#don't make my mistake - do not skip the singles and DO NOT skip the B-sides lmao

[cherryidol]

me: thinking I’ve listened to the entire Mari Hamada’s 1980′s discography and I already know all the good songs by now

Night Steals:

[greycaelum]

Alpha Gojo 🤧

Scribbles and Doodles: Alpha Gojo Headcannons

—Businessman Alpha Gojo Satoru X Secretary Beta Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

"What? Mr. Gojo." You snap at him without looking up from your PC. Satoru sighed at the furious sound of your keyboard being beaten down by forceful fingers.

"Now, don't be like that pretty girl. Where's my 'Satoru'?" He leans down with his hands on the edges of the table, staring at his pretty secretary's evading eyes. "I didn't mean snapping earlier, you know my life would be a nightmare without you." He feels like his gut is filled with sand when you're upset with him.

𑁍 Genre: a/b/o dynamics, businessman x secretary

𑁍 CW/TW: (1.1k)— alpha-beta relationship, office romance, scenting, arguments if you squint, touchy/clingy alpha

𑁍 A/N: me imagining alpha Satoru in all black suit going to work, I'd never skip working, Sir, please *sigh* guilty distractions

• That being said, Satoru is the kind of alpha that makes heads turn when he's nearby. His presence gravitates attention to him and he's hard to read with those dark glasses covering his eyes most of the time. The fact he runs his family's conglomerate single-handedly as the uncontestable chairman of the board of directors speaks enough of the sheer authority he holds.

• Most annoying one you'll ever meet. Out of all the alphas you have met, he takes the icing for being the most irritating and condescending one. But in truth, he's a loving and affectionate alpha, that side reserved solely to his mate.

• That's why it is no surprise ladies fall on their knees for his attention. Omegas in particular chase him like a moth to fire.

• But little does everyone know, he could care less about the submissive omegas that'd do his back and call. Satoru prefers self-sufficient, honest, and a lil' naive beta who always makes his coffee bloody bitter when he's being a jerk. His eyes linger a little longer whenever you're too absorbed writing down his work for the day. Pretty lil' missus got a stray hair his fingers badly want to tuck behind your ear.

• His lil' missus is unlike the girls that beg for his attention. You're the best thing he's ever had since working. Hardworking and efficient, clumsy and outspoken sometimes, but nothing a good breather can't fix. He's chalking that off to you being a beta. It didn't take long for Satoru to trust you with almost anything. Everyone in the office is aware you're the boss's miracle drug. Every day is a peaceful day at work when the boss is busy annoying his secretary than biting his employees off.

• It's common knowledge for everyone to approach you first if they did a mistake than directly facing Satoru's wrath. That way, they could still ask you to help them face the big boss and not get fired.

"What? Mr. Gojo." You snap at him without looking up from your PC. Satoru sighed at the furious sound of your keyboard being beaten down by forceful fingers.

• Satoru treats you more thoughtfully.  Slowly knowing his smart secretary outside the office and more of a lady.

• He knows what you order at the cafe in the cafeteria every morning. He knows you like that chocolate croissant in the bakery across the building and makes a mental note to purchase it on Mondays when he knows you get the busiest from picking up what's left last week.

• He could be pretty straightforward and insensitive unintentionally but to you, it's not that hard to lower his ego and apologize than suffer your silent treatment. You know to stand your ground before the alpha.

"Now, don't be like that pretty girl. Where's my 'Satoru'?" He leans down with his hands on the edges of the table, staring at his pretty secretary's evading eyes. "I didn't mean snapping earlier, you know my life would be a nightmare without you." He feels like his gut is filled with sand when you're upset with him.

You rolled your eyes, and instead of seeing a sweet smile, your frown only grew deeper, but this time your glare met his eyes. He really didn't mean to be such an ass, but those conservative board members constantly sticking to the traditional means and blocking the new projects have reached the limit of his patience in the meeting. That leaves you dealing with damage control while torn from being summoned to your agitated boss's office only to get scolded for missing another meeting with the new investors.

"It's my fault pretty one. Y'know I never thanked you for always cleaning up the mess after me." Satoru looked at you with a genuine apology in his eyes. "How 'bout a dinner? Let's get off work early tonight."

You know your alpha boss is a stubborn one. And it still amazes you that he knows how to apologize and admit his fault. Part of you knows you're both accountable for that mistake earlier anyway.

"Then, I'll take up to your word, Sir." You closed your eyes and sighed, subtly smiling at the corners of your lips.

A pair of arms wrap around your shoulders from the back. You felt him inhale a very long breath with his face buried in your shoulders. The alpha in him feels very tempted to scent you right there and then. But the blush staining your cheeks is enough, for now...

"Mnnn, I'll see you at 5 then."

• When you finally decided to accept his courting, your alpha literally drowned you in his scent. Satoru is utterly whipped to your scent melting with his. You didn't realize how much he loves doing domestic things until you see your alpha dedicate time and effort to the simplest of your request. He's so down in providing you with anything.

• You know your alpha boss outside the conference hall is already nosy, but with your relationship getting closer and closer you find the alpha following you around, constantly teasing you just so your cheeks flare in embarrassment or irritation.

• Soon you'll realize this is just how Satoru expresses his love language. Vocal and showy, your alpha doesn't shy knowing he's the only one who can do this to his lil' pretty beta.

• Satoru prides himself on not being too possessive. it takes a major affair for him to use his caveman logic. But boy oh boy, he is quite playful in showing affection anytime and anywhere. Satoru fully trusts you, but he can't deprive himself of the joy of showing you off.

• Takes deliberately forever in scenting you. He's obsessed with it.

You tried to stop squirming and keep yourself steady on top of your alpha's lap. But his nose, trailing up and down the concave of your neck, nipping at your exposed skin makes it hard to suppress your moans and whimper, clutching your alpha's shirt in desperation.

"You like that pretty one?" Satoru looks at your dizzy eyes with delight while he kneads your hips. Your eyes are unfocused and hazy as you grip his shoulders for control. It's almost too cute but hot at the same time. Your eyes squeezed shut and nodded. "Right? Mnn, can't have you going crazy without me." Satoru chuckled and stood up, wrapping your legs around his waist to move in the bed.

—GreyCaelum,

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned image(s) and song(s) used belongs to their respective owner(s)

General Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby@aeanya@gumidreams@tender-rosiey

[thecameronchronicles]

Single

TW: Smut. Language. Brief 'getting back out there' dating angst. 

SUMMARY: JJ meets you on the first night out after being forced to 'get back out there' by his friends. 

WORD COUNT: 1800

REQUESTED

Single dad!JJ going out for the first time to a bar w John B (he hasn’t dated anyone since he had his baby) and meets reader and is instantly turned on so they go to the bars bathroom 

Single

"Just enjoy tonight okay, Kie is watching the littlest pogue and this is about getting you back on that proverbial saddle my friend..." John B explained while setting a cruel but purposeful weight over JJ's shoulders. 

"I just want to drink." But as his eyes scanned the bar for an empty seat to where he could accelerate the time with drink after drink, his eyes came to you. 

"Last time I checked that girl isn't a drink." JJ teased before pushing him towards you, the stuttering step drawing your attention from the  distracted stir you made with your fingers. 

"Sorry." 

"Not even giving yourself the chance to try before apologizing? Poor form..." You shot as he was immediately drawn into the fact you weren't just basking for any guy's attention. It was the mistake he'd made with the mother of his son. She preferred momentary attention from the thing that could get her into the most trouble. Currently that was the elder Cameron on the other side of the island. Which was why his son was under the care of the only maternal figure he'd ever known. 

"Maybe you should try a bit of confidence..." You learned to the bar, turning back to him as his eyes moved to you in momentary fear as to why you'd analyzed him. Offering an easing smirk, you gave a grin before ordering a drink he'd never heard of. 

"I thought men in the south were supposed to be gentlemen..." He cleared his throat and nodded. 

"Then why are you making me drink alone?" He shuffled nervously before ultimately taking the seat beside you. He sat just close enough for you to dictate the scent of saltwater and a decent shower. 

"So a beautiful girl buys you a drink and you can't even give your name? I'd say that's strike two..." You pause to allow him the chance to offer his name. Once he has, you extended your hand before giving your own. His lip spread in approval to his dimples as he believed the name for you perfectly. His eyes descending you when you feigned interest in the bartender for a refill, unaware you'd witnessed him checking you out. 

"You're not from around here?" He finally asked as this would begin an effortless stream of conversation that consisted of playful banter and teasing jokes. Eventually, it came time to close out the tab as the seats were anything but comfortable and you searched for a change. In doing so, a picture fell out of his wallet and to the floor. 

"You have a son..." The words came out rather deadpanned as he could tell if this had been a deal breaker or not. It worried him as you had been the only reason he'd smiled since the birth of his son and now you were as fleeting as that moment. 

"He looks just like you. Same smile. You should do that more." You laid it on thick, fitting the pieces together as to why it was he hadn't been the first to instigate the interest you were made aware of when he first entered the bar a few hours ago. 

"I used to know how to do this shit, you know..." He explained after mentioning gratitude for your remark. 

"But now I can't even look a beautiful girl in the eyes..." You cocked your mouth to the side. 

"Then maybe you should close them." His heart skipped a beat as your teased forwardness was exactly what he needed. That reminder of life still needing to be lived despite his paternal role. But where he expected your lips, you would pull him to the small floor designated for dancing. 

"I don't really dance."

"You can move your hips though...your son proves that..." You flirted through batted lashes before turning away so you could sway your ass against his seam. A seam suddenly too tight for such a public display. 

"I'm jealous..." You confessed as the music broke just enough to be heard as you bent back towards his ear. 

"Of what?"

"She got to know how you felt...And I only have...an idea..." You were suddenly turned to face him. That need for his dominance to challenge your own, having been presented. 

"You want it?" 

You moved to the tips of your toes, hands pressed firmly against his chest, before you whispered into his ear. 

"I need it. If only you were daring enough to feel my panties right now...you'd know just how much..." He slipped his hands up under your ass and at a tease. 

"If I was wearing any, that is..." You danced for only a second more before making your way off of the dance floor and towards the bathroom. You weren't granted even a step before feeling a grip take you against the wall. That single remark enough to alter him from reserved to desperate.

"This might make you question your beliefs on guys from the south being gentlemen...because I'm not going to be gentle...but you won't have to question I'm all man." You repressed a chuckle to his attempt to make this sexual, but the grip at your hips only made you nod in agreement. 

"Then prove it, JJ..." You pushed him against the wall to only be turned with your hands collected on either side of you. 

"You don't mind everyone seeing you come?" Your brows raised in surprise as your lips widened in humor. 

"I would have let you in the middle of the dance floor because your fingers felt so good...But you're getting ahead of yourself...you haven't even kissed me and you think you can make me come?" 

"The first time I kiss you will be in the lips..." You nodded. 

"That's where I expected..." But the cock of his jaw suddenly excited you. 

"Not these lips..." He brushed your smirk away to a more sultry contentment as he moved to his knees. 

"Oh...oh!" You gasped as he grinned against your thighs in the first stripe made of your sex. 

"It's a miracle nobody slipped on the dance floor...you're already dripping for me..." He was contrasted to the man too timid to even sit at the bar. He was fervent and educated with a wicked tongue bringing both heaven and hell through each stripe. 

Once he found a steady rhythm along with your hips, he pulled your leg over his shoulder. Your fingers rushed in circuits through his messy hair until he brought your hand to view. Sucking your pointer finger and then your middle, he gracefully exchanged them for his tongue as you'd only noticed when he returned to stand. 

"Touching yourself in the middle of the club...dirty girl...." 

"Your dirty girl for tonight..." He growled in response. 

"If you’re mine, why are you talking? You should just be moaning. That's what my girl does for me. She moans. She comes. Just not yet " He guided your hand faster. 

"Please. You feel better."

"If you think my fingers want to make you come, just wait for my cock..." He brought your hand against the bulge as you bit your bottom lip. 

"You willing to show me how badly you want this? Enough to suck me off right here?" Your fingers then fisted the fabric of his chosen jean jacket. 

"I want you to fuck me right here, JJ...please...I'm..." 

"Sweet." He took his thumb to his bottom lip to remind you both of the way you'd opened your legs so easily to him. 

"Turn around. Hold up your skirt. I've got to use my hands for better things." You obeyed, the sound of his buckle dismantling having acted as a reward. 

"Oh, you need this as badly as I do...don't you? Been a while for you, too?" You nodded, nails eating at the flat wall before you. 

"Safety first." He teased while extending a condom over his large anatomy, your eyes needy to know what you were about to feel firsthand. But you would only be able to become knowledgeable of him once he decided to end your mutual torment. 

"I'll take good care of you...sweetheart..." At the title, he thrust inside of you. A single force bottoming out and pinning you against the wall. He remained still for only a moment before pistoning in and out of you. Each thrust seemed to act as a means of motivation to accelerate even faster. This continued as his hands rode the curve of your hips and to your breasts. 

"You feel so perfect."

"And all yours." He smirked, chest risking to indicate the scoff he exhaled. 

"You're just saying that because you want to come for me..." He began to twist and pull at your nipples. "But you're smart enough to know I'm in control here. You come when I'm ready for you to." You moaned, hoping it would be enough to initiate him further. But it would only send him into a smirk. 

"My poor desperate girl..." 

"Please JJ..."

"You even beg pretty...But so you come pretty too?" Before you could answer, his middle finger of his dominant hand came to your clit in a pinch. 

"Let's find out." 

Fondling your nipple and your clit at sporadic bursts of the same aggressive force, you craned behind to kiss him. Success was met through every other thrust as your lips would simply brush across his otherwise, all while he continued. 

Sweat and pleading became the only thing legible against the time spent together as you could feel your body collect that familiar pleasure. That lower warmth and twist of an orgasm he had on the very cusp of his cock and fingertips. 

"You want this princess?" 

"Yes..."

"Can't hear you over the music-"

"YES JJ! PLEASE!" 

"Guess you do come pretty..." He smiled into your lips as he kissed you from a rather uncomfortable angle as you shuddered beneath him. Safety found between his arms keeping you steady into him as your legs threatened to give way beneath you. But just as you descended from that high, he has built to his own. 

"I'm close...just take a little bit more for me...it's been so fucking long as you feel-"

"I want you to feel good, JJ...come for me...please..." You snaked a tongue to his jaw as he guided into you even faster. 

"Fuck!" He called while expelling himself into the prophylactic. The tremors if his body and interruption of his rare breath having validated his release you couldn't feel behind the cover. 

"Shit...I needed that..."

"Happy to oblige."

"Oh, we're not done." Your brows rose.

"We're not?"

"I'm taking you to dinner. And then..." He set a soft kiss to your lips. "I'm having you for dessert…again. I need more of my sweet and sassy." He winked, guiding you from the hall once you finished fixing your clothes. 

"Yours?"

"For tonight, you bet your sweet ass..."

TAGLIST: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @camilynn @sweetestdesire @onmykneesforrafe @drews1love @phildunphyisadilf @mashdan0916 @pankhoeforlife @pankowperfection

MASTERLIST

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[beels-burger-babe]

Beelzebub's Very Bad No Good Day

***So this is the new format in which I'll be answering requests. In my experience, actual posts get spread further than asks do, so this will hopefully help with that. ANYWAY, I am crazy excited about this request as a major Beel simp and YES I will proudly do this request! Thank you @sinnoman for blessing me with it. -B*** Summary: Beel doesn't get anything to eat one day, and it doesn't go well for anybody.

From the moment Beelzebub woke up, he knew that today was going to be a terrible day. For starters, he had apparently raided the fridge in his sleep the night before, so there was not a crumb left in the house for anyone to make breakfast with. Most of the others had gone and grabbed something from Hell's Kitchen on their way to class, but poor Beel had slept through his alarm due to the food coma his nighttime snack had put him in and had to rush to RAD. The entire school was talking about the monster that they believed had awoken beneath the school. Teachers were on edge ready to evacuate the premises for the earthquake they believed to be happening. Beel avoided eye contact, blushing as his empty stomach continued to rumble and roar throughout the day. He ended up eating a few pencils just to get it to quiet down and even that didn't have much effect. The Avatar of Gluttony nearly cried tears of relief when the lunch bell rang. But it seemed that fate was not his friend that day. He was going to order a gargantuan-sized Little Devil mango slushy, a side of Hellfire curry rice, fried shadow bat, and 108 seed salad and the main course of at least twenty shadow hog burgers with three servings of caramel shadow tart for dessert. Beel was drooling at just the thought of it. He was almost at the ordering station when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Beel growled and turned around, baring his teeth at whoever dared to disturb him.

Belphegor narrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Woah. Beel, relax. It's just me. We've got a student council meeting, and Lucifer has threatened to take away supper from whoever skips out." Beelzebub scoffed as the air around him darkened at the mention of someone taking food away from him. "I'd like to see him try." Belphie raised an eyebrow at his twin's uncharacteristically grumpy behaviour. "Are you alright, Beel?" As though to answer his question, Beel's stomach let out another loud roar, causing several students to flinch and Beel to scowl in frustration. "I'm hungry." Belphie's frown deepened. Beel was always hungry, but he didn't usually let it get to him like this. The younger twin rifled through his own bag before pulling out an obviously full paper bag. "You can have my lunch if you want. I ate a little bit of it during class and swiped a bagel from Mammon during the first period, so I'm not all that-" Before he could finish Beel ripped the bag out of Belphie's hands and devoured it, bag and all. Belphie blinked at his now empty hand and chuckled as Beel chewed. "Man, you must be starving huh?"

Beelzebub merely grunted and continued to chew before swallowing down the small meal. He glanced back at the lineup in the cafeteria and put a hand on his stomach as he thought about the lunch he should be enjoying. Belphie nudged him. "Come on, big guy. We got to get to that meeting. The sooner we get it over with, the more likely it is that we'll end early and you might be able to grab something before class starts again." Only the meeting was not short and quick like Belphie had said it might be. Diavolo wanted everyone to come up with an idea for a school fundraiser, and Lucifer was arguing with Asmodeus on what was and was not appropriate. To make matters worse, you were unable to attend as, according to Mammon, your charms professor had asked you to stay behind afterwards to discuss your progress in the class. The bickering on top of the lack of food in his stomach was giving Beel a migraine and the longer he sat there, the more irritable he had become. Eventually, it became too much and he snapped. "ENOUGH!" he bellowed, flipping the table as he stood. "No one cares about the stupid fundraiser anyway and you're just wasting all of our time arguing over something that will inevitably fall apart and cause an even bigger mess, just like it always does!" "Beelzebub! Watch your tone in front of-" "Shut it, Lucifer!" his brother's gaped at him in shock as he snarled at their elder. "I am sick and tired of you pushing us all around and punishing us when the slightest thing goes wrong just because you-" Beel poked Lucifer's chest hard enough to make him take a step back, "won't take responsibility for your own mistakes!" "Oh shit," Mammon whispered under his breath, as Lucifer's eyes narrowed and his body tensed in defence. The second-born quickly squeezed his way between the two of them and spread his arms to try and create some distance. "Okay! Tensions are high. People are upset. But this is not the place to brawl it out." he glanced over at Lucifer who looked like he was a second away from stringing him up to the ceiling. "Might I remind ya Lord Diavolo is still in the room?" Lucifer looked over at Diavolo, who appeared to be both hurt and concerned by Beelzebub's words, before sighing and fixing his composure. He gave Beel a hard look. "Obviously something is upsetting you, but we can discuss this at home. For the time being, I recommend you work on calming yourself and clearing your head." Beel just growled at him before stomping out of the student council room. He had been about to re-enter the cafeteria again when the bell rang signalling the end of lunch hour. Beelzebub felt his eye twitch before his demon form burst into existence. He let out a deafening scream as he grabbed a table and threw it across the room (students still seated on it, included). Students were yelling and scrambling like mice as the large demon rampaged through the halls. He tore the locked grate off of the serving station and grabbed the nearest server by the scruff of the collar, causing them to squeak in fear. "I'm hungry," Beel rumbled lowly as the demon trembled in his hands. "Get me something to eat now or I will not hesitate to eat you." "R-R-Right away, Beelzeb-b-bub." Beel carelessly dropped the demon, who scattered off to gather as much food as they could. He began pacing like a caged animal. Having been alerted by all the noise, his brothers and Diavolo rushed into the nearly destroyed cafeteria. Diavolo's jaw dropped. "Beelzebub, what's the meaning of all this?" Beel's famished brain didn't acknowledge Diavolo as an authority at the moment. Instead, he was yet another person trying to keep him from eating. "I need food. NOW!" Lucifer's eyes widened in realization as he whispered something to Diavolo. The prince nodded and took a step back. "I'm sure the cooks are doing all they can to get you food right away. But I need you to control yourself before I am forced to take action." Satan had his phone out and was urgently texting someone, as Belphie moved forward.

"You'll get your food shortly Beel. You just need to wai-" "I don't want to wait!!" There was a part of Beelzebub's brain that was aware he was acting like a child. But his stomach physically hurt from how empty it was. He was tired. He was starving. He didn't have the patience for pleasantries. "I've barely eaten anything all day, and people keep staring and talking about me because my stomach just will not stop growling and I'm so hungry that I can barely think straight! I hate it! But I know it won't go away unless I eat, so I NEED TO EAT!" The brothers looked at Beel in shock. They knew that he ate a lot, but they always passed it off as just another quirk that made him Beel. They didn't know it bothered him like this. They thought back on all the instances where Beel had stated that he was hungry out of nowhere, always with a distressed look on his face. Every single time they had brushed him off. Before any of them could respond, you casually walked into the war zone that was the cafeteria. "Alright Satan, what's so urgent that you needed me so badly?" The room fell quiet as everyone's attention snapped over to you and you took in the situation. It didn't take long for you to connect the dots.

You immediately began to rush over to Beelzebub; Mammon stepped forward to stop you. "Woah, MC! I don't think that's a good idea right now!"

You ignored him and continued to make your way to Beel. Seeing you, the small human that you were, made Beel realize just how reckless he had been acting. He held out his hands to stop you and took a step away. "You should listen to Mammon, MC. I-I haven't eaten all day and I-" "You haven't eaten all day?! Oh god, this is worst than I thought." Beel watched as you slid the oversized backpack that he had seen you carry around RAD with you every day off your back and begin to dump out the contents. In a second, dozens of bags of chips, candy, fruits, and other snacks spilled across the floor in front of the two of you. Beel didn't waste a single moment. He instantly began consuming the snacks, causing you to smile happily. "Wha-What?! MC?! Why the hell do you have that much food on ya?!" Mammon sputtered as he cautiously began to approach you. You shrugged. "Beel gets upset when he's hungry, and I don't like it when he's upset. So I stocked up on some of his favourite snacks a while back and always keep them on me just in case," Beel paused his eating to look up at you in awe, "He can't help that he's always hungry. It's not like he asked to be the Avatar of Gluttony." Suddenly there were a pair of arms wrapped around your waist. Lucifer, Levi, and Mammon called out your name as Beel pulled you tightly against his chest. You just grinned and hugged the friendly giant back. "Thank you," he whispered softly into your hair, his arms tightening around you just a little more. "There's nothing to thank me for." As Beel finally began to calm down, the cooks came out with platters of food and shakily laid them out around you and Beel before taking cover back into the kitchen. Seeing that the threat had passed, the other brothers began to approach as well. "You know Beel, I didn't know you had that much pent-up anger inside of you. It was terrifying!" Asmodeus chirped as he plopped down beside the two of you.

"Yeah! You were just like the antagonist in My Boyfriend Turned Into a Cannabilistic Rage Monster, And Now I Have to Stop Him From Devouring The Whole City!!!" Levi began to ramble about specific scenes from the show that matched perfectly with Beel's rampage, causing Beel to blush as he munched on a burger. Belphie sighed and elbowed Beel as he took his seat at his side. "We'll have to make sure that MC's always around you. Just in case you know?" he smiled softly, before looking at his twin with a more serious expression. "You should've told me about all that stuff you said earlier. I had no idea you felt that away about your appetite." Beel looked away uncomfortably as he took another bite of his food and avoided the question. You snuggled closer to him, to provide him with some comfort. Satan tapped his chin as he watched the group. "I'm sure we could talk with Barbatos and come up with some sort of high-protein shake or bar that would better satisfy you. That way you wouldn't have to eat as much." Lucifer glanced over at Diavolo, silently asking if it was a possibility. The prince smiled warmly. "I'll have Barabatos begin working on something right away." Forgetting all about class and the anger that had previously consumed him, Beel looked around at his family. A warm feeling blossomed in his stomach as he felt content with the rare care and affection that they were openly showing. Maybe it had something to do with the thirty burgers he had already ate, but for just a second, Beel didn't feel so hungry anymore. ***Boy that got a little angsty there for a second, but I hope this was to your liking @sinnoman! I definitely enjoyed writing this one, and I think it made me fall in love with my boy Beel even more 🥰*** TAGLIST: @vampwiire @bunna-does-stuff

[hughiecampbelle]

Being The Smartest Shelby Would Include:

Polly knew you were smart from the start

She said so when you were a baby, but of course no one believed her

Everyone thought their kids were special, but you really were

Born just a few years before Finn, you weren't the baby, but you definitely weren't the oldest, so it was hard to be taken seriously

It started with your homework

You spent a lot of nights trying to tell your siblings it was just too easy

You weren't just getting every answer right, you were finishing pages of work in minutes, faster than anyone in your class

Eventually, you moved on to your brothers work

Finding it discarded on the table, you recognized Johns scraggly handwriting

He'd only made it halfway through, so you decided to finish it, even fixing some of his mistakes along the way

You wanted to show them what you'd done, but of course no one listened

At least, not until you stood on your chair and demanded that someone look over your work

It was a bit dramatic, and made for an embarassing story later, but you wanted to be heard

They did, finally, and they were shocked

Tommy handed it to John, who passed to Ada, skipping over Arthur, who eventually got it to Polly

"Well?"

"It's right, all of it. . . ."

"Fuck."

It wasn't just math though. You were reading every book you could find, even the ones your siblings struggled to get through

You had a knack for puzzles, for figuring things out no one else could, able to pull things apart and put them together just in your head

Polly knew, and she was going to do something about it

Anything she could find to keep you entertained, occupied, your mind at work, she'd bring it home

You had an incredible memory too, remembering everything from the contents on the back of bottles you brothers drank from to entire speeches Polly gave when all of you were misbehaving

It was amazing, to say the least

You were a kid when your brothers went off to war, so it was mostly Ada and Polly who spent long nights with you at the table over homework

You didn't think it was fair, that you were forced to stay in school when none of your siblings were

Polly called it a gift, said you shouldn't take it for granted

She had big plans for you, the kind of career kids like you could only dream of

Finn grows up with you reading to him every night

Even helping him with schoolwork, though that didn't last very long

It still irks you Polly let's Finn drop school, not even getting past reading himself, but you know better than to push the subject

By the time your brothers come back, thankfully all in one piece, you've become a bit of a myth or legend around the Small Heath

Not only are you taller and with more acne, a young teenager, you've made a name for yourself, and a business

After school you could be found with a hat on the ground, getting pocket change for your "abilities"

Showing off and splitting the money with friends, you put on shows

Memorizing the faces of strangers, drawing them almost perfectly by hand, reciting lines of poetry from class all from memory, etc.

Sometimes you bring Finn along, promising candy for his silence, making him part of the act

Your favorite is showing off the languages you've lesrned, switching between Romani, French, Italian, and German (to name a few) without a second thought, so effortlessly

Arthur caught you once, but instead of saying anything, he simply cheered you on, laughing at the fact that your business was doing better than the familys

You spent a lot of time in the shop like Finn, growing up there, but never really allowed in on business, not even to listen

Instead you were ordered to be quiet and focus on your studies

And you did, for a few years, slipping notes to John about what you thought would improve business, pressing your ear to the door to listen, putting up with being categorized as "one of the kids" with Finn

And then you made an announcement, one that almost killed Polly

You weren't going to university, and instead you'd be joining the family business

Your aunt put up a good fight, but your brothers were more than happy to welcome you, with rules of course

Ada wasn't too thrilled either, knowing how smart you were, and how special it was, but she wasn't going to stop you

Pol was, or at least she was going to try

"You could be anything you want y/n."

"And I choose this."

"You're-"

"Wasting my potential? So you've said."

You'd be more behind the scenes, working on the business side rather than the side with razors and guns

Your brothers were more than happy to hear that, though you'd gotten more than a few comments muttered by Pol

If you really wanted to, you could always be a doctor or a lawyer later in life, for now this is what you wanted most

You were finally part of your family

Within the first week, you have a full list of what could be improved and you're center stage in the family meeting

To say that was nerve wrecking was an understatement

Tommy had his doubts, of course, but John knew you'd been keeping their heads above water for a long time

"Go on then, you've got our attention."

You were the one they went to check over the books, the numbers, catching mistakes no one else did

It wasn't just spelling mistakes or addition issues, you were taking stock in inventory, in all the bullets that were wasted, the little things that went missing that no one seemed to notice

It didn't take long for you to work your way up, prove yourself not only to Tommy, but Pol too, showing her this wasn't a waste of your time

She's still not thrilled, but you're as stubborn as the rest, and she knows it's a losing battle

At least you're being smart with your work

Tommy made you check over every contract and agreement he made, making sure he didn't miss a single detail that would screw them over

He brought you to the races too, working out probability, though your math was shaky at best under that kind of pressure and uncertainty

You were the one counting the profits and losses too, weighing the options of whether or not to invest

You're really the only one who knows just how much the family makes

That is a dangerous thing in itself

You make friends quite easily

Not only can you speak an array of languages, bonding with everyone, but you've got that Shelby charm and good looks, too

You're quite popular, though your brothers constantly get in the way of any potential relationship

You're smart though, and not just for their gain, but yours too

If and when you're ready to date, you'll find a way

Alfie adores you

Tommy drives him mad, but he'd have you over any day

Not only does he love the fact that you can keep up with him, witty beyond belief, but your Hebrew is perfect

"So, you're the brains behind the whole operation?"

"Something like that."

You're brought along to a lot of in person deals

You pick up on things no one else does, remembering the littlest of things that can and will be weaponized if need be

Their kids and spouses names, the way they look at you, how they speak and carry themselves

It doesn't take long for you to know exactly who they are

"They're lying Tom. I know they are."

"How can you tell?"

"They look away when they answer, their eye twitches, and they always lean forward when they're saying something true."

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

You're not only their beloved little sibling, but the perfect weapon

They don't teach you how to use a gun, but you've been watching for years, making note of every tiny detail

When you do use a gun, which is inevitable, it's a perfect shot

Arthur and Tom insist you carry something with you, but you're fine sticking with a simple razor

The guns can stay with them. . . .

Not only does it come in handy with work, but your family, too

You pick up on the way Arthur escalates, talking him down before there's a full outburst

You know the nights Tommy does and doesn't sleep just by the sound of his voice, the way he signs his name

You know when to check up on Ada if she's not doing well after Freddies gone, even if no one else can see the hurt in her eyes

That's the thing everyone seems to forget, is that you're not only book smart, but people smart, too

Constantly making fun of your siblings right in front of them

"Pol, y/n's making fun of me!"

"I am not! You don't even speak Russian."

"No, but I can guess."

He'd never admit it to you, but Finn really is amazed by you

Ever since he was a kid he always looked up to you

School and homework and all that never came easy to him, and it lead to him giving up, so the fact that all of this comes so easy makes him proud to be your brother

"Y/n, curse in a language we all know or don't say it all."

Along with learning weapons along the way, you pick up on how to be a nurse, tending to whatever it needed

From your nieces and nephews scraped knees to bullet wounds

"Do not get blood on my new shirt!"

No one really suspects you to be listening or watching the way you do, so when they need it, you go "undercover"

Gaining the trust of the enemy, pretending to be a stranger that just so happens to get their attention as if you hadn't been figuring out what makes them tick, distracting them with drinks and small talk

If anything goes wrong, you picked up on how to get away, how to fight without getting too much attention, and not just by watching

With a memory like yours, there are some things you'd like to forget and can't

A lot of things do leave you with nightmares, with flashes of panic, with this dreadful feeling in your gut like you'd seen it all before

At one point or another you've called your siblings and aunt in the middle of the night, just to check up on them, see if they're okay

Begging your brothers to be more careful

They rarely ever listen though

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't go on a date."

"Nope, not until you're forty."

"Come on Arthur, you can't scare them all away."

Despite all this, you're still treated like a child

Your siblings still see you as that smart little kid correcting their work and growing bored of even the most complicated things

No matter what you do or say, you'll always be small in their eyes

[musicallisto]

without fail tag

THE “WITHOUT FAIL” TAG — List five things that you, WITHOUT FAIL, weave into or explore in your stories, whether it be specific themes or tropes, character archetypes, allusions to other literary works, what have you! It really can be anything that you consistently include in your narratives for whatever reason. Then invite others to share theirs by tagging them!

I was tagged by @deadlymodern - thank you so much for tagging me, this tag is amazing and I loved reading your answers! I can tell you have a very thorough approach to your writing & themes, it’s so cool!

(tagging people at the bottom of the post if you want to skip)

1. flowers, skies & words

grouping them together since they're all related to a wider, general literary device: symbols and allegories in my stories. Without fail, I’ll always use flower symbolism to evoke certain themes, places, characters... withered petals for death, blossoms for youth, you name it, it’s probably been in one of my stories. just consider my main WIP’s title, The Grave of Roses (Le Tombeau des Roses). It’s a little basic, and has been used time and time before in literature, but I still love it.

Other elements that often make it into my stories as symbols are planes (because I love aviation obviously, but also as a symbol of breaking free, independence, of man’s domination on mortality, what with having tamed the skies, but also his frail condition and how everything hangs on a thread). Also, the sky is pretty.

And lastly, words, stories, novels always have their place in my stories, and more often than not one of my characters is a writer, or someone who uses words and stories as some kind of comfort, outlet, or a driving force.

At its [the tombstone] foot, below the name, red roses piled up, enough of them to cover ten graves. A single vermilion bud, a wind-swept poppy, clashed with the rest of the bouquet, and Samuel knew that it was William's children who had placed it there. Only they knew that he didn't even like roses anymore, and that he would come to lay poppies on his father's memorial every time he returned to London...

The tomb was both smaller and prettier than Samuel imagined, less opulent than England would have wanted to give its precious child. The morning sun, like a caress, illuminated the epitaph, a Latin verse that Samuel had known in the past. “Bury me southward,” he heard William say so clearly that he almost turned around, "so that I can look at England and France in the same breath." His name, however, was drenched in full light, facing east, and inexplicably this saddened Samuel.

“And there it is... it's pretty, don't you think? I don't know if he would have liked it... You probably know it better than I do...”

“And why do you care about that, huh? You don't even believe in God.” “He's a writer. He believes in symbols.” “He believes in vanity, alright.”

“I think he would have liked it anyway,” he nodded in agreement, his eyes glued to the lonely poppy. (Translation)

2. parental roughnesses

this was bound to come, because I feel like we were all pretty fucked up at some point in our lives from our upbringing. I didn’t go for straight up “parental issues” because I don’t deal with like, abusive or absent parents or anything, just complicated relationships between parents and their children, but who still love each other. Oftentimes it has to do with one of the children idealizing the heck out of their parent and slowly realizing that they make mistakes and are not a hero at all, and/or unmeetable expectations and parental pressure. but it’s not like I’m projecting or anything lol

“You never knew Father, William,” Grace stopped him immediately [...]. “Don't you dare pretend you know what it's like.”

“Growing up without a father is not necessarily better than losing him in childhood! Everyone here has suffered from his disappearance, Grace. You have no idea how much I miss him, despite never meeting him. But that's all in the past now. And there's no reason for there to be another war.”

“Of course there is!” she retorted ferociously, despite the tears spilling from her eyes. “Of course there is, and they're going to send you there like Father, and you'll want to play hero like Father, and then you'll get shot down like a dog! Where's it going to be this time, huh? Above Luxembourg, just like him, or maybe somewhere in your beloved France?” (Translation)

3. patriotism

One way or another, all my stories always deal with patriotism, nationalism, pride in one’s country and more broadly speaking one’s relationship to it. It questions what it means to belong to a country, to share one culture, one language; does it justify acting in the benefit of one’s country, and where do you draw the line before you intentionnally harm others’; what even is a country, a nationality, and it what sense do you belong to one, and what do you owe it, if you even owe it anything? Is it wrong or right to feel love and attachment to your place of origin? And what does it mean to fight for your country, for its values, for its people? & other things of the like. It probably stems from my own experience as a binational person; growing up, I was always asked stuff like “but who do you root for in a football game” “but are you like really French or not?” “if Spain and France got into a war what would you do?”, and this all lead me to question “am I more French or am I more Spanish - which one am I, and which one would others perceive me to be - do I need to pick a side? And how can I express my affection to these places that raised me both differently, without undermining the other - or others? can I still be proud of my heritage given the horrors my countries have committed in the past?”. I still haven’t found a definitive answer, so my writing is just me throwing trails out to the world and hoping I’ll figure it out someday. that’s why my stories often have a war setting; firstly I just love historical fiction, and secondly it’s the perfect backdrop for all these questions to unfold.

William laughed at the idea - he, a true Frenchman! It was a very silly thought. He may have loved what he had seen of Charlotte's country, but England was not to be ashamed of any other land, for it was the only one he would love until his last breath. (Translation.)

4. just a hint of supernatural

I love me a good ghost story, and I’m a fan of everything spooky, but what’s subtly spooky, and not the gory, in-your-face horror. This particular theme may have increased since I saw The Haunting of Hill House which completely OBLITERATED ME with how it uses the house and its ghosts to tell a story of family and trauma and memories... but I’ve loved ghost stories forever. Another piece that truly resonated with me was One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad) by Gabriel García Márquez. It was my first dive into the world of magical realism and I didn’t make it out of there the same person I was when I entered. This one is not necessarily included in every piece without fail, because some are just too anchored in reality, but if it’s not a straight-up spirit or an otherworldly creature, I’ll always find a way to include an aspect of superstition, a myth, a legend, a tale from faraway that is neither proved nor disproved throughout the story. It truly adds to the atmosphere of the world, even in a very realistic and gritty setting, I believe.

I hear murmurs of legends among the soldiers. [...] One of those stories caught my attention, I must admit... It is not very special, nothing more than a children's tale, but I thought it was beautiful enough to please your Romantic soul. Some pilots speak of a cemetery, somewhere in the countryside north of London, which has something mystical about it, lost in the flowers that sway as far as the eye can see, in the calm rhythm of the wind, wrapped in the heady scent of eternal spring, and where the bravest warriors would go to rest forever, tired of their exploits and the continual explosions. No one knows exactly where it is or what to do to be buried there, but this beautiful image simply floats like a dream in the minds of many and, I confess, in mine as well since I first heard about it.

It is said that there only flowers dare to disturb the heroes in their sleep... This fragment of silence is called the Grave of the Roses.

So if I were to leave you, if you were to hear that I am gone...

With a bit of luck, that is where you will find me.

5. love

this one is broader and less obvious than you might think. Of course, I’ll always, always implement an element of romance to my story (and more often than not it’s angsty with star-crossed lovers or insurmountable obstacles or forbidden romances and whatnot), but there’s more to it. I don’t think I have ever written a story that is entirely grim and bleak, simply because I do not believe the world is built like that. I’ve said time and time again that love is my favorite thing in the world, and I believe it is the force that drives us all forward and connects us all together; love is, to me, the truest power of humanity, and its inherent purpose. And love covers all subjects and all types of relationships, but my absolute favorite ways to explore and show love in my stories is through long-lasting, rock-solid friendships (because friendships are often overlooked both in fiction and real life), and just a grandiose love letter to humanity as a whole. I’m an optimist, and many people who have suffered more than I have would deem me naive for thinking this - and I cannot blame them -, but as Anne Frank put it more bravely than I ever could, “despite everything, I still think humans are good at heart”. My stories are always born out of love and made for love. For the love of humanity and kindness and literature and love of myself, too, because sometimes I just like rereading the words and thinking, “wow, I’ve made it this far. look at me go.” In a word, yes, I would say that is what it boils down to; my work, but also what I hope my entire life and being will be. An ode to love.

“He admired you and truly loved you, you know. You were a good leader, I'm sure, and a good friend, above all.”

He thought she was going to put her hand on his shoulder, and prepared to bend to avoid it, but instead she came to rest on the polished marble of the tomb, which was already beginning to erode at the corners. The soft light bathed her hand, and Samuel's on the other corner, still resting above William's surname, the only thing he had been proud of from beginning to end.

“And I loved him too. I loved them all. If you only knew...”

well, I got carried away, as I always do when talking about my writing, but it made me miss it so much. I haven’t worked on any of my projects since literally October and I’m feeling the void rn. anyway, thank you again for enabling me to ramble about what I love most, Thais! and I’m tagging @softeninglooks, @lxncelot, @myriadimagines​, @swanimagines & @randomfandomimagine + plus any writer who wants to talk about their marvelous work <3