#hey but she should have been at the club soooo

[lovely-v]

LUCY WESTENRA WAS 19?????

[pensoterios]

was thinking about Hazel soooo

enemies to lovers with Hazel Callahan, I guess. 2.7k words :)

Of course, you weren’t really enemies. How could you be? She was so nice, for no reason, always willing to help, which was disgustingly endearing, and she hadn't seemed to realize that you didn't want to be friends. You were a solitary person, an introvert, who rarely ever sought out other people. People often told you that you were intimidating, but you didn’t really understand why. That may have been part of why you hadn’t made many friends.

Of course, Hazel Callahan just could not have this, apparently. You rolled your eyes at the thought as you sat at your desk, paying no attention to Mr G’s very short class. You were very aware of Hazel in the desk behind you, trying to get your attention.

“Hey.” She whispered in your ear for the third time. You ignored her and the chill that ran down your body. When you didn’t respond, she tapped your shoulder. You rolled your eyes and finally turned around. “What?”`

Surprise dawned on her face at your tone, but she smiled and, voice low, asked, “Um, do you wanna join our club for female solidarity? It’s after school’s over, starts at 3:15 in the gym. I-I could email you about it, we’re learning about self-defense.” Your eyes were absolutely not watching her lips as she talked, and you huffed a sigh.

It actually didn’t sound terrible, but if Hazel was gonna be there, you weren’t planning on going. “I’m good.”

You turned back around in your seat before you could see her reaction, effectively ending the conversation.

After class, you overheard Hazel talking to her friends. “She said no, and I think she doesn’t like me. I guess it’s never gonna happen.” You heard Josie tell Hazel that you might warm up to her, and you scoffed to yourself. For once, Hazel was right, it was never going to happen. After what had happened during freshman year, you had ruled out ever being friends with her.

That day, you, a solitary, intimidated freshman, had heard some girls talking loudly about you right next to your locker, calling you a sad loser, and you looked around to see if anyone else had heard. Hazel, a few lockers down, was frowning at you, clearly having heard the girls. You looked away, embarrassed that a cute girl had heard them talking about you like that. The next day, Hazel came up to you and handed you a letter. You were surprised to see that Hazel had written you a note saying that those girls were completely wrong and you actually seemed cool. You began to smile for the first time in a while, but when you looked up, your heart dropped. Hazel was giggling, and it grew into laughter. Of course. It was a joke, there was no way someone like her would have any interest in you. You turned around to slam your locker, walking away with tears in your eyes. You rarely talked to Hazel after that, and anytime you did, you gave her the shortest, most contempt filled answers you could.

You had come a long way since then, joining the cheer team and even having a few girlfriends outside of school, but still remaining mostly solitary.

When the end of the day came, you found yourself lingering at school, wondering if you should go to that club. It had actually sounded interesting, though you didn’t really need self defense lessons as you had been taking them for years. However, female solidarity sounded interesting to you, even if you didn’t want to see Hazel more than you had to. Eventually, you decided to go, and that you would ignore Hazel as much as possible. You walked to the gym with just a few minutes to spare.You hated the way your eyes immediately found Hazel, and you ignored the way her face lit up when you walked in. You leaned against a wall, observing everything but her. The girls were standing in a circle that you decided to join. You were surprised to see Isabel and Brittany there, and as they waved at you, you smiled back. PJ stepped forward to start the session.

“Okay, losers!” Your eyebrows raised at her words. She continued, “today we’re continuing our self defense lessons.” Her eyes zeroed in on you. “Why don’t you go first? Let’s get that out of the way. Go against…” PJ smirked. “Hazel.”

What did she mean ‘go against Hazel’?

Hazel stepped into the circle, and you began to realize what was going on. Hazel only confirmed it when she smiled but put up her hands in fists. A wave of relief washed over you; you were good at this. You waited as Hazel stepped closer, throwing the first punch towards your face. You ducked and threw one back. It caught, landing just below her ribs. She stumbled backwards, the breath knocked out of her. The girls around you cheered. Not one to kick someone when they were down, unlike her, you kept your hands up, waiting for her to recover. She didn’t take long and scrambled towards you. This time you didn’t wait and went for her face. She dodged and threw a punch to your chest before you had retracted your arms. You clutched your chest where she had hit your sternum. It hurt like a bitch and you knew you’d have a bruise. You knew you had to get over it though so you put your hands back up and focused. Hazel stepped towards you and you anticipated her punch, grabbing her arm to use her momentum and knee her stomach. She grabbed onto you as she went down, pulling you down on top of her.

Nope. She was a terrible person and she was not hot. You looked down at her under you, with a weird smile on her face as you drew your hand back to hit her again. You faltered slightly at her expression and she caught your arm before it hit her. Damn it. With your concentration broken, she pushed up and pinned you to the floor, and why did she have to be so pretty? Sweaty and out of breath, she looked downright indecent while sitting on top of you, but you had to focus. You pushed at her shoulders, but she held your arms down. You decided to pull out the dirty tricks, waiting till she was close enough from holding you down to headbutt her as hard as you could, which you thought wasn’t that hard. Unfortunately for Hazel, it was pretty hard. “Fuck!” she yelled, scrambling off you while clutching her head. Everyone around you gasped. Your eyes widened as you witnessed her sit back, eyes squeezed shut and muttering curses under her breath.

Nope. No No. No. Her body absolutely did not feel nice under yours, and you were not enjoying this. Not at all. And still, a little voice in your head went, yes you are. You like it and you like her. Even after what she did.

Shit.

“Fuck, I- are you okay?”

Her eyes snapped open, finding you immediately. “Um, yeah- ah shit. Yeah I’m fine.” You frowned, “it doesn’t seem like it.” Hazel shook her head.

“I’m fine just a little- ow- just a little dizzy.” This was bad, you thought to yourself. You hadn’t meant to give her a concussion, and you held out two fingers. “Shit, Hazel how many fingers am I holding up?” you asked.

“I don’t know, like, 4?” Yup. Definite concussion. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” you gasped. PJ called from the circle, “is she good?”

You shook your head, finally taking your eyes off Hazel. “She has a concussion. I have to take her to the nurse, or something.” PJ shrugged, “fine, whatever.” You rolled your eyes and turned back to Hazel. “Come on, let’s go.”

Hazel shook her head again. “I’m fine, just- ah- gimme a second.” You sighed. “You have a concussion. You should not be here. You should be somewhere where you can rest your head.” You pulled her up, keeping her steady as she leaned on you. “Alright, alright,” she conceded. “Don’t be mean to me.” You rolled your eyes at her childish remark. “I’m not being mean,” you insisted as you led her out of the gym. “You’re just stubborn, so excuse me if I’m like… concerned for your health.”

Hazel hummed but didn’t say anything as you walked towards the nurse’s office. There was a silence, not uncomfortable, as you walked and eventually reached the nurse’s office. The school nurse had already gone home, but of course, being in self defense classes meant you knew your fair share of first-aid. As Hazel watched, seated in a chair, you went to the freezer, grabbing ice cubes and putting them in a plastic bag. You handed the bag to Hazel. “Put this on your ribs, and lay down on one of the beds.” You gestured to the two medical beds in the office. Hazel listened, surprisingly, and laid down on the closest one. You sat in the chair next to it, watching quietly.

“What about your, um… your chest?” asked Hazel, blushing through talking about your chest.. You had forgotten all about your injuries for a moment, but as soon as Hazel mentioned it, your sternum began to throb. “Yeah. Right.” You nodded and got up again to get more ice, holding it to your chest and sitting heavily in the chair. You could feel Hazel’s eyes on you, watching as you slumped in the chair.

“What?” You turned suddenly, catching her staring. Her cheeks started warming and she looked away. “Nothing, I just- you’re really pretty.”

You rolled your eyes. “I look like shit, Hazel.” Hazel shrugged. “So?” You shook your head. “So. how could I be pretty if I look like shit?”

Hazel frowned. “Well, it’s not like a right-now thing, I mean, you’re always pretty, whether you look like shit or not.”

You looked at her out of the corner of your eye. You’d blame it on the concussion, you decided. She wasn’t thinking properly. “Yeah, okay. Whatever you say.”

Hazel was not having that. “No, actually. Like, you are actually really beautiful.” You hated the way your heart fluttered at the earnesty in her compliment. You knew you were pretty, but it was always nice to hear. Hazel looked away. “Sometimes I just look at you and go: ‘wow, I wish I could tell her how pretty she is every day. Maybe after a kiss on the cheek.’”

She what?

The shock from her comment got to you. “You what? So what was that in freshman year? You don’t get to just say that after what you did.” Hazel frowned again. You didn’t like that face, in fact, you much preferred her smile. “What do you mean?”

“Oh come on, you’re telling me you don’t remember when you wrote that fake note and then laughed in my face about it?”

Her eyebrows pinched further together in obvious confusion. “Fake note? What fake-” Realization dawned on her face, her eyes wide, which quickly turned into hurt. Her voice was quiet. “You thought it was fake?”

You looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you trying to tell me it was real? Hazel, you laughed in my face about it. Why wouldn’t I think that?” Hazel shook her head. “No, no, I didn’t. I just got nervous and when I get nervous I do this like, giggle thing.” Her eyes widen. “Oh my god, that’s why you walked away? You thought I was laughing at you. Holy shit, I feel terrible now. That explains so much- no, I meant every word I wrote on that paper.” Your eyes went wide as hope surged in your chest.

“Hazel, you… you meant it?”

She nodded. “Of course I did, I’d never not mean it. That would be horrible. Do you.. Still hate me?” You grimaced. “I don’t think I ever did.. I was just hurt cause I thought I’d been absolutely rejected by the girl of my dreams.” At her frown, you clarify. “You, Hazel.”

Hazel’s jaw drops, and she sits up, ignoring the way the room spins for a second. “I’m the girl of your dreams? Really?” Her wide eyes draw you in closer, leaning in as your eyes drop to her pretty pink lips. “Yeah, you are. Is this okay?” You ask as you lean even closer.

She nods her head, but before you can even move, the door to the nurse’s office swings open. You both lean back quickly as PJ appears in the door, but too late as her eyes flick from you to Hazel and back. “What are you losers doing in here? Making out?”

Both you and Hazel blush and PJ finally realizes that she’s right. “Oh, you were actually about to make out? Well don’t stop on my account-”

“Shut up, PJ,” you say, rolling your eyes. She rolls her eyes back at you. “Whatever. Club’s over anyway.” She shrugs, but both you and Hazel frown. “PJ, that’s really short. What happened?” Hazel asks. PJ shrugs again. “We had like, two more fights after you guys left, but the mood was totally killed so it got boring. Plus, Brittany had to leave.”

You and Hazel shared a look. You were both friends with PJ, so you both knew she was only in it for Brittany. “Okay, well, I gotta go. Hazel, if you want a ride, me and Josie are leaving, like, now.” Hazel swung her legs off the bed, standing a little shakily.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” You ask, reaching out to steady her as you all walk out of the nurse’s office. She opens her mouth but PJ interrupts. “She’s fine, chill. Come on, let’s go.” You all walk back to the gym to get your stuff, then you part ways.

Hazel smiles sheepishly at you before they leave. “Thanks for taking care of me. See you tomorrow.”

“See you,” you respond, and you can’t help the disappointment in your voice. You wish PJ hadn’t interrupted, seeing as you’d definitely be kissing Hazel right now if she hadn’t, instead of watching her leave. You would see her tomorrow, but who knew if you’d have a moment like that again?

There wasn’t anything you could do about it now, but as you walked to your car, you made a promise to pull Hazel aside after school tomorrow and kiss the life out of her.

That self-promise proved to be challenging, since you had to see her all day before you’d talk to her privately. Sitting in Mr. G’s class was torture since you were hyper aware of Hazel sitting behind you, just out of reach.

Finally when the end of the day arrived and the bell rang, you rushed to your locker to find Hazel. You found her leaning against her own locker, and she looked up when you approached, her face brightening. “Hi,” she breathed out, a smile taking over her face to mirror the one on yours.

Your brain nearly shut off at her smile, but you quickly shook it off. The plan you had formulated in your mind rearranged itself as she leaned against the locker. You came closer and closer, putting a hand on the lockers next to her head to support yourself as you leaned in, your lips inches from hers. “Hi gorgeous. Can I kiss you?” You didn’t care about the other people in the hallway. All that mattered was Hazel’s little nervous swallow and the nod she gave you. Immediately, your lips were on hers, slotting together as you kissed her sweetly. You felt her hand go up and touch your cheek, holding you in place as you continued to kiss her.

When you finally pulled away, you were both slightly out of breath, your lips and cheeks flushed. You smiled at each other.

“It’s fitting,” you say, smiling now. “What is?” she asks.

“We kind of just corrected what happened here last time,” you laughed softly, leaning in for another kiss. Hazel smiled against your lips, kissing you back with passion. She pulled back to speak, her lips brushing against yours. “You want to get out of here?”

You smiled. “Hell yeah.”

[stcrgazings]

like a tattoo ➳ (c.l)

part two is up and you can read it here

note: sooooo I literally wrote this out of nowhere, but i like how it turned out, it’s nothing like the song really buttt it has some of its lyrics so it only seemed fitting to name it that. thx to my girly @hey-kae who was my beta reader, and convinced me to post this, love ya. happy reading and don’t be a ghost reader!

pairing: charles leclerc x female reader

summary: in which you’re having a very hard time trying not to think about your ex-boyfriend charles, and with his dnf in the first race of the season, everything seems to remind you of him.

warnings: use of alcohol, lots of swearing (mostly fuck), a very heartbroken reader, mentions of a dick-ish charles, smoking ¿?? kinda

word count: 1,5K (it’s a shortie but I promise is soooo good)

“and it’s a Ferrari slowing down guys, and it looks like it’s Leclerc” the commentator in the tv says and your heart immediately drops.

Yes, you hate him, and don’t even wanna look at his face ever again but your heart still aches for him and the way his team is failing him yet again in what is barely the first race of the season.

Your model friend turns to look at you as the stylist sips you up over the black tube dress and fixes your hair in the tight ponytail that adorned you head.

“That’s karma” says the girl besides you, as you inevitably roll your eyes.

“That’s one way to call it” you say and everyone in the room that was starting at you bursts out in laughter.

You wanted to hate him, you really did, but you couldn’t help but wanting to text him after that awful race for him.

But fuck him, right?

He had a championship to win, at least that what he said when he broke up with you cold blooded, so yeah, fuck him and his stupid unreliable little red car.

you look at yourself in the mirror and smile at the reflection, you’re pretty, the most wanted model of every single luxury brand, and you eventually will get over him.

So you say your goodbyes as you exit the Prada building after signing yet another contract to add to your portfolio, your girl best friend hooked in your arm as you both giggled softly about where you both will be partying that nigth.

“But in Monaco right?” She asks as you both enter the limousine waiting for you at the front.

“Yeah I guess” is all you answer as you manager turns to look at you both.

Your hand lingers through your phone and eventually Charles contact, you wanted to text him, but at the end you decide against it, but something in the back of your mind tells you to unblock him and so you do.

Maybe some vodka will give you the courage to text him, or at least to hook up with someone else to forget about those haunting green eyes.

“We’re going to a club” you answer, finally lifting your eyes from the device your managers face quickly going pale.

“You really think that’s a good idea?” He asks serious, you roll your eyes.

“Why?” You play dumb as your friend besides you giggles.

“Bella don’t support her!” He complains.

“I’m actually curious why not?” The model asks again, also playing dumb, the man in front of you squeezing his fists as the both of you gang up on him.

“You going out partying and getting hammered when your ex just got his ass kicked at the race, how do you think the media would react to that?”

you meant this with absolutely every bone of your tiny body, when you say this;

“Do you really think I care what the media thinks? Fuck them for all I care” You spit and Bella besides you claps and cheers and picks a fight with your manager who is clearly unhappy with your plans of the night, he lists all of the cons and the reasons you should stay at home tonight.

“It’s a Sunday y/n, for gods sake!” He says but you didn’t listen and truly did not care a bit.

This is what you’ve been doing for the pasts weeks to try and cope with what he had done to you, and you hated yourself for not just getting over him.

Because it’s not like he was boyfriend of the year when you two were together, in the last months of your relationship he barely even acknowledge you, and he had dump you over call after what it was the biggest fight of your relationship.

Because you had exploded out frustration from his constant indifference, and dick ass attitude, and then ditched the apartment you both shared together.

So naturally when when he called you hours later you thought it was maybe to fix the things between the both of you.

But boy were you wrong.

Somewhere along the lines of “you’re just a model you don’t understand anyway” and “text me when you come get your things” the person you had love the most for the longest time broke your heart and didn’t looked back.

And so you went into self defense and destructive mode and if he didn’t looked back neither did you, blocking him in every social media known to men.

And like that you were strangers with who one was your favorite person in the entire earth.

And so if you wanted to go and get completely hammered after he lost a stupid race you would.

(…)

The Weeknd was playing as you downed another shot with people surrounding you as they cheered you on.

you were pretty wasted, but you still couldn’t get the Ferrari driver out of your mind.

All that you could think about was him, how much you missed him, and how much you wanted him right now.

As you danced with strangers hand all over your body you couldn’t help but remember his.

You remembered his hands, the way you would squirm under his touch, how he would show you how the stars looked like with just his fingers, the way his hands fit practically like they were meant to be holding yours, how good it feel when they were wrap around your neck, and how he would woke you up with them as he tickle you in to his arms, the way he held you at night as you both talk about your days and how much you missed each other.

Suddenly it all feels like too much, you pushed the stranger away from you, his grab in you becoming overwhelming and you need air, a single tear running trough your cheek and you can’t breath and it’s so unfair.

It’s unfair because you’ve had the worse months of your life and he had just moved on, with who used to be one of your best friends.

(Or at least that’s what every single media outlet said)

And you probably shouldn’t believe it but you still remembered the bile coming up your throat as you stared at the pictures of them at the Paris Fashion Week.

So you sit with your head thrown back in on of the sofas of the private booths at the club, and as the air conditioner hit your face, you remembered his hands and the way the mountains looked when you took that trip to the French Alps last Christmas, and you wanted to sob because of how awful it all felt and how much your body ache for him, you close your eyes and take some deep breath, and you can almost feel his lips against yours, you can almost see the life shooting diamonds from his eyes, his beautiful eyes.

The ones that would haunt you at night when you couldn’t sleep because all you did was think of him, how he was doing, if he missed you as much as you did him.

“You want a cig? Looks like you need it” a stranger asks in front of you, you mumble a no as you can, being so lost in your own head.

For the longest time Charles was by far, in your books at least the best person in the world, always so happy and perky, his smile lighting up your days, and nights, always so hungry for life, wanting for you to know the world the same way he did, always so passionate about the things he loved, always so passionate and loving of you.

You can’t help but wonder when it all went wrong, maybe somewhere between France and Abu Dhabi, the last being the last time you remembered being genuinely happy beside Charles, because yes he had come second in the championship but you remembered the way he held you up and kissed you in the hotel room and for a moment you thought you both will be fine.

But when you reach the top, it comes the fall.

And it was all fighting and misunderstandings and misery because you just wanted to be with him but he just wouldn’t let you.

Now you were there, still falling, wanting to forget about those times when you were happy with him.

He moved on, why couldn’t you?

Sitting there you beg for the universe to help you, to give you a sign, anything really, that eventually things would change, that you would stop feeling this way, that the hole inside your chest would disappear and finally the air would feel the way it’s supposed to and breathing and waking up in the morning wouldn’t be as hard as it had been lately and happiness would return your way and things would get better.

Obviously the least that you expect is your phone screen lighting up.

Especially with the name of the one that hadn’t been able to leave your mind in the entire night.

Suddenly an “I miss you” text from Charles hits you out of nowhere like a brick in the face.

Maybe you’ll take that cigarette now.

[stawpny]

hey

I know I haven’t like posted but that was cause I was in DC

it’s really cool

but anyways, have some NY headcannons I thought of while driving 8 hours there and back

(my drama club cast list is coming out tomorrow AHHH [we are doing mean girls])

-

-New York has got the best fashion style out of anyone in the statehouse, buuuuuttt since this years fashion week was.. something, he has been downgraded to the second best. Cal’s the first now, ever since whatever the fuck that was happened.

-Punk NY x Hippie CA is something I need injected into my VEINS. I feel like they would be so cute together anddd the fan art would be delicious bc I would eat it with no hesitation.

-New York has the hand writing of like a fancy founding father. Like one that wrote, “We The People” on top of the constitution, or when he has too much coffee, he has a handwriting of a third grader. (just like me!)

-I imagine that when it gets “hot” here in New York (higher then 80 is too fucking hot for me) he just flops himself anywhere in the NE part of the house and just lays there until someone gets fed up or helps him. (NJ would get fed up, MA would help him)

-he gets frequent headaches so he just carry’s around a small bag of advil or Tylenol, or sometimes keeps it like pocket candy in his pockets like he’s about to give it out to children.

-I feel like he would take care of states (mostly southern) when they were young, along with Georgia and Virginia. The only reason he did so was because Penn claimed he wasn’t “man enough” so he had to do what he also claimed, “women’s work”. (No shade to ppl living in PA)

-I believe that Long Island bullies RI for two reasons, he isn’t an island, and LI is bigger than RI. LI always says that he should be a state instead and Rhode should just merge with MA or CT. (this is true, as a Long islander myself)

-I know NY is bigger than like many states in the NE, but I like the idea of him being the same height as MA or a little shorter. New Jersey would be shorter, same with RI and CT, but I feel like they would be the same height. (ma and ny)

-MA, CT, NY, and NJ have some maaajor beef with PA.

-New Yorks room is filled with a bunch of posters. Posters of Lana Del Rey, TS, Laufey, Tyler The Creator, Steve Lacy, and others are put up, but he puts more “manly” posters up to distract from the fact he literally has a huge ass Taylor Swift, 1989 poster in his room, above his bed. He has all the eras, but how could he not have a huge poster of 1989 when she wrote a song about his city, like, come on! (my fav album)

- CA x NY= Golden Cat x Black Cat (I keep seeing TikTok slideshows of the two cats and it always makes me think of them)

—

soooo

I had a loooong weekend of hiking around DC

it was fun though

I liked seeing all of the state flags and whateva

anyways, i hope u liked these

ily guys, byyeeee!

[fkajohnlennon]

Not going to lie, I am intrigued by the catboy and the buggered Beatle WIPs 👀🐈🐈‍⬛

Catboy is soooo small and tiny right now!!! Like a little baby bird! I don’t have much more, but what I do have is buggered Beatle, one of my babies that I really want to finish one day!! Honestly, it might be my favorite WIP 💗

The prompt for that one was as follows: John Lennon: ‘I was trying to put it ‘round that I was gay, you know - dancing at all the gay clubs in Los Angeles, flirting with the boys”, plus the rumors that John AND Paul were spotted together in a gay bar … what if J & P spotted a cute guy and used the line ‘Hey, we saw you from across the bar and really dig your vibe’ ….

Up to the writer to decide who the guy is, whether he’s younger or older, on what basis he is chosen. Bonus points if a bit of jealousy arises during the 3 way hookup

They’re both piss drunk when they first talk about it: a thankful bit of lubrication which opens their mouths just a bit easier than either of them anticipated.

“Did you ever do it?” Paul asks, lazily sucking on a cigarette and zipping up his pants.

It’s 1965 and they’re both coming off the high of a show with the fire of expensive liquor coursing through their veins. They’d wanked one out in the venue toilet stalls next to each other, calling out names like their former schoolboy selves used to until they could no longer speak, only pant. When John unexpectedly called out the last name, Montgomery Clift, Paul came so hard and suddenly, he had to brace himself on the stall door.

“You’ll have to be more specific than that, Macca,” John slurs, stealing the cigarette from Paul. He hasn’t washed his hands yet, and something glistens on his skin under the fluorescents.

Paul grimaces. “You know, did you ever—” the words are stubbornly sticking to the roof of his mouth. “Did you and Brian…?”

“Did I ever shag Brian?” John asks with a raised eyebrow, and Paul nods mutely. John pauses like he’s thinking something over; a pensive look with a drunken edge that slows it from fleeting to noticeable. “Nah,” he finally answers, and Paul breathes out, only for John to hit him with: “I let him fuck me.”

Paul is too stunned to speak. He just gapes at John, who is very pointedly not meeting his eyes.

“Well,” he gathers himself after a moment, once he’s taken the cigarette back from John, “how was it?”

John chuckles. “Bloody fantastic, if I’m being honest. Did you know we have a spot, like girls?”

Paul can feel he’s blushing, but he’s too drunk to care. He can’t imagine that John notices, not under the influence of his own alcohol. There’s a gnawing, nauseous feeling in Paul’s stomach as John talks, but Paul, ever the student, is also dreadfully curious. He’d never even been within ten feet of a homosexual, not before he met Brian, and he has to admit, he is curious.

“How do you mean?” he asks.

Finally, John’s mouth curls into a familiar sharp smile. “I mean: you know when you’re giving it to a girl, and you curl your fingers just right and she screams? Well, we lads have that, but it’s…” he hesitates.

“Up our arse?” Paul supplies. John answers with a roar of laughter.

“Right, right. I’m telling you, Macca,” he goes to move towards Paul, but he’s so wasted, he stumbles over his few small steps. He lurches forward, and Paul steadies him with a firm hand and a giggle. “I’m telling you, when you feel it, it—it’s better than any wank you can imagine. Honest!”

Paul is enthralled. He’s also sick to his stomach. “John, are you a homosexual?” He hopes the question comes out as earnest rather than disgusted. He’s too drunk to fight off an angry, equally drunk John right now without coming out with a black eye.

Thankfully, John just placidly shakes his head. “Nah, but I wanted to try it. You should too— every bloke should. It was liberating. Made me kind of understand how the bird’s feeling. Made me a better lover, I think.”

[celiastjamesoscar]

Hello honey!

YOU GOT 89%!?!? CONGRATULATIONS, THAT IS AMAZING 🎊 👏 Damn, I'm in the presence of a genius! But seriously, that's incredible. Look at you go! I'm proud of you for all the hard work you put into this! For that I would totally treat you to a pie so that you can taste all the deliciousness! But same tbh, I'm a very picky eater and rarely try something new. And welcome to the "Fuck Raspberries" club! Speaking about clubs, I've been neglecting the Frank Fan Club. How's my girl doing?

Hey! No Zoey slander allowed! She's a gift to humanity and deserves to be treasured! It's not our fault you can't understand our ways of thinking. Guess you just gotta keep up become as dirty minded aka interesting as us 😉

Yesss next month I'll be going to a concert and the bayern game!! I'm so excited to see the girls live! Plus, I'm starting on finally getting my drivers license, which I'm honestly dreading because it takes soooo long ����

Thank you so much love!!! Now I just have to wait and see if I get accepted into the program! I’m the same way, I hardly try anything new. Raspberries look like they should taste better and I will die on that hill! Frank has been doing good, if a bit evil, but that’s nothing new with her. How has my Sammy boy been doing?

Zoey deserves slander, but I will let it slide only this time! I will definitely need to become as interesting as the two of you 😼

Have fun at concert!!!! And which game are you going to watch? Also, Georgia’s own goal against PSG… good luck with your license!!! But hopefully people make sure to stay off the roads once you start driving :)

A random thing; the other day in my speech class, we all had to give a speech about 3 items that are important to us. There was a German guy in my class and he had brought in a pair of sunglasses and he said those were important to him because he “likes to do his German stare without the Americans noticing” 😭 first time I have ever heard a german accent in real life, and it was a cool one. And is the ‘German stare’ a real thing? 😭

[subtextread]

Hello, because I am Very Good at Grieving, I will rate the FE3H’s character’s reactions to Byleth’s grief.

Sothis: “If you must weep, then weep. I shall be here for you.”

9/10 she knows all of your thoughts, so it’s nice to have this said to yourself. Nothing else needed from her really.

Rhea: “Professor… How are you holding up? I know how heavily grief weighs upon one’s heart… I lost my mother some time ago. It was… Forgive me my moment of weakness. Even all these years later, I cannot recall that time without feeling the pain as if it were brand new. Just know that I am praying for your mind and your heart to find peace.”

0/10 lol… a bit too much there tbh iykyk. One imagines her prayers in this regard would do little good. But we can join the bad at grief club together. Her early dialogue where she tells you to not worry on anything but mending your heart is nice and what all bosses should say.

Edelgard: “What happened to Jeralt… It’s terrible. If there’s anything I can do, simply ask. Even if what you desire is revenge… I’ll gladly lend you my power. We can’t let them get away with this.”

0/10 you could’ve killed them yourself sweaty but it wasn’t politically convenient soooo

Yuri: “Jeralt raised you, yeah? He was all you had… You must be feeling a lot right now. When a parent dies, it really leaves a mark. So feel what you need to, no matter how that looks. But know that your inner fire will keep you moving ahead through even the hardest times.”

4/10 The first two sentences are almost funny. It’s like he’s newly learning who Jeralt and who you are. It’s nice to be told to feel what you feel. The last line is again a little Hallmarky. This feels new to him, it feels, and he is trying his best. The delivery is very tender.

Seteth: “First Tomas, and now Monica. I do have a theory, though I admit it is nothing more than speculation. Both Tomas and Monica have each gone missing at one time or another. It wad reported that when Monica returned from her disappearance, she began to act like a completely different person. As if, perhaps, the real Monica had been killed and replaced by an imposter. Thinking of it like that, it is possible that this Solon had been impersonating Tomas for some time. How they managed such a convincing change of appearance, though, I still do not understand.”

-10/10 Appreciate the diligence, king, but is this the time, place, or person you should be talking about this with? No lol.

Manuela: “I have something rather uncomfortable to discuss. It’s about the weapon that killed Jeralt. Will you listen?”

5/10 Unlike Seteth, I appreciate that she asks your consent before just diving in. When you’re dealing with the aftermath of a death as the Only Child you unfortunately have to deal with this business, so I can’t knock her down for that. She was kind about it.

Hanneman: “You have lost someone very dear to you… I am so… You have my sympathy. Manuela and I can take on some of your workload this month. We can’t do all the teaching, but at least we can lighten the load for you. I’ve always seen strength in your eyes. I know you’ll recover. You’re a very strong person.”

10/10 beautiful, thoughtful, helpful. Three boxes ticked right there. ;-;

Hapi: “Hey, seems like you’re having a hard time. Not that I can understand what you’re going through. I know that this is painful, but don’t lose hope for the future, OK? Someday, you’ll be able to accept what’s happened. And in the meantime, you have plenty of friends here to support you. Me included.”

6/10 A little cliché, but still sweet. It was always helpful to be reminded there was a circle of support around. Forward-thinking is not helpful.

Balthus and Constance:

Balthus: “Hey, pal. I see you’re up and at ‘em again, yeah? Good on ya. No use crying over the past and all.”

Constance: “Balthus, have some sensitivity! Who knows what the poor dear is going through right now?”

Balthus: “That ‘poor dear’ can hear you, ya know. Talking about someone like they’re not there. How cold can you get?”

Constance: “Ah… a fair point. Please, Professor, forgive my indiscretion. You have my condolences.”

Balthus: “Remember, the first step to healing is a hefty dose of revenge. Get out there and get to it!”

Balthus gets a 1/10. A part of me appreciates the sentiment, but the bereaved is already full of a desire for revenge and usually needs a little help stemming that. Not adding fuel to the fire lol.

Connie gets a 3/10. I disagree with Balthus, it’s nice when someone stands up for you and shuts down someone being unhelpful. Her affirming Blathus and then tacking on a chipper ‘My condolences’ is a little laughable though, so it knocks her down a few points.

Flayn: “You have lost your father… Now more than ever do I understand how very lucky I am that you were able to save me. Professor, I deeply appreciate what you have done. Thank you. If there is anything at all I can do in return, please tell me, OK?”

8/10 Flayn is always thoughtful, and it is heartbreaking that she sees that your train of thought might be going ‘I was able to save Flayn, but not my own father’. However, she acknowledges it without making you or herself feel guilty. Well done. I, however, was like not thinking of it that way so it felt like a gut punch to put two and two together lol.

Hubert: “I’ve never been much for condolences.”

-50/10 at least he didn’t fake it lol.

Ignatz: “I’m scared. I feel that I don’t understand the world. How could something like that happen to Jeralt? He was so strong.”

Byleth: Whatever happens, happens. (You can also encourage him to push through)

Ignatz: I suppose, but… Please, take care, Professor! We can’t afford to lose you too.”

2/10 please don’t further catastrophize things to someone who’s grieving lol. I appreciate him complimenting Jeralt though. It’s good to reiterate the good aspects of the deceased. And kind of echoing the unjustness of their passing.

Ashe: “Not just Tomas, but Monica too. We can’t be sure who to trust anymore, can we? Who are these people, really? What do they want?”

1/10 doesn’t really have to do with me. He should go talk to Seteth though lol.

Cyril: “Oh, Goddess, hear my prayer. Please receive this beloved person. When the cold rain washes the body, when the bird and wolf announce the dawn… Receive them into your blue blood. Receive them into a twinkling star. That’s a mourning scripture from the Church of Seiros. Lady Rhea taught it to me. I pray that Jeralt is happy in the next world.”

7/10 he tried <3

Felix and Sylvain:

Sylvain: “Dark expressions don’t suit you, Professor. But I’m… Well, I’m glad to see you out in the world again. It seems this month will be a quiet one around here. There aren’t many knights around to liven things up.”

Felix: “Most of the knights are gone, seeking out the enemy.”

Sylvain: “Isn’t that a bit much? I agree, it’s important, but is it a good idea to neglect the safety of the monastery?”

Felix: “What do you think, Professor?”

0/10 do you all really think I can think about this right now lol. Also Sylvain’s “give us a smile” is never welcome, least of all now.

Lorenz: “There is no one here who has not heard tales of Jeralt’s valor. We have suffered a most dear loss. I do not know what the enemy’s aim was, but I do know this - after what they have done, we cannot suffer them to live. If there is anything I can do to ensure that justice is brought swiftly, you need only give the word.”

8/10 again, speak highly of the deceased to the bereaved! So important.

Hilda and Marianne:

Hilda: “Professor, people are saying horrible things about Marianne! They’re saying she’s friends with the bad guys. If I hear someone say that, I’ll…”

Marianne: “Leave it alone, Hilda. It doesn’t matter.”

4/10 again, doesn’t have to do with me HOWEVER if someone was slandering someone dear to me in the name of my late father, I would want to know so I could do something about it, so valid.

Claude: “I haven’t lost a parent yet, so I can’t even begin to understand how you must be feeling… But even while you’re standing still, the world keeps on moving. I always find that oddly comforting.”

0/10 yes, it is clear you have not lost a parent yet, Claude.

Bernadetta: “Professor? I, um, I brought some flowers for Jeralt.”

Byleth: “Thank you.”

Bernadetta: “It’s the least I could do. Sometimes I feel like all I do is run away… Anyway, I’ll go lay them out.”

10000/10 perfect darling. She reflects a little bit about herself too, but doesn’t make the situation about her, and does something so loving.

Linhardt: “I slipped quietly into the vault and rummaged about, looking for anything we might find useful. There is a group that wants to kill us, after all. What? This is no time for asking permission. I learned long ago that one can ask permission or forgiveness. It is rarely useful to request the former. Still, it appears the knights have already taken everything useful. There were Crest-related objects I thought might be worth studying, so— There you go again with that stern look. Of course I’ll put them back when I’m done. Assuming they bear no additional use.”

-15/10 lmao Linhardt, this was neither comforting NOR useful.

Anna: “I heard Jeralt passed away… My deepest condolences. I knew him long before I ever even met you… He was always so much fun to be around… It’s such a loss…”

8/10 again, love to hear someone speak about the deceased. Very comforting.

Raphael: “You gotta keep yourself active during tough times, Professor. Even if it seems impossible. That’s how I got through when I lost my parents. If you need help with anything, just come see me. Eating and training are my specialties.”

9/10 you know he does understand. Again, I’m not a keep it moving type, but I understand where he’s coming from and that this is what he needs to offer.

Caspar: “I’m not even close to being strong enough. I mean, Jeralt was so much stronger than me, but even he… That’s enough. I can’t dwell on the past. There’s no way to know what my future holds, but I do know one thing. Whatever happens, I have to make my own way in this world. I have to keep pushing so I can grow even stronger!”

0/10 Lol Caspar wtf. Good for you, but I can’t care. Please don’t arbitrarily bring up Jeralt’s death like that.

Dimitri: “Professor! Welcome back… I was… We all were… You’ve been on our minds. Know that your enemies are my enemies. I will do all I can to help you find justice. There is no one else I can… My strength is yours alone. I will fight as you command… I will kill anyone should you ask it of me.”

2/10 please sweetheart, don’t make me worry about you too right now. Started off kinda strong though lol

Petra and Ferdinand:

Petra: “Professor, please lend us your ears. Ferdinand is saying impossible things.”

Ferdinand “I do not see what is impossible about it. All I said was that if you want to go back to Brigid, you probably can. You are…the Empire’s guest, so to speak. They cannot afford for something to happen to you—there would be a diplomatic incident. Someone close to us has turned up dead, so one could argue that you’re not safe here anymore.”

Petra: “You were already told! I am learning here, from the academy. What are you thinking, Professor?”

-20/10 Does Ferdinand know Petra is a hostage? She can’t go home. Anyway, I don’t like how callously he talked about Jeralt’s death and its political implications TO BYLETH. Talk to someone else!!

Mercedes and Annette:

Mercedes: “I’m so glad you’re OK, Professor. I was so worried!”

Annette: “Oh, Professor! You must be starving. Mercie and I made some sweets for you. We were thinking that if you were to eat something sweet, it might help you feel better.”

9/10 acts of service are just the most comforting love language.

Dedue: “It is a shame what happened to Jeralt. I am sorry. There are no words. Leave some flowers on his grave for me.”

6/10 please do that yourself, or at least give me flowers to do it.

Ingrid: “I am so sorry… I never quite know what to say at times like these… Just don’t push yourself too hard too soon. It’s OK to allow yourself to be sad right now. Losing someone dear to you… Well, each loss is unique, but it’s a feeling I know very well. That said… Professor, I…”

7/10 mysterious trail off aside, this is simple and sweet, but talking to someone preoccupied with their own grief is hard.

Leonie: “Captain Jeralt’s gone. He’s gone. And we’d only just reunited… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sure this is even harder on you. But I can’t— I can’t believe…”

10/10 most important is to know your loved one was loved and Leonie loved him and her grief is palpable, and sometimes you just need to share that together.

Lysithea: “I’m sure you will pull through this because you’re so strong, Professor. Best to stay calm during such tumultuous and upsetting time. We don’t know the nature of our enemies. If we underestimate them, anything could happen.”

7/10 sweet. She did her best.

Dorothea: “I’ve sung the lyrics lamenting death many times on stage… But when something like this happens in real life… I’m lost. I don’t know what to say. But I do know this much… Sir Jeralt must have been very proud to have you as his child.”

100000000000000000/10 this one made me cry the first time I played and it made me cry again now lol. For my personal grief, this was the best response. Please affirm that the deceased loved the bereaved.

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs The New Employee

Fascinated by the Audrey Hepburn mural in this residential South Korean neighbourhood. Reminds me of the Bob Dylan mural I saw in Kyoto LOL

"The new employee should at least be an assistant manager. What's up with an intern?" To be fair, a lot of people love to cut costs, and interns are very underpaid

"To start working at nine, you should come to work by at least 8:30am." Firstly, no, you don't owe your work any unpaid time. Secondly, how was Seung Hyeon supposed to? He couldn't get in bc none of you gave him a keycard!

"He's good looking." [Gasps and covers mouth] LOL Seung Hyeon

At least Kang Hae is doing some onboarding for Seung Hyeon, even if no one else is

I don't know who this marketing guy is, but I already don't like his vibes based on him interrupting Seung Hyeon's lunch

"If another team asks for your cooperation again like this, ask me first. If I'm not in, tell them to email you and put me as CC." Department Head Kim to the rescue!

LMAO WHY THE NOTEBOOK TUG-OF-WAR?? What kinda weird workplace energy:

" Yu Seong?" "Seung-hyeon?" Weel weel weel, is this the second lead of the series?

"[Rainbow Rice Cake welcomes all sexual minorities]" Not to be Asian and bisexual, but it sincerely gets to me whenever I see Asian media of any kind where gay people just get to like. Exist. Be around, regardless of their importance to the plot. So I love the Rainbow Rice Cake Club:

Also now realizing that when Yu Seong talked about the group he attended and Seung Hyeon immediately cut him off it was because he didn't want to be outed at work, omg

"Do you remember my first love, Jong Seok? He looks just like Jong Seok." Yu Seong is really making the rounds flirting at this table

"You even went to grad school because of that bastard." I really like Ji Yeon, she's great. Also, not him getting a graduate degree because of a cute boy LOL

[In Seung Hyeon's thoughts as he looks at Jong Chan] "I want to you to meet and date a good person." The last few office romances I have seen have been people who were already childhood friends who rediscover each other at the workplace, sometimes as a boss and sometimes not, but as these two are straight-up boss and intern, I'm like: Y'all cute, but also, don't date your boss!

Seung Hyeon's sixty second elevator pitch at the copier on how to improve this ad campaign khgkjgh

"You did this before, too. Why do you keep pushing our intern around?" Jong Chan has no social graces and has had enough of the Marketing Team

Also the way that Jong Chan has been holding onto Seung Hyeon's wrist through this whole interaction. Girl (gender neutral) what are you doing?

"I don't have any, but he has a very good idea, CEO." Jong Chan says my team credits our interns for their ideas!!

I do love the CEO in her pink suit, I hope she's as fun as her outfit

"It's also the worst thing about our company. People at the top get all the credit. Your idea will look like it's mine or even the CEO's, or the company's. And your participation in this project doesn't guarantee a permanent position." I appreciate Jong Chan being really clear about the expectations

The way that Seung Hyeon smiles at like, everything is soooo endearing. He is just a nice man!

"He said, 'Because it's you, Seung Hyeon.' He discounted all other reasons." "Did he confess his feelings to you?" "Not really, but it feels like it." Seung Hyeon said: I will romanticize my own office experiences 🥰🥰

"Hey, isn't Seung Hyeon totally your type?" Still seems like a bold thing to say about his intern, Yu Seong

I'm not going to lie, I wasn't going to even liveblog this show until this drinking interaction, but Jong Chan grabbing the glass out of Seung Hyeon's hand and drinking for him when the person asking is just his homie felt so dramatic I needed to react. Oh my god:

"Not at all. We can't date. Because we're the famous, Rainbow Rice Cakes." [Does the Wave] "Don't listen to her, it's nothing." HAHAHAH Seung Hyeon doing the wave too before he tries to stop Ji Yeon. He couldn't resist!

KJHGKJHHJGKHGK????? Not Jong Chan responding to Seung Hyeon tripping by giving him a little kiss on the cheek

"Don't give it any thought. It was a mistake." How is Seung Hyeon not supposed to think about his boss kissing him???

"I don't even know what I like or what I'm good at. I want to find out what they are." I bet you will, Seung Hyeon!

"Most people think those who make ads are weird and crazy, but I think differently." Jong Chan, with the kindest intent, you are giving at least a little weird and crazy

"I don't think he's a regular player." HAHAH not Seung Hyeon immediately looping Kang Hae into the office gossip

"Director Kim might be trying to form his own clique because time is running out." Why does the Marketing Team do nothing but cause problems? People in marketing pls confirm

Ahhhh, now we know who Yu Seong is, a client of the firm

I hate the marketing team, they need to leave Seung Hyeon alone!!

"Did you come because you were worried?" To be fair, it seems like Jong Chan's worry is entirely merited giving they were forcing to drink by pouring liquor on your head????

An incredibly questionable time to kiss him, but the tiptoes are fun:

Ffkjhfjhfkfh Seung Hyeon at the coffee machine: I don't care what the circumstances were, I LOVE making out with my boss

LMAO @ Kang Hae defining everything that's going on by webtoons. Seems putting a little too fine a point on it

"Who the hell is he? Who was your first kiss? Is he in Planning Team 1? Team 2?" [Seung Hyeon gestures at Kang Hae and her camera] [Ji Yeon screams] I NEED TO KNOW WHERE THIS COMPANY VLOG THAT KANG HAE IS DOING LIVES!!! Why does she think it's fine to film the details of his personal life??

"Then after you get off work, let's go to the movies." No one in this office has any sense of professionalism

Not the voices of Jong Chan's ex-boyfriends haunting him while he waits for his dinner date with Seung Hyeon:

"I won't do anything funny, so relax." [Seung Hyeon smiles and fidgets] [Whispers] "You look like you want me to do something funny." HAHAHAH, I was also thinking this, Jong Chan

"You can't be too quick to discern what's real or not. They could all be true love." [...] "You're amazing." I hope that Kang Hae and Ji Yeon date

Why are all of these people getting their romantic advice from webtoons jkhkgjhfhkjhf HAHA

Seung Hyeon is really incapable of having a poker face for someone with a secret office romance (well, not so secret anymore, now that he did a spit take the first time someone mentioned Jong Chan's name)

I love that the CEO always throws her pen in the air and then chants, "Nice catch" (in English) whenever someone gets it haha

"But to have that kind of rumour suddenly spreading is also a failure on [Jong Chan's] part. He failed to conduct himself properly!" "You're right. We can't let him get away with this." Get away with what? Having a boyfriend?

Jong Chan is ALSO so bad at hiding this romance, given the canoodling at work. They are not beating the office romance allegations:

I love Jong Chan consistently making sure that everyone knows this was Seung Hyeon's idea!!!

I imagine Mr. Sold Out's instagram post ft. Office Romance Boys is only going to add fuel to the fire for Jong Chan's clique rumours

"It's okay. Work is your priority. I want to understand things that are important to you." Seung Hyeon is the cutest man alive

"Let's do this once we closer." "How do I get closer to you? By being more caring?" Alright, you've sold me on the boss-employee romance. I tried to hold out because it's not the best idea, but they are soooo sweet

You see, I THINK the white undershirt is supposed to give sexual encounter, but Cherry Magic tricking me has made me doubtful that it could just be a sleepover

Omg, did Seung Hyeon leave just because he saw Yu Seong's pen in the bedroom? Couldn't he have just borrowed a pen from him?? Or was it a gift from Seung Hyeon?

"He looked so excited to get his lover the fountain pen engraved with his initials." OHHHH, it's because Yu Seong and and Jong Chan may have dated

(I do think Seung Hyeon is being a little unreasonable about it by just not talking to him. But, it's his first relationship, so I get it)

Also. Yi Jeon scream-crying along with Seung Hyeon in solidarity. Bestie behaviour

"It doesn't matter who he dated in the past either. A relationship is led by two people. You two are dating for the first time, so it's important to get to know each other." Solid advice from Yi Jeon

"I'm too caught up in my love life these days. I'm so unprofessional." When ur right, ur right, Seung Hyeon

Couple's Counselling in the Communal Supply Closet:

"How am I supposed to interpret it if you leave like that after spending the night together?" Again, I would like some clarity on the night together

"We dated for a bit. Of course, I have no feelings for him anymore. You know how small the dating pool is in our world. It's normal to stay friends with your ex." Well-communicated and true

Okay, no need to call Seung Hyeon's feelings a "pathetic crush," Jong Chan

"Why can't people be cool about this?" Oh, like YOU were cool about it by lambasting him an office supply closet

"I could be more understanding about it since it's his first relationship." Yes, you could!

HAHAHAH THE CAT TEXTING ON JONG CHAN'S BEHALF:

I really did think that the cat text was going to move the plot along

Team Leader Choi is blaming Seung Hyeon for the retreat booking falling through even though he didn't have another card to pay it with??? This workplace takes no responsibility for anything LOL

Also, the flat bangs do a lot of work in making Jong Chan look younger. They're only 5 years apart but the office look ages him

"But I want to understand you from now on. I can't take away the heartbreak from when you had to pick out that damn fountain pen, but I'll do my best to make you think that all the heartache with Yu Seong led you to me. Could you give me another chance to get closer to you?" Awww, that's a nicer approach

Also, Jong Chan to himself: I can only emotionally advance my relationship when one of us has been drinking

"I'll be more honest from now on.""It's okay to fight. We can just work it out together." We love a communication

The flirt texting at the work retreat with all of their coworkers between them LOOOOL

Truly they are as subtle as a flying brick, their coworkers are literally right there:

"You can call me 'Hyeong.'" I know that some people do actually do this, but I will never understand people using brother/sister honorifics/suffixes in romantic contexts!!! It is not for me!! You will NEVER catch me didi/dada-ing a partner

Hahahaha, the way they both nerd out over the ads they watch

"I'll apply for the Planning Team. The Strategic Planning Team could be a better fit for me, but I want to try for the Planning Team. It's my first time discovering what I think I can do well and work hard on." Go Seung Hyeon!!!

"Do you believe in me?" [Pushes boyfriend into pool] HAHAHA

Screaming at them using this pool shenanigan to hide from their coworkers bothering them after work:

Awwwww Jong Chan sharing his good luck talisman with Seung Hyeon for his interview

"Unfortunately, we are not able to hire you this time." Wow, realistic but harsh. What are the chances it has anything to do with him dating his boss?

"I think Department Head Kim is trying to start something in the company with that kid beside him." Ohhhhh nothing to do with their actual relationship, everything to do with clique accusations and Marketing Team Being Jerks

Team Leader Choi asking about Seung Hyeon's results like he didn't sabotage him!!!!!! Ass.

"Aigo, just how badly did you mess up?" Team Leader Choi, I will bite you

"I guess I expected too much. They took me in as an intern, so I thought I could become a full-time employee as well." Kang Hae didn't get in EITHER? This company is so rude to their interns

"I'm not doing this as your boyfriend. I think this company really needs you." Jong Chan <3

They are both so sad and mad about the interview sabotage :((((((

Ohhhhhh, so this is the purpose of the vlogging! They're going to make a short film on their internship experience for closure

"A video I made with leftover footage. Watch it when you feel down." Money's on boyfriend vlog

"But I heard this intern didn't get in." "Why?" I hope AR Communications eats some humble pie after all this!!!!

Does Mr. Sold Out watching the video mean he will hire Seung Hyeon for internal marketing? I hope so

"I, Kim Jong Chan, would like to make an offer to Wu Seung Hyeon, the most passionate man when it comes to ads, as the head of JS Planning, a start-up company." OMGGGGG I kinda figured Jong Chan was going to quit (or at least threaten to), but I didn't think they'd start working together. This is the kind of boss-dating that is sustainable, starting a business with your boyfriend!

"I lo- l-love-" "Do you love me?" "That wasn't romantic at all." CUTE

HAHAHA Team Leader Choi being demoted for causing problems in the recruitment process

Jong Chan hired Ji Yeon and Kang Hae too!! BUDDY BUSINESS

Also, I have just learned that the movie has additonal scenes so running commentary on those now:

LOL @ THEM putting in a car scene after the cheek kiss just for it to be them sitting in silence

The movie confirms that White Undershirt WAS an indication of sex. Good for them!

I love them all (and I still want Ji Yeon and Kang Hae to date):

[ruinedbylanadelrey]

the morning after debrief: (personal life below cut):

last night i went out with my best friend (let's call her Ken) and our friend. I was sitting in my bed planning out KYH and Lovestruck, being a diligent writer then my friend Star (that's what i'll call her) calls me at 6pm, telling me how she just got dumped by her ugly (now ex) bf. I was like oh hell no, we are going out!! The groupchat is formed. this is whole new group to go out with. so i get ready and start think about how my ex boyfriend hasn't texted me since tuesday. last night was to make our 3 ex boyfriends jealous. I go pick up drinks to pregame and still thinking about my ex (naming him Jay). i get to Star's apartment before Ken got there. me and star update each other since it's been months since we hungout. i tell her about Jay, like everything about our history, updated her how i slept with my friend and i'm kinda in the talking stage with a guy in an open relationship. she tells me everything with he ugly bf, and how she's making her new roster of hoes. Ken gets there and she's really excited to go out. I declare we all need pictures because oh my god we are so hot. I was the first one to go and my pics came out so good. (here they are, shameless insta-promo). i can't shut tf up about Jay and how much i wanted to see him again. everyone telling me to just text him. and i always deny that anyone wants to see me

we get an uber to the first club, it was dead for a friday night, Ken goes home because she had work in the morning. Star and I go to another bar, I am drunk at this point and so is star. we order a round of drinks. then the bartenders start pouring shots into people's mouths, i do the shot. and then they brought out champagne and started pouring it into my mouth, it was actually reallly good. star and i are talking about boys and then show her Jay and our texts. She takes my phone and sends a text for me. Now even a second goes by and he says "just got home you should head over" i look at star and show her the texts. and she's like oh we getting you over there. i start to sober myself up in the bathroom, and drinking a vitamin water. we get an uber back the apartment and star is texting one of her hoes to come over, i freshened up before heading downtown to Jay's.

i show up at his door, knock, the door swings open to him. we both say 'hey', he pulls me through the door and pushes me against the wall as soon as i stepped through the threshold. it was so hungry and oh my goddddd i swore that i was getting drunk again but off of him. he smells soooo goood, and he's a personal trainer ;) so he picks me up and takes me to his room. he sets me on the bed, and just looks at me. I could feel myself blush. "are you instagram posts about me?" jay was smirking, still just raking his eyes over my body. i panic for a sec and quickly lie and say that i'm just hopeless romantic and i just like love. he buys it for now. we have sex, both of us tired and talk until we fall asleep.

he helds me in his arms the whole night, i laid there for about 2 hours and just looked at his face, remembering how he used to look when we were younger. i get hit with feelings that i am trying to suppress, because i'm trying to be causal with him. trying not to scare him away. i fall sleep eventually, listening to him breath and snore just a little. he's pulling me in closer anytime he moves in his sleep.

i wake up to him kissing my neck, and caressing my legs. no words spoken when we both start making out and having a good session of morning sex, we lay in bed for hours just talking, i think my favorite conversation we had was talking about sleeping with friends exes. he was like "techincally that what we are doing," refering to my two exboyfriends that he was friends with, and how he's two of my friends ex's too. then i said "well and we are two exes seeing each other", i tell him how my friends know about him, he was like "you talk about me?" with a smile on his face, and then having sex until we both had to get ready for our days. I had to go home and get ready to see my friends for a debrief. he had to go visit his dad and go workout.

[handelplayssims]

It’s another snowy day in Windenburg. Should have expected that honestly for their winters. Hopefully it won’t blizzard because I gotta send Lara around to the neighbors and asking for signatures. Shame one of them moved out! First up is Izzy though…just as the weather decided to kick into blizzarding. -grumble- Lara’s also awake. Her only moods are to cry out her sad emotions she isn’t feeling because she is always focused thanks to that overclocked computer. The other is to become enemies with Blossom Greenburg. ...sure but first we gotta go talk to the neighbors.

There’s only two neighborhood families in this area to ask for repeal signatures. First up, the Bjgergsens. Home to Sofia, Elsa and Bjorn, with wife Clara having been taken by Neighborhood Stories. Only Sofia and Bjorn count for the NAP repeal so let’s go ask them for signatures! Sofia refuses so onto Bjorn. Turns out, Lara finds out the Bjorn is like her. Gloomy! So I decided to make them actual friends! It also helps that they are both in the Garden Gnomes so I feel they really should be friends already. Bjorn was receptive to the NAP at least! And with asking “hey do you want to try to find a job” the two became good friends. This is mostly because I didn’t notice when they became friends because I was waiting for the happy moodlet and I had the neutral fine moodlet for a People Person getting another friend. Ah well! OFF TO THE VILLAREALS! Also ran into some pear trees along the way and how they survive the winter blizzards, I do not know.

The Villareal’s contain Jacques, Luna, Hugo and Max Villareal. Still one of my first npc households I played. But sadly, I haven’t been back to them in ages. Also Jacques did get a wife but Neighborhood Stories took her away. Very rude like that. They won the lottery so I got them a proper home with sprawling gardens! Also looks to be a heated pool, not that I think they’d go for a dip in this weather. BLIZZARDS! Anyway, three chances for a repeal signature. Jacques is a no. Luna’s a no. Hugo is a no. ALAS! It’s time to find other people to bring home. It’s time to find...co-workers.

Closest one by location is Fuuka Yamagishi in Newcrest. So I say hello to her and her wife and then bring them back to Lara’s home. And then go, “heeeey, can I get these signatures from you two? I only need one!” Thankfully, Accord gave me what I wanted. Amusingly, I had to send Cameron to bed because work was soon and he needed sleep and it was almost 10PM so I also needed to send Izzy to bed soon after! This was a day focused entirely on the NAPs and the socializing of Lara! Until Cameron needed to head off to work. Anyway, Cameron’s at work all night soooo-

Neighborhood Watch!

Brindleton Bay: The Moran household moved in.

And will soon accept their new pet into their life!

Henford-on-Bagley: The Baumgartner household recently moved in.

We need another day. And OH MY GOD THE SUN HAS PEAKED OUT! AAAAH! HALLELUJAH! Praise be the gods on high! Also Cameron came back from work with a super-tense moodlet of “oh my god please give me a vacation” despite the fact that he was on vacation already. For both Winterfest and New Years! Man needs more vacations. Naturally by 8AM, at just the time I was thinking for Lara to go and actually have a club meeting for once, the blizzards kick in. Again. Well hey, at least this time, I can actually do the cry it out want for Lara. Lara still wants to make that money and I don’t believe hacking goes well when sad. So instead it’s time to pour that sadness into writing a book.

I have just the title. Also Charity decided to drop on in.

Eh, Izzy is more of a science nerd. Not a music nerd. Anyway, the result was the kid had the play the bongos and Izzy got the rainstick. Oooo, rainsticks are fun! I had one of those. A great noise maker. Sad moodlet cleared off of Lara by the power of sitting down at a computer! And bills rolled in. Again. Anyway, it’s back to a hack and then working on a video game! Oh and Izzy fulfilled her resolution by simply improving her grades a lot. Nicely done. But hopefully the true end goal comes soon. Annnd she does! Childhood aspiration complete! Now, it’s Monday so she’s coming home with a school project. And she’s bringing a friend home from school, very convenient for school projects. Liana Leone, mean girl and daughter to a family that turned into vampires. Also she’s angry. So she’s just yelling at Izzy while doing this work. Yeesh. Got the hurt sentiment and everything. Welp.

Cameron’s finally awake from his post-work slumber! Both he and Izzy get some leftovers and take a bath. Now to see what Cameron wants to do...he wishes to pull a prank on Baako Jang! Well, it’s been far too long since I’ve left this house. Let’s drop by Baako’s! ...naturally, he is behind a door that is locked. I wait until evidently he decided to try to go to bed to go and prank him. I’m totally a criminal! Yes, be tense about it!

It’s here that I decided to check the calender. And what do you know it, GeekCon is tomorrow! That’s basically a holiday for this bunch of nerds! When I get back home, I’m calling holidays for everyone! And so I did! Both go home and called the holidays. Because Cameron’s next whim is to gain handiness level, which is related to his aspiration, which wants five upgrades around the home. Which hey! That I can do! So many things to upgrade and I just stick with the bathtub. I say and then I add on an upgrade to the observatory nearby. And then I head everyone to bed, so they can all be well-rested for the upcoming GeekCon!

Neighborhood Watch!

Brindleton Bay: The Crouse household recently moved in.

Haruto Kobayashi in the Kobayashi household has started a job as a Freelancer Writer in the Freelance Writer career.

Brindleton Bay: A dog was adopted by the Moran household.

[sketchguk]

Hey! this is soulmate mark anon! I read your answer omg I love your ideas! a cat sounds good to me too, it fits mc!! Patronusus are soooo special . I also like your stars idea though! maybe mc has soonyoung's constellation? I feel so bad for sonyoung that he knows shes his mate but she wishes it was mingyu, and soonyoung already HATES mingyu wetwytwytr. What do you think made soonyoung realise the mark is mc's? anddddd i've always been curious but idk if youve answered this already ... How did mc and mingyu fall into bed the first time??? WREWTRTTETR Like .... you said they r friends but they also were allso like fwb right ????? how did that happen ?? please tell me that scene so i can stop being curious last week I got so busy with work thats why i couldnt send any asks , now i'mm just in bed relaxing before sleeping. this week will not be so busy for me! Thanks for talking to e about my little ideas !!

Hey hey ! The cat patronus would really encompass all of mc's personality traits <3 I guess that's settled ✨ Funny how both of their patronuses are in the cat family. That's how it should be when they're soulmates !!

The constellation mark would be really pretty, but would it lead directly to Soonyoung in the end?? In a way, it's also special because the astronomy tower is Soonyoung's favorite place in Hogwarts to clear his head. He's taken mc there when she's felt stressed !! So there's definitely a connection there 💛

I also feel like quidditch should be involved in the very first stages of the mark because it has to be super generic for her to believe it's also Mingyu LOL

With every headcanon for this au, it's basically "how many times can we kick Soonyoung when he's already down on the floor?" He's always hurt one way or another LOL, poor guy. He's definitely frustrated with the way mc never considers him as her soulmate. And as hard as he tries to convince her, it just doesn't work out !!! But when the full marks are revealed, there's no way they can deny it then. He just has to trust the process !!!

If we're going with the cat patronus mark, I suppose it would be difficult for Soonyoung to realize that's mc right away. Hmmm. Maybe there are little details that pop up first !! I saw these designs and thought they would be super cuteee:

lol the second mark would be so cute if the moon was replaced with the sun because mc is definitely the sun ☀️ So maybe the flowers pop up first before the full image of the cat !!

And they could be meaningful like mc's birth flower (but of course in the end, it varies by the reader). If we were going with something general, maybe it'd be tiger lilies !! Remember back when the herbology club would do farmer's market fundraisers?? Where they'd sell produce and flowers from the greenhouse?? Well Soonyoung first gifted mc a tiger lily stem (duh ahah). She received a bunch of flowers from her admirers, but when they're all piled up at her desk, the tiger lily is the one that always stands out the most, and it soon becomes one of her favorites !!

But imagine she doesn't recognize who gave what flower because there were always sooo many. People would hand them to her in succession, and she'd have to place them away so she can fully commit to her work at the market!! She's too busy, and she can't have her hands full when she's enticing other students to buy her cherry tomatoes. And that's always gonna be the sad part </3 She doesn't ever fully recognize Soonyoung's efforts when he tries so hard to have her love him

Oh how did mc and Mingyu become fwb !!!! The h*rny part of my brain really skipped over that part so that I could maximize the angst asap. Here's the idea I came up with. Let me know what you think!

Mc would ask Mingyu for advice because some of her suitors would flirt with her, but she doesn't know if she should give into their advances in spite of her big, fat crush on Mingyu. She tells him that she's wary about settling for some guy because she doesn't feel a genuine connection with those other boys, and she thinks they might just want to get laid. Mc confesses that there's no harm in saying yes, right? It could be a win-win situation. What if she enjoys it? (BECAUSE LATELY, SHE HAS TROUBLE GETTING OFF ON HER OWN !!! The only thing that makes her come is the thought of Mingyu). And if she says yes, perhaps this is her chance to get over Mingyu who doesn't want to pursue anything further with her. But when he asks what kind of connection it would take for her to fold, she tells him the truth. She feels most comfortable with someone who's her friend. Someone kind, respectful, and considerate. Someone like... Mingyu. She knows that this is a terrible idea because she genuinely likes him. But at this point, she'll take what she can get. She thinks that maybe after the first or second time, he'll catch real feelings for her. Yet time after time, he has never made it official.

And I'm sorry your work was so busy !! Thankfully you'll have more time now to relax !! Missed you lots <3 What is it that you do if you don't mind me asking?!! I'm actually gonna be the busy one this week because I'm starting a new job ahhhh (but it's per diem, so at least it's not full time. There's a lot of planning and preparation to do though, so I'm sure it'll eat up all my spare time) 😔 I will look forward to your messages after a long day though, that's for sure !! Hope you have an awesome week 💛

[fredshufflepuff]

— anon’s request: ok so since i too am a whore for angst. how about the reader and rafe having a summer thing as a kook (maybe she goes to the pogue school but is a kook) and once she goes back to school, they drift apart and rafe gets jealous of her spending her time with the pogues. then maybe he sees her again at mid summers all dressed up and remembers he still loves her. please break my heart with this, im in need of a cry and then maybe put it back together with some fluff at the end? please

— warnings: fem!reader, brief smut (skip if uncomfortable), asshole!rafe for a good chunk of the imagine, language, angst, fluff.

— word count: 2,166

IT all started when you bumped into rafe at the country club on figure eights.

you didn’t normally hang around that area, but you were hanging out with sarah that day—which meant eventually running into her brother.

she tried to keep you away from him, just because he had no filter and didn’t think twice before voicing his opinion, but sooner or later your interaction with the boy would happen.

“oh god” sarah mumbled causing you to raise your brows, a confused frown on your face as she signaled to look behind you.

you turned around not so subtle to see rafe cameron making his way down the grassy hill, a golf club in one hand and a can of beer in the other.

“hey little sis, when were you going to introduce me to your friend here?” the boy spoke, a small grin on his face at seeing her roll her eyes.

“i wasn’t planning on it, you know—considering how you’re an ass.”

a small giggle fell from your lips as rafe turned his attention back to you, the sides of his mouth curling slightly at your reaction.

“well since she won’t introduce me, i will” he said, his figure leaning over yours which was sat on the grass.

he tossed his most likely expressive golf club to the ground to extend his hand out to you, which you hesitated to take before slowly reaching for it.

“i’m rafe cameron.”

of course you knew who he was, everyone did.

“y/n y/l/n.”

YOU thought the interaction with sarah’s older brother was in the past, not having to see him again since you weren’t planning on going back to figure eight or the club any time soon.

but when you found yourself in his bed getting the absolute daylights fucked out of you, you knew right then and there that this wasn’t a one time thing.

“fuck rafe,” you moaned loudly, your head thrown back against the pillow as your eyes fell shut from the feeling.

he slide his cock in and out of your needy hole as you whimpered from under him, his toned body pressed against yours as you jolted from each thrust.

“m’gonna cum, flood this needy little fuck hole” he spat, his hand coming down to grab your face and force you to open your eyes.

“please, rafe. please fill me up” you begged, your little moans and pleads sending the boy over the edge.

as soon as he gave you permission to cum you didn’t hold back. it felt like your entire body had shut down as your head fell to the side.

rafe sent a rough thrust into your quivering body before emptying himself inside, making sure to keep himself as close as possible in order to not let any leak out.

“fuck,” he groaned in your ear, his body pressed against your small one as your hands came up to rest in his hair, pulling on it gently as his cum filled you up.

later that night you didn’t bother sneaking back out to your place, instead rafe suggested you actually stay—running you a hot bath before ordering take out.

it surprised you really, considering how you didn’t know what you guys were.

you both agreed to only be friends with benefits when this all started, but now you didn’t know if you wanted that or not.

you wanted something more with the blue eyed boy.

“what are we?” you asked while laying in his arms, the feeling of his breath trailing down your neck giving you comfort.

“friends with benefits.”

no hesitation was found in his voice. it was quick and sudden, just like your heart breaking.

“oh.”

you didn’t talk much with rafe after that night—leaving early in the morning to avoid further interaction.

rafe didn’t suspect anything though, knowing how busy you usually get with school and home life, but after that single day turned into almost a week, he knew something wasn’t right.

usually you’d be around the house or at the country club, but it felt like you were almost avoiding him.

when school started up that’s when things really started to hit for rafe. you were not only distancing yourself from him, but now you were hanging out with the pogues.

to him you had wiggled yourself into john b’s friend group, getting closer with everyone but mostly jj, the one pogue he despised more than the others.

it was the night of midsommars and you were preparing yourself to see rafe, your nerves seeming to skyrocket every time his name was mentioned.

“ARE you feeling okay, y/n/n? you’re all jittery” kie pointed out, her eyes locking with yours through the vanity mirror as you slowly brushed through your hair.

“i’m okay, kie— really. just nervous for tonight i guess” you shrugged, your response seeming convincing enough as she nodded.

“hey slow pokes! hurry up or we’re going to be late” jj called, pounding on the door making you and kie jump.

“fucking assholes” you mumbled.

MIDSOMMARS was something you always looked forward to.

the lights, the food, the beautiful dresses and people you got to meet—which was rare considering how almost everyone there were stuck up kooks who’s only personality trait was having money.

all except rafe.

he was different towards you, a lot different it was scary.

“jj, don’t get into any more fights, k?” kie sighed, licking the pad of her thumb before dragging it across his face—getting rid of the dirt that had formed there.

he didn’t say who specifically it was with—the fight—just claiming it was with some stupid kooks who didn’t know when to stop talking.

“yeah yeah” he mumbled, running his fingers through his hair before sending you both a small smile.

he picked up his tray and spun it on his finger before sending her a wink, a blush coming to kie’s face as she quickly looked away.

“soooo, you and jj....” you said, the girl’s eyes rolling as she playfully pushed you away.

“enough about me, what about you?”

“me?” you raised an eyebrow, “what about me?”

“don’t play dumb, y/n/n. i’ve seen you come back late with hickeys.”

you grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the waiters walking by and took a long sip from it, your eyebrows twisting together— “this is good, you should try it.”

kie was about to protest until the music started to kick up again, your favorite song playing making you gasp.

you quickly placed the glass on an empty table before taking her hands and pulling her towards the dance floor.

“let’s dance!”

unknown to you—rafe had been watching you ever since you stepped foot into the venue.

IT was almost one in the morning when everyone had left, you and kie sitting at one of the empty tables while you waited for jj to finish up.

you hadn’t had that much to drink, but you could say you were a little tipsy.

“ready to go?” jj asked while throwing his arms around you both, a sarcastic grunt dropping from your lips at the sudden weight.

“we were about to leave yo-”

“well, well, well...if it isn’t the golden trio” a familiar voice spat, your head snapping to the side as your eyes fell on the devil himself.

rafe cameron and his little minions.

“if it isn’t daddy’s money, dumb, and dumber” kie snapped back—referring to topper and kelce who were standing on either side of him.

“put your dog on a leash maybank before we do it ourselves” rafe threatened, only causing jj to break from your side and lunge at the boy.

“jj, stop” you said, grabbing his arm as kie yanked him back, “he wants a reaction.”

“i didn’t see you there, y/n. so quiet and small, hard to notice you.”

which was obviously a lie. rafe noticed you the second he walked into the stupid party.

“what do you want, rafe? getting bored at the country club?” you asked, your lips dropping into a fake pout.

“actually the country club is entertaining, unlike some needy bitches who can’t satisfy my needs.”

your face dropped as kie gasped beside you—jj completely unaware of what was going on but still pissed at the way rafe was speaking to you.

rafe’s face dropped slightly at the realization of what he just said, nothing but lies falling from his mouth as his eyes filled with guilt.

“fuck you.”

YOU didn’t remember much after that. just the events taking place of jj trying to throw another punch at the boys before getting dragged away by kie.

the poor girl was trying to control her hot headed friend while the other was on the verge of tears.

but you refused to cry.

in front of rafe or not, you would not let yourself cry over him.

all you remember is crashing at john b’s house and waking up with a massive headache.

your legs were draped over kie’s as the two of you slept on john b’s bed, the boys taking the couch in the living room.

light from the outside peeked through the curtains as your eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness.

your phone laid next to you on the comforter as your hands dragged it closer.

what you weren’t expecting was a shitload of texts from rafe.

rafe cameron: i’m really sorry

[sent 1:34am]

rafe cameron: y/n

[sent 1:34am]

rafe cameron: i didn’t mean anything i said

[sent 1:36am]

rafe cameron: i was drunk and wasn’t thinking

[sent 1:40am]

rafe cameron: please hear me out

[sent 1:41am]

rafe cameron: meet me at our place

[sent 1:49am]

rafe cameron: 7:30am

[sent 1:51am]

you groaned loudly while reading his texts, the need to throwup swirling in your stomach as you tossed your phone to the side.

you ran your hands over your face as you thought on what to do, biting your bottom lip in the process as you stared at the wall in front of you.

after what felt like an hour of pondering, you let yourself slip off the bed and grab your hoodie that was thrown on the floor.

you were going to see him.

‘WHAT if she doesn’t show’ rafe thought to himself as he sat in the sand, his eyes locked on the waves crashing in front of him.

he was stupid last night.

the boy made a stupid mistake that he regretted deeply.

he just needs to show you how sorry he is.

“rafe.”

his head snapped in the direction of your voice, your figure standing a few feet from his as he then quickly stood up.

he dusted off his pants before nervously making eye contact, his throat suddenly drying up as he attempted to swallow what felt like a rock.

“y/n, i’m s-so so sorry for what i said yesterday. i-i didn’t mean any of it-”

“so what? i’m supposed to forgive you?” you cut off, raising an eyebrow as his mouth fell slightly, “what if it happens again?”

“i-it won’t! i swear it won’t. i was just drunk and jealous and really fucking stupid” he blabbered on, his hands shaking as he tried to defend himself.

“jealous?” you asked, your eyebrows furrowing together as he nodded his head shamefully.

“of you and that stupid pogue.”

“jj?!”

he seemed to visibly retract from your words, his eyes narrowing as he bit the inside of his cheek.

“yeah, him.”

“so you acted the way you did...because of jj?” you slowly asked, his eyebrows knitting together as he stared at you.

“i didn’t mean it, y/n...” he frowned, his face dropping slightly as you waited for him to continue, “please give me another chance, i’ll show you how sorry i am—how much you mean to me.”

it was quiet for a good minute as your thoughts swarmed your mind for a response.

“rafe...”

“y/n, please.”

another minute went by, the only sound coming from the waves crashing along the shore.

“fine.”

IT had been five months since you forgave rafe, and things were honestly going better than you had expected.

after that morning on the beach he took you out on a proper date—ending in him walking you back to your house and even stealing a kiss.

he even stopped starting fights with jj and the other pogues, wanting you to know that he was better than that.

“WHAT do you want to watch?” rafe asked while flipping through channels, one hand holding the remote while the other rested on the small of your back.

“m’not sure, you can pick.”

he hummed in response before clicking on some random channel, not really planning on watching it anyway.

he tossed the remote to the side before looking down at you, admiring your relaxed state with your arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

“you know i love you right?” he suddenly asked, his voice low and soft as he stared at you from above.

“why so gushy, rafe?” you teased, your own head angling up to see him better.

he was so beautiful.

“i’m not gushy,” he rolled his eyes, “i just wanted to remind you.”

you blushed at his words before nuzzling back into the crook of his neck, your lips kissing the delicate skin making him smile.

“i love you too, rafe.”

🏷rafe cameron taglist : @jordynsharum

a/n: could you tell i didn’t know how to end it

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Athena

So. I have to deal with the virgin goddesses… By mythos, there really shouldn't ever be children of Artemis, Hestia, or Athena (yes, Athena was a virgin goddess). PJ got past that by making it canon that Annabeth and her siblings were born from cracking open Athena's skull (yes, that's also more or less the canon explanation). They gloss over it real quick but I remember, Rick. I've always remembered and that mental image has haunted me for years...

I can't, in good conscience, ignore the history around Athena's worship (call it an academic restraint) but I REFUSE to do the skull thing. So, since I make the rules here, I'm going with magic adoption. They still get magic powers, they're just more human than demigod. Cool? Cool.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena

Lucifer

The human that popped out of the portal seemed to have enough sense not to attack everyone in the room for a change, but even Lucifer could tell that was more of a strategic choice than for lack of ability...

Their very existence was highly unusual… and quite worrisome. He wasn't even aware Athena could have "children" of her own, but apparently she had been taking in some particularly bright humans to raise and train like her own...

Unbeknownst to him, a surprising amount of human scholars, diplomats, and generals have her to thank for their trade… and that alone should speak to the level of intrigue at play here. 

Was this an accident or Athena's attempt to plant an Olympian spy in the Devildom too…? Either way, he didn't trust them from the get go…

Look, Lucifer isn’t stupid. Athena is a goddess of Wisdom and War and war happens on more than just the battlefield… 

Since they've shown up records have been going missing, official documents keep getting misplaced, and he swears that there's some kind of bug in the student council room...!

It's infuriating watching the MC suck up to Diavolo when he's almost certain that they're running their own agenda behind the scenes! And he can't prove any of it!! They cover their tracks too well!

Lucifer has one of those corkboards covered in newspapers and string in a secret wing of the Castle - 100% dedicated to just tracking the MC's activities…. The longer they're there, the more obsessed he becomes...

He swears between Simeon, Solomon, and MC he feels like a shepherd wondering why the sheep are growling… The Devildom has never been in more danger than it is right now... Send help.

Mammon

To be honest, he kind of thought that they were just going to be Satan 2.0 but that's not really true.

They're more than just a book sponge! Though they do read, like a lot. Let’s just say from one schemer to another… Game recognizes Game.

They come up with plans and ideas soooo fast, it’s insane! Honestly, there are times where he has a new money-making plot and he just brings it to the MC first to run it over. 

Nine times out of ten, not only do they sniff out any problems but they have a solution for him in a matter of minutes! His scheme game has been on point since they’ve shown up!!

They’re also even better tutoring than Satan is, so he’s even managed to get a couple A’s for the first time in his life! Lucifer actually told him he was proud (which he secretly recorded and now uses as a ringtone much to his brother’s regret...)

So yeah, he likes them... buuut that doesn’t keep him from thinking they act a little weird sometimes... 

Mammon: *points to a unused tower close to the RAD building* Over there is the Tower of Sorrow. We use it for storage.

MC: Ah. Interesting… *starts writing in a notebook, muttering* It may need a few minor tweaks but the location is defensible...

Mammon: *stops* Ya say somethin’?

MC: *looks back up* Nope! Say, you’ve been to the Castle a lot haven’t you? Do you know any good ways in?

Mammon: Uhm… Why do ya want to know that…? *starts looking around for Lucifer*

MC: In case of emergencies. I like being prepared. 🙂

Mammon: Look, I don’t know what Lucifer might’a told ya…

MC: I’ll pay you a thousand Grimm for it.

Mammon: Well shit, ya want those maps with or without color?

... Yeeeah, that’s pretty weird… But it’s probably fine. I mean, as long as they keep giving him money, who’s he to complain? 🤷‍♀️

Leviathan

Also thought that they’d be a lot more like Satan but was pleasantly surprised that they were into more than books.

What else did they like exactly? Military strategy!!

It’s been a looong time since he’s been able to talk to someone who’s actually interested in all the battles he’s fought, both in the Celestial Realm and the Devildom, and their curiosity is kind of flattering...! Not a lot of people take his strategic prowess all that seriously anymore...

Plus, they are the BEST partner to have any turn-based strategy game. Hands down. He once got stuck on a level of D-COM for weeks until the MC walked in and mopped the floor with the AI!! They have a serious head for probability and tactics.

The House once made the mistake of letting these two be on the same team during a Hell Game and they absolutely demolished the competition. Mammon didn’t even get a single shot off before half his team was lost to a rigged paint grenade… It took a whole day to clean up… 

However, Levi’s also noticed some odd things about the human… He likes that they’re interested in his past but maybe they’re a little… too interested?

Levi: -and that’s how we defeated the Four Horsemen before they escaped from Purgatory. 

MC: Wow, Levi that’s seriously impressive!! *furiously scribbling on a notebook*

Levi: Well t-thanks… 😅 But, uhm... are you writing that down…?

MC: Hm? Oh no, just doodling. *they lift up the notebook to show a bunch of cute little sketches on the page… and not the magic-based invisible ink all over them…*

Levi: Oh you draw too? Can you do fanart???

MC: Eh, sometimes. But say Levi, can you tell me about your naval ranks again? I’m still really curious… *gets the pen ready again with a smile*

Satan

Oh, it's been a long game of cat-and-mouse between these two… and unfortunately, it’s been pretty addicting too.

He honestly had every intention of tricking the human into making a huge mess do he could bother Lucifer, but at every turn they proved just a hair too clever for him...

He once gave them a cursed book to “lend” to Lucifer, but they saw through it the moment they touched it and lifted the spell before handing it over.

He rigged a podium to spray glitter during one of Lucifer's speeches but the MC disconnected the trigger mic before he even got on stage. It was pretty dang frustrating...

At one point he got so desperate that, just as a test, he tried to trap them in the House's Music Room. Fortunately for them, it only took a few minutes to work out an escape. They even passed by him in the hallway with a wink!

It's confounding! It's infuriating!! 

...and it's so damn sexy... He should be furious but he’s just in awe!!

Add on that they know their art, literature, and multiple different crafts thanks to the tutelage of their adopted mother and that’s it. He’s finished. This boy is in love.

Truthfully though, a part of him is 90% sure that they’re also gathering state secrets… Like, they’re watching Barbs and Diavolo far too close for comfort - but he just can't bring himself to care. 🤷‍♀️

The MC could walk into his room one day and say, "Hey, do you want to help overthrow the monarchy with me?" and he dreads it because deep down he knows that he wouldn’t say no…

Take some notes, kids. Some bad influences get you to drink or do drugs. Others pull you into a centuries long conspiracy to destabilize and topple rival realms from within… But he has fallen for their brain hard. Devil help them all…

Asmodeus 

They’re pretty clever, he’ll give them that, but uh… Are they a little off to anybody else?

Asmo is a charmer by birthright so he has a bit of nose for when someone’s just a liiittttle too nice… Not much of a nose mind you, because he can be thrown off by compliments himself, but enough to think that the MC might be a little too… “kind” for their own good...

First off, who wants to spend that much time with Levi?? They don’t even seem that interested in anime! They just keeping asking him for old war stories…

Then all the sucking up they do to Diavolo and Barbatos? Look, he gets it. Diavolo is a delicious piece of man-hunk and his butler could give him a lesson or two in sweet-talk (and he has), but they seem to be just a little too… nosy.

Of course, Asmo’s suspicions disappear pretty quickly after they start to spoil him with spa nights and beauty secrets they picked up from “casual research” into the subject.

And you know, get a little Demonus in Asmo and start massaging his back? Oh, sweetie he’ll sing like a bird!! … with gossip. Singing with gossip.

Asmo: So I’ve heard that Lucifer has been spending more time at RAD than usual… His whole club is talking about it, they think he’s meeting with some witch!

MC: Hm, is that so? *works on a knot near his shoulder blades* What do you think?

Asmo: Ooh~! Right there, MC! *purrs and lays his head on his arms* Well come on, this is Lucifer we’re talking about! I’m sure he’s just working.

Asmo: Hmm... though come to think of it, I think I heard him asking Barbatos for the spare keys to the Tower of Sorrow…

MC: Oh really? Huh. *works out the knot and gets up* I just remembered that I left some papers with Satan... I’ll be right back.

Asmo: You’re going already??

MC: *waves him off quickly* I’ll be right back, Asmo. *hurries out the door to do totally on-the-up-and-up things… surely*

Beelzebub 

Honestly he doesn't like this one… But not for the reasons you'd expect.

He agrees with everyone else that they seem a little shady, but Solomon and Simeon are too so it's not like that's anything new... 🤷‍♀️

No, no. He dislikes them because they're the person who FINALLY figured out how to keep him from eating all the food in the kitchen!!

Turns out that the trick was to put a teleportation charm on the fridge door that would send all the food away if it’s opened after a certain time of night… 

And where does it go? The Purgatory Hall fridge. And where does the Purgatory Hall food go…? The HoL fridge…

It doesn’t sound so bad until you remember that it means half of their fridge is now Solomon’s leftovers…. 🤢

After they put the same kind of spell on the pantry, it was all over… He couldn't get midnight snacks from the House anymore… Everything was contaminated by Solomon…

The MC is a nice enough person, he doesn’t have a lot of complaints about them, but he wants them to leave. Now. This is inexcusable… He’s so hungry… and he doesn’t want to die by “goulash” or whatever Solomon calls his latest culinary catastrophe… He’s still too young for death… 😓

Belphegor 

In a way, he absolutely could not have asked for a better person to help him get out of that attic.

… In another way, he got one of the worst possible people to try and kill... Like. They saw through his scheme sooo fast…

How was he supposed to know that the human had training in body language and sniffing out lies???

Getting the door open was a piece of cake for them. They knew enough magic to undo the seals and just rummaged around Lucifer's stuff long enough to find the key to the door. He could not have found a more competent individual for a break out, really.

It’s just… well he didn’t expect to go from locked in a room like a prisoner to tied up in enchanted rope, still like a prisoner but now mobile. 😑 

They even used his own hug ruse against him! They caught his wrists when they got close and tied him up before he could shake them off...

Admittedly, it wasn't exactly the best look for them either - what with walking Belphegor downstairs to the others like a one-man-prison-caravan but they're as silver-tongued as they are sly so they talked their way out of it beautifully… 

And like hell was he going to trust them after that!! And not even Beel liked them so something had to be up...

Well, you want a detective? Look no farther than Belphie (no seriously, it’s in the canon). He can put things together pretty fast when he puts his mind to it and watching the MC for a while gave him enough proof to work off of...

He always knew that, humans were bad news and the MC just proved it to him all over again. They are bad news, bad bad news and they’re going to-!

Overthrow… Diavolo…? Is that what he is getting from them…? Huh…

Wait a second, MC. You might just have him interested… 😏

[twstinginthewind]

🍨 YOUR MUSE SHARING A DESSERT WITH MINE (Tristan and Joker sharing a dessert after a successful Pop Music Club concert? :D)

"I am SOOOOOO fired up, still!!" Joker bounced her way across the Ramshackle kitchen, grinning. The sequins on her onstage costume flickered in the low light.

Kalim beamed, echoing her. "It was SUCH a great show! I might never lose this buzz!" He threw an arm over her shoulder, and they both giggled. "Tristan, thank you for letting us have our little afterparty here."

"Yeah!" Joker punched the air. "It's like, maybe this can be what we do every time? Just keep glowing on over in the ghostie dorm...."

Tristan laughed, and ruffled both of their unruly heads of hair. "Only if you promise to clean up afterwards. It's not like I have a housekeeping staff here."

"Oh, sure!" Kalim flexed a muscle and grinned. "I've still got enough energy left to pick up after myself, even after that absolute fire set! I was so into it - were you watching me twirling my sticks?!"

"You were soooo cool," Joker giggled. "And Tristy? You absolutely killed it on that last tune; I almost forgot to come in on the harmonies, I was sooooo wrapped up in listening."

"Knock-knooooock!" The kitchen door swung open, and Cater and Lilia walked in, holding a couple of covered plates. "Sorry we're late! We had to stop over at Heartslabyul first." Cater laid his dish down onto the table and stretched his arms over his head. "Apparently someone, not naming names, but our illustrious vice housewarden baked too much again, completely 'accidentally'. And there just happened to be lemon bars and an orange tart. #bigwin, #VitaminC4U&me."

Lilia put the other dish down. "And I was also prepared! I braved the wild of my kitchen, and made a batch of blondies. I do not know why they have that name; they're nearly black. But so crispy!"

Joker and Tristan gave each other a look, while Cater facepalmed. Joker shook her head quickly. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to try that tart. I had been hoping to have something orangey on the dessert table!"

Tristan looked skeptically at the glistening pastry. "Should it be wobbling like that?"

"If Trey made it, then any wobble is totes intentional," Cater said, as he started looking for dishes and a knife.

"Lilia, these are... a little dry." Kalim had already grabbed a blondie, and nearly chipped a tooth trying to bite into it. "Should I dunk it in tea?"

"I have no idea! I've never made them before." Lilia pursed his lips. "But it couldn't hurt. I'll put the kettle on..."

"I'll take care of it!!" Tristan leapt over to the counter, grabbing the kettle before the diminutive fae could get to it. "It's... it's a little tricky, haha, that's all. Old equipment and all."

"I'm sure I've seen it before, but if you insist, this old man will humor you," Lilia replied with a wry chuckle.

"Oooooh!!" Joker had already started on a slice of tart, and excitedly drummed her heels against her chair. "It's perfect! Lemme get another fork. Tristan!! You gotta try this. Here!" She put another bite of the tart onto a clean fork, and poked it in Tristan's direction.

What else could he do? He took the proffered bite, and smiled. "Hey, that ain't half bad!"

"Neither are my blondies, I'm sure," Lilia laughed.

"No. They're all bad," Kalim sighed, his usual sunshine slightly dimmed as he lowered the little blackened treat to his dish. Then he grinned at Lilia. "But now you know the recipe doesn't work!"

"I needed them fast, so I baked them for twenty minutes at nine hundred degrees instead of an hour at three hundred. You'd think it'd be perfect."

"Don't let it bother you, Lilia. Have some lemon bars." Cater handed him the plate.

"This is the best night ever," sighed Joker. "I wish we could have this every night."

Tristan looked at the busy kitchen. His friends laughed, chatted, and shared their desserts. And he smiled to himself. "Well, maybe not every night. But yeah, Jo. This is special." And he took another bite from his tart.

[jooheonspinky]

Ghost Tour Surprise

Image Credit

Character: Kihyun and Female Reader

Word Count: 1.4K

Synopsis: Y/N takes a haunted tour of historical downtown, meeting a strange, yet handsome passenger along the way.

***

The night had finally come. The night where she would ride on a tour bus learning about the most haunted parts of the city with a bunch of strangers. Her friends were too chicken to come along with her, preferring to go to a party instead. It was Halloween night, and for the first time since she’d started this little tradition, the moon was full, giving the whole experience an even spookier feel than before.

She knew all the stories already, but still truly enjoyed hearing them again. The tale of the haunted club, the story of the drunken ghost at the brewery, the unidentified red-eyed ghoul and much more. Each person strung along the tales in their own way, adding their personal touch, bringing new life to each account told.

Now the time had come to stop at the cemetery; one of Y/N’s favorite places. Stepping off the bus, she smiled as she gazed up at the night sky. The glowing orb had drawn higher up into the clear onyx sky surprisingly providing much illumination below. Moving forward, she walked quietly, meandering around the cemetery, reading each headstone she passed.

She paused on one and leaned forward to touch the stone that gleamed in the silvery light. She was surprised to find the marble to be warm. Her eyes skimmed over the carving into the stone, but the sound of the tour guide calling everyone back distracted her from capturing all the details. With a sullen sigh, she joined her group, which then returned to the bus.

Finding her seat, she peered out the window, noticing a mist beginning to cover the area. There was a magical beauty to the cemetery with its gargoyles, cherubs and angel statues that littered the grounds. The peaceful quietness was something she looked forward to whenever she walked the paths of the graveyard.

Giving it a wistful smile, she sat up a little straighter in her seat when the bus gently jerked forward. It was then that she noticed, out of the side of her eye, that there was someone sitting in the seat next to her. She’d been riding alone prior to the stop, and there should be the same amount of passengers as before...soooo….

She turned her head more to the side and was met with a pair of soulful mahogany brown eyes. His skin was pale, bringing out the darkness of those all too knowing eyes even more. His hair was a brown so dark, it could be mistaken for black. And even though the bus was dim, the emergency lights running down the aisle offered a barely noticeable illumination, he appeared to let off a soft glow of his own.

He stared back, a bit of curiosity now wrinkling his brow. It was this that seemed to break the trance she was in.

“Hey,” she smiled. “Didn’t want to take the tour by yourself?” He smiled, shaking his head as a reply. The way his lips quirked up at each corner had her heart beating a little bit faster than normal. “Are you scared?” she teased.

“No,” he laughed. “Are you?”

She shrugged, “Naw. I come every year. It’s how I like to pass Halloween Night.”

“Me as well.”

He had a mischievous little smirk that had her eyeing him suspiciously.

“Really? I’ve never seen you around before.”

“Perhaps we have just missed each other those nights, but I assure you...I have been here.”

Hmm...there was something strange about the young man. He certainly didn’t speak like anyone she knew.

“Maybe…” she trailed off.

The tour guide interrupted their banter and both became quiet. They would be making another stop soon. When the guide stopped talking the two continued conversing.

“If you would like, I know a bit of not-so-commonly-known information of some of the places we will see, I could procure you this knowledge. Enhance the tour for you a bit this time around.” She quirked an unconvinced eyebrow at him. “I speak the truth. I am certain you’ve heard it all. I can make it a tad more fun.”

“Alright then,” she finally gave in. “I’ll bite.”

He looked at her, a strange look on his face as he scooched away a little. “No need for all that.”

“You‘re weird,” she laughed. “I’m not literally going to bite you.” She covered her mouth to muffle the giggles spilling forth uncontrolled. “I’m Y/N, by the way.”

She offered a hand for him to shake. His hand reached forth, but instead of a handshake, he gently shifted her hand and brought it towards him as he bent his head down. His fingers were cold, but smooth. When his soft lips pressed a light kiss at her knuckles, goosebumps spread across her arms.

“It is a great pleasure to meet you.” His voice was soft-spoken, only making the goosebumps more prominent. “I am Kihyun.”

A slight nagging at the back of her mind felt a familiarity suddenly, but she quickly brushed it away. Certainly she’d remember a strange speaking guy, especially one as devilishly handsome as he.

Slipping her hand out of his grasp, she had to swallow a few times before she could reply with, “Nice to meet you, too.”

As the tour continued they remained together. True to his word, he offered new details she hadn’t heard before at almost every place they stopped. There was something about how he spoke that captivated her. The low modulation of his voice was appealing to listen to and soon she forgot about the tour and those around her. It was just Kihyun and herself, the world having fallen away from her mind.

After about two hours of strolling through historical downtown, it was time to return to the bus. To Y/N, it seemed like they had just gotten there. She’d had such a great time with Kihyun. If he didn’t ask for her number, she would certainly ask for his, unabashedly. He was gorgeous, smart and they’d hit it off so well? Definitely not passing up this opportunity.

Back in their seats, they settled in for the ride back. Kihyun was more quiet now, barely speaking as they neared the cemetery.

“What’s wrong?” Y/N finally asked.

With a sorrowful look, he cupped her cheeks.

“I have to go now, but please know… I have not enjoyed myself this much in cent…,” he paused, his lips thinning momentarily. “Let us just say, it has been a long long time. I will miss you.”

Confusion drew her brows down, “I don’t understand. I can give you my number. We can talk and see each other again soon...if you want...”

“I am afraid not,” he sighed desolately.

Before she could protest again, he leaned forward as he also guided her face towards him. Bringing his lips against hers, he swallowed the gasp she released. Y/N felt warm to him, but for her the flesh of Kihyun’s lips were cool, his tongue as it pressed gently, begging for entrance, was like ice as she granted permission. Her heartbeat thrummed wildly beneath her ribs when their kissed deepened for a moment longer. It was like a battle between fire and ice and neither wanted to pull away.

But pull away, he eventually did.

“Kihyun,” she swallowed hard, her tongue swiping across her lips and feeling the chill their.

“Good-bye, Y/N,” he whispered.

“Wait...what?”

She knew the bus would not stop to release passengers until they reached the parking lot. The bus ride wasn’t over yet, so why was Kihyun giving his good-bye’s now? He squeezed her hand one last time just as the bus stopped at a red light.

Y/N blinked.

It was a split second. One moment he was there and the other moment he was not. She shot up in her seat, looking around. Some of the riders had fallen asleep. It was just passed midnight now. Her eyes searched frantically out of the window. Nothing. Peering to the opposite side, she found an empty seat and rushed to it. Again, she squinted out into the darkness her eyes catching sight of a figure in black standing against a white and grey marble headstone.

Y/N gasped.

It was the headstone she’d touched. Eyes widening, she felt the hair on the back of her neck prick up as she recalled the message she’d briefly glanced at earlier.

Here lies Yoo Kihyun, son beloved...

---------------

Thank you so much for reading! Comments appreciated. Stay safe!

[psychewithwings]

Bitter Taste: Iwaizumi x f/reader Pt. 1

pt. 2 here

THIS IS SO LATE and I’m a fuck up hahahaha (kinda ironic this was 2 weeks late for Mental Health Awareness month) 

I am crediting my girl @kuso-deku for giving me Iwaizumi brain rot to begin with. I am also crediting @gixxie and @idonotagreebitch for helping me talk through my ideas... and crediting @doinmybesthere for the wonderful idea of a mental health awareness collaboration the link is here. PLS READ THE REST OF THE WORKS. Everyone deserves the love.

TW: manipulative male/female relationships, gaslighting?, subtle shit head crap that most men do (don’t worry Iwa is a peach as always tho, it’s Ushijima that’s the problem)

_ 

Iwaizumi stands and stretches in the cinema. The movie had been good, but long, he figured it was a little after midnight. “What’d ya think?” Kuroo asks as they exit the theatre. “I hated the ending…” Oikawa gripes, “I hate endings where everyone just dies.” “You are such a princess Tooru, I swear, it’s a metaphorical ending… did you not catch all the symbolism in the opening credits?” Iwaizumi sighs and turns his phone back on, trying his best to ignore their bickering. Slowly, notification after notification pops up… all from you. He blinks, surprised. You had declined his offer to join him for the film, stating you had previous plans attending a close friend’s birthday.

Iwa opens the messages from you. He sees first the selfies. You look beautiful, extravagant even. Your dress is beautiful, it compliments your figure perfectly with the corseted bodice. It’s white and so is your lace mask. Broad, feathered angel wings rest on your back. Angelic would have been a word he’d used to describe you before, but now, it was confirmed. He wants to keep staring at the photos but Kuroo and Oikawa are starting to become too curious about the contents of his phone. He scrolls and relaxes his face to look more casual. But it’s hard when your intoxicated messages are so darn cute.    

hope the movie is good!

okay so I guess there’s an open bar? Is it my birthday too?

if you wanna come by after the movie I’msure you coul

this partyyyy suckssssssss assssssssss

wish id gon wiht u xx

You are clearly drunk and he laughs to himself before Kuroo peers over his right shoulder. “Well she’s thinking about you at least,” he smirks. Oikawa peers over Iwaizumi’s left shoulder, “ooo play the voice message.” Oikawa taps the message before Iwaizumi can give him an answer.

“Hiiiii Iwaaaaaa, hope you like the moovie and you’re having a good time, cuz I’m having a preetyy good time, they gots free margaritaaass. Okay byeeeee”

The guys laugh and Oikawa presses the next one.

“Hey Iwaaa, I made up a song about you, ready?

Iwaizumi

Doesn’t know what he does- to me…

Sshfhsijknfhahaha I cant remember the rest som’n bout… som’n I dunno. Byeee”

“Okay, Ushi says that I need to say sorry for sending so many…” you pause and then whisper, “drunk messages, but I’as only tellin’ ya I ssink ‘r awesome ‘n you should totally come to this party and hang out with me… you’re awesome, okay byeee”

Oikawa and Kuroo pause and look at Iwaizumi. “Ushi?” Oikawa asks, “like Ushiwaka?” Oikawa’s eyes are narrowed and he gags dramatically in disgust. Iwaizumi nods and walks to exit the theatre. “Wait… that’s her friend who’s having the birthday party?” Iwa grimaces as Kuroo chuckles. “No wonder you’ve had a stick up your ass all night.” Iwa glares at him, “they’re just friends… apparently… I don’t know, she said they’ve known each other for a really long time…” Kuroo claps Iwaizumi on the back. “I think you should definitely go to the party.” Iwaizumi starts to object but the ring of his phone draws attention, and he answers it. “Heyyy you're outta th’moviee, heheeheheha,” you slur. Iwaizumi laughs softly and smiles, “yeah, I’m out of the movie now, are you… good?” There is so much background noise, it almost drowns out your sweet sleepy voice. “I’m soooo good… … I just-” he can hear your voice drop to a drunken whisper. “I’z just hoping to see you today,” you mumble finally.  

Iwaizumi can feel his heartbeat quicken, his head reeling. “Oh really?” He plays cool but then instantly regrets it when you give him a serious answer. “Yeah, I was really hoping you’d come to the party, even for just a little,” you murmur. Iwaizumi can’t help but chuckle. You were pretty cute like this, not normally so transparent. You were actually quite hard to read, so sweet but guarded and teasing too. You were a friend of Oikawa’s first and he had met you through him. He’d liked the way you sat cross legged on the couch smiling, chin in your hands while you asked questions and listened to his answers. Your eyes sparkle when you hear something you like, and your face lights up when you talk about things you find interesting.

“Ya don’t have to, I can just see ya another time,” you add. He’s been silent too long which causes him to speak without thinking. “No, I’d love to see you, I’ll head to you now.” Kuroo and Oikawa are silently cheering him on and Iwa turns away in embarrassment. “Really? Okay! I’ll drop my pin… as the kids are sayin’ these days hahaha.” “See you soon, drink some water okay?” “Mhm, I will, see ya soon!”

You were at a club owned by Ushijima’s family. A place called ‘Eagle’s Nest’. He’d only known you for a few weeks but he couldn’t help his infatuation. It was immediate, the night he had gone to Oikawas for game night. You spoke to him so easily not knowing him at all and laughed at his little side jabs to his long time friend. The way you looked at him… Iwa knew then that he wanted to see you smile, hear your laugh, and that he would be happy to assume the responsibility of making that happen.

He was surprised when you had declined his offer for the movie, feeling that you both had some definite chemistry, but Iwaizumi was even more surprised when you had said that you had prior plans with his old time rival Ushijima Wakatoshi. Iwaizumi hadn’t seen him since high school but they knew a few people in common, Oikawa being one of those people. Oikawa could sure hold a grudge but Iwaizumi took all of his comments with a grain of salt. Ushijima often came off entitled and cold, which would leave Iwaizumi with a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe Oikawa had the right idea holding a grudge… But grudge or not he wanted to see you, hear your voice and admire you all dolled up.

When Iwaizumi arrives at the club he is met with a large security guard. “Invitation?” he grumbles. Iwa remains calm but a small trickle of fear runs down his back. Iwaizumi gives the guard a casual smile before he starts to answer but he is interrupted. “Iwaaaaa,” you cry from the top of the stairs. The mask you’d had on is now resting on top of your head, the delicate features of your face now exposed. The floofy skirt of your dress bounces with your excitement as you run down the stairs. You crash into him, throwing your arms around his neck. You bury your face in his collar and still momentarily. Drunk and bubbly, you melt when Iwa wraps his arms around your waist in return, avoiding your costume’s wings. “Mmmm,” you hum, breath hot against his skin, “you smell good.” You pull back and stare into his wide eyes. “You look incredible,” he offers, a slight pink tint to his cheeks. You grin in return and simply take hold of his hand. “He’s with me,” you beam at the guard. Iwaizumi is doubtful this trick will work here. But he is surprised when the guard steps aside saying, “as you wish Miss L/N.” You giggle and pull Iwa towards the doors. “I’ll bring you some cake later, okay Jurou?” Jurou laughs, “just have fun darlin’.” “You’re the best,” you call behind you as you push open the doors. Iwaizumi can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy knowing that you are on a first name basis with one of the body guards at the Wakatoshi’s club. How close were you with Ushijima?    

Blue and purple lights illuminate the vast space while black tiles make up the main floor. The dance floor is sunken, in the middle of the club with a small set of stairs leading down to it. It’s made entirely of glass, beneath is a saltwater garden of different plants and coral.  

“You’ll need one of these,” you explain, swiping a simple black mask from the welcome table. You hand it over to him and pull yours down over your eyes. Iwaizumi adjusts it to where he can see. “You look so handsome,” you admire. He grins, “what about you? You’ve got wings!” You laugh and adjust your mask back on top of your forehead. “I’m a swan, and Ushi said I couldn’t be a swan without wings!” You spin for him, trying your best to flap the feathered wings. Small pieces of confetti glitter rain from the skirt of your dress. Iwaizumi takes in your face illuminated by the lights of the club. Blue and pink dancing over your cheeks as you smile up at him. “What?” you giggle nervously. Just a few weeks but he is mesmerised by your everything. He shakes his head and tries to move on. He wanted to tell you how he felt but this wasn’t the right time. It should be when you’re sober, when you can take in his words properly.

You coax him down towards the bar.  “You’re sure it’s okay to sneak in uninvited guests?” Iwa questions. “Well, I asked Ushi ‘nd he said it was okay, so yeah!” You grin but notice Iwaizumi’s reserve. “It’s really okay, I promise, let’s just get a drink,” you suggest and take his hand. “Only if you drink more water,” he smirks. You roll your eyes at Iwa, “I drank some water before you got here actually.” You look back at him as you both head down to the bar. “I’ll prolly regret that yurr seeing me like this tamorow, ya know,” you call over the blaring music. “It’s cute, you’re cute,” he assures as he leans against the bar, “I didn’t know you thought about me this much until I saw all the snapchats and voice messages and texts.” You cover your face in humiliation, “I knowww, I’m sorry but you were on my mind a lot, alot alot, and  couldn’t stop think about ya, and the booze told me to keep on messaging…” You trail off,  finding the last shred of your filter to keep you from talking.  The bartender hands you your water and you take a long drink.

“Iwaizumi,” a voice projects over the baseline. Ushijima stands tall advancing towards where you both stand. His expression is neutral though, his eyes keep darting to you and then back to Iwaizumi. Ushijima is dressed as a knight, his silver mask hangs languidly around his neck. “Ushiwaka,” Iwa acknowledges, “this is a hell of a birthday party.” You giggle and point at Ushiwaka, “he’s 28 today; getting sooo old.” In that moment, Iwaizumi watches him do something he had never seen him do before. Smile… and then laugh. Ushijima wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer.  “You’re just a baby,  you’re only-” You wave your hand in front of Ushiwaka’s face, shushing him. “No, no, Iwa doesn’t knowww, don’t tell him,” you plead. “She’s only 23,” Ushiwaka says. You hold your face in your hands once more and groan. Ushijima pulls your hands from your face, “just barely twenty three too.” You glare at him and look back at Iwaizumi embarrassed.  “Did she not tell you her age?” Ushijima asks Iwaizumi. Iwa shrugs, “She didn’t, but I never asked,” Iwa shrugs casually, addressing you now, “didn’t seem important since you carry yourself so well.”

You turn to Iwa, mouth open like you’re about to respond but Ushijima swipes the glass from your hands before you can finish. “Drinking water?” You look up at him. “But it’s my birthday… and this is a party…  you need something stronger…” Ushijima beacons the bartender with a single flick of his hand. The barman pours three double shots of a clear liquid from a foreign looking bottle. Ushijima takes a glass and hands it to you, before handing another to Iwaizumi. Ushijima gives him a wink as he loops his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He raises his glass, the violet lights illuminating the liquid. Iwaizumi follows his lead. “To my Juliet, the belle of the ball,” Ushijima bellows. You smile slightly and shake your head. “No no, to you Ushi, it’s your birthday, not mine, we are celebrating you!” Your eyes find Iwa’s, but you leave your glass raised. Ushijima grabs hold of your hand that’s still wrapped around the glass. “Cheers,” He tips the glass towards your lips and you swallow the clear liquor as he feeds it to you. You down it all in one go and Ushiwaka smiles wide once again. “She’s good, huh?” With that, Ushiwaka clinks his glass to Iwaizumi’s, “to you brother,” he assures. Iwa is surprised with the sudden sentiment. “And to you,” he replies before downing the shot. The liquor is surprisingly smooth, expensive, and strong. Iwa can feel his head starting to get light from the small portion that was in the glass and Iwa wasn’t a light weight. “Strong huh?” Ushijima smirks. Iwaizumi nods then turns to the bartender to signal for a water.

Ushijima turns to where you stand swaying slightly with the music. “Look at her, she gets drunk so easily,” Ushijima smiles. “How are you feeling, princess?” he shouts over at you. Iwa turns away and downs his water in disgust. ‘Princess?’ Ushijima shouldn’t be calling you that if you’re both just friends. You blink and give him a smile and a thumbs up. There was a natural innocence about you, a childlike wonder and curiosity, the embodiment of sanguine. Ushijima’s air was sometimes sinister, like he was taking advantage of your natural trusting nature. Iwa watches as Ushijima’s large hands rest on either of your shoulders and he pushes you back and forth like a pendulum between his palms. You giggle and try to push him away, “Ushi stooopp.” He laughs with you and continues pushing you around, “you’re so cute and small though, see?” He places a hand on top of your head and you still. “I said to stop,” you mumble. “And I did,” he retorts before letting you go.

Iwa watches the sudden weight of gravity find you as you stumble in your heels. He catches your arm just in time. Your arms find their way around his neck once more, your face in the crook of his neck. You pull away and Iwa examines your foggy eyes. “You okay?” You nod, pushing off of Iwa’s chest. You fix your hair, “it’s fine, he just messin’” you turn to Ushijima, “and someone doesn’t know when to quit.” You’re pulled away into Ushiwaka’s arms. He sways you back and forth, your back held against his chest while he says soft apologies. He whispers something to you and you nod. Iwaizumi wanted to pull you away from him. Not because he was jealous, but because the way that Ushiwaka was behaving with you was odd.

“Y/n is a little bit tired, why don’t you join us in VIP?” Iwa smiles and gives his thanks, trying his best to hide his scowl. Iwa follows after you and Ushiwaka, upstairs and under velvet ropes hoping that he will find a good moment to pull you away. But instead you are pulled onto the couch beside Ushiwaka. He lights a cigar and offers one to Iwa, but Iwaizumi declines with a simple, “no thanks, don’t smoke.” It’s strange the way that Ushiwaka keeps whispering in your ear, giving you sips of his drinks, and blowing smoke in your face. “Ushi, stop please, the smell is making me sick,” you whine. But he just pulls you closer to him, chuckling all the while and does it again. You’re laughing and poking his face, but it’s not out of joy... Watching Ushijima interact with you the whole night has been like watching a cat toy with a mouse.

Iwa grimaces when Ushiwaka tickles you. “Stop-stop-don’t-stop,” you giggle and howl. “She said to stop!” Iwa raises his voice. Ushijima’s eyes shoot towards Iwaizumi while you squirm off the couch. Your eyes are heavy as you walk towards a dark hallway and disappear into the shadows. Iwa’s eyes flick to the entrance to the hall. Ushiwaka sits in a contented silence, sipping a drink, “she’s so dramatic,” he sighs. He continues smoking, arm rested over the back of the purple velvet sofa. Ushijima takes a sip of his drink, swirling the ice in his glass. Iwa doesn’t move to break the silence no matter how expectant Ushijima’s expression was. He stamps out his cigar in the tray before addressing him.

“She’s awfully talkative, and incredibly fond of you…” Ushijima starts, an odd smirk painting his expression. Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow in intrigue and Ushijima’s face hardens. “She won’t shut up about you since she met you… it’s annoying...” Iwaizumi, remains quiet, the silence settling over the men like a thick fog. The only sounds are muffled club music and the ice tinkling against Ushijima’s glass. “I’m going to be honest as a friend… bad idea.” Iwaizumi can feel the rage bubbling inside his gut, “I don’t think that what’s going on between us is any of your-” He’s cut off by Ushijima.

“I’m really looking out for you Iwaizumi, girls can break hearts and Y/n is kind of known for that… she’s just a sweet soul, makes friends easily, but love? That’s harder for her… doesn’t have the best taste in men I’m afraid, I want to protect her and you from a situation where I can already see the conclusion… I get that you like her, everyone does.”  Iwazumi leans forward, “does that include you?” Ushijima is stone faced, then gives a cold laugh. “You’re funnier than I remember, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi rises and heads towards the hall you disappeared down. If he sat in front of him any longer he was going to say something he regretted… and you still haven’t come back. He slips into the dark hallway as you’re exiting the bathroom. Your mask has been removed and even in the dim lighting you look pale. “Hey, what’s happened?” You look up at him embarrassed, your dress almost as wilted as you are. “Got sick…” you mutter. You’re shaking slightly, arms wrapped around yourself. “Oh Y/n, are you alright?” he sighs. His arm starts to reach for you but he thinks better of it, pulling it back to rest by his side. His eyes widen as he feels the warmth of your hand in his. He didn’t figure that you would want to be touched right now. But your fingers interlace with his,  your skin soft. “Are you good to drive?” you whisper. His hand instinctively tightens around yours protectively. “I only had whatever Ushijima gave us, it was strong but I’ve had water- yeah I’m good.” “Would you mind taking me home?” you ask, as you start to walk back towards the VIP room. “Sure, course,” Iwaizumi replies gently. He feels how your thumb brushes over the back of his hand in silent gratitude. The gesture has his heart beating hard against his ribs. Iwa walks forward, his eyes on you and nothing else. Your brow is furrowed and your expression painted serious which was unusual from how he knew you to act.

“Iwa’s taking me home now,” you announce and walk towards the stairs. Ushiwaka’s face hardens, “I can take her home, you shouldn’t trouble yourself,” he addresses Iwaizumi. You smile and turn around facing Ushiwaka. “But Ushi, ‘s ur birthday, you can’t leave this party jus’ ‘a take me home,” You turn to Iwa now. “Let’s go,” you say and Iwa nods, still holding your hand.  “Where’s my hug, princess?” Ushijima calls after you. You stop in your tracks and close your eyes, taking in a deep breath. You drop Iwa’s hand slowly, hesitantly. You walk back slowly and stand before his open arms. He lifts you and you groan. You’re still hugging him tightly but not quite with the same intimacy as before.

As Ushijima places you down you turn to look back at Iwa when Ushijima catches your face with his large hand. He coaxes your face back towards him then leans down. Ushiwaka locks eyes with Iwaizumi as he whispers something in your ear. Then he presses his lips to your cheek, still not moving his eyes away from Iwaizumi’s. Iwa tries his best to remain neutral but he can feel his lip creeping upwards in contempt. Ushiwaka is too prideful for his own good it seems.

You take Iwa’s hand again, leading him towards the exit. An exasperated look rests on your face. “What did he say to you?” Iwa asks. You sigh and shake your head. “‘S nothin’,  ya shouldn’t worry your pretty lil head ‘bout it.” Iwa can’t help but allow a smile. He raises an eyebrow at you, “think my head is pretty?” he asks. He’s met with your hazy gaze, “I do,” you say simply. Iwa wasn’t prepared for such a straightforward answer to his question.

Once out of the club, the valet pull Iwaizumi’s car around. He’s careful not to let you walk too far on your own. Sick, in those ridiculous shoes and still quite drunk, he opens the car door for you before hopping into the driver's seat. “Will you put your address in?” Iwa hands you his phone and you type it in as asked. “Thanks for doing this,” you sigh. “Yeah of course,” he says as he puts the car into gear. A few streets of city light pass by in silence. Your hands are resting in your lap but your body is still trembling. “I can- umm- pull over if you need me to…” You wave the thought away with your hand, “it was the smell of the cigar more than anything…” Iwa’s gut begins to boil again. Your voice is soft, almost defeated. He speaks before thinking better of it. “Does he always treat you like that?” You look at Iwa and make eye contact briefly before his attention is back on the road. “He was being a little extra weird today, maybe because y’all used to play volleyball together or… I dunno really, he just gets like that sometimes…” You trail off, allowing your thoughts to fade into the rearview. The silence is deafening and you feel the need to break it. “He’s really nice too though, don’t get me wrong, he cooks for me and calls to check in, he even gets me little gifts, so I know he cares.” Iwa shakes his head, “if he cared he would have stopped when you asked him to.” You take a breath, “I know but he was just having a night I guess…” Iwa pulls into your driveway as the GPS notifies him that he has ‘arrived at the destination’. He puts the car in park, “you don’t have to make excuses for him… it’s okay to be angry, if that’s how you feel.” You start to open the door, your fingers on the handle. “I’m not angry though, I’m just kinda hurt.” You open the door and start to get out, “okay, maybe a little angry too.” You laugh to yourself but not out of joy. It’s an ironic laugh and Iwa can hear the pain ringing inside of it. “Let me walk you inside.”