#do u lot see her with this loser..... his days are coming to an END even the way he kisses is pathetic ewwww

[robotpussy]

listen, it just so happened that i started recording when they were kissing i literally didn't know it was recording until i got the message at the end 😭😭 but anyways 😍😍😍😍 look at the quality. straight from 2004!

[caesium-55]

—seven days. [ vi.iii ]

pairing: max verstappen x manager! reader.

summary: as the third time world champion, max verstappen's manager, you function on the belief that whatever max verstappen wanted, max verstappen shall get. but this time, after four years of working as his manager, you can't give him what he wants anymore and that was to stay.

author's note: updating bc i love yall. lol jk i dont want to study for my engineering management long quiz yet. sum1 yell at me to start studying or smth.

tags: @whatamidoingwithmylife-ramdom @eugene-emt-roe @bellezaycafe @barnestatic @theseerbetweenus @wcnorris @notyouraveragemochii @lpab @vildetry06 @a-beaverhausen @formula1mount @loloekie @alucardsdaddyissues @juky-ps @cassianswh0reeee @devotedlycrookeddonut @amberpanda99 @supermaxv1 @evie-119 @spideylovin @harianaswhore @formulaal

masterlist.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 is a little dramatic in Max’s opinion. Some would say controversial. A lot of restarts. The issue with the safety car. Hamilton and Verstappen goes neck to neck. 369.5 points to 369.5. In the end, Verstappen overtakes Hamilton and wins the 2021 World Drivers' Championship.

The team celebrates with him after winning and in the sea of Red Bull employees, Max searches for you.

He won! Max Verstappen won! He’s a WDC now! He finally made truth of the world he told you in 2019.

Kelly appears and kisses him square on the lips. Max sees you in his peripheral vision, pulling your ball cap lower on your face before turning around and leaving. He wants to call you but Kelly keeps him in place.

Max visits your hotel room later, all happy and he holds the canned bottle of beer to you when you open the door.

“I’m not the sour loser anymore.”

You smile at him and Max feels like he’s on top of the podium again.

“Told ya you’ll be champion one day. Congrats, champ. Very happy for you.”

Champ.

Max decides that he likes Champ over every name you call him.

2022

you: go to fucking sleep u degenerate gamer

you: its 3 in the morning you have a race at 8

max: youre not my mother

you: i am ur manager u ass

you: and i have ur mom’s cell no

you: i will fucking call her if ur stream doesn't turn offline in ten seconds

you: 10…

max: you wouldnt dare

you: 9…

He moves into a penthouse at the beginning of the year and purchases a jet, Dassault Falcon 900EX, to make the traveling easier. Flying commercial absolutely sucks, even first class.

When he mentions the money he spent; the penthouse rental cost, the price of the jet plus maintenance of the private plane service, you have stood up and went to the balcony to stare at the Monaco scenery to gather your thoughts. Max laughs as he watches your brain overheat. He tells security that you’re to be given an immediate pass into the building and his penthouse without the need of going through the strict security checks. He gives you a keycard that you barely use because you knock on the door every single time you come by. A month later, Kelly and Penelope move in and this is the beginning of the little family charade.

“What are you doing?”

“Is it not obvious?” you gesture to the iPad in your hand. “Readin’ a Lestappen fic in AO3.”

Max’s brows furrow.

“Lestappen?”

“The ship name between you and Charles. Lestappen. Leclerc, Verstappen, Lestappen,” you say as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world and he’s stupid for even asking, waving your hand in a complicated flourish. “It’s good. Top-tier literature. Want me to send you the link?”

Max’s nose scrunches, “So there are people who ship me and Charles?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Romantically?”

You nod, “Want the link?”

“Absolutely not.”

You shrug your shoulders.

“Your loss.”

Max wins P1 (as things should be) in Austin, Hamilton P2, and Leclerc P3. The team holds a private drinking party in the hotel bar. Max sits with Leclerc, whom he has invited, and Lando, who came with Daniel, and Daniel because he’s Daniel and he still gets a free pass in Red Bull parties even though he’s in McLaren now.

Daniel passes him a bottle of Heineken and Max searches for the bottle opener on the table but it's nowhere. He reaches for you, who sits on the neighboring table with the PR team. Max grabs the hem of your polo shirt sleeve and tugs slightly to get your attention. He opens his mouth to ask if you’ve seen the bottle opener but you got to moving, not even giving Max the chance to speak.

Without even interrupting your conversation with the PR people or even breaking eye contact with the person who is talking animatedly, you take the beer bottle from Max’s hand, toss a hand towel on top of it, then you use your teeth to remove the cap. It opens with a loud click. You wipe the rim of the bottle, pocketing the bottle cap, before returning the Heineken to Max.

Max looks at the Heineken bottle in his hand.

You know, Sophie, Max’s mother, always say that there's a certain type of intimacy existing when two people are able to communicate without the use of words. People associate intimacy with bare skins and basking in the fragility and vulnerability of a person, but intimacy goes deeper than mere nakedness and showing all the bare parts of you to the other person. Intimacy comes hand in hand with truth. When you admit your truth to the other person, that's intimacy. Her knowing his truth, his needs, without him telling her. That's another kind. If that's not the purest form of love then he does not know what is.

Charles pats his shoulder to pull him to reality.

At that moment, Max decides he’s an asshole because he just realized that he likes his manager after she opens his beer bottle and he has a fucking girlfriend now.

Max wins WDC for the second year in a row. Leclerc is at second and Perez at third. He’s on the top of the fucking world. Everything feels right now that he’s standing at the top.

His eyes search for you in the crowd but he doesn't find you. Only Kelly. He kisses Kelly, celebrates with the team, and visits you in your hotel room later with a cold can of beer in hand. It's a little past midnight, his watch tells him. You open the door seconds after Max knocks.

“Have you talked to Horner?” you ask, accepting the beer and opening it. The loud click when you open it feels satisfying in his ears.

You’ve changed out of the Red Bull polo now and instead, you wear a black shirt.

“No,” Max shakes his head.

“When will you?”

“Soon.”

That's the only truth he can offer. Because the bigger truth is this: Max doesn't want you going anywhere, not even the engineering team who works closely with him. He only wants you here, beside him, behind him, at all times.

One more year. One more year and he's going to tell Christian to move you to the engineering team. One more year to have you and he’ll let you go.

(That's what he told himself last year, too.)

“Okay,” you nod and it relieves Max that you’re not arguing with him about it. “Congrats, Champ.”

You don't fly with him to Monaco. You don't fly with the team either. Instead, you fly to Texas immediately straight from Abu Dhabi. Max calls you once in the middle of break to greet you happy holidays and you mail him his gift—a clay keychain figure of him. He adds it to his keys, sitting right next to the beaded keychain you gave him back in 2020 and a bottle opener keychain in 2021.

2023

“Should I break up with Kelly?”

Your head snaps up at a speed that should be considered a hazard, stunned. You give Max a look that can be translated as: Did the g-force finally catch up to your brain?

“What prompted this?” you question, slowly setting Max’s laptop aside. You’re working on fixing his laptop’s wifi connection while he’s getting his makeup done for the Heineken ad filming. Once the makeup artist deemed him done and left the room, he immediately took the chance to ask the question.

“Nothing,” he lies.

“I’ll throw away your laptop if you don't tell me the truth,” you threaten.

“It's just—” Max pauses. His mouth feels dry. He licks his lips before continuing, “It’s just… I don't know how to explain it. It feels like I don't love Kelly anymore.”

I think I love you, [Name].

“Aight,” you grab a monoblock chair and drag it until it's right beside Max’s chair and plop your ass down. You sigh deeply before your face schools into complete seriousness. “Can't believe I’m the one givin’ you this talk. Uh, Max, you see, in a relationship, you typically experience this period called the honeymoon phase.”

Max nods slowly. He doesn't know where you're trying to get at but he clings on each word that leaves your mouth.

“The honeymoon phase can last anywhere from months to years and when it's done, the strong feelings and infatuation you have for Kelly decreases and that's natural. This is the stage where your bond with Kelly is strengthened,” you explain. “It's not all sunshine and rainbows. It can get boring. But the love is still there. It's just…well, less intense than before.”

He wants to ask if this happened to you and Leo as well, but he bites his tongue and says a different thing instead, “You give advice like a relationship guru.”

“Baby, I have a long list of ex-lovers. Kelly’s your first girlfriend. You don't have a say.”

Your birthday is near. Daniel shares to Max that he’s buying you a new ball cap this year, signed by your favorite professional billiard player. Max needs to give you something better.

He thinks about the things you like. He makes a list. It's a short one.

Beer

A spot in the engineering team.

Your family

He cannot give number three. He cannot give what you already have. He can give you number two but he doesn't want to. He doesn't want you to be anything other than his manager. He can give you number one but it'll be very lame of him if he gives you beer for your birthday. What is better than Daniel’s gift? What would you like more than a ballcap?

Max calls his sister that evening.

“Shoes,” she says. “Oh wait, that's a little hard. You might get her shoe size wrong.”

“She’s size 7. In Euro, 37,” Max states a little too quickly and a little too sure.

“How did you know her shoe size?” Victoria wonders.

“I don't know. I just watch her feet?”

“So, you estimated her shoe size by watching her feet like a creep?”

“I watch her feet a normal amount, Victoria,” Max insists.

“Max, I can't even tell my husband’s shoe size even if I stare at his feet for hours.”

“Maybe you just suck at estimating measurements.”

Max ends up getting the shoes with Victoria’s help. Victoria gets too irritated with him midway because he is too indecisive. He thinks all the shoes that’s displayed do not suit you.

It's not even this difficult when he’s picking shoes to give Kelly. Normally, he just asks the saleswoman to show him the most expensive or the latest in their stock and he buys it, instructs the storespeople to wrap it up and make sure the brand shows because Kelly likes it when the brand is big and bright and attention-grabbing.

“If you think nothing’s pretty enough then go get a custom made shoe,” she advises and then sighs in exasperation. Victoria shakes her head at him. It's not supposed to be a serious suggestion but Max takes it to heart.

Instead of black, Max goes for white. You rarely go in white clothing but when you do, you become so beautiful that Max has to stop himself from kneeling down in front of you and risking everything.

It has pearls and diamonds and satin. All beautiful things that reminded Max of you. Max wants, no, needs to see you put them on. He’s the one who puts it in a box. White-colored with peach stickers and a peach-colored ribbon.

Max plans to give them to you after he wins the Miami Grand Prix. But your family arrives just as he’s about to retrieve it from his driver’s room.

Max meets your family. A family that consists of happy parents and three brothers. You are your family’s unica hija.

Julio [Last Name], your father, is a big man and his accent is thicker than yours and he doesn't call you by your name, only the most affectionate-sounding mija. He reminds Max of a giant teddy bear. A giant teddy bear who crushes rocks for a living.

Your mother, on the other hand, is a stern-looking woman. Sally, her name was. She’s short, compared to you and her sons and her husband.

You have three brothers. One older—you call him Damiano. Two younger—Rafael and Dominic. You are more your mother than your father, Max notices. Appearance-wise anyway. Damiano, too. Sharp-looking, both of you. Your sharpness makes you look charming whereas your Damiano’s sharpness makes him look intimidating. Your two younger brothers are carbon copies of your father, a little round and with kinder looking features.

“Papa, Mama, Bro one, two, and three, this is Max,” you introduce him, smiling widely and you're doing that smile where you’re showing too much gums and your eyes are shaped like crescents. Happiness looks good on you.

He lets out an oof sound when your father engulfs him in a hug. Max hears you exclaim: “Papa!”

Max laughs and waves his hand to tell you that the hug is fine and is very much welcomed.

“Congratulations, Maxwell!” Julio claps Max’s shoulders.

“Papa, please,” you shake your head at your father’s antics. “It's just Max.”

“Ya want to join us for [Name]’s birthday?” Julio invites. Max catches your eyes. You mouth a no but Max shrugs and says, “Sure.”

Max joins the family dinner. It's held in a Mexican restaurant somewhere downtown. Originally, your family reserved a table for ten. But Max has gone ahead and reserved the entire restaurant by paying upfront. You slap Max’s hand but Max laughs and says, “Happy Birthday [Name].”

Over dinner, Maxs learns that Rafael, Dominic, and Damiano are the biggest motosport fans so they all talk about Formula One and occasionally MotoGP. He finds out that they're a big fan of Marc Marquéz. Max tells them that he knows Marc personally and shares his experiences with the man. He promises to send them the man’s signatures. You tell him that he doesn't have to. He tells you that it's his pleasure.

Max listens in attentively as Julio narrates his amazing tales about his work experience. You laugh at the surprised Pikachu face Max makes when Julio is telling the entire table about the creepy call he responded to just the other month. You and your mother occasionally join in on the conversation but are more comfortable with listening to the boys.

Later, you stand up to excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Max stands from the table five minutes after you leave. He’s drunk too much soda so now he needs to take a piss.

“Are you okay?” Max asks as he catches you reapplying a layer of lipstick—a shade of nude rose—on the sink in front of the washroom.

You hold the lipstick in one hand but the other is holding your right arm, palm covering the word MANAGER printed on the sleeve of your Red Bull polo shirt like it's something to be ashamed about.

“Yeah.” A lie.

The rest of the night goes the way Max wants it. He almost wishes it won't end.

Kelly waits for him in his hotel room. She gives him a gift for winning P1. The shoe box in Max’s backpack remains untouched.

He’s got every country except Singapore, Saudi, and Azerbaijan under his belt. His third WDC is secure even if he loses Abu Dhabi, but Max is selfish. He still wants a P1 in Abu Dhabi so he fights and fights until no one can catch up because of how fast he was.

Kelly comes with him this time to watch him race and support him because it's the final race of the season and she also knows that Max is going to win WDC this year. P is over at her father right now so it's just the two of them.

“Babe!” Max looks up from his laptop. Kelly comes running in and Max’s eyes widened, horrified, when she sees that Kelly is holding it.

The white shoes.

Max stands abruptly. The laptop in his lap falls to the floor and shatters. He curses and crouches down to pick it up and save what he can save. When he looks up, Kelly is sitting on the bed now and is trying the shoes on. Max shoves the damaged laptop aside and strides towards her. He’ll deal with the laptop later.

“That's not—”

“Oh?” Kelly’s face morphs in confusion. “It doesn't fit.”

Kelly chuckles yet it sounds empty and dread pools in Max’s stomach.

“You bought me shoes many times already. There’s no way you’ll get my shoe size wrong.”

Max takes the shoes from her hand quickly and he puts them back carefully in the box.

“That's not for me,” Kelly states.

“It’s not for you,” Max echoes.

“Then who’s it for, Babe?”

Max doesn't answer. Instead, he avoids her gaze.

“Max Emilian Verstappen, who’s the shoes for?” Kelly is seething now.

For the first time in their two nearly three year long relationship, Max and Kelly get into a screaming argument. They get into arguments as all couples do, but never ones with screaming and crying and too much anger in one room.

“I can't go on like this anymore,” Kelly cries. “I can't. I let it go when you made me wait because you celebrated her birthday with her family. I let it go when you made her that crochet bag. I let it go when you bought a billiard table and brought it into our home because she likes playing billiards—”

“I tried breaking up with you!” Max roars and he sees Kelly flinch. “And you told me not to. You used Penelope so I wouldn't break up with you—”

“Do not even say my daughter's name—”

“It's true!” Max throws his hands in the air like a man gone mad. “I told you in fucking July that I think I’m losing feelings for you! You told me to not break up with you because Penelope already thinks of me as her father and it’ll break her heart if I kick you out of my house! I am NOT her father, Kel, her father’s Daniil! You only want me because I can give you everything you want! Money, pride, and a fucking father figure for your child!”

Kelly strikes his cheek. Sharp, fast, and strong. Max remains still in shock and stares ahead.

Kelly has officially become the second person in this world who has raised a hand at Max.

“I hate you,” Kelly utters it with so much intensity. “I hate you. We’re done.”

She leaves quickly.

Max’s phone buzzes.

you: hey champ. race is on in an hour n a half. u good to go?

max: yeah

max: i’ll be there soon

you: i’ll wait for u

max: you always do

Max races with the guilt that he's a cheating asshole. His mother will not be proud of it once she learns that her son has dated a girl and idiotically realized that he’s in love with his manager halfway through the relationship.

Despite the emotional turmoil that swirling inside him, Max takes P1 and becomes a third-time WDC. He celebrates with the team. You excuse yourself, saying you have something important to do, and Max doesn't bother asking you to stay because he knows he’ll visit you in your hotel room later with a cold can of beer. It’s become your ritual now.

He drinks with Daniel, Yuki, and Checo. Five bottles in, he spills everything. He pukes. It tastes disgusting. His world turns into a hazy blur. You came to his rescue because that's what you always do.

Max is so dumb for taking so long in realizing that he's in love with you. It's always been you. You and your dumb considerate attitude and your snarky personality and your crude mouth. He never realized how horrifyingly enormous his desire for you is until its right there in front of him with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow him whole.

you: landed

you: thanks for the jet

you: talk soon gotta get to papa 1st

max: ok

max: stay safe

max: your dad will be alright dont worry

you: i hope so

It has been seven days since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, three days since you left Monaco, two days since your last conversation in Instagram, and a day before Max flies to Belgium to celebrate the holidays with his mother and sister and his sister’s family.

max: are you okay?

max: just landed in belgium

max: mum and vic says hi

max: hey it's been a week now

max: is your dad okay?

max: im worried

max: call me soon please

max: happy holidays

max: or merry christmas

max: whatever you celebrate there in america

max: yeah i greeted a little too early

max: you didn't answer my call

max: im friends with logan now by the way

max: we talk at times

max: im trying to get him into sim racing

max: maybe it'll help him improve

max: happy holidays

max: i called your cell

max: you know christian just told me something funny

max: he sent an email this morning with a list of candidates for my 2024 manager

max: he said you resigned

max: very funny

max: please tell me you didn't

[dokries]

hiiii my moon :3 im here to request a dino f2l drabble hihi! if u want more details then maybe dino has a crush on a classmate (yn) and sees her eating alone at lunch one day n decides to go sit w her >_< could lead to a confession maybe? ur choice :P i hope it isn't too much & ill be waiting excitedly ヽ(^o^)丿

oblivious

pairing: lee chan (dino) x gender neutral reader

genre: fluff, high school au, classmates/friends to lovers

word count: 724

warnings: mentions of food, chan is a down bad loser who’s oblivious

author note: HI DORI thank you so much for requesting <3 this was so fun to write (i was literally giggling the entire time he’s such a Loser) so i hope you enjoy 🫶 lots of love !!

masterlist

chan hopes that it isn’t too obvious that he’s always looking after you.

well, that is his job as class vice president but still. seungkwan already teases him for how “down bad” he is but come on, how can he not like you as more than just a friend, with your sunny smile and easy disposition?

chan refuses to admit that his crush on you is the reason he doesn’t sit with the rest of his friends at lunch today—he’s just doing his job as the vice president, and making sure you’re not alone because the person you usually sit with has been sick for days on end.

you sigh, bored as you play around with the food on your plate before chan puts his own down on the table in front of you, and calls your name to pull you out of your thoughts. “hey!”

you sit up properly once he gets comfortable and smile at him, and he pats himself on the back in his mind for making the right decision.

“hey, chan! i thought you usually eat with seungkwan and vernon…?” you say, pointing over to where his friends are sitting, and where seungkwan is making kissy faces at the two of you.

thankfully, you’re oblivious, and only giggle at the silly motion as chan glares at his best friend, his ears becoming a deep shade of red.

he turns back to you clearing his throat and with his hand up, mimicking the position he took when taking the pledge after he was elected. “as your amazing vice president, it is my duty to make sure all students are represented and treated well, which includes me making sure they’re included—even if it’s just sitting with them at lunch.” chan winks, giving a small bow when you clap politely for his dedication.

he picks at his food, mumbling, “besides, i would always sit with you if i could.”

you pause, narrowing your eyes at chan. “what did you just say?”

his eyes widen, and he starts to talk frantically. “hey—i just mean that you’re a really cool person, and you have a really nice smile—no scratch that. wait, i don’t mean that you don’t have a nice smile—” you laugh, cutting him off, and he gives you a dopey smile before he realizes what his expression looks like.

“what i mean is…i think you’re good company. nothing more, nothing less!” he nods, proud of himself for covering up his mistake—nice one, chan.

however, his cover up doesn’t seem to be that good because you smirk, leaning closer to him. “is that so? the way you talked about me doesn’t make it seem like i’m just ‘good company’ to you now, does it?”

chan gulps, taking his carton of strawberry milk and chugging it down before he speaks, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when he’s done.

you grin at him, before placing a chicken piece in one of the compartments of his tray. “you can just say you like me, you know.”

when chan doesn’t respond, you freeze, apologizing immediately. “chan, i’m so sorry if i read the vibes wrong, i didn’t mean to make assumptions—”

your vice president interrupts you with a sigh as he puts his face in his hands, and peeks at you through them. “…was it really that obvious?”

you pause before nodding, and biting back a grin. “so i was right?” you don’t hold back your smile when he nods tiredly and you let out a sigh of relief. “and here i thought i was being obvious.”

chan’s jaw drops as he struggles to find the words. “y—you? no way, i had no idea.”

you sigh, already knowing that fact. you always go out of your way to help him fill out the attendance sheet, collect the textbooks for him even though it isn’t your job, and even buy him snacks from time to time!

“oh, chan,” you smile lovingly at him. “you’re just a little oblivious guy, that’s all.”

he shrugs, face turning red. “i could be your oblivious guy…if you want me to.”

“yes, of course i want you to be!” you grab chan’s hands in yours and squeal, and he can’t help grinning.

seungkwan was definitely wrong at the beginning of the year; being the vice president certainly has its perks.

[carelisswriting]

Late Night Hangout

Hey y'all, this is my fic for Ecto Implosion!!

my artist partner for this is @i-havenothingelsetopost and y'all should definitely check out them and the art they made for this fic!! Art's linked in the scene it directly inspired :)

Anyway, here's the fic!

It was weird, seeing Tucker in a hospital bed. The flowers and ‘Get Well Soon!’ card tried to soften the harsh blow, but it really didn’t work.

Danny didn’t like that Tucker was in the hospital.

(He really didn’t like the fact that he hadn’t even been allowed to see him, the first day.)

It made something in his chest hurt.

The thought of Tucker being injured.

It had been stupid.

So stupid.

A second too late, and now his best friend-

His best friend.

Tucker.

-was hurt.

Danny should’ve been quicker, should’ve been-

“Hey.”

Danny shook his head, coming back to reality instead of being lost in his own thoughts.

Sam gave him a worried look from the other side of Tucker’s bed, as Tucker chewed on his lip.

“It wasn’t your fault, Danny.” Tucker said, always seeming to know what Danny was worried about.

It was though, it was.

It had just been a regular ghost attack, Johnny, Shadow, and Kitty causing problems on one of their ‘dates’. Danny had almost been having fun chasing them down, but-

But he hadn’t realized that Skulker was also causing havoc.

Hadn’t realized that Tucker had been dealing with him alone, Sam was with Danny-

Hadn’t realized that Skulker threw Tucker into a wall-

(Danny felt it, when Tucker got hurt.)

(Skulker hadn’t had a good time, after that.)

“Danny, snap out of it!” Tucker said, sounding annoyed.

He focused back onto Tucker, who had a frown on his face.

“How many times do I have to say it’s not your fault? I’m the one who tried to face Skulker without any backup or powers.”

There was a slight note of self-deprecation to Tucker’s voice, which Danny couldn’t let stand.

Neither could Sam, as it happened.

“It was stupid, but you could’ve beat him if you had some of your tech with you, Tucker.” Sam said, glaring lightly at one of her best friends.

Danny nodded in agreement, before adding “Besides, you know that you’re not a good match against Skulker! If it was Technus, you would’ve had him!”

Tucker leaned back against the pillow, giving a harsh sigh.

“Yeah, but I left everything except Janet at home, like an idiot. And now I’m in the hospital for the next three days, for ‘observation’.”

“C’mon Tuck, it won’t be that bad.” Danny said, trying to cheer him up.

Tucker rolled his eyes.

“It will. You know how much I hate hospitals.”

Danny did know.

Tucker had despised them ever since his grandfather died. He had hated watching as the man slowly died of cancer, but still went to visit him all he could despite it.

Danny had tried so, so hard to be there for Tucker during that.

Tucker said it’d helped a lot.

Sam grabbed Tucker’s hand.

“We’ll come visit you every day, okay?”

Tucker nodded “I know. And thanks.”

Danny grabbed Tucker’s other hand, completing their little chain.

“Yeah, and I’ll bring you all the homework you miss.”

Tucker laughed at that.

“More like you’ll come pester me about helping you with it!”

Danny laughed along.

He would definitely come annoy Tucker into helping him with homework.

(Not that Tucker would mind.)

A nurse ducked his head into the room, calling out “Visiting hours are ending!” before quickly moving onto the next room.

Tucker, Sam and Danny sighed as one, before looking at each other and giggling.

“I’ll see you two losers tomorrow.” Sam said, before grabbing her backpack.

Danny smiled at Tucker.

“See you tomorrow.”

“See ya.”

\(oo)/

Danny was woken up by a ding! From his phone.

He groaned at seeing that it was still dark out.

Who the heck was texting him-

Oh.

It was Tucker.

Also, it was 2 AM.

Danny opened up the text message.

‘hey can u come hang with me? i can’t sleep’

Danny frowned, before replying.

‘yeah np, be there in a few’

He hated that Tucker had to be in the hospital overnight.

Danny shoved his phone into his backpack, along with his homework.

The teacher was gonna give Danny Tucker’s makeup work for today (well, technically yesterday) tomorrow, but Tuck would appreciate seeing it beforehand.

Also, then Danny could get him to explain what the heck their biology teacher was talking about.

(Danny did not like biology. At all.)

(At least living biology.)

(Ghost biology was way more of his thing.)

He transformed, rings of light traveling over him, before grabbing his backpack and darting out his window.

\(oo)/

Danny hovered outside of the hospital, trying to figure out which room was Tucker’s.

It was not easy to tell which was which from the outside, all of them looking the same.

At least he knew what floor it was on?

He flew closer to one of the windows, peeking inside to see if it was Tucker.

It wasn’t.

A small child, maybe 7? Looked out at him with an expression of glee on their tiny face.

He could see the kid practically vibrating as they looked at him.

He smiled at them, before holding up a finger to his lips in the universal sign for ‘shh’.

The kid bobbed their head up and down, before miming locking their lips and throwing away the key, then they held their hands up in the shape of a heart.

That was adorable, who’d taught them that?

Phantom smiled, and made a thin layer of ice on the window in the shape of a tiny blob ghost, with a small heart next to it.

It shouldn’t melt for at least a day.

He really hoped the kid liked it.

He looked back at them, seeing that their eyes were full of stars, their mouth open in awe.

Well, guess that answered whether they liked it.

Phantom waved goodbye at the kid, before flying towards the next window.

(Meanwhile, Sammy was so excited to tell their mom about this in the morning. Phantom had come to see them!!! This made being in the hospital totally worth it. He was the absolute coolest hero, even if Sammy’s mom thought he looked a bit creepy. Sammy didn’t think he did, but that was what their mom said every time Phantom came up. Sammy didn’t care though. Phantom was the best hero.)

He finally managed to find the right window after a minute more of peeking into windows, seeing Tucker sitting on his bed, messing with his PDA.

Danny floated through the window, before peeking over Tucker’s shoulder.

He was coding something, though Danny could not for the life of him tell what.

(Tucker had tried to teach Danny coding basics once. It did not go well. He kept forgetting semicolons were a thing that existed.)

Tucker didn’t even startle at Danny’s sudden appearance, far too used to his best friend’s antics by now.

“Thanks for coming dude.” Tucker said, eyes still focused on the code.

“Don’t worry about it, Tuck.” Danny said, floating over to sit next to Tucker’s bed.

Well, not next to Tucker’s bed, exactly.

More like floating in the air in a sitting position next to it, really.

Tucker finished whatever it was he had been doing, setting down his PDA on the nightstand.

He turned to smile at Danny “Not everyone would show up at 2 in the morning to comfort their friend.”

Danny shrugged, trying to pretend that he wasn’t ever not going to show up when Tucker asked.

“Really, it’s not like I had anything better to do.”

Tucker laughed, a low sound as he tried to keep his voice down.

“That’s fair. It’s not like you were working on homework.”

“Well….” Danny said, drawing out the word as he set the backpack down.

Tucker smiled, fond and exasperated.

“What is it now?”

Danny pouted, flipping upside down in the air.

“Normal biology makes no sense and is the bane of my existence.”

Tucker rolled his eyes.

“It’s not that bad.”

Danny gave Tucker his best pleading look.

“C’mon, please?”

Tucker sighed “Fine, but Danny, you just have to remember-“

Tucker launched into a ramble about their current biology assignment, and Danny flipped right side up, trying his best to listen.

It was strange, how much of this Tucker had managed to memorize.

Some of Sam’s rants must’ve stuck in his brain.

(Or maybe Tucker just really liked learning about animal life cycles.)

Danny, meanwhile, tended to just tune Sam out.

And also Tucker, he realized.

He had no clue what he had been saying.

Tucker paused for a moment, seeing Danny looking completely lost.

“Look just- Give me the book, I’ll show you what I mean.”

Danny grabbed his biology textbook, handing it over to Tucker.

Tucker flipped it open, motioning for Danny to give him a pencil.

Danny smiled at how sure Tucker was that Danny would give him a pencil without him asking.

Of course, Danny did give him it almost immediately.

“So, if you see here-“

Danny crossed his legs, floating a little over the edge of the bed as he listened to Tucker.

(Who was really cute when he was explaining something- no don’t go there.)

\(oo)/

It took an hour, but Tucker had finally managed to explain the concepts used on the assignment well enough that Danny was pretty sure he wouldn’t fail.

So, that was good.

Tucker closed the textbook, handing it over to Danny.

“Thanks Tuck. I probably won’t fail it.”

Tucker snorted “You definitely won’t fail it. Or at least if you do, it won’t be my fault.”

Danny rolled his eyes.

He flipped around, laying in the air as he looked at Tucker.

“You’re okay, right? I know that you hate hospitals but I just wanted to check because-“

“I’m fine, Danny. Hospitals suck, I hate being here, but I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.” Tucker said, cutting him off.

Danny turned away, looking at the visiting hours sheet on the wall instead of at Tucker.

“I don’t- It’s my fault, though.”

He heard Tucker sigh.

“Danny. It wasn’t your fault that I got hurt, okay? It was mine. I shouldn’t have gone out alone, especially against Skulker.”

Danny could hear the self-deprecation in Tucker’s voice.

Again.

Danny hated it when he did that, acted like he wasn’t worth it, wasn’t capable, just because he didn’t have powers.

He twisted back around to glare at Tucker, his annoyance overtaking his guilt.

 “Tuck, it’s not your fault! And don’t talk like that! You’re my best friend, and you’re awesome! With or without powers.”

Tucker smiled, and Danny realized that Tucker had been trying to get him to look at him.

Danny rolled his eyes, but didn’t turn back around.

“Look, how about we agree that it’s neither of our faults, and neither of us need to feel bad about it?” Tucker said.

Danny sighed, but nodded.

“Yeah, that’s… that’s fair.”

Tucker beamed, before grabbing Danny’s hand and tugging him into a hug. Danny went with the motion, not bothering to fight it.

Tucker’s hugs were great.

They stayed there for a moment, before Tucker let Danny go, a smile on his face.

Danny floated away slightly, hovering on his back, before flipping his head upside down to look at Tucker with a grin.

And then he heard the door open behind him.

Oh crap-

He twisted up, moving his torso in way that wasn’t exactly something humans could do, seeing that there was a nurse standing there.

She had a look of shock on her face, a hand brought up to her mouth.

Danny went invisible.

Damn, he really hoped Tucker could cover for this.

It would be a nightmare if Danny’s parents got called.

Danny darted into the corner, not wanting to deal with the nurse accidentally walking through him if she went over to Tucker’s bed.

(It was a disconcerting feeling, someone passing through him when he was a ghost. Not for him, really, he barely noticed, but Sam and Tucker had told him that it felt like there were invisible fingers trailing over their skin, when they’d tested it out.)

The nurse stood there a moment more, frozen in her surprise.

Danny saw Tucker cringe slightly.

“Um, hey? What’s up?”

The nurse shook her head, before saying hesitantly “I, you didn’t see anything?”

Tucker grabbed his PDA from the nightstand, fiddling with it.

“Nope, nothing. Who- What would even be there?”

He was not a good liar.

Danny sighed, just slightly.

The nurse turned towards the sound, but just shook her head again.

“Nothing, I don’t know. I thought I saw something. Don’t worry about it.”

A bright smile came on her face, obviously practiced for dealing with patients.

“So, any issues? Any pain? We’re still on the lookout for any internal bleeding.” She said as she picked up Tucker’s chart, looking at something on it.

Tucker flipped over his PDA, his fingers twitching like he wanted to start typing something.

“I’ve been okay, just couldn’t sleep.”

The nurse glanced up at him.

“Do you want some melatonin? It can’t mess up any of the blood thinners, antibiotics, or pain meds we’ve got you on, and it’ll help you sleep.”

Danny’s eyes widened.

Blood thinners? Danny hadn’t realized that they’d put Tucker on anything like that.

He’d figured that he’d be on antibiotics and pain meds, but blood thinners?

Why was he on blood thinners?

Weren’t those for when someone got surgery-

Tucker shrugged.

“I mean, sure? I might not take it right away.”

The nurse nodded, her smile still fixed on her face.

“Okay, I’ll bring that in for you.”

She stepped outside the room, and Danny followed her.

He was curious, and also-

Tucker was on blood thinners, apparently.

And hadn’t told Danny.

Had his injuries been more serious than he’d said? He’d insisted it was just some bruising, that they were being overcautious with the observation.

Danny poked his head through the wall, watching as the nurse leaned against the wall, holding a hand to her chest.

Oh. He’d really scared her.

She was mumbling under her breath.

“It was nothing Kate, you don’t need to freak out about it, of course there wasn’t a ghost in your patient’s room at 3 AM, that would be ridiculous-“

She continued to mutter to herself, before pushing off the wall and walking down the hallway.

Danny felt pretty bad about scaring her, but he couldn’t exactly apologize.

…Maybe he should just, leave her something nice?

He looked over to the nurse’s station.

He drifted over.

It was full of papers, patient charts and schedules and a bunch of stuff that looked way too medical-y for Danny to want to deal with.

He bit his lip, thinking.

Maybe she’d just like a flower?

Girls liked flowers.

Danny carefully formed a flower out of ice, one that looks kinda like a daisy maybe?

Danny was better at remembering what flowers looked like than what they were called.

(Also, he wasn’t entirely sure it wasn’t a ghost flower.)

(Again, he was better at remembering what they looked like than what they were called, or where he found them.)

Satisfied with his small apology, Danny ducked back through the wall into Tucker’s room.

And then he remembered, oh right, Tucker, maybe, was lying about his injuries.

Tucker was typing something on his PDA, but he looked up when Danny came back into the room.

Danny was still invisible, but Tucker and Sam had figured out that when he entered a room, even if he was invisible, the temperature dropped slightly.

No one else had noticed that yet, but Tucker thought it was great, since it meant he knew where Danny was.

Danny did not think that it was great right now.

“Dude, what were you even doing?” Tucker said, putting down his PDA.

Danny faded back into visibility, trying to keep his face blank, or at least close to it.

“I was checking on the nurse. I scared her a lot, Tuck.”

Tucker grimaced.

“Yeah, but you knew what you look like when you’re in shadow.”

Danny did.

Apparently, something about low light made him look more ghostlike, stretching out his proportions and blurring his features. He never noticed it, but Tucker had tried to describe it to him as best as he could.

Sam had grinned and said that he looked awesome, like he was from a horror movie.

(Danny hadn’t liked that description. He didn’t want to be scary.)

(Sam hadn’t said it again.)

“Also, your eyes were reflecting the light, like a cat or something.” Tucker added, drawing Danny’s attention back to him.

Danny frowned.

“They were? That’s new.”

Tucker shrugged.

“Looked cool, though.”

It probably had.

“I gave her an ice flower, the nurse I mean. I wanted to aplogize.” Danny said.

Tucker grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You’ve got a crush-“

Danny groaned.

“Tuck, seriously, you do not have to say that anytime I give a girl anything.”

Tucker laughed.

“I know, but your reactions are so funny.”

Danny sighed.

He knew that he needed to stop reacting, if he actually wanted Tucker to stop.

But it got under his skin, when Tucker teased him about having crushes on girls.

(Danny tried not to think about why that was.)

He floated closer to Tucker’s bed, a small frown on his face.

The nurse would probably be back soon.

But Danny really wanted to know what was happening with Tucker’s injuries.

“Tuck, why are you on blood thinners?”

Tucker looked away, all of the humor gone.

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

Danny huffed.

“What do you mean? Just tell me!”

Tucker sighed, before looking pleadingly at Danny.

“Don’t freak out, but I had surgery. That’s why I’m on blood thinners.”

Danny reeled back.

Tucker had surgery?

His injuries had been bad enough for that?

(Danny had failed that badly?)

“You- you were that hurt?” Danny asked, his voice wavering.

Tucker got a look of panic on his face.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! Danny I swear, it was almost nothing, they just had to fix some internal bleeding-“

“You had internal bleeding?” Danny screeched.

Tucker nodded hesitantly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Danny asked, hurt in his voice.

Had Tucker been mad at him for failing to protect him-?

“I didn’t want you to worry, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds-“

The door opened.

Danny went invisible almost immediately this time, not wanting to scare the nurse again.

She looked less freaked out, a smile fixed on her face.

“Here’s that melatonin, sorry that it took me so long to get.”

She handed Tucker a small cup, two pills in it.

“Once you take those, it should be easier for you to fall asleep.”

Tucker nodded, giving her a small smile.

“Thanks.”

He glanced to the corner Danny was in, as the nurse did one last check of his vitals.

Danny sighed almost silently from his corner.

He’d failed, he’d let Tucker get hurt-

Tucker hadn’t told him.

The nurse left, telling Tucker to go to sleep as she did.

Danny faded back into visibility, his face downcast.

Tucker sighed at his expression.

“Danny, I didn’t want you to worry-“

“Tell me next time.” Danny said pleadingly, desperately.

If he didn’t know when he’d failed, he couldn’t try to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Tucker shook his head, not in denial but in exasperation.

“Okay. I’ll tell you next time.”

Danny felt relief travel through him, settling something in his core.

He needed to know when Tucker, or Sam, got hurt.

He needed to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Danny floated forward, before hugging Tucker.

Tucker rolled his eyes, leaning into the hug.

“Is this some ghost thing? Feels like a ghost thing.”

Danny laughed, rolling his eyes right back at Tucker.

“Really, it’s a ghost thing to care about my friends now-?”

Tucker shoved lightly at Danny, humor in his face.

“Shut up, you know what I mean-“

Danny grinned, leaning back, still floating in front of Tucker.

“It’s not a ghost thing, Tuck. I just wanna make sure you’re okay.”

Tucker smiled softly at Danny at the sentiment behind his words.

Danny looked away, feeling his face heat up.

Tucker laughed slightly at Danny’s apparent embarrassment.

(It wasn’t embarrassment. He just couldn’t handle Tucker smiling at him like that, it was so full of love-)

Danny looked back at him, seeing Tucker grinning at him.

He crossed his arms with a huff, dramatic and insincere.

“You don’t have to annoying about it-“

Tucker cut him off with another laugh, before he looked over to his PDA, seeing the time.

He sighed.

Danny glanced over as well, seeing that it was almost 4 AM.

He needed to get home, heck-

His mom was always up at six, and she checked on Danny and Jazz at the same time.

And Danny would really like to get some more sleep before he was inevitably woken up by his mom checking on him.

He looked back to Tucker, an apologetic look on his face.

“I gotta go, sorry-“

Tucker waved him off.

“No worries. Thanks for coming to hang out.”

Danny smiled, about to grab his bag-

And then he had a very impulsive thought.

He wavered for a moment.

Before deciding, yeah, it’s worth it.

He leaned forward, giving Tucker a kiss on the cheek.

Tucker looked at him in complete surprise.

Danny smiled softly at him, and Tucker blushed.

(Ha, sweet revenge.)

Danny felt all of his sudden confidence leave him in moments.

He’d actually just done that, Ancients-

He darted away, grabbing his bag quickly.

“So uh, yeah no problem, I’ll see you at school-!” Danny said in a rush, before flying out of the window.

He was halfway to his house before he remembered that no, he wouldn’t see Tucker at school, because Tucker was still gonna be in the hospital for a few more days.

He was such a mess.

He couldn’t believe he’d just done that, kissed Tucker on the cheek.

(He wished he could do it again.)

\(oo)/

Tucker watched as Danny flew away.

He held a hand to his cheek.

His best friend had just kissed him.

On the cheek, but still.

He’d kissed Tucker.

A soft smile came onto his face.

If Danny felt the same-

Oh, Tucker was so going to flirt with him when he came back in the morning.

Danny wasn’t gonna know what hit him.

He took the melatonin pills, laying down to wait for the sleepiness to hit him.

Tucker grinned to himself.

This was going to be fun.

And maybe he’d get a boyfriend out of it.

A man could dream.

[coolgrl111]

rock bottom

patrick zweig x reader

summary: patrick zweig has lost everything. his best friend, his girlfriend, his pride.

a/n: this one was so sweet to write! i hope you enjoy it, patrick lovers🫶

You find him sitting alone at the corner table of a dingy café, looking like a man who’s lost everything. He’s unshaven, his clothes wrinkled and mismatched, and his hair, once probably neat, is now unruly. His eyes are downcast, heavy with something deeper than exhaustion. At first glance, he looks like a lonely loser, someone who’s fallen so far from where he used to be. But there’s something about him that draws you in. Beneath the layers of untidiness, there’s a certain handsomeness—something that hints at who he might have been before.

You can’t help yourself. You’re curious.

When you approach, he glances up, startled, as if he’s not used to being seen anymore. Especially not someone as attractive. His response to your initial greeting is barely a nod, and when you ask if you can sit, he mutters a reluctant, “Do what you want.” His voice is quiet, reserved, lacking any of the confidence that he probably used to carry effortlessly.

Over the next few days, you keep finding yourself returning to that café, to that table. And each time, you talk to him, even when he doesn’t want to talk back. He pushes you away with every opportunity—short responses, guarded eyes, excuses to end the conversation. But you keep coming back. You fight through the walls he’s built around himself, refusing to let him disappear into the background like he so clearly wants to. You’re determined to find the person underneath all that heaviness.

One day, he finally lets his guard down, just a little. It’s subtle at first—a flicker of something in his eyes, a less guarded posture as he leans forward. You decide to take the chance.

“What’s your story?” you ask, keeping your voice light, almost casual. You don’t want to push too hard. He’s given you so little up until now, and you’re afraid of scaring him off.

He flinches, almost imperceptibly, and looks away. His fingers tighten around the coffee cup, knuckles white. For a long moment, you think he’s going to shut you out again. His jaw works like he’s chewing on the words, debating whether to say them or not.

“I don’t have a story,” he mutters, his voice so low you barely catch it.

“Everyone has a story,” you counter softly. “You don’t sit here every day just to avoid telling it.”

He exhales sharply, an annoyed laugh slipping through his lips. “Is that what you think?” He shakes his head, the corners of his mouth twitching, but it’s not a smile. “It’s not some sob story worth hearing. Trust me.”

You stay quiet, giving him space. He still isn’t looking at you, his gaze fixed on the window like he’s watching something only he can see. This aggressiveness is obviously a front. He’s scared. And you understand that. Eventually, he speaks again, quieter this time, almost like he’s talking to himself.

“I had everything, you know? Friends, a girlfriend. I thought I had it all figured out.”

He stops, and you can see the battle happening in his mind—whether to keep going or retreat back into the silence you’ve grown used to.

“So what happened?” you ask gently.

He grimaces, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “What happened?” he repeats bitterly, letting the words hang in the air. “A fight. A stupid fight with her… my girlfriend at the time. It blew up. Next thing I know, she’s gone.”

You can tell there’s more, so you wait, watching him closely as he wrestles with his next words.

“And…?” you prompt, careful not to push too hard.

“And my best friend—my best friend—takes her side. We had this thing. We both liked her, but once I started dating her, he backed off. At least outwardly. As soon as I fuck up, he snatches her up. Now they’re married with a fucking kid.” His voice cracks on the last word, and you see the rawness of it all still clinging to him, even after all this time.

“That’s… a lot,” you murmur, unsure what else to say.

He laughs darkly. “Yeah. You could say that. I lost both of them in one day. Never saw it coming. One minute, I had everything, and the next… nothing. Now they have everything. Together.” He shakes his head, biting down on whatever emotions are threatening to spill over.

“I’m sorry,” you say, meaning it.

He looks up at you, his expression softer than you’ve ever seen. “Yeah… me too.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “The name’s Patrick, by the way.”

———

Next thing you know, Patrick’s at your house all the time. It’s not planned; it just sort of happens. One night he stays over after you watched a movie, then the next. Soon, it’s just normal to find him sitting on your couch, his legs stretched out, scrolling through his phone or making some sarcastic comment about the show you’re half-watching. You tease him back, tossing a pillow at him, and he laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that makes you feel warm inside.

He starts sleeping over more often. Not in a weird way— totally not. just in that easy, comfortable way where neither of you says much, but your heart seems to flutter rampantly, and you swear he can hear it over the faint sound of the air conditioning. You’ll talk for hours, lying on your bed or the couch, sharing deep stories from your pasts that you didn’t even realize you needed to tell until he was there, listening.

It feels safe with him. You’ll watch him, sometimes, as he talks about his childhood or his awkward high school years, and there’s a softness in his face, like he’s letting himself forget all the rough things for a while. He’s content, and when he’s with you, everything seems to fall into place, like it’s always been this way.

He’ll make you tea when you’re tired, bringing it over without asking, and sometimes he’ll fall asleep mid-conversation, his head lolling onto your shoulder, his breathing steady and slow. You don’t mind. In fact, you like it. His presence fills the room with something warm and sweet, like this quiet pattern you’ve both fallen into. It’s oddly domestic, what you two have established.

Something else is brewing under the surface though. It’s obvious. It happens so quietly, so gradually, that by the time you do notice, it’s already rooted deep within both of you, like ivy creeping up the walls, wrapping tighter with every passing moment.

Patrick’s presence becomes more than just routine; it’s essential, a pulse threading through your days. He’s there when you wake up, still asleep beside you, his face soft and unguarded in the early light. There’s a calmness to him in these moments, as if the world’s weight has finally been lifted from his shoulders. And there’s a strange comfort in watching him, in the rise and fall of his chest, the way his hair falls across his forehead, unruly and perfect.

You wonder how something so simple became so sacred. When did the spaces between you fill with something more? His hand lingers a little longer when he hands you a mug of tea. His shoulder presses just a bit closer when you sit together on the couch. At first, it’s easy to tell yourself it’s nothing. A trick of the mind, maybe, or just the natural progression of a deep friendship. But there’s an undercurrent now, undeniable and electric, humming in the air between you like a wire pulled taut.

It’s in the way his eyes soften when he looks at you. The way his voice dips, almost hesitant, when he asks, “You good?” after a long day. It’s in the warmth that blooms in your chest when he throws his head back, laughing at something you said, and you realize you’ve memorized the exact sound of it, as if you’ve been collecting each laugh and tucking it away somewhere sacred.

You notice it most in the quiet moments. Like when you’re sitting on the floor of your room, both of you leaning back against the bedframe, the evening air thick with that golden, honeyed dusk light. You’re both quiet, but the silence between you isn’t empty. It hums with all the things you haven’t said yet, the things that live just below the surface.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Patrick murmurs, his voice soft, almost like he’s speaking to himself.

“Do what?” you ask, turning your head to face him. His gaze meets yours, lingering, a flicker of something tender in his eyes.

“Make me forget,” he says, almost shy, his thumb rubbing the edge of the cup in his hand. “How rough things were. When I’m with you… it just feels easy. Like everything’s… softer.”

Your heart skips, a quiet stutter of realization. You wonder if he feels it too, the thing that’s been weaving itself into the fabric of your days, the invisible thread that’s tied you together so tightly now it’s impossible to tell where you end and he begins.

You don’t respond, not immediately. The words catch in your throat, because what is there to say to something like that? Instead, you let the moment hang between you, weightless and fragile. And then, in a breath, it breaks.

He leans closer, and for the first time, there’s no hesitation, no fear of what this might mean. His lips find yours in the gentlest of touches, a brush of warmth that sends shivers down your spine. It’s soft, tentative, like the first breath of spring after a long winter, and you respond without thinking, your hand sliding into his hair as you pull him closer.

The kiss deepens, slow and sweet, and it’s like everything inside you is unraveling all at once. You’re no longer just friends who fell into a rhythm—now you’re something more, something undefined and beautiful, something that feels like coming home after being lost for so long. His hand cradles your jaw, thumb brushing your cheek, and there’s a tenderness in the way he holds you, like you’re something precious, something he’s afraid to break.

When you finally pull away, both of you breathless, he rests his forehead against yours. “I think I’ve been falling for you for a while now,” he whispers, and it’s the kind of confession that makes your heart ache in the best way, because you’ve been falling too, piece by piece, with every quiet moment, every shared laugh, every lingering glance.

“I know,” you whisper back, your voice trembling with the weight of it all. “Me too.”

And just like that, everything shifts. The world around you fades, and it’s just the two of you, entwined in something bigger than yourselves, something that’s been growing quietly, unnoticed, until now. You lean into him, your hand still tangled in his hair, and the rest of the night is spent in soft kisses and whispered promises, the two of you wrapped up in each other like you were always meant to be.

[avocado-writing]

hi!! ive.. gone and read so much of ur work in one sitting. its all so much to take in, IN A GOOD WAY, and i absolutely adore every single word

would u be so kind.. to bless my angst durge needs..

Durge Resist tav, was strong for all until the brain was finally defeated but now, with what she believed her only purpose/chance at redemption (brain), they can't help but feel utterly empty and,, unredeemed. They mourn all those they have robbed from this world, nameless, and countless numbers of people they robbed of the life that they were now being given the chance at living. Surely they don't deserve it(Is what they think..)

They are pathetically in love, and if they deserve anything, its to tell their special one just how much they are adored before casting themselves out of society (or taking their own life, if ur comfortable writing such things-)

Rolan, Dammon, Zevlor, maybe even Rugan if u write for that loser LMAO. just.. whoever u write for, its the tieflings i adore most ahegege

if this didnt make sense IM SORRY i havent slept in so long and sleep is not choosing me. i just crave angst, perhaps with a happy ending if u would indulge me so..!! thank u if u read this, so much!!

hi, I don't write fics about suicide, but here's the tiefling bachelors with a durge who's planning to disappear after the absolute is gone and giving them one final confession:

Dammon

senses something is wrong when you take him aside for a heart-to-heart.

it isn't that you avoid these sorts of moments per se, he just knows you only affirm your affections when something big is going to happen (you did it before you went off to fight the elder brain)

he holds your hand tightly, gets you to look him in the eye.

"I love you, no matter what, and I never want to be without you. tell me you'll be there when I wake up tomorrow. in our bed. swear it to me."

you can see the utter adoration he looks at you with, and you think: maybe you aren't so bad if a man like this can truly love you.

the next morning Dammon wakes up. you're not in bed next to him. he panics, getting to his feet - only to find you in the kitchen making breakfast.

he's never been so relieved. walks up behind you and wraps you in his arms. he loves you so dearly, and will keep on loving you until you believe yourself worthy of it.

Rolan

Rolan doesn't quite understand why you're having this great outburst, but chalks it down to emotions running high after the final battle.

says goodnight, kisses you, and heads off to his tower - he has a lot of admin to do after all.

the next morning he comes to meet you at the elfsong, only to be met with the realisation that you aren't there. he curses himself for not understanding why you were so melancholic last night.

he tracks you down. uses all of his resources to scry on you, grease palms with the money the tower has. he's up all night for weeks. Cal and Lia worry about him but he is determined.

and find you he does. manages to locate where you're hiding out, a little hamlet in the middle of nowhere. you burst into tears when you see him, and he just pulls you into his arms.

"come home with me."

you do, moving into his tower. and you never leave him again.

Zevlor

immediately knows something is wrong. takes you to a quiet place where the two of you can be alone and talk things out.

discusses how he feels like being a failure for breaking his oath -- but you always saw past that. saw the goodness in his soul. he wishes you would treat yourself with that kindness.

you begin to cry, softly at first, and then with sobs which wrack your whole body. he holds you ever so tightly.

"I love you. you are not who you were. you have strived to be better every day, fought against your own family, and always chosen a righteous path. you deserve to be happy. I'd want to make you happy, if you'd let me."

eventually your tears run dry and you look up into his face. his eyes are so sincere. he means every word.

when you kiss him, it's a promise: that you're with him for good. that whatever comes next, it will be faced together.

[drumlincountry]

in the og script patrick's character description says he's jewish 🤷🏻‍♀️ and zweig is a culturally jewish last name anyway

all this to say i think it's meant to contrast art's WASPiness. art has a superrr american name, classic easy to market good old money american (which helps his pro career). Patrick being catholic would contrast this pretty interestingly as well tho given the catholic - protestant dynamic.

but with either interpretation, Patrick's first and last name's etymology cement him and his outsider status in the world of tennis, despite his family's wealth since tennis is considered a WASPy game. but he's still a rich white man at the end of the day and is able to float around the pro circuit aimlessly without having to try. unlike Tashi who is seen as the true successor to women's tennis and was able to get there all on her own, no pretenses. she's a low/middle class Black woman and not some rich tennis boarding school kid (like art and patrick). culture, class, and race are just barely explored in this film but it's all very interesting

anon I am kissing you on the mouth, if you're into that kind of thing!!!

I am fascinated by the class aspects of the film but as u say they are lightly touched on & for myself I don't know USA class markers except thru media so I probably miss a lot.

The way class/race/gender plays into Tashi's story is soOooo!!!! Tennis was something she succeeded at in spite of the ways ppl look down on her. It's in her first lines in the film - her competitor was a racist bitch and a sore loser! She's aware how her race influences how ppl treat her on the court and she is not afraid to speak on it.

Typing it now, I wonder if that was a bit of a test for the boys. Like "you seem interested in me. Can you be normal about me experiencing racism? Can you be normal about me being angry about it?" All that as a teenager!

Tennis was a way to force people to see her not just as an equal, but in the sport, as a better. She's better than all of them! She's the best. And then she loses that. Ugh this adds so much more to the "you're not a member of my fan club?" Scene.

Patrick can be both Jewish and irish American! I vote we explore that one. There's so much to say about the conditional nature of the white privilege Jewish ppl can have in the global north - I usually leave that to my Jewish friends to explore but I Have Heard About It! The actor has Jewish & irish heritage fwiw.

Also fascinated with Patrick's relationship with his generational wealth. Like, clearly he has it. Ppl reference it. But he has eschewed it to pursue tennis. His family have decided he can be a rich man or he can be a tennis player (third option=getting a different job. Unexplored). He has made the choice that results in sleeping in his car and not EATING between competitions.

Like that seems like dramatics of a man who has never known true precarity. and yeah partially! But also, have you heard of financial abuse? I had friends in college studying degrees they didn't want for careers they hated the idea of. Because generational wealth meant they didn't qualify for financial support from the state. Leaving them dependent on parents who can withdraw their support at any time if they do something which looks Bad for the Family. The capacity for abuse in these situations is staggering. And yeah, he could get a "real" job. He'd have an easier time doing that than ppl without his class background. But the man would literally rather starve. And he is.

I would love to know what u think of Art's class background! I feel its least explicitly explored of the 3. I saw someone saying he didn't come from money at all and I thought That's Not Right I Saw His Grandmother's Ring. But I really can't say beyond that

[strawbrygashez]

A few Caldre hcs where one of them is a CHICK 🐣 to make it easier, fem Cal= Callie & fem Andre=Avery

Andre and Callie

•I’m gonna be honest, I think if Andre was with a girl, he’d say a good amount of misogynistic things 💀 it comes from his father and just the shitty guys he’s inspired by or grew up around. He thinks it makes him so cool and sigma but at the end of the day Callie can read thru all his bullshit. He makes all these jokes about how Callie should just let him do all the hard work and whatnot since she’s a girl after all and all this junk but as soon as she holds his hand, he’s a blushing mess. She’d tease him about how he talks all this big game but is a pussy when it comes to her touching or flirting with him.

•I think he’d be even more so possessive in this au (or whatever) cuz he feels like he can be way more open about letting others know he’s the only one who can have her (since u know.. it’s not gay). If someone’s flirting with her he’s ready to beat the fuck out of them then and there even if she tells him it’s fine and that whoever’s flirting with her is a loser anyways.

If Andre isn’t allowed to fight whoever it was flirting, he’s pouting and she has to reassure him she can’t be stolen from him. It especially helps him calm down if she’s running her fingers thru his hair w/ his head on her thigh.. (yep. Andre is truly so sigma alpha leader male here 😈 women are so emotional right andre???)

•I think hed appreciate b00bs and ass but is more of an ass guy.. so he randomly slaps hers when they are alone wherever 💀 which ends up with her tossing whatever is closest to her at him half heartedly.

•WOULD HAVE TAKEN HER TO PROM!!!! They would have had so much fun.. I can see Callie dressed up as Carrie with fake blood just for fun. Andre is in a normal prom suit but covered in fake blood too. They r forever known as the freaky couple <3 they’d look so happy in all their prom photos.

Cal and Avery

•I’m getting this out of the way. Cal loves boobs. Avery would have a great pair. He sleeps on them a lot. It flusters Avery a ton but she loves being able to hold him so she allows it.

•Cal would be her first boyfriend!! So she has a lot of firsts with Cal. First date, first kiss, etc.

•Avery is obsessed with the army like Andre is so Cal will say stuff like “Yes ma’am!!” after she orders him to do something. Part of her wants to tell him to shut up because it’s embarrassing hearing him yell that especially in public but the other half of her absolutely loves it.

•While Andre would be the type to fight other guys if they were flirting with Callie or making her uncomfortable, Cal goes full on crazy and threatens them with knives and leaves them notes filled with things that makes them forever stop talking to Avery. Most of the time, Avery wouldn’t even ever find out something happened after she told Cal some guy was bothering her.

•While Andre has lowkey misogynistic views, Cal is the complete opposite to the point where it can even be kinda cringy. He’ll like half jokingly go on a women empowerment speech until Avery interrupts him and tells him to shut up and that he just says all that because he wants to be overpowered by a chick 💀

[blueiight]

my opinions on spaceboys hets nobody care about spoilers galore for the handful of ppl watching !!

jessica/yang: unironically think its greatness like jessica was one of the few ideological challenges to yang on the fpa side & even in the whole series she rly represented that political homefront in a way hilde is introduced for the empire jessica is that for the fpa grassroots organizing then in the face of loss is mobilized to rise up against the govt its rly some of the best or rather the most resonant the fpa side gets is thru her imo + her entanglement w yang was even better. usually i hate a rebound but the fact that both jess + yang rly cared about lapp and for eachother n never rly had a chance to admit that to themselves much less eachother before it was too late makes it such a good ship nd rly sets a lotgh precedent [love triangles from the pov of the 'loser' in love..who broke tanaka's heart back ina day]..sunglasses is to yang as locket is to reinhard. ova needed sunglasses yang

reuenthal/elfriede: also unironically think its greatness. elfriede is one of the best characters in lotgh to me . she literally only had 10 minutes of screentime, and 6 of them were like “you’re doomed to die ingloriously and i wanna be the bullet that ends your life”. reuenthal is like please, id gladly welcome it, if you knew how to use that gun woman. thats so romantical to me. unironically my fave type of hets r either jessyang or reufriede toxic. i do support queering reufriede its literally ripe in ova canon.

dominique/rubinsky: dominique is a citygirl in my canon, she wanted rubinsky as a come up for her career & got entangled in his ??? lotgh ‘logic’ defying actual logic plots. loved her snitching to oberstein in the end.

annerose/kircheis: i think kircheis really loved her like he rly did but i have a hard time getting a grasp on annerose’s feelings + how much of her feelings were ‘sieg is a safe boy’ (in that hes not a 70+ yr old emperor) & later on entangled in her feelings toward reinhard in feeling like they were both responsible for kircheis death

reinhard/hilde: they have to be miserable + not ‘oo guy fucks the one girl of the group’ or even reufriede miserable but really and truly. miserable. i cant see them as having feelings for eachother. i think hilde feels a lot of grievances at taking this subsitute of kircheis (+ annerose) in the emotional aspect for reinhard . mfw i joined for the political coup & became someone’s workwife my hc for their first time is that rein had the worst stroke game (he was wine drunk) + called her kircheis when he came. god (tanaka) had to send reuenthal to his maker bc seeing this happen to His Kaiser wouldve rendered him apopletic

frederica/yang: i think theyre cute & yang needs a mommy dom but it shouldnt come at the cost of frederica’s overall chara. also frederica + julian parallels hey. where julian ‘outgrows’ the domestic frederica ‘matures’ in the domestic which is. Hm. not sure how to think abt that

julian/katerose: theyre technically yaoi to me in the sense that theyre their father’s ‘successors’ of sort. cute!

mittermeyer/evangeline: everybody is so so wrong about them. u can love ur wife and be gay too bros. why r ppl so insistent on like. taking away what makes mittermeyer fun… he even says hes playing the Straight Laced guy bc kircheis aint there thats not his nature!! hes the gale wolf. the short guy with a lot of spunk. i think he loves eva & loves his friend/s. my Q/As: what does infertility reprsent, who r they compared to, and why is it only thru reuenthal that the infertility issue is revealed sorta w/ reuenthal saying ‘the reuenthal line ends with me’ & him later apologizing to evamitt n why is it thru reuenthal that mittermeyer has a kid at last! sorry. fujo glasses off

[tankgotstuckinthecircusgate]

hii i wanna hear about your fav barbara momentss

(also hope you feel better soon <3)

ohhh i love this question sm !!! i actually have a lot of them. anyway here's the list in random order:

1. all barbara + montoya scenes in s1. they're so fucked up and i was amazed that there's canonical bisexual character in the show. also in love w Barbara smoking weed in Montoya's apartment. she was so real for this (not for weed but depression) 2. that little dialogue between Oz and Barbara, when Oz shows at Barbara's flat to see Gordon. like "Men 🙄" "Don't i know🤗" THESE LOSERS DESERVED TO BE BESTIESSSSS!!! 3. when she visits her parents and they ask her about Jim and Barbara answers that they're happy. for the love of god MY WOMAN IS B RO K EN!!!! i love her. also i love this strain between her and her parents. i wish we saw more of their interactions 4. of course. of fucking course: barbara's psychotherapy session w lee. GREATEST WLW SCENE EVER FILMED!!!

5. okay there's super fucked up scene i don't even remember episode or season (i think it was s3?) anyway. jim had massive hallucination and there was elevator and barbara was in elevator boy uniform AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I DIDN'T KNEW I NEED IT SO BADDDD. oh my god she looked awesome in this scene. also im in love with barbara being character who leads the mc through his consciousness. my girl was the narrative in this scene upd: i found screenshot of this scene!!! it's s3 ep7. i need to rewatch it. probably download and make edit. idk i love her sm here for no reason

6. scene where barbara shot butch at the end of s3. like this is literally peak of female rage and this is so cool that they show that barbara haven't forgot him for assaulting in s1. such a snake move from her. she was waiting this for so long. and she looked so satisfied w herself there. im prod of u girl🙏 7. everything related to her duo with Edward in s3. look at these sneaky pricks. i loved their duo so much i miss them (ofc i felt sorry for Oswald. but they had such chaotic bi swag it's amazing) "let's make gotham BEG" YASSSSSSSSSSSS YOU GO GIRL!!!

8. SCENE IN THE NARROWS. SCENE IN THE NARROWS. SCENE IN THE NARROWS. IN S4. dear god im eating this scene FOREVER. it makes me feel THINGS. im insane about Lee and Barbara's interaction here. Im insane about Lee here. Im insane about Barbara here. i love their transformation here. both character's and relationship (they almost handled conversation w/o mentioning Jim). also peak of romance. to me. (and kind of. "im a fool to want you" by frank sinatra vibes. to me) and. GREATEST WLW SCENE EVER FILMED N2!!!

9. "Barbara Queen! 🥰" scene. my girl slayed SO HARD. (also it took me to play m2 to understand what "capiche?" means lmao) look. look at her. she's a queen indeed

10. i posted this scene several days ago, anyway. jim visits barbara's club and shots smth, then tabitha raises a gun at him in return. and barbara's annoyed "seriously?" brings me so much joy lmao. she's so done with them

11. her arrival in s4. I LOVEEEEE HER SM IN S4 ITS INSANEEEE. i love everything about her. she's so cold. she looks gorgeus. she's depressed. she's my everything (my pfp speaks for itself lmao😭)

12. and when she visits Oswald in s4. i don't remember what happened in this scene but im talking bout this one:

i loooove how calm she is here. and how sassy oswald is she's observing things. she's calculating. i love her

13. of course. of courrrse: bride scene in s2. not to say that i like her in s2 much buuut. this is a certifed thompkean scene and barbara is obviously having psychotic & obsessive episode here and it's so interesting to watch

14. also i remembered scene in gcpd, i believe it was s2? anyway barbara comes to gcpd and calls jim and asks him "how do i look?" i love her outfit and that she beat up Jim after this. also i see parallels w virus!lee coming at gspd in s3. they're so girlfriends (i need to draw this au where they unite against jim ohgodddd) upd. i found someone's edit with this scene:

15. "this woman isabella. nygma said she was a librarian, right? who kills a librarian, i mean what's the motive?" and then she realizes oswald killed isabella. she looks SO HAPPY with herself. "you kn.. you know them!!! 😦😦😃😃" and i think she thought "omg bestie i've done the same thing to my ex!!!!" back then 16. scene in s5 "honey, im still amazing😌" IM IN LOVVVVVE WITH HER THERE. LIKE. OH MY HER VOICE SOUNDS SOOOOOO LOW AND KINDA HOARSELY. YOU CAN TAKE ME NOW. IM ON MY KNEES OH MY GOD. also she looks so good in red 17. s4: "did you guys ordered thai?" "no" "good, cause i don't have any" *shots everyone in the room* i love her being rough and cold sm ohhh 18. when she's entering arkham in s2 having lana del rey vibes. queen 19. also i love these scenes in s1 when she discovers that selina and ivy was living in her apartment. idk there's something so soft about that 20. "disco vampire haircut" of course. iconic scene 21. "remember me?" when Nygma n Barbara took mayor Aubrey hostage. she's so sassy 22. this certifed thompkean scene. ofc. girl youre not fucking normal

23. and this one from s5 which i still haven't watched BUUUT ughhh THEM. wives.

there's more but im tired lmao. anyway i think i love almost every scene w her (except for s2. idk idk her psychotic episode portrayed a lil bit too cartoonish i think? idk this shit is actually way more scary in real life. also highly sexualized relationships w tabitha. i mean its ok if they had mostly sexual relationship and i aprecciate this as aro but y know. it could be portrayed way mooore elegant and subtle. or rough, doesn't matter) and THANK YOU SO MUCH for this ask. she's my comfort character and it's always nice to think about her😫😫💞💞💥💥 and i hope you're doing well too!!! actually thank you for this ask once again thinking bout her made me feel better lmao 😭😭😭

[shkika]

I might end up taking u up on that offer this is so so soo fun

I really enjoy it when people make moon mad at fp..like how could she not be yes she cares about fp a lot but siblings don't exactly...do that to eachother very often I think (but maybe they do /j the woes of being an only child)

I think not being able to harm artificer did him good in the end (therapy dog!!) like he would have definitely just wanted to send that thing FLYING into the sun but he couldn't!! he was forced to just deal with it and eventually he realises hey. Maybe this thing isn't so bad... honestly I think he really needed something like that right then given his tendency to push people away (thinking abt how he BLEW UP srs' poor overseer. That made me jump actually i didnt expect it i sat still for long enough to get myself blown up too it was kind of funny...aside from the trek back of course) (ALSO THE ADS HELP thats golden)

Adding onto that like....him being a silly little loser that wants to do everything by himself and the like loving the attention etc I really think that like... the time period he was built in only made it worse??

Like......i feel that being built when he was added to a sort of pressure of needing to feel superior, to not be one of those bugs in mazes. To have something with like a genuine true path ahead instead of blindly grasping for answers

Like...I guess he'd want to prove just how good he is by doing it without any sort of help and he just has so MUCH to figure out by himself that he just...builds that pressure more and more and that's gotta be too much at some point

^^ I like the idea of the triple affirmative stuff happening like...around this point in time (forgive me if my timeline is terribly off) but anyways like..it kind of just fucks up everything for the dude...like all he's worked for is kinda just for nothing so then it leads to everything with the rot as like some sort of last resort. Like he knows the risks but he just cant bring himself to care like he's in such a vunerable state he doesn't think about how it'd affect moon until all of a sudden there's a forced message being sent his way, but even then I guess being younger than like everyone in the group he doesn't fully grasp like oh. This is as bad as it is. Until moons can comes crashing down and hes left infecting himself with the stuff

Anyway you are so very right with the echo actually I haven't thought very much on the shaded citadel but it must have...not been pleasant going through the rains knowing that there's so many others unaffected by it

Sorry this response is so late actually I've been multitasking to all hell but RRAGHGJ squishing the iterators in my hand like stress balls I am so normal about this game

please do! <3 ramble incoming

Moon being angry at Pebbles is fun. I love seeing different interpertations! Though I do think she doesn’t hold actual bitterness towards him in my personal belief.

The idea that she isn’t actually *angry* angry at him makes her very tragic to me. By all means she knows his actions are inexcusable. What she went through was horrifying and painful and she acknowledges that. Nsh even mentions she’s always had way too much patience for him and that she really tried to be a good big sister to him.

So as his big sister and someone who guided him in early days I can see her being unable to feel spite towards him. He fucked up, hes now sick and rotting and it all fills her with grief. It’s all just unfortunate and sad! (definitely see moon being a little hater with salty comments sometimes. as she does but most of her anger is reserved for their shitty parents)

Pebbles desperately wanting to feel superior is something really fun to me!! Absolutely see it! (idk why u went and became close friends with guy who called you dumb and naive but u do you 🤷 maybe u like that. likr OoOo hes the only one that listens to my theories and he calls me dumb <33) We know he learns about what happened to sliver from suns, so I can only assume that happened before he was made..? But the game is vague enough for u to hc it as you want honestly.

What he did was out of desperation for sure! He never wanted to even involve Moon according to what he says while commenting on a pearl by Arti. It was just kind of impossible.

I think what Suns told him just left a big scar on the poor guy. Not only is he being told he never mattered, he has to accept he’ll slowly break down and not even die while still trying to solve their issue he doesn’t even care about. He wanted the feeling of power over his own self back and he wanted to desperately escape. Feeling helpless is the worst.

He thought he could be fast enough and not harm Moon and then failed! He doomed her and got a very bad case of the rot ( consequences of my actions) ((another bracket but the poor fucker tried to cure himself all the way until arti campaign! sad!!)) along with his failure becoming gossip material and a sensation as we learn from spearmaster logs. Which is why I assume he closes all communications.

Also Moon forced many many broadcasts onto him while dying :) not only partly the reason why he failed the project, it also further cemented his helplesness.. because he can’t do anything to help! A common phrase you hear from him is “I can’t even help myself”.

It’s a little treat in almost all scug campaigns iirc.

Also echoes are all so interesting I love them and their silly little opinions. Shout out to the one who told arti to stop being such an angry bitch <3

[3dumb2potatoes1]

•High • School • Crush•

Pt.3 I hope this stops

•Pairing: Hyunjin x Female reader.•

•Genre: Classmates to friends.•

•Warnings: Crying, Swearing, Shouting, Bullying.•

•Word count: 1,320

•Note: Like last time, please tell me if I missed anything.•

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

What the hell was this? There were rumours?! And not only that… IT WAS YOUR BESTIE WHO STARTED IT. You knew there was something up with her that day. You couldn't stop yourself from crying even harder. Your pillow was even more soaked now, and it was even harder now to fall asleep. Even worse was, that the rumour was about you and HYUNJIN dating. Your biggest crush. Why couldn't it have been someone else, instead of Hyunjin?

You finally fell asleep after about an hour of what felt like hell. Rumours were everywhere and you were getting so much hate, while the rumours were still spreading. More and more people heard about the rumour. “How could someone like her be with Hyunjin.” “Ew, it's the kid with no friends.” “OMG HER WITH HIM?! WTH” “No way Hyunjin chose her among every other girl in the school.” And there were many more comments about it, than just them.

You skipped a few days of school, cause you weren’t emotionally prepared for it. You planned on going back on Thursday just to see Hyunjin and see what he thought of the rumours. Texting him wouldn’t be the same as talking to him directly. Plus, seeing his beautiful face would make things just a bit better. All the days when you were at home, you hadn’t seen your family. Everyone distanced themselves from you, just like you did to them. The only times where you saw them were when you went to get food from the counter and take it to your room, when you had to use the bathroom, and when you needed something to drink, which you didn’t really have to get out a lot for, cause you had your water bottle on your bedside table which u could refill when you went to the bathroom. And going to the bathroom without seeing them wasn’t a huge problem, cause the bathroom was right across your room in the hallway.

The next day of school had come. You were so scared to go into the kitchen for breakfast and see your family. This had affected you more than it should have. When you entered the kitchen, all eyes were on you. Your moms, dads and little brother's eyes were on you only. Mom looked away while giving you a very disappointed look. “There, eat,” she said while trying to minimize the number of words she used. You couldn't really blame her. You understood why she was mad at you for “dating” someone and breaking her rules. But you still loved your mom, so you tried to keep it cool. Your brother was teasing you by making kissy lips to pretend like he was you and your “boyfriend.” Your dad wasn't really bothered, though he had never really been bothered about this type of stuff.

When you arrived at school, it was all like a nightmare. Everyone was in the halls whispering. All you could hear was you and Hyunjin. Many people were staring at you, making you walk faster towards your class with small tears in your eyes. Your eyes were glossy and there were small sniffs coming from you. It was so noticeable that people started laughing while saying hateful comments. “Get the loser to keep crying haha!!” “Oh look at the crybaby! She’s doing it again, crying!” “Why is she crying? She should be grateful she is finally getting attention,” Does she not want attention after deciding to date Hyunjin?” “Should’ve known what she got herself into.” Crybaby wasn’t as hurtful, cause you had been called that many times before by the bullies.

You finally made it to class. But even the class was weird. People had written and doodled all over your desk with another load of hate. Could this day get worse? Oh yeah, it could… Hyunjin was sitting at his desk with the same thing on his desk, and laying with his head on it like he was tired. Instead of girls everywhere around him trying to get his attention. People were in small groups in the corners away from him. Most boys stood around him and laughed at him with a few of the girls. As soon as they saw you walk in, the first thing you heard from one of the girls was, “Oh Hyunjin look! It’s your girlfriend!! Go give her a little kiss. HAHAHAHA!!!” While nudging Hyunjin. Hyunjin looked like he had just been crying too, just like you. You walked over to your desk like nothing had happened but still with a sad look. Hyunjin looked up at you with no emotion in his eyes. Not gonna lie it was a little hot, but right now felt like the wrong time to think that.

When the teacher entered the class, it was all chaos. The first thing the teacher did when he entered, was say “Hyunjin, Y/n. I would like to talk to you after the class.” Was it ok to feel this nervous when you knew exactly what it was about and you hadn’t done it? The teacher told everyone to get to their seats. While sitting down for a bit a girl starts throwing paper at you and Hyunjin. Both of you notice her but say nothing about it. At the third throw, you pick up the paper and attempt to throw them into the trash bin. You made sure to throw when the teacher wasn’t looking. But when you threw it, the teacher turned back to face everyone and saw you throwing it, thinking you were trying to hit someone. “Detention,” he shouted with no hesitation. “Wait, what?” You said so confused. “Don’t throw paper at other classmates. I saw what you tried to do.” He shouted while staring deep into your eyes till you moved. “She didn’t throw it! I did…” What? Hyunjin was trying to get you out of it, by saying it was him, and even throwing one of the pieces of paper at the girl. But it didn’t work. Instead, he gave both of you detention. “Nice try Hyunjin. But I’m gonna give you both detention now.”

No one except you and Hyunjin was in detention. While doing the things the principal made you do, “I’m sorry about what has happened,” suddenly came from Hyunjin. You didn’t know what to say until you started tearing up once again. Hyunjin noticed immediately and stopped what he was doing to help you. “Oh no! Why are you crying? Did I say something?” “No no no you didn’t it’s just these days have been so shitty because of the rumours.” You said while crying. “I’m so sorry.” Why was he apologising when none of this was his fault. Suddenly you felt like someone was hugging you. It was Hyunjin! You had always dreamt of at least hugging him, and now it was happening!! You just wanted to tell him why it was affecting you so much. That you had been in love with him for a long time and that’s why the rumours started. Clearly, you couldn’t say that cause you had pretty much just started hanging out. “fuck all this bullshit. You looked like you needed a hug.” That was so cute of him to say, and he was right too, you actually did need a hug from all this shit. “Is all this really this bad or is it just me?” You asked. “Being bullied, being laughed at, getting hateful comments and even having almost the whole school against us including the teachers? Yeah, it’s pretty bad I think.” He was right. “I just can’t help but cry almost every day.” Why did you say that, he would probably ask why. “I’m happy you finally came to school again, this happened the other days too just not as bad as this.” No way he just said that. “Are you serious?! Shiiiit…

I hope this ends.

The end

To be continued

Made by Potato 2

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, December 27

Buffy: What do you mean "see" spells? Giles: Well, all spells leave a trace signature. It's just not perceptible to the human eye. In this case, it could be the image of a hand choking your mother. Anya: Or a cloud of mist around her. Willow: Or maybe the shape of the demon that's performing the spell? Giles: Possible, yes. Buffy: Okay, so I'll do what Monsieur Silk Knickers did. I'll go home, I'll get trancey and I'll see what's affecting my mom. Willow: I don't know, Buffy. Trances? Giles: Yes, Buffy, the Sorcerer Cloutier was legendary. His skills at achieving higher states of consciousness were- Buffy: Better than mine? (to Willow) I knew he was gonna say that.

~~Buffy Season 5 Episode #83: "No Place Like Home"~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor! Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here. If you saw the phrase "HTML template" in our previous calls for editors and that was what made you decide that Herald duties aren't for you, you may be glad to hear that we've set up an alternative posting process! [Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Bloody Legacy (Cordelia, T, Yakuza xover) by madimpossibledreamer

maybe I’m in love (Jenny/GIles, T) by tilltheworldblowsup

Never More Roam (Buffy/Faith, M) by aliceinwonderbra

Drusilla's Roses (Ensemble, T) by amesChristie68

The Wayward Bug (Xander, T, Herbie the Love Bug xover) by calikocat

All Good Things Take Time (Buffy/Spike, E) by Blackmysteria

[Chaptered Fiction]

Who Shat on the Floor at My Sister's Wedding? Ch. 1/? (Ensemble, T) by thoughtsofahouseplant

Cera et Sanguis, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by nastieswewhispered

Roses for the Devil , Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, E) by davidf89

Ashes to Ashes, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, M) by HappyWhenItRains

The Time We Had, Chapter 27 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Dusty

Vacation with a vampire (Sequel to The Sphere) - Part 2, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Coraline

She came back wrong, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Desicat

Ending & Beginning, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by bramcrackers

Aphantasia, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by ClowniestLivEver

Sleigh Ride, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Lady Emma

The Time We Had, Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Dusty

Invasion USA Ch. 19 (Ensemble, G, HP xover) by Buffyworldbuilder

Who R U in 20 Years? Ch. 7 (Faith, M, multiple xovers) by strangebint

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Dawn Summers () by shy_sirens

Artwork:Rupert Giles () by silverhardt

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: The Body • S05E16 () by The Passion of the Nerd

[Fandom Discussions]

one of the reasons why wolfram and hart is one of my favorite buffyverse villains by badrecognition

Discussion of "The Body" by TPN by girl4music

I think in The Wish we should’ve gotten vamp!Cordy by someonefantastic

Ever think about how the entire Dark Slayer arc could have gone deeper if she had been involved in episode 18 of Season 3? by faith-thee-slayer

Honestly like, reading the broken earth trilogy really had me thinking about specific aspects of buffy. by nowmostlyabuffyblog

“The Mayor built this town for demons to feed on, and come graduation day, he’s getting paid” is a line with so many implications, yet it’s never mentioned again? by neurodivergentdisaster

I could write a whole dissertation on Cordelia by debbthelesbianbountyhunter

see a lot of takes regarding s6 spuffy being casual sex and unfeeling on buffy’s part and I just gotta disagree by somethinblue, dreamcaught

My main takeaway from buffy season 4 by all-seeing-ifer

Dawn in season 7 is shown to be an outsider / “loser” like Buffy was in high school by Brilliant-Problem605

Currently watching The Prom on my whatever-th rewatch by VelvetNoirMasquerade

Tara by CoffeeDrinksGod

Giles life in england? by ThickPeanut136

Willow was extremely obnoxious in Triangle by paul1691

Buffy with her Remington Model 760 pump-action rifle w/scope by deputyduffy

Warren is exactly how I imagine Andrew Tate is in real life. by Redheadathearttt

The Trio by Username031119

Thoughts On Season 7? by Defvac2

As bad as Xander could be in the early seasons, he really doesn’t get enough credit by Brilliant-Problem605

Watched Buffy for the first time at 9. Rewatching at 22. by Brilliant-Problem605

Can we talk about how Giles probably chose the worst way to introduce himself to Buffy by Brilliant-Problem605

I never realized this until now, but in Bad Girls (S03)... by catholicsluts

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Buffy Brings Back Dark Willow With a Devastating New Power by Screen Rant

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[chososcamgirl]

HIHIHHIII HOW ARE YOUUU

i didn’t send an ask yesterday cuz i was so sleepy💔💔

ANEEWAYSSS I FINISHED SEASON 3 OF DEMON SLAYER!!!! im addicted to this show even tho it’s so sad😞

omg i sound so stupid for saying this but i’ve noticed for the past two months or smth i’ve been putting on a pimple patch EVERYDAY cuz i’d get a lot of pimples and stuff but these past two days i haven’t put on any since i haven’t been getting any pimples🥳🥳

omg is it normal for me to feel bad about disliking a girl who literally hates on my friend.. THE REASON I FEEL BAD IS CUZ THE GIRL WAS OFFERING ME FRIED CHICKEN AFTER I DIDNT GET ANY LUNCH SINCE I FIRGOT MY MONEY😭 so i just POLITELY declined.. still don’t like her tho..

AGHHH IN GONNA GO INSANE today i was doing an in class science prject and my two friends were supposed to be helping me BUT THEY WERE JUST SITTIBF THE WHOLE TIME DOING NOTHIBG and i saw friend 1 pull friend 2 away while i was doing the project and i heard friend 1 saying to friend 2 how my face looked weird😞 i’m telling you if i wasn’t friends with friend 2 she would be FAILING geography and science.. like girl idk why you’re talking abt me like that💔

i also got a new diamond nose stud for my nose piercing😋😋 i still remember the pain from when i got my nose pierced in june.. i wish i did it by needle instead cuz i did it by gun and that shit was PAINFUL like tears were coming out of my eyes.. and my other ear piercings literallt did not hurt AT ALL.

i’m trying so hard not to drop the friend group that my twin friends are in.. like i personally don’t like the people they’re friends with because of some circumstances but i just don’t like being around those people since they’re bad influences.. i’m thinking i can just keep talking to one of twins since she’s like my close friend but just not hangout with her during lunch since she’s always with her brother and that friend group IDFK WHAT TO DOOOO😫😫😫😫

anyways.. i think that’s enough of my talking.. I HIPE YOU YAVE A LOVELY DAY/NIGHT!!!🫶🏼🫶🏼

-🪼

HI 🪼 ANON!! <33

again sorry for the delay i see u i love u and i appreciate u <3 YAYYY HELLO?? that went by so fast istg you just started it… BUT ALSO i hate when a good show ends like TOP 3 BIGGEST HEARTBREAKS IDC💔💔 YAY FOR NO PIMPLES!! im so happy for u bb <3 !! looks like accutane is doing the job fr🙂‍↕️

UM NO THATS NORMAL IF ANYTHING.. like why r u hating on my friend like… that just gives off weird loser vibes i can’t stand ppl who actually like people who r hating on their friends so GOOD FOR U GIRL 🫵🫵

NO WTF THOSE ARE NOT UR FRIENDS?? on GOD if they ever do shit like that just straight up start jumping them bc why r they so obsessed with u… (don’t get me wrong i would be too) but they’re just ugly losers girl don’t even listen to them and they’re stupid and spending the rest of their lives being miserable <333 don’t let it get to u angel🙂‍↔️

OOOOOO omg i remember i used to want a nose pericing SO BAD but now i want back dermals LMFAO omg that’s so cute tho like i LOVE body jewellery like CUTEEE‼️‼️

girl if u want to drop them drop them i promise u people that actually deserve to be around u will come later 1000 percent like they’re just dragging u down and they such like such haters and bitter people like i wouldn’t want to be associated with them.. but still hang out w the twins if they’re good people bc they sound so!! :)

LMK HOS IT GOES ILY ANGEL <3

[dulcewrites]

new chap of fcc… love u babe. DID WATCH THE NEW HOTD EP??? keep us updated on ur thoughts!!

Love you more 😘 glad you liked it!

Ok don’t hate me but I didn’t. I don’t have work on Wednesday so I may watch it then. But tbh I was tempted to do what I did last season and sort of catch up after the fact. I didn’t start watching s1 in real time till ep 8 (I binged the other eps the Friday and Saturday before). It actually helped me formulate my thoughts better. If that makes sense. Idk this fandom can be… a lot/overly negative for the sake of argument and it can be hard to enjoy it while airing. I don’t want to be fighting for my life as an Alicent girlie and an overall team green enjoyer lmao.

That being said I have seen a couple of clips and knows the basic beats simply by just being around so I will say:

- glad they gave Aegon Helaena and their family some development pre b&c. Can’t speak on actual b&c bc I haven’t seen it. Wish we got more of them as a unit in s1

- I think Emma and their acting skills does most of the work bc I don’t care about lucerys dying (sorry not sorry) but interested to see where grief takes Rhaenyra. How is she going to react to b&c.

- daemon is a loser wbk

- loving the dynamic they are setting up with Aemond. Not only him lean to the death being on purpose but also pointing out the honest hypocrisy of him ‘being the reason the war started’… while they already put Aegon on the throne 😭. Like yeah Luke dying def accelerated things. But at the end of the day, it all broke the moment Aegon got a crown on his head. Naturally Aemond would feel some type of way about a parent choosing Rhaenyra over him (in his mind)… again. And this time it’s the parent that defended him. That has to suck

- I guess the thing (outside of b&c) that people have the most things to say about is Alicent and Criston. Soooo I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I’m of the belief that BOTH rhaenicent and alicole are better left in the margines… aka things left unsaid and unconsumated. I like the will they or won’t they of both. That means I wasn’t like jumping up and down knowing they hooked up, especially since we apparently don’t see how?? I could be wrong about that but that’s what i am assuming not watching. I think I’d appreciate it more seeing the first time or how these ultra repressed people got to having casual sex. But I will say even as someone who enjoys rhaenicent, that I like the idea of Alicent figuring her sexuality out for herself. Even if she realizes it’s not for her or hates herself afterward, she deserves a chance to try it out. I’m not of the belief that Criston is just gonna turn on her one day.

Also I feel more inclined to defend it simply bc this fandom is weird and now people are taking their distain for alicole out on Fabien. What we aren’t gonna do is demonize a man of color for some ship. It is to the point where people want to make it seem like Liv doesn’t like him which we know is just not true. It is also extra icky when it comes from white people bc why are you calling Criston a dog…. While actively stanning white character who behave the same or worse way. It gives the same vibes as the misogynist who love the male characters of the show but hate the women. Like bffr

This in general brings up a larger point for me that I haven’t really known how to put into words. I feel like a group of people - mainly rhaenicents (and once again I say this as someone who thinks that relationship is one of the most if not the most interesting in the whole show) - who act as if Alicent needs to hate everyone BUT Rhaenyra. Like she must hate her children, her father, and Criston but god forbid you bring up any resentment she may have towards Rhaenyra. Alicent is allowed to be sad about her childhood being taken and love her kids. She’s allowed to resent the position her father put her in and seek his council. She is allowed to know what Criston is capable of and understand he has been there for her for more than a decade. Just like she can move to put her son on the throne and miss what she had with Rhaenyra. Alicent is very complex and that should be seen through all her relationship.

One gripe I will say about alicole is like… what is the payoff. It is to make his eventual death hurt more? Is it more division amongst the greens? Is it for the guilt of it all?

[astarab1aze]

💙 for kaede and ming.

who curses more?

they both curse horrifically, both of them. hello- their mha verse is the biggest indicator of that omg

who is more patient?

neither of them are patient, lbr. BI they are both enormous pains in the ass when it comes to anything. anything! but they love each other so they put up with it, grumpily, and by saying fuck

who does the driving?

kaede likes to walk everywhere or take the train, so i'm going to say, if they have a car, ming. otherwise, they just go places together on foot, or maybe sometimes they have a driver - perks of marrying rich unu

who is louder? who is quieter?

yet again-- boffum, boss. they're both just so - complicated. noisy and loud, but also broody and do not talk to me ever about things

who is more physically affectionate?

i should say, ming, i think. kaede's so particular, but he does have his moments when he's needy and wants attention. he's just so damn cat-like, and ming comes at him from the other end in her birby ways. they both are and aren't, y'know? one more so than the other and vice versa depending on when and in which verse. i like to think they're equal :)

who is more likely to tease the other?

ming is for sure more playful than kaede in general, so i really feel like she is more likely to tease him. he's so serious sometimes, he can be a bit of a buzzkill r.i.p. so someone's gotta do something! it can either piss him off or endear her to him, there's really no in between with him. his mischief is so rare... ToT loser, no fun allowed ass

who is better with time management?

i think they're probably about the same tbh. very capable of mishandling their time, but also capable of scheduling, setting time aside, getting the most out of their day...etc. i think they can both be very pressed, too, urgent in everything they do for a bit 100% even silly stuff

who wins the arm wrestling matches?

kaede plays dirty and gives zero shits about it, and ming absolutely meats him with that same energy, so if ever they throw down on an arm wrestle, i imagine it being fucking wild. sore ass losers the both of them, too omg

who controls the music in the car ride?

ming, probably. kaede doesn't care a whole lot even though music is big for him when he has the time to play or really listen. again also: do they even have a car?

who covers dinner when they order in?

i guarantee it's kaede. it's always kaede, or at least most of the time because he's rich and wants to provide, husbandly man shit u kno. it's not about power or anything, he's just. let me take care of you

who is more outgoing? who is more shy?

i don't think either of them are shy so much as they are highly specific and complicated about certain things. both deeply emotional beings, and expressive too. private, but not shy. arrogant, ballsy, assertive at times-- they ain't shy, they're just awkward!

who has the more outlandish fashion sense?

neither of them omg

who starts the tickle fights? who ends them?

i think ming would start them, and kaede would end them, and vice versa but only occasionally. i see ming doing this moreso than kaede, since she's more playful than he is as a general rule, but i don't see him not doing it so

who has the darker/more “edgy” sense of humor?

i'm going to say kaede, but also ming, but then kaede, but ming--

who is more competitive when it comes to games?

are you kidding me? omg. they're both ferally competitive

who has the bigger appetite? the bigger sweet tooth?

i'm going to say kaede since he eats all day, but ming has the sweeter tooth - until it comes down to boba

who is more likely to get in a confrontation in public?

this needs no explanation, both of them omg

who hosts the parties/hangouts? who organizes them?

they live together omg. they're married. they just talk it out and make plans as a unit skjdhfsf

who is better at cooking? do they ever cook for each other?

i think ming likes to cook more than kaede, who can but isn't particularly interested in it beyond necessity. aside from going out to eat at restaurants and the like, i'm pretty ming does most of the cooking at a like, 53-47% rate between the too skjdfh

who is more likely to engage in dangerous and/or illegal behavior?

they both get up to no fucking good oh my god. verse to verse, one or both of them are getting themselves into absolute bullshit nonsense. it's like they can't help themselves, so yes. boffum, 50/50

who is more likely to notice when something is wrong with the other?

i think it really depends on the situation. as i said, they're both highly emotional creatures so it's not like it's not obvious when something's wrong. they would both notice, and try to react and care for the other as best they could, but they would also butt heads at times so it really just depends on context

who does the talking in public settings (i.e. to the waiter at a restaurant)?

they are their own people and treat each other as such (mostly; kaede's very very protective of ming in his current iteration so there are some obvious differences between verses)

who is more likely to extend a helping hand & provide emotional support?

once again i say it depends on context, not that they aren't there for each other. they're just sometimes idiots

who is the bigger prankster? do they get the last laugh or do they suffer for it?

ming! but her pranking invokes his competitive spirit, and so they end up fucking with each other forever. sometimes they each suffer, and sometimes they each have a good laugh together or separately