#but like genuinely what did she expect here?

[bestalbertcamuslover]

The Moon Above

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✯ pairing: Max Verstappen x Ex! Reader ✯

✯ content warnings: None✯

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It was only the moon that could judge her that night—high in the sky, pale and white, glistening and imploring—as she walked into the bar. It had become a recurring custom, at least since the breakup. Perhaps twice a week, the moon would witness her enter the bar alone and leave with a complete stranger.

Through the window, the natural satellite observed them: two bodies seeking solace in fleeting, meaningless pleasure. An intimate moment devoid of true intimacy, driven by a conflicted mind desperate for clarity.

Later, the moon would see her again, her eyes filled with desperation, her need for answers etched into her conflicted expression. She stared up at the pale orb, silently pleading. If only the moon could talk, she thought, as she did every night. If only it could tell me what to do…

The moon vanished with the arrival of daylight, its soft glow replaced by the sun’s harsh, violent rays, piercing through the blinds and disturbing her restless sleep. She turned over, her gaze landing on the person she’d left the bar with—a figure that had seemed far more appealing under the forgiving light of the moon than in the unforgiving glare of the sun.

It was the same old routine: no feelings, at least none born of the heart. That part of her had been damaged, too terrified to risk being hurt again. Yet, the rest of her craved the company, a momentous distraction from the void that had only grown larger—like an insidious tumor—since he left.

Well, the moon might tell a different story, for it had witnessed everything since she left. That judgmental satellite could recount how her inability to trust had brought an untimely end to a tale that might have continued, its pages brimming with tender moments and enduring promises. And yet, the moon—her silent confidant, the one she gazes at for answers as often as she blinks—remained mute.

The pattern repeated itself, another night she headed to a bar, glancing up at the starry sky, before getting inside. The bar was alive with its usual symphony of clinking glasses, low chatter, and occasional bursts of laughter. She stepped inside, her heels clicking softly against the worn wooden floor. The familiar scent of stale beer and cheap cologne greeted her like an old, unwelcome friend.

Her eyes darted to the far end of the room, scanning the crowd out of habit. She wasn’t looking for anyone in particular; she never was. The strangers were just noise, a blur of faces that would fade by morning. But that particular night, amidst the haze of bodies, one face stood out—a face she knew all too well.

Max.

He was seated at a table with a few friends, a bottle of beer in hand. His laughter rang out, easy and genuine, as if nothing in the world weighed on him. It was a sound she hadn’t heard in months, not since everything fell apart. Her stomach twisted, a storm of emotions brewing—anger, sadness, longing.

Max hadn’t noticed her yet, his focus on the story one of his friends was animatedly recounting. She thought about slipping away, leaving before his gaze found hers, but her feet refused to move. She stood frozen, the moonlight pouring through the window casting a faint glow on her figure.

And then, as if sensing her presence, his head turned. Their eyes met, his smile faltering for a brief moment before his expression softened. He looked surprised, then curious, and finally, determined. He excused himself from his friends, standing and walking toward her.

“Hey,” he said when he was close enough, his voice low and hesitant, yet somehow steady. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I could say the same,” she replied, her tone guarded, the hurt she thought she had buried clawing its way back to the surface. Her posture stiffened, and she instinctively folded her arms, a subtle shield against the torrent of emotions his presence unleashed.

Max studied her for a moment, his expression softening despite the invisible wall she had put up. “I’m just here with some friends,” he explained, nodding toward the table he’d just left. His friends were clearly trying not to look like they were watching, but their stolen glances betrayed their curiosity.

“Good for you,” she said, her words sharp enough to cut but her voice quiet enough to avoid drawing attention. Her eyes flicked past him, searching for an escape route, but there was not one. Not tonight, and less with the invasive moon upon her.

He took a breath, as if steadying himself. “Look, I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but...” He hesitated, his jaw tightening before he continued. “I think we should. Just for a minute.”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “Talk? About what? About how you—” Her voice broke, that word too hurting to say it out loud. She shook her head, blinking rapidly, and her gaze darted toward the door. “I don’t think there’s anything left to say, Max.”

His brow furrowed, and he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate tone. “There is, though. Because you think I… that I did something I didn’t do. And I need you to know the truth.”

Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching in her throat. “I don’t—” she started, but he cut her off.

“Please,” he said, his tone pleading now. “Just hear me out. If you still want me out of your life after, fine. But at least let me explain.”

His blue eyes locked onto hers, pleading yet resolute. She would be lying if she claimed they didn’t affect her—they did, with a power so profound it felt like a spell.

“Fine,” she sighed, more to herself than to anyone. “But not here.”

Max nodded, relief flickering across his face. “Outside, then,” he suggested, gesturing with a slight tilt of his head.

Without another word, she followed him, her heart pounding as she braced herself for whatever truth he was about to lay bare.

The moon now watched intently from above, no stranger by her side this time, but someone intimate. His features were softly illuminated by its glow, yet she knew she could see him even in the darkest of dark.

“I know you think I betrayed you,” he began, his voice low, each word carefully measured. “But the video you saw... it wasn’t what you thought.”

Her gaze was fixed on him, though her arms were still crossed over her chest, a protective barrier she hadn’t fully dropped. “It sure looked like it, Max,” she replied quietly, her tone a mixture of disbelief and lingering hurt. “What was I supposed to think?”

He winced at the sharpness of her words but didn’t back down. “I get it,” he said, his eyes softening, filled with regret. “And I know how it looked. But the angles in that video—hell, it was filmed at such a weird position. If you’d seen it from another side, you would’ve known. That girl, she was... she was leaning in for a hug, not a kiss. I was trying to pull away, but the camera caught it at the wrong moment.”

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, unable to formulate a response. The flood of emotions from that moment, all the confusion, betrayal, and hurt, rushed back as his words tried to piece together the narrative she had built in her mind. 

Max stepped forward, closing the distance between them, though his movements were slow and cautious, as if he feared she might recoil. “I sent you another video,” he continued, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “After everything happened. I didn’t want to push you, but I needed you to see it. It’s clear. There’s no kiss. I wasn’t cheating, I swear. But you blocked me before you could see it.”

The air around them seemed to shift, tension crackling between them as her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t known about that video—hadn’t known he had tried to explain it further. The thought of him reaching out, wanting to clear things up, felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

Max’s gaze never wavered, and for the first time in what felt like forever, there was a vulnerability in his eyes that she couldn’t ignore. “I understand why you did that,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry for how it looked. But I swear to you, I didn’t cheat. And if I’d known how deeply this hurt you, I would have tried harder to make you see the truth.”

The words hung in the air between them, neither of them daring to break the fragile silence that had descended. The moon above seemed to listen, a silent witness to a conversation that could change everything—or leave them both just as broken.

She swallowed hard, her mind racing, and for the first time in a long while, she felt the weight of the decision she had to make. Her eyes meet the pale orb for a second, waiting for an answer, for something, but the wise moon remained silent. 

She sighed to herself, feeling like a complete idiot for not letting him explain himself earlier. Her eyes landed on his, the sincerity in them overwhelming. “I should have listened to you,” she said, her voice soft.

His eyes seemed to light up slightly, sensing her words for what they were—an apology. He took a small step closer, still leaving some distance between them. His hand gently took hers, caressing it softly. A very soft smile appeared on her face as she looked one last time at the moon, before pulling him into a hug.

“I’m sorry for not trusting you,” she whispered as his arms wrapped around her.

“It’s fine,” he replied, as the moon seemed to brighten in contentment.

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✯ authors note: English is not my first language and I hope you liked it <333

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Unbirthday

A/N: Although I am now two entire weeks late (I am the actual worst) this was written as a birthday gift for @something-tofightfor, because she is the fucking best and I love her guts. Rachael, I hope you enjoy this silly little story. Since Frankie Morales is apparently a "fictional character" and isn't "real" I couldn't wrap him up and send him to you, so this was the best I could do. Sorry it became an unbirthday gift - but it sort of works with the story that way. Anywho, here's hoping that this trip around the sun is a GOOD one!

And if it's your unbirthday today, happy unbirthday to you, too!

Word Count: 6.2k

Warnings: alcohol, and Frankie's shoulders and back making a shirt work very hard.

Summary: Spending your birthday in a brand new city goes from zero to sixty thanks to a co-worker who is determined to become a friend... and thanks to the breathtakingly handsome guy she introduces you to.

You had only been at your new job for a few weeks when your birthday rolled around, so when you walked into your office and flicked the lights on that morning, you were shocked to find a balloon tied to your chair and a white bakery box holding an assortment of cupcakes atop your desk. 

What? Who did th-

“Surprise!” 

You spun around to see a handful of your co-workers gathered in the doorway behind you, bright smiles on their faces as they wished you a happy birthday. 

“Oh, shit!” You let out a laugh as your hand came up to cover your mouth, prompting more laughs from the others. 

This is so nice, I wasn’t... Despite the fact that on your very first day at the firm, the office had been celebrating someone else’s birthday, you hadn’t expected anything for yours. Because I’m still brand new here, they hardly know me. You got along well almost immediately with the people you worked with, which was fantastic. Still, the fact that they embraced you quickly enough that they would want to do something for your birthday came as a genuine surprise that gave you a small rush of warmth. 

Not that you needed it. January in Tampa was certainly not January in the midwest. You hadn’t felt a chill since you took the transfer, a fact that you made sure to text your shivering friends back home every few days. But even though it was a balmy 68°F and you were wearing short sleeves under your light sweater, the added warmth of your colleagues’ kindness was more than welcome.  

Dropping your hand, you beamed at the group which had grown by two more associates from the interior architecture department down the hall, Mel and Casey. “Thank you all so much! You guys really didn’t have to do anything at all. I-” 

“Oh, stuff it, of course we did!” Gloria, whose office shared a glass partition with yours and with whom you traded exaggerated expressions while on client calls, stepped forward and threw her arms around you. “You’re the best transfer this office has ever had, we lucked out when we got you! Of course we’re going to celebrate your birthday.” 

You chuckled, giving her a quick, loose hug in return. “Gloria, did you do this? Also, weren’t you a transfer from the New York office?” 

“I was. Like I said,” she released you and stepped back, grinning. “You’re the best transfer we’ve had. Happy birthday, Ohio.” 

The rest of the group called out individual well-wishes before filing back to their own offices and cubicles, leaving just you and Gloria.

“Thank you,” you said again, reaching out to quickly squeeze her arm. “It really means a lot to me.” You sighed, finally putting down your bag and shrugging off your sweater. “I’ve been loving living down here, but the past few days, I don’t know, I guess I’ve been a little homesick. I don’t usually do a ton for my birthday, but this is the first one where I won’t see any of my family or my friends from back home so…” You gestured to the bakery box sitting next to your keyboard. “This was just really nice of you.” 

“You’re welcome.” She scrunched her nose. “Thanks for being ten thousand times better to work with than that dipshit you replaced, Kevin.” 

You snorted. Though you’d never had the displeasure of meeting the notorious Kevin, you’d heard enough about him to know that his presence in the office was definitely not missed. “No problem, though from what I understand it’s a very low bar.” 

“Which you leap over with the ease and grace of a…” She circled her hand through the air. “A… Oh, I don’t know, whatever the hell leaps gracefully. I’m a landscape architect, not a poet.” 

That made you laugh again. “Speaking of which,” you pointed at your computer screen. “Are you ready for that conference call with the city planner? J.R. approved our designs, so-” 

“Yeah, yeah,” she cut you off, nodding. “All set. Designs for the new park. Not looking forward to dealing with Sweetheart McGee, but-” You rolled your eyes as she used the nickname you’d given to one of the men you’d been working with from the city planner’s office who called the to of you “sweetheart” every time you’d spoken to him. “But it should be a smooth call. More importantly, though-” 

You had a sneaking suspicion that whatever was coming next wasn’t, in fact, more important than the biggest project that the landscape department had in house at the moment. Gloria had a tendency to use the phrase “More importantly, though…” to segue into a conversation about whether or not you wanted to get coffee delivered or which shoes you thought she should wear to her cousin’s wedding or if you thought Greg from IT was cute or not because she could totally set you up with him if you did.

And you were proven right as she finished her sentence. 

“Do you have plans tonight?” 

Shrugging, you shook your head. “Nah. I’ll probably just order in and finally finish unpacking the last of my stuff from the move. There’s a sushi place around the corner from me that I’ve been meaning to try, so… Why are you looking at me like that?” 

The way she was looking at you was a mix of the way you might look at the last puppy in the window at the pet store, combined with the confusion one might display while trying to solve an extremely advanced math equation. 

“Because you cannot just go home and eat sushi by yourself on your birthday.” She held up her hand then, face returning to a neutral expression. “Unless that’s actually what you want to do. And if it is, I won’t judge.” But? “Buuuuut.” She pressed her lips together. “If you want to get out and do something fun? 

You cocked your head to the side. Maybe. There was no harm in seeing what she had in mind. If it wasn’t your speed you still had your backup plan. And I should really get that shit unpacked, but… It doesn’t have to be tonight. “What are you suggesting?”

Gloria’s eyes lit up as you asked, her smile widening. “Well, Benny’s… You met my boyfriend, Benny, last week when he picked me up, remember?” You did, so you nodded. “It’s actually one of his and his brother’s friends’ birthday today, too, or, it was yesterday, but they’re going out tonight because one of them was working last night I think? I don’t know. My point is, it’s just going to be a casual thing down at Duffy’s, and if you want to join, you absolutely should.”

You were about to decline when you asked yourself why you shouldn’t go. 

First of all, you seemed to be on the fast track for an out of office friendship with Gloria. The two of you clicked right away, and though you’d only spent time with her out of work once, you could easily see it happening more and more. And I want that. You had solid friendships back home and scattered far and wide, and those people meant the world to you. But you would be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want to form a few friendships in your new home, too. 

There was also the fact that the bar she’d mentioned, Duffy’s, was only a few miles from your place. It was actually where you and your sister went for drinks after she helped you move the last of your things into your condo. She’d driven down with you to keep you company on the trip, then taken a flight back home. But before she did, the two of you spent a day exploring your new neighborhood and ended up at Duffy’s. Though you were excited about your new job and the new start in a new place, you were still a little unsure if you’d made the right decision. But when you walked into the well-loved and weathered beach bar that night, something told you that everything was going to work out just as it should. 

And if for some reason that harmonious feeling you got upon entering Duffy’s was a one time thing, you could leave and be home in under eight minutes. And tomorrow’s Saturday, so… Fuck it. 

“You know what?” You nodded, a grin curving up your cheek. “That sounds great, Gloria.” 

She let out a small gasp and clapped her palms together once. “You’ll come?” 

“Yeah.” You nodded again, your grin growing into a full blown smile. “What time?” 

 “Ah! I’m so happy!” She genuinely was, and it made you feel good to know that she was looking forward to getting to know you outside of work. “I think Benny said nine, but I’ll ask him to be sure and then get back to you.” She clapped her hands together again and sucked in a breath as though something just occurred to her. “Oh! And you’ll get to meet Yovanna! I told you about her I think? Anyway, she’s dating Santi, one of the guys in the group. She’s great, you’ll like her.” Gloria chuckled. “And she’ll like you, too.” 

“I hope so!” And if not or if it’s awkward because they’re friends and I’m new… I can just go. 

“No, she will, trust me.” Gloria furrowed her brow and nodded. “You two are actually pretty similar.” She smirked. “You don’t take shit and neither does she.” The slightest hint of mischief sparkled in her eyes as another thing dawned on her. “Wait, two of the guys are very single right now and one of them-” You were trying to stop her right there because you weren’t looking for a setup, but she didn’t let you, simply speaking just a touch louder so all you could do was laugh. “One of them is Benny’s brother, and the other is-” 

You finally got her to stop by waving your arms and forming them into an X shape, still laughing. “Gloria. Stop. I’ll come out because it sounds fun. But I’m not looking for a matchmaker.” 

She held up her hands in surrender, a sheepish smile in place. “Fine. I’m just trying to give you all the information ahead of time.” She winked. “Just in case.” 

“Okay.” You winked back, giving her a thumbs up. “Consider me briefed.” 

Before Gloria could say anything else, Mel’s voice came through the speaker on your desk phone, saying your name. You pressed the button that let you respond. “What’s up, Mel?” 

“Brandon Grant from the city planner’s office is on line one for the conference call with you and Gloria.” From across the room you heard Gloria groan, then looked up to watch her mouth “Sweetheart McGee already?” with a sickly frown on her face, and you had to close your eyes and cover your mouth so you wouldn’t snort into the speaker. “Can I put him through?” 

You cleared your throat and shot Gloria a look. “Can you just give me one minute before you put him on? Tell him I’m on the other line, just so I can log in and get the project files open and get situated.” 

“No problem,” Mel answered. “He’s early, anyway. Just buzz me back when you’re ready.” 

Thanking Mel, you clicked the button to end the call and then let your hands fall against your lap as you faced Gloria. “Alright, you ready to get this over with?” 

“We are really going to deserve those drinks after dealing with this guy.” She sighed, then headed for the door, only to appear a second later on the other side of the glass wall. She sat at her desk and started up her computer, then looked over at you and nodded once. 

You buzzed Mel back and then you were on the line with Brandon Grant, the man stepping right into his nickname upon greeting. 

“Good morning, sweetheart, how you doing today?” 

You cringed, forcing a smile into your voice as you answered. “Oh, you know! Another day in paradise! Are you ready to go over the landscape designs for the new park?” 

For the next hour you and Gloria took Brandon through the possible layouts, explaining why certain plants and elements were chosen, and answering all of his questions while simultaneously keeping a count of how many times he referred to either of you as “sweetheart”. By the time you hung up, the count had reached twelve and he’d thrown in a “hun” as a bonus. 

We definitely deserve those drinks tonight.

But even though he was a pain in the ass to deal with, Sweetheart McGee has chosen one of the three designs you’d proposed, and as long as it was approved by the city council, it would be your first project to move into construction since switching locations. Which is pretty cool. 

You sighed, leaning back in your desk chair as you peeled the paper off of one of the cupcakes from the box your co-workers had left you, reading over your calendar to see what was next on your schedule. Taking a bite, you hummed in satisfaction. Damn, that’s good. 

It was only ten in the morning, but it was already proving to be a better birthday than you hoped for. As much as you tried to focus on work for the rest of the day, you couldn’t help but feel excitement about the prospect of going out later that night. 

Because… It means I could really have a life here. Not just a job. Friends and good times and… You really didn’t want Gloria to try to set you up with anyone. But if it happened naturally? 

Well, if that were the case, you’d be open to anything. 

Sometime after your lunch break, Gloria heard back from Benny and confirmed the time with you, the woman insisting that you let them pick you up despite your protests about how close the bar was to your place. 

“You really don’t have to do that,” You tried one last time. “I don’t mind driving myself, and I don’t want to intrude on your date night or anything.” 

Gloria waved you off and clicked her tongue. “It’s not date night, it’s birthday drinks with friends. I promise you Benny doesn’t mind, and I definitely don’t.” 

Oh, what the hell? It was clear that Gloria was trying to make sure that you felt included, even though you wouldn’t know anyone there aside from her and her boyfriend, whom you’d only exchanged a few words with. You appreciated how welcoming and inviting she was, and knew that she meant well, having been new to the area herself only a year earlier. I can still call an Uber if I have to leave early, and that way I don’t have to worry about having more than two drinks. 

“Okay,” you said, finally giving in with a sigh full of faux exasperation that turned into a laugh. “You win!” You told her that you would text her your address, and then Mel was calling you through the intercom, letting you know that another of your clients was waiting on line one. 

“And I have Annie Fulton from Florida Polytechnic on line two for Gloria,” Mel added. “So if you could tell her to leave you alone and get back to her own desk that would be swell.”

Snorting out a laugh, you looked over at the co-worker who was quickly becoming a friend, only to find that she was laughing, too. “Well,” you said, “You heard Mel. Get out of here.” 

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” She backed out the door, calling out one last thing before she was visible on the other side of the glass wall again. “Can’t wait for later!” 

As you prepped the files for your next call, you realized that you couldn’t wait for later, either.

– – – 

Pope and Yovanna were just getting out of their car when Frankie turned into the lot at Duffy’s, his truck’s headlights sweeping across the other parked cars to reveal that both Millers, as well as a few guys he worked with down at the airfield, were already inside. 

Gang’s all here, I guess. 

He pulled into the spot next to Pope, the other man waving at him through the windshield, his free arm wrapped around Yovanna’s waist. She waved, too, giving him a smile that brightened her whole face. Turning off the ignition, he waved in return, then glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, removing his hat and smoothing his hair down before yanking it back down over his curls. 

Good enough. Not trying to impress anyone anyway. 

As soon as he opened his door, he was greeted by Pope’s voice. “Ahí está el viejo!” 

Before Frankie could respond, Yovanna smacked Santi on the arm. “And who are you calling old, hmm? Estás pisándole sus talones.” Frankie laughed at that, reaching past Pope to give Yovanna a hug first. “Happy Birthday, Francisco,” she said, kissing him on the cheek and giving him a squeeze. 

“Thank you,” he replied, grinning at her as they separated. He turned to face his friend then, giving him a nod. “And she’s right, pendejo. You’re catching up. If I’m old, what does that make you?” 

“Still younger than you,” Pope responded with a chuckle, slapping Frankie’s back before slinging an arm around him. 

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Frankie rolled his eyes. “C’mon, let’s get inside before Benjamin comes looking for us.” 

The night out was happening at Benny’s insistence. Up until two days earlier, Frankie had no birthday plans and he had been just fine with that. Forty three wasn’t exactly a major milestone. And with the way things had only just started to really settle following their return from South America - the reinstatement of his pilot’s license, the finalization of his divorce, getting shared custody of his daughter - he hadn’t had time to think about smaller, more trivial things. Least of all, celebrating his own forty third birthday. 

But Benny claimed that a new beginning at the end of the shitstorm was the perfect time to celebrate. 

Which Frankie thought sounded a little like one of Will’s speeches blended with Benny’s optimism and garnished with a twist of Pope’s persuasiveness, but at the same time, he kind of saw the point that his friend was trying to make. 

It’s less about my birthday and more about… He swallowed, flexing his right hand and then loosening it and letting it fall to his side. More about everything that comes after. 

The after. That was something that Frankie could readily celebrate. The fact that he, that all four of them, had survived the biggest mistake that any of them had ever made and could still fill their lives with good things, big and small. That was something he could drink to. 

Besides, it’s not actually my birthday today. It was yesterday. 

That didn’t stop Benny from letting the whole bar think otherwise. 

“Hey! Happy Birthday, Fish!” The younger of the Miller brothers exclaimed as Frankie, Pope and Yovanna stepped inside. He raised both arms, a full pitcher in one hand and a stack of empty glasses in the other. Behind him, Frankie saw Will stand from a table where he had been sitting with Gloria before making his way over to say hello as Yovanna made her way over to take Will’s place at the table. But who is that other woman? 

You turned then, laughing at something that Gloria had said. And even though he could only see half of your face from the angle of where you were sitting, he felt an instant attraction at the way that laugh brightened your eyes. I don’t know who she is, but I want to. 

“There he is,” Will said, clapping him on the shoulder with a grin. “Happy birthday, Morales. What are you now, sixty? Sixty five?” 

“Cool it, Ironhead, I’m only three years older than you.” Frankie responded, feigning offense and shrugging Will’s hand away. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Will laughed as Benny passed a full beer to Frankie. “We’re all on our way to the old folks home.” 

“Speak for yourselves,” the younger man interjected, filling and passing a glass to Pope, too. “Gloria and I are still thriving in our thirties, so-” 

“So that means you’re paying for drinks?” Pope chimed in through a smirk as he gripped his glass. “Wow. How generous of you, Benny.” 

Benny rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha.” Setting the pitcher down, he raised his own glass and the other three followed suit. “To Frankie. Cheers to being another year wiser than these wiseasses.” He cocked his head in Will and Pope’s direction. 

“Now hold on a minute, Ben, I-” 

But Frankie didn’t let Pope get the rest of his protest out before clinking his glass to the three that were waiting. “No, I think that was a perfect toast. Thanks, Benny.” He took a swig of his drink, and even though he hadn’t really wanted to come out, he was already glad that he had. Nights out with the guys weren’t rare occasions, not by a long shot. But he was still grateful that he got to have them. And tonight’s just getting started. 

Yuri and Ed from the airfield filed over then to wish Frankie a happy birthday, followed by a few other friends and acquaintances that Benny and Will had spread the word to. After about an hour of mingling, he finally made his way over to the table where the rest of the group was sitting, dropping into a seat next to Gloria. 

“Happy birthday, Frankie!” She spoke over the music and chatter as she leaned over to give him a loose hug. 

“Thank you, Glo.” He smiled at her as he pulled back. “It’s nice to see you, thanks for coming out.” 

She waved a hand as she reached for the handle of the pitcher, Benny scooching it towards her without breaking from the conversation he was having with Will and Pope. “Of course! Wouldn’t miss it.” She poured herself a half glass of beer, then wordlessly asked if he wanted a refill, too. 

Nodding, he held his glass in place. “Thanks,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder as she topped him off. “Hey who did I see you talking to before?” And where is she now?

A mischievous grin stretched across her lips as she looked up at him and set the pitcher on the table. What is that look for? “A friend from work,” she responded, telling him your name. “A single friend,” she added.

Frankie huffed out a short laugh. “I’m not- I didn’t-” 

“I know you didn’t.” Gloria winked at him. “I just want you to have all the information,” she added, knocking the rim of her glass to his. 

“Well…” He raised his glass to his lips, smiling behind it. Well… That’s good to know. “Okay.” 

“Oh! And it’s her birthday, too, so I invited her out.” 

What? And she didn’t have other plans? “Oh. Well, I’m glad you did,” he said, setting his drink on a cardboard coaster and letting his fingers slide down the chilled glass. “The more the merrier.” 

He looked up and in the direction of the restrooms just as you and Yovanna came through the hallway that led to them, and when he did, he locked eyes with you. Fuck, she’s beautiful. He felt his smile grow again at the sight of you, especially when he noticed your slight intake of breath as your eyes met his. He watched Yovanna say something into your ear that made you cover your face and laugh, and then she raised her hand to wave at him. 

I wonder what she said to her. He raised one eyebrow along with his hand as you dropped yours from your face. The remnants of your laughter were still written all over your cheeks and again he felt an undeniable pull, a desire to get to know you. Because I want to see that smile again. And I want to put it there. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Pope tapping the table in front of him. “Hey, ground control to Catfish.” Frankie blinked, turning his attention back to his friends. “You’re not going deaf on us, are you? I asked if you’re in.” 

Picking up an unused coaster, he flung it like a frisbee at Pope, who batted it down in one smooth motion. “Just selectively.” 

“Ha, ha.” Pope rolled his eyes. “So does that mean you don’t want to go to the Lightning game on Wednesday?” 

“The Lightning?” Frankie took a sip of his beer, eyebrows drawn together. “Since when are you a hockey fan? Do you even know anything about hockey?”

“Oh, believe me, he does not.” Yovanna laughed as she dropped into the booth bench next to Pope, her arm going around his shoulders so that her fingers could card through the hair that curled behind his ear. He turned to face her, both of them wearing ear to ear grins. “We watched the game last night and he had no clue what was going on the whole time.” 

“I didn’t,” he admitted, garnering snickers and snorts from both Miller brothers. “But I’m learning.” He shrugged. “The tickets are from work. We just signed a contract with Amalie Arena so I’ll get tickets a few times a year. So I figured why not broaden my horizons?” 

“It’s not the easiest game to understand right away, but if you give it a few games and actually pay attention, you’ll catch on.” Another voice joined the conversation then, and everyone turned towards where you stood at the edge of the table. “I have a friend who’s a big fan so I’ve watched a few games with her.” Giving a small shake of your head, you laughed. “I still don’t know all the rules. It’s a wild sport, but it’s fun.” 

“See?” Pope gestured at you with one hand. “I don’t have to know the rules to have fun.” 

“Oh, good.” Frankie placed his palm flat on the table. “So your short attention span should be just fine then.” His friend’s response was to flip him the bird, the rest of the table laughing before falling back into conversation as Frankie stood and faced you. “Hi, sorry I didn’t get to introduce myself yet. I’m Francisco.” He shook his head. “Frankie. Let me grab you a chair.”  

– – – 

You hadn’t even finished your first drink yet, so you knew the rush of warmth you felt in that moment had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with Frankie’s slightly lopsided smile. 

Fuck, he’s handsome. He pulled a chair away from an empty table and plopped it next to his. And chivalrous. 

“Thank you.” You sat, returning his smile with one of your own, and telling him your name as Gloria slid your glass across the table from where you were sitting before to your new seat between Frankie and Yovanna. “And happy birthday.” You lifted your drink in his direction before taking a sip. “Thanks for letting me crash your plans.” 

“Thank you.” His grin spread wider, lifting his cheeks into his eyes. “Happy birthday to you, too.’ He tipped his drink so that he could clink the rim of his glass to yours. “And you’re welcome. I’m glad Gloria invited you.” 

Your eyes darted over just in time to see Gloria shoot you a wink over Frankie’s shoulder. “Yeah,” you said, still smiling, your heart beating just a blip faster. “Me too.” 

Over the next hour and a half that became even more true as you fell easily into conversation with the group. Gloria had been right about you and Yovanna clicking, and the guys were just as easy to get along with. Since there were other people there for Frankie’s birthday than just the seven seated at the table, he got up a few times to go spend some time with them, too, but each time he came back he returned his focus to you, either commenting on something that you were telling the others, or asking you questions if you weren’t part of the larger conversation happening. 

You told him about your job at the architecture firm, and about the transfer that brought you down to Tampa in the first place. Will and Benny chimed in when you talked about how different winter was where you were from, the Indiana born brothers claiming that they’d love to see Frankie or Santi shovel their way out of a Midwest blizzard. 

“Why?” Frankie grimaced. “That just sounds like it hurts.” 

You’d laughed at that, nodding. “It does. I love the snow and I don’t really mind shoveling but…” You sighed. “I won’t miss the whole body aches after doing it.” 

“Facts,” Gloria agreed, nodding sagely. “Shoveling snow is not fun or easy.”

“You lived in a co-op building in Queens, Glo,” Benny responded, tightening the arm he had around her and giving her a skeptical side eye. “You didn’t have to shovel anything.” 

“I did not,” she confirmed. “But I watched the snow removal guys and they definitely did not look like they were enjoying themselves.” 

Everyone laughed at that, and then the conversation branched in a different direction. But Frankie didn’t follow it, turning to you and circling back to your recent move. “So aside from the weather, are you liking it down here?”

Smiling, you nodded. “I am. I’m still getting my feet under me. Learning where things are and which take out spots are good and all that.” 

Frankie hummed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Try Tino’s on Gateway Boulevard if you like burritos,” he suggested. “And if you like sushi you should try Ginkaku on-” 

“-North Evans?” You asked the location at the same time that he said it, your eyes widening. What are the odds? “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to try there.” You chuckled under your breath. “I was actually going to stop there tonight on my way home from work, but then Gloria told me I couldn’t spend my birthday eating sushi alone, so…”

You trailed off as someone near the bar called over to Frankie, telling him that they had to get going. He twisted in his seat to respond, saying that he’d be over in a second, and you found yourself staring at the way the movement made the fabric of his shirt stretch over his broad back. Damn. Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Gloria and Yovanna giving each other looks that you were fairly certain had to do with the way you were looking at Frankie, but you didn’t care because when he turned around again, his deep brown eyes locked with yours and nearly knocked you sideways. 

“Sorry, I just have to go say goodbye to a buddy of mine from work, and-” 

“No, don’t apologize! Of course.” You cocked your head towards the bar. “Go ahead, Frankie, I’ll be here when you get back.” 

He took a breath, then swallowed and nodded, eyes still on you as he stood from his seat. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” With that, he turned and headed over to the bar, and you were met with a view of his back again. 

Tearing your eyes away in an attempt to be more subtle about your attraction to a man you had met less than two hours ago, you cleared your throat and finished your drink. 

Your attempt was for naught, though, because even though Gloria was engaged in an intense conversation with Benny, Will and Santi, Yovanna was looking at you with a smirk. “I told you,” she said, one eyebrow raised as she lifted her drink to her lips. “I saw the way he looked at you before. He’s definitely interested.” 

I hope she’s right. Heat flooded your cheeks as the thought crossed your mind, and you knew you likely looked flustered, but you shook your head and let out a scoff. “I- He… Yovanna, I’m sure it’s just-” You shrugged. “A birthday hookup or-” 

Her head moved side to side then, her dark curls swinging from her ponytail. “No. That’s not Francisco.” She glanced over at Santi, the man throwing his head back in laughter and clapping Will on the shoulder, a warm smile that softened her sharp eyes on her face when she turned back to you. “The two of them are very much alike. They don’t waste their time on things that they don’t think will be around tomorrow.”

As though on cue, Santiago leaned over to press a kiss to Yovanna’s cheek. “You good?” He murmured the words against her skin before pulling away. She turned to nod, scrunching her nose. “We’ll get going soon, yeah?” She nodded again, the man dropping another kiss to the opposite cheek. “Okay.” 

He turned back to the others then, but you noticed that his hand stayed on her thigh as she returned her focus to you, saying your name. “I know that you just met me tonight, too, but you can trust me on this. Besides-” She tapped her phone and you looked down at the time on the screen. “Tonight is not really his birthday, and it’s almost not yours anymore, either. So it can’t just be a birthday hookup.” She widened her eyes and pressed her lips together, reaching for the pitcher in the middle of the table. “I’m going to have one more drink. Do you want one?” 

Before you could respond, you felt the weight of Frankie’s grip on the back of your chair as he lowered himself back into his own seat. But it was the trail of his fingertips across your shoulder as he withdrew his hand that made you suck in a breath and wonder if Yovanna was right. Realizing that you hadn’t answered her question, you blinked and nodded. “Um, sure. Just half a glass, though.” 

Because if she’s right? I definitely want to stay clear headed for whatever might happen. 

You thanked her as she poured for you, and then turned to Frankie, licking your lips as you smiled. “Did you catch your friend before they left?” 

“I did.” He said it with a nod, then tilted his head to the side. What? Narrowing his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated, taking a breath instead of speaking. What is he- But then he straightened his head again and you saw - and felt - his eyes flick to your lips and then back up. Oh, shit, he- “So you said that you were originally planning on checking out that sushi place tonight but Gloria said you couldn’t spend your birthday eating sushi alone, right?” 

You pulled your lower lip between your teeth and nodded. “Yeah.” And I’m glad I listened to her. 

He sighed then and you got the feeling that he was working himself up to say something. “Well,” he let out a sheepish laugh and reached up to grip the back of his neck, thick fingers nudging the edge of his hat. “That place is open ‘til 2 on the weekends. If you’re hungry, we could go grab a bite.” Wait, is he… Is he asking me out? He shrugged, dropping his hand and giving you the same lopsided grin he gave you when he introduced himself to you. “That way you won’t be going by yourself and-” 

You poked your tongue into the side of your cheek. “And technically by the time we get there it won’t even be my birthday anymore, so-” 

Frankie nodded, grin spreading. “So Gloria won’t have a leg to stand on.” 

A thousand tiny butterflies swarmed through your stomach at the thought of spending more time with Frankie one on one. Oh, I am so fucked. Taking a breath, you looked at him and what you saw only confirmed that thought. Frankie was the most attractive man you’d ever been this close to. And he’s asking me out. There was only one answer, as far as you were concerned. 

“That sounds great, Frankie.” You held up a finger. “On one condition.” He lifted an eyebrow in question, so you went on. “We take it back to my place to go, because I have a bunch of birthday cupcakes leftover from the office this morning, and-” 

He laughed, leaning in to rest his elbow on the table, getting close enough to say something that no one else would hear. “So you’re saying if I play my cards right, I might get to kiss frosting off your lips?” 

Oh, holy fucking shit, Frankie. 

You gasped then, Frankie pulling back to see the reaction on your face, the expression he was wearing one that you would remember for a long time. Finally, you cleared your throat and answered. “That is exactly what I’m saying, Francisco.” 

His eyes flashed when you used his full name, and with his next breath, though he was still looking at you, he addressed the rest of the table. “Hey guys, this has been fun, but I think it’s time to call it a night.” 

Within a few minutes the tab had been paid - Will, Benny and Santi insisting on splitting it between themselves - and goodbyes were said. But despite what Frankie had just said, you knew that your night was just getting started.

.

.

.

Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist, please feel free to let me know by sending a message or filling out the form on my masterlist! :)

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@Vickie5446 @jessthebaker

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

I have a genuine doubt about Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian’s relationship in the novel. (I just read your post about if a kid jc would defend a kid wwx, but has a little to do with that post).

I remember Jiang Cheng tried to defender Wei Wuxian from his mother, and later he even sacrificed himself for wwx, losing his core in the process. (If there’s more, I don’t remember. It’s been a time since I read the novel).

I really don’t understand why he sacrificed? I get that he thought Wei Wuxian was better than him, but… after everything he did, he just let people jeopardize Wei Wuxian in the end of his first life?…

It was a way to say “everything I owed you is paid”? Was he mad that he did that but in the end Wei Wuxian wasn’t “grateful” even never knowing what Jiang Cheng truly did?…

I think after Jiang Cheng lost his core to “protect” Wei Wuxian, he started to see wwx as a servant and nothing more. Before the attack we saw that they got along very well, but after it seemed like he started to agree more with his mother's ideas about Wei Wuxian being only a servant.

That’s why he was so mad that Jiang Yanli died defending him? He threw Jiang Yanli’s sacrifice away and lead a siege against Wei Wuxian anyway…

Not only he threw his relationship with Wei Wuxian away, but he did not respected his sister’s wish and choice. She knew something was wrong, that Wei Wuxian wouldn’t kill her husband for nothing, and Jiang Cheng didn’t trust her…

I am wrong? I really want your point of view about this. And I’m sorry if you already talked about it, I’m new here. Thank you!

Caring about others, is complicated. For as much as I'm called a hater and anti, I have never denied that Jiang Cheng cared (as lacking as that may have been in a significant way) for Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng did care in some capacity for Wei Wuxian and try. He just didn't put up much effort in the long run to maintain that support when it was a detriment to himself and was spiteful when that care required effort and some sacrifices. Even when he "protected" Wei Wuxian from his mother he was still cowed by her threats to him, and let Wei Wuxian be whipped (and later turned to strangle Wei Wuxian, twice actually, and blame him for his parents deaths).

As for the core issue. Jiang Cheng never expected to give more than what he was expecting for Wei Wuxian. He did not willingly give his core and was resentful about that cost for protecting Wei Wuxian. It cannot be a kindness when he hated what it cost and lashed out years after. He always thought of Wei Wuxian as his servant first and foremost despite being "friends". That is what always would make them eventually part. Ideologically they are nothing alike and that was obvious as soon as their talk about servants children and Jiang Cheng dismissing their worth and ability. He threw his relationship away because he felt entitled to Wei Wuxian as a tool more than a friend. A friend does not have stipulations for their care and love especially when they start forming it as a debt of give and take.

[xxelliewxx]

Fire and Frost {Ellie x Reader} Ch. 3

MDNI 18+ content

Pairings: loser!(AFAB)Reader x hockey player!Ellie

Synopsis: When y/n is requested to tutor Ellie Williams in organic chemistry, she expects arrogance and attitude from the hockey player. However, she discovers a different aspect of Ellie’s tough exterior, revealed through humor and fleeting glances. This raises the question: why does Ellie go to great lengths to embarrass and harass y/n whenever they are in the presence of others?

Warnings: Mentions of depression, anxiety, sexual/physical assault, alcohol, violence, trauma (if I miss any let me know!)

w/c: 2.8k

an: this is my first time ever posting fanfic on Tumblr, so feedback is completely welcome! this is not proofread and is a work in progress.

Silicon Symmetry

As the clock struck 12:30, anticipation bubbled within you as you headed to your organic chemistry class, determined to confront Ellie and uncover the source of her unpredictable behavior. The emotional whiplash she was putting you through was overwhelming, leaving you feeling dizzy and disoriented. It felt particularly unfair, given that she knew how crucial it was for you to maintain your scholarship; her behavior appeared nothing short of self-centered. You chastised yourself for thinking she was anything but.

Determined to confront her, you hustled to catch up to the student holding the lecture hall door for you, stomping over to where the hockey player lounged, surrounded by her teammates, laughing and joking as if the events of the morning had never occurred. The sight stung, intensifying your frustration. She wants to be that way, fine, two can play that game. As you reached her combat boot-clad feet, you delivered a swift kick to her shin, drawing giggles from her friends. Cat tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips, clearly entertained by your fury, which only ignited your anger further.

"What the fuck, Williams. Do you even care about anyone besides yourself? I can't believe I was foolish enough to think you were capable of anything beyond your own self-interest."

The brunette shot up at your remark, invading your personal space. "Here we go again, pretending you understand me. Let me make this clear, princess: I don't require your assistance, and I certainly won't waste my time on a loser like you."

Emotions swelled in your chest, and you felt a sting behind your eyes at her words. Her teammates erupted in cheers, one even giving her a congratulatory slap on the back as if she had just clinched a last-minute victory. You grabbed your iPad, bringing up the playful sketches the two of you had made earlier that day, the sound of her genuine laughter echoing in your mind. "If you're not interested in being around me, then why did you—"

You were abruptly interrupted as the iPad you had been holding shattered into fragments right before your eyes. Ellie's gaze, usually emotionless, now burned with an intensity of hatred that was unsettling. "Don't you dare approach me like this again. What gives you the audacity to even think you can look at me?"

Tears streamed down your face as you lost control, your hand instinctively shooting out to land a stinging slap across the captain's face, her head snapping to the side from the impact. In shock, you raised your hands to your mouth, a gasp escaping as disbelief washed over you, your eyes wide with astonishment at what you had just done.

Her eyes, once simmering with hatred, now blazed with an intensity that was almost palpable. Gripping your shirt tightly in her fist, Ellie lifted you effortlessly, slamming your back against the wall next to the doorframe. The force of the impact knocked the air from your lungs, leaving you gasping as you clawed at the hands that held you captive. "Lay a finger on me again, and I swear I'll end you."

You caught yourself shifting your gaze from her deep, forest-green eyes to the vivid crimson handprint emerging on her cheek. As you tried to find the right words, they eluded you, leaving your mouth agape in silence. Her eyes, shadowy and intense, revealed a flicker of vulnerability, a crack in her facade. Ellie seemed to carry a weight of remorse for what had just happened, yet her fingers clutched your shirt with an unyielding grip.

As she leaned closer, locking her gaze with yours, a rush of emotions surged through you. Then, just like that, she released you and settled back into her chair, leaving the other students wide-eyed and speechless. A wave of humiliation washed over you, making your stomach churn. In a flurry, you snatched your backpack and gathered the shattered pieces of your iPad, hurling the remnants toward the brunette before storming out.

Dr. Miller hurried from a faculty meeting, her beloved matcha latte spilling over the rim of her plastic cup as she dashed toward her classroom. A look of bewilderment crossed her features when she spotted you racing out of the lecture hall, and she quickly stepped in your path to halt your escape. 

Adjusting the items in her arms to free a hand, she softly rested it on your shoulder, her initial confusion giving way to worry. "Y/N, what’s wrong? Did something happen?" You shrugged off her concern, stepping back from her touch. 

"Dr. M, I appreciate that you believe in me, but sometimes what you see isn’t really there." With that, you turned away from your compassionate professor and hurried back to the apartment you shared with Dina and Jesse.

The October wind whipped against your tear-streaked face as you sprinted, its icy breath leaving your cheeks flushed and red. The humiliation you felt was unlike anything you had ever encountered. Sure, Ellie had pulled some messed-up stunts before, but this was a new level of cruelty. You were accustomed to her childish antics—tripping you or swiping things from your hands—but completely shattering your iPad was beyond the pale. 

 Your iPad was more than just a device for taking notes; it was your sanctuary, a place where you poured out your heart and soul. Without it, you felt adrift, a wave of despair crashing over you. Your hands trembled as you fumbled with the key to your apartment, the door creaking open with a reluctant groan. With a forceful slam, you tossed your backpack onto the kitchen counter and stormed into your bedroom. Sliding down the wall, you let out rough sobs that shook your entire body. 

Why me? What did I do to her to deserve this? Fuck you, Ellie Williams.

☾⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽☾⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱

You lost track of time as you sat there, tears streaming down your face, until a throbbing headache surged through you. Nausea clung to you as you finally pushed yourself up from the floor. With a heavy heart, you opened your bedroom door and shuffled to the kitchen sink, your hands quaking as you filled a glass with water. The refreshing liquid slid down your throat, but it did little to soothe the relentless pounding in your head.

After setting the glass down, your gaze fell on your backpack, anxiety creeping in as you realized you had no way to study for your calculus test without your notes. The absence of your iPad was a painful reminder of Ellie's relentless torment. Thankfully, Dina was in your calculus class, but the thought of borrowing her notes made you cringe; her note-taking skills were far from impressive. 

As you glanced at your phone, a few notifications popped up as you unlocked the screen. Dina had called you twice, and a flurry of texts from both her and Jesse filled your inbox, all laced with concern. You couldn't help but roll your eyes at their messages, a smile breaking through as you appreciated the care they both showed.

You pushed aside the notifications, losing yourself in the endless scroll of social media, desperately trying to avoid the nagging feeling of confinement that came from being without your journal. Suddenly, your thumb halted as you stumbled upon a post from your brother. It showcased a family gathering, a post-summer bash that had completely escaped your notice. The realization hit hard: you weren’t on the guest list. While it shouldn’t have shocked you, the sting of exclusion was still sharp, a painful reminder of how things had changed since last year.

Frustration bubbled up inside you, and you flung your phone onto the couch, wishing the intrusive thoughts would vanish. Staring blankly at the wall, you sank into silence, weighing your options. The clock ticked toward 2 PM, and soon Dina would burst through the door with Jesse, the inseparable duo who seemed to thrive on each other’s company. They were adorable, a fact that only deepened your envy, a feeling you weren’t proud to admit.

A soft knock at your door pulled you from your reverie, irritation creeping into your voice. "Seriously, Dina? Did you forget your keys again?" You rose from your seat and swung the door open, only to be met by an unexpected face. 

"Abby? W-what are you doing here?"

Abby Anderson, the assistant captain under Ellie, wasn’t someone you typically chatted with, making her sudden appearance all the more surprising. She offered you a gentle smile, which helped to ease the tension bubbling inside you. "Hey, Y/N. This might seem a bit out of the blue, but I heard about what happened in class today, and I wanted to come by and apologize."

Her words ignited a fire within you; why should she be apologizing for that worthless Williams? "Are you kidding me?" you snapped, fists clenched tightly at your sides, teeth grinding in frustration.

Abby quickly raised her hands in a gesture of peace, her voice rushing to calm you down. "I know what she did was fucked up, I am not denying that. I just want you to know it's not your fault, she's going through some serious shit right now and I really don't think she knows how to cope."

You shook your head at her words, "Abby, I'm not upset at you. I'm upset at her for not being a fucking adult and apologizing to me herself. And to be honest I don't really care what she has going on, that's no excuse to break my shit!"

Abby nodded, her expression understanding. "You're right, I don't disagree with you. I've known Ellie since we were in squirt league together, she's not an easy one to read and honestly I'm struggling to figure out where she's coming from. Nevertheless, she is my best friend and I feel the need to protect her."

Mulling over Abby's words, you let out a sigh. "Would you like to come in? I'm sure Dina wouldn't mind seeing you."

Abby smiled at your invitation, thanking you as she passed through the threshold of your apartment. This was her first time visiting without Dina, and she seemed a bit uncertain about where to settle. Sensing her hesitation, you gestured toward the couch in the living room while you retrieved a couple of beers from the fridge. "Feel free to sit there if you want."

As she took a seat, you cracked open a beer, taking a hearty gulp before offering her one. A burst of laughter escaped her lips. "You do realize it’s not even 3 PM, right?"

You shrugged nonchalantly, "who gives a fuck, it's Friday and I don't wanna think." Abby looked a bit worried at your response, placing her unopened can on the coffee table. You finished your beer, crumpling the can in your hand and tossing it into the recycling bin, already reaching for another. This wasn’t your usual drinking style, but you felt the need to escape, so why not? Fuck it.

Settling next to the hockey player, you glanced at her over the top of your can, raising an eyebrow at her amused expression. Abby chuckled and shook her head. "You’re nothing like I expected."

Laughing at her remark, you nudged her shoulder playfully. "Fuck you, Anderson."

A comfortable silence enveloped you both until she broke it again. "You really are doing her a favor, you know? She doesn’t deserve your kindness or your patience, yet you keep giving it. Why is that?" 

Trying to distract yourself, you fiddled with the frayed threads of your ripped jeans, pulling them apart and rolling them between your fingers. With a shrug, you replied, "I don't know, Abby. I guess I can't stand by and watch someone fail at something they've been working their whole life for."

Abby’s gaze fell on your troubled expression, a wave of sympathy washing over her. "Yeah, she really doesn’t deserve you." 

Her words carried a weight that eluded your grasp, complicating the situation far beyond your expectations. With a heavy sigh, you murmured, "Maybe I’m not worthy of her. There must be something I did to make her loathe me so intensely. If only she could see the real me, perhaps she wouldn’t wish I didn’t exist."

The blonde next to you appeared to be wrestling with her thoughts, finally reaching for her beer can and taking a long sip. After wiping her lips, Abby turned to you and said, "Hey, there’s a party at the hockey house tonight. Dina was planning to go and mentioned inviting you. You’ll have her to hang out with, but don’t forget about me. Hell, we did share a beer at 2 PM, after all.

You smiled back at her, clinking your can against hers. "Thanks, Abby." The idea of attending a party filled you with anxiety, yet something about the girl beside you made it seem like nothing could go wrong, so you found yourself agreeing to join.

As you chatted, Dina and Jesse burst through the front door, takeout bags in hand. The aroma of Chinese food wafted through the air, making your mouth water. It was common for you to skip meals until dinner, as morning and afternoon nausea made it difficult to eat. But when dinner arrived, it was a different story.

Dina greeted Abby with enthusiasm, clearly thrilled to see one of her favorite teammates. "Hey, Abs! Want to stay for dinner? We could carpool to the party!" She raised her eyebrows playfully, prompting a laugh from Abby.

"I appreciate it, D, but Ellie asked me to help set up for tonight. I was just about to head out," Abby replied, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder and flashing you an encouraging smile before crushing her can and tossing it into the bin next to yours. Dina observed the interaction and decided to bring it up while serving General Tso's chicken and fortune cookies, pouring your share onto a paper plate she had grabbed from the cupboard.

Jesse looked as if he were bracing for an explosion, casting nervous glances your way throughout dinner, which only served to irritate you. Setting your fork down with a clatter, you turned to him and said, "Can you please stop looking at me like I'm about to combust any second?"

A flush of pink spread across his cheeks, clearly embarrassed by his lack of subtlety. Dina rolled her eyes at him, giving his shin a swift kick from beneath the table, prompting a soft "ouch" to escape his lips. "Sorry, Y/N. I heard you had a rough day."

You shot a glare at Dina, realizing you should have expected nothing less from her, considering he was her boyfriend. Shoving a piece of chicken into your mouth, you tried to ignore him, grains of rice tumbling off your fork and scattering into your lap. Just then, Dina reached across the table, halting your movements and preventing any more rice from joining the mess.

"Y/N, I'm really sorry about her, only a few on the team actually find her shit amusing. We're gonna give her hell at practice tomorrow, don't worry. Abby even insisted on it."

The mention of Abby made your cheeks heat up, recalling how kind she had been to you. But that warmth quickly faded as you found yourself longing for that same kindness from another player, a frown settling on your face. "It doesn’t matter, D. Nothing’s going to change. Whatever I did to her is so unforgivable that she’ll never let it go. It’s just absurd; all I did was bump into her by mistake. Before that, I had never even spoken to her!"

Dina instinctively withdrew her hand, sensing your need for some distance after your emotional outburst. She wished she had the right words to comfort you, but the truth was, she was just as puzzled. Ellie was an enigma that everyone was eager to understand, and sometimes it felt like even Ellie was still trying to figure herself out.

"I'm sorry, Dina. I didn't mean to freak on you, I just can't stand this. All I want is to be her friend, but I can’t understand why she’s treating me so poorly." You absentmindedly pushed the chicken around on your plate, watching it scoop up bits of rice from the sticky sauce.

“Y/N, I assure you, you haven’t done anything wrong. No one deserves to be treated like this.” You turned to her, your frown deepening. “Let’s just forget about Ellie for tonight. She’ll be too busy with the party to even notice you. Plus, we’ll be right there to support you! It’s time to break out of that shell; you have so much charisma to share.”

A smile crept onto your face as you appreciated Dina’s ability to lift your spirits, grateful for her unwavering friendship during tough times. “You’re right, to hell with her! I’m getting wasted tonight.”

Jesse hooped and hollered, cheering in agreement. "Fuck yeah! Let's get crunk."

Dina chuckled, shaking her head at the two of you, a playful grin lighting up her face.

@liasxeatt

@vahnilla

[forestclan-clangen]

MOON 6 (Part 1)

<< FIRST | < PREVIOUS |

Shiverpaw becomes apprenticed to Windfur, due to Shiverpaw expressing much more interest in the woods and plants themselves than fighting or hunting. Windfur is relieved, as Shiverpaw has been saying and perceiving strange things, and wonders if they're omens or warnings from StarClan...or something else.

(Shiverpaw, medicine cat apprentice, female, 6 moons) (Windfur, medicine cat, male, 20 moons) (Redstar, leader, female, 64 moons)

Morningpaw was looking for someone near the border, but they don't appear. She's disappointed, but also worried for their safety. They told her not to worry about them, but...

(Morningpaw, apprentice, female, 8 moons)

Iciclepool tried to cook Hopechase her least favorite prey. Iciclepool is too prideful to admit that it was a mistake, trying to pass it off as having never heard it before. As a result, Hopechase ignores her attempts to flirt with her, much to Iciclepool's sadness.

(Iciclepool, deputy, female, 62 moons) (Hopechase, warrior, female, 88 moons)

Hopechase and Redstar have a discussion about bringing back the Plentiful Gathering. Redstar relies on Hopechase's memory of the event pre-Lakestar. Hopechase is glad to have a clanmate like Redstar. Iciclepool wishes she had the knowledge both mollies did.

(Redstar, leader, female, 64 moons) (Iciclepool, deputy, female, 62 moons) (Hopechase, warrior, female, 88 moons)

Barleywave buries himself in his work. He repairs the dens and walls obsessively after the storm. Morningpaw is too nervous and sad by Warblerkit's absence to ask him to train her. [CONDITION: GRIEVING]

(Morningpaw, apprentice, female, 8 moons) (Barleywave, warrior, male, 35 moons)

Iciclepool invites Hopechase to train with her. She apologizes for being defensive and admits that she made a mistake, and was too prideful to admit to it. Hopechase is happy with her honesty, but purrs that she's forgiven. They practice battle moves for a while, until they move together as one cat.

(Iciclepool, deputy, female, 62 moons) (Hopechase, warrior, female, 88 moons)

---

Iciclepool didn't expect Hopechase to genuinely agree to join her for training. It was a long shot, especially after her disastrous behavior the week before. Now that it was actually happening, Iciclepool's chest tightened.

It didn't help that Hopechase decided to spend their walk discussing what she and Redstar were planning for a newly revived Plentiful Gathering. Iciclepool was good at teaching others, but not so much remembering history. Hopechase and Redstar, conversely, were very good at it - both with Hopechase's memory and Redstar's diligent record-keeping.

Is that jealousy I'm feeling? Iciclepool pondered with some shame.

"...So that's why Redstar's thinking of asking Cloudthunder for help fishing closer to the lake! Sure, we don't usually have fish. But it's a way to remember LakeClan. You know how Redstar is. Ever since she was an apprentice, she was really attached to the story I told about the 'gentle camp of many cultures, ringed in spears'. Can't say I blame her! It's one of my favorites too," Hopechase finished explaining. If Hopechase noticed Iciclepool's mood, she didn't show it. The dark molly just smiled, her eyes narrowing with a happy expression.

"That sounds great, Hopechase. I'm sure our warrior ancestors would appreciate that gesture," Iciclepool meowed. The deputy paused as she found the clearing she wanted to train in, the trees surrounding it just sparse enough to allow a cursory view of the mountain in the distance. "Here we are."

"Ah, the Glimpse Clearing, as Cloudthunder calls it," Hopechase said with a purr. "Of course, that'll do nicely." The molly lept down, brushing past Iciclepool's fur gently.

Iciclepool quietly joined her until she was sitting face to face with her clanmate. She tried to look at Hopechase directly in the eye, but something in her gaze caused her to feel embarrassed. Iciclepool licked her chest fur.

"Right. So, I was thinking that we could practice falling recoveries - "

"Iciclepool, I have something to confess."

The white molly looked up at Hopechase in surprise, her tongue frozen mid-groom. She recovered and straightened her poise immediately, clearing her throat. "I'm listening," she said, her voice almost a bit too professional.

"I've played nice for our walk on the way here. But I'm sorry Icicle, you're not the greatest at hiding your intentions," Hopechase said with a mrrow of amusement.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Iciclepool retorted.

"Lovely deputy, you're trying to play defense."

"What do you even - " Iciclepool felt frustration boil for moment. She stopped herself just on time, closing her eyes and counting to three before speaking. This was Hopechase. Her friend. She wasn't here to attack her. Right? Iciclepool exhaled deeply before staring at the floor, refusing to meet her gaze.

"...Am I really that awful at hiding my intentions?"

"Well..." Hopechase smirked. "Not all the time. But yes, this is one of those times."

"Fine," Iciclepool mumbled, defeated. She wanted to force herself to look at the warrior, but somehow, she struggled. Maybe if she just started... "I...want to apologize for what happened last week."

"Icicle, I'm already over it."

"No, you're not," Iciclepool retorted with a raised tail. "And if you are, then I'm not, so let me finish." She finally found her courage to look up at Hopechase. "When I brought you that chipmunk, I was too prideful to admit that I forgot your allergy. The way I dismissed the seriousness of your words hurt you, and my refusal to admit fault was both dangerous and stupid."

Hopechase listened intently. She flicked her ear, still paying attention.

"I...I'm sorry that I acted that way. As deputy, I should be taking the safety of my clanmates more seriously. And as...as your friend, that was just wrong. I promise to pay attention to what you can't eat in the future. I hope you can forgive me."

Hopechase paused a little while longer, making sure that Iciclepool was finished before blinking slowly at her and flicking her tail. "You're forgiven, Iciclepool. Thank you for the apology."

Iciclepool released a breath she didn't know she was holding. A weight was suddenly lifted off her shoulders, leaving room for peace of mind. She must've looked at Hopechase with some kind of relief, as Hopechase titled her head at her in amusement.

"Soooo...did you still want to train, or?"

"Yes, I would like that. Thank you."

---

Barleywave is told by Cloudthunder that he's been neglecting Morningpaw due to his constant repairing, and he feels guilty. Not ready to step back into the woods yet, he asks Morningpaw if she could help him create some bulrush rope, which she agrees to happily.

(Cloudthunder, warrior, female, 39 moons) (Barleywave, warrior, male, 35 moons) (Morningpaw, apprentice, female, 8 moons)

Talonpaw and Cloudthunder go on a hunt. Cloudthunder remarks how an abnormally large amount of prey seems to be present for leaf-fall, and how, again, prey nearly walks into their paws. Talonpaw asks if that's happened before, and she says yes, a moon after Redstar fed the woods, and the forest was abundant. Both of them shift uneasily and change topics.

(Cloudthunder, warrior, female, 39 moons) (Talonpaw, apprentice, male, 10 moons)

Redstar lashes out at a Nature's Mockery in frustration after the woods refuse to take her lives. The woods retaliate, resulting in a broken bone. She drags herself back to camp, and tells them that it was a large dog. Barleywave doesn't believe that.

(Redstar, leader, female, 64 moons) (Barleywave, warrior, male, 35 moons)

< PREVIOUS | NEXT >

[th3cadav3r]

Hello! I think a nice sfw fluff scenario for the Tulpar crew would be headcanons of how each character would react when the reader hesitantly tells them they don’t like sex or are asexual. Reader can be gn. Thank you, I really like your headcanon writings!

SFW Mouthwashing Headcanons—Asexual Reader

content: fluff, kissing, cuddling, mentions of sex, very very very slight acephobia from Jimmy(but with a happy ending)

author’s note: Keep in mind that I am not asexual therefore I cannot understand or fully grasp the asexual experience. I just tried my best based on what I’ve seen and heard online. Hope you enjoy!

Daisuke

You and him had been dating for about three weeks

You always held hands and made out a lot, but nothing more than that

His libido is pretty high because of his age, so naturally he wanted more

You were making out on the couch when suddenly you felt his hands start to wander

It was fine at first until his hand started reaching a little too low for comfort

“Wait—”you blurt out

He stops immediately, retracting his hand

“Sorry, did I do something wrong?” His voice is full of genuine concern

“No, it’s not your fault. I just uh…don’t want that”

He was a little confused. “We can move to my bed if you want” He suggests, thinking that you just wanted more privacy than the living room provided

“No, I…I mean I don’t want to have sex. It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t like it”

He didn’t expect that but he understood. He smiled reassuringly

“That’s alright. I get it”

You breathed a sigh of relief and your body relaxed. You felt like you truly didn’t deserve such a sweet boyfriend

“Here—we can just cuddle instead” He offers with his arms open. You gladly accept

You spent the rest of the afternoon napping together and playing video games when you woke up

This was definitely different for him compared to his previous relationships, but he didn’t care. He loves you for you

Anya

You started dating towards the end of the trip

She’s more of a words of affection girl than a physical touch girl, which is perfect for you

At one point when things started to get a bit steamy, you finally told her

“Before this gets too far…you should know something about me”

You tell her how you feel no desire for sex but that you still love her the same. Of course she’s understanding once you explain it to her

“I appreciate that you told me”

You both have a long discussion about what is and isn’t okay in regards to your and her comfort. And you both come out of the conversation with a much better and deeper understanding of each other

Now whenever you and her get touchy, she knows exactly what to do to make you feel good without crossing the line

Curly

There was no doubt about it: You were the captain’s favourite

You spent a lot of time alone with him in the cockpit just chatting about the most random things

He definitely grew a liking to you and you to him. One day he asked you what exactly he was to you

You confessed your feelings to him and he does the same. While the moment feels amazing, you can’t help but feel worried about his reaction to your sexuality

“Hey, I should let you know–” You decide to just tell him now. “–I don’t really want this to be a sexual thing, okay?”

He’s a bit taken aback, you can clearly see that in his face. But he is by no means offended or upset

“No worries, then,” he reassures. “Thanks for telling me”

For the next few days, he was very overly cautious. He asked if you were comfortable before he gave you any kind of physical affection. It was a bit exhausting at first, but you appreciated that he cared so much

Swansea

Let’s be real: This man is old

His sex drive is almost all long gone

And he let you know this when you told him about your lack of sexual desire

“Yeah, so what?” he says gruffly and bluntly. “I’m fifty-fuckin’-six years old, sweetheart. Just thinking about sex makes my back hurt”

You were totally expecting that response. It still made you smile from ear to ear though

He wasn’t really a lovey-dovey type of guy when the others were around, but when you two were alone in his bedroom he was a lot more affectionate. Cuddles, kisses, caresses…everything he did was so gentle and comfortable

Jimmy

You’re definitely a lot closer to him than anyone else on board, even Curly

Neither of you really knew where you stood in terms of a relationship, but your “hangouts” included a lot of making out and touching

This was fine initially, but at a certain point it became too much for you

“Hold on—”You grab his wandering hand and move it off of your body

“What?” He was genuinely surprised that you stopped him

“This is going a bit too far for me”Your body tenses up, anticipating a very awkward and uncomfortable conversation

“What do you mean?” He sounded a little hurt and a bit annoyed

“I don’t…have a drive like that. I don’t want to do sexual stuff”You laid it all out for him

He was quiet for a bit. You couldn’t exactly read his face so you were starting to get a little nervous

“It’s not because of me, right?”

“No, of course not,” you reassure. “That’s just how I am”

He sighs. Whether it was out of relief or frustration you couldn’t tell

“Alright”

The atmosphere between you and him was a little awkward for the next few days. You couldn’t help but worry

“Sorry if I was being distant,” he finally told you one afternoon. “Just thinking things through”

“That’s alright” You were lying; you were a little upset that he basically ghosted you after you were so vulnerable with him, but you were willing to just let it go, at least for now

“I know you have your…thing. But I still like you”

Well that was a surprise. But a good one. Definitely a good one. You told him that you liked him back

He was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t do everything he hoped to do with you, but he still liked you a lot. Besides, he could always just “take care” of himself in private

[thelov3lybookworm]

Delusions?

Summary: New guard duties and a free eye candy

•○●⛦●○•

Word Count: 888 (heheh)

Warnings: none <3

A/n: honestly idk why this took me this long to write 🥲 BUT IT IS FINALLY HEREEEE🥳based on this request <3

anyways, enjoyyyy!!

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

"Y/n?"

She paused, the rag in her hand stilling on her shining blade as she looked up, brows furrowed. The voice of the male sent shivers down her spine.

In a good way, she thought.

Her section leader walked over to the tall male who stood over the ground entrance like a menacing gargoyle with a mission. He wore his cloak’s hood low over his eyes, and his head tilted downwards to talk to the captain. She decided it was best she packed up the cleaning supplies before she had to leave.

At least, that was what she was guessing.

It took her a few moments to throw the rag into a bin and put away oils and cleaners, then return to the captain, who walked over to her.

Being one of his best soldiers, she found it pride worthy that he knew her name even. Most section leaders didn’t bother with soldier’s names unless they were sure they wouldn’t die during a fight. Makes it better for the conscience, Y/n assumed.

"You up for a guard position, girl?" He questioned as soon as she was within hearing distance, and her eyebrows rose.

"Sure, who am I protecting?"

"The Queen sent a summons for you. Think she got the previous guard killed or something. Maybe she’s got a new guest visiting who she wants to take care of." The older man jerked his chin at the male who had called Y/n’s name. "Brute refuses to give more information."

Y/n’s peered over at him, then straightened the moment her eyes landed on his figure. He seemed to be watching her too. She pondered, then shrugged. "Sure, I see no problem."

Her captain grunted. "Don’t get ya’self killed, girl. You’re one of the only good ones here."

Y/n smiled. It was rare to get a compliment from the closed off captain, but when someone did, it was only because they were genuinely good.

She ducked her head. "Thank you, captain. Should I pack my things?"

He waved a hand in the air. "The brute said the queen just wants to talk first, and then if she approves, she will send someone to collect your things."

Y/n nodded, then waited until the captain walked away before making her way towards the male. She felt his gaze on her the entire time.

"You… are Y/n?" Were the first words he uttered as she stepped up to him.

She raised a brow. "Why? You expected a man?"

He shook his head, the hood swaying with the motion. "It’s just… you look a little less fit than what I expected."

Her lips parted in shock. She waited for him to apologise, or something, but he simply turned on his heel and walked away.

Did he expect her to follow him like a dog? She scoffed and dug her feet in, wrapping her arms across her chest and watched him walk away. Only after a long moment did he pause and look back. She could see his stance change even though she couldn’t see his face.

Silent moments passed, and he reluctantly ducked his head, tilting it to gesture to her to follow him. And she did.

The two walked for almost an hour in silence before they reached the palace. Once they were within the walls, he pulled off his hood, and Y/n’s jaw dropped open.

He. Was. Majestic.

She had figured he’d be pretty handsome, considering his height and muscles that already peeked out of his slightly unbuttoned shirt, but she hadn’t expected…this.

The long hair, the sharp jaw, the skin even. It was making Y/n drool.

"Stop staring." He grumbled.

She looked away, clearing her throat and swallowing as blood made its way to her neck. "I-I wasn’t-"

"I can almost see water dripping from your mouth."

"Why, wish it was something else dripping from me?" Y/n countered without thought. When she replayed the words in her head, her whole body flashed cold. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as she watched him turn and stare at her in disbelief.

And maybe Y/n was being delusional, but she could swear his ears looked red.

"Forgive me. I did not mean to overstep."

He said nothing, just paused at a set of wide doors. She could not look away from his muscles, the way they flexed, the way his hair swayed. His hips.

She swallowed again and looked up to see him staring at her, his hand on one of the door’s handles. She figured she had to go inside, but she didn’t want to leave his presence. It was intoxicating, even when he had barely said any words.

"A shame, really."

Y/n blinked, trying to figure out what he meant. And then she realised that he was responding to her apology.

Oh.

Oh.

"I-"

"She’s waiting for you."

Y/n stopped, both grateful and annoyed at the opportunity. Grateful because she knew she would say something stupid if she spoke, and annoyed because she had to look away from the art that he was.

She nodded, then walked inside.

And maybe she was being delusional again, but she could feel his gaze on her back, raking fingers of awareness down her spine.

Just delusional… of course.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Permanent Taglist: @berryzxx @sarawritestories @milswrites @throneofsmut

@daycourtofficial @sweetorangeblossom @serenescureforboredom @cassie6392 @harrystylesfan2686

@olives-main @hijabi-desi-bookworm @dnfhascorruptedme

[kalinara]

Yeah, this is my position too, basically.

Scott's definitely used children in battle in the past. No question. And the underlying conflict of Schism always made sense to me: of course the first of Xavier's child soldiers doesn't really comprehend the problem of sending children into battle in the first place.

But I think it's fair to point out that things were a lot different during the House of M/Decimation/Schism era. Mutants had been reduced in population to like literal hundreds, and the country was so hostile (and Dark Reign fully in place) that they had to retreat to an Island for their own protection.

It doesn't excuse what Scott did (particularly with Laura, but I can absolutely see why he did it - if you start parsing the characters, Laura and Scott are incredibly similar in terms of backstory and early trauma, and it makes perfect sense to me that Scott genuinely thought he was helping Laura by letting her use her abilities for a good cause and under the supervision of a trusted adult like Logan. Obviously it was the worst decision, but again, totally makes sense), but the context is kind of important.

Since then we've had the Schism, Scott's own fairly tremendous fall from grace after AvX, and Krakoa, when he actually got to spend time raising his actually-much-better-adjusted teenaged son and it's at least POSSIBLE that this provided some much needed context and clarity as to the maturity level and what you should expect from teenagers who weren't raised by terrifying mad scientists.

It's also possible that his argument is more about bringing UNTRAINED students on a mission like this. Which admittedly is more in keeping with his general characterization, overall.

It's hard to say without more interaction with younger mutants.

My own take on Idie is that she's probably supposed to be about 17-18. The rolling timeline is always hilarious and the general OFFICIAL position seems to perpetually try to fit everything in the span of twelve years. (I think Brevoort at some point stated Scott's intended age to be 28. Which is hilarious, but I go with it, because I enjoy breaking my brain to try to make this work.) In House of X/Powers of X, the timeline indicated that Genosha's destruction was about three years before (which is boggling, I laughed SO HARD), and the exact amount of time ON Krakoa is dubious too.

The Hellfire Gala MIGHT have been an annual thing. Or a seasonal thing. (I feel like they've mentioned both options at various times.) My guess is they'll end up going with "seasonal" on account of characters like Shogo still not hitting school age.

So yeah, my take would be Idie's about 17-18 and Quentin's probably about 19-20. With Jubilee and her generation at about 21-22, and Kitty at about 23.

I think you've got a lot of wiggle room though to call Scott a blatant hypocrite here, personally.

Apparently both characters have mind wiped their pasts entirely at this point. 😒

Scott had ZERO issue sending kids out to die during his “Rightclops era” and Rogue slept with Magneto for years…

[coockie8]

Got a DM on DA from someone asking if they could "use my art as a muse for an upcoming project". All their art was either blatantly stolen or AI generated. I guess they thought I wouldn't check their work or something, but the answer was obviously "no".

[luck-of-the-drawings]

[<==PREV PAGES] [NEXT PAGE==>(not out yet.wait a year.or maybe more.imagine.]

saw alot of comments on prev pages; saying 'i HATE that mean teacher! im gonna FIGHT HIM!!' & i LOVE the energy!! it WOULD be nice. to have that catharsis. but the story of young tidestrider is Not one of catharsis. it is a story of being so small and so special and sucking so bad.

[velvetvexations]

I wasn’t totally fine with it, I thought it was weird but trusted her enough to think she had her own reasons.

Such a brave stance against transphobia. If someone misgenders trans women you're going to be understanding if I continue to say I respect them and reblog their based transfymynysm? If someone was he/himming you and I said I trusted them to have a good reason for it, and continued to pal around with them, that's fine, yeah?

Also what’s with all this hostility? I thought we had a positive interaction a bit ago and were like at least a little cool with each other now?

Were we? When I had you blocked you continued to go through my blog complaining about my takes and getting worked up about how everything I do vexates you. Our last conversation was me getting you to correct [name withheld] because it apparently got confused on something you told it and to your credit you did that and [name withheld] did delete the post. Funny as it is I think [name withheld] actually has surprisingly consistent morals as far as yall go. The bar is truly underwater, but relatively speaking, you know.

My point is, I feel like you've been consistently polite in DMs even to the point of expressing sympathy when I got really worked up and anxious, but then immediately go and trash me in really petty ways, and continue to go along with accusations of me believing things I manifestly do not believe. You yourself made a post about how I "call trans women groomers" because I think a niche on a dying social media website is unhealthy for them and could lead to them being abused like the last group that tried to reclaim 'baeddel.'

And, I mean, really, the audacity to go all "I thought we were on better terms now? :(" after you reblogged Talia having a meltdown over a post from months ago where I very briefly mentioned practicing Hinduism and she went on a rant about how Hinduism needs to be done away with because it's an inherently evil religion. (see here before anyone tries to say that's not what she was saying)

But beyond that, you believe and support really horrible things about others, so I'm not sure why you're expecting us to be super cordial. I am, right now, being a lot nicer to you than a lot of my engagements with people in your camp. Like you're good and cool with a woman who misgenders trans men and tells people to send them harassing messages to "demoralize" them, that alone is pretty bad, let alone all the lateral aggression you prop up.

I don't know why I'm getting so defensive about this. Be a kinder person if you don't want me to be "hostile" lol? I'm not calling you a moron, for the sheer size of the gulf between us I think that's relatively polite discourse by my standards. If you want to sincerely be my friend be a kinder person. I'll invite you to D&D games.

Seriously, Flen. I told you in DMs I was going to leave you unblocked again to hold a door open if you ever want to get out of this bullshit and be a kinder, better transfeminist. I would love nothing more for us to be pals, genuinely. I've literally helped a TERF deradicalize and retransition with this approach.

But you're going to have to stop calling people dehumanizing slurs like "th**fab" and maybe consider misgendering something worth taking a firm stance on even when it's not trans women.

This stuff is also barely related to what I asked. That being, what are TRFs (supposedly me) saying about bi and pan people?

I don't know, I said I didn't know in the OP, that's why I was only responding to the tags. Which is to say that yeah, maybe you never had problems when you identified as aro yourself, but you were totally behind a woman going "all the transandrobros are the same people who were pro-ace during the ace discourse" just recently, a spinelessness that fits considering how quick you were to fold on your objection to Thicc misgendering people.

Imagine my shock (actually not shock at all) when I found out that trans radfems are also exclusionists towards ace/aro people and bi/pan people

lmao the fuck are they saying about bi/pan people

[dreamlogic]

aye can i get a fuckin uuuhhhh

break. on my burger

[taraxacum-vulpes]

why is everyone pretending like cyberpunk edgerunners is good. the writing is so bad i hate it

[pynkhues]

I'm really sorry you and your sister are dealing with that

(no pressure to publish this, not that there should ever be pressure to publish an ask if you don't want to, of course, but just wanted to say I hope you're doing okay)

Ah, thank you, anon, it's okay. It's been a while now (court moves slooow), but we're getting hopefully close to the end. She filed in Family Court December 2022, and we've had about five interim hearings with final trial (finally) scheduled over four days next month, so fingers crossed! But yeah, it's been A Time. He's financially and emotionally abusive against my sister, and both those things as well as medically negligent against their children (who are only six and eight and both have special needs), so it's been....rough. To say the least.

But on a lighter note, have one of my new favourite photos I took of my nephews at the jellyfish enclosure at the aquarium last month!

[avastyetwats]

"Ah, got it." That made sense. "Where is it you're from? If you feel like sharing. Don't feel obligated to." Because Flint didn't expect Charles to trust him completely right off the bat. They may be allies for the moment, but that could change at any moment depending on what the next games were. "Korean Food is fucking good. I could go for a Korean corn dog right now," he laughed, placing his hand over his stomach as he thought of food. Fuck, he hoped whatever they brought them would be good and not some boring ass sandwich or something. He'd be pissed. Though, the way Charles paused after mentioning his daughter didn't go unnoticed by Flint. He quirked a brow, as though waiting for him to continue and when he did, his tone was... different. The smile was there, but it seemed... sad. Almost forced.

Did something happen to his daughter, he wondered? Though he wasn't speaking of her in past tense, so... fuck. That would probably be too personal to ask and if Charles wanted to tell him, then he would. "What's her name? Your daughter." He didn't know if that was too personal, but he was showing genuine interest in Charles and... fuck, why did him having a child tug at his heartstrings? Because he was here, putting his life at risk? When he should be home with her? Maybe... fuck, maybe that meant she was the reason he was here...

But before he could ask anymore about her, or his life, Flint had to go and ruin the moment. He mentally berated himself for it and sighed, shaking his head. "It's not..." He winced. "It's not you. I just..." another sigh. "Not, uh, used to being touched like that. Or... or at all." Not since Thomas and it had been a long while. Sure Charles hadn't intended for the touch to be intimate but for some damn reason that's how it felt for Flint. He was fucked up, really. "It, uh, it felt nice..." He admitted, clearing his throat. "For the few seconds you did it," he chuckled. "Just took me by surprise, that's all. Sorry."

Charles looked up and stared at the redhead. Did he already not trust him? It was good to observe things like that though. “ The city I’m from has a big military population, always people going in and out, and with that means Korean wives. You’ve heard of Chinatown? We have Koreatown. You pick up a few things living there, especially if you like the food. He chuckled, thinking aloud. “ My daughter— “

He caught himself. He’d said too much. His child was a vulnerability here against him he realized, but it was already too late, and thankfully only Flint was listening. “ My daughter really likes their snacks. “ He reminisced with a fond smile. “ There’s a local woman who gives her all kinds of them for free. She’s really very kind. However, we’ll find no such kindness here. “

When he pulled back, he arched a brow. Why had he reacted that way? Maybe he was one of those tough assholes that never went to the doctor until it was too late. “ I was just trying to encourage the blood flow. Promotes healing, but sorry. “ He sighed softly, rising from the bunk to move to his, giving him some space.

[immortalsins]

computer tell me how do i love one parent who cheated on the other computer help