#gotta post it while it's relivant

[fivekrystalpetals]

Thinking about it, I find tons of similarities between Break and Lottie—

(yes this is yeeeet another of my break/lottie posts but please hear me out!!)

Both of them are:

Valets in their respective houses

Too loyal to their masters and went to the extent of killing hundreds of people for their master

Lost so many family members to an outsider (directly/indirectly because of Sablier)

Fell into the Abyss in the process of trying to keep their word to their master

Returned to the real world after a long time skip, not to their present but many years into the future

[Look at their matching expressions on emerging into the present and realizing the ramifications of their deeds i am crying they are just so precious to me ;_;]

Intent on finding out the Truth of what happened a hundred years ago (adding here: both of them are Seekers in the story. Break might hang out with the kids but he is not exactly the mentor/teacher character. Uncle Oscar is the Mentor/Teacher; Break is a Seeker)

Assumed a fake persona (in case of Break: a fake name as well) for the sake of their mission

Tend to put on the creepiest faces when others are watching and only reveal their true emotions when they think nobody is looking at them

Ruthless getting to their objective; ready to torture and force what they want out of the other party; maybe, even kill

Intelligent and perceptive and easily see through people on multiple occasions (mostly Oz (twice or thrice) and separately? They are reading through and keeping an eye on either of the brothers in their custody lol)

(Also I find it sweet that after Break passed away, Lottie took in Gil as well, Gil-Lottie were the best bros i bet,, ig after Noise's death, Lottie was the lone big sister kinda figure for the boys)

Other tidbits:

Both of them are fond of dolls! Break and Emily yes! and... remember how Echo offered that doll as a 'bribe' to Lottie to give her a few minutes to talk with Oz lol

Oh man they sure know to clean up well (how can I not add this when both of them rocked in their Head Hunter Arc attire :_: I wish we had a clear full shot of Lottie's dress; it was so gorgeous <3)

their real ages are... ambiguous. They could be anything from 20s to 90s depending on how you start, perceived age, experienced age, chronological age, technical age etc. etc. All I know is that these are old ageless people. annnnd Break is definitely younger than her, no matter how you see it lol. So him calling her "little miss/little lady" is....(ik he is flirting with her) but if they ever had a civil conversation, her reaction was gonna be something like this ahjhjgjskl

(unrelated but I love these three 💔)

ah yes this panel but make it Lottie, Break who is laughing HA HA HA HA and Lily in his arms; post-canon, nobody dies/everybody lives au that never happened ;_;

[jester089]

Gotta say, massive fan of the work you’ve pumped out, especially for TADC (it came out two weeks or so ago and there’s this much already what?!)

That said, could you write for the gang (separately, I’m sorry l know it’s a lot) who’s s/o resisted abstraction? Like, they were halfway through but turned back through sheer will? *Insert John Wick reference* This has been ping ponging in my head for a while. Thanks for listening! XO

Glitchy pain

I've written for something like this before. And I wasn't sure if you wanted angst or fluff. But since what I wrote before was angst I'm gonna just donna do my ideas on this one. Also to anyone else who feels like requesting don't be afraid to ask for a lot of characters. My max is like 10 and only because Tumblr doesn't like super long posts. I honestly don't think I would have a max if not for that. But really from like 7 pm to 4 am I got a lot of free time and the want to write. So ask to your hearts content. TADC crew x (kind of) abstracted reader

Caine

Caine was floating around when he heard what sounded like a pained and glitchy scream? He quickly floats over to where he heard it from only to find you clutching your head crumpled up into a ball on the floor. He was about to float down and ask you what happened before he noticed the random glitches, black spiky flesh, and randomly colored eye balls all appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. So he backed off, a little sad over the fact you were abstracting but life goes on. Until you let out another pained scream, it was almost like the abstraction reacted as the second you screamed it reverted a bit and slowed down. It continues like that for who knows how long. You in a mental and physical battle with abstraction. Caine just staring completely taken back by what he was witnessing. After enough time you vomit a nasty and seemingly living blob of black goo onto the floor and pass out. Caine stares at your motionless body for a few seconds before snapping out of it. He puts the weird goo blob into the cellar and takes you back to your room. He doesn't even know how to react, so he sits there at your bedside waiting for you to wake up. Once you do he is relived to find it's still you, speaking in full sentences and everything. Sure your voice and body have the occasional glitch but overall you're ok. So he leaves you be, mostly. He still needs to study your code for how you did that. But past that and him being a bit more "walking on egg shells" around you, but nothing really changes. And not wanting the others to think your a threat, you and Caine don't tell anyone.

Gangle

Gangle was wandering around looking for you. Her comedy mask broke again and you were the only one who knew how to fix it properly. She could patch it up sure but it never lasted long. Much like Caine she heard you scream out, only difference being she recognized your voice. She quickly changed from casual and aimless stroll to sprint with reason finding you leaned against a wall holding your stomach looking like your about to throw up. She runs up to you and places a hand(?) on each side of your head staring into your eyes. She in a panicked voice asks "Are you ok?! What happened?!" You half shove her away a garbled and messy version of your voice half screaming out that it isn't safe. You quickly regret taking the energy to speak and move as a giant surge of pain jolts up your digital spine forcing you onto your knees. You let out another pained groan/scream as black goo starts oozing out of your mouth. It's only then that Gangle realizes your glitching! She panics and tells you to stay calm while she gets Caine. Gangle sprints off with a mission luckily finding Caine rather quickly. She especially screams at him to help her/follow her. He listens and follows her. When she gets back to where she left you, your passed out. But you aren't glitching anymore. And your not fully abstracted. She carefully walks over to you and sets a gentle hand (ribbon) on your face feeling a whole lot of relief when you half swat at her hand in your sleep. She'll watch you while you sleep making sure you aren't disturbed but when you're awake and she's sure you're ok you are going to be getting a whole lot of cuddles from her. Her comedy mask can wait.

Zooble

Zooble was missing a leg and was hobbling/jumping her way towards your room to ask if you'd seen it. She knocked on your door only to receive no response. She knocks again. Nothing. So she unlocks it with the spare key you gave her. She is stunned by what she sees. Obsessive scribbles covering your walls. Wall paper torn and dirtied. She takes a few cautious steps before finally hearing you say in a horrible sounding voice "P̵̛̣̤̪̑̈́̄͆̚p̴̹͇̆̑̐͠ṕ̷͔̼͙̅̀͐̿͋͜͝P̵̢͚̩̱̮̭̉͜͠l̵͔̟̰̘̼̹̼̯͉͆ḛ̴̣͈̖͛̈́̏̏͌̕͜a̴̢͇̣̮̠͕̮͆̾s̸̡͉̣̺̯͚̾̈́͋̃̑͊͘s̵̼͛̃͛̄̏̊̊͜͠ͅs̷̨̯̬̯͊e̵̢̪̜̗͙̞͈̠͌̔͠s̸̢͔̝̳̞͈̭̲͂͆̇̄͛́́͗ͅͅ ̴̗̻̳̗̜̙̹̘͒̒̑̅̂̎̚͘w̴̰̘͂͊̌̒͘w̸̢̦̑̍̈́͊W̷̨̄̑̌̂̚͝W̵̦̙͇̝̲̪̝̫̜̰̄͑̚w̶̮͐̏̀͊͠h̴̬̤̠̩̰͋͗̾̓̈́̍̅ó̴͍̭͇̯͚̮͔̽̓̔̈́ ̶̥̑͋͒̿̀Ê̶̼͎͇͍̳̯͌͋͐̓̋v̸̢͓̩͗͜͝v̴͇͇̮̻͖̪͕̰̹̫̔̌̎̇̑́ë̷̪̤̫̪͌͂̓̕͘e̵̢̨̱̘̗͙̘̱̱̩̎̾̀v̸͍̄͠ë̶̡̙̠̣̰̠́͜r̸͇̰͖̍͑͌̆̌ ̷̯̼͕͍̭̭̲͙̰̽̈́͝y̷̪͉͓͗̿̀̐̈̃̆õ̷̢̜̮̬͒̈́͒̿̀̽̈́͂̈́ǘ̸̡̟̭̩̠̜̬͙̃ṵ̴̭̮̹̯̺̜̤̈͂̽u̸̬̠͉̺͍̰͉̦͌̋́̃͌̊͘͜ ̵̲͖̩̹̲̊̐͂͝͝a̵̰̩̻̗͕͎̮͈̥̫͂̂̌̆̆̎̑a̴̭͒͐̏̎́́͝à̶̛̘̮͍̟̻͕̰̽̍͛̽̈́̃͛͝r̴͎͚͇̻̞̬͑̂̅̿͋̅̂͊̔ą̴̛̱̱̗̔̈́̈́̔͒̆̌͘͠r̵̺̰̬̹̮̬̘̜̈́̊͗͛̅̌͌͘͜ę̸̛̺̞͚̹̘̱̥̲̒̍̏̔͛̌̚ȇ̴̩.̶̛̖̙̦̝̹̰͔̉͂̆̉̐̾̐͠͝ ̵̘̙͎̼̻̩̬͖͌̉̾̂̄͜J̵͐̏̇̈́̑̃͜͝͝j̶̛̠̬̟̓͗͗͆̆̀̈́̿̂͜j̴̢͍̦͉̯͑̍̓J̷̨̧̢̳̟̠̯͖͖͚̐̈̏̓̈͐̎̐͝j̶̫̞̬͖̯̯̹̺̩͆̾̽́̈́̄ͅJ̵͖̘̫̓u̷̡̧͔̥͇͕͔̞̠̇͛̈́̎͂̌͂͘̕ş̶͕̎��ṫ̷͈͖̲̩͉͌̅̍̈́́̿ ̷̠͕͕̖̜̻̯̻̖̃̏̀͂͑́l̷̳̣̼̓̈́̊̈́̈̎̀́̋̚͜L̶̡̜̣͔͔̼̠̗̎̇̈́̕Ļ̴̞̟̱̹͓̹̪͖͚̂̐͐̑̂͆̐̓̚͠ḽ̶̢̧̙̺̯͖̰͓͐͗̽̈́̃̔̀̾̕l̴̢̢̳̜̣̦̎́́̔̕̚e̷͔̫͉̘͉̓̓͋͊̀̿̄̕͝ͅã̷̡̢̝̮͔̮̰̱͒͌̈͊̾͂͠ͅͅv̷̗̼͎̠̝̋̓͒͛̂͐͜͜è̶̪̟̲̘̃̓ ̴̺̊̉͑̉̽̅́̕̕m̸̧̦͔̙͍̘̭̲̄͂m̸̧̫͎͌̀̃͜ͅM̴͍͍̫͚̺͚̪̺̿́̒͋̂͐̿͗̚͘m̴̛̘̼͔͑̿̏̅͌̊̾̕e̴̩̟͈̙͑̏͐̆̓͆̏̚͠͝ ̵̳̤͉͉͙̬̥̉̓́̀̓̃̀̌̊͜ͅḁ̶̧̗͈͍͍̉͂̀͆͗̾̆́̚͜͝l̴̜͓͈̄͌̓̈́̉͊͊̍͝a̵̲͒̋̂͐́̊̕̚͝â̶̢͕̫̘̮͈̻͕͙̩͑̂ḹ̵̨̮̓̓̊̍̕̚͝o̵͖͔̥̳̊̐̀͠n̵̺̥̲͔͔̿͋̊ë̶̯̤̻́̌̎̎́̾͋̄̄̋.̵̪̑͆̀̎" (Please whoever you are. Just leave me alone.) She cautiously walks over to your bed and peaks over it. Your laying there curled up into a ball torn and broken items surrounding you. Y-your abstracting?! B-but... Zooble doesn't even really register the fact. She's in shock from seeing you like this. (I mean I would be too) You let out an ear piercing scream and claw at your own face with enough force to tear the skin, if you weren't digital at least. The glitching gets much much worse for a few seconds before just, stopping. No rhyme or reason that she can see. But you can bet your a&$ that after like 5 seconds pass and you stop showing signs of abstraction she's going to huddle near your spitting out so many questions. Mainly ones like "ARE YOU OK!?!" and "Your still with me right?! RIGHT!?!"

Kinger

Kinger would more likely then not be there when your first started glitching. And that might make him officially lose it. Your the second person in this hell (Queener) who he felt close too. And he outlived you too. Still you aren't abstracted yet. Maybe their's still a chance! So he sprints off screaming out for Caine in a voice that is loud enough to make you go deaf if you were too close to him. When he finds Caine. And he will find Caine he grabs him by the shoulders and sprints towards where he last saw you. He basically throws Caine at your glitching form and yells at him to fix you! In that second you stop glitching Caine did nothing and Kinger will basically tackle you. He'll pick you up and hold you over his head like a spear and sprint towards your rooms. Once there he will set up the comfiest coziest pillow fort possible then get you all comfy inside. Once he's sure your at least mostly safe and he's at least mostly calmed down he'll ask you about what happened. (Despite him being pretty crazy I really do feel like out of everyone he would be the best at communication in a friend or relationship. I mean he's that crazy and yet he still has manners and knowledge about a lot. Tbh he might become my fav. Idk it's possible.)

Ragatha

You were helping out Ragatha with a surprise she was making for everyone to lighten their moods when you said that you feel kind of sick so you were going to call it a night. She nods thanks you for the help you gave then gives you a quick peck to the lips as a send off. Not to much to her surprise you choose to lay in her bed instead of yours. Just something you do when you don't wanna be alone. She shrugs it off and keeps working actually quite grateful that you decided to not leave, not fully at least. She keeps working but stops when she hears some very concerning noises coming from your sleeping body. She turns around to see you tossing and turning an abnormal amount in your sleep, as well as making a lot of noises that sound like when someone is choking on their own blood. Concerned she carefully walks over to check on you only to recoil when she notices the glitching. She trips over her own foot and falls over onto her back. She quickly but clumsily gets up and gets back to you. She shakes you a bit trying to wake you up, but you don't only concerning her more. She yells calls out for Pomni who pokes her head through Ragatha's door a second later. Ragatha nearly screams at her to go get Caine. Pomni startled by Ragatha's tone turns heel and runs off to look for Caine while Ragatha stays with you. She keeps whispering things like "You're gonna be ok" and "Pomni's getting Caine just hang in there". Always keeping a hand on you not caring when it starts glitching out too. When Pomni returns with Caine, Ragatha full on yells at him to help you. He looks at you, then back at her, then with a apologetic tone says their isn't anything he can do as abstraction is one of those things he doesn't have control over. Ragatha breaks into tears. So she's gonna lose you, she was even there. BUT SHE CAN'T F@%#&$* HELP?! She holds onto you like you're her last tether to reality. And you seem to get better. Your at the very least don't seem to be in pain anymore! So she squeezes you, really f&$%@#* hard happier then should be possible that your improving.

Jax

Jax found you in his room voice glitching you huddled over in pain. At first he thought it was a revenge prank and acted accordingly. "Haha, very funny Y/N. Now get out of my room I need to do something." That is until you vomited up a ton of pitch black goo. Then he started taking it more seriously. He quickly crouches down and wraps an arm around you to try and provide some support. He freaks out and quickly pulls his arm back when you vomit up more goo and starts visibly glitching. He panics and quickly looks around his room locking onto a like 3 day old unopened water bottle. He opens it and hands it to you as well as a thing to squeeze that half yells to just hang in there he'll be right back. He sprints around not even knowing who to get. He sees Ragatha and half tackles her. He shouts directly into her face that you need help and that you in his room. He tosses her in the direction of his room then continues sprinting around not long after finding Caine. He grabs Caine ignoring his protests and runs back to his room where he fins Ragatha sitting next to his bed you tucked in. Your not vomiting anything and you aren't glitching. You're just shivering. He hears you mumble his name and literally kicks Ragatha and Caine out quickly getting to your side. After he feels he wont get hurt he quickly gets into bed holding you close "If you ever do that again I'm going to take back my vow to not tease you." He falls asleep with his chin resting on your head.

Pomni

At first when you started glitching Pomni didn't really know it was abstraction. She's never seen someone abstract after all, only seeing the finished product. But when you keep getting worse and worse she realizes that something is wrong. So she leaves you with a quick kiss then runs off to the communication thing Caine made after the whole Kaufmo incident. She calls him and when he picks up she screams into the phone that your glitching out. When Caine appears next to her she runs back over to where you are not even checking if Caine is following. When she gets back to you, you're still in really bad shape. She turns back to Caine and yells at him to help you. When he tells her that he can't she starts hyperventilating, then she sees him pick you up and the cellar hole open?! OH F&#$ NO! She basically punches Caine then clings to you protectively, ready to throw hands with Caine if she has to. Caine tries and pull her off when she starts glitching but she has the grip of a professional rock climber. So Caine has to keep curing her glitches at they appear. Cause in his mind your beyond help but she isn't. Then you start to improve. No more coughing and the glitching has slowed down! Pomni glares at Caine then turns back to you with a scared and tired smile on her face. Once your ok enough to talk you are going to get an earful. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HER YOU WERE FEELING BAG ENOUGH TO ABSTRACT?!?!?! (Sorry this was so long. I got a little carried away. And surprisingly I'm pretty proud of this one. I hope you enjoyed it!)

xoxo, Jester

[coolshadowtwins]

SVSSS System Reveal Fic round up!

If you know one that hasn’t been recc’ed, then please put it in the comments/tags! I’ll add it to the post!

A Transmigrator and a Time Traveler Walk into the Bamboo House by VeryCharismaticDragon

Over a year after Shen Qingqiu's death, Luo Binghe consults his servant's servant, concurrently his disgraced martial uncle, for a way to bring the love of his life back. Shang Qinghua sends him in the direction of a certain time-traveling artifact, which supposedly brings one to the day they first met their soulmate.

Odd, though, that the artifact ends up missing the destination by just a few years…

A story in which post-Abyss Luo Binghe relives his disciple days, while juggling his secrets, traumas, and some unexpected revelations about the man he loves on top of that.

What is Seen by CaveteDracones

…is not [always] the real truth.

Truth-compelling artifacts in the hands of an enemy to one side, SYSTEM-mandated silence on the other, and Shen Qingqiu caught between the two. Is it too late to go back to the Water Prison? (NOTE: This one was recommended three times, and I have personally reread it multiple times. It’s one of my favorites and I really do want to read more fics in a similar vein lol)

open my lungs to let you in by ghostybreads

Shen Qingqiu had a secret. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before he was hit by a truth serum wife plot.

//

“How are you?”

“Horny. Kind of want Binghe to rail me, I guess. But it’s manageable.”

Liu Qingge’s hand on his forehead froze, and he was close enough that Shen Qingqiu could hear his breathing stop. He stared back expressionlessly, the mortification distantly crawling up the back of his neck. Honest One-Horned–

The frustrated scream that he usually vented in his head, came out straight from mouth.

“aaAAAAAHHHH GODDAMNIT AIRPLANE–”

Futility in Practice by TGP

When Luo Binghe is fourteen years old, his shizun suffers a terrible qi deviation and fever that completely changes who he is.

and judgment is just like a cup that we share by Kieron_ODuibhir

The blob finished rotating into place in a way that wasn’t quite compatible with geometry as Shen Qingqiu understood it, and cleared a throat it didn’t seem to have.

“Greetings,” it said, somehow clearly addressing him in particular more than the room as a whole despite its total lack of features other than blueness and translucency. “I’m here on behalf of the Hyper-Celestial Peace and Order Enforcement Bureau. Crime scene secure, proceeding to interviews. Beginning with Subject One: You are Shen Qingqiu, formerly Shen Yuan, also known as Peerless Cucumber?”

First, do no harm by Terias

Shen Qingqiu has been acting especially erratic since awakening from his three day coma after a severe qi deviation.

Mu Qingfang investigates and discovers a great many things about his new shixiong. (NOTE: This one has Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu as the same soul, technically, but it still works I think!)

Show The Screenshots by A_Non_ymousWriter

When a rogue foreign System sends out a subtle virus, some outsiders are shown chat messages between a certain two transmigrators and their Systems.

AirplaneBro: nah dude shen jiu would never lay a hand on his female disciples like that, hes gay

Liu Qingge tripped on thin air while Mu Qingfang choked on his tea as Shang Qinghua (their god? creator??) casually shattered their view of their original Shen Qingiu. The fake Shen Qingqiu at least, was sharing their shock.

CucumberBro: EXCUSE ME WHAT??

CucumberBro: The fuck he is?!?! He literally GOES TO BROTHELS! LIU QINGGE FOUND HIM IN BED WITH A WOMAN THAT ONE TIME?

AirplaneBro: aight bro buckle the fuck up cuz imma take u on a joyride all about shen jiu >:)

—————-

Binghes#1Fan: I don't want to send Binghe into the Abyss...

System 2: User must comply, if User cannot do the task User will be punished and the account will be terminated.

Mobeis #1Fan: sorry bro unless ur okay w being ded af u gotta push binghe into the abyss

Ning Yingying's fists clenched. Okay, so trying to get Yuan-ge and A-Luo together would be harder than she thought.

[mqrrstarr]

Modern AU Caracalla and Geta!

Brother Shenanigans! Part One

(Barnes and Noble, Target, Olive Garden)

Warnings: not edited properly uhh idk I don’t have siblings so idk if this is accurate 😞🙏

A/N: officially a tumblr writer I suppose, and it’ll just keep being gladiator for a while. anyways, I saw a post of a photo of Caracalla in a restaurant and I forgot what it said but it sparked an idea in me. (btw, go join the roman history/gladiator community!!) anyways this will be a series, and comment stores/locations you’d want me to write about!!

Summary: Caracalla and Geta go shopping together and stuff happens.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

Caracalla always drags Geta out of the house, wanting to take his brother on random and spontaneous shopping trips.

Caracalla adores going to Barnes and Noble, spending time in both the history and fiction area. He’d spend time looking for interesting titles and skimming through pages of books, easily spending three hours on one. (Also occasionally going to the kids area, reliving his favorite childhood tales and keeping up with new children’s literature.)

Caracalla would also spend time in the cookbook area, as he yearns to learn how to cook. (Geta does all the cooking, and Caracalla can only make things like toast and simple breakfast. For the sake of Dondas of course.)

Geta in this situation would spend time at the Starbucks in B&N and would probably have a magazine. (Assuming they’re emperors/royalty, most likely a magazine of himself.) He’d get his usual drink, some sort of caffeine filled delicacy to keep his nerves alert.

Caracalla would get ready to leave and checkout and find Geta still drinking his fifth drink and tenth brownie. He’d get up and see Caracalla smiling and be content his brother was happy.

Soon after, in the car (chariot) Caracalla would read his books and Geta would drive to the next location. (they have money so they’re target people lmao)

Pulling up to the Target, I feel like Geta would be the one most interested here. He’d walk around with a cart, acting like he owns the place but truly just looking for clothes and home decor. He loves vases for flowers and for a historical vibe.

(Gotta keep the “palace” nice.)

Caracalla wouldn’t be far behind his brother though, and he’d be complaining to Geta saying something like;

“Getaaaa. Enough with the sweaters, you have enough at home. I’m boredddd. Ughhhhh. I forgot to feed Dondas I think. Anyways, Geta keep moving or I’m going to steal your video games.”

This motivates Geta (he’s a gamer most likely bc of Caracalla) and he keeps going. A long time later, they stop to eat dinner at Olive Garden.

(Italy reference help I’m so sorry if you’re Italian and this is offensive I love you all)

The brothers sit down to eat and take time to order food. When they receive their drinks, Geta with a soda and Caracalla with a semi alcoholic drink (erasing the pain) they order.

Geta gets pasta with shrimps with a Cesar salad on the side.

Caracalla orders some chicken parmesan, some spaghetti, a chili soup, with a tiramisu as desert.

They eat and go home to their lovely mansion, decorated with a pool in the back. Dondas runs to Caracalla and his books. While they hug, Geta brings in the sweater he bought and the five different vases he got too. They watch a movie on Netflix, one titled Pompeii.

(Actually a movie btw it’s okay)

The day’s action has exhausted Caracalla, and he falls asleep a few minutes in. Geta simply smiles and continues his work from the morning. This routine keeps them happy, and keeps them bonded. He’s happy to have someone to trust. He’s grateful he has a brother.

the end <33

[ooftale]

This game, god I love this game

ok so Im copying and pasting the rant for the game from my Insta under the cut + the alt vers, PLEASE Im just expressing my love for the game in it but it's too late for me to rewrite the whole thing

I wish Tumblr would let me post with music like Insta,,, this is a zillion times better with the "Niko and the World Machine" song gah

God this game is a masterpiece though, OK if u wanna read more do it under here:

OKAY here's the rant!!

oh my god i fucking LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH. I SWEAR. I CANNOT FUCKING EXPRESS. MY LOVE. FOR THIS GAME. Almost a year has passed since my first One Shot Post (doesn't apply to Tumblr, last One Shot post here is more recent) and almost a year has passed since my first playthrough

It wasn't really a blind playthrough, iirc i already knew lots of stuff about the story, ending and even the solstice run itself, too, it was already part of my interests to an extent, but I didn't know or remembered the details, and experiencing it myself still felt like a fully blind Playthrough (gotta again thank my shitty memory too), and was it freaking beautiful,,, plus, i finished it around xmas time, which is like my fave period of the year, so!! I still remember i got a photo of the TV while I was playing, there were gorgeous purple lights, both from LEDs and both from the game, since it was becoming dark outside, with little xmas lights around,, gah this game holds such a special place in my heart, I don't think any other game captured my love as much as this one, SURE, Im a big lover of many MANY games, and this one isn't even the first indie rpg i ever got into (hello Undertale and deltarune), and while those are very special to me as they're some of my first interests, OneShot is just a whole another type of special, a special special if you will

And recently I've seen my friend play it blind for the first time, and as I was (Awesomely) backseating, I got to basically relive it, in a way, and I always get a little phase for it after reseeing content of it, so here I am, drawing one of my personal favorite portions of the game! Sorry for the unusual type of rant I did this time, but I just. Argh. This game, dammit

Also fun fact, so many things about this game, from the 2014 version, to songs, to imagery, to scenes, freak me so much out or make me feel so weird I feel like I need to puke

Gotta love it

[mychoombatheroomba]

An Eye for An Eye

Between the Bones (Leon x GN! Reader) - Chapter 54

Leon and the squad grapple with the weight of their loss while you learn what you mysterious ally has given you.

(Cross-posted from Ao3)

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Chapter Index

“You look like shit.”

Valeria had never been one to mince words. Whatever else had changed in the last week, that had remained the same. At least something had. 

Leon wasn’t sure he wanted the company. He had gone outside to escape the droning fluorescent lights and ever-present eyes inside the CIA facility. He’d gone out to be where his thoughts could have a quiet place to wage their war. His friends should have brought him comfort. 

He hated that they didn’t. 

“Don’t worry, I feel worse.” His response was dry as his friend leaned against the wall beside him, sliding down to sit at his level. She hummed what might have been a laugh, once. Now, the sound was muted. A gray tone where once there had been vibrant color. 

Leon could sympathize. 

“Good to know we’re all in the same boat.” Dina lowered herself onto the ground at Valeria’s side, the three of them looking out towards the dimming sky. 

The shorter of the two women scoffed, shaking her head. “Can’t fucking sleep. Every time I close my eyes, it’s just . . .” 

She didn’t need to say it. Leon knew. Maybe that was why they’d sought him out. Maybe they hoped he’d have some advice. Some secret to help them through it all. As if he hadn’t been cursed with this for months now. Just when he’d thought he might finally be free of it-

“You guys hear the official story?” 

Leon turned his head towards Dina, who looked up at the sky like she had a bone to pick with whoever was up there. He knew what she was talking about without having to ask. The base. How the Army would spin so many lives lost all at once. 

“They, uh . . . they’re saying it was a fire that got out of control. Someone smoking without authorization. Summer heat, dry brush . . . fwoosh .” She motioned with her hands, then let out an empty laugh. “Probably easier that way. Don’t have to send home any bodies if they’re all ash.”

A fire. The same excuse used for Dorne base. More lies. More deaths kept hidden. 

It was a bad joke.  

“You know, they put all this money into this,” Dina droned, shaking her head, “training us to fight monsters, teaching us to spy and shoot and whatever else. And then none of it fuckin’ matters.” 

“It’ll matter,” Leon shook his head, surprising himself. He sounded like you. Like you used to, before everything had crashed down around you all. He just wished he believed the words more. “It’s gotta mean something.” His life hadn’t been torn open and rearranged for no reason. You hadn’t been made to relive the worst night of your life for nothing. He had to believe that. 

“I don’t think any of this means anything,” Williams shook her head, digging her heels into the dirt and pushing her legs out in front of her. “I don’t think watching your friends kill each other has some greater purpose behind it.” 

“Dina,” Valeria spoke, her voice softer than Leon had ever heard it, “he wanted to go out on his own terms.” 

It didn’t matter how right she was, though. The words, the memory of you lowering that gun, of that look of nothingness in your eyes, and a pool of crimson framing Logan’s head . . .

“Shouldn’t have had to, though,” Dina shook her head. “He should be right here, telling us some stupid shit about tanks, or singing fuckin’ Journey.” 

The world blurred a bit, as tears stung at Leon’s eyes. He clenched his jaw tight. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t let it out, or he’d crumble. These last few days, he’d learned very quickly in the solitude of his room that once he started down that path, there wasn’t much that could stop it. 

None of this should have happened. Leon almost spoke it aloud with a bitter laugh, feeling his heart beating at a faster pace. His mind running in desperate circles, trying to escape the thoughts that nipped at its heels. None of this should be like this. 

All the wishing in the world wouldn’t change it, though. 

“But he isn’t.” That was all Leon could manage to say. 

Dina shook her head, her mouth pressed in a thin line. “But he isn’t.” 

Silence blanketed them for a few long seconds, before the covers were torn off again. 

“Sarge said anything about it?” 

The question was meant for Leon. Who else? He was the one you spoke to most, before. If you would have said anything, it would have been to him. Should have been to him. As it was . . .

“No.” He couldn’t decide if he wished you had or not. 

Dina didn’t look like she could decide, either. She bit at the inside of her mouth, shaking her head. “I know why it had to happen . . .” she said, nodding like she was trying to convince herself of it even now; that you putting a bullet in her friend’s head was the right thing to do. That it was mercy. “I just . . .” she just couldn’t fathom it. 

Leon nodded in turn. “Yeah. I know.” 

There was only so much rationalizing one could do. Only so many times a person could tell themselves that it had to be done. Leon knew he would either be broken by that fact or become numb to it. He wasn’t sure which one he dreaded more. 

Nor was he able to dwell on it for long, before a figure approached, winding around the edge of the building. Leon and his companions looked up just in time to see a guard there, his face pulled into a tight expression. Leon didn’t even get to ask what brought him there before the guard spoke, gesturing for them all to stand. 

“Everyone needs to come with me. Now.” 

He didn’t hide it very well - the worry in his voice. The urgency. 

“What happened?” Valeria asked, her eyes suddenly sharpening as she picked up on the new energy brought to the moment. 

There was no real answer given, only a sense of looming dread as they were ushered back to their rooms. A sense of dread that was becoming all too familiar to Leon. 

⧫⧫⧫

Fate hadn’t given you many of the things that you’d hoped for. 

In fact, lately, it felt like life had been gorging itself on you, rather than practicing charity. What it had given, you found, had only led to hurt. Or it surely would. This would be no different. The gift you’d just been given would bring pain, but it was the kind you would gladly endure. You wouldn’t refuse something you craved with all your being - that you had paid for in blood and bruises and a breaking spirit. You gave in to a dark faith that now, finally, fate had thrown you a goddamn bone. 

Not all those around you shared that sentiment.

Including you, there were five in the room - a room that was completely sealed off from the rest of the world. Simmons watched the room from the edges of it, twisting the gold ring on his thumb while he focused. Hellman and Benford were more focused on the computer screen in front of them. As for the fifth . . . you could never remember feeling so much weight behind Major Krauser’s gaze. He’d done a poor job of hiding his concern when you and Hellman explained what had happened. That concern had so quickly turned to rage, and you had wished you could return to being blind to the cause of it all. Things had been less complicated, then. 

You wished a lot of things could go back to the way they had been. 

But with no way to go but forward, you set your focus to the information in front of you. A hound being given a scent. 

“I don’t like this.” Benford shook his head, the computer screen in front of him reflected in his glasses.  

The images on it, the text . . . 

Coordinates. Overhead images of an island - Kolguyev, it read. A sizable but mostly unoccupied piece of land in the Barents Sea. Russia. The island itself had a small town on one side, and on the other, a fenced perimeter. Four buildings were tucked in, surrounded by more open expanses of land. Ranges, you realized. You could see vehicles, even what looked like a tank, and well-carved pathways for them to use. It was a familiar layout even if you’d never seen the island before - you’d spent the last several months in places just like this, after all.

“It’s a training facility,” you breathed, your voice raspy. Crushed down to size by the man’s hand around your throat. A man who, it seemed, had given you a target. 

It was all but confirmed when Benford scrolled down, and names and faces you didn’t recognize passed the screen. Service records, you realized, though not for any one country’s military. No, they were unified under a different banner. 

��𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚛��𝚝𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚎

𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝: 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢

That was not surprising. Instead, what caught your eye was not who they served, but where they’d come from. 

𝙱𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝙺𝚘𝚕𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚎𝚟 𝙵𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢

Benford leaned back in his chair, his mouth set in a thin line. 

His silence only served to fuel your anger. You weren’t alone in that. 

“You said Reed was heading to Russia?” Krauser sounded just as viciously pleased as you were. It only made the senior agent at the computer more uncomfortable. 

Benford nodded. Once. Reluctantly. “But there are Umbrella facilities all over the world. We don’t know-”

“We don’t have to know.” You straightened up, feeling something rise in you. Potential energy, the need to do something. And now, you’d been given a heading. “If this is a training facility, then we can start to level the playing field.” You could take from them what they’d taken from you: their future. And if Reed was there, then you could kill him. You could show him the failure of his cause as he died and-

“The risk is too high,” Benford shook his head. “Not when we have so little concrete information.”

“But you can get more information.” Krauser sounded almost as certain as you were, tearing open holes in Benford’s argument. 

He’d taught you to press the offensive, so you did. “You wanted to fight Umbrella. You trained us to do that, and now what? You’re too scared to use the weapons you built?” You met Benford’s eyes, and felt some little satisfaction when you saw him waver under your stare.  

His response was measured, even so. “It’s not that simple, Sergeant. It’s how we were given this information that concerns me.” 

“You mean the man who broke your perimeter like it was made of tissue paper?” Krauser’s words bit hard into their target, as they so often did. 

Benford just turned the attack into more ammunition. “Exactly. This man broke into our facility without issue. He overpowered you and Hellman both, and left just as easily. This kind of intel isn’t just given without motive.” 

“Umbrella has enemies besides us,” Simmons pointed out, finally entering the conversation with a cool voice. “Their facility on Rockfort Island was destroyed by a paramilitary organization a few months ago, was it not?” 

So Krauser hadn’t been given all the reports after all, because that name didn’t sound familiar to you. By his reaction now, it wasn’t because the Major had omitted any information when it came to you.

“It was,” Benford confirmed, “but I would argue that makes this more suspicious. Not less.” 

It was Hellman who spoke next, incredulous. “If Umbrella has an enemy in that man, why is he not the one storming Kolguyev?” There was something to that, you supposed. He’d crushed a knife blade in his hand. Lifted you off the ground like you were nothing, and moved with a speed you couldn’t hope to match. Even so, even with all that power, he was handing this off to the likes of you. “He wouldn’t let us take him in for a reason. He’s setting us up to be pawns.” 

“Does it matter?” you found yourself asking, the words not your own. Did it matter whose pawn you were, so long as Umbrella was dealt a blow? 

Benford turned to you, already-present frown lines deepening. “There’s a good chance that this is a trap. If this is a training outpost, there will be soldiers there-”

Fire rushed through you, your gaze turned to a branding iron. “I’m counting on it.” 

A laugh followed your declaration, and Simmons pushed off the wall. Satisfaction curled his lips into a smile. “ That right there. We need more soldiers like that if we’re to stand a chance against this corporation. Sometimes risks must be taken in a fight such as this one, and we need those who will do what it takes.” 

“So glad you approve,” Krauser snarled under his breath, but the conversation went on as if he’d said nothing.

Benford snapped his attention to his fellow agent, then. “Derek, we don’t have many people who know about this conflict left. If this operation goes wrong, we could lose all of them.” 

It was true. You knew it. This was enemy territory. No reinforcements, no solid intel, nothing to go on but what you held now. And it was worth it, for the exact reasons that Simmons spoke now. “And if this really is a training facility, if more records like these are available there and we got ahold of them,” he pointed his chin towards the screen, “then we could root out Umbrella’s personnel.” 

People like Reed. People like the man who’d driven a knife into your gut, and the team that had been with him. If there was a chance you could find them - track them down . . . 

“So send me.” The room turned towards Krauser, the Major pulling attention with his declaration. One forged in iron. One that embedded itself in your gut.

“By yourself, Major?” Simmons asked. The bastard had a talent for sounding patronizing, one that Krauser didn’t appreciate, if his biting tone was any indication. 

“Benford’s right. You’re down too many men to send them. I’m the most experienced soldier you have who knows about all of this. One man has a better chance of not being spotted than a team.” 

No. You felt a surge of something rise in you at the suggestion, because you knew how that would end. Whatever was happening with Krauser, whatever his feelings for you and however you felt in return, you knew that if he went out there alone, he would likely die. 

That was unacceptable. 

Even so, you stopped yourself from voicing that thought. You stopped yourself because all of the people in this room seemed to think that there was something between you and the Major. Something you couldn’t give credence to. You had to act as though you didn’t care, as though the man who’d saved your life, who’d given you so much, meant nothing to you. 

So, just like with Alenko, you dug deeper into the hollow of yourself. 

“So,” the Major went on, blue eyes boring into Benford’s own, “send me.” 

The most horrifying part was that the men around you considered it. You could see them making the mental calculations. Better to lose one man than an entire squad, that was the brutal calculus of it. One that you couldn’t exactly argue.

“No.” Your focus snapped elsewhere, and you never, ever thought you would be grateful to Hellman of all people. Still, the agent, wielding the guilt you’d buried in his gut, went on. “You’re a good soldier, no one can deny that, but this is about infiltration. Information retrieval. That’s what I’ve been trained for.” 

Krauser scoffed, somehow making a laugh sound dangerous. “You couldn’t even tell that your friend was an Umbrella plant.”

“Neither could you, Major,” Hellman reminded him. “Not until it was too late.”

“You watch your mouth-”

Hellman went on, undeterred. “I’m in the best position to make it right. I can scope things out and see what’s there.” It was an idea that sat with you no better than Krauser going alone. Not because you cared about Hellman’s safety, but because he didn’t deserve this vengeance, as far as you were concerned. 

“Noble of you,” Simmons nodded, still twisting the gold band on his thumb, “but that doesn’t solve the problem of one man not being enough to take down an entire base. A small team could assess the facility covertly and then infiltrate it if need be,” he went on, eyes sharp as he planned. 

“The Umbrella facilities we’re aware of thus far have always been more than they appear on the surface,” Benford pointed out. “There could be more than what’s depicted here. They would be on enemy territory, going in blind, fighting a force they’ve never faced before.” 

“How fortunate then,” Simmons just went on, his fingers twisting his ring while his lips were twisted into a smile to match, “that we have individuals with experience in such matters. Individuals who understand the value of knowing one’s enemy, and will stop at nothing to take the fight to them.” He looked at you, then, with the expression of a man who gambled and won more often than not. A man who didn't mind betting, especially when he wasn't the one who stood to lose. 

You didn’t mind that he was gambling with your life, though. Not so long as you got what you wanted. 

The only trouble was that Simmons wasn’t the only player in this game. 

“I don’t like the idea of sending just the two of them,” Benford said, another opinion added to the mix. One borne of mistrust - that much you could see plainly. You and Hellman were untrustworthy in his eyes, even now. You couldn’t blame him, you supposed; this mysterious man with too much information on Umbrella appeared out of nowhere and gifted you exactly what you needed. Anyone with a brain would find it suspicious. 

You understood that, you truly did. The only trouble was, what you knew was coming next. What you felt in your bones. 

“Kennedy has been inside Umbrella facilities before,” Benford went on, and it was clear to you then that fate had not, in fact, thought you’d paid the price for this gift. No, it demanded ever more. “And they worked well with Soto and Williams. That would keep the team small enough to avoid attention.” 

Your jaw tightened as he spoke their names, eyes going wide, showing off the red that had crept in when your air was cut off. 

But before you even had the chance to speak, Krauser huffed, incredulous. “Then I should go with them.” 

“I would be inclined to agree,” Simmons took a moment to formulate his counter, “but you and Hellman here are the only two instructors we have left with knowledge of bioweapons.”

“You can just tell someone else. They just destroyed an entire base, it’s not like it’s going to be a secret forever.” 

“The President has made it clear,” Benford said this time, “the fewer people know about all this, the better.” 

It was a losing argument. A fight not worth spilling blood over. That didn’t stop Krauser, though. “You’ve got to be joking,” the Major shook his head, looking between you and Simmons. “You wanna send a bunch of shell-shocked rookies out there? You’ll get them killed.” 

Simmons tilted his head to the side. “Many of these ‘rookies’ have service records before STRATCOM, Major. With the exception of Kennedy, I suppose. Though I would imagine his experience in Raccoon City makes up for that fact.” 

“They’re not ready-”

“Are you implying that your training of them was insufficient?” 

“Damn it, you’ve seen them!” He was talking about the entirety of your squad, but he looked at you. And in that moment, you had a realization: this wasn’t the Major you were used to seeing. In the last few months, he’d been a steadying force for you. A leader you could look to for guidance. Now, in this moment, all you saw was a scared man, clinging to whatever control he had left. Control that he’d given up the moment he gave you those reports. The second he admitted his guilt in doing so. “They’re afraid, and angry, and if you send people like that out there, they’re going to slip up. They’re going to get themselves killed.” 

He’d told you so many times to never show weakness. To never bear your scars and wounds. Now, here he was, doing it without meaning. 

A blunted blade would do them no good. Whether that was Krauser or Leon or you. 

So, no matter how much you wanted to insist that Leon be left behind, that he wasn’t suited to this mission, you knew how that would look. You knew that, to Simmons, that would be blood in the water for him to scent and salivate on. 

Not that it mattered what you or Krauser wanted, anyway. The decision was already being made, you could see it in Simmons’ eyes. 

Leon’s fate and yours, your friends . . . you were all tied together. At least you could spare one person you cared about. He’d saved your life once, after all. You hadn’t expected to return the favor this way. 

You hadn’t expected so many things. 

“You’re angry, sir,” you said, finding your voice again, however hollow it may be. You’d seen many expressions on Krauser’s face that you’d never thought to see, lately. The surprise you were greeted with now, almost like betrayal, was one of them. He wasn’t the only one that had a claim to that betrayal. Still, you carried on, reminding him of a fact he should have known well. “Your judgment would be just as compromised.” 

You’d never been on the receiving end of Major Krauser’s anger, really. Some part of you had hoped to never experience it. When faced with it now, though? You were surprised by how little it affected you. He’d taught you to face down worse though, hadn’t he? 

“My judgment?” He asked, stepping closer. “You want to talk about emotion clouding judgment? All you’ve ever done is let what you’re feeling control you. The only reason you’re here is revenge. That’s it. You want to kill the people who took your Captain. Your friends-” 

“Umbrella didn’t kill them,” you said, your expression blank as you stated the truth that had eaten away at you. The truth that had carved a well in you and taken up residence there. Because as much as Umbrella had turned your friends into monsters, as much as Reed and the man who’d driven a knife into you had done, they hadn’t pulled the trigger on Rain. 

Or Reynolds. 

Or Alenko. 

“I did.” 

Krauser, for once, looked disarmed. He stared at you - him and the other men in the room. Men who had either helped shape you into the dagger you were, or would wield you. 

“I did what I had to do. And I will keep doing that, until Umbrella is buried.” That had been your vow, all those months ago. As you lay in a hospital bed, clutching a dog tag that would be all that remained of the man you considered a father. You’d lost sight of that goal, and the world had reminded you of it now. So, you looked at the computer screen in front of you, at the image of the base there. Your chance, not to make it right, but to strike a blow. “That’s all that matters.” 

And to these men who would be your commanders, who would now dispatch you across the globe, hunting your targets, that was enough. 

⧫⧫⧫

Hours passed, and still there were no answers. No justifications for why everyone had been taken back to their rooms, but it was all too clear to Leon that something had happened. The guards - rigid even on a good day - had been tight-jawed and tense as they’d guided Leon and the others towards their rooms. Something was wrong, because it seemed like something was always wrong, now. 

The only question was: what?

That night, he was allowed to imagine just how wrong things were. By the time their cell doors were opened again, the worst possible scenarios had flooded his mind, memories amplified by a sudden and gruesome abundance of imagination. It didn’t amount to the horrors he feared. There was no attack. No undead. 

All Leon was greeted with was a pair of eyes framed by glasses, set in the aging face of the man who’d ruined his life. “Agent Kennedy, if you’ll come with me, please.” 

Agent Kennedy.

He was an agent now, wasn’t he? He’d passed his final test. He was theirs to send wherever they pleased. 

Him and you, it seemed, because you stood just behind the agent, and you weren’t alone. Hellman, Dina and Valeria were there too, each of them looking like the hangman had called their names. Not you, though. You were stone, as you so often were.

Even with a handprint bruised onto your throat. 

Leon felt sick to his stomach as he saw the mark, the skin on your throat turned a dark purple from the pressure of someone's grasp. He’d worn a bruise to match after Raccoon City, courtesy of the silent monster that had stalked him that night. That had come too close to killing him too many times. 

That handprint had been larger than a human’s hand, though. The one on your throat could have belonged to anyone. Who then? Who had hurt you? Who had done this to you? 

There were no answers to be found from Benford, who simply gestured for Leon to follow, before pausing a moment. “And if you may . . .” he held up his other hand, one that had been clenched at his side. One that, as his fingers uncurled, Leon realized held little plaques. Three sets of two, linked by chains, numbers and letters stamped into the metal. Three sets of two, and one chain that linked three plaques, the name REYNOLDS clear to Leon’s eye, just as your name was. 

Their dog tags. 

Benford was collecting them. 

For a moment, Leon felt fear surge through him. With the group gathered before him, he worried that the feelings present among the group had finally been laid bare. He worried that, at last, their luck had run out and their places in STRATCOM had been taken as punishment. 

As he hesitated, Benford spoke a clarification. One he sounded solemn about. “You’ll get them back when you return.” 

“Return from where?” Leon felt numb even asking the question. 

Benford didn’t look any more pleased as he took a breath in, but Leon saw your expression shift. You didn’t look up from the empty space you stared off into, but your eyes darkened all the same as the agent answered. “I’ll explain elsewhere, but . . . you have a target.”

A target. 

A mission. 

His first. 

And wherever you were all going, your identities couldn’t follow. 

He had little choice, so did as he was told and reached up to his neck. A moment later, his name was pressed down beside yours and those of his friends, hidden from view as Benford closed his fist around them. 

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[2tyongs]

[3:45 AM] stars . . .

bf!doyoung x gn!reader

genre: fluff, established relationship,

warnings: none other than it's not really proofread!

a.n. first post oh em gee kinda nervousss! i don't see a lot of 127 fluff on here anymore so i guess i gotta do it myself 😒/hj. requests are open and feedback is always appreciated! i hope you enjoy <3 happy halloween btw 🙏🏾

doyoung never knew what love was supposed to feel like until he met you.

you were like a breath of fresh air in his life. taking his normal, mundane tasks like going grocery shopping and transforming them into something more thrilling, or making him experience new things that he would never do on his own. you had made his daily routine into something new, something beautiful.

he will always love learning more about you no matter how long you have been together; your hobbies, your favorite places, and what your favorite shows are. everything about you intrigues him and compels him to familiarize himself more and more with everything you consider to be part of yourself — past and present.

he will always listen to what you have to say, holding onto every word. even the little things that you thought never mattered or were worth remembering yourself, he remembers. he remembers the names that you had wanted to name your pet years ago, the way you don't care for certain holidays like valentine's day (he will always still make the effort to show that he loves you on these days anyway; bringing you flowers and cooking your favorite dishes so you have something to look forward to, even on the days you typically hadn't expected to before.), and the books you said you wanted to read but never got the chance to purchase. he notices when your gaze lingers on an item for too long when you're out shopping together, making a note to himself to come back and buy it for you for a special occasion coming up.

one night while the two of you were lying on the couch, you mentioned that you had always loved going stargazing when you were younger after seeing the two main characters of the movie you're watching sitting under the stars, sharing their dreams.

doyoung had made a mental note of this former interest of yours, which led the two of you to where you are right now: sitting on a soft blanket and staring at the warm night sky. you were seated in front of him, resting your back on his chest with your head on his shoulder, enthusiastically guiding his vision to all of the constellations and stars you could remember as you pointed them out the best you could.

“...that's the big dipper, but if you look closer you'll see that it's part of a constellation called the great bear," you point to the left, tracing out the pattern with your finger. "not many people know that the big dipper isn't considered a constellation." you explain softly, never taking your eyes off of the view.

doyoung doesn't mean to get distracted from your explanation, but he can't help it when you look so excited. reliving your childhood with the stars above brings you so much joy that a smile makes its way onto your face as you share your knowledge with him. he admires your beauty as you talk about the things you're passionate about, trying to etch the sight of you into his memory forever. looking at you is something that he will never get tired of. the soft curve of your lips, the way your lashes cast shadows onto your face, the beauty marks that adorn your complexion.

you start to talk again until you feel his eyes gazing at you instead of the stars above. you turn to him, momentarily dazed by the amount of fondness that you can see in his eyes as he looks down at you. you smile softly, “what? why are you looking at me like that?”

doyoung smiles back, “no reason. i'm just happy.” he can tell you're not exactly pleased with his answer if the way that you raise your eyebrow at him is anything to go by.

"'just happy?' i need you to elaborate a little more, doyoung." you tease, nudging him, and glance back up at the sky.

he rolls his eyes with a smile still gracing his features, holding you closer, "i just really love being with you, hearing you talk about the things that you love, that's all." you turn to him again. you can hear the sincerity in his voice and see it in his eyes and it makes your heart melt. you're too flustered by the love you can almost see and feel exuding from him to say anything back, so you decide to continue looking at the view ahead of you instead, tracing patterns on the back of his hand.

there's a short silence until you finally break it, staring up at the sky, "i love you." you tell him, leaning your head onto his shoulder once again.

he knows that you love him. you show it every single day in the way that you make time for him and the way that you've let him become a part of your life in a way that no one else has, letting him see parts of yourself that no one else could.

"i love you too. so much." he replies, kissing the crown of your head and rubbing your waist with his thumbs.

he always thinks to himself that even if he were dealt a different set of cards in his life, the stars would always align to give him the grace of being here with you. and he's more than certain that no matter what those cards looked like, there's no way he could love you any more than he does now.

doyoung knows that no amount of words or physical affection could ever be enough to express the love he feels for you. but for now, you just being there with him, letting him hold you, this will suffice just fine.

[mediocreanomaly]

Heya! Same patchwork anon here >:]

Im so glad you like the idea! And id definitely see Vash being so protective of it, but sir we need to clean that omg 😩

But i did wanna shoot another reply cause i had another thought (Its 3am, so its the perfect time for thoughts) but imagine instead of white solid thread for Nai's janky ass milk puzzle blanket, its instead stitched with colored thread to at least give it some more life :0

I do like the idea that Nai just keeps it hidden, but imagine Nai's mate finding it and wanting to improve on it more, so little by little theyve been hand-embroiddering stuff on each patch to give it more life, and Nai doesnt notice cause he doesnt really lay it out often, and one day he just has this urge to look at it again, maybe give it a chance and add it to the nest, afterall its the thought that counts right? but then he spreads it out and sees the different embroiderry, like hearts or flowers that Nai's mate saw in books~ Theres even an ongoing embroiderry that makes it clear that his mate has been stitching this behind his back lol

(okay thats all sorry for the ramble im just so weak for them huhu)

Authors Note: Oh my gosh??? I'm so sorry for being away everyone work is busy busy busy rn, gotta serve up some of my drafts fr...anyways! Patchwork anon strikes again! You know nesting hc's are my weakness I had to indulge, R.I.P. Knives milk puzzle.

In reference to both of these post: Nesting Hc's, Patchwork Anon

A Blanket of Many Colors, Knives x Reader

You run your fingers over the blanket you had gifted Nai, the patchwork of white making the blanket look more like a haphazard ghost costume rather than a gift you'd painstakingly sown together. You sigh, you didn't really blame Nai for hiding it away in fact you'd been a be relived when you found out your mate kept the scraggly piece of fabric at all. While the vision had been there the end result had ended up lack luster at best.

You groan, about to tuck it back away in its hiding spot for good when you pause over one of the squares. Although by itself it wasn't much...it'd be the perfect base for something else. You think of what you could fill the tiles with, you had more than enough colored thread to add a bit of life to it, you mull over a couple options before remembering the book of flowers Nai had shown you once, his expression had soften as he explained the differences between each species. Inspired, you quickly grab the blanket and march over to the large bookcase in the corner of Nai's room, running your fingers over the spines of the books trying to find the correct one.

"c'mon...it's gotta be here somewh- ah!" you say triumphantly, pulling out the book containing pictures hundreds of different flowers. You'd been amazed when Nai first showed you, plants like this didn't bloom on Gunsmoke, so the idea of their soft petals were all you had to go off of. You quickly flip through the book picking out one of the flowers and grab some red thread and a needle, ready to go to work.

Some where along the way this little practice had become routine for you. Every time Nai was away or you were bored you'd sneak over to the cabinet your mate had stored the blanket and add a small embroidery. Adding a different flower every time until the blanket was becoming a colorful tapestry of your own making. You weren't sure if Nai even knew what you were doing, if he did he didn't say anything about it. So you continued the harmless pass time figuring he had just forgotten about the gift to collect dust.

He hadn't. Nai was, admittedly, particular when it came to his nest and he knew it. He'd mull over the sheets over and over making sure they were the same shade of white and that they were both soft and large enough. When you had presented him with the hand made blanket...it wasn't that he didn't apricate a gift from his beloved mate, it's just that he cringed internally anytime he thought about it in his nest. He couldn't bring himself to throw away something made by your hands though, so he had stored it away for safe keeping, not wanting anyone else to get their filthy hands on something made specifically for him.

It wasn't until a couple months and one tedious day later that he found himself marching towards his quarters. His instincts where screaming to wind down and drag you into the nest with him but you were out in Ja'Lai, escorted by Legato. He huffs, thinking of grabbing some of your clothes to add to the nest for your scent but then grimaces at the idea of all that disorganized fabric against the white sheets and pillows. He pauses looking at the cabinet that contained the gift you had made all that time ago. Although he still bristles slightly at the idea of it sprawled out in his nest...maybe it's the thought that counts? No. Absolutely not. But he could at least drag it out for a little while, maybe it wasn't as bad as he remembered.

Nai opens the cabinet and reaches in for the blanket but when he pulls it out...his eyes go wide. He holds it up so that he had a better view of what he's seeing, flowers he had only seen as a child blossom against the white fabric painting a scene of an intricate garden that only his memories and dreams could recreate. Had his mate been doing this the whole time? He tilts his head and gently traces the patters of the petals and whining stems that adorns the blanket now, then...he glances up towards his nest.

"Nai? You you here?" you call walking towards your shared room. The others had informed you of your mates arrival while you were out in town and you were eager to welcome him with open arms. You pad in, cold floor beneath you feet. He must be curled up in the nest it's where he liked to recharge after being gone. You walk towards the bed where you know a heap of white blankets and pillows is waiting as you quietly peek in the room. Your mate is in the nest alright, but...instead of the usual stark white, a myriad of color litters the top. Your blanket, you realize, is now the main center piece of the nest, curled securely around your sleeping mate as he purrs in his sleep, plant marking glowing softly. It seems...he liked the gift after all.

[chaseprice]

hi!! hope i’m not a bother. i just came across u and i wanted to ask something,,,

basically, i joined the life is strange fandom in 2018 so i never got to experience the pre-bts era, meaning i didn’t get to experience what rachel was like to the fandom back then or see the different interpretations of her.

i did some digging and i found some fan content of her from 2015-2016 & i’m absolutely infatuated with all aspects of the fanon version of her, especially her personality & how she looked. i totally wanna embody her. also the love is strange vn was so interesting to play, i love how she was written. i’d love to know more!

i stumbled across ur blog while i was doing my digging and i saw an old long post of urs saying how bts didn’t live up to the fandoms expectations, as almost everyone perceived her differently.

sorry for all the yapping LOL but what i basically wanna ask is,,, how *exactly* did the fandom perceive rachel back then (2015-2016). what were some popular headcanons for her? things you guys even considered to be canon? what were some of your own *personal* headcanons? (can be silly, realistic,,, just anything you thought resonated with her)

do you have any favorite arts from that time period that you thought really captured her? what were your hopes for the prequel/rachels character before it was released? what did you want to see in terms of story? was rachel’s style, appearance, & personality extremely different than what you expected? what did you expect?

i assume that rachels treatment in the fandom was different then than what it is now. whether it’s better or worse, i’m not sure. i was hoping u could answer that too😞. recently i’ve just been seeing constant hatred or lack of care for her character so i’m starting to think that if bts was written differently and based on the fandom’s interpretations instead, the hate now wouldn’t be this bad.

from my digging it seems like you guys had alot of fun sculpting rachel’s character on your own, and the interpretations were probably more realistic than what decknine put together.

anyway i’m sorry for the yapping essay on this random saturday, most old lis accounts are dead & i didn’t know who else to ask☹️. just trying to relive what you guys experienced the best i can. hope i’m not bombarding you with this. thank you so much if u respond !!

hiii u def did not bother me, i am not in a position to answer all of these questions, but although it makes me feel ancient, it's cute to see so much passion for rachel and pre-BTS fandom opinion, so i'll try answer some and for the rest (art, hcs, etc.) im just gonna have to direct you to my archive* (will continue under the readmore)

*(tumblr archive is so broken on mobile so you gotta go on pc for this, but also there's so many gifs from that time so it will Definitely slow down your browser). i was insane and 17 years old so like, just excuse all of the cringe content i guess. you can click tag and filter it by either #lis #rachel amber #amberprice or whatever to try and find stuff like art. and i got into lis sept 2015 so that's like, as far back as it will go, but i was fully lisbrained from 2016 through 2018)

to be honest, in alignment with pre-bts thought lmao, rachel is whoever you want her to be. there was less of 'this is a correct objective fact about her personality/history' and more 'yeah, this is an idea the fandom really likes and has become fanon, most likely because it is a nuanced and entertaining and realistic interpretation of what we have seen of her character in lis1' which means people whose opinions conflicted with that might've be contested/laughed at/unpopular, but they weren't wrong per se. there were plenty of people i'd criticise (and ridicule) back then for implying that this teenage girl was evil, and being a teenager myself back then, i'd call them morally reprehensible and cancellable and whatever, but tbh, as an adult now, i can just see that it was simply a boring interpretation of her character informed by misogyny

i'd disagree with the notion that fandom treatment of rachel's character was better before bts, back then there were plenty of people seemingly excited to characterise her as emotionally manipulative, a cheater, deserved what she got, etc. as well, bc tbh, the story did leave room for that interpretation, but it left room for so much more as well. i feel like bts just really locked in on a certain story they wanted to tell plot-wise, and didn't choose to explore a lot of the questions fans had about rachel as a person. it's hard to turn the ambiguity of a friendship turned situationship over a period of 4 years into a playable experience for an audience - so they didn't. regardless, it got people thinking about rachel more, putting a spotlight on her, hence increased attention both positive and negative. i feel like there's just a fundamental difference between what lis1 fans enjoyed about the potential for her character and how she related with chloe and the world around her, and what deck9 wanted to portray in bts (yes they hit the astrological headcanons, the charmingness, her rebellion, the emotional conflicts... but it personally felt hollow, contrived sometimes, i suppose). but there were a lot of people who loved bts (i enjoyed a lot of parts of it!). just, in my opinion, some of those were quite different people from who loved lis1, and with that wave it brought a lot of emotional immaturity to the fandom (like... ship wars, really? that was an insane change to fandom dynamics for me lmao, but maybe i was just spoiled by surrounding myself with people whose takes i respected)

anyway i highly recommend also that if you're hungry for that kind of content, read fanfiction on AO3 by the old fans - by Mogatrat (TON of rachel centric ones there), explosionshark and tippytypewriter, chicknparm (though Cusp is written post-bts, it's informed by pre-bts characterisations), vicepoint (me hehe), def many more good ones out there those r jus my friends so they come to mind first, e.g. i liked homecoming by kriegersan back in the day, but you could def find some more by sorting the lis ao3 page by kudos and reading the older ones that are highly rated featuring rachel. and lastly, my gf wrote a beautifully worded blog post called "The Assassination of Rachel Amber by the Cowards Dontnod and Deck Nine" which gets into some of this from a media crit perspective (not about fandom) in a very eloquent way thru comparison w twin peaks and i highly recommend that

rachel hcs that def started way before bts: skater rachel, stoner rachel, punk music listener rachel (but also like, fleetwood mac cranberries cocteau twins grungy hippy stuff rachel too), rachel's parents being distant and still living in california, curvy thick rachel, things that i've accepted as canon but were def created by diff people: bri explosionshark hc'd that rachel paid for chloe's sleeve, mogatrat (i think) hc'd that rachel initially went to get her nips pierced with chloe (that's a longtime fan hc now idk who started that one) but chickened out at the last minute, i think she also hc'd that chloe made the earring for rachel which is cute too

[mr-aftons-rotting-pussy]

hey sorry it's me again (<- girl who needs to go to sleep) urrhm ok walks into ur office with a stack of papers it's me secretary over apologizer

anywah rum um um th hey hi so uh looks around can weeee talk about the really big theme of nowhere to hide in the book and the game interchangeably like um. um. hi. okay so I'm literally laying in bed right now complete darkness like oh wow the characters oh wow oh wow smacks into a wall face first. and um um

okay like I just feel like god this thing with like.. yeagh.. there really is nowhere to hide from your parents ❤ that's literally the ultimate thing being a child like you can't just LEAVE and that's actually such a scary ass theme and the way the house keeps getting put on more and more lockdown in the game is like This is so alarming ❤ BUT that doesn't happen (or isnt stated) in the book, the difference in the book since u havent read it is just that oz doesn't leave for a few days because he's scared and can hear the. the thing standing outside his door all the time and it's like (steps up to microphone) WOW I LOVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LITERALLY NOT BEINF ABLE TO JUST LEAVE AND THE MENTAL STATE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO Just Leave um and the way you run out of places to go in the game is so like ohhfmygodd sorry it's just really good like the game feels like it's suffocating that boy like u gotta get out of here because soon there will physically be no exit !! and the way the hiding minigames work ooogg ooohhh hi hey um hi sorry this game is written so beautifully it makes me physically nauseous only good fnaf game ever. uh but the hiding games not being designed like traditional hiding mechanics in games like holding a door shut or something, but stuff like oh keep the spiders away because it feels more like SORRY KID THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO OTHER THAN SIT THERE AND PRAY havr fun!!! ob my god head in hands like You can try to stop the toys or not breathe so scared but you can't physically hold a door shut because you're too little 🙁🙁😞😞😞😢 this game is so alarming I hate it not really but it's like ohntmmgdos and and and and hi hey okay so more with nowhere to hide like

I said this in my insane tags on that one post but the way that every single adult is like Oh you're so fucking strange weird little kid causing trouble . like it's not only like he can't tell anyone because he'd sound crazy but the universe being predisposed to everyone not listening to children about anything ever is like I feel like I've been punched in the face thanks like directly in the jaw my teeth r on the floorrr

like ugh I h h RATTLES BARS

um and and and looks around :c I can say more things but I just yeagh..

YEAAAAAAAA ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEFUCMING. AHHHHHH !!!!!!! thats smth i REALLY REALLY like abt into the pit like you REALLY feel like ur put into the shoes of a kid here you can only do so much while trying and experiencing shit wayyyy bigger than yourself, n it just elevates the horror bc like, obv ur oarent/someone you love being replaced by an imperfect impostir is already a scary notion. n being a CHILD TOO????? like fuckkkkk man your options r dwindling. n the way kuds r treated in society n shit as well as eveything else, oswalds just a kid, hes in sixth grade like?????? how do you deal w this???????? theres a fucking EVIL ANIMAL in your house. the world is already si scary as achild w/o all this but yhis maies it ten yimes worse, AND your home isnt even safe either. the amount if stress n trauma this kid experiences in a work week is fuxking insane hashtag justice for ozwald gotdamn.

AD AND i still xant stop thinking about the fat like. oswald is forced to relive the trauma of the events n shit that transpired a freddys, from the child victims at the pizzeria, to Michaels and the crying childs in his own home. smth smth themes of generational trauma n whatever its insane my brian explodes into ten million bloody chunks.

n what u said abt the book..... man........ imagine being holed up in ur room for days in end bc of The Thing on the other end of the door. like LITERALLY FNAF 4 SHIT GODDD. oswald reliving the trauma of the entire fnaf franchise in five nights like: INSANEEE. CRAZYYYYY.

[lulu2992]

Deleted dialog from Far Cry 3’s main story

In this series of posts, I’m sharing all the unreleased content (minus a few duplicates) I found in the oasisstrings text file, even when it wasn’t very interesting, so we have a comprehensive list of the lines that were cut in each Far Cry 3 story mission.

On a side note, the document never says which character is speaking, so every time you see names, it’s either because the corresponding audio files were available and I know who the speaker is, or because the context made it easy to guess their identity.

Part 2: The Social Club

In oasisstrings, this mission is the second one. Maybe it’s a coincidence, or maybe Jason was going to relive this moment after losing consciousness and before waking up in Amanaki.

The beginning of the mission is identical to what we see in the game, but there used to be a few more lines here and there. For example, here’s a longer version of the moment Jason is at the bar to get drinks. The deleted lines are bolded:

Fuck beer. What's the drink here in Bangkok?

The Mai Tai!

Forget it. Let's do sambuca shots!

[mumbled]…five, six… seven!

Girlfriend troubles?

She told you?

You know, Jason, Liza is a keeper.

I have shots!

Now that, right there, is what I'm talking about!

Let's have those shots. Hey baby.

Hang on, hang on. Hang… on.

Here we go! Lady!

Watch it, watch it, watch it, don't spill it, don't spill it!

That's my girl, Liza!

Take it, take it.

To what? To what? To what?

Uh, to my brother Riley for getting his pilot's license! Where the hell is that motherfucker?

Where the hell is that motherfucker?

To my father's black card and my black card. Whoooo!

That's what I'm talking about!

[laughing] Yeah!

God, I haven't done sambuca since I was twenty years old!

I'll get them.

While looking for Riley, it seems Jason was going to overhear this interaction:

Hi baby.

Hey. What you got for me?

Sit down.

Niiiice.

Wanna continue?

I wish. But not tonight.

See you again soon.

He would also make this comment about his girlfriend...

Man, I hope Liza gets here soon. She's always working.

...as well as come across an inaccessible area of the club, I assume:

Private section.

Go away.

You can't go in.

Turn around. Members only.

After speaking with Doug and finally finding Riley (and Keith), the friends go dancing, but a fight breaks out and they run to the elevator. This scene used to be longer too, and all the unreleased lines are bolded below:

[cheering on the DJ] Woo, woo, woo, DJ, c'mon!

Whoa, look at the lights!

Hot music, huh babe.

Did you see that?!

[PAIN]What the fuck?

Jason! No! Let me go, let me go!

Hey, hey, hey!

No, Riley!

Fine, fine, it's fine!

You like that? This is my kinda club! Hahaha!

Come on, let's go!

Everybody's gotta go. I called the cops.

Jason, back door!

Eat that!

Guys, we gotta bail!

We gotta bail!

This way! Let's go!

The cops are coming. We better get out of here!

Come on Jason!

Open up!

We'll get you!

These guys won't give up!

Yeah!

Room service!

Dead hooker in room 11.

Call it, call it, call it!

Come on!

Come on, come on, come on, hold the door!

Yo Jason, get in, get in!

Riley, stay close!

Watch out, Riley!

Yes, I know, I know!

Close! Close! Close!

The conversation between Doug and the friends in the elevator is identical to the in-game version. However, probably after this, there were a few lines from Liza:

Jason, let's go!

We're going to get arrested!

We've got to get out of here!

What're you doing? Come on!

You can listen to them here.

Then, we have what looks like the group’s arrival on the Rook Islands. We see glimpses of this in the introduction and the video in Hoyt’s compound (mission “All In”), but it appears it could have been a cutscene:

I'm king of the world.

Oh please, pfff.

Hmm, no reception here.

Uh yeah, cause we're in the middle of the ocean.

Hey Liza, get me one with pepperoni!

Hey, check this out! Looks like somebody's house!

They don't care about keeping shit clean around here. Before he died, he probably prayed for a satellite dish.

Let's check it out.

Let's go!

Hey! Check this out! Watch this.

Yeah, he's not coming to my pilot ceremony next month. Shocker, right?

Dude, you know your brother's always doing his own shit, right? Don't worry about it.

Ahahaha, yeah!

Nice!

Yeah baby!

No coconut for you.

Noo. No coconut for you!

Hey, hey I thought Doug said there weren't people on the island. Guys.

There they are, get them!

Everybody run!

Help!

Let go of me!

Get them in the truck!

Fuck you!

Then, in the document, there are the lines from the in-game video, but since each line in oasisstrings is linked to a sound file, it means all the dialog listed above is indeed from a different and longer version of the scene, which was cut.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

I don’t know why I’m here but you gotta know about it. TW mentions of child abuse

There is an actual dead dove poster in the Spider tags now 💀 posting creepy shit and doing it openly on a platform with a shit ton of minors. I saw only one before filtering the tag out but it was a Spider x Quaritch post where they discussed how people "sleep on their dynamic" and "imagine the Stockholm syndrome"

I sent them an ask and said that they should perhaps keep that to themselves or at least out of the general tags bc surprise surprise! Users don’t want relive their past trauma while scrolling through fucking tumblr and hey legit laughed and mocked me in their response. The worst part is it’s an actual 33 year old and despite the fact that they’re apparently ace I just can’t understand what fucked up morbid curiosity can drive a person to become, and I quote, a “dead dove connoisseur” and enjoy reading about sexual child abuse? Make it make sense.

It’s not even a preference thing. It’s basic human decency. What part of “don’t post about how you love fictional child abuse when there are kids looking through the tags and some people can get triggered by it” is so hard to understand? Anyway, this is just a heads up that you might see their post one day, so now you know.

Don't be shy anon drop the @.

You are absolutely right, a preference for writing about child abuse/incest is super not okay, and it's always in young fandoms and around characters like Quaritch. Despite there being whatever proper tags people think are there, I really don't think that content needs to exist. People STILL don't know what they are getting into. Case in point: I know we all stalk the Avatar a03 and we all unfortunately saw the newest gross Quaritch/Spider fic posted. Well, I clicked on that shit, because my dumb ass thought maybe it would be comfort focused enough we could skip around that bc Quaritch was already dead in the fic. When I tell you I have been so uncomfy for the last twelve hours, I cannot scrub that shit from my brain. I wish it had never been written! I wish I was dead! There are very few things that can still make me feel genuinely bad on the internet, and that managed it. I feel icky.

Anyways this just became about me resenting my decisions, I will definitely be reporting anything I see like that and I hope my followers do the same. Thank you for warning us. Tumblr is not always the safest place for minors, but hopefully we can make sure this community is.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 330. brb x oc

a/n: THIS BETTER POST OR I SWEAR TO GOD(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: OH BOY ROOSTER IS HIS OWN WARNING

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322/323/324/325/326/327/328/329

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia

-

He licks his fingers clean of syrup with his eyes on her, and she has to bite the inside of her cheek as she helps Nikki cut her waffle. She felt her cheeks warm up as her husband just keeps his gaze on her, “Brad.” she tries to snap him out of it, “You are staring.”

“Mhm,” he pops a finger out, “Sure am.”

And she huffs, clearing her throat as she gives Nikki a small piece, the one year old was famished ever since she discovered waffles. “Anyway,”she continues,wiping the crumbs that stuck to Nikki’s face, “You going to meet Pete today?” he hums, propping his head up with a hand as he follows the curves on her body appreciatively.

“Hmmmm,maybe.” he is still reliving his welcome gift as he sees the very faint panty line under her shorts, was it the red one? He meets her eyes and Beatrice is even redder when he sees her face, “I mean, I’d like to see him…maybe I’ll take the kids with me.”

“Well,” and she automatically tugs her shorts a bit, “He hasn’t seen the twins in a while, or Nikki for that matter. I think he’ll like the visit.” and his eyes remained, hungrily traveling from her face to hips, while chewing his breakfast slowly.

“I like those shorts.”

She blinks,incredulously,at him, ‘Brad.”

He points at the white details on the legs with his fork, “Love how it goes,” and he moves the fork in a curve, clearly representing the curve of her ass, “Its nice.”

Rooster's gaze remained fixated on Beatrice, a playful smirk playing on his lips as he continued to appreciate the subtle details of her whole self. Beatrice, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, cleared her throat and shifted her attention to Nikki, who was thoroughly enjoying her waffle.

"Thanks for the fashion commentary, Roos. I'll be sure to take it into account for my next wardrobe choice," Beatrice teased albeit her cheeks remained red.

Rooster chuckled, reaching for his coffee. "Just stating the facts, Bea. Gotta appreciate the finer things in life."

More sputtering so he decided to finally reply as normal as he could, “Yeah, I think he has…a lot of questions because of the whole shitbag that happened.” he sips his coffee. “A whole bag of ass, really.”

Nicole went ‘aaa’ while moving forward in hopes to get the silicone spoon as her mother brought it closer, clamping her mouth around it and chewing her breakfast with a little grin, “I mean,” Beatrice begins, not taking her eyes off of Nikki, wiping her face again, “It was very messy Roos. Mark and….well…why did he do that anyway? Jealousy?”

Rooster leaned back in his chair, his expression growing serious as he considered Beatrice's question. "Jealousy, ego, a twisted sense of entitlement—I think it was a mix of all that. “

“But…he was really focused on you Roos. Just like Miranda was to me.”

"Yeah, it was like he couldn't stand the idea of me, I don’t know, not needing Pete’s influence to go up in my career?I mean,the jealousy consumed him, and he thought he could control everything and everyone around him."

Beatrice nodded solemnly, her focus shifting between Nikki and Rooster. "It's scary how people can get so fixated, obsessive? But you handled it well, Roos. And you are safe."

He offered a small smile, his eyes softening. "Course I am,gorgeous.”

A comfortable silence settled between them, the weight of the recent challenges mingling with the warmth of their shared understanding. Nikki, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the conversation, continued to enjoy her waffle, occasionally babbling.

Beatrice, breaking the silence, asked, "Do you think Pete will have a hard time understanding the situation?"

Rooster contemplated for a moment before responding, "He might. But Pete is Pete, he just wants to make sure we are okay.” he rubs the pad of his thumb on the mug’s lip, “He wasn’t notified of anything when I was deployed, Cyclone wanted it within the group and to some higher ups.”

She nodded in understanding, her fingers gently tapping against the edge of the table. "That makes sense. Considering Mark’s aunt is one of them…is she an admiral?”

Rooster nodded, confirming her question. "Yeah, she's an admiral. It complicated things, a lot.”

“Is she going to be kicked out?”

Oh,how he loved when Bea asked things like this, the little hesitation in her tone because, while she is married to him - a Navy pilot- and has friends in the Navy AND works at a predominantly Navy bar…she still has her questions. “...I’m going to go over there and kiss you.”

“Huh?”

“You are to fuckin’ precious and I love you so much.” he smirks, sipping his coffee as she gives him a look, a confused one. “You look surprised because I said that.”

“I’m not complaining,honey,” oh, the endearing names, fuck she was the death of him through and through, “You are just getting distracted a lot.” but that little smile showed that she clearly didn’t mind.

Nicole however, did care.

She looked between her parents, Rooster to Bea then Bea to Rooster, then tapped Beatice’s wrist, “Mama.” she coos, trying to tug the hand holding the spoon towards her, a piece of waffle still sticking to it.

“Oh,oh I’m sorry honey,mama got…” they met eyes, “Distracted.” 

Rooster smirks, ring and pinky finger curled against his jaw, thumb helping it up while his index and middle finger were on his cheekbone and temple, head tilted just a bit. She mouths ‘stop it’ and he replies ‘make me.’ with his eyes dropping down her body again.

“Aaa! Woffe!” and if Nikki was an emoji she’d be the personification of ‘>:(‘ because the spoon was inches away from her face and her little light brows scrunched as she tried to take a bite.

“Sorry sweetie, oh,” finally,the waffle was eaten and Bea gave him a look, pointing her finger at him, “You are so terrible.”

“Mmmmmhm.” he smiles, elongating his words as if he was oh so very pleased by that statement, squinting his eyes a bit, “I am. You know I am.” he does,however, sip the final drops of his coffee and stands up, walking over the sink, “But I’ll leave the two of you alone and check on the twins and talk to Mav.”

He stands behind her chair and kisses the top of her head, inhaling the lavender in her hair, “I love you.”

She slowly looked up at him, and smiled back, “I love you too.” he leans down to peck her lips twice, tasting the cherry lip gloss and then kissing Nicole’s head before he walks away.

Rooster's departure left a lingering warmth in the room, it was like he was the fireplace warming up the entire room. "Mama," Nikki babbled, her tiny fingers reaching for the remaining pieces of waffle on the plate. Beatrice chuckled, realizing that she might have to employ some strategic maneuvers to prevent another distraction.

"Mama's here, sweetheart," Beatrice reassured, gently wiping Nikki's face with a napkin. "Let's get you cleaned up so you can enjoy the rest of your breakfast."

-

Rooster drove the three kids to Mav’s place, Nicole was older, so she knew the route already - she was one year old but still - and the twins were busy looking around. He also took notice of how different the three babies were.

Nicole was talkative and she was very smart. She liked looking around and liked to touch people’s hands if she knows them…she also couldn’t hide her stank face, if she disliked you,she’d show.

While the twins were just a few months old, it was easy to see how different they were: Gavin was quiet, he liked snuggling up to his parents’ necks, he also liked to play with Beatrice’s hair and Rooster’s mustache, never tugging, just gently grabbing the pieces of hair.

Aurora, on the other hand, was very active. She liked to look around and move her neck and while neither her or Gavin could crawl yet, she sure would like to. Aurora also was louder than her sibling, she babbled a lot more and she had these moments where she’d just want to grab any piece of clothing of jewelry you had close by.

Rooster navigated the familiar streets, each turn bringing them closer to Mav's place. Nicole, ever the precocious one, sat in the back seat, enthusiastically pointing out landmarks she recognized,”Gampa Mav!”

“That’s right honey, we are going to see Mav.” he smiles as he turns the Bronco as soon as he sees Maverick waiting for them by the sidewalk.

Rooster parked the Bronco, and before he could even unbuckle his seatbelt, Nicole had already noticed him, her excitement palpable. "Gampa Mav!" she exclaimed, trying to get rid of the booster seat to see him better.

“Hey kiddo,woah!” he smiles down at Gavin, who was closest to the door he just opened, “Look at those two! Hey little guy!

The baby, with wide curious eyes, blinked up at him as if assessing this man yet again. Maverick gently tickled Gavin's tiny fingers, eliciting a soft coo from the infant.

"Hey there, little buddy. Did you bring the chaos with you?" Mav teased, glancing over at Rooster, who was in the process of helping Aurora out of her car seat.

Rooster chuckled, "You bet, Mav. The whole Bradshaw Circus is in town today."

As Rooster carefully lifted Aurora from the car seat, she greeted Mav with a gleeful babble, tiny hands reaching out toward him. Mav shifted his attention, expertly juggling between the little ones vying for his attention.

Nicole, having successfully freed herself from the booster seat -which was NOT helped by Rooster at all -, practically leaped out of the car. "Gampa Mav!" she declared,then poked her tongue out and stood there.She was clearly showing him this amazing thing she could do.

Mav stood up, arching his brow "Well, look at that! You're getting so big, Nikki. Soon you'll be teaching me the tricks."

She giggled, thoroughly pleased with the compliment. Rooster, now holding both Aurora and Gavin so Mav could pick Nicole up,smiled. "You ready for this, Mav? They've got energy to spare today."

Mav ruffled Nicole's hair, exchanging a glance with Rooster. "Always ready for the circus, Brad. Let the games begin. Come on in."

They made their way into Mav's house, laughter and tiny footsteps echoing through the air and Nikki quickly sat on the couch. "Sit wherever you like, folks. Make yourselves at home," Mav announced, “Nikki got the couch.”

Rooster settled Aurora and Gavin in a playpen Mav had set up in the living room. The twins, wide-eyed and curious, took in their surroundings with infant wonder.

Maverick looked back at Rooster, “Want a drink? Nothing heavy of course.”

Rooster nodded appreciatively, "Sure, Mav,no beer though.”

Maverick headed towards the kitchen, leaving Rooster to keep an eye on the twins. Nicole, still perched proudly on the couch, gestured for Rooster to join her. "Dada, sit!"

Rooster chuckled, walking over to the couch and sitting beside Nicole. "I’m here birdie,’ her tiny,minuscule hand on his and tapped his palm repeatedly, “You happy seeing grandpa Mav?”

“Yeeeaaa!!”

Maverick returned with a tray bearing a jug of iced tea and a few glasses. He placed it on the coffee table, glancing at the twins who were now engrossed in the colorful toys scattered across the playpen.

"Here we go," Mav announced, pouring iced tea into the glasses. "Nothing heavy, just some good old sweet tea. Help yourselves."

“I didn’t know you knew how to make sweet tea?”

“It’s not that hard,Rooster.”

Rooster chuckled, accepting the glass from Mav. "Well, I'm just used to seeing you with a beer in hand. Sweet tea is a pleasant change."

Mav took a sip of his own drink, settling into a chair across from Rooster and Nicole. The room was filled with the light-hearted chatter of the kids, the tinkling laughter of Nicole being the most prominent.

As they enjoyed their drinks, Mav glanced over at the twins. "They're growing fast, aren't they?"

Rooster nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes. "Yeah, faster than I thought possible. Feels like just yesterday we found out Bea was pregnant.”

Maverick's gaze softened. "Time flies. Before you know it, they'll be running around causing mischief like Nikki here."

Nicole, overhearing her name, giggled…mischievously. "Mischief!"

Rooster ruffled her hair, a fond smile on his face. "That's right, birdie. You're the queen of mischief."

Mav joined in the laughter, raising his glass in a mock toast. "To mischief and mayhem, the Bradshaw way." he waits until Rooster drinks, “...how are you?”

Rooster leaned back on the couch, savoring the sweet tea, and studied Mav for a moment. The question hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken understanding. After a thoughtful sip, Rooster exhaled, a mixture of fatigue and relief evident in his expression.

"I’m better, Mav," he admitted, his gaze drifting to the playpen where Aurora and Gavin were discovering the joys of colorful blocks. "It's been a tough stretch out there. But being back home, it's like a breath of fresh air."

Mav nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek. "I heard about the investigation. About Mark.”

Rooster's gaze flickered  and he took another sip of the sweet tea, the cool liquid offering a brief respite from the weight of recent memories. "Yeah, Mark's been a piece of work. Complicated situation, you know?"

"You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready, Rooster. But if you need an ear, I'm here."

The gratitude in Rooster's eyes was palpable. "I appreciate that, Mav. It's just... It's been a lot to process. Everything with the investigation, the uncertainty. It took a toll."

Mav placed a supportive hand on Rooster's shoulder. "You've been through the wringer, kid. I can only imagine. But you made it back.”

“What did you hear though? I thought Cyclone kept most under wraps.”

Maverick sipped his tea, then pursed his lips, “You think I wouldn’t know?” Maverick leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin. "Cyclone did keep things under wraps, but you know how these things go. Whispers find their way, especially in a close-knit community like ours. People talk, and it's hard to keep the lid on everything."

"I get it. So, what did you hear?"

Mav sighed, choosing his words carefully. "Internal Affairs, and the FBI sniffing around. It's a mess, Rooster. And I heard they've got some evidence that ties him to some pretty ugly stuff."

Rooster's jaw tightened, the reality of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders. "Figures. Fuck-" he peeks at Nikki who was busy running her finger on the patterns of Mav’s vouch “--flipping wild.”

“And of course, his aunt is involved too,so,”Mav shrugs, “It’ll be flipping wild for a while.”

“...you know what.”

“What?”

Rooster huffs through his nose, “Wanna drink later at home? I feel like I need it, really.” he frowns, “Really,really.”

[pastanest]

if you’re wondering why I’m having to repost this, or why you were perhaps previously following me but no longer are, please refer to this post. I was able to retrieve this thanks to @rosieathena - thanks so much!! ♡

Spencer Reid x she/her!reader

Familiar Face

“What about you, kid, did you have a crush in school?” Derek asks Spencer, a natural progression considering everyone on the team had already discussed their school crushes. Even Penelope joined in from the computer screen. It‘s a long flight, they have time.

The image of you enters Spencer’s mind as soon as the question is asked.

“No, I didnt.” He answers, the picture of you seeming to grow until it envelopes all of his thoughts.

Emily raises an eyebrow. “I think someone is telling a lie!”

This peaks the entire team’s interest, all of them leaning forward in their seats, profiling him expertly in terrifying silence.

“Alright, alright! There was a girl I had feelings for!” Spencer admits defeat under the deadly gaze of his friends, who all smile in joint victory.

“Come on kid, you’ve gotta tell us more!” Derek says, already prepared to tease the genius to no end.

Spencer sighs. “She was my best friend. My only friend, actually. Nobody could really...stand to be around me, nobody my own age, back then. The only reason I wasnt mercilessly bullied was because of her, she so fiercely defended me all the time.” He laughs fondly, losing himself to thoughts of you. “She was always much smaller than me, but she was fearless. We used to play imaginary games where we were both police officers chasing bad guys; it was her who inspired me to want to pursue a career like this. Before her, the bad guys scared me. My mom loved her, and she loved my mom, they were always laughing together whenever she came over. I can distinctly remember my heart stopping when our imaginary police games got particularly dramatic and she’d grab my hand, for just a few seconds I was allowed to believe I had a chance with her.” Spencer shakes his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts and clearing his throat. “But that was a long time ago, she has most likely forgotten all about me.”

He looks down at the case file in his hands and pretends to read it while the team exchange glances. He did his best to reveal as little personal information possible about you, so that they have no way of finding you and forcing you to see him again, but he couldnt help still feeling worried.

It had been a while since Spencer had thought of you. His mind drifted to you every so often, but he only ever let himself very shallowly recall memories of you, he wouldnt dare relive them properly. But after talking about you aloud for the first time in so many years, the dam was broken, and his mind was flooded.

Not only does he recall how his heart stopped when you held his hand, he remembers the way you’d grin every time you saw him, even if you’d only spent an hour without him. Spencer recites the countless facts he remembered specifically to tell you. He remembers every word you ever told him, from the day you met when the two of you were five years old, until the day he graduated high school at 12 and had to leave for college.

That day in kindergarten, you left the other kids you were playing with so that you could go and sit with little Spencer, who was reading a book by himself. You introduced yourself and asked him to read to you, which became an ongoing tradition in your friendship, up until the day you cried into each other before he had to leave for college. You told him you adored him, that you’d do everything in your power to stay in touch with him, and then you kissed him. Neither him nor you had ever addressed any feelings outside of friendship, and even then, neither of you said anything. It was your shared first kiss.

Spencer remembers every detail of every incident when you physically jumped in front of him to protect him from school bullies. He counted six times that you got called to the principal’s office for punching, kicking and biting people that were mean to him. It would always be Spencer who pulled you away from a fight and held you back, you werent scared at all. He remembers when you got a black eye in a particular incident protecting him, he felt so guilty that he threw up and tried to avoid you, because he thought you’d be safer and happier without him. But you found him, you always did, and you told him you’d break every bone in your body if it meant he would be safe. That was one of the moments, one of many, that made him fall so hard for you.

A week passed, a week of Spencer daydreaming of you in the same way he did all those years ago. None of the team had brought you up again, which gave him just as much relief as it did stress; he couldnt tell if they were planning something or if they’d simply moved on. Regardless, the team’s focus is presently on a case of a missing child. This case is only a short drive away, no flight necessary, which was the only pleasantry of this case.

“We contacted a CARD team investigator to assist us on this case.” Aaron briefs the team as they enter the station, and everyone nods.

The CARD team, Child Abduction Response Deployment, works to recover victims as quickly as possible and helps apprehend those responsible for taking them. There are only 60 or so agents who make up the CARD team, stationed at field offices and assigned to one of five regional teams. They are seasoned veterans of crimes against children, especially child abductions, and have received extensive training. While some local law enforcement agencies may only work one or two child abduction cases a year, CARD team agents work these kinds of cases all the time, keeping their unique skill set honed.

An officer approaches Aaron. “Agent (Y/L/N) has already started interrogating the first person on the local sex offenders list.”

Hotch nods. “Rossi, you and Prentiss speak to the first victim’s family. JJ and Derek, go and speak to Addie’s parents.” He instructs, referring to the child currently missing. “Reid and I will assist Agent (Y/L/N) with interrogations.”

Spencer feels his mouth dry up, Agent (Y/L/N)? It couldnt be, could it? The probability of that coincidence is far too low, it isnt logical, only hopeful.

The team splits up, with Spencer and Aaron heading to the interrogation room. The CARD investigator has her back to the window, sitting opposite a particularly seedy looking middle aged man.

“How many times are you and I going to meet in these circumstances, Mr. Williams?” She says, a hint of sass mixed into her authoritative tone.

“As many times as you jump to suspect me the second a kid goes missing!” Mr. Wiliams snaps back, raising his voice.

Although Spencer cant see her face, he can practically hear her raise an eyebrow sarcastically as she laughs. “Oh, you overestimate yourself, Mr. Williams. You are simply the first name on the list, there are plenty of other creeps far more capable of such a professionally executed crime. As far as Im concerned, you’re an amateur.”

Spencer smiles slightly. Hotch looks at him.

“She’s good, isnt she?”

Spencer nods. “She’ll break him in no time.”

He cant help recognising her voice as somewhat familiar, but he discards it as his mind playing tricks on him.

“Garcia said she’s quoted as the best CARD investigator in her regional team, if not the best of them all. In every case she’s worked, she’s found every child, and found them alive.”

Spencer frowns slightly, looking to Hotch. “Why did Garcia do a background check on a CARD investigator?”

There’s a flicker of panic in Aaron’s eyes, but he immediately regains composure. “She’d heard of Agent (Y/L/N) prior to this, in various articles Garcia likes to read about children who were reunited with their parents after being kidnapped. She hoped to join us on this case so that she could befriend the investigator.”

Spencer nods, that does sound like Penelope. But he couldnt shake the feeling that something was off. Penelope had never mentioned an Agent (Y/L/N) before.

“You’re obsessed with me!” Mr. Williams scoffs. “Even though Im in therapy for my inappropriate attractions, I’d rather have my dick cut off with a butter knife than sleep with you!”

The CARD investigator laughs at that, she really laughs, dramatically wiping tears from her eyes.

“Oh, now you’ve dug yourself a hole!” She says as she rises from her seat, placing her palms flat on the interrogation table and leaning over to him. “I’ve got a game for you. Why dont you go ahead and give me a list of women who would sleep with a man who can only get it up for little kids? Oh, wait, sorry, Im getting you confused with pedophiles who can get it up in the first place. You missed that train, didnt you? I also think you’re forgetting who was at your court case, and who saw the naked pictures of you that were passed around the court.” She chuckles, shaking her head dismissively as she walks around the table and leans over him from the side, her hair shielding her face from Spencer’s view.

“Sweetheart, my pinky finger would give me more satisfaction!” Agent (Y/L/N) cheers.

Mr. Williams tugs at his handcuffs, and she laughs harder.

“You’re really gonna try that with me? Do you WANT to go back in a cell? From what I remember, the other inmates dont take kindly to people like you, but Im sure you know that from your own experience, right?” She leans closer to him, Mr. Williams shrinking away from her. “Where were you at 3pm on Tuesday the 13th?” She tucks her hair behind her ear, and Spencer’s blood runs cold.

It’s you.

He knew it, the moment he heard your name, heard your voice, your laugh, he just didnt want to admit it!

“How did you find her?” Spencer asks, his voice stern.

“Garcia.” Hotch replies, neither of the men looking at each other.

Spencer nods and speed walks away, feeling his entire body heating up until he steps outside the building. He feels lightheaded, dizzy, like he’s dreaming. Before he knows it, his phone is pressed to his ear.

“You’ve reached the desk of the one and only sex goddess-“

Spencer cuts Penelope off. “How did you find her?”

He hears her swallow nervously. “W-Well, you graduated early, so I knew there was no point looking in yearbooks, but there were school pictures from before then...she was always stood next to you.”

Spencer sighs, Penelope doesnt say anything else, and he knows why. She’s worried that he’s angry with her, but he could never be. He knows that the team put her up to it for that exact reason: Garcia is the only person on the team he cant hold a grudge against, because her intentions are always nothing but kind. Without her needing to say it, Spencer knows she found you because she saw how happy he was just talking about you, she wanted to reunite the two of you. Set him up with someone that he already knew, or did, many years ago. And for that, he cant be upset with her.

“I havent seen her since I was 12, what do I say?” Spencer asks, truly lost in a situation he had not prepared himself for.

He can hear the relief in Penelope’s voice at his response. “Just be yourself! That worked when you were kids, so it’ll work now!”

Spencer looks over the door of the police station. “How can you know that?”

The smile on Penelope’s face is obvious. “You both ended up catching the bad guys.”

Spencer cant help but smile, too. It’s a strange bit of reassurance, and he appreciates it more than he can say. “Thank you.”

Penelope squeals. “Go get her!”

Then she hangs up, causing Spencer to laugh as he tucks his phone back in his pocket. He takes a few deep breaths as he stares at the door, hyping himself up before he nods to himself and walks back inside. Determination fills him as he makes his way back to the interrogation room, but the determination melts when he sees you talking with Hotch in the entrance hall. He had anticipated he’d have a few more seconds to mentally prepare, but that was gone, and so was his confidence. Spencer stops dead in his tracks, frozen to the spot.

You and Hotch smile as you talk, your eyes distracted from him by something you couldnt figure out, until they glanced at the door. Your expression fell into one of utter disbelief. Wide eyes approach Spencer at a pace that could slow time itself. Once you’re close enough, you lift your hand at the same snail speed, gently touching his cheek with your fingertips.

“Is it really you?” You whisper, such a quiet contrast to the confidence in the interrogation room.

Spencer nods, parting his mouth to speak, but then your face begins to change. A smile forms, blooming into a grin until he recognises it as the same smile you’d always give him, and quite suddenly all words lose their meaning. No amount of syllables or sentences could come close to a justified description of your beauty.

“Well, let me start by saying with complete confidence that my childhood crush on you has transcended its previous laws.” You say, blushing slightly at your own confession.

“How so?” Spencer asks with a small smile.

“Childhood crushes are supposed to end when childhood does, but here I am!” You declare, playfully mad at him.

He laughs. “Last time I saw you, you very unfairly put me in a state of shock that made me mute for an entire day.”

Your eyes widen with concern. “I did? Why!?! How!?!”

Spencer sighs. “You kissed me, and as soon as you did I couldnt function.”

“And why is that unfair?” You ask teasingly, grinning again.

“You rendered me physically incapable of responding appropriately!” Spencer states in joking accusation.

You raise an eyebrow, processing the sentiment behind his words. You take a step closer to him, standing on your tiptoes to wrap your arms around his neck. “Well, what’s a 20 year break in a conversation? I’d gladly continue it! A little less sadly this time around though, if possible.”

Spencer leans in. “Oh, that’s definitely possible.” He mumbles quietly, half a second before your lips meet his.

Spencer’s hands go to your waist, then to the small of your back, then your hips, while yours run through his hair and hold him to you, not that he’d ever try to escape. Your lips collide in the most gorgeous way, dancing together wordlessly, perfectly detailling the extent of your yearning for each other. You pull away, panting, and Spencer feels himself swell with pride noticing how impressed you are. Maybe waiting 20 years to kiss you back was good, since he got some practise in before the final test. Seeing you still recovering from his kiss, he finds confidence he never would’ve found without you.

“So, dinner tonight?”

[dozing-marshmallow]

Mind if I request a continuation of your Chris McLean x reader angst? Where Chris ends up reaching out becuase he does genuinely want them back in his life but they decline, not wanting to get hurt by him again?

Apologises I took a while to answer this!! I hope you like it nonetheless, enjoy! <3

CHRIS MCLEAN ANGST (PART 2)

You had forgotten about Chris.

Until a Summer day when you needed to go grocery shopping on one of the streets you used to go with Chris all the time.

Like his prominent being would be there on a busy Saturday now.

Would it be wrong to try relive the memory with someone else?

Yes... Yes it would.

“(Y/N)!”

Huh? Someone here knew your name?

You turn around to see the caller and gasp.

The very man in his dark-turquoise shirt and stubble.

Looking right at you.

“Chris?” What was he doing here?

“Sure is! How you been?” he smacks a hand on your back, then looks around the ageing shops, much more vibrant when you were younger,“We...used to come here a lot, didn’t we?”

“Yeah... We did.” you block out your brain’s motive to flash a teen memory montage.

Clearly Chris hadn’t,“Yeah! Back when I wasn’t as popular and as famous. I wonder if I was always destined to be as cool as I am today. Must be nice living without the paparazzi constantly trying to get shots of you living ordinary, right?” who the hell starts a conversation like that? Oh, you wanted to move on, but he wouldn’t let you,“Hey, where are you going?”

“Sorry...” you turn back around meaninglessly,“This...meeting wasn’t on my mind when I came here. I have errands to do.”

“Aw, seriously? You can’t leave them for a day to spend some time with your childhood bud?” he walked towards you, trying persuasion with his perfect smile.

...Why does he care? Did he intend to find you here?... He couldn’t even get the timing of your friendship right,“We met in middle school.”

His unchanged eyes slide around his sclerae,“Whatever, same difference. But I do miss our glory days! When we didn’t have a care in the world and we did things together all the time!”

This was very illogical,“I don’t understand... I texted you almost everyday and you never replied to me, but you had no problem updating your story.”

“Uh, maybe because I was busy and I updated it to show my contacts not to expect an answer from me anytime soon? Seriously, ya gotta learn to pick up on these things, (Y/N).” If he was gonna say that, he could have at least put the phone he was holding away to make it more believable,“But you know, seeing you here made me reminisce about the good times we had and how with my new luxurious lifestyle, I barely had time to fit you in it! If you really have to go though, I’ll just text it and post, okaaay?”

“You’re...gonna text me?” That liver of hope...with that alone, you forgot everything. To ask why he was even there in the first place, the acceptance of your rusty ties with him. Just that you...had something bright today,“Okay... Sure, I’ll reply to you as soon as possible.”

You got home and spent the next few hours at your desk, getting on with some studying and allowing your brain to soak in the promises of the interaction you had. Could it be that he missed you? Was thinking about you? Would always have chosen you out of the dozens of women he talked to everyday?

This could mean really great things, you know! This had to mean something. Maybe he’s staying in your life for good now!

Your phone pings. They always said that phones were a bad distraction, and looking back on it, you should’ve listened.

“You know I had to scroll to get to your number”

“We really haven’t talked a lot have we!”

You didn’t answer in hast. You didn’t want to show him how this desperation chained you.

“Yeah we haven’t”- we being he. That doesn’t matter. Chris was online and was talking to you. Your best friend from middle school was talking to you. This was a blessing!

You had yourselves a good catch up conversation. Well you say good when most of it was very one sided, your chat overflowing with more messages from him in neglect.

Though, your enthusiasm is zapped back up when he sends this:

“Sooo I looked at my schedule and found the only day I’m free is Monday. You wanna meet at Tim Hortons and just talk about life stuff?”

Tim Hortons... He remembered that as well? And Monday?... You used to always go out on that specific day. Was that intentional?

Was there a reason why he didn’t bother asking you how your life’s been then? Because he wanted to save it for when you two were person to person?

This is it... This was happening! He wanted you back in his life!

But why does your stomach feel so upset?

Maybe because it’s when and where he wanted to go the most.

Oh, right...

Your smile is erased.

Everything falls back for him at the end.

And maybe your organs had caught you, before you got reattached to this man.

They never change. He’s only talking to you because none of his celebrity friends can.

And once they do, he’ll forget about you all over again.

Exactly. It’s about time you stop crying over something that’ll never happen again.

You type, every letter cutting the tip of your finger like a thorn.

“We don’t need to. I think we should just be the way we were before. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice having you talk to me again and being friends with you. Congrats on all the success!”

After that, a whirl of messages from his end bombarded your phone. You take a glimpse of some of the words, “kidding”, “why”, “problem”, “jealous”.

Wow, his temper was launched into space quick. He was like a bird, getting all the useless stuff, but too full for the real goods.

I get it. You’re angry. No one’s ever said no to you. Everything has always been about you.

You put aside your phone satisfied, unresponsive. It felt good to finally have that closure.

Not tonight.

[toast-tales]

(this is out of nowhere but i'm still obsessed with itwom okay sue me)

while we're on the subject of post-story itwom dynamics, one of my favorite scenarios in fiction to consider (particularly for characters who undergo a lot of development) is how they would react to getting catapulted back to the beginning of their stories: with their knowledge of how things play out, but everything else as it was before.

like—for example, i think danny would be a little shocked at first (not to mention annoyed that she's gotta go through some of the less savory stuff + christopher pre-character development again), but since her overall personality and desires haven't shifted much, it wouldn't be hard to like. try to use what she knows to go through the whole thing faster? (itwom speedrun any %)

meanwhile, if post-itwom christopher woke up a year in the past, to a danny that didn't know / hated him and a nathan who was still estranged, i imagine that would, ah. be a significant amount of mental and emotional damage at first, to say the least.

apologies if this makes no sense!! this is how you know i'm super into a work of fiction, when i start imagining the characters in time travel/loop scenarios, lmao, like. -cutely holds up the mirror of the past to my fav charas so they're physically confronted with the changes they've gone through and the people they used to be, for better or worse-

Dude, I love this idea a lot. I've never experimented with specifically time travel like this, but you're right, it presents a lot of interesting opportunities.

Danny being the one to go back in time would be hilarious. I can just picture her waiting for Max to kidnap her and knocking him the fuck out before having Nathan take him back to Christopher's the next day like "missing something?"

She would be 10x more confident if she knew that most of Christopher's antics in the beginning are just bluster, and she had an arsenal of personal information to use against him. I imagine Christopher would be confused and very scared xD

If it was Christopher who went back in time, oh man. If it was before he kidnapped Danny, he could probably work things out with minimal issues, apologize to Nathan, and turn over a new leaf (again) - this time without inflicting a lot of emotional pain onto the people he loved. He would feel much worse if he somehow got thrown back in time after chapter 3 somehow - it would not be pleasant to relive a lot of the hurt he'd inflicted, even if he could now take the initiative to make it better.

I personally have lots of fantasies about what I'd do if I went back in time knowing what I do now, and what I would change. So thinking about how my characters would react is interesting as well. Maybe it's something I'll explore in an rp with a friend one day?