnb?”

“Can we get food first?” You asked, dragging your suitcase along. “I’m starving.”

She laughed as you held the door open for her. “Good, because we’re most definitely getting food before we go and take a nap.”

You laughed, walking out of the house with her and then closing and locking the door behind you. “I knew we were related.”

~

Lunch and a nap turned out to be exactly what you needed. The two of you had stopped at a subway to get some food before driving over to the Airbnb that you, your sister and the rest of the bridesmaids would be staying for the night.

It was a beautiful three-bedroom, modernized cottage that looked like it was stripped directly from the pages of a fairytale book. It was tucked away, just off to the side in the backyard of a beautiful colonial house, whose farm would tomorrow be transformed into a whimsical fairytale wedding location. The men would be getting ready in the house, while the women would be getting ready in the cute cottage. Sort of like a secret getaway paradise before the wedding.

When you got back with your food, your sister took you on a tour of the property while the wedding planners and staff were setting up all of the bigger decorations for tomorrow. You were off at school during the entire planning process, only ever seeing every one of her ideas in pictures. The only things you were able to take part in, were the dress shopping and her bachelorette party since they were both held at a time you were on a fall break from school. Besides being there for those two things, the only other thing you helped with– was the proposal.

Colton has been in your life for as long as you could remember. He and Charlotte have been best friends since Pre-K. It was the cliché friends to lovers kind of story that was told time after time– but in theirs, there were no other people in it. It was just them. There were no other boyfriends or girlfriends, no other crushes– from the very beginning, they were it for each other. They were each other's first everything– kiss, date, girlfriend/boyfriend, time– in their love story, they had found their one great love…all before they turned five.

Wherever Charlotte was, there was Colton– they were stuck like glue and your parents loved it. It was their friendship that brought both of your families together to the relationship that you all had now. Your families were best friends, all because of their relationship. You often took vacations together, spent holidays together, hell, you and Colton’s middle brother, Mason, even had joint birthday parties– as did your two younger siblings, Nick and Addie. Your families even try to go as far as to dropping hints that all three kids should date.

Colton and Charlotte. You and Mason. Nick and Addie– all the same age and practically family already.

It was perfect.

Until you and Mason tried to date in the tenth-grade and realized that kissing the person you’ve shared every birthday party with, used to take baths with and shared every key moment growing up– wasn’t all that great. In fact, it was weird. So the two of you remained as the almost black sheep of the families, especially since Nick and Addie were headed down the same path as Charlotte and Colton. They started dating in eighth-grade– like Colton and Charlotte– and have maintained a healthy and strong relationship to now, even long-distance, when they’ll both be sophomores in college in the fall, Addie at the University of Missouri and Nick playing hockey at the University of Michigan.

You and Mason were there, always making jokes about how it runs in the family but skipped a generation. Never letting your siblings live it down that the two of you will be the ones to break the cycle. Funny how you two were also the ones who played the biggest roles in Charlotte’s engagement.

Both of your dads are huge St. Louis Blues fans. So naturally, they tried to rub that off onto their children. And it worked, all except for you. You tolerated the blues, but never really adopted hockey as your favorite sport. You understood it, watched it whenever you never had a choice– but like your mom, you gravitated more towards football and adopted her hometown team as your own– the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Colton and Charlotte, however, were both diehard Blues fans from day one. There were even pictures to prove it. They even went to a game on both their first ‘supervised’ date and ‘unsupervised’ date. So, when the Blues were making a run for the Stanley Cup– it was imminent for your families to attend at least one game. You and Mason did everything in your power to get the Blues attention. You emailed anyone and everyone who worked in their front office, you spammed their social media accounts– anything and everything to get their attention so you could share their story and Colton’s plan.

And at game four it all came to life. Charlotte was ‘randomly’ selected to participate in an intermission event after the first period where she’d be blindfolded and needed to walk along the ice to find Louie after collecting ‘Blues momentos’ along the way. The Blues had played the short slideshow of Colton and Charlotte that you and Mason had sent them, as they introduced her to the crowd. Unbeknownst to her, both of our families were on the ice with her, standing behind her while she was blindfolded. You and the other three siblings were scattered in front of her, each holding a single rose.

The Blues staff member helped her walk along the ice and the moment that she took a flower from someone, they needed to go back to where she started, which was where Colton was standing with the ring in his pocket. The four of you each had a sign, that when held up together read ‘Will you marry me?’ Once Charlotte neared Louie, he cut the distance to just by center ice where all of you were waiting. And when she found Louie, the entire crowd had erupted into cheers as she took off her blindfold, all smiles until she turned around to see the signs and Colton on one knee.

She said yes. The Blues won. The proposal went viral and your families were given a box to game seven where the Blues won the Stanley Cup.

All in a day's work between the two middle siblings, and one that led you all to this moment– the wedding tomorrow. Where Colton, who was already like a big brother yo you, would officially, pretty much become your big brother.

“Y/N,” your sister said, shaking your arm. “Y/N, get up. We’ve got like 45 minutes to get ready for dinner before we have to leave and no offense, but you need to shower.”

“Your lucky that you’re getting married tomorrow or I’d kill you,” you mumbled into the pillow, taking a deep breath and exhaling before pushing yourself up. “Can you charge my phone for me? I won’t take too long, just need to rinse off and I’ll be back.”

“In your backpack?” She asked as you walked out of the room.

“Mhhm, small front pocket. The charger is with it.”

You walked out of the room and into the connected bathroom, closing the door behind you before walking towards the shower and turning on the water. Your nap was more than enough to help you make it through dinner. You hadn’t thought that you were even that tired, but the moment you laid down to relax after eating your sandwich– you were absolutely knocked out.

To be fair though, you had spent the last two weeks partying it up on the beach with your college roommates, trying to relive every moment from your last four years of partying, downing booze, and making out with any attractive guy who caught your eye. You know what they say, no rest for the wicked– and boy, oh boy, were the wicked actions of shotgunning beers with strangers in the hot summer jersey sun, coming back to haunt you.

At least you got one hell of a tan and more memories to last you a lifetime, out of it all.

You turned off the shower before you stepped out and wrapped a towel around your body, then wrapping your hair up in a second towel. You walked out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, only to find it empty. "Hey, Char?"

"In the living room...er, kitchen, I guess!"

You walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to see Charlotte sitting at the kitchen counter, a make-up mirror propped up in front of her and hot curling iron in her hand. "Why are you doing your hair in the kitchen?"

"You were in the bathroom and the lighting is lacking in the bedroom." She let a curl, fall from the iron and turned to you. "What's up?"

"Well, for one, the bathroom is free," you laughed, looking around. "And two, I was wondering where you put my suitcase? It was in the room and now it's not."

"No," she dragged out her reply, focusing on wrapping another piece of hair around the iron before averting her eyes towards the door. "You left it by the front door. Never brought it in."

You turned towards the front door and sure enough, right there not even three feet away from the door...was your suitcase. "Awesome, thanks!" You said, walking over and tugging on the handle, extending it out before walking back to the room. "And my phone?"

"Charging in the kitchen. It was dead by the way."

"Great," you huffed, walking into the bedroom and over to the bed. You lifted up the suitcase, letting it plop down onto the bed and exhaled a deep breath. It was a lot heavier than you thought it was. But maybe your body was just tired from traveling and last night's final night out.

You caught a glimpse of the alarm clock that was set up on the bedside table and saw that your getting ready time was vastly starting to dwindle. So, not thinking anything more of the heavy suitcase, you unzipped the zipper and threw the cover back, ready to grab the romper you had placed directly on top, just so it wouldn't get wrinkled. You stared down at the contents of the suitcase, quickly grabbing the cover and shutting it again.

Okay, maybe you were imagining things.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling, and then opening your eyes and opening the suitcase again.

No, you definitely weren't imagining things.

The same spike ball netting was still staring you right in the face. Surrounding it, were three spike balls and a crumbled up bag that was supposed to house the set. Beneath it, a bunch of crumpled up clothes and other things.

"No," you shut the suitcase again, repeating the same steps: close your eyes, take a breath, hope you're dreaming, open your eyes and then the suitcase, only to be disappointed. "No, no– oh my God, this can't be happening. Charlotte!!"

You heard her footsteps echo off of the wooden floor as she made her way to the bedroom, half of her hair curled and set. "What?"

"This isn't my suitcase."

"Of course it is," she scoffed. "Colton and I got you that big traveling set for graduation, and that," she pointed at the suitcase, "is it."

"No, it's not," You opened the suitcase and reached in, grabbing the first thing you felt and holding it up to show her. "See? Not mine!"

"Y/N," her eyes widened before she started to laugh. "You might want to put those down."

"It's just the spike ball bag, it's not big–" you turned to see what you were holding and sure enough, it was not the spike ball bag you thought you had picked up. It was a pair of Ant-Man boxers, and it was unknown whether or not they were clean or not. "Ah, ew!" You tossed them back into the suitcase, wiping your hand on your towel. "Ew, ew, ew, I just touched a stranger's dirty underwear."

"You don't know if they were dirty."

"You don't know if they were clean!" You argued back, looking around the handle for an identification tag. "This definitely isn't mine. My travel tag isn't on the handle."

"Who uses a travel tag?" She laughed, shaking her head.

"Me," you turned towards the suitcase, slamming it shut and zipping it. "I use a travel tag, so if my luggage gets lost or switched, they can contact me. It's common travel knowledge."

She sighed, walking over towards the suitcase and unzipping the two pockets on top, looking in and shaking her head. "Nothing hidden in those pockets. Did you think to go through the rest of the suitcase? Maybe they have a tag in there."

"And risk touching another pair of possibly dirty boxers and God knows what else? No thanks," you zipped up the suitcase and picked it up, placing it back onto the ground. "I'm doomed. That suitcase had all of the clothes that I took to Jersey, in it. It had my outfit and makeup for tonight."

"I have something you can borrow," she walked over to the closet, opening it to reveal it was empty besides two dresses hanging up. "And I've got make-up and whatever your little heart desires for your hair."

"Your wedding present was in there too," you sighed, walking over to the closet. "Which one?"

"This." She held out the rose-colored dress, handing the hanger to you. "You can get away with no bra and I can give you a pair of underwear from the new pack I bought this morning–"

"Why would you buy new underwear?" You asked, taking the dress.

"In case of emergencies," she closed the closet and turned back to you, nodding. "Which, this is. Unopened pack in that laundry basket I was carrying, feel free to take a pair and keep them. As for shoes...you're kind of on your own on that one."

You sighed, defeated as she walked out of the bedroom, leaving you to get dressed. You unwrapped the towel around your hair, letting it drop onto the floor as the towel wrapped around your body went with it. You took the dress off of the hanger and untied the straps, lifting the dress over your head and tugging it down. Your mind was going over every detail of just how you picked up the wrong suitcase. Fair, it was a dead-ringer for the suitcase you took with you to Jersey, but even you should have known to realize that there was no bright red luggage tag hanging on the side handle. And it was all you could do but hope that whoever picked up your suitcase thinking it was theirs, would at least call or text.

"Oh shit," you said, holding onto the straps that hung down on the side, trying to tie them in the back. "Charlotte! My phone!"

You ran out into the living room to see her now finishing up her make-up at the counter, turning to you with wide eyes. "Okay one, sit down and let me brush your hair," she stood up and grabbed your wrist, bringing you over to counter and sitting you down. "And two, your phone is right there."

"If they figured out our luggage was switched, they'd call! My luggage tag!" You reached across the counter, grabbing your phone and turning it over to see that the screen was still black. "Oh come on, my phone wasn't that dead!"

Charlotte tugged you back and started to brush your hair, not bothering to go slow. "I plugged it in the moment you went to take a shower, just give it a few seconds."

If looks could kill, your phone would be nowhere ready to turn on. You were glaring at the screen as if pure intimidation would turn it on. This could go one of two ways:

1) This person left your suitcase in the dark abyss that is lost luggage at the airport.

or

2) Like you, they didn't realize that they had grabbed the wrong luggage until they went to open it and they'll find your luggage tag and call you.

"Ah!" You yelled, jumping out of the chair as your phone lit up. You leaned over the counter, your heart racing as Charlotte tried to keep brushing your hair. "Come on, come on, come on..."

"Right there," Charlotte said, pointing at your screen as a text message notification popped up on the screen from an unknown number. "That has to be them!"

"Oh thank God," you sighed, thumb ready to swipe the message open. "Oh...yikes."

"Uh," Charlotte laughed as the two of you continued to watch your messages pour in, at least 5 coming in from the unknown number, along with three phone calls. "Yikes indeed, I guess they're panicking just as much as you are."

You swiped on the notifications, unlocking your phone, and going to the message.

unknown: hi y/n i think you grabbed the wrong suitcase...

unknown: yeah, uh, you most definitely grabbed the wrong suitcase.

unknown: is there any way we can switch in the next 30 minutes before i reach my house?

unknown: ok, so i'm sorry for the spam texts and calls...but this is kind of urgent.

unknown: like life or death.

"Life or death?" Charlotte asked, looking at you with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell was in that suitcase?"

"Spike ball and dirty clothes," you replied, shrugging. Your eyes went wide before you turned back to her. "What if they're a drug smuggler and there are drugs in there?"

She opened her mouth to speak before looking down at your phone, nodding. "Now's your chance to find out. Look who's calling."

You looked back down at your phone to see the unknown number flash on your screen. You looked back at her, shaking your head. "You answer it."

"Your luggage, you answer it," she laughed, pulling back segments of your hair to tie back. "But put it on speaker, I'm curious what the drug dealer sounds like."

You shoved your elbow back, avoiding her as you nervously slid your thumb across the screen, answering the call and pressing the speaker button. "Hello?"

"Oh thank God," the unknown called sighed, clearing his throat. "Sorry for the spam calls, I've just been panicking."

"Yeah, I’m sorry...my phone died," you replied, looking at Charlotte as your voice dwindled off.

"The suitcase," she mouthed, nodding her head back towards the room.

"Oh, the suitcase!" You said, almost a little too excited. You cleared your throat, calming yourself down. "I most definitely have your suitcase...maybe."

"Well I have yours," you could hear rustling in the background. "Y/N L/N, right?"

"Yep, that's me," you looked at Charlotte again, shaking your head. "Sorry to kind of do this...but how do I know I have your suitcase? I mean, what if I grabbed someone else's and you grabbed mine and there's three of us in this and–"

Charlotte smacked your back lightly with the back of the brushed, shaking her head as the voice on the other side of the phone laughed. "Um, shit," he coughed, smacking his lips. "Uh well, there should be a spike ball set in there. If not, then I left it at Johnny's. Otherwise, it's just clothes."

"Congratulations," you laughed, leaning back into the chair. "I've got your suitcase."

"Oh thank God, I was really worried there for a second," they replied. "Is there any chance we can exchange them soon?"

"Okay, so about that," you sighed, biting the inside of your cheek. "I kind of have a wedding rehearsal and dinner to go to in 20 minutes...and I don't think that will be over with till about...two hours from now. Is that okay?"

There was silence on the other side and you couldn't help but feel horrible at the fact that you were keeping this stranger away from his luggage and that he had to keep yours until then. "My family and I are going to dinner in two hours, reservation and all."

"Where at?" You spoke before your brain could even catch up with what your mouth was doing. "I'm sorry that was creepy."

He laughed and you felt a little flutter feeling in your stomach. "No, it's fine. I think we're going to Maggiano's in–"

"In the Westfield town center?" Your eyes widened as Charlotte placed the brush down on the counter behind you, looking at you with a smile. "We're going to Pieology in the Westfield town center!"

"Pieology for a wedding rehearsal dinner? Sounds like my kind of party," he laughed. "So, do you just want to exchange then? When I get there and you're leaving?"

"Sounds perfect!"

"Great! So I'll just, text you when I get there and I promise I won't forget the suitcase."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"All right, bye, Y/N!"

"Bye!" You hung up the call and Charlotte leaned against the counter a smile on her face. "What?"

"He sounded cute." She stuck placed the extra bobby pins she didn't need, onto the counter. "Maybe he can be your date for my wedding."

"Not this again," you groaned, getting out of the chair. "For the last time, I don't need a date. Besides, this guy is a total stranger– I don't even know his name!"

"You can learn it later," she laughed, wiggling her eyebrows. "Either way, do your makeup quickly because we need to leave in ten."

She walked off towards the bedroom the two of you had claimed and you sighed, sitting back down into your seat, grabbing her mascara, blush, and golden liquid shimmer eyeshadow. It was the best you could do for now, until you got all of your stuff back from this stranger. As you applied the eyeshadow, you couldn't get Charlotte's comment out of your head. She was right, he did sound cute. But who's to say that he's not a total creep? Or that he's even your age? He could be in his 40's or even barely cruising 18. And then stood the real issue, you didn't even know his name.

Your phone screen lit up once again and you looked away from the mirror, seeing that you had another text from the unknown number. You furrowed your eyebrows and unlocked your phone, opening his text.

unknown: my name is matt, by the way 😊