#glad i finally got to use it for something

[yazzwrites6962]

Trouble ♡ Silco (Arcane)

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Young!Silco x Fem!Vander'sSister!Reader ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Author's Note: UNEDITED! This was not my idea! I got this idea from @truezaunite. Hopefully this turned out how you'd hoped :) Also, I am finally done with finals! So hopefully I can get back on track with practicing my writing. Although, I may be changing my major. That's some extra stress. I don't own any characters/images.

Genre: Fluff

Summary: Vander's younger sister finally returns after eight years away from home. She was once a pesky little girl, following Vander and Silco everywhere they went. Now, she's grown into a bold, confident young woman. Silco finds himself drawn to her in a way he never thought would happen before.

Word Count: 1921

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, intoxication, suggestive content, romantic tension, family tension, harsh expressions

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

The dim lights of the Last Drop flickered casting shadows over the bar where Silco sipped at his bitter drink. Vander stood behind the counter, polishing a glass, before a sudden grin tugged at his lips. He looked up at Silco, placing the glass down on the counter.

"She'll be here any minute now." He said, in awe, as if the realization of what was about to happen finally set in. He sighed happily, throwing his rag over his shoulder as his large frame leaned against the bar.

"Your sister?" Silco muttered, raising an eyebrow with curiosity. Vander had casually mentioned your upcoming return a couple weeks ago. "The one who used to follow us around everywhere like a lost pup?"

"She's not so much of a pup anymore, Silco." Vander chuckled. "It's been, what, eight years now? She's grown into her own and doing well from what I hear in her letters."

Suddenly, the door creaked open. Vander jolted with anticipation, but Silco turned lazily. He expected to see the same, wide-eyed little girl he once knew. Instead, walked in a woman who moved with confidence, her gaze sharp as a knife. Your boots stomped against the wooden floors as you approached the men, a warm smile on your face.

"Vander!" You exclaimed, hurrying behind the bar and jumping into your brother's arms. His arms wrapped around you, squeezing you as if he feared you would slip away from him again.

"Welcome back, Y/N." He sighed, glad to finally have his precious little sister home. He pulled back, holding you by the shoulders and taking in the sight before him. "By Janna, you've gotten big! You look... well... you look like trouble!"

Silco watched from his stool as your banter with Vander continued. His usually sharp tongue was momentarily silenced. You were nothing like he had remembered. Your scrawny limbs and irritatingly squeaky voice were nowhere to be found. You were poised, witty, and beautiful.

"Still as broody as ever?" You giggle, snapping Silco from his thoughts as you waved your hand in front of his face. He gulped, attempting to hide his nervousness.

"I see you're still just as obnoxiously loud as I recall." He smirked, picking up his glass and taking a sip. His heart was pounding, and he had only hoped that his cool drink would calm his nerves. "I'm curious, what kept you away so long?"

"Traveling. Learning. Surviving. You know, the usual." You said, plainly, crossing your arms with a playful defiance. You wouldn't give him a proper answer. "Vander never let me feel too far from home, though. His letters kept me sane."

"Someone had to keep you in line." Vander chortled. "Even from across the world." You rolled your eyes, settling in the seat right beside Silco's.

"Now I'm back, so you can rest easy, Vander." You reached out, taking Silco's drink from in front of him and taking a sip. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as your lips brushed the rim of his glass.

You continued to catch up with Vander, but Silco's eyes never left you. There was something magnetic about the way you carried yourself, which left him feeling uncharacteristically unsettled.

As the night wore on, the bar filled with the usual chatter of patrons. Vander grew busier and busier keeping his establishment running. You found yourself sitting alone with Silco as Vander ran back and forth, keeping the customers happy.

"I should probably get going." You said, sliding Silco's glass back over to him. "I've got a lot to unpack. Tell Vander I'll be back tomorrow, yeah?" You didn't want to interrupt your brother's work. Besides, if you tried to say goodbye, Vander would only try to keep you there all night.

"Of course." Silco smirked, his finger running along the glass. "I'm sure I can speak for both Vander and I when I say it's good to have you back home."

"it's good to be back." You chuckled, placing a finger b=beneath Silco's chin and lifting him to meet your eyes. You could see the pink dusting his cheeks as you did so. "Don't miss me too much, now. See you in the morning."

You turned away, waving to Vander as you walked out of the bar. Silco huffed, frustrated with the realization that you were definitely trouble, as Vander had previously remarked.

"Now, what're you smirking for?" Vander grumbled with suspicion, returning to the bar and setting down a tray of dishes to clean. The Last Drop had emptied slightly after you left.

"She's certainly not what I anticipated." He tried to keep his tone casual, but the waiver in his voice was undeniable. Vander raised an eyebrow.

"I swear Silco, you'd better not be planning on roping her into another one of your schemes." Vander shook his head disapprovingly at his friend.

"Relax. I'm not planning anything." He leaned back in his seat, remembering just how protective Vander always was over you. "Just reacquainting. After all, she's family."

"Yeah, well just don't go getting any slick ideas." Vander warned, not fully trusting that Silco wasn't plotting something. "She's got enough to deal with out there. She doesn't need you adding more to her plate."

"Of course not." Silco waved his hand dismissively, but his thoughts betrayed him. The memory of your teasing touch lingered, leaving him more flustered than he would like to admit. "Though... Tell me Vander... Why do I get the feeling she could hold her own against anyone or anything, even you?" Vander paused, contemplating Silco's word for a moment before a smile of pride lit his face.

"Because she can."

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

You had been back in your hometown for the past few months. Most of your time was spent helping in your brother's bar. The Last Drop was unusually lively tonight. People shouted over the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses. Silco was in no mood for the ruckus. He sat in the corner with a half-empty bottle of his favorite drink.

"Drinking all by yourself? How sad." Your voice suddenly poked through the chatter. He turned to spot you right beside him, taking the seat to his left without asking permission.

"Maybe I prefer to be in the company of my thoughts tonight." He slurred, a scowl on his face as he grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass. He sure would need it, if you were going to stick around.

"Jeez. Here I thought you were happy to see me." You raised an eyebrow, taking the bottle from his hands and pouring a glass for yourself. He shivered as your fingers brushed against his in the exchange.

"You have such a way of making things complicated." He grumbled; the alcohol having loosened his tongue. His mind was foggy, and the room spun around him.

"Complicated? Me?" You questioned, a giggle erupting from your throat. "What did I do this time?" You saw Silco hesitate, swirling the liquid in his glass. The room felt warmer than before, and his usually guarded mind betrayed him.

"You... You make me feel things. Things I shouldn't be feeling." He replied, leaning forward against the table in attempt to still his dizziness.

"What are you talking about?" Your laughter faltered, replaced by a cautious curiosity. He looked up at you, softly, his usually sharp eyes clouded by something you couldn't name.

"You." He growled. "It's always you. It's always been you. You walk in suddenly after eight years, and nothing else matters. It's distracting. It's frustrating. Infuriating."

"Are you drunk?" You question immediately, choosing not to put too much thought into his words. He's just talking nonsense. At least, that's what your initial reaction was.

"Perhaps." He leaned back in his seat, shutting his eyes. "That doesn't make it any less true." Silco was not usually the type to allow himself to be too intoxicated. You bite your lip, your cheeks burning.

On the one hand, you wanted to explore more into his words. You wanted to understand his feelings. What he meant. However, you knew you shouldn't be prying into the private matters of a drunk man. Especially not Silco. You cared for him.

"You really know how to throw a girl off her game, don't you?" You joked, taking the bottle from the table and placing it far enough that Silco wouldn't be able to reach.

"Just forget about it." He grumbled, opening his palm and sitting up, expecting you to return the bottle to him. He noticed you taking it away. He hoped you would just leave him to continue his drinking in peace.

"No." You spoke sternly. "No more drinking tonight for you, and no. I won't forget about it," Silco groaned, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes once more. "But maybe I don't want to."

His eyes shot open, flickering to meet yours. Before you could continue, Vander called your name, needing assistance with the flow of customers rushing through the door. You stood, quickly smoothing your clothes.

"We'll talk more about this later." You winked, hurrying to help your brother. Silco watched you go, his heart pounding harder than it ever had. For better or for worse, the truth was out, and there was no way of taking it back.

But maybe he didn't want to.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

The storage room behind the Last Drop became a sanctuary for you and Silco. The dim lighting and cluttered shelves provided just enough privacy for your secret meetings, and tonight was no different.

Silco pressed you against the wall, lips feverish against yours. One of his hands was tangled in your hair while the other gripped at your waist.

"You're going to be the death of me." He murmured against your lips, his hands exploring your body. He peppered kisses along your jawline, traveling down your neck. You hummed, hands gripping at his hair and clothing, pulling him closer into you.

"What the hell is this?!" Vander's voice boomed, his large frame filling the doorway. Neither you nor Silco had heard the door open. You sighed, calmly adjusting your clothing. Silco looked as though his soul had left his body.

"It's exactly what it looks like." You said boldly, surprising both men with your fearlessness. "I know this is a shocker. You don't have to like it, but you will respect it."

Silco nervously looked between you and Vander, half expecting to be punted across the room at any moment. Vander's lips pressed into a thin line as he looked down at you. You grabbed Silco's hand, intertwining your fingers to try and sooth his anxiety. Finally, Vander let out a sigh.

"If you hurt her-" His expression softened as he realized he was glad you'd chosen Silco, not some stranger he didn't trust. You interrupted before Vander could finish his sentence.

"He won't." You smiled, feeling Silco's grip loosing as his heart calmed. Vander eyed Silco, trying to come to terms with the fact that he had just caught his best friend sucking face with his little sister.

"I won't." Silco nodded. "You have my word." Vander sighed once again, turning out of the doorway and muttering something about how he was too old to deal with this. You were alone with Silco again, and a smile played at your lips.

"You're trouble, you know that?" Silco let out a breath, wiping the nervous sweat from his forehead. You giggled, pressing a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"Mhmm, but I'm your trouble now."

[rose24207]

Through the scope

Summary: Lando, unaware that his wife is the mysterious sniper who has been secretly protecting him, becomes obsessed with uncovering their identity while she struggles to keep her double life hidden to ensure his safety.

Genre: Mafia!Lando, violence, a little fluff

TW: Mafia, sniper, gun violence, ambushing, threats, death

A/N: yay finally winter break! So done with all of my exams, glad that they’re done now! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

Lando sat in the backseat of his blacked-out SUV, the city lights reflecting off the windows as his driver navigated the narrow streets of Monaco. The meeting tonight had been tense—another power struggle, another potential ally trying to push boundaries.

His empire was secure, but it wasn’t without enemies. Lately, those enemies had grown bolder, their attacks more calculated. Yet, somehow, he’d managed to survive each ambush, each attempt on his life. Not because of luck, but because of something—or someone—lurking in the shadows.

There was a sniper.

A ghost that no one could track, no one could see, no one could identify. This sniper had saved Lando’s life more times than he could count over the past year. From ambushes to failed assassinations, they were always there, protecting him. But why?

No one knew who the sniper was. Not even Lando.

One year ago

The air was cold and biting as Lando stood in the middle of an abandoned dockyard, his breath visible in the dim glow of a single hanging light. The weight of the situation pressed down on him like a vice.

This meeting was supposed to be a negotiation, a simple exchange of information, but it had quickly spiraled into a trap.

Around him, a dozen armed men stood in a loose circle, their faces twisted in cruel smirks. They were confident, cocky even, and why wouldn’t they be? Lando was outnumbered, outgunned, and isolated.

“Not so clever now, are you, Norris?” sneered Marco, the leader of the group, stepping forward with a smug grin.

His gun was pointed lazily at Lando’s chest, as though he didn’t consider him a threat at all.

“You’ve been running this city too long. It’s time someone put you in your place.”

Lando’s jaw clenched, his mind racing. His gun was holstered at his side, but even if he went for it, he wouldn’t last long against this many opponents.

He forced himself to keep calm, his expression betraying none of the panic bubbling beneath the surface.

“Funny,” Lando said, his voice steady. “You think you’re the one who’s going to take me down?”

Marco chuckled, gesturing to his men. “Oh, I think we’ve got this handled. You’re all alone, Norris. No one’s coming to save you.”

Lando’s fingers twitched, hovering near his weapon. If he was going down, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

But before he could make a move, the first shot rang out.

It wasn’t his.

One of Marco’s men crumpled to the ground, a clean bullet hole through his forehead. The group froze, their laughter and bravado evaporating in an instant.

“What the—?” Marco began, but another shot cut him off, taking out the man to his right.

The sound was sharp and precise, each shot echoing through the dockyard. Panic erupted among Marco’s men as they scrambled for cover, their confidence shattered.

Lando ducked instinctively, his eyes scanning the area. The shots weren’t random. They were calculated, deliberate. Someone was picking them off one by one, and they were damn good at it.

“Sniper!” one of the men shouted, his voice shaking.

The group scattered, but it was no use. The sniper was relentless, their aim unerring. Within moments, the circle of enemies had been reduced to just Marco, who stood frozen, his gun trembling in his hand.

“Who the hell are you?” Marco screamed into the night, his voice cracking.

Another shot rang out, grazing Marco’s hand and forcing him to drop his weapon.

Lando watched in stunned silence as Marco fell to his knees, his eyes wide with terror. Whoever this sniper was, they weren’t just good—they were protecting him.

Marco whimpered, his bravado gone. “I surrender! I surrender!”

The sniper didn’t fire again.

Marco stayed on the ground, trembling, as the silence stretched on.

Lando slowly stood, his hand resting on his gun but not drawing it. He turned, scanning the rooftops and surrounding buildings, searching for the person who had just saved his life.

“Who are you?” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

There was no answer.

“Still thinking about your guardian angel?”

The soft voice broke through Lando’s thoughts. He looked up to see you standing in the doorway of his study, a glass of whiskey in your hand.

You were dressed casually, your hair tied back, a faint smirk on your lips. You’d always had a way of grounding him, of pulling him out of his spiraling thoughts.

“They’re not an angel,” Lando muttered, taking the glass as you handed it to him. “They’re a sniper. And they’re damn good at what they do.”

You sat on the edge of the desk, watching him carefully. “You sound frustrated.”

“I am,” he admitted. “Whoever this is, they’ve saved my life more times than I can count. But I don’t know why. I don’t know who they are or what they want.”

“Maybe they don’t want anything,” you suggested.

He frowned, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “Everyone wants something.”

You tilted your head, a playful smile tugging at your lips. “Maybe they just like you.”

Lando snorted. “If they like me so much, why not introduce themselves?”

You shrugged, hiding the flicker of amusement in your eyes. “Maybe they’re shy.”

That night, Lando found himself in yet another precarious situation. A rival gang had caught wind of his movements and set an ambush as he left one of his warehouses.

The gunfire erupted without warning, bullets ricocheting off the armored SUV. His driver swerved, but they were pinned down, trapped between two groups of attackers.

Lando drew his gun, ready to fight his way out, when the first shot rang out.

A single, precise bullet hit one of the attackers, dropping him instantly. Then another shot, and another.

From his vantage point in the car, Lando couldn’t see the sniper, but he could hear the chaos unfolding. One by one, his enemies fell, their ambush dismantled with surgical precision.

By the time the shooting stopped, the street was eerily quiet.

Lando stepped out of the car, his gun still in hand as he surveyed the carnage. His enemies were dead or incapacitated, but there was no sign of the sniper.

“Who the hell are you?” he muttered, his voice carried away by the wind.

Back at home, you were waiting for him in the living room, a book in your hands and a blanket draped over your lap.

Lando walked in, his expression tense, his suit jacket dusted with debris from the night’s events.

“You’re late,” you remarked casually, not looking up from your book.

“Got held up,” he replied, dropping into the seat across from you. He studied you for a moment, his gaze lingering. “There was another ambush.”

You finally looked up, feigning concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks to them.”

“The sniper?”

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. “They were there again. Took out the entire ambush like it was nothing.”

You leaned back, setting your book aside. “Maybe you should stop questioning it and just be grateful.”

Lando shook his head. “I can’t. It doesn’t make sense. No one does this for free, and yet, they’re always there, always saving me. It’s like they’re watching me.”

You smiled faintly. “Maybe they are.”

Weeks passed, and the sniper continued to intervene whenever Lando was in danger. He grew more desperate to uncover their identity, but every lead ended in a dead end.

What he didn’t know was that the sniper was closer than he could have ever imagined.

It was you.

For years, you had lived a double life. By day, you were Lando’s loving wife, his partner, his confidante. By night, you were a shadow, a ghost that moved through the city with a sniper rifle in hand.

You had your reasons. Reasons you couldn’t tell him, even if you wanted to.

Protecting him was your way of ensuring that he survived the dangerous world he ruled. You couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, even if it meant keeping your secret buried.

One night, Lando stood on the balcony of your shared penthouse, the cool breeze ruffling his hair. He was deep in thought, his mind consumed by the sniper once again.

You joined him, wrapping a shawl around your shoulders as you leaned on the railing beside him.

“You’re quiet tonight,” you said softly.

He glanced at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and admiration. “I can’t stop thinking about them. The sniper.”

You looked out at the city lights, your expression unreadable. “What about them?”

“They’re always there,” he said, his voice low. “Always saving me, no matter how dangerous the situation. But why? Why would someone do that?”

You turned to him, your heart aching as you saw the turmoil in his eyes. “Maybe they care about you more than you realize.”

He frowned, his gaze searching yours. “Do you think I’ll ever find out who they are?”

You smiled faintly, reaching out to touch his hand. “Maybe someday. But for now, isn’t it enough to know that someone out there is watching over you?”

Lando stared at you for a long moment, his expression softening. He didn’t know the truth, but deep down, he felt a sense of comfort in your words.

For now, it was enough.

Thank you for reading!

[barren-heart]

I haven’t really made a post about my feelings on this season, other than i do like it and i do like the finale.

However, i do have a theory on this season that ive had for awhile but i felt like it was controversial to say.

I do think this season did feel slightly off but not in a bad way. Let me explain.

First, I want to say i like a lot of the ideas for this season.

I liked Guillermo “moving out” officially and “getting his own place.” I thought him living in the wank shed was funny and also getting a job in the human world was a good move. I hyperventilated when i saw he worked at Panera again.

I liked that the writers wrote in Natasia’s pregnancy with the Rosemary’s Baby bit. Nadja got to be around humans which i think she wanted to always do more of. She even became more sensitive to human issues even if she doesn’t experience those feelings exactly like humans herself.

I like when Laszlo invents and I’m glad he was able to do something that wasn’t really connected to the main plot. I like that seanie came back with Laszlo, although i missed seeing him in the finale (i did like the alt version with him.) I like the vampires getting their own side adventures and he got to do this with Colin, which was a plus. I like that we got some of his background with his dad.

I liked that Colin was feeling alone with the changing dynamics and how he came to get closer to the monster since both of them are different to the vampires.

I liked that they did bring up Nandor’s search for love again. I honestly never thought they would bring it up again. The batcave was fun and the janitor bit was funny. I liked Nandor’s army and I’m glad we could see his old warrior side again.

I like that Nandor and Guillermo reconnected and that Guillermo doesn’t leave forever. I always worried that would end the show with Guillermo saying goodbye to the vampires for good. I liked the fake-out ending where if someone wanted that ending, they got it. That was bittersweet enough for some people, and could have worked. But, i liked that he came back and that it showed us, the audience, that Guillermo is so aware of the cameras that he does hide things on camera. I like seeing Nandor and Guillermo’s first meeting.

I liked that the last scene was Nandor inviting Guillermo into his coffin and that the Newhart alternate ending is the one they use on streaming. I like that they were the married couple featured in it when it could have easily been any pairing on the show like Laszlo and Nadja or Charmaine and Seanie or even the monster and I don’t know…Jerry?? lol.

I did wish The Guide had more onscreen plot than Nandor’s kinda love interest and working with Jerry mostly offscreen, even though I’m glad they did show her love. I think i really missed her being involved in the main cast.

I would have loved if the gang had an arc together. I don’t believe the main A plot involved everyone until the end. There was a lot of side adventures (which is fun), which gets me to my theory…

I don’t think the show was supposed to end with season 6.

Yeah, I’m one of those that believes that the show was cancelled. I think they wrote season 6 with the intention to have a season 7.

I think Harvey and Kayvan’s interviews since the news broke convinced me. Especially Harvey being so heartbroken on Instagram and Kayvan mentioning a season 7 constantly. And now that they are both talking about a spin-off, it all makes sense.

I think this was just a normal season that they already wrote and when FX pulled the plug, the writers went back in and added a few things here and there.

So, yeah. Season 6 would have been their friendship era and then season 7 would’ve worked towards the romance era. Episode 10 does work as a season finale, but not a series finale.

The documentary crew ending the documentary IS SUCH A GOOD PLOT. I think it was funny that they just ended the documentary, but thought it would be funnier if they started that plot from the beginning of season 6. Imagine the vampires fighting over how to end the documentary.

Jerry could have been an episode later and he could have been killed off in the second to last episode.

I think the writers did write episode 11 as an add-on to finish the show, but it didn’t really connect with the rest of the season.

I don’t think the finale had a surprise twist at all. And this show is actually good at season finale twists. Guillermo is actually a vampire slayer?! Colin was dying and came back as a baby?! Guillermo turned into a vampire?!

Yeah, their arcs and twists are honestly really good and thought out.

But, i think whatever twist ending they had was written out. Which leads me to my old theory:

The Guillermo is an energy vampire theory.

I still actually believe this was true, or at least a version of it. Watching it with the lens of Guillermo becoming a/an (energy) vampire again makes sense as the surprise twist. Enough was laid out that it could have connected so easily.

But ending the show that way might not have worked well since i do think they needed a bit more time, and i think that’s why any vampire!Guillermo stuff was removed. Because they didn’t have time to finish it properly.

And it would have tied up Colin’s arc of loneliness. I didn’t mind him connecting with the monster (i liked it a lot actually!). It felt like they were gearing up for Colin and Guillermo to connect on some level, and connecting to Guillermo becoming an energy vampire would’ve worked pretty well. That would have connected those plots together.

I do believe they wanted to do more with Guillermo’s arc but starting too much would’ve made the season really really full.

Actually ending everyone’s arc probably would have done that, too. I want more energy vampire lore. I want more Nadja connecting to her roots. I want to know why The Guide is really magical and what’s her name??

I think they truly needed one or two more seasons for that to be honest.

Which leads me back to the Nandermo of it all, too.

I think season 6 was about Nandermo reconnection arc after season 5’s Nandermo breakup arc.

I think they wanted to have Nandor and Guillermo make up first and then work towards their romantic arc going forward.

And that makes sense to me. They spent the season making them equals. And that feels earned to me. They ended the season together as equals.

And by The Finale, it seems like the writers knew they couldn’t add enough to finish every arc. And I respect that tbh.

I would have wanted a little more time with Nandor and Guillermo reconnecting before they kissed.

I do think that was the reason for the Newhart ending. It was a fun little homage but it was a Nandermo nod without having to skip over the important romantic arc they didn’t have time for.

It left the series open enough that if they don’t do a spinoff, we can fill in the rest.

And that explains the Guillermo’s “secret affair” and “the secret Nandermo batcave” and Nandor caring about the cameras being gone.

However, I think they left it open so that if they had the chance, they could do a proper spin-off to work toward the Nandermo romance arc we deserve instead of closing that door forever.

TLDR: I like season 6, but i do think the show was cancelled by FX and that’s why it felt a little different. Hopefully we do get the Nandor and Guillermo spin-off and potentially another What We Do in the Shadows movie to wrap it up completely.

It doesn’t feel like the end, but a new beginning.

[whateverisbeautiful]

I love waking up and reading your Richonne posts. You pretty much hit on every scene and I am so thankful for that.

Could you go over maybe a 2 part take of what you think had happened during the months of them getting to know each other during the prison times. Also, the months they got close together in Alexandria before they became official. Since, the show robbed of us seeing those scenes. I would love to hear your detailed theory on it because you know these two characters so well!

A 2-parter? You’re speaking my language, anon. 😋 Thank you for this message. 🙏🏽 And for some reason my mind read this ask and added in “a detailed play-by-play” of what I think happened and so that’s pretty much what I ended up writing. Starting with Part One - the time in between Seasons 3 and 4 at the prison that led to Rick and Michonne being like this in the season 4 premiere ⬇️💗:

I always like to think about what specific context from the actual show could most inform these type of unseen scenarios and then shape what I envision from there. So I first started thinking about where Rick and Michonne landed in the season 3 finale. 

If I remember correctly they both rode in the car together after saying their goodbyes to Andrea, and Daryl drove the bus. I feel like that car ride might have laid another small stepping stone toward growing Rick and Michonne’s fondness for each other. I don’t imagine that they even talked much in the car because it was a somber vibe after losing Andrea. But I can picture Rick seeing Michonne quietly emotional in the car, and for reasons he’s not fully aware of yet seeing her upset affects him and his want to comfort her is stronger than he’d expect.

I can picture something like when they pull up to the prison after Woodbury, Rick just lets her know that Andrea isn’t the only one who thinks it’s good that Michonne found them. And the silence after is so clearly his “I’m glad too.” But you know how back then Rick tended to say something that felt like it was almost going to be a profession about his fondness for her but then he’d sorta retreat - I think he’d do that and just add that they all are glad she’s with them. And Michonne would just give an appreciative smile and walk away because she’d still be pretty heartbroken over losing yet another person she cared about. 

Then I think going forward, that loss, on top of the loss of her boyfriend and baby, makes Michonne maintain a friendly distance from everyone in team family for a while. Like she’s always keeping herself busy by independently tending to tasks that help around the prison, going on runs, and trying to track down The Governor. But Rick still keeps an eye on her from afar.

And if I remember correctly, because it’s been a minute since I’ve watched these seasons, Rick and Michonne both weren’t members of that new committee that was formed. So I can imagine that maybe there were times when some of the other people closest to them were in meetings or away which may have prompted Rick and Michonne to chat a bit more - but still keeping it light and brief, not having extended conversations yet. Perhaps both would find themselves observing each other at times - Michonne seeing Rick out farming, Rick seeing Michonne out taking down walkers around the prison’s perimeter. Except maybe not watching her with binoculars this time lol.

Then, going off of info from s4, I think during these months that we didn’t see something that might’ve slowly but surely made Michonne lessen some of her lone wolf ways is when Daryl asks her to join him on runs. She agrees to go with him and they build a friendship.

And then whenever Michonne is back at the prison she starts getting closer to Carl too because they bond over things like books and comics. And perhaps Michonne and Carl especially bond when she brings back a bag of candy for him after one of her runs. They share some together and learn Michonne doesn’t mind the stale M&M's, and that becomes a running joke between them. 😊

So with Michonne getting closer to two of the people closest to Rick - Carl and Daryl - that starts bringing Rick and Michonne around each other more often too in a more social context. And this is where that crush we saw had clearly formed by the s4 premiere really starts taking root.

Like Michonne and Carl build this really natural, lighthearted, playful rapport and then it leads to Michonne lightly joking with Rick too. I picture that Rick is a bit bashful around her but they still occasionally have that flirty subtle-but-not-subtle “must’ve been something else then”/“you want to drive” type exchanges.

And Daryl definitely peeps these moments at times and knows you don’t even have to be an observant tracker to pick up on the stuff between Rick and Michonne. But he keeps those observations to himself...for the most part lol.

Michonne has playful banter with Daryl too but subconsciously she can feel that her exchanges with Rick feel different. And Rick loves it whenever Michonne spends time with them around the prison. It feels like family. 

Other TWD scenes that I think give a glimpse into what that time between s3 and s4 might've looked like are when Rick asks if she’s okay after she hurts her ankle, and when Rick washes up and asks if Michonne needs help with cleaning up those walker bodies. Lots of exchanges like that going on. Showing they care and like each other but are moving slowly toward really getting close.

And through these exchanges - of which it’s rarely ever just the two of them in private because Carl or people are usually always around - Rick and Michonne start to pick up on more and more things they like about each other.

I like to imagine that perhaps whenever the community had some downtime in the evenings or nights, it’d so often end up being Michonne, Carl, and Rick hanging around each other. With Judith there too sometimes, who Michonne seems to keep this subtle distance from as the baby triggers too painful a wound. 

But when Michonne starts to really care for them and feels herself getting closer to them - finding herself thinking about Rick and Carl while on runs and looking forward to their little exchanges - she starts going out further and further to look for the Governor - and subconsciously, part of that is to distance herself.

Rick isn’t crazy about her going off alone to find a certified madman but only really shows his disagreement in facial expression and maybe an occasional remark to Daryl about how he wants her to be safe. (And Daryl knows Rick wants that and more when it comes to Michonne, ijs.).

Maybe one time Rick does mention to Michonne that she doesn’t have to go out so much or so far but she’s adamant that it is something she has to do - hence why she makes that “It’s worth a shot" comment when she’s talking to Rick and Daryl in the s4 premiere.

She might already know Rick feels a type of way about her going on these missions cuz he briefly mentioned it before (and because he can't help but wear his emotions right on his face lol), but her subconscious also knows that staying around Rick too long is too vulnerable and wakes up too much within her that she thought died a while ago. 

Finally, I picture that there’s one night when Rick, Michonne, and Carl are just enjoying some downtime chatting together as usual but then either Carl falls asleep or somehow he leaves to talk with one of the kids around the prison and it’s a rare moment where it’s just Rick and Michonne together.

And that night they start talking on a more personal level. They don’t divulge their life stories or anything because I don’t think they really deep-dived into getting to know each other like that until the second half of season 4. But in this conversation, they do open up just a bit more and give more insight into how they think and operate, which they refreshingly find to be quite similar. And in the areas they learn that they’re different - they find that refreshing too.

And I like to think that their talk on this one night was one of those things where -  you know how people say they were conversing with their person in the early stages of getting to know them and they just never wanted the moment to end and they could have stayed talking to that person forever and damn near do talk to them for more hours than they realized? It was like that. 

Rick and Michonne both know in the deeper parts of their psyche that spending that time together just felt right. Falling for each other is still something they're doing subconsciously rather than cognizantly at this point, but what they are aware of is that they do enjoy each other a lot. And how right it feels to spend time with each other also subconsciously scares them a bit. Almost like it’s too right too fast. So those walls go right back up after that conversation ends and they don’t really get a chance to talk on that personal of a level again until the prison falls.

Even though deep down both of them really would like to have that time together again, and low-key Rick is so eager for another chance to just be around her like that, that just hearing her riding back from one of her outings has him springing up from his farming session with Hershel in order to run and greet her and ask if she’s going to stay a little while. 

And that’s my take on what I think happened between Richonne in the time between season 3 and season 4. 👌🏽😌

And Anon, you know you’ve tempted me with a good time by asking to have a part two about the time between No Way Out and Richonne’s canon episode The Next World. So I'll try and have a (possibly less lengthy 😅) Part Two on the way soon. 😊

[misshunterskye]

a ( very ) self-indulgent one shot where Sylus encourages your Taylor Swift vinyl collecting ... because i've been listening to her since i was 7 and you'll have to rip the albums from my cold dead hands.

buy me a ko-fi 🫶🏻

You're splayed out on Sylus' couch, waiting for him to come home. You're completely cozy, his vinyl player playing your favorite album as you read a book. When the door opens with a creak, Sylus steps in silently.

He's drinking in the sight of you. It feels like you are back in his cave, where he can keep you safe. Where he can spoil you. Where all of his treasures lose meaning. After all, all of the shiny things in the world would never amount to you.

"You like the record, I take it?" He muses, finally breaking the silence and announcing his presence. You light up the second you see him, something that is not lost on him. He likes your smile, and he'll spend a million lifetimes trying to put one there.

"Well, it is my favorite album. And the pressing is so pretty. I think I watched it spin for like, 10 minutes before I got cozy on the couch."

He comes to sit with you, and you quickly move to intertwine yourself with him. Actually, that's not quite true. You both move toward each other until you are melded together. Your legs hang over his lap, your back against the arm of the couch. His arm lazily draws patterns on your leg.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, kitten. Next time there's an auction, I'll bring you with me now. You're getting good at spotting value."

You giggle at him. One of your hands comes up to play with his hair. It's soft, and you lose yourself in it, combing through it. "You won't judge me if I use your card to buy my favorite albums? Even if it's Taylor Swift?"

He chuckles. "I don't care what you buy. As long as it makes you happy, go for it, kitten. -- Besides, I already got you a orange original Reputation released in 2017."

"I know, but now I'm eager to find a 'betty in the garden' version of folklore!" You says with a smile, happy that he remember your favorite album was Reputation. He also had gone to great lengths to get you a copy of the Eras Tour movie. It is your favorite type of vintage.

"Mhm," he says, knowing that he'll full well direct your attention away from that particular vinyl. Not because he doesn't like it. No, because it's already gift wrapped and sitting in his office for your anniversary.

He meant it when he promised himself that he'd do whatever it takes to make you smile.

[nosyp]

Unwilling Devotion

Warnings = Kidnapping, dark

Pairing = Dark! Avengers x reader

Summary = You work as a barista for a cafe and Natasha and her friends would always visit. That was until one day, everything changed.

Word count = 2.4k words

A/N = First time attempting a series... pls be nice! Feedback is appreciated!!!

AO3 Link

Read story 👇

Chapter 1 - The Unwelcomed Guests

Ring! 

The sound of the bell ringing alerted you and you immediately rose to attend to the new customer. 

“Uh-! Welcome, what can I do for you?” you stammered, greeting the customer.

She didn’t respond and only stared at you, looking kind of taken aback but quickly composed herself and went back to examining the menu. 

You watched as she trailed her fingers through the menu looking for something of interest. The silence between you two was suffocating but she didn’t seem to mind. The awkwardness only stretched longer as you tried to keep a smile on your face while waiting for her. This happened often with new customers, and you never got used to it. 

‘Please say something, I’m dying here,’ you think to yourself, trying to keep yourself calm. Then you finally spoke up, “Ermm, we have a wide variety of flavours for our scones, so far the chocolate is the favorite amongst customers.”

Her gaze shifted to you and she perked an eyebrow. “Oh really?” she asks. “Well I’ll take that then,”

You let out a sigh of relief, ringing up her order and handing it to her with a forced smile, masking the tension that had been building from the awkward silence. Your eyes followed her beautiful red hair as she left. 

Now that you think of it, her outfit was kind of odd. She was wearing a tight black suit from her neck down. But you couldn’t lie, her figure was amazing so she’s probably just flaunting it. 

From that day, she’s visited daily, never missing a day. Sometimes she’d bring some of her friends while other times, she'd visit all alone. It was quite usual for customers to keep coming back but… this time felt weird. Most of the times when they’d return, you’d be glad to serve them but you dreaded whenever she came. Overtime, you learnt that her name was something along the lines of ‘Natalie’ or ‘Natasha’ or at least that’s what her friends called her.

What made it even more concerning was the fact that sometimes she and some of her friends were covered in blood when they came in. You hadn’t dared to question it since their aura was quite intimidating already. The atmosphere shifted as soon as their foot stepped past the threshold. It could go from a calm and cozy atmosphere to an intense and heavy atmosphere, even the other customers felt it. They’d often ask you what was up with the group but all you could do was shrug in response.

The next few days felt the same. She came in every day, never saying much, always leaving you with that strange feeling of being watched. Sometimes she came alone, other times with a group. There was always an intensity that followed her wherever she went, even into the small, cozy cafe.

Then, one night, the cafe was nearly empty. The wind outside howled, and the street lights flickered, casting odd shadows against the windows. You were cleaning up, getting ready to close when you heard the bell ring again. But this time, it was different. It wasn’t the usual polite silence that followed her arrival. There was something heavier in the air.

You turned, and there she was again, but this time, she wasn’t alone. Standing next to her was a man in a dark suit, you recognized him from the many ads you saw. And beside him… you recognized the others from her usual group. Each one of them was standing too still, too perfectly, almost as if they were waiting for something.

The woman, Natasha, didn’t say anything at first, but her gaze locked onto you immediately, her eyes dark and unreadable. It felt like she was seeing right through you.

"Late night for you, huh?" she said casually, walking toward the counter. "We’re not here for scones tonight."

Your heart started racing, but you forced yourself to smile, trying to maintain some normalcy despite the heavy feeling that seemed to seep into the walls of the café. "We’re almost closing, actually–"

Before you could finish, the man in the suit stepped forward. You didn’t know his name, but his presence alone was suffocating, his eyes cold and calculating. "I think you’ll want to stay open for a little longer."

Your hands trembled as you clutched the counter. Something about their sudden arrival felt like a trap, like they were waiting for you to do something, but what?

"Can I help you?" you finally managed to ask, your voice quieter than you intended.

Natasha smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was sharp, predatory, and it made the hairs on your neck stand up. "Actually," she said, voice lowering, "I think we can help you."

Your breath caught in your throat. Something wasn’t right. “E-excuse me? I’m not too sure what you mean by that…” you stammered, breath hitching. 

Her smile widened, and she leaned forward, her red hair falling over her shoulder as she rested her elbows on the counter. "Oh, sweetheart," she purred, her tone dripping with fake concern, "don’t play dumb now. You’re smarter than that, aren’t you?"

The man behind her shifted, his hands crossed in front of his chest, eyes never leaving you. The others fanned out, moving with the kind of deliberate grace that sent chills down your spine. One of them, a tall blonde-haired woman with sharp features, began inspecting the shelves behind you, as if she had every right to.

Your instincts screamed at you to run, to lock the doors, to do anything but stand there frozen, but you were rooted in place, caught in Natasha’s piercing gaze. "I-I think you have the wrong person," you whispered, your voice cracking under the weight of the moment.

Natasha tilted her head, her smile fading into something more sinister. "Wrong person?" she repeated, as if testing the words. Her eyes flickered with something unreadable, something dangerous. "You’re cute when you’re nervous, you know that?"

The tension was suffocating now, the air thick with unspoken threats. The tall man stepped closer, his boots thudding heavily against the floor. "We’re not here to hurt you," he said, though his tone was anything but comforting. "Not unless you give us a reason to."

Your legs felt like jelly as you tried to step back, your back bumping against the huge, muscular man behind you. “Hey darling,” he whispers, making you flinch away from him. 

"I-I don’t understand. What do you want from me?" you ask. 

Natasha straightened, her expression softening just slightly, though it felt more like a predator playing with its prey. "Relax," she said, her voice almost soothing now. "We’re just... interested in you. Let’s call it professional curiosity."

"Professional?" you repeated, barely able to keep the tremor out of your voice.

She grinned, a flash of white teeth. "Something like that. You’ve caught our attention, and trust me, that’s not something many people can say. But you..." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that sent shivers down your spine. "You’re special."

Your heart thundered in your chest as her words hung in the air, heavy and unforgiving. "I—I’m just a barista," you said, desperation seeping into your tone. "There’s nothing special about me."

Natasha chuckled softly, as if you’d told a particularly amusing joke. "Oh, darling," she said, her gaze locking onto yours, "you have no idea, do you?"

Before you could respond, the lights flickered, casting eerie shadows across the room. The group behind her exchanged glances, their postures tense but ready, like predators waiting for the signal to pounce.

Natasha’s smile faded entirely, replaced by a look of cold determination. "Close up," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"What?"

"You heard me," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Lock the doors. Turn off the lights, do whatever you need to do. And then, we’ll have a little chat."

Every piece of your being screamed at you to say no, to run, to do anything but comply, but as her gaze bore into you, you realized something chilling: you didn’t have a choice.

Your fingers fumbled with the keys as you hesitated, glancing at Natasha and her group. Each second felt like a lifetime, their expectant gazes drilling into you. "I... I don’t understand," you murmured, your voice barely audible.

Natasha tilted her head, her patience visibly wearing thin. "Lock. The. Door," she repeated, her words clipped but weirdly calm.

With trembling hands, you reached for the door, turning the lock with a resounding click. The sound felt like a death knell, reverberating in the stillness of the café.

"Good," Natasha said, her smile returning, though it was devoid of warmth. "Now, why don’t we all take a seat?"

She gestured toward one of the corner booths, but the invitation felt more like a command. You glanced at the clock on the wall, hoping for some sort of reprieve, but the hands seemed frozen, just like you.

The man in the dark suit’s voice broke the silence. "We can do this the easy way," he said, his tone casual but laced with a threat. "Or the hard way. Your choice."

“Why should I listen to you?” you spat out.

His eyes widened at your response. “You know you shouldn’t speak to us that way, we’re just here to save you,” he says. 

Save you? What does he mean by that?

“Calm down Tony, let them go at their own pace.” Natasha says.

Reluctantly, you moved toward the booth, your legs shaky as Natasha slid in across from you. The rest of the group remained standing, their eyes trained on you like hawks circling prey.

Natasha folded her hands on the table, leaning in slightly. "Now," she began, her tone almost conversational, "you’ve been working here for, what, six months? A year?"

"Eight months," you replied automatically, before clamping your mouth shut. Why were they asking about your job?

She nodded thoughtfully. "Eight months. Long enough to notice things. Patterns. People." Her eyes gleamed, and you had the unsettling feeling that this wasn’t small talk.

"I don’t—"

"Save it," she interrupted, her tone sharp. "We’re not here to play games. You’re in a position to help us, and whether you realize it or not, you’ve already seen too much."

"Seen too much?" your voice echoed, your confusion growing. "I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

A dark-skinned man then stepped forward, his shadow falling over the table. "You’ve noticed us. Every time we’ve come in. You’ve seen us covered in blood. You’ve heard the whispers from the other customers. Don’t pretend you haven’t."

Your stomach churned as the memories resurfaced: the glances, the stains, the hushed voices that stopped as soon as you came close. You’d written it off as strange but not your business that was… until now.

"I didn’t say anything," you blurted out, panic rising in your chest. "I didn’t tell anyone!"

The cold, suffocating atmosphere of the café became unbearable. The group’s sharp, predatory gazes pinned you in place, but you knew you couldn’t just sit there. Every instinct screamed for you to run.

“I-I need to grab something from the back,” you stammered, pointing toward the kitchen. Natasha’s piercing gaze followed you, and for a moment, you thought she might protest.

“Go ahead,” she said with a smirk, leaning back in the booth. “But don’t keep us waiting too long, sweetheart.”

Her voice dripped with mockery, but you forced a smile, nodding as you backed away. The moment you disappeared through the swinging door into the back, your breath hitched. Your heart pounded like a drum in your ears, drowning out everything else.

You couldn’t stay. You wouldn’t survive this.

Quickly, you grabbed your coat and bag from the staff locker, stuffing your trembling hands into the pockets. Your fingers brushed against your phone. Perfect. Call for help.

Except when you turned it on, the signal was gone. Of course. They must’ve jammed it. A pit formed in your stomach, but you pushed forward. There had to be another way.

Your eyes darted to the back door. You still had the keys after all. If you could just slip out quietly, maybe they wouldn’t even realize and you could just escape.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a low voice rumbled behind you.

You whirled around to find one of Natasha’s friends, ‘Steve’ or something, you forgot his name. He was standing in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on his face. He was blocking your only exit back to the main room.

“J-just grabbing something,” you lied, your voice trembling in fear.

He tilted his head, watching you with amusement. “Sure you are. You should know, she doesn’t like liars.”

He took a step forward, and you bolted. You didn’t even think about it, your feet just moved, sprinting toward the back door as fast as they could carry you.

The cold night air hit your face as you shoved the door open, the alley behind the café stretching out before you. For a split second, you felt a rush of relief.

Then, a hand clamped down on your arm.

You screamed, twisting and kicking as hard as you could, but the grip was unyielding. Natasha’s tall companion had caught up to you in an instant, his strength overwhelming as he yanked you back toward the café.

“Feisty,” he muttered, almost amused. “But we can’t have you running off.”

“Let me go!” you cried, struggling uselessly against his iron grip.

By the time he dragged you back through the café, Natasha and the others were waiting by the front door. She sighed dramatically when she saw you, shaking her head as if disappointed.

“Tsk, tsk,” she chided, her smile sharp as a knife. “I really hoped you’d cooperate, darling. But I guess some lessons have to be learned the hard way.”

“Please,” you begged, tears streaming down your face as the tall man forced you to your knees in front of her. “I don’t know anything! Just let me go!”

Natasha crouched down, her hand reaching out to tilt your chin up so you were forced to meet her cold, calculating gaze.

“You’re not going anywhere,” she said, her voice soft but menacing. “Not until we’re done with you.”

Then you blacked out. Consciousness leaving your being.

[dis-astre]

BREAKDOWN OF LES MISÉRABLES IN FRANCE : ACT I

- they use the almost same costumes as the west end which... great bc sometimes france tends to make....... weird choices concerning their costume department for musical shows

- lots of projections for the decor, the set was very sleek, but they used it well

- javert was on point, props to the actor honestly he was one of the best thing of the show

- the actors in general were hitting those notes like craaaaazy, they were all so good

- the thenardier got me laughing uncontrollably, they were perfect and master of the house was *chief kiss*, people dancing on the tables, a lot of things were going on in the background which added to the chaos which was perfect

- master of the house is disgustingly perfect in french

- they were little kids in the audience and i don't think the parents were rlly aware of the show bc... well first the language is rlly crude (even more than the last french version), and they have sex on stage at some point in lovely ladies???? (honestly don't remember if this was in the west end version circa 2019 pls if u know enlighten me)

- the kids playing eponine, cosette and gavroche were so great they got a standing ovation and all

- for the confrontation, javert has a rifle and they basically play hide and seek like valjean hides from javert in the hospital and javert hunt him and the nurses are trying to help valjean (at some point one hides the gun under the bed of a patient and it's was funny)

- THEY MADE MONTPARNASSE SO GAY?????? LIKE????? bro was this big tall twink behaving like 💅💅🌈✨✨💃💅🌈💃✨✨💅 guuuuuurl, he was so coquette i stg, so that was fun

- les amis were >>> amazing, loved them sm ! it was really less gay and enjoltaire than the english production and overall the choices made were real different from what i had seen before and i loved that; i think it comes from the fact that french ppl tend to stay more "true" to the original work especially with such an important book as Les Mis but i'll explain myself more in act II

- in the beginning of abc cafe, R is drinking from a bottle and Enj just casually pass by him and grab the bottle before physically sitting him down

- R proceeded to try and grab the bottle from everyone and they were all exchanging the bottle to get it away from him

- he also was ALWAYS talking and laughing with les amis and making jokes like trying to shake hands with one of them and then retracting his hand last moment, childish plays and so cute to watch them laugh and interact like that

- when enjolras started talking, R stopped everything and put his chin in his hands and started looking at him with stars in his eyes and the biggest smile (he was so hot pls help) and that was so cute

- "marius you're late" was said in the most annoyed french tone and i love it

- after R verse and "it is better than an opera", everyone was clapping and enjolras was sulking in a corner, and one of the amis (presumably combeferre) went "OH SHUSH" in the most Dad Voice ever to shut everyone up and proceed to motion to enjolras to come back and talk

- R casually jumping on chairs

- R never got his bottle back so he proceed to open a book, read it and tried to show everyone what he was reading and talked about the book; and idk i loved that yes show how much of a yapper and actually a smart man my guy is

- i finally got to hear what they say for the "general lamarque is dead" part bc it's never on any album and it's really so close to the english version, except instead of saying to R "do we have the guns we need?", enj say something along the line of "R put the bottle down and chose a weapon" and R goes basically like "oh no needs my breathe will kill two in one blow" so pretty close to the english verse and i love it

- do you hear the people sing was amazing with the new lyrics

- they changed a lyric in one day more and i'm so SO glad they did bc i HATED it, so basically in french we have "you" meaning "tu/toi" as like a singular individual or you say "tu/toi" to a close person; and "you" as "vous" as like more than one person or you say "vous" to someone you don't know/respect. and in the original version for "my place is here, i fight with you" marius say "ma place est là, auprès de toi" and now he says "auprès de vous" and that's SO MUCH BETTER bc the original lyric is like... who tf is "toi" bc it's not a plural so is it cosette ?? which is inaccurate, or is it enjolras ?? which doesn't make any sense at all bc he fight with all of les amis, not just one ??????? so yeah, one of the best lyric change they've made

anyway here's some pro shots and i'll make a part II later for act II byeeee

[winchesterwild78]

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

Master List

Characters: Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: fluff, light smut (nothing too bad)

A/N: Day 10 of my holiday fics. I hope you enjoy this short series. I’m really excited about it. All work is my own, please don’t take it. Reblogs and likes are welcomed. 

I do not own the rights to the characters I use, these will not follow the story lines of the series the character appeared in. This is a work of fiction.

Written fast and edited fast, please overlook any errors. 

This one got a little long, sorry. Sorry it took so long to put this one up, I’m sick and was trying to get through the last few days before Winter Break. 

Minors DNI 18+

It had just started snowing in the lazy little town where I lived. A light dusting of fresh snow laying on any surface that didn’t move. 

I’d lived here my whole life so I was not surprised it was snowing in December. The air was crisp and clean. The snow always had a way of cleaning the air. 

The light crunch the snow made under my shoes were the only sounds I heard. My hands were in my pockets as I walked home from my shift at the diner and it was pretty late. 

I didn’t live far and I loved looking at the Christmas lights that lined the streets. 

In the distance I heard a low rumble of a car approaching. I looked up and saw a sleek black car with two male passengers. I looked at them as they passed by, they definitely weren’t local. The driver winked at me and my cheeks flushed red. 

Putting my head down I kept walking. Finally making it home, I showered and crawled into bed. 

The next morning I went to work like any other day. The snow had left a few inches on the ground so I knew we were going to be busy. When I walked in my co-worker Cheryl greeted me, “Oh I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve been so busy. Can you take table 4. They just sat down. Here’s their drinks.” 

I nodded and grabbed the tray. I approached the table and greeted them, “Hello, my name is Y/N and I’ll be your server. I have your drinks, are you ready to order?” 

The men sitting at the table were the same men I saw last night. They were even better looking up close. “Hey sweetheart, I’ll have a breakfast platter with extra bacon and a side of pancakes, and keep the coffee coming, please.” The one with piercing green eyes said. The other one just asked for an egg omelette and some fresh fruit. 

I nodded and took their order to the kitchen. 

I busied myself with other customers and when their order was finished I carried it over to them. 

Green eyes flashed his smile and it made my heart flutter. He was definitely good looking. The other man with him wasn’t bad to look at either. 

“Can I get y’all anything else?” “Just some syrup and your phone number, darlin’” He smirked as he said it. The other man with him shot him a look, “Dean, stop.” “Oh lighten up, Sammy.” 

So their names are Sam and Dean. “The syrup is no problem, Dean. The number you’re going to have to work for.” I winked and walked away. My heart is hammering in my chest. I didn’t dare turn around. 

Cheryl laughed, “Girl you’re being stared at hard.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Dean staring at me. 

I grabbed the syrup and walked back over. “So, Y/N, what time do you get off?” Dean asked. “That depends. Are you talking about work or something else?” 

Sam almost spit his drink out. Dean smirked, “Maybe both.” 

I bit my lip, “I get off work at 4, as far as something else, that really depends on you.” I smirked and walked away. Dean’s jaw on the ground. “Damn, Sammy. I think I met my match.” “Seems like it, Dean.” Sam chuckled. 

Dean stood and walked to the counter. Cheryl looked at him and then at me. I grabbed some food to deliver to another table. He watched as I walked away. 

Dean was leaning against the counter when I returned. His back to me and I could see his toned back through the tight t-shirt he was wearing. I saw Cheryl and him talking. 

As I walked up Cheryl smiled at me and he tilted his head to the side to look at me. 

“So sweetheart, how about I pick you up at 7 and we grab some dinner or something.” He smirked. 

I smirked and stepped closer, “Maybe, but I have to warn you I tend to eat my dessert first.” Cheryl chuckled and Dean laughed, “Sounds good to me. I’ll bring pie.” 

Sam and Dean finished their food and paid their bill. On the ticket Dean wrote his number and then 7pm. 

I was a mixture of nerves and excitement as the time crept closer to 7. When I got off work I went home, showered and went through every piece of clothing I owned. I had no idea what had me so nervous. Dean wasn’t a local, so I knew this was going to be a one night thing, but here I was still trying to find the perfect outfit at 6:30. 

I finally decided on my favorite pair of jeans that fit just right, a band t-shirt, my leather jacket and my black low heel boots. 

My hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and I applied light makeup. Standing back from the full length mirror I looked myself over and nodded in approval. 

About 5 minutes to 7 there was a light knock on my door. I opened it and standing there was Dean. He’d changed his clothes since I last saw him and damn did he look good. His hair perfectly styled, a shirt that was just tight enough to show off his firm chest, dark jeans and boots. 

“Wow, you look amazing, sweetheart.” I blushed and smiled. “Thank you, Dean. So do you.” 

I grabbed my stuff and we walked to the car. It had started snowing again so the ground was a little slippery. 

As I got to the car door I slipped. Bracing myself for a fall that didn’t come. I looked up and saw Dean’s green eyes looking down at me, “Careful sweetheart. I was promised dessert first, not an ER visit.” 

I chuckled as he helped me up, “Thanks Dean, but I don’t remember promising you dessert. I said I always have my dessert first.” I winked at him and he laughed. 

He opened the car door and I got in. The inside of his car was beautiful. He slid into the driver’s seat, “So where to sweetheart? Know any good dessert places?” “I thought you were bringing the pie, Dean.” I smiled. 

He smirked, “I think I forgot it.” “Oh wow, and here I thought you were trying to get me in bed. What kind of man promises pie and doesn’t deliver? Makes me wonder what else you can’t deliver on.” The side of my mouth twitched up into a grin. 

“Oh believe me, sweetheart, I can and will deliver.” I touched his leg, “We’ll see.” 

Dean pulled off to the side of the road and put the car in park. I looked over at him and noticed his green eyes were dark with lust. “You’re playing with fire, darlin’.” 

My hand slid up his thigh, “I enjoy fire.” Before I knew what was happening, Dean’s lips were on mine and his hand on the back of my neck. The kiss was full of need, passion and want. 

We moaned into each other’s mouths. My hands slid into his hair at the nape of his neck. 

Dean pulled me closer to him and he moved to the center of the front seat. Just enough for me to straddle him. His hands firmly on my hips, his lips on mine, seemed to ground me in the moment. 

He pulled my jacket off and threw it to the side. His fingers are playing with the hem of my shirt. 

I nodded and he pulled my shirt over my head revealing my supple breasts confined by the lacey material of my bra. 

His lips trailing down my neck to the tops of my breasts, his hands and fingers delicately touching up my body. 

“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart.” My breath hitched. I’d never done anything like this before, but Dean was like a magnet. Pulling me closer to him and try as I might I couldn’t seem to pull myself away. Not that I wanted to. 

“Dean, I..” My voice trailed off as his lips trailed over my body. I felt him smirk against my skin. The heat pooling between my legs was growing and soaking my panties. 

“Darlin’, let’s take this back to my room. Sammy is out and we have the place to ourselves. I don’t want our first time to be in the car.” I smiled and nodded. 

I climbed off Dean, pulled my shirt back on as he slid back into the driver’s seat and took off towards his hotel. Once inside the room he was back on me, kissing and touching every inch of my body. 

Our bodies fell on the bed and tangled with the sheets. Dean was gentle but dominated me all at once. He took me places I’d never been and I didn’t want to let go. 

I laid in his arms, my head and hand resting on his chest as Dean wrapped his arm around me. Our breathing steady and I let out a sigh. “Whatcha thinking about sweetheart?” “Honestly, how I’m going to be able to let you go when you and Sam leave, because I know you two aren’t staying here.”

Dean lifted his head and looked at me, “Then don’t.” I sat up and looked at him in shock, “What?” “Don’t let me go. Come with me and Sammy.” “Dean, you don’t mean that, you can’t be serious.” 

He sat up and turned to face me, cupping my face, “I’m very serious, come with me. I don’t want to leave unless you’re by my side.” 

“Dean, we just met. You couldn’t possibly know you want me to come with you.” “Y/N. I’ve lived a hard life. One that doesn’t offer second chances so I’ve learned when you see something or someone you want you go for it. All in, head over heels.” 

“Dean, I need to think about it. This is my home. It has been my whole life.” Dean nodded, he understood. Not everyone grew up like he had. “When do you leave, Dean?” “In three days.” “Okay, I’ll let you know by the end of the second day.” 

He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips, “I’ll be waiting, sweetheart.”

The next few days we sent as much time together as we could. I still had work, and he was in town doing whatever he was here for. 

The day before he left I was walking home thinking about my decision. That’s when I looked up and saw Sam and Dean in suits walking out of the Sheriff’s office. My brows furrowed in confusion. 

Later that evening I sat with my leg bouncing. I needed to talk to Dean but I also had a decision to make. To say I was nervous was an understatement. 

Dean arrived at my place looking incredible. He wasn’t wearing the suit, but damn did he look good. He pulled me into a tight hug and placed a kiss on my lips. “Hey sweetheart, I’ve missed you today.” I snuggled into his chest, “I missed you too, Dean.” 

When we pulled away from each other I nervously bit my lip. Dean noticed how nervous I was and it made him nervous. “Are you okay, Y/N?”

I looked up at him, “Yeah, um, can we talk?” Dean nodded and motioned to the couch.

We sat down and he placed his hand on my knee. His touch always had a way of grounding me. I took a deep breath and began talking.

“Dean, I don’t know what to say. You came into my life unexpectedly and now I can’t see my life without you in it, but I don’t know anything about you. You want me to come with you and Sam, but I don’t know what that means. Where is home? What do you and Sam do for work, because obviously you work together. Have you ever been married, or have any kids? I don’t know anything about you. I’ve poured my life out for you, so you know the answers to those questions, but you’re so guarded. I see myself falling for you, but I can’t be with someone who has secrets. Like why did I see you and Sam come out of the Sheriff’s office in suits today?”

His eyes went wide and I saw his shoulders tense. I knew I hit a nerve. “Y/N, there are things in my life that are ugly. Down right terrifying. I can answer your questions, but you have to trust me. Trust that I will spend every breath keeping you safe. Home is an underground bunker. We kinda inherited it, it’s not your traditional place to live, but it’s home and we make it home. I’ve never been married and don’t have any kids, I’d like to have both one day, and I see that now because of you. As far as Sammy and I, we travel across the country and hunt monsters. Vampires, ghosts, demons, all of it are real. We are hunters. Our mother grew up in the life, our dad did not, but after she was killed he began hunting the demon that killed her. I was 4 and Sam was 6 months.” 

I gasped and touched his arm. “Oh Dean, I’m so sorry.” My heart broke for him with the realization he’d been taking care of Sam since he was 4 years old. 

“So, all of the things in horror movies, the things that go bump in the night are real?” He nodded. “And you and Sam hunt them down and kill them?” Again, he nodded. “So that means something was here, and you two were here to take care of it?” 

His eyes flicked to mine, “We’ve taken care of it. It was a vampire that was trying to establish a nest. All those missing people were being turned.” 

“Oh my god.” I whispered. “This is a lot to take in, Dean. Now you’re telling me there was a vampire here, in the one place I felt safe.” 

He touched my face, “I’m sorry, darlin’. Just know you’re safe and if you decide not to go with me I’ll make sure you stay that way.” Logistically I didn’t know how that would work, but I knew Dean would keep me safe no matter what.

“Dean, where are you spending Christmas?” “Hopefully in your arms, but unless we get a case we will be at home, at the bunker.”

I smiled, “How about I spend it with you at the bunker, or wherever you are?”  Dean smirked, “Are you serious?” I nodded, “Yes, Dean. Let’s just jump head first into whatever this is. I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you.” 

He kissed my lips, “Great, come on, let’s go tell Sammy you’re coming with us. I can’t wait to spend the first of many Christmases together.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door to the car.

Before we got in the car he leaned me against it, tilted my chin up and kissed me deeply. 

“Dean I..” I couldn’t say it for fear it would scare him, but damn did I feel it already. “I know sweetheart, I do too.” He kissed me again, and we drove towards Sam to tell him we decided on forever.

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[local-hyena]

Allright allright, I think I'm ready now...

TF2 COMIC 7

Saying "I loved it" would be an understatement. It was PERFECT, the perfect ending we deserved. It's been seven goddamn years, I honestly didn't think this issue would ever be released. I started getting into tf2 only recently, about a year ago I think. I hope everyone who've been there from the beginning are happy.

This last issue gave us SO MANY THINGS ! A TIME SKIP WITH THE MERC'S FUTURE ! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY ALL GOT THE "THEY GOT HOME AND BUILT FAMILIES AND REUNITE FOR CHRISTMAS" TYPE OF FUTURE THAT LITERALLY ALL FANFICS ARE ABOUT. SINGLE DAD SCOUT IS THE GREATEST CHARACTER DEVELOPPEMENT POSSIBLE.

WE ALSO GOT LITERALLY EVERYTHING WE WERE HOPING FOR. WE GOT UNMASKED SPY, WE GOT PAULING'S FIRST NAME, WE GOT SCOUT'S LAST NAME, SCOUT WITH AN UGLY HAIRCUT, WE EVEN GOT PYRO'S DOG AND MEDIC'S BABOON, TOM JONES IS BACK. ALSO HEAVY HAS A BEARD NOW, AND SOLDIER AND ZHANNA HAVE CHILDREN !!

there are of course still unanswered things. However, the fact that the Administrator forgot why she wanted revenge on Mann really adds to her character and the overall story. Also, it seems that Scout still odesn't know that Spy is his father, since he introduces himelf to Scout's children as Scout's coworker... Scout's ma is also noticably absent, I do not want to think about it too much, since Demo's mother is still alive, there is no reason she wouldn't be as well. We're gonna say that she's spending Christmas with another son, since she doesn't really take an important rôle in the comic... Also, as a Medic main, THERE WAS NO MEDIC CONTENT. LIKE, I KNOW THAT THE LAST COMIC WAS VERY MEDIC AND HEAVY FOCUSED, BUT STILL. I always need more Medic content 😭😭 glad to see that Archimedes is here also !

Also, Merasmus why are you so ripped 😂😂 he looks ugly as ever.

I am so very happy that Hale and Olivia both got fired from MannCo. They are finally happy now, with Hale going back with Mags fighting animals and going on other dangerous adventures.

There is ONE lats thing I need to point out. No, two things. First, I wonder what Valve will do now. Now that Team Fortress 2's story has come to an end. What will happen ? Is the game going to stop updating ? Or on the contrary will they go back to working on it ? Is there going to be a Team Fortress 3 ? Or is Team Fortress simply going to end on this perfect note ?

Finally, the ending. It took me a while to understand that the last dinner scene was adressing directly to us, the reader, the player. When I understood that, it hit le right in the heart. I cannot say that tf2 has been à huge part of my life. Like I said, I only got interested last year or so. I don't even oike the game itself that much, online multiplayer competitive FPSs are not my preferred genre. But the story, the characters and what the community makes (yes, the funny GMod machinimas and SFM movies. The memes and the serious stuff, both of them) made me learn to enjoy this universe. I must confess something. For some time, I played Fortnight with my brother. He made me try because I kept saying that I didn't like it, but I hadnd't poayed the game. After my first game, I said that I had some fun, in the end. So, he kinda forced le to play. For... idk, a few years. I do nlt remember the dates but I started the season with the Nomad skin as the ultimate reward, and stopped when there were hoverboards, or whatever they were. I didn't enjoy it because he insisted on being super competitive and was raging 90% of the time. So yeah, I hated every second of it and I vowed to not play competitive online multiplier games anymore. Which is why I absolutly refuse to play Overwatch and League of Legends. I wouldn't say that Team Fortress 2 reconciled me woth these type of games, but after watching all the Meet the Mercs and learning more about the story, I tried playing. I was a bit intimidated as to which class to choose, but after trying out several (and being very influenced by Meet the Medic), I found out that I had the most fun while playing Medic. I do nlt have a very good aim and I tend to die immediatly when I try to shoot at people. I also discovered that, playing an online multiplayer game doesn't have to be competitive. I have 9h30 in tf2, I play very casually. I do not get mad when I die or my team loses, because in the end, I just want to have fun in my own way. So, this ending hit me right in the heart

I... I almost want to print that last panel and hang it on my wall... I know, there's nothing stopping me, but I don't want my family to question it.

Anyways. That was tf2 comic issue 7. I cannot wait to see what the future will bring for our mercs !

[terabyteunion]

The Days Have Worn Away is good, maybe it's just a symptom of being starved for content for 7+ years but it's definitely a nice sendoff to the series and to TF2 as a canon and as a story

Without spoilers: I think they didn't use the other mercenaries enough, though i am VERY glad no shipping got confirmed and in fact scout x miss pauling got deconfirmed (sorry sxmp shippers), and it definitely feels a bit rushed overall for sismass which... on one hand i would've wished for it to be delayed just a bit but on the other hand considering valve's track record i think im glad they didn't decide to delay it

Besides the whole point of it is to let go of the past, and it doesn't all come together no and i would've liked for it to all come together but... I appreciate it for what it is

Thus we tip our hats of varying colors and ridiculousness and bid goodbye to TF2 Seeya TF2 Comics, glad that Valve finally finished something

[jesswritesthat]

Bakugō Katsuki: Not Yet

Fandom: BNHA // MHA — [Masterlist]

Summary: ~0.6k, fluff, humour

Warnings: Cursing

>>>>——————————>

The airport, that's only destination on your mind and you were currently on the verge of missing the deadline when speeding through the city in your hero attire.

It just so happened that timing was not on your side, an unfortunate coincidence when an explosion rattled your eardrums the moment you passed the local jewellery store. With a pained sigh and a curse sent to fate, you spun to meet debris littering the street and excited thieves stumbling out of the building.

"Are you kidding me?!" You chastised them like children being caught red handed at the most inopportune time which left the criminals snapping to your imposing figure in complete shock.

"Crap it's (H/n)!"

"How'd they get here so fast?!"

"Doesn't matter, with four against one we can take 'em."

For once you'd hoped the criminals would make it easy so you could make it in time to meet your boyfriend at the airport. Dynamight was required for a mission abroad, and had left the week you'd started dating - all these years of friendship finally developed into something more and neither of you had the chance to act on it.

They regretfully put up a fight with their dangerous quirks, each aiming for a fatal blow which only agitated your further. Bit by bit with each brocading event, you were slowly losing any remaining semblance of patience you had left in the fibres of your bones.

"Stand still and die already hero!"

"You don't get to kill me today - I haven't even got to kiss my boyfriend yet!" You yelled utterly frustrated, temper snapping, and quirk flaring to maximum strength.

They chose the wrong day, the wrong time, and the wrong damn hero. In an instant you'd taken the quartet down, tied them up, handed the stolen items over to the authorities, and disappeared before any outlet could get ahold of your for an interview after filming the fight.

Unfortunately for you, such a slip was broadcast live across monitors littered around the city and as you raced through the streets dodging them, the boyfriend in question found himself staring it down with a flush of his skin.

Still Bakugō Katsuki maintained a proud smirk with his bags slung over his shoulder, even more so when noting the quiet bustling of surrounding civilians all wondering just who your mysterious boyfriend was. The media would certainly be following you a little more closely from now on but you weren't stupid enough to let them catch you out.

It's why he wasn't surprised when loading his belongings into the awaiting taxi that he was embraced by a force of wind, lips suddenly occupied by an unfamiliar warmth that he could only smile into. He gladly reciprocated however, hands finding purchase on your body and a satisfied hum escaping him. Pulling away, you met his gaze, your own slightly more unnerved considering you'd kissed him out of nowhere like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Uh— welcome home?”

"One hell of a first kiss, knew you wanted me bad." It was spoken with a hint of victory, thumb running across your bottom lips as he teased you. Instantly you created a distance, glaring at him with a defeated sigh which he could only laugh at.

"You saw the broadcast, kill me now."

"I can kill you, since you've finally kissed your boyfriend."

It'd be a while before you gave him the privilege of a kiss again, instead punching the smug bastards’ arm and getting into the taxi together.

It'd be a memorable first kiss of your relationship certainly, and that video would undoubtedly be used to taunt you in the future, but right now you were glad to have Katsuki home.

Almost as happy as he was to see you.

Almost.

<——————————<<<<

[sunshinerainbowsandlollipops]

Secret Santa gift for @marauding-almond! Merry Christmas and Happy New year! I hope you like it <3.

If you find a typo, please let me know so I can change it

"This year's been wild honestly," Sirius said, lazily throwing a leaf into the black lake and leaning back on Remus’ chest. It floated for a few moments before a bird nearby pecked at it - probably thinking it was food. The poor bird. 

"It really has," said James, "I mean if you had told me we'd be sitting here, at the Black Lake, with Slytherins, I don't think I would've believed it."

"I still don't believe it," Regulus grumbled, laying his head on Barty's chest. Barty laughed and Regulus smiled at the sound, revelling at the feeling of knowing that it was him who had caused it. 

"Ok, well if we're all naming things we can't believe, I have to say, I can't believe how long it took for those two to confess and get on with it," Lily said, nodding at Remus and Sirius, though it was really unnecessary. Everyone could tell who she was talking about. 

"She's right. Though to be fair, it took them about 5 years to realise their own feelings towards each other. Let's just be glad they got past THAT before 6th year," Peter said.

"You know, I can't believe we never figured out who charmed all the Slytherin banners in the common room to turn into Gryffindor banners. That was so long ago and still no one owned up to it," Regulus mused. Remus and Peter shared a look.

"Oh yeah that was us," Remus said casually. Sirius and James both sent him a confused look. Sirius spoke.

“No it wasn’t.”

“Yeah, it was me and Peter. You two were at quidditch practice, we saw James’ cloak, we were bored and thought why not?” Remus explained casually, not even looking up from where his hand was stroking his boyfriend’s hair. Barty on the other hand, looked ready to jump up and strangle both Peter and Remus. Thankfully for them though, Regulus was on his lap, so Barty had no choice but to stay put.

“IT WAS YOU TWO THIS WHOLE TIME? I spent ages trying to figure it out! I thought it was Evan sleepwalk-talking or something! I feel so betrayed!”

Remus and Peter burst into laughter. James and Sirius, after getting over the shock, joined them, patting them on their backs and praising them. Lily looked at the four boys with amusement (though Peter saw how her eyes lingered on James just a little bit more than the rest) while Barty and Regulus sat almost helplessly, still looking like they were trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. Evan looked a bit mortified, and it took Peter a while to figure out why but when he finally did…

“Wait, hold on, can we go back to the part where you said something about Evan sleepwalk-talking?” Peter said, still holding back laughter. Evan dropped his head into his hands, resigned to his fate. Barty and Regulus exchanged an seemingly exasperated look - but there was a slightly wicked gleam to it.

“Oh you know. Evan has this habit of sleepwalking, but sometimes he talks too. It leads to…incidents,” Barty started off, speaking louder than he really needed to, like had to make sure everyone heard.

“Yeah. Barty, remember that one time he accidentally cast an aguamenti charm and completely soaked himself in water? It looked like he had wet the bed!” Regulus picked up Barty's cue, also speaking louder than needed. Evan interrupted, finally having decided that he wasn’t having any more of this.

“Ok yeah, but remember that time at the end of 5th year- so last year I mean- when I accidentally walked into Barty’s bed and you thought he was cheating on you and you got so angry that you didn’t talk to us for a month? Even after I explained?” A smug look replaced Evan’s mortified one as Regulus coloured crimson and Barty smirked at him.

“Wait, was that why Regulus started talking to us? Because he thought you two were, you know, betraying him or whatever and I was the only other person in the school he knew? I suppose we have Rosier to thank for bringing us together then” Sirius jested. If it was even possible, Regulus burned a darker red.

“Ok haha very funny we should go back to the New Year’s party now.”

Peter saw the look of surprise on everyone’s faces - Regulus? Go back to a party? But everyone knew not to push him. Still no one moved, content to spend the night there, talking, laughing.

“We really should go back though. People are going to wonder what we’re doing,” James said, standing up and extending a hand to Lily. After a moment’s hesitation, she took it. A suggestive smile played on Barty’s lips at James’ words, but whatever he was going to say, he decided against it and pressed a kiss to Regulus’ head, urging him to stand up instead. 

As the eight of them trudged back up to the castle, James and Lily hung a little back, behind the rest of the group. Peter had a feeling he knew what they were talking about so he slowed down, waiting for them to catch up.

“What’s wrong?” he asked when they did. James and Lily shared a look and sighed, both turning their heads right to look at Peter. 

“Well, we want to kiss at midnight, but everyone’s going to know if we do,” James explained. Peter nodded, his earlier theory being confirmed.

“Right. Remind me why you don’t want anyone to know about your relationship again?” 

Peter was the only one who knew after he accidentally walked in on them kissing. That…was an interesting day, though it was not entirely unexpected. He supposed he had thought James would’ve told his friends straight away, and finding out he hadn’t had surprised him more than anything else.

“Because it feels so new and fragile and delicate. And honestly, it feels nice keeping it to us for now. Like our own secret. Of course, when we’re ready, I would shout it out to the whole world. My girlfriend is amazing!”

The two shared a loving look and Peter smiled at their affection. They made a good couple.

“Alright, well if I say that I don’t want to be kissed… and Mary has her boyfriend of course…Marlene and Dorcas…then Remus, Sirius, Barty and Regulus are already taken… and you two make sure to be together in between people who are already kissing someone… we can make it look like you two had no choice but to kiss each other,” Peter thought out loud. It was a very bad plan, but he knew no one would pay too much attention to it.

James broke into a smile and, after checking to see if anyone was looking, pressed a quick kiss to Lily’s forehead.

“See this is why it’s a good thing Peter knows, darling.”

“I suppose it is,” Lily sighed happily, clearly content with Peter’s plan, however vague it may be.

As they got closer to the Gryffindor common room, the Slytherins of the group held back as Sirius said the password (they had learnt to do so when Sirius had accused them of being spies a year ago). When the portrait swung open, Peter was immediately invited to the sound of laughter, music and chatter.

James walked in first, immediately being swallowed by the crowd. Everyone followed him in and started to mingle. Peter, as usual, made a beeline straight for the stairs to the dorms. They provided him with the best people-watching point since it allowed him to be above everyone else. A quick glance at the giant magical watch hovering in the middle told him there were five minutes till midnight. He supposed he should go find Lily and James to make sure they were in the right spot in a bit.

Quickly scanning the crowd, he found James laughing with his arm around Sirius, who was seemingly telling a very funny story. He found Lily not far from him talking to another Gryffindor girl, stealing not-so-furtive glances towards her boyfriend. He quickly scurried down the stairs to find his friend.

The crowd was dense, which meant he really had to shove people out of the way to get anywhere, but Peter had always been good at slipping through cracks. And honestly, it was always fun squeezing between the people; he would catch the most interesting snippets of conversation. Wrinkling his nose at a particularly squealy ‘he was so good last night!’, he finally reached James and tapped his shoulder. James turned to him and smiled, but Peter just grabbed his elbow and said, “It's nearly midnight.” As soon as James heard that, he grabbed Sirius’ arm and pulled him along too. He navigated James to Lily and then took them both to where he had seen Remus and the Slytherins (all lurking in the shadows like ghosts) and made sure to strategically place James and Lily in the middle.

As the minute closed, Peter saw everyone's conversations dwindle and every head turned to face the clock in the middle of the room. It had been a wild year, Peter thought to himself. A lot had happened and he found himself realising that he was glad he got to be a part of it. All of it. As the clock started counting down the seconds from 10, people joined in, counting out loud.

“10!”

Regulus and Barty shuffled further into the shadows - if that was even possible.

“9!”

Sirius pulled Remus out of the shadows.

“8!”

Peter saw Marlene and Dorcas rush down the girl dormitory stairs and mix in with the crowd. They had lost the two before they had decided to go down to the Black Lake and decided that if the couple wanted to find them, they would know where to go.

“7!”

“6!”

“5!”

Pandora, who had been missing for most of the party (something to do with New Years nargles? Peter wasn't sure) came and stood next to Evan, who wrapped an arm around his sister’s shoulder.

“4!

James and Lily shuffled towards the centre.

“3!”

“2!”

“1!”

The room exploded with “HAPPY NEW YEAR” and laughter and colour as people shared a kiss, shook hands, exchanged hugs. Peter smiled as he saw James holding Lily close and Evan and Pandora locked in an embrace. Which lasted for a total of 2 seconds. Evan let go and quickly pinched his sister’s cheek before she had a chance to do anything to him first. His friends came closer, surrounding James and Lily since they had been in the middle. Barty grinned.

“Finally managed to pull Evans, Potter?” 

Lily scoffed.

“Please. I just felt bad for him. Imagine not having anyone to kiss on New Year’s!” she said. “Unless of course, by choice,” she added apologetically, looking at Peter, Evan and Pandora.

Peter shook it off with a wave of his hand.

As a floating plate carrying drinks passed by the group, they each took one glass. Sirius lifted his in the air and said, “To Remus Lupin, for finally accepting himself.” 

And so they began their yearly tradition of toasting each other on New Year’s. Someone would start by toasting someone, whoever they chose. Then that person had to raise a glass to someone of their choice next. Since Sirius had toasted Remus, Remus spoke.

“To Lily Evans, for surviving another year putting up with James.”

“To Peter, for always being there for any one of us.”

“To James - He knows why.” 

“To Barty, for making my brother’s brother slightly less miserable!”

“To Regulus, for finally realising he’s a human! With emotions!”

“To Evan, thank you for bringing my brother and I close again. But if any of you tell anyone I said this, I will deny it - Or worse!”

Chuckling, Evan raised his glass last.

“To all of us! For finally realising that surprisingly enough, we make a good bunch of people!”

[arthur-side]

@lee1504 don't pretend you didn't just make a masterpiece and didn't think a certain someone would make another one as well using the same prompt you used because they saw you/aff

@primalmagic hi Isa I went insane

A Surprise

A Benlor Coffee Shop AU where the Clark cousins are in the middle of making the new building

~~~

Hopping down the stone steps was Taylor, happily humming to herself as she held a piece of paper tightly, grinning ear to ear. Her eyes brightened further when she spotted Ashlyn and Logan, speeding up to get to them before they got to the other side of the street and the traffic light separated them. It happened before, and she will not let it happen again.

“Lo! Ash!” She called, jogging at the siblings. Logan jumped and almost lost balance while Ashlyn casually turned to her, giving her a small smile.

Logan’s grandparents had been struggling with their health lately and were now resting in a hospital, so during that, the Banners technically adopted Logan as their own, legally even if his grandparents finally let them gain full custody over him. Taylor was sympathizing at the fact that Logan’s relatives were going to leave him for good again, but she was glad Ashlyn and her parents were kind enough to accept him as their own.

“Taylor!” Logan huffed, hitting Ashlyn’s leg with his own as she snickered. Ashlyn reciprocated. Logan's pouting wasn’t what Taylor expected, but at least he was more likely to express himself proudly.

“Taylor.” Ashlyn echoed, raising an eyebrow at her, “You look happier than usual, what happened?”

Oh, she can’t wait to tell them what happened.

“Well, I got accepted to collaborate with a company that I’ve always idolized! Can’t you believe that?!” She twisted and hopped around, beaming so brightly she might have just been the sun.

“Oh~?” Logan tilted his head, hair flinging as a few cars passed by, almost getting smacked in the face by Ashlyn’s braid. “Damn it-” Taylor snorted.

“Anyways,” Ashlyn looked between Taylor and Logan, “Care to tell the story at the coffee shop the Clark cousin started?”

Taylor blinked, huh.

She hadn’t heard much from the two cousins these past few days, their hangout week got canceled a lot in between those, so realizing they’d been using their time to build a coffee shop together really caught her off guard. Also, why wasn’t she informed of this?

“Why wasn’t I…?” Taylor’s smile slightly falter, pointed at herself as she gripped on the paper tighter. Logan and Ashlyn looked at each other, smirked, and chuckled. Taylor’s gaze went back and forth between the two, confused.

“Because Ben wanted to surprise you,” Logan explained, “You lovebirds really need to do your own thing and not drag the entire gang with it, girl.” Taylor blushed at the comment.

“Well okay now-” “I’m going.” Ashlyn turns a full 160 degrees and started walking at the pavement. Logan and Taylor stopped bickering as they quickly followed suit.

It became a tradition, really. Ashlyn usually walks away in a conversation if she realizes they were wasting time affectionately, and the others just follow her, even Tyler! She really is the leader, after all.

Well, now that she thought about it, does Tyler know-?

“Oh, and Tyler knows about the coffee shop, by the way.” Ashlyn interrupted her train of thoughts. The girl’s not only a badass leader, she’s also a mind reader! Ah!

“So am I the only one who doesn’t know of this?” Taylor asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

The siblings said in sync. Taylor deflated.

“Buuuuuut,” Logan started again, “It’s because we were doing a little special thing for you!” He turned around to face them as he threw his left hand out towards the sign behind him, reading “Adrenaline Junkie”. That sounds so Aiden.

“C’mon,” Logan grabbed Taylor’s wrist, re balanced the boxes he’s holding with one hand, and dragged her into the work-in-progress building. “Something’s waiting for ya!”

“Logan-!” Taylor almost fell out of balance as the abruptly stopped. She hits over someone, making her yelp.

She quickly backed away, embarrassed. “I’m sorry sir-”

“Hi Taylor!” She perks up from the familiar voice of her brother, turning her head to him who’s currently holding a hammer his free hand on his hips. “You bumped into Ben, by the way.”

Taylor snapped her head back in front of her, now recognizing the familiar gray shirt. “Oh-!”

“[Congrats?]” An AI, monotone voice suddenly erupted, Taylor looked at his phone, blinking a few times, then got swallowed in confusion.

Why is everyone here? What is this place? Why did they all not tell her?

“I’ve told them about your proposal of volunteering to collaborate with that company, they only wanted to support you, Taylor.”

Oh.

Well…That was quite unexpected, Taylor’s questions have been mostly answered, but the question regarding why they’re making a coffee shop is still lingering to her.

Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder, “So, were you accepted?” He asked softly. Taylor stiffled a laugh and a sob.

“Yes. Yes I did.”

The room erupted with cheers, all from her friends, her family. Aiden handed out coffees to everyone then held his own high. “Cheers to Taylor!” He announced, and Taylor laughed.

It’s…So comforting, so warm, this really made her entire week. She then held her own coffee high, and the rest followed.

Her eye captured a glimpse of a certain karaoke machine at one of the counters.

The karaoke machine she fixed for Ben even when he couldn’t use it.

[selinymaz]

She sat on the counter with her coffee on her knee, legs moving back and forth. The warmth of the shower made her feel like an entire new person, with the addition of the comfy clothes. The hot cup of coffee that rested on her lap was a good distraction while new emotions of being in his home and in his presence continuously ran through her with every conversation and hour passing. She hadn't realized how easy it would be to fall back in sync with him and just how large of a hole he'd left in her life. She'd grown accustomed to it, even to the point where she failed to realize, until she found herself here. For a lot of her life, he'd been her person, confidante, the one who always had her back. She missed that.

"I'm glad that your mom is doing well." Her eyes landed on him when he mentioned himself, frowning slightly. She could tell that he was struggling but she knew even when the news reached her across the world that he would be a mess. Rodeo had been his identity for so long and it was essentially who he was, so it was natural that he felt completely unravelled without it. "I can't imagine how hard it's been. I won't feed you some bullshit that it'll get easier because it's in your blood. You'll always miss it." It was a loss, and much like her brother's death, that grief was something that she just got used to carry over time. It never eased. "But for whatever its worth, I'm here now. If the weight of it all becomes too much." For whatever he'd need; to grieve, to escape, to be distracted. She smiled at the mention of his nephew. "I bet. Do you have a picture? I can show you one of Billie. She's so big. So smart, brave, and kind. So much better than I ever was at her age."

Selin fished into her phone and pulled it out, handing the smiling picture of her niece upwards towards Wes. He'd likely seen her around but she still wanted to show him a more recent one. There was a flash of something across her face at his statement about her having changed. Maybe it was self-consciousness. Did people think it was bad? Would they prefer the old version? "A lot of it is the clothes, but maybe it is something else." A shaky breath came out. "I think I lost a lot of myself when..." She cleared her throat, frowning at the lump that wouldn't budge. "I needed to get out of this town and figure out what I wanted. I was worried about my dad, trying to run away from my demons. It was nice to run towards something for once." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "It was a lot. I don't think it ever felt like home like it did for Leyla. It was a necessity for work. This has been home but New-York taught me a lot. ——Is it bad?" She finally found the courage to ask, avoiding his gaze now. "Whatever you think changed." She wouldn't ever dare ask anyone else, but he was a safe space for her to be vulnerable.

Seeing Selin in this way, in the Parker family kitchen, the way he had countless times before.. it left an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. A familiar one, a nostalgic one, but unsettling nonetheless. Wes watched her, his gaze softening at the sight as a small smile plays on his lips. It was so easy to fall back into rhythm like this with her, the way things almost felt effortless, like no time had passed at all. There was something comforting about having her here again — like a piece of his life that had been missing was suddenly back in place, even if just for a fleeting moment.

"Their lives are as chaotic as ever," he said, leaning against the counter across from her as he takes a sip of his tea. "They're.. well, I think my mom's happy I'm not.. you know." Selin knew all too well about his family's qualms over his choice of career. He knew she would understand that, too. "Eli's growin' up way too fast. He's a good kid." He realised she would've only known him as just a toddler; that was how much time had passed. It was a lot for his brain to compute. "He uh.. he's smart. Smarter than me." He paused, watching her for a beat longer, his brow furrowing slightly as he took in her expression, the way she looked at him. It wasn't just familiarity; it was more, but he couldn't quite place it. "I mean, I don't think they'd be surprised. Not by the fact that you're here with me, at least. But maybe a little shocked to see you in town, after all this time."

Did you put honey? Something of a smile tugs at his lips. "Of course. How could I forget?" Wes wanted to know more about her time in New York, about who she was. And when she claimed that she missed him, it took everything in him not to respond with the fact that he'd missed her, too. But he knew that once the words left his mouth, it would be harder to keep everything else buried. So, he held his tongue, letting the silence linger for a beat longer than usual before he spoke, his voice low and steady. “You seem different somehow,” he finally said, his gaze steady on her. "I always thought you'd make your mark somewhere big, you know? New York sounded like the perfect fit for you. —What's it been like?"

[marimayscarlett]

Hi, I'm Richard Zee Kay from Rammstein and Emigrate 🖤💅❤️🎸🧛‍♂️🚬🇩🇪

He is Richard 🚬 Zee 🖤 Kay 🤌��� and surely is...a lot sometimes 😌

Found this video of several unhinged snippets from his interviews and while this of course is just one aspect of this wonderful man, it really is iconic what Richard Zee Kay throws at innocent listeners sometimes 👀

Credits to the sweet tillka over on Tiktok 🫶🏻

[oneofthosenightbees]

Do you plan on making full body ref sheets for Champion of Chaos and Champion of Famine?

I might make one for the Goat and Seal someday, but for now I’m glad that I finally figured out a full ref for these two!

(some bonus stream doodles below)