#but it's not just about those two instances it's about an attitude i see on here in general

[yardsards]

some people on here make Hating All Social Rules such an obnoxiously large part of their personality that you could say "it is polite to avoid farting in a crowded elevator if you can help it" and they'd call you an oppressive puritan who hates the incontinent

[ratatouillewastakendammit]

HAIII :3 I absolutely loveddd the love quirk fic you wrote for Hawks and I was wondering if you could make part two but it's Hawks that gets hit this time🗣️

Enjoy 🫡

I’d never mind

Pairing: Hawks x Reader

Warnings: Language, slight smut/suggestive, Hawks gets supperrrr clingy

Word Count: 3.5k

Click click click

The keyboard chirped as your fingers glided over its surface, lowering themselves just slightly every so often on a specific key. Almost like magic, the letters appeared on the screen, each one following the other in tandem as they melded together and formed the sentences you desired. 

Click click click

You paused, eyes grazing over the screen in contemplation, your thumb slowly finding its way to your pointer finger to fidget in the short spout of reprieve.

Writing emails had never been very interesting, especially since most of them consisted of you attempting to come up with the most creatively professional ways of conveying ‘screw off.’

Although not unusual, the shady paparazzi sending in emails for a much too personal interview always left your boss annoyed. He had actually given you the go ahead to tell them to mind their own business, an opportunity that had unfortunately bothered your well-mannered temperament far too much, so you were left to do the proper tweaking. 

After years of schooling, you would have been perfectly content to avoid writing anything longer than a paragraph all together. Regardless, the unusually high pay tethered to the application for the number two’s secretary was much too alluring to pass up.

Working for Hawks had been surprisingly enjoyable, although you did have to get used to the smell of fried chicken wafting through the lobby every afternoon. 

And the quiet attraction you held for him gnawing at your conscience.

Without mentioning his level of physical appeal, which was most definitely high, he had been quite friendly and kind to you, a far cry from what you had to endure from previous employers.

Seeing as you had found yourself working predominantly in the customer service industry, though, maybe that wasn’t so impressive. 

Each flirtatious remark he shot your way left you craving more, although you were determined not to let it get to your head, especially with all the tabloids going on and on about his playboy lifestyle. 

It wasn’t like it made you important.

With a sigh, you pressed the ‘period’ key, sitting back to inspect your work with a thoughtful eye.

After taking a moment, you found yourself fairly satisfied with the contents, clicking send and slouching into your chair with another breath. 

A peaceful silence echoed through the agencies entryway, wrapping its arms around your mind and weighing down your eyelids with a gentle pull. 

It was nice, tranquil.

The doors burst open. 

You stood, fully expecting blood or a broken bone to come along with the gaggle of yelling. There had been a few times where an upcoming pro had entered through the door with battle injuries, and if this was one of those instances, you were sure it wouldn’t be the last.

Today, though, everyone seemed fine.

Hawks, along with the small group of heroes behind him, appeared to be absolutely unharmed.

Hands in his pockets, he walked backwards, words geared towards the long, white eared woman yelling from behind him. “-worries too much.”

“Uh,” you cleared your throat. “Is everything okay?”

Mirko scoffed. “Yep. I just work with an idiot.”

It hadn’t taken long to adjust to the woman’s straightforward attitude, especially since most insults weren’t directed at you. Surprisingly, the hero seemed to have taken a liking to you, something strikingly close to what you may have defined as friendship, so you were content to sit back and watch her quarrel with Hawks instead.

The man in question threw his coworker a vulgar gesture before turning around to face you, freezing as his eyes met yours.

You shuffled your feet, becoming self conscious as his full attention seemed to pierce through you.

“Are you oka-”

Pushing off the balls of his feet, Hawks shot forward, clearing the large expanse of the lobby within seconds.

The action barely registered in your mind before he reached you, hands sliding underneath your back and knees as he pulled your body into his, lifting the two of you in the air.

Instinctively, your arms wrapped around his neck, tightening as your stomach dropped.

It wasn’t until your shoes touched the marble that you loosened your grasp. The one Hawks held on you didn’t seem to waver, however, his biceps pressing you into his chest.

He pulled back enough to face you, sporting an exceedingly charming grin that had your heart thumping. “Fine, just missed you is all.”

You paused.

“Huh?”

Somewhere in the background, Mirko let out a sigh, the sound fuming with a mix of relief and pride. “I fucking called it.”

“I’m sorry?” You called, attempting to withdrawal out of Hawks’ hold, your strength doing barely anything against his.

“Nothing.” The pro lifted a hand to her mouth, concealing what you could’ve sworn was a laugh. “He got hit with a love quirk.”

“He what?”

“I’m fine.” Hawks waved her off, golden irises still locked on you.

“He was helping some civilian out of a car accident and go hit with it,” Mirko replied, itching the back of her elongated ear. “They said he should be fine by tomorrow, and since it hadn’t taken effect yet, we figured it be fine if he brought him here.”

She bent at the waist, inspecting the way you were still attempting to wriggle from his clutches before continuing. “Maybe not.”

“So… what am I supposed to do with him?”

She sighed. “Not sure. Good luck, though, I have to go write some reports.”

And with a small wave from Mirko, you were left alone, regardless of the pleas that followed her down the hall.

Surprisingly, it had taken a mere polite request from you to get Hawks to detach himself. He definitely wasn’t as compliant when you pulled a spare chair next to yours before attempting to finish your work for the day.

He watched you, face contorted in thought for a few moments before a grin fell over his features.

You hadn’t noticed what he was doing until his arms snaked under yours, lifting you up as he slid into your spot and plopped down. Next, he grabbed your waist, pulling you forward into a sitting position, thighs straddling his.

Warmth blossomed in your face as you tried to slide off, the hands pressed firmly on your hips easily denying you the escape.

“Oh, come on, sweetheart. You don’t have to be shy,” he chided, nuzzling his face into your shoulder.

“It’s just, uh…” you craned your neck to the side, trying to take a look at the front door. “Anyone could walk in, ya know?”

“So?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Whoever doesn’t know you’re mine yet is an idiot.”

You remained silent, heart jumping at his words, but continued to wait for any moment that his grip would loosen, giving you a chance to slip away.

Still, you had no doubt he would be quick enough to catch you again.

Not that you would particularly mind.

At some point you gave up, shuffling the chair around and starting your work once more, pretending to ignore the way your body fit into his, or the soft, affectionate way he was playing with a strand of your hair.

The two of you fell into a quiet lull, the sound of your fingers against the keyboard the only noise. Thankfully, the back of your chair was short enough for you to see your computer, making for a surprisingly straightforward setup.

“Do you like someone else?”

His works made you pause, hands hovering above your desk. “What?”

“I’ve liked you for months and you barely give me any attention,” Hawks huffed. “Is it that dumbass pro from the next town over?”

“No, that’s because I-” The words made you pause, words faltering as your mental gears began to turn.

Months.

That doesn’t make any sense.

The quirk made him like you, sure, but was it messing with his memories as well?

You glanced down at him, ignoring the small laugh bubbling up your stomach at how dejected he looked, a far cry from the usually cocky attitude you had come to know and enjoy.

Still, the statement led to far too many things not adding up, the dissonance boggling your train of thought until the rest of your productive workday became impossible.

“I need to go talk to Mirko." You pushed the chair away from your desk, pleasantly surprised when Hawks agreed to let you go.

Regardless, it didn’t take long for him to lace your fingers through yours, guiding the both of you to the first floor elevator.

You entertained him for the ride up, the skin of your palm tingling against his.

It was when you arrived to the doorway of Mirko’s office, however, that you had a problem.

Bringing your pointer and middle finger to your temple, you massaged the skin in exasperation. Hawks had become quite adamant on not leaving your side, despite your exasperating protests. “Can you just wait out here for a few minutes? Please?”

It took a few moments but the look of distress slowly morphed into one of wicked glee, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Alright, fine. But you have to give me something first.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “Okay… and what would that be.”

“I think you can guess.” His eyes flicked down to your lips.

Oh shit

You swallowed, almost fearful if you opened your mouth to speak, he would hear your heart beating up through your throat.

It’s just a kiss, right? No harm done?

The words seemed useless amidst the power of your nerves, the best course of action fighting its way to the forefront of your mind.

No way no way no way no way

Lifting up your heels, you took a sharp breath, pressing your lips against his for a mere moment before pulling away, scurrying past the doors to Mirko’s office and shutting them with a slam.

The woman looked up from a stack of paperwork, eyes shining in excitement at the distraction, and probable drama you were bringing. “What can I do for ya?”

There were a few seconds of silence, those in which you used to collect yourself, before you answered. "I was wondering if the civilian, the one with the love-quirk, I mean, told you anything else about it? Besides how Hawks will be better tomorrow and stuff."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Well," you hesitated, taking a moment to remind yourself that it was alright to tell her, a woman who had become dangerously close to your friend, despite the warnings that came along with close relationships with heroes. "He said that he's liked me for months and that just doesn't make sense, especially if the quirk only really affected him a few hours ago, right?"

“I was just…” you sighed, taking a moment to compose your words before continuing. “Did you ask the quirk user if his memories would be influenced at all? Like would they be different than what’s really true?”

“Nope.” The lack of knowledge left your chest heavy, pulling your face downwards to focus on your wringing hands. “They did say that Hawks would only be affected if he looked at someone he had feelings for, though.”

Your eyes shot up. “Huh?”

Miraculously unbothered, she was now inspecting her nails, currently painted a soft gray and shaped into points that you couldn't imagine would be practical. "Uh-huh."

“And you didn’t think to say anything?”

“I figured it would be best to let him tell you himself, even though I only really had a half guess that he liked you,” she replied in amusement. “And since he technically did tell you, I’m off the hook. Figured I’d let you two weirdos work it out.”

She propped her left foot on the edge of her desk, using the momentum to push her chair backward before standing. With a wave of swagger, she made her way over to you, placing a hand on each of your shoulders before spinning your body around and prompting you towards the exit.

Squirming away didn't seem to make a difference, especially considering that her left bicep seemed to be about the size of a tree trunk.

"Wait-"

"Have fun!"

Opening the door, she pushed you out before locking her office, leaving you to glare at the foggy glass.

Are all heroes this manhandle-y?

An arm snaked around your waist, the sudden contact making you jump. "How'd it go? Figure out what you needed?"

Taking a moment to slow your heart, you turned around to face Hawks. "I, uh... yeah, I did."

Looking up at him now was an oddity you weren't sure you were ready for. You were almost sure he didn't reciprocate your feelings, the actual possibility being something you had pushed away in fear of rejection, the concept becoming foreign to you.

Now, it was hard to believe you weren't dreaming, almost as if the soft smile and longing glance he was giving you would slip through your fingers if you didn't hold on tight enough.

The thoughts infiltrating your mind had you distracted, a soft sting of embarrassment hitting you when you realized you both were dangerously close to one another in the middle of the main office floor.

Regardless, when you glanced around, you were met with a quiet destitution, a stark difference to the usual business the agency saw on a Friday afternoon.

"Um, where is everyone?"

He cocked his head to the side, a small chuckle erupting from his lips as he took your chin between two fingers and pushing it slightly toward the left. At first, you weren't sure why, but the clock sporting a 7:27 fell into your line of sight. "Only the workaholics stay this late and we don't have many of those here."

Guess I was going through emails for longer than I thought "Oh. I suppose I should be going home too, then."

"Can I come?"

You almost laughed at his question, the thought of someone of his social standing, and economic one, asking to come to the small apartment on the edge of the city you called home. "You definitely wouldn't want to."

"Then why don't you come back to my place?"

The request made you pause, drawing a feeling of unease into your system despite the lightheartedness it was delivered with. At this point, you knew he liked you, but the idea of going to his house left you anxious.

As far as you were aware, he was an individual of solitude, not even Mirko, whom you perceived to be a fairly close friend, had been to his abode.

For some odd reason, the idea made you feel icky. You sure as hell wouldn’t want to wake up surprised to someone sleeping next to you in your home, someone who you had unknowingly let in while under the effects of a quirk no less.

Seemingly able to notice your hesitation, Hawks offered you his hand. "Follow me."

He didn't exactly wait for a response, lacing your fingers through his and tugging you towards the elevator with a gentleness you wouldn't have believed to be possible with him.

With each button lit, a floor fell beneath your feet, every ding bringing you closer to what you were sure was his office.

It was quite large, the metal doors opening directly into the fully windowed room. White and gold furniture lay atop the marbled floor, polished to a shine.

The birch desk and swivel chair took of most of the space, but he had some other things laying about, such as the mini-fridge and air fryer to your right.

You were almost positive what went on there.

An ivory couch, just about the same width as a twin sized bed lay along the left wall, its creamy pillows and a lusciously looking soft blanket thrown on the side.

A moment passed before you understood what was happening. "Are you… are you sure that's even big enough for both of us?"

"Don't worry about it, songbird." He shrugged his jacket over his shoulders, grasping your arm and pulling you towards the sofa. With exhausted grace, he fell over it, tugging you with him until your body lay over his.

Fuck

With the outer layer off, the fabric of his shirt was just thin enough to feel the ripple of his muscles between your fingers. The soft heat radiating off his skin was nothing short of addictive, the warmth something you were tempted to bask in forever.

And the thing was, you were sure he would let you, if he asked.

The thought was sweet, but it didn’t take long for your mind to wander, to imagine what else he would do for you; would do to you.

"Are you turned on?"

That sure broke the peaceful daze. "What?"

He sat up, golden irises burning in excitement. "If you wanted to do something, you could've just asked."

"I'm not." The words came out exceedingly more nervous than you anticipated.

"Liar." A wicked grin laced his features. "I can tell, ya know, when you're in the mood."

Heart dropping to your stomach, you blinked up at him. "You... you what?"

"Mhm." Hawks placed a hand on your chest, fingers toying with the top of your shirt. "Your heart speeds up just so. I can hear it.”

“You’re bullshitting me.” Somehow, you suspected he wasn’t. The details of his quirk were unknown to you, but you had heard of the heightened senses tethered to those feathers he possessed.

“Ouch, so vulgar,” he waved off the assumption, using his left hand to draw gentle circles on the skin of your stomach. “But keep telling yourself that. I can be patient.”

Your brain filled in the blanks.

I'll wait until you’re begging for it

You tried desperately to ignore the thought, to quiet your frenzied mind and think of something, anything else. Curiosity, it seemed, was your saving grace, another question blossoming in your mind. "So, if you knew about... ya know, why didn't you say something.”

"Liking someone and being horny for them are two different things, gorgeous." He flashed you another grin, identical to the ones on the tabloid covers that inspired thirst tweets and tumblr stories. "Besides, I’ve heard it isn’t very hard to want me in bed, figured my sweet little receptionist wouldn’t be any different."

You snorted. "You're an idiot."

"But you don't mind, right?"

The question came across as playful, but there were wisps of insecure longing strewn amidst his tone.

"No, I definitely don't."

Your affirmation seemed to meet his standards, the man burying his face in your shoulder and pulling you back down onto the couch. Golden locks tickled your cheek, the soft hum of the air conditioner lulling your eyes to a close.

Minutes passed before the two of you fell asleep, surprising seeing that you were usually quite the night owl. Regardless, the way his wings enfolded around the both of you, blocking out the remnants of the evening sunset and any other distractions made you feel disturbingly safe. You would have been content to die here, his arms wrapped around your torso, shielded from the rest of the world within the scarlet plumage.

Chests moving in tandem, each breath undisturbed and hushed as the hours ticked by.

Upon waking, the first thought that entered your mind was how cold it was. That plush blanket you had been eyeing earlier was wrapped snugly around your form, but the fabric seemed to pale in comparison to what you had enjoyed last night.

Your eyes flickered open, straining under the sun streaking past the windowed walls. It took a moment for them to adjust under the harsh lighting, but you jumped when you glanced around to see two golden irises staring back at you.

Hawk's head was propped up on his arms, each balancing on the side of the couch, a few centimeters away from you. A smirk twitched at the corner of his lip at your reaction. "Good morning."

"What the hell are you doing?" You groaned.

An unbothered shrug tugged his shoulders upward. "You look pretty when you're sleeping."

Sitting up, you rolled your joints, stretching the rest of the tiredness away. "Hasn't anyone ever told you watching people while they sleep is creepy?"

"I've never found anyone else as good looking to feel the need to do so." He tilted his head to the side, flashing a boyish grin. "Besides, I thought you ladies liked that sort of thing. Isn't there a movie about that or something?"

You rolled your eyes, sitting up with a yawn. “So… uh, I’m guessing you’re back to normal then?”

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p' at the end. “Why? Miss me hanging off your shoulder twenty-four seven?"

Yes.

“Shut up.”

He grinned, seemingly unaffected by your fatigued harshness. “So, are you gonna let me take you out today or what?”

“You still want to?”

“Well obviously,” Amusement laced his tone, a quiet ardor brewing among his features. “Unless you’d just like to skip all that and fuck.”

The thought had heat blooming in your cheeks, “You’re so vulgar.”

“And you love it.”

“Maybe.”

You did.

[lawlightautismtruther]

Love how absolutely NOTHING in Light’s life was important after L died to the point where we cut, what is it? 5, 6 years in the future before anything matters again? That’s insane. We got absolutely zero insight into his attitudes towards L after he was gone, which almost makes me think he took it just as rough as he did victorious, which is something that Obha didn’t want to portray as to not disturb the sort of “stoic” tone he’s obsessed with giving everybody for some reason.

I’ve said it before, but I don’t think Light is emotionless either. I think he’s quite literally two people in one body. Light Yagami and Kira. Unfortunately, Kira is the stronger and more frequent of the two entities. But still, when I rewatch death note, I catch glimpses of Light Yagami here and there (pre-Yotsuba of course, because that wouldn’t count). I’ll talk about those instances in the future, but yeah. Kira took delight in L’s death. Light was destroyed by it.

Actually, I think Light’s instinctual reaction to L falling to the floor was distress. You can see it in his face before it shifts to a smile. He’s actually upset by it to the point where I wouldn’t doubt BOTH of them teared up in those last moments before that shit-eating Kira grin shows up. (Obha/Obata would never actually show this, unfortunately 🙄) I even think the scream wasn’t entirely acting. He wasn’t scared about the shinigami though, Light screamed because L ACTUALLY died. He did it. Light got what he wanted and now his only friend is fucking dead.

Do I think Kira laughed at L’s graveside? Yes. I do. But I think Light cried first. I genuinely have reason to believe in that.

I headcanon a Light Yagami gripping the bathroom sink or toilet seat, throwing up and crying in the immediate aftermath lmfao. I genuinely don’t believe that it was all sunshine and rainbows, hence the time skip. It’s not just because it was uneventful, it’s because portraying that time period would force Obha to get into the grief more than he was willing to.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe every word I just said.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, I'm not sure if you've explained it or not but going in the depths of Malleus and Leona's character relationship? Like explaining their interactions and how they actually think of one another

Many fan works tend to depict Leona and Malleus as extremely antagonistic toward one another. However, the truth is that their relationship is more like a one sided dislike or annoyance (on Leona’s part). It’s not uncommon for them to bicker or have some tension in their conversations even when they have the same goal in mind such as protecting a harp (Beans Day) or wooing a ghost (although Malleus is not participating for the latter, Leona still insists the ghost would prefer him to Malleus to get that dig in). They’re definitely still on bad terms), but Malleus is generally pretty neutral with Leona unless he is provoked.

Leona’s beef with Malleus is story relevant and makes itself known in book 2. He appears to primarily dislike Malleus because it is thanks to his sheer power that Diasomnia crushes Savanaclaw every inter-dorm tournament, essentially dashing Savanaclaw students’ hopes of being scouted and going pro. Buuut it seems like from the way Leona speaks about his rival, he has long since held these feelings and they aren’t linked to a single inciting incident.

Part of why Leona dislikes Malleus in general seems to be Malleus’s attitude. Leona describes his fellow prince as “pretentious”, “high and mighty”, and acting in ways that show disrespect to him (like in Malleus’s Dorm Uniform vignettes, when he casted a spell meant for objects on Leona). He may also take issue with Malleus’s “incomprehensible fae humor”, which Leona references both during Halloween and in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes. Additionally, Leona outright states that he hates people who refuse to listen (Silver) and just march to the beat of their own drum (Rook), which are traits you can argue also fits Malleus (since Malleus didn’t really listen to the upset dorm leaders in his Dorm Uniform vignettes). Leona appears to prefer dealing with Malleus to Silver though, as he says that Malleus’s ears aren’t just “for show”. Interestingly, Leona might dislike Malleus less than Rook; Leona is wary of so much as wishing Rook a happy birthday and refuses to dine next to Rook… yet Leona does sit next to Malleus at the end of Terror is Trending.

Leona is one of the few students who isn’t afraid of Malleus and has the gall to openly insult him (or is rude) on more than one occasion. He doesn’t really show any remorse or intent to apologize. In fact, Leona understands very well what bothers Malleus and often acts on those points of weakness to goad him, whereas it is very rare for Malleus to start the fights. For example, Leona tells Malleus in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes, “You thinkin’ you’re gonna get it next time? Well, sorry to break it to you, but no one’s ever gonna invite you,” and, “You’re never gonna have a chance to wear those robes, so put’em away for good already.” This, of course, angers Malleus and leads into the two insulting one another’s physical features and exchanging threats (removing horns, declawing, calling each other animals or implying a lack of humanity, etc.). They similarly insult one another in Terror is Trending (again, Leona instigates: “Hmph, look at Mr. High-Horse over here. Were you flattered to be asked [to have your picture taken]?”) and again in Fairy Gala (Leona again: “Ever consider gettin’ off your tail and cleanin’ up your fellow fae’s mess?”). I’m sure there are tons of other instances you could come up with; these are just the immediate ones that come to my mind. Leona is also resentful about the idea of ever asking for Malleus’s help. He’d rather ask anyone else, even Malleus’s second in command, than ask the guy himself. Funnily enough, Lilia and Silver see these heated conversations as proof of Malleus and Leona’s friendship. I feel like this could also, in part, feed into Leona’s dislike of Malleus, as people having the wrong idea about your relationship can be irritating.

Now, Malleus does appear to care about maintaining amicable relations with representatives of other countries. Often it is he who instructs Sebek to apologize to Leona for being rude—two major instances of this occur in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes and during Vargas Camp. He even personally (and happily) welcomes Leona to Diasomnia in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes, viewing Leona as no different than any other guest.

This goes into the realm of speculation (so please bear with me!!) but it could be said that Malleus has a very… unique view of friendship? So Lilia and Silver may not be too far off when they say that Leona and Malleus are chums in their own weird way. In Glorious Masquerade, Rollo poses a real threat to Malleus and to his people—yet when Malleus experiences genuine fear for the first time, he seems more excited at the novel feeling rather than cower as a result of it. Following the climax, Malleus still presents the song he had prepared as a gift of good will for NBC. He also proceeds to play with Rollo’s guilt to get him to agree to sharing a dance. And THEN Malleus says he looks forward to being invited again????? These are all quite friendly gestures for someone who put you and all your people in danger, my guy… 😂 So perhaps Malleus just gas a very different way of approaching friendships? Hard to say, but that’s some food for thought!

Leona and Malleus have had moments of amicability, so it’s totally possible for them to get along. This happens primarily in Leona’s Union Jacket vignettes; in them, Malleus gifts the birthday boy an antique book in an ancient language (Leona’s best subject). The two then talk about enjoying the freedom of walking around town without an attendant or some servants trailing after them. Being of a similar social status, they are able to understand one another to some extent.

This is going into another point of speculation, but I wonder if Leona and Malleus recognize their similarities beyond this interview. I certainly have; they’re both arrogant princes that deeply desire what the other prince has, and I feel that their animosity, in part, comes from this realization (whether conscious or unconscious). I certainly get the sense that some of Leona’s hatred of Malleus comes from seeing his own desires manifested in him—of being that coveted prince praised for his power, his people lavishing him with affirmations, a crown… All the things Leona doesn’t have.

[perfectsunlight]

𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥

aeri uchinaga x fem!reader

word count: 2.2k

warnings: NONE ITS FLUFF

wrote this for @wonysugar and the other fellow seal enthusiasts out there ♡

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭

aeri wasn’t too fond of animals growing up, but she had a lot of friends who were. she had friends with dog and cat obsessions, whales, wolves, and even horses. occasionally reptiles or spiders, but those were rare instances.

but she had never met someone with a seal obsession.

the japanese girl’s gaze remained on you as she watched you show your friends numerous photos of different seals, giggling to yourself and enthusiastically explaining different facts.

“i don’t get it,” aeri murmured to herself as ningning filed her nails next to her. “of course you don’t, you wouldn’t get it.” the younger girl replied matter-of-factly as she admired her hands.

she folded her arms across her chest, trying to feign disinterest as she continued to steal glances at y/n's animated discussion about her favorite animals. 

she couldn't help but find it a bit endearing.

ningning shot her a knowing look. "you're just mad because she's not paying attention to you."

aeri's cheeks flushed slightly at the accusation as she turned her head and snapped. “what are you talking about? i don't care about her or those seals.”

ningning smirked, clearly enjoying needling aeri. "oh, come on, it's written all over your face. you're totally into this whole seal thing."

aeri scowled, shooting a glare in y/n's direction. "i'm not into anything. and i certainly don't need her attention." ning rolled her eyes in response, flicking a loose ball of paper at her best friend in the process.  

"sure, keep telling yourself that. but it's obvious you're just too stubborn to admit it."

aeri's scowl deepened, and she turned away, trying to tune out y/n's enthusiastic chatter about the different seal species. despite herself, she found it hard to ignore the curiosity bubbling within her. why was y/n so obsessed with those aquatic creatures, anyway?

in an attempt to redirect the conversation, aeri cleared her throat and remarked, "they're just seals, nothing special. i don't see what the fuss is about."

however, she was unaware that the seal enthusiast herself overheard her.

“did you say seals?” y/n grinned as she launched herself into aeri’s desk, gripping the sides with an enthusiastic smile. 

the japanese girl tensed as y/n suddenly appeared at her desk, her enthusiasm practically radiating off her. she leaned back in her chair, trying to maintain her indifferent facade despite feeling cornered.

"yeah. so what?" aeri replied with a hint of annoyance, hoping to deter y/n's excitement.

y/n's eyes sparkled with fervor as she clasped her hands together, standing up straight in front of aeri and ning. "seals are amazing! did you know they can hold their breath underwater for like almost two hours?"

the raven haired girl shrugged dismissively, eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "big deal. i've seen animals do more impressive things."

y/n wasn't deterred by aeri's dismissive attitude. her enthusiasm only seemed to grow as she leaned in closer, her eyes shining with excitement.

"but wait, there's more! seals have this incredible ability to sleep both on land and in water. they can even rest with half of their brain awake while the other half is asleep, so they stay vigilant against predators. isn't that fascinating?"

the japanese girl tried to maintain her nonchalant demeanor, but she couldn't help feeling a slight tug of interest. but in typical aeri fashion, she didn’t show it."i guess that's kind of interesting, but it's still not that big of a deal."

ning smirked, clearing seeing that her friend’s facade was starting to crack. "come on, just admit that you find it intriguing."

aeri shot ningning a glare before turning back to y/n. "fine, they have some unique abilities, but it's not like i'm suddenly a seal enthusiast or anything."

y/n grinned, clearly enjoying the interaction. "you don't have to become an enthusiast, but you would change your mind if you saw one in person. do you know who yuki is?”

aeri raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued by y/n's mention of someone named yuki in connection to seals. despite her efforts to appear disinterested, she couldn't deny a growing curiosity.

"no. who's that?" aeri asked, trying to mask her budding interest behind a veil of nonchalance and a tone of disinterest. 

the other girl’s smile widened. "yuki is an adorable seal at the aquarium nearby. she’s so cute. you should come with me sometime to meet yuki. i'm sure you'd change your mind about seals."

the raven haired girl hesitated for a moment, contemplating the idea of visiting the aquarium as an excuse to hang out with aeri outside of school. but she quickly composed herself, not wanting to show any eagerness. 

"i don't have time for that. besides, i'm not interested in seeing some random seal."

y/n's excitement bubbled as she leaned in, hoping to entice aeri into joining her. "come on, it'll be fun! yuki is more than just a random seal. she's playful and incredibly adorable. i'm sure you'd enjoy meeting her."

aeri maintained her tone of indifference, still trying to dismiss the idea. "i highly doubt a fucking seal could be that interesting. and i already told you, i'm not interested."

ning, knowing fully well her best friend was definitely fumbling, chimed in teasingly, "oh, don't be such a grump. admit it, you're secretly wanting to meet yuki."

aeri scowled, feeling the pressure of their persistence. "i'm not curious at all! why would i waste my time seeing some seal doing tricks or whatever? what do they even do besides sit and swim?"

y/n's enthusiasm didn't waver as she continued to make her case. "seals are much more than that! they're incredibly intelligent creatures. especially yuki, she loves to interact with visitors."

the older girl crossed her arms but before she could open her mouth to respond with another snarky comment, class ended.

however y/n turned her attention back to her phone, looking at what looked like a harp seal (aeri had caught a glimpse of the name earlier).

“those animals are weird.” the older girl raised her eyebrows as she rolled her eyes, walking past y/n with her bag swung over her shoulder. too immersed in her gallery of seal images, y/n ignored her antics, expecting nothing less than the continual disinterest from the girl.

until aeri got to the end of the hall and said one last thing.

 “what time does the aquarium open friday?”

uchinaga aeri never thought she’d be standing in a crowded line in front of the osaka aquarium at 10 am  just to see a seal. 

an allegedly world-famous seal, at that.

“aren’t you excited?” y/n giggled as she looked around next to the japanese girl, eyes wide in admiration at the different people present to see her favorite animal. aeri grumbled under her breath, feeling slightly out of place amidst the enthusiastic crowd. "this is ridiculous," she muttered to herself, yet she sort of liked seeing y/n so giddy about this.

she glanced sideways at y/n, who was practically buzzing with enthusiasm. aeri's lips twitched into a small smirk, though she quickly attempted to suppress any sign of amusement.

"yeah, yeah, totally thrilled," aeri replied in a deadpan tone, trying to downplay her own budding interest. deep down, she found herself intrigued by the contagious excitement surrounding the allegedly world-famous seal.

the line shuffled forward gradually, and as they approached the entrance, aeri observed the wide array of people gathering for this unique experience. families, couples, and groups of friends eagerly chatted about the exhibits they were about to witness.

despite her initial reluctance, aeri felt a sense of anticipation building within her. she couldn't deny the growing curiosity about what made this seal so special.

y/n, noticing the cold girl’s subtle change in demeanor, nudged her playfully. "come on, admit it. you're kind of excited too, aren't you?"

the older girl shot y/n a sideways glance, trying to maintain her cool exterior despite the flutter in her stomach that came from locking eyes with the other girl. 

"don't get ahead of yourself. it's just a seal."

as they reached the front of the enclosure, the crowd's murmurs turned into excited whispers. aeri glanced around, noticing the anticipation reflected in the faces of the people around her.

but no one was as excited as y/n was. the sight of the younger girl’s eyes full of light made the japanese girl’s lips turn into the slightest curve of a smile for a few moments.

and then, there she was—yuki, the world-famous seal, effortlessly drawing the attention of everyone present.

y/n's eyes lit up as she pointed towards yuki, who was interacting with the visitors though the glass as she stared at each of them intently. 

"look, there's yuki!" she whispered in excitement, aeri found herself caught in a rare moment of vulnerability as she observed y/n's contagious excitement. the younger girl's genuine joy and enthusiasm were infectious, and despite aeri's attempts to resist, she couldn't help but be affected by it.

"yuki is pretty amazing," aeri murmured softly, almost to herself, as she watched the seal laying on her side, looking back at the visitors.

y/n's eyes gleamed with delight as she turned to aeri, a wide grin spreading across her face. "isn't she? i knew you'd like her!"

aeri hesitated for a moment, feeling an uncharacteristic surge of warmth in her chest. she glanced at y/n, her usual stoic demeanor softening slightly as she gazed at the younger girl's beaming smile.

in that moment, amidst the presence of a seal and the contagious excitement radiating from y/n, something shifted within aeri. 

"yeah...she's pretty cute," she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as her gaze remained on the girl next to her. it was a small admission, one she never thought she'd make, but it felt strangely liberating.

she felt like she wanted to take y/n to see every single seal there was.

the rest of the aquarium tour was a blur for aeri, all she could focus on was how excited y/n got whenever there was a new species of fish displayed in the tank. the other girl looked on with wonder in her eyes, and aeri couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to do anything in her power to keep y/n smiling like that.

after some time observing the different animals, y/n needed to use the bathroom. while aeri waited for the other girl, she wandered off to purchase a plush of a little white seal, (she learned from the tag that it was called a harp seal) the pair ended up standing underneath the tunnel of stingrays. the ambient blue light dancing across their faces added an artistic touch to the serene atmosphere surrounding them.

"look at how they move, it's so beautiful," y/n whispered, her voice tinged with awe. aeri nodded silently, taking in the tranquil beauty of the scene but also stealing glances at the other girl, admiring the genuine joy on her face. 

without saying a word, she reached for y/n's hand, interlacing their fingers hesitantly, almost as if seeking reassurance for her own sudden vulnerability.

y/n's hand fit perfectly in hers, and the cold girl felt a gentle warmth slowly spread through her. there was a comfortable silence between them, a sense of understanding and connection that didn't need words to be felt.

as they stood there, surrounded by the mesmerizing underwater world, aeri's hand felt a gentle squeeze in return from the action.

“didn’t know seeing seals made you soft.” y/n teased lightly, looking up slightly at the older girl with a small smile. aeri simply rolled her eyes playfully, letting the other girl turn to walk off towards the next part of the aquarium.

but before they moved on from the tunnel, aeri pulled y/n closer to her, brushing a stray strand of hair away from the younger’s face. with a soft and gentle touch, she placed a tender kiss on her forehead, silently expressing the only thing she couldn’t say out loud.

"i'm still not a seal enthusiast," the raven haired girl muttered softly, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, trying to mask the depth of emotion in that simple gesture. "i'm only here for you."

“well, i'm glad you're here, even if it's just for me."a gentle smile graced y/n's lips, her eyes locking with the other girl’s before she pulled her hand along to keep walking. “but i’ll change your mind about the seals. we should go to new zealand and see the elephant seals!”

“whatever you want.”

[dduane]

hello mrs. duane, i've been following you for a while, but i just wanted to say that the young wizards series is one of my favorite series of novels that i've ever read and has a huge impact on how i write my own stories and worlds, so thank you for creating them. my absolute favorite detail about how the YW series works though is the nature of the ordeal and how that informs the dynamic between wizards and the lone power. the whole system of "a young wizard is given an ordeal because they'd be the best suited to take on the lone power for this particular problem" is really cool and interesting, but i absolutely love how the way it's handled means that the lone power basically has Personal Beef with every single wizard in the universe. something about how the lone power is always like "oh fuck, not these two again" every time it sees that nita and kit are involved in foiling another one of its plans is so funny to me, especially how absolutely sick of their shit it was in wizards' holiday when it was asking for kit and nita's help. it's just such a fascinating and entertaining dynamic and adds so much to the lone power's character as an antagonist. i just wanted to tell you how much i enjoy it.

I'm glad all that works for you. :)

If I have a recurring preference for my bad guys—Big Bad or otherwise—it's that they need to have sound reasons for engaging with their antagonists/victims/whatever, and not just be flailing around aimlessly looking for ways to be Eeeeevil and make unfocused trouble. They should also, ideally, routinely see themselves as being in the right: and in some cases, the injured parties. (One model for this attitude I got from Le Guin—that line in The Left Hand Of Darkness where the King asks some poor functionary light years away, by ansible, "What makes a man a traitor?" and the answer comes back "I do not know... No man considers himself a traitor: this makes it hard to find out.")

The Lone Power is therefore well in this mold. It would probably (in the first instance, anyway) have had no trouble with engaging with Creation had Its colleagues not insisted on disagreeing with It regarding its uniquely annoying invention, Entropy. Instead, though, they took the undignified and inelegant approach of not only siding with physical Creation against It, but unilaterally enforcing this attitude by (the hyperdimensional version of) brute force!—surely the last refuge of those with no really solid argument on their side.

So It's left stuck in profound disdain for the Creation all its peers are defending, and yet is forced (again and again) to descend into that creation, into the icky mucky morass of gross physical embodiment, to try to demonstrate to the other Powers and their deluded minions how wrong they are about the value of Life. And yes, absolutely, It has serious beef with every single damn scrap of living matter that has the absolute gall to be alive in Its despite. The more sentient, the more beef.

And the more sentient those chunks of Life prove themselves by repeatedly getting in the Lone One's face, the more galled It gets by them. Especially the ones who have the absolute cheek to claim to be doing it on purpose, because they seem to think they have some right to have beef with It! It's like being dissed by bugs. Infuriating! Makes It want to stomp on them all the harder.

Needless to say, the "bugs" have their own take on this. :) (Which just pisses It off worse.) And that a being that's come to disdain sentience itself as wasted on the lower orders winds up spending so much of Its own sentience on attempting to punish such lesser beings... well, the irony's almost certainly inescapable, sometimes, even for that One, so very invested in being Right. Viewed from a vantage point closer to the Heart of things, you could almost feel sorry for It. And in some moods, you'd be tempted to laugh at It... which naturally It pretty much hates more than anything else.

Eventually, of course, the goal (whispered here and there in Timeheart) is that It will discover being Right is of less value in the long run than it originally believed: that what matters is correcting the error—if it can be corrected—and starting over. What that will look like, for the time being wizards can do no more than speculate.

Meanwhile, they continue to take things personally. Earning the Lone One's very personal enmity, and indeed doing it repeatedly, isn't at all safe. But in some moods, it can be really, really fun... which (both in those moods, and out of them) is what makes Nita and Kit and their colleagues so dangerous. :)

[enviedear]

i've been going solo now ⟶ ben solo

description ⌙ when you get a distress signal from your dad and his life-long goon you're quick to try and come to their rescue. only problem? so is ben solo.

pairing ⌙ smuggler!ben solo x f!reader

warnings ⌙ childhood crush/frenemies turned adults with horrible communication skills, reader is the daughter of lando (biologically or not you decide), ben is a jerk, reader is a brat, petty arguments, forced proximity trope, inner conflict all the time, han and lando are just two pals getting into serious issues that their kids have to fix don't mind them (they're just mentioned), most likely incorrect knowledge of the falcon & starship parts, smuggler!ben solo au because that's canon to me, ben calls reader kid (affectionate, kinda), typos probabaly

word count ⌙ 4.1k

— request | masterlist

i just think ben solo is very much solo by future coded and i wanted to write about smuggler!ben and his smug attitude. special thanks to @crucifiedfaerie for letting me gush over this idea constantly in our dms <3

you never had the stomach for killing— the thought of it or the act itself. the notion of ending someone's life has always been abhorrent to you, leaving a sour sensation in your mouth that lingers long after the deed is done. but right now, you sit, filled with a growing and seemingly unstoppable rage that practically demands blood.

"don't even think about jumping into hyperspace, solo!" your voice is loud but erratic.

the black-haired man piloting the ship gives you a side eye, "and waste hours getting there? sure thing, kid."

you grip the co-pilot seat as hard as possible as he sends the absolutely geriatric ship into lightspeed. the force of it sends your head back onto the headrest, and you screw your eyes shut until the motion of the ship stills.

you've been flying with ben solo on the millennium falcon for a day and a half now, and this isn't even the first time you've wanted to kill him.

no, you'd harbored a hatred for ben solo for as long as you could remember. when you were little your father frequently left you in the care of the organa-solo's. any trip too risky for you to follow him on had you spending time on chandrila han and leia— and ben.

he was a few years older than you and so insufferable - spoiled rotten and full of mischief. the two of you would inevitably end up in scuffles over something, whether it be who got to shower first or which holovid show to watch. you often wondered how your father, han, or leia had managed to handle both of you. a hardheaded pair of troublemakers that needed little excuse to start bickering with one another.

but beneath it all, there had been another layer to your complex relationship with ben solo. even though you feigned anger whenever near him, deep down there had been an admiration growing since those early days spent together. your naive heart fluttered when he would absentmindedly flash his ever-present smirk in your direction. but you'd never admit or act upon any such feelings.

naviagting your crush had been difficult at first. especially having lando calrissian as a parent. you were forced to spend weeks around the source of your teen angst because of your father.

what use is a dad that can sweet-talk a jablogian if he can't fix your unwanted crush on his best friend's son.

you've cursed at his image in your mind every time you look at your ridiculous companion. if not for him, you wouldn't be with ben right now— you'd have never had the displeasure of his company.

you got away from the young solo, and most everyone else, for a good five years, hopping from planet to planet, picking up any honest work. which usually meant boring work— factory jobs, service stuff, a few instances of babysitting.

your life without ben solo is predictable and a little boring.

but you'd rather be bored than deal with the recklessness that becomes your life every time you see the smuggler.

but here you sit beside him, forced to spend an unknown amount of days with him until the both of you find your idiotic fathers.

you had gotten a rouge comm-link message from your dad just days ago. he sounded fine, voice still leisurely and warm, but it was his words that were worrisome, "han's got us in a bit of trouble, little star. would you mind coming to help your old man out? we're somewhere in the trilon sector— i'd try batuu first!"

when you got the message, your mind had gone into autopilot. you had rushed to comm leia, which had been a fatal mistake, as she had ordered her son to pick you up and accompany you. so now you're here, stuck with ben solo and his frightening flying.

"you know, dad should have warned me i'd be flying with a coward." ben's lips are curved into a grin, as usual with his teasing.

you whip your head in his direction, eyes ablaze, "well my father should have warned me that you've gotten even more annoying, somehow."

ben narrows his eyes, a stupid smirk still plastered to his face, "whatever you say, kid."

you feel your blood go hot, why he decided to start calling you kid, you didn't know, but you do know you hate it.

ben's barely your senior, only twenty-three years of age in comparison to your twenty. besides he behaves like an out-of-hand teen away.

"stop calling me that." you groan.

ben chuckles, "aw, what's the matter, kid? tired of following orders already?"

you grit your teeth, the way he talks down to you will forever get under your skin, "i don't take orders from you, solo."

"sure you do. you're on my ship, remember?" ben retorts, his eyes focused on the coordinates displayed to his left.

you cross your arms over your chest, "we're supposed to be working together to find han and my father and get them out of trouble, not bickering like children."

ben rolls his eyes, "it's not my fault you're so uptight."

you take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. you can't afford to lose your temper and start a fight, not when you're relying on him to get you to your destination safely. so, you force a smile, "look, can we just be civil? we're both here because we care about our dads and want to help them."

ben's expression softens a little, "fine. but if you start nagging at me again, i can't promise i won't call you kid."

you roll your eyes, "deal. now, can you tell me more about what's going on? my dad was pretty vague in his message."

ben hums, "same with mine. all i know is that lando got mixed up in some kind of shady deal, and now he's in trouble with a gang of criminals called the ninth sun. my mom's been trying to negotiate with them, but they're not ones to bend the knee."

you groan, "of course not. what's the plan?"

he shakes a stray black strand of hair from his eye, "no plan, just find them and go from there."

"lovely, that's totally going to work," you bite your lip, "oh and, it was han who made the sketch deal, not my dad."

ben shrugs, "and who told you that?" he rests his elbow on the armrest and brings his hand to his chin, "lando?"

you clench your fists, "let's just focus on finding them. no need to dwell on the semantics."

ben glances at you and for a moment, you swear there's a flicker of something in his eyes. something other than his usual teasing, mischievous demeanor, but it's gone as quickly as it came and he turns back to the console.

the ship hums steadily beneath you, and the silence between you two stretches on, broken only by the occasional beep from the controls. you fidget in your seat, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar hush. you've never been around ben so long without saying anything, and you're about to speak up before he interrupts you.

"we'll have to make a pit stop, i need to refuel." his voice sounds tired.

you nod, "alright. any nearby planets we can stop at?"

ben checks the navicomputer, "yeah, there's one a couple of light years away. i've been there before, it's not too bad."

"okay solo, lead the way." you say, leaning back in your seat.

as he pilots the ship toward the destination, you can't help but study him from the corner of your eye. he's changed since the last time you saw him. the boy who used to pull your hair and steal your toys has grown into a man. he's lean and toned with longer hair, still as sable black as ever. it falls into his eyes, despite how much he wills it not to, giving him a slightly disheveled look that you can't help but find attractive.

you rue the thoughts plaguing your own mind.

the embarrassment you used to feel over your crush has come back ten-fold. the feeling shocks you. he's trying to act all suave and mature, but you know deep down that he's still the same old ben who annoyed the life out of you. you can feel the familiar tug in your heart every time he speaks, and you know he can't have changed much over the years. not when he's making you feel just like you're fourteen again.

but there is something different about him now. maybe it's the way he pilots the ship with ease– no longer the boy who'd cover his ears ar take off, or maybe it's just the way his muscles flex under his tight-fitting shirt. he's almost mesmerizing.

it's clear that he's been doing this for a long time, navigating the stars all alone with nothing but his shitty attitude and perfect hair. you find yourself marveling over him, sure and smooth, his hands deftly moving over the controls.

ever the realist, you try to shake off the feeling, but it's proving difficult. you feel a strange urge to preserve your current addiction.

as you watch him fly, you feel a fixation building within you. it's a sentiment you haven't felt in years, not felt since the last time you saw him.

you try to push the feeling down, knowing that it's not the time to have those kinds of thoughts. you're supposed to be focused on finding your fathers and not getting killed by some lethal syndicate, not lusting after your childhood nemesis.

you feel wrong stealing glances at him, trying to understand what's changed and why you're feeling this way. you're towing a dangerous, line. especially if those feelings are inspired by ben organa-solo.

finally, after what feels like hours, you arrive at the refueling station. as soon as ben lands the ship, you stretch your legs inside the falcon, looking out at the new scenery. the planet is bathed in the evening light, and the scene around you is wide awake. the station itself is a bustling hub of activity, with all kinds of alien species milling about.

ben leads the way to the fueling station, where he begins filling up the ship's tanks. you stand by the ship's entrance, people-watching. your eyes find ben's figure again, and you let them stall. when he looks your way, you advert your gaze and step out of the falcon, swiftly approaching him.

the evening air is cool as it hits your skin. this planet is a strange one, with vibrant purple plants and thick, white fog swirling around. but you don't pay too much attention to it, your eyes are locked on ben.

he's leaning against the ship, checking over the fuel meter with a frown on his face. you walk over to him and clear your throat, expecting to get his attention.

he looks up at you, eyes meeting your own. you feel your heart skip a beat, and you curse yourself for being soft for him.

"you know, you didn't have to follow me out here." he mumbles, hand coming to brush the hair from his eyes.

you hum, "i didn't have anything better to do."

he ignores you and looks back at the fuel gauge, his eyebrows furrow, "i found something for you to do." his voice is monotone, but you're all too familiar with the subtle cut of annoyance within.

"what does that mean?" you own voice comes out a bit too anxious.

ben groans before looking at you, "one of the damn tanks has a leak— i told chewie to fix that weeks ago." he follows up his words with a few curses before kicking the faulty gas tank.

you roll your eyes, "can't we just get another one? i'm sure if we go inside someone would know where we could get another one."

"the problem isn't finding one," he tsks at you, "the problem is that this tank has been leaking fuel into the beacon finder. without that, we're never finding our dear old dads."

your heart sinks. you had been so sure that you would find your dad quickly, but now it looks like that might not be the case. "so, what do you suggest we do?" you ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

"i'll have to fix the beacon," he sighs, "luckily i have the tools for it, but i need to find one more part, and with the sun setting soon…" he trails off, letting his silence complete the sentence for him.

you take in a deep breath at his implication. you can tell what he is suggesting without explicitly stating it.

you will be stuck on this planet with him tonight and forced to share the same cramped room. you thank god for separate cots, at least.

you try to ignore the warmth creeping up your ears, but you know that it's a losing battle. you haven't shared a room with ben solo since you were kids, endless unwilling sleepovers at each other's houses. but those instances were filled with innocent pranks and arguments, not the tension and longing glances you've found yourself giving him.

"alright," you say, trying to keep your voice even, "we'll just get the part and fix the beacon. the faster we fix this, the faster we can find our fathers and get back to our lives." you move towards the entrance of the fueling station, wanting to put space between you and ben.

"you mean so you can get back to your life." he calls out to you, and you look back at him only to be met with contempt in his brown eyes, "the one where you avoid me."

you give him a sharp eye roll before making your way toward a small gaggle of vendors, much more interested in finding this part. ben follows closely behind you, and you can feel the weight of his stare on the back of your head.

you're at a loss as to why ben solo would ever care that you've been avoiding him for the last five years. the ben you remember would've never batted an eye. when did that change?

you find a vendor selling the part that ben needs, and you both split the payment before heading back to the falcon. ben sets to work on the beacon, and you sit nearby, supposedly looking over the coordinates but mostly watching him work.

there's an abnormal sense of calm that fills you as you watch him. concentration is etched on his face, lips bitten bright red. you can't help but admire him, not for the sake of not trying.

you're brought back to reality when he starts cursing under his breath, "what's wrong?" you ask, moving closer to him.

"this damn thing won't budge," he grunts, trying to pry apart two pieces of the beacon.

you move to his side, peering down at the device. his breath is hot on your cheek, and you feel an urge to shiver. trying to focus on the task at hand you take a few breaths.

your eyes keep drifting to his lips, the way they move when he curses. you shake your head, trying to clear the inappropriate thoughts from your mind. "let me help," you offer, reaching for one of the tools he's using.

he hands it to you, and you lean in closer, your sides pressed together as you work the tool. you can feel his heat exuding into you, a warmth that isn't just from the planet's humid air. you try to focus, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. every time he moves, you catch a whiff of his scent, musky and rich, and your mind starts to wander to places it shouldn't.

finally, after what feels like an eternity, the piece pops free, and ben lets out a sigh of relief. he turns to you, a small smile on his face, and you can't help but smile back. his eyes lock onto yours, and suddenly, the air between you is charged with something foreign.

you let your tone come out sardonic, "looks like i saved the day. you're welcome, solo."

ben tilts his head, eyes narrowing, "you're a brat, kid."

"i thought i told you to stop calling me that." you want to hit him.

"i said i had a condition," he pauses, arms coming to either side of you, palms pressing into the falcon's floor, effectively trapping you against him, "a condition you just broke. so you're back to kid, kid."

you feel your resolve slipping, "you're the worst. you always have been, and i can see now that will never change."

he has the audacity to let out an amused breath, "if you're going to say shit like that, at least mean it."

your brows furrow, "pardon me? as if i don't mean that."

his hands creep from the ground and to your hips, you gasp as he pulls you in closer. if he were anyone else, you'd expect him to kiss you next, but he's not anyone else. so instead, he cranes down and whispers in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. "i know you want me," he growls, his fingers digging into your clothed flesh. "don't act like you don't,"

you're completely caught off guard, and before you can respond, he's pulling away from you and grabbing the beacon. you watch in silent horror as he makes for the falcon's exit, leaving you confused on the floor.

you sit there, rooted to the spot, your mind and body in turmoil. you know if you follow him you'd just be throwing yourself into a petty or embarrassing altercation.

what did he mean by that anyway? how could he possibly know?

taking a steadying breath, you turn away from your seat and make for the other side of the ship. you need to keep yourself busy until nighttime, and you know that there's some maintenance to do on one of the storage bays. when you get there, however, it's already been taken care of. your fists clench in frustration as you realize ben must have done it earlier.

you start searching around the ship for any other tasks that might help keep your mind off things and pass the time more quickly- checking cords, tidying up shelves or going through supplies lists so nothing gets low.

the hours seem to stretch on endlessly despite how much work you manage to do, and all too soon darkness begins to fill the sky outside of the cockpit windows. with a heavy sigh, you head back towards where you and ben had been working earlier. he's back now, tinkering away with the beacon as if nothing had ever happened between the two of you earlier— as if his words hadn't sent a tremble down your spine and confused the emotions tumbling through your mind.

you catch an expectant glance from him when he finally notices your presence. you're sure he's expecting you to say something to him. maybe he wants you to yell.

you don't say anything though, instead offering only a terse nod before checking the endless cords around you.

your fingers move quickly and expertly over the tangled cords, your mind too preoccupied to focus on anything else. but you can feel his gaze on you, burning through the back of your skull like a branding iron. his presence is suffocating and you know that if you don't get a handle on your emotions soon, you'll combust.

eventually, you're so lost in thought that you almost miss the soft footfalls approaching you. you turn to see ben standing beside you, his eyes locked onto yours. the air between you is thick with strain, unspoken words, and feelings. there are so many things you want to say to him, but you don't know where to begin.

"so," his voice breaks through the silence like a blaster shot. "when are we going to talk about it?"

you hear the depth in his baritone voice and it's all you can do to keep your face neutral, your thoughts collected, "talk about what?" you ask, even though you know perfectly well what he's referring to.

"about me and you," he says, voice low but insistent, "or we can just keep ignoring it. the tension seems to be getting us pretty far."

your expression shifts as you take in his words, the longing that had been coiled in so tightly before now coming to the surface. you can feel yourself flustering under the intensity of his watch but you refuse to look away, instead lifting your chin higher and narrowing your eyes.

"there is no us, solo," you say firmly, though your voice is riddled with a hint of something else entirely, "there never has been, and never will be."

ben seems unfazed by your words, his eyes steady and intense. "you say that," he says, his voice softening. "but i know you better than anyone else. and i know there's some part of you that actually likes me. i bet it pisses you off, doesn't it?"

he's right— it does piss you off that your heart can't seem to let him go. no matter how annoying you find him, he's beautiful and confident. and he does know you better than anyone. he knows what buttons to press and how hard. with ben, there's always the thrill of how perceptive he is— that he can see through the walls of anger and indifference you try so hard to build up around yourself.

you can feel your will crumbling under his words, your heart throbbing in your chest, but still, you push back, "even if there is something there, solo," you say, your voice shaking slightly, "it doesn't change anything. we're two different people living two very different lives."

ben smirks, "you don't know anything about my life."

you let your eyes roll, "as if the life you lead is some kind of mystery," you take a deep breath, "i mean, what's to know? you fly alone, smuggle, and rack up credits. that's your life, solo."

he hums, right hand finding a home beside your head on the wall, "you know me so well, kid. you should write a book."

you feel inexplicably hot, "maybe i will. a long book of all the reasons you piss me off."

he doesn't respond, just looks down at you for an uncomfortable amount of time. he pushes himself from the wall and you, twisting and letting his back hit the durasteel wall. his face is turned to you, eyes downcast.

"you know," he says finally, breaking the silence, "i remember when we were kids, it was always you who used to be the one to instigate. you probably don't remember it that way, but i do, and i loved it. you never hesitated. you were fearless."

you look at him incredulously, wondering what this has to do with anything. but he continues, "you were the only girl that would play with me, and not just that, the only one that could beat me. but then one day you just stopped. you ignored me completely."

you stiffen, unwilling to admit even through body language that he might be right. a pre-teen you found avoiding your ben sized crush the most viable option. you just never thought he'd care.

he continues, eyes unwavering from yours, "you used to look at me like i was the only person that mattered. and then, you just stopped. it's was like… like you had something to hide."

it's like he can read your mind because he reaches out and grasps your wrist in his hand. his touch is nice against your skin, sending a comfortable feel through your veins.

"i miss you, the girl who wasn't afraid of liking me," he whispers, his voice low and husky. "and i want you to admit that you miss me too."

you struggle to find words, to make sense of everything inside of you, but before you can speak, his lips are on yours. his kiss is hot and demanding, and instinctively lean into him, body melting against his in perfect harmony. his hands slide around your waist and hold you close as the kiss deepens, and you can feel all of the frustrations of the past slipping away. when he finally pulls back, his eyes are bright with emotion and a hint of a smile graces his lips.

he looks down at you for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "you want me to do that again?" he steps closer to you and cups your face in his hands, his eyes twinkling with amusement. you can feel the warmth radiating from his body and if it weren't for his strong arms around you, you would have melted into a puddle.

you nod slowly in agreement, too lost in the moment to say anything else. he leans down and brushes his lips against your cheek before pulling away completely, "then be honest. right here, right now. you like me."

you screw your eyes shut, basking in the shame of being found out, "i like you, solo. i like you a lot, but if you don't get off your pedestal and kiss me again i'll withdraw the opportunity."

he gazes down at you with an expression that's tender yet mischievous all at once. "i like you too," he whispers before chuckling lightly, you open your eyes to see.

his dimples are on full display, and for a second, he's the spirit of the little brat you fell in love with all those years ago. "c'mere, kid." his voice is soft as he pulls you back into him, lips meeting yours.

[ridestomars]

GIRL U WANT – S. HARRINGTON

𖥻 summary: steve harrington is in love with his coworker, y/n, and max mayfield can't stand how annoying a lovesick steve is.  𖥻 pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader 𖥻 warnings: y/n is used!! it's kinda told from max's point of view. idiots in love (obv), max and steve have a little sister-older brother relationship. bad grammar ig. not proofread (yk the deal). 3k-ish words.

💭 liv's thoughts: look at me rewriting my wip list works. this is another one that has been sitting on my docs page for ages, and i finally got the courage to fulfill it. i hope you guys like it! 

DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS WORK IF YOU'RE UNDER SIXTEEN.

“Look at you with your mouth watering, look at you with your mind spinnin'. Why don't we just admit it's all over? She's just the girl you want”. 

People say patience is a virtue, but Maxine Mayfield begs to differ. 

She doesn't believe in that "good things come for those who wait" crap, because nothing nice ever came her way for just standing there until something happened. The only thing she got from waiting around was a terrible yearning sensation of what could have been if she wasn't such a wimp. That is why Max doesn't exercise the righteous quality of patience, preferring her natural impulsiveness instead. Her restlessness is just too precious not to be used – Seventeen magazine insists on telling her that it's just a thing Aries girls do. 

Her effort usually pays off, but when it doesn't, there is nothing better than a "fuck you" to tend the wounds. Rejection is always a possibility, but being disappointed because of it isn't, and with time, you learn how to deal with the negative responses… despite that, Max likes to consider herself too persuasive to ever be declined.

But she has to admit that her intrinsic sense of fearlessness can make her a little insensitive when it comes to people's fear of rejection because, to her, it's just all so simple. Though she tries to be understanding, others' stupidity can become a bit too much for her to handle, and she almost always finds herself on the verge of scolding them for their inability to be bold. It was like when she first started dating Lucas: she had a very serious talk with him about his embarrassment to complain about his wrong orders to the servers because he fears being met with a rude attitude – she still walks up to the workers to point out that his order came with pickles when he didn't want any, but just because it's him. 

For some time now, Max found herself in an annoying situation. Over her boring vacation evenings, she began visiting Family Video a lot, and began picking up on something that grew to be infuriating: Steve's and Y/N's constant bullshit. Their (initial) quiet pining was cute, at first, because it made her feel like she was watching a real-life rom-com, with an exciting "will they or won't they?" plot line… reminiscent of the late-nights where she would pretend to be asleep on the living room couch to catch the new Cheers episode, to see if Diane and Sam would finally get together. Yet, as the days passed and their never-ending coyness appeared to only grow stronger, her hopes started to falter. In fact, the situation began to get so obvious that it started to get on her nerves. Big time.

She was an observer, and easily noticed the lingering looks as they talked, one getting distracted by the other's lips, or the way their brows furrowed when attempting to flirt. Or the jealous blush that dusted over Steve's cheeks whenever he saw you talking to a good-looking customer. And then, whenever you weren't at work, she hears his grumpy huffs that turn into infatuated sighs as soon as you walk through the door, apologizing for being late. It wasn't hard to miss your affectionate words about him when he wasn't around, as if talking about your co-worker would make his absence more tolerable. 

What was sweet, quickly turned into tiresome when the instances of you two almost kissing turn into a daily thing. She can't count the times when she caught Steve leaning his face closer to yours, taking the courage to make his move, but right at the last second… the plan totally backfires. You either bump heads (Max physically cringes whenever she remembers the scene) or too distracted, ended up turning away from the other. Either option brought a burning ache to the chest. 

The blatant crush you have on each other followed Max everywhere she goes as if she was doomed to hear about it until the end of times. Steve was never necessarily reserved about his infatuation – although it seemed like everyone knew about it, except the one person that should –, and since he gives her rides everywhere, she found herself listening to him babble about the gorgeous gleam in your eyes and your shiny hair. The guy sees you as something sacred, and yet… he never admits that he actually likes you, despite the fact that you are all he ever talks about. 

To him, you are a piece of heaven on Earth, the person who understands him the most and makes him feel good about himself, among other incredibly elaborate platonic compliments.

Max knows Steve is pretty much the most idiotic guy to ever exist, but he isn't stupid. It's obvious that he just doesn't want to admit his feelings because, if he does, he will have to do something about it, and being blind to the fact that you feel the same, he doesn't want to risk it. If things went wrong, his heart wouldn't be able to take it. 

The only question roaming Max's head is: he is secure, but at what price? 

It all makes days like today even more unbearable. 

They have been sitting inside Steve's burgundy BMW for almost five minutes now, with the clear window closed, the A/C turned up to maximum speed, and Madonna's 'True Blue' playing on the radio. After their arrival at Family Video's parking lot, Max had asked for a minute, just one fucking minute, to fix her shoelaces and Steve used it as an opportunity to daydream as he stared out the windshield. His eyes were set ahead, and she didn't need to look to know who he was staring at. 

This was starting to get depressing. 

"Steve," Max calls, as harsh as ever. "Stop". 

As if he had just been electrocuted, Steve turns his head to stare at the fifteen-year-old. Eyebrows furrowed and nostrils flared, he defends himself, "But I'm not doing anything". 

"Exactly, you moron," she grumbles. "You gotta tell her". 

'No more sadness, I kiss it goodbye. The sun is burs-', Max interrupts Madonna by turning off the radio, stopping any possible distractions.

It's clear that Steve doesn't like where this is going, because his face contorts into that sour annoyed look that makes her take a deep breath. This is going to be difficult.

"Tell what to who?" pretending to be clueless, he purses his lips, but his eyes don't lie, quickly drifting back to Y/N's figure. There was no escape now, not with Max's sharp gaze bearing down on him.

"You're so full of shit".

"Hey! Language, Maxine," he reprimands, "I honestly don't know what you're talking about". 

"You're in love with her," she motions to his co-worker who was still blissfully unaware of the car parked outside. 

And her words rang as an absurdity to him.  

"Max, for the love of-," his protest is interrupted by the girl and the know-it-all tone he hates so much.

"Steve, you're so into her it's ridiculous," her blue eyes narrow at him, hardening her expression. He scoffs, crossing his arms as he looks in the other direction, trying not to give too much away.

They stay like that for a few seconds, with him staring out the window, refusing to take part in the discussion, and Max glaring at his blushing, conflicted face. 

But then, he breaks. 

"Fine," Steve breathes out, "I mean, I'd make out with her… like, platonically, you know?"

The word comes out as if he had just remembered it existed, and Max doesn't buy it for a second, "You can't make out with someone platonically, Steve".

He takes her harsh delivery with a contemplating face, letting it all sink in. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it did break his argument, and he finds himself agreeing with what she had said… and he gets a grip. 

"Why am I listening to a thirteen-year-old?" he mutters, in disbelief. Huffing, Steve turns back at her, already gripping the door handle, "You know what, smarty-pants? I gotta work".

"I'm fifteen, Harrington! And we're not done!"

Max trails behind him as he gets out of the car in a hurry, stepping heavily into the pavement. As Steve bursts through the glass door with the girl in tow, they catch the attention of everyone inside Family Video. He gives you and Robin an embarrassed smile, stepping onto a random aisle, trying to hide from the curious stares. 

From the corner of his eye, Steve realizes that he still hasn't gotten rid of the stubborn girl, so he gathers the cluttered tapes and organizes them, in a failed attempt to avoid Max's inquisitive look. Moving the Pretty in Pink tapes around, the redhead crosses her arms, still staring. 

"You should learn a thing or two about that movie, you know?" she says with a quiet voice.

"What are you talking about, Mayfield?" he asks with a defeated sigh, clearly getting annoyed by her.

"Duckie didn't do anything about his crush on Andie, and had to settle for being her best friend in the end," she spells it out for him, "While she got to make out with Andrew McCarthy. Arguably more good-looking and charming than Jon Cryer". 

Steve rolls his eyes, but the situation does ring out an alarm at the back of his mind. What if… no, let's not go there. "What are you trying to say, wise-ass?"

"I'm saying," she continues, not willing to let him take a breath, "Are you truly willing to miss your shot? Stop being such a coward and go for it!".

"You talk as if I actually have a chance".

There it is. 

This was what she wanted to hear. 

"Steve, the girl is almost putting up a bright sign saying 'Go for it! Ask me out, you idiot!'". 

Drifting his eyes away from the tapes he was organizing, Steve watches as you laugh at something Robin had said. His gaze softens as he contemplates the scene, his hesitancy quavering every time the sound of your laughter reached his ears. This time, seeing the longing look in his eyes made a gentle, sympathetic feeling grow inside Max's chest, so different than the impatient annoyance she was so used to. 

"Look, Steve," her green eyes droop with friendly warmth. Though she might say that this is such a rare sight, that is what he sees every day when he talks to her. "I'm just saying what I noticed, and even if I'm wrong, which I'm not, by the way, you gotta take this off your chest. This is your chance!".

Staring down at her, he can only blink. Her encouraging words are settling in his mind, screeching as they do so, and he wonders… the gears inside his head spinning out of control, smoking everything so bad he almost can't see anything. Steve feels a bit out of breath.

But, impatient as always, Max keeps going as if she hasn't just collapsed all of his plans to stay in your friendship's comfort zone. With the wisdom that few possess, she continues, "I know you're still hung up on your Nancy-heartbreak and everything, but you're standing in your own way on this one, Steve. I can't tell you what the future holds, but I'm sure that you'll feel a lot better after you tell her about it". 

His intentions to continue ignoring it all are crumbling to dust inside him right now and her words make him feel defenseless, too vulnerable to continue disregarding his own fear of possible rejection. 

"That doesn't make sense," he scoffs, though his voice is soft and quiet, "Why would I want to do something like that if I don't know what the outcome is? She might just turn me down, and I don't think I could…"

Eyes drifting back to your breathtaking figure behind the counter, he stops himself before finishing the sentence. His face lit up with an astonishing expression of realization. Steve lets out another defeated sigh… maybe Max was right. 

With a knowing smile, she tells him, "Because you know she's worth it". 

xxx

Steve has had his head in the clouds ever since his little chat with Max earlier and could barely concentrate on having any work done throughout the rest of his shift. It didn't help that he also couldn't escape the sight of you from any corner of Family Video, and had to take several breaks until closing hours to avoid his head from exploding. 

Pacing back and forth inside the employee's break room instead of helping you put everything away (not exactly the top priority on his list right now), Steve tries to muster up even the slightest string of courage to talk to you about his feelings.

Now, on top of being an absolute wimp, he can also add useless when thinking to his list. 

He takes a big breath as he replays what Max had said, and almost unconsciously, snippets of Billy Joel's 'Tell Her About It' start echoing with it. The combination was able to help him make an outline of everything he'd like to say to you. 

"I like you. I don't want the chance to slip away. It's okay if you don't feel the same. I just wanted to say something before it's too late", he mutters to himself, still walking in circles. "If yes, then, ba-ba-bam, charm her up. If heartbreak, retreat. I'll be fine. Fine. Just fine. A-okay". 

Steve feels the same rush as he felt before going to his High School basketball matches, and he can only hope that the results will be far more positive. He takes another deep breath, shaking his arms before he walks over to the door. His fingers touch the door handle, cool under his fingertips. This is his chance. The store was closing, there were no customers around, and Robin had left early for band practice. 

Let's do it, he thinks to himself.

Determined and possessed by a sense of overconfidence, Steve snaps the door open, letting it hit the wall with a loud noise. The sudden movement turns your attention on him, and he can feel his cheeks burning bright under your gaze, his faux bravado trembling below the warmth of your eyes. The quizzical look you gave made him question his own ability for the dramatics. 

"It, uh, got stuck", he offers an embarrassed smile.

Good. Already starting with a lie.

"Yeah," your expression turns into amusement, "it gets jammed all the time". 

The kindness in your voice makes him feel a little better about himself, maybe he wasn't being such a fool in front of you. His heart started to thump inside his chest, blood pumping in his ears like thunder as he walked closer to where you stood, just behind the big counter. With an intense gaze set on your face, he watched as your eyebrows furrow in his direction again. 

"Is there something on my face?" you lift your hand up to your cheek, wiping it off in a hurry.

"No! It's just-," he interrupts himself, suddenly realizing that this script wasn't supposed to go this way. What is he meant to say now? Under your expectant gaze, it's not like he can think of anything intelligible. "It's not that". 

"Oh, okay," breathing out, seeming relieved by the information, you bring your hand down. With a voice that dripped with curiosity, you ask, "Why we-were you staring, then?"

Steve feels so stupid now that he can only blink down at you, his head getting fuzzy by that cute look in your eyes and the way your lips quirked up, stifling a smile. Yeah, he's a goner.

Before he could actually think about what he was saying, he hears the sound of his voice echoing through the empty video rental store, "I don't wanna be a Duckie". 

"What are you talking about?" you laugh out loud, though it's clear that you're not laughing at him. His words took you both by surprise, and he couldn't expect any other reaction. 

"Sorry," Steve apologizes, chuckling along, "I didn't mean to say that. What I wanted to say was… well, by the look on your face I think you already know". 

Again, he just blurted it out without reflecting on it first. But it was justified. 

For the first time, he saw something different in the way you looked up at him. Maybe it was just him being impacted by Max's words, but Steve swears that he has never seen that mellow tenderness gleaming in the color of your eyes before… or at least, he had never noticed it like this. He feels like an even bigger idiot now for not realizing it sooner. 

"Know what?" your question comes as a sign of your unawareness of his new understanding, and it makes a sweet smile grow on his face.

"I like you". 

The three words come out in a far more relaxed way than he had originally imagined his confession to be. Clearly, his realization made a wave of true confidence wash over his body, putting him back in his element of ease. And to say it out loud was a relief like no other.

But when he was met with no answer, just that shocked look on your face, his smile faltered.

"It's alright if you don't feel the same," he reassures, "I just… I didn't want to keep waiting around, wasting more opportunities by never telling you how I feel, because if you feel the same, I really don't want you to get away just like that. And uh- I don't want to be just your friend, but it's fine if you-"

"I like you too", you talk a bit louder than him, interrupting his train of thought, without any remorse. "I, uh- never said anything because I thought you didn't like me back". 

He is still, like a statue in front of you, processing the information. 

And it seems like an eternity before he cups your face, the palms of his hands resting warmly over your cheeks. His long fingers graze against your temples, and just the feeling is enough to ease your hammering heart, but as he leans closer to your face, you can feel your own breath ricocheting against his lips.

Steve stares at you through half-lidded eyes, as if he is waiting for your go-ahead. And it's only when you softly nod up at him that he presses his mouth against yours, letting his lips wrap around your bottom lip in a soft, loving peck. His mind was misty with increasing thoughts of you, your candy-flavored lips, and the smooth texture of your cheeks, along with the feel of the roots of your hair on his fingertips. You were breathing in each other in your kiss, and your breath came faltering against the other cheek. It was truly world-shattering, something you had never felt before in your life. 

As you slowly, and almost reluctantly so, pull apart, Steve feels a small chuckle bubbling up in his throat. Seeing your amused expression, he smiles. 

"We have so much time to make up for". 

LIKES, REBLOGS AND FEEDBACK ARE APPRECIATED! steve masterlist | main masterlist | navigation ── hey! wanna talk? leave me a message after the beep. currently accepting requests for steve and eddie. 

𖤐 taglist: @oncasette if you want to be added to my taglist, just click here.

[devilanon]

omg omg what about Simon coming home with a collar and a leash!! being excited/nervous how they'll react? btw i LOVE your writing and you should know you're super talented :D

thank you anon :-) i do my best. contains both collaring for simon and reader. [nsfw below cut, gn reader, pet play? choking tw]

He just kind of slaps it on the table without preamble. He comes home, toes off his shoes, and gestures to the inconspicuous black bag he's brought home with him. “Got you a gift,” he says, tone flat. If it were anyone else you’d find it rude, but it’s Simon, so you see it as more of a mark of anxiety than anything else. He seems unwilling to meet your eyes, looking at you, then the wall, then the bag. He’s not normally so… twitchy. “Oh, what is it?” You peer over the table at him, waggling your eyebrows, just to needle him a bit. It works. He lets out an irritated huff. “Just fuckin’ open it,” he says, pushing it further toward your person, and now he really can’t look at you. (He's flustered. How sweet.) You open the (now conspicuous in how discreet it is, given the context) packaging to reveal a studded leather collar and a chain. "…Oh."

FOR HIM.

You blink up at him, holding the chain heavy in your hand. “For me?” He clears his throat a little, and you can see a flush rising onto the apples of his cheeks. “For me,” he clarifies, voice low and gruff. …Say no more. You can work with this.

Simon is not a good puppy. Not at first, anyway. He’s always been headstrong, difficult. He has an attitude, a sort of cockiness about him that needs to be... trained out of him.

For instance, on one occasion, you collar him and then set about doing paperwork while he's sitting at your feet, quiet, looking pensive. Over time he inches closer until he's resting his head on your knee. It's actually quiet cute, his big stone-gray eyes looking up at you, the collar affixed neatly to his thick and muscled throat; not too tight, just enough room to slip two fingers under the leather and tug. He's looking for attention, so you give it to him. You card your fingers through his short-cropped hair and he flutters those pretty eyelashes at you.

And then he's humping your leg. Grinding his half-hard cock against your clothed calf, making no show of hiding it. You gasp, yanking him back by the leash, and he lets out a choked gasp at the pressure on his neck. "Bad!", you chide, frowning down at him.

He's undeterred, because of course he is. "You like it."

You quickly learn punishment doesn't work. Edging is a pain because he can and will outlast you, should he put his mind to it. Impact play just gets him harder. In fact, he'll act out just to get a slap on the face, a bop to the nose. It almost becomes a game to him, frustratingly.

What does work is praise.

You have to ignore Simon when he's acting up, and reward him when he's being good. When he sits with his head in your lap innocently, keeping his hands to himself? "Good boy." He lets out a satisfied little chuff, closing his eyes when you rub a thumb over his cheek, let him suckle on it as you press it to his plush lips. (He has an oral fixation, but that's another story entirely).

When you pull him closer into your sex while he's giving you oral, chain wrapped tight around your hand, babbling praises at him as he sucks and licks at you, he looks like he's died and gone to heaven. He nods, eyes glazed, mouth slick with spit; yes, yes, he is a good boy, keep saying that to him, thank you.

Pull on his collar when you're on top, riding him, making his vision blur and his breathing stutter, and he's a goner. Even better if he's fucking you from behind and you yank the chain over your shoulder, forcing him deeper into your heat.

FOR YOU.

"For me?" You delicately trace the studs on the collar, feel the cool metal, the weight of it in your hand. "For you," he answers, looking at you curiously, trying to gauge your reaction. He gives you an out, then, nodding to the collar - "If you're interested." Of course you are.

He isn't too mean, despite what some may assume; it's less about dehumanization and more a show of dominance, ownership, caretaking, even.

He slips his fingers through the slack of the collar, using it to pull you up and down on his cock as you suck him, the slow drag of your mouth making him groan and curse. He heaps praise on you; "Good puppy, taking me so deep. Good fucking puppy."

He'll have you ride his boots, leaving them wet and shiny with your spend. He'll lean back in his office chair, legs spread wide, his thick, muscled thighs straining in his jeans, and he looks down at you with something like disinterest, like he's watching some a pet of his do something mildly irksome. "That's it, puppy. Hump my fucking boots. I know you want to." He wraps the leash around his knuckles, pulling so that you're forced to look up at him, eyes wet with tears and face burning with embarrassment.

Definitely yanks the shit out of the leash when he's fucking you from behind, though, so he can force you into a deeper arch while he slamfucks you, the fat of his hips clapping against your ass. It drives him a little wild, the sounds you make with your windpipe compressed.

[snikt111]

hi hi hi hi I found out about Hal Jordan TODAY and am going so autistic over him it’s insane can you please give me a rundown on what his deal is I think you’re the Tumblr Green Lantern guy

omg hi, insane compliment btw, tysm! i'm glad to give you a rundown!! also definitely check out @katmaatui for more hal info, red is SUPER knowledgable abt him. @rillette, @catboyollie, @halcarols, @starsapphire and @yellowcorps (along with so many others that i cant think to tag off the top of my head) have some great hal takes too! (edited the post just to tag more ppl)

apologies if this is a bit rushed/messy, i'm doing this while i smelt stone in minecraft LMAO

that being said... i think this will be a long one, so more below the cut :3

(cw for light mentions of pedophilia, abuse, canon typical violence)

okay, so hal jordan is the first human green lantern of the GREEN LANTERN CORPS. it's important to note that there was technically a human green lantern before him (alan scott, originally from earth two/the justice society, but integrated into main DC canon after crisis), but his power comes from a different source- which is a whole different ballpark that would take ages to explain, lol, so i'll move on from that.

hal was originally introduced in a showcase issue in 1959, but ended up getting a solo run in the mid 60s because of his showcase issues doing well. he's been a test pilot, middle brother, compassionate, rule follower (although being surprisingly liberal for the time) with an interesting relationship with star sapphire carol ferris since those first appearances. for the first 20 odd years of his appearances we had no information on his parents, but we got a lot from other family members, such as uncle titus, cousin hal jr (aka airwave), younger brother jim jordan and older brother jack jordan. through the 60s and 70s those members of his family were developed along with him; with the audience learning that jim's wife sue thought jim was green lantern, rather than hal, and hal himself training his cousin, hal jr.

the most known version of how hal got the ring in the first place is probably based off of geoff john's rewrite in the mid 00s, reiterating the original story of abin sur crashing onto earth and dying, leaving hal with his ring to be trained by sinestro and the rest of the glc, while also changing miniscule details that had been developed in emerald dawn 1 & 2 (which was released in the 90s, more on that later). the main premise of abin sur's crash has stayed the same, but the story around hal's current life, job, family and stability keep changing. for instance, the original comic with abin sur in showcase only showed hal getting the ring, the guardians choosing him. the first rewrite i can think of was emerald dawn volume 1, published in 1989 and continued in emerald dawn v2 (1991). here we get the classic hal watches his father die in a plane crash with carol ferris beside him as a pre adolescent, and some of the biggest implications of the mistreatment from his father. we also get introduced to hal, despite his stick to the rules, straight edge attitude, making some serious mistakes and putting people in danger and even death- with the implication of alcohol abuse. the audience HAS known hal used to be in the air force since sometime in the late 60s or early 70s (sorry, i don't remember the exact issue!), but emerald dawn shows us that hal's moved on from the air force and into test piloting, and that his mother keeps having to bail him out for making mistakes. emerald dawn vol 1 shows the abin sur moment, followed by fights that cost hal's friends life, and is followed up by sinestro training hal in emerald dawn vol 2, where we get to see the iconic scenes of hal finding out about sinestro and his... dictatorship.

along with that; how the guardians and rings are treated and hal and the glc's perception of them is vastly changed over time. in the early days of gl in the 60s, the guardians were really never to be seen. hal was repeatedly summoned to them and then had his memory almost fully wiped- only leaving a vague notion of his orders. the guardian's called hal to them at seemingly the worst times, ending up with him almost getting injured, getting in trouble at work, and even ending up jobless and homeless. the chaos of being a green lantern has been around the WHOLE time, but originally, the green lanterns didnt really... fight it. the guardian's were their masters (and even father figures, to hal) and not to be questioned. the rings in the 60s were also much more powerful, despite the yellow weakness (the yellow weakness is the notion that from about the 60s to the mid 90s the green lantern rings were completely unable to be used against anything yellow). time travel, phasing, teleporting, etc were all very viable and common things- as well as forceful shapeshifting, invisibility, mind control, mind reading, etc etc. these days, writers have dampened these powers down to mostly shooting light and constructs.

okay, it's parallax time. the emerald twilight arc from the mid 90s wasn't an arc that was as thoroughly planned out over a long period of time as it probably should have been. a lot of fans at the time (and even now) hated what happened there, and claimed it ruined hal's character entirely. i can understand why! but, at it's core, the parallax arc is a story about a broken man pushed to the limit, fully grieving his home and family (originally, he lost his brother jim in the destruction of coast city, along with a lot of other family members) and being goddamn fed up with how his "masters" treated him and the rest of the corps. the so called "perfect lantern" (no, he wasn't that much of a rebel, despite what johns wants you to think) snapped and essentially tried to gain as much power as he could to bring back coast city. when the guardians stripped him of his powers so he couldn't, hal became enraged and took down every lantern in his path, just to get to the guardians and that power. long story short, he kills the guardians and absorbs all the energy from the central power battery on oa, becoming parallax- essentially a god. this marks the start of zero hour, an event made by dc to restructure and reset; giving the comics a new generation of heroes. hal destroys the world and remakes it, but is ultimately taken down by kyle rayner, the new green lantern, with the help of the jla, jsa and associates. there are a few more run ins with parallax after this, before kyle convinces parallax/hal that he can make up for all of this by reigniting the sun after it went out- aka killing himself. hal does it, is stuck in limbo for awhile and then becomes the spectre to continue to make up for the horrible things he did as parallax. the spectre is the spirit of god's wrath and vengeance, a weapon used to drag sinners to their very own, self made hells, and scare the shit out of people. the spectre, from it's very first appearance, is a ghost like spirit that takes on a host, and is primarily described using christian terms and is used in a very... christian ideology. HOWEVER, the spectre 2001 confirms that hal is jewish (jewish mom, catholic dad) and that belief system, plus his personality as a whole, literally makes him change the spirit of vengeance into the spirit of redemption, for at least as long as they are bonded. the whole parallax to spectre arc is about grief, pain, cycles of abuse and terror, redemption and guilt. it is NOT about a fear bug that possess hal. (im so serious though, the spectre 2001 is one of the best comics ive ever read. amazing. changed my world view) but... geoff johns changed all of it, decanonized the spectre, and ruined the legacy of parallax and hal's growth as a person by releasing green lantern: rebirth in 2004/2005. this retcons hal's breakdown and journey through grief into him BEING POSSESSED BY AN ENTITY CONTROLLED BY SINESTRO THAT FULLY CHANGES PREVIOUS GREEN LANTERN CANON AND IMPLICATIONS. also, fucks up the importance of kyle becoming ion, but whatever. geoff johns writes hal (and even more so, carol) so very wrong, and change their stories so vastly in ways that go against the stories very meanings.

SIGH.

now... time to get started on some rougher stuff. hal jordan misconceptions. i'm saving that arc for last.

- hal jordan wasn't much of a rule breaker or rebel until the 70s/80s, where he BEGAN (very slowly, mind you) to be radicalized by oliver queen during denny o'neil's green lantern/green arrow. hal was painted as more of a conservative during this period (which, admittedly, kind of goes against previous canon... he's always been relatively central to liberal, not to any extremes like ollie though, lol) but gets more and more understanding of how power structures work and how lower classes are mistreated during this time- which ends up opening his eyes a bit to how shitty the guardians are. (this is helped by the guardians literally just. leaving. the green lanterns and kind of disbanding them so they can go fuck the zamarons, lmao). geoff johns tried to change this narrative into making hal a very... maverick-from-top-gun type of character, who punched his way out of the military (when, in reality, the original story during emerald knights in the late 90s was that hal had been framed for stealing a jet and was dishonorably discharged, which he took the punishment for because he knew someone had to) and hits on women constantly and gets ladies and allat (which, funnily enough hal was awful at getting carol to like him for a long time, since carol fell for green lantern rather than hal. not to mention the awkwardness of carol's proposals or hal's many, many failed relationships). hal has always been insecure and lowkey boyfailure, he is NOT a top gun maverick tom cruise sorta guy! fuck you jeremy adams!

- hes not that much of an idiot asshole. hal can be a real dick, he's had that going for him since the beginning, but he isn't what you read in batfam fics. he's not stupid and shouldn't be the laughingstock of the justice league. i assume this idea started from the obsession with batfam and the fact that the jla has quite the history of ignoring hal and his issues (as well as. all of their issues. theyre not so great at work life balance), but it's gone too far. hal isn't making fun of the robins and pissing bruce off bc of that. hal isnt fooling around on the job 24/7 (he takes being a gl and pilot VERY seriously, although he does enjoy some danger and high stakes) or slacking off to get girls. again. not top gun maverick.

- hal has not been a creep since the beginnings. hal was not weird with carol in the 60s. things were weird between them, yeah, but that's based off circumstance and the craziness of star sapphire and green lantern. he was NOT being horribly sleazy! i hate that i even need to say this, but i see this take too much not to

- going off of what was said above, lets discuss the arisia arc. if you want to be a real hal fan, this is unfortunately something you need to know about. in action comics, after crisis and the guardians left to go fuck the zamarons, most of the green lanterns fell apart and seperated. a small group went to earth- led by hal and consisting of hal, john stewart, katma tui, kilowog, salaakk, ch'p and arisia rrab. (also sometimes guy gardner, but that's complicated) previously to this arc, hal treated 14 year old arisia like a beloved little sister, welcoming her and leading her into the corps just like everyone else. things started to change once the timeline gets closer and closer to crisis, where arisia starts showing that she has a crush on hal (who is roughly 30s at this point). any advances made by arisia are shut down by hal at the beginning, because she's a child. now, it's unfortunately a common thing to just call hal a "pedophile" because of what happens in this arc- but it really isn't that simple. still weird and icky, but definitely not to the degree of which some fans like to act like it is- esp to attack hal fans for, which is... an odd choice regarding how many fucked up things every character (esp male characters) did back in the day. arisia ends up using her power ring to artifically age herself up, making her body AND MIND into that of a young adult (the comic makes this very clear). once this happens... hal stops rejecting her. they get together, they kiss. the only person in the group of green latnerns who actually has an issue with it is john (salaakk is meh about it, but he just doesn't like human-esque romance no matter what), and katma even directly encourages their relationship. kilowog ends up crushing on arisia as well, and guy gardner hits on her repeatedly throughout the whole period. eventually, hal and arisia break up, but this legacy (thank so much englehart, for wrtiting this. /sarc) is a big controversy among the comics crowd. "is hal jordan a predator?" personally, and i know a lot of friends/mutuals/other gl fans choose to erase the arisia arc entirely (versus how canon ended up retconning it to be 14 earth years is equal to that of an adult and she didn't really get super ages up, or whatever) and go with the familial relationship between hal and her. that's my preferred version! i know red (@katmaatui) has explored that version as well as an alternate version where the arisia arc did happen, and how it affects arisia in particular, which is really depressing but super interesting. anyway, it's complicated and weird and nuanced, but that whole occurence doesn't mean hal's a bad character or person (cause yk. retcons) and it's certainly not bad to like his character. (definitely ignore any guy gardner fans who try to bitch about this arc. cough cough. guy was ALSO into her and hit on her repeatedly. smfh) most people who bring this up to demonize fans didn't even read the arc, and don't know the nuance or the other weird shit that happens in it. (hal is not a horse, sigh)

OVERALL NOTES!

hal jordan is a super complicated character with an extensive history spanning from the 60s to his worse written appearances in modern age. it's okay to like any version of the character, but it is important to note the changes that have been made, the storylines butchered and lost, and more. he has quite the legacy, and he's particularly interesting as from a moral standpoint. hal's a real sweetie though, when it gets down to it! he's neurodivergent coded (imo at least.. his dad very much gets onto him for being disrtracted, hes kinda shit at social interaction (and then amazing at it the other half of the time) etc etc. "spacecase") and his dad is an abusive asshole, who he desperately doesnt want to be like but thinks he NEEDS to be like!

[abbott976]

I've been thinking a lot about Zekina lately (shocker, I know) and @theangrypomeranian has me noticing just how often Zeke and Tina really interact throughout the show, specifically in terms of physical proximity.

But beyond that, there are so many amazing examples and moments where Zeke is truly just DOWN BAD for Tina and willing to do anything for her.

While we have the classic examples of The Mad Pooper and Mid-Day Run, there are a lot of other moments where Zeke shows how much he likes Tina!

For example, in Teen-a Witch (S7 Ep 3), when Tina notes that she feels Jimmy Jr likely responded to her new attitude and chocker necklace, while J-Ju doesn't seem convinced (even stating "eh, idk") Zeke interjects that he liked her new look and confidence.

Similarly, in The Landship (S6 Ep 2), we see Zeke tell Tina that she has a spicy and a not spicy side and that he likes both sides of her. He also at the start of this episode is the one to encourage her to "get some spice in ya girl!" and to let loose a bit. I think this just shows that while he is supportive of whatever side Tina has to give, he is also willing to encourage her to have fun and be more in tune with herself.

Throughout the show, we also see multiple instances where Zeke is an enthusiastic participant in the Belcher Sibling Shenanigans, like in The Kids Run the Restaurant (S3 Ep 20), Stand By Gene (S6 Ep 12) and Stuck in the Kitchen With You (S12 Ep 8). There are plenty of other good examples of this, but they all demonstrate that not only is Zeke accepting and supportive of Tina, but he is willing to collaborate with her and her siblings and finds fun in their mischief.

For us as an audience, I think a real turning point for Tina going from hating Zeke to beginning to see him grow on her as a friend is seen in The Oeder Games (S5 Ep 21), where Zeke famously tells Tina that he's "up to his butt" in how much he likes her and the J-Ju takes her for granted.

This moment really pushes us as an audience into a new perspective where we begin to see this trio in new lights. As the series continues, we see Zeke and Tina continue to develop a growing friendship, albeit slowly, through moments like The Taking of Funtime One Two Three (S9 Ep 2) where we see Tina seek Zeke out for his skills and see J-Ju as an afterthought to the situation.

There seems to just be a slow and steady building of Zeke growing on Tina and their friendship slowly coming together, and I love to see how throughout it all, Zeke never wavers in his care and support for her. He's just patiently waiting in the wings, but also doesn't seem to feel that being her friend is settling in any way. He just likes her and likes spending time with her however she will let him.

There are a ton of other examples I could give, but I think it just goes to show there are those little strings and pieces of them throughout the show if you are really looking for them.

[tiredfox64]

We need a second part of the Reiko fic, maybe General Shao finding out about Reiko and reader's relationship?

I Heard The Secrets That You Kept

Prior notes: Was already planning before I even finished the first one. I like that you said “we need”. Need is a strong word.

Pairing: Reiko x Afab reader

Warnings ‼️: Slight NSFW but it’s minimal, it’s gonna get chaotic

Strict parents raise sneaky children. And sneaky you are.

Your relationship with Reiko blossomed more and more every week. Whenever you had the chance to go out you would lie to your dad and say you were hanging out with friends. In reality you were seeing Reiko and getting the chance to be close to him.

You two had a lot to learn about what you guys like. But it was apparent to the both of you that you liked being close. Very close.

That skin to skin contact was good, but it could be better. Those night when he would sneak into your room and sleep next to you because unbearable in the way that you two couldn’t handle your hormones. The touching became more intimate till you both decided to do something stupid.

Just the tip…

It’s never just the tip. Even if it was supposed to be it always becomes the whole thing.

Two virgins figure out sex, what an experience for the both of you. Feeling Reiko stretch you out was a somewhat painful yet extremely pleasurable experience. Reiko was always focused in his life but this is the one time his mind went blank. He instinctively thrusted into you, gently though since it was your first time. He had to cover your mouth and his mouth to prevent being heard.

After a night of delicious pleasures you two couldn’t keep away from each other. You were on Reiko’s mind way too much. General Shao would have to snap his fingers in front of Reiko’s face to make him focus again. He couldn’t understand why his lieutenant who was always quick to respond was in this daze and would randomly shiver.

Actually, you had this dazed look as well. You became incredibly happy. That’s not a bad thing but where was this happiness coming from? No, no it can’t be, his sweet girl couldn’t have been involved in a secret relationship. A secret relationship with his lieutenant perhaps?! Shao shivered at the thought and you noticed.

“You alright, dad?” You questioned him with a confused expression on your face.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Shao was trying his hardest to act normal.

“Alright. By the way I’m going out with my friends later tonight.”

“Are you really?!” He slammed his hands on the dining table.

You jumped a little. With the way your dad was asking you, you thought he had an attitude. You looked at him with an even more confused look before he realized he was acting too harsh and suspicious. He cleared his throat before sitting back down.

“That’s fine. Enjoy yourself.” He tried to sound unbothered but he is horrible at hiding his feelings.

You just walked away, not wanting to spark anything else in that conversation.

You’re not going out with friends. That was another instance where you lied just so you could see Reiko. Except this time Shao expects to find out the truth. He’ll send one of his soldiers to spy on you from a distance. Then he will know what you are up to.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Another secret date night with Reiko, how exciting for you lovebirds!

The moment you saw him you jumped into his arms and kissed him. He spun you around before letting you down. You held hands as you spent the night walking around Sun Do, talking and enjoying food together.

Unbeknownst to you both you were being followed by a soldier that your dad sent. He was following at a distance the whole time. He was shocked that Reiko had any other emotions other than pure hatred and fury. Looks like he has a soft spot.

There was no mistaking it, you two were a couple. That soldier saw every little glance, kiss, and touch. You guys couldn’t keep your hands off each other. Damn! You get freaky once and a second later you become an addict. Save it for when you get back to your room!

The soldier has seen enough. He scurried away to tell the general what he saw. When Shao heard what the soldier said he was flabbergasted. He suspected this news before but to hear it seemed unreal.

How could his vicious lieutenant who he had raised since he was orphaned be dating his sweet daughter who he has tried to keep boys away from for the longest time? He wanted to deny the truth but what good would that do.

You’re all grown up. You’re not a little girl anymore, you’re a woman. A woman who is choosing to date Reiko.

Not too long after you came back home. Shao wanted to talk to you but you excused yourself and said you were tired from “hanging out with your friends”. You made your way upstairs and quickly opened up the window to let Reiko in.

Now you can get handsy with each other.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

While you and Reiko were getting freaky in your bed, your dad took the time to think about everything.

Well, it can’t be all that bad. If there were any man that he would trust you with it would be Reiko. He never imagined Reiko would be the loving type or even be interested in dating but looks like he’s wrong. He sighed as he realized he was being a bit overprotective.

Speaking of protection are you guys gonna-ah no, you just gonna rawdog it. Aight fuck.

Shao started going towards your room. He really wanted to talk to you about this and let you know it’s okay to date. But he was stumped once he heard a noise. It sounded like…moaning? And there is tapping like a bed frame hitting the wall. He was really, really, REALLY hoping that wasn’t the sound of lovemaking in your room.

Da nile is a river in Egypt.

You had no idea that on the other side of your bedroom door that Shao was ready to knock on your door. You were too focused on look up into Reiko’s eyes. You were panting away while he held your hand as he thrusted into you. He leaned closer so he could kiss you which you happily accepted. Your bodies were heating up. Closer and closer you both got. So close to that pleasurable release…until you heard your door being kicked in.

It took Shao only one kick to knock your door off its hinges. Reiko was quick to grab his combat knife that he left on your bedside table and you were quick to cover your chest with your arms. He aimed his knife at the doorway and it hit everyone at the same time what just happened. Reiko thought he would have to use his knife to defend you from a possible attacker. It seems he might have to use it to defend himself.

“Reiko…” Shao gritted his teeth as he lifted up his battle axe. Oh by the elder gods he brought that with him.

“N-now general, I can explain everything-“ Reiko tried to speak but your dad interrupted him.

“Oh you sure will be explaining yourself, Reiko, right after I cut your head off.” Shao crept closer while clutching his battle axe tightly.

“Please, let me finish-“

“Not inside my daughter!”

Reiko was trying to ask him to let him finish explaining but sure, jumping to conclusions is the right things to do.

“Dad stop!” You yelled.

You used your body to protect Reiko who was horrified for once in his life. Look at the mess he is in now. If this goes even more south he might be missing one of his heads by the end of this.

There was commotion in your bedroom. Shao was trying to push you and Reiko away so he could strike him. He kept yelling at you to move your arms away. Meanwhile Reiko was begging the general to just listen. He meant no harm.

All the noise alerted your mother who came running to see the battle that was going on.

“ENOUGH!” She yelled.

There was silence. Your mother started yelling at Shao to put down his axe and tell her why your door was broken. Then she yelled at you and Reiko to put some clothes. Have some decency she barked at you both. She dragged Shao by his ear out of your room and tried her best to place the door back. It stayed up for a good five seconds before crashing down again.

“Are you okay?” You asked Reiko.

No, no he’s not. He got off of you and lied down next to you. He was in a catatonic state. Give him a few minutes he’ll bounce back…hopefully.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Things sure got awkward in the house. Your mother was pissed off with everyone. She told you she was sad that you hid the fact that you got a boyfriend. She was upset with Shao for acting so viciously. And with Reiko…she doesn’t want to think about that.

You apologized to your dad for lying and hiding the fact that you were dating his lieutenant. He apologize for being overprotective trying to kill Reiko. He let you know that it’s okay to date. He trust that Reiko will treat you well. He better treat you well.

“That’s better. Since that’s all cleared up, Reiko, would you like to stay for dinner?” Your mother asked.

“No.”

Reiko quickly got up and walked swiftly to the door. He was scared beyond comprehension. Now he understands what Shao’s victims feel like when he’s about to kill them.

He was one foot out the door before he backed up and walked towards you. He placed a kiss on your cheek before running back to the front door and walking out.

Well he had to let you know that he still loves you and that he’ll come back. He’s just not willing to stay in your home for another second.

After notes: like halfway through this fic I was messaging my friend and I messed up so bad with a sentence I questioned if whatever I wrote for this fic made sense. I wrote: Do you lying to me now I see. I hope y’all can figure out what I meant cause she thought I had a stroke. Adiós!

[lheslie]

How would taehun be if he had a sister, the complete opposite of him? Like he fights and does Taekwondo and she reads and studies? Like a delinquent and a nerd, except they're siblings? Also! I got Into your account canons, just mindlessly reading and they all make me giggle and kick my feet in the air Because of you, I'm starting to read the manhwa and he's becoming my favourite character

Taehoon having a sister that's a complete opposite of him.

Requested by: Anon.

Hope you like it!!!

(I have two male siblings, that would do this to me everyday.)

Whenever you sit at a couch, reading a book he would annoy you by suddenly kicking so close to your face, but it doesn't hit your face.

He sometimes uses you as additional weight while you read your book on top of him.

He disturbs your peace whenever he destroys anything that causes a loud crash.

"TAEHOON! STOP DESTROYING THINGS I'M STUDYING!" You yell as you close your bedroom door.

Sometimes he would try and ask you to spar with him whenever Hansu isn't around.

"If I die, I'm haunting you."

"The more reason to do Taekwondo." He reasons.

Between you and Taehoon, you were the more responsible one. So Hansu trusts you with pocket money whenever you go out and hangout with your brother.

"I want beer." He said

"No."

"I'm not asking, Give me money for beer." He said as he takes your wallet away from you and grabs some money for the beer.

He doesn't smoke around you, since you cough a lot whenever you inhale the smoke.

He is tolerable, but the thing you hate the most is the girls around him liking him.

You wonder what they saw on your shit face brother with bad attitude and a messy ugly ass mullet.

(You had glasses and a very messy hair)

Taehoon doesn't like seeing you fix your face, or you wearing anything other than baggy clothes, because it attract other men's attention.

So whenever you try and go out with a presentable look, he immediately stops you.

"Where ya going? Ya look fucking ugly in that." Said as you try to ignore and get past him.

"I'm going shopping for books." You said

"While looking like a clown yer not."

"Oh shut the fuck up, grow up."

He'd beat the shit out of people that try to even approach you.

Especially the ones that try to Harass you.

On Valentines Day, You'd have multiple girls asking you to give Chocolates to Taehoon, Ask for Taehoon's number, or They ask more about Taehoon.

Which pisses you off, "Look I am not entertaining your questions, Leave." You said as they replied.

"Meanie"

"No fun"

"The only thing that's good about you is your brother."

You didn't really care about those comments, you didn't give a shit.

You may be an opposite of Taehoon but you weren't weak, you were just more understanding, nice and patient.

But of course there were times you couldn't handle it anymore, so you randomly snap sometimes and get mad.

And this was one of those instances

You banged the girl's head to her desk.

"Say that again bitch." You angrily said as you rubbed her face to her desk, as she started crying for you to stop.

You were called at the principal's office.

Hansu and Taehoon arrived with Taehoon smiling.

"I heard what happened, Did ya win?" Taehoon spoke.

You chuckled. "Of course I did."

[semisolidmind]

I just read the story of reader's reincarnation! And I love it!! ❤️ I'm curious what the boys will do after they learn their wife had reincarnated?

I had a headcanon in my head that maybe reader remembered her past life during the journey, and finds it funny how the story was adapted in the modern world. Then when her two husbands came to pick her up, she just went from extremely happy to full blown crying/scared/guilty for not being there with them for so long.

(im glad folks like it. :) im always worried i cut my drabbles off too early, but when im done im done.)

and while the idea of a happy reunion is a sweet one, it's not as plausible as one would hope.

see, the modern aus of both bad end and twice as bad take place in the lmk timeline, so reader, as a reincarnation, wouldn't have the memories of her past life at the forefront. there'd be some of the stronger ones buried deep in her subconscious, but it'd take some powerful magic to bring those to the surface.

the safest bet the boys have is to start over. they really can't just pick up where they left off; and in a surprising turn of events, wukong acknowledges this. he's not deluded about it this time, he knows how it works. the reader who knew them is gone.

and he sees an opportunity.

wukong knows the reader from the past was scared of him and macaque, even if she got good at tamping that fear down while in their presence. this new reader doesn't know them beyond the tales he's sure she's heard about them. he figures he can spin those as bad faith interpretations of their intentions.

he knows how compassionate she can be. and he plans on using her empathy against her.

he and mac could play the "misunderstood anti-heroes" card, and win her affection back naturally. macaque would be on board with this, understanding that this reader is socialized by her time and their ancient demon courting methods (outright kidnapping) won't be as acceptable. so, they get to romancin' their soon-to-be wife the modern way.

they could set up an instance where they save her from another demon, or they meet her by chance while "patrolling." they hide their identities; less extravagant armor, slightly more modern outfits. the two monkey demons can be quite charming when they want to be, and reader, while naturally suspicious of their intentions, finds herself crushing after a few chance meetings (she will only privately admit she finds the two demons handsome; she gets the feeling their egos would run with any compliments she could give).

reader keeps her feelings to herself, too embarrassed to bring the two suitors up to her friends or boss. they notice her change in attitude but can't get her to tell (although mei doesn't give up trying).

mk figures it out pretty quick however, and is suitably weirded out that his dad and uncle are trying to woo his friend/coworker. the poor kid gets sworn to secrecy (not that he wants to get involved with his caretakers' personal business). and nothing he says could sway the older demons from their goal.

...he can't help but be worried for reader.

[archivalofsins]

Considering the day, I'm going to talk about how I perceive Mikoto and Mikoto (John's) dynamic. Because I was looking for an excuse to.

With Mikoto (John) I imagine him to be the less forward of the two.

Given how he's been depicted in canon. Plus, how much more standoffish and guarded Mikoto got after the first verdict. Despite being less sociable, he wasn't really going around causing a fuss or issues for everyone. He just wasn't as sociable.

The cast complains about this change in demeanor mostly due to the fact that before then, Mikoto was noticeably way more sociable and easier to approach. Talking to various other prisoners and having cordial relationships with most of them except for Kotoko. However, that's due to Kotoko's demeanor not his.

After the verdict, when Mikoto (John) is stated to be the one out the most (during the intermission). He becomes more closed off, less talkative, and difficult for others to approach.

I and most people speculated that this is because he got violent or aggressive.

Yet the only person anyone states he attacks during the intermission is Kotoko. Even Kotoko states such in her voice drama, claiming he attacked her in the middle of her handing out punishments.

Basically just when she was attacking Mahiru.

So outside of that instance, Mikoto wasn't doing anything. He doesn't even have timelines alluding to him doing anything. He was kind of just not engaging with others as much as he usually would. Hence, Shidou saying since he became like that in his trial two written interrogation.

Mikoto implies he picked up smoking to socialize with others in this timeline,

20/06/20

Mikoto: ……oh, so you are here after all. Shidou-san, are you free? Let’s chat~

Shidou: ! Ah, just give me a moment…… Um…… I don’t mind talking, but you didn’t need to come over while I was smoking. Are you sure it isn’t too smoky for you? You’re not a smoker, right, Kayano-kun?

Mikoto: Ah, you don’t need to put it out! That’d be such a waste! I smoke too occasionally. Though just vape. Like, the smoking room is a really good spot for communication, right? So I thought now might be a good opportunity to talk with you. Not like I have anything else to do. By the way, I’ve been wondering for a while, but do you always wear those gloves?

Shidou: I don’t…… How to put it…… I suppose…… since I have my hands covered all the time, then when I take them off, it feels as though the feeling in my fingertips is even greater…… I know it’s probably all in my head…… but that’s how it feels.

However, the only time we see smoking in MeMe and Double is when Mikoto is off on his own. Plus, we've yet to see him vape at all in either of his videos despite him saying that's predominantly what he does. As well as the vape pen being shown in his after crime anniversary image. So more than likely, by "like that," Shidou meant standoffishly monopolizing the smoking area, bringing down the atmosphere with his change in attitude resulting in making smoking awkward for Shidou.

The prisoners in the timeline don't complain about Mikoto's loud outbursts at night either despite them being noted in his description and joked about through the minigrams. However, since it's noted in his character description as something all the characters know about since Milgram started Mikoto being loud or getting violent in his cell on his own or at all would not surprise them. It'd be something that would be common place by the end of trial two.

Know what wouldn't be, though?

Him being quiet and the first allusion to that is here,

21/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Mikoto: ……ah, Futa? What’s up? Did you come to celebrate my birthday?

Futa: Hah!? Like I care about your birthday. ……what’s up with you, though, you’re usually a lot more excited. I thought you were the sort of idiot who’d make a big deal over your birthday.

Mikoto: Yeah, usually that’d be the case. ……I think I must be getting tired. It’s like I’m anxious over something, but I can’t really explain what it is…… Like, the feeling that I’ve been totally wrong about something. Haha, but it’s not like talking to you about it is gonna do anything.

Futa: Yeah, yeah, just like you say. Talking to me about it isn’t gonna help. ……but, it’s not like I don’t get what you’re saying. Or rather, I understand exactly what you mean. And if it’s the same thing as I’ve been feeling, then it will just get stronger as time goes on…… probably. But anyway, rather than talking to someone like me you should go and bother the others. Go and get showered with their stupid birthday wishes.

So I'd always imagined Mikoto (John) to be the less social of the two. There's also the implication when it comes to smiling here,

20/07/08

Yuno: Hey, Mikoto-san. Don’t you get tired being so conscious of others all the time? I mean, you’re free to do what you want, though.

Mikoto: Eh…… Aha, what are you talking about? I’m not being conscious or anything. It’s normal to make sure to get along with everyone, right? I mean, when you put it like that, aren’t you the same, Yun-chan? You’re always smiling and getting on with everyone, too.

Yuno: I don’t smile unless I actually want to. But with you, when you’re talking with other people it’s more like you only smile deliberately. So I kept thinking, don’t your cheeks get tired? Ah, is this just what happens when you become a working adult? ……you see people like that sometimes.

Mikoto: Haha, you don’t mince your words, do you. …….that was never my intention, but now that you mention it, yeah, I guess I do. This might’ve been since I started my job too…… But like, if I was rude to everyone I met, all my efforts would come to nothing, right?

This implies that Mikoto is smiling deliberately to make socializing with others easier. So when Mikoto (John) is out, he may smile less and have a more neutral expression that could lean towards being interpreted as disinterested, irritated, dazed, or tired.

The main type of expression work that's shown throughout Double.

This may also be why, in Double, we don't see the faces or other people. They're just represented as blank puppets. Since Mikoto (John) isn't one for socializing he may not pay that much attention to the features of those around them, and that visual choice could have been made to display that. This also ties into him saying he didn't know the person he killed as well. Because honestly, why would he at that point?

In MeMe, the person attacked has a good few more identifying traits than the ones attacked in Double. As we see one of the victims' hair color and clothing as he's getting attacked.

In contrast to everyone being represented as featureless puppets and most stating Mikoto has been difficult to approach and scary later. I want to specifically focus on Haruka stating he was a bit scared of Mikoto, and that's why he was avoiding him,

22/10/06 (Mikoto’s Birthday)

Haruka: Mikoto-san. Um, are you ok……?

Mikoto: Ah, Haru-kun. It’s been a while since we last talked, huh. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you doing ok……?

Haruka: Ah, I’m fine. I’ve been enjoying myself, a lot. Um, I’m sorry, for avoiding you. I was a bit scared. Of you, honestly……

Mikoto: Ahhh, yeah. I’ve been lashing out whenever I go to sleep, right? ……it’s fine. Even I think you’re right to be scared. You know, I kinda just hate that I don’t even know what’s going on myself…… haha. Ah, but despite all that you still came and talked to me because it’s my birthday, right? Thank you, you’ve grown into a good man.

I want to focus on that scared and avoiding you part since we know Haruka engaged with Kotoko the exact same way for the same reason. Because he found her standoffish and neutral expression scary and Mu did as well. It wouldn't be surprising if this was a case of the same mannerisms garnering the same response. Especially given how Haruka would have grown used to Mikoto valuing/viewing communication as important as well as him being more personable and helpful when it came to talking,

20/06/05

Haruka: Ah…… ah, u-um, Mikoto-san. The c-communication……? thing, that you were saying was important. I-I thought, I’d give it my best…… Um, so, Mikoto-san, what’s your favourite food……?

Mikoto: Ooh? Nice going, Haru-kun~ Yeah, we still have no idea how long this lifestyle will go on for, so it’s best if we all get along together here. My favourite food…… I like pasta and horse-meat sashimi. Also bubble tea, and recently I’ve been big on custard puddings. What about you?

Haruka: ……ah, I, I wonder…… H-hamburg steak, and omurice, a-and also…… what else? Ah. Cotton candy……

Mikoto: C-cotton candy!? That’s the first time I’ve met someone who has that in their top three favourites!? ……man, Haru-kun, you really are hilarious.

Just for him to suddenly change his entire demeanor when it comes to talking with others and have no interest in doing it all. Very similar to how Kotoko was trial one would be jarring and scary for Haruka. A person who doesn't like that sort of change and would feel on some level responsible and confused by it.

Hence, the apology for avoiding him.

So I think what most explained through the idea of Mikoto (John) being volatile or aggressive was literally him just not wanting to talk to anyone here. Similarly to how Amane's behavior changed from her verdict. She became more closed off and focused on her religious practices.

Outside of that, Mikoto is consistently shown to do most things related to communication and coordination. As well as being stated to view and discuss the importance of communication throughout the portal timeline. He also states he travels by bike to work, which takes a fair bit of balance and coordination, but we only see Mikoto (John) travel by train in Double.

We've yet to see this bike, either.

Plus, Mikoto is able to neatly tie his shoes while Mikoto (John) is shown to have difficulty with that even in the trial two character art. As well as being shown in Double wearing boots without laces.

Despite in MeMe Mikoto predominantly wearing shoes with laces,

I talk about those other things a lot, though.

Right now, I just wanted to talk about how I viewed Mikoto (John) when it came to socializing more based on the information we have from trial two.

So, that's it.

[watchernotculture]

I love amy AU

- wc: 1066 - tws: yandere, threats to reader (implied?), possessive hopefully i didnt go too soft as i fear i did but hey i tried and im still proud of it

Got this idea by spacexseven and oh my god the brain rot that i had for jouno’s part before actually writing it, i had sooo many ideas for him. Best read with a male reader but gn works as well.

Jouno:

Usually talking wasn't exactly your type, getting into drama even less so, but you can't help but overhear talks about a Jouno. Figuring that you won't ever actually talk to the man, you ignored all the sadist claims about him. Afterall it was none of your business, but you should’ve have been wary about the rumors. There were instances where you did see him in passing, a tiny smile on his face. Other than those times you weren't concerned when really you should have at least kept your guard up.

All it took to get your attention was a tap on your shoulder and a condescending smile that gave off a strong warning. To say it irked you would be an understatement. 

The conversation he started, began fairly casual, asking about what you were doing. This calamity quickly broke when he asked about your business with X, claiming that they were simply too busy to interact with strays. He also attatched vague threats while asking you questions moreso related about X. his smile getting ever so slightly bigger when you staggered back in a wave of uncomfortability. You had your best efforts to explain how it was for work and nothing more, you and X only having a lukewarm understanding of each other. It took a lengthy amount of unnerving silence and Jouno’s expressionless face to turn into a quiet hum from him. Putting up a hand to his chin in thought, until he asked you for more information on X and to take notes for him. Obviously not without poorly concealed threats about if you didn't comply those “rumors" would be tested out on you. 

At least you weren't dead or injured so you’ll take it to avoid being those two things in the near future.

He ended up forcing you to go to a cafe to meet up with him every other week, giving him the notes and briefly explaining what was in them. These notes were mainly audio based to make it easier for him, while you didn't mind doing it, he would complain about how you sounded in them. This was his favorite part of these meetings, making you stressed out and audibly groan at his complaints. Not to mention the degrading comments that came with the meetings. You attempt to say if he ever wanted to get with X the degrading comments had to go, he simply hummed in response, effectively ignoring you. He annoyed you to no end but you gained a little odd sense of pride noting everytime he would give a little smile towards your work.

Soon these meetups became more during the week, instead of 0-1 per week, it started to become 2-3 a week. These updates in schedule made you panic due to the notes you had to record for him, (you knew if you brought this up he’d just laugh cruelly at you).  

However, during this time period something strange started to happen with his attitude towards people around you, mainly any close friends near to you. Whisking you away from your friends because in his words “you’re supposed to be taking notes for me not getting distracted.” and overall trying to intimidate anyone that came close. 

You decided to ignore it since he was more focused on getting information and would not accept you slipping up. The only thing making you want to bash your head in was his sometimes cocky comments about how X should be glad he's seeking them out. Casually noting how he talked about them like an object at times, something he's gonna win, a prize. Overall despite this, you came to like Jouno as a person despite his odd moments of pride but you weren't one to judge after all. (The way he bluntly and sometimes rudely talks to X makes you heavily conflicted.) Sometimes he’d let you vent your own troubles while giving his own advice, be it in a more joking way. It made you loosen up your guard for him but it still felt off, knowing it would never be a proper friendship with the man.

The next time you two meet up, he buys your drink along with something else from the menu, claiming it was for all your hard work as of late. Jouno gave a genuine smile at your reaction towards his generosity. You gave him a small comment about how this would be a great start for X. This wasn't the right move apparently. He immediately tenses up, starts scolding you on how you weren't grateful for what he did for you and not X. After nervously drinking while avoiding Jouno's heavily annoyed expression, you were ready to leave. After a while he apologizes for his sudden outburst, saying he’d take your words into consideration. 

Eventually when you were close to him, he would ask if you could make the notes about yourself instead of X. it caught you off guard but you went along with it, agreeing to do so (it also cured the major headache about scraping for information about X). Sometimes when you were drinking, he'd reach over to your free hand and squeeze with enough pressure to make it hurt. Jouno was adoring the pained breaths that came out of your mouth along with your obvious pained reaction physically. The more degrading comments start to become more frequent while oddly being overly possessive of you. Yet you wanted to continue being ignorant and think he's just being stressed over his own work and future with X. he visited you everyday he could, smiling every time you’d look his way. But this has its downside, driving away anyone who dared try to talk or engage with you about anything.

Then it came full circle, you needed to talk to X about something related to your actual work. You hadn't noticed Jouno following you. Getting a few sentences in before you’re engulfed by Jouno’s arms around your waist. 

X was tensed up, unwilling to look your way, the air became eerily strained.

“Darling, what are you doing talking to strays that aren't worth our time?” 

A/N, i hope those last words work but im willing to change them later down the line if i ever add this into a compilation if i continue to do I Love Amy au's

like i said i hope i didnt go too soft here